The apostle of the Gentiles, he used that very office with a view to the conversion of his countrymen. "Inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles, I render mine office glorious," i.e. I use it for the conversion of the Gentiles,-" If by any means I may provoke to emulation them that are my flesh, and might save some of them." How strong the language he employs! "I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh." My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they may be saved." And God had mercy on Paul's sorrow of heart, and solaced those unutterable yearnings of his by the assurrance, "They shall be saved."

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And not for Paul's sake alone were these words dictated. As if to meet the cavils of modern objectors,—as if to dispel the suspicions of modern disbelievers in Jewish conversions,— as if to excite the slumbering energies of modern professors,the promise was recorded, "All Israel shall be saved."

The meaning of the words is clear. The nation of the Jews, as such, shall submit to Christ. Two things we are here reminded of. First, what these words assert; and secondly, what they imply.

First, what they assert. The final reception of Christ by the Jewish nation. The time may seem long. Perhaps they might have been saved before now, had the church been faithful. Their long night of darkness has stood connected with the equally long night of Christian supineness. They have lain perishing on our right hand, and we have heartlessly passed over to the other side.

But let none think that the wickedness of man shall frustrate the purpose of God. Do we not even already see the dawn of Israel's day of salvation? Look at the Christian church. Are there not the stirrings of pity? Is not the Scripture testimony, concerning the remnant of Israel, begun to be searched diligently? Is not the knee bent in prayer? The hand put forth to help? Are not messengers sent forth into the wilderness to seek them that are gone astray? And, when a wanderer is brought back, and a son of Abraham by natural descent, becomes a son of Abraham's faith, and an heir of Abraham's blessing, is there not joy in the church, even as there is joy among the angels of God? And look also at the Jewish nation. "The fields are white already unto the harvest."

These are but pledges of the redemption of Israel. We gratefully accept them as tokens for good. They encourage us; they animate us. But we need them not for the confirmation of our faith, which rests upon a firmer basis than appearances, however flattering, whether of inquiry amongst the Jews, or of zeal among the Gentiles; even on the word of Him that cannot lie: "All Israel shall be saved."

Secondly, what do these words imply? They imply that God looks kindly upon Israel. True, they are a scattered, suffering people, without a temple-without a sacrifice; but His designs to them are merciful. True, they have forsaken Him; but He is not willing that they should perish. True, they have rejected His anointed One ; but He who of old abode over the mercy-seat, waiteth to be gracious still. He hath not cast away his people. He preserves them for the sake of blessing them. And whoever shall show them kindness, shall

in no wise lose his reward.

This declaration implies also that efforts for the salvation of the Jews are sure to meet with the approbation of God. Such efforts have for their object the fulfilment of his purposes. How high a privilege is hereby conferred on us! They who seek the peace of Jerusalem, can neither labour alone, nor labour hopelessly, being sustained by the presence, and cheered by the promises, of the Almighty God.

Let us derive from this subject, a motive for increased activity and for more fervent prayer. Are we not afraid to ask too great things of our Father in heaven? Do we ask one half of what He has promised? Do we not forget this Divine decree when we intercede for Israel? Too much like the unbelieving king, who smote but thrice, and conquered thrice, when he might have smitten five or six times, and gained five or six victories; we have asked for three blessings when we might have had six; we have sought a handful, when the very windows of heaven might have been opened in mercy upon us. Henceforth let our desires keep pace with the Divine purpose. Let our fervent prayers embrace the extent of the Divine promise.

And ye, beloved brethren and sisters of the house of Israel, think not that we do you wrong in directing you to Jesus as the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world." Call not our importunity extravagance. Deem not our zeal to be but the paltry spirit of party. Say not that those who seek

your conversion to Christ, are actuated by pride, or intolerance, or malevolence. We desire only that you may "be saved." From the misery of the life that now is,-of sin unexpiated, of a conscience unappeased, of a false peace, of a beclouded hope,— we would have you "saved." From the misery of the life that is to come, the tremendous consequences of loving darkness rather than light, and of refusing to come to Christ that ye might have life,—we would have you "saved." When we ask you seriously to consider whether it is possible to obtain, by Judaical ceremonies, the answer of a good conscience towards God, it is that we would have you "saved." When we beseech you carefully to compare the prophecies respecting the Messiah in the Old Testament, with what we consider to be the record of their fulfilment in the New Testament, it is that we would have you "saved." When we conjure you, for your soul's sake, to study, without prejudice, the character of Jesus of Nazareth, and ask you, Can this be other than He who should redeem you?-it is only that we would have you

"saved."

