Church. Further, they cordially welcome Dr Cappadose, whom they are glad to see again in the midst of them, and to hear pleading the cause of his brethren, the children of Israel, in this Assembly." Mr Adam, in supporting the resolution, remarked upon the propriety with which this report had been placed first in their programme of ordinary business, as it marked their conviction that this was the primary duty of the Church of Christ, and accorded with our Lord's instruction to His disciples to "preach repentance and remission of sins among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." He was afraid-looking at the falling off in the collection, and at other circumstances that there was not now the same strong and warm interest in the cause that existed at a former period. Perhaps this might in some degree be traced to the want of large success; yet, had time permitted, he thought he could have shown that the very blindness of mind and hardness of heart on the part of God's ancient people ought, in certain aspects, to have a favourable influence, that it was really fitted to strengthen faith, and act not as a hindrance, but rather as a stimulus. But, at the same time, were all things taken into account, there was no quarter where a larger blessing had been given. Not a few of the brightest ornaments of the Christian Church in recent years, and not a few of the noblest defenders of the Christian faith had been drawn from the ranks of Israel. It was true the report did not contain any striking cases of conversion, but preparations were made, and operations were in progress, which they could not but suppose, without yielding to unbelief, would end in very important issues. In Hungary their operations had been recommenced with blessed results. They could not forget that Hungary had, after a long struggle, regained her liberty; and while they were not politicians here, he trusted the heart of the Free Church would always beat in sympathy with the cause of human freedom and progress; and he trusted that they who had for so long a time patiently and courageously contended for their rights, would not be indifferent to the higher privileges of religion, and to the sacred and inviolable rights of conscience. (Applause.) It was encouraging to know that at Pesth there was a school with nearly 500 children in attendance, three-fourths of whom were Jews, and that there was a congregation of 400, with 150 independent contributors at the rate of 163. 8d. each for the support of ordinances. In the Free Church he believed a proposal was to be made in regard to the Sustentation Fund, that congregations averaging 10s. each member should receive certain advantages over those who gave at a lower rate; and he thought that was not a high rate to aim at, when they found these poor Hungarians contributing 16s. 8d. each to support ordinances among themselves. In conclusion, he thought they might well wish for this great event the conversion of the Jews-for the sake of the Christian Church. They should remember that the Israelites were still beloved of God, and they should also remember that the destinies of the Jews and of themselves were marvellously bound up together. Their return would be like "life from the dead" to the rest of the world; so that, in so far as they desired to see the fulness of the Gentiles, they must pray and labour for the ingathering of the Jews. (Applause.)

Professor DUNCAN seconded the motion. After some introductory remarks, he said-Returning from Italy to Pesth, I was cheered by learning from the Witness that the first thing our Church had done after

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its exodus was to take up heartily the mission to the Jews. Continuing with the same, or rather with increased zeal, to pray and labour for "the peace of Jerusalem," we have sure ground for anticipating in the future what we have so largely experienced hitherto-the fulfilment of the promise, "They shall prosper that love thee." I hope we shall never be forgetful of the admonition-"Thou bearest not the root, but the root thee." Long did ancient Israel pray for us, though for the time being it was hedged in as a garden enclosed," a conservatory of God's truth and the world's hope, rather than a missionary Church for its diffusion; ardently did they pray, binding, as Jehovah's promise to Abraham had done, their own blessing and ours together-" Lord be merciful to us and bless us, and cause thy face to shine upon us; that thy way may be known upon earth-thy saving health among all nations." Long had they to wait for our calling; longer than we have had for their recall. But the vision was "for an appointed time;" at the end it spoke and did not lie. So let us not be weary in this well-doing, for the Lord, who hath spoken good concerning Israel in their latter end, is not slack concerning His promise, as some inen-too many in the present day— count slackness. Though it tarry let us wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Sailing from Dover to Ostend, on my way first to Pesth, we found a Jewish family on board, of which fact I became aware by seeing on their carriage the motto, "Fuimus, erimus." There was no "sumus." Israel hath indeed a present, though a most lamentable one; but what a glorious past, what a still more glorious future! The heart turned to the Lord, the veil taken away, the blind eyes opened, the steadfast look to the end of that which was to be abolished, (even Messiah, the end of the law for righteousness;) the deaf ear unstopped to hear the heart-melting, "Father, forgive them." Ah! we knew not; now we know what we have done; but the answer to the request of the despised and rejected One hath been waiting for us during the long centuries, stored up among Jehovah's treasures. And now it hath come-it hath come to abide for ever. For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah of his God, of the Lord of hosts; though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel. Oh, the bitter weeping-the burning blush of shame-the tender kiss of reconciliation-the jubilant anthems of the long-estranged now in everlasting loving-kindness reclaimed, never more to part! And this redintegratio amoris will tell most blessedly upon us; it will be as life from the dead. We are living in times of much unsettlement and commotion, and many things seem to portend that the end is fast approaching. Faith both in the true and the false seems rapidly giving way. The gigantic idolatry of India appears to be undermined and ready to fall some day with a sudden crash; the moon of Islam is rapidly decrescent; destruction is impending on the seven hills; and Satan, seeing that his old lies of false and superstitious belief are verging to decrepitude, seems bent on involving the truth along with them in one common ruin-sowing fast the seeds of uncertainty and apostasy among those who have been favoured with the light of the Bible reopened and outspread at the glorious Reformation. That Bible is assailed chiefly, at least the attack is first commenced on the Old Testament Scriptures-the common ground of Jew and Christian, and of which the Jew is at once the custodier, and one main proof of their truth as well as that of the New. Moses hath still

