It is printed and published in London, for the special behoof of our Russian and Polish Jewish brethren; especially for such of them as have had their minds awakened to inquire into the glorious FACT that Christ is "made unto us of God, Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption." The work has been translated into Latin, in the seventeenth century, by Wagenseil, in his learned work, Tela Ignea Satana. In these days, in this country, where there is a stringent law against obscene literature, no Jew-no, not even Nathan Meyer ——, M.P., himself,— though he evidently wrote his articles entitled Panchristianism under its inspiration-would have dared to translate the brochure into English. Lest the Russian and Polish Jews residing in this country should not know whence to order the tract-for the title page gives no information on that pointthe friendly Jewish World supplies the required particulars, in one of its leaders, printed in large type, of the 16th ult. How the afflicted writer was affected by the publication may be gathered from the strain with which the said leader opens. Here is the preface: 66 LIFE AND DEATH OF CHRIST. "We have lying on our table, a new work just issued from the Hebrew press by a foreign co-religionist, named Abraham Silberstein, residing in Partridge Court, Gravel Lane, Houndsditch. It purports to be a translation, in the dialect current among the Polish and Russian Jews, of some old work treating of the 'Life and Death of Jesus Christ.' Our mind is filled with the most poignant regrets at seeing a book of this unwholesome and scandalous character circulated among foreign brethren." our Who can fail to estimate, at its See our Volume for 1872, p. 99. right value, the mind thus "filled with most poignant regrets!" But another question starts up. If the writer would rather not have "a book of this unwholesome and scandalous character circulated amongst our foreign brethren," why furnish the residence of Abraham Silberstein, which the translator himself withheld, where this unwholesome book may be obtained? This consideration, we confess, staggers us, and suggests to us the idea that the writer in the juvenile Jewish print rather patronises, and does not censure, Silberstein's performance. The writer calls upon the chief Rabbi to use his influence "in urging the immediate suppression of this abominable Life of Christ." If the writer means what he says, he need not appeal to the chief Rabbi, he can do it himself by prosecuting Silberstein for vending obscene literature. If neither the managers of the synagogue press nor the Chief Rabbis prosecute the breaker of the law, they must not feel surprised if they are looked upon as participes criminis, in re the publication. As for ourselves, we feel convinced that what St. James said (iv. 4) respecting "the friendship of the world" generally, is especially true with regard to the friendship of the Jewish World—it "is enmity with God." We shall give the history and some of the characteristics of the book in a future number. And wherefore now ascends that Hebrew strain? Is it that now to them God's ways are plain? They knew that God's omnipotent decree TO HIM alone adjudged their fealty, While that foul Church, who, in His Name, had reigned, And, from all nations, had her subjects claimed, Was false to HIM whom they from aye adored, Cancelled His statutes, aud denied His word, And to the "stumbling block," from whence they fled (A GOD INCARNATE, who for them had bled), Added the worship of the senseless stone, Adored a deity of bread alone, And brought before the iconoclastic mind Foul image-worship of the vilest kind. But from her throne has Babylon been hurled ! That baneful Church, which once enslaved the world, Has forced herself on God's indignant The voice of multitudes ascends the skies! Like rushing water swells the joyous strain, Praise to our God the Lord !— The Omnipotent doth reign! Correspondence. THE LEAST IN THE KINGDOM. To the Editor of the Hebrew Christian Witness and Prophetic Investigator. DEAR SIR,-In last year's December number you kindly inserted an article on the above heading, in which I stated that humility was the grace in which John the Baptist surpassed all them "that are born of women;" and I have since found that idea corroborated by Professor Lange in his celebrated Biblework. In the Gospel by Matthew, under the heading of "Dogmatic-christological ground thoughts," No. 10, p. 34, he says:-" The greatness of the Lord appears in its whole majesty when we see Him coming forth at the side of the great Baptist, the greatest of all woman-born in the Old Testament. The greatness of John, however, consisted above all in the almost unparalelled humility, by which from the beginning he could designate his great -the whole nation agitating-work only as a forerunner-work, and wherewith he could forthwith subordinate himself to the spirit of the greater One." A SUBSCRIBER TO YOUR WORTHY MONTHLY. London. IMMANUEL'S LAND. DEAR SIR,-The present condition of the Jews scattered amongst the nations, and by many, even to this day, grievously persecuted, as well as their past history in their own land, surrounded and harassed by enemies during their brief tenure of it, afford convincing proof, as the Rev. J. B. Goldberg has shown, in his paper on "The Future Division of the Land," that the Lord's covenant with Abraham and his posterity, whether as to the everlasting possession or extent of the promised land, has never yet been fulfilled, but waits a still future accomplishment; for faithful is He that has promised, and He will surely perform it. But, whilst rightly insisting on its still future realisation, does not Mr. Goldberg himself greatly circumscribe the promise, with regard to the full extent of Israel's inheritance? For, though he accurately defines the breadth of Immanuel's land as extending from the Mediteranean and the Nile to the Euphrates; does he not greatly restrict the limits of the vast territory assigned to them, by indicating the range of the Labanon as its northern boundary, and the southern point of the Dead Sea as its border to the south? True, this