tian Church; individuals were moved to seek the welfare of the Jews and their attempts were blessed," but generally speaking, the most opprobrious epithets were applied to them, and a line of conduct pursued such as was calculated to make their prejudices perpetual. Christians knew nothing of Hebrew, the New Testament had never been translated into that language, and from the time of St. Jerome to that of Raymund Martyn, a period of nearly 800 years, almost all the endeavours to learn from their own writings the real objections and difficulties of the Jews were abandoned.

"The council of Elvira, and several succeeding councils, forbade all familiar and friendly intercourse with the Jews, under pain of excommunication. Stephen Langton, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Hugo de Velles, Bishop of Lincoln, extended this decree still further, for they denounced the same punishment upon any one who should hold communication with the Jews, or even sell them provisions; and to crown all, a decree was made, forbidding them to enter any Christian Church." These acts were not likely to promote the spiritual welfare of God's ancient people.

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Yet notwithstanding all this and much more, God has always had a people amongst his ancient Iarael. We have the testimony of St. Jerome, who died about A.D. 420, that the church of the circumcision or Jewish converts continued and was numerous in his time. He describes them as existing in all the synagogues of the East; and though he was strongly opposed to their zeal for

*Dr. M.Caul's Sermon. † Ibid.

the law, he bears witness to their orthodoxy. He says particularly, that they rejected the traditions of the Rabbins, and believed in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. In the beginning of the fifth century we read of the conversion of the Jews in Candia; in the sixth, of the Jews of Borium in Africa; in the seventh, in Cyprus and other places; in the ninth, of some in France ; in the eleventh, in Germany; in the twelfth, in Germany, Spain, Normandy, and England. One of the rolls in the reign of Henry III. contains the names of five hundred Jewish converts. Two of the most learned men of the fourteenth century were converted Jews-Paul of Burgos, and Nicholas de Lyra. The latter was the great precursor of the Reformation; from him both Wickliffe and Luther learned the true mode of interpreting the Bible." Hence it has been

said

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"Si Lyra non lyrasset,
Lutherus non saltasset."

"If Lyra had not harped on profanation,
Luther had never planned the Reformation."

Tremellius, the friend of our own Reformers, and whose translation of the Old Testament is one of the best extant, was a converted Jew. In Hamburgh, in 1690, a learned Rabbi, named Esdras Edzard, embraced Christianity, and laboured assiduously to convert his brethren. Of him Bishop Kidder, who corresponded with him, says, 'He has been an instrument of converting more Jews, including many rabbins, than have perhaps ever been converted by any one person in the world since the age of miracles.'

"Above a century ago, Wolfius, in his Biblio

theca Hebraica, was able to enumerate more than a hundred Jews who had written in defence or illustration of Christianity. In 1232, King Henry III. erected for Jewish converts a place of refuge whither they might go, and appointed them a certain maintenance. The house was situated in Chancery Lane (then called New St.), and subsisted many years by the name of the Converts, or Converts' House. It is now the Rolls' Court; but the original charter appropriated it to Jewish converts, with a certain daily maintenance, arising from the property of one John Herberton, all of which, (with the exception of a garden which was given to the Bishop of Chichester, now called Chichester Rents), was set apart for this purpose; and all escheats from felony or any other cause, in the city of London, and the suburbs within the liberty of the city, were given for this purpose.

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For the space of 350 years no Jews resided in England; King Edward I. banished them in 1290. In the time of Cromwell, many of their nation came hither, and we have now about 25,000 living amongst us, yet how few are the efforts which have been made for their spiritual good. Until within a few years, no man seemed to care for their souls or for those of the millions of their dispersed and despised brethren. Since Christians have begun to bear good tidings' to the descendants of Abraham, above 5,000 of this people have publicly confessed their faith in the Lord Jesus, and great numbers are fully convinced of the truth of Christianity, and, unknown to their brethren, believe in Him of whom Moses and the prophets wrote.

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"Upwards of thirty Clergymen in our Church

are believing Israelites, and more than 100 in Germany, are preaching the Gospel of Christ. Men of great learning and talents from among Christian Jews, fill professors' chairs in some of the Universities on the Continent. About forty of the missionary agents employed by the Society are believing Israelites, and many are also similarly engaged by other Societies.

"Who can think on these things and not rejoice? Do we not see in them an illustration of the truth, 'even at this time also, there is a remnant, according to the election of grace.' The results of missionary labour in all the stations occupied by our Missionaries are illustrations of this truth, and become more and more striking and encouraging every year. Let us then pray and labour with renewed and redoubled earnestness, that the predicted day may speedily come when the fulness of the Gentiles having come in, 'ALL ISRAEL SHALL BE SAVED.''

PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM. From a Speech of the Rev. Edward Walker, at the Anniversary Jews' Meeting at Milnthorpe, Sept. 11th, 1848.

I AM sure I shall express the feeling of this Meeting, when I say that after what we have already heard, it would be well, with as little delay as possible, that we should retire to our homes, to give the interesting subject now brought before us our serious, solemn, and prayerful consideration. I have but one word to say in addition to what we have heard this night. It is this-Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We

have heard of the origin of this wonderful people, we have heard of their glorious destiny-but we have also heard of their present condition. They have been placed before us as they were before the mind of the holy prophet, "in the visions of God," lying in a state of spiritual death-a valley filled with dry bones.

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What, then, is our duty? ·Prophesy unto them," saith the Spirit. Here is our duty, or rather a part of our duty. And this the Society for Promoting Christianity among the Jews is endeavouring by the grace of God to performto disarm them of prejudice-to present them with a pure form of Christianity-to teach them their own Scriptures-to prophesy till there is a "shaking" among them-and the bones come together, bone to his bone; yea, till the sinews and the flesh come upon them." But what then? Is our duty done? Far otherwise. "There was

no breath in them. Much really, but little comparatively has been done. We see only drops of blessing yet-the heavens above us seem as brass. We hear of one here and one there converted, we hear of drops of grace, but we see not the promised floods poured out-what then shall we do? Oh dear friends, more than we have done. We owe to the Jew more than money-we owe him many an earnest, wrestling prayer with God. "Prophesy to the (breath) Spirit.' Come, oh breath" of the living God," and breathe on these slain, and they shall live." Here is a duty too much forgotten, too much neglected by the children of God. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. If you value the prosperity and growth in grace of your own souls, Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, they shall prosper that love thee." If

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