upon.

again, their eyes swimming with tears, and with such tales of anguish and horror on their lips, that they think the least thing they can expect of us is to help them with our purses; but prudence forbids! Oh yes, depend upon it; there is something supernatural in the sufferings of the Jew. The individuals and the nation are dealt with in the same way. The nation has been preserved under chastisements, which otherwise must have destroyed it, in order that fresh chastisements may be inflicted on it. And when individuals of that nation suffer, it seems as if, while an unseen Hand inflicts the chastisement, an unseen Hand also sustains the sufferer, in order that he may receive all. There is no suffering in the world, there is no suffering in human nature, there is no suffering in this metropolis, this hell upon earth, like the suffering of the Jew. And as for us, we pity them, we feel for them, we wish to do something for them;"-but prudence forbids!

We bow with profound reverence to the prudence of this age; of which the great and almost universal maxim seems to be, "Take care not to commit yourself." But this salutary caution may be carried a little too far; and with the Jews, we fear, it has been. For how stands the case? They regard Christians as their enemies, as their persecutors, as their despisers and for this they have some excuse. Then, we say, the attitude of cold neutrality is not calculated to remove these notions There is a danger, indeed, in seeming as if we wished to buy or bribe them to Christianity. It is wrong in itself; and, besides, the world would cry out. But there is also a danger on the other side there is the danger of a cold, neutral, indifferent air, in offering the Gospel. If we value the Gospel ourselves, we shall certainly be in earnest to get others to receive it; and, in using kindness to effect this object, we are using legitimate means. We may indeed, if we please, look very unconcerned, very impartial. We may say, "See, here is the Gospel. We don't bribe you. Take it, if you like. If you will, the better for you. If you will not, you may die in your sins." But we question whether this was St. Paul's way of proceeding.

It may be also well, if we endeavour to convince the Jews of another point; namely, that we are not traders. Suspicions of some trading design are naturally produced, both among Jews and Gentiles, by the prudential (and sometimes necessary) measure, of not always giving Bibles and other good books, but selling them at a small price. We by no means condemn the practice in an unqualified manner; admitting that at times it may be the best. Paid for by the receiver, even though it be only in part, the Bible, perhaps, is less likely to be forgotten, the

tract to be thrown by, the ticket to be bartered. Nay, the principle will apply to schools: and we may mention, as an example here, what once occurred, to our own knowledge. A clergyman formed a school upon the new system for the poor of his parish; but as they were chiefly manufacturers, many of them were proud and conceited, and would not send their children. The building was good, the master competent, but few scholars came. The minister tried every expedient. Persuasion only produced greater obstinacy. He sent his own children, but to no purpose. At length he gave notice, that none for the future should be admitted gratis, but that every child should pay a penny per week. The school soon became flourishing, and continued so. What may be its present state, we know not; but we hope that it still prospers, under the care of its diligent and pious master.

Yet even this principle, of making people pay, must not be pushed too far; as in some cases we fear it has been. More particularly with respect to the Jews; in many transactions of those who live by the smaller details of trade, so little money really passes, that it will be difficult to ask any sum from them, let it be ever so small, without leading them to think that they have made a real purchase, and that profit has really been gained. Better were it that ten thousand copies of the Bible went among them, without the return of one penny, than that we should give them the least encouragement in such a notion.

There is one point more, of which we should strive to convince the Jews; namely, that we are not dealers in magic. The Jews very generally believe in witchcraft; which is practised, indeed, in many parts of Europe where they reside: and there is so much on the subject in the Scriptures, that in this respect they are more orthodox than the generality of Christians. But though, in this respect, their views may be sound in the abstract, in detail they are often ludicrous: and some of their notions on this subject, connected with the origin and miracles of Christianity, are very shocking and horrible. The terrors excited amongst them by the cross in the mysterious daleth, we mentioned in the Jewish article of our last Number: and as these apprehensions of witchcraft, right or wrong, do prevail amongst them, and they make no scruple, even in this country, of bringing the charge of magic against Christians, we must strive to convince them that conjuration is not our object, but that we wish to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God.

These points let us strive to effect amongst our Jewish friends ;

and let us strive to effect them here. Yes, here, in England, in this metropolis. Oh, when shall we see Christians, who have at heart the welfare of Israel, going to work in good earnest HERE!-Reader, that word, HERE, touches a string so close to our heart, that you must be content to let us play upon it, till we get to the end of our article.-No. Our mind is full of mighty matters. We have determined to interfere, for the preservation of the country, upon the Catholic question, in this very Number. But we must not lose sight of the Jew. The tongue surely would cleave to the roof of the mouth, that forgot Jerusalem. And the interest of the subject increases daily. England is not more ripe for a general convulsion, if the Catholic question be carried, than the Jews amongst us are ripe for some salutary change, and some general impressions in favour of Christianity. We rejoice to hear that our Dissenting brethren are beginning to move again in this cause; and we pray the Lord that nothing may so delude or deter them, as to prevent their putting forth all their power, on behalf of the Jews AT HOME. Let them do what they will besides, but let them not be taken off from the opening HERE." What, a spiritual opening?" Yes: a spiritual opening here, in this land. For ourselves, we make no promises; for the Lord, who now, against hope, permits another Number of our work to appear, might prevent our appearing again, and bring our promises to nought. In that, his will be done! But in our present mind-we may say this-so paramount does the object seem to us, of trying what can be done with the Jews amongst ourselves, that the mere circumstance of seeing any communion of true believers (though we know what communion we should prefer to see) going to work in real earnest among them here, would make us sink every petty feeling of jealousy in an instant, and engage us as zealous and cordial partisans. Yet let us be honest. Should Dissenters be the great instruments of turning the Jews amongst us to Christianity, we have some doubt whether they would keep them. We may be mistaken in this: but our own persuasion is, from every thing we know and have observed, that the great bulk of the Jews may rather be expected either to join the National Church, or to form themselves into some distinct community connected with it. That, however, is not worth thinking about, either way, just now. If our Dissenting brethren will only go to work, they have our full and free consent to keep as many as they can gain. And the way is now open before them. We again most earnestly exhort them, not to suffer themselves to be taken off, or turned aside, from the work at home; and we think we may almost