comprised all the territory actually occupied by Israel of old, that is, from Dan to Beersheba ; but is it not distinctly stated, “This shall be your north border, from Mount Hor, ye shall point out your border unto the entrance of Hamath,"* i.e., from Mount Cassius at the mouth of the Orontes, which is the entrance unto Hamath; the south border extending to Ezion-Geber, on the north point of the Elanitic Gulf, where 66 King Solomon made a navy of ships," and he reigned over all kingdoms from the river (Euphrates) unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt, the extensive sovereignty exercised by him (but so soon after lost to Israel) typical of the glorious reign of a greater than Solomon, "who shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth yea, all kings shall fall down before Him, and all nations shall serve Him." Then, and then only shall "the prayers of David the son of Jesse be accomplished."§ But (excepting for the brief period of the more extended sway of David and Solomon) the extent of the land as actually possessed by Israel, and that which was promised in the everlasting covenant, and still remains to be possessed in perpetuity by Abraham's posterity, may be stated as follows: ... · "The latitude of Beersheba is 31° 15'; that of Dan 33o 15'; i. e. a distance of about one hundred and fifty miles; whereas the latitude of the north point of the Elanitic Gulf is 299 31'; and the mouth of the Orontes, or 'the entrance of Hamath,' is 36; and that of Beer or Berotha, on the Euphrates, 379; so making the length of the land upwards of seven degrees, or five hundred instead of one hundred and fifty miles as of old. "The breadth of Immanuel's land, instead of its formerly contracted span, from the Mediterranean sea on the west, to a few miles on the east of Jordan, stops not short of a navigable frontier every where and on every side. The longitude of the river Nile, is 30° 2′; that of the Euphrates as it flows into the Persian Gulf, 48° 26'; i.e., nearly eighteen degrees and half, or more than 1100 miles. In round numbers therefore, the average breadth of the promised land is six hundred miles, which multiplied by its length five hundred miles, gives an area of 300,000 square miles, or more than that of any kingdom or empire in Europe, Russia alone excepted."* A clear definite view of the full extent of the promised inheritance of Israel, is indispensable for the correct distribution of the tribes in their respective localities, in the order assigned to them in Ezekiel, involving, as it does, a question of much interest, regarding the Sanctuary and holy oblation, upon which we may perhaps be allowed to enter at some future time. Meanwhile it is interesting to notice that the two countries, to which the borders of Israel are to extend, viz. : Egypt aud Assyria, once her haughty and bitter foes, in the day of their power, are nevertheless especially named as partakers of her future blessing: "In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom the Lord of Hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance."† Whilst faith anticipates the fuller blessing to be realised at His coming whom all shall serve and obey, the children of faith, animated by His Spirit, and watching the indications of His will, hasten to testify to His love and grace wherever He opens a door of entrance for them, though in the midst of much trial and opposition; and now, even in Egypt and Assyria, so long closed against them, their influence for good, both temporal and spiritual, begins to be felt. If the introduction of railways in those lands be deemed "the crown * Mimpriss' Treasury Harmony of the Evangelists. † Isa. xix. 19-25. 66 ing sign of the times,"* strongly corroborative as this physical sign no doubt is of the approaching end, may we not confidently affirm that "an altar raised unto the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt," and the increasing zeal of the Israel of God to proclaim in the lands of their former captivity the truth which has made them free, is a still more significant sign, confirming their claim to be identified with the people once a curse amongst those nations, but now made a blessing to them" (Zech. viii. 13); a passage therefore which Mr. Wilkinson very unsatisfactorily" brings forward to disprove that claim.† Neither does the fact of our having kings and princes" acknowledging the Holy One of Israel" militate against the truth of our identity with "the tribes of Jacob," who were to be raised up on the failure of Messiah's mission to Judah, when He is heard to complain, "I have laboured in vain, I have spent My strength for nought;" but committing His work to His God, He is comforted with the assurance that Jehovah's purpose could not be frustrated by Judah's unbelief: "And now saith the Lord that formed me from the womb, to bring Jacob again unto Him, that Israel may be gathered, and I may be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, and my God shall be my strength. And He said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be My servant, to raise up the tribes of Jacob and restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be My salvation to the ends of the earth "-implying not (as preconceived theories have led many to conclude) that the Lord's work amongst the Gentiles was to precede the raising up of the tribes of Jacob, but rather, that the Gentiles among whom they had been cast out, should be made partakers of the glad tidings of salvation sent after " backsliding Israel" toward the north; "the isles where they were to be found" and to" renew their strength," called to give ear to the solemn but joyous proclamation of the Lord's purpose concerning the raising up of those tribes, "the preserved of Israel," now to be received back by Him whom "the nation abhorred," even "His own to whom He came." But though rejected of them, "kings should arise and worship, because of the Lord, that is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, and He shall choose thee." Yes, faithful is the covenant God of Israel. If Judah reject Him who came to her in divine compassion and love, He sends