condemn; so that the translation "condemn" is not wrong, if any prefer it. Those who would not spare their own flesh will go to the root of the matter. When no eye sees, and no ear hears, but His who searches the hearts, they would have their inquisition begin where His does-"the Lord looketh into the heart." If cognisance is taken of the source, the stream may be directed; defiling affluents may be cut off; or if at the source itself there is evil, it may be filtered out. An evil thought or feeling may be confessed, and the outflow arrested. If we cannot quite destroy the virus of our nature, we can repress the germ from breaking forth. The child of God, the new creature in Christ, should never have to condemn himself, as David. (See Tit. iii. 11.) Even self-judging is not an inevitable obligation; that is, the condition requiring it is not. Self-knowledge is imperative. This will reveal sufficient to take us to the mercy seat, where, alone with God, broken-heartedness will effectually plead the blood which cleanseth from all sin.

If we know nothing against ourselves we are not hereby justified (1 Cor. ii. 3). We can, then, however, in the uprightness of our hearts, invite the searching eye of God; because there is not only not that which would provoke His displeasure, but there is that which would meet His loving heart,—the lowly desire of His child to please Him by a still higher standard than he has attained unto.

Let this thought also be a comfort. God does not set up His knowledge as the arbiter of our confidence, but our own heart's knowledge. "God is greater than our hearts, and knoweth all things." How might this confound and destroy all hope! To prevent this it is immediately added, "Beloved, if our heart know nothing against us, then have we confidence toward God." If this be so, God knows (yivwoкEL) nothing against us, although He knows all things. What grace! This supposes a willingness in us to search, and a readiness to be faithful to Him and to ourselves. If judging is needful, let us not spare; if putting away, with godly sorrow, will suffice, let us praise Him. Our Father is too tender to

give us needless pain; much less to let others know what we blush at in His presence. To apprehend something of the awful holiness of God and of the fatal character of sin, let us to the Cross: there infinite love makes them meet-welds them together, for "He hath made him to be sin who knew no sin."

Our foes are sleepless. They faint not in their efforts. If a child of God, a servant of Christ, by his wariness foils the enemy so that he toucheth him not, this enemy can and does stir up those to whom their brother's welfare should be as dear as their own.

It is high time to awake out of sleep, for see, the day breaks, the shadows flee away. Clifton.

W. HOWELL.

"IN SIMPLICITY AND GODLY

SINCERITY."

[WHEN We perused the following simple, almost uncouth, narrative, forwarded to us by a Hebrew Christian brother, who may be described as answering the Apostle's description, "Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord "—that Apostle's words, in his second Epistle to the Corinthians, at once sprang to our lips :-" For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward."* What our Brother Paul addressed to the Corinthians, we say to all our brethren of the house of Israel.

The following narrative speaks for itself, and requires neither prologue nor epilogue from our pen. We have sufficient bona fide materials, of the two years' anxious solicitude, to fill a volume, but we prefer at present to give our brother's tale in his own words; the moral it points is in 46 we glorious relief, namely that, have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us."†]

SOME little time after it had pleased God to bestow His mercies * 2 Cor. i. 12.

+ 1 Cor. iv. 7.

on me and my family, to bring us into the fold of Christ our Lord, and to enable us to understand the truth that is in Him, I used frequently to see a porter at the London Bridge station, whose appearance was that of a foreigner. He seemed to me a respectable and educated man; he was always particularly civil and ready at any time to label my merchandise which I had with

me.

My curiosity became excited to know what countryman he might be ; on inquiry I was told that he was a Belgian. The information did not satisfy me. I inquired of himself, and then I learnt from him that he was a German. From that time, I knew him as a German, but not as a Jew.

At that time, I felt a burning desire to work amongst my Jewish brethren, and to tell them of Christ and His salvation. I wanted them to share with me the joy that I experienced in Christ my Saviour. It is especially to the Jews that Jesus came; why should they be ignorant of Him?

