know the truth of all this, by many indubitable evidences, and by this, to your own minds, the most convincing of any-your own experience.

The Holy Spirit whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, ye know, for he is with you, and abideth in you. You know how needful his communion is to sinful men, whether Jews or Gentiles: for once, ye were carnal, not having the Spirit. Then ye know ye did not, ye could not see the kingdom of God, ye did not receive the things of the Spirit of God, neither could ye know them, but they were foolishness unto you, because they are spiritually discerned. You are aware, that besides the natural depravity of fallen nature, there are, in the case of the Jews, peculiar superadded circumstances, flowing, indeed, from this the source of all human evil, yet adding immensely to the danger and difficulty in respect of them. Human power is in itself, you are aware, utterly vain, but you are aware also, that the promise of God who cannot lie, is pledged for Israel's conversion. Isa. xxxii. 13: "Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers-until the Spirit be poured upon them from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest. Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field."

We earnestly recommend to your attentive perusal, the third chapter of second Corinthians, especially from the twelfth verse. "Seeing, then, that we have this hope, (viz. that the Spirit of God doth and ever will accompany our doctrine with his demonstration and power, commending it to the consciences and writing it on the hearts of men,) we use great plainness (or liberty-boldness) of speech; and not as Moses, who put a veil over his face, that the chil

* As Moses was the mediator (Gal. iii. 19,) of the Sinai covenant, the veil on his face seems to be of twofold significance. 1. As Moses was the representative of God to the people, the veil seems to indicate the real light, and yet comparative darkness, of that dispensation, as containing truly, yet only in a veiled, that is, a symbolical or typical

dren of Israel could not look steadfastly to the end of that which is abolished (viz., the legal dispensation, verse 7, the end of which is Christ, Rom. x. 4); but their minds were blinded; for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament (hiding from them the glory of the Lord, which shines even in it); which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart.* Nevertheless,

form, the everlasting Gospel-in this respect," the veil is done away in Christ." 2. As Moses was the representative of the people, the veil on his face appears to represent the blindness of their heart, (See Deut. xxix. 4.) "Which veil remaineth untaken away even unto this day." "Moses speaking to the Jews had the veil, but going in to God he took off the veil. Moses, therefore, was a type of them." -Ecumenius.

* How miserable, yet how deeply interesting the situation of Israel after the flesh! and how deeply mysterious the procedure of God's adorable providence towards them! The Spirit of the Lord preserveth among them the holy books of the law and the prophets, and thus maintaineth even in the synagogue a constant, though ever resisted testimony for Christ! They are perpetually conversant with what is spiritual, (for the law is spiritual,) though only after a carnal manner. Wonders (glorious things) are still before their eyes, but their eyes are not opened to behold them. The Spirit is present by the 'word, a loud reprover, but unheard, for his saving influences are for a period judicially removed. Christ is present by the word, for the whole Old Testament is full of him-all day long stretching forth his hands to a disobedient and gainsaying people, Rom. x. 23. For behold God hath laid in Zion a stumbling-block, and rock of offence; and whosoever believeth in him shall not be ashamed. Rom. ix. 33. What a lesson does this afford to us, how inefficient the best means and noblest privileges are to benefit a people, unless the gracious presence and inward operation of the Holy Spirit accompany them! What a warning that we do nothing to grieve and provoke that good Spirit, especially by refusing to behold the glory of the Lord Christ! And as regards the Jews themselves, how astonishingly has a system of means, fitted and destined to prepare them for the ultimate reception of the kingdom of God, been, during all the fierce anger of the Lord, kept up among them! How wide in one respect, and yet in another, how small is the separation between the church and the synagogue! Let but the veil which is between the face of Moses, and the heart of Israel, and which has been removed from Moses' face in Christ, be removed also from their heart, and the synagogue immediately becomes the church for if they believe Moses, they will believe Christ. But remove this veil no creature can: it is the work of God's Spirit solely and entirely. It is ours to speak to them the truth in love, if peradventure God may give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth: to commend Christianity by our

when it shall turn to the Lord, (that is, as I judge, to ADONAI, the one living and true God, the blessed Trinity, but especially the Holy Spirit, whose dealing with the heart is most immediate,) the veil shall be taken away. Now the Lord (unto whom their heart shall turn) is that Spirit* (of whose administration we have been throughout the chapter speaking); and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all (who are enlightened by the Spirit) with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord, (rather-by the Lord the Spirit.)

