,,the ,,patriarchs3                     
,being ,meditations                     
,,upon              ,,enoch1 ,,noah1    
,,abraham1 ,,isaac1 ,,jacob1 ,,joseph1  
,,job2                      ,,the       
,,canticles1 ,,heaven ,,and ,,earth4    
,,by                              ,j4   
,g4 ,,bellett4                          
,new ,edition4                          
,a4 ,s4 ,,rouse1                 #ae    
#af1 ,,paternoster ,,square1 ,,london1  
,e4,c4                                  
#ahie                                   
,,the ,,patriarchs3                     
,,being ,,meditations ,,upon            
,,enoch1 ,,noah1 ,,abraham1 ,,isaac1    
,,jacob1 ,,joseph1 ,,job2               
,,the ,,canticles1 ,,heaven ,,and       
,,earth4                                
,,enoch4   ,it is not so much of ,enoch 
himself that ,i now purpose1 in the     
,lord's grace1 ,i would hope1 to write a
 little1 but rather of the times and the
 saints before the flood4 ,whether it be
 of them or of him1 the materials1 as we

 know1 are very scanty2 but in the way  
and wisdom of the ,spirit of ,god1 they 
are full of meaning and of value4   ,a  
peculiar attraction has been commonly   
felt in the ,book of ,genesis4  ,the    
simplicity of the narratives has to     
account for much of this1 ,i doubt not4 
,human life is in its infancy and       
artlessness4 ,the scenes are domestic1  
and the habits and manners such as      
family duties and affections were       
forming4 ,this is a great source of     
enjoyment to the mind from this book4   
,such springs of pleasure are at times  
tasted in spite of ourselves4 ,we are   
spoiled very much by the customs of the 
world1 and we suppose that we like them4
 ,but still we find ourselves naturally 
at ease in such scenery as that which   
this lovely book presents to us4 ,the   
wife of one wealthy lord1 who numbered  
his servants by hundreds1 and his flocks
 by thousands1 would knead the cake for 
the traveller2 and the daughter of      
another1 without practising the language

 of apology1 would be seen by strangers 
watering the family herds4  ,yet with   
all this there was the truest courtesy4 
,the honour due to all men was as well  
understood as the love of kindred4 ,it  
was not barbaric life1 though simple and
 inartificial4 ,it was not rude         
simplicity2 but that which came from an 
influence that could mould and adorn    
life4 ,and that influence was the       
knowledge of ,god4 ,the times of this   
book were1 as we know they were1        
unindebted to the advance of civility1  
or the regulations of cultivated life2  
but still the state of things was not   
barbarous1 just because there was the   
knowledge of ,god4 ,the hand of ,god was
 felt1 while as yet the conceits of     
polished life had not time or liberty   
either to garnish or soil the scene4    
,it is this which fashions the manners  
of these early times4 ,peculiar they    
are1 deeply commending themselves to a  
right mind2 but enough1 perhaps1 to     
provoke the smile of many who belong to 

times like ours4 ,for strange nowadays  
would be the confidential friendship of 
a master and his servant4 ,and yet such 
was between ,abraham and ,eliezer1      
though all the while the duties and     
rights of the relationship were         
religiously observed4 ,and how          
unwarrantable would it now be judged1   
that the intended husband of one of the 
daughters1 or the son-in-law himself1 as
 in the case of ,laban and ,jacob1      
should tend the family flocks in the    
heat of day and frost of night1 getting 
his wages6 ,and yet in all this there is
 no moral offence whatever2 nothing but 
what may charm the nicest sensibilities 
of our nature4  ,but that which ought to
 lend this book its principal power to  
engage us is this3 the ,lord ,himself is
 seen in it in ways and characters      
suited to this simple and primitive     
style4 ,the action of the book being    
very much domestic1 plain and unadorned1
 ,his way is according4 ,whether ,he    
communicates ,his mind1 or manifests    

,his presence1 it is after this same    
pattern4 ,he does not employ prophets1  
but personally makes ,his pleasure      
known4 ,it may be in a dream1 or with a 
voice1 as well as by personal           
manifestation2 but still it is ,himself4
 ,and even if angels are employed1 they 
are rather ,his companions than ,his    
messengers4  ,in the cool of the day1 or
 the afternoon1 ,he walked in the       
garden4 ,in the field ,he pleaded with  
,cain1 personally pleaded with him1     
adding the weight and authority of ,his 
own presence to a moment of awful and   
solemn interest4 ,he came down at the   
cry of ,babel1 and the cry of the sin of
 ,sodom1 just that ,he might see1 as we 
would do1 whether things were really as 
bad as they were said to be4 ,in forms  
of intimacy ,he again and again appeared
 to ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob2       
inviting confidence1 expressing         
displeasure1 or conveying ,his purpose1 
in ways of full personal familiarity4   
,and though1 in the progress of the     

book1 this style may grow a little      
slack1 still it is maintained in measure
 to the end1 even where we might have   
least expected it4 ,for to kings1 not of
 the stock of ,abraham1 the ,lord ,god  
appeared in dreams by night1 and1       
without amazement1 warned them of their 
duty1 or told them of their danger4     
,the ministry of prophets1 as ,i        
observed1 is not employed4 ,that would  
have been too distant1 too reserved1 to 
suit the general style4 ,nor is the     
divine pleasure communicated through the
 ,holy ,ghost1 or by inspiration4 ,that 
is not the way either--not the usual    
way4 ,but it is1 as we have seen1 the   
personal interference of the ,lord      
,himself1 coming in a vision1 or by a   
dream or a word2 or in the still nearer 
way of taking the forms and attributes  
of manhood2 and that1 too1 not in mystic
 dress1 as afterwards to such as        
,isaiah1 ,daniel1 or ,john2 but as one  
who was meeting man in his place and    
circumstances4 ,as a traveller1 needing 

hospitality1 ,he eats of a calf and a   
cake at the tent door with one2 with    
another ,he contends and wrestles1 as a 
man with his fellow1 having a quarrel or
 matter of dispute with him4  ,see all  
this style of action in the case of     
,noah4 ,how interestedly does the ,lord 
,god enter into the whole state of      
things in that day6 ,just as we all     
feel1 ,his eye affects ,his heart4 ,and 
then1 just as we all do1 ,he takes      
counsel with ,himself4 ,he saw the      
wickedness of man that it was great2 it 
grieved ,him to the heart2 and then ,he 
said1 ,i will destroy man whom ,i have  
created from the face of the earth4 ,and
 after all this1 just as we ourselves   
would do1 having taken ,his counsel1 ,he
 communicates it to a friend1 passing it
 to the ear1 and the heart1 and the     
sympathies of another4  ,it was thus    
that the ,lord dealt with ,noah4 ,he    
dealt with him as a man with his friend1
 as well as like ,god with an elect     
sinner4 ,and we ourselves practise these

 ways4 ,we love these confidences of    
friendship4 ,we love a second self4 ,the
 end of all flesh is come before ,me1   
says the ,lord to ,noah1 telling him    
what had been passing in ,his own bosom4
 ,and afterwards1 in the day of the     
waters1 in the same way of gracious     
friendship1 when the ark was about to   
float upon the scene of the judgment1   
the ,lord shut him in4 ,with ,his own   
hand ,he did it4  ,here was intimacy4   
,here was living1 palpable nearness of  
the ,lord ,god to ,his creature4 ,and   
this is in character with ,his general  
actings and communications in this book4
 ,the glory was not as yet taking its   
place in a dispensation1 shrouded in a  
cloudy chariot1 or seated between       
cherubim4 ,in all that there was majesty
 and conscious greatness1 and the       
distance of holiness1 as suited an      
ordered economy4 ,but in the times of   
,genesis this was not so4 ,things were  
informal1 and the action was desultory2 
and the ,lord was in person1 as the     

occasion demanded1 according to this4   
,in this manner do we find the action of
 this beautiful book4 ,the elect of ,god
 are thus1 and thus is the living ,god  
,himself4 ,it is as divine as anything  
else in the ,word4 ,and the soul so     
receives it4 ,and good reason have we   
for blessing the ,lord1 because ,he has 
introduced our hearts to such a book as 
this4 ,for we are not always ready for  
the higher things4 ,we cannot at all    
times reach them1 or obey a summons to  
ascend the heavenly places4 ,but the    
,spirit of ,god is tender of our        
weakness1 and has provided for it4 ,the 
,scriptures1 if ,i may take leave to    
speak in a figure1 have change of air   
and change of scene for our souls4  ,it 
is relish and appetite we have to covet1
 beloved--a holy delight in the things  
of ,god1 whether they be the things of  
the children or of the fathers2 the pure
 milk or the strong meat4 ,little ones  
in ,his school are still living ones4   
,that is the blessed thing4 ,he who     

liveth in the mere power of intellect1  
or in the schools of men1 is dead while 
he liveth4   ,there is1 however1 another
 thing to be said on the times and on   
the ,book of ,genesis4  ,in those times1
 or1 as the apostle speaks1 from ,adam  
to ,moses1 law did not give character to
 the state of the people of ,god4 ,adam 
was under law in ,eden1 and so were the 
children of ,israel after the day of    
,mount ,sinai4 ,but not so the          
generations from ,adam to ,moses4 ,sin  
was equally in the world1 but there was 
no law4 ,rom4 v4 #ad4  ,but not only1 ,i
 may observe1 were they not under law2  
there was also almost a total absence of
 moral or preceptive instruction4 ,much 
revelation of the divine pleasure and   
counsels there was2 but scarcely        
anything of precept4 ,under the ,spirit1
 revelation worked its result on        
character and conduct1 and formed the   
mind and the ways of the saints4 ,evil  
was resented by them1 and judged of     
,god2 but without a written standard of 

right and wrong4 ,without any law       
against murder1 ,cain is exposed2       
without a fifth commandment1 ,ham's     
dishonour of his father is punished4    
,and so ,jacob's guile is visited and   
resented by the ,lord2 and the wicked   
way of ,joseph's brethren4 ,and without 
the light of any precept the soul of a  
saint can thus plead with temptation1   
,how can ,i do this great wickedness1   
and sin against ,god8  ,all this is so1 
though neither law nor moral instruction
 was then published4 ,it was revelation 
in matters of faith which1 under the    
,spirit1 formed patriarchal character4  
,abraham was not enjoined either his    
altar or his tent2 but his call of ,god1
 through the ,spirit1 suggested both4   
,no precept required his high1 generous 
treatment of ,lot2 but his faith and    
hope in ,god dictated and commanded it4 
,without direction on the case1 his     
knowledge of ,god and the mind of       
,christ that was in him disposed him1   
and taught him to let the potsherds of  

