world. He owns that he wished, but could not entirely shake off the influence of that which had been deposited within him. "O'er hidden grain the dim tide flows, The bread was on the waters cast, Many a sun and moon arose, But in its fruit 'twas found at last. Anxious labourer, sow your all, And think not that the seed is lost, Who dare compare the crown with cost." Is the Missionary weary with the contradictions and gainsayings of mankind? does he grow fatigued when he reflects that he toils over wastes of barrenness? Yet in a single fact there is substance for hope; and the burdened spirit, anxiously contending for its Author's glory, may know that, although the body be laid in the tomb, the work of the Lord shall not fail. But to return. As Mr. C- had imbibed impressions favourable to religion, I had not to oppose the prejudice which we meet in the unenlightened. Nevertheless, he was entangled in the snares of earth, needing still further warning of his danger. When he recognised the words which he had heard in youth-when he recollected for mer aspirations-it was well-pleasing to his ear, and he inquired more earnestly for Gospel-truth. For many months he attended my instructions in the New Testament, until Christ possessed his soul, and he believed in Him as his Redeemer. He soon became solicitous for his wife's salvation-how should her bigotry be overcome-her ignorance be removed? I advised him to lay his case before the Lord, who would assuredly assist him. Yet what could we expect? He was violently opposed, not only by the wife, but by her relations also. Dejected and discouraged, he intended to desist. I was very much troubled on his account, and repeatedly sought an interview with her, in order, if possible, to give her mind another bias. All was in vain she refused to converse, and reproached her husband for my attempted introduction. Thus matters stood for some time; but our prayers were heard-her heart was touched, and her conduct towards us was suddenly altered. "Leila Ada" was the book which she so greatly desired to peruse, that she asked her husband if he still had it in his possession; and, from the day that she inquired for it, she promoted our intercourse rather than hindered it, lamenting her previous behaviour. Nothing affected her more than the history of the conversion of Paul in the Acts; she was gradually strengthened, till harmony in her household was established; for discord and contention were supplanted by faith. They were now both willing to confess Christ openly, but hindrances of a most unusual nature interfered afresh with their noble resolution. Her bigotted relations used every means to dissuade them, and when this was of no avail, to annoy and persecute them. Mr. C, weary with the constant clamour of his persecutors, resolved to emigrate. He therefore, one month ago, in company with his wife and family, took leave of Germany for the New World. So may God spare their lives, and bring them in safety to the desired haven; very soon may they confess His Son in the midst of the congregation, and commune with those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. MARSEILLES. Mr. COHEN gives an instance of Talmudical perversion retained by an aged Jew, which should awaken our sympathy and prayer for those whose eyes are thus blinded, and their hearts alienated from the God of the Bible; and mentions other incidents of lively interest : What an awful fact it is, that a people like the Jews, who once were the light of the world, should have sunk into such a state of infidelity as they are to be found in at present, teaching us, who are following the Lamb of God, "not to be high-minded, but to fear," and to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, knowing it is God who worketh in us, both to will and to do, of His good pleasure." To-day I met with a great Talmudist, who came hither from Wallachia en route to India, where he expected to be appointed rabbi; with whom I had a long conversation. Our subject was prayer. He said: "You Christians cannot be in the right, because, when you pray, you do not put on the tephilin and the talith, which God Himself wears when He prays." I said: “Do you mean to say that God prays?" He said: "Are you so ignorant in the Talmud that you do not know even that?" He continued: "We read in the 56th of Isaiah: Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer." He went on to say: "Rabbi (he gave me the names of so many rabbis, and so many chapters and verses from the Talmud, that he quite con fused me), on this passage, says: 'It is not said of their prayer, but of my prayer:' this shows that God prays. But how do we know that God puts on the tephilin? Rabbi says, we find in the 22d ch. of Isaiah, 'the Lord hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength.' By the 'right hand 'is understood the law; and by the 'strength of His arm' is understood the tephilin." He said: "It is written in the Talmud that one rabbi asked another rabbi, What is written in the tephilin of the Lord of the great world?' The latter replied in these words: And what nation on earth is like thy people Israel?" Concerning the talith, he said: "Rabbi -- tells us that at the time that God said to Moses, 'get thee down,' his sight became dim, like a blind man, so that he did not know his way to descend. The angels, seing that, said, 'Now is the proper time to kill him.' But God well knew what they were about; and God opened for him a door beneath His majestic throne; and the Lord said unto me, 'Arise, get thee down quickly from hence.' Another rabbi tells us, when Moses was about to descend, the angels came to slay him; but what did he? He laid hold of God's throne, and God spread His talith over him; as it is written in Job xxvi. 9: 'He holdeth back the face of his throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon