-to all it must be allowed to be a heavy additional expense, both present and prospective. It may not be, therefore, wholly undeserving consideration, in how far the conviction, entertained by many German friends of missions, is well or ill-founded-viz., that an indifference to domestic comforts forms a highly recommendatory adjunct to the other virtues of a missionary candidate.

At all events, the experience of how frequently cases occur in which missionaries must, for some time at least, submit to lead a single life, has suggested the establishment of an institution, where, without taking vows or pledges of any kind, young men may be trained to provide for their own domestic wants, without the aid of female hands. This Protestant celibatic school bears the name of the Pilgrim Mission-house, and is situated in the neighbourhood of Basle, at a placed called St. Crischona, the history of which carries us back as far as the 12th century, and is connected with no small portion of the romance of that period.

"At that early date, three sister countesses, named Margaretta, Odelia, and Crischona, having resolved to devote themselves to single blessedness, and their property to the cause of God, built three churches (on three several hills, at no great distance from each other), which were respectively named after their three noble founders. The church of St. Margaretta, the most proximate to Basle, still exists as a place of Christian worship; that of St. Odelia still remains but as a picturesque ruin; while that of St. Crischona has been repaired, and devoted to a purpose, doubtless highly congenial to the sentiments and wishes of the vestal foundress--viz., as the preparatory school of twelve young missionaries elect, there voluntarily associated for the purpose of learning, practically, the mysteries of bachelor housewifery.

Being all of the artizan class, and designing to pursue the same avocations in their future missionary career, they combine the exercise of their respective callings, with whatever theological studies are prescribed for them by the Basle Missionary College, whence they have come out, and by whose friendly counsels they regulate their conduct, though without being a burden on its funds. As no female resides within the walls, the performance of the household duties is taken by the brethren in turn. Each, therefore, acts, during his week, the part of housemaid, cook, waiter, laundress, tailor, and purveyor for the household.

"I lately received a very amusing account of this Protestant monastery from an eye-witness of its arrangements. My informant (who was a lady) described her impressions thus:

"I set out from Basle, under the guidance of a friend belonging to the Missionary College, so as to reach Crischona about two o'clock. The door was opened by a young man in a clean, but coarse grey blouse, fastened round the middle by a black leather girdle. He ushered us into the small, plainlyfurnished parlour, where we were speedily joined by some others of the inmates. After a few minutes' conversation, the porter, who had evidently the charge of doing all the honours, asked if we had dined, and receiving rather an evasive answer, he instantly left the room,-as it afterwards appeared,—“ on hospitable thoughts intent." On entering the kitchen soon afterwards, in the course of our inspection of the premises, I recognised him in kitchen costume (that is to say, in white apron and nightcap), busily engaged in frying pancakes, which he shortly after placed on the parlour table, which he had likewise contrived to lay and arrange, with neat simplicity, during our absence from the room. He next acted as attendant upon our meal, and after removing the plates, &c., was again invisible for a few minutes; after which, the indefatigable grey blouse re-appeared with coffee, which he had been to prepare. His culinary labours thus completed, he now seated himself, and took his share in the conversation, which occupied the remainder of our stay,

and in which the inmates of Crischona evinced no inconsiderable measure of intelligence and piety.'

"Such are the artisan brotherhood, of whom two, named Palmer and Schik, proceeded, in 1844, to Jerusalem, with the design of forming there a lay mission, wholly independent of either the Episcopalian establishment in the Holy City, or the London Jewish Missionary Society, yet very essentially aiding the design of both, not only by the exhibition of an edifying example of Christian purity, sobriety, and diligence, but by affording a much-wanted refuge to such Israelitish proselytes as are willing to earn their bread. Messrs. Palmer and Schik, having won, by their exemplary conduct, the highest testimonials from Bishop Gobat, have been recently joined by two others from the Pilgrim Mission-house, whose expected arrival filled the earlier pioneers with a lively and most natural joy. In one of their letters now before me, dated in March, 1848, and addressed to the indefatigable superintendent of the Basle Missionary Institution, Chr. Fred. Spittler, their multitudinous and perplexing avocations are thus naively alluded to.

