Some Jewish Witnesses For Christ
felt indignant and strongly opposed him. It was an insult, I thought, to
suppose that the Jews were in error in regard to Jesus of Nazareth, that
the Christians were right, and that our holy religion was inferior to
Christianity. I visited, however, the missionary several times
afterwards, and argued with him. In the meantime the New Testament was
put into my hands, and I was requested to read it. I did so, but I did
not relish it, because of the Deity ascribed therein to Jesus Christ.
This was the crucial point with me at the time. Still, I continued to
read the New Testament; but, I confess it with shame, I often threw the
book away from me, or dropped it down on the ground.
"Thus for two years the struggle went on, but I searched the Scriptures
earnestly and diligently, and besought the Lord to help me, until, by
the grace of God, I found the truth, and Jesus Christ was revealed unto
me as the suffering, despised and crucified Messiah, who endured all for
my sins, for the sins of my nation and of the whole world. The change
that came upon me was indeed great; my pride vanished, my dislike of
Christ disappeared, all opposition to the truth ceased, and I felt a
wonderful love to Him who first loved me, and who gave Himself for me.
"I can only speak of it now as a new creation. But it was the view of
Jesus Christ upon the Cross which melted my heart. I cannot explain it
in words, but it was a reality, and held me fast and absorbed all my
thoughts until I could almost realize the words of the prophet
Zechariah, 'And they shall look upon Me whom they have pierced and
mourn.' And I did mourn too!
"This was no doubt the most remarkable incident in my conversion, and,
like Paul of old, I 'determined not to know anything among men, save
Jesus Christ and Him crucified.'
"After my baptism, I wrote home and told them of my conversion, and my
faith in Jesus Christ. There was no answer for some time, but it came at
length couched in rather mild terms, and expressing a hope that I knew
best what I had done, and had taken the step after being fully convinced
that it was the right one. But I could read between the lines that they
were grieved at home in that I had left Judaism and embraced
Christianity, and thus, according to their notion, had become 'a
Meshumed.' Still, my joy in the Lord increased daily, for I knew in whom
I had believed.
"As to my future calling, I was uncertain for some time, although it was
in my heart to preach the Gospel to my brethren, but the Lord opened a
door for me, and I was thankful to realize that it was His doing and not
mine.
"After three years' training in a college, I was appointed to labour
first in England among the Jews, and then I went abroad and preached the
Gospel to Jews and Gentiles in lands beyond the seas. Whilst abroad I
was greatly blessed in my labours, and in one place I officiated in a
church and dispensed the Word of Life to Jews and Gentiles for several
years.
"Since my return to England, I have spent all my time in missionary
operations among my Jewish brethren in various towns of this realm, and
have sought, by the grace of God, to lead them to Jesus Christ, the true
Messiah and Redeemer.
"It has been my privilege to preach the Gospel to a very large number of
Jews and Jewesses during my missionary career, and the good Lord has
been pleased to grant me tokens of His favour and approbation in souls
of the House of Israel, whom I have led to the Good Shepherd, the Lord
Jesus Christ. I rejoice to know that I have spiritual children who are
walking worthy of their high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Some of
them are in the ministry, and others following honest callings and
leading quiet Christian and useful lives to the honour and praise of
God. And I may be permitted to add that many others perhaps, though
unknown to me at present, have been led to believe in Jesus Christ
through my humble instrumentality, and who are known of God."
MONTEFIORE, Lydia, was born a Jewess, and was the aunt of Sir Moses
Montefiore, Bart. Her parents were orthodox Jews, and she was taught
strictly to observe the Sabbath as a sacred day, as well as the feasts
and fasts, and other ceremonies prescribed by the law of Moses. Early in
life she was instructed in the duties enjoined by the rabbis on Jewish
women. At the same time she had instilled into her youthful mind the
lofty idea of the Unity of God, and the pre-eminence of the Jews.
After the death of her parents she visited America, and some of the
countries of Europe, but finally took up her abode in Marseilles, where
she remained until her death. "In March 1854," writes Mr. J. P. Cohen,
"I arrived in Marseilles as missionary under the auspices of the British
Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews, and in the
following month I was introduced to Miss Montefiore by a lady who felt a
deep interest in her spiritual welfare, but before doing so she said,
'You will find her an out-and-out Jewess, and a great bigot.'
"On entering her house the lady said, 'I have brought an Israelite, Mr.
