95

VIRGINIA.

FROM A MISSIONARY IN LEWIS COUNTY.

Season of Revival.

trated in the labours of the past year, and || besides several awakened at our meetings, very vividly brought before my mind in who have united with other societies. *** its close. My toils and privations have been great, but the rigour of my burdens is greatly abated by the animating and cheering hope that many in the "Great day will stand up and call them blessed, who by their alms have been the means of their savingly hearing the Gospel of the blessed God." The results of my labours, as a Missionary of the Church, have been, at the same time, gratifying and surprising. Two feeble churches have been edified, and built up; their organization has been nearly completed. Bible classes and pray er meetings have been profitably sustained,

the Sabbath rescued from much of its

desecration; one meeting-house fitted up

for comfortable service, another one, large and substantial, erected. The Lord's Supper administered seven times; more than one hundred sermons preached to the two churches, and about seventy members have been added to our own communion,

"The Lord reigneth, let the Earth rejoice." Since my last report there has been an unusual interest manifested by the Church, and Congregation, in reference to the salvation of the soul. We are now enjoying a precious season of revival. In answer, I firmly believe, to fervent, persevering prayer, God has sent down the convicting, and converting influences of his Holy Spirit on this community. Within a little more than a week

past, ten or twelve of our youth have been

hopefully converted to God. There ap-
pears at present to be a general serious-
ness upon the minds of the people, and a
number are earnestly inquiring what they
shall do to be saved.
"Surely God has
done, and is now doing, great things for
us whereof we are glad."

25 00

RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT PITTSBURG, IN JANUARY, 1844.

RECEIPTS IN THE TREASURY AT LOUISVILLE, KY., IN JAN., 1844.

THE

FOREIGN MISSIONARY CHRONICLE.

APRIL, 1844.

LONDON JEWS' SOCIETY.

EXTRACTS FROM THE ANNUAL REPORT, 1843.

tracts were willingly accepted by the Jews. Mr. Ewald writes:

January 6.-One of the principal Jews of Jerusalem had furnished the Bishop with a letter of introduction to one of the chief Jews of Hebron, for whose house we now inquired. . . . . Thus we found ourselves in the city where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob dwelt, sojourning under the hospitable roof of a son of Abraham. Our kind hostess, a native of Poland, soon brought us some supper; after which, we lay down to rest.

This Society is supported by the Episcopal Church in Great Britain. Its receipts during the year ending March 31, 1843, were £25,066 or about $120,000, showing an encouraging degree of zeal for the conversion of the Jews. The Society has twenty-three stations under its care, of which two are in England, sixteen on the Continent, chiefly among the German states, four in Palestine, one at Constantinople, and one at Smyrna. Of the Early in the morning on the following sixty-two persons employed as misday, being Saturday, we saw the Jews sionaries, teachers, &c., thirty-four going to their synagogues. The Bishop, are converted Jews. The Society Mr. Roland, and myself, soon joined has put in circulation a large number them. Mr. Blackburn being indisposed, of copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, was obliged to keep in the house. The Tracts, &c.; amongst other publica- first synagogue we visited belonged to tions we notice the translation of the the Sephardim; it bore marks of antifirst part of Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Pro-quity, but we could not discover the date gress" in Hebrew. We insert some extracts from the journals of the missionaries.

Visit to the Jews at Hebron.

In the month of January a most important visit was paid to the Jews at Hebron by the Bishop and Mr. Ewald. The kind reception and hospitality they met with at the hands of the descendants of Abraham at this place far exceeded their expectation.

Discussions were repeatedly held, in the most friendly spirit, in the synagogues and schools, and copies both of the Old and New Testament and XII-7

when it was built.

After we had remained here for a little while, we went into another synagogue, which belongs to the German Jews it is a very small one; the third we visited belongs to the same community. These are the only synagogues at Hebron. We then returned to the first synagogue, and remained there until the end of the service. The portion of Scripture which they read to-day was, Exodus x., xi., xii., xiii.

After the service was finished, the Bishop addressed some Jews in one part of the synagogue, while I did the same in another. We were glad to find they

were willing to enter into conversation. The topics of our conversation were, of course, Christ crucified, Christ glorified, and the promises of God towards Israel, if they turn in repentance to him.

ble." Many of the Jews present fetched Bibles to examine the chapter mentioned. There was a great murmuring among them.

We then left the Jeshiba and went into the German Synagogue, where the service was not concluded; we were just in time to be present at the benediction given by the priest, who stood before the shrine with his face towards the people, which he kept covered with his tallith or veil, which they use at prayer time. *

We gave away several appropriate tracts. Most of the Jews now left the synagogue, and went into the Jeshiba, to read the portion of the Talmud. We followed them thither, and here again the Bishop addressed one party, whilst I conversed with another, and thus a regular discussion took place. I said, You have this day read in the synagogue, that God commanded you to sacrifice the Paschal Lamb; why have you ceased to do so? Reply. Because our temple is de-ness on the part of the Jews to enter into stroyed, our holy city desolate; we have discussion as in the morning. Whilst no more high-priests, and, therefore, we conversing, I observed a form of prayer cannot offer up the paschal lamb. hanging over the reading desk; I went near to examine it, and found it to be a prayer offered up for Sir Moses Montefiore and his lady in the following words :

I. But why has all this happened to you?

Reply. On account of our sins.

