The Story Ends
THIS story must now be brought to an end, and the reader will please bear in mind that, between this chapter and the last, several years have passed by. Isaac Levinsohn is no longer a youth; he is a happy father of six children, and has a loving partner in his wife. He owes many advantages to his education in the Pastor's College, Metropolitan Tabernacle. The desire of his heart is realized, for his present position enables him to go to all parts of the kingdom, preaching Jesus Christ and Him crucified, and gives him the opportunity for relating God's gracious ways with himself, and with many, yes, very many, of the nation of Israel.
Thus far has the Lord led me, and as I cast a retrospective look over the years that have gone by, I thank my God for every difficulty and every sorrow I have undergone, and for His peace which passes all understanding, which, even this day, fills my heart. He has made my dangers, adventures, journeys, hungerings and weariness, yes, my every trial to become an occasion of thanksgiving. I cannot cease to thank God for enabling me to settle in this land of civil and religious liberty, and in delivering me from a country of cruel despotism. But what is this compared with that great liberty into which I have been brought, even the sweet freedom of the Gospel of God's Son, which He gives to all who come to Him, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. Oh! how I long that my Jewish brethren might learn to put aside every form of self-righteousness, and, casting aside the burdens of Rabbinism, simply trust in Jesus who, is abundantly able to save.
But this chapter is especially written in order to recount some of God's gracious ways with my family in Kovno. Great changes have taken place there during the last three years, caused by the bitter persecutions against the Jews, which have broken out in various parts of the Russian empire. Thousands of Jews have been driven out of their homes, and from scenes of comfort and affluence to perish in misery and want. Great fires have been maliciously ignited, and the houses of many Jews—indeed, at times whole villages inhabited by Jews—have been burnt, and the poor people have been cast out, almost naked, to starve and to perish. Around the burning rains cruel mobs have gathered, and while witnessing the conflagrations they have mocked the cries of the innocent children and the tears of their mothers as they were driven out, where, they knew not. In the face of this wickedness, let English Christians ask, "How can the Jews in Russia have any kinder thoughts of the Christian religion than I used to have?" for these persecutions are inflicted upon the Jews simply because they are Jews!
Ten years had passed away since I had heard from my dear family, and at length my longings, my yearnings, my prayers for news from my home were answered. But, alas, what news! My father had died a victim to the persecutions, my precious mother was a widow, and, with my two young sisters, was brought to desolation.
How to act or what to do I knew not I Would my mother accept any help from me?. Would she so much as receive a letter from her son, who for ten years had been cut off, cursed, and considered as dead? However, my duty was plain, and I wrote:—
“My dear mother,—I have heard of your terrible calamity. Remember, that God is wise, loving, and righteous. Oh! if I knew how to comfort you, how gladly would I do so, I would then endeavor to cheer you.
“My dear mother, for ten years I have been compelled to be silent. Will you now allow me to offer you a few words of sympathy, for my heart bleeds for you?
“How mysterious are the ways of God! He has called you to be a lonely widow. May it not be, dear mother, for some wise and good purpose? When I think of you, my precious mother, and my dear young sisters, whom I cannot help, I feel sure that He, who is a Father unto the fatherless and a Husband to the widow, will not allow you to live unprotected and unprovided for, but will give you succor.
“I am very anxious to help you, will you allow me the pleasure to do so, and let me do my sacred duty to you as becomes a son? Of the little that I have you shall have a part. You shall not want. I will rather deny myself in order that my precious mother may be provided for. If I have only one penny you shall have half of it, and I am sure that my God will supply all my needs. I enclose.... notes, which you will be able to exchange anywhere, and will joyfully send you.... every month.
I was impatient to receive a reply. At last it came, and with what feelings did I read the words written in my mother's handwriting!
“My dear Son,—Your sweet letter came to hand when your sisters and myself were at prayers over the grave of your sainted father. We were there for several hours, prostrate, and crying that his holy soul might intercede for us, three lonely women. My eyes were nearly blinded with much crying as we lay prostrate upon the sacred soil, under which rests your precious father, and my sweet companion, husband and all. Oh! what am I without him? Life is not worth living. Oh! why has not God taken me first?
“Opening your letter, your dear sisters read it with me. We were all overcome, and we all burst out crying and lamenting, and when we came to ourselves we three vowed that the God of your fathers should be our God. “Your letter, my dear child, has almost made me brokenhearted. It is a mystery to me that you should show me such kindness, when I think that you are a Christian and have been one for some years. I never thought that a Christian would show kindness to a mother in distress, more especially in my case, as I consider how we have acted towards you, for we have disowned you, and erased your name from our family register, pronouncing you accursed and a meshumad.
