am led to ask, if, as he justly acknowledges, the Lord when He returns will bring the saints with Him, Where are they prior to that event? Is not that word, "them that sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him," together with many other forms of inspired utterance, unlike what he or any one would naturally use while believing that they who sleep in Jesus, or through Jesus, have no state or place or existence, but are (for the time being) as if death were their irrevocable doom?

66

It is not the fascinating influence of so ne cherished fancy of years gone by" that holds some, at least, of those who welcome the RAINBOW to the conviction that the truth

most regretable tendency to minimise the change wrought by the Spirit, while conflicting also with express declarations of Christ and His Apostles.

With cordial acknowledgments of light and truth received on subjects of transcendant importance. I remain, Dear Sir, Yours faithfully,

STEPHEN Wright.

53, St. Paul's Road, Birmingham.

THE JEWISH MOVEMENT.

DEAR SIR,-You may remember that when we last met, I referred to Isaiah xxxiii. 14, as a text not

satisfactorily explained, at the same time suggesting an interpretation.

bliss and glory associated in Scripture with the resurrection of life and second advent. We do not all need to be assured that "the dead know not anything;" but believe that He hath abolished death; that that which is born of the Spirit does not come under the law of sin and death, and that the enemy cannot undo the work of God in those who are regenerate; who have passed over from death unto life.

You will kindly allow me to say that I feel it right to believe inplicitly as ever in the salvation of souls from death under this dispensation though not under the old, and after carefully following the reasonings of able contributors for some twelve years, am convinced that there is a distinction here which should be acknowledged but seems to pass unnoticed, or is only occasionally perceived. And, further, that the contrary view has a

The enclosed MS. contains what I take to be its true signifi

interest to some readers of the RAINBOW ?

This month's number is a very interesting one.

Do, please, keep your readers well informed of Jewish Movements, in which great numbers of Christians are interested. I remain,

Yours faithfully, EDWARD WOOD FORSTER.

The

the Sinaitic, in which it is true that that clause is omitted, as it is in a few other authorities. omission is accounted for by Tischendorf by the homœoteleuton-that is, the sameness of the final words -of this clause and the verse preceding, both ending in the words "thousand years.' "This is perhaps the most frequent cause of all of the dropping of lines or sentences by copyists. The eye catches the first thousand years," then is turned towards the page on which the pen is at work; it looks up again, and seeing the second "thousand years," overlooks the fact that the expression comes twice, and pro

ceeds to what follows.

To the thoughtful reader, who reflects how, in every department of human knowledge, we trust to experts and allow our uninformed judgment to succumb to their authority, it will be a weighty consideration that of all the New Testament critics, men who have devoted it may be thirty years or more of their lives to the study of textual criticism, there is not one who entertains even any doubt of the genuineness of these words. They are unhesitatingly accepted without brackets or any intimation of the least misgiving by Griesbach, Scholz, Lachmann, Tregelles, Tischendorf, Alford, Westcott, and Hort, and the New Testament Revision Committee. This will satisfy most reasonable men.

Yours faithfully,

Mill Hill.

R. F. WEYMOUTH.

"THE CLOSING DAYS OF

CHRISTENDOM."

DEAR SIR,-It may interest you to know that the Earl of Shaftesbury has written to my publishers, and

DEAR SIR, We admire the earnestness which characterizes so much of the evangelistic effort put forth by Christians, of various churches, in mission halls, open-air services, and other ways; but we deplore the errors that weigh down the Gospel they deliver; for organised evangelistic effort seems to be almost wholly given up to Christians who believe and teach the eternity of sin and suffering. Is there not a special summons to us who have clearer light to engage in evangelistic work, so far as we have ability and opportunity? But we are much fettered when we unite our efforts with fellow Christians whose teachings are so unscriptural concerning man's nature and destiny; for how can we declare the Christ in whom we believe, if we may not speak of Him as the Giver of Immortality, and as coming again?

I wish to suggest, therefore, that Christian workers resident in London, who are united in the belief of the great foundation truth of "life in Christ" should join together for evangelistic work. My thought is, that if a sufficient number of brethren were willing to help in such work, a hall might be hired in some suitable locality, convenient of access from different parts of London, in which, and in the streets surrounding, the Gospel of Christ

might be proclaimed-freed from the incubus of the doctrine of eternal suffering-to some of our poor degraded brother-men, who starve while we feast on the luxuries of the truth of God.