venture to predict, if they go to it in simplicity, and in real earnest, that they may have what funds they please.

When we are assailed for attempting to convert the Jews, we make our appeal to the Bible. We urge Christian motives, and take our stand on the high ground of duty. Our arguments are unanswerable: nothing can be said against us: we laugh at every assailant. But what if, all this time, we ourselves neglect the work at home? What if we here yield to inferior considerations? The religious grounds of exertion, which, when attacked, we ourselves urge from the Bible, are paramount; and either apply here, or not all. But if we only use them as a defence when we are assailed, and at other times allow ourselves to be turned aside from acting upon them by inferior considerations, will it not be suspected that, after all, we are not in earnest ?" In this country," say our opponents, errors would be more conspicuous; disappointments more ludicrous. On this account it is, that they prefer to labour abroad, and have given the Jews who are in the midst of them so little trouble." But persons who really acted from such motives, would be totally unfit to have the least concern in the work, whether in this country, or in any other : and it would be no wonder, if, while they were preferring to carry on their operations afar off, for the sake of keeping trouble, disappointment, and exposure at a distance, exposures and disappointments, as a judgment, should be sent to them, in spite of themselves, so as to lie at their very doors; should spring up suddenly in the midst of them; should meet them, turn which way they would; should be thrust under their very noses so that, removing the work afar off, for fear of the shame, they should have the shame, though not the work. For the Lord delights, in this way, to confound the wisdom of the wise; as if to prepare us for that day, when those who have thought themselves the wisest shall be the most confounded of any.

We hope, therefore, that whatever is undertaken for the spiritual benefit of the Jews, whether by Dissenters or by Churchmen, will be done faithfully. If we undertake a work of this kind, and only pretend to do it, we betray a sacred trust, reposed in us by the public. And not only that: we become an obstacle, a positive hindrance to the work. For the Jews amongst us are already, and are becoming more and more, a general object of religious interest. This being the case, there are many who have a desire to put their hands to the work; and who will do so, if they think that nobody has pre-occupied the ground. But if they think that others are actually at work, and have already taken the cause in hand, they will leave

every thing to them, and naturally think that the best way to help, is by helping the body or the individuals who have already commenced. Thus committing their aid to this channel, and trusting that all is right, they will do nothing further. If to do little or nothing, under circumstances such as these, would not be hindering, under the semblance of forwarding, the work amongst us, pray what would be? A work, we are persuaded, amongst the Jews in this country, and in this metropolis, has been begun by the Lord. Let not man oppose it. Be it remembered, however, man will oppose it, if he undertake to promote it, obtain the disposal of the means contributed, and the direction of the measures to be pursued for this end, and then neglect to do it, or do it by halves.

Such being our sentiments upon this subject, Christians, of whatever name, who take this cause in hand at home, and go to work with it in earnest, may rely upon our best wishes. They may commit a thousand faults; but they will find us ready to forgive them all, for the sake of their having made the attempt: and indeed the whole thousand together may not amount to the one great fault, of letting the work alone, or doing it deceitfully. We cannot bear to see men doing nothing, for fear of doing wrong. We could far rather see them floundering on, blundering on, with some results. This would be far better than conveying the idea to others that there was something doing, satisfying their minds, keeping them quiet, and so preventing the work's advancing.

No plan ought to content those who are now wishing to promote the conversion of the Jews, which proposes to draft them off, as they begin to inquire after the truth, to a settlement in other lands. If it be thought fit to form a foreign establishment for foreign proselytes, well and good. By approving it, we shall shew ourselves Christians; by aiding it, British Christians. But we must say, we should deeply lament the formation of any foreign institution for English Jews. These, as they begin to discover the truth, may be far better employed at home. We want them here, among their English brethren. Why should they be sent away? As they embrace the Gospel, they ought to be united amongst us, and formed into a religious community; or at least in some way or other made into a body, and brought to know one another, and to act together. But if, as they embrace the Gospel, they are to be drafted off, we shall never have a body of them; they will never form a community or act together; and the tabernacle of David must continue amongst us, as it now is, dilapidated. Converted Jews are wanted here, to act upon their brethren. They are wanted to shew forth an example of holy