the earth strive with their fellows1 but
 as soon as his kinsman was a captive to
 go forth for his deliverance4 ,no word1
 no oracle from ,god1 distinguished for 
him between the king of ,salem and the  
king of ,sodom2 but the light that was  
in him did4  ,i might go through other  
histories in this book1 and find these  
same things4 ,the holy judgment of the  
mind that was in them1 under the        
,spirit1 suggested to those early saints
 conduct by means of revelation1        
promise1 and calling of ,god4 ,and this 
is ever beautiful1 when we get genuine  
samples or instances of it4   ,such then
 are among the characteristics of this  
earliest and infant age of our history1 
and of the precious book which records  
it4 ,and this earliest method in the way
 of the ,lord is to be the last and the 
abiding method4 ,in ,genesis1 as we have
 seen1 the ,lord ,god acted in the human
 guise1 being personally present in the 
scene1 and seeking the nearest intimacy 
with ,his creature4 ,and this is to be  

the eternal thing when dispensations are
 over4 ,god in manhood is to be for     
ever6  ,precious mystery6 ,unfathomable 
wonder6 ,blessed to ponder this4 ,the   
first is to be the last4 ,the song of   
salvation--the song of ,moses--was the  
first breath of the ransomed tribes4 ,it
 was sung on the banks of the ,red ,sea1
 just as they had got beyond the reach  
of ,pharaoh4 ,after experiences were    
different4 ,they had then to do with    
themselves4 ,but at first the victory of
 the divine man of war was everything to
 them4 ,and this first thing is to be   
the eternal thing4 ,the song of ,moses  
is to fill the courts of glory4 ,exodus 
xv42 ,rev4 xv4 ,and so in earliest days1
 in ,genesis days1 the divine presence  
was not deemed strange1 or something    
which did not suit the earth1 or belong 
to man4 ,the divine courtesies were     
then1 so to speak1 freely given1 and    
unsuspectingly received4 ,and so at the 
end1 in days of millennial heavens and  
earth1 the ,lord ,god will be personally

 again in the scene4   ,the first five  
chapters of this book give us an account
 of antediluvian times1 or1 as they have
 been called1 the world before the      
flood4 ,and it is those chapters ,i now 
purpose to look at a little             
particularly4  ,the whole opens1 as of  
course1 with the work of creation4 ,i   
speak not particularly of this4 ,but1   
instructed by the apostle1 we may say   
that it is only faith which deals justly
 with this great work4 ,faith puts ,god 
above all the things that were made1 or 
are seen4 ,through faith we understand  
that the worlds were framed by the word 
of ,god1 so that things which are seen  
were not made of things which do appear4
 ,faith treats ,god worthily--the only  
principle in the soul which does so4 ,he
 dwells in the light which no man can   
approach unto4 ,faith owns this4 ,the   
wisdom of men busies itself in seeing or
 inspecting ,him4 ,but though ,he will  
show great things of ,himself1 yet does 
faith know that no man hath seen or can 

see ,him4 #a ,tim4 vi4 ,it enjoys all   
,his manifestations2 but inspects not   
,his dwelling-place in light4  ,the     
second chapter exhibits the man made in 
the image of ,god1 in his estate in the 
garden of ,eden4 ,all there was         
tributary to him1 all was for him4 ,he  
had food for all the faculties and      
desires of his nature1 and provision of 
all desirable things4 ,he was made1     
however1 to impart as well as to        
receive2 and that is ever a necessary   
feature in the happiness of a           
well-ordered mind4 ,he was important to 
the garden1 as the garden was important 
to him4 ,he had to dress it and to keep 
it4 ,and he saw his dwelling-place the  
spring-head of a fruitful river1 which  
went forth with life and refreshing to  
the whole earth4 ,with all this the     
voice of a ,sovereign was heard4 ,a     
command went forth4 ,of the tree of the 
knowledge of good and evil1 thou shalt  
not eat4 ,but this was no trespass1 no  
discordant note on the ear of ,adam4    

,god will not1 and cannot1 give ,his    
glory to another4 ,and a creature of a  
right thought1 made upright1 as ,adam   
was1 must delight in having it so4 ,all 
this was therefore only harmonious and  
consistent happiness4  ,to perfect his  
condition the ,lord ,god celebrates for 
him a coronation day1 and a day of      
espousals4 ,but this action has an order
 in it4 ,the ,lord takes counsel with   
,himself about ,adam's espousals4 ,this 
is done first4 ,then ,he introduces him 
to the scene of his sovereignty4 ,he    
brings the creatures of the field and of
 the air to ,adam1 to see what he would 
call them1 and whatsoever he called     
every living creature1 that was the name
 thereof4 ,this was investing him with  
dominion1 setting the crown royal on his
 head4 ,then ,he prepares the help-meet1
 and presents ,eve to him1 following his
 coronation with his marriage4  ,this is
 the order of these events--an order    
which has a sacred and interesting sense
 in it4 ,it is not the mere progress of 

independent facts4 ,it is the design1 so
 to speak1 of a great master4 ,for there
 is1 as we now know1 a mystery which had
 been hid in ,god1 purposed in ,himself1
 before the foundation of the world1    
,his secret 7,eph4 iii471 of which this 
marriage in the garden of ,eden was the 
type4 ,eph4 v4 ,and according to this   
the ,lord1 in the solitude of ,his own  
presence1 in the musings of ,his own    
bosom1 ere ,he led forth ,adam into his 
kingdom1 prepares his help-meet for him4
  ,this1 however1 is not merely the     
design of a great master1 but the       
well-known way of a perfect love4  ,the 
richest purpose of joy is the first in  
counsel4  ,the ,lord's earliest thought 
was about ,adam's best blessing4 ,the   
help-meet at his side1 the one like unto
 him1 his companion1 was destined to be 
more to him than all beside4 ,and that  
which was chief in his enjoyments was   
the earliest and deepest thought in the 
mind of his ,lord4 ,his ,lord pondered  
it4 ,he spoke of it to ,himself4 ,his   

coronation was taken in hand at once and
 disposed of2 but the getting of his    
help-meet for him was counselled and    
talked of beforehand4  ,this is the way 
that love would take4 ,we know it       
ourselves4 ,we like to dwell in thought 
over the materials of the happiness of  
one we love4 ,so that all this is sweet 
and important to our hearts2 for we read
 in it that which may again draw out the
 admiration and the worship1 ,behold1   
what manner of love the ,father hath    
bestowed upon us6  ,and ,adam at once   
owns all this4 ,out of the abundance of 
the heart the mouth speaks4 ,this is now
 bone of my bones1 and flesh of my      
flesh1 he says1 as he received the woman
 from the hand of the ,lord ,god1 owning
 that all was now complete4 ,the serpent
 may by-and-by insinuate it to be       
otherwise4 ,but he is a liar4 ,there is 
not a flaw in all this estate4 ,no lack1
 and no exception4 ,nothing that did not
 in its way contribute to bless him2 and
 nothing of creature blessedness that   

was wanting to him4  ,but all this is at
 once envied by the great enemy4 ,and he
 had title to try the stability of it4  
,the nakedness1 the unshamed nakedness1 
of the man and the woman was innocency4 
,yes1 but it was also exposure4 ,the    
creature was to be proved4 ,strength of 
creaturehood was to be tried4 ,and the  
enemy had title to enter the garden to  
carry on the trial4 ,he was no          
trespasser there4 ,the order and purpose
 of creation made room for him1 as well 
as for ,adam himself4 ,the very         
instrument by which he was to conduct   
his designs was there already4 ,the tree
 of knowledge was in the midst of the   
garden4  ,the tempter1 this serpent that
 was more subtil than any beast of the  
field1 was the devil4 ,this is directly 
told us4 ,rev4 xii4 #i2 xx4 #b4 ,and the
 scene around us to this hour tells of  
his victory4 ,the present evil world1   
whether in its moral condition or in its
 circumstances1 we get in this chapter  
iii4 ,and we might have expected this2  

for the world as it now is has derived  
itself out of the apostasy of ,adam2 its
 character and condition are formed by  
that great act of rebellion4  ,the three
 master-principles which animate the    
course of it--the lust of the flesh1 and
 the lust of the eyes1 and the pride of 
life--are here seen to become the       
springs of moral action in the heart of 
the woman1 as soon as she listened to   
the devil2 for the soul that gives up   
,god must find out other masters1 and   
other resources4 ,and this is the world4
 ,the world has no confidence in ,god1  
nothing to bind it to ,him1 nothing to  
give it rest in ,him1 no sense of ,his  
love and truth4 ,such has it been since 
this hour1 when man gave ear to the     
accuser of ,god4 ,it has therefore found
 out other objects4 ,god made man       
upright2 but he has sought out many     
inventions4 ,eccles4 vii4 #bi4          
,conscience1 too1 is quickened into     
being4 ,sin did this4 ,they knew that   
they were naked4 ,and it was then1 at   

the hour of its birth1 as it is to this 
hour1 an uneasy conscience1 a conscience
 that makes cowards of all who carry it4
 ,i was afraid1 says ,adam 7unable to   
look at ,god71 because ,i was naked4    
,conscience in man must be of this      
quality1 for it owes its existence to   
sin4 ,there was no sense of good and    
evil in him till he sinned2 and this    
sense1 thus acquired1 must leave him a  
coward in the presence of the righteous 
,one4  ,instinctively they make         
themselves aprons4 ,this is our doing   
still4 ,our common state of guilt makes 
us shun even our fellow-creatures4 ,we  
cannot stand inspection even from them4 
,one great and constant effort1 in the  
scene around us every day1 is to escape 
full notice4 ,the apron is still        
invented4 ,the social system understands
 and allows this4 ,indeed1 it is        
maintained by a common consent of this  
sort4 ,and religion1 in its way and     
measure1 as well as the rules and common
 understanding of society1 helps in all 

this4 ,but the presence of the ,lord    
,god is a different element from that of
 the presence of our fellows4 ,no rules 
which sustain the social system will    
make that tolerable for a moment4 ,the  
clothing and the ceremony1 the          
inventions of society1 or the good      
manners that array and adorn it1 will be
 found vanity4 ,all have come short of  
,his glory4 ,let but the conscience hear
 the tread of ,his foot1 or the sound of
 ,his voice in the garden1 and no       
attempt will be equal to that moment4   
,even religious inventions will all be  
vain4 ,they can give no confidence with 
,god1 nor turn the current of the heart4
 ,with his apron upon him1 ,adam hides  
himself among the trees of the garden4  
,this teaches holy and solemn lessons4  
,but with all this cowardice there is   
effrontery4 ,the woman whom thou gavest 
to be with me1 she gave me of the tree4 
,man lays the mischief down at ,god's   
door4 ,he says in effect1 ,let ,god see 
to it2 for the woman is ,his creature1  

and ,he gave her to me2 as he still1 in 
the spirit of his mind1 says1 ,let ,god 
see to it2 for the world is ,his1 and   
,he made it4 ,a strange and horrible    
union6 ,the insolence of the heart      
charging ,god1 and yet a coward         
conscience unable to meet ,him4 ,the    
sinner may talk big1 and make a noise2  
he may reason upon ,god and his own     
condition1 and frame speeches and       
arguments as well as aprons2 but in     
spite of all he can surround himself    
with1 there he is1 like ,adam1 ashamed  
of himself1 and afraid of ,god4 ,man has
 wronged the blessed ,god1 and avoids   
,him4 ,he charges ,him1 and yet is      
afraid to look in ,his face while he    
does so4 ,all this1 in spite of himself1
 witnesses against him4 ,out of thine   
own mouth will ,i judge thee1 the ,lord 
has but to say4 ,and then1 as again in  
the parable1 he must be speechless4     
,such was the mind of ,adam then1 and   
such is human nature still4 ,but if this
 were his moral condition1 what were his

