SABBATH SCHOOL VISITER. VOL. IV. APRIL, 1836. NO. 4. LETTER FROM THE CHILDREN'S MINISTER. My Young Friends,-Have any of you ever seen that little boy who obtained a hope in my Sabbath school? His complexion was very dark; his eyes black. He was about seven years old. His father was a drunkard.His mother loved God and prayer. They were very poor. I went into the neighborhood once to preach a lecture. About three persons were present, besides about ten children. It was a back neighborhood in a back town. I said, What shall 1 do for all this great neighborhood? Most of the people here hate God and profane the Sabbath. I remembered what a man told me, once, when he met me in the road, as I was telling him about some parents who were opposed to Sabbath schools. He said " Well, catch the pigs and the old hogs will come." So I said, I'll have a Sabbath school. I talked to the ten children awhile, in a pleasant way, and then I went to them and showed them the Testament, and told them where to begin. You may learn that verse, and you may learn so many. Next Wednesday I will come here and will keep school in the afternoon. And will you all be here? Yes, sir, yes, sir, from every one at once. I went from house to house and saw the children. The next Wednesday there were about twenty children in the house wait ing. I heard them read a chapter, and then I prayed. All were still. I then organized. It was easy and short work, for there was only one superintendent, and he was the only teacher. One child arose and repeated his verse, and then the next, until all had recited. Then I told them about the pauses, emphasis, and meaning. And then I sung a short hymn; talked to them about their own souls and God, and closed by prayer. SI did, week after week, for several months. All were very serious. I never met one of them in the road but they were pleased as if they had seen a long absent father. Sometimes they would call after me in the street, and want to know when I was coming to see them. One day, as I was riding slowly along, a little boy came running after me, and said, “Ma'am wants you should come up to our house; my brother is serious." I had known it long before, and had talked with him. I went to see him. When I drove into the door yard, I saw the little boy on the wood pile with his axe. He came down and followed me in, went and washed his face and combed his hair while I was talking with his mother. Then he took his little chair and sat down by my side and listened. How pleasant he looked. "Well," said I, "how do you feel now?" "I feel as if I wanted to praise God with all my might." And it was said so solemnly that I never shall forget it. Not long after this his two sisters, one older and another younger, obtained hopes. And when their father was gone, their mother would read à chapter and this little boy would pray. My lectures became full and solemn. About this time, I was called to take a Sabbath school mission. I afterwards learned that that neighborhood was blessed, and many of those dear youth and children, with some of their parents, gave evidence of a saving change. My dear friends, shall I meet you in heaven? I could tell you many such facts. I could tell you of churches formed and meeting-houses built from these small beginnings. But shall I leave you? Will you go now on your knees to God and say, "O God, I am wicked. Blessed Jesus, didst thou not die for the wicked? And O why not for me? Here I am a poor sinner. Lord I come to thee. I am thine. O save me. Make me a child, and I will love thee forever." Yours, truly, CHILDREN'S MINISTER. good A GIRL WHO HATED PRAYER AND A BOY WHO LOVED IT. "Don't walk so fast, Lucy," said a little girl, apparently eight or nine years old, to her companion on their way to school; "I hope the door will be closed before we get there, for I do not like to hear Mr. every morning." 66 pray Mother," said little Albert, "I do not want any dinner to-day." Why, my son, are you sick?" "No, mother, but the bell is ringing for the Sabbath school. May I get my cap and go ?" "You had better wait, dear; if you are a few minutes later than usual this cold weather, your teacher will excuse you." "I know she will; but last Sabbath I felt so unhappy because I was not there to kneel down with the children when they prayed, that every thing went wrong." Neither of these children had pious parents; but one was a Sabbath scholar; the other was not. L LETTERS FROM PERSIA. No. VI. Oormiah, (Persia,) Jan., 1835. To the Sabbath Schools in Amherst and Andover, Mass. INTERVIEW OF THE INTERPRETER AND A PRIEST. May 31. My dear friends. Our interpreter made the acquaintance of an Armenian Priest. The priest met him, in the road, and saluted him, and the following conversation ensued: Priest. "You have come here with a gentleman, I understand." Interpreter. "Yes, with an American gentleman.” P. "I believe you are a Turk—your clothes resemble those of Turkish soldiers." I. P. "No; my nation is Armenian." "Why then do you wear such clothes?" I. "I am the interpreter of this American gentleman." P. "I am very glad, that one Armenian is permitted to wear European clothes. Is the American gentleman a Protestant ?” I. "Yes." P. "Well, you are every day with this gentleman; do you eat all things? I. "Yes; in the New Testament, it