SPECIAL APPEAL

FOR THE SUPPORT AND EXTENSION OF THE MISSIONS.

The Committee of the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews respectfully and earnestly solicit attention to the following statement :

It has pleased God, in His providence, during the last three years, by special openings for the Gospel, and by the raising up of eligible missionaries, to call the above Society greatly to enlarge its agencies.

1. A Medical Mission has been established in Jaffa, where Dr. Philip daily administers medical assistance to poor Jews, Mahommedans, and others, who have no other means of obtaining relief from their sufferings. He has thus been introduced to a large and interesting field of directly spiritual labour, and finds constant opportunities in his dispensary, and at the bedside of the afflicted, for directing the perishing sinner to Christ.

2. A School has been opened in an important district of Wallachia, at which the Jews permit their children to attend, and they day by day receive instruction in the New Testament. The narratives concerning Jesus deeply interest their young hearts; and there is every reason to hope that in after days, at least, this seed of the Word will show itself fruitful.

3. Italy has opened its doors; and since the beginning of the year 1861 the Society's esteemed missionary, Dr. Mayer, has been at work in Leghorn, amidst a population of not less than 14,000 Jews. His reception has been exceedingly cordial and encouraging. He has more than 100 Jews under his regular teaching. Some have given every evidence of a thorough change of heart, and there is a promise among these of carnest and useful evangelists. Christian friends who have recently visited the spot, and others residing in Italy, unite in testifying that Dr. Mayer has been exceedingly blessed of God in accomplishing a great work.

4. A Female Mission among the Jewesses of London has been commenced, and the results are already full of encouragement. It is proposed to support this interesting branch of the Society's work by shilling subscriptions, for which special collecting cards have been prepared. The Secretaries will have great pleasure in forwarding a supply to any friends on their application.

The Society employs 25 missionaries in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Paris, Marseilles, Breslau, Frankfort on-Maine, Nuremburg, Bromberg, Konigsberg, Canstatt, Wallachia, Oran, Algiers, Leghorn, and Jaffa. Its total income scarcely exceeds £6,000. All the new missions, especially that in Italy, demand enlargement to make them thoroughly effective; and in more than one direction vast populations of Jews, utterly without the Gospel, may be at once reached by the Christian missionary.

The Committee, however, are without resources for extension, and therefore lay these facts before their friends, in the hope that liberal aid will be rendered; only adding, that it will be doubly valuable if early.

Donations and Subscriptions will be thankfully received by the Treasurer, Sir Culling E. Eardley; by the Hon. Secretaries-Rev. J. Stoughton, Rev. J. Hamilton, D.D., Rev. W. M. Bunting; or at the office of the Society, No. 1, Crescent Place, Blackfriars, by the Resident Secretary, Mr. George Yonge, to whom it is requested that all orders may be made payable.

THE Committee are thankful for the response which has been given to the above; but it does not nearly reach the exigencies of the case. Since its publication, expenses have necessarily increased, and, on the other hand, instances have multiplied in which the blessing of God has evidently attended the mission work. Even the brief statements under the title of "Recent Intelligence," justifies the grateful acknowledgment, and almost impels further

efforts. And yet, without generous contributions, some portions of the work must be relinquished. From what field shall we withdraw? Will not some of those who have helped, and who are accustomed to find their highest joy in aiding the extension of Immanuel's kingdom, relieve us by liberal contributions, or even by temporary assistance, until the yearly subscriptions become due, in the first quarter of the year?

THE MONTHLY MEETING for prayer and conference will be held (D.v.) on Wednesday evening, September 17, at 7 o'clock, in the Society's Office, No. 1, Crescent Place, Blackfriars.

STATEMENT OF HIS CONVERSION

AND RELIGIOUS HISTORY: IN GERMAN.

London Published by JOHN SNOW, 35, Paternoster Row.

Printed for the Society by Adams and Gee, at 23, Middle Stree', West Smithfield, E.C-No. 201-September, 1892.

FOR THE

PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL

AMONG THE JEWS.

