Thus Jabez prays, "That thine hand may be with me." Thus the child of God may ever pray. It is just what we need-him with us in all his glorious power; hin1 tu put away our leprous sin; him to raise our dead souls to life; him to upholcl our sinking souls amid the storms and tempests of life; him to raise us out of the dust of grovelling earthliness, and make us look into the glory before us; him to bless us; him to do all. "That thine hand may be with me." Reader, it is just what you need-a living Jesus at your side from day to day, and hour to hour. IV. Mark the concluding petition: "That thou wouldest KEEP ME FROX EVIL, that it may not grieve me." Observe, reader, it is not a prayer to be kept from evil. It is a prayer to be kept from the effects of evil. "'fhat it may not grieve me." "Have we received good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil?" "Shall there be evil in a city, and I have not done it?" 'l'he Christian cannot pray to be delivered from evil. He will have sorrow and suffering and trial here. The eye must often weep over sin; the heart must often mourn over its depravity. 'femptation must be constantly endured. But this the soul may pray for-that the sin within us and the temptations around us may not grieve or hurt the soul. This he may pray for-that his evil heart ma.y not draw him from God; that an evil nature may not be yielded to; tha,t an evil spirit may not deaden his soul, and leave him cold and heartless to the Saviour and his glory. 'l'here is no exemption from evil here. It is in us and around us on every side. But, blessed be God, we have One dwelling within us, even the Holy Spirit, and through his mighty working evil may be turned into a blessing. It is for this we may pray, we must pray. Your danger is not in possessing an evil heart, but in yielding to it. Your da.nger is not being on the verge of a precipice, but in being unwatchful there. Oh, pray this prayer, Christian reader!-W. Vers. 31-43.-The Simeonites. This tribe is classed with that of Judah, as their possessions were partly taken out of their extensive territory (see Josh. xix. 1). As Simeon bad only a limited portion of the land of Judah, they were forced to seek accommodation elsewhere. In consequence of their sloth or cowardice, some of tlrn cities within their allotted territory were only nominally theirs, and were never taken from the Philistines till David's time, when, the Simeonites having forfeited all claim to them, he transferred them to the tribe of Judah (see 1 Sam. xxvii. 6). Let us learn two lessons from this tribe-first, with reference to this transfer, and second, with reference to the sad results that followed the supineness or cowardice which chrL- racterized it. 1. We learn from Gen. xlix. 5-7 that cruelty characterized this son of Jacob, and that righteous retribution followed. Also we see how one sin begets anot.her. Cruelty has in its train cowardice. True bravery and magnanimity is the result of a nature ennobled by Divine grace. Wherever we find cruelty, there we may be certain to find cowardice and supineness. One strengthened grace strengthens every other in the man. One indulged sin weakens every grace, and begets sins which bear that sin's "image and superscription" at every turn and throughout many generations. Simeon's descf:lndants, though not personally guilty of their father's sin, have the brand upon them. 'l'heir sins are but the outward ripple on the stream where their father cast in the first stone of crime. Thus Simeon's sin lived in his generations. Thus men live long after they arc dead. All true living influence begins to be potent after we have disappeared from the scene. How solemn, then, how awfully responsible, is each one's life I ~- Now look at the sad results of their supineness. Inasmuch as they did not fight the Philistines and gain possession of their cities, Davicl took them from them and allotted them to Judah. What a remarkable confirmation of our Lord's words," To him that hath [Judah] shall more be l.riven; and from him that bath not (Simeon] even that he hath shall be taken away"! Seo another consequence of this supineness. 'l'hey sought larger territory, and found it in the pastures of Gedcrah. For a time all seemed bright and prosperous. But soon they were attacked by foes, and had to fly to Mount Seir. This would have been unnecessary had they been valiant, fought the Philistines, and become possessed in reality of what they had only nominal possession before. Reader, learn the solemn warning. "Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life;" "Make :yonr calling and election sure." Mltke 11,aL iiominal possession of Christ-that profession of religion you wear-a reality, a Lrn,, and living posses.,ion. 'l'hns will yon, too, save yourself from similar results, and wili reap your reward.-W. 68 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [cu. v. 1-26.
EXPOSITION.