191

SCRIPTURE CHARADE.

VI.

ALMIGHTY GOD, thy faithful Word,
Which holy men did once record,
Declared from Israel should proceed
In time to come "the promised seed.”
Yet here is one whom Gentiles claim,
As a bright link in wisdom's chain.

But dost thou slight the gifts of heaven,
Thy gracious God to thee hath given?
Do birthrights-blessings from above,
All fail to gain thy wayward love?
Then shalt thou wander far and wide,
A victim to thy lust and pride.

But pause awhile,-prepare the way
For Israel's race, a brighter day
Is coming on:- the ark returns,

The victim on the altar burns:
In thy calm household let it rest,

And God, thy God, shall call thee blest.

THE CUPBEARER OF SHUSHAN.

LONG time ago, in Persia's court
There dwelt a captive Jew-
But little of the captive's thrail

That son of Israel knew:

For, loved and trusted by the king,

In luxury and ease,

High post in princely guise he held
In Shushan's palaces.

Yet he was sad, for tidings came
Of Salem's low estate,

Her gates all burned with fire-her walls

Ruined and desolate :

Her children, weary and oppressed,
Were sinking in despair,

He longed to leave his splendid home,
Their sorrowing lot to share.

So, day by day, and night by night,
His prayers went up on high;
And Israel's faithful God was near,
Attentive to his cry.

Persia's proud monarch bade him go
And build Jerusalem's walls,

And give his brethren place once more,
Within their fathers' halls.

So he went forth-no lingering look
Cast he on Shushan's towers,
No sigh, as for his mourning land
He left those fairy bowers:
He went to do the work of God,
Strong in Jehovah's might,
And in His service toil seemed ease,
The very darkness, light.

And what do we? Jerusalem lies

Forsaken as of old,

Her sons are scattered far and wide,

Like sheep without a fold.

The lines have fallen unto us

In many a goodly place—

Have we in love sought Salem's peace,
Or prayed for Israel's race?

J. T.

Printed at the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, Palestine Place, Bethnal Green, London.

VOL. I.

THE

CHILDREN'S JEWISH ADVOCATE.

SEPTEMBER, 1855.

BISHOP GOBAT.

ACCORDING to our promise, we give on the frontispiece of this number, a likeness of Bishop Gobat. For him and his blessed work we ought all to pray. May he be long spared by a gracious God to labour for the good of both Jews and Gentiles.

Mr. Samuel Gobat was born at Cremine, in the canton of Bern, in Switzerland, on the 26th of January, 1799. We see therefore that he is now nearly fifty-seven years of age. He himself says, that in his early life, he did not love and serve the Lord. But the Lord had mercy upon him, and when he was about nineteen years old, changed his heart by His Holy Spirit, and led him to see the Lord Jesus, to be his Saviour and his God.

From that time, Mr. Gobat was very anxious to