him.'" But as I listened to him without interrupting him, he said: "You do not say anything. Do you think I have not spoken the truth?" I told him that he had spoken blasphemy against the holy God. He said, "Blasphemy!" and began to make use of very loose language towards me and my Saviour; but I told him, as I listened to what he said without interrupting him, I expected he would give me the same privilege, or I would leave him altogether. He said, "Eh bienI will hear what you have to say." I reminded him that God was a Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth, and earnestly called on him no longer to study infidelity and blasphemy, but to study the pure word of God, which is able to make him wise unto salvation, and preached to him the Gospel of Christ, to which I was glad to see him listening; and at the close he said, "What you have told me is quite new to me; and as I hope to remain here a few days, I hope to be able to speak to you again on the subject." He asked me for my address, which I gave him, and he left me; but I could not help lifting my heart to God, and saying, "O Lord, when will that happy period come, when thine ancient people, the Jews, shall cast away every fable, and believe the testimony of their own prophets concerning the Messiah?" I have seen him since, and persuaded him to buy a Bible, which he did, and promised me to read it, saying," Hitherto I have only read verses or parts of the Bible,but now I hope to study it as a whole." On Saturdays I always meet a goodly number of Jews walking about, with whom I converse about the religion of Jesus. Yesterday I met a Jewish soldier, whom I had seen at Lyons. He told me that he was on his way to the East, and seemed to feel his position, and appeared to be very much impressed with the uncertainity of life. He said: "Perhaps this is the last time you will see me alive." I spoke a few words of comfort to him, and told him that now was the time to give his heart to God, and to believe in Christ as his Saviour, and then he need not fear the cannon-ball, for death would be gain to him. I gave him a French Bible, for which he was very thankful, and promised me to read it. There were twice as many Jewish shops closed on All Saints' Day as there were on the Day of Atonement, which shows what real love the Jews here have for their own religion, and quite confirms a remark which was the other day made to me by a Jew, with whom I had a conversation about the religious state of the Jews in France. He said: "I have now been fifteen years in France, and during that time I have watched the Jews very narrowly as to their religious observances, and I can assure you that the most of them have no religion whatever, and very few believe in God. Commerce is their religion, and l'argent their god;" which, I am sorry to say, is too true. But let us pray for them, that even in France, where infidelity and rationalism, and many other -isms, reign so powerfully in the hearts of the Jews, we may ere long see a shaking in the dry bones of the house of Israel, and not a few led to believe in God and His Christ. Mr. BRUNNER continues to afford an encouraging view of the Mission in PARIS: I have daily opportunity to observe that the Gospel of Christ is making progress among my Jewish acquaintance, which is manifested by a growing familiarity with the principal doctrines of Christianity, as well as an acquiescence in their authority, founded upon Moses and the prophets. It is most encouraging for me to find, instead MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCE. of prejudice, a readiness on the part of the Jew to listen to the claims of Christ, and His work of mercy and love. This moral metamorphosis is in most cases the result of serious inquiry, and diligent examination of God's word, of prophecy in connection with its past and future fulfilment, of which passing events remind them. The Jewish mind in general is not only becoming reconciled to Christianity, but is evidently in an advanced state of preparation for its adoption, which is hastened by persevering Christian efforts, as well as by certain indirect causes of which the most palpable is the progressive dissolution of the structure of Judaism. The literate and illiterate Jews feel and acknowledge this fact. One of their learned men told me the other day, that he believed the time not far distant when the whole Jewish people will acknowledge Christ as their Messiah. He said that, for his part, he had always believed in the divine mission of Jesus; and that to him not only the claims of Jesus were proved by prophecy, but, moreover, that he thought the life and work of Jesus calculated to establish the authority of prophecy. "It requires," said he, only to read attentively the predictions of Daniel, to see whether an event could be more distinctly foretold." Such sentiments show the progress of Christianity among the Jews, whose obstacle in embracing it is created only by temporal considerations, which it must be owned are, in the peculiar relative and dependant position of the Jews to each others, of quite a distinct and powerful nature. I am aware that this is a point of old discussion; its impediment, however, is felt by every Missionary. Mr. G -, a most intelligent Jew,whom one might consider almost a Christian, speaking with me of the character of Jesus, in terms of the highest veneration, remarked that, when reading the New Testament, he could not at first understand in what sense Jesus meant the commandment: "Love thy neighbour like thyself," in Matt. xxii. 39. He said he could not take it in the sense of the general Jewish acceptation, because it would then have been only a mere repetition of a thing universally known and admitted. doctrine did Christ then advance? But, If so, what new said he, he found a passage in the Talmud, with reference to this