among Jews or Mahommedans, earlier than 1830. I read of a missionary of the London Society, who, subsequently to that date, went to the Jews at Algiers; but it was so soon after the conquest of that capital by the French, that he found it impracticable to continue there long; if I am not mistaken, he was compelled by the French authorities to quit the place, as they were then adverse to, and afraid of the consequences that might have followed any interference with the religious belief of the natives. He then proceeded to Tunis, where he laboured for a year or two. The mission there was given up by him; re-established about three years after; abandoned again; and re-occupied by one of the last missionaries that laboured there, who then went as an agent of the Church of Scotland; and, had he continued in the field, would, no doubt, have reaped some fruit; but he was providentially obliged to abandon that sphere of usefulness in 1850, and the 300,000 Jews in the state of Tunis have continued uncared-for since. Possibly it may be my privilege, as it has happened in similar cases, to gather the fruit of some of his labours. I may give an instance. When I visited Tunis, I became acquainted with two young Jewesses, one of whom had been the mistress of his girls' school, who had heard the truth from his lips, directly or indirectly, and though at the time it made no impression upon their minds, after he left that city, they thought of it, read their Bible, and were convinced that Jesus is the Christ. During my short stay there, I frequently conversed and prayed with them, and thus endeavoured to confirm and strengthen their convictions. I have every reason to believe in their sincerity. They have suffered, and continue to suffer for the truth's sake; for though unbaptized as yet, they confess their faith in Christ, as the Redeemer of Israel, whenever they have an opportunity.

"Next to this permanent effort, and excepting a few and short visits paid by other missionaries to the Jews in some of the ports along the coast of Northern Africa, comes the mission, in which I have been engaged since 1848. After a short stay in this country I returned to the field of my former labours, and since then visited Mogador, Oran, Algiers, Philippeville, Constantina, Bona and Tunis-all on the northern coast of Africa. Thus you will perceive that my efforts had not been confined to any particular place, but embraced the whole of Northern Africa, which extends in length about 2,400 miles and varies in breadth from 300 to 600 miles. The object in itinerating through my extensive parish or diocese, was definite and specific-it was to ascertain the real number

of Jews dispersed in the Barbary States, and to gather correct information as to their moral and religious, political and social condition. Time would not allow me to communicate to you the information collected. I must confine myself to a few facts illustrative of the character of the Jews, and of my labours among them. Their number cannot be less than about 600,000. They are to be found in large numbers along the coast; for example, at Tetuan there are about 20,000; at Tangiers, some 5000; at Oran, about 6000; at Algiers, above 7000; at Constantina, between 5000 and 6000; and so on. There is a remark I should not omit to make-it is one of importance, and that is, the Jews of Northern Africa are real Jews-they are Pharisees of the same stamp and character as those we read of in the New Testament. They are superstitious, and possessed of a strong religious feeling. They are bitter enemies of Christ, and deeply prejudiced against Christianity. How could they be otherwise, my friends? They read in the writings of their forefathers, and have traditionally transmitted to them, accounts of the persecutions, great injustices, and cruelties which their forefathers suffered at the hands of all those who all the time professed to be the followers of the meek and lowly Jesus-of Him who on the very cross prayed, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.' Besides, all the knowledge they possess of Christianity is derived from the writings of the rabbis, or from what they hear and observe in the fallen church by which they are surrounded; and no wonder that they should consider popery and idolatry as synonymous terms. Generally, the first interview with any of the benighted brethren was occupied in trying to dispel those incorrect views of Christianity, and convince them that the New Testament alone gives a real view of its doctrines and principles; and that had those cruel persecutors of our forefathers been true disciples of the Lord Jesus, they would have been far from following such a line of conduct towards them; the second, in proving that the Talmud is not, as they believe, of divine origin. By thus shaking their faith in the traditions of the fathers, I endeavour to prepare their minds for the reception of the truth. The pious among them will receive any doctrine fairly proved out of the Old Testament Scriptures; for, notwithstanding their superstitious belief, that the traditions of the elders are of equal authority with the sacred Scriptures, they will not reject the Word of God, if opposed to them. Amongst them infidelity and scepticism have not made the fearful inroads they have made and are making amongst their brethren in Europe.

