dia-street, recording secretary. Those who are desirous of becoming subscribers, or obtaining Bibles, are invited to call on either of the above named gentlemen. Bethel Flag.-On Thursday evening, June 6, the first meeting in Boston, on board a vessel under this flag, was held at Gray's wharf, on board the brig Cantine, owned by Mr. Wm. R. Gray. We understand it was conducted under the direction of a committee of several different denominations, and that from 70 to 90 persons were present. The exercises consisted of singing, prayers, reading the Scriptures, and a sermon adapted to the commencement of such a meeting, by the Rev. Wm. Jenks. Exercises of a similar nature on board vessels in the harbour of New-York, are very frequent, and are believed to have been accompanied with highly valuable effects on the seamen.-Watchman. JOURNAL OF THE BETHEL UNION.-CHARLESTON, S. c. (Continued from page 128.) THE Charleston Bethel Union Society for the spiritual benefit of seamen, commenced its operations on the evening of the 21st of April, by holding a prayer meeting on board the ship Saluda. The Bethel flag was hoisted on board in the morning, and the signal lantern at evening. The number of seamen assembled was supposed to be about 300. A clergyman from abroad being present, he was invited to deliver an address. All the exercises were solemn and impressive. Since this time the society have continued to hold prayer meetings on board of ships every Sabbath evening. These meetings have been uniformly well attended. It is believed that on some occasions 4 or 500 have been present. No class of men could have manifested more decorum than has been observed at these meetings. An interesting stillness and solemnity has also pervaded the assembly. The Bethel Union Society have likewise established a weekly prayer meeting at the boarding houses of seaman. These houses have been opened for the purpose with great readiness, and the keepers of them have been cheerful and active in furnishing every accommodation. They even appear to feel a solicitude that their neighbours should not go before them in their efforts to promote these meetings; and the number of heads of families of this description who attend, is weekly increasing. The seamen also increase in their attendance and in the interest they manifest in religious exercises. Several seafaring men have taken an active part. The society feel that they have great occasion for gratitude to God for his smiles upon their infant institution, and renewed encouragement to continue their prayers and their efforts. They also most cheerfully acknowledge their obligations to those individuals who have so kindly opened their houses, or lent their aid in any other way to the promotion of this good work, MEMOIRS OF JOHN CHRISTOPHER LEBERECHT.* My name among the Jews was Abraham Herz. I was born in Glogau in Silesia, in the year of our Lord 1706. My father, whose name was Moses, was of the tribe of Levi, and had received a liberal education. On the eighth day I was circumcised and called Abraham. I was brought up in my father's house, till I was eighteen years of age, when both my parents departed this life in one month. My grandfather and the rest of my friends sent me to Prague, in Bohemia, to an uncle there, in order to study at the high synagogue, which is one of the most famous Jewish colleges. Here I prosecuted my studies five years, till 1728. From hence I was sent by the rabbi to Nicholsburg, in Moravia, to serve as a teacher to the children of a wealthy Jew, Moshe Cohon by name, with whom I staid three years. I then came to Presburg in Hungary, to another Jew, by the name of Jacob Rachmetz, and instructed his children also for the space of three years. He sent me for the same purpose to his brother at Belgrade, near the Turkish boundary, in whose house I spent six years, till 1739. At that period the city of Belgrade surrendered to the Turks, and myself, together with the whole Jewish family, and about 8000 souls, and among them many Christians, were carried as slaves to the Turkish Castle of Nissa. Here I was purchased by a Turk, whose name was Temersche Ole. He had previously bought a young German, a Lutheran, who was among the Belgrade captives, to whom I was now fettered, and led to Serras, in Greece. This Christian, whose name was Neuman, unfortunately for him, was required by the Turk to commit a grievous sin. Unable to gain his py gentle persuasions, he ordered him to be flogged so unmercully, that not a sound spot remained on his whole body, being covered all over with wounds and sorcs. Being his fellow-prisoner, I had to wash his wounds in order to obviate the disgusting smell as much as possible. I likewise had to take great care not to come into contact * Interesting Memoirs of JOHN CHRISTOPHER LEBERECHT, a Christian Israelite, who fell asleep in