"The days on which your letters reach us are ever our féte-days. Even our Jewish pupils, now four in number, can scarcely restrain their oriental vivacity of impatience to know the contents, but jump and caper about, exclaiming, What news, what news from the far country?' before we can possibly find time to master and translate the intelligence. Judge then of their joy (not to say ours!), when your last reached us, announcing the speedy arrival of brethren to share our labours! Yes, help is joyous, even in prospect, to the burthened! And, truly, it is no easy matter to purvey, to cook, to wash, to iron, to make and to mend for a family of nine! Nor is this all that lays upon us, for our pupils must be taught, and, moreover, we have now a new scholar, in an Armenian, who comes daily for instruction in the German language. Then, so long as there are but two of us to divide the labour, this round of domestic duty recurs every second week, while the intermediate one must be given to watch-making, turning, and all the mechanical branches of our undertaking. In fact, my poor head is often so confused, that I hardly know what to set about first, and then I feel half inclined to run away, and leave it all! But you must not think this foolish and ungrateful frame lasts long! No! we have great encouragement in our work; and if it is sometimes almost beyond our strength, we know WHO has said, 'cast your burthen on ME, and I will sustain you.' And, indeed, our gracious Lord does sustain us; so that I ought to blush even to name discouragement.'

"Brother Schik being by trade a turner, and Palmer a watchmaker, the very judicious and practical plan has been devised, of supplying them with works of watches from Switzerland, to be by them put together, and fitted up with cases, &c., in Jerusalem. The second supply of this nature reached Joppa in February last, and brother Schik describes his delight, on occasion of unpacking the treasure (in which he was assisted by a Greek priest), in the following terms:

"What joy was mine to see such a number of beautiful pieces of workmanship! I assure you I need to watch my heart, lest it should cleave to them with such artistic delight as to dispossess my Saviour of the chief place in my contemplation! For, in addition to my own interest in such things, our house has ever since their arrival been overrun from morning till night by persons of all classes desirous of examining these watches. About one-half is already disposed of, and the other half might have been, but that, with all my diligence, I have not been able to complete the fittings. Very many go into the Greek monastery. Others are sold to Roman Catholics, Turks, and Jews. Greek bishops and Turkish effendis are our daily visitors, so that there is little

doubt of the watches still in work being quickly disposed of. There is plenty of demand for turning work, too, and my proselyte apprentices behave and learn well. Thanks be to God, not only ourselves and the boys, but the family of bishop Gobat are in good health. This year promises to be a most fruitful one. We have had so much rain as not only to have once seen water in the Kedron, and the ponds which are usually dry, but the fountain of Nehemiah, below Siloah, actually overflowed so strongly, that four mill-wheels might have been driven by it! Now, indeed, it has again retired within its own limits: but "streams of water in a thirsty land" are sights of peculiar interest.'

"The residence of these brethren in Jerusalem, and the constant opportunity thus afforded them for close observation of the domestic state of the lower classes of the population, whether Jewish, Mahommedan, or professedly Christian, has convinced them that one of the most pressing wants of Jerusalem, as it now is, is a house of rescue and instruction for neglected children, with whom the streets swarm, and of whom it may truly be said, ‘no one careth for their souls' or their bodies either. Missionary Palmer says, on this subject:

"Alas, how many hungry and half-naked children wander about in this region like lambs who have never had a shepherd, and whose minds are left as naked, and their souls as defenceless as their bodies! Not long since we went, on a Saturday, to a wretched school, situated at the foot of Mount Moriah. The inhabitants of this village chiefly dwell in caves and clefts of the rocks. There we saw whole tribes of children, who are left to roam about, and grow up as the beasts of the field, and who followed us with loud and ceaseless cries of "Bread! bread!" Oh! how gladly would we hasten to their help, both in temporals and spirituals! but we have not the means. Should it really be impossible to stir up the hearts of some Christians in the West, in behalf of these perishing little ones in the East, and thus obtain the means of rescuing them from their lost and degrading condition by giving them a Christian education? The suggestion thus thrown out was readily entertained by Mr. Spittler, to whom the letter was addressed. His active benevolence devised a plan for gathering funds by the instrumentality of a Christian lady, who having already proved herself a most successful beggar for the cause of God, was deemed an eligible agent for carrying on this new labour of love.

Mrs. Dunker, the widow of an esteemed pastor of the French Reformed Church in Strasburgh, and mother of Mrs. Seiler, the wife of a zealous and successful missionary of the Church of England Missionary Society, had been induced to make collections, both in Germany and England, for the erection of a school-house in the island of St. Croix, where her son-in-law then laboured. She succeeded in raising the large sum of 5,000 dollars, to which the King of Prussia contributed 500; and her subscription-book might raise the envy of many a collector of autographs, since it bears the signatures of a large proportion of the notables both of Germany and England; among the latter, Queen Victoria, and the Queen Dowager, both appear.

