Father.' We hope and pray, that this spirit may prevail wherever the descendants of Israel are to be found.

"A subject, which I wish to propose with all due deference, is, that the Female Jews Society of Boston and vicinity, should undertake the support of a missionary in this country, whose main object shall be to labor among the Jews. Should the Society approve of this measure, undoubtedly some young gentleman who has devoted himself to the missionary work under the American Board would be ready to engage in this service. You will, I am persuaded, excuse the liberty I have taken in making the proposal, and the question, I hope, will be decided in such way, as shall best promote the best of causes."*

The letter which follows, written about the same time, and addressed to J. W. Langdon, Esq. Boston, contains a respectful notice of the kind attention received from the English consul at Smyrna.

"Dear Sir, Mr. Parsons in very feeble health requests me to reply to your very acceptable letter, which was duly received, and would have been answered before now, had it not been for our numerous engagements. You will, I am sure, excuse this delay, and accept the assurance of our united esteem and good wishes.

*The last report of the Society, to which Mr. Fisk alludes in this letter, exhibits the result of the application which he made to them to support a missionary to the Jews. "It is well known," says the Report, "that the grand object of our association has ever been to promote Christianity among the Jews; and that for several years we sent our money to the Jews' Society in London, as the best channel then known, through which to effect our object: But since the reception of a letter in 1822, from the beloved and lamented missionary, Rev. Pliny Fisk, in which he powerfully pleads, that a missionary may be sent by us to the Jews, our object has been to furnish the means of support to such a missionary in Western Asia. The Rev. Josiah Brewer was at length obtained, by the American Board of Foreign Missions as a missionary to the Jews. The ladies of this Society supply the funds necessary for his support, not presuming to direct his course,"

"I suppose you hear occasionally from our good friend, Mr. Lee of Smyrna. We have found him uniformly and particularly kind to us. As you know something of his views, you may be interested in reading the following remark which he wrote on the last page of the Memoir of Rev. Henry Martyn, which we had presented to him:-I dare humbly, but boldly also foretel, from my previous knowledge of the Persians, and from what I have collected from that same nation from this invaluable, and almost heavenly inspired book, that, at no very distant period in Persia, will the abominable no-religion of that odious and satanical Impostor, Mahommed, be rooted forth, never more to pollute the earth with the abominations of its desolations?'

"We find Mr. Lee's brother, who is consul here (Alexandria,) a most amiable man, and particularly friendly to us and our objects. Having been in this part of the world yourself, you will readily understand, how gratifying it must be to us, to find such men among the consuls and merchants. Unfortunately it too often happens, that Protestants, when they leave their native country, seem to feel, as if they had left behind them the Sabbath, the Gospel, and the moral law, and I had almost said, their own souls and their God. Man is a sympathetic, imitative being. We see this by the effect produced, when individuals leave a country, where the nature of Christianity is correctly understood, for one where a man is considered a Christian, because born of Christian parents and baptized, and where the Sabbath is a day of recreation and hilarity. Merchants and travellers of real and consistent piety have it in their power to do much good, and they actually do much good, and in a variety of ways. When all who bear the Christian name, come to exhibit in their lives the true spirit of Christianity, then, I think, the Gospel will spread with ease and rapidity: at least one of the great difficulties now in

the way will be removed. The other day while I was conversing with a Jew about the Gospel, he said; Christians in this country have no morality.' Unhappily from what I knew of them, I was not able to contradict the assertion, though I was able to show him, and he was obliged to admit, that the morality of the Gospel is of the highest kind, and that a true Christian cannot be immoral.”

The following extracts from Mr. Fisk's private journal shew the interesting nature of that Christian intercourse which subsisted between him and Mr. Parsons, and what their feelings were in prospect of a separation.

