and what efforts are making by Christian missionaries for the conversion of the Jews ! and I must say, that this is a call from God to us, and that it is no less our privilege, than it is our duty, to obey it.]
2. The stir which prevails amongst the Jews them- selves—
[This also obtains to a degree unprecedented since the early ages of Christianity. " Verily, there is a stir amongst the dry bones throughout the whole valley of vision k." Great numbers of Jews, upon the continent especially, and to a cer- tain extent at home also, begin to think that Christianity may be true ; and that that Jesus, whom their fathers crucified, may be the Messiah : and, if they did but know how, in the event of their embracing Christianity, they might support themselves and their families, great multitudes, I doubt not, would prose- cute their inquiries, till they had attained the true knowledge of their Messiah and of his salvation. Let me then ask, Whence is this ? Is not this the work of God ? And is it not an encou- ragement to us to exert ourselves for their entire conversion ? Methinks " they are saying to us, Come over to Macedonia, and help us ; " and we ought, one and all of us, according to our ability, to obey the call.]
3. The earnests which God has given us in the actual conversion of some to the faith of Christ —
[If we cannot speak of Pentecostal days, we can declare, that God has accompanied his word with power to the hearts of some; and that " one of a city and two of a tribe" have already, as God has given us reason to expect1, been brought to the saving knowledge of their Messiah. Of those who have embraced " the truth as it is in Jesus," some have attained to a real eminence in the divine life, and are at this moment not inferior to the most exalted characters in the Christian world. This shews that God is about to rebuild his temple : and surely it does not become us " to dwell in our ceiled houses" at ease™, when he is so plainly calling upon us to co-operate with him : we should rather " strengthen the hands of those who are labouring in this good work," and, like Cyrus, afford every possible facility for the accomplishment of this vast and glorious undertaking11. We should endeavour to improve "this acceptable time0;" removing to the utmost of our power all obstacles to their conversion0; and labouring, if by any means we may be God's honoured instruments, to bring them home to him, and to present them as " an offering in a clean vessel to the Lordq."]
k Ezek. xxxvii. 7, 8. l Isai. xvii. 6. m Hagg. i. 4. n Ezra i. 5, 6, 7. 0 Isai. xlix. 8. p Isai. lxii. 10. 1 1sai. lxvi. 19, 20.
214.1 BENEVOLENCE TOWARDS GOD's ANCIENT PEOPLE. 395
4. The general voice of prophecy —
[Prophecy begins to be better understood amongst us : and it is the united conviction of all who have studied the prophecies, that the time for the restoration and conversion of the Jews is nigh at hand. The twelve hundred and sixty years spoken of by Daniel, as the period fixed in the divine counsels for the establishment of the Redeemer's kingdom among them, are, on any computation, nearly expired. Ought we not then, like Daniel, to put forth our prayers to God for the consummation of this great event, and by all possible means to help it forward?
I think, that, putting all these circumstances together — the concern of Christians, the stir among the Jews, the real con- verts from among them, and the unquestionable ground which is given us in prophecy to expect their speedy conversion— we may regard it all as a call from God, scarcely less power- ful than that given to the Moabites and Ammonites of old, to " come to the help of the Lord," and to labour with all our might for their salvation. In truth, if we do not act thus, we can expect nothing but " the curse of Godr," and the most lasting tokens of his displeasure.]