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proposed study of the New Testa- | judge in these things: yea, doubt

ment, to behold here" the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." May we be enabled truly to behold "his glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father," and may we know him to be "full of grace and truth."

In conclusion, I read to you a few lines from the pen of an old writer, containing some sentiments on this point which I wish to leave upon your minds. "Alas," says he, "after our utmost and most diligent inquiries, we must say, how little a portion of him is it that we can understand! His glory is incomprehensible, and his praises are unutterable. An illuminated mind may conceive something of it; but what we can express, in comparison of what it is in itself, is even less than nothing. But as for those who have forsaken the only true guide herein, endeavouring to be wise above what is written, and to raise their contemplations, by fancy and imagination, above Scripture revelation (as many have done), they have darkened counsel without knowledge, uttering things which they understand not, which have no substance or spiritual food of faith in them.

"Howbeit, that real view which we may have of Christ and his glory, in this world, by faith, however weak and obscure, and that knowledge which we may obtain of them, by divine revelation, is inexpressibly to be preferred above all other wisdom, understanding, or knowledge whatSo it is declared by him, who will be acknowledged a competent

ever.

less,' saith he, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.' Phil. iii. 8. He who doth not so, hath no part in him.

"The revelation made of Christ in the blessed Gospel is far more excellent, more glorious, and more filled with rays of divine wisdom and goodness, than the whole creation and the just comprehension of it, if attainable, can contain or afford. Without the knowledge hereof, the mind of man, however priding itself in other inventions and discoveries, is wrapped up in darkness and confu

sion.

"This, therefore, deserves the severest of our thoughts, the best of meditations, and our utmost diligence in them. For, if our future blessedness shall consist in being where he is, and beholding his glory, what better preparation can there be for it, than in a constant previous contemplation of that glory, in the revelation that is made in the Gospel, that, by a view of it, we may be gradually transformed into the same glory."

PSALM LXXXIX.

For ever shall my song record
The truth and mercy of the Lord;
Mercy and truth for ever stand,
Like heaven, establish'd by his hand.
Thus to his Son he sware, and said,
"With thee my covenant first is made;
In thee shall dying sinners live;
Glory and grace are thine to give.

Be thou my Prophet, thou my Priest;
Thy children shall be ever blest;
Thou art my chosen King; thy throne
Shall stand eternal, like my own.

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2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;

3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and *Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;

4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Sal

mon;

5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jes

se;

6 And 'Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

boam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8 And Asa begat Josophat; and Josophat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10 And "Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;

11 And "Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon :

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12 And after they were brought to Babylon, "Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;

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13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;

14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;

15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;

16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away

7 And 'Solomon begat Ro- into Babylon are fourteen ge

nerations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

d Gen. xxi. 2, 3. e Gen. xxv. 26. ƒ Gen. xxix. 35.g Gen. xxxviii. 27. h Ruth iv. 18, &c. 1 Chr. ii. 5, 9, &c.-i 1 Sam. xvi. 1, & xvii. 12. k2 Sam. xii. 24. 11 Chr. iii. 10, &c.-m 2 Kin. xx. 21. 1 Chr. iii. 13.|| Some read-Josias begat Jakim, and Jakim begat Jechonias. n See 1 Chr. iii. 15, 16. o2 Kin. xxiv. 14, 15, 16, & xxv. 11. 2 Chr. xxxvi. 10, 20. Jer. xxvii. 20, & xxxix. 9, & lii. 11, 15, 28, 29, 30. Dan. i. 2.-p 1 Chr. iii. 17, 19. q Ezra iii. 2, & v. 2. Neh. xii. 1. Hag. i. 1.

Reader. In these verses I find little occasion for verbal explanation. Perhaps, however, your acquaintance with Old Testament history may suggest some inquiries respecting the individuals mentioned in this genealogy, and the order of their succession.

Theophilus. Is Ozias, in the eighth verse, the same as Uzziah, of whom we read in 2 Chron. xxvi. 2?

Reader. Yes; this is the same Uzziah, whose history stands upon record as a warning against a proud neglect, or violation, of divine institutions and appointments. He reigned well, for some time, and prospered; but afterwards, "when he was strong, his heart was lifted up to his destruction; for he transgressed against the Lord his God, and went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense upon the altar of incense." This was a bold and arrogant invasion of the priests' office; and Uzziah was smitten with leprosy as a punishment for his presumption.

Theophilus. But it is said that Joram begat Ozias; whereas the father of Ozias was Amaziah, and the father of Amaziah was Joash, and the father of Joash was Ahaziah, and it is he who was the son of Joram. Reader. True; the three more

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This manner of speaking was common among the Jews. Perhaps the omission existed in the genealogical table from which St. Matthew took his account; and the Evangelist saw no occasion to supply the deficiency; especially as it did not affect his argument, the line of succession being unbroken. It must also be borne in mind that Joram married wicked Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab, from whom the succeeding sovereigns descended; and, perhaps, the omission of three names in the genealogy is designed as a mark of disgrace "to the third and fourth generation," in token of the Lord's displeasure against Joram on account of his connection with an impious and idolatrous house, and because "he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord."

Theophilus. I find also a little difficulty in the eleventh verse, where it is said that Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren. If I remember rightly, Josias was the father of Jehoiakim; and Jehoiakim was the father of Jechonias. Besides this, we do not read of the brethren of Jechonias, but we do read of those of Jehoiakim, in the Old Testament. So that I should have expected to find, "Josias begat Jehoiakim and his brethren, and Jehoiakim begat Jechonias."

