THE RAINBOW. CORRESPONDENCE. tion of empire, something may happen equivalent to the revelation of a Messiah; while they have no adequate conception of Him of whom it is certainly promised that He shall come, and the object of whose coming is just as certainly their full salvation." THE EMPEROR IN ALGIERS. appears to me to be established by by the elevation of some individual to Hebrews iii. and iv. If I rightly supreme power, or through some revoluunderstand the apostle's argument, it is this: He wishes the Christians to remember the Israelites in the wilderness, and the consequences of failure then as regarded entrance into the promised land; that the wilderness journey to them answers to the present life with God's people, and the promised land to the millennial rest. Therefore, as they DEAR SIR,- Those of your readers well knew that failure in the wilderness was followed by exclusion from the land, who believe with Irving, Faber, Frere, the apostle applies the principle in the Dr. Seiss, and others, that Napoleon I. words, "Let us labour, therefore, to enter represents the seventh headship of the into that rest, lest any man fall after the beast, and that Napoleon III. represents same example of unbelief." Further, as that seventh headship now being healed failure in the wilderness, and exclusion of its deadly Waterloo wound (Rev. iii. from the land in consequence, did not 3), find ample confirmation of their touch the question of eternal salvation belief in the increasing resemblance of (see Moses himself), so now exclusion Louis Napoleon's public avowals of from the kingdom is separate from eter- sentiment to those of his uncle. Under nal salvation. Again, surely the declara- the glare and glitter of oriental pageantry tion, "Whatsoever a man soweth, that in the triumphal progress of Louis shall he also reap," will involve the exclu- Napoleon through his Algerian dosion from our Lord's millennial kingdom minions, there is plainly to be detected of those who have rejected and denounced the same dexterous mode of ingratiating the truth concerning it. My excuse for himself with, and conciliating the preanswering a question addressed to one judices and passions of, the multitude, so well able to defend himself is, that I that used to be practised by the old wish to remove the idea rather implied Bonaparte. that he is about the only advocate of such views. Yours sincerely, Peterborough. SAM. C. COLMAN. A REMARKABLE FACT. His recent proclamation to the Arabs is especially remarkable, as it closely resembles the African proclamations of his uncle, and appeals similarly to the Mahomedan's fatalistic belief in destiny. For the purpose of producing an effect on the Arabs, it is quite a masterpiece. It runs as follows:-"France came to DEAR SIR, I send you the following Algeria in 1830, not to destroy the Arab extract from the report of the London nationality, but to liberate the people Society for Promoting Christianity from ages of oppression. Nevertheless among the Jews, read by Mr. Goodhart you have fought against your liberators. at the annual meeting just held in Exeter Hall. I thought it suitable for insertion in your valuable periodical, as referring to a remarkable sign of the times. I am, yours faithfully, Witney. CHAS. COLLIER. I honour your sentiment of warlike dignity, but God has decided. Recognize the decrees of Providence. Like yourselves, our ancestors courageously resisted, and yet from their defeat dates their regeneration. Your prophet says God gives power to whomsoever He will. "With regard to the condition of the I come to exercise power in your Jews themselves, the nation, as far as we interest. I have irrevocably assured are acquainted with them, are becoming only more unsettled and restless. Some of to you the proprietorship of the I have honoured them at one time have abandoned the land you occupy. Talmud, and then, through feelings of help your chiefs and respected your religion. less uncertainty, have been disposed to I wish to increase your well-being. Tell return to it. Others are keenly alive to your mistaken brethren that two milevery political movement in their neigh-lions of Arabs cannot resist forty millions bourhood and in the world, in the hope that of Frenchmen. I thank the great ma June 1, 1865. jority for their fidelity. Great recollec-| The preface to Julius Cæsar's life tions and powerful interests already unite you to the mother country, and a military confraternity has been formed in the Crimea, Italy, China, and Mexico. Place confidence, then, in your destinies, almost united with those of France, and acknowledge, with the Koran, that what God directs is well directed." shows likewise how ardently his nephew Literature. An Exposition of the Tabernacle, the Snell's preface; and a better description of the book, so far as it goes, cannot be given. Faithfully and lovingly does our dear friend bear witness to the character MR. SOLTAU is no ordinary man, and he and work of his Master, and clearly does has produced no ordinary book. The he exhibit the way of salvation. The first time we saw him was on the plat- Gospel is here set forth as none but a form of Freemasons' Hall, and as he scribe well instructed in the things of the then uttered words of deep wisdom, with kingdom of heaven could set it forth; the calm dignity of one who knew and then the spirit of the book is so "whereof he affirmed," we fancied we John-like that it does the heart good to listened to one of the old prophets. He read it. Its pages cannot fail to become looks like a rock that no raging of storm streams of refreshing to all who will and sea can move; and his speech, in read them. The volume has our hearty the delivery of which he seemed to dis commendation. dain all the small tricks of oratory and action, went home to the understanding The Two Worlds, or Here and Hereafter. with impressive force. The word weight is the true metaphor for Soltau's speech, and the book before us is speech of that sort produced in print. There is as much real thought in any page of it as can be found in a volume of some of the "popular" religious authors of the day. When one's soul is sick with the noise of empty talk, it is refreshing to get hold of a golden book like this. Streams of Refreshing from the Fountain "THIS little volume is about JESUS, and An Epic in Five Books. By WILLIAM WE invite attention to this remarkable THE RAINBOW: A Magazine of Christian Literature, with Special Reference to the Revealed Future of the Church and the World. JULY 1, 1865. PROGRESS OF THE TRUTH. INCE the commencement of this magazine we have never for one SING moment doubted the absolute soundness of its fundamental principle-the pre-millennial advent of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Years ago, a careful examination of the only book in the world that speaks with authority on the sublime theme, convinced us that this doctrine is true, a rock which cannot be moved from its place in the divine programme, in relation to the future of our world, by any process of interpretation or criticism that has the virtue of honesty. By honesty, of course, we do not mean in the intention of the interpreter or critic, but in the mental reception of