never before been attempted for circulation amongst tbe Jews — the translation of the New Testament into pure Biblical Hebrew. It is well known, that the Jews will not read the Christian Scriptures in the vernacular languages of the countries where they dwell ; but it was hoped that they would read it in the language which they venerate as sacred; (and in this hope, as I shall shew presently, the Society has not been disappointed :) and thus have they opened a channel of communication with them, whereby all the most intelligent amongst them are rendered com- paratively easy of access. Till this was effected, it was not to be wondered at that no great success attended the Society's labours ; but now they may hope to exert themselves with more effect. It is well known, that the long extant and widely-diffused trans- lation of the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek afforded great facilities for the spread of Christianity amongst the Gentiles ; and it may well be hoped, that the translation of our Greek Scriptures into the Hebrew tongue will subserve, in no small degree, the recep- tion of the Gospel amongst the Jewish nation. Add to this, the interest which many crowned heads in Europe have begun to take in the welfare of their Jewish subjects. It may be said, that this attention to them respects only their temporal advancement in the scale of society : still, it tends to remove that stumbling-block which has been so long laid in their way ; and to diminish the odium with which they have ever regarded (yea, and too justly regarded) the Chris- tian name. And if the generality of these monarchs have in view no higher object than that which is merely political, it is by no means so with one of them, at least ; who, by providing an asylum for those who shall be persecuted for embracing Christianity, has rendered a most essential service to the Christian cause. Is this, then, I would ask, to be called " night?"
But consider, also, the state of the Jews themselves. We have sent forth a few missionaries amongst them, (others are now in a course of preparatory studies, in a seminary recently established for them,) and they