as to an asylum where they may live at little cost, give them little trouble, and, in services esteemed holy, indulge and cultivate their devotion. 8. Some Jews are partial to the Holy Land as a place of study, in which they may escape interruption from secular engagements. Many of those at present there are persons of extensive rabbinical learning; and many of them exert themselves to acquire distinction in this respect. "PREPARE YE THE WAY OF THE LORD." CHRISTIAN, on whom the Sun of Righteousness has shed his warming, life-giving beams, methinks this passage will fitly apply to you. If you have indeed received the precious "words of this life;" if you have found that the blood of Christ sprinkled on your penitent spirit, can impart purity and peace such as the world cannot give, then would you not rejoice to see all men exulting in similar blessings; in the possession of a conscience" purged from dead works," and in a bright hope of everlasting glory? The Scriptures assure us that the 'knowledge of the Lord shall cover the earth," and God has granted to each believing soul, some power of aiding in the diffusion of spiritual light. If the way of the Lord is to be prepared by human agency, each individual Christian may take a portion of the royal highway, and make it meet for the footsteps of a coming Saviour. 66 There are countless means, all directed towards the same end; there are varied influences and modes of usefulness. Select then, O fervent, faithful Christian, one of these, on which to bestow your ardent and persevering exertions. As one of the foremost among them, we place the Society for the Conversion of the Jews. You will unquestionably assent to the imperative claims of the long-benighted sons of Abraham upon our prayers and sympathies; make them the objects of your special solicitude, and you will truly be fulfilling the Divine commission; "Prepare ye the way of the Lord." You have the promise of the peculiar favour of the Almighty while so employed; Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee." You can require no higher incentive, no approbation more cheering, than the smile of Him, who, having "loved you with an everlasting love," thus permits and encourages you to labour for the promotion of his glory. S. T. JUDAISM, A WITNESS TO THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY. 253 JUDAISM AS IT IS, A WITNESS TO THE TRUTH OF LORD ERSKINE, in conducting the prosecution originated by the publication of Paine's "Age of Reason," in 1797, having occasion to enter at some length into the evidences of the Christian religion, advanced the following observation :-"Is there a person of the least knowledge who suffers himself to doubt, that, in the most comprehensive meaning of Scripture, the prophecy of its universal reception is fast fulfilling, and must certainly be fulfilled? For my own part, gentlemen of the jury, I have no difficulty in saying to you, not as counsel in this cause, but speaking, upon my honour, for myself, (and I claim to be considered as an equal authority, at least, to Mr. Paine, on the evidence which ought to establish any truth,) that the universal dispersion of the Jews throughout the world, their unexampled sufferings, and their invariably distinguished characteristics, when compared with the histories of all other nations, and with the most ancient predictions of their own lawgivers and prophets concerning them, would be amply sufficient to support the truths of the Christian religion, if every other record and testimony on which they stand had irrecoverably perished." Lord Campbell, (who records this in his "Lives of the Chancellors,") to give it full weight and emphasis, subjoins, in a note, the reference soon after made to this declaration in the Lectures of Bishop Porteus:-" In our own times, more particularly, a man of distinguished talents and acknowledged eminence in his profession, and in the constant habit of weighing, sifting, and scrutinising evidence with the minutest accuracy in courts of justice, has publicly declared that he considered this prophecy, if there were nothing else to support Christianity, as absolutely irresistible." (Lectures, vol. ii. 212, 10th edit.) The evidence itself we may sum up in the words of old Robert Fleming :-" But what a witness is here also to the truth, to silence Atheism about the divinity of the Scripture, if it were brought near our thoughts, that such a nation and race there is, and kept up to this day as a living witness to let the world see, 1. How unanswerable an evidence this is to their senses of the truth of that renowned kingdom and church of Israel, to whom the oracles of God were committed, and once by a special mark of his favour separated from the nations, (though now it is turned into a curse,) which, to the conviction of all, even of the greatest Atheists, may show it is no imposture or romance which by the Scripture is held forth; but such a visible witness there yet is of its truth, as men have of a flourishing city, when such ruins are seen, as bear the evident marks of its former grandeur. 