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the Great Creator of heaven and earth. (Ifa. Ix. Ixi. lxii. lxiii. lxiv. lxv. lxvi.)

Though they were mistaken in thinking that this fudden change in their favour would immediately take place on the appearance of Meffiah among them, yet they were not mistaken in the expectation of his appearance among them at that time, Dan. ix. 26. and when the 5000 were miraculoufly fed with five barley loaves and two fmall fishes, the conclufion that they formed was juft: "This is of a truth that "prophet which fhould come into the world." They therefore wifhed to "take him by force, to make him "a king;" but he avoided their rafh intemperance by departing into a mountain "himself alone," John vi. 14, 15. Expecting, as they did, that great temporal profperity was at their very door, what was to be expected when they found these their expectations most grievously disappointed? When he, whom they fondly imagined was about to restore again the kingdom unto Ifrael, Acts i. 6. informed them that great calamities were coming upon their nation, even in that generation?

Was it to be expected that they would coolly and calmly fet down to the examination of their fond expectations, which were dearer to them than the blood that warmed their zealous hearts; or was it to be expected that they would draw the conclufion that this is not the Meffiah whom they expected? They drew the latter inference, and acted accordingly. They acted under a miftake, as we have the authority of

St.

St. Peter for afferting, and thereby afforded an evidence of the foreknowledge of the Almighty God, whom they worshipped, and whom their defcendants do worship at this day :-"And now, brethren, I "wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did alfo દુદ your rulers. But thofe things, which God before "had fhewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that "Chrift fhould fuffer, he hath so fulfilled." Acts iii. 17, 18.

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Sincerely then, in the integrity of his zealous foul, did Saul of Tarfus think he was doing God fervice, John xvi. 2. when "he perfecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prifons both ❝ men and women." Acts xxii. 4. May we not also prefume, that many were his prayers to God to blefs him in what he thought to be the righteous cause in which he was engaged, and in which he laboured with fuch indefatigable zeal? The Almighty hears the prayers that are prefented to him in fincerity of heart, and answers them too with a bleffing; but frequently the bleffing is of a very different nature to that which was expected at the time the prayers were made. He who had fo fincerely exerted himself to stem the tide of what he thought to be a dangerous and infufferable herefy, (Acts xxiv. 14.) was arrefted in his progrefs; for as he came near unto Damafcus, " fuddenly there "fhined round about him a light from heaven: and "he fell to the earth, and heard a voice faying unto

him, SAUL, SAUL, WHY PERSECUTEST THOU "ME? And he faid, Who art thou, Lord? And the "Lord faid, I am Jefus whom thou perfecuteft: it is

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And the men which fpeechlefs, hearing a And Saul arose from

"hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he "trembling and aftonished faid, Lord, what wilt thou "have me to do? And the Lord faid unto him, "Arife, and go into the city, and it fhall be told "thee what thou must do. "journeyed with him ftood "voice, but feeing no man. "the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he faw "no man: but they led him by the hand, and "brought him into Damafcus. And he was three "days without fight, and neither did eat nor drink. "And there was a certain difciple at Damafcus, "named Ananias; and to him faid the Lord in a "vifion, Ananias. And he faid, Behold, I am "here, Lord. And the Lord faid unto him, Arife, ❝and go into the street which is called Straight, and "inquire in the house of Judas for one called "Saul of Tarfus: for, behold, he prayeth, and hath "feen in a vifion a man named Ananias coming in, "and putting his hand on him, that he might receive "his fight. Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have "heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath "done to thy faints at Jerufalem: and here he hath "authority from the chief priests to bind all that call "on thy name. But the Lord faid unto him, Go "thy way: for he is a chofen veffel unto me, to bear

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my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the "children of Ifrael: for I will fhew him how great "things he muft fuffer for my name's fake. And "Ananias went his way, and entered into the house;

and putting his hands on him, faid, Brother Saul,

"the

"the Lord, even Jefus, that appeared unto thee in "the way as thou cameft, hath fent me, that thou "mightest receive thy fight, and be filled with the "Holy Ghoft. And immediately there fell from his

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And

eyes as it had been scales: and he received fight forthwith, and arofe, and was baptized. "when he had received meat, he was ftrengthened." Acts ix. 3-19.

Many, very many, have been the prayers of the Miffionary Society, and I have no doubt of the London Society alfo, (their fucceffors) in this matter, uttered, I firmly believe, in great fincerity of heart; and these prayers, it may be, will receive an answer: but it may also be, that the bleffing bestowed in answer to these prayers fhall not be found to be exactly the fame as they expected when they uttered these prayers, for the converfion and profperity of Ifrael.

It may be GIVEN to them to fee that they have been pursuing their object by MEANS calculated to defeat the very end they have had in view. It may be GIVEN to them to fee that they have left undone thofe things that they ought to have done, and done those things that they ought not to have done; and that there has been no found discretion exercised by them in their proceedings towards the Jewish nation; and if this is given to them, I think it will be a great BLESSING. And, finally, it may be GIVEN to them to seek the prosperity of the Jewish nation by MEANS different from thofe employed by them hitherto; and

if

if this is given to them, I think it will be a very

GREAT BLESSING INDEED.

In pursuing the MEANS which appear to me calculated to put you in the way to obtain thefe BLESSINGS, as a Chriftian, let me entreat you to reconfider the following paffage in your letter, addreffed to the English Ifraelite; I extract it from pages 35 and 36: "I fuppofe too, that in your eftimation the "efforts of the Society for the Propagation of Chrif"tian Knowledge in Foreign Parts, and of the "British and Foreign Bible Society, the former of "which is exclufively carried on by the established "church, and the latter by the established church and "diffenters in Chriftian union, are alike to be "afcribed to fanaticifm, enthufiafm, &c. You, no "doubt, generous liberal man! think it a pity that "the poor Hottentots, Hindoos, and heathen idola"ters of every defcription, who worship ftocks and "ftones, fhould be debauched into the mild spirit of

the gofpel fcripture, and become apoftates from "the faith of their fathers, and traitors to the religion "of their country."

My dear fir, what right have you thus to judge? Is this written in the fpirit of him who was meek and lowly in heart? (Matt. xi. 29.) Is this written in the fpirit of him who faid, "Judge not, and ye fhall not "be judged: condemn not, and ye fhall not be con"demned ?" Luke vi. 37. Can your eye penetrate into the heart of man? Is it right to put words

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into his mouth which he never expreffed, or to fup

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