in many a city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day; and though the Spirit has withdrawn, (heavy woe is that,) yet there the Word remains a keepsake, a memento of the love and espousals still remembered by Him whose gifts and callings are without repentance. When treacherous Judah had provoked, a prophet was sent to recall backsliding Israel-when the seed of Jacob had obstinately done despite to the Holy Ghost, speaking by the apostles whom the risen Messiah had sent to bless them in turning every one of them from their iniquities, Lo, said they, we turn to the Gentiles; and do not both indications of Scripture and the signs of the times lead us to think that a new epoch is approaching, when a great Gentile apostasy shall be accompanied or followed by the recall of Israel to Jehovah their God and David their king. Wondrous, without doubt, will be the results of that event; looking forward to which, and combining it with the equally wonderful event of his own day, namely, the calling of the Gentiles, the apostle exclaims, "Oh, the depth both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!" Long and dismal hath been the night of weeping to the desolate one-the wife of youth-when she was refused; but bright shall the time be when the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that Jehovah bindeth up the breach of His people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Then they that will not see shall see and be ashamed. Dark days, I fear, are to intervene, but the time cannot now be far away when Jehovah will entirely abolish the idols, remove the false prophet, destroy the Man of Sin, bring back the outcasts of Judah and the preserved of Israel, and take all nations for His inheritance. Then shall all Israel be saved, and the people be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of Jehovah's planting, the work of His hand, that He may be glorified. Meanwhile there is of them a remnant according to the election of grace, as there has been in every age, and in the present more than in any that has preceded it. No inconsiderable number are in the Christian ministry, either as missionaries, pastors of congregations, or professors in universities. Of the last we have a noble specimen in Dr Franz Delitzsch, who, as a Christian Jew, stood firm in maintenance of the divine authority and inspiration of the whole Old Testament at a time when many called glaubige (believing) seemed willing to surrender, if they could only make terms to escape with the New. Many such Israelites, indeed, I anticipate, will yet arise, the success of whose efforts for the defence and exposition of Holy Scripture will be greatly promoted by their intimate acquaintance with the Hebrew Bible from earliest infancy, and the dispersion of their doubts and difficulties by the light of the Holy Spirit irradiating their minds to perceive with surprise, wonder, and delight the glorious harmony of completed Scripture, with its treasures of things old and new. Yes! as they have been a proverb and a reviling, so shall the children of Israel yet be a blessing in the midst of many lands, and they shall arise a very great army. I may be allowed, to the praise of God's grace, and for the encouragement of any who may be disposed to give themselves to the work of the Lord in this department of His vineyard, to mention with gratitude that the short period which I spent at Pesth was among the happiest times in my lifeperhaps I should say was the very happiest; certainly it was that in

which I most evidently saw the hand of the Lord with us and around us. Circumstances varying from day to day, it looked often as if the Epistles, especially those of Paul, had just arrived by the post, so very apposite were they. Doubts, difficulties, and fears we had in plenty, but we were compassed about with songs of deliverance, and the love of the labourers to one another, of us to the little flock, and of them to us and to one another-a love of which the faith of Jesus was the bond-was to us all a source of constant delight, and made our little meeting a reflection on a small scale of the harmony of the Primitive Church. Permit me, in a sentence or two, to advert to the happy result of our Jewish Mission, in bringing us into more intimate relations to foreign Protestant Churches, especially in Hungary and Bohemia. May these relations continue and become more close. In seeking the Jew, we found them. He is the vinculum of our union. In all the young men they have sent us, we have had great satisfaction and anticipate great good, by the divine blessing, as likely to accrue from this bursary scheme. I regret exceedingly to hear that the funds of these bursaries have not been realised this year, but I still hope that not only will they be continued, but that means will be taken to set them on a permanent footing. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the Lord brought back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall sing. Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people, for

(Applause.)

