words, "Antiochus, king and governor, to the "GOOD JEWS his citizens, wifheth much joy, -"health, and prosperity. If ye and your children "fare well, and your affairs be to your contentment, "I give very great thanks to God, having my hope "in heaven." This was POLICY to endeavour to establish his fon Antiochus in the kingdom after him, and he therefore proceeds, in his letter to the GOOD JEWS (whom he had tortured in order to compel them to depart from the laws and ordinances of their God) in these words, "I pray and request you to "remember the BENEFITS I have done unto you "generally, and in fpecial, that every man will be "ftill faithful to me and my fon." 2 Mac. ix. 19, 20, 26.

Have Chriftians in former times acted unkindly towards the Jews?, They fhould be exhorted to repent of their mifconduct towards them; POLICY fhould not be held out as an inducement. The late learned Dr. Hunter, in a fermon preached before the Miffionary Society, in July 1798, thus expreffes himfelf: "The Jews have not always had the amiable "and attractive fide of Chriftianity turned towards "them. They have met with hatred, contempt, and "perfecution from Chriftians."-" Let us TRY what "the meekness and gentleness of Chrift will do."— "A fulness of mercy and love towards them, on the

part of believing Gentiles, may be the channel "through which the divine benignity is to flow unto "them; they have refifted your violence and un"kindnefs: perhaps they will MELT under the ❝ influence

influence of tenderness, forbearance, and long"fuffering." Notwithstanding this, every man hath a right to his opinion, and I have a right to mine, and I will affert my opinion, that the Miffionary Society did not ASSUME and profess a disposition of love to the Jewish nation, which they did not really and actually feel; if they had, I think that they would NOT have printed this fermon of Dr. Hunter's, in which also there were certainly fome difcouraging expreffions; he fays, "I know of no pro"vidential appearances which fupport the expectation "of a speedy change in the minds of that people. "The EXPERIMENT, as far as it hath been "made, though with no flender ability, has TO"TALLY FAILED." He alfo ufes thefe words, as to fome one who had boafted of fuccefs, "He "must not TELL LIES for God's fake, and boast "of a fuccefs with which he has not been crowned;" and instead of encouraging the Miffionary Society in their proceedings towards the Jews, he concludes with these remarkable words, "I have contributed "my mite toward the attempt, but under a complete "conviction of its TOTAL INUTILITY.”

It is now above eleven years fince this fermòn was preached, and furely if this was of God, there would be in fo long a fpace of time as eleven years, fome encouragement to proceed; yet in their report, dated May 11, 1809, they complain, that in the miffion to the Jews they 66 HAVE LABOURED UNDER 66 GREAT DIFFICULTIES, AND HAVE MET WITH "PAINFUL DISAPPOINTMENTS. Their

66 CHIEF

CHIEF INSTRUMENT IN THIS WORK" hath fallen out of their hands, and they are now expecting two more Jews from Germany. But though they have another learned Jew (from Berlin) under the patronage of the. fociety, it doth not feem to be the intent of the Miffionary Society to employ him in England. It is an awful truth, but it is a truth that Antiochus, the greatest enemy the Jews ever had, was as it were ftirred up to do the mifchief that he did, by apoftate Jews; for "in thofe days went there out of Ifrael "wicked men, who perfuaded many," and they. "went to the king, (Antiochus) who gave them licence. "to do after the ordinances of the Heathen, where

66

upon (as it is in the marginal reading) they fet up "an OPEN SCHOOL at Jerufalem, according to "the cuftom of the Heathen; and made themselves "uncircumcifed, and forfook the holy covenant, and "joined themselves to the Heathen, and were fold "to do mifchief." 1 Mac. i. 11, 13, 14, 15. There are many poor Jews in England, and doubtlefs fome of both rich and poor among them, who are (as in all other profeffions) but indifferent as to religion; but to the honour of the English Ifraelites be it recorded, that after above eleven years exertion, an opulent fociety have not been able to find a fingle British Jew to declaim against the law of JEHOVAH, God of Ifrael, as delivered by him to their fathers, by the hand of Mofes his fervant.

Was Antiochus benefited by thefe apoftate Jews? His awful end, and his DYING COMPLAINT, are evidence that he was not: "He laid him down ❝ upon

upon it had not befallen him AS HE LOOKED "FOR," 1 Mac. vi. 8. In this refpect the Miffionary Society feem to be in a fituation fomewhat fimilar, with sorrow they are obliged to confefs that it hath not befallen them as THEY LOOKED FOR; they 66 HAVE LABOURED UNDER GREAT DIFFICULTIES AND HAVE MET WITH PAIN"FUL DISAPPOINTMENTS:" but thank God that there is good hope that this fickness is not a fickness unto death; though there are fo many particulars in which they are like unto Antiochus, there are material points in which they are not like unto him; for Antiochus having power, reforted to torture and moft cruel violence to effect his purpose. They have not poffeffed the power fo to do, and if they had poffeffed the power, I will affert my firm conviction that they never in time past, nor unto this day, have poffeffed the INCLINATION, but would abhor the very thought of COMPULSION of any fort in matters of religion.·

his bed, and fell fick for GRIEF, because

Antiochus rent in pieces all the books of the law which could be found, and whoever, from veneration to the law, endeavoured to preferve the facred Books of Mofes, he commanded that he fhould be put to death, 1 Mac. i. 56, 57. Now I truft that we have good reason to believe that if fuch a law were in existence, notwithstanding the mistake of the Miffionary Society in overlooking that fact, which is as clearly established in the New Teftament as it is in the Books of Mofes and the Prophets, viz. that the Jews

Jews are required to obferve and obey the law of JEHOVAH their God, as given by HIM to THEM by the hand of Mofes his fervant, in a way that the Gentile nations, who believe in the divine legation of Mofes, are NOT required, or bound, or permitted, to obferve and obey them; yet notwithstanding this their mistake, I truft we have good reafon to believe that fuch is their veneration for the Books of Mofes and the Prophets, that if a law was in force to require thefe facred books to be delivered up to be burnt upon penalty of death, it would not be only the Jewish nation, and the regular minifters and members of the church of England who would have the high honour of joining the noble army of martyrs, but that there would be a noble army of martyrs arife among the members of the Miffionary Society, who would prove faithful unto death, and receive the crown of life. Rev. ii. 10.

As far as refpects their miffion to the Jews, they are certainly in GREAT ADVERSITY, but adverfity is no proof of the hatred of God; on the contrary we read, "My fon, defpife not the chaften❝ing of JEHOVAH; neither be weary of his cor"rection for whom JEHOVAH LOVETH he cor"reð even as the father the fon in whom he "delighteth." Prov. iii. 11, 12. In the fchool of adverfity it is that the mind is humbled, and becomes refigned to the divine will. In the fchool of adver fity it is that the heart is foftened as the clay in the hand of the potter, and when this is effected, we are frequently enabled to, fee that it is good, that we have

been