 circumstances8 ,just those of man to   
this hour also4 ,by the sweat of his    
face he was to get bread1 and in the    
sorrow of his heart to eat of it2 and   
that too in the place of thorns and     
thistles4 ,and in like sorrow the woman 
was to bring forth children2 and all    
this till they both returned to the     
dust1 out of which they had been taken4 
,and man is still after this manner1    
outside the garden1 conversant with toil
 and sorrow4 ,dressing and keeping a    
lovely surface and a fruitful soil is   
not the thing or the allotment now4     
,thorns and thistles and an unkindly    
reluctant ground are to be contended    
with1 and life to be had by the sweat of
 the face in the contest4  ,god alone is
 above this water-flood1 able to manage 
this mighty catastrophe4 ,and ,his      
supremacy is such that ,he will make    
even such an eater yield meat1 and get  
sweetness out of even this strong one4  
,in a glorious sense1 however1          
redemption is far more than remedy of a 

mischief1 or relief1 even with          
advantage1 for an injured1 ruined       
creation4 ,creation1 rather1 is the     
servant of redemption2 for redemption is
 no afterthought4 ,for the pleasure of  
,him who sits upon the throne all things
 are and were created4 ,but that very   
throne has the rainbow round about it   
7,rev4 iv471 the sign of covenant       
faithfulness1 and that all things were  
to stand in redemption1 or in the value 
of the blood of ,jesus4 ,so that when   
sin entered1 the ,lord ,god was at once 
prepared for it 7,i speak as a man72    
prepared to meet it by covenant         
arrangements made before the world      
began1 as ,his very first word to the   
serpent tells us1 ,i will put enmity    
between thee and the woman1 and between 
thy seed and her seed2 it shall bruise  
thy head1 and thou shalt bruise his     
heel4  ,here the great way of ,god opens
 upon us4 ,this promised ,seed of the   
woman1 here revealed1 is ,god's         
provision for dead and ruined man1 in   

the face of all the malice and wrath of 
the enemy4 ,and ,he is this at all      
personal cost2 for the serpent was to   
bruise ,his heel4 ,but though bruised1  
,he was to achieve a glorious victory2  
for ,he was to bruise the serpent's     
head4  ,these are the holy1 august      
characters of this mysterious           
stranger--this promised ,deliverer or   
,kinsman4 ,such was the truth revealed  
on the first moment of our sin1 and such
 has been the truth ever since4 ,this   
gospel1 published in the first promise  
in the face of the devil himself1 is    
maintained in these last days by the    
apostle1 in the face of men on earth and
 angels in heaven4 ,gal4 i4 #h4 ,whether
 it be the earliest or the latest       
preaching of it1 this glorious gospel is
 still the same4 ,it is the witness of  
,god which ,he hath testified of ,his   
,son4 ,it is the gospel of the bruised  
and yet victorious ,seed of the woman4  
,in the bright and perfect idea of it   
man is silent and passive4 ,abram had   

only to believe1 and righteousness was  
imputed to him4 ,israel had but to stand
 by and see ,god's salvation4 ,joshua in
 ,zechariah iii41 the prodigal1 the     
convicted adulteress1 are all in like   
case4 ,and here1 at the beginning of our
 sin1 and the beginning of ,god's       
gospel1 it is just the same4 ,adam has  
only to listen1 and through hearing to  
believe and live4 ,the word is nigh us1 
and we have but to receive it without   
working anything in the heights above1  
or in the depths beneath4 ,the          
activities are ,god's2 the sacrifices   
are ,god's4 ,the profoundness of our    
silence and passiveness in becoming     
righteousness is only equalled by the   
greatness of the divine activity and    
sacrifice in acquiring righteousness for
 us4 ,in the sight of such a mystery we 
may well stand and say1 ,what hath ,god 
wrought6 ,simple indeed it is to us1 as 
one once said1 but it cost ,him         
everything4  ,there is nothing in the   
heart of man like faith in this gospel4 

,the faith of a poor sinner in the      
redeeming grace of ,god is the most     
beautiful condition the soul can be in4 
,as saints1 beloved1 we may trust ,god  
for our need4 ,we may look to ,him for  
counsel1 or for provision4 ,we may trust
 ,him to vindicate our doings1 comfort  
us in sorrow1 and strengthen us in      
difficulties4 ,but the faith of a       
sinner1 in the justifying grace and work
 of ,his divine ,saviour1 transcends    
them all4 ,nothing is so precious1 for  
nothing apprehends ,god in so glorious a
 character1 or gives ,him to the soul in
 so wondrous a relationship4 ,this faith
 it is which uses the richest resources 
in ,god1 and acts upon the most blessed 
discoveries of ,him4 ,for while all the 
ways of ,his glory shine brightly--,his 
strength1 and comfort1 and wisdom for   
,his needy saints--yet1 that ,he has    
grace and salvation for sinners1 this   
excelleth them all4  ,the ,spirit of    
,god1 in these early times1 gives us    
some most precious samples of this most 

precious faith2 as though 7may ,i say   
it87 delighting in such a thing1 ,he    
produced an impression of the finest    
character at once1 as soon as occasion  
served4  ,thus ,adam1 in his faith1     
talked only of life1 though in the midst
 of death--death1 which he himself had  
brought in1 a standing witness against  
him4 ,he was doomed to be an outcast in 
a scene of ruin which his own sin had   
produced4 ,he knew this and allowed it4 
,but he had listened to the story of the
 conflict between his destroyer and the 
woman's ,seed4 ,in the very place of    
judgment--from among the trees of the   
garden1 where conscience had driven     
him--his ear had caught the sound of the
 sweet gospel1 not of mercy merely1 but 
propitiation and victory1 and forth he  
comes1 talking of life4 ,he called his  
wife ,eve1 the mother of all living4    
,all life was in the promised           
,kinsman-,redeemer4 ,in creation ,adam  
himself had been constituted head of    
life--,be fruitful1 and multiply1 and   

replenish the earth2 but that1 in his   
esteem1 was now forfeited and gone4     
,life must flow in a new channel--,he   
that hath the ,son hath life1 and he    
that hath not the ,son of ,god hath not 
life4  ,how grand in its very simplicity
 all this was6 ,and there was recovery  
also of moral glory1 in a great sense1  
in all this4 ,adam had not submitted    
himself to the majesty of ,god1 but     
affected to be as ,god4 ,but now he does
 submit himself to the righteousness of 
,god4 ,his shoulders bowed themselves to
 receive the covering wrought for his   
nakedness by ,god's own hand4 ,see ,rom4
 x4 #c4 ,he was now honouring ,god the  
,redeemer1 though he had just before    
been doing all he could to dishonour    
,god the ,creator--so simply was he led 
by the ,spirit to value the divine      
provision for a sinner in the promise of
 our bruised but victorious ,kinsman4   
,in like manner1 ,eve4 ,she had listened
 to the same promise1 and therefore1 as 
soon as she had brought forth her       

first-born1 she gives witness that this 
promise lived chief in the thoughts of  
her heart4 ,i have gotten a man from the
 ,lord1 said she4 ,she as much          
overlooked herself as ,adam did4 ,she   
gloried only in her ,seed4 ,she had     
listened to the promise with too        
faithful an ear to mistake herself for  
her ,seed4 ,it was not over herself1 but
 over him1 that she now1 in the language
 of another mother1 was singing1 ,my    
soul doth magnify the ,lord1 and my     
spirit hath rejoiced in ,god my         
,saviour6 ,there was a mistake here1 it 
is true4 ,but there was witness how the 
object of faith filled her visions1 and 
the expectations of faith stirred in her
 heart4 ,and so soon as disastrous      
events manifest her mistake1 and prove  
to her that this first-born of her womb 
was anything rather than the promised   
,seed--that instead of being the bruiser
 of the serpent's head1 he turned out to
 be the murderer of his brother--still  
is she found on the rock where faith had

 fixed her soul4 ,let ,god be true1 but 
every man a liar1 was her triumph4 ,over
 ,seth she exclaims1 ,god hath appointed
 me another seed instead of ,abel1 whom 
,cain slew4 ,though every cistern fail1 
she knows the fountain cannot4 ,one son 
had been a murderer1 and another his    
victim2 but still ,god is true4 ,i will 
sing of the mercies of the ,lord for    
ever2 with my mouth will ,i make known  
thy faithfulness to all generations4    
,precious faith1 we may say1 like       
precious faith1 with ,adam1 and with us1
 beloved4 ,so ,abel4 ,faith in him had  
respect to the same promise1 the same   
gospel4 ,the word had spoken of a       
bruised ,deliverer2 and accordingly it  
is a victim1 a bruised or bloody        
sacrifice1 he lays on ,god's altar4 ,but
 not only so4 ,he brings the fat of the 
victim likewise4 ,he knows the delight  
which ,god ,himself takes in the        
provisions of ,his own grace4 ,he knows 
that ,he is pleased with the work of    
,his own hand4 ,he understands that ,god

 is a cheerful giver1 that there is no  
grudging in the gift of grace4 ,in      
spirit he hears the music which the     
,father's command has awakened in ,his  
own house over ,his returned prodigal4  
,in the delight with which ,god ,himself
 had clothed the naked sinner with coats
 which ,his own hand had willingly      
wrought 7a happier task than even the   
six days of creation71 the faith of     
,abel seems to glory4 ,and as thus the  
richest joy that is felt in all the     
costly mystery of redemption is felt by 
,god ,himself1 he lays the richest part 
of the victim1 the fat of the animal1 on
 the altar1 making that the ,lord's own 
portion in this feast of love and joy1  
in ,his own house1 and at ,his own      
table4  ,this was another most excellent
 sample of a sinner's faith4 ,abel1 in  
spirit1 was in ,luke xv4--that chapter  
which tells us that the ,lord's own joy 
in it may account for the gospel4 ,and  
all these are pattern works of the      
,spirit1 forming the faith of sinners4  

,there is no questioning of ,god's      
grace1 no uneasy reflections on         
creature-worthlessness1 though there was
 plenty of cause for that4 ,the         
strength1 the liberty1 the triumph of   
the promise live in their souls4  ,and  
let me add1 that if the confession of   
,lamech 7chapter iv4 #bc1 #bd7 be the   
utterance of a convicted believing      
sinner 7as ,i believe it is71 it is only
 another equally fine expression of this
 same early and excellent faith4 ,it is 
of an order worthy to stand with that of
 ,adam1 or of ,eve1 or of ,abel2        
fervent1 strong1 unquestioning1 and full
 of liberty4  ,god's word to ,cain had  
revealed a great truth--that ,he1 and   
,he alone1 has to do with a sinner4     
,others1 like ,abel1 may suffer2 but all
 sin is directly done against ,god1 and 
,he asserts ,his title to deal with it  
alone4 ,whosoever slayeth ,cain the     
,lord therefore says1 vengeance shall be
 taken on him sevenfold4  ,this great   
truth1 so unspeakably precious to faith1