Reader. Exactly so; and if you refer to the margin of your Bible, you will discover an allusion to a reading found in many manuscripts, which some critics adopt as genuine, "Josias begat Jakim (i.e. Jehoiakim), and Jakim begat Jechonias." Calmet accordingly would read the eleventh and twelfth verses thus, "Josias begat Jehoiakim and his brethren; and Jehoiakim begat Jechonias about the time of the first Babylonish captivity; and Jechonias begat Salathiel, after they were brought to Babylon." Others, receiving the reading adopted in our text, avoid the difficulty by supposing Jechonias, in the eleventh verse, to be only another form of the name Jehoiakim. Or again, allowing a certain latitude of expression not uncommon in such cases in Jewish writings, some would understand the eleventh verse thus, Josias begat, i.e. was the ancestor, namely, the grandfather, of Jechonias and his brethren, i.e. his relatives, namely, his uncles. In either way, the agreement of the genealogy with the history becomes easily apparent.

Theophilus. We read, in the twelfth verse, that Jechonias begat Salathiel; whereas it is said concerning Jechonias, in Jeremiah xxii. 30, "write this man childless;" and St. Luke speaks of Salathiel as being the son of Neri.

Reader. The whole prophecy to which you refer is as follows, " Thus saith the Lord, write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the

throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah." Now some suppose that Salathiel, and others who are mentioned in 1 Chron. iii. 17, 18, were really the sons of Jechonias; and that the prophecy was fulfilled in the calamities which befel their house, and in its loss of the throne. None of the posterity of Jechonias sat upon the throne of David; but yet the regal line was continued from that prince, through his son Salathiel. Interpreters who take this view of the matter conjecture that Salathiel was adopted by Neri.-On the other hand, some suppose that Jechonias was the father of Salathiel only by adoption, the latter being really the son of Neri, who was the heir of Zedekiah, brother of Jehoiakim, and uncle of Jechonias.

Theophilus. My recollection of the history of Jehoiakim and Jechonias, and their lives, is rather indistinct. Perhaps this is owing to the similarity of the two names, and the confusion of events at that period.

Reader. It occurred to me that a little historical information on this point would be acceptable; and I have brought out of my library a volume of Doddridge's Expositor, in order to read to you the following note in which you will find a clear account of the succession of Jewish princes, and other circumstances, about the time of the captivity.

"On the death of Josiah, the people took Jehoahaz, otherwise called Shallum, though a younger brother, and made him king in his father's stead (2 Kings xxiii. 30, 31); but Pharaoh Necho, in three months'

time deposed him, and carried him captive to Egypt, according to the prediction of the prophet concerning him (Jer. xxii. 10-12, compared with 2 Kings xxiii. 33, 34), and having thus deposed him, he made Jehoiakim, the elder brother, who was formerly called Eliakim, king in his room. But this Jehoiakim was soon subdued by the king of Babylon," Nebuchadnezzar, "who, after his conquest, suffered him for a while to continue on the throne e; but, on his revolt to the king of Egypt again, he was slain by the Chaldeans (2 Kings xxiv. 1, 2), and thrown out unburied, as Josephus tells us, agreeably to what the prophet had foretold (Jer. xxii. 18, 19; xxxvi. 30)." I would here observe, that, at the period of this conquest in the reign of Jehoiakim, many of the Jews were led away captive to Babylon; and this may be regarded as the first captivity. "After Jehoiakim's death, his son Jehoiachin, by some called Jehoiakim the second, was put in his place; and this is he who is elsewhere called Jeconiah (1 Chron. iii. 16), and Coniah (Jer. xxii. 24). But, after a reign of three months, he was taken captive and imprisoned by Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings xxiv. 8-16), according to the prophecy, Jer. xxii. 24-26, and after thirtyseven years released (2 Kings xxv. 27)." This captivity under Jehoiachin may be reckoned as the second. When Jeconiah was deposed and carried captive, "his uncle Zedekiah, the third son of Josiah, was raised to the throne; but, after a reign of eleven years, his eyes were put out,

and he was carried captive to Babylon, Jerusalem and the temple being destroyed (2 Kings xxiv. 17, 18; xxv. 7)." The last-mentioned was the third, and final, Babylonian captivity.

Theophilus. I hope I shall have a more distinct remembrance of these events, in future. I now understand the narrative very clearly.

Reader. Some persons have imagined a difficulty in verse 12, where none exists; regarding Zorobabel, who is there named, as the son of Pedaiah, mentioned in 1 Chron. iii. 19. But that Zorobabel was another person. The celebrated Zerubbabel was the son of Shealtiel or Salathiel, as here stated. The whole pedigree here recorded is, doubtless, such as was found in the Jewish genealogical tables; and it does not appear that the Jews, although violently opposed to Christianity, ever charged the Evangelists with inaccuracy in this particular.

Many are the reflections which may arise when we consider the different characters and condition of the various individuals who are numbered among our Saviour's earthly ancestors. Some of those persons were illustrious saints, patterns of faith, obedience, and holy consistency of conduct; men whose lives demand our imitation, and whose example may animate our courage.-Others were sinners, who died, we fear, in a state of impenitence and unbelief; and from these men's history we may derive a solemn warning. While their names are included in the Saviour's genealogy, their souls, we

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