The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-10-23 00:00:00

ANNIVERSARY MEETING OF THE
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY
AMONGST THE JEWS.

The usual anniversary meeting for promoting the
spread of Christianity amongst the Jews was held last
night in the lecture-room of the Collegiate Institution.
The room was deusely crowded by a highly-respectable
and attentive auditory. Amongst those on the platform
we observed the following :—The Lord Bishop of Chester,
the Most Noble the Marquis of Blandford. the Revs. J.
Jones, W. Rawson, Dr. M•Neile, E. Bickersteth, J.
Bickersteth, R. Davies, T. Nolan, W. W. Embank, F.
Parry, F. Barker, J. Cordeaux, Dr. Hume, H. Jones,
D. D. Stewart, Hughes, J. J. Reynolds, A. M'Conkey,
Cowan, H. Hampton, W. Pollock, J. W. Warr, W.
H. Wright, F. Power, H. Martin, F. Ould, Knox, S.
Minton, Anderson, D. Barry, S. P. Boutflower, W.
H. Vernon, A. B. Marshall, J. Bavlee, D. Hirsch, Evan
Jones, Ryan, J. Martin, S. Fenton, C. H. Purdon,
Josiah Lowe, R. Cavell, H. W. Beckwith, IL Falkner, J.
Jump, J. Crump, Richard Owen ; Dr. Macgowan, physi-
cian to the Mission Hospital at Jerusalem ; Messrs. D.
Hodgson, W. Jones, R. Bickersteth„ E. Batty, J. Camp-
bell, J. Buck Lloyd, W. J. Tomlinson, J. Eden, H. J.
Webster. J. R. Reunthwaite, J. Grantham, E. Falloon,
Withers, Paton, Dr. Nevins, W. Wright, and
Govett.
The Right Reverend the Lord Bishop of Chester pre-
sided. In opening the proceedings, his LORDSHIP ob-
served :—T am sure it will be your wish, my christian
friends, that we shall commence our proceedings this
evening, as has been the custom upon all former occa.
sion. by first invoking and inviting the blessing of Al-
mighty God upon our efforts in this rood work.
The meeting was then opened with suitable devotiona 1
exercises ; after which,
The Right Rev, PRELATE rose and said :—My Chris-
tian friends, the purpose for which we have met this even-
ing, is in order to testify the interest which we take in the
Society for promoting Christianity amongst the Jews.
The history of this people is unparallellecl amongst the
nations of the world. We now see them in this our day,
in their fallen state of ejection from God's grace, and spi-
ritual degradation. But how different is their present
from their ancient condition, when they were God's
chosen people, when in the early ages tile patriarchs were
honoured with the special revelation of his will ; when
they were honoured with the privileges of His covenant ;
and when in the course of time He led, through
the mission of Moses, His chosen people from
the land of Egypt, leading them safely through
that trial by the power of His protecting hand : or
when, at a still later period, we find that David's reign
was one of victory, and, still further on, we find that
Solomon's was one continued reign of prosperity, or, as
time rolled on, when that long line of prophets was
raised up, in succession, to prepare the nation for the
advent of the Messiah ; but from this state, alas, they
have fallen, by their own blindness and perversity in
rejecting the Messiah When, in the fulness of time, he
came amongst them. "He came unto his own and his
own received him not." For this they were cast off and
rejected ; their city burned and desolated ; their temple
laid in ruins; themselves scattered over the earth, dispersed
amongst all nations, although merged in none,—blending
with none, bet still preserving their national character
and identity, thus unconsciously and unintentionally
hearing the strongest testimony to the full truth of the.
Gospel of the Saviour. But another change in their
destiny awaits them. As their past history once was full
of glory so their future prospects are radiant and bright
with hope, for the Saviour assures us that the time will
come when both the fallen Gentiles and the people of
Israel shall be added to the Kingdom of God, and when
all who trust in Itis name shall become partakers of His
blessings. Whether that glorious consummation be far
distant or near at hand it is as certain as God's Word,
which never fails. (Hear, hear.) We are assembled
here this evening in the hope that by a demonstration of
our zeal, and by the exercise of a little Christian liberality
we may be made the bumble instruments in God's hand
of ,ccomplishing the great and good work which we are
met this night to advance. (Applause.) There are
around me several gentlemen who have kindly undertaken
to address you on this subject, and who will be called
upon in the regular order for that purpose. I am sure
that they will all receive from you that cordial welcome
which is due to such Icing tried friends of every good,
noble, and sacred object which can animate the
Christian mind. (Applause.) There is on this occasion
some explanation to be offered to you upon the change
which has taken place in the making out of the annual report
of the affairs of this branch of the society. The secretary
will give you whatever explanation on this subject will
be necessary, as I do not feel myself able to do. After
that has been done, I will call upon those respected,
talented, and Christian friends who are to address the
meeting, to do so. His lordship then resumed his seat
, amid loud applause.
The Rev. T. NOLAN then explained that the absence
of a report on the present occasion was owing to the fact
that their report had been made out in April last, and for-
warded to the Parent Society in April last, so that it
might be presented to the usual annual meeting of the
Parent Society. (Hear, hear.)
The Marquis of BLANDFORD (eldest son of the Duke
of Marlborough) was then introduced to the meeting.