2. We cannot but see such a people kept by themselves, and not mixed with the nations, whose fathers from one generation to another did own and embrace the Old Testament as the Word of God; and, which is demonstratively clear, could not therein be instructed by the Christian church. 3. Thus the world may see a people that are known enemies to the Christian faith; who yet confess and own hat tdoctrine, in which the truth and substance of Christianity are clearly showed forth, and do fully acknowledge that that truth of the Messiah to redeem and deliver the church, is the undoubted promise of God. 4. And is it not sure such are this day in our sight, that once were an united and flourishing state in their own land, whose stroke and judgment in its manner and continuance being now for fifteen hundred years, is such as no instance, present or past, through the world, could ever be found to resemble; but as a beacon on a high hill calls aloud to every age and time of the church, to inquire what means such a strange and amazing sight as this of the Jews." RABBI JACOB HAYIM. THE following interesting, and, in some respects, peculiar history of Rabbi Jacob Hayim, we gather from the report of the Missionaries of the Free Church of Scotland, labouring at Constantinople. The circumstances are of recent occurrence. Rabbi Jacob Hayim is the son of the late chief Rabbi at Constantinople. Visiting the missionaries at first like Nicodemus, by night, but afterwards more openly, he was soon called before the councilexamined, threatened, and strictly charged to inquire no more after the name of Jesus-then summoned again for disobedience, and threatened with imprisonment-then apprehended, beaten, and cast into the Jewish prison; from which, however, he effected his escape by night, and unexpectedly finding the city gate open, through which he had to pass, and succeeding in hiring a boatman to carry him across the suburbs in which he lived, he hastily visited the missionaries, and then returned to his own house. Assaulted here by the Jews with threats of dragging him back to prison, he deterred them from their purpose, for the time, by professing an intention of turning Mohammedan, but was afterwards more effectually protected by the prompt interposition of the British ambassador. The Jews thus baffled, delivered him over to the heathen, and he was summoned by a dignified Turkish accuser before a Turkish judge, with twelve Turkish and Jewish witnesses against him, charged with embezzling a valuable diamond snuff-box-found guilty-shut up in a narrow stone cell-standing bound with heavy weights—with his feet fastened, and with iron spikes preventing him from stooping. Overcome by fear, he begged to be taken back to his judge, and, to escape the torture, offered to give up the precious trinket which he had inherited from his father; and so obtained a temporary release. During all this time, however, he had not only expressed no sorrow for having falsely threatened to turn Mohammedan, but evinced no anxiety for the salvation of his soul; his simple object seeming to be the discovery of truth; thus affording a remarkable example of the length to which natural sincerity may carry a man without grace, and an example specially instructive for those who have made sacrifices for the sake of the Gospel. From boyhood, he had exhibited an unusual inquisitiveness into religious truth, which had never altogether left him, and had led him some years ago to undertake two long and expensive journeys, occupying altogether nearly six months, for no other object than to obtain rest for his unsettled mind by conversing in various places with the learned men of his nation. He had now, however, in Christianity, found the true religion; for this he had sacrificed ease, friends, home, and money; but further he seemed to have no desire, appeared much more in earnest about acquiring the English language than obtaining the salvation of his soul, and was offended when his conversion was questioned, as if it were casting a doubt on his sincerity. Two months ago, however, the current of his thoughts was entirely changed; he became evidently and sometimes deeply distressed; showed a disposition to be alone, instead of being always in the company of others, and was anxious to find the Redeemer for himself. Meanwhile his trials continued; his own son was made the instrument of slandering him, his wife was urged to demand a divorce, he was brought before the Turkish authorities a third time on a false accusation, and then his house was robbed both of property and the little money he had left; which last and most successful attack gave new edge to his inquiry into the great concern of his soul's salvation; for he felt it sad to be thus losing all, and gaining nothing. In the midst of varied temptations, and