 ,lamech seems to have received and fed 
upon1 until his whole soul triumphed in 
it4 ,not merely preservation from man1  
like ,cain1 does he count upon1 but     
salvation1 the salvation of ,god4       
,learning that as a sinner he was alone 
with ,god1 he takes that place1 and     
there discovers how ,god can deal with  
him1 even in the security and provisions
 of grace2 and that discovery is the    
light in which his soul at once walks4  
,like ,job1 afterwards1 he publishes his
 confession far and wide4 ,hear my      
voice1 ye wives of ,lamech1 he says2    
hearken unto my speech4 ,then in true   
gospel intelligence he magnifies sin1   
and owns that it was his destruction4 ,i
 have slain a man to my wounding1 and a 
young man to my hurt4 ,but then again1  
in true gospel simplicity1 he much more 
magnifies grace4 ,if ,cain be avenged   
sevenfold1 truly ,lamech seventy and    
sevenfold4 ,in his thoughts1 where sin  
abounded1 grace did much more abound4   
,he is of the very mind and temper of   

,paul4 ,his confidence and victory are  
apostolic4 ,he seems to sing--        ,i
 hear the accuser roar         ,of ills 
that ,i have done2       ,i know them   
well1 and thousands more--              
,jehovah findeth none4   ,a glorious    
sight his faith takes of the whole      
mystery1 and of the boundlessness and   
riches of grace4 ,he listens to the     
provisions of grace 7when alone with    
,god71 and the charging of the law1 the 
accusings of ,satan1 the alarms of      
conscience1 and the self-righteous      
reproaches of men1 are not heard4#a     
#a ,i do not1 however1 assume that      
,lamech was a murderer2 but he could    
identify himself with such4 ,with ,paul1
 he could1 in the sense of       what he
 was before ,god1 speak of himself as   
chief of sinners4 ,and       we know    
also that the repentant ,remnant of the 
latter day will1 in       their         
confession1 quite take the place of     
blood-guiltiness after       this       
manner4 ,they will look to ,him whom    

they pierced4 ,they will1       in the  
spirit of ,daniel or ,nehemiah1 make    
themselves one with the       guilty    
nation4  ,these operations of the       
,spirit through the promise on the souls
 of sinners are truly beautiful4 ,the   
apron of fig-leaves drops off1 or is    
rather cast away1 when such operations  
go on4 ,it is found unnecessary now1 as 
it was found insufficient before4 ,and  
so all the inventions of men4 ,they are 
the contrivances of the wrong-doer      
himself1 the efforts of the creature1   
the devices of the sinner1 and they can 
therefore never do4 ,but they are as    
unnecessary as they are insufficient4   
,the coat of skin1 the work of ,god     
,himself1 has made them so4  ,there is1 
however1 something which this glorious  
relief provided for the sinner does not 
accomplish4 ,the thorns and the thistles
 of the cursed ground remain2 and with  
them the sweat of the face1 and the     
sorrow of the heart1 and then the return
 of dust to dust4 ,as to this hour4 ,we 

shine in the righteousness of ,god1     
adorned under ,his own eye1 and by ,his 
own hand dressed for ,his presence2 but 
all the while pressures and hindrances  
and sore grievances wait on the tilling 
of the earth2 and pains bring us into   
the world1 till we return to the dust   
from whence we came4 ,neither does this 
glorious provision of grace displace the
 cherubim4 ,they accompany it rather4   
,they are stationed at the eastern gate 
of the garden1 with their flaming sword1
 to keep every way of the tree of life2 
and no promise which ,adam had listened 
to1 no covering which ,adam had         
received1 changes this4 ,man's capacity 
to regain that tree is gone1 and gone   
for ever4 ,never will he be anything but
 a saved sinner1 pass he along what     
paths of glory he may1 from paradise to 
the kingdom1 from the kingdom to the new
 heavens and the new earth4 ,eating of  
that tree is only by gift of ,jesus1 the
 woman's ,seed of the first promise4    
,rev4 ii4 #g4  ,such are among the      

mysteries taught us in this wonderful   
chapter1 full of mysteries as it is1 and
 of the profoundest secrets of ,god4    
,but we have to come down for           
instruction to learn man and his ways1  
as well as to rise1 as we learn ,god and
 ,his counsels4  ,cain is declared by   
the ,spirit of ,god in the apostle to   
have been of that wicked one4 ,the first
 thing we see in him is his religion4   
,he renders to ,god1 as offering or     
sacrifice1 the fruit of the cursed      
ground1 the produce of his own toil4    
,but this was unbelief4 ,it was the     
denial of all that had happened since   
the creation1 the religious denial of   
it4 ,it was the direct contradiction of 
the way of faith1 or of ,abel4 ,abel    
took the way of the promise to ,god1 the
 bloody victory of the woman's ,seed1   
the death and resurrection of ,christ1  
and offered of his flock2 but ,cain     
refused to see man's ruin and ,god's    
redemption1 giving ,god the fruit of the
 earth2 in effect saying1 that ,he was  

to be read and known in the thorns and  
the thistles1 the sweat1 and the sorrow1
 and the death2 and by the solemn       
services of his altar he was denying all
 truth4  ,this was the way of a heart   
deeply departed from ,god4 ,he was      
laying the scene of ruin at ,god's door1
 as ,adam1 ere he repented1 had laid    
down the sin itself there4  ,his next   
way is in terrible keeping with all     
this4 ,he hates his brother1 being of   
that wicked one who is a murderer 7,john
 viii4 #dd71 and in process of time he  
slays him4  ,tremendous fruit of the    
apostate1 departed nature4 ,he was the  
first of that generation who delivered  
,jesus to be crucified--self-righteous  
and murderous4 ,for envy the ,jews      
delivered ,jesus2 and ,cain slew ,abel  
because his own works were evil and his 
brother's righteous4 ,it is the world4  
,marvel not1 my brethren1 if the world  
hate you4 ,we know that we have passed  
from death unto life1 because we love   
the brethren4 ,he that loveth not his   

brother abideth in death4 ,whosoever    
hateth his brother is a murderer1 and ye
 know that no murderer hath eternal life
 abiding in him4 ,the ,lord pleaded with
 him4 ,see iv4 #f1 #g4 ,his heart had   
conceived the sin1 but his hand had not 
brought forth fruit unto death2 and with
 a voice of long-suffering grace and    
warning the ,lord pleaded with him4 ,the
 grace was despised2 this grace of      
pleading with him at the last hour1 as  
the grace of the promise had been       
despised before4  ,this is the          
condemnation1 that light is come into   
the world1 and men loved darkness rather
 than light1 because their deeds were   
evil4 ,the light which the ,lord ,jesus 
was bringing with ,him was the light of 
life or salvation4 ,isa4 xlix4 #f2 ,john
 viii4 #ab4 ,and this was the light     
which ,cain hated and refused4  ,there  
is the light of righteousness or        
holiness4 ,but the refusal of it is not 
without remedy4 ,in that light the ,lord
 ,god had come into the garden and      

called1 ,adam1 where art thou8 ,adam    
could not stand it2 for he had sinned4  
,it was intolerable to him4 ,he had come
 short of that glory4 ,he retreats from 
it4 ,and then the ,lord ,god shines in  
another light4 ,the promise is made4    
,the character of the glory is changed4 
,god seats ,himself in a light which the
 sinner can approach1 and1 believing1   
,adam comes forth4  ,this was the light 
which ,cain despised1 the light of      
salvation1 the light of the promise1 the
 light in which ,god shines before men  
outside the garden4 ,and ,cain is       
therefore cursed as ,adam had not been4 
,as it is said of another generation1   
,behold1 ye despisers1 and wonder1 and  
perish4  ,all this is the solemn history
 of the first unbeliever4 ,but the      
treasury of corrupt nature that was in  
him spends itself in further ways of    
wickedness4 ,in him was rising that     
spring which was to give out its        
superfluity of naughtiness4 ,he lies    
after all this1 and justifies himself4  

,i know not1 says he2 am ,i my brother's
 keeper8 ,for the lusts of his father he
 would do2 and when the devil speaketh a
 lie1 he speaketh of his own3 for he is 
a liar1 and the father of it4  ,all     
this1 however1 and even more than this1 
was man1 and not ,cain merely4 ,it was  
the ruined heart of man exposing itself4
 ,and because it was this1 because it   
was the common nature that was thus     
disclosing itself1 the ,lord takes the  
judgment of it away from man4 ,whosoever
 slayeth ,cain1 vengeance shall be taken
 on him sevenfold2 for none are without 
sin4 ,thou art inexcusable1 ,o man1     
whosoever thou art that judgest2 for    
wherein thou judgest another1 thou      
condemnest thyself4 ,all are in the like
 condemnation4 ,no one can take up the  
stone and cast it at another4 ,and in   
order to express this great principle of
 truth1 and that ,god alone has either  
title or competency to deal with sin1   
the ,lord will not allow any man to     
touch the fratricide4 ,by this divine   

writing on the case1 all are to go out  
convicted1 one by one1 and leave the    
sinner with ,god4 ,john viii4  ,for the 
ends of government1 when government in  
the earth becomes the divine purpose1 it
 shall be said1 ,whoso sheddeth man's   
blood1 by man shall his blood be shed4  
ix4 #f4 ,but this is not so as yet4 ,and
 for the teaching of the common pravity1
 that all of us may be humbled by the   
common conviction1 that we have all     
sinned1 and come short of the glory of  
,god1 not one of the whole human family 
is allowed to touch this wicked ,cain4  
,and so to this day1 when government has
 been divinely set up1 it is not sin    
that it deals with4 ,crimes1 or offences
 against public order1 and wrongs done  
to individuals1 may be judged by man2   
but to take vengeance on sin would be   
the assuming of personal guiltlessness4 
,he that is without sin among you1 let  
him first cast a stone at her4 ,god has 
to deal with sin alone4#b    #b ,some   
have spoken of the ,jews1 as guilty of  

the blood of ,christ1 so       as to    
have betrayed the principle of          
self-righteousness condemned       here4
 ,and yet ,i doubt not that there is a  
sense in which the ,jews       are--in a
 special sense--connected with that sin 
in the divine       judgment4 ,the land 
of the ,jews is the distinguished field 
of       blood2 the blood of ,jesus1 in 
a great sense1 is specially on them     
and their children4 ,and so1 like ,cain1
 that people are under the       special
 securities of ,god4 ,and further2 that 
blood is to be       cleansed from off  
their land1 though it now so stains it4 
,joel       iii4 #ba4        ,and still 
further2 the language of ,lamech1 ,i    
also judge1 is       mystical or        
typical1 intimating the repentance of   
the ,jews who       shed the blood1     
after generations of unbelief and       
hardness of       heart4 ,see note1 p4  
#bj4  ,but1 further1 as to this awful   
history4 ,man will not always be making 
this terrible exhibition of himself4 ,he

