that love him. Do right and do good, and none can limit your power of blessing your fellow-men. Yet observe, lastly- IV. THE PROMISE OF THE START IB SOMETIMES BROKEN, AND TIIE UNPRO:lfISING JlEOINNINO 'l'UBNS OUT WELL. Some of Aaron's sons (Naclab and Abihu) have an awful fate; some of Judah's an unhappy character. But sometimes a family, beginning badly, improves; for example, here is J udah's, who in the course of a few generations had in it Er, Onan, and Achan (" the troubler of Israel"); yet it runs itself clear, and gets better, purer, and stronger as it iroes on. Therefore despair of none, nor of yourself. Heart within and God overhead, whatever you have been, you may become a blessing to great multitudes.-G. Ver. 1, etc.-1Vie mission of Scriptu,re genealogies. Since "all Scripture is . . . profitable," etc. (2 Tim. iii. 16, 17), we may inquire what is the purpose of the many genealogical records that are preserved for us, and how they stand related to the higher spiritual objects of the Divine revelation. It appears that genealogies have always possessed a peculiar attraction for Orientals; and still nothing so quickly seizes their attention, or pleases them so much, as a summary or review of their histories. The genealogies of Scripture, therefore, help to give naturalness and the sense of genuine- ness to it as entirely an Eastern composition. It would be made a plea against the authenticity if such genealogies were not found in it. Sufficient reason for the lists which commence the Books of Chronicles may be found in the date and circumstances of their composition. \Vhoever was the editor, we are sure that the work ,,as pre- pared after the return from captivity and subsequent to the building of Zerubbabel's temple. '!'he condition of the people called for such a review of the national history as would impress upon them their connection with a long and glorious past, and would freshen to their view the great principles on which the national prosperity had resteu. "The people had not yet gathered up the threads of the old national lile, broken by the Capt.ivity. They required to be reminded, in the first place, of their entire history, of the whole past course of mundane events, and of the position which they them- selves held among the nations of the earth. This was done, curtly and drily, but sufficiently, by means of genealogies." Such a picture of the past revived hope and encouraged high aspirations for the future. Such a summary became a virtual in- troduction to the Gospels, and these genealogies may be compared with those found in St. Matthew and St. Luke. But beyond the use of "genealogies" to Orientals generally, and to the returned captives of that age in particular, we inquire what comprehensive truths for the race, and so for us, they may be designed to impress. And we may fix attention on three: (1) the unity of God; (2) the unity of the race; (3) the unity of the Divine dealings with the race. I. Tm: UNITY OF GoD. This was the first and essential truth committed to the trust of the Abrahamic race. This they were to conserve for the world during the long ages of man's "free experiment." It was opposed by the dualism of Persia, and the more common polytheism, which associated "gods" with particular localities am! countries. It is significant that after the Captivity the Israelites never relapsed into idolatry; but such a genealogy as this helped them to realize fully that the Gou ot· their restoration was the" one God" of their fathers, and tho God of the whole earth, who could not be limited in thought to any locality, nation, or name. Illustrate an,l enforce the jealousy of the Divine unity, and the position of this truth, as the very foundation of the Christian doctrine. '!'here may be no question on this point; Wt', and all the generations that have ever lived, have to do with one God, the same, the only Lord God Almighty. If we are at peace with liim, then we have nontJ else tu fear. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" II. TnE UNITY O~' THE RACE. All mankind, from the great first parent, Adam, are gathered together in the genealogy as one race. 'rhus is resisted the tendency of some nations to a pride of superimity over others, as though they were of another ~rigin and kind; and the disposition of Israel to exclusiveness as a people specially favoured by God. God made all (Acts xvii. 2G); Goel cares for all that he bas made. And any apparently special dealings with one race are designed for the good of the whole. In these modern times attention is being freshly given to what is called the "solidarity" of the race, and that fact is assumed to explain much that seems 10 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [ea. 1. 1-64,
my~t<irions. B_ut thi~ is P:ecisely the impre~sion which S?ripture designs to produce by its genealogies: with this further moral aim, that thus 1t confirms the claims of the greai human brotherhood. III. THE UNITY OF THE DIVINE DEALINGS WITH TIIE RACE, This is the chief im- pression made by a review of the world's past history. It may be illustrated in relation to (1) the orderings of Divine providence; (2) the requirements of Divine Law; (3) the judgm~n_ts of Di-1'.ine wrath; (4} the signs of a Divine plan; and (6) the fulfil- ment of D_1vme prom,ise. vye may tir1;11ly stay our hearts upon the worlct's experience of the umty of Gods dealmgs. He 1s the Lord; he changes not: "His years are throughout all generations." This conviction concerning God is the basis of social order, of earthly governments, of the rndemptive scheme, and of man's ideal of righteousness. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" These genealogias also stand in special relation to the promise of Messiah, the Saviour. '!'hey show a Divine purpose being wrought through all the ages, and reveal it accomplished at last in the Child of the Virgin Mary. But they teach that the dominion of this Messiah is wide as the race, and long as the ages. It is to be universal and everlasting. A<s a practical conclusion, it may be shown that the depressing influence exerted on us by the brevity of human life, and by the uprising and falling of dynasties and nations is corrected by this revelation-in the genealogies-of the "Faithful One," "whose ye~rs are throng bout all generations;" and who so solemnly declares, "All souls are mine."-R. T.