I make this suggestion with the object of calling forth an expression

of opinion, but yet more especially in the hope that some who have had experience in such work, which I have not, will take the matter up; so that if the project be wise and right, and practicable, it may be carried out. J. O.

Faithfully yours,

Jonah and His Mission. Expository Sermons. By JAMES MENZIES. London: Elliot Stock.

THESE sermons are entitled, very appropriately, 1. "The Runaway Prophet;" 2. "Thou art the Man;" 3. "Out of the depths have I called;" 4. Sackcloth and Ashes; 5. "Out of sympathy with God." Mr. Menzies has done his work so well in this little book that we are glad to give him a cheering word. The heart of his thoughts, in explanation of Jonah's cdnduct, is Jewish prejudice against the extension of Divine mercy to Gentiles. But we like the runaway prophet after all. There is something noble about him in telling his own story for the benefit of his bigoted countrymen. The practical stream that runs through these brief discourses is valuable.

The Endless Life; Two Discourses on the History of English Opinion on Human Destiny during the last Thirty Years, with a Special View to the Doctrine of Immortality through the Divine Incarnation. By EDWARD WHITE. London: Stock.

MR. WHITE has earned his position. He is entitled to give us the history of the doctrine, and he has done it very fairly upon the whole.

He

has spoken of us so handsomely, that we forgive him the little hit about "Theories which true science

must sternly reject." When we find true science we shall give her a most hearty welcome. But the science which is popular to-day is the enemy of revelation, and therefore we "must sternly reject " it. We are grateful to Mr. White for the eloquent tribute he has paid to the memory of our mutual friend, Mr. Henry Dunn. We commend this pamphlet to the "Orthodox," that they may see the type of mind

faithful, Christ-loving, devoutthat rejects natural immortality, with its horrible logical sequel of endless torment to the lost, and accepts rejoicingly eternal life as the "gift of God in Christ."

Love: Human and Divine. The Fate of the Wicked. By MARIA GELLETLEY. Edinburgh: Lor

rimer and Gillies. AVALUABLE and refreshing pamphlet. Immortal Life: The Golden Thread and Special Teaching of St. John's Gospel. By the Rev. W. GRIFFITH. London: F. Southwell, 19, Paternoster Row. THE title of this pamphlet is a holy truth, and Mr. Griffith has developed it with his usual ability, in terse and clear language. Yet we

are sorry to differ from our muchesteemed brother, as he well knows we do, on the nature of the "kingdom," on the intermediate state, and on one or two other matters which need not be named.

The Teachers' Storehouse and Treasury.

SUNDAY SCHOOL teachers will be glad to know that, by a liberal arrangement made by the publisher, the annual volume of the "Teachers' Storehouse and Treasury" will be supplied to them for a limited period at half-price, viz., one shilling, or post free for one shilling and fourpence. As the work is a perfect "storehouse" of useful material for the teacher's use, we advise our readers to apply for the book to Mr. Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, London, E.C. The Cross: Heathen and Christian. A Fragmentary Notice of its Early Pagan Existence, and subsequent Christian Adeption. Third Edition. With many illustrations. By MOURANT BROCK, M.A. London: Elliot Stock. By historical testimony, which can neither be refuted nor evaded, Mr. Brock has shown that the cross was the symbol of very ancient and abominable pagan religions. It was not adopted as a symbol of Chris

tianity until the so-called Church sank into paganism. Of course we knew this before; but we were so absorbed by Mr. Brock's "Fragment" of 120 pages, that we could not lay it aside until we read it through. The likeness of crosses of all ages and nations is extremely interesting.

Importance of Faith in Scripture

Miracles. By AN ASSOCIATE
OF KING'S COLLEGE. London:
Haughton and Co.

FOR those who are not acquainted with the larger works on miracles this little book may be commended as an intelligent introduction to the subject. It is really a forcible tractate. In these days of growing infidelity and atheism, Christian men must fearlessly stand up for the truth. Christ's witnesses need to be brave at present, and if we at all understand prophecy that need will be great very soon.

Christ's Second Advent: Will it be pre-Millennial or post-Millennial? By A. PONTIFEX. Price One Penny. To be had of W. Laing, 51, Buccleuch Street, Edinburgh.

VERY good indeed. Clear and scriptural. We are glad to welcome Mr. Pontifex as another witness to that which is "most surely believed among us."