I had to go once to London, and before starting, I went on my knees to beseech the Lord to send me some one of my Jewish brethren whilst on the way, in the train, or in the street, and to give me the opportunity to speak to the same about Christ, and to make me His instrument to bring forth fruit in the Lord Jesus Christ. Not for gain, not to make a business of it, and not for me to glory in it, but only for God's own glory I offered myself to the Lord. In this way I pleaded with the Lord. When I rose from my knees, I experienced an assurance that the Lord had heard my prayer; I felt sure that the Lord would send me, on the journey, one of my brethren to speak to. As I went to the station, I looked about for him that God was going to send to me; I could see none in the train, there was none. At every station the train stopped I looked for the new passengers, peradventure there might be amongst them, the Jew; but none came. So I arrived in London without having seen one; still I was sure the Lord would send me one.

Yet, even in my business transactions I met with none. I had no opportunity to speak to any Jewish brother, though the greatest part of my transactions that day was amongst the Jews. When I had made all my purchases, I returned to the station, always expecting the Jew that God was going to send to me.

On arriving at the station, I met the above named porter, and as my train was not yet ready, he got into conversation with me. He asked me how I liked Croydon, and if there was a synagogue there. I told him that I did not belong to the synagogue. He then asked me if I were not a Jew? I said I was a Christian Jew. This be could not understand, and so I told him that I was a Jew who believed in Jesus Christ. When he heard this, he dropped his head, and spat out with the exclamation, “* A German Jew! and such a fool! I am also a German Jew, but never would I believe such nonsense! A German Jew must be above this nonsense."

Up to that time I did not know that he was a Jew. When I heard that he was one, it made me recollect that the Jews spat in our Lord's face, and He suffered it patiently. This encouraged me to speak more to the angry man. I cannot exactly remember the burden of my communication. At any rate, it led him to tell me the following anecdote :

A very rich man had an only son, whom he loved more than his own life. This young man had a very intimate friend, whom he loved not less than himself. One morning this young man went out for a walk, and came to a deep river, where he, to his sorrow, saw his friend struggling in the water, and was very near to be drowned. Without hesitation he was about to plunge into the water to save his friend, even if it were at the peril of his own life. Whilst on the point of putting the rash resolution into practice, his father came, and drew his son back, and said, "What a fool thou art to risk thy life. I can save thy friend without jeopardising anything."

As the unbelieving Jew was telling me this, I prayed to the Lord that

My train was starting, so I bade him good-bye. I was very much grieved to see him in unbelief, and I prayed, all the way home, for him. I told this to my wife, and we have made it a rule to pray for him in our every prayer, at home or in public, to beseech the Lord to open his eyes that he should see the truth that is in Christ our Lord, and to be converted. We also asked of many of our friends to pray for him, too.

64

The next week, when I went up to London, I took a book with me, to give it to him to read. On that day I could not speak much to him; but the following week I saw him, and he laughed at that book, and said, "What fool has written that book?" he, the porter, could write a better one. I had another short conversation with him, and I offered to write to him; so I wrote several letters, in which I endeavoured to point out to him the error that our nation was in. Even their daily prayers teemed with errors. I pointed out to him the places where the errors were, for which I had a good guide in a book from the pen of the Rev. Dr. Margoliouth, The Fundamental Principles of Modern Judaism Investigated." I brought him so far as to convince him that the Jews believed one thing and prayed for another; they confessed in their prayers what they did not believe; they professed to believe that God had sent the Prophets and had spoken by them, but they did not believe that He had fulfilled His promises, and so they made Him a liar. When I was as far as that, he asked me to get him an Old Testament in Hebrew, with an English translation. I applied to Miss E. for a copy, and she got one. I took it to him, he paid for it, and was very much pleased with his acquisition. Before I gave the sacred volume to him, I prayed to the Lord to bless him, and show him the truth

from His own word. When I handed the Hebrew Bible to him, I asked him that whenever he was going to read it, to pray to God to teach him the truth that is in it, and to pay no heed to what I was telling him, except so far as he found what I told him to be in agreement with the word of God; and if he found it correct, to believe it. "O never, never," he said, "will I believe it." I went home sorrowful, and prayed for him.