"Alexandria, Jan. 21, 1822. I desire to record it as one of the greatest mercies of my life, that I am permitted to enjoy the heavenly society, conversation, and prayers of my beloved brother Parsons. While at Smyrna, from December 4th, to January 9th, we enjoyed seasons of social prayer morning and evening, and our Sabbaths were peculiarly precious. I do not recollect that a single season of devotion passed, in which he did not make some remarks expressing submission to the will of God, concern for the souls of men, love to the mission, gratitude for divine mercies, confidence in the Lord, and love to the Saviour. While on our mission we have read Ps. li. more frequently than any other portion of Scripture, and he has repeatedly remarked;— 'We cannot read that too often.'

"Since we arrived at Alexandria, he often speaks of what, he hopes, I may be able to do in this mission, and as to himself, that all will be just as his heavenly Father sees best. This morning he spoke of the goodness of God, and exclaimed;-O it is overwhelming. With such a God how can we have any fears or any anxieties for a moment, other than to discharge our duty.'

"22. Mr. P. proposed to devote this day to special prayer, with reference to his health. Having relinquished hope of recovery, he said;-'I have

a few requests still, which perhaps God will grant me; and if not, his will be done. I should be glad to go and die at Jerusalem, or Bethlehem; but I am willing to leave my bones here. I praise God that the thought is not gloomy to me. He has in some measure weaned me from the world.'

"After a season of prayer we resumed our conversation. We spoke of the circumstances which led to our acquaintance, of the repeated public and private dedication of ourselves to God, and of the sacred vows we have taken upon us. Alluding to our mission he said;-'I rejoice and praise God for bringing me to this field.'

"25. Before prayers I read Ezek. xxxiv. He requested me to pray that all the sins, with which we stand charged in that and the preceding chapter, may be pardoned, and that all Christian ministers might resemble less the shepherds who feed themselves, and be more diligent in feeding their flocks.

"Feb. 2. Last evening we remarked to each other, that we undertook this mission with the expectation, that God would spare our lives as long as, and take them away when and where, he saw fit. That he would, if it was best, bring upon us weakness and sickness; and, if it was best, remove one, and leave the other to bear alone the trials, labors, and responsibilities of the mission. I trust we both felt, that we have no reason to murmur, but abundant cause for gratitude.'

TO JEREMIAH EVARTS, ESQ.

"Alexandria, Feb. 4, 1822.

"Dear Sir, It is the day of the monthly concert, -a day, the return of which always refreshes and encourages us. This morning we read 1 Chron. xxix, and Psalm lxxii, and then endeavored to raise our petitions to heaven, that God may dispose other

kings to do like David, and other princes and nobles to do like David's princes and nobles, and other people to do like David's people; and that the prayer of David, (Ps. lxxii, 19,) which has been offered so often, and by so many, and which we have so much reason to think is pleasing to God, may now at length be answered, and the promises made to Christ and his church, be, in their greatest extent, fulfilled. We endeavored also to implore a blessing on all the churches, societies, families, and individuals, who join in this monthly concert. I do earnestly and confidently hope, that so many prayers, by so many of the children of God, will not be offered in vain.

"In respect to brother Parsons's health, I can say but little in addition to what you will find in the letters we forwarded to Smyrna about ten days ago. His symptoms are in many respects more favorable; but he continues extremely weak, and his constitution is evidently very much impaired, if not completely broken down. We have a skilful physician, who says, without hesitation, that he will, in some good degree at least, recover; at the same time, he gives the opinion, that he will not be likely ever to enjoy good health again, certainly not in this climate, referring to Egypt and Judea. There will always be a tendency to a disordered state of the bowels and of the liver. He says that, for the winter, the climate of this place is favorable; for the summer, no place would be so favorable as Mount Lebanon. Were we both in health, we should wish to spend the summer on that mountain. We shall probably remain in Egypt until spring, and then, if Providence permit, go to Mount Lebanon. have entertained the hope, that one or both of us might be at Jerusalem at Easter, but we begin to fear that we shall not be able to accomplish this part of our plan. We regret this, though we regret it less than we should do, if the state of the

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