The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1842-10-18 00:00:00

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY
AMONG THE JEWS.

The anniversary services of the Liverpool Society foe pro-
moting Christianity among the Jews commenced on Sunday,
when sermons appropriate to the occasion were preached in
the different churches of the town. The great annual meet-
ing was held last evening in the Royal Amphitheatre. The
spaciuos edifice was crowded in every part. On the platform
we observed the following :
Reverends W. Ayerst; J. H. Stewart; J. W. Brooks •
H. Al`Neile ; F. Ould •' Shackley, York ; C. Taylor,
Chester; ; Maginnis ; W. Butler ; J. Bush; W. W. Ew-
bank ; W. Coles ; F. Barker ; Wilson ; J. Cordeaux • T.
Nolan ; B. A. Marshall ; T. Jones ; D. James ; W. Mori-
arty ; D. Stewart ; J. C. Hamilton ' • Jos. Baylee ; S. Cragg ;
J. E. White; H. Carpenter; F. Parry; J. R. Connor;
Hughes ; W. Rawson ; R. Davies ; H. Jones, Northop ;
Jones, Bagilt ; W. Maynard ; A. Knox ; W. Falloon ;
R. Cargill ; Curry ; S. Penton ; H. H. Higgins ; H. S.
Joseph : G. Stokes ; James Parker, Esq. ; W. Jones, Esq. ;
C. Cotesworth, Esq. ; J. Howard, Esq. ; Keeling, Esq. ;
J. Rigby, Esq. ; C. Boutflower, Esq. ; R. Bickersteth,
Esq. ; R. Houghton, Esq. ; E. Batty, Esq. ; A. Sherlock,
Esq. ; W. Brocklebank, Esq.
The Rev. CHANCELLOR RAISES having taken the chair,
the meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. H. S.
JOSEPH, secretary to the society.
The Venerable CHAIRMAN commenced his address by
observing, that the appearance of the meeting justified him
in saying that the interest taken by the inhabitants of Li-
verpool in the Society for the Promotion of Christianity
among the Jews had suffered no diminution during the last
year. In truth, it would have been a subject of surprise if
any diminution of interest in this cause had taken place,
so wonderful were the interests, and so vast the great objects,
which the society contemplated. When he looked back, as
some of his friends upon his right and left might do, upon
the state of public opinion some 25 or 30 years back, he could
not have anticipated that in the year 1842 such a meeting
would have been exhibited in the town of Liverpool. It was,
he must own, one of the signs of the times upon which a
Christian heart delighted to dwell, with gratitude to God.
Let him remind them that it was no common cause, and a
cause of no common interest, that united them. He consi-
dered it inexpedient to attempt any comparison between the
great societies which occupied the attention of the Christian
public at the present moment ; but, at the same time, he
must be permitted to remark that there was something in the
character of the Jewish people which had a peculiar tendency
to solemnize the feelings of those engaged in promoting their
interests, and which gave a holy sanctifying character to all
the efforts made to promote their spiritual welfare. With
regard to that which might be doing in other nations of the
world, without wishing to draw insiduous comparisons, we
must be conscious of the glories yet to be revealed for this
wonderful people. If we looked back upon the early history
of the heathen world we were disgusted and grieved at the
sordid mythology in which they were brought up; but if we
turned to the early history of that wonderful people the Jews,
to the book in which they were brought up, to the history of
Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, what a series of wonders
were developed, and how much of sacred interest was spread
over the earliest steps in their wonderful and miraculous
history •'. (Hear, hear, and great applause.) Or again, if
we looked forward, and anticipated, as we were justified no
doubt iu doing, that every converted heathen was like a child
rescued from datiger, and restored to the family of God,
we rejoiced over their acceptance; still they did but seem
blended down into the general mass of Christianity ; the
family was increased, but the family joy received no special
augmentation ; the number was enlarged, but no fresh
features were added to the family character ; whilst, upon
the other hand, if we looked forward to the mighty purpose
likely to be developed through the conversion of the Jews ;
when we thought what they may be and what they must be,
when rescued from their present state of alienation, converted
and brought hack to the house of their Heavenly Father,
then only search the volume of prophecy, and your hearts
would be gladdened with the prospect of the glories yet to
be revealed. (Hear.) A new era of things seemed involved
in the restitution of that people, " which eye had not seen,
or ear heard ; and which it had not entered into the heart of
man to conceive." Thus was he amply justified in saying,
when he contemplated the purpose which had brought that
ereat assembly together, that compared with the objects
before us—compared with the ends we were endeavouring to
promote and labouring to forward—all those mighty opera-
tions upon which the destinies of empires seemed to depend,
and which men of the world called great, magnificent, and
wonderful, sank into nothing when compared with the mighty
destinies of the Jewish people, and the work which this
country, in humble dependence upon the grace of God, was
endeavouring to promote. The reverend and venerable
Chairman then resumed his seat amidst loud cheers.

The Rev. H. S. JOSEPH then read the report of the com-
mittee, of which the following are the most interesting pas-
sages :
The report entered at great length into the scriptural
warrants for advocating the cause of the Jews. The follow-
ing is the state of the society's funds :