unto whom thou didst swear on Mount Moriah : the seed of Isaac his only son, who was bound upon the altar: the congregation of Jacob, thy first-born son, who, from the love wherewith thou didst love him, and the joy wherewith thou didst rejoice in him, hast called his name Israel and Jeshurun."

"We, therefore, are in duty bound to give thanks unto thee; to praise, glorify, bless, and sanctify thee; and to offer praise and thanksgiving to thy name. O happy are we! How goodly is our portion! How pleasant is our lot! How beautiful is our inheritance! O happy are we that we rise early in the morning, and attend late in the evening, and proclaim twice daily, Hear, O Israel! the Lord is our God, the Lord is one. Blessed be the name of the glory of his kingdom for ever and ever."

In these prayers, the last three, we discover the same error as existed in the days of our Lord's ministry on earth. "We be Abraham's children," was their boast: their descent from him was made the ground of their confidence. So here, "We are thy people, the children of Abraham thy beloved, &c. &c. O happy are we! How goodly is our portion !"

Great, indeed, were the privileges of Israel; but chiefly because that "unto them were committed the oracles of God." Vain must be the hope derived from being Abraham's seed according to the flesh, if they are not "doing the works of Abraham! These spring from faith;" faith rested on the promised seed. Their father Abraham rejoiced to see Messiah's day, and he saw it, and was glad."* Would that if instead of saying,

* John viii. 56.

scorn, especially when he declares, that the great truths which he is commissioned to teach, rise far above man's comprehension, lay the pride of reason low, and demand, as the mystery of godliness, simple unwavering faith. But there are great numbers of the Jews who are earnest-minded about religion-who desire to know the truth, and acknowledge the Divine authority of the Old Testament, whilst they are no longer willing to be led by the traditions of their Rabbies.

With

these the missionary may, as did St. Paul of old with their forefathers, prove out of the law and the Prophets and the Psalms, that the Messiah must have come, and suffered, and rose again, and that that Jesus whom he preaches is he-the Christ.

The brief notices which follow illustrate some of these remarks :

Baptisms of Jews.

In the "Jewish Intelligence" for 1836, as many as ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY-THREE baptisms are recorded. The Rev. Moses Margoliouth,* after referring to this number, to which one was added, which took place at Chester, says, "Well may every member of that noble Society lift up his heart in gratitude to Almighty God, for the great blessings with which he has crowned and is crowning their labours of love amongst his ancient people of Israel; and well may we join in our brother Saul's question, Hath God cast away his people?' and then reply, 'God forbid. For we are also Israelites.' 'I the Lord speak righteousness, I declare things that are right,' is the conclusion of the text we quoted *In the "Star of Jacob.".

above.* Yea, his gifts and his callings are without repentance; he said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain."

JERUSALEM.

In the Rev. F. C. Ewald's last letter, he informs the Committee that he is engaged constantly in visiting or receiving visits from the Jews. With the converts he keeps up a daily communication, advising, assisting, and encouraging them. Of six inquirers, who were under regular instruction, one had left, the remaining five were to be baptized on Good Friday by the Bishop.

One of the greatest obstacles to an open profession of Christianity by the Jews has lately been removed. The Sultan has declared it lawful for any of his Jewish subjects to become Christians, provided they remain his subjects still. This could not be the case formerly, on account of the entire control which the chief rabbies had over them. "The work of the Lord," adds Mr. Ewald, "is gaining ground more and more in the Holy City."

BUCHAREST.

From this newly occupied station the missionary, Mr. Mayers, writes, that on February 14th an Israelite, named Leopold Stephen Kalish, a native of Lissau, in Prussia, was baptized at that place. "His soul," says Mr. M., "thirsted long after peace, which lifeless prayers and outward ordinances of the Jewish ritual could by no means impart. Indifference to religion, by which he tried to silence the voice of conscience, only

*

"I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain." (Isa. xlv. 19.)

wounded the more his troubled spirit.—Such was his state when he first came to us.

"After I had spoken to him of the heinousness of sin, I shewed him that there is also ‘a fountain open in the house of David, for sin and uncleanness.' I gave him a New Testament, and found that he imitated the Bereans, and 'searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.' He then asked for regular instruction, which I gave him for nearly three months, during which his conduct was most satisfactory. He is the first-fruits of our labours in Bucharest; but I trust and pray that he may be the beginning of an abundant harvest."

Mr. Mayers speaks also of storms which have passed over their heads—of difficulties which were in their path; yet, by the good providence of God, the storms have been dispelled, the difficulties, to a great degree, removed; so that they hoped to commence a school for Jewish children about this present month of May.

AMSTERDAM.

The Rev. W. H. Pauli, the missionary to the Jews in Amsterdam, gives, in a recent letter, an account of the baptism of a Jewess. Many Jews and some Jewesses were present on the solemn occasion, when he preached from Acts viii. 37, "I believe that Jesus is the Son of God." Mr. P. also sends the following interesting narrative of the

Conversion of a Jewish Family, and Happy Death of one of the Children.

"Last spring, I baptized a Jewish family, consisting of seven souls. B, the father, be

longed to an ancient Portuguese Jewish family; and when young, he had married a Christian woman of the Reformed Church (an occurrence not very uncommon here, in Holland), who, shortly after her marriage, embraced Judaism. Years rolled on, and she felt undisturbed in her conscience. Their children were brought up in the Jewish religion. This family dwelt in Haarlem, where between two and three hundred Jews live, who are as bigoted as those of Rotterdam. One of their teachers used to endeavour to annoy me, and to taunt me, by saying, 'Go to Mrs. B.-, and try to bring her back to your religion. But, I suppose,' he used to add, with a sneer, she has found Judaism, after all, to be the religion of the Bible.' I went to B, and he came to me at Amsterdam. I visited him many-many a time, but the stony hearts of the man and his wife remained for a long time unmoved, till the Lord, in his mercy, softened them. The words which I spoke in my weakness and simplicity, the Spirit of grace brought home to their souls. The Gospel light broke in upon their darkness. The man was first converted, and shortly after, his wife. No sooner had they made a public confession that Jesus is the Christ, than a flood of severe persecutions broke in upon the family, so much so, that I was obliged to remove them to Amsterdam, where I received the father and all his children, by baptism, into the Church of Christ. A new persecution arose, and the father of this interesting family was brought to the brink of abject poverty, but he bore all with a resignation and fortitude, which would have done honour to a primitive Christian. He was again obliged to remove with his family