to view Christianity, instead of being subdued, were rekindled. in full vigour; and my heart shrunk with aversion from that which my understanding was fully convinced was true. I will not dwell long on my state of mind at this period: those who have experienced it need not to be told its anguish; and to those who have not, the account would be unintelligible. "What man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man that is in him?" "The heart knoweth its own bitterness." One day I cast myself upon the ground and wept bitterly before the Lord, entreating him to give me peace. I besought him that he would give me to feel what Paul experienced when he said, "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Rom. v. 1.) Long did I continue my supplication; remembering that Elijah, when on Carmel, sent seven times before he received an answer to his prayer; but still no peace came. Suddenly these words of Jesus came into my mind; "Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name," (John xvi. 24.) I cannot describe the reluctance I felt to pray in the name of Jesus, and yet I saw how inconsistent was this reluctance, with the belief that he is the Saviour of the world. The struggle of that moment can never be forgotten. At length I was enabled to cry out: Lord, I believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Redeemer, and King of Israel, who was wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities; for his sake have mercy upon me, and give me peace." No sooner had I offered this prayer than my burden was removed; the peace of God that passeth all understanding entered into my soul; I felt that I was redeemed from destruction, that God loved me, that Christ had died for me, and washed me from all my sins in his own blood; that, guilty and sinful as I was by nature, I was now "justified freely by grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Rom. iii. 24.)

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The enjoyment of inward peace was soon followed by outward trial and affliction. I felt it right to inform my beloved relations of the change that had taken place in me. Those whose affections cling round their home, and who fondly remember the protectors of their early years, may conceive my feelings on receiving the reply to my communication, of which the following is an extract :

"Thou wicked one, may thy name be blotted out; thou hast united thyself with the assembly of the wicked. Thy father

and grandfather, with all thy relations, will go together to the grave of thy sainted mother, and announce to her the sad tidings. Cursed be the day wherein thou, wicked one, seed of the serpent, wast born! Woe is me, for the Lord has afflicted me. Thy name shall henceforth be blotted out, and no more named by us; and may the hottest judgments of the Almighty fall upon thee, because thou hast forsaken the God of Israel, and joined thyself to idols."

This was indeed bitter, but it was part of the promised inheritance: "In the world ye shall have tribulation." I could, from my heart, bless them who thus cursed me, and pray for them who thus despitefully used me.

Many years have elapsed since the change took place, of which I have thus endeavoured to give an account; and during all the time I can testify that "goodness and mercy have followed me." The truth that at first brought peace, has, day by day, become more precious to me. Like my brother Paul, I can say: "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ; for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Rom. i. 16.)

R. H. H.

HELL AND PURGATORY.

(Continued from page 306.)

אר אלעזר תח אין אור

WHILE, on the one hand, as we have shown in the preceding number, there is no eternal condemnation for a Jew in hell, it would appear on the other, that there are those, in the opinion of the Rabbies, who are altogether exempt from hell. Thus in Talmud tract Chagiga, fol. 27, col. 1. manohama q.d., "Rabbi Eliezer has said, that hell-fire has no power over the students of the law." But were this the true meaning of the passage, namely, that the students of the law do not at all go to hell, another passage might be produced which deprives this of all force. For the Talmud tract Eruvin, fol. 19, col. 3, teaches, DT INTO DO

q.d., “Rishlakish has said, hell-fire has no power over the sinners from among Israel." There would then be no need of the notice that the students of the law are free from the punishment of hell, if this is the case of even the wicked. We must therefore understand both these passages as speaking of the effect of hell fire, which, though its ful'

power is felt by the idolaters, is not so much felt by the Israelitish sinner, and much less by the student of the law.

This qualification of the two passages is fully confirmed by the Bereth Menutha, fol. 18, col. 2, which states the reason why it is more tolerable in hell for Jewish, than Gentile

-d., * be. טפני שנפשות ישראל באים ממקום קדוש וכו',sinners, and says

cause the souls of the Israelites come from a holy place [viz. a part of the divine nature] therefore the punishment of the Israelites in hell is not so severe as that of the Gentiles."

While we, however, try to reconcile these passages, we must own also, that the opinions of the Jews are very conflicting, as to the perpetuity of either Jew or Gentile in hell. A passage, however, in the book Asarah Maamaroth, fol. 35, col. 1, is very conclusive, as it speaks of a future period, when there will be no hell, and consequently no one will suffer. The words are:

d., "There will be no hell in the world. אין גיהנם לעתיד לבא וכו'

to come, [viz. at the time of the restitution of all things.] This is to be understood of the fire [of hell] which was created on the second, and its hollow space which was created before the world shall become sanctified."