Surely this is no unkind wish. These are not the words of an enemy. Oh! listen-listen to Him who lived and died that you might be "saved;" who loved you when He hung upon His cross, and prayed for you, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do;" who loved you when He ascended to His throne, and sent to you first and especially the good news of His salvation; who loves and pities you still, and holds out to you the sceptre of his mercy that you may yet live. “He that heareth my words, and believeth on Him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life :" but, if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins."

SUBSTANCE OF A STATEMENT PRESENTED BY ABRAHAM BEN OLIEL,

AT HIS BAPTISM, DEC. 25TH, 1847.

I was born in April, 1826, at Tangiers, and educated there in the Jewish schools until the age of fifteen. On leaving school I removed to Gibraltar, and there learned to read and write the Spanish language. How it was, I cannot remember, but I there obtained a Spanish New Testament. Some time

after, when I returned to my native country, I carried with me my Testament, and read in it occasionally. My father often asked me what kind of a book it was that I was reading, but I never told him, lest he should take it from me. It was my meditation day and night; and my desire was to know if it were possible that the Messiah, whom we had been so long expecting, was already come. Having consulted some of my Jewish friends about it, they told me that the book was made by the Christians for the sake of converting the Jews. This answer made me read it with increased attention. But I was yet blinded, and could not believe that Christ had already

come.

One Saturday, while I was reading, my uncle, who is a learned man, came to make us a visit, when my father asked him to see what book it was I held in my hand. He told him that it was a Testament. At that, my father took the book from me, and to this day I have not seen it again. He also chid me severely for having read it, and forbad me ever to look into any Christian book.

Shortly after, a converted Jew visited my country, and distributed a great number of Hebrew Testaments, but, by the command of the priest, they were taken to the synagogue and burned, by those who had received them. However, I secured a copy, which was a consolation to me in the room of the Spanish one which my father had taken away.

When I was eighteen years old, I removed again to Gibraltar. Here I heard of an evening school for young men, where the English and Spanish languages were taught, instituted by the Wesleyan Missionary Society. So I went to speak about it to the master of the school, and he said he should be glad to receive me. I told him that I could not attend on Friday evenings, as that was our Sabbath time. He asked me to attend the service on Sunday evenings, to which I consented. The first Sunday evening that I was in the school, a Spanish youth, who is a member of the Wesleyan Society, gave me a hymn-book, and showed me the hymns which we were to sing. From that time we became acquainted with each other, and indeed he is a faithful servant of the Most High, and his prayer for Israel is that they may be saved.

It was not long before the Jews discovered that I attended at a Christian school; and my father's friends told me that it was a dishonour to my family. In fact, they induced me to

leave the school. But my friendship with the young Spaniard still continued, and he prevailed upon me to accompany him to a Friday evening Bible-class. This was the Jewish Sabbath, but the explanations given of the New Testament at the class interested me so much, that I could not relinquish my attendance on it. From this time I began to see the light. My Spanish friend, at my request, lent me books concerning the Christian religion; and the book which convinced me that Jesus Christ is the true Messiah, the Saviour of the world, was Keith on Prophecy. My friend also asked me to go with him to his class; and I was much struck one evening, when, coming into the room, I found the leader of the class engaged in fervent prayer on my behalf. From that moment I began to feel the burden of my sins, and to see the necessity of a Redeemer to reconcile me to God.

One Sabbath my friend was speaking to me of Jacob's prophecy, Gen. xlix. 10. Afterwards, on accompanying him to chapel, the preacher took for his text the very same prophecy. I should have thought that he must have heard our conversation, but I knew this could not be. No, it was ordered by the providence of the Shepherd of Israel, that I might be led into the path of truth.

Shortly after my father arrived at Gibraltar, and was very angry to find me associating with the Methodists. He and my cousins did all they could to deter me from embracing Christianity, and offered me many temporal advantages if I would promise to have nothing more to do with it; but I answered that if they were unable to prove to me that Jesus, who was crucified by our forefathers, was not the Son of God and the true Messiah, they troubled themselves in vain. When they could not by any means persuade me, they joined in persecuting me. At last my father forsook me. He departed to Tangiers, being ashamed to live in Gibraltar to see me become a Christian, and he took with him all that I had in the world, thinking that I should soon follow him. "But for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, I suffered the loss of all things; and I do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is by the law, but the righteousness which is of God by faith." The last words I heard from my dearest father were, that he should have been more happy to leave me on a dying bed, than seeking Christianity; and