I wrote another letter to him with several explanations of some Biblical passages. I did so because I had but little time to converse with him at the station. The next time I came to London Bridge I felt desirous to know what impression my letter had made upon him. I inquired of him what he thought of the contents of the letter. "O!" he said, "it is a very nice letter; I am not learned enough to dispute about it. I have therefore made up my mind that my children shall take their own course, and choose to be what they like; I will remain what I am. I will not teach them any religion at all." I tried to make him understand that if he took that course, his soul could not be saved; to which he said he did not care to hear any more about it, and he would request me neither to speak nor to write any more to him about it. When I heard that, I left off speaking to him for a time.

Some time after the last named occurrence he asked me, "How do you feel? Are you happy?" I asked him what he meant by "happy?" He said, "Well, when you think of what you have been at home; trained up in the Jewish religion, having been one of the Jews; and now, in a strange religion! Does it not grieve you sometimes?" "No!" I said. "I am happy that I gave up my old religion, which was no religion at all. It was not the religion ordained by God, but by men. I am happy now that I can serve God according as He has ordained His worship by His holy Prophets. As for being a Jew, I have never ceased to be one!" "How is that? You are a Christian!" "Yes," I said; "but Christianity belongs to the Jews. All the Jewish Prophets prophesied respecting the Christian

Dispensation to come." I pointed out to him Jeremiah xxxi. 31, where the Lord promised that He would make a new covenant, not like the old one. Also that Messiah was to be born of a virgin; that He was to be called THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, &c. &c. “Now," I said, "I am a real Jew; now I am in the real faith of our father Abraham, in the real Law of Moses, obeying that Prophet of whom Moses prophesied, that whosoever would not obey Him, the Lord would require it of the same."

When I spoke thus to him he seemed to be very attentive, and was rather surprised, or pleased, to hear that I have not ceased to be a Jew. I had several similar conversations with him after this; he having begun to search diligently in the Old Testament respecting the correctness of what I said to him. He began to ask me lots of questions, which I answered according to the best of my ability, God helping me. Once and again he cried out he would never believe in Christ! I almost began to despair of any good result of my speaking any more to him. So I left it in God's hands to do the rest.

I was not a little surprised one day at London Bridge, when he came up to me, and said that he had something to tell me, and he went with me a little distance from the station and told me of his conviction of sins, and that he had commenced a God-pleasing life; honest to all men. "I am glad to hear that," I said; "but it is very far from pleasing the Lord; as long as you do not believe in Christ, it can't please the Lord." "But He was only an impostor," he said (rather hesitatingly). "If he had been an impostor, what did He gain then by His imposture?" I asked. The people wished to make Him a king, and He refused their offer. He had not where to lay His head. What purpose'could such an imposition have served Him?" He could not answer me, and so we parted. About two or three weeks after that, he again said to me he had something to tell me, and away from the station again we went. He then confessed to me that he believed that Jesus was the Christ, and the Son of God.

That day I can consider to be the happiest one in my life; I praised the Lord for His goodness. I had the privilege one Sunday in the month of last July to see him, with his sister, baptized at St. Andrew's Church here at Croydon. Thank God, he grows in grace day by day.

About two years intervened between my first interview with him and his baptism. L. L.

"YE SHALL BE GATHERED ONE BY ONE, O YE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL."* THE above promise, spiritually considered, is, now-a-days, realised almost continuously. Almost every Christian congregation in the metropolis or in the provinces has, now and then, an opportunity of witnessing the fulfilment of that promise in a spiritual sense, and to certify themselves that God hath not cast away His people, by seeing the children of Israel" gathered one by one" into the fold of Christ. On Sunday, the 18th ult., the Congregation of the Regent Square Presbyterian Church had the privilege of witnessing such an ingathering. The restored one was Mr. J. Adler, a namesake and near relative of the chief Rabbi of England.

