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with a supply of books and tracts; with which he has not only been permitted to enter, but with liberty to circulate them in the province. But, again, there is the hazard that Jassy itself may be closed as a missionary station; for although the insurrection of the Boyars has been anticipated by the prince arresting their leaders, binding and beating them, and sending them to the Turkish fortresses, yet the Russian emperor has placarded Jassy with a declaration that regiments are stationed on the boundary, ready on the first movement to take possession of the city: and if this were to happen, it is expected that all foreigners might be ordered to withdraw. Both themselves, however, and their work, are in the hands of the Lord; and the name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe."

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CONSTANTINOPLE.

The progress of the missionary work under Mr Allan, amongst the German Jews at Constantinople, has all along been of a very quiet character; but Dr Duncan, who was there for a considerable time last summer, has borne the strongest testimony to its solidity, to the regularity of attendance on the means of grace, and the whole aspect and conversation of the Christian converts. More recently there has been a time of refreshing amongst the little flock; love that had waxed cold has been rekindled; pride and hardness of heart have been broken and melted like wax, at the presence of the Lord; and the disciples have been made to rejoice for the young of the flock, in the addition of another convert to their little company-a convert who is one of the simple whom the Word makes wise-reduced to helplessness in man and in himself -convinced that faith must be the sovereign gift of God-slain and left dead, till the Lord sent his Word with power and healed him— then wondering at God's free grace, and lost in admiration of the plan of redemption-tender in spirit, and continually jealous over himself to give all the glory to the Lord Jesus.

During the course of the year, the Rev. Mr Dennistoun, along with Mr Tomari, has gone to this station to labour amongst the Sephardim or Spanish Jews, to whom Mr Thomson had previously trans-ferred his sphere of work. These are much more numerous and influential than the German Jews; but possessing special privileges, and being under the government of their own Rabbis, are more difficult of access, more violent in their opposition to the gospel, and more powerful to crush its progress. The ban of the rabbi resting on them, has hitherto foiled all their efforts-which have been unceasing-to procure premises for a school, and they have been obliged for the present to abandon the attempt. Meanwhile, however, they are not only engaged in translating tracts, but are encouraged by tokens for good amongst inquirers. young man who has been under special instruction for more than a year, in the hope that he might prove useful as a teacher, has acquired a large amount of Christian knowledge, and now

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begins to give some evidence of saving grace; while others through his influence have been moved to inquiry. Two young men lately desired letters of introduction to the missionaries in another town, to which they were going for a time, and where they declared themselves ready to make public profession of Christianity, of the truth of which they were convinced, while at Constantinople they could not consent to sacrifice the rank and reputation which they possessed as Jews. The cautious interview had, however, become known, and the prudent inquirers were assaulted and beaten by their brethren, and were glad to escape with the loss of their coats, which were torn to shreds; the Lord, it may be, thus hedging in their way to lead them at last to himself.

But by far the most interesting and important case that has occurred, is that of Rabbi Jacob Hayim, a Jewish scribe, and a son of the late chief rabbi. Visiting the missionaries at first, like Nicodemus, by night, but afterwards more openly, he was soon called before the council-examined, threatened, and strictly charged to inquire no more after the name of Jesus-then summoned again for disobedience, and threatened with imprisonment-then apprehended, beaten, and cast into the Jewish prison; from which, however, he effected his escape by night, and unexpectedly finding open the city gate through which he had to pass, and succeeding in hiring a boatman to carry him across to the suburbs in which he lived, he hastily visited the missionaries, and then returned to his own house. Assaulted here by the Jews with threats of dragging him back to prison, he scared them from their purpose for the time by professing an intention of turning Mohammedan, but was afterwards more effectually protected by the prompt interposition of the British ambassador. The Jews thus baffled, delivered him over to the heathen, and he was summoned by a dignified Turkish accuser before a Turkish judge, with twelve Turkish and Jewish witnesses against him-charged with embezzling a valuable diamond snuff-box-found guilty-shut up in a narrow stone cell-standing bound with heavy weights with his feet fastened, and with iron spikes preventing him from stooping. Overcome by fear, he begged to be taken back to his judge, and, to escape the torture, offered to give up the precious trinket, which he had inherited from his father; and so obtained a temporary release. During all this time, however, he had not only expressed no sorrow for having falsely threatened to turn Mohammedan, but evinced no anxiety for the salvation of his soul-his simple object seeming to be the discovery of truth; thus affording a remarkable example of the length to which natural sincerity may carry a man without grace, and an example specially instructive for those who have made sacrifices for the sake of the gospel. From boyhood, he had exhibited an unusual inquisitiveness into religious truth-which had never altogether left him-and had led him some years ago to undertake two long and expensive journeys, occupying altogether nearly six months, for no other object than to obtain rest for his unsettled mind, by conversing in various places with the