PUBLISH YE, PRAISE YE, AND SAY, O LORD, SAVE THY PEOPLE, THE REMNANT

OF ISRAEL."

No. 202.]

OCTOBER 1, 1862.

[Price ld.

Our Missions.

THE reports of this month are of the usual character, denoting the prevalence of Christian influence in connexion with Jewish inquiry and decision. Dr. PHILIP having parted with his children at Malta, on their return to Edinburgh, has returned to Jaffa, and we daily expect to hear of his having resumed his useful labours. Mr. BEN OLIEL, who had been for some time detained at Tlemcen by serious illness, has returned to Oran, and you will read with lively interest of his reception by his brethren and of his discussions with them.

ORAN.

Upon my return to Oran, I was very desirous to see my Jewish friends-I mean that small circle of individuals and families who receive me well and listen to the message of salvation with attention. I was anxious to ascertain what effect my absence of upwards of three months had produced on their minds. So soon, therefore, as I was able to walk after the attack of rheumatism in my legs, I began a systematic round of visits. It was then the feast of weeks-June 4th and 5th. There being neither temple nor sacrifices, and it being impossible for every male in Israel to appear before the Lord, as commanded, there would have remained nothing for the captive Jews to do on this festival had not the rabbis made the discovery, by pretended traditions and frivolous comparisons of the words "on this day" (Ex. xix. 1), that the law was given on the 6th of Sivan, or third month after the exodus. It seems improbable, had that been the case, that no mention or reference should be found in the Scriptures to the occurrence of an event so solemn and grand on that festival, thereby giving it greater meaning and importance. But the rabbis supplied the omission, though not unanimously, for a certain Rab. Jose held that the law was given on the 7th. Both parties hold that the thunders of Sinai burst forth on the Saturday-the day of rest and repose. As it is, the Jews observe this as the feast of the giving of the law, though no such celebration is enjoined in the Bible. And as it is pretended that nowhere, except in Palestine, can the exact time of the VOL. XVII.-NEW SERIES, VOL. VIII.

re-appearance of the moon be known with certainty, the Jews in foreign parts add a day to this, as they do to the other festivals, and keep two days instead of one.

The evening of the first day (among the Jews and Moslems the evening precedes the day) is spent in reading. This vesper meeting is held in private houses. Many families have it as a custom from their ancestors to hold such gatherings in their houses. There must be not less than ten men present at each meeting. After supper, every Jew repairs to the house of the family that invited him. Tea, coffee, spirits,

and sweets are provided as refreshments at short intervals. The service begins with the reading of the Old Testament; and as the whole could not be read in one night, they read only a few verses of the commandment and end of every section of the Pentateuch, and of every historical, prophetical, and other book, making altogether 48 pages of large square letters. This is followed by complete portions of the Zohar -the cabalistic book of Bar Yochai, consisting of 64 pages of closely-printed small type, equal to about 200 pages of the square letters. Then comes the Mushna, 40 pages in large type, which is treated in the same style as the Pentateuch. It is believed that the perusal of a few lines from the beginning and end of every section or book will be counted as if the whole had been read. Prayers and songs, some cabalistic, others highly laudatory of the distinguished position and privileges of Israel above all other nations, are interspersed. It is painful to observe that while the reading of the holy Word of God is limited to one-fifth of the time, four-fifths are devoted to rabbinic writings. The service ends shortly before sunrise, and the pious (I should rather say the superstitious) go to bathe, to receive additional holiness, as it is written, “and I will pour upon you clean waters.”

The consequence of this wakeful night is, that next day, as soon as they return from the synagogue service and finish breakfast, everybody goes to sleep. Next day visiting takes place, and I paid as many visits as time allowed. I was well received everywhere, and was happy to find that those who liked to hear the Gospel were not the less willing to listen to it. The conversations generally referred to the giving of the law, and ended by pointing out the way provided by a merciful Father to escape from its condemnation. I took every opportunity to prove that the breaking of the law, even of one precept only, entailed death, and that no son of Adam has or can keep it perfectly. Hence the institution of sacrifices typifying the death of Messiah, and their abolition when the great sacrifice for sin had been offered.

