Borling, Jacob

Borling, Jacob a Protestant minister of Germany, was born of Jewish parentage in 1801 at Slawitts, in Volhynia, Russian Poland. He received a strict Jewish education, according to the fashion of his country, where the Talmud was the main subject of study. In 1821, when Mr. Moritz (q.v.), a missionary among the Jews, visited his native place, the turning-point in Mr. Borling's life came. The arguments of the missionary shook his belief in the divine authority of the Talmud, and he resolved to become a Christian. As this was impossible for him in his native town, he decided to go to St. Petersburg. Having been furnished with letters of introduction to some Christian friends, he set out on foot, in 1822, on a journey of a thousand miles. In St. Petersburg he received instruction in the truth of Christianity, and was baptized May 5, 1823, at the Moravian chapel. He remained at St. Petersburg till 1824, when he accompanied the Rev. Saltet to Tiflis, in Georgia, the latter having been appointed minister of the Protestant community there. In August, 1825, he accompanied the Rev. Joseph Wolff (q.v.) to Shoosha, Persia, where he enjoyed the society of Zaremba and other missionaries residing there. In 1826 the government directed him to settle somewhere as a citizen, and also to enter the Russian service. He settled at Tiflis, where he was employed by the government. In 1831 he entered the missionary institution at Basle. where he remained for three years. In 1834 he entered into connection with the Berlin Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews, and labored for nearly five vears in their service among the Jews in Silesia. Being a Russian, he had to return every three years to his country for the renewal of his passport. After passing an examination at the University of Dorpat, he received an appointment as minister of the Gospel in the colony Belowesch, in the government Tschernigow, in the south of Russia. Here he had thirteen parishes committed to his charge. The sad state of spiritual destitution in which he found his field of labor was soon changed for the better. He established schools everywhere, and his work was only interrupted by his death, Aug. 8, 1844. (B. P.)