-^■'jfcfi* W$t Hibvzvy oftije Wlnibzv&itv of JSortf) Carolina anb ^fjtlantftroptc Societies; This BOOK may be kept out TWO WEEKS ONLY, and is subject to a fine of FIVE CENTS a day thereafter. It was taken out on the day indicated below: Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://www.archive.org/details/arabianmartyrOOgene Frontispiece. No, 1914. THE ARABIAN MARTYR. « Be thou Mhfol unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED BY THE GEN. PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION. V • ABDALLAH: OS THE ARABIAN MARTYR. When our blessed Saviour reproved the Jem for their unbelief, he said, " Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice ; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd." This declaration has been fulfilling ever since. In various parts of the world, and by various means, people have been taught of God, and brought to know Jesus as the Friend and Saviour of sinners. The good seed of God's word was sown in many nations by the labors of the Apostles, who were appointed by Jesus Christ to be missionaries. They were command- ed by him to go into all the world, and to preach the Gospel to every creature. Though they have long ago rested from their labors, and the people of many places where they preached have sunk into Maho- medanism, yet. we hear of some being brought to the knowledge of Christ, and of attaining to salvation through him. A great part of the inhabitants of Arabia are fol- lowers of Mahomed. A book written by that impos- tor, and called the Koran, is their guide, as our Bible is ours j only that the Mahomedans are more zealous (5) 6 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. in their way than Christians are in theirs. This is a very sad reflection upon us. Mahomed was born in Arabia, in the year of our Lord 570, and lived about 63 years. He determined to introduce a new religion, in order to obtain the reverence of his coun- trymen, and thereby in time to reduce them under his authority. He is said to have retired, at about forty years of age, to a grotto near Mecca, and there to have contrived the doctrines which he afterward taught. The people of Mecca at first requested that he would work a miracle publicly, to convince them that he was a prophet, — as Jesus Christ continually did — to convince them that he had authority from heaven : but Mahomed refused this, and said it was unnecessary. He knew he had no authority from heaven, whatever he pretended, and that he had no power, as Christ had, to give sight to the blind, or to heal the sick. Notwithstanding this, by fraud and by force, God suffered the people to be imposed upon, and Mahomedanism is the established religion of a great part of the East. In Arabia, however, the light of the Gospel now begins to shine. As it was in Europe, one and another suffered martyrdom rather than continue the slaves of sin and superstition ; and not till many had resisted the corrupt principles and practices of Popery, even unto death, was the Word of the Lord generally known and read ; so, it may be in Arabia. The following history will show that God is mind- ful of the Arabians, and that the prophecies con- cerning the spread of the Gospel are proceeding THE ARABIAN MARTYR. 7 toward their final accomplishment. "Arabia and Seba are beginning to stretch out their hands in prayer and praise to the true God, and Jesds Christ whom he hath sent." The Spirit, we trust, is " pouring out upon them from on high, and the wilderness will become a fruitful field." Sabat, the once intimate friend of Abdallah, (who is the son of Ibrahim Sabat, of the line of Beni Sabat, who trace their pedigree to Mahomed.) about five years ago came to Madras. Soon after his arri- val he was appointed by the English government a Mufti, or expounder of Mahomedan law, among the Mahomedan subjects of the King of Great Britain. His great learning and respectable station in his own country rendered him eminently qualified for that office. While he was at Visagapatam, in the Northern Cicars, exercising his professional duties, the good hand of God put into his way a New Test- ament, in the Arabic language, which had gotten to India by means of the "Venerable Society for Pro- pagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts." This blessed book he read with great seriousness, and compared its doctrines with those of the Koran; and at length the divine truth of the New Testament fell on his mind, as he expressed it himself, " like a flood of light." Soon afterward he proceeded to Madras, a journey of three hundred miles, to obtain Christian baptism ; and, having made a public confession of his faith, he was baptized by the Rev. Dr. Kerr, in the English church at that place, by the name of Nathan- iel, in the twenty-seventh year of his age. When 8 