His child then implored mercy for her own soul, and for her
perishing father, as a daughter might be expected to do, just
awakened to her own guilt and the preciousness of redemption. As he
heard the words "Save, O, save my father, going down to
destruction," he raised his clinched hand to strike; but, as he said
afterwards, "God held me back from it." No entreaties of his
daughter could prevail on him to enter the place of prayer again
that day.
The native teacher, Murad Khan, then recently converted, took him to
his own room, and reasoned with him till late at night. Sabbath
morning found him not only fixed in his rebellion, but toiling to
prevent others coming to Christ. At noon Miss Fiske went to the room
where he was. (The two lower windows on the right of the engraving
of the Seminary mark the place.) He sat in the only chair there, and
never offered her a seat; so she stood by him, and tried to talk;
but he sternly repelled every attempt to speak of Jesus. She then
took his hand, and said, "Deacon Guwergis, I see you do not wish me
to speak with you, and I promise you that I will never do it again
unless you wish it; but pledge me one thing: when we stand together
in judgment, and you are on the left hand, as you must be if you go
on in your present course, promise me that you will then testify,
that on this twenty-second day of February, 1846, you were warned of
your danger.
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