serious attention among those who may, and who in the ordinary course of things must, take the lead in such a movement as Colonel Gawler has proved to be not only practicable and expedient, but pressingly needful at this time. In no part of the world does so dreadful a war of extermination now rage as among the rival races who inhabit the regions of Lebanon. On one side the Druses, on the other nominal Christians, are seeking each to extirpate the other; and ever since this pamphlet was published, the accounts received have surpassed in horror what preceded them. Man may say what he will; may do, or may leave undone, according to his own prejudices, and self-sufficient wisdom: God is preparing to fulfil his own word. He will work, and who shall let it?

It is quite marvellous in our eyes that many good people, who confess that the prophetic word clearly reveals a national restoration, at least a partial one, of Judah, previous to the national conversion, should be so cold, dead, uninterested, in some cases even hostile, where efforts are made or recommended, whether or not on the foundation of such prophetic assurance, towards the political restoration of the Jews. We are not now about to argue this point: but we hail Colonel Gawler's admirable pamphlet with true gladness of heart; assured that it will do its work. May the blessing of the God of Jacob cause it to prosper, and doubly rest upon the head of the man who has come forward, seeking the welfare of the children of Israel !

THE PROTESTANT.

'WE need not say much of the retrograde movement now, uncle. The session leaves us so near the bottom of the hill, that the final event can scarcely be called even a matter of probability: it seems quite a thing of course.'

6

Except only as the Lord's arm is not shortened, nor His ear heavy that he cannot hear the cry of those who ardently desire, for the glory of His name, to see the headlong course of these patricides stayed, and a nation that has so long professed to worship and to serve Him, saved from the sin of doing despite unto the Holy Name whereby they are called. Yet, I must confess, I do not see much token even among the Lord's people, of this spirit of supplication on behalf of our rulers as would encourage a very confident hope of the Divine interposition; and I too find myself wishing rather than praying, speculating rather than wrestling with God, as to the final result.'

'Don't talk of speculating, dear uncle: I have become quite afraid of the word. I see so many excellent people led away into the dangerous track that the enemy seems just now to have opened and rendered inviting on purpose to lure them from their posts and from their work, that I shrink from the expression, though full well I know that your speculations have no connexion with railways, or other contrivances for quick transit over the surface of this giddy world.'

'Perhaps you are mistaken in some degree. I may be speculating more deeply than you suppose on the facilities of rapid conveyance both over land and sea.'

To bring the Jews home to Palestine ?'

'Nothing else: gloomy clouds darken all other points of the horizon, but there are streaks of light slowly brightening in the East.'

'Yet it is the present scene of fearful deeds, such as the eye cannot bear to dwell upon.'

'Yet the eye cannot wholly avert itself, especially under the circumstance of France having taken a foremost step in the general movement for which we look ; sending ships for the avowed purpose of protecting the Maronites, but with an evident political foresight of the scramble that will ensue for a territory of which the inhabitants, comprised in two hostile parties, are mutually exterminating each other.'

'The land is the portion of Jacob, and no Gentile power will finally possess it.'

'The land is the land of promise, concerning which God said to Abraham, "I will surely give it thee," and concerning which, in reference to that very covenant He again and again hath declared, “I will also remember the land." Surely the time of that gracious remembrance draws nigh! Surely the Lord will now interpose, for the good of His long-afflicted people!'

'Does it not seem, uncle, as if their enemy was also baiting a speculative hook for the British Jews, to turn their attention, just at this juncture from their post, and their duties, to strive after local distinctions in the land of their exile ?'

'He may bait, but it does not follow that they will catch at the lure. They have been very quiet, passive, indeed, in the matter. We have heard of no cla

mour, no meetings to urge their claims; no attempt at agitation, or even a noisy interference in politics within the legitimate sphere of their own action, as electors, in London and throughout the kingdom. I do not think that any Jew, possessing the true feelings of one, values the boon, except as a concurrent token that the Lord is everywhere taking away the reproach from His ancient people, and raising them from the dust, into which, according to the word of menace oft repeated, but alas! too little heeded by them, he had cast them down. I glance over the arguments, pro and con, on the debated point; but I cannot say that, on either side, I find much to sympathize with. To me, it is clearly a step that, in the providence of God, must have been taken, in this or in some similar shape. Still, rejecting as their Messiah Him whom they will yet acknowledge, it seems to some men a duty to keep them, as far as may be done, in a depressed and branded state but how is this? You will find many of these really conscientious Christians fully acknowledging that the prophetic word points to a restoration, at least of a part of Judah's dispersed ones, to their own land, so that they shall actually be found dwelling there in peace and safety, as Jews, previous to the revelation of their Messiah to them, and their national submission to Him. They also admit that this partial, preliminary restoration, will be brought about by a natural current of events, produced by political changes, and having for its object the fulfilment of mere human purposes, devised by the world's expediency-hunting rulers. Yet when a step is gained towards the equalization of Judah with our own and other nations, which surely must precede their taking political rank again in their own land, the chief plea urged against such step is found to consist in a re

petition of the sad truth that we all know—namely, the continued rejection of Messiah by those who, as most of us agree, will not collectively receive him until these things, and others to which they will lead shall have come to pass. I stand by, mark the progress of events, and look for what is to follow.'

'I feel with you, that the pith of the matter was left wholly untouched by both parties. It was right, consistent, honourable to themselves, and true to their solemn obligations, that those who have all along steadily opposed the admission into our originally Christian constitution of whatsoever militated against the Christian faith, should do so still. The Socinian, as a denier of Christ, the Romanist, as a professed follower of him whom we know to be Antichrist, were long since admitted to legislate even for our Protestant Church; and, as it was soon proved, to despoil and wrong it but in both instances a firm opposition was persevered in, on the ground that, being vitally a CHRISTIAN state, we could not consent to such admixture as would nullify our claim to that sacred distinction. The same principle, though all along unsuccessfully maintained by these upright men, is the true principle of the constitution, and they have no right to become parties to its abandonment. So long as they stand in that place, they are bound to maintain it; and I not only acquit them of all blame, but I love, honour and applaud them the more for their unflinching steadfastness in resisting every thing that bears upon the unchristianizing of the state, though the deed was so consummated that no new admixture of hostile elements can add to its completeness. It has pleased God, in despite of all the protests of His praying people, that England should also give her power unto the Beast, and