bably in 1119,) at Toledo, of a family already distinguished by more than one name of eminence in the Jewish history of the Peninsula. Posterity has surnamed him, by way of distinction, Hachacham (the wise); and learned Christians have also done full justice to his genius and extensive learning. Taking into consideration the age in which he lived, he was really eminent as a commentator, grammarian, philosopher, cabbalist, physician, mathematician, astronomer, and poet. Gifted with some portion of wealth, he was enabled to gratify a taste for travelling, which he possessed in common with many of his co-religionists of that period.

This taste, which belonged peculiarly to the Jews of the middle ages, is worthy of remark, as presenting a striking contrast to the life led by the monks and Roman Catholic clergy of that period. This desire of becoming personally acquainted with a world in which they met with so much hostility; this persevering diligence in study, carried on amid the fatigues and excitement of foreign travel; and, lastly, the desire to ease, as it were, their position as wanderers, by becoming really so, is especially observable in the character of Aben Ezra.

The various places from which he dated his different works show, in the literal meaning of the word, that they were composed by a wanderer on the earth. One of them was written at Mantua, another at Rome, another in London, and a fourth in Greece. He visited also the land of his forefathers, and held discourse with the learned men of Tiberias, upon the Masoretic text of the Old Testament. He died on his return from this pilgrimage, in his seventy-fifth year;

about twelve years earlier than Maimonides, who, with many others, esteemed and admired him.

As a commentator on Scripture, he is valued, without exception, by all. He made good use of his great talents as a linguist, and was skilful in detecting the meaning of the text; while his expressions were elegant, and sometimes lively, and full of wit. His works have always been favourably received among Christians, and by them his commentaries have been translated into Latin. Complaint is made, however, of the obscurity of his style, which has required comments to be written upon his commentaries.

He also highly distinguished himself as a poet, he has left sacred poetry, hymns, and prayers, some of which have been added to the Liturgy of the Sephardim. His hymn on the soul is a poetical development of the rabbinical idea, that each night during sleep, the soul released from the body, gives account to the Most High, of the works done during the day. He has left also other descriptions of poetry, as Epithalamiums, Satires, and even a copy of verses on the game of chess, which, with two other poems on the same subject, were translated, and published in Latin, by Hyde, at Oxford, 1694. It is said that the

Spanish version of the Old Testament, printed at Ferrara, in the sixteenth century, was only an improvement upon more ancient versions; among others, that of Aben Ezra. The Spanish language was at that time far less studied by the learned Jews than Hebrew and Arabic.

LETTER FROM THE REV. ALFRED

STACKHOUSE.

PERTH, VAN DIEMEN'S LAND,
Feb. 4th, 1852.

An interesting circumstance has been communicated to me by the Rev. J. S. Medland, which I am sure will please you. It appears that he was rather disheartened by the result of his appeal in behalf of the Jews, and began to regret that he had incurred the expense of advertizing his sermons (he preached for the Society at his own Church), when scarcely a stranger was present. But he was soon cheered by the following occurrence. I will give it in his own words :

"After our evening service on Christmas-day, I had occasion to see Mr. -, and remained talking with him until ten o'clock. The Penitentiary-gate had scarce closed on me, when I was accosted by a person whom at first I could not at all distinguish. However, after a few words, I said, ‘I think you were the person who came into the chapel this evening, after the service had commenced; you were there in the morning, and also in the evening of Sunday.' He said, I was;' and added: 'I could not leave this place (Hobart Town) without seeing you, and thanking you for your sermons for the Jews.' I asked him if he took any particular interest in them; and he replied, I am a Jew.' I enquired: 'Are you a baptized—a converted Jew?' With much diffidence and humbleness of manner he said he was. This led to some interesting conversation, in the course of which I learned that he had only arrived in the Colony a few days

since, that he had seen the advertisement and had attended the chapel on each occasion since. He appeared very thankful, and said I had done him much good. He promised, if the vessel, in which he was about to leave, did not sail in the morning, according to notice, that he would call again.

"I now recollected, that I said to Mr. Medland, after the first sermon, that unless I was much mistaken there was a Jew in the Church; this was the person.

name of

"Yesterday morning he called again, and told me many interesting particulars about himself. His friends at home are very respectable. His father died a Jew.. His mother was baptized by Mr. Dale, at the age of 55. He has one sister (baptized) married to a wealthy person of the and another married to a missionary to the Jews (now deceased). He tells me that he was baptized at about 14 years of age, from his conviction of the truth of Christianity. A few years since he left his home, and came out to New Zealand, where he has been variously engaged for more than two years. He is now on his way to Port Philip, and if he does not go to the diggings, he thinks he shall be able to obtain a good situation in that Colony for a year or two, when he purposes going home. In the course of conversation he said that he did not wonder at the feeling of the Jews, with reference to Christianity, when they see the conduct of those who profess and call themselves by that name. He appeared to think, what has occurred to my own mind, that our national Christianity is one great stumbling-block in the Jews' way. He is a young man of about 23, or a little more, and appears intelligent and well-informed. He told me that he

had not spoken to any clergyman since leaving England; and seemed very glad when I asked him to come and see me if the vessel did not sail."

Mr. Medland saw this person again before he left for Port Philip. May he be found to be of those who believe unto the saving of the soul. Think of his being brought to this extreme quarter of the world, to hear a sermon in behalf of the Jews, and to be stirred up himself to seek more earnestly for the enjoyment of Christian privileges!

THE JEWS A BLESSING TO THE CHURCH AND TO THE WORLD.*

THE moral conflict, is thickening around us. The mystic Babylon is marshalling her legions for a new stuggle with the witnesses of Christ. A vain philosophy, proud of a few pebbles gathered up on the shore of that mighty sea, the Divine Omniscience, would set aside the messages of His word as an unreal and airy dream, Unbelieving men would banish God from the walks of politics and the fields of science. They would coop up His supreme authority within the private conscience of a few religious zealots, whose creeds are kindly suffered to neutralize each other, and thus practically dethrone the Most High from the government of His own world. And how shall the testimony be lifted up against these conflicting, yet confederate,

* Conclusion of Rev. T. R. Birk's Sermon before the Society, May 6, 1852.