 will not at all times appear as the    
liar and the murderer4 ,legion will not 
be found on every journey we take4      
,there are restraints4 ,the law1 in one 
sense1 was given to that end4 ,so there 
are the checks and improvements of      
education4 ,and there is the control of 
,god's hand1 and the fear of ,his       
providence and judgment4 ,and there is  
the law of opinion1 as it has been      
called1 the verdict of society4 ,these  
and the like influences produce an order
 in the social scene1 which has         
therefore become not only tolerable1 but
 full of vast accommodations and large  
entertainments4 ,a new scene is thus    
produced1 though not a new creature4    
,man is man still1 the same creature in 
,god's esteem1 or in all divine         
reckoning1 though he appears in the     
character of a respectable citizen of   
the world1 and not as the murderer of   
his brother4 ,cain builds a city4 ,he   
has a thriving1 prosperous family4      
,through their skill and industry the   

face of the world flourishes and looks  
well4 ,all is respectable2 and pleasant 
and friendly the people are one with    
another4 ,the murder is forgotten4 ,man 
does not hear the cry of blood1 but the 
sound of the harp and the organ4 ,his   
inventions have stifled his convictions4
 ,cain is an honourable man4 ,but as to 
the presence of ,god1 he is as          
thoroughly separated from it as when his
 hand was freshly stained with the blood
 of his brother4  ,this is solemn4 ,man1
 as a respectable citizen of the world1 
may be as separated from ,god as a      
murderer4 ,the remnant of them1 as the  
parable speaks1 took his servants 444   
and slew them4 ,the remnant6 a word     
which lets us know that the refusers of 
the supper were of one class with those 
who shed the blood of the innocent4     
,the ease and indifference with which   
,cain could turn his back upon the      
,lord1 and upon the recollection of his 
brother's blood1 are dreadful4 ,he got a
 promise of security1 and that was all  

he cared for4 ,and quickly1 under his   
hand1 accommodations and delights of all
 sorts fill the scene4  ,in some sense  
this is principally shocking4 ,this     
exceeds4 ,but is not this the course of 
the world8 ,was it not man that slew    
,jesus8 ,does not the guilt of that deed
 lie at every man's door8 ,and what is  
the course of the world but the ease and
 indifference of ,cain in this highest  
state of guilt8 ,the earth has borne the
 cross of ,christ2 and yet man can busy 
himself with garnishing and furnishing  
it1 and making life in it convenient and
 pleasurable without ,god4 ,this is     
shocking when we look at it in full     
divine light4 ,a respectable citizen of 
the world ,cain was1 but all the while a
 heartless forgetter of the sorrows of  
,abel6 ,his ease and respectability are 
the blackest features of his history4   
,he went away as soon as he got a       
promise of security2 and that promise he
 uses1 not to soften his heart1 and     
overwhelm him with convictions of all   

that had happened1 but as giving him    
full occasion to indulge and magnify    
himself4  ,we read in the ,new          
,testament of the way of ,cain4 ,it may 
be1 nay1 it is1 run by others4 ,jude    
#aa4 ,and what a way does this chapter  
show it to be6 ,he was an infidel1 or a 
man of his own religion2 not obedient in
 faith to ,god's revelation4 ,he        
practised the works of the liar and the 
murderer2 he hated the light2 he was    
proof against ,god's word in mercy and  
in warning2 he cares nothing for the    
presence of ,god which his sin had      
forfeited1 or for the sorrow of his     
brother which his hand had inflicted4   
,and1 as such an one1 he can take pains 
to make himself happy and honourable in 
the very place which thus witnessed     
against him4  ,is this the way of ,cain8
 ,is this man still8 ,yes2 and nature   
outlives a thousand restraints and      
improvements4 ,for at the end of        
,christendom's career it will even then 
be said of a generation1 ,they have gone

 in the way of ,cain4  ,this is deeply  
solemn1 beloved1 had we but hearts to   
feel it4 ,there is1 however1 a rescued1 
separated people4 ,seth's family are    
after another order altogether4 ,they   
are not seen in cities1 furnished with  
accommodations and pleasures1 apart1    
like ,cain1 from the presence of the    
,lord2 but as the household of ,god1    
separated from that world that lay in   
the wicked one1 to the faith and worship
 of ,his name4   ,it is the sight of    
this elect family that has principally  
at this time drawn me to this portion of
 the precious oracles of ,god4 ,there is
 much1 ,i believe1 in their standing and
 testimony which has instruction for our
 souls4 ,like all else in these         
chapters1 it is but short notices we    
get2 but great things are to be found in
 them4  ,this family of ,seth may       
generally be thus spoken of3 ,they are  
strikingly opposed to the way of ,cain1 
and remarkably apprehensive of the way  
of ,god4  ,i speak not here again of    

their faith1 but of their standing and  
testimony4 ,their faith1 or the         
character of their religion1 may be read
 in that of ,adam1 who re-appears here  
at the head of these antediluvian       
saints2 and his faith 7kindred with that
 of ,eve and ,abel1 or of all who       
receive the gospel of the grace of ,god7
 ,i have already considered4 ,but ,i    
speak now of their standing as a        
household of ,god1 and of their         
testimony in the world4  ,the ,lord had 
set a mark on ,cain1 that no one finding
 him should slay him4 ,he would not have
 the blood of ,abel avenged4 ,this we   
have already seen4  ,the family of ,seth
 are strictly observant of this4 ,no    
attempt1 or anything like it1 is made by
 them to answer the cry of innocent     
blood4 ,they know that it is heard in   
the ears of the ,lord of ,sabaoth2 but1 
under this word of ,god1 they are deaf  
to it themselves4 ,vengeance does not   
belong to them4 ,the harvest has not    
come4 ,they are not reapers4 ,in        

obedience they heard1 not the cry of    
blood1 but the voice of the ,lord       
countermanding vengeance4 ,and they     
suffer it4 ,they take the wrong done to 
their brother1 and are acceptable with  
,god4  ,express charge demanded this1   
and this was consequently simple        
obedience4 ,but the mind of a saint is  
full of light4 ,it is the mind of       
,christ 7#a ,cor4 ii472 in us1 it is    
true1 darkened in a thousand actings of 
it1 by the coarseness and blindness of  
nature with which it is now linked2 but 
still1 in itself it is full of light4   
,even angelic nature is all life4       
,torpidity and dulness do not belong to 
it4 ,winds and flames of fire express   
that nature1 and such things act        
constantly and fervently2 and in like   
virtue the mind of ,christ1 the divine  
nature in the saint1 is full of         
affection and intelligence4  ,we get    
some of its fine ways of acting in this 
household of ,god4  ,the innocent blood 
is to remain unavenged4 ,its cry from   

the earth is not to be answered1 at     
least for the present4 ,that is enough  
to teach the saint his pilgrim1 heavenly
 calling4 ,the family of ,seth are      
therefore as pilgrims and strangers     
here1 and all their habits are those of 
heavenly citizens4 ,if the earth be not 
to be cleansed1 the elect are to be     
strangers in it with a heavenly calling4
  ,beautifully true to the mind of ,god 
is this6 ,for this is the way of ,god2  
and it was apprehended by these saints1 
more in the light and knowledge of ,his 
most perfect and beautiful ways than    
many of us1 beloved1 who1 in the fuller 
revelations of this present age1 have   
been so much nourished and instructed4  
,but it is not the much schooling we    
get1 but the capacity which sits at the 
lesson4 ,david wanted capacity for this 
same lesson1 when he talked of building 
a house of cedars1 a fixed habitation1  
for the ,lord1 while the land was still 
defiled with blood4 ,but the ,lord 7may 
,i say87 would be1 like the antediluvian

 saints1 a stranger on the earth1 a     
dweller in tents1 while blood was       
staining it2 and that very night rebuked
 the purpose of the king of ,israel4 #a 
,chron4 xvii4  ,we have many exhibitions
 of this way of ,god in different forms 
of it4 ,the ,lord1 for instance1 would  
have no altar in ,egypt1 uncircumcised  
as that land was4 ,he would not have a  
throne in the land 7in the full glory of
 it7 till the day of ,solomon1 when all 
was sanctified for ,his royal presence4 
,afterwards the glory was grieved away  
by the abominations which were done in  
the temple4 ,the captives1 in like      
spirit1 hang their harps on the willows 
of the ,euphrates2 for how could they   
sing in a strange land1 or let the songs
 of ,zion be heard in ,babylon8         
,separation was the rule of the divine  
mind4 ,separation was holiness4         
,pollution demanded it1 and faith rose  
at the bidding4 ,and with all this the  
,seth family1 the household of ,god in  
earliest days--days before the          

flood--are in company4 ,they are one in 
spirit with ,jehovah ,himself in ,egypt1
 with the glory in the defiled temple1  
with the harps of the captives in       
,babylon1 and with the ,church of ,god  
in this present evil world4  ,we have to
 distinguish between these two things3  
,god's assertion of ,his title to the   
earth1 and ,god's call of a people out  
of the earth4  ,these different things  
have been again and again exhibited in  
the progress of the dispensations4 ,and 
they have been exhibited1 as ,i have    
long judged1 alternately4  ,the ,lord   
began1 in ,adam1 to claim and display   
,his rights on the earth4 ,the man in   
the garden was to own the sovereignty of
 ,god1 and the earth was the rest and   
the delight of the ,lord1 and the place 
of ,his glory4  ,sin entering and       
polluting all1 and the pollution being  
left uncleansed1 in ,seth ,god called a 
people away from the earth to an        
inheritance in heaven4  ,then in ,noah  
the ,lord ,god re-asserted ,his rights  

here1 and took up the earth as the place
 where ,his elect might find a home1 and
 ,his own presence be known again4      
,after this ,abraham is separated from  
kindred1 and from country1 and from     
father's house1 to be a heavenly        
stranger on the earth1 with his altar   
and his tent1 looking for a city whose  
builder and maker was ,god4  ,israel1 in
 their day1 then take up this mystic    
tale of the heavens and the earth1 and  
in the land of ,canaan become the       
witness of the scene of ,god's          
sovereignty4 ,the ark passes over the   
river as the ark of the covenant of the 
,lord of all the earth4  ,and now the   
,church is set for the full testimony of
 heavenly mysteries again2 and          
strangership here is the divine idea1   
till our being taken to meet the ,lord  
in the air4  ,this wondrous tale these  
dispensations of ,god1 like day and     
night alternate1 have thus been telling 
from the beginning2 and still are       
telling4 ,and millennial days ere long  

will make these pledges good1 and be the
 glorious substance of these            
foreshadowings4#c    #c ,such passages  
as ,eph4 i4 #aj and ,col4 i4 #bj tell us
 that both the       heavens and the    
earth are equally the scene of divine   
purposes4       ,and the great argument 
in ,rom4 xi4 instructs us about those   
purposes1 and the ways and times of     
their accomplishment4  ,now let me      
observe1 that whenever ,god arises in   
this progress of ,his counsels to assert
 title to the earth1 ,he begins by      
judging and cleansing it4 ,and this1 ,i 
may say1 of course2 because1 the scene  
of ,his purposed glory and presence     
being corrupted1 ,he must take the      
offence away1 for ,his presence could   
not brook defilement4 ,noah's lordship  
of the earth was1 accordingly1 preceded 
by the flood carrying away the world of 
the ungodly4 ,israel's inheritance of   
,canaan under ,jehovah1 as the ,god of  
all the earth1 was prepared by the      
judgment of the ,amorites and the sword 