Biblical truth as a REVELATION of things to come, and not as an enigma intended to tax the ingenuity of fancy and the resources of imagination. We give the full credit of honesty of purpose even to the mystic in his baseless dreams, and to the spiritualizer in his reinless wanderings; but to credit them with this is merely to believe charitably that they mean what they say, when their sayings have any tangible meaning at all. To believe, however, that their sayings illustrate the oracles of God, or make clearer the utterances of divine revelation, is a vastly different thing. We repeat, therefore, our settled conviction that the reception of Biblical words in their obvious meaning necessitates the conclusion that the Son of man will personally return to His own world and take possession of His rights as the Second Adam and Sovereign of humanity before "the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." That is our position, all opinions, theories, sermons, books, commentaries to the contrary notwithstanding. There are many of the excellent of the earth, devoted disciples of Christ, men whom we love unfeignedly as brethren in the Lord, who totally differ from us in this conclusion; and the cross we have to bear daily-and it is no light one-is the fear that they may think our teaching a reflection upon either their loyalty to Scripture or clearness of per T July 1, 1865. ception. If the possibility of this could be avoided consistently with our deep convictions, it should be avoided; for we instinctively shrink from even appearing to assume the office of teacher in relation to men whose superiority to ourselves is not only readily admitted, but so cheerfully granted that we should gladly sit at their feet to learn much from their superior stores of education, knowledge, and wisdom. But we must bear this cross as patiently as we can. Our testimony, and the reasons for it, must be given. We have no choice in the matter. To be silent, seeing that the Lord in His Providence has given us the opportunity of speak. ing, were to be disobedient and, consequently, miserable. If any think that we hereby gratify a desire for singularity, or a wish to appear better informed on a subject of the very first importance than some others, who have had advantages such as never fell to our lot, they do us grievous wrong. We avow with deep sincerity that neither of these unworthy and unmanly motives actuates us, and that the possibility that any may think otherwise is our burden in this labour. Let it be remembered, however, that the element of personality should have no place in this all-important discussion. The question of the pre-millennial coming of the Head of the Church to invest His saints with glory, and rule His enemies with a rod of iron, until power shall have crushed the rebellion that would not yield to the amnesty of grace, is infinitely too great to be circumscribed within the miserable circle of personal opinion or denominational theology. It is strictly a question of divine revelation, and is to be discussed as such. Is it so written, or is it not? That is the question. that it is, and because we believe we speak. We believe But, upon the other hand, the existence of this magazine has been the means of acquainting us with facts of which we had little previous conception. It has revealed to us that there is deep dissatisfaction with current teaching on the doctrine of the advent in the minds of many Christians; and, what is most suggestive, this dissatisfaction is on the part of thoughtful, earnest, devout, Christ-loving men. It is not among the half-sceptical, the constitutional fault-finders, or the small creatures of the Church, whose only chance of importance lies in stinging their pastors, but on that of high-principled, educated, holy men, who are the ornaments of the Church and a blessing to its ministers. We submit that this fact is full of meaning, and that it therefore deserves careful consideration. The very class of men who wish to give a reason of the hope that is in them furnish many whose faith in the evangelization of the world by the Church is greatly shaken, and who are consequently impatient of our pulpit and platform assurances of the great things ecclesiastical agency is about to perform for sin-smitten humanity. Is it right, is it wise, to ignore the feelings of these men, and to repress their longi for greater light on the awful problem by a foolish sneer at July 1, 1865. millenarianism or the still more foolish quotation of a text that has nothing to do with the subject? Depend upon it these yearnings of the heart in men who are the temples of the Holy Ghost are among the most significant spiritual phenomena of these remarkable times. We have also discovered that there are several "secret disciples" of the doctrine we advocate scattered among the churches. The confidence that has been reposed in us in relation to this matter is one of the things that has cheered us in toil, and suggested the hope that Second Advent doctrine--the doctrine of prophets and apostles-will ere long gather around it a noble fellowship of saints whose sublime position, in the midst of a sleeping Church and a godless world, it will be to stand "looking for that blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ." Some of these secret disciples have been encouraged by the existence of this magazine to avow their faith. The RAINBOW has spoken out the cherished sentiments of their hearts, and they have loved it accordingly, have become brave enough to say that they believe in it, and have been amongst its most zealous friends in procuring for it new subscribers. We have likewise received intelligence from time to time that the perusal of the RAINBOW has conquered prejudice, removed difficulties, and made converts to its fundamental doctrine, in a very considerable number of instances. Our readers need not be toll that this kind of intelligence is most precious to us. We look upon it as a hallowed proof that we are called to a very important ministry by the press, and it fails not to suggest the hope that we shall be sustained in our labour by the willing help and hearty sympathy of some of those who look for the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love His Son. The doctrine of the pre-millennial advent is making progress in many direc tions. We believe the Spirit of the Lord is graciously at work; and we are very thankful to the Holy Head of the Church, and to those of His people who have helped us by their gifts, subscriptions, sympathy, and prayers, that we have been permitted to establish this monthly magazine, whose special work it is to speak of the revealed future of Church and world. In connection with these remarks, we feel assured that our readers will be gratified with the following letter. We do not think it was intended for publication, but simply for the eye of the editor; nevertheless, as it so happily illustrates what we have just said, we give it, suppressing, of course, the writer's name, and the names of the friends he alludes to; but we assure our readers that t ese suppressed names would do honour to any periodical in the kingdom "DEAR DR. LEASK,-I must write to you; I must thank you for bringing |