Page images
PDF
EPUB

letter from a native Christian, which we here copy :

"To the Lord Bishop of Jerusalem, &c., &c., &c.

"My Lord,-It must be matter of great rejoicing to every humble believer in Christ to be permitted to hear from a distance, or privileged to witness on the spot, the ingathering, as it were, of the ancient children of promise unto one shepherd, and unto one fold, who were hitherto scattered among all nations and in every part of the world, by the just judgment of our offended, yet merciful, God. But this truth-that Word of which one jot or one tittle is not to pass without fulfilment-has been manifested in the case of the Jews, and those long deluded people may now with an unusual fervour sing:

"Not all the blood of beasts,
On Jewish altars slain,

Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain.
"But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name,

And richer blood than they.

"Under such auspicious circumstances, I have taken this liberty of very humbly addressing your Lordship, and beg leave to state, that on the 22d of May last a most eloquent and impressive sermon was preached by the Rev. J. Tucker, B.D., the beloved pastor of the Church Missionary Chapel, Madras, for the express purpose of collecting funds to meet the temporal and spiritual wants of the saints in Jerusalem ; and I am happy to say, that his undertaking was crowned with signal success by the blessing of our Heavenly Father. Under this sermon most respectable Jew was brought to the saving

a

knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, and subsequently baptized and numbered among the members of Christ's Church, so that in the land of Heathenism another witness has arisen. The work is of God: who can hinder?

"Many-yea, the whole of those who had the pleasure of perusing your Lordship's letterwere struck with the simple and earnest strain of devotion which it breathed. Those who contemn and reproach God's people, will have the reproach turned on themselves. God has promised to favour Israel; and that he may speedily fulfil that promise, and gather his people into their own land, is my humble but earnest prayer.

"In conclusion, my Lord, I humbly pray you to accept my best wishes for the success of the work you are engaged in, and I shall never fail sincerely to entreat, at the throne of grace, that God may spare and prosper, and finally number your Lordship among his heirs; and I beg leave to subscribe, my Lord,

"Your Lordship's most obedient Servant, (Signed) "CHRISTIAN COMOROPEN.

"Madras, Dec. 24, 1842."

A missionary writing from India to a brother missionary in England, says :

"A most interesting case has lately occurred, of a Jew's conversion. Mr. Tucker preached a sermon on behalf of the Jews on Trinity Sunday. It being quite a new thing in Madras, attention was excited to the subject, and some one put an article in the paper, announcing when the sermon was to be preached. A Jew attended. The word reached his heart. He confessed the faith of Christ crucified, and has put himself under instruction, both public and private.

"He attends the Church Missionary Chapel,

and comes twice a-week to me, and twice a-week to Mr. T. for instruction. I have never met anything like the rapidity of his growth in knowledge, and grasping of heavenly things. The bursting forth of a Russian summer, or the rising of an Indian sun, may give some natural illustration of the rapidity with which he has embraced the high and the deep things of God.

"But I should say, that he was led to doubt of his own religion two months before he came to the Church Missionary Church, and had procured a Bible with marginal references, and been comparing the Old and New Testaments. He was first led to doubt by that disputed passage in Josephus. Is not this remarkable?

"He is of a highly respectable family, living in Regent-square, London, quite a gentleman in his habits and feelings, well educated, and has seen a good deal of the world. He is a merchant here. He has written most interesting letters to his father, brother, and sisters, and has the strongest and simplest faith that they will be brought to confess Jesus. He rejects the idea of his having denied his own religion by this act, and declares himself a true follower of Abraham; for he says he saw the day of Christ, and was glad. It is the modern Jews he pronounces as apostates from the faith of their forefathers. In about a fortnight he is to be baptized, and I hope to be one of his sponsors. Is not this missionary news?"

Thus is the Gospel the power of God unto salvation-to the Jews and to the Gentiles. Oh, may its glad tidings soon be heard in every land!

MESSIAH'S GLORY IN HIS HUMILITY. A TRACT has lately been published, entitled, "The Vail of the Flesh; or, the Design and Miraculous Evidence of Messiah's First Advent." By a Friend of Israel. The contents are chiefly from a very valuable sermon on the subject. It is intended for circulation amongst the Jews. We extract the following beautiful passage, as presenting the glory of the Lord Jesus, even in his humiliation :

"His birth was mean on earth below, but it was celebrated with hallelujahs by the heavenly host in the air above. He had a poor lodging, but a star lighted visitants to it from distant countries. Never prince had such visitants so conducted. He had not the magnificent equipage that other kings have; but he was attended with multitudes of patients, seeking and obtaining healing of soul and body. That was more true greatness than if he had been attended with crowds of princes. He made the dumb that attended him sing his praises, and the lame to leap for joy; the deaf to hear his wonders, and the blind to see his glory. He had no guard of soldiers, nor magnificent retinue of servants; but, as the centurion, that had both, acknowledged, health and sickness, life and death, took orders from him. Even the winds and storms, which no earthly power can control, obeyed him; and death and the grave durst not refuse to deliver up their prey when he demanded it. He did not walk upon tapestry; but when he walked on the sea, the waters supported him. All parts of the creation, excepting sinful men, honoured him as their Creator. He kept no treasure; but when

he had occasion for money, the sea sent it to him in the mouth of a fish. He had no barns nor corn. fields; but when he inclined to make a feast, a few small loaves covered a sufficient table for many thousands. None of all the monarchs of the world ever gave such entertainment. By these, and many such things, the glory of Jesus of Nazareth shone through his meanness, in the several parts of his life. Nor was it wholly clouded at his death. He had not, indeed, that fantastic equipage of sorrow that other great persons have on such occasions: but the frame of nature solemnized the death of its author;heaven and earth were mourners. The sun was clad in black; and, if the inhabitants of the earth were unmoved, the earth itself trembled under the awful load. There were few to pay the Jewish compliment of rending their garments; but the rocks were not so insensible,—they rent their bowels. He had not a grave of his own; but other men's graves opened to him. Death and the grave might be proud of such a tenant in their territories; but he came not there as a subject, but as an invader,-a conqueror. It was then, that death, the king of terrors, lost his sting; and on the third day the Prince of Life triumphed over him, spoiling death and the grave."

IF I FORGET THEE, O JERUSALEM !

An unknown friend has kindly sent us the following design, It is not original, but the idea of it arose "whilst he was perusing a little work wherein the Christian Gentile is recommended to call to mind some Scripture passage, the

« PreviousContinue »