Such was the endless, lasting love,
For Jacob's chosen race,

He cried with His expiring breath,
"Father, their sins efface."

Then when we see the wand'ring Jew,
So outcast and so sad;

Oh! let us strive, my brethren dear,
To make his spirit glad.

Oh! let us with fallen Zion's bard,
Our voices raise on high,
"For Zion's sake I will not rest,"
For her to God I'll cry;

And say, O Lord, look down again,
To bless thy chosen race;

Scatter their foes, convert their souls,
With Thine almighty grace.

Restore them to their beauteous land,
From thence no more to roam;
Oh! let them in blest Canaan find
A dwelling and a home.

In Canaan let them all remain,
Till Jesus Christ shall send
To call His people to His rest,
To joys that never end.

THE VINE.

(Written by a Dear Old Friend, in his 74th year.)

John xv. 1.

THOU goodly, fruitful tree,

With tendrils richly streaming,

In rich abundance hang

Thy beauteous clusters eaming

LONDON: Printed at the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, Palestine Place, Bethnal Green.

THE JEWISH ADVOCATE.

NOVEMBER, 1854.

SHORT SERMONS ON JEWISH SUBJECTS.

No. VI.

"THEY shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled."-LUKE XXI. 24.

No history is so instructive as that of Israel. No other teaches you so much of the divine perfections. From its commencement to the present hour, every page, every line, speaks words of warning, or of hope; tells of goodness, truth, faithfulness, holiness, justice, long-suffering, compassion, flowing the fountain of God's love to his people, love as unchanging as it is deep and free. If we look at their earlier days and ask, "who made them to differ?" do we not read that it was God. He set his love upon them, not because they were more in number than any people, for they were few,. not because of their righteousness or goodness, but because it pleased the Lord to make them His people, and because of His covenant with their fathers.

From God's own love, and for the accomplishment of great and glorious purposes for the world, the

election of Israel has flown. If you ask, why, when they rebelled so often against Him, when they turned to other gods, when they polluted his name amongst the heathen, why, then they were not cut off? the answer is found in the words of the last of their prophets: "I the Lord change not, therefore the sons of Jacob are not consumed." If you enquire why they still abide, monuments indeed of the divine hatred of sin, illustrations in every land of the severity of God, yet not destroyed, you may find the reply in the words of the Apostle: "They are still beloved for their fathers' sakes: the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." The words of the text point to a period, still future, when the reason of their preservation shall be more wonderfully manifested, when the times of the Gentiles having been fulfilled, Jerusalem shall cease to be trodden down of the Gentiles; and, as a consequence of this, Israel, repentant, believing. shall, as a nation, again rejoice in the favour of their unchanging God.

The portion of their history to which I now invite your intention, is that which exhibits them as suffering for their sin and unbelief, which led them to reject Messiah, and to fill up the measure of their iniquity, by rejecting the message of His Apostles, after His resurrection, and the result of it, had justified His claims as the Son of God -the Son of David-the Messiah.

The text foretold the coming destruction of Jerusalem, and the captivity of the sons of Jacob. The history of that destruction and of their long captivity and dispersion, shows the fulfilment of the prophecy. To this then let us turn.

The temple had been beautified and made most

splendid, by Herod. Forty-six years of labour had been bestowed upon it, and almost incalculable sums of money had been expended upon it, by that magnificent yet cruel monarch, to make it -what it was-a wonder of the world. At a distance it looked like a mountain of snow fretted with pinnacles of gold.* Of this splendid house Jesus said, "Not one stone shall he left upon another, that shall not be thrown down."

Herod had beautified the city as well as the temple, and raised it to more than the former state of splendour of its palmiest days. Its palaces and towers and public buildings; its walls and gardens, its site so remarkable and so picturesque, gave it unequalled beauty. The scenery about Jerusalem was not then, as now, destitute of wood and beautiful landscape; but all around, as well as within, afforded delight. Looking from the Mount of Olives, as He descended towards the city, the Redeemer gave expression to the deep concern and compassion of His heart. He foresaw her coming doom, and whilst her sons were filling her cup of iniquity to the very brim, and her chief-priest and rulers were prepared to put Him to a shameful and cruel death, he wept over her, saying, "If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." †

On another occasion he sends forth the pathetic appeal, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her

See Josephus's description. † Luke xix. 41, 42.