Evidence from Israel's History and Present State that Points to the Speedy Consummation of this Age

(Concluded from page 263.)

We turn our attention now to what is evident fruit for God from among the Jews, so long blinded and indifferent to the light of the gospel. And first, be it noted, we do not slight the fact that all down the centuries of the Christian dispensation there has ever remained an election of grace ; God in every period saving some who turned in repentance to the Messiah whom their fathers abhorred. But such conversions were lamentably few, and the great bulk of the nation has ever remained in wilful and judicial blindness. This is still the case, we must frankly admit; but we believe we can safely say that there are more Jewish Christians in the world to-day than at any time since the earliest centuries of the Church's history. The past hundred years have been years of grace to the blinded nation in a most marked way-witness the awakening of the Church of God generally to its responsibility to give the gospel to the Jew, through whom the Scriptures were first given to the Gentiles.

To the shame of Christendom, be it said, that its treatment of the Jew in past centuries, and in many places still, has been most z/w-Christlike, and utterly opposed to the spirit of the Saviour's intercession on the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." Too often it has been taken for granted that work for the conversion of Israel would be but wasted effort, because of the blindness referred to in Rom. n. But it has been quite generally overlooked that the blindness was not to be entire, but "in part."

In these last days the Christian has realized his indebtedness to the Jew in a way he had hitherto overlooked, and efforts have been put forth by voice and pen to carry the gospel to this much-neglected people; efforts which God has graciously deigned to bless in a marvelous way. From the days when one of the first modern missions to the Jews was begun in Hungary, in the middle of the last century, to the present time, work of this character has come more and more into prominence, claiming the help and prayerful sympathy of those who know the Lord. There have been many, many mistakes and blunders ; unprincipled men have used such work as a means of self-aggrandizement and self-enrichment, and thus dishonor has been brought upon the name of the Lord. But alas, what line of missionary enterprise has escaped this stigma? "Evil men and seducers " have abounded in all lines of professed Christian service; but this sad fact does not invalidate what is truly of God. So we praise Him for the devotion of many faithful lovers of Israel, who have labored for the conversion of the neglected Jew.

And what have been the results ? Only Eternity will make the full fruitage known; but not only hundreds, but thousands, from among Israel after the flesh have already turned to the Lord, showing that the blindness in part is passing away. Among these are many eminent names-some now with the Lord, others still engaged in His service on earth. Who can estimate the value to the Church of God of an Edersheim, a David Baron, an Adolph Saphir, a Joseph Rabinowitz, and a host of others, whose lives and labors were fragrant with Christ ? And to these may be added a great multitude of the lowly and unknown on earth who have been led to joyfully own the claims of the Lord Jesus, and to suffer shame and ostracism for His name's sake.

"Not Barabbas, but this Man!" exclaimed a dying Jew ; and in so doing he reversed the sentence of his nation, and proclaimed himself on the side of the long-rejected Saviour. And he was not alone, for his brethren and sisters in the faith from among Israel are now legion.

Remembering this, let it be borne in mind that the Holy Ghost predicts the blindness passing away when the fulness of the Gentiles shall have come in. If already the scales are falling from the eyes of many of the Jews, does it not proclaim the fact that the Gentile times are nearly expired, and that "the fulness of the Gentiles" will soon have come in? The "times of the Gentiles" will not run out until Messiah comes to establish His throne at Jerusalem; but the fulness of the Gentiles comes in at our Lord's return for His Church.

Between the two, the awful time of Jacob's trouble intervenes, "the great tribulation," toward which events are so rapidly tending. The times of the Gentiles cannot end until Jerusalem has been delivered from Gentile oppression and become the city of the Great King. But the fulness of the Gentiles may come in ere my reader lays down this paper; for it will take place when the unbelieving branches are torn away from the olive tree of privilege, and that will be when the true believers have been caught up to be forever with the Lord. If this momentous event were to take place ere this paper drops from your hand, my unknown reader, I ask you kindly, but solemnly, what would it mean to you ?

You cannot be ready for His second coming unless you have been saved through the mighty work He accomplished at His first coming. It is written, "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Heb. 9 :28). None look for Him except those who value His atoning work and have been redeemed to God by His most precious blood. Are you numbered among these ? If not, I earnestly beseech you, weigh well the

MIDNIGHT CRY:

"BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH ;

GO YE OUT TO MEET HIM!" H. A. I.