"But to return to my own labours. At Mogador there are nearly 4,000 Jews. There I went with my life in my hand, for no native in the empire of Morocco is allowed to change his religion, and much less to preach to others his new faith. But when the painful news of my beloved mother's death reached me, I was ready and only waiting a change of wind, to proceed to Oran. The impression, however, came strongly upon me that I ought to go to my native land. Mogador came forcibly to my mind; and, after prayerful consideration, I decided on going there, committing myself to the keeping and care of Jehovah. I had been there in 1846, and was then kindly entertained for about three months in the house of the chief rabbi, who is at the same time one of the chief merchants in the place. On this occasion, although I knew well enough that according to Jewish custom I should have gone to my former host's house, yet I never thought the chief rabbi would have received me into his house as a Christian, and thus provoke the Jews against himself. I therefore went into private lodgings. Some of my tracts were taken to him, by which he came to know that I was there; and he sent to blame me for not going to his house. I understood the chief rabbi, and visited him. That I did more than once. He accepted a copy of each of my tracts, and read them. I presented him also a copy of the Old Paths,' and I had the gratification to learn that he not only read it himself, but introduced it into the college, or study as they would call it, of rabbis, of whom he is the president, and that it was read by them instead of the Talmud. During my stay there, the chief rabbi of Morocco, who occupies a similar position to that of an archbishop in this country, came on a visit to his brethren. He heard of me, and asked my landlord whether he might visit me. Of course, I sent him a very cordial invitation, and he came on a Friday afternoon, accompanied by other learned men. We had a long discussion on the points at issue between us, and I must confess that I was much pleased with his civility and mildness, considering, particularly, that he came from the very centre of the empire. He never uttered a disrespectful word, either against Christ or against me. In arguing against Christianity, for that he did, he quoted the writings of the fathers in support of his position, when one of his colleagues reminded him that they were no authority to me, inasmuch as I did not believe them to be of divine origin. The old and venerable looking man turned round, and said: Well, if we confine ourselves to the Bible, then, we must give him the right.' You may well imagine, my friends, what impression and effect such an admission on

the part of so high an authority must have produced on the minds of those who heard it, and those who came to know it afterwards. His visit to me led other Jews to do the same. They could not fear the rabbis for it, having such an example before them.

"At this place, also, I became acquainted with an old pious Jew-a man that fasted every Monday and Thursday, and did everything which he considered as pleasing in the sight of God. He was, beside, a Cabalist; and, on visiting him, I frequently found him pondering on the Gobar-the text-book of the Caballa-a work supposed to have been written in the sixth century of the Christian era. The reading of this book, even by those who cannot understand its meaning, is supposed to be very meritorious. Before I quitted the place, the good old man had put his Gobar into a corner, and became a student of the New Testament. He requested me to give him tracts to distribute, and I had the satisfaction of hearing him preach Christ to his brethren, and recommend to them the perusal of the New Testament. Thus, though I went there exposing myself to great dangers, yet it pleased the Lord to grant me greater success than I had anticipated. At Constantina, a remarkable city on the very borders of the Great Desert of Sahara, and where, I believe, I was the first Protestant missionary that trod its streets, since it was captured by the Saracens from the power of the Vandals-no sooner was it known to the Chief Rabbi that a Christian Israelite was there, and preaching the Crucified too-a thing unheard-of among them before-than he ordered the Readers of the synagogues to threaten on the Sabbath-day with Nidrey, or excommunication, every Jew that should listen to me, read my tracts, or purchase my Bibles. But what was the result? Why, he did just the very thing I would wish every rabbi to do on my arrival at a place, he gave a wider notice than I could have done for a long time, that I was there, that I had tracts to give away, and Bibles to sell. From that very day I had more Jewish visitors than I could attend to. The last three days I was there, my lodging was crowded with Jews, from morning to evening, so much so, that I could not get proper and sufficient time to partake of my meals, or attend to any duty out of doors. It is true, all did not come from good motives. Some came to offer opposition, others to insult me; some to ask for tracts, others to put questions on our differences; but there I sold more New Testaments than anywhere else. Whatever motives they might have, I would have them come and give me a hearing. If I have been fortunate through

out to get into so frequent intercourse with my Jewish brethren, it is because wherever I went, I did not, as some do, wait till the Jews come of their own accord to me,-for that they will not do,-but I put myself in their way; I went to find them out in the streets, in the shops, and in their houses, if they would admit me. I do not dread opposition and insult; that I expect to meet with and suffer, and it should be expected from the very nature of things. To wait until they should come, is to suppose them to be inquiring after Christianity, which they are not.

"I might give more facts, but must hasten to a close. At present there are only two missionaries in Northern Africa,my colleague, Mr. Lowitz, who joined the Mission in May, 1851, and a missionary of the Scottish Society, a society formed on the same principle as ours, who, a few months ago, succeeded at Algiers another agent of that society, that had been labouring there for about a year. The London Society have had a missionary at Oran for above a year, but he is absent from his station, and it is uncertain when he will return to it. But, after all, what are two, or even four, missionaries to 600,000 Jews? My brethren, docs not Northern Africa demand a greater number of labourers? A word to those who long for the conversion of the world. You know how numerous the Mohammedans are. Hitherto, nothing effectual has been done for them. How, then, are they to be converted to Christianity; for that they must be? My own conviction is, specially in reference to the Mohammedans of Northern Africa, that the conversion of the Jews residing among them is their only hope. The Jews are accessible to the preachers of the Gospel; convert, then, the Jews, and then the way will be opened to Mohammedans. Nay, the converted Jews themselves will be the most effectual and successful propagators of Christianity among them. Even if the Jews who now stand in the way should continue in force, and the converted Israelites be unable to proclaim Christ publicly, the Mohammedans will not fail to draw a contrast from the change that would take place in the character and conduct of the converted Jew, and contrast his new faith, too, with Mohammedanism; which will very distinctly point out the spirituality of Christianity and the carnalism of Mohammedanism; and thus the Christian Israelite will be a silent preacher of Christianity to his Moorish and Arabian neighbours. If time permitted, I would assign my reason for this view. But I must conclude. You have heard that I am about to proceed to Tunis. The circumstances that led to the peremptory expulsion of the reve