knowledge of it really felt give to them! They shall mourn for him, as having suffered by their sin; that they by wicked hands crucified and slew him. Their national guilt in crucifying Christ will be the great spring of their national sorrow at their conversion. It is the feeling of deepest grief in the sufferings of the most beloved object. When David had committed his fearful crimes of adultery and murder, all other sins were lost in the blaze of his ingratitude to God, and rebellion against him, so that he exclaims, "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight;" so will the Jews in this day view their sin in crucifying their beloved Messiah. And say not the Jews now living had no hand in it. It is a sin continued to the present day, and the present generation, not only by the saying of their forefathers, "his blood be on us and on our children," but also by their own yet persevered in rejection of Christ. O how will they apply David's words and say, "Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness." The deed of the cross has yet to exert its liveliest power in producing godly sorrow in the Jewish nation.

THE DEPTHS OF THIS SORROW deserve also our consideration: "as one mourneth for his only son." Christ is the only begotten Son of God. Christ is the first born of many brethren, and they bring now all those tender relations into their own sympathies and feelings; and in the strength of such love, aggravate their own past sinfulness in their minds, and imbitter their sorrows, just as we see persons to do in deep and real grief, dwelling on every thing that increases their sorrow. The way in which they now view Jesus is, he is dear to us as an only son: O yes, the glory of Israel is Jesus of Nazareth, and his very name among them shall be David, the beloved. And their eighteen hundred years' rejection of him, and the deed which their forefathers did to him, and they have so long approved, shall at length fill them with the intense sorrow of a parent weeping for an only son. They have in past days thus mourned on account of their national judgments (Jer. vi. 26; Amos viii. 10). But this their last sorrow here predicted is not the sorrow of the world, that worketh death, but "a godly sorrow that worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of:" deep bitterness there is in it, as for the first born; but it is like the bitter weeping of Peter when he went out from denying his Lord, which precedes complete restoration. Most extensive it is; each family weeps apart, and their wives, and it reaches families of families; but it is followed by a foun

tain opened for sin and uncleanness, and the full recovery of Israel.

ITS FRUIT is most blessed. How the evangelical prophet speaks, when, with such redoubled earnestness, he is taught to cry, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people; speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, for she hath received of the Lord's hands double for all her sins." Blessed is the fruit that flows from this mourning. Israel becomes, instead of a proud, self-righteous nation, humble, meek, and lowly. Israel becomes, instead of a self-justifying nation, a nation acknowledging its sinfulness, and justifying only God; instead of a bitter, persecuting enmity towards other nations, Israel becomes a nation full of zeal to spread the good tidings of the dying Saviour to all the world. Instead of hatred of Christ and his name, his truth and his people, Israel becomes full of ardent attachment to Jesus, and the largest love to every human being. Instead of hardening their hearts in unbelief, they become the most confiding of all nations in the truth of God. Instead of being remarkable for a revolting heart, they alone of all the nations revolt and backslide no more, and remain the camp of the saints and the beloved city, in the midst of the last apostasy, before the final judgment of all the dead. Righteousness and love become their stamped character for ever. Such is the fruit of their godly sorrow in spiritual graces, and blessedness to themselves.

And what its fruit is in their national honour and exaltation, and what its fruit is in blessedness to the whole earth, is the theme of many an inspired prophecy from Genesis to Revelation. The Redeemer has then a throne on which he can sit,a nation over whom he can reign,-a city in which he can dwell,-"and the name of the city shall be, the Lord is there; for Jerusalem shall be the city of the great King, and the whole earth shall be filled with his glory."

But I must hasten to bring before you the rich PRACTICAL LESSONS with which this subject abounds.

1. THE SPIRITUAL USE OF THE DOCTRINE OF TRINITY.

All

This doctrine here is very apparent. All the power of the prophecy is in Jesus being Jehovah. All the change in the Jewish nation is by the Spirit poured out upon them. spiritual blessings have their source in the Father's love. The Trinity comes, not merely as a theory, but with a rich cluster of blessings; not merely in the New Testament-it is interwoven with all the prophecies and promises of the sacred volume. It is full of unction and comfort, full of practical use and daily benefit.

2. PRAYER FOR THE OUTPOURING OF GOD'S SPIRIT is a practical lesson clearly taught us here. Why is the promise given, but to lead to prayer? I will yet for this be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them.

And, truly blessed is the thought that God is now leading both Jews and Gentiles to prayer, and it is not impossible but that a mutual agreement may speedily take place between them to pray together, at least, at stated times, for those blessings which God has promised to the Jews, and which, all Christians long that they should have.

3. FAITH IN CHRIST CRUCIFIED is a practical lesson taught with great distinctness in this passage, As when the Jews beheld the brazen serpent, lifted up on the pole in the wilderness, they were healed of the poison of the fiery serpent-so, looking to Jesus, hung on the tree for their sins, shall they be healed of the more poisonous bite of Satan, by unbelief causing to them more venomous and deadly destruction. As they view God manifest in the flesh, wounded and pierced by their sins, they will be saved. Look unto me and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth.

4. THE FURTHERANCE OF THE PREACHED GOSPEL is a farther practical lesson. The sum of the gospel is Christ crucified-not to be reserved or hidden as the Jesuits did in China, and some alas! even in England would advise; but to be preached FIRST OF ALL as St. Paul did, "I delivered to you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures." As he is thus set before men lifted up on the cross, he will draw all men to him. No other way is given to us for the conversion of men than proclaiming far and wide the glorious gospel of the grace of God.

5. TENDER COMPASSION FOR THE JEWS. This is our proper feeling towards our elder brother of Israel. "Thy servants take pleasure in her stones. It pitieth them to see her in the dust." Think of their past sufferings; think of their coming anguish and mourning. Think that we have been received through their rejection; by their fall salvation is come to us. And if one spark of ingenuous feeling be left in our bosom, it must fill us with tender emotions of sympathy and commiseration for our long rejected brethren of the house of Israel.

6. CONFIDENT HOPE OF ISRAEL'S CONVERSION is the last lesson which I would bring. Not a shadow of doubt should remain on our minds that all Israel shall yet be saved; that they have not been so long spared, and preserved amidst such mighty evils as those through which they have passed, but with a design full of mercy and goodness to them in the end.

They shall be grafted in again. They shall glory in Jesus their Lord, they shall be a full blessing to the whole earth.

Let us then help forward this to the utmost of our means and power. Thanks be unto our God for all the contributions that have been offered up already. All glory to his name for any interest which has been excited on this occasion in the minds of the inhabitants of this city on this subject. May it spread throngh every part of the nation. Let Edinburgh set an example to be followed by their brethren through the whole kingdom; that England, Scotland, and Ireland may be united in one combined effort to give to the Jews those blessings which they once conveyed to us.