THE REFORMATION AMONGST THE ARMENIANS.

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Since the fourth century they have been professing Christians, but their Christianity has been excessively corrupt, differing little in that respect from the Church of Rome. But a blessed work of reformation has been going forward among them for the last twentyfive years, through the instrumentality of American Missionaries; and there are now no fewer than 2000 Armenians enrolled as Protestants, while the spirit of inquiry is to be found in more than 100 towns and villages, from the borders of Persia across Asia Minor, and within the limits of European Turkey, as at Constantinople, Adrianople, and other places. By the provisions of the imperial charter, published by the Turkish Government in 1850, toleration is secured for all who, under the convictions of an awakened conscience, desire to renounce the corrupt practices of their ancient churches, whether Armenian or Greek, and embrace instead the pure gospel.

This great work has not been carried on without much suffering on the part of the Armenian professors, to which they have been subjected at the hands of their own countrymen; nor even yet have the provisions of the "Tanzimati hairiyeh been so fully carried out, throughout the wide extent of the Turkish empire, as to secure in all cases to the Armenian Protestant freedom from molestation. But one instance, to which we now refer, will show that he is more free within the limits of Turkey than of Russia.

The Rev. J. Peabody, of the American Mission, writes, under date of Feb. 16, 1853—

Eighteen months since, there was in Nakchivan, Georgia, in his wealthy father's house, an Armenian young man, Abraham Khadabashean by name. He was surrounded by every thing supposed in this country to be necessary to impart comfort and happiness. He was an only child, much beloved by his father, who was very anxious that he should remain with him; but no persuasion could induce him to do so. The riches, honours, and pleasures of this world had lost their charms. He felt an awful vacuity, which no earthly objects could fill. He knew not what was necessary for him; but there was something that he must have, or be miserable for ever. It was a spiritual necessity, which, as he supposed, could not be supplied at home: he must therefore go abroad in quest of the "one thing needful."

But whither should he go? He left his paternal abode, not knowing the answer to this question, with the prevailing feeling, however, that the object of his desire could not be obtained unless he should go to a monastery, or a wilderness, to become a hermit. On arriving at Tabriz, he met with an Armenian acquainted with us, who advised him to set his face towards Erzerúm. Having reached our city, without delay he made known to us the state of his mind. Appearing to be a promising young man, we consented to take him as a scholar or probationer, furnishing him with nothing except a small room where he could study. He worked at his trade enough to supply his temporal wants.

We found it not difficult to convince him that the object of his pursuit

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THE REFORMATION AMONGST THE ARMENIANS.

could not be obtained in a monastery or a wilderness; that the thing necessary for him was "the righteousness which is of faith," and is not to be found in such places, but "speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven?" &c. "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach." This word of faith he appeared to receive with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily to see if the things preached were indeed so. He habitually manifested much joy that, though the Lord had led him in a way he knew not, yet He had led him into the light of truth. He applied himself with commendable diligence, not only to the acquisition of divine knowledge, but also to obtain an acquaintance with some of the sciences.

After remaining with us about six months, he received intelligence of the death of his father. Having obtained a taste for knowledge, and become acquainted with the way of salvation, he felt that he could turn his patrimony to good account by expending a part of it in gaining an education to prepare himself for greater usefulness. With this object in view, he determined to return to Nakchivan, with the expectation of securing it. Although aware of his danger from going into a country where nothing like toleration is known, and where his own countrymen are most ignorant and bigoted, yet, having a Persian passport and the regular papers of the Russian consul of this place, he was confident that he should be protected, and succeed in his business. I have said he had a Persian passport. The reason of this was, that the place of his birth is near Ispahan, where many Armenians reside; and it is only a few years since his father removed from that place to Nakchivan. He left us February 3, 1852, going by way of Kars.

Several months passed, and nothing was heard of him. We began to be alarmed for his safety; and, on inquiry, we learned, upon good authority, that when he arrived at Gamri, in Russia, it was at once noised abroad that he was a Protestant; and, at the instigation of the Armenian Bishop of that town, the authorities seized and imprisoned him; and there is good reason to believe that the plan was matured in this place, as soon as his intention to leave for Georgia was known. After remaining in prison ten days, he disappeared, leaving us in most painful suspense in respect to his situation-if, indeed, he is still in the land of the living. In order to compel him to renounce his faith, there is every reason to believe that his tormentors will seek to render his life miserable. If he is only imprisoned, he is in some loathsome dungeon, devoured by vermin, his constitution ruined by pestilential air and wretched food. But his fate may be even more terrible than this. individual is visited with such implacable revenge, in this dark region, as that one who is suspected of the crime of seeking salvation through faith in the Lamb of God.

No

I have twice written to the British Consul at Tabriz, begging that he would lay the case of this young man before the proper Persian authorities, with a view to their making an investigation of the matter, provided they can get any clue, and demanding him as one of their subjects; but I have not yet heard that he has been able to effect any thing.