When we had written thus far the following letter reached us from an esteemed brother, which we give in

extenso:

"Bible Stand, Crystal Palace, "London, S.E.

"Dear Dr.,

"January 20th, 1874.

Mr. J. Adler made a public confession of his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, before a very numerous congregation, assembled in the Presbyterian Church, Regent Square, on Sunday last. The Rev. Dr. Dykes commenced the service by prayer, singing of hymns, and reading the Scriptures. He then delivered a very lucid, eloquent, and interesting discourse on Romans iii. 27-30. After which the Rev. Theod. J. Meyer gave a most impressive and affecting address, which was listened to by the people with profound attention. He en

*Isaiah xxvii. 12.

deavoured especially to impress the Convert that his becoming a Christian was not the going over from one community to another-the abjuration of one creed for another-but that in his case, that of a Jew by birth, he, confessing the Christian faith, was only exchanging the shadow for the real substance, &c.

"When the address was over, and Mr. Adler had replied satisfactorily to the questions relative to his belief in the fundamental truths of Christianity, he received, by the hands of the Rev. Theod. J. Meyer, the ordinance of baptism, when he was by that rite introduced into relationship with Christ's Church on earth. May his example lead many more to come out from error and confess THE TRUTH!

"Mr. Adler's case is an encouragement to all such as 'sow beside all waters.' Mr. A. was presented with a copy of the New Testament in German at the Bible Stand, 1862, which was then placed opposite the International Exhibition in Hyde Park. Subsequently he came from time to time to the present Bible Stand at the Crystal Palace. Here he was pointed to 'the Lamb of God, that taketh away the sins of the world.'

"Last summer he expressed a desire to receive regular Christian instruction. For that purpose I sent the Rev. Theod. J. Meyer to visit him. The ministrations of our able and worthy brother, as well as the teaching of his coadjutor, Mr. Friedberg, have been of great benefit to Mr. Adler.

"Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after many days.' "Yours sincerely,

"J. ALEXANDER.'

"

Another letter informs us:-"Notwithstanding the bad weather, the large church was completely filled; a good number of Jews-converted and unconverted-were present. Dr. Dykes evolved from his text, in the clearest possible manner, that the Israelites, notwithstanding their peculiar advantages and position, were obliged by the very monotheism and Law which they professed to be guided by-to seek salvation through faith

in God's mercy only. Mr. Theod. J. Meyer, whilst addressing the restored penitent, changed the impious words and prayers of our fathers-' His blood be on us and on our children' -into His blood is on you.' He pointed out to the newly baptized believer his, the believer's, altered position towards God, towards God's Law, and towards Israel's Hope; upon which our Rev. Brother founded appropriate exhortations. The general congregation, who were pathetically exhorted with regard to their duty towards Israel, were deeply impressed with the solemn service."

ANOTHER HEBREW CHRISTIAN ADDED TO THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

ON Sunday, the 21st of last December, the Lord Bishop of London admitted, at St. Paul's Cathedral, amongst others, Jerusalem Gedeliah-the second son of the Rev. Dr. Myers, the venerable Vicar of all Saints', Dalston-to the holy office of Deacon. It is a cheering picture to contemplate the aged father and his two sons, of the stock of Abraham, ministering in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts. We look upon the numerous returns amongst our people to the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, and on the activity amongst Hebrew Christians in the Lord's work, as the most significant signs of the times.

THE FRIENDSHIP OF THE
"JEWISH WORLD."

THE juvenile Anglo-Hebrew print has just somewhat startled us by its unwonted civility, we might almost have said uncommon suavity, towards the Christian religion. A filthy, vile, obscene, blasphemous Hebrew Brochure, concocted in the middle ages, under the title of Toledoth Yeshufounded on passages scattered over the veracious Talmud and other relia ble Rabbinical works-has just been translated into the vernacular jargon spoken by Russian and Polish Jews.