The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1873-07-23

teachers, the plOphecs. still de-
clared: '1Ae goiden age OF Israel
isystt to c0ms.' saw that notv ~
Standing Israel is 4 small dcspised
people, yet their God is to be the
God OF al! the earth, and they the
glory Of the world. | turned
again to the Bible with the new
zcst and relish OF abstinence. But
| found it still Il stubborn thing
and full o. difficulties. | tried to
spiritnallze it away; | studied and
wrote extensively to this end, but
, soon found myself falling. | was
weak, and WAS warning against
my highest interests. | found l
hat no greater eAemy than ". Jea-
ger himScJ. | thought | would
thus become happy my
self to be happy. Bat God dcliv-
CT any man from such happiness
rs | found. went to u Christian
in this city-a lady tcacLer-to
yalk with her. | told her | was
miserable: that while l was the
recognized rabbi Of the Jews here.
| was the mcanest and most mise
rablc Of them all. Shortly after l
saw dog lying TRANQUILITY in the
sunshine. | wept and wished my
self Il dog. Oh, the agony Of that
period! | can't tell it to you. Still
the idea strangely clung 10 me
that man must be good Of himself
that the 1ctH was everything !;
thr eciH was my only salvation. l
slilIed looked, longcd and !abored
for happiness. If happy once in
fancy [ was soon miserable again.
|. grew loathsome TO myself: !
hated myself However terrible |
thought hell was, | thought it not
enough Of heN for mel. And. @
brethren in Christ, believe me,
this is no exaggeration ! The more
I tried to be good the more
| couldn't, add the more wretchcd
it made me. Had Pharaoh harden
ed his heart? l thought I was
worse than a Pharaoh. Surely,
surely | thought, there is no
chance for me- l cried to God, [
prayed; Lord, ,hou. art all right,
but IL am all wrong. Lord,
there is no hope for me, bpt let
me not, oh! let me- not sin against
thee any more! Surely the past
will sufice!' Do you ask why l did
not emDrace Christ? All! l looked
upon embracing Christ as ido1a!!y.
There had not dawned upon me
any light from above 10 sec him
as he is. But here must revert
several years. l had read the new
Testament; had studied history,
and from its very foundation I
found Christianity ruling in his
tory-a sublime world power. (
had studied the character and
work of Christ. l had beer forced
to conclude that tho hfty-third
chapter Of Isaiah predicted no
other than the Christ. | read the
rabbinical commentaries; then ap-
piled it to the jewish people. But
how can they?" l asked. NO, it
cannot BEL \ man is there predict
ed Some said it was jeremiah.
But nQw?' / asked. !Was Jeremiah
wounded for our transgressions
and bruised for our iniquities ?
Is it with his stripes that we
are healed ? 1t cannot be. 1t
can't be predicti7e Of any but
Christ I said this to my bro
ther.in.law. He told me [ was
crazy. We turned to the chapter.
/ explained it to him. lie turned
pale before me; was frightened al
most to DEATH. what shall we
do ?" be cried. why, nothing;
do nothing l replied, for l was
still too proud to acknowledge: I
I was not wise enough to dovise
mvans of escape from the difficult
ty 'Ifthis chapter speaks Of CLnst:
L continued; then all the Bible
speaks of the same Christ. What
then? why reject this-rc.lect all!
1t is all an imposture. Up to this
time | say | had only seen in
Christianity something that exer-
cisel {. sublime influence on hu.
man civillzation-nothing more !
but now | saw more, l turned to
the New Testament for comfort.
Before | read it as ! road a novel
tor its Interest. ] always admired
the character Of Jesus. Years ago
q rabbi in San Francisco rebuked
me for this. But now, l say, /
went to it for soothing, for peace
yet not with intent to 6elieue it.
But it's truths forced themselves
upon me. l began to feel that
Jesus was not only good, but holy,
and that the holiness Of Jesus was
the power of the living God of
lsreal. A few weeks Of this oarn-
est reading Of the New Testament
wrought Il great change in me.
Ny mother saw it and spoke of it
a great change in my character
and life; everybody saw 1t, but lit
tie did they know the cause. had
at last been brought mysteriously
but surely to the conclusion that
nothing could help US up to God
but Jesus. One evening I went
homa tira1 out-eo 4;noj or cooI-