VIII. ORIGIN OF THE LONDON SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIANITY AMONG THE JEWS, AND HIS MISSIONARY LABOURS UNDER ITS PATRONAGE.

§ 1. Soon after the dissolution of my connexion with the London Missionary Society was known, the following resolution was unanimously adopted on the 1st of March, 1809, at a meeting of several respectable gentlemen of different denominations: Resolved, "That the Society, formed on the 4th of August, 1808, for the purposes of visiting and relieving the sick and distressed, and instructing the ignorant, especially such as are of the Jewish nation, shall henceforth be called 'The London Society for promoting Christianity among the Jews."" Firmly believing that this Society will continue its efforts until the Jews, as a nation, shall have returned to their own country, and desirous that its founders may be known when the whole of the present generation be no more, I shall here insert their names, which are as follows: Thomas Chatteris, Esq., Treasurer; Joseph Fox, Esq., Secretary; Rev. William Gurney, Rector of St. Clement Danes; Rev. John Wilcox, Minister of Ely chapel; Rev. Joshua Webb ; Rev. J. S. C. F. Frey; Mr. T. Ackland; Mr. A. Black; Mr. T. Burn; Mr. M. Collins; Mr. E. Cooper; Mr. J. Cooper; Mr. W. Corston; Mr. J. Fearn; Mr. W. Heriot; Mr. J. Pearce; Mr. W. Pearce; Mr. W. Stevens; Mr. Saunders; Mr. T. Willats.

§ 2. Under the patronage of this Society, I commenced a lecture at the Rev. Mr. Beck's meeting-house, Bury-street, St. Mary Axe, on the 26th of March, 1809, but soon after a more extensive field of usefulness presented itself. The large building, the corner of Churchstreet and Brick-lane, Spitalfields, occupied for many

But

years as a French Protestant Church, being to let, the London Society bought the lease of it, and designated it "The Jews' chapel." Here I continued preaching for about three years, to large and attentive congregations of Christians, among whom were generally from two to three hundred Jews, a considerable number of whom made a public profession of faith in Christ Jesus. here, alas! the same difficulty of finding employment for the Jews as had occurred under the former Society, was deeply felt; and, what was worse, a considerable jealousy arose between the members of the Established Church and the Dissenters. Several clergymen and others objected to contribute to a fund out of which Mr. Frey, a Dissenting minister, was supported, while, on the other hand, Dissenters suspected that attempts were making to get the Society into the Established Church, and thus both parties withheld their pecuniary aid, and the Society became gradually involved in debt. To remove the conscientious scruples of Episcopalians, it was resolved to have an Episcopal chapel where a clergyman might preach, while I was preaching in Church-street. Accordingly, the Episcopal Jews' chapel, Cambridge Heath, Bethnal Green, was erected. This circumstance greatly increased the weight of the debt, and threatened to sink the institution. The Rev. Lewis Way, of Stansted Park, near Chichester, proposed to me that, if the Dissenters should be willing to give up the cause into the hands of the Episcopalians, he would pay the whole debt. Having mentioned this circumstance to some of the leading brethren among the Dissenters, two public meetings were held; and at the meeting, Feb. 28, 1815, the Dissenters, by a unanimous vote, rather than see the institution perish, gave up the Society into the hands of the Episcopalians, on

condition that the debts be honourably paid. Mr. Way, as good as his word, instantly presented the Society with a sum of £10,000.

§ 3. Immediately on the change of the Society, the following rule was adopted, viz.: "That public worship, in the future operations of the Society, shall be conducted in strict conformity to the liturgy and formularies of the Church of England and Ireland." By this rule I was necessarily excluded from preaching any longer under the patronage of the Society, and soon after my connexion was dissolved; but I received an annuity of £100 for the first year, and £50 for the next ten years, and which has been regularly paid after I came to this country.

The proceedings of the Society since that change has taken place having been published monthly in the Jewish Expositor and in their Annual Reports, I shall only state that, having regularly read their publications, I can most cheerfully testify that they have gone on with Christian zeal, with British liberality, and with success beyond expectation. My heart has ever rejoiced in their prosperity. For although it has become an Episcopalian Institution, and thereby excluded me from being under its patronage, yet it is still my child, and I love it dearly. The principal means which have been used, the instruments employed, and the success attended, will be more fully noticed in a succeeding part of this work.

Thus ended my nine years' missionary labours in England. During this period I was enabled, besides my stated labours in London, to make preaching tours twice through the greater part of England, three times through Scotland, once through North and South Wales, and twice through Ireland. During my late tour in

England and Scotland, I have had the unspeakable happiness of meeting with no less than twenty-four instances of persons who had come out of mere curiosity to see a converted Jew, or hear him preach, and the Lord was graciously pleased to bless the word to their conversion. How many more may have gone to glory will be known only" when the Lord shall make up his jewels." The Name of the Lord be praised.

IX. HIS MINISTERIAL LABOURS IN AMERICA.

§ 1. My connexion with the Society being dissolved, I consulted with my dear tutor, Dr. Bogue, and other friends, what plan to pursue; some proposed the formation of a new Society upon the old principles of union, and wished me to unite with them, but I could not bear the idea of opposition. Others wished me to settle in a congregation, but I had ever objected becoming a regular minister in a Christian congregation, and thereby lose sight of the work of a missionary to my Jewish brethren. I could rather have chosen to go to Germany; but there I should have met with the same difficulty of obtaining ordination, and without it I could not have been admitted into their pulpits. Under these circum

stances it was thought best to remove to America, where, though inhabited comparatively by few of my Jewish brethren, yet the harvest is truly great, and the labourers comparatively few, and a much brighter prospect for the comfortable support of a growing family. Accordingly, July the 23d, 1816, I left London with my family, and embarked on board the brig Factor, Capt. Malcomb. Our possage, on the whole, through mercy, was safe and pleasant. We had mostly contrary wind, and several heavy gales and boisterous storms; but, owing to the almost unparalleled attention of the captain,

not the least damage was sustained in any respect whatever. By the kind permission of Capt. Malcomb, we met morning and evening for family worship, when I had an opportunity of reading and expounding the sacred Scriptures; and on Sundays, as often as the weather would permit, we had a sermon on deck; and as soon as we had obtained a sight of the land, we all met to give thanks to the Lord, and I delivered a discourse from John iii. 8, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit." May the bread thus scattered upon the face of the waters be gathered again after many days. Early on Monday morning, September 8th, we observed the lighthouse, and in the afternoon we passed Sandy-Hook, and came to anchor in the bay. At night the wind began to blow from the north-east most violently, and continued so for several days, and we were prevented from getting into the harbour till the 15th (the very day on which I set my foot on the British shore in 1801.) It being the Lord's-day, I went immediately to church, and returned thanks to the God of providence for his past mercies, and earnestly implored a continuance of his gracious presence, assistance, and blessing, for the future.

Having delivered my letters of introduction to several ministers, and submitted to them other papers and testimonials,* I was received by them most affectionately, and kindly invited by the different denominations to preach. On Sunday evening, September 22, I de

*"Gosport, July 3, 1816.

"My dear sir-The departure of your friend immediately after our lecture hour, prevents me from writing to you at large. I have only time to offer my best wishes for the temporal and spiritual

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