point, which solved the question most satisfactorily to his mind. In a dispute upon this point, wishing to establish the limits of love to the neighbour, the Talmud made the following propositions:-Two people were reduced in the desert to the last extremity, having no more but one little pot of water, which was only sufficient to save one of them from starvation, but if divided between them they were both to perish. The Talmud asked then: What was to be done? Rabbi Akiva answered, that one of them should partake of it that they might not both perish; but the Talmud said no, they should both partake of it, and added: so Ben-Pendere had taught it. "Ben-Pendere," said Mr. G," was no other but Jesus Christ, who was ignominiously so called on account of his having been hanged or crucified, which is evident from the Latin word pendere. It is evident now," said Mr. G in what manner Jesus understood the love to thy neighbour, which attributes to Him a more than human nature." Another learned Jew, who was present at our conversations, remarked that, in the old edition of Maimonides' work, called "Zad Hachsaka," there is a passage (obliterated in the new editions) where Maimonides expressly acknowledges, that Jesus was indeed commissioned by God to prepare the heathen to the knowledge of the true God. "Well," interrupted Mr. G"if Maimonides could have said this eight hundred years ago, I am sure had he lived now, and seen Protestant Christianity, he would have said that it is pure Judaism, and that Jesus is the true Messiah announced by God through the prophets." I had several interesting conversations with Mr. R- a very intelligent young man, who had lately come over from London. He is a countryman of Mr. Levy, the Missionary, with whom, he said, he had often united when in London. He is unfortunately rather imbued with the current dubious spirit of Germany, where he had studied for some time. When I proved to him the evidences of Christianity apart from Scripture, he made a remark which I think worthy of noticing. He said that, to his mind, that which speaks mostly in favour of Christianity, were the very instances of conversions, because, he says, it is to him the greatest moral impossibility to believe that such eminent men like Neander and others were not in earnest. May the Lord also enlighten his mind, and cause him to adorn the doctrine of Christ our Saviour. Mr. GINSBURG, at MULHOUSE, writes:The conversion of the brothers Lemann to the Romish Church, which was pub "l'Univers Catholique," and also communi- cated to you, has produced a great sensation on the Jewish mind, through the whole of France; because these brothers, they say, are of the most opulent Jews in Alsace, and because, as the Rabbin Texpressed, they have made "une attaque directe contre la charité Israelite et les ministres de notre culte." But, being from Mulhouse, and now residing here, they have caused much opposition among those who know little how to discern between nominal and true Christians, but an inquiring spirit among others. The present state of the Jews under my observation requires more than ever the prayers, consideration, and sympathy, of those," who make mention of the Lord." And, I am persuaded, had the means used for the conversion of the heathen been employed in the same manner for the Jews, the passive mass of Christians would be greatly disappointed in looking for a miraculous agency, of which the Holy Writ makes no mention, as a means of conversion. However, they who eagerly wait for the manifestation of the Lord may hope that this, with the ingathering of His people, is not at a great distance. The vociferous cries and open confessions from the synagogues, which are so numerous, and, in the Jewish publications, remarks of individuals, rabbinical and laical Jews, confirm my hope. Rabbin T, who, though being incited by the above conversion, inserted an article in the "l'Univers Israelite," pretending to defend his religion and to attack the Romish,seemed at my last visit more friendly and accessible than ever. He greatly complained of the state of his co-religionists, who, said he, "live now without God, and without religion." This was in the presence of Rabbi S-, of R. When introduced to the latter, I asked him what he thought of Christ and His doctrines? To which he replied, "that the schism in the Christian Church is sufficient to prove her institution human; for the Spirit of God," added he, "whom both the principal sects profess to follow as their guide and guard, could not admit the enmity existing between them." But I reminded him of the two great divisions in the Jewish synagogue, namely, "Methnagdim" and "Chasidim," and the numerous lesser ones among the latter; adding, "the divisions are human, but the Church is Christ's, and Christ is God's." No essential objections were made by either; they are both of opinion, that the present political crisis will have a great effect on the religious state of the Jews. Before parting, Rabbi T-said, he hoped we shall, as in the past winter, be able to meet frequently, for the sake of reading the Bible; whilst Mr. S gave me a friendly invitation to his place, promising me some introductions to Jews. 66 Two One morning I was addressed by a respectable Jew in the street, who, after a friendly conversation, asked me, whether I really believe that I shall come into paradise by converting people to my faith? I believe I shall be there," I replied," not through my endeavours, but through faith in Him who has heard my words and saved my soul." "I understand," he rejoined, "that your message is from God, and yet you do not expect heaven through delivering it?" "I have been commanded to preach the Gospel, and when I have done it, I am but an unprofitable servant, who Idid what was his duty; we are bound to serve God, but He is giving us all freely," refering