length Himself, sent in vain. He saw, too, the impending judgments of God. All looked bright, and beautiful, and tranquil then, but His eye pierced the future, and beheld the coming storm. In thirty years, that beautiful house shall be burned with fire; that city shall be deluged with blood; that people shall suffer unparalleled torments-shall be given up to the demon of destruction, who shall practise cruelties unprecedented; and those who survive the horrors of that terrible time, shall be led captive into all nations. For these things the King of Zion, in the midst of the acclamations of the multitude and all his triumph, wept.

But let us not forget that His eye beheld more than their temporal calamity. This, however great and terrible, did not so much affect Him as their eternal misery and ruin. He foresaw the blindness of mind and obduracy of heart, and the mighty prejudices into which their present sin against light and knowledge would inevitably lead them, and that eternal punishment which would as inevitably follow impenitence and unbelief. His chief concern was for their undying souls. The sufferings of this world were not worthy to be compared with the everlasting torments of hell. He wept at the thought of their eternal misery. As for their suffering in this world, His own church would have to go through as much. He wept not when He forewarned His disciples of the trials they would have to endure; not that He would be indifferent to them, for every pang in the body would be acutely felt by the head; in all the afflictions of His people He is afflicted;-but these afflictions work out for them " a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." He wept for them. How eloquent those tears! They speak of the great love of God to perishing sinners. Who will ever dare to say that God has pleasure in their death? His oath declares that He has not. In addition to His oath, we have His tears to assure us. God in glory cannot weep. But God in Christ upon earth, did weep over perishing souls.

"Tis God that weeps through human eyes,

O'er human guilt and woe."

And they speak, too, of eternal punishment which awaits the impenitent. It may be fairly questioned, Would Jesus have wept if there were no punishment in the eternal world?

Dear reader, the descendants of those over whom Jesus wept are around you, perishing for lack of knowledge, Do you know the terror of the Lord, and will you not do all in your power to persuade men, and especially those who are

trained up in your midst, ignorant of the only way of escape? Let us expect much from ourselves as Christians. Let us see that we have the spirit as well as the name of Christ. Let us see that we have the spirit of love in our hearts. This was the beloved disciple's evidence of his discipleship: Hereby know we that we dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit." Let us trust in no other evidence than this. This spirit of love will show itself in many ways, and one way will be compassionating perishing souls, especially the blinded descendants of those over whom Jesus wept; the descendants of those to whom you are so much indebted the children of the patriarchs, the prophets, the apostles, and the kinsmen, according to the flesh, of your Lord. We have known and believed the love which God hath to us, the love which he hath to all the world, not willing that any, Jew or Gentile, should perish. We are commissioned to preach the Gospel to every creature. We should tremble to pass by any. We know, also, and believe the doom which is pronounced against the Christless. Let us follow the perishing multitudes of Israel, not only with weeping eyes, but with all available means to convince them of their unspeakable danger. Knowing the terror of the Lord, let us do all that we can to persuade men! "The Jew first;" not last. Collumpton.

A. D. SALMON.

MODERN JEWISH CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY. [The following paper has been written by a highly respectable Jewish brother, who is now a member of a provincial Christian church. We very earnestly commend it to the perusal of our friends.]

FROM a conversation I have lately had with a friend, I was surprised to find that some of the most benevolent and wellmeaning persons hold back from contributing to the " Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews," because there are so few converts. Now, were this strictly true, it is evident that this should be their strongest incentive to subscribe, in order that more energetic means, and efforts, on a more extended scale, might be brought into action, to obtain a better result. But these good people miscalculate altogether the result of that excellent Society's labours; and I am sure if they could be made fully aware of the vast influence it has on the fate of my Jewish brethren, they would not withhold their aid, either pecuniary or personal, to a work so eminently Christian. It is true that a few centuries back converts could be made far more

expeditiously. The mode was a simple one; something like the following plan: Take a Jew by the throat; clap a pistol to his head; force him into a church; take a priest, who either voluntarily or forcibly baptizes the trembling Israelite-and he is a Christian! Or, if the conversion of a Jewish community was required, the receipt to instil belief in a loving Christ was to give them twenty-four hours to consider whether Christ be the true Messiah, and if they were not convinced by the end of that time, to burn them, like so much vermin infesting an old building. That was considered by the clergy and laity of those days a meritorious act, and deserving the inheritance of heaven. But these very forcible arguments did not convince the Jew; on the contrary, they could not believe that their expected Messiah, who was to be all love and charity, could be that Christ who was forced upon them, with so many tortures, by people who called themselves Christians, whose very worship was nothing more nor less than actual idolatry in the eyes of the Jew. They stood firm; they showed to the world the wonderful spectacle of an entire nation of martyrs; and that, though suffering under the displeasure of a justly angered God, they were still of that people whom the Lord chose to be His own people, and from the midst of whom He designed to bring forth that glorious Messiah, the Saviour of all the world. Tortures and death made them cling still faster to their ancient faith.