notwithstanding several relaxings of desire, he became deeply solemnized and earnest, till at last these words, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," seemed to be fastened as an arrow into his soul. The straitness of the gate into life became the all-absorbing idea. "Truly the gate is strait! Oh! the gate is strait!" he said, with intense feeling, "Strait! it is not strait, it is very, very strait! Oh! it must be very hard for God to forgive such a sinner as I am!" When afterwards directed to the grace of God in such passages as, "Come now, let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow," he replied, "That is very broad;" and when asked what was the greatest of all sins, he answered immediately, "The sin of not believing in Jesus is the greatest of all sins." At length his sorrow was changed into joy, and his mourning into dancing. "Blessed be God," said he, "I can have confidence now." The missionaries are anxiously watching what may be the future course of this young disciple. One of difficulty and danger it must be. May it be one of Christian consistency and triumph! CORRESPONDENCE, EXTRACTS, ETC. EXTRACT FROM THE LIFE OF BISHOP BEDELL. "THE most valuable addition Mr. Bedell made to his learning at Venice, was in the improvements in Hebrew, in which he made great progress by the assistance of Rabbi Leo, who was chief of the Jewish Synagogue there: from him he learned their way of pronunciation, and some other parts of rabbinical learning; but in exchange for it he communicated to him that which was much more valuable, the true understanding of many passages in the Old Testament, with which that rabbi expressed himself often to be highly satisfied: and once, in a solemn dispute, he pressed his rabbi with such clear proofs of Jesus Christ being the true Messias, that he and several others of his brethren had no other way to escape, but to say that their rabbins everywhere did expound those prophecies otherwise, according to the tradition of their fathers. By Rabbi Leo's means he purchased that fair manuscript of the Old Testament, which he gave to Emanuel College; and, as I am credibly informed, it cost him its weight in silver." Can a full account of this dispute be obtained, especially the Bishop's proofs and arguments? GLEANINGS. 23. WHO can doubt the paramount importance of the Jewish nation ? Whose estimate is so much to be depended upon as that of the omniscient God? And what testimony is so impressive, so satisfactory, as that which is tendered by a long course of decided action? We have seen what God hath wrought for the Jews, and what he hath wrought by them. His agency in respect to them has been benignant, corrective, miraculous, uninterrupted. He has employed them as the instruments of illustrating, in an eminent degree, the character of his moral government; of sustaining, in an eminent degree, the great interests of the mediatorial economy. If the practical decision of infinite wisdom is to be received as authoritative, must we not regard the Jews as incomparably the most important nation that ever has dwelt, that ever will dwell, upon the face of earth? I would fain hope that you will be ready to recognise this position as the legitimate basis of an appeal to your sympathy and charity in behalf of this wonderful people. Who are you, who am I,-that we should think to set aside the testimony of God? If God has regarded them of so much importance that he has even miraculously wielded the elements in their behalf; that he has permitted them to walk for ages almost in the very light of his throne; that he has honoured them with a special instrumentality in the fulfilment of his noblest ends,-what other argument can we need to induce our earnest co-operation with him in his revealed purposes of mercy towards them? If we have forgotten and neglected them hitherto, shall not the care which God hath exercised towards them, the objects which he hath accomplished by them, the promises which he hath made concerning them, rebuke our criminal sloth, and lead us to say of down-trodden Israel, in the spirit of fervent charity, "If I do not remember thee henceforth, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth." 2 Is there a more magnificent spectacle which the imagination can overtake than recovered and converted Israel finally bending before the cross and doing her last work to crown the Mediator's triumph? I see the nations among whom her people had been scattered, looking at her with amazement as a monument of the truth and the power of God. I see her missionaries already schooled by their dispersion in the various languages of the earth, going forth with martyr-like zeal to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ. I listen to their teachings, and behold, there is a fervour, an energy, breathing through them, that seems to say that they have to make up for the unbelief of many generations. I behold them gaining the ear of thousands to |