THE DEAD SEA.

THE Dead Sea occupies the site of that fertile region which of old attracted the attention of Lot, when, on his separation from Abraham, he "lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord." The Dead Sea, about forty-five miles long by ten broad, now occupies that ruined region. The level of the lake is between 1300 and 1400 feet below the level of the Mediterranean Sea. Indeed, the whole course of the Jordan, from the lake of Tiberias to the Dead Sea, is a depressed region, lying from one foot to 1300 feet below the sea-level, the Dead Sea being the lowest point. It is precisely as if the whole of this region had given way and fallen in. In Lot's time it was a plain. In the depth of the sea there is also a remarkable difference, the southern portion of it being about two fathoms deep, in the northern parts 100 and 200 fathoms deep, and at one point in particular from 200 to 225 fathoms deep; so that the point of extreme depth is 2750 feet below the sea-level. The waters are very peculiar. They are far more salt than the Mediterranean, although the Mediterranean is the saltest inlet of the Atlantic, and the Atlantic is salter than the Pacific. A fourth part of their weight is of saline matter, peculiarly bitter, pungent, and nauseous to the taste. Very little more than four per cent. of solid matter has been found in oceanic water: that of the Dead Sea contains twenty-six per cent. There appears to be no animal or vegetable life in this supersalt sea. No fish live in it, nor is there any living thing to be found in it such as are occasionally swept into it by the waters of the Jordan soon die, and are cast up as dead fish upon its shores. Surrounded by dreary, desolate shores, it lies like a sea of molten lead, except when acted upon by the furious hurricane, when, for a brief period, its heavy waves are unnaturally agitated.

This singular receptacle of the Jordan, in which that river loses itself, and reappears not, and whose acrid saltishness is not lessened by the fresh waters continually flowing into it, was visited by Mr. Sandreczki after he had witnessed the bathing of the pilgrims in the Jordan, related in our last Number. We introduce his description of it

To the east extended the long range of the steep and rugged mountains of Moab, with Mount Nebo, from whose lofty summit Moses took his first and last survey of the promised land (Deut. xxxiv.), which he was not permitted to enter until he was called, with Elias, to appear on the mount of the transfiguration of Him whose coming he had predicted (Deut. xviii. 15-20). Westward the lake was bordered by the hilly wilderness of the Kidron and Engaddi. But on both sides the mountains were soon lost to view in the haze produced by evaporation. The lake was of the colour of the sky, and the surface was unruffled by the slight breeze which came from the western mountains. The strand was full of the trunks of trees which had been brought down by the

Jordan, and lay bleaching under the tropical heat. We were now more than 1200 feet below the level of the Mediterranean; which extraordinary fact was first discovered, but not to its full extent, sixteen years ago, by my friends Dr. Schubert and Dr. Roth, the latter of whom was one of our present party. Just as we arrived, a flight of storks crossed the lake, which certainly exerted no deadly influence on them. We saw no other living creatures, either on the shore or in the water, except a single ant on the clayey beach. The Bedouins brought us a few shells, but they were fresh-water shells, from the Jordan.

We could not withstand the attraction of a bathe, and none of us had reason to regret it. It was most refreshing, and only one or two felt a slight pricking of the skin afterwards. As to myself, I had rather an oily feeling all over the body. The water only caused pain when it came in contact with the eyes, which might be avoided. We could float on the water as easily as if we had been logs of wood."

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In the Dead Sea we behold a striking emblem of the curse that sin brings with it: "a fruitful land maketh He barren, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein." It reminds us of the fearful alteration which sin has made in the heart of man. In its original state it was "as the garden of the Lord." But sin has broken it down into a dead sea. It is deep: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins." Its waters are acrid and pungent: Out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders," &c. There is in the heart of man, by nature, an utter extinction of all spiritual life. Providential mercies, like the fresh waters of the Jordan, flow into it, but change it not. "He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust;" and the evil remain evil, and the unjust, unjust still.

The Dead Sea is a striking emblem of the heathen world-of the millions of mankind to whom the gospel has not yet been made known. The waters of the natural ocean are acted upon by a variety of influences-there is a healthful movement, a continuous ebb and flow; but, except when the storm comes, the Dead Sea is heavy and sluggish. In Christian lands there are healthful influences, which purify and raise the minds of men, and keep them in healthful action. But amidst the heathen there is nothing of the kind. They are sunk in the sluggish monotony of a state without God, and without hope-idolatrous, sensual, selfish; full of vicious practices, such as those mentioned by Paul in Rom. i. 29— 32; except at times when furious passions, like the stormy winds, burst forth, and then there is agitation and disturbance.

a sense.

In Ezek. xlvii. 8 our readers will find the Dead Sea used in such But in the same chapter there is another figure. Waters are described as flowing from under the threshold of the houseat first a tiny and contracted stream, but gradually increasing in depth and power, reaching first to the ankles, then to the knees, then