is written, 'to the pure all things are pure.' P. "It is true; very well. Come, go with me to my garden, and drink coffee. When you go home, give my respects to the American gentleman, and invite him to come and see me and walk with me, every day, in my garden." Most of the religion of oriental Christians consists in cross ing themselves, and attentions to meats, drinks, &c., in reference to which, they are very pertinacious. The liberality of feeling, therefore, in respect to fasts, manifested by this priest, was very gratifying. THE SABBATH. June 1. The holy Sabbath came; but no "church-going bell" called us to the sanctuary of God. The European residents, here, make the Sabbath a holyday; and thus the current of worldliness among them is not arrested from week to week and month to month; but receives a new impulse, even, by every return of holy time. The native nominal Christians spend a small portion of the day in senseless ceremonies, and the rest in clamor and noise. And the Mohammedans take no particular interest in our Sabbath, unless it be, in special expressions of contempt for the Son of God, whose resurrection from the grave the day commemorates. In the morning, the French consul and his sons called to make our acquaintance. They are Catholics, in religious profession. In the afternoon, Mr. Masson, interpreter of the English consul, and his wife and child, called to see us. Mr. M. is a very intelligent gentleman. His father was a Frenchman, and his mother a Greek. His wife is also a Greek. I gave his little boy a copy of the New Testament, in modern Greek, and thus I hope the Sabbath visit may prove a blessing to the visiters. Their stay, as well as that of the French gentlemen, was fortunately short. MONTHLY CONCERT. June 2. Mrs. P. and myself, in our small retired room, attended the Monthly Concert. Never, before, have we so deeply realized our separation from country and home, as on this occasion. VISIT TO A SCHOOL-INTERVIEW WITH PRIESTS. June 4. To-day I visited the Armenian priest, above mentioned. He is the second ecclesiastic, in age and influence, in this city. He received me very cordially, and took me to visit the Armenian school. The Armenians here have but one school, and this scarcely deserves the name. It is under the care of the clergy, some of whom usually visit it every day, and is taught by one young man. It now consists of about one hundred and twenty boys. All sat upon the stone floor. The room is small, and has neither benches, tables, nor glass windows. Still, the poor boys, almost every one with bright black eyes, seemed happy even there. A few of them have tattered copies of the Psalms, which are the only school books in the school. The teacher has one entire copy of the Bible, which, I was told, he reads daily to the children. But in the absence of books and other apparatus suitable for a school room, I was pointed to notice the walls, hung, almost entirely, with images and crosses. Three priests were present when I called to see this school. All seemed delighted, and professed themselves highly honored by my attention. I told them and the children about our schools in America. "We wish," said the priests, " that our girls also, and all our children could learn; but we are poor and oppressed by the Mohammedans." I inquired of the priests whether they would each accept of me a copy of the New Testament, in their own language. "Most gladly," they replied, " and we wish you to write our names in them, together with your own, and we shall always think, with pleasure and gratitude, of the giver." They invited me to walk and sit with them in their garden, importuned me to repeat my calls, and when I left them, sent bunches of flowers and roses, and many compliments to Mrș. Perkins. DISTRIBUTION OF TESTAMENTS-THEIR RECEPTION. June 5. To-day my interpreter carried the New Testaments to the Armenian priests. They returned many thanks and said they should read these books in their churches, that the people might be able to understand what they hear. The Testaments are printed in Armenio-Turkish, a language understood by all classes; whereas, the Bibles hitherto used, where Bibles exist at all, are in Ancient Armenian, a language about as well understood here, by priests and people, as Egyptian hieroglyphics. When my interpreter delivered the Testaments, an aged priest, from Gumush Khanch, a town back in the interior, was present. He was so enraptured at the sight of the books, that he instantly pulled off his cap, looked up and exclaimed, “Oh God, reward this gentleman, and bless him on his journey." And when the interpreter left them, this aged priest called him back, told him to present me much love, and beg for himself one such New Testament. June 6. To-day several boys from the Armenian school called on me, begging for New Testaments; but I was compelled to send them away empty; for I had disposed of every Armenian Testament I had with me. Remember, my dear friends, the benighted parents and children, who, by thousands and millions, are perishing in these dark countries, for want of the bread of eternal life. And cease not to pray, and labor, and GIVE, that Bibles and tracts, and missionaries may be speedily sent among them, to guide them in the way to heaven! Very affectionately yours, |