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. his family in Arabia had heard that he had become a Christian, they despatched his brother to India, by a voyage of two months, to kill him privately. While Sabat was sitting in his house at Visagapatam, his brother presented himself in the disguise of a fa- queer, or beggar, having a dagger concealed under his mantle. He rushed on Sabat, and wounded him; but Sabat seized his arm, and his servants came to his assistance; and thus this pious young man was rescued from death. Here we see the prophecy of our Saviour accomplished, that, for * the sake of religion, a Christian's foes will often be those of his own house, and that an ungodly brother will rise up against a godly one, and endeavor to put him away from the earth, as not fit to live. And we see also, how God preserves useful lives in whom he will be glorified. Sabat was destined of God to be very useful to further the Gospel in India; and therefore God was his defender. He soon discovered that this disguised beggar was his own brother, and he would have become the victim of public justice ; but Sabat preserved his life, and sent him home with letters and presents to his mother's house, in Arabia. This showed that Christianity had really done his heart good and dis- posed him not to render evil for evil ; but to do good even to them that persecuted him ! Being desirous to devote his future life to the glory of God, he resigned his employ as an ex- pounder of Mahomedan law, which he could scarcely consider a lawful one for a Christian, and came by THE ARABIAN MARTYR. 9 invitation to Bengal, where he engaged in trans- lating the Scriptures into the Persian language. This most necessary work has not hitherto been executed, for want of a translator of sufficient ability. The Persian is an important language in the East, being the general language of Western Asia, particu- larly among the higher classes, and is understood from Calcutta to Damascus. But the great work which occupied the attention of this noble Arabian, was the promulgation of the Gospel among his own cou ntry men. The first Persian work which he finish- ed is entitled (in English) ' Happy News for Arabia? and it is written in the Nabutti or common dialect of the country. It contains an elegant and argu- mentative declaration of the truth of the Gospel, with copious evidences admitted by the Mahomedans themselves, and particularly by the Wahabians. Prefixed to this Persian book, is an account of the conversion of the author to the faith of Jesus Christ. Where true Christianity is felt and enjoyed, there will be a disposition to make confession to God, and where it will do good, to mankind, of the evils men have committed in their unconverted state. The Apostle Paul confessed that he had persecuted the Church above measure, and wasted it, when he made this acknowledgment, — " By the grace of God, I am what I am." In the same humble and sorrow- ful spirit Sabat described to a worthy and learned clergyman his great cruelty to a companion and friend, with whom he had set out on his travels 1* 10 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. from Persia ; and which is related in the following pages : — Abdallah was a young man of a noble family in Arabia ; and having a desire to travel into foreign countries to acquire a further knowledge of man- kind, he united himself with his most intimate friend, the before-mentioned Sabat, as an associate in the journey. The choice of our companions is peculiarly important to our happiness. Solomon wisely asks, " How can two walk together, except they be agreed?" and as face answereth to face in a glass, so does one true friend assist another. God Almighty, who has all hearts in his hand, and knows every thing that will happen to the end of the world, often chooses those things for us that we would not choose for ourselves, and thereby pro- motes all the good purposes of his will. Abdallah and Sabat, when they left their homes, were most determined and zealous Mahomedans ; and, there- fore, would not leave Arabia till they had performed certain religious ceremonies at the tomb of their prophet Mahomed, at Mecca. The punctual observ- ance of the many superstitious and foolish rites of Mahomedanism, rises up in judgment and condemns Christians, so called, for their wicked neglect of the Scriptures, and of public worship, and their abuse of the Sabbath. In the times of Jeremiah God re- buked the wickedness of Israel by the obedience which the sons of Rechab gave to all their father's commandments. "Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel : Will ye not receive instruction THE ARABIAN MARTYR. 