him to Luke xvii., to which he replied, he had no Testament. And when I asked him, for the second time, his address, that I may bring him a New Testament, he politely bowed, and went, seeing another Jew coming. This, though a stranger like the former, did not pass by without addressing me friendly, saying, he often wished to see me when confined. He gave me his address, and an invitation. days after, I visited him, and was surprised at the kindness of his respectable family. I need not repeat the long and interesting conversation with these new acquaintances. The inquiries and remarks of the head of this family were weighty, and expressed in a most serious manner. The attention of his wife and brother-in-law to the history of Christ was very encouraging indeed; ridicule and blasphemy were out of the question, which emboldened me to testify of the truth in Jesus with more energy than when questions and observations are put merely to satisfy curiosity, and the attention shown is but a compliment. One Jew, to whom I lent a Bible last year, when I asked him the result of his biblical studies, said: "After becoming more acquainted with the Old Testament, and reading the New, I come to the conclusion that he who rejects Christ not only disbelieves the prophets, but rejects also that God by whose Spirit the latter have prophesied." Regarding himself, he said that temporal causes compelled him to live as he did, and to be the victim of indifferentism. An old pharisee, who was quite inaccessible some months ago, speaking openly, said: "Do not judge me: I know all my reading in our prayer-book, observing the ceremonies, fasting, &c., will not avail to attain peace and reconciliation to God, which Messiah alone who should stand as Mediator between the sovereign Creator and offending mankind, could effect. But, alas! He does not come!" Another Jew told me that he believes the divine origin of the Talmud, yet he must acknowledge this has never delivered its followers from temporal misery and spiri tual darkness. Another asked me: "What, do you think, will rescue the Jew from the narrow bounds of rabbinism, which all have got tired of?"-Time prevents me from forwarding extracts of a sermon delivered by one of the consistorial rabbis, which greatly encourages the hope that Israel's return is at hand. But, till the spirit of grace and supplication is poured out on the house of Israel, that they may look on Him whom they have pierced,—there are many, I regret to say, who, notwithstanding their consciousness of the failure of their worship, the defect and insipidity of their tradition, the groundlessness of their hope, and even the veracity of the Gospel, have their hearts stiffened and obdurate, and wilfully disobey Moses and the prophets, and will rather worship Baal and look for the golden calf of their ancestors, than to embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. At BRUSSELS, as well as at MARSEILLES, considerable interest on behalf of the Society has been awakened. An Auxiliary Society has been formed at the former; and contributions have been forwarded from the latter. In reference to HOME intelligence, it may be observed that The Missionaries, in the performance of duty and privilege, speak both of hope and of hope disappointed, and yet, on the whole, are encouraged and rewarded. Mr. LEVY, of Liverpool, finds it hard to account for the great antipathy which the English Jews have toward the truth, unless it be laid to their gross ignorance; and then mentions, that though roughly handled by his English brethren, his heart has been gladdened by his intercourse with those from foreign climes. There are young men who are interested in the controversy, and some have been brought occasionally to attend divine service; last Sunday two came to my house, with whom I read several portions of the Scriptures. One of them has in particular attracted my attention. I see him often, and set the truth of the New Covenant before him; and am in hopes that my future communications concerning him may be still brighter. In some of the German Emigrant Homes, I met with many Jews-have conversed with and presented them with papers, which in the solitary hours of their voyage may be read, and, if attended by the Divine blessing, may become the harbingers of the Gospel heyond the Atlantic. I must also mention, that an Israelite, whom I visited when in the metropolis, has opened a correspondence with me, and requests that I should write and communicate to him those things which I think it desirable for him to know. LONDON. MRS. ELDRED continues her labours, both with her Bible classes, and in visiting God's ancient people. She has had the pleasure of seeing some of those once more whom she instructed nine years ago, and who have lately introduced five of their friends, who have attended her Scripture readings from that time. There are now sixty-three members in the Bible-class, twenty-five of whom are parents. In all, a hundred and ninety-seven Bibles have been sold, and seven more are now subscribing. Mr. GELLERT is much tried by the conduct of the superstitious Jews of the metropolis. He had been thwarted in his visits to two young men, whom he regarded with much favour. "Thus I am filled with grief, because that in two instances they have turned me from sowing the ground which promised so fair. Yet is there consolation in the Lord; and we think that many of the young will come out from the families of their heritage, to bask in the smiles of the Father of spirits, and to inherit His incorruptible kingdom." Mr. SCHONBERG, Hull, describes the poverty of the Jews as unparalleled. Whilst selling their articles they even beg bread. He also mentions an intelligent Israelite who is receiving instructions from him in the English, but of whom he has great hopes in regard to the highest and best attainments. |