learned men of his nation. He had now however in Christianity found the true religion; for this he had sacrificed ease, friends, home, and money; but further he seemed to have no desire, appeared much more in earnest about acquiring the English language than obtaining the salvation of his own soul, and was offended when his conversion was questioned, as if it were casting a doubt on his sincerity. Two months ago, however, the current of his thoughts was entirely changed-he became evidently and sometimes deeply distressed, showed a disposition to be alone instead of being always in the company of others, and was anxious to find the Redeemer for himself. Meanwhile his trials continued, his own son was made the instrument of slandering him, his wife was urged to demand a divorce, he was brought before the Turkish authorities a third time on a false accusation, and then his house was robbed both of property and of the little money he had left -which last and most successful attack gave new edge to his inquiry into the great concern of his soul's salvation, for he felt it sad to be thus losing all, and gaining nothing. In the midst of varied temptations, and notwithstanding several relaxings of desire, he became deeply solemnized and earnest, till at last these words, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate," seemed to be fastened as an arrow into his soul. The straitness of the gate into life became the one absorbing idea. "Truly the gate is strait! oh, the gate is strait," he said with intense feeling, "Strait! it is not strait -it is very, very strait! Oh, it must be very hard for God to forgive such a sinner as I am." When afterwards directed to the grace of God in such passages as, "Come, now, let us reason together; though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow; replied, "That is very broad-very broad;" and when asked what was the greatest of all sins, he answered immediately, "The sin of not believing in Jesus is the greatest of all sins." At length his sorrow was changed into joy, and his mourning into dancing. "Blessed be God!-blessed be God!” said he, “ I can have confidence now." During the three weeks that have elapsed since he appeared to have obtained that rest which is for the weary, and that ease which is for the heavy-laden, he has been subjected to fresh trials, but has borne Christ's yoke with much meekness, and continues to give hopeful evidence of spiritual life and growth-which, however, always requires perseverance to confirm it into certainty.

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The Rev. Mr Koenig having been ordained in this country, as a minister of the Free Church, and having since spent the winter in room of Mr Wingate at Pesth, has returned to his labours at Constantinople amongst the German Jews, who also now enjoy the benefit of a female teacher from Scotland. Mr Allan has come home for a few months, for his own and his family's health.

The shaking of the continental nations does not seem yet to have reached this utmost boundary of Europe, in the way of actual commotion; but already, notwithstanding its remoteness, and the intellectual degradation of its masses, the impulse of the movement is

felt-but hitherto apparently for evil rather than good. The Pope having got the credit of opening unbounded prospects of liberty in his dominions, there is a tendency amongst the Italian Jews to regard Popery with diminished abhorrence, and to frame excuses for its idolatry; there being, on the other hand, this doubtful advantage, that the dissipation of old prejudices may create a certain readiness to inquire into the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not indeed as truth, but as one of the systems that offer peace and happiness to men; which, however, the Lord by his Word and Spirit may turn into inquiry for salvation.

BERLIN.

