C. Hervey (see his valual.,le work on the the succession to a date that mo.y be • Genenlogies of our Lord Jesus Christ,' pp. harmonized with others which Juivo for the 103,307,322; and articles in Smith's' Bible most part held their ground. 'fhat iu ver. Dictionary,' i. 666, 667) oan scarcely be 22 only five names are !(iven for what are warranted, when he wishes first to omit summed up as "siz," must lead to the altogether the words and the sons of supposition that one has dropped out ; o.nd Sheco.niah; Shemo.iah; e.nd nezt, to reg:trd since no known manuscript of the Hebrew 8hemaiah as Shimei, ihe brother of Zerub- text, nor the Septuagint or Vulgo.to versions babel, and, as matter of course, those who supplies us with the missing name, the followed as the descendants of this brother Syriao and Arabie versions, which supply of Zerubbabel, instead of Zerubbabel him- the name Azo.riah between Neariah and self. Now, a passage in the Book of Shaphat, must be viewed with some suspi- Ezra helps us nrnch here. Ezra mentions, cion. Igeo.l is, in the Hebrew, a word (Sf.l.') as one of those of the "sons of David" who identical with the Igal of Numb. xiii. 7 ;· 2 went up with him from Babylon to Je- Sam. xxiii. 36-Septuagint in the latter rusalem (Ezra viii. 2, 3), Hattush, "of the passages 'IAcw.A or '1-yaA, but in the present sons of Shechaniah." There is not only place 'l.,hA. Of the other persons in this nothing to prevent this Hattnsh being tbe verse little or nothing else is knol"i'n. same as the elder brother of Neariah, who Ver. 23.-None of the names in this or comes fourth in succession from Zerubbabel the following verse assists as yet in throwing ( i.e. on the hypothesis that the six names of any light upon the questions that arise in ver. 21 are brothers, not a line of descents), this fragment of genealogy. Lord A. C. but at the above-mentioned average of Hervey would identify Hodaiah (ver. 24) twenty years the dates will admirably syn- with Abiud (Matt. i. 13) and with Jude. chronize-the last date of Zerubbabel being (Luke iii. 26), and quotes, for very just about B.o. 520, and that of Neariah B.o. confirmation of the possibility so far as the 440; while the date of Ezra's journey was mere names are concerned, Ezra iii. 9; Neh. :e.o. 458 (see • Speaker's Commentary,' iii. xi. 9 ; compared with Ezra ii. 40; eh. ix. 7. 186, 187). This ooincidence of names His investigations on the comparison of the and dates must not be regarded as con- genealogies of this chapter with those of clusive ; but, pending further discovery, it Matt. i. 9 and Luke iii. 9, a.re well worthy strongly disfavours the idea of the names of attention, and may be found in his work of ver. 21 constituting a succession, and it above referred to, and in his articles of keeps well in check the rate of succeeding Smith's • Bible Dictionary.' generations, bringing the last member of
HOMILIES BY VA.Il!OUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1-9.-CJheckered life. These verses suggest to us the thought which continually recurs in studying the life of David, viz.- I. How JOY AND BOBROW MINGLE IN THE LIVES OF MEN. To David were given many elements of joy : he had the outward dignity, the comfortable and even splendid surroundings, the authority and influence which belong to Oriental sovereignty: he reigned altogether forty years (ver. 4). For this largo period of his life the pleasures of regal pomp, wealth, and power were at his command. But bis was far from a cloudless day. In the home circle, where the sweetest joys are commonly found, there were abundant sources of trouble and distress. In his "first love," Michal, he was bitterly disappointed, and she was "childless unto the day of her death." His concu- bines deserted and dishonoured him (2 Sam. xvi. 22). As we read in these verses (vers. 1-8) the names of his children, we are struck with the thought-how little there was in them to give their father a parent's joy I how much to cause him a profound anxiety, or even poignant grief I If national prosperity or military success elated the king's heart, domestic dissatisfaction, home troubles, must soon have clouded his brow. 'l'hus is it with us all : joy and sorrow may not spring from theso two sources, they may riot mingle in these proportions, but they are bound up together in the same bundle; they intermingle and interlace in every human life. Bodily gratifications, success, r,ower, the endearruents of human love, the hope of higher 11nd greater things, the joy of 1,eneficence, on the one hand; care, loss, toil, disappointment, regret, the "wounded ~pirit," on the olher hand. It is a chcckered scene, this plain of hnman life; sunshino alid ~li.ulov1 fall fitfully upon it as we pass on to the far horizon. 'l'liis aspect of en. Ill, 1-24.J '!'HE FmST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES.
David's household, recalling to us the contrasts of his experience, may lead us to remember- H. How Gon DISCIPLINES OUR HEARTS. David would hardly have been the humble and devout man he was and continued to be, if he had enjoyed an unbroken course of triumph and satisfaction. 'l'he best graces of the human soul cannot thrive in per- petual sunshine; they must have the searching winds an<l the pelting rains of heaven. If God sends us loss and trouble, if he" breaks our schemes of earthly joy," it is to foster in our hearts those virtues of meekness, resignation, lowliness of heart, con- ~iderateness of others, etc., which we should not keep alive if the "barns were always filled with plenty," and the cup were always overflowing with earthly joy, We may especially learn here- III. How GoD PREPARES us FOR HOLY SERVICE. David would never have left us the psalms which proceeded from his pen if his earthly life had not been the checkered thing it was. It was from a troubled if not a broken heart that those deep utterances were poured. It was from a soul that could find no rest and joy but in the faithful God, "the very present Help in trouble," that flowed the precious passages which are the comfort of mankind. 1. God never calls us to any estate so high as that of sacred service-the spiritual help we render our kind. 2. ',Ve cannot possibly serve to the full height of our power if we do not learn sympathy by suffering. 3. 'l'herefore God leads bis children into deep waters, that, through such baptism, they may comfort, heal, and bless the sorrowing and stricken souls who wait their miuis- tering hand.-C.