and with fervour of heart, from the Gospel for the day, Mark vii. 31-37, on the, Divinity of Jesus, and on his beneficent miracles whereby he had evidently proved himself to be the Son of God. The name of this interesting young man, who was a student at the university of Breslau, as a Jew had been Abraham Wertheim; but on the occasion of his baptism he was named Julius Edward. Many Jews have, also within a few years, embraced the profession of Christianity in Bohemia. The numerous applications made to the Committee by Foreign Jews, to be received under the protection of the Society, confirm the fact, that a spirit of inquiry has arisen among that people, especially in Germany. The Committee have been under the necessity, from the state of their finances, of refusing applications made to them by about twenty foreign Jews.

In the First Annual Report, it was stated that four Jewesses had been admitted into the Female Asylum.

During the last year thirteen persons have been admitted into the AsyJum; of whom one has married, four have been placed out in service, four have returned to their homes, and four remain at present under the protection of the Society.

The number of girls now under the patronage of the Institution amounts to forty; three of whom have been admitted during the last month. This number renders a removal from their present residence absolutely essential; as from the closeness of the situation, and the confined accommodation, their health would be injured by their continuance; while the Society would be reduced to the necessity of refusing all future applications for admission. This arrangement will involve a considerable increase of expense, and points out the necessity of active exertions for the augmentation of their funds. The Committee are, however, determined not to commence such an undertaking until adequate funds shall be provided. The most serious of all the obstacles which oppose themselves to the efforts of this Institution, is the great difficulty of finding employment for the Jewish converts, so as to enable them to earn an honest 'subsistence. By the antient institutions of the Jews, every male, of whatever rank or property, was bound to learn some trade, or mechanical em

ployment, to enable him to earn an honest subsistence, in whatever situation he might be placed. When the Jews were scattered among the nations, this wholesome provision seems to have been neglected. Being deprived of all civil immunities, by the laws of the nations amongst whom they dwelt, and cut off from all domestic and social intercourse with these nations, both by the prejudices existing against them,“ and their own religious observances; the Jews have become a people of dealers and pedlars: their occupations, their propensities and vices, have chiefly been those connected with buying and selling. The wealthy have been engaged in foreign commerce, or banking and money-lending; the poorer, in retailing small articles, or purchasing old clothes, and in practising all the arts of circumvention. Jews of the poorer classes usually send out their children to shift for themselves when they reach the age of fourteen. A shilling or two being given them to begin with, they purchase some oran ges, or other articles of small value, which they retail in the streets, and thus earn a scanty and precarious subsistence; in seeking which they are early initiated into the arts of fraud by day, and the haunts of debauchery by night. Those who can give their sons a little more capital, make them shopmen or clerks; few of them become artisans, or learn a business; or, if they do, it is chiefly exercised among the Jews. Thus there are Jew bakers, Jew tailors, &c.; there are also a few Jews who exercise the trades of pencilmakers, glass-cutters, and watch-makers. It arises from the wretched circumstances in which they are thus, placed, that almost every Jew, who applies for Christian instruction, must be provided for, either by receiving a weekly allowance, or by being put to work. For the very fact of his attend, ing a Christian place of worship ex poses him to excommunication by the Synagogue, and he becomes an outcast from his own brethren. The prejudices against Jews are also so strong among Christians, and their distrust of them so great, that it is almost impossible to find employment for a Jew in any Christian warehouse or work-shop. Under such circumstances, the only expedient seems to be, to establish some manufactory, or work-shop, to give

employment to Jews who desire to embrace Christianity.

An attempt has been made to establish a printing-office. This under taking is still in operation, yet it has been attended with an expense and loss which are quite disproportionate to the benefit hitherto derived from it. The greatest obstacle to the success of the printing-office, is the want of work. The Committee earnestly call the attention of the friends of Religion to this point; and they beseech other religious institutions, by all the considerations of Christian charity, to help them by em. ploying their printing-office.

A basket manufactory has been more successful. The expense of it has been comparatively small. The business is simple, and easily taught, even to adults, The employment is also so coarse and humble, and the place where it is carried on so uninviting, that it can hold out no allurements to the insincere profession of the Christian faith. Nine Jews are now employed in the basket busi

ness.

These establishments are, however, not nearly large enough to receive all the youths from the boys' school. There are, at present, six boys under the protection of the Society, of an age to be put out as apprentices. As it is designed to give apprentice-fees with them, all that is required is, that pions Christian masters should be found, who are willing to bring up these yonths in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The Committee, therefore, appeal to the Christian public on this subject. It is impossible to foresee what happy consequences might result from the settlement of these youths under respectable Christian masters. It would encourage many Jews, who are secretly convinced of the truth of Christianity, but delay a public profession of it from the influence of family motives, to come forward, and boldly give up their families to the Society. It would strengthen the minds of the Committee, in the prosecution of their arduous duties. And to those individuals who may, from truly Christian motives, receive only one of these youths, and watch over his spiritual state and moral conduct, the Great Shepherd of the sheep will assuredly say in the last day, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of these my brethren, ye did it unto me,"

An institution which embraces so great a variety of objects will demand a large and increasing income. It would be exceedingly desirable that this income should be obtained as much as possible in the way of Subscriptions, and from Penny and Auxiliary Societies, as little or no expense is incurred in obtaining money in these modes. The Committee earnestly recommend, therefore, the most strenuous exertions for the enlargement of these branches of the Institution. And clergymen throughout the kingdom are solicited to afford their aid to the Society, by preaching and making collections for it in their churches.

