flesh is toothsome and nutritious-Devons, Durhams, Herefords. Their fat-cattle shows are among the festal institutions of the land, and wherever the beef-fed Englishman goes he is known as "John Bull." The ox being figuratively applied to Israel, may be fairly emblematical of his worldwide fame. His pushing proclivities have already appeared.

THE BIRTISH FLAG.

"And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son" (Gen. 27:15). Prof. Bush translates "goodly raiment," "desirable" or "the fair stole or robe." The Chaldeans say, "vestments that are clean." The stole was a long robe with fringed or flounced border, usually white, though sometimes purple. The priestly stole was "for glory and for beauty." "We may regard the stole as a species of vestment appointed mostly to the sacerdotal office, and perhaps from a very early period preserved and handed down among the patriarchs as a badge of the birthright."

A very genuine instance of heraldic blazonry or assigning of distinctive coat armor is recorded in the case of Joseph (Gen. 37: 3), that when he was seventeen years old a coat of many colors is made for him, in anticipation, no doubt, of the birthright blessings. That this coat was intended and did become an honorary distinction, we may be well assured, since it was the provoking cause of the envy of his brethren, as well as a clue to his identity when he was supposed by his father to be torn by wild beasts.

These garments of desire were in all probability the sacred symbolical stole received from their ancestors and kept by the mother of the family in sweet-scented chests or wardrobes. The Targum of Jon says, "And Rebekah took the

desirable robes of her eldest son Esau which had belonged to Adam the first parent." In allusion to the aromatic

fragrance it is said, "Isaac smelled the smell of his raiment." If these were mere common garments, it may be asked why they were in the keeping of Esau's mother, rather than of himself or of his wives, especially as he had been married thirty-seven years and was now about seventy-seven years old.

"The white robes" of the saints were given when they became "kings and priests," as the Christ had received the long white robe, when he entered upon his birthright work (Rev. 1:13). Even the prodigal, who was the younger son, represented in the sons of Joseph, when he returned, received "the best robe" (Gr. stolen). Joseph's coat was dipped in blood, thus, we read of those "Who have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." These we learn were the first-born whose names were written in heaven. Thus a special robe or mark of birthright was given by way of distinction.

It seems a matter of some difficulty to determine the precise date of the origin of Coats of Arms and of heraldry which is defined as the art of blazoning and assigning coat armor. The record of the command to Moses reads, “Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard with the ensign of their father's house" (Num. 2: 2). This, as we take it, is a very genuine instance of heraldic blazonry assigning a distinctive coat armor. We may take it, however, as a fact, and as somewhat remarkable that heraldry in Britain took its rise towards the end of the twelfth century and was brought hither by the Crusading Knights, members chiefly of that Norman aristocracy which we are accustomed to consider as descendants of the Israelitish light-bearing and warrior tribe of Benjamin, full brother to

one who, as we have seen, was probably the original recipient of heraldic distinction. Since the time of Joseph and Benjamin, the Arms of royal and noble personages have developed considerably, and consist now, besides the coat or shield, of helmet, with crest, supporters, motto and badge. "We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners." The Hebrews had an ensign or standard for each of the four divisions of the army, and possibly one for each of the tribes. The Talmudists were wont to define the colors and the figures or arms of each thus: The tribe of Judah's ensign was a lion and a painted inscription, "Rise, Lord, let thine enemies be dispersed, and let those that hate thee flee before thee." To Dan they gave the figure of a serpent, though others gave him an eagle. To Ephraim they assign the Unicorn. In short, they followed the figures of animals as described by Jacob and Moses (Gen. 49).

There are two national flags of Great Britain, each having marks of Israelitish origin. The Royal Flag, as it is called, has the same figures as the Coat of Arms, which has been noticed. The other, the Banner of the Crosses, is composed wholly of straight lines. In the use of the words "straight" and "crooked," the Bible significantly indicates the difference between good and evil. These lines look like “paths," narrow, indeed, but wide enough to be emblems of Christian discipleship, or of the way of the wanderers. Israel was to be "the restorer of the paths to dwell in" which British Israel certainly is to-day, and it need not be thought strange that they are emblazoned on her banner representing possibly the paths of the sea. In this respect the American flag is similar, as it, too, has the stripes, and its stars do not even admit any other lines than straight, no curves. "Who hath stretched the line upon it" or "whose line is gone out

through the earth." If the chord of sacred music from the harp or the line of battle were referred to, it would still be appropriate.

Moreover, these lines in the "Union Jack" all diverge from a common center. The Isles have long been such a center, military, commercial and religious. And under the reign of the Cross, the Prince of Peace, "by whose stripes we are healed," the true Gospel of Peace is settling down on the world. This is deeply in harmony with predictions concerning Israel, when God had "cast us off" (Ps. 60: 1-4), i. e., from the land of Palestine. "Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth." This, the Psalmist adds, was done "that thy beloved may be delivered." Under this banner (Israel's) God has made "the earth to tremble, and has healed the breaches thereof," which can be said of no nation more truly than of Britain under the Banner of the Crosses.

The emblems go far back into the ages. For thousands of years they braved the battle and the breeze, before they appeared on the modern standard. According to Mr. W. C. Langley, the Cross of St. George which was essentially the Cross of England, formerly formed the sole groundwork of the English flag. St. George was known as the patron saint of England. This St. George who is here personified, is supposed to have been a soldier born in Cappadocia, who served in Palestine against the Romans and died a martyr, being beheaded in the year 303 in Lycomedia. "St. George and Merrie England" was the battlecry of the country in the Middle Ages, and St. George was also the cry of William the Conqueror, before the Normans entered the country, and was their titular saint also, and his name also formed the battle-cry of those who went out to the Crusades of the Middle Ages.

The Cross of St. Andrew, white on blue ground, which was the next to be added to the flag, was formerly the sole flag of Scotland, as the red on a white ground had been the sole flag of England. St. Andrew was the Apostle who suffered martyrdom in the year 66 on a cross of that particular shape which might be called the Greek Cross (memorialized by the Greek letter Ch), which stood for the initial letter of the word Christ." According to legendary history after St. Andrew's death sundry relics of him were carried to a place in Scotland known as St. Regulus, which is now called St. Andrew's, and since that time that neighborhood has been almost canonized. The Cross of St. Patrick was red on a white ground.

Now, in this flag we have four distinct quarterings-two scarlet grounds, one gold, and one blue; this, added to the six lions, makes up the number ten, and with the addition of the two for Judah makes the complete number of the tribes of Israel, viz., twelve. The colors displayed on that flag already alluded to, as scarlet, blue, and gold, we shall find have a divine origin and meaning, full of loving teaching to those of us who look into their significance. They were specially given by the God of Israel to His people when they were but wanderers in the wilderness, after their mighty deliverance from the land of Egypt. We find them first displayed in the gorgeous colored garments or vestments of the high priest, whose breastplate sparkled with the gems of the Twelve Tribes (see Exod. 28: 5, 6, 8, 15); and the colors alluded to stand thus, and are mentioned four times in the same chapter, namely, gold, blue, scarlet, purple, and fine-twined linen. Gold is the representative of that light of the Holy Spirit which was so freely lavished in the adornment of the temple and of those things pertaining to it. It is one of the primary colors in light. Blue is