died in 1811, and my mother in 1819, each of them reaching the good old age of seventy-five years, without much illness. § 11. While at the seminary I made it a common practice on a Saturday to go over to Portsea, where many Jews live, to have religious conversation with them. One time I was met by a Mr. Lazarus, a Jew constable, who asked me for my license, as a foreigner; I replied that I had a license at Gosport, but had not thought it necessary to take it with me whenever I crossed the water, as it was well known to several Christians at Portsea that I belonged to the Missionary Seminary, under the care of the Rev. D. Bogue. However, he would not be satisfied with this, but took me to the mayor's house, who not being at home, I was led by him directly to Portsmouth jail. Being late in the evening, I was put into a room where two other prisoners were. Before I laid myself to rest, having told the prisoners the cause of my imprisonment, I prayed to God, and was enabled to pray particularly, in a most affectionate manner, for my brother Jew, who had imprisoned me. This was the first time I had ever slept in a prison; but I can assure the reader that I never enjoyed a more comfortable, sweet, and refreshing sleep, than I had that night; for I had not only the testimony of my conscience to be void of offence toward God and toward men, but I could not help thinking that I suffered, in a great measure, on account of my religious profession. In the morning, when the prisoners met in the yard, as usual, they said one to another, "There is a wonderful man come among us : we curse our enemies, but he prays for them; nay, he even prayed last night for Mr. Lazarus, who brought him into the jail." When I came into the yard, a poor old woman invited me to breakfast with her. As I had neither gold nor silver with me, I accepted thankfully of her kind offer. After breakfast I said to some of the prisoners, "I am sorry that we are deprived (being Sabbath-day) of the privilege of going to a place of worship; if you have no objection, we will sing a hymn, and read a chapter in the Bible." Having obtained their consent, I took Dr. Watts's Psalms and Hymns, and, on opening the book, the following hymn was the first that presented itself: "My god, my life, my love, "Thy shining grace can cheer This dungeon where I dwell; 'Tis paradise if thou art here, If thou depart, 'tis hell."-Book II., hymn 93. Having, like Paul and Silas, sung praises to God, I also engaged in prayer; after that I read the 26th and 27th chapters in the Gospel of St. Matthew, made a few observations on the sufferings of our blessed Saviour, and on the conduct of the Jews; where I took occasion to inform them that I had been a Jew myself, but had embraced the Christian religion, on which account I was hated by my brethren, the Jews, and which was, perhaps, the real cause of my imprisonment. But to show that Christ did not only die for our offences, but also rose again for our justification, I read also the 28th chapter of the same Gospel, and concluded with a short prayer. While thus engaged, the Jew constable came to the jail, and desired the jailer to call me into the house, as he wished to put some questions to me, with a design to lay my case before the mayor. The jailer, though at the time no friend to religion, refused, saying, "I dare not interrupt him, for he is preaching to the people." Two Jews, who knew that I frequented the house of Mr. Brooks, went to him on the same evening that I was brought to jail, and informed him of my imprisonment. Mr. B. immediately sent word to Dr. Bogue, and before one o'clock on the Lord'sday I was liberated. Several of the poor prisoners wept, and desired me to stay with them that afternoon, that they might hear more of Jesus Christ. I promised that I would pay them a visit. Not long after, when I performed this promise, I obtained liberty to preach to the prisoners every Lord's-day, which I did for two years after; but when I had sufficient knowledge of the language to preach in regular congregations, the jail was supplied by one of the students, and continued to be so for many years after. I have reason to believe that the word has been blessed to the jailer himself; nor will it be in vain among the prisoners. The same person who put me into the jail, ever afterward treated me with the greatest respect, and frequently heard me preach. Thus, "the Lord maketh the wrath of men to praise him, and the remainder thereof he does restrain." 12. In May, 1803, I went again to London, to the Missionary meeting; and on the Sabbath after I preached my first sermon to the Jews, at Zion chapel, from Gen. xiii, 8, "And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between thee and me: and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we are brethren." The place, though immensely large, yet was exceedingly crowded, and a great number of my dear brethren, the Jews, attended; the Lord graciously assisted me, both in body and mind, to speak to so large a F congregation with great freedom and affection. This I consider as the complete fulfilment of the dream which I had at Gravesend. In the same month I returned again to Gosport, and remained there till May, 1805; when, by the desire of the directors of the Missionary Society, I left their seminary to begin my regular labours among my dear brethren in London. VII. HIS LABOURS UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 1. Having thus stated the origin of Christian efforts to promote the conversion of the Jews, I proceed to show their progress and success. The first sermon which I preached, when I came to reside in London, was at the Tabernacle, on the Saturday evening after the Missionary meeting, from Phil. iii. 8, "Yea, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord." As there was no stated place of worship provided for me, I preached for different ministers, both on the week days and on the Sabbath. Several Jews attended whenever and wherever I preached in London, or its vicinity. Almost every day I had one or more Jews calling on me, but scarcely ever one who would enter upon religious conversation argumentatively or experimentally. I was introduced to two Jewesses who had embraced the Christian religion. The one a member of Dr. Jenkins's church, Walworth, and the other was convinced under the ministry of the Rev. Mr. Wilkinson, of the Haberdashers' Alms-houses; but afterward she became a member of the same church at Walworth. With these two Jewesses, together with three Christians, I began a prayer meeting at my own apartments, on the 8th of June, 1805, and continued the same every Friday evening. Our number soon increas ed, so that the place was not large enough: yet we continued to meet for a whole year, and then removed the prayer meeting to Zion chapel. At this meeting we had frequently a few Jews attending. The prayers then offered up may yet bring down gracious answers. With pleasure I do still recollect the happy and profitable hours we spent together in prayer and praise. "O, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." Frequently we experienced, that "where two or three are met together in the name of Jesus, there he is in the midst of them, and that to bless them." § 2. At a meeting of the directors, June 17th, 1805, it was resolved that I should preach a weekly lecture to the Jews. This lecture I commenced on Saturday evening, July 6th, 1805, at the Rev. Mr. Ball's chapel, Jewry-street, Aldgate, and twelve months after it was removed to Zion chapel; but after a year, it was preached again at the former place. These lectures were attended by many ministers, and among them was the late venerable John Newton, who was seen bathed in tears. The place of worship was crowded to excess, and the street was filled with Jews in such a manner that it was considered dangerous for me to return to my habitation without a guard of twelve constables. This was the time when most good was done. My preaching to the Jews, however, was frequently interrupted by my being sent to different parts of the kingdom, to preach and collect for the Missionary Society, perhaps no less than three months out of twelve. At first a great number of Jews attended on these lectures, but they were soon prohibited in the synagogue, threatened, watched, and actually punished, which was, no doubt, one great cause of their absenting themselves; however, there |