11 to hearken to mjp words? The words of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed ; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking ; but ye hearkened not unto we." Jer. xxxv. After having done according to the directions of their religion, these two young men travelled to- gether through Persia, and from thence to Cabul. At this place Abdallah was appointed to an office of state under Zemaun Shah, the King of Cabul. This circumstance separated the two friends; for asSabat had nothing to engage him to continue at Cabul, he left his companion, and proceeded alone on a jour- ney through Tartary. This separation was as necessary as their setting out together to occasion what happened to each. Abdallah, as we said, was left at Cabul, exercising the duties of his public situation : and, in some blessed hour, it pleased God that he should meet with a Bible to read, and have a disposition to read it. You may, perhaps, ask, How came this Bible at Cabul, where, as well as in all other Mahomedan states, it is death for almost any man to profess himself a Christian? I answer, God, who appointed Abdallah to his office in Cabul, by which he was detained there for a season, appointed also that a Christian from Arme- nia should at that time dwell at Cabul ; and that this Christian, or his Bible, or both, should come in the way of this minister of state. We shall by-and- 12 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. by see that every Bible, as well as every godly missionary, had its commission. Abdallah was desirous of being truly religious ; and, therefore, he did not neglect this heavenly book, as many people do, but he read it continually: and the more he read it, the better he understood it ; and in him was fulfilled the promise of Christ, — " To him that hath, shall be given." The Holy Spirit, who can influ- ence people's hearts at Cabul as well as at London, enabled this attentive reader to understand these Scriptures ; and though there was no Philip sent to instruct Abdallah, as had been sent to instruct the lord high treasurer of the Queen of Ethiopia, mentioned in Acts viii. 27; yet he enjoyed the better teachings of the Holy Spirit, which Jesus Christ promised should be given to guide his peo- ple into all necessary truth. Christ has some people every where, and he brings them to heaven by various methods, according to their worldly circumstances, and as may the most glorify his holy name. We learn hence the importance of sending the Holy Scriptures into all the world. And we know not how far a single book may travel ; or into whose hands it may come ; or what great good it may do. Abdallah found the Gospel to be its own witness. The great philosopher, Locke, has said, " Search the Scripture : it hath God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its subject-matter." The Arabian nobleman found its description of man as a sinner to be true ; THE ARABIAN MARTYR. 23 he found his own feelings described in the Psalms, and in the gospels and epistles; he found the method of being saved from sin, and from the wrath to come ; he discovered that his Koran was " a cunningly devised fable," and he threw it aside , he found the Gospel to be the words of truth and soberness. Christ, as a Saviour, became precious to his soul, and he thought he loved him with sin- cerity, and desired increasingly to love him, for the great love Christ had shown him in dying for him, and again living to intercede for him, " whom having not seen, he loved." What would Abdallah have given to enjoy, as we enjoy, such opportunities of worshipping Jesus Christ in houses of public prayer! And how ought this to shame thousands who neglect God's sabbaths and ordinances? As it was certain death for an Arabian nobleman to become a Christian, Abdallah for some time endeavored to conceal his conversion, but finding it was not possible to do so long, he determined to travel to some of the Chris- tian Churches of which he had heard, near the Caspian Sea. He felt he had a right to do so, because our Saviour had said, " If they persecute you in one city, flee unto another." But so won- derful are the ways of God, that the means he used to escape death proved the occasion of hastening it. As to his bodily life, " in fleeing from the pit he fell into the snare." Abdallah left Cabul in disguise, and arrived at the great City of Bochara, in Tartary. In the 14 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. streets of the city he was unexpectedly met by his friend Sabat, who immediately knew him and en- tered into conversation with him. Sabat had heard that he had become a Christian, and that he had left his employment at Cabul ; and like a true Mahomedan, who supposes his is the best religion in the world, Sabat was filled with anger at the conduct of his friend. Here we see the difference between the religion of Christ and that of Maho- med. Our Gospel teaches us to do good unto all men — to be angry with nothing but sin. Sabat's wrath would not have been so hot