“If we had seen you on the streets of Kovno starving, and in the greatest misery, we should have naturally rejoiced—we should not even have offered you a morsel of bread, or a cup of water, and yet, as soon as God has visited us with trouble, you are coming forward to be a savior unto us. You certainly, I must confess, exhibit a better spirit than what any of us would have shown. "My dear son, whom I considered dead, is after all alive! I thank you for your sweet words of comfort and offered help. The notes are to hand, and they are indeed a most acceptable gift. God Himself reward you.
“Yet, oh! how I wish I could be sure that my son Isaac still feared God, the God of Israel. I fear you have forsaken Him. Seek His face now. There is no God like unto Jehovah, the God of Israel.”
A fresh opportunity was thus opened to me for corresponding with my mother. I began to realize that although her terrible troubles were almost more than she could bear, probably they would become the means of her blessing. While rendering temporal help, I began at once to send her, in one form and another, the words of truth. I translated a sermon on "Christ our Passover," and sent it to her, with a letter from which the following sentences are extracted:
“I wish to explain that which seems a mystery to you. You are surprised that I should want to help you. It is strange to you that I, your son, should show kindness to you, my own mother. Is it not the duty of every son to help his mother? especially is it not mine to help her who, from my earliest days, has brought me up with tears and prayers?
“I know you do not understand my profession of Christianity. You have no doubt an idea that the religion I have embraced is as the religion of the Christians whom you see in Kovno. These people are Goyim [idolaters], whose lives are unworthy. But I am not a Goi [idolater]; I worship the God of Israel; Jehovah is my God, and none other God do I serve.
"The true Christian religion is a different thing entirely from what you see. True Christianity ennobles a man and makes him pure, true, and holy. It teaches people to love one another, and to forgive even their enemies, and although you have for years disowned me because I am a Christian, yet I have never forgotten to pray for you, my dear mother, and for all my kindred.
“Had I not been a believer in the Messiah, and influenced by His beautiful teaching, very likely the door of my heart would have been shut against even you, and, others with you. The remembrance that I was cut off by you, and cursed, might, perhaps, have caused me to turn a deaf ear to the sad cry of even a mother, but were I guilty of such conduct, I should be unworthy to be called a Christian, a name you cannot understand, but one which, thank God, is known here.
“I have a magnificent example before me, when I think of the last words of the dying Jesus of Nazareth. When He gazed from the cross of shame and anguish upon the multitude who triumphed in His death, He prayed, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' When I think of Him, and know that He is my Savior, how can I help loving Him? This Jesus is the Savior of the world. To Him every knee shall bow. The more I think of Him the more I mu: love Him. I cannot describe to you my joy through trusting and loving Him.”
My mother replied as follows:—
“My dear boy,—A thousand thanks for your kind letter with the sermon by Rabbi Spurgeon. He must be a man full of earnestness, and I cannot help but think that he is as earnest in his religion as your sainted father was in his.
"My dear child, I never in my life thought the. Christian religion could make men so good and true as you tell me they are.
“The sermon I have read and lent to others, who have read it with much interest. It almost bewilders me. Concerning the teaching and interpretation of the Passover as given in the sermon, is it really true? Can it be true? It seems too good to be true. If it is true, how is it that the wise in Israel know it not? Why does not our God, who can do wonders, reveal it unto us and somehow make us believe in it, so that we shall not doubt it?
“I should much like to enjoy the happiness and peace which you tell me faith in the Messiah gives. Pray for me, my dear child.”
Such words, coming from my dear mother, filled me with gratitude and with hope that she might speedily be, not only as she seemed to me, near the kingdom, but in the kingdom.
Through my communications with my mother and my sisters, much prejudice previously existing in the hearts of many of my Jewish friends and relations had been broken down. Nor is this all; my elder and only brother visited England with strong hopes of setting me right, and of bringing me back to the Jewish fold. But he soon became convinced of the truth of the gospel, and now, for Christ's sake, is ready to suffer the loss of all things, even to that of wife and children.
Beyond this, I have received visits from my two dear sisters, to whom I preached the gospel as well as I could. May God open their hearts to receive His truth!
Several old associates, friends, and distant relatives, having heard of my conduct to my mother, were so surprised at such behavior coming from a meshumad, that they visited me, and expressed their desire to learn the difference between me, as I was, and as I am now, and I now know of several among them who profess loyalty and love to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I must conclude, and as I meet with Christian brethren in various denominations, my heart triumphs in witnessing that Christ reigns among all who love Him in sincerity, and I am encouraged in seeing so many Christians praying for the peace of Jerusalem, and rejoicing in what is being done for the conversion of the Jews. But still I cannot but mourn over many who, indeed, love the Lord Jesus Christ, and who wait for His coming, but who hardly ever give a serious thought concerning the spiritual welfare of my poor brethren according to the flesh. I marvel why Gentiles whom God has made His children are not filled with a hallowed enthusiasm for Israel, and especially so in this day, when He is leading so very many of His nation to Christ—yes, when even the persecutions in Russia, which have driven so many Jews to England, have been used by God to the salvation of their souls and their everlasting reward.
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
FINIS.