of grace which is already so manifest in numerous parts | began to assemble at the house of one of their number, of France, and of other countries, there is no human means more important than the multiplication in such districts of efficient Protestant schools. Even in West Flanders, however, there are still some traces to be found of the effects of the Reformation,-some faint glimmerings of the light which once shone so brightly over this benighted region. Many of the Roman Catholics remember with some degree of interest their old Protestant ancestors, and display a freedom from that embittered hatred of evangelical truth, and of all who hold it, which distinguishes the other adherents of the Church of Rome.

It is interesting, while reading the accounts of the Belgian Evangelical Society, to find that some of their agents have been planted in districts where the descendants of old Protestants have been found, and that there the Divine blessing has crowned their labours with success. One of the most important stations of the Society is at Mons, the capital of Hainault, a celebrated place during the time of the Reformation,-whose walls were besprinkled with the blood of Christian martyrs. There the flames of persecution long raged with peculiar violence, and the utmost efforts of cruelty and ingenuity were exerted, in order utterly to consume every remnant of the Protestant faith; but the Divine power was displayed in preserving his persecuted Church from utter destruction. A few there were who remained faithful to their heavenly Master, and transmitted the Gospel they valued to their children after them. To supply the spiritual wants of these, a Protestant service used to be celebrated at Mons by the chaplain of the garrison, previous to the Revolution; and sermons were statedly preached by a devoted servant of Christ, M. Devisme, who resided in the neighbouring village of Dour. Dour and Paturages are both stations closely adjoining Mons, and very near to each other; and both are pregnant with associations deeply interesting to every Christian mind. The Church of Dour is the oldest of the Churches of the district, and the parent of the other congregations; and there is no reason to doubt that it derives its descent from the times of the Reformation. About the middle of the sixteenth century a fierce persecution broke forth in this part of the country, and many families sought an asylum in foreign lands; but some still remained who had not bowed the knee to idols; for, as late as the year 1700, a number of persons in this very village refused to take an oath by which they should engage to yield conformity to the rites of the Church of Rome. Among those charged with contumacy, was a woman advanced in years, who never having been herself taught to read the Word, had become acquainted with many of the most precious passages by hearing her husband read to her. The devout Fenelon, at that time visiting his diocese, came to Dour and conversed with this woman; who replied to all his questions by quoting verses of the Sacred Volume, and who especially repeated those precious words of the apostle, "There is now, therefore, no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus." Touched and affected with what he saw and heard, the venerable archbishop gave her, in writing, a paper insuring to her protection from all molestation, and sent her away, saying, "My good woman, pray for me." About fifty years after this, a few of these Protestants

for the worship of God; but the relentless spirit of Popery soon followed them there. The priests resolved, that the person who had the audacity to open his doors for Protestant worship should suffer death! Instruments of their own were employed to injure the image of a saint in a chapel near the village, and to accuse this man of being the author of the misdemeanour; in consequence of which he was condemned. Agreeably to the sentence, he was cast into a dungeon, and when the time for his imprisonment was ended, was led forth from his prison-house, that he might be mercilessly dragged through the city at the tail of a horse; and, in fine, was banished from his country. While travelling towards Holland, and only about nine miles from the town where he had been treated with such merciless severity, exhausted with fatigue, and worn out with suffering, he dropt down on the ground, and expired,— a martyr for the truth not less certainly than if he had died at the stake.

At this time the rage of the priests was fierce and inexorable, and by being directed against the Oracles of Truth, demonstrated that they were impelled by that lying spirit whose kingdom the Word is destined to overthrow. The Bible was every where searched out with unwearied activity, and when discovered, was committed to the flames. Those who possessed it were obliged to be incessantly on the watch, and to exert all their ingenuity to conceal the precious treasure from the view of their persecutors. Holes were made in the walls, or in the thatch of the houses, in which the Word of God was cautiously concealed; and when old buildings hare been levelled with the dust, the worn and wasted leaves of the Bible, that had lain there for centuries, emphatically told their tale of the cruelties and persecu tions of other ages. Unable in the day time to find a moment in which they might, with security, peruse the precious Volume, they retired to a distance from their cottages under the protecting shades of night, and, by the flickering glimmer of the lanthorn, sat down to peruse the Word of God. At other times, they travelled to the nearest towns where they could hear the Dutch and Swiss ministers proclaim to them the Gospel of Christ. On such occasions, when the populace recog. nised them, their fanatic zeal rose almost to madness, while they pursued them with opprobrious epithets, such as "Vagabonds," and "Heretics of Dour ;" and assailed them with stones. An interesting anecdote, retained in a Flemish tract, called "Celestine; or the Blind Woman of Paturages," will afford us a lively and a just idea of the value which at this period was attached by the Protestants to the Word, and of the inveterate enmity of the Roman Catholics against it.