The Committee with gratitude acknowledge the receipt of another muni. ficent donation of 400l., which they be lieve to be from the same quarter from which three former donations had heen received; amounting in the whole to 20007.

The Committee, after having briefly drawn the attention of the meeting to the past history of the children of Is rael, and their future prospects, observe that it would be highly presumptuous to expect, that this, or any other similar institution shall be the instrument of effecting that great and happy change in the minds of the ancient people of God which is foretold in Scripture. That event is of too stupendous a na ture to be brought about by human means. To overcome the stubborn and hardened unbelief of the Jews, must in a peculiar manner be the work of God, and is reserved to be the brightest display of His converting grace ever manifested to the world. But it is not too much to hope that to this Institution may be appointed the humble office of preparing the way of the Lord, by removing obstacles, and softening the prejudices of the Jews, and by turning their attention to the great fundamental article of the Christian faith, That Jesus of Nazareth, whom their fathers crucified, is the Messiah.

The Committee conclude by fervently praying, that the God of Abraham may speedily fulfil all his promises to his ancient people, and that songs of praise for their redemption may soon be heard in this highly favoured Christian nation.

FRANCE.

ANOTHER month has elapsed, without throwing any material light on the purposes of the allied sovereigns, or the future, destinies of France. The same anomalous appearances have continued to perplex the speculations of plain men like ourselves, who have no access to the interior of the different imperial and royal cabinets of Europe. We still behold with amazement the counsels of the Bourbons guided by notorious regieides; the main actors in the late Revolution not only unpunished, but flourishing in wealth and estimation, and even in power; the allies of the king of France reducing, by bombardment or assault, fortresses held in the name of that monarch, while the rulers of both the assailants and the assailed are living in the profession of peace and amity, and in the interchange of friendly civilities and splendid fêtes at Paris; Bonaparte's perjured and rebellious troops cherished as the last hope of France, by the government they overthrew, and instead of being dismissed with ignominy, about to be employed as the rudimental principle, la morale, of a new and loyal army. These and many similar paradoxes are to us, we confess, perfectly unintelligible. We await the meeting of the National Representa tives, which takes place on this day (September 25), with a hope that some explanation will then be afforded respecting points of such deep and awful import to the repose and happiness of the world; and that a tone of greater vigour and consistency will then be given to the measures of the French government. This hope gathers strength from a credible report which has just reached us, that Fouche has retired from the ministry, instigated to this measure by a salutary apprehension of the denunciations of popular eloquence, and a distrust in the prevailing character of the deputies returned to the lower house, If these deputies shall indeed prove worthy of their trust; if, rallying round the throne of their monarch, they shall labour both to secure him against the factions cabals aud insidious arts of revolutionists and regicides, and to es tablish rational freedom on its only sure foundations, the empire of law and the

general diffusion of a reverence for religion and of moral habits among allclasses of the population; if refusing their confidence to men whose hands are still red with innocent blood, to men who have abjured their God, and murdered their king, they encourage the sovereign to place those and those only in his councils who, while they are faithfully attached to his person, are the enlightened friends of their country, the upright and consistent upholders at once of legitimate power and constitutional liberty; we may still live to see France a happy and flourishing country, blessed in the enjoyment of the unnumbered bounties with which Providence has favoured her above other nations, and blessing others with her intercourse.

It is impossible, indeed, to contemplate the actual state of morals in France; the absolute ignorance which prevails repecting Christianity, its obligations and its prospects; the general contempt entertained for religion either in form or substance; the pride and arrogance, the eager pursuit of guilty pleasure, the passion for military glory, the thirst for revenge, the delight in pillage and blood, which now so signally mark the character of this extraordinary people; and not to admit that to anticipate such a consummation as we have supposed possible, is to hope against hope. But then we know in whose hands are the hearts of all; and that even "from these. stones," from these obdurate materials, he can " raise up children untoAbraham." To this desirable issue it is in the power of all of us to contribute by our prayers at least, and of some who are placed in more favourable circumstances, by promoting the general circulation of the Scriptures in France. This grand and essential instrument of moral improvement, we are happy to say, has not been lost sight of; and if the efforts which have been made to disseminate the pure word of God in that now demoralized country should remain unknown till the great day shall reveal them, we trust that the blessed effects of those efforts will be nevertheless abundantly manifested, even to the present generation.

We have been much pleased with a letter which Louis XVIII. has addressed to the Vicars-General of Paris.