Prussia, you would, no doubt, receive permission to gather all the converts round the missionary, as in the Moravian settlements, so that they might support themselves, sympathize with one another, and be nourished by sound teaching. I know a great many Jewish families in Wurtemburg who would at once join such a congregation; but, at present, they are kept back in some degree by the feeling, that most of those who profess Christianity around them are infidels; while, at the same time, their convictions are repressed by the difficulties and painful struggles that are in the way of converts.”

Hamburg itself presents a difficult field for missionary labour. There are 9000 resident Jews, and a fluctuating class of travelling Jews from Poland, Bavaria, and even occasionally from Constantinople and Asia, who come here in the way of trade. The majority are Talmudists, but far from being devout; the New School Jews have an elegant synagogue, where they use an organ and German tunes to their hymns.

When Mr. Moritz first arrived, he sent a circular of intimation to the Jews, and immediately great crowds visited him. Many soon threatened to kill him; and the rabbis both of the Old and New School used all their influence, so that in a little while all Jews ceased to come to him. He next opened a school, and taught twentyfour poor Jewish children for several months; but the rabbis threatened to withdraw their proportion of alms, and so all were removed from him. At the time of our visit, Mr. M. preached every Tuesday in his own house to about seventy hearers; of whom, however, the most were Christians, with four or five Jews occasionally. He has found some fruit of his labours among them. Many of the foreign Jews who visit Hamburg, come to him for a tract or a Bible, when he opens to them the gospel, and often they come again. That very week ten such inquirers had been with him. The Jews have great influence over the Government, two-thirds of them being rich, and holding the greater part of the trade in their hands. They have a police of their own, who permit no foreign Jew to stay more than two days without their leave; if he is suspected of inquiring into Christianity, he is sent off immediately. Still Hamburg is a most important station, and we heartily thanked God when we found so warm-hearted a missionary there, "going forth weeping, bearing precious seed."

On our way to the old synagogue, we met Mr. Oncken,

NEW SCHOOL SYNAGOGUE.

517

newly arrived from a visit to Denmark, a kind, intelligent Christian, who went with us. The building was large, and well filled with careless-looking Jews, with nothing distinctive in their dress except the Tallith worn by some. They have little real devotion, and seem to cleave to the superstitions of the rabbis in outward form only.

We next visited the New School synagogue or temple, "a temple without a Shecinah," as Mr. Moritz well expressed it. The rabbi, Mr. Klee, dressed with a small Jew cap and Tallith, black cloak and bands, was in the pulpit, reciting a German hymn with much energy. He then gave a short preface, and read the text in the same way as the Lutheran ministers; and delivered with much elocution, a sermon on patience and submission to the will of God. He quoted a Christian author and several hymns, and even spoke of Christian patience. There were about 200 present, the ladies occupying the gallery and a side compartment. When the sermon was finished, and the blessing pronounced in the mode of the Lutherans, the preacher withdrew, and a German hymn was given out, the organ playing one of the fine national psalm tunes. Another rabbi then began the Hebrew prayer, but most withdrew during this service. The peculiarity of their prayer-book is, that they have erased all mention of Messiah. “Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? a land of darkness? wherefore say my people, We are lords; we will come no more unto thee?"* It is painfully interesting to remark, that though they borrow so many of the externals of the Lutherans, they have a most bitter hatred at Christianity. Like the father of young Hannibal, they administer an oath to their children at confirmation, to the effect that they will never become Christians. Mr. Moritz had frequently conversed with a young Jewess, who had deep convictions of the truth, but who always waved any decided expression of her views by saying, "Ich habe geschworen, Ich habe geschworen," "I have sworn, I have

sworn."

The same evening we walked out at the Hamburg gate, and along the Hamburg Bar, famous or rather infamous over all the world as a scene of deepest profligacy, where many a British sailor has been hurried on to ruin, and where the poor Jews are too often made to

* Jer. ii. 31.

518

HAMBURG-NEWS FROM HOME.

share in the sin of Christians. At the end of this walk we came to Altona, connected with Hamburg, yet in the province of Holstein, and belonging to Denmark, a fine town, containing 30,000 inhabitants, with a shady walk under linden-trees, and a beautiful view of the winding Elbe, and a tributary entering it. It contains 2600 Jews, and many of the shops were open, though it was their Sabbath.