This station enjoys the services of only a single missionary, the Rev. Mr Schwartz, and must be regarded as only partially occupied; the Committee having hitherto been unable to obtain any wellqualified Scottish missionary to labour along with him. It is a highly important position, and central amongst intelligent Jews, who have much influence in Germany, from their filling many situations that require literary men-as, for example, newspaper editors and reporters-many of whom are Jews; but it has now become an important question, whether the providential openings of access to the Jews in the very heart of Popish countries do not present a more hopeful sphere of missionary effort. During the past year, there have been many inquirers persevering for a longer or shorter time in seeking instruction; and of these seven have been baptized-all of them having given hopeful evidence, more or less distinct, of a saving change, and all of them gaining their livelihood by their own labours, and on the whole walking satisfactorily. The school is attended by fifty children of Jewish proselytes, some of whom have made great progress in the knowledge of the Gospel, while others are reading the Word of God to their parents every evening in their own houses. Mr Cerf is at Breslau, where he labours amongst his brethren with much perseverance, and not without success.

It ought, perhaps, to be noticed, that while the Lord has interested us in the Jews abroad, and while Christians in other lands have also been moved on their behalf, there are not wanting in our own country cheering tokens that the Lord is remembering the seed of Abraham amongst ourselves; several of the children of Israel having within the last year been received into the Christian Church by baptism.

SCHOOLS.

Besides those which are attached to missionary stations, there are, connected with the mission, schools at Posen and Bombay. The number of scholars in all the schools was stated at 700 last year, and is now probably not very different. The schools in Posen were last summer reported to the Committee, by an impartial visitor, as being in a state of great efficiency, and under the charge of ex

cellent teachers; but latterly the confusion of that country has been extreme, and they must be suffering, if not scattered.

The contributions for the year have amounted to £4,863: 10: 3d. -being £1,317:6: 5d. less than last year; and the expenditure has been £7,025: 1: 4d.-being £1,180: 10: 3d. more than last year; and the balance in favour of the Committee has been reduced from £3,109 19:4d. to £1,058 : 1 : 6d.

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In reviewing the year that is past, we cannot but conclude that the mission of the Free Church to the children of Israel has not merely gained ground in its various stations in the way of actual conversion to the truth as it is in Jesus, but that more than ever it has advanced to occupy a commanding position among the Jews, not only by the wide dissemination amongst them of a certain amount of Christian knowledge, but by the extremely important fact, that in all our principal stations the Lord has been graciously pleased to call out of darkness into his marvellous light men of character and note in the Jewish community-and so to call them through the heat of great excitement and opposition, as to evidence to all that there is a kingdom come into the midst of them, which aims at nothing short of the subjection of their whole nation; and that there is a King in that kingdom, who has power to subdue his fiercest enemies, and change them into his attached followers, and cheerfully suffering servants. In such providential circumstances there is special need of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on missionaries and on converts, that they may be witnesses for Christ, filled with grace and truth—with righteousness and love. But they are part of ourselves-not a portion merely of the Christian Church, but of our own section of that Church-branches of the vine which the Lord has planted in the midst of us-partakers of our joys and our sorrows-partakers also in our spiritual death or in our spiritual life-in our withering and our reviving-in our barrenness and our fruitfulness—in our prayerlessness, coldness, and selfish disunion, or in our spirit of supplication, love, and concord. As in the greater and lesser circles that compose the Church at home-the congregational, the ministerial, the ecclesiastical-there is a remarkable correspondence of feature throughout, characteristic of different states, varying one year from another, but more or less pervading the whole community; so also, this correspondence seems to include our missions or Churches abroad: and it is impossible to be brought into close contact with the working of such a spiritual instrumentality without being struck with the existence of a marked similarity in various features, both of good and evil, between ourselves and them. If, therefore, in the present interesting and eminently commanding and influential position of our mission, there is great need, and also on the whole great lack, of the free outpouring of the Spirit, there is a loud call for us to seek the spirit of grace and supplication for ourselves; that we being strengthened in the Lord, they likewise in

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