against Abdal- lah for being a liar, a thief, or a lewd person, as it was for being a Christian, that is, a real disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. Had the ignorant and prejudiced Sabat known at this time what he knew afterward, how differently he would have acted ! Abdallah knew what dangerous circumstances lie was in, and threw himself at the feet of Sabat. He boldly, however, confessed that he had become a disciple of Jesus Christ, and hoped nothing would separate him from the love of his Saviour : and told his friend of the means which occasioned his conversion, and that his heart, as well as his opi- nion, was totally altered respecting Mahomed and Christ, and implored him by the sacred ties of their former friendship to let him escape with his life ! But Sabat had no pity ! He caused his ser- vants to seize him, and he was delivered up to Morad Shah, King of Bochara. In this Sabat was not unlike Saul of Tarsus, who was afterward THE ARABIAN &ARTYR. 15 Paul the Apostle. He was so zealous to preserve the Jewish religion entire against the inroads of the doctrines of the Gospel, that when very young, he took care of the clothes of those who stoned hftly Stephen to death. (Acts vii.) This same Saul, naturally of a zealous temper, made havoc of the Church of Christ; and entering into every house where Christians were suspected to dwell, he com- mitted a great number of men and women to prison. (Acts viii. 3.) After his conversion he gives this account of himself to King Agrippa— " I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also did in Jerusalem : and many of the saints did I shut up, in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, and being exceedingly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities " (Acts xxvi. 9-11.) Very soon after his apprehension, Abdallah was sentenced to die for giving up the religion of Mahomed and embracing the religion of Christ ; and a herald went through the City of Bocharah proclaiming the hour of his execution. If Abdal- lah at this time was enabled to recollect that through much tribulation some are called to enter the kingdom of God, it must have been a great consolation to him. We are sure of this— thai the Lord stood by him, and taught him not to count 16 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. his life dear unto him, so that he might glorify Christ his Saviour. Perhaps he might recollect the account of the three pious young men in the kingdom of Babylon, who were threatened to be cast into a burning fiery furnace if they did not worship the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, but who said to the king — " We are not care- ful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us out of thine hand, O king: " or perhaps he might recol- lect the case of Daniel, a servant of the most high God, who was cast into a den of lions, only be- cause he prayed and " made supplications to the Lord of heaven three times a day." (Dan. iii. and vi. 16.) An immense multitude attended, as might be expected, on so unusual an occasion as the taking away a man's life for the sake of religion ; some full of anger at Abdallah's apostacy from his belief in Mahomed ; and some, no doubt, full of pity that a man who had done no harm to his fellow-creatures, but only thought differently from them, should be put to death ; and some were merely led by curi- osity, caring neither for Abdallah nor Mahomed. Among the multitude, the chief men of the city assembled. Sabat, once his friend, now his perse- cutor, stood near to Abdallah. He ought rather to have gone to the king, and confessed that he had grievously sinned in betraying a man against whom nothing could be charged, except what related to his obedience to the Lord Christ. At THE ARABIAN MARTYR. 17 the place of execution Abdallah was offered his life if he would renounce Christ and acknowledge Mahomed to be the true prophet; — the executioner standing by him with a sword in his hand. " No ;" said he, — as if it were impossible to comply with the proposal — ; * No ; I cannot abjure Christ ! " On this declaration one of his hands was cut off at the wrist! The Christian, however, now supported by the grace of Christ, who has promised to honor those who honor him, stood firm to his holy pur- pose, while the arm, from which the hand had been cut off, was hanging by his side with little motion. A surgeon, by desire of the king, offered to heal the stump of the arm if he would recant. To this offer Abdallah made no reply. He had no Christian friend to mention to him some of the great and precious promises of God in the Scrip- ture for his consolation: — such as, "When thou passest through the fire," saith the Lord, " I will be with thee." " I will be with thee," saith God, " in six troubles, and in seven I will not forsake thee." But he