"In my youth," said the old Estrebeck (about one hundred and fifty years ago), "there was but one Bible in our neighbourhood, which was in the possession of a few Christians, who met secretly during the night to peruse its sacred contents, and to instruct and strengthen their souls. This Sacred Book was a source of terror to the Popish Priests, and to the faithful adherents of the Romish Church: they sought after the Sacred Volume with avidity, and searched every place where they thought it might be secreted. The village constable had received orders to go, with some of his emissaries, and carefully search every house where

there were any hopes of finding it. This Bible was the
property of four individuals, fathers of families, who were
coal-miners. One day, their wives being from home,
they were obliged, when going to their work, to leave
their precious treasure in charge of a young girl åbout |
eight or nine years of age, who remained at home to
take care of her little brother. These worthy people
thought it desirable to hide their Bible in the bottom
of the cradle, charging the little girl, at the same time,
if any one should come during their absence, continually
to rock the child, even if it should be asleep. The
poor little girl, taught from her infancy to prize this
inestimable treasure, strictly observed the orders
which she had received when the persecutors entered.
They began immediately to search every corner of the
house, from top to bottom; but the object of their
search was not to be found. Disappointed and dis-
couraged, they were about to retire, when one of theming, and at the same time peculiarly important. They
observed that they had forgotten to look into the
cradle. What was the poor little girl's distress on
hearing these words, and the anguish of her mind when
she saw the Holy Volume torn from her! But still it
was nothing to that of the parents, when they returned
from their labours in the evening, and learned their
irreparable loss. Their grief was beyond expression; |
they wept aloud, crying out, 'Oh, dear Bible! pre-
cious book! what will become of us without thee!
Better had it been for us that our cottages had been
torn down, or devoured by the flames.'"

| from among the inhabitants of Paturages, till some of
them began to visit Dour, and to hear the Gospel pro-
claimed by the faithful servant of Christ of whom we
have spoken. In 1785, Mr Devisme prevailed on the
Protestants, who were willing to hear the Gospel, to
have a service on the Sabbath-day in their own village.
These meetings continued till the year 1820, when
the younger Mr Devisme first began to visit them, and
found them assembled, few in number, in the house of
a poor blind woman. From that time they have in-
creased in number, in knowledge, and in zeal. The
Truth has also taken root in a neighbouring village of
Labouverie, from which a few individuals were wont
to go to Dour for instruction, and returned to awaken
in their friends an interest in those truths which had
poured light and consolation into their own soulз.
Such facts as we have mentioned are deeply interest-

Notwithstanding the number of Protestants who had resided at Dour, it was not till the year 1784, when an act of toleration was passed by Joseph the Second, that they began to meet regularly for worship in a private room. Two years later, they applied to a devoted minister, Mr Devisme, to afford them religious instruction, which he promised to do, by paying them a visit once every three months-his numerous other ministerial avocations in the north of France, where he was wont to travel from place to place, preaching the Gospel to various bands of Protestants who had no pastor, not permitting him to see them oftener. For a considerable time this devoted minister seems to have pursued his labours without molestation; but, in the year 1789, while engaged at a Protestant service, he was seized, conveyed to the prison at Mons, in which he lay for forty-eight days, and was then liberated. The same treatment awaited him in the year 1802; but, after twenty-four hours' imprisonment, he was set at liberty. From that time till the year 1817, he continued to pursue his silent course of usefulness; at which time he was succeeded by his son, who still preaches the Gospel in the same place. Very near to Dour, is Paturages, another of the stations of the Belgian Evangelical Society; and a village, many of whose inhabitants are descendants of the persecuted Protestants of the Reformation. Here it is alleged, that, while the storm of persecution was fiercely raging, and many servants of Christ forsook their homes to depart to Christian lands, one individual took farewell of his native village singing the sorrowful strains of the 88th Psalm, while leaving behind him his wife and his children, who were resolved still to live in that land of idolatry and wickedness. Notwithstanding their descent and their early traditions, it would appear that true piety had almost entirely disappeared

