are able to turn to a living Saviour. *' I am he" says Jesus, '' that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore." " I am the resurrection and the life." (Rev. i. 18 ; John xi. 25.) Let our main care be, to be one with Christ and Christ with us. Joined to the Lord Jesus by faith we shall rise again to live for evermore. The second death shall have no power over us. " Because I live," says Christ, "ye shall live also." (John xiv. 19.)
KoTXs. LuKB m. 21—38.
23r. — [Thirty years of age.] This was the age, be it remembered* at which Levites were first pennitted to do work ia the taber Dacle. (Num. iv. 8.)
[Jo8epht which was the son of Heli, dc.'] Every careful reader of the Bible kno^s well that there is a great difficulty connected with the genealogy of our Lord. The difficulty lies in the entire variance between that part of the genealogy which lies between David and Joseph, as recorded by St. Luke, and the same part of it as recorded by St Matthew. Between Abraham and David the two genealogies agree. Between David and Joseph they almost entirely differ. How can this difference be reconcilea? This is a question on which learned men have written volumes, and failed to convince one another. A few simple remarks must suffice. Those who wish to study the subject will find it thoroughly discussed by Gomarus, Span- heim, South, Calovius, and A. Clarke.
The first, but least probable explanation, is this. The persons mentioned in the genealogy from David to Joseph had all two names. Matthew gives one of their names, Luke gives the other. But both enumerate the same persons, and both give the genealogy of Joseph. This explanation will satisfy very few people. The difference between the number of names given by Luke, compared to the number given by Matthew, is of itself an insuperable objection. It seems waste of time to dwell on this solution of the question.
The second, and more probable explanation of the difficulty, is this. The mother of «! oseph the husband of Mary, married two husbands. Of one husband Joseph was the son by birth. Of the other he was the son by adoption. The two genealogies in the two Gospels, are the genealogies of these two husbands. Each evangelist ends his genealogy in Joseph, but Luke traces it through Heli, and Mattiiew through Jacob. Joseph was the