enjoyed the comforts of the Holy Spirit in his soul, which were neither few nor small. God was with him. He looked Vip stead- fastly toward heaven, like holy Stephen, his eyes at the time streaming with tears. Sabat observed with surprise that Abdallah, in the midst of his sufferings, looked at him not with anger, but with a countenance of forgiveness. We see the love that the Holy Ghost inspires in true Christians. Abdallah did not look with anger on his persecutor, 18 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. Sabat, but with forgiveness ; perhaps, like good Stephen, he prayed for him, " Lord, lay not this sin to his charge :" or like his divine Master, " Fa- ther, forgive him ! for he knows not what he does." These, or the like prayers, were heard on behalf of Sabat; and God fitted him for the work of trans- lating the Holy Scriptures into a language by which thousands and tens of thousands may be- come wise unto salvation. Abdallah's other hand was then cut off, but his heart was fixed, trusting in the Lord. He still remained determined to abide by all consequences, rather than renounce his hope of salvation through Christ ; and when he bowed his head to receive the mortal stroke, all Bochara seemed to say, " What new thing is this?" We see the steadfastness of mind that true reli- gion inspires. Abdallah submitted to death rather than renounce Christ as his Saviour ; and, therefore, people who will not bear being reviled for Chris- tianity by a wicked world are not Christians. "Whosoever," said Christ to his disciples, " shall be ashamed of me and of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father, with the holy angels." In the 11th chapter of the Hebrews, we read of the triumphs of faith in ancient times: — tha,t some "were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection : and others had trial of cruel mockings — of bonds and impri- sonments—they were stoned — they were sawn THE ARABIAN MARTYR. 19 asunder — were tempted — were slain with the sword : they wandered about in sheep-skins and goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — of whom the world was not worthy." "They over- came all their sufferings through the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony ; and they loved not their lives unto the death." Abdal- lah was faithful unto death, and has received a crown of life. His immortal spirit is now among the noble army of martyrs, who are unceasingly praising God. Sabat had indulged the hope that Abdallah would have recanted when he was offered his life; but when he saw that his friend was dead, he gave himself up to grief and remorse. He travelled from place to place, seeking rest, but found none. At last he thought that he would visit India, as we have mentioned. There, as has been said, he embraced Chris- tianity, and was very useful in the work of trans- lating the Scriptures: he however apostatized from the Christian faith, and wrote a tract in favor of his former religion. It pleased God that he should write against his own book, and again embrace the Gospel. After this he fell into the power of the Mahomedans, and for some real or pretended trea- son, after six months' confinement, he was tied up in a sack and thrown into the sea. The tyrant who did this has since been driven from his throne. THE END. 20 THE ARABIAN MARTYR. THE FIRST MARTYR. Acts vi. 8-15; v?i. Stephen, full of faith and power, Wonders wrought, in Jesus' name, Till his life's last trying hour, When a martyr he became. Calmly did he stand and hear Charges false against him brought; And unmoved by shame or fear, To defend the truth he sought. Heavenward as he turned his eyes, While they gnash their teeth with rage, Scenes of glory, in the skies, Did the martyr's soul engage. " There," he said, "at God's right hand, Christ, the Son of Man, I see! Near the throne does Jesus stand, Interceding there for me ! " Then was Stephen stoned to death, Calling on the name divine : " Jesus ! " said his dying breath, " O receive this soul of mine!" Kneeling down, aloud he cried, " Lord, do thou their sins forgive \ n Thus, like Jesus, Stephen died, Praying that his foes might live. Heavenly Father ! teach us thus To forgive and pray for those Who despise or injure us; Teach us thus to love our foes. ^ BEAUTIFUL BOOKS, PUBLISHED BY THE GEN. PROT. EPIS. S. SCHOOL UNION, Depository 20 John St. If. Y. A. © A TP HdD S AND OTHER SUNDAY STORIES, By Archdeacon Wilberforcb BEAUTIFUL BOOKS, LISHED BY THE GEN. PROT. EPIS. S. SCHOOL UNK Depository 20 John St. W. Y. THE MM IS AIM ■BM&h- ~>d&S|] BEAUTIFUL BOOKS, 1 PUBLISHED BY THE GEN. PROT. EPIS. S, SCHOOL UNION. V Repository 20 John St. N. T. THE IDIOT AOT MJTILIL! AN ALLEGORY "*B» s . 4ti BEAUTIFUL BOOKS, PUBLISHED BY THE GEN. PROT. EPIS. S. SCHOOL UNIO; Depository 20 John St. 3\. Y. THE iblibssiirqs ©f immmm