establish the position, that there are in Belgium, as
there are in France, and doubtless in many other parts
of the Continent where the Protestant faith once took
root, little bands of the descendants of the men who
received the Gospel in the sixteenth century; who,
amid surrounding darkness, have retained some sparks of
truth; who remember with veneration their persecuted
forefathers, and, were the opportunity only afforded,
would gladly hear the Gospel. It shows that, owing
to these circumstances, the Gospel might be proclaimed
among them under peculiar advantages; that, in all
probability, by many it would be cordially received;
and that a little company of Christians might thus be
formed, from whom the light might be made to shine
forth and penetrate the surrounding Popish darkness. It
is sad to think, that there are descendants of confessors
and martyrs, cherishing the recollection of their heroic
fortitude and Christian zeal, but cut off from all the
means of grace and opportunities of religious instruction.
With sorrow they send their children to the Popish
schools, having no other means of affording them in-
struction; they sigh over their silent Sabbaths, un-
cheered by the voice of the herald of mercy.
hopes and desires are awakened when some colporteur
passes by, and leaves them the precious Bible; and, with-
out doubt, even now they are lifting up many an earnest
prayer that some evangelist or pastor may at length, in
the providence of God, be sent to visit them. Shall
Christians in this country be altogether regardless of the
spiritual destitution of men of this description on the
Continent? Shall they do nothing at all to rekindle
the lamp that once burned so brightly among them?
Especially when a society has been formed which em-
ploys some faithful and devoted evangelists among this
very class of people, and while God is blessing their
labours in the conversion of many Roman Catholics,
and the raising up new companies of Christians, who
are glorifying God amid the fires of persecution, shall
this Society, uncheered by the sympathies of their
brethren in this favoured land, and unsupported by their
aid, be allowed to fall to the ground?

Their

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THE JEWS; OR THE VOICE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT
CONCERNING THEM.*

In these eventful times, when the Jews are be-
coming more and more an object of interest both
to Church and State, indeed to the world at large,
it seems desirable to meet every objection that
may be urged against the endeavour to promote
Christianity amongst them, and likewise to bring
forward every scriptural argument that can be
adduced in favour of this important duty. In
many pious and benevolent minds there seems to
have existed an almost superstitious dread of
coming forward in their behalf, lest it should
appear like an interference with the purposes of
God towards that peculiar people: but, however
miraculous their national conversion may be, still
there has always been a remnant from among
them returning into the fold; and we find that,
throughout the New Testament as well as the Old,
their claims are enforced. This is the point I
wish clearly to establish.

It is a singular fact, that as the Jewish Church overlooked the Gentiles, although they were included in the writings of Moses and the Prophets, so the Christian Church has overlooked the Jews, although Christ and his Apostles continually refer to them.

From the writings of the Evangelists, who narrate the personal ministry of our Lord, the two following passages alone are sufficient; the one in which our Lord asserts his own mission at that period, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel;" and the other in which He gives a commission to the apostles, "Go not amongst the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

Luke, in his history of the Acts of the Apostles, informs us that it was to devout Jews who had come to the Great Festival that the glad tidings of Messiah's resurrection were first announced; and that multitudes of that nation, by the preaching of Peter, believed on the Saviour and were added to the Church. Thus was the

The Rev. Dr Marsh, an intelligent and excellent Divine of the English Church, has just published a small Tract on the Jews, which we gladly transfer to our pages.

No. 135. JULY 31, 1841.-1d.]

door of faith first opened to the Jews; and though Paul was afterwards set apart as apostle to the Gentiles, yet we find him visiting the synagogues in every place, and gathering fruit from amongst the Jews.

In the Epistle to the Romans, the apostle, triumphing in the Gospel of Christ, declares it to be the "power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek ;" and he states that their rejection is neither total nor final. Here our attention should be particularly directed to the following verses addressed to the Gentile Church :-" For if thou wert cut out of the olive-tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive-tree, how much more shall these which be natural branches be graffed into their own olive-tree?" "I would not have you ignorant of this mystery, that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved. As it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob."

In the Epistle to the Corinthians, when announcing the great subject of the apostolic ministry, "We preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling-block, and to the Greeks foolishness," Paul adds; "but to them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God." In the second Epistle to that Church, when speaking of the superiority of the Christian dispensation and of the blindness of the Jew, he yet holds out a hope that the heart of the Jew shall "turn to the Lord, and then the veil shall be taken away."

There seems to be a striking allusion here to the history of Moses ascending the mount unveiled, but when he descends from that mount the veil is on his face; so when the Jews shall again turn towards the God of their fathers, the veil of unbelief shall be taken from their hearts, and they shall with unveiled face behold the glory of the Lord.

[SECOND SERIES. VOL. III.