after "backsliding Israel," to betroth her unto Himself in faithfulness. Therefore the long-forsaken tribes of His inheritance are sought after and restored-the localities, so clearly foretold, where they were to be found and brought "into the bond of the covenant," being the very countries occupied by the Teutonic race, beyond the limits of the four great Empires whose successive dominion constitutes "the times of the Gentiles," now fast approaching their close. These empires have ever been the foes of our race, as of Israel of old; long trodden down, harassed, and persecuted by them, but upheld and raised to power and eminence, when their kings and princes, doing homage to the God of Israel, and called by His name, shook off the galling yoke of the oppressor, to proclaim the supremacy of the oracles of God committed unto them, acknowledging allegiance in matters divine, to no other but to Him alone-a confession to the Messiah of Israel, as "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, the One only Mediator between God and men," which has been nobly and boldly renewed at this day by kings and princes of our race, in reply to the arrogant assumption of that evil and blasphemous power, who, in his self-constituted authority of God's Vicegerent on earth, claims the homage due to God only. True, alas there are rebels in our midst, as in Israel of old; but our God will purge out the transgressors," and give them none inheritance in the land, when Israel's King returns to take His ransomed Bride to Himself, and makes her children princes in all the earth." Then, and not till then, will "the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down, be built up again (on the re-union of Judah with Israel), that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles on whom His name is called;"* this great harvest of souls from amongst the Gentiles, or nations called by His name, waiting the united testimony of all Israel, in the millennial day, under the righteous Sceptre of David their King; whilst "a first-fruits," the Church, "the Bride of the Lamb," has been gathered during this dispensation, through their instrumentality alsofirst, by the election out of Judah, in Apostolic times; and then by the elect of all the tribes of Israel, “sealed "† and appointed to this glorious work by Him who is emphatically Jehovah's "elect Servant," the Head of Israel, as of the Church, so indissolubly united with Him in the covenant of grace, that what is true of Him is said of them also whom He vouchsafes to call into fellowship with Himself. But though Jew and Gentile are one in Christ, and partakers together of "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places," God's purpose in the call of Israel to be 66 a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people," and "the measuring line of His inheritance,"§ has never been altered or frustrated, however "this mystery" may have been undiscerned even by themselves; yet when fully known and declared, will they indeed exclaim, "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!" seeing then many things which now they observe not,¶ though perfect in the Lord's sight, who is well-pleased for His righteousness' sake; for "this people hath He formed for Himself, that they should show forth His praise "-" His witnesses," whom He will cause to be so acknowledged by all nations,** whom He has made them to encompass, that they might take out of them a people to His name; giving them power and dominion and influence in all ends of the earth-such power and means of doing good as were never promised but to Israel. But, unlike Judah in their separate position and calling in the former dispensation, or their disowned and dishonoured condition in the present; unlike, too, the four great Gentile monarchies, ever opposed to God and His truth and people; our race, though "having the strength of an unicorn, eating up the nations His enemies, and piercing them through with His arrows"* (no millennial work, surely, under the reign of the Prince of Peace), have, at the same time, been God's chosen instruments to carry with them the saving truths of the Gospel to "all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people "-their kings and princes doing homage, as we have already seen from Isaiah xlix., to “the Holy One of Israel," protecting and defending His servants, and increasingly so as the time draws near for their restoration to their own land, there more fully to proclaim "the everlasting Gospel" before His coming. But if, in opposition to what we have here said, Mr. Wilkinson, following in the track of other opponents to the identity of our race with Israel, points to the fact that, instead of all this honour and dominion, ruled by kings and princes of our own race, "they were to abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice,"† &c. (as the Jews continue to do to this day), may we not rather say that it is they who confound things that differ, by their onesided and partial views of truth, neglecting the distinctions, not to say the contrasts, which the Scriptures so clearly and repeatedly make between the two houses? For whilst Hosea iii. unquestionably depicts the present condition of the Jewish nations, only to be "converted after restored," as Mr. Wilkinson observes, the details concerning the rejected wife of the preceding chapter, are as manifestly inapplicable to the Jews; for they, delivered from idolatry on their return from Babylon, have continued ever since, in all their dispersions, faithfully, however ignorantly, to worship the God of their fathers; whilst the unfaithful wife, of Hosea ii., is represented, on the contrary, as persisting in her idolatries, "content to be as the families of the countries where they were driven out," serving idols of wood and stone, till the Lord hedges up her way with thorns, and after visiting on her the days of Baalim, betroths her to Himself, teaching her to call Him "Ishi," and no more 64 Baali," and that "in the wilderness," as in Jer. xxxi. So consistent is the testimony of all the prophets, whether Hosea, Isaiah Jeremiah, or Ezekiel, concerning the |