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We are too apt to forget our responsibilities, as well as to neglect our privileges. If God gives a command, we ought seriously to attend to it, in order to obey it, and not to treat the words of the Most High as if they were of no importance. How can we hope to be heard for ourselves, if we pray not for others? "Why call ye me Lord,

Lord, and do not the things that I say?" The state of the Jews, as ignorant of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus, is indeed awful. Where, then, is our pity; where our love, either to them or to the Lord Jesus, if we pray not for their conversion? We earnestly recommend to our readers to follow the example of a little boy of whom we very recently heard. A Clergyman had been preaching in a village church in Yorkshire, in behalf of the Jews, and pressing upon his hearers the duty of special prayer in their behalf: he told them it was not enough that they should simply pray for all men; these were a peculiar people, they stand forth, in the history of the world, from all other nations; they are presented to us as a special subject of our prayers, therefore they should pray for the Jews. Amongst his auditors there was one at least who heard not in vain. This was a child of the age of only six years. He was accustomed to pray aloud before he retired to rest, and his parents and friends saw that this duty was regularly performed. On the evening after the sermon, a friend at whose house the little boy was staying, was greatly surprised to hear him add this petition to his usual prayers :"O Lord, convert the Jews, and restore them again to their own land, for Jesus Christ's sake." When he arose from his knees, his friend asked him, why he had so prayed for the Jews.

His

reply was "Because the clergyman told us we ought to do so, and I'll never forget them as long as I live."

Reader, go thou and do likewise!

ILLUSTRATION OF PSALM I. 3.

He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither."

THE REV. F. C. Ewald, in an account of his journey from Jaffa, the ancient Joppa, says―

"For nearly two miles our way lay through pleasant gardens and orchards rich in various vegetables, and richer still in a variety of trees. The orange and the lemon, the fig and the pomegranate, the almond and the palm-tree, are here at home; their blossoms and their fruit fill the air with fragrance, whilst the luxuriant and green foliage of their leaves refreshes the beholder's eye.

"In each of these gardens there is a well, from which the ground is irrigated by rivulets, which are so ingeniously contrived, that a sufficient quantity of water flows around each tree and shrub to keep it in health and vigour.

"There is no doubt the Psalmist alludes to such trees, when he says, 'Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water,' &c.

"The words 'rivers of water' are, according to the original, divisions of water. The same

mode of irrigating is employed on the whole of the northern coast of Africa, and if a tree were deprived of the supply of water for any length of time, it would wither and decay."

MOUNT MORIAH.

"How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed!" The Christian and the descendant of Jacob must alike feel this as he walks the streets, or visits the once more sacred spots in Jerusalem. A degrading superstition, a sort of baptized heathenism, with its images, and pictures, and lies, misrepresents Christianity, and the true Christian and the Israelite must turn away from it as idolatry; or the mosques and minarets of the followers of the impostor Mahomet, fill their hearts with sorrow as they hear proclaimed from them at the hour of prayer, "Allah Ackbar la illa illah Allah Mahmood rasool Allah." God is great, there is no ruler but God, and Mahomet is his prophet."-There is no certainty as to the sites of many of the places mentioned in the Scriptures, which once existed in Jerusalem; of others there can be no doubt. The mount on which the Temple stood, stand as of old; and we are certain that there Solomon prayed; there the Mosaic rites were celebrated; there many of the events recorded in the New Testament history occurred. But what is it present state, and how is it occupied ?

Mr. Ewald thus describes it :

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Mount Moriah, is 2,300 feet above the level of the Mediterranean. The Mosque of Omar, the Mosque of Aksa, a college of Dervishes, a cloister for pilgrims, various praying-places, interspersed

with cypress and other trees, cover now the area where once Solomon's Temple stood. The whole platform is enclosed by a wall nearly sixty feet high, forming a parallelogram of about 1,500 feet long, and 1,000 wide. There are six principal entrances to the platform-four from the west, and two from the north.

The best view of these buildings is obtained from the roof of the Governor's house, situated north of the area. Every European who wishes to enjoy this splendid prospect may easily obtain permission to visit the Governor's house, which is said to occupy the position of that which Pontious Pilate inhabited, when our Saviour was brought before his judgment-seat.

"It is one of the finest spots of the Holy City, and calls forth many painful recollections. The Moslem, in the pride of his heart, takes here his evening walk; but Christians and Jews are excluded. When the Holy City was in the hands of the Egyptians, some Christians obtained permission to enter the sacred area; but since it has been restored to the Turks, this privilege has been denied to all. The reason assigned for admitting only Mahometans is this. King Solomon, when dedicating his temple to Jehovah, made use of the following words ::- What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, then hear thou in heaven thy dwellingplace, and forgive, and do, and give to every man, according to his ways.' Now they are afraid that Jews or Christians, if admitted, would pray that God might give them these places, and their prayer be heard!"

We hope to give a fuller description of this, and other remarkable spots in Jerusalem; we

have now selected this because it gives the reason why the Mahometans will not allow Jews and Christians to enter the enclosure where the temple once reared its majestic head. Only the other day, Dr. Macgowan-who had gone with a proper guide to visit a person in authority, residing in the Harem, as the space surrounding the Mosque is called, was attacked so furiously by slaves, that he was glad to escape with his life, after a cruel beating. What a blessed truth it is, that the true worshippers worship the Father in spirit and in truth, not in Jerusalem only, not in Samaria, but in all lands; and that wheresoever two or three meet together in the name of Jesus, there he is in the midst of them. Let our prayers be for Judah's welfare; for Jerusalem's peace; for when the Lord arises to "have mercy upon Zion, the heathen shall fear him, and all kings of the earth his glory; when the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory." (Psalm cii. 13—15.)

MISSIONS TO THE JEWS.

SCHOOL AT POSEN.

WE are glad of the opportunity, which the report of the schools for Jewish children in the duchy of Posen, affords us, of introducing our young readers to a happy and promising sceneone which they would have been most delighted to witness, and in which they would gladly have joined the little Jewish boys assembled, in their Hosannas to the Son of David.

There have been from 40 to 46 children at this

school during the past year. Of them, the teacher says, 66 as to their behaviour, diligence,

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