staff at Berlin, thus gave his impressions of the proselytes and their trials:

"I have visited several of the Hebrew converts attached to the mission, about whom there is to me something peculiarly interesting, and although conscious that the most promising symptoms may prove to be fallacious, yet I cannot doubt, that when proper precautions are taken previous to admitting converts to baptism, there is, on the whole, less reason to suspect the Hebrew than the Gentile convert. Thus, for instance, amongst other evidences of spiritual life, we look in the new convert for the same broken heart, the same heavenward hope, and the same faithful walk with a new and unseen Lord; but in the Jewish convert, an additional evidence is afforded to us, when we see him go readily into the burning fiery furnace of a long affliction, and forsake all that the world holds most dear, for Christ's sake. I had no idea of the sacrifice some Jewish converts had to make, previous to my coming here. I can almost call to view the primitive Christian when I see before me the converted Jew, who is of the same family, and of the same blood, and also a partaker of sufferings for Christ's sake, in a measure generally unknown to all but the primitive Christian and the converted Jew."

The stir to which we have just been alluding, continued year after year, and at the same time there was also to be noticed an increasing acquaintance with Christianity. "It is astonishing," wrote Mr. Bellson early in 1848, "sometimes, in meeting with Jews promiscuously, now-a-days, and comparing them with those we met with twenty, or even ten years ago, what different views they have of Christ and Christianity; how much more extensive and correct their knowledge is of things and circumstances connected with the Church, so that we cannot but see and thankfully acknowledge, that God has greatly blessed our mission at large, and that we have thus good ground for hoping that so much precious seed cannot have been sown in vain, but must finally, when once God's fructifying spirit shall have been poured out upon it, spring up, and bear fruit to the astonishment and wonder of the world, the benefit of the Church, and the glory of God's great name.

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Amongst the various Jews one meets with, whether they are of the old orthodox school, or belong to any of the modern sections; whether they are uneducated Poles or polite Berliners; whatever their standing may be, all seem to agree in this one thing, that a great change is going on, that the present state of Judaism cannot long remain, that something is taking place, the result of which is not yet known."

On one occasion, when a Jew was demurring to the meaning assigned to certain passages which had been adduced from the Old Testament, his son, a lad of some fifteen years of age, remarked: "Father, if Christianity is not allowed to be true, what is to become of all those passages? we must tear them out of the Bible." With respect to the young, indeed, much was expected by the missionary, and among them considerable encouragement was met with. The Prussian schools had done much to bring about this state of things. Speaking of them it was said :

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Every child in Prussia is compelled to attend a school; and by far the greater proportion of Jewish children go to Christian schools. These schools have had a large share in making the Jews acquainted with the principles of Christianity. Jewish parents have often been amazed at discovering, on the return of their children from the school where they had been educated, the knowledge which they possessed, not only of the doctrines of the New Testament, but of the person and history of Christ. It is a remarkable feature in some Jews, and one which is very frequently met with, that they ask the missionary for tracts for their children. When asked why they do not wish to possess them for themselves, they either are at a loss for an answer, or else they generally say: 'I am now too old for these things, but my children are young; they go to school, and they understand these things better than we do, and will have more need of them as they grow up than we have.' Jews are often heard to say: We are Jews, but if our children are convinced of the truth of Christianity, we shall not hinder them from embracing it.' An aged Jew, who applied for books for his numerous family, said, in reply to the question, what he thought of Christ? that he had too little knowledge to make an

assertion on so important a subject, but he thought that opinion generally was more in favour of Messiah's having already appeared, and from all that his children had read to him, this view seemed to him the more substantiated; and on that account he would never hinder any of them, if, after due examination, they decided on becoming Christians."

It was stated as an observation, that there was in the case of candidates for baptism a marked difference between those who had, and those who bad not attended Christian schools; the former exhibiting a much better acquaintance with the Scriptures. It is worth noticing, also, that most of the Jewesses baptized by Mr. Bellson had received their first impressions of the superiority of the Gospel very early at school. A Jew lamenting the spread of lax opinions among his brethren thus alluded to Christian schools:

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There are many families now in M- whose relatives are baptized, and it is no longer considered such a degradation to have apostates belonging to a family. Our children will certainly not spit at the mention of the name of Jesus in by, (a certain prayer,) for they mention this name daily in Christian, and alas! also in Jewish schools. The name becomes perfectly familiar to them; they grow up with their Christian school-fellows, and, alas! also eat with them. My own boy brought home the other day a great piece of sausage-of pork, of course; and under such circumstances old prejudices must give way."