Jesus at Konigsburg, in Prussia, Nov. 13, 1766. Narrated by himself. with him while sleeping, lest I should augment his sufferings. I was then used as an interpreter to open to Neuman the abominable request of the Turk; and when at one time, in the folly of my heart, not knowing better, I advised my fellow-prisoner rather to accommodate himself than to suffer such inhuman treatment, he steadily adhered to his purpose, saying--" he could not thus grieve his Lord Jesus-he would sooner die than commit a sin!" To me he afterwards addressed himself thus: "And you, one of that people of God, of the Jews, who boast that they are God's peculiar people and will you desire me to commit sin ?" These words pierced my heart to such a degree, that from that moment I felt a great uneasiness and concern for the salvation of my soul. Added to this, Neuman, wounded as he was and my fellow-captive, was continually speaking of the name of Jesus, (to which I, as a Jew, naturally bore such an aversion,) and prayed with such fervour to him, that my soul was affected by it, and induced to cherish a cordial affection for this Christian. Once he conversed very freely with me; and, because I now began to apprehend his religion to be the only true one, I solemnly pledged myself, so soon as I ever again should tread upon Christian ground, to embrace his faith, and submit to be baptized. Soon after, during the night, Neuman unexpectedly died of his wounds in his chains, and his corpse, although sorely disfigured, appeared to me to wear such a lovely aspect, that I was quite taken in with it, and could not think of him but with tender emotions, nor efface his image from my memory. Yea, I might truly say, the shade of this blessed man pursued me and was constantly hovering before my eyes. That dear saint had informed me, that he was the son of a minister in Saxony; that, however, he had been an undutiful son to his parents -that he ultimately learned the trade of a stocking weaver; and that, because he heeded not the admonitions of his parents, (which deed he often lamented,) he had then travelled into Silesia. At Schweidnitz he was taken prisoner by the Imperialists, brought by them as a soldier to Belgrade, and from thence carried into captivity by the Turks. Agreeably to my promise, I was under the necessity of interring his corpse, because neither Turks nor Christians, out of fear, would concern themselves about it. But previous to the interment, the Turk, hearing of Neuman's death, according to the Turkish fashion, in the height of his anger and rage, ordered me fifty strokes of the bastinado, under the pretence that I had murdered Neu during the night. Having lodged my complaints with the Turk Cadi, it was soon discovered that Neuman had died in consequence of his wounds and sufferings. The Cadi accordingly pronounced sentence of judgment, that my present unmerciful master Temersche Ole, should sell me to another Turk. His name was Hadshi Mustapha; he took me from Serras to Constantinople and from thence to his home near Smyrna. He was a very good natured man, and gave me many proofs of affection, till 1741, going in the third year of my stay with him. Notwithstanding, being very uneasy and discontented, since Neuman's charge and death never forsook my mind, I wrote to a Jew from Smyrna, and besought him to redeem me from slavery. My redemption was immediately effected. first, however, my new master would not accede to it; at last he consented, presenting me, besides, with sixteen zechins (nearly sixteen ducats) for the journey, and pressingly invited me, if ever I should come into those parts again, to call at his house. The Jews sent me from Smyrna to Constantinople, where they wished to detain me and get me married. My anxiety, however, would not admit of this, but propelled me forwards, under the plausible pretence that I was moved, according to a custom among the Jews, by a secret impulse to go and visit the grave of my parents in Silesia. I then obtained recommendations from the chief rabbi (Chacam) and was brought by water to Bender; from thence, via Jassy, to Hungary, and from thence to Mohilew in Poland. But Silesia being my object, the Jews were obliged to take me to Caminice; then to cross the Hungarian boundary, by way of Ofen and Presburg, into Moravia, and even as far as Halberstadt, and from thence to Little Glogau near Breslaw, and at last to Great Glogau, where the grave of my parents was. Here the Jews left me. But great distress of mind on the one hand, and a promise given my late friend Neuman, to go in quest of his father, and in case he was yet living, to inform him of his son's happy death, on the other, induced me to travel on foot into Saxony. I soon learned that his father was no longer alive, but that his mother resided at Naumburg. I paid her a visit, and brought her the news of