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To aid in remedying this, the collection of the Haphtorahs was published in 1829, several of the Society's missionaries having expressed their conviction that such a publication would be of the greatest value. There was added to it a selection of a few of the chief prophecies relating to the Messiah, and it was bound and circulated with the 12mo. edition of the Hebrew Pentateuch. The necessity for this addition arose from the fact that many of the Messianic prophecies-the 53rd of Isaiah among them-are not included in the prophetic lessons read in the Jewish synagogue.*

We have now given, as briefly as we could, an account of what has been effected by the Society, in the way of putting into the hands of the Jews the Scriptures of Truth. This has been the Society's grand and peculiar work; and consider what it has been!-the giving to them the WORD OF THE LIVING GOD!-that Word concerning which the Saviour said to their forefathers of old, "Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and they are they which testify of Me."

In carrying out this work, they received from time to time most valuable aid from the British and Foreign Bible Society, and also from the Edinburgh Bible Society, which they gratefully acknowledged. Still the work of giving to the Jew the Old and New Testament Scriptures, in their own venerated Hebrew, was to all intents and purposes the work of the London Society. We shall constantly have to allude to it in its bearing on our different Missions. The simple Word of God has proved itself mighty to the pulling down of the strongholds of Satan. The sword of the Spirit has indeed been the most powerful weapon in our armoury.

Its value is ably expressed by the Committee in their seventeenth Report:

"They fully appreciate the labours of your missionaries; they desire to thank God for their steady zeal, their prudence, fidelity, and success; but yet they hesitate not to express their conviction that the free circulation of the Scriptures among the Jews, is of all measures

* The omission may have been accidental, and not, as some think, designed.

the most important. Among a people who cannot come to hear a Christian preacher without danger, even when he is within their reach, and of whom, by reason of their boundless dispersion, very few can enjoy that privilege, the Word of God, issued from various stations, by judicious missionaries, may be extensively circulated. For this there are peculiar facilities among a people, not more distinguished for their dispersion through all the countries under heaven, than for a close and constant connexion and intercourse among themselves. The written Word of God, too, circulates silently and without offence; it penetrates where the missionary could find no access, it is concealed in the bosom and read in the closet, and he who has the fears and the scruples of Nicodemus, may enjoy his privilege, and converse in secret with "Him of whom Moses in the law, and the Prophets did write."

CHAPTER VII.

Subject resumed-The Hebrew version of the Liturgy-Reasons for its publication-Completed in 1836-Extract from 26th Report-Previous versions— Hebrew Services-The “Quarterly Review"-Remark of an Eastern Traveller-Illustrative cases.

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IN our last chapter, we related what has been effected by the Society, in the way of printing and circulating the Scriptures, not only in the Hebrew, but also in other languages.

The present may be regarded as a kind of sequel to it, inasmuch as the history of this department of the work would not be by any means complete if we did not mention another publication, which has been of singular advantage; viz., the Hebrew version of the Liturgy. The importance of this work appears on several grounds. It was a strong protest against the notion which the Jewish people very generally entertained of Christianity-that it was a gross system of idolatry. We can scarcely call this a prejudice. It was an opinion which they had too good reason to believe well founded, as we shall at once acknowledge, when we reflect that the phase under which Christianity had been presented to the great majority of them bad

been that either of the Greek or of the Romish Church, both of which we feel to be justly liable to the charge of idolatry.

Against this we could have no better protest than the publication of our Scriptural Liturgy, embodying and expressing, as it does, a pure spiritual worship, needing neither picture nor image, nor other material adjunct; discarding superstition, and recognizing that high and holy standard which the Master Himself enunciated, when, addressing the woman of Samaria, He declared: "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what : we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth."

It was peculiarly valuable, again, inasmuch as it presented Christian truth in a devotional and non-controversial form. Controversy, in its place, is both necessary and important; but controversy in the hands of frail man, like the knife in the hands of the unskilful operator, is apt to become a dangerous weapon. It was of very great importance that we should have a book to place before the Jew, which should convey to him Christian truth in a devotional form, and such a book the Hebrew version of the Liturgy pre-eminently is.