of ,joshua4 ,and the future millennial  
kingdom1 when the earth is to be the    
place of the glory again1 is 7as all    
,scripture tells us7 to be ushered in by
 that great action called the day of the
 ,lord1 with a clearing out of all that 
offend1 and all that do iniquity4  ,but 
the call of ,god is quite of another    
character4 ,it proceeds on the          
principle1 that ,god ,himself is apart  
from the earth1 and is not seeking to   
have it as the home of ,his glory1 or   
the place of ,his presence2 but seeking 
a people out of it1 to be ,his1 away    
from it1 and above it4 ,the earth is    
altogether a stranger to such a purpose4
 ,it is left just as it is found4 ,no   
judgment1 no visitation of the scene    
here from the hand of ,god1 accompanies 
it4  ,this was exhibited in ,abraham4   
,abraham was the object of the call of  
,god2 and accordingly the ,canaanites   
find no rival in him4 ,he does not      
dispute with them the title or          
possession of the soil4 ,he finds them1 

and he leaves them1 lords of it4 ,he    
desires only to pitch his tent and raise
 his altar on the surface of it for a   
season2 and then1 for another season1 to
 have his bones laid in the bowels of   
it4  ,so with the ,church in this age4  
,she is likewise under the call of ,god4
 ,but her call leaves the ,gentiles in  
power1 as it found them4 ,let every soul
 be subject to the higher powers4 ,the  
saints have only to obey them           
unreluctantly1 or to suffer from them   
patiently1 according as the demand made 
by them is or is not consistent with    
their subjection to ,christ and the call
 of ,god4 ,they cannot strive with the  
potsherds of the earth4 ,peter's sword  
is to be put up1 and ,pilate is to learn
 that the servants of ,jesus cannot     
fight4 ,their warfare is not with flesh 
and blood4 ,they are defeated the moment
 they begin it4 ,the call of ,god has   
marshalled the hosts of ,god against    
principalities and powers on high1 and  
the battle is there4 ,it does not       

connect us with the earth4 ,our         
necessities do1 but not our call4 ,we   
need the fruit of the ground1 the toil  
of the hand1 and the skill of the heart1
 to provide things needful for the body4
 ,our necessities thus connect us with  
it1 and we have to do with it for their 
supply2 but our call separates us from  
it4 ,joshua went into the possession of 
the ,gentiles1 that his sword might make
 it the possession of the ,lord2 ,paul  
went into the places of the ,gentiles1  
to take out of them a people unto ,god1 
linked with the disallowed ,stone1      
despised and rejected of men4  ,the     
family of ,seth were1 in like manner1   
under this call of ,god4 ,it was        
intimated to them by the charge to leave
 the blood of ,abel unavenged1 and they 
understood the intimation4 ,if the earth
 be left in its defilement1 ,god is not 
seeking it 7as we have now seen all ,his
 ways declare71 and this family of faith
 are in that secret4 ,they will not seek
 it either4 ,cain's house was in        

possession of it1 and ,seth's family    
will leave them there1 without a rival  
or a struggle4 ,the mind of ,god in them
 took this knowledge of the way of ,god1
 and of ,his pleasure touching them2 and
 they acted on heavenly principles in a 
blood-stained earth1 whose judgment was 
now for a time to linger and to slumber4
  ,i own1 beloved1 that ,i greatly      
admire this fine expression of the mind 
of ,christ in these earliest saints4    
,they take the only way which the       
holiness of ,god could sanction4 ,they  
are partakers of ,his holiness4 ,the    
light they walked in was ,god's2 the    
holiness they partook of was ,god's4 #a 
,john i4 #g2 ,heb4 xii4 #aj4 ,this is a 
peculiar thing4 ,that light is not      
merely righteousness4 ,it is the light  
of grace also4 ,yea1 and the light of   
heavenly strangership in a polluted     
world4 ,it is a light which reproves the
 course of this world1 and makes        
manifest other principles and hopes     
altogether4 ,there may be righteousness1

 and the watching and praying which     
escapes temptation2 but there must be a 
walk according to these principles and  
hopes1 to form a walk in the light1 as  
,he is the light4 ,these earliest       
believers beautifully shine there1 ,i   
believe4 ,they were not under law4 ,they
 come between ,adam and ,moses4 ,they   
had not precepts1 as ,i have already    
shown4 ,but they were in the light1 as  
,god is in the light4 ,and if afterwards
 ,abram did not need to be told to have 
his altar and his tent--if he needed no 
precept from the ,lord how to order the 
marriage of his son1 or how to answer   
the king of ,sodom--so these saints of  
still earlier days understood the       
holiness of the call of ,god1 and took  
their journey for a heavenly country at 
the bidding of the pollution of the     
earth4  ,i own indeed1 again1 that ,i   
greatly admire this4 ,it is the beauty  
of the ,spirit's workmanship in ,his    
elect vessels4 ,all is ,his4 ,how great 
is ,his goodness1 and how great is ,his 

beauty6 ,they learn the word in spirit  
ere the voice of the ,spirit uttered    
it--,arise1 depart1 for this is not your
 rest2 it is polluted4  ,the details    
about these antediluvian believers are  
very scanty2 but through it all there is
 this heavenly character4 ,they do not  
supply history for the world2 but they  
do supply instruction for the ,church4  
,this is heavenly4 ,no spirit of burning
 or spirit of judgment had purged the   
blood of the earth1 and they shrink     
instinctively from it4 ,in the spirit of
 their minds they leave it4 ,what       
communion has light with darkness8 what 
fellowship has righteousness with       
unrighteousness8 their conduct asks4    
,their religion is that of separation   
from the world1 and so are their habits4
  ,they call on the name of the ,lord4  
,the name of the ,lord is the revelation
 ,he has been pleased to make of        
,himself4 ,immanuel1 ,jesus1 the ,lord  
our righteousness1 ,jehovah1 ,god       
,almighty1 the ,father1 the ,son1 and   

the ,holy ,ghost--these are among ,his  
names graciously and gloriously         
published by ,himself4 ,and to call on  
the name of the ,lord was service or    
worship of ,god in spirit and in truth4 
,this was the religion of these earliest
 saints4 ,it was simply the religion of 
faith and hope4 ,they worshipped ,god1  
and1 apart from the world1 they waited  
in hope4 ,the work of faith and the     
patience of hope are seen in them4      
,something of the ,thessalonian spirit  
breathes in them4 ,for they served the  
living and true ,god1 and waited for the
 ,son from heaven1 who had already      
delivered them4 #a ,thess4 i4 ,to call  
on the name of the ,lord is faith1 and  
salvation1 and worship4 ,it bespeaks the
 standing of a saint1 and his spiritual 
service4 ,it shall come to pass1 that   
whosoever shall call on the name of the 
,lord shall be saved4 ,joel ii42 ,rom4  
x4 ,i will offer to thee the sacrifice  
of thanksgiving1 and will call upon the 
name of the ,lord4 ,psalm cxvi4 ,and    

such was their religion1 such was their 
worship4 ,it was worship in spirit4 ,no 
temples1 or costly carnal services1 or  
institutions of man appear4  ,and in    
their ways and habits they are only seen
 as a people walking across the surface 
of the earth1 till their bodies are     
either laid under it1 or are translated 
to heaven above it4 ,they rejoice1 as   
though they rejoiced not2 they buy1 as  
though they possessed not2 they have    
wives1 as though they had none4 ,all    
around them is as ,babylon to them1 and 
their harps are on the willows4 ,cain's 
family have all the music to themselves4
 ,but ,seth's family are a risen people4
 ,their conversation is in heaven4 ,they
 look for no estates or cities4 ,all    
they take is an earlier ,machpelah4     
,nothing is told us of their place or   
their business4 ,they are strangers     
where even ,adam was once at home1 and1 
much more1 where ,cain still was4 ,we   
may follow them1 and in spirit abide    
with them for a day2 but where they     

dwelt we know not--like the disciples   
who followed the glorious ,stranger from
 heaven in the day of ,his sojourn here4
 ,john i4 #ch1 #ci4 ,they are without a 
place or a name4 ,the earth knew them   
not4 ,like the stranger ,rechabites1    
they are1 throughout their generations1 
one after another1 of the wilderness1   
and not of the city 7,judges i4 #af72 or
 in ,levitical language1 they were a    
standing order of ,nazarites1 more      
separated to ,god than even ,israel     
themselves4  ,they are the earliest     
witnesses of this heavenly strangership4
 ,such a life is exhibited afterwards in
 other saints of ,god in its fuller1    
beautiful details2 but we have it here  
in spirit4  ,for instance1 in ,isaac4   
,the world was against him4 ,but he     
strives not with it either in deed or in
 word4 ,he neither answers nor resists4 
,the ,philistines tell him to go from   
them4 ,he goes at their bidding4 ,they  
spoil him of his labours4 ,he yields and
 takes it patiently1 as ,esek and       

,sitnah tell us4 ,gen4 xxvi4  ,so his   
father ,abraham before him4 ,only1 sad  
to tell it1 it is a brother who acts the
 part of the world in the scene4 ,lot   
chooses1 as the world chooses1 the      
well-watered plain4 ,abraham suffers1   
and takes it patiently--though it was   
something more galling than the wrong of
 a ,philistine--the unthankful1 selfish 
way of one who should have known better1
 and who owed him everything4 ,gen4     
xiii4  ,so ,israel1 in still later days1
 accepts the insult of ,edom in like    
spirit4 ,they pleaded for a passage     
through their land by the claims of     
kindred1 by reason of their common      
origin1 by their many toils and         
afflictions1 by the tokens of the divine
 favour toward them1 and by their       
present need as toiling1 way-worn       
pilgrims through a desert land4 ,but    
,edom despised them and threatened4     
,they pleaded again1 but they were      
insulted again2 they suffered it1 and   
took another road4 ,num4 xx4 ,and so    

their ,lord in the day of ,his          
pilgrimage4 ,he sought another village  
when other ,edomites of ,samaria refused
 ,him4 ,luke ix4 ,precious and happy1   
thus to put ,him at the head of all that
 is excellent6 ,the good that is done is
 like ,him1 as well as of ,him4 ,isaac  
suffers wrong from the world1 and takes 
it patiently4 ,abraham suffers wrong    
from one who owed him everything1 and   
takes it patiently4 ,israel suffers     
likewise from their kindred2 but ,jesus 
from those whom ,he was serving and     
blessing at the cost of everything to   
,himself1 from the world which ,he had  
made1 and from that people whom ,he had 
adopted4 ,and yet ,he lays ,his thunder 
by1 and goes on ,his pilgrimage of love 
and service still4  ,in like spirit the 
family of ,god1 in days before the flood
 pursue their pilgrim path4 ,they leave 
the world to ,cain4 ,there is not the   
symptom of a struggle1 nor the breath of
 a complaint4 ,they say not1 nor think  
of saying1 ,master1 speak to my brother1

 that he divide the inheritance with me4
 ,in habits of life and principles of   
conduct1 they are as distinct from their
 injurious brother as though they were  
of another race1 or in another world4   
,cain's family make all the world's     
history4 ,they build its cities1 they   
promote its arts1 they conduct its      
trade1 they invent its pleasures and    
pastimes4 ,but in all this ,seth's      
family are not seen4 ,the one generation
 call their cities after their own      
names2 the other call themselves by the 
name of the ,lord4 ,the one do all they 
can to make the world their own1 and not
 the ,lord's2 the other do all they can 
to shew themselves to be the ,lord's1   
and not their own4 ,cain writes his own 
name on the earth2 ,seth writes the     
,lord's name on himself4  ,we may bless 
the ,lord for this vigorous delineation 
of heavenly strangership on earth1 and  
ask for grace to know some of its living
 power in our souls4 ,it is this which  
has drawn me to this portion of the     