"The sum obtained, and the St. Croix school-house built and occupied, Mrs. Dunker has now received and responded to the new call made upon her; and is at this moment travelling through Germany, collecting for the erection of a school-house and house of refuge in Jerusalem, for the benefit of its youthful outcasts, whether born of Jewish, Mahommedan, or so-called Christian parents. If life and health be granted this indefatigable Christian lady designs, so soon as the whole sum has been obtained and the house erected, to proceed personally to Jerusalem, and become the matron of this first Palestine House of Rescue.

London: Waterlow and Sons, 66 & 67, London Wall.

THE

BAPTIST RECORD,

AND

BIBLICAL REPOSITORY.

DECEMBER, 1848.

I.-A SERMON, BY JOHN FOSTER.*

They shall be mine, saith the Lord of Hosts, in the day when I make up my jewels."-Malachi, iii. 17.

It seems, then, the Lord of Hosts has something, even in this evil world, on which he sets a high and peculiar value ;-notwithstanding there is so much that he condemns, sometimes as if all were evil. Indeed, it were very strange if he had not, when we consider what it is for Him to have formed, sustained, governed, a world. Think of this mighty globe of matter! Why, it requires an angel's faculty to conceive any adequate notion of its very magnitude. There never was a man on earth who had space enough for it in his mind, if we may express it so. And then think of all its elements;-its marvellous order;-the laws of Nature, invented, established, maintained in perpetual force ;— its productions. And then, its relation to the heavens. Next, the mighty scheme of Providence. And, the whole system of spiritual government. Now, in so vast a system of existence, and so immense and various an economy of operation and regulation, there should be found something peculiarly precious, and of which he may say, by eminence—" It is mine."

"My jewels." It is a strong expression of value; is so among men. But, what can there be in this world that HE will set such eminent value upon? what, that can be "jewels" to Him? to

*Communicated by the Editor of his Life and Correspondence. VOL. I.-NEW SERIES.-No. XII.

b2Z

Him, "in whose sight the heavens are not pure, and who chargeth his angels with folly?" What account does He make of all that is the most splendid and costly among the material things of this world? What values He the unknown wealth, (unknown but to Him) of the mines of gold and silver, and all the other hidden wealth? What values He all the precious stones in the world— the riches of treasuries-the sumptuousness of palaces, crowns, and thrones? But, nevertheless, there is something here which he condescends to call his "jewels;" something which he distinguishes from all that shines and sparkles, and glitters, with material lustre from the things which the earthly and carnal inhabitants of the earth have the most coveted and idolised. What can it be here that he has had his gracious thoughts upon, even before the creation, and in the designs and decrees of eternity? What, that his glorious Son should come down to seek and save? and to die in order to save? What,-that he watches to guard and preserve against the grand thief, ever vigilant upon the very same objects, who would, with pre-eminent exultation, plunder the earth of its great monarch's "jewels," and would not care for the whole globe in comparison? What, that he will at length collect together into a bright assemblage? Ask the insatiable collectors of treasure, or of the rare productions of Nature or Art. Ask the ambitious potentates and conquerors; or even the proud philosophers. But we need ask no one. We can easily tell what,-for God has told us. The souls that have a heavenly quality in them,-a spiritual relation and resemblance to Himself, (therefore incorruptible and imperishable), a quality which he has put in them,—and is supernatural. They had it not originally, and could not have acquired it from any or all the elements, material or intellectual, of this world. It is expressly called, "a partaking of the Divine Nature." A mysterious thing! We wonder at the properties which some things in material Nature are found to possess. Science is perfectly amazed at what is observed and discovered in them. But here, in souls divinely renewed, is something for still deeper wonder. Wonderful, how the soul receives this quality, what is the precise nature of the operation which imparts it,-how a new relation to God is created? How far is this beyond all Philosophy! Wonderful, how this quality is maintained, in defiance of an infinity of things opposed to it, in the soul, and without it. There adheres to the jewel itself something that is base and corrosive, tending to spoil it. But it is not wonderful that the spirits in which it dwells should be esteemed by the Lord of Hosts as his "jewels."

They are scattered here and there, among earthly things. They