He said that having been requested by their secretary to
offer a few words on the subject of their present meeting,
as being joined heart and hand with the operations of the
parent society in London, it gave him great and unfeigned
pleasure to accede to the request. It afforded him a
happy opportunity of giving his testimony in favour of the
great zeal which had always been displayed in the cause of
Christianity by this Society. (Applause.) He believed
that this was one of the most useful of all the Christianiz-
ing missionary institutions in England. They must never
forget that it was the great command of Christ to the
apostles to go and preach the gospel to all nations, be-
ginning at Jerusalem. He believed that they shauld ask
the Jews first to become servants of that Messiah whom
they had previously neglected ; and if they heeded not the
call, it was their duty to preach the word to the Gentiles.
Was it not true that the Jews were the ancient people of
God, and that in ancient times they were the channel
which He made use of in communicating His Divine
commands. But, although they were cast off for their
unbelief in Christ, yet it was their duty to endeavour to
bring them back to the truths which they had before
rejected. (Hear, hear, and loud applause.) lie
could not but look upon the state of the Jewish
nation as a barometer of political events. When I read
in Scripture that God divided the nations of the earth,
He set bounds to each of their people, Ho did so accord-
ing to the twelve tribes of Israel. (Hear, hear.) It was
their duty to look forward to and hope for the time when
He would restore them again to their ancient glory and
their ancient privileges. (Hear, hear.) He was glad of
this opportunity of addressing them, and of bearing his
testimony to the good effects of their zealous co-opera-
tion with the Parent Society. (Cheers.)
The Rev. Dr. M`Netas then rose, and was received
with many expressions of approval by the meeting.
He spoke as follows :—My Lard,—ln rising to
comply with the request of the committee and take
part in the proceedings of this meeting, I feel
afresh and strongly, what I have often felt before,
that it is necessary to distinguish between the
immediate object which our Jews' Society has in view,
and what may be called the Jewish subject as set forth in
the Word of God. The object of our society is simply
missionary. It is to promote Christianity amongst the
Jews, by means suitable to the circumstances and state
of mind in which Jews are found : just as our missionary
societies have for their object to promote Christianity
amongst the 'Heathen by suitable means. But the Jewish
subject, as it is presented to us in Holy Scripture, is very
comprehensive ; and cordial co• operation in a Jewish
mission may be, as in point of fact it has been, greatly
increased and stimulated, by the scriptural instruction and
animating interest derived from other features of the Jew-
ish subject. Your lordship is well aware of the effect
produced upon the human mind by amplification, and how
popular and practical the discursive faculty is. How fre-
quently and gladly have we witnessed the kindling interest
in missions to the Heathen produced by amplifications
from Hindoo Shasters or Braminical traditions ; and how
much more may we expect an interest of even a more
sacred character to be awakened in a Jewish mission by
amplifications from the Books of Moses and the Prophets.
The Jewish subject, in its Catholicity, may, I think, be
both clearly and adequately divided into four branches :
It is a ippical subject, an historical subject, a missionary
subject, and a prophetical subject. With your lordship's
permission, I will offer a few remarks upon each of these.
It is a typical subject. Jesus said to the Jews around
him, " If ye believed Moses ye would have believed me,
for he wrote of tne." It is undeniable from this that
Moses wrote of Christ; but it is equally undeniable, from
an examination of his writings, that he no where wrote of
Christ by name. It follows, therefore, that he must have
written of him under some other name or names. He
did so. He wrote of the Paschal Lamb, and St: Paul
wrote " Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." He
wrote of the first fruits of the Jewish harvest, and St.
Paul wrote, " Christ is risen from the dead and become
the first fruits of them that slept." He wrote of the
rock which followed Israel in the wilderness, and St. Paul
wrote, " That rock was Christ." These are samples of
the typical character of ancient Judaism in every part.
It was all constructed after a pattern which was exhibited
to Moses in the mount. His especial attention was called
to this, and " look" said God to him, " that thou make
all after the pattern which I show thee." The great ori-
ginal was in the divine mind, the eternal purpose of
redeeming mercy which Jehovah purposed in His coequal
son, to his own glory. This embraced the Gospel, and
the pattern after which Moses was commanded to construct
the tabernacle in all its parts, and conduct its services in
all their details, was a significant model. The light, the
bread, the golden altar, the vial, the mercy seat, the High
Priest going in and coming out again, the slain goat and
the scope goat, the bird killed, and the living bird dipped
in the blood and let loose into the open field—these, with
all their sacred accompaniments, composed the Gospel
according to Moses. Bearing this in mind, we do not
wonder to find St. Paul saying to Timothy, concerning
the Old Testament Scriptures, that they were able to
make him wise unto salvation through faith that is in
Christ Jesus. True, indeed, all this was temporary, and
has been long since abroeated, as to actual practice, in
divine worship. Still, it is most valuable to us. In one
point of view, indeed, it is indispensable, if we would be
thoroughly furnished for the defence and preservation of
Christian truth in its primitive purity. The New Testa-
ment is short. The fundamental truths of the Gospel ar
expressed in it briefly and in general terms. This, per.
haps, was necessary for its ready and universal circulation.
Butgeneralternas are liable to be drawn aside and perverted
by the weakness or wilfulness,the infirmity or ingenuity, of
fallen man. We know how this has been done, and what
strange, absurd, and even contradictory opinions have, in
all ages of the Church, been advanced, each claiming the
New Testament as its basis. How important it is then
to have a rectifier of interpretations, an inspired standard
of reference in which we can place confidence, and by
• which we can distinguish between what is, and what is