on the teaching of the Holy Spirit, we shall make gradual and sure progress, and find that this study is most profitable, instructive, and helpful to our scul's life. And by our mistakes, let us be humbled, and thus led more earnestly to seek the teaching of the Spirit of God. Come, Lord Jesus! Come! Pour out Thy Holy Spirit upon us; may He guide us into all the truth, and give us grace to occupy and to work diligently and faithfully until Thou comest in power and glory. Amen. At the longest, it can be but "A very little while, and He that cometh, shall come and not tarry" (Heb. x. 37). "Ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief" (1 Thess. v. 4). "I come quickly " (Rev. xxii. 17-20).

COLONIZATION OF PALESTINE.

W. H. H.

It is well known that there are at the present time hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Jews anxious to return to the land of their fathers. Shall we not help them? All who feel an interest in the present condition of God's ancient people, and in their approaching restoration to Palestine, are invited to forward their names and addresses to the Rev. W. H. Hechler, Temple Chambers, Falcon Court, 32, Fleet Street, London, E.C. Suggestions also bearing on this most important subject will be thankfully received, and information will be forwarded to persons desiring to have it.

[We hope that very many persons will send their names to Mr. Hechler, as the object contemplated is of world-wide importance. The steps towards the realisation of that object, which a few devoted followers of Christ and friends of the Jews, are taking, cannot be fully explained at present; but the readers of the RAINBOW are sure to take an interest in any movement which springs from the belief that the time for repeopling the Land of Promise with the descendants of Abraham is at hand. Please read the next article.-ED.]

TO THE WATCHMEN UPON THE MOUNT EPHRAIM. "For there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the Mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the Lord our God" (Jer. xxxi. 6). "I have set watchmen upon (over) thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night; ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence and give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

"Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people" (Isaiah lxii. 6, 7, 10).

DURING several years past, earnest students of prophecy have become

more and more convinced that the times of the Gentiles are all but fulfilled, and that the set time to favour Zion is upon us. What then should be the attitude of the servants of God? Special light involves special responsibilities. It is clear that it is our duty and wisdom to inquire of the Lord, and the words quoted above from Isaiah could hardly have been put more forcibly. We are to "give Him no rest!" There are, doubtless, very many of the Lord's servants who faithfully remember Jerusalem day and night; and who shall say that their prayers may not be hastening the speedy fulfilment of God's promises to Israel?

Our Lord has set no limit to the marvels which may be brought about by "importunity" in prayer.

But we are not only to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We must watch as well as pray to be safe from temptation in matters affecting the individual spirit. We must watch as well as pray, also, for the earlier fulfilment, always in His time, of the prophecies relating to the revelation of the glory of our adorable Lord.

And who that has been watching with prayer during, say only the past two decades, can have failed to identify even in movements at first sight merely of secular or political interest, partial fulfilments (as the bud precedes the leaf) of the prophecies concerning the last days of this age.

Have we not seen, in 1866, the Pope formally deposed from his temporal authority-exactly 1260 solar years after the exaltation of the Papal authority by the decree of Phocas, A.D. 607 ?* What a fulfilment of the prophecy, by the hand of Daniel, that at the time of the end "many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased" have we not seen, particularly since the first International Exhibition in 1851! What persecutions of God's ancient people have followed upon that which took place at Rome in 1864! What fresh blasphemies have emanated from the Vatican! What reverses have been sustained by the armies of European nations owning the supremacy of the false Church of Rome! What a "falling away" in once Protestant Britain! What a breaking of the manacles of the slave ! What an access has been vouchsafed to the glorious Gospel of our God in heathen lands, as a witness to all nations! What a waning of the power of the Turk! What progress towards the completion of the final number of the ten Roman Kingdoms who are to have power for one hour with the Beast! What a flood of infidelity and of lawlessness has broken over the whole Eastern hemisphere! What ancient landmarks have been removed! What "perilous times" have come upon us! Are not men now, as we are told they shall be in the last days, "lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy ?" Are they not now "without natural affection;" are they not both nationally and individually “truce-breakers?" How many men are now "traitors" -how many "heady” and “high-minded ;" and how many, alas, are not "lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God?" Even in our once Protestant and still most favoured country, do we not see everywhere too much of the "form of godliness," and far too little of "the power thereof ?" Is there not now, more than ever, need to teach our children in the words of the wise man of old, "My son, fear God and the King, and meddle not with them that are given to change?" (Prov. xxiv. 21.)

