IT would be impossible to find Israel unless we found a great nation having sprung from her that had become independent off her. This will be a sure clue in the identification of Israel; and, in order to see this, we must impress upon the mind of the reader the fact that there can only be " twelve tribes of l Israel." These tribes are Levi and Judah, which at the present time comprise the " House of judah," destined ultir mately to reunite with the Ten Tribes, which now comprise -r, Reuben; 2, Simeon; 3, Dan; 4, Naphtali; 5, Gad;_ 6, Asher; 7, Issachar; 8, Zebulon; 9, Joseph; 10, Benjamin. These comprise the "Ten Tribes," and form the "House of Israel," in distinction to the " House of Judah." The Tribe of Joseph has never ceased as a tribe. It must exist to the time of the Sealing, which is yet future (Rev. viii. 8). Manasseh forms a thirteenth tribe, yet there are not thirteen tribes in Israel. Ephraim is not a tribe, otherwise there would be fourteen tribes of Israel, which could not be. Ephraim is sometimes spoken of as a tribe, but when so alluded to it is invariably as being synonymous with the tribe of Joseph. In Joseph was invested the birthright; he had two sons, who were to become the representatives of two distinct nations. In, Ephraim, the younger, was consolidated the Ten Tribes of Israel. Hence, again and again, we find the Almighty alluding to Israel under the name of Ephraim. Ephraim and Israel are synonymous terms. Therefore Ephraim being the representative of a nation, Manasseh also becomes the representative of another and distinct nationality. This is most plain. It is Joseph's fruitful branches running "over the wall" (Gen. Xlix. 22)-i.e., extending beyond the veritable boundaries of the kingdom of Israel, even to the creation of another nation. The` fact of Israel becoming "a nation and a company of nations"-i.e., a nation with colonies-is in no sense due to Joseph being fruitful. Joseph, as a part of Israel, had no power in himself, apart from the rest of the tribes, to form this "company of nations-i.e., this work did not consist of his fruitfulness, but the forming of a separate and independent nationality made up his fruitfulness. It was this great fact that sent his branches over the wall. Hence it was said of Manasseh-"He also shall become a people, arid he also shall be great" (Gen. xlviii. 19). What is it td become "a people" but to become a nation? And his becoming "great" was the creation of himself into a GREAT NATION. Hence we get hold of the fact- that Manasseh was to become a great nationality; but, then, it was expressly said of his younger brother Ephraim, who became the embodying -- the focusing, as it were-of the Ten Tribes into one kingdom, that "truly his younger brother shall be greater than he" (same verse). A greater' what than he? Why, of course, a greater nation should be made of Ephraim than would be made of Manasseh. So. that we have in these two boys the creation of two distinct nationalities, yet both of the same stock. Hence it is that later on we have the express promise that God would bless " Ephraim as Manasseh and Manasseh as Ephraim-i.e., though as nations they would be separate and independent of each other, yet both should be under equal favours; from God, not withstanding one would be a greater nation than the other. A good deal is made of the two half tribes of Manasseh; they simply made- np the one tribe of Manasseh. -When Israel entered Canaan under Joshua, provision was made for thirteen tribes, because, though Levi had no territorial division, it was yet a tribe; and fared the best' of all the tribes; and it, too, must be yet in existence as a tribe, because, when the time of Sealing shall come, 12,000 shall be chosen from her tribeship (Rev. vii. 7).

After the separation of the two Houses, Jeroboam had ten tribes under him, nine tribes of Israel and 'one of Manasseh, while Rehoboam had three tribes, the "one tribe" of Israel (Benjamin) and the two tribes of Judah (Judah and Levi -2 Chron. xi. 12-14), making thirteen tribes in all.. At the 'time of the Assyrian captivity ten tribes did go. into captivity, because the tribe of Manasseh, this thirteenth tribe, was one of them. Then' comes the question-When did Manasseh become separated from Israel? God never intended this independence to be effected until after Israel. -as ten tribes,- including Benjamin,, who must then have, become separated from Judah (Jer. vi. i)-had settled as "a nation" in " the Isles." Not until the Isles had become ` too strait" would Manasseh become an independent nationality; because in the very chapter where God promises to give Israel colonies on account of the isles being " too narrow by reason of the inhabitants" (Isa. xlix. 19), the Almighty, alluding to these very colonies, says-" The children which' thou shalt have, after thou hast LOST THE OTHER" (verse 20). Who is this " other" but Manasseh?' who had raised the cry of "THE PLACE is too strait for me; give` PLACE to me . that I may DWELL; and who had found a large colony,, and had gone forth to it, and had become strong, and had declared her independence of Israel, and had become a distinct nationality, and so become " lost" to Israel. Thus we are told that, even after this "declaration of independence" on the part of Manasseh, Israel would, still continue to multiply, because "The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast LOST THE OTHER, shall say AGAIN in thine ears, The PLACE is too strait for me"."' The cry had been raised before, and was to be raised "' AGAIN." It had to do with locality. " Place," therefore, referred to colonies. So it is plain that, having lost one, they were to gain others, which they would retain and never lose. Hence we get in the 49th chapter a beautiful clue to the fact that the blessings poured upon the heads of Ephraim and Manasseh have been literally carried out; that the two did become independent, the one becoming a "great people," the other "a nation and a' company," and truly the "greater" of the two yet both under equal blessings; and pre-eminently under Divine favours, which will continue, because, when the time arrives for Israel and Judah to return, God has provided that the land shall 'be divided in thirteen parts, and that one should be allotted to Manasseh (Ezek. xlviii. 4).

THE, IDENTITY is substantial and plain. There is much reason to thank God that America can celebrate year by year her " Declaration of Independence." Truly , she is from us, though quite independent of us; and quite true it is that she is " a great people, and must continue so until the end of time. This is a remarkable Identity, causing the

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