"He, mindful of His grace and truth,

To Israel's house hath been;

And the salvation of our God

All ends of the earth have seen."

Mr A. N. SOMERVILLE said he had been requested to make a short statement in connexion with the Jewish Mission respecting Hungary, but he felt at that late hour of the evening, and in so thin a house, he would do the cause no good by occupying their attention, and therefore his remarks must be delayed till a future opportunity.

Dr CANDLISH said-I cannot allow this subject to pass without expressing the extreme pleasure with which I have heard Dr Cappadose. It is, I believe, more than twenty years since he addressed our committee on the floor of this House, and I can remember his address. I listened to him to-night with extreme interest, although from growing infirmities I did not hear him so distinctly as I could have wished. But I take the opportunity of saying that I feel deeply indebted to Dr Cappadose for the statement he made to-night as regards the relation of the New Testament to the Old. (Applause.) I think the statement he made on that subject was exceedingly valuable and exceedingly seasonable-(hear, hear) -as showing that the root, the ground of the whole of our gospel, is to be found in the Old Testament, and that we have no standing at all in the New Testament apart from the Old. Such a statement, given forth by a man thoroughly competent to form a judgment upon the subject, is most valuable, and I heartily express my great gratification at again meeting Dr Cappadose, after an interval of more than twenty years, on the floor of the Assembly.

The motion was unanimously agreed to, and the Assembly adjourned.

SATURDAY, MAY 25.

WIDOWS' AND ORPHANS' FUND.

Mr ROBERT GORDON, in the absence of Dr Clason, gave in the report of the Committee on the Widows' and Orphans' Fund, (No. XXXI.)

CASE OF KILMUIR.

The Assembly took up consideration of a petition on behalf of the Free Church congregation of Kilmuir and Stencholl, Isle of Skye. Through the exertions of the late Dr Martin, an elder in the congregation, a church and a manse were built at a cost of £1765; and three years ago, an ordained minister was settled as pastor of the congregation. To meet the expenses of the erection, subscriptions were obtained in Kilmuir and elsewhere to the amount of £543, 3s. 3d., and grants were received from the Assembly's Church and Manse Building Fund, to the extent of £297, 8s. 6d., making in all £840, 11s. 9d. The buildings were proceeded with and finished after the above sum was secured, but still £925 more were necessary to pay the tradesmen's bills for work done. In this emergency, £700 were borrowed from the North of Scotland Bank, and Dr Martin paid the remaining £225 as a loan to the congregation, and to be by them repaid to him. Several names were originally at the bond, which gave a security to the bank for the £700, Dr Martin's among the rest; but it turns out that now his is the only name to which the bank looks for payment. Dr Martin died two years ago, and his widow and family are now pressed with these two heavy liabilities-first, the bank bond, which, with accumulated interest, &c., amounts to £821, 16s. 11d.; and second, the personal loan of £236, 1s. 9d., which, when put together, amount to £1057, 18s. 8d. These pecuniary responsibilities the widow and family of Dr Martin are quite unable to meet; nor can the people of Kilmuir, from their well-known great poverty, remove the obligation. Had Dr Martin's life been spared, his own energy might have extricated matters from their present painful position; but it now seems hopeless, after various trials have been made, to expect any relief, unless the friends of the Church come forward with help generously and speedily rendered. An appeal having been made to the Presbytery, they agreed to petition the Assembly.

Dr MACINTOSH MACKAY, Harris, supported the petition.

Dr CANDLISH said the case was a most distressing one, not only to the congregation, but to the family of the late Dr Martin. The report did not contain a request for a grant from any particular fund, and he did not know whether there was a fund from which such a grant could be made. But the Presbytery seemed to contemplate that the Assembly should interpose a very strong recommendation of this case to the liberality of the more generous and wealthy members of the Church. Considering the circumstances of the congregation, he thought they were entitled to the warmest sympathy of the Assembly, and to all the help the influence of the Assembly could give in stirring up the minds of their liberal and able members to come forward and help them. He therefore moved as follows:-"The General Assembly, having considered the petition from the Presbytery of Skye and Uist, in reference to Kilmuir, and the statement of facts accompanying said petition, regard it as a case

C