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Jewish reform, however, was, alas ! taking the shape more decidedly of rationalism and infidelity. Those who promoted it seemed to abandon the hopes of Israel, and the blessed promises made to their fathers. It was stated in 1850, that, in remodelling their servicesThey have blotted out of their common prayer book every word relating to the, i.e., all that refers to the redemption of their present state; 2. D'nan n', i.e., all that refers to the resurrection of the body; 3. m, i.e., all referring to a personal Messiah, being God and Man in one and the same person, as He is represented in the revelation of the Word of God."

CHAPTER XXX.

Influence of passing events-Laxity of Jewish principles-Effect of the New Testament-Anecdote-Gentile interest increasing-Baptisms-Respect for the Talmud on the wane-Worldly spirit hostile to the truth-Conversion— The Jewish press a hindrance-The Rabbi and the New TestamentIncreased interest-New Association in 1859-Project for raising Mission

Premises-Conclusion.

PUBLIC events were meanwhile exercising their full share of influence on the Jewish community. The revolution of 1848, inasmuch as the revolutionary and rationalistic movements were identified, tended much to shake their faith in that false philosophy to which they had given themselves, and its immediate effect was, to a certain extent, to consolidate the orthodox rabbinical system; it could, however, have only a brief and passing influence.

"God is manifestly carrying on," wrote Mr. Bellson in 1852, “a great work of preparation amongst the Jews. There is a leaven at work amongst them in all places, even in the most remote and insignificant congregations. None have remained, or can remain, untouched by the great movement; there are the same disputes, the same dissensions every where, touching principles of 'to be or not to be.' Judaism is decidedly breaking up; and the apparent rallying which of late has taken place, in the shape of returning to some of the old formalities, which the revolution tide had carried away for a time, is merely the last glare of an expiring light, the last efforts of a dying man."

There was a gradually increasing tendency, on the part of the Jews, to assimilate their social habits more closely to those of their Gentile neighbours.

"There are," wrote Mr. B., "Jewish families in this city who give princely entertainments, and their saloons are frequented by the highest nobility, and by perhaps an equal number of Jewish families, of whom it is impossible to tell, whether one-half, or three-fourths, or a smaller or larger proportion of them, are baptized or not. There are,

vice versa, baptized families, in whose society you meet an equal or greater number of unbaptized Jews, some of whom are nominally bigoted, but not a vestige of such bigotry is traceable, either in their families, or in the education of their children."

There was not much in all this to encourage the missionary. Luxury and worldly ease are far greater obstacles to the vital reception of self-denying Christian truth, than the strongest prejudices or the severest persecutions. It was, however, very satisfactory to find that there was a growing demand for the New Testament. Of the way in which that blessed Book was working, the following incident, which occurred to one of the colporteurs of the Mission, gives an interesting and delightful proof.

Happening to be in a certain town on a market-day, he entered a public house, where a number of Jews were assembled. "One of the Jews took up a German Bible, and after a careful examination enquired the price. Being told that they were sold at 1s. 6d., he expressed his surprise that they could cost so little; and added, that he had lately bought one, and had had to give 4s. for it. You no doubt bought it for your children, or perhaps for yourself,' said the colporteur; 'but the treasure which this book contains is worth more than any perishable money we can pay for it.' 'I know what you are driving at,' rejoined the Jew, 'but I will spare you the trouble, and tell you at once that I bought the Bible for a niece of mine, eighteen years of age, whom I brought up as my own child, and made her a present of it at her baptism. That sounds strange,' said the colporteur, 'that you, a Jew, should purchase a Bible under such circumstances.' it, no doubt,' said another Jew, for the sake of a lover.' quite mistaken,' said the first; if it had been so, I should never have consented to her baptism. I am convinced that nothing but the purest religious enthusiasm, moved her to take this step. And as this was the case, I was not inclined to put any obstacles in her way. For my belief is, that every man may be saved by his own creed, if he is but sincere.' Upon inquiry how she became convinced, the Jew said, 'In the place where I reside there are "pietists," and they have turned her head. She became acquainted with some of the young girls,

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'She did

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