Do we not also see more cheering signs than these? Is there not a growing confidence and jubilant expectation among the elect minorities of the Lord of His speedy coming in accordance with His gracious promise? Is there not more faithful waiting and watching for the catchingup of the elect to meet their Lord in the air? Is there not just such a universal belief among all peoples that we are on the eve of some great

"The Approaching End of the Age." By G. Grattan Guinness. Hodder and

Stoughton, London.

cataclysm, as obtained prior to the first advent of our Lord? Is there not a wide-spread feeling among Israel after the flesh (excepting always those who are content with the fleshpots of Egypt), that their glorious Messiah, whom we know and recognise beforehand, by faith, to be one and the same with Him who loved us from the beginning, and who gave Himself for us on Calvary, is at the gate? Have we not, like Daniel, "understood by books the number of the years whereof the word of the Lord came to the prophets ?" Do we not find, in every daily paper, fresh evidence that God's word is truth, and that He is working out that which He purposed long before, in all the spiritual, physical, political, moral and scientific fields of His rule ?

Supposing that we are both watching and praying, then, must we stop here?"Laborare est orare may be read backwards as well as forwards. We must also work-" redeeming the time." In our triune natures there is a special function for the spirit-that of prayer; one also for the soul or intelligence-that of watching; and one also for the body-that of work. But as neither of our three constituents of spirit, soul and body can be truly said to exist without both the others, so, work for God cannot be effectual without both prayer and watching; prayer cannot be real without both work and watching, nor is watching of any practical value without both prayer and work.

I am as far from wishing to judge any man (except myself) as I am from desiring to flatter. Therefore I prefer to put the matter interrogatively, to myself and to every one who professes the faith of Christ. Granting that we may be both watching and praying for the Kingdom of God, are we-am I—also working to that glorious end? Let each of us consider whether we are individually obeying the Lord's call! What excuses did Moses not make when first called to active service in the cause of God's ancient people! What diffidence did Gideon exhibit at a similar call! And with what gracious assurances of guidance and strength did Jehovah answer them! Did He not also enjoin Joshua to "only be strong and very courageous ?" Is His arm at all shortened since those days? Has He, as many professing Christians seem to believe, power now in heaven only, having abdicated His rule over the earth? Must we go through the same training as Nebuchadnezzar before we learn the same lesson; that "the most High

liveth for ever

that

whose dominion is an everlasting dominion doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay His hand, or say unto Him, 'What doest Thou?'"

But has not God for the most part in all ages, and uniformly during this dispensation of grace, chosen to work through human instruments ? And if He be now calling any of us to bear a share in the agency by which He is bringing about the fulfilment of His purposes which are of old, shall we resist His Spirit, and, through either fear or indolence, refuse to perform the work which He has so graciously meted out for us? God forbid! "Why should I let another take my crown ?" is a question we may all frequently ask ourselves with advantage.

What then is the work which the Lord has apportioned to each of us? We cannot all be apostles, nor all preachers, nor all evangelists. But God has set before each of us his own individual sphere of work; and

with prayer and watchfulness we may each do daily something to hasten the coming of the Kingdom.

For some years past I have felt persuaded that Christians generally are very remiss in one particular branch of God's work, attached to which there is a special and most gracious promise. I refer to the absence of any serious, collective and well-considered effort in the direction of restoring God's Ancient Feople to the land of their fathers. Some hold the opinion that this will be effected by express and direct intervention of a purely Divine and altogether supernatural kind; but this view will hardly be held by serious students of prophecy who take the Word to mean what it says. It would be easy, probably, for any reader of the RAINBOW to show from Scripture that this "Deus ex machinâ " theory is untenable; and the proofs that this glorious restoration will not be an exception to God's established plan of working, by and through human wills and agencies, are so numerous that this is hardly the place to attempt to collate them. I will therefore proceed to more practical considerations. Knowing that there are very many lovers of Israel who pray and yearn for their early restoration; because the Jews are beloved for their fathers' sakes; because we Christians owe them so much; because through them we hold the oracles of God; because of them as concerning the flesh Christ came; and through and beyond all other reasons, from the conviction that the national re-establishment of the Jewish Nation in their own land is an inevitable preliminary of the full and personal manifestation of the glory of our adorable Lord Jehovah-Jesus; knowing this, I say, I began to ask some years ago, why these lovers of Israel should remain without mutual knowledge, help and counsel, and without the organisation necessary for common and collective work? Why, indeed, but because the injunction has not been obeyed, to “ Lift up a standard for the people!"-in other words to establish a common rallying point to which should be directed all the knowledge, all the experience, all the zeal, all the discretion, all the work, all the material and pecuniary help, of all Christians who are like-minded in this matter.

