The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-10-17 00:00:00

LECTURE AT THE UNION HALL.

Dr. :S. G. Hayes, of Nottingham, delivered a
lecture at the Union Hall, on Sunday evening last,
the subject being—" The great stir among the
Jews; probable colonization of Palestine. The
march of Russia in the east. The solution of the
Eastern question."
The Lecturer read, as a basis for his remarks,
the 2nd Psalm, and then proceeded to say that,
amongst thinking men there existed a belief that
we were on the eve of some great change. At the
same time, everything was vague and indefinite to
them. There was a fear of souse great calamity
coming on the world, and there were grounds for
such is feeling. They had only to look at the na-
tions. There were signs of disturbance. Vast
armies were being raised, all states were addingto
their armies and fleets, and the armed men of
Europe were not now counted by thousands but
by millions. What was the meaning of all this?
Were we to have another great war? While
people talked of peace, amity, and love, we saw
the elements of destruction around. The nations
were uneasy. We had only;to look back ten years.
and we were struck with great changes. Lately
we had seen a war on a grand scale. France had
been crushed an a military power; the power of
the Papacy had been destroyed; Germany had ac-
quired territory and power, whilst cu the other
hand France had lost these. Was this to be the
last war? There was no guarantee. It was not
an uncommon remark that the great Exhibition of
1831 would be is guarantee for peace. But it had
not proved so, for there had been many great con-
flicts since then, and we had only just witnessed
one. There was no guarantee. The elements of
future wars were rife in all directions. The lecturer
here referred to the title of his lecture, remarking
that some might say it savoured mere of polities
than religion. But he would call their attention
to a verse of the psalm that had been read—" Ask
of sue and I will give thee the nations for thine
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth
for thy possession," and, "Yet have I set my King
upon my holy hill of Zion." Was not the setting
up of a King who was to have all the solution of a
great political question. This King was to have
Possession unto the uttermost bounds. He had
spoken of the stir in political matters. Many
people would ask, what had we to do with such
questions? The march of Russia in the East, and
Jewish affairs—what connection had these things ?
The strongest. It was only because people were
not acquainted with Gods purposes in the earth
that they were not looking for these things. Those
who understood "The joyous sound" were pre.
pared for great events at this time. They were
watching the signs, and rejoice d,in the vast prepa
rations for war. Not because they loved war, but
the prophets had shown clearly that there trust be
war before the millenium could be established.
The lecturer here referred to the ancient Jewish
wars, and showed that they were carried on by
Divine cotuwand for a certain purpose, namely, to
establish the Kingdom of God, or of Israel, which
were the same, in the land of Canaan. The King-
dom of God, which was again to be established on
the earth, would necessitate a similar process of
subduing thewarlike nations which at present had
possession. This showed us why there would be
war. tied had a King to whom lie had promised
the uttermost parts of the earth. Did we believe
this If so, the only conclusion we could come
to must be that this promise would be fulfilled.
Ile glanced at the past of the Jews, referring to
the prosperity of the land and the greatness of
the nation under Solomon, a king of Divine ap-
pointment. There were all the elements of a
kingdom; king, subjects, laws, Ac. This was the
kingdom of God. God laid special claim to that
particular land—" The land shall not be sold for
ever, for it is mine." What had happened since
this kingdom was at its zenith? The facts were
before our eyes. The people had been scattered
among all the nations. We could not go into a
country where there was not a Jew. What of the
land? It had become desolate and down-trodden
ever since the Romans came against it. It was
providentially in the hands of 'turkey, a nation
which destroyed everything and improved nothing.
He said "providentially" in the hands of such a
nation, because the land was under the curse of
God. But was it always to remain so? Was this
a finality? If so, how was the King to be set on
the holy hill of Zion This was to be in the same
land over which Turkey bore sway. There was a
bright future for the land. The desert shall blos-
som and bloom as a rose," and "every man shall
dwell safely under his own vine and fig-tree." Did
we believe these predictions? We all professed to
read and believe the Word of God. These were no
figures of speech, but plain, literal language.
Did we see any signs that God would remember
the land? We did. The Jews were no longer a
scoffing, but were rising to places of honour all the
world over. Attention was being paid to the laud
of their forefathers. Explorers were turning up
things that hail been hidden for hundreds of years.
Travellers were continually visiting the land, and
it was recovering from its barrenness. There were
attempts at colonization. Golonel Gawler, whose
father had written a most interesting pamphlet on
this very laud, had laid a project for colonization
before the Jewish Board of Deputies, which had
been very favourably received. and a cotnnii,sion
had been appointed to visit- the land and make in-
veAtigations. N.,w, what was the resmit of these
investigations? Great success. There was a Ger-
man colony at Jaffa, and a school of agricultar