,word at this time4 ,it reads us a      
lesson1 beloved4 ,and well indeed1 if   
the instincts of our renewed minds      
suggest the same heavenly path with like
 certainty and clearness4 ,the call of  
,god leads that way1 and all ,his       
teaching demands it4 ,the pastimes and  
the purposes1 the interests and the     
pleasures1 of the children of ,cain are 
nothing to these pilgrims4 ,they declare
 plainly that they refuse the thought1  
that there is any capacity in the earth1
 as it is now1 to give them             
satisfaction4 ,they are discontented    
with it1 and make no attempts to have it
 otherwise4 ,there lay their moral      
separation from the way of ,cain and his
 household4 ,they were not mindful of   
the country around them1 but sought a   
better1 that is1 a heavenly4#d ,may ,i  
not therefore say of them1 as ,i have   
said1 that they are strikingly opposed  
to the way of ,cain1 and remarkably     
apprehensive of the way of ,god8    #d  
,what ,i say of this antediluvian family

 is only as we see them in              
,genesis v4 ,i doubt not1 as under every
 trial of man1 failure and              
corruption are witnessed4 ,but ,i speak 
merely of their standing and            
testimony as given to us here4 ,sons and
 daughters1 as we are told1       were  
born to them1 generation after          
generation1 and seeds of       apostasy 
were sown and sprang up among them1 ,i  
doubt not4 ,but this       does not at  
all affect the lesson we get from this  
fifth chapter4  ,after this pattern the 
,lord would have us3 in the world1 but  
not of it2 of heaven1 though not as yet 
7except in ,christ7 in it4 ,paul1 in the
 ,holy ,ghost1 would so have us1 taking 
example from those whose conversation is
 in heaven4 ,peter1 in the same ,spirit1
 would so have us as strangers and      
pilgrims abstaining from fleshly lusts4 
,james summons us1 in the same ,spirit1 
to know that the friendship of the world
 is enmity with ,god4 ,and ,john        
separates us as by a stroke3 ,we are of 

,god1 and the whole world lieth in      
wickedness4  ,it is for the ,church     
surely1 beloved1 to walk in this        
elevation and separateness4 ,what is    
according to the call of ,god1 and what 
worthy of heavenly hopes1 but this8 ,we 
breathe but feebly1 and glow but        
faintly1 in company with those and like 
witnesses4 ,what a temper of soul1 it   
has just struck me1 we get in such a    
chapter as ,phil4 iv46 ,what a glow is  
felt throughout it6 ,what depth and     
fervency of affection6 ,what a shout of 
triumph the spirit raises6 ,what        
elevation in the midst of changes1      
perplexities1 and depressions6 ,the     
apostle's whole temper of soul          
throughout that chapter is uncommon4    
,but if one may speak for others1 it is 
to us little more than the tale of a    
distant land1 or the warmth and         
brilliancy of other climes reported to  
our souls by travellers4  ,lead us1     
,lord1 we pray thee6 ,teach us indeed to
 sing--        ,we're bound for yonder  

land1         ,where ,jesus reigns      
supreme2       ,we leave the shore at   
,his command1         ,forsaking all for
 ,him4        ',t were easy1 did we     
choose1         ,again to reach the     
shore--       ,but that is what our     
souls refuse1         ,we'll never touch
 it more4   ,but surely it is one thing 
to be the advocate of ,christianity1 and
 another to be the disciple of it4 ,and 
though it may sound strange at first1   
far easier is it to teach its lessons   
than to learn them4 ,but so our souls   
know full well4  ,we have1 however1     
still to look at the destiny and        
endowments of these saints1 as we have  
already looked at their faith1 their    
virtues1 and their religion4  ,the      
translation of ,enoch was the first     
formal testimony of the great divine    
secret1 that man was to have a place and
 inheritance in the heavens4 ,by        
creation he was formed for the earth4   
,the garden was his habitation1 ,eden   
his demesne1 and all the earth his      

estate4 ,but now is brought forth the   
deeper purpose1 that ,god has an        
election from among men1 destined1 in   
the everlasting counsels of abounding   
grace1 for heaven4  ,in the course of   
ages and dispensations after this1 this 
high purpose of ,god was only dimly and 
occasionally1 slowly and gradually1     
manifested4 ,but in the person of ,enoch
 it is made to shine out at once4 ,the  
heavenly calling at this early moment1  
and in the bosom of his elect and       
favoured household1 declares itself in  
its full lustre4 ,this great fact among 
the antediluvian patriarchs anticipates 
in spirit the hour of ,mount ,tabor1 the
 vision of the martyred ,stephen1 and   
the taking up of the saints in the      
clouds to meet the ,lord in the air4    
,such was the high destiny of the elect 
people4  ,the prophecies of ,enoch and  
of ,lamech are samples of their         
endowments4 ,and rich indeed1 worthy of 
their dignity1 these endowments were4   
,for those prophecies under the ,holy   

,ghost tell us that glorious secrets had
 been entrusted to them4 ,they were     
treated as in the place of friends4     
,shall ,i hide from them1 the ,lord was 
saying to them1 as afterwards to        
,abraham1 that thing which ,i do8 ,for  
such privileges belong only to dignity4 
,see ,gen4 xviii4 #ah4 ,and if ,abraham 
knew the doom of ,sodom beforehand1     
,enoch1 in a deeper1 larger sense1 knew 
the doom of the whole world beforehand4 
,and his prophecy lets out a mystery of 
solemn and wondrous glory--that the     
heavenly saints are to accompany the    
,lord in the day of ,his power and      
judgment4 ,and1 as of a character equal 
with this1 ,lamech's1 which comes after1
 in its turn1 with happier              
anticipations1 sketches the scene that  
lies beyond the judgment1 days of       
millennial blessedness1 the days of     
heaven upon the earth4 ,the ,lord has   
not given up the earth for ever4 ,and   
these saints before the flood can speak 
of that great mystery even before the   

bow in the cloud becomes the token of   
it4 ,but they know the judgment of it   
must come first2 and they can speak of  
that mystery also before the fountains  
of the great deep were broken up4  ,rich
 endowments in the ,spirit thus attach  
to their high personal dignity with     
,god4 ,as with the ,church now4         
,stewards they were of the mysteries of 
,god4 ,they could sing of mercy and of  
judgment2 unto ,god and of ,his counsels
 they could sing4 ,profoundest secrets  
feed their souls4 ,the deep things of   
,god1 the things both of prophets and   
apostles1 the things of the epistles and
 the apocalypse1 are theirs4 ,paul was  
entrusted with the circumstances of the 
heavenly calling4 ,he speaks of our     
being caught up in the clouds to meet   
the ,lord in the air1 and of that great 
expectation as being our comfort and    
relief against the day of the ,lord and 
its terrors2 ,enoch in himself1 long    
before1 illustrated that very thing4    
,john speaks of the raptured saints     

accompanying the ,lord in the day of    
,his power1 joining in the breaking of  
the potter's vessel1 and in the warfare 
of the ,rider on the white horse2 ,enoch
 in his prophecy1 long before1 testified
 the same4 ,jude #ad1 #ae4 ,prophets    
tell of the wilderness by-and-by        
rejoicing1 and of the desert blossoming1
 of the blessed ,one renewing the face  
of the earth1 and instead of the brier1 
the myrtle flourishing2 but long before 
,lamech had told of this same comfort in
 the earth again1 and this rest for man 
from the curse of the ground4 ,gen4 v4  
#bi4  ,rich indeed were these endowments
 in the ,holy ,ghost4 ,there is even    
peculiar vividness in these earliest    
utterances of the prophetic spirit4     
,there is commonly a haze over the      
distance4 ,it is not clear1 as if it    
were the foreground4 ,indistinctness    
invests it4 ,and this1 in contrast with 
the nearer landscape1 only heightens the
 impression of the whole4 ,so the       
notices of the prophets1 and the things 

reported by apostles4 ,they are         
delivered in different style4 ,properly 
so4 ,the haze of distance commonly      
invests the communications we get of the
 future4 ,such is the perfectness of the
 way of the ,spirit4 ,the very drapery  
under which the distant or the future   
appears sets it off fitly4 ,clearness1  
or literal definiteness1 would be       
offensive1 as glare or nakedness4 ,this 
is commonly so1 and this is all         
admirable4 ,but if at times the distance
 is illuminated1 we can delight in it2  
and in these earliest notices the latest
 scenes of divine action are thus set   
off in strange and beautiful            
distinctness4  ,such was the heavenly   
calling1 its virtues1 its dignity1 and  
its endowments1 of this antediluvian    
family of ,god4 ,the end of their path  
was heavenly also1 as heavenly as any   
feature of it4 ,i speak not of the fact 
of its ending in heaven1 but of the very
 style in which it so ended4 ,no sign   
among the nations gave notice of it4 ,no

 times or seasons had to mark or measure
 it4 ,no stated age or numbered years   
had to spend themselves4 ,no voice of   
prophecy had so much as hinted the      
blessed1 rapturous moment4 ,enoch walked
 with ,god1 and he was not1 for ,god    
took him4 ,nothing peculiar ushered     
forth that glorious hour4 ,no big       
expectations or strange events gave     
token of its coming4 ,it was the natural
 heavenly close of an undeviating       
heavenly journey4  ,it was otherwise    
with ,noah afterwards4 ,great           
preparation was made for his            
deliverance4 ,years also spent          
themselves--appointed years4 ,but not so
 our heavenly patriarch4 ,noah was      
carried through the judgment2 but       
,enoch1 before it came1 was borne to the
 place out of which it came4#e    #e ,i 
am not careful to apply all this1 as ,i 
believe it may be       applied4 ,i     
rather leave it in the way of a         
suggestion4 ,but it does       seem to  
me that the ,lord1 speaking of the      