One other cause rendered it peculiarly important, which indeed is a striking testimony to the excellence of the Liturgy itself. The Jew loves the forms of Oriental expression; in other words, the language and the style of the Bible commends itself to his habits and his affections. We have only to read the letters which frequently come into our hands, written by Jews, converted and unconverted, to feel how completely this is the case; and it is a fact that the simple but elevated scriptural language of the Liturgy has, in numberless instances, caused it to be read with avidity and delight. Allusion is made to this character of the Liturgy by a writer in the "Jewish Chronicle," who, speaking of a visit to the Church on Mount Zion, says, On one of the pews I found a Prayer-Book, which had been forgotten, in the Hebrew language. It contained the usual ancient Jewish prayers, with slight omissions, and interlineations on matters connected with the Christian faith."

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It was between the years 1834 and 1836 that this work was accomplished. To the reasons for its publication, given above, together with some others which we have not mentioned, the twenty-sixth Report thus alludes:

:

"I. The Liturgy in Hebrew is of great importance as respects the Jewish nation at large in their unconverted state. Christians must remember that the majority of the Jewish people entertain precisely the same sort of prejudices against Christians, which the majority of Christians feel and express against the Jews. If the word Jew be a term of reproach amongst the Gentiles, the word Christian is equally so amongst the Jews. The Rabbinical Jews, and they are the overwhelming majority of the nation, attach two ideas particularly to the word Christian: first, that of ungodliness; secondly, of idolatry. They suppose that Christians live without God, and solely for this present world. What better proof can we give them of their mistake than a copy of the authorized daily prayers of our Church, in which they must discover a spirit of deep and devoted piety, and moreover a striking similarity, both in the contents and the ceremonies, to the prayers and usages of the synagogue. The very circumstance that a certain portion of the Psalms, to which all pious Jews attach such importance, is appointed for every morning and evening, must give the Jew a very different idea of Christianity. It may be asked, would it not do to present them with our Liturgy in some other language? We can answer, unhesitatingly, in the negative. There is a large body of Jews scattered through the world, and amongst them the most learned and the most devout, who will read nothing but Hebrew, and if they are to see our Liturgy at all, it must be in a Hebrew dress. Every one must feel that it is important to show the Jews the piety of true Christianity, but to take away the reproach of idolatry is more important still; and how can this be better done than by exhibiting to them our authorized public prayers to the one true God; our Catechism, in which we teach our children to worship and obey Him, and Him only; our Communion Service, in which the Ten Commandments are acknowledged as the basis of our worship, and the rule of our duty?

"II. The prayers are important to individual converts. Rabbinical Jews, who have all their lives been accustomed to a form of prayer, and that in Hebrew, feel a great want of something to supply its place when they become Christians. Rabbi Abraham, an aged convert at Warsaw, used to endeavour to supply this want by using the Hebrew prayers at the end of Tremellius's Catechism, and some of the Psalms. If it please God to give us many converts amongst the aged, the most useful and acceptable gift which we can offer them, on their entrance to the Christian Church, is the Liturgy in Hebrew; it at once meets their wants, and supplies the deficiency which they feel on giving up the form of prayer to which they have been accustomed. For it can hardly be expected of such, that they should at once be able to offer up their petitions in a language and in a manner alike new. Violent transitions are often dangerous, and never salutary. The man who has all his life been accustomed to a form of prayer, must feel a great want, especially when circumstances cut him off from the public worship of the Church, and the communion of Christians, if he be left altogether without any help to his devotion.

"III. The Liturgy, in Hebrew, is of great importance, as respects public worship, in those places where Hebrew is much studied among the Jewish people. The importance of the Liturgy is not confined to the case of individuals. There can be no doubt that Divine service, conducted in Hebrew, according to the forms of our Church, would be highly useful at Jerusalem, and other places where Hebrew is much studied. The number of Jews who understand the Hebrew prayers is much larger than is supposed by some; and it is hardly necessary to observe, that all who understand the language esteem it above all others. The very circumstance of Christian worship being in Hebrew would go far to remove the prejudices against Christianity. Every one that knows anything of the Jews, knows that a good knowledge of Hebrew is the key to a Jew's heart. How important, then, is it that the devotion of the Christian Church should address the Jewish ear in the sacred tongue, especially in Jerusalem, and other places of the East where Hebrew is the medium of communication between the eastern and western Jews?

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