ZGIERZ.

Mr. Waschitscheck, writing from Zgierz, in Poland, reports the following

Baptism of an Israelite.

I have the pleasure of reporting the baptism of young Mr. Neumann, which took place in the afternoon of Christmas Day, in the Lutheran Church, in the presence of a large congregation. It was the first baptism of an Israelite which had ever taken place in that Church. The Rev. Mr. Bando delivered a very suitable address on the occasion, and a deep impression was made on the congregation by the solemn rite. The young

convert himself, whose conduct has been very consistent, expresses great joy at the fulfilment of his heart's desire. It is a great satisfaction to us to have every reason to believe that he has become a true Christian, knowing the Lord Jesus Christ, and believing in him as his Lord and Saviour; and we trust he will become a useful member of society. May our gracious God further and strengthen him more and more in his faith and all good works, by the operation of His holy Spirit, and preserve him from falling, until the day of his entrance into everlasting life.

LINES

Hastily written and read at the Dunstable Jews' Meeting, just after the decease of the Rev. E. Bickersteth, the Rev. T. S. Grimshawe, and the Rev. Spencer Thornton.

BY A FRIEND OF ALL THREE.

THE righteous, they perish-from earth they depart; And no man, the Scripture says, lays it to heart:

Then let us rejoice that in Canaan's bright land,
Our Thornton, and Grimshawe, and Bickersteth stand.

They are gone to their rest from the labours of time,
In the mansions prepared in a beautiful clime;
Where the River of Life in its shining they see,
And the fruits and the leaves of the World-healing
tree!

They are gone to their rest where the angels surround

The throne where the saints and the martyrs are found;

Where Cherub and Seraph adoringly veil

Their eyes with their wings, as the Godhead they hail!

They are gone where the clime has no need of the

sun,

They are gone where the ages eternally run;

Where the crowns are of glory-the harps are of gold,
And the palms of their triumph the conquerors hold!
Two laid down their lives in the fulness of age,
One fell in his prime, upon life's busy stage;
But all "in the vineyard" receive the same pay
If they "work but one hour," or the whole of the day.

They trusted in Jesus, they published his worth, They lov'd him, and serv'd him, and preach'd him on earth;

They sought with his Gospel earth's evils to leaven And now they are with him for ever in Heaven!

Then let us remember that we too must die,

And work that like them we may mount up on high;
And when we have finish'd our earthly employ,
May join them hereafter in glory and joy.

Temple, March, 1850.

J. P.

London: Printed at the Operative Jewish Converts' Institution, Palestine Place, Bethnal Green.

THE JEWISH ADVOCATE.

MAY, 1850.

THE SONG OF SIMEON.

"A light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel."--St. Luke ii. 32.

You will doubtless my young friends readily recog nize these words as a part of that beautiful hymn which is generally read in the evening service of our Church. Since then they are so often brought to our notice, it may not be inappropriate to consider the meaning of them. I need hardly remind you that the occasion on which these words were uttered, was when the parents of the Holy child Jesus brought Him into the Temple to present Him to the Lord, according to the law of God given by Moses. It was at this time then that the aged Simeon, who was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and to whom it had been revealed that he should not see death till he had seen the Lord's Christ, being led by the Spirit into the Temple, took Him up in his arms and blessed God, and said "Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people. To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.” (St. Luke ii. 29-32.)

Now it is said of the aged Simeon, that “he was a devout man, and a just; and that the Holy Ghost was upon him;" we may be quite sure, therefore, that these words were spoken by him, under the direct influence and inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God. They demand, on this account, our most earnest attention, and may that same Holy Spirit who inspired Simeon to utter them, enable us also to understand them. We will speak first on the former part of the verse, "A light to lighten the Gentiles." Now if we had not known by the occasion on which these words were spoken, to whom they referred, we should have felt quite sure that they applied to no other person than to our Lord Jesus Christ, for the prophet Isaiah, speaking long before of the blessing of the Gospel times, says "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Isaiah ix. 2.) And again in the 60th chapter of his prophecy he gives this blessed assurance, "Arise shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." (Isaiah lx. 1—3.) The prophet

Malachi foretells Christ as the Sun of righteousness, and in the 1st chapter of St. Luke's gospel, Zacharias, being, as we are told, filled with the Holy Ghost, speaks of our Lord under the same figure, when he says, in the 78th verse, "Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us." St. John

too speaking of our Lord Jesus Christ in the 1st chapter of his gospel says, in the 9th verse, “That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world." And our blessed Saviour Himself testified, "I am the light of the world." (John viii. 12.) And again, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (ix. 5.) Yes, my dear children, Christ has come a light into the world, and not only to His own people, to whom indeed He was first offered, but to us Gentiles also is His salvation held out; on us also hath this glorious light shined, to us Gentiles was He also sent, that "our eyes might be opened, that we might be turned from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God." (Acts xxvi. 18.)

Thus far then we see the prediction of Simeon has been fulfilled; but now let us turn to the second part of the verse, on which I desire more particularly to speak. It is not only said that Christ should be "A light to lighten the Gentiles," but also that He should be "the glory of His people Israel.” Now let us ask, has this too been accomplished? A very little consideration will be sufficient to convince us, that this prophecy has not yet had its perfect fulfilment; for, though a multitude followed Christ on earth when they saw His miracles and heard His gracious words, yet the number of His disciples, of those who truly believed on Him as their Saviour, was comparatively few. The Jews as a nation did not receive Him as their long promised Messiah. "He came unto His own, and his own received Him not." (St. John i. 11.) Hear only in what touching language He addressed them: "Oh! Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often would I have