,jewish election1 takes       ,noah for 
,his text or type 7,matt4 xxiv472 while 
the apostle1       addressing the       
,church1 takes his language the rather  
from the       translation of ,enoch4 #a
 ,thess4 iv4 #ag2 #b ,thess4 ii4 #a4    
,for the       ,jewish remnant1 like    
,noah1 will be carried through the      
judgment---the saints now gathering will
 be in the sphere out of       which the
 judgment is to be poured4 ,for we are  
taught again and       again1 as ,i have
 noticed before1 that exercise of power 
in that       day1 in company with the  
,lord1 is part of the glory of the      
saints4       ,see ,col4 iii4 #d2 ,rev4 
ii4 #bf2 xvii4 #ad2 xix4 #ad4  ,and if  
the days and years did not measure it1  
nor signs announce it1 did the world1 ,i
 ask1 witness it8 ,or was it1 though so 
glorious and great1 silent and secret8  
,the language of the apostle seems to   
give me my answer1 and so does all the  
analogy of ,scripture4 ,he was not      
found1 because ,god had translated him4 

,this sounds as though man had been a   
stranger to that glorious hour4 ,the    
world seems to have inquired and        
searched after him1 like the sons of the
 prophets after ,elijah2 but in vain4 #b
 ,kings ii4 #ag2 ,heb4 xi4 #e4 ,and this
 tells us that the translation had been 
a secret to man2 for they would not have
 searched1 had they seen it4  ,all      
scriptural or divine analogy answers me 
in like manner4 ,glory1 in none of its  
forms or actions1 is for the eye or ear 
of mere man4  ,horses and chariots      
filled the mountain2 but the prophet's  
servant had to get his eye opened ere he
 could see them4 ,daniel saw a glorious 
stranger1 and heard his voice as the    
voice of a multitude2 but the men who   
stood with him saw nothing--only a      
terror fell on them4 ,the glory on the  
holy hill shone only in the sight of    
,peter1 ,james1 and ,john1 though the   
brightness there at that moment 7night  
as it was7 might have lighted up all the
 land2 for the divine face did shine as 

the sun4 ,many bodies of saints arose1  
attendants on the ,lord's rising2 but it
 was only to some in the holy city they 
showed themselves4 ,the heaven was      
opened over the head of the martyr of   
,jesus1 in the very midst of a          
multitude2 but the glory was seen only  
by him4 ,paul went to ,paradise1 and    
,philip to ,azotus2 but no eye of man   
tracked either the flight or the        
journey4 ,and beyond all1 when ,jesus   
rose1 and that1 too1 from a tomb of hewn
 stone1 and from amid a guard of wakeful
 soldiers1 no ear or eye was in the     
secret4 ,it was a lie1 that the keepers 
of the stone slept2 but it is a truth1  
that they saw no more of the            
resurrection than had they done so4     
,silence and secrecy thus mark all these
 glorious transactions4 ,visions1       
audiences1 resurrections1 flights1      
ascensions1 the glory down here1 and the
 heaven opened up there1 all these go   
on1 and yet mere man is a stranger to   
all4 ,and the translation of ,enoch     

takes company with all these1 ,i        
assuredly judge2 and so1 ,i further     
judge1 will another glorious hour soon  
to come1 in which they that are         
,christ's are all to be interested4   ,i
 have now reached and closed the fifth  
chapter4 ,the first part of the ,book of
 ,genesis will be found to end here4    
,for these chapters 7i4-v47 constitute a
 little volume4  ,i4  ,this chapter     
opens the volume with the work of       
creation4  ,,ii4  ,creation being       
complete1 the ,lord1 the ,creator1 takes
 ,his delight in it2 and in the midst of
 it1 and over it1 places the man whom   
,he had formed in ,his own image1 with  
all endowments and possessions to make  
his condition perfect4  ,,iii4  ,man1   
thus made perfect1 being tried and      
overcome1 we see the ruin which he      
wrought1 and the redemption which ,god  
provided4  ,,iv4  ,v4  ,these chapters  
then show us one branch of this ruined1 
redeemed family choosing the ruins1 and 
another branch of it delighting in the  

redemption4  ,this is simple1 and yet   
perfect4 ,the tale is told--a tale of   
other days2 but in the results and      
sympathies of which we live at this     
hour4  ,it is the sight of the elect1   
believing1 heavenly household1 which we 
get in this little volume1 which has at 
this time drawn my thoughts to it4 ,they
 walked on earth as we should walk2 but 
they were1 by their faith1 hope1 and    
destiny1 all the while1 very near       
heaven1 as we are4  ,are we touching the
 skirts of such glory with unaffected   
hearts1 beloved8 ,does anything more    
humble you in ,his presence1 ,i ask you 
7for my own soul has already given its  
answer71 than the conviction we have of 
the little estimation in which the heart
 holds ,his promised glory8 ,it is      
terrible discovery to make of oneself4  
,that we have but small delight in the  
provisions of ,his goodness1 is more    
terrible than that we have no answer to 
the demands of ,his righteousness4 ,and 
yet both stand in proof against us4     

,after ,israel had left ,egypt1 they    
were tested by the voice of the law2 but
 the golden calf tells that they had no 
answer for it4 ,in the progress of their
 journey1 they are tested by the        
firstfruits of ,canaan2 but the desired 
captain tells that they had no relish   
for the feast4 ,and what is the heart of
 man still8 ,what was it in ,christ's   
day8 ,the parable of the marriage of the
 king's son1 like the captain of the    
wilderness1 tells us that there is no   
relish there for the table which ,god   
spreads4 ,what are singing men and      
singing women to a heavy ear8 ,the      
pleasant land is despised still4 ,canaan
 is not worth the scaling of a single   
wall1 or an encounter with one          
,amalekite4 ,the farm1 the merchandise1 
and the wife1 are made the captain to   
take us back1 in spite of the           
invitations of love and the treasures of
 glory4  ,terrible discovery6 ,and yet  
it is not hard to make it4 ,the proof of
 it clings pretty close to us4 ,we know 

how quickly present interests move us2  
how loss depresses and profit elates us2
 and then1 again1 we know how dull the  
glory glitters1 if but a difficulty or a
 hazard lie this side of it4  ,are we   
sorry because of this1 beloved8 ,does it
 ever break the heart into sighs and    
groans before our ,god8 ,sad and solemn1
 if we feel it not thus--and terrible1  
when we deliberately talk to ourselves  
of making a captain again4 ,and this we 
do when the pastime and the pleasures of
 the sons of men again give animation to
 our hearts1 or when their honours or   
their pursuits become again our objects4
 ,lot's wife1 beloved1 had got beyond   
,sodom1 and that1 too1 in company with  
the elect1 when it was found that she   
was still there1 in such a sense as to  
perish with the city4 ,israel was as far
 as the wilderness of ,paran1 and that1 
too1 in company with the ark of ,god1   
when it was proved that they were still 
amid the flesh-pots of ,egypt4 ,serious 
remembrances for us all6 holy warnings1 

that we wanton not with those lusts and 
enjoyments1 which once we watched and   
mortified4   ,of that day and hour      
knoweth no man--are the solemn words by 
which the ,lord refuses to pledge the   
moment of ,his return to ,his ,jewish   
remnant4 ,matt4 xxiv4 #cf4 ,that moment 
is to be to them as the thief of the    
night1 or as the hour of the woman in   
travail4 ,so as to death4 ,if it come on
 any of us without a moment's warning1  
the ,lord has not been untrue to any    
pledge ,he has given4 ,and so as to the 
rapture4 ,in no case is the day or the  
hour pledged or made known4 ,all is     
included in one word of deep and holy   
import--,watch--and that one word is    
addressed to all3 ,what ,i say unto you1
 ,i say unto all1 ,watch4  ,whether the 
close to us be by death or              
rapture--whether it be to ,israel by    
being taken or left--the day and the    
hour remain alike untold2 no pledge of  
it is promised at all4 ,each and all are
 set on the watch-tower4 ,we wait for   

the ,son from heaven2 they will have to 
wait for the days of the ,son of man2   
but neither of us know the hour that    
closes the waiting4  ,that is common to 
them and to us4 ,we stand in equal      
condition with them as to this4 ,but    
together with this there is a           
difference4  ,the ,jewish ,remnant are  
given signs4 ,that is1 they are told of 
certain things which must precede the   
days of the ,son of man1 though they are
 left ignorant of the day or the hour of
 that appearing4 ,see ,matt4 xxiv4      
#cb-cf4 ,the saints now gathering to the
 hope of the ,son from heaven are1 on   
the contrary1 not given any such signs1 
or told of any necessary precursory     
events4  ,the ,lord communicated ,his   
purpose of judgment to ,noah1 but said  
nothing to him of the time of it4 ,but  
,noah knew that it could not be till his
 ark was built4 ,he knew not the time   
when the waters were to rise2 but he    
knew they could not rise till he and his
 were lodged in safety4 ,this was a     

sign1 or an event necessarily           
forerunning the close of his history4   
,and so with the earthly ,israel4       
,circumstances must take place1 though  
the day or the hour of it be not known1 
ere the ,son of man can be here on earth
 again4 ,but not so with ,enoch4 ,no    
circumstance necessarily delayed his    
translation4 ,his walk with ,god was not
 a circumstance4 ,and that was all that 
led the way to his ascension4 ,and so   
with the ,church now gathering4 ,she    
waits for no circumstance--no years     
measure her sojourn here2 no events     
prepare her heavenward way4 ,she is not 
put1 like the ,jewish election1 under   
the restraint of any signs or preceding 
circumstances4  ,the ,lord treats it as 
deceit to say the time draweth nigh2    
while the apostle expressly puts us     
under those words4 ,luke xxi4 #h2 ,james
 v4 #h4 ,after certain signs or events1 
the ,lord tells the remnant that their  
expectation is near2 the apostle tells  
us that ours is always so4 ,matt4 xxiv4 

#cc2 ,phil4 iv4 #e4 ,the ,lord exhorts  
the remnant to watch1 because the day   
may otherwise overtake them2 the apostle
 exhorts us to watch1 because we are    
already of the day1 and it is fit that  
we should act as day-men4 ,matt4 xxiv4  
#dc2 #a ,thess4 v4 #e1 #f4  ,here lies a
 difference4 ,but still1 all are equally
 commanded to watch--we in this our day1
 as ever knowing that the end of all    
things is at hand1 and the remnant1 in  
their coming day1 even though they know 
that some events must go before4  ,and  
beautiful and just this is4 ,for if the 
things threatened be profoundly solemn1 
as they are1 and the things promised be 
unspeakably glorious1 as they are1 it is
 but little to require of us to treat   
them as supreme--and that1 in other     
words1 is watching4  ,and the sense of  
the nearness of the glory should be     
cherished by us4 ,i mean its nearness in
 place as well as time4 ,and we need be 
at no effort to persuade ourselves of   
it4 ,it is taught us very clearly and   

surely4 ,the congregation of ,israel    
were set at the door of the tabernacle1 
and as soon as the appointed moment came
 the glory was before them4 ,see ,lev4  
viii4 ix4 ,so at the erection of the    
tabernacle1 and so at the introduction  
of the ark into the temple4 ,ex4 xl42 #b
 ,chron4 v4 ,so when it had business to 
do 7though of different characters7 with
 the company on ,mount ,tabor1 with the 
dying ,stephen1 or with ,saul on the    
road to ,damascus--wherever it may have 
to act1 and whatever it may be called to
 do1 to convict1 to cheer1 or to        