Having, therefore, sounded several friends whose discretion and sound knowledge of the Scriptures could be implicitly relied on, for the safety which lies in the multitude of counsel, a first small gathering of lovers of the ancient people was held in London, on the 17th October last. In the chair was a well-known and highly esteemed Protestant divine of the Church of England. This meeting (as also subsequent ones) was opened by an earnest prayer for the guidance of God's Holy Spirit, by one known (in spirit at least) by every reader of this Magazine-none other than the revered pastor of Maberly. There were present an eminent civil engineer, two or three City merchants and brokers, a member of a well-known firm of bankers in Jerusalem, and others known for their faithful Christian work-fourteen in all. The first object of establishing a personal acquaintance between a few lovers of Israel having been accomplished, some very interesting interchanges of views, experience and special knowledge ensued; other meetings were held at which new and most valuable coadjutors were introduced; channels for obtaining special information bearing on the subject were opened up; plans of action were arranged, and many valuable statistics and particulars were collected.

At this juncture occurred the renewal of the persecutions of the Jews in Russia, followed by the well-remembered outburst of indignation throughout the length and breadth of Britain, and the establishment, on 1st February last, of the Mansion House Relief Fund. Some of us thought, here was a more powerful organisation than we could hope to erect by years of labour, springing like Minerva, armed, into the world; and fancied it would be supererogatory to proceed further. Others doubted whether the results would be of a permanent character, or whether indeed the Committee would attempt to do more than extend temporary relief to the actual victims of the late persecutions. However, action on our part remained in abeyance whilst the policy of the Mansion House Committee was undeveloped, and it was only when it transpired that the management of the Fund had lapsed into the hands practically of the so-called Orthodox Jews, with the inevitable result that Palestine was (at all events temporarily) struck off the list of countries available for adoption by Jews assisted by the Mansion House Fund, that it was felt expedient for us to resume work in our own quiet groove, feeling convinced that our objects, and those of the working Committee of the Fund were in no way identical, and at the same time in no way inimical, to each other.

In the meantime the feelings of the Turkish bureaucracy had become so embittered against everything English, in consequence of the policy of our present Government (on which no reflection is necessarily hereby meant), that we felt compelled to adopt an entire change of front and of policy. Our friends must bear with us if we refrain for the present from indicating very precisely what particular line of policy we now have adopted. Suffice it to say that we have secured the adhesion of several small societies who have for some time been working, unknown to us and each other, with similar aims; that among others the Rev. Mr. Hechler has thrown in his efforts with ours, and has very kindly lent us his name and address as a temporary rallying point, pending the incorporation of a Society, and the appointment of a Secretary with fixed offices; and that what is now required from Christian sympathizers is that they should assist us with their moral and pecuniary support to aid in the formation of a permanent Society, having for its avowed and main object the colonization of Palestine, and the adjacent countries, particularly with reference to the impending resettlement there of the main body of the Jewish nation.

Readers of the RAINBOW! you have had a clear month's start of the rest of the British public by the insertion in the April number of a slip inviting the forwarding of your names and addresses. The response to this has been most gratifying, as the replies received embrace the names of many of the most respected and constant writers in the Magazine. We want more names; and we want also money subscriptions, to warrant us in the opening of a banking account and the appointment of trustees. The immediate object to which these funds are to be applied is to pay the expenses of obtaining from the Porte a concession for such public works as are necessary to the working out of the grand aim of the Association, which, please God, is to be the restoration of the Jewish people to Palestine.

I have much more to say on this all-engrossing subject, but the space