American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1823-03-04
From The British Critic, Jaly 1919.

ON The CONVERSION Vi HE JEW
The Apostles declaration, that his " hearts desire
and prayer to God for Israel was, that they might be
saved" has doubtless been echoed by the wishes OF
al rejecting christians, to whom the situation OF the
Jews that once highly favored, now outcast and des-
pissed people, will be subject oil Intense inter-
est and awful contemplation. Eighteen centuries
have rolled by, since that ruthless imprecatlon was
uttered, q" his blood be on US and on our children,
and the guilt ofthat blood still rests upon them with
all Its original weight fixing as it were, I" the pri-
NAL eldest CURSE upon them, and In some sense,
raising their hand against every man, and the hand
of every man against them. Time and chance"
we are told, happen to all men y but in The lot
OF the Jews neither time nor chance have had pow
er to effect change cities have crumbled into
dust, empires have been swept from the face Of the
EARTH and languages have survived the nations which
gave them ul,erance but the Jews remain the same,
in features, in habits, in customs, and in character.
Gross darkness overspread the world Tor ages but
II added not to the mental thraldom, nor extlnguish,
ed the limited knowledge of this extraordinary peo
pie. Light has since sprung up, arts have revived,
science has reared IFS head, education morals rel
gon, all have made rapid progress; but their blind
ness has not been removed, their preudices have not
been soltened, their condition not improved. They
are yet wandering, unsocia, and desplsed people,
9 and establishment, by-word, and proverb, =
gaze OF the curious, and the wonder oil the electins.
while christian charity, regarding their situation, as
a continual miracle, and then living witnesses 10
the truth oil our holy religion, pes them estrah
ged brethren, and looks forward with laudable anX
lety TO that predicted time, when it shall please God
once more to call them TO the knowledge OF his
truth, and he participation of his favor.
AS the conversion OF the Jews is an event which
we are assured will at some future time be accom-
plished and as every christian who feels for the
welfare OF so large portion oil his brethren will de-
sire to promote II, II is not SUI prisng that many
pious and learned men in every age OF the church
should have considered II their duty to devote por
ton OF their time and abilities to this object. From
the days OF Justin Martyr, to those OF Hoornbeck
and Spanheim, and our own incompara-
bic Leslie, long list Of writer's might be Produced,
who have lahored in this we'll intended but iruless
work. For, as il to show that " God only knoweth
the times and the seasons" and that this is a task
which he has especially reserved for HIMSELF the
real conversion OF Jew has been at all times as rare
as their history Is wonderful and however a1dablrl
my have been the designs of these writer's, or ex-
cellent their performances, they have hitherto beenl
utterly Improbable the veil is yet upon the heat,
Of the Jew, and until it shall please God to remo,e
that Judicial blindness, to which, for wise purposes
he has seen fiji to condemn them, we have little rea
son TO expect that others will succeed where they
have failed.
In the present day, married. as it is bya continual
,rdciRg after neW projects, aud an Differentiated
1eneroence, aChich is Gt'oGys trareiting oat Of e
common road Of duty, and seekihg for its Objects
my achere but at home, IN its oWn church and ainon
us 0lcn people, 1t would perhaps have been surpr!
sing u me case OF the Jews had not recommended
selt TO the morbid sensbitities IF RESTLESS enthu
'1aStS and still more if sChen neic societies for
religious specatatons are as common, anil ofte4 os
aeluSlre, as ne'O Joint stoch companies in trae the
oil the Jews had not been made the pre-.
text or the object of combination, lchere Inoneyl
might be collected, and the pomp ofpetty lpgslatioHI
'nduiged cherc the praise Of eio9uence might bel
required al cheap rate by iUoab-be orators, andl
employment found for Those ocho mistake actirity!
'or usefulness, and zeal in makjng proselteS foil
religion.
he =" London Society for promoting christianity
among the Jews has been instituted for ten wears
i has expended about 95 OO0L. and its recejots IN
1918 amounted TO l0O9ll lis. Sd. If we inomreI
what these ample funds have enabled the Society FOL
perform towards the promotion oil its object we shall
&c informed by lis various reports, that it has open
"a dissenting meeting house Tor the benefit of thosel
Jews who might be converted, or appeared well dis i
posed ior conversion that it has built an EPISCOPAL
chapel, on Bethne Green, for the accommodation oj
nose converts VINO might prefer the minisrations oil
" ""ien - England that II has established
chools In which there at present, Is boys, and
30 girls and that it has printed an edition Of he
New testament IN Hebrew. We learn. however,
ION inc same sources OF information that the meet.
ng mouse is smut up, and to be disposed of, as the
conversions produced by this Society are henceforib
- VIC conducted on the principle Of the Church of
cmsiaha the society itself having, as il appears
alien entirely or in great measure, under the con-
rol OF those who style themselves "the EVANGELICAL
party IN the church. "'''
ne Episcopal chapel continues open, and is, weI
arc informed, well attended not, however, bv Jews
'r oy converts OF the society, who might probabyI
De accommodated within single pew in any church.
'u' Oy those christians who usually resort 10 tbrl