In the Epistle to the Galatians, when urging | sealed from the twelve tribes" are converted Jews, the great doctrine of justification by faith alone, and that the great "multitude, out of every tongue, and insisting upon the liberty of the believing and nation, and kindred, and people," are conGentiles, that they should not be compelled to live verted Gentiles; thus accomplishing the remarkas do the Jews, he pronounces peace upon those able prophecy of Caiaphas, that "Jesus should Gentiles who were new created in Christ Jesus; die for that nation, and not for that nation only, and also upon the converted Jews, or "the Israel but that he should gather together in one the of God." children of God which were scattered abroad." In the Epistle to the Ephesians he speaks of Now, if it be satisfactorily proved that the Chrisboth Jew and Gentile as having "access through tian Scriptures never overlook the Jews, is it Christ, by one Spirit, unto the Father;" and ex-right in the Christian Church to overlook them? pressly declares, that it was the great mystery of that age, that the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and partakers of God's promise in Christ by the Gospel.

In the Epistle to the Colossians Paul asserts that both "Jew and Greek are one in Christ;" and in the Thessalonians he speaks of the " Churches of God which in Judea are in Christ Jesus."

We then come to the First Epistle to Timothy, in which Paul refers to his own conversion as "a pattern" or type "to them who should hereafter believe on Christ to life everlasting;"-none of whom could exceed him in their enmity to Christianity,

In the Epistle to Titus it is declared, that "the grace of God, which bringeth salvation, hath appeared unto all men ;" that is, to Gentiles as well as Jews.

Passing by the private letter to Philemon, we come to that addressed to the Hebrews; an epistle which ought to decide the question, as it is exclusively addressed to the house of Israel, and gloriously unfolds the priesthood of Messiah, as typified in the Levitical dispensation.

The Epistle of Peter, who was the apostle of the Circumcision, is written to converts from his own nation, "scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia." And he refers them, in his Second Epistle, to the great "promise" revealed to their prophet, Isaiah, that there would be "new heavens and a new earth," when "Jerusalem" would be "a rejoicing, and her people a joy."

James avowedly addresses his Epistle to the twelve tribes.

John says, in his First Epistle, writing as a Jew, and evidently addressing Jews, "We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, who is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."

For centuries the Jews were the Lord's peculiar people, first as a family, and then as a nation. Their law was written by the finger of God himself, and for the space of forty years he guided them through the trackless desert; by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire. He drove out the nations from before them, and brought them to the Promised Land. There he visited them with mercies and with judgments; but they continually rebelled against him, and finally filled up the measure of their iniquity by their rejection of the Messiah. Then, indeed, as a nation, they lost their civil and ecclesiastical privileges, but they were not cast off for ever. God had still purposes of mercy towards them; and thus he addresses the wild scions who were grafted in," For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy, through their unbelief, even so have these also now not believed that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy." Is there no meaning to be attached to these words? do they not imply that these natural branches are left as a legacy to our fostering care, who partake of the root and fatness of the Olive tree? And have we hitherto acted as faithful guardians of that people? Have we prayed for them? have we preached to them? have we set them a good example? as the trustees of the covenant, have we done our utmost to ameliorate their condition, subdue their prejudices, and enlighten their minds?

But there is yet another view of this subject to which our attention should be seriously drawn, because it may affect our interest not as individuals only, but as a Church and nation. In Sacred History we invariably find the truth of that prophetic declaration, "Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee." Nor am I sure that if the records of heaven could be read by us, whether the reason of many a scourge in modern times would not be discerned in the unalterable truth of this declaration. Not improLeaving the short Epistle of Jude, which de-bably we might find the oppression of the Jew on scribes the apostasy of the latter times, and the second coming of the Lord to destroy that apostasy, we come to the Revelation to John. Now, I would ask if the Old Testament prophets perpetually referred to the Jews, and the New Testament apostles to the same, is it probable that this last book of Holy Writ should pass them by, especially when it winds up all prophecy, with the fulfilment of which they are intimately connected? Surely, therefore, it must be inferred, that the "one hundred and forty-four thousand

one column, and the judgment of the oppressor on the other. In support of this view of the subject we may refer to the history of individuals—we may refer to the history of nations.-Laban, the Syrian, received Jacob into his house and was forced to acknowledge that the Lord had blessed him for His servant's sake. Balaam, who enticed the Israelites to sin, was slain amongst the enemies of God. The widow of Sarepta's barrel of meal wasted not, neither did her cruise of oil fail, be. cause in the time of famine she had fed the pro

that village and the surrounding district; and burdened with a family of ten children, his income was scarcely adequate to their support. An expensive law-suit, besides, in which he became involved, reduced him to the necessity of incurring debts which bore heavily upon Oh! that our beloved Church may faith-his spirits in his declining years. fully discharge her duty, and thus together bring to pass the apostolic declaration, that "Through your mercy they also may obtain mercy."