The oral law says, "If a Gentile, an idolater, be seen perishing, or drowning in a river, he is not to be helped out."

3. The word of God says, that religion is not to be propagated by the sword, but through the gentle and persuasive influence of Divine truth. The wars with the Canaanites were not wars for propagating religion; they were judicial wars of extirpation. David was forbidden to build the temple, because he was a man of blood. "Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars; thou shalt not build a house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth." 1 Chron. xxii. 8. Of Messiah it is written, "He shall speak peace to the heathen." The oral law, on the contrary, declares, "Moses, our master, has commanded us, by Divine tradition, to compel all that come into the world to take upon themselves the commandments imposed upon the sons of Noah, and whosoever will not receive them, is to be put to death."

4. The word of God places the obligation of the moral law above mere ceremonies. "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." 1 Sam. xv. 22. "I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." Hos. vi. 6. The oral law exacts ceremonies above all other obligations. It says, for example, that all the commandments, except the burying of the dead, are to give way to the reading of the Megillah, (the book of Esther,) at the feast of Purim; and this reading is a mere ceremony of man's appointment. "In like manner," says the Talmud, "the study of the law is to be omitted, and, à fortiori, all the remaining commandments of the law, all of which give way to the reading of the Megillah." And again, says the oral law, "Every one who eats bread without washing of hands "-a mere ceremony, and that not of God's ordinance-" is as guilty as if he had committed fornication."

5. The word of God declares, "Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink." Isa. v. 11. The oral law affirms, "A man is bound to be so drunk with wine at Purim, as not to know the difference between 'Cursed is Haman,' and Blessed is Mordecai.'

6. The word of God offers the blessings of salvation freely to all to the rich and poor-the learned and the unlearned. Prov. viii. 2-5; Isa. lv. 1. It teaches that "God is no respecter of persons." But the oral law makes religion so difficult and

intricate a thing, that the unlearned man can never gain a knowledge of its injunctions, and, by teaching that almsgiving is a peculiarly meritorious act, it places the poor man at an immense disadvantage when compared with the rich.

7. The word of God says, that women as well as men are to study and obey his law. "Gather the people together, men, women, and children, and the stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and do all the words of this law." Deut. xxxi. 10-12. The oral law declares, Women, and slaves, and children, are exempt from the study of the law."A woman who learns the law has a reward; but it is not equal to the reward which a man has, because she is not commanded to do so."

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8. The word of God declares, "Man looketh at the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh at the heart." The oral law implies that it is the outward appearance which is to be chiefly studied, and lays down regulations which insinuate the possibility of practising deceit even upon the holy and omniscient Majesty of heaven and earth. For example: As the time of Passover approaches, the Israelites are commanded to put away all leaven out of their houses. The oral law adds, "It is for ever unlawful to have any profit from leaven, that has existed during the season of Passover." According to this, the leaven must not be sold, lest its owner should derive profit from it. The rabbis have even composed a form of words, in which every man is to declare his purpose regarding the leaven: "All manner of leaven that is in my possession, which I have seen, and which I have not seen, which I have removed, and which I have not removed, shall be null and accounted as the dust of the earth." The execution of this purpose might involve a serious loss, and the rabbis are ready with an evasion. "An Israelite who has pawned his leaven to a Gentile, if he says to him, In case I do not bring thee the money from this time to a certain day, you have purchased this leaven from the present time; then this leaven is considered as in the possession of the Gentile. Although the Israelite knows that the Getilen will not touch the leaven at all, but keep it for him until after the Passover, and will then return it to him, it is lawful."

Again, the oral law forbids buying and selling on the Sabbath, but at the same time prescribes the following method of

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evasion. "A man must not say to a butcher, Give me meat for so much money; only, Give a portion, or half a portion; and on the morrow they settle the account as to its value." A man must not take anything from a shopkeeper by weight or measure; only let him say to the shopkeeper, Fill this vessel for me; and on the morrow he gives him the value. And even though the vessel should be one set apart for the purpose of measuring, he may fill it, provided that the name of a measure be not mentioned."

9. The word of God teaches that man is sinful and incapable of meriting any reward at the hands of his Maker. "Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints: yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water." Job xv. 15, 16. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Isa. lxiv. 6. On the contrary, the oral law declares, "Every one of the children of men has merits and sins. If his merits exceed his sins, he is righteous. If his sins exceed his merits, he is wicked. If they be half and half, he is a middling or intermediate person."