An interesting passage, according to which we find Israelites consigned to the same state of punishment with the Gentiles, is found in the Torath Adam, fol. 97, cols. 1, 2, 3. "In the first mansion of hell are fiery lions, who devour its inmates. There is also an angel, of the name Kushiel there, with a fiery whip, beating the ungodly, who are then burned in the fire. In this mansion are ten of the seventy nations,* among whom Absalom is found. In the second mansion are another ten of these nations, and the angel Lahatiel beats and torments the wicked, among whom is Doeg the scoffer. In the third mansion, where another ten of the nations of the world are found, is the angel Shafiel, the tormentor of the wicked, among whom is Korah and his company. In the fourth mansion, the abode of another ten nations, and among whom is Jeroboam, the angel Manathiel is the tormentor. In the fifth mansion, the angel Chutrice torments the wicked, and Ahab is among them. In the sixth mansion, the angel Pusiel judges the wicked, among whom is Micha. In the seventh mansion, the angel Patriel torments the wicked, and among them Elisha the son of Abuia [!]." The seven Israelitish individuals, how

*The ancient Jews regarded the Gentile world to consist of seventy nations, and as many languages.

ever, mentioned above, have been delivered from hell, as our author continues to tell us, from various causes, and chiefly because they were descended from those who said at Mount Sinai: “All that the Lord has said, we will do and obey."

(To be continued.)

REVIEWS.

Jewish Witnesses that Jesus is the Christ.

B. D.

Edited by Ridley

Aylott and Jones.

The son of Jesse tuned

H. Herschell. 12mo. pp. 240. MANY Jews have testified to Christ. his sweetest song in praise of his Messiah: " My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer." Isaiah's sublimest strains celebrated the approaching advent of the Babe of Bethlehem, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Even the weeping prophet, amidst the gloomiest forebodings of Divine wrath, struck from his harp some note of gladness, when inspired to sing, “Behold the days come that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and prosper. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness."

And when the fulness of time was come, and God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, a Jewish voice was heard in the desert of Hebron, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make his paths straight." The Saviour of the world came and fulfilled his mission. He was cut off, but not for himself. He brought in everlasting righteousness, and ascended to inherit his glory. Jewish messengers were sent forth to carry the tidings of his love. Not in Palestine alone; at Rome, at Athens, along the shores of the Mediterranean, in Macedonia, Asia Minor, Scythia, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Persia, even to the banks of the Indus, their voice was heard, and the burden of their cry was, Jesus, the Son of God, is the Saviour of men.

Centuries have passed, and the unrighteousness of man has been silently suffered to vindicate the righteousness of God. The word of ancient prophecy has found an accurate fulfilment in the sufferings of the Hebrew nation on account of their sin. The first preachers of the Gospel found readier access amongst the heathen than among their unbelieving

countrymen. The proud descendants of Abraham, the heirs of the covenant, disdained to accept a suffering Messiah, and to participate, on a common footing with Gentiles, in the blessings of his kingdom. When “the middle wall of partition" was taken away, the wall of inveterate bigotry and hatred took its place. Long have the tribes of Israel wandered over the earth, bearing their iniquity, and fortifying themselves in their opposition to that Messiah, for whose appearing their fathers waited. In the preaching of the Gospel to a fallen world, the Jewish voice has become mute. In the strain of praise which has ascended to the Saviour from his worshipping church, the music, sweet and clear, that once charmed the waters of the rill of Siloam, has slept in silence.

A

Yet here and there the voice of the Jew is heard, exclaiming, "We have found the Christ." And it shall be heard. blessing is in that race, therefore the Lord has said, "Destroy it not." It shall furnish many witnesses for Christ yet. For the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many people as a dew from the Lord, as the showers upon the grass, that tarrieth not for man, nor waiteth for the sons of men."

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This train of thought has been induced by the perusal of the interesting volume whose title forms the heading of our present article. It is the history of ten Jewish witnesses that Jesus is the Christ-all but two of them personal friends of the editor. We believe that it will have a wide circulation, and that it will answer an important end. It will convince the unbeliever that Christianity does not rest, for its sole defence, on educational prejudices, or unquestioning acquiescence in a ready-formed system. It will admonish those who are careless in their inquiries after truth, of the tremendous responsibility resting upon them, as immortal beings, to seek to know the will of God. And it will convince some Christian men and women, who-we are ashamed to own itneed such conviction, that a Jew can receive and hold the truth of Christ, with a firmness that defies persecution, and a sincerity that encounters the loss of all things that are most dear on earth. To every one it will present heart-stirring examples of piety and self-denial. Especially amongst Jews themselves, the circulation of this little volume is likely to be attended with the happiest results. It is written by Jews; it addresses itself to the Jewish mind. It lays bare the secret misgivings of the Jew, as he vainly seeks to quiet his con