Having therefore these promises, be persuaded, dear brethren, be stirred up to pray for the outpouring of the Spirit on the house of Israel. Whatever means God has appointed, let these be vigorously, efficiently employed. But let us ever remember, that mighty as these may be, as they assuredly shall be, through the power of the Spirit of God, they are, in and of themselves, absolutely nothing. The excellency of the power is entirely of God, and in reference to this sublime truth, there is nothing left us that we can do, but to pray. Societies may be formed, churches as such may enter into the field, sermons may be preached, inquiries may be made, information obtained, plans organized, funds profusely furnished, missionaries instructed and sent forth, institutions formed, bibles and tracts distributed with the most abundant liberality, and discussions upon discussions held interminably, but all in vain without the Spirit. God will not give his glory to another. The residue lives, adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things; and above all, to pour out to God continually our heart's desire and prayer, that, by pouring out his Spirit upon them, he would lift up from their hearts the veil, which hides the Law and Gospel 'equally from their view.

*Those who, by the Lord, in verse 16, understand our Lord Jesus Christ, paraphrase this verse thus: "The author of this virtue of the Holy Ghost, which displays itself in the Gospel, (verse 8,) is the Son of God himself, who also produceth in us that holy boldness of preaching the truth," &c.-Diodati. Either way, the conclusion for our present purpose is much the same.

of the Spirit is with Him, and it will be bestowed in answer to believing, earnest, importunate, persevering prayer. Oh then pray-pray without ceasing, that the salvation of Israel may come out of Zion.

If I thought you could need any further stimulus, I would call on you to remember the days of old, when Israel was holiness to the Lord, the first fruits of his increase, at the time when God left all nations, our own fathers among them, to walk in the way of their own hearts. How bright was then the beauty over whose departure for a time-for a long timebut only for a time, we mourn! He showed not such favour to any nation, for they had not known his judgments. Think on all the exalted privileges conferred on them by him who had mercy on them—the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, Think that theirs are the fathers; and greatest of all, that of them, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all blessed for ever. Think of our obligations to them. When we were poor aliens they thought of us, they prayed for us: "We have a little, sister, and she hath no breasts; what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?" Cant, iii. 8. "God be merciful unto us, and bless us; may he cause his face to shine upon us, Selah., That thy way may be known upon the earth, thy salvation among all (heathen) nations. Let peoples praise thee, O God, let peoples, praise thee all of them. Let communities rejoice and sing glad songs: for thou shalt peoples judge with equity, and communities. on earth, thou shalt conduct them, Selah." Psal. lxvii. 1-5. Into their olive tree we have been ingrafted, and partake of the root and fatness: on the skirts of a Jew we hang for life everlasting. Salvation is of the Jews. Think of the benefit still in prospect for ourselves, to whom the receiving of them shall be as life from the dead. And think, above all, on the pleasure of the Lord prospering in Messiah's hand. Oh! what shall be the delight with which her Maker, her husband, shall receive back again his adulterous, his

penitent spouse: when he who is a father to Israel shall welcome home his wandering sons, who were dead and are alive again, who were lost and are found! He will rejoice over Jerusalem with singing; he will rest in his love. And never shall they stray from their home. "He will not turn away from them to do them good; and will put his fear in them, that they shall not depart from him." Jer. xxxii. 40.

"Return, O Lord, return to the ten thousands of Israel." "Hear me, O Adonai, hear me, that this people may know that thou art Adonai God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again."