Such is the oral law. We do not affirm that it is one unmixed, unpalliated mass of contradictions and absurdities. It contains much that is good; many precepts which it would be well to observe, and maxims it would be well to ponder. The rabbis who composed it had studied the law and the prophets, and they incorporated in their work much of wisdom gathered from that source. But do not its fables and inconsistencies abundantly prove that it cannot have come from God? Is a book like this to be counted Divine? Are men's consciences to be held in tormenting bondage to its numberless-its needless-its unreasonable requirements? Which comes to us the more plainly impressed with a Divine impress-the oral law, or the New Testament? We propose the inquiry to every candid Jew, Which of the two evinces the closer agreement with the spirit of the Old Testament, and which sheds more light upon its meaning? Which is the better, the wiser, the kinder teacher-the rabbi, or Christ?

Beloved Jewish brethren, your rabbis have led you astray. They have imposed on you a heavy yoke of ceremonies. They have strangely perverted the religion which God gave you by his servant Moses. They have darkened to you the light of God's truth. Why should you follow these blind guides?

Examine for yourselves. Read the Scriptures of the Old Testament—the gift of God to your fathers-and there you will find record of a wiser Teacher, a kinder Master, of whom it is written, “He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench." "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound." Oh, then, reject human tradition! Sit at the feet of this heavenly Teacher, even of Him who says in another place, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls: for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

THE MONTH THAMMUZ.

THE month Thammuz, in the present Jewish year, contains twenty-nine days. It commences on Sunday, the 2nd inst., and ends on Sunday, the 30th inst. No festivals named in Scripture are observed by the Jews during this month.

THE LAST DAYS OF RABBI HIRACH.

THE mission of the Free Church of Scotland to the Jews has been honoured by many indications of the Divine approval. A delightful instance of the success of this effort has been lately afforded in the last days of Rabbi Hirach, of Pesth. Several years passed away after his conversion to Christianity, in which his character daily became mellowed and softened by the grace of God. But it was during the last few months of his life that the greatest progress was observed. Hitherto the fruit had been always growing in size, but within this time it began to emit the odour of ripeness. His views became more mature, his conversation more spiritual, and all around him testified that he seemed to live continually in the contemplation of Divine truth, and under a sense of the nearness of God.

Two of his brethren who attended him during his last days, have furnished interesting records of his dying experience, and a few extracts from one of them will be read with gratitude and delight. "After I had brought him some things he

stood in need of, I asked him in what I could further help him. He put his arm round mine, and said, 'Pray for me.' I took the New Testament which lay beside him. He said, 'Read to me the seventeenth chapter of John.' I then prayed over his bed. When I rose, he asked if I had still a little time, for he wished also to pray. I answered, 'Yes.' He then prayed. His prayer was no natural prayer. It warmed my cold heart, and made me weep bitter tears. He said, 'I am indeed poor, and yet very happy. How would it be with me now if I were rich, but had no Saviour? But there is one thing,' said he, with folded hands, which lies heavy on my heart. My child, my only child; if I but knew him to be in Christ, my joy would be full. You cannot understand what a dying father feels in leaving behind him his only child in the hands of Satan. All my letters, all exhortations, all appeals to the word of God, have remained without a blessing. I see from his letters he loves this world too much.' 'Be without care,' I replied, 'you have done your part, the rest is in the hands of the Lord: you have scattered the seed in his heart; and if it be the will of God, he will yet grant success. You know that his ways are wonderful.' 'Yes,' he said, 'when I consider my own life, I must also exclaim, Lord, how wonderful are thy ways! In my old age he conducted me to Pesth, where I met with foreigners from a distant land, and they made known to me the Gospel-is not that wonderful?' I said, 'We have all cause to pray for these messengers, and to praise the Lord.' 'Yes, yes,' he answered, and now I fear not death, for Christ has died for me.' The next morning I came to him at seven o'clock, to have worship with him. I was to have read from the Epistle to the Hebrews, but he said, 'Read the fifteenth chapter of John. All that is contained in the New Testament is Divine, but the words spoken by the Saviour himself have a double power and sweetness for me.'"

The time drew near for this aged Israelite to die. For some time before his death, he was unable to speak, or even to recognise those about him. But while his intercourse with earth was ceasing, his intercourse with heaven, so far as it could be known by outward signs, seemed to get more intimate and near. At length he fell asleep, calmly and sweetly, on the bosom of that Saviour, the found Messiah, whom he so much loved. The people of the house, and the neighbours, mostly Jews, were much affected by his death. Bathed in tears, they