ELPIS ISRAEL.

            It has become a custom among publishers in Europe to give Greek names to books as others do to ships, and parents to children. The meaning of the names matters not so that they serve to distinguish the objects to which they are applied. We do not stay to investigate the philology of the name before we form an opinion of the thing or person that bears it. He is called so and so, and we forthwith proceed to acquaint ourselves with him. The names of some things, however, are quite relative in their signification to their nature. This is the case with ‘Elpis Israel,’ which signifies Israel’s Hope. It is euphonious, and exactly expressive of the nature of the work, which treats of—

“The Hope of the promise made of God to the fathers; to which hope the Twelve Tribes instantly serving God, day and night, desire to attain.”

Paul was a prisoner in chains for preaching this hope in which few believe, because very few understand “the gospel of God which he has promised by his prophets in the holy scriptures.” It is national, and therefore political; individual, and therefore spiritual—it is the blessedness of the world through the nation of Israel; and the eternal glory and renown of those who believe and are adopted into Israel’s commonwealth through Jesus as their Lord and anointed King.

            It displays great ignorance, therefore, of the truth in those who make a jest, as some do, of so noble and honorable a designation. The matter of the gospel is well named Israel’s Hope, and so is a book that defines it to such as are unable to interpret of themselves the definition of it contained in “the Law and the Testimony.” The following extracts from letters will show the estimation put upon the work by certain in Britain who have perused it. An officer of the British navy, residing in Edinburg, who was once much prejudiced against us, but now, we are happy to say, one of our firmest friends for the truth’s sake, writes as follows: “Elpis Israel is truly a valuable book: you will have received, probably, many intimations of the favor with which it has been received. I have heard as yet nothing against it; but this silence seems to me ominous of the storm, that will burst sooner or later, upon your devoted head; according to its truth, so will be the anger and malice of the adversaries. Well, you have done a good work and I hope, with you, that the seed of the Kingdom will take deep root and spring up and bring forth much fruit. The cry, ‘The Bridegroom cometh,’ has its echo from all parts of that motley field, Christendom, and the meaning it conveys is as various as the faces of that many headed monster Protestantism. I thought I understood its meaning, but you have given it a tangibility and definiteness that shows my former ideas to have been rather shadowy and vague; accept then, dear brother, my very sincere thanks and congratulations on your having brought it to so successful an issue.

            “It may cause a slight feeling of gratification in your mind, to peruse part of a letter sent to a christian friend of mine by a ‘minister,’ one of the Free Church of Scotland, who coming to the knowledge that the Church of Christ was not a mixed multitude, and consisted only of believers, had faith and courage sufficient to announce his conversion from the pulpit, and his determination to give up his pastoral charge in consequence. He is the author of a work on future punishment, and argues strongly against the popular dogma of endless suffering and in favor of the mortality of the natural man. I do not mention his name as I have no authority to do what I propose. The extract is as follows—the note being written in consequence of your book having been lent to him by my friend as above stated—

            “I have read about eighty pages already, and find a good deal to agree with, though that is rather out of the popular theology. It delights one to find the Dr. so bold and satisfactory on the non-immortality of unrenewed men. The book will do us service in more ways than one, it will shake the authority of recognised authorities and sanhedrims, and be a testimony to many against the doctrine of life out of Jesus. The Dr. is a fearless, honest and good man, and his work will do good; of course its main point, the predictions about the Kingdom, &c., I am not prepared to judge yet, being far from the end of the work. One thing I feel, that it will be very rash for any one to differ from a man who has so much reverence for God and so much acquaintance with his oracles. I mean [not] to differ from him till after the most careful consideration.”

            “A valued friend, a brother officer, as well as a devoted brother in the Lord, has within these few days arrived in England from South America. He is one whose piety and devotion to God and his Son Jesus Christ is of a deep romantic cast; to him I would suppose your book would prove invaluable. I have, therefore, directed him to your address that he may purchase a copy. If you have the opportunity of casting a ‘handful of seed’ into his mind, I am confident the results will show that it is neither a stony nor a thorny soil; but this I leave to yourself.”

            Another correspondent from Devonshire, England, says, “We are much pleased with your new book—the Kingdom of God—it is indeed a feast for us in the wilderness—we have enjoyed so far as we have read. We have long found the churches and chapels ‘dark lanterns,’ and feel thankful you have been raised up to feed the hungry who have appetites to receive it. We are not surprised that many object—they cannot receive at this late hour the first principles—they never now enquire what they must do to be saved; and when we have told them they are not in a safe state unless they obey the ordinances of the gospel, a coldness of manner follows and we are avoided as having a reliance on works, instead of honouring Christ by accepting a free salvation. We have had interviews with all sorts of persons in visiting many places. Now we are in a retired village without a christian. There are many inhabitants in this and the adjoining towns, where my brother has given lectures since we came, but to no purpose. If it were not for Advent faith and your book, Elpis Israel, we should have had but little instruction—no intelligent persons here. We came to teach here, but none have ears to hear the last tidings ‘The Lord cometh.’ The church is quite dark—the Dr. comes to receive his tithes, and these are not paid very willingly. We have written to some of our friends about your work—I hope it may be circulated and read. And should you return to America, I hope we shall be able to have your papers if you publish there. My brother and sister join me in best respects and grateful thanks for the light imparted.

I am, dear sir,

Your’s very respectfully, E. T.”

            The last testimony we shall offer at present is from a gentleman formerly an elder of a ‘Disciple-Church’ not far from Edinburg. He was one of our opponents, but the truth has conquered him, and converted him into a warm friend. Of our book he says, “I have read Elpis Israel, and I now beg to state to you my opinion of it. On reading a part of it, whilst I was somewhat pleased with a sentence here and there, I condemned the book in toto; and at one time ‘said in my haste’ that it ought to be burned. But now that I have read it all through, and more than half through again, I now say that none of it should be burned; and that it is now to me the second best book in the world, and I would not be deprived of it for its weight in gold. My son-in-law said lately on rising from a perusal of it, that he thought it no wonder I was so much pleased with it.” Not long after the receipt of this we had the pleasure of uniting him formally to Jesus by immersing him into his name.

February, 1851.                                                                                                           EDITOR.