Century followed century, year followed year; injustice, persecution, and degradation were heaped on the head of the poor devoted Hebrew, until, in this glorious country, always foremost in all that is great and noble, some pious Christians, fired with a holy ambition to save the soul of the Jew, tried a method entirely contrary to the former one; but in their zeal to hurry on their good work overshot the mark quite as much. They heaped kindness and gifts on every Jew they could lay their hands on, if he would only leave the ancient faith of his fathers, and confess his belief in Christianity. The consequence was they too often obtained only nominal Jews, who would sell their souls, as a St. Alban's elector his vote, to the highest bidder! Their real faith was rarely tested, and most of the earliest converts were nothing more nor less than a batch of impostors so many Judases, who disgusted by their conduct both Jew and Gentile, and did more harm to the prospects of Christianity amongst my ancient people than fire and sword formerly did.

Hence it is that so many good Christians have kept aloof from the great work-the gathering-in of Israel; and hence

the great caution, as well as not unnatural suspicion, with which the consistent Jew opposed the efforts of the missionary.

The tactics are again changed; but thanks be to God, the ruler of all hearts, proper means are resorted to. No inducement of worldly advancement, no pecuniary assistance, is offered now. The only inducement offered is the salvation of an endangered soul, by faith in our Lord Jesus, who by the pouring out of His precious blood atoned for all sin. A more respectable, consistent, and a better class of converts is made, who command respect and credit among their former brethren. There is no compulsion, no bribery; and the caution that is evinced by the true Christian minister in receiving into his church a Jewish convert tends to remove the suspicions of the consistent Jew. The Israelite who now embraces Christianity is no longer looked upon by his former friends as a reckless and time-serving apostate.

It is, therefore, but natural that the progress making just now should be slow; but it is sure. It is, at present, seedtime; but with the help of the Lord an abundant harvest will follow. The efforts of the good Christian will in due course be crowned with great success; and oh, the joy and glory of that good servant, who, when appearing before the throne of his Master, and asked what he has done, shall be able to answer, "Master, I have assisted in saving many souls from everlasting perdition!" It makes the soul thrill with delight to think of the smile of satisfaction with which our Saviour will regard every faithful servant of His household, and bestow His blessing upon those who have proved good and faithful. Oh, let us not despair! let us work on and work cheerfully in the good cause, and this great and inestimable blessing may be ours. Amen. W.

ISRAEL IN THEIR OWN LAND. THE prophets did not always arrange subjects after the manner of uninspired writers. They spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, and as was best suited to exercise our mind and increase our knowledge of the oracles of God. Zechariah, who in the eleventh chapter predicts the punishment of the nation and the Roman captivity, for the rejection of the Prince of life, foretels their restoration in both the preceding and subsequent chapters. In the tenth chapter the Lord is pleased to say of the house of Israel," I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off." If God had

not cast them off no enemy could have destroyed Jerusalem, or scattered them among the nations. It would be still standing as of old, and "their time should have endured for ever." (Ps. lxxxi. 15.)

"In the day of great slaughter" they shall be delivered, and again distinguished among the nations of the earth; and they will then show themselves to be "a wise and understanding," and highly-favoured people. They will be completely organized, righteously governed, and will in all respects be prosperous. Out of Judah shall come "forth the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle-bow, out of him every ruler together." And how precious a gift of God are wise and upright rulers. Christ the chief corner stone will raise up mighty men to be shepherds, corner stones, and pillars in the land. The nail was a strong wooden pin fixed inside of the house, on which many things were hung; and "a nail in a sure place" is an emblem of wise and able governors. (Isa. xxii. 23.) There will be nothing wanting to complete the order, strength, and power of the people of the Lord in the glorious day of their deliverance and final restoration.

The literal return of Israel to their fatherland, if viewed in the light of Scripture, is a great and wonderful event. And what is their return?-the certainty that a great and highlyfavoured nation shall be added to the nations of the earth-a kingdom of righteous men-evangelists, philanthropists, and benefactors-amidst the darkness and superstition that still overspread the Eastern world! And is it not delightful even already to foresee in the light of prophecy that celebrated country occupied by the millions of restored and enlightened Israel? The land now desolate will become as the garden of Eden, and send forth rivers of water of life into all countries. The light of Israel will come, the glory of the Lord will rise upon them. Other nations in their way became great by slow degrees, aggrandizing themselves by the conquest and commerce of the world. The Jews, restored to the true knowledge and favour of God, will speedily rise by His grace and interposal to unprecedented eminence. Isaiah speaks as one astonished at their sudden elevation: "Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children." In a map of the world, men will look at the country from Egypt to the Euphrates, and say, There is the good land given by Jehovah to Abraham and to his seed for ever; and there are His people of Israel gathered, saved, enlightened, sanctified,