the painful, yet happy death of her son, which, it is easy to be conceived, drew from her eyes many a sorrowful tear. My inward distress, and the desire to seek the religion of the late Neuman, drove me from Naumburg into the Marquisate of Brandenburg, to Frankfort on the Oder, associating one day with Jews and the next with Christians. In Schoenfliess, a neighbouring village, a Christian woman entertained me very hospitably. I likewise had an interview with the minister of the place, who exhorted me to become a Christian. But my anxiety would not suffer me to stay there. The year following, (1742,) the Jews had to entertain me once more, during their Easter holy-days, (which happened one week earlier than those of the Christians,) as I desired to celebrate the festival with them. My trouble, however, and the determination to seek the religion of Neuman, which I had likewise promised to him before he died, followed me from place to place. I next bent my course into Pomerania; and here it was almost impossible for me to live any longer, since I could cherish no hope of being saved, which, notwithstanding, I had seen exemplified in Neuman's case. At last I fell into such despair, that, on the cross-roads near Stolpe, I uncovered my breast and took out my knife, in order either to assign myself over to Satan with my blood, or even to imprecate his presence, and to take my own life, that I might but perish from the face of the earth as an accursed being. At that instant, while I held the knife in my hand, one of the Prussian black hussars rode up to me. Having just imprecated the devil, and having never before seen a man in On the such a frightful black uniform, I was most dreadfully appalled. He thus addressed me: "God bless you, neighbour Jew! Well, whither are you going?" I was so much terrified that I could make no reply whatever. But he immediately began to preach to me the Tholah, (the name applied to the Lord Jesus by the Jews,) on the cross, and with great emotion wished that I might experience his power in my heart. That at once gave utterance and feeling, so that I inquired whether all this were literally true. The hussar replied he could pledge his soul's salvation on it. I then made this solemn promise to him, that if the crucified Jesus, the famous Tholah, would prove himself a Saviour to me, I would then worship him as the true God, and be baptized. Amid such cordial converse, we travelled together for three days, till we came to Dantzic, where he promised to take me to his minister, a pious man, at Gumbinnen. We were, however, separated from each other at Dantzic; and being a stranger there, and not knowing his name and place of residence, I could not find him again. I was afterwards informed, that he was an auditor with the black hussars-had his quarters at Gumbinnen, and greatly feared the Lord. But having well retained the name of the small city of Gumbinnen, I now inquired how I might get there. Being told, by way of Konigsburg, I set out upon my journey thither. way, near Heiligenbeil, (in what was called the Rendskrug,) I met with an awakened and pious innkeeper, who immediately perceived my distress. He had just been reading the 46th chapter of Isaiah, where, v. 3 and 4, are these memorable words: "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel, which are borne by me from the belly, which are carried from the womb and even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you; I have made and I will bear; even I will carry and will deliver you. These words gave occasion to him to converse with me about the Saviour of Israel, and that too in so affectionate a manner, that I began to place great confidence in the man. He also introduced me to his minister, the late Rev. Mr Schuman, at Balga. I immediately inquired of him, with great solicitude, whether I might yet be saved. He replied I might, if I would believe in Jesus Christ. This happening on a Sunday, and the minister being just on his way to Church, I followed him into it, and there heard him preach, on Sunday called Quasimodogenisti, 1742, on the appearance of our Saviour among his disciples. But I understood no part of the sermon, except what was said concerning Thomas, on account of the dreadful confusion, anxiety and distress of my heart, which manifested itself, even in my gestures, to that degree, that other people in the church were afraid to sit near me. The next day this minister sent me to the Rev. Mr. Troschel, at Heiligenbeil, who pointed out to me that text in the Hebrew Bible: (Deut. xxvii. 26)—“ Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen!" which almost caused me to faint away. This man also advised the Rev. Mr. Schuman not to meddle with me. The latter, however, maintained he could not dismiss me, and took me into his house, where he entertained me above a year and a half, |