The Roman Centurion affords another instance of the fulfilment of the promise. His servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die. He sent unto Jesus the elders of the Jews, who, when they came to him, besought him earnestly to heal the centurion's servant. What was the plea which they urged in behalf of this Gentile suppliant? They said that he was worthy for whom the Lord should do this; for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue." It was, perhaps, but seldom that the Jews received kindness from the hands of their Roman masters; less frequently would any respect be shown for their religion. The Centurion was one who loved their nation. He was one who had built them a synagogue.

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The result of their application was-" Jesus went with them." The glad tidings of his approach fly before him to the house of the Centurion. Other messengers are despatched by him to say, "Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee; but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.' Before the messengers had returned to the Centurion, Jesus had banished the disease of the beloved servant, and restored him in health to his afflicted yet believing master. The principle which sustained and guided the Centurion was faith ;-the manifestation and fruit of that faith were love to the people of Israel, and an assurance of the power, and greatness, and compassion of Messiah. He had blessed, as far as he was able, the Jewish people of his city, and now the promise was fulfilled, "I will bless them that bless thee.":

"Let us now seek for one or two facts on a larger scale, and we shall find that the promise has ever been fulfilled collectively, as well as individually. The first instance that we remember in the Scriptures, is in the tribe of the Kenites. In the time of Saul, this tribe, or a part of it, dwelt among the Amalekites, and their land had been promised to Israel as well as that of Amalek (Gen. xv. 19). Saul received a commission from the Lord, to Go and utterly destroy Amalek. But before he did this, Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you Then we are told the reason why this distinguishing favour was extended to the Kenite, for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.' So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites,' and while these were destroyed, those were preserved. They had favoured Israel, and they were favoured by the God of Israel and

with them.'

saved.

"In turning over the pages of the sacred history, we do not find a greater national friend to the Jews than Cyrus the Great. He proclaimed universal liberty to the Jewish captives in his empire, and permission to return to their own land. He restored to them those sacred vessels of their temple, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away, and assisted them in rebuilding it. He granted them many immunities, and bestowed upon them many privileges. Cyrus was greatly prospered in order to, and in return for this kindness, and the extent to which he may have been blessed perhaps is not known to us. This, however, is certain, for it was fore

told by the spirit of prophecy, and was fulfilled in its season. The Lord subdued many nations before him, and enfeebled and degraded many kings by him. The God of Israel went before him, and removed every obstacle to his success, he brake before him the bars of iron, and opened unto him the two-leaved gates of brass which obstructed his entrance into the great and wealthy cities he besieged. He poured into his treasures (as he had promised) immense wealth, which had long been deposited in darkness, and hidden riches of secret places,' so that his spoil is said almost to have exceeded calculation. His great and successful expedition against Babylon, his subversion of the empire, and destruction of its haughty monarch Belshazzar, are known to every reader of the Scriptures. And moreover, the Lord tells us by his prophet, why all this success was granted to Cyrus. It was, he says, 'for Jacob my servant's sake, and for Israel mine elect.' But moreover, Cyrus became acquainted with the Jewish Scriptures, he acknowledged the God of Israel as the true God, and if we may hope (for there is reason for it) that he renounced the idolatry of his fathers, and died a convert to true religion,— should we see him in the great day of the Lord's appearing, standing in the midst of the tribes he once liberated on earth, and himself rejoicing among the redeemed of the Lord; oh! should we not then call to mind the words of Balaam, and see the assertion illustriously exemplified, that Blessed is he that blesseth thee.'

* "Israel's Cause the Interest of the Church."

THE SERVICE OF THE JEWS.

In our last Number we printed the Creed which is recited by the Jews at their morning service daily. Immediately following it in their Prayerbook, stand a number of thanksgivings, some of which are as follow:

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath sanctified us with his commandments, and commanded us to cleanse our hands."

We may observe on this that it contains an untruth. The command is given by the oral, not by the written law, and thus the first of the blessings, the beginning of the morning tribute of praise, says that which is not true of the holy law of God, and makes the invention of the rabbies of an equal rank with his inspired words.

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath formed man in wisdom; and created in him pipes, tubes, veins, and arteries. It is certain and known before the throne of thy glory, that if but one of them was but opened or stopped, it would be impossible for any to exist or abide before thee. Blessed art thou, O Lord! who healeth all flesh, and worketh wonderfully.

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath sanctified us with his commandments, and commanded us to study the words of the law.

"O Lord! our God, we beseech thee to make the words of thy law pleasant in our mouth, and in the mouths of thy people the house of Israel;

so that we, our offspring, and the offspring of thy people, the house of Israel, may all know thy name, and study thy law for its sake. Blessed art thou, O Lord! who teacheth the law to his people Israel.

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath chosen us from all nations, and hath given us his law. Blessed art thou, O Lord! the giver of the law.

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who giveth to the cock knowledge, to distinguish between day and night.

Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath not made me a heathen (a Gentile).

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath not made me a slave. "Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath not made me a

woman.

THE WOMEN SAY-["Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who hath made me according to thy will."]

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who clotheth the naked.

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who openeth the eyes of the blind. "Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who looseth those who are bound. "Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of the universe, who raiseth those who are bowed down.

"Blessed art thou, O Lord! our God, king of