he has been graciously pleased to plant in the place of his sovereign choice, destined again to be a praise in the earth, whence his Divine law and Word are to proceed.

It is with no ordinary feelings of joy and gratitude that I would on this occasion offer you my heartfelt congratulations on the fact that at length a firman* has been granted for the erection of the Protestant church in the Holy City. Whatever may be the circumstances connected with this firman, however much opposition may and still will be raised against the carrying of the same into effect, it cannot and must not be looked upon otherwise than an additional sign of the farther development of the Divine purposes of mercy to Zion.

The Protestant Episcopal Church of England will now have " a local habitation" as well as a name on the rock of Jerusalem, and whatever is ultimately to follow from this planting of the standard of truth in so conspicuous a place, may safely be left to the appointed course of Providence. This fact, then, makes an important era in the history of our present year, which we humbly desire to receive as a Divine token of mercy, and as an encouragement in the midst of our various trials and difficulties. Of these we have again had a considerable share. The enemy; whose name, here especially, is "Legion," will not allow God's work to proceed without seeking, by various ways and means to obstruct, if he cannot destroy it. Nevertheless, in the midst of all we are made to experience the blessed and comforting truth, that "Greater is He that is for us, than all that are against us,"

* Permission from the Sultan to build the Church.

and as regards our position generally, and the blessed scriptural prospects connected with it, we may truly apply to it the words of the apostle, that our light afflictions which are but for a moment, are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed hereafter.

Our work has progressed as usual during the last year. Our daily and Sunday services continue to be regularly conducted; and, we trust, are attended by the Divine blessing. Some members of the House of Israel have been added to the Church by baptism, and subsequently confirmed. Regular intercourse is kept up with the numerous Jews who reside here, and also with those who from time to time visit the Holy City from the various parts of their dispersion. A converted Israelite is stationed at Jaffa, in charge of a depôt of Bibles and tracts, who has numerous opportunities of usefulness among the many Jews who land there on their way to Jerusalem, or are leaving the land of their forefathers. He has likewise opportunities of circulating the holy Scriptures, &c., among the numerous other pilgrims, who pass and repass there from almost every nation under heaven. A physician, himself a converted Israelite, has also lately been established there, whose labours are chiefly confined to the Jews. Here in Jerusalem the depôt continues to be an important medium of circulating Christian knowledge amongst the Jews and others. We have also during the last year opened a school, which, although the number of children is as yet necessarily small, we still hope will increase and flourish, when the natives become better acquainted with the importance and advantages of knowledge, of which they are sadly ignorant. I have during the year like

quainted with a portion of my extensive diocese, having made a tour to Damascus, &c. The frequent intercourse which I there had with the numerous Jews, who received us with the utmost courtesy and respect, convinced me of the necessity of having a station there, which we hope soon to see occupied, as well as Aleppo, which has been entered upon, and where numerous opportunities of usefulness present themselves. A general friendly intercourse is also kept up between us and the different Churches by whom we are surrounded, which cannot fail, under the Divine blessing, to produce salutary effects, and on the whole we have great reason to thank God and take courage, and to call upon our friends to join with us in prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, on the memorable day, January 21, when we made our first entry into the Holy City. A day which is much to be remembered, even when the results which have already followed in this short period be alone taken into consideration; but a day which we trust will yet prove one of the most remarkable in the history of the Church, when the Lord "shall build up Zion, and appear in his glory, and when all who now mourn for her, seeing her desolate and trodden down, shall rejoice for joy with her;" and when God's people shall be delighted with the abundance of her glory. Commending ourselves once more to the continuance of your sympathy, your interests, and your prayerful co-operation,

I remain,

Your faithful, affectionate friend
and servant,

M. S. ANGL. HIEROSOL.

Jerusalem, October 30, 1845.

15

BIBLE HISTORY OF THE JEWS.

CHAPTER VIII.

"Seed of Jacob! you who share
Aught of Israel's spirit,

Wrestle thus in fervent prayer,

Blessing to inherit."-BERNARD BARTON.

AND somewhat as it befell to Abraham's servant when he went to take a wife for Isaac, so it befell also to Isaac's son Jacob when he went to take a wife himself. He was resting at a well where shepherds were waiting to water their flocks; and a fair maiden came towards them with her flock. And the shepherds told him she was Rachel, the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother. And those were Laban's sheep, "for she kept them." Then Jacob rolled away the stone from the well's mouth, and watered her flock for her. He told her who he was, "and kissed Rachel and lifted up his voice and wept." And she ran and told her father.

Laban received Jacob very hospitably, and made him his shepherd at a certain wages. He also gave him his two daughters in marriage; Leah at the end of seven years' service; and Rachel for seven more years' service. Leah bore Jacob six sons. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun: Rachel bore him but two, Joseph and Benjamin. Besides these Jacob had other sons, Gad, Asher, Dan, and Naphtali; in all twelve; they are sometimes called the twelve patriarchs, and by their names the tribes of Israel are called to this day.

At the birth of Joseph, Jacob, who had been long discontented with the scanty wages Laban had given him, desired to go away with his wiv

and children to his own country. But Laban saw that God prospered whatsoever was under Jacob's hands, and rather than lose him, he proposed to pay him, not by wages of money, but by a share in the flocks and herds. This Jacob accepted; and by a cunning contrivance secured to himself all the strong and profitable of Laban's stock, leaving him the weakly remainder. Then Laban's" countenance was not towards him as before, and Laban's sons murmured against Jacob." Then the angel of the Lord warned him once more to depart. So, after twenty years' service, Jacob stole away unawares to Laban, the Syrian, who did not know till the third day that he was gone. He pursued after him for seven days, and at length came up with him in mount Gilead; but being warned of God in a dream not to hurt Jacob, he merely reproved him for his stealthy departure, saying, "Wherefore didst thou flee away so secretly, and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth, and with songs, with tabret, and with harp?" Laban complained of having had no opportunity to take leave of his daughters, and reproached Jacob with stealing his gods.

That is, as we read afterwards, images of God. Thus, idolatry, the worshipping of the unseen God under the shape of living things, had crept in among Abraham's kinsmen; so difficult is it for any one person, or band of persons, to keep alive a purer faith when surrounded on all sides by depravation. These images of God were probably like some of the household gods of the Heathens, or the Fetishes of the Africans; the luck of the house was supposed to reside in them; and therefore to steal them was to steal the prosperity of the family.