It was this day that we first heard of the wonderful work of God that had lately taken place in Scotland. Mr. Rheder, who showed us much kindness, brought us a newspaper, containing brief references to the Revivals at Kilsyth and Dundee, thinking that we would be able to give him fuller details; but all our letters having been sent to Warsaw, we were in utter ignorance of what had occurred, God having reserved the good news till our wanderings were nearly done. The notices were of the briefest and most imperfect kind; and though Dundee was named, we did not know how nearly we were interested in the shower of blessing. We were however, filled with joy, by hearing that God had poured out his Spirit as in the days of old; and we felt it a special kindness to ourselves, that the glad tidings should meet us when we were almost in sight of our native land. It appeared also worthy of special notice and thanksgiving, that God had done this in the very year when the Church of Scotland had stretched out her hand to seek the welfare of Israel, and to speak peace to all their seed. And we felt that the same promises that had so often supported us in our trials, had been made good also to our Church at home-" Blessed is he that blesseth thee:" "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; they shall prosper that love thee."

Those only who have experienced what it is to have been long separated from a beloved flock, and in distant solitudes to pour out the heart to God in their behalf, can understand the feelings with which we now longed to visit our parishes again, and to know if they had shared in the grace that had dropped on the pastures of the wilderness.

(Nov. 3. Sabbath.) Mr. M'Cheyne preached in Mr. Rheder's chapel, on the words "They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony." It was the first time he had preached since laid aside

ARRIVAL IN SCOTLAND.

519

by that Providence which had led to our mission being proposed. We afterwards enjoyed the privilege of sitting down at the Lord's table with a small company of serious people, among whom were four converts of the house of Israel. Mr. Bonar addressed the communicants, and then preached in the afternoon on Jer. xxxi. 3-7, giving a sketch of what we had seen of God's ancient people. In the evening we had a pleasant meeting in the house of Mr. Moritz, who read the 102d Psalm, and sent us away with affectionate prayer.

A little after midnight we left Hamburg, and came to Shulau, where we embarked on board the Lonsdale steamer for London.

After a prosperous voyage we entered the Thames on the morning of the third day (Nov. 6), and the same afternoon arrived in London. After spending a few days there among the many kind friends who had been interested in our wanderings, we hastened to Scotland, and, "according to the good hand of our God upon us," arrived in peace.

We were welcomed home by the Committee of our Church who had commended us to the Lord when we went forth, and solemn thanksgiving was offered for our return, with earnest prayer for our two elder brethren whom we had expected to find arrived before us, but who were detained by dangerous illness abroad. A few days after, the Commission of the General Assembly received us in the same spirit of love, and requested to hear from our lips "concerning the Jews that had escaped, which were left of the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem;" and "we rehearsed all that God had done with us, and how he had opened the door of faith to his ancient people." Not less fervent was the welcome we received from the people of our respective parishes on the day we returned to them.

And now that we can look back on all the way that God led us, we are constrained to say, to the praise of the glory of his grace, that He has blessed this undertaking from the beginning to the end. Both in the towns and rural parishes of Scotland, a deep, and we trust, Scriptural interest has been excited in behalf of Israel; an interest which has penetrated to the very poorest of our people. While going from parish to parish to tell the things we have seen and heard, there is one gratification we have never missed-namely, the presence

520

RESOLUTION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

of the aged, patriarchal-looking men of our Scottish pea santry, (seated ofttimes on the pulpit-stairs,) that they might hear of "the seed of Abraham, God's friend,”— the nation for whose ingathering their godly sires used fervently to pray, as they dropt a tear over the narrative of their miseries.

It was a considerable time before Dr. Black and Dr. Keith were able to return. The former was detained some months at Vienna, and the latter till the following spring at Pesth in Hungary, by severe illness. Both, however, returned by the blessing of God with renovated health, bringing with them much interesting and useful intelligence regarding the countries they had visited.

Immediately on their arrival, a report was drawn up, and submitted to the General Assembly of 1840, when it was unanimously resolved, THAT THE CAUSE OF ISRAEL SHOULD FROM THAT TIME FORM ONE OF THE GREAT MIS

SIONARY SCHEMES OF OUR CHURCH. In July 1841, a similar resolution was passed by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland. So thus one grand result of this undertaking has been, that the venerable Church of Scotland, in days of darkness and perplexity, along with her revived and vigorous offspring in Ireland, has been led to acknowledge herself debtor both to the Jews and to the Greeks, and humbly to imitate the Apostolic Church of Jerusalem, by sending forth some of her sons to the heathen, and some to the circumcision.* True, when we turn our eyes on the millions of the blinded heathen, and the scattered bones of Israel that whiten the valley of vision, we feel that absolutely nothing has been done at all adequate to the awful need of a perishing world, and the weight of our responsibility. Yet a beginning has been made; the cry, "Come over and help us," is now distinctly heard in the remotest corners of our land. And all who take pleasure in tracing the steps of the Son of man, as he walks amidst his golden candlesticks, cannot but thank God that these two Churches have now come forth in their full Evangelistic character-preaching Christ and him crucified to their people at home, and stretching out their hands abroad, with the offer of the water of life to the distant Gentiles and the dispersed of Judah. "Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's sake."

* Gal. ii. 9.