from which some branches being broken off, we, of the wild olive tree, were grafted in, and with the remaining natural branches are become partakers of the root and fatness of the olive. (Rom. xi. 17.) And shall we not be mindful of the rock whence we are hewn, and the hole of the pit whence we are digged? Shall we not look unto Abraham our father, and unto Sarah that bare us? (Isaiah li. 1, 2.) We will not cease to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and that the vail may speedily be taken away, which now hangs over the faces of the descendants of Israel." (2 Cor. iii.)

Then answered the Israelite, "You speak with kindness, and not indeed as an enemy: nevertheless, since you are a Christian, I look upon you with abhorrence, as the disciple of a deceiver; of one, who, by false miracles, has deceived one-third of mankind, and will continue to deceive men, till the true Messiah shall come in his glory. And then will the Lord God cast down the strength of the confidence of the mighty." (Prov. xxi. 22.)

"Wherefore," replied the other, "do you suppose that the miracles of our Esau Musseeh are false? Wherefore should you esteem that to be unjust in our cause, which you hold to be just in your own? You consider the miracles recorded in the Old Testament, as indisputable facts; because delivered upon the testimony of ocular witnesses. That your prophet Elijah was taken up into heaven, you believe upon the single testimony of Elisha, as a man of unexceptionable credit. But of our Esau Musseeh's ascent into heaven we produce twelve witnesses of the most unblemished character; and still many more, of his appearance upon earth after his crucifixion upon Mount Calvary. If, therefore, this kind of testimony be counted sufficient

to establish the authority of your religion; it must necessarily be considered as equally available with regard to ours. And further than this, the witnesses we produce were content to lay down their lives, enduring incredible torments, in attestation of the facts they reported; a circumstance recorded in countless heathen histories still extant. Moreover it was through the ministry of these very witnesses that the Christian religion has been transmitted down, through a regular and unbroken succession of teachers and priests, unto this day, forming a spiritual church, of which the Messiah is the chief corner-stone, and which, daily increasing and growing, shall, at length, fill the whole earth; according to that which is written: For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children." (Isaiah liv. 10—13.)

The Israelite replied, That the wonders spoken of, as having been performed by Esau Musseeh, were undoubtedly effected by the power of evil spirits.

Christian Messenger. Is it not found by experience, that in whatsoever country the Christian religion prevails, the power of Satan is diminished? In those countries, where the government is Christian, and the holy Book of God is studied by the people, witchcraft and idolatry are scarcely known, and the public

morals become more irreproachable and pure. How, therefore, can we suppose that Satan should uphold a religion, by which his power is subverted? How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. (Mark iii. 23-26.)

In reply to this, the son of Israel said, “It is written in our books, If there arise among you a prophet, or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder cometh to pass, whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, which thou hast not known, and let us serve them; thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the Lord your God proveth you, to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. (Deut. xiii. 1—3.) Now this your Messiah preached another law than that of Moses; therefore he is not to be believed, though it were granted that he actually performed surprising miracles."

Then said the Christian messenger, "Your argument, so far from telling against us, speaks in our favour: for God has said, in the eighteenth chapter of the same book which you have but now referred to, that he would raise up another like unto Moses, unto whom they should hearken. (Deut. xviii. 15.) From these two passages of this book compared together, your own interpreters rightly collected, that every one who worked miracles was to be believed, if he did not draw men off from the service of God. Now our blessed Saviour did not only forbid the worship of false gods, but

pointed out the way in which the true God ought to be worshipped: a way," added the Christian messenger, 66 entirely agreeable unto that ancient revelation of himself, which has been faithfully transmitted to us through the writings of Moses and the prophets. Esau Musseeh," continued he, "taught that God the Father was to be worshipped through a divine mediator; one who, being equal with God the Father as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the Father only as touching his manhood, was completely and wonderfully fitted for the mediatorial office. He taught that all the types and ceremonies, ordained by the Mosaic law, were but as shadows, of which he himself, as mediator, was the divine substance: which shadows, when by his death he had accomplished our redemption, were totally done away as of no further use. Thus, the Almighty, after a long season of darkness, caused a heavenly light to arise upon the world, a light which shall shine brighter and brighter, until it attain unto the glory of a perfect and everlasting day."

After this, I heard many things which passed between the Christian messenger and the son of Israel, upon the subject of ceremonies and sacrifices, wherein the former endeavoured to convince the latter that such observances could be acceptable to God in no other view, than as instituted types and shadows of better things to come; being of no importance considered in themselves, and utterly insufficient for the removal of sin.

After awhile, the Israelite confessed the force of the Christian's arguments on this subject, though he denied that the types were fulfilled in the person of Esau; still confidently asserting, that he who was promised to save his people from their sins, who should exceed in glory

all the ancient prophets, was yet to come, and would appear on earth in the latter days.

In reply to this, the Christian messenger referred the Israelite to the prophet Daniel, who, according to the direction of the angel Gabriel, has left upon record this important declaration, that there should not pass above five hundred years between the publication of the edict for rebuilding the City of Jerusalem and the coming of the Messiah. "But,” added he, "above two thousand years have passed away since that period, and he whom the Israelites expect is not yet come; nor indeed can any other person ever be pointed out, except Esau Musseeh, as exhibiting a satisfactory accomplishment of that memorable prediction."

The Israelite made answer, that it was certain that this prediction had been made by the prophet Daniel, but on account of the exceeding wickedness of their nation, the fulfilment of it had been postponed.

Then said the Christian messenger, "Do you make the Lord Jehovah a man, that he should alter his counsels? Does he not say of himself, by the mouth of his prophet Malachi, I am the Lord, I change not? (Mal. iii. 6.) And again, he saith, Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. (Isaiah li. 6.) Can you therefore suppose that the purposes of the Almighty, with respect to the glorious work of salvation, could be altered by any thing within the limits of human power? since it is written again in the same prophet, The moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them