victory. Then, by the grace of His Holy Spirit, shall God's best and deepest gift be vouchsafed, the gift of repentance and amendment of life, according to His Holy Word. And then shall those unchangeable words of promise, so consoling, so far-reaching in their meaning, be found true, "He is merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth Him of the evil."

Tracts for the Christian Seasons.

TWENTIETH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.

II.-THE PROPHET JONAS.

(I.) THE word "Now," with which the Book of Jonah begins, is in the original no mere expletive. It might indeed be translated "And," but it would bear the same meaning, and that meaning would be one both pregnant and definite. It would stand as a link in the golden chain of the sacred canon. Just as the Book of Exodus is joined to that of Genesis by the commencing "Now," and just as that of Leviticus to that of Exodus, and that of Numbers to that of Leviticus, each by the commencing word "And," and just as we shall find, if we go through the historic books of the Old Testament, the same clasp holding the two ends

a To this effect writes that great Hebraist Dr. Pusey, Commentary on Jonah.

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of each side of the mantle of inspiration together, so do we find it to be in this case, and thus are we at once possessed with the assurance that the volume we are about to read is an integral unit of the roll of the. sacred calendar.

We have great reason to be thankful for this: for on no Book more than on this of the Prophet Jonah has that which is termed the free handling of the canonical Books been more unscrupulously exercised.

There are two views which we may take of the history; the one is the historical, the other the typical. To explain the latter, our simplest and, I may add, our only sure way, will be to consider well the former. When we have read accurately the history, we shall clearly discern the type.

We have already stated the signification of the opening word of the Book of Jonah; we have stated how it links on this Book to the great volume of Inspiration. But this is not its only link. In addition to the claim which it makes independently upon our regard as having been handed down from the Jewish to the Christian

Church, we have a further and an undoubted proof of its genuineness in the testimony borne by another Book of the Canonical Scriptures to the sacredness of the character of its author. "He restored," writes the author of the Second Book of Kings, "the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the Sea of the Plain (or the Dead Sea), according to the word of the Lord God of Israel which He spake by the hand of His servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet which was at Gath-hepher." Here, then, we have a second mention of Jonah, and not only that, but of Jonah in the character of a prophet; and not only of Jonah in the character of a prophet, but of Jonah the son of Amittai in the character of a prophet. We have, therefore, three striking particulars centring in one person mentioned at different parts of the Bible, and as dwelling, to every appearance, in the same locality. Nay, we have not only this positive proof of their being both the same identical prophet, but we have the negative fact that in no other place in the Old Testab 2 Kings ix. 25.

ment are these two names of father and of son to be found either separate or in combination. Can we then doubt that they are one and the same man?

We have, therefore, three proofs of the genuineness of the Book of Jonah, of the sacred reality of the character of Jonah himself, and of the authenticity of his prophetic narrative. When we add to these the direct reference by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself to the history of Jonah, just as He referred to other facts of undoubted history, can any room be left for the smallest doubt whether the Book of Jonah be the writing of him whose name it bears, and the matter contained in it the true, authentic account of one of the most marvellous histories which the sacred annals contain?

Having so far (I.) substantiated our subject as regards the foundations of solid truth. on which it rests, we may confidently proceed to the divine story itself. And in doing this, we will endeavour, as we have premised above, to enter (II.) into the history, adding its moral bearings as connected c See p. 1422.