I. Herein you speak the truth; it is because your fathers have sinned against the Lord, and did not hear the prophet of old, who foretold to them the coming of the true Paschal Lamb, even the Messiah; when he came, the majority rejected him.

Reply. The Messiah has not yet

come.

I pointed to Daniel ix., and showed from that passage that the Messiah must have indeed come.

One of them said, "This Scripture refers to the Messiah, the son of Joseph, who is to be killed, and then, after his death, the son of David will appear."

I replied, "Your explanation will not hold good; for you see that it is here said, that after the death of the Messiah, the Holy City is to be destroyed, and the sacrifices are to cease; both have happened already. But if you will refer it to the Messiah, the son of Joseph, then he has yet to come; and then to build the temple, to reinstate the sacrifices, to restore Jerusalem to its former glory, and then, after all this is done, he is to be killed, and the temple again destroyed, and the Holy City laid waste; this explanation of yours is therefore inapplica

About three o'clock we went again into the synagogue to be present at their prayers. After service we addressed them again, and found the same willing

"He who blessed our holy Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, bless, keep, preserve, and strengthen Sir Moses Montefiore and his lady, Judith Montefiore ; may they be blessed with the holy blessing from God, with long life, and with every other blessing: this we beg through the merits of thy holy law, through the merits of the Fathers, (namely, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,) through the merits of the mothers, (namely, Sarah, Rebecca, Leah, and Rachel,) through the merits of all our holy men and teachers, through the merits of Jesse the father of David, of Abner the son of Ner, of Uthheal the son of Kenes, who constantly protect us." The Jews believe that Jesse the father of David, Abner the son of Ner, and Uthheal, who are buried in Hebron, never committed any sin, and died only in consequence of Adam's transgression; they believe, therefore, that these three are the protectors of the Jews at Hebron. Having read this, I turned to some Jews and said, "This is idolatry you believe that dead men are your protectors." They endeavoured to defend this opinion expressed in the prayer, and a warm discussion ensued between

and for a copy of each tract I had with me; he said he would read these books and see what we had to say in favour of Christianity; he also asked for my name and residence at Jerusalem, promising to make an effort to see me there.-Report, pp. 39–42.

Sad Condition of Jews in Jerusalem.

Nowhere are the glad tidings of the messengers of the New Covenant more loudly called for, than among the fainting and almost hopeless descendants of Abraham, who now cling to the ruins of the Holy City of their forefathers. Who can read without the deepest compassion the touching picture Dr. Macgowan gives of their temporal and spiritual destitution ?

"The footing of intimacy on which I now stand with my Jewish patients furnishes ample opportunities of becoming acquainted with their habits, opinions, and mode of life, which no other could afford me.

the Jews, the Bishop, and myself. At last one stepped forward and said, "We must plead the merits of our holy ancestors if we wish that God will hear us, for we are sinners and have no merits." I replied, "You are perfectly right, we are in want of an intercessor before God, if we wish to be heard; but we must then take refuge in that Mediator who is pointed out to us in Scripture." I opened my Bible and read the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah: several listened attentively. I added, "This is the man through whose merits we are accepted, through whose stripes we are healed; and, if we believe in him, we shall have forgiveness of our sins, and be accepted of God." One replied, "You say we ought not to plead before God the merits of our holy fathers, and yet we find that Moses did so. When Israel made the golden calf, Moses prayed to God to remember Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." I replied, "Yes, Moses said, 'Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swearest by thine ownself, and saidst unto them, will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.' Moses did not plead the merits of the fathers, but reminded God of the oath he had sworn to give to the posterity of Abraham this land for a possession." They could not gainsay this truth. We again distributed several tracts, and several Jews asked me for my name, and place of residence in Jerusalem, and promised to call upon me when they went there. Having left the synagogue, I met sev-ture, and spent in an uninterrupted enjoyeral Jews outside, with whom I conversed for some time. Whilst walking about in the narrow streets of the Jewish quarter, a Jew came to me and asked for a New Testament and other books; I told him I had none with me, but if he would come to my lodging I would give him what he wanted. Night coming on, I again went into the synagogue, to be present at the last service of the day, which is called Moza Hashabath.

When I came home, the Jew above mentioned called for the New Testament

"The most prominent trait in their character is a devoted attachment to the land of their fathers, and especially to the Holy City of Jerusalem. This, however, is combined with many peculiar notions of a superstitious nature, which excite mingled feelings of compassion and respect. To live and die in this sacred spot is, in their opinion, attended with extraordinary privileges both temporal and spiritual. Released from the cares, and tumult, and business of the world, their lives are to be exempt in a greater degree from the common infirmities of human na

ment of peaceful calm and holy meditation. Their prayers are to ascend with more fervent rapture to the throne of the Most High; their nights are to be favoured with celestial visions and communion with angelic beings; and, finally, at the close of their mortal life, their souls shall be at once received into eternal glory. Such are the exaggerated privileges of the Jewish inhabitants in the Holy City, the anticipation of which annually attracts vast numbers from all parts of the world to its walls. But with the majority these