Cohen, and his wife to see you.' She received us very kindly, and after
the ladies had had some conversation, observing the Bible on a small
table by her side, I said, 'You read your Bible, I see.' 'Yes,' she
replied, 'it is my greatest comfort.' I took the sacred volume and read
Isaiah liii., and at the close asked her what she thought of that
wondrous chapter. 'I should like to hear your opinion upon it,' replied
Miss Montefiore. I told her I could unhesitatingly say that it referred
to the life and death of the Messiah; and that it had been literally
accomplished in the person of Jesus, whom I believed to be the promised
Messiah. 'Then you are a Christian,' she said. 'I am happy to say I am,'
was my reply. 'God has graciously opened my eyes to behold in Jesus my
promised Redeemer.' Turning to the lady who had introduced us, she
angrily said, 'I thought you told me they were Israelites?' 'So they
are, true Israelites,' replied the lady. A short pause ensued, and from
the quivering of Miss Montefiore's lips and flushed cheeks, I could
plainly see that her Jewish pride was roused, and with much vehemence
she said, 'I think it is most insulting to call on people, and try to
convert them from the faith of their fathers. Why not let every one
remain in the religion in which they were born? I must tell you I am a
thorough Jewess: I was born a Jewess, and I have lived eighty-three
years as a Jewess, and hope I shall die a Jewess.' But quickly
recovering her composure she said, 'I repeatedly hear Christians say
that they love the God of Abraham. I cannot conceive how they can do
that, and not keep the law which He gave to His servant Moses. If Christ
has done away with the law of Moses, how can He be the Messiah?' I
replied that this was one of the many erroneous ideas the Jews have of
Christ. He did not come to destroy the law, or the prophets, as the Jews
seemed to think, but to fulfil all that the law and the prophets wrote
concerning Him. It was He who made known the true meaning of all the
Mosaic ordinances and institutions. He explained their righteous
precepts, the latter of which at the time of His coming the scribes and
Pharisees had rendered of none effect through their traditions. Besides,
I told her that God had promised to make a new covenant with us, and to
write His law in our hearts. Here she rather abruptly interrupted, and
asked where that new covenant was to be found. 'It is not in my Bible,'
she said. 'Pardon me, it is in your Bible,' and I shewed her Jer. xxxi.
31-33, which she read with evident surprise.
"We conversed for a long time; Miss Montefiore shewing great interest in
all I said, and as we were about to leave she pleasantly remarked, 'I
cannot understand how a Jew who believes in Jesus can still be an
Israelite.' I told her not to think I ceased to be a Jew because I
believed in the Lord Jesus, far from it; He was a Jew Himself; all His
first disciples were Jews; He personally preached only to Jews; and it
was not till the Jews refused to listen that His apostles were sent to
the Gentiles. She seemed much pleased with this piece of Scriptural
truth, and on bidding her adieu, she asked us to call again, and said,
'I shall be pleased to see you at any time, except on the Saturday,
which day I set apart for prayer and Bible reading.'
"I soon paid her another visit, and after a little talk about passing
events our conversation turned on repentance, which appeared to be her
favourite topic. I said, 'What we want most is to have our sins
forgiven; not always to be repenting of them, but to forsake them
altogether. God did not say to our fathers when in Egypt, "When I hear
you repenting I will save you," but He says, "When I see the blood I
will pass over you" (Exod. xii. 13). The blood was Israel's security
then, and it is the blood now that makes atonement for the soul (Lev.
xvii. 11). 'And without shedding of _blood_ there is no remission.'
"After a little hesitation she said: 'We have no priest, no temple; the
place appointed where alone it was lawful to offer sacrifice is
inaccessible to us (Jews). Surely the Almighty will not require of us
that which we cannot perform; He will mercifully accept our prayers, our
fastings, our observance of the Sabbath, and the reading of the law, as
I do daily, as a substitute for performing the law.' 'Dear madam,' I
said, 'let me beg of you not to rely on such bruised reeds, nor build
your soul's salvation on such sinking sand; they are but vain excuses;
they may quiet your conscience, calm your fears, and lull you into a
false security, which you may only discover when too late.'
"The following will shew her idea of repentance. In writing to a friend
in March 1853 on this subject, she said: 'You say repentance is not
sufficient for forgiveness of sins. Then why did King David say to God,
"Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; Thou delightest not
in burnt offerings; the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken
and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise!" Let us follow God's
commandments, and do unto others as we would they should do unto us, and
be patient under all adversities. But the last, I fear, I am deficient
in, for I am often very irritable and impatient.'
"It was wonderful to see how her views of the Messiahship of Jesus
became daily more distinct.
"I have just returned from a visit to our aged friend, Miss Montefiore,
after having had a most interesting conversation, or rather, I might
say, a Bible reading with her. I was greatly pleased to observe that her
tone, when speaking of the Saviour, was much milder than in any of my
former visits; and her anxiety for the truth was so great that it gave
me real pleasure to be with her. She said: 'All I want to know is the
truth. I shall receive nothing, unless I see it plainly revealed in my
Bible.' She expressed a wish to read the New Testament, and asked where
she could procure one. I told her I daily expected some Bibles and
Testaments from London, and that as soon as they arrived I should be
most happy to supply her with one.
"About this time the cholera was raging in Marseilles, and hundreds were
daily cut down by this most painful epidemic; and not feeling well
myself, our friends strongly advised us to leave the town for a few
weeks. During our absence the Spirit of God worked mightily in this
lady's soul.
"On our return we heard she had frequently enquired after us, and often
said, 'I miss them much, I hope they will soon return.' Accordingly
Mrs. Cohen did not lose any time, but called upon her at once, and was
received by Miss Montefiore with great affection. Having been reminded
of the near approach of the Day of Atonement, and 'without shedding of