Of one visit I shall give a brief account. This was to my friend and inquirer Mr. He and his wife received me very kindly in their grand drawing-room, furnished in very splendid Parisian style. Shortly after, a respectable native Jew came in. I was introduced to him as a rabbi, and the visitor began to make inquiries as to from whence I came, and so forth. My friend seemed disposed to carry the joke further, but I put a stop to it by telling him that, so far from being a rabbi myself, I did not believe in their traditions-that I believed only in the written Word of God. "Then you are an apieoros," he exclaimed. I replied, "Call me how you will, I am a Christian. I am convinced the rabbis have led us woefully astray by telling us that Messiah is not yet come, for He has come long since." "And where is He?" "In heaven." "What is His name ?" "Jesus the Messiah." "But how did it happen, if He was the true Messiah, that the Sanhedrim rejected Him, and He was condemned to death?" "So it was predicted (Is. liii. 6). As to the Sanhedrim of those days, they were a set of wicked men, and God, as a punishment, had blinded their eyes. Such is the way which God deals with the obstinate. See Isaiah vi. 10, and remember Pharaoh. Listen to what God says by the same prophet (Is. xxix. 9-14.): Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous

work among this people: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.' The whole passage is a terrible complaint of God against the wise men of Israel for substituting their own traditions in place of His holy law. How, then, can any one enlightened by the Scriptures continue to repose confidence in the rabbis, when they are clearly under an awful curse?" “But Jesus they killed. How, then, could He have been the Messiah, for of Messiah it is predicted that He should restore liberty to Israel, reign over them, and extend His dominion to the end of the earth." "Messiah's first advent was expressly to suffer and die to offer Himself a sacrifice for sin, that all who believe in Him may not perish, but have eternal life. Read Isaiah liii., and you will find this clearly predicted. He reigns, but His kingdom is not of this world-His is a spiritual kingdom-a dominion over the heart of man-a power which no earthly monarch ever did or could possess. His dominion will eventually extend over all the world. Already the most civilised and powerful nations own His sway and worship Him. Had they not the most convincing proofs for their belief, is it likely they would have put their faith and trust in a despised and crucified Jew ?" This last remark seemed to strike his mind very forcibly. He acknowledged that it was wonderful indeed that the nations of Europe should believe in a Jew as God. The dialogue continued in the same strain, my friend and his wife being all the time present, and the former having his say now and then, though not always to the point. On leaving, the visitor desired to know where I lived, that he might call to converse with me. Many respectable native Jews do the same, but cold reflection deters them, for fear of what people would say.

VIENNA.

One of our missionaries has tarried for some weeks as a private individualin Vienna, and his statements are adapted to deepen our interest in the condition of the Jews largely inhabiting the Austrian dominions, and for whom we cannot but hope that a door will soon be opened for the diffusion of the Gospel. He thus writes :

I am about leaving this city after three weeks anxiously endeavouring to rouse the slumberers, to warn the heedless, and to direct the anxious of my benighted kinsmen, who form here a population of more than 15,000 resident families, besides a constantly considerable number of sojourners from various other parts of the globe. Three large synagogues represent their spiritual, or rather their conscience-appeasing, condition. The Portuguese synagogue, of a conservative character, may well be designated the rabbinical-catholicism against which the old reformed practices a kind of Protestantism, of which again the new reformed is the airy offspring. When I beheld my poor unhappy brethren assembled as if they meant to worship Him who once called them "the seed of Abraham His friend," the aspect of their forlorn condition realised to my soul that sorrowfulness to which the prophet Jeremiah gave vent in the words, "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people." Never before did I experience such craving desire for the Apostle Paul's first opportunities to stand up in the midst of the congregated mass of deluded Israel, warning and entreating, than when I sat witnessing the theatrical performance of the evening service in that magnificent synagogue on last Friday. Oh that at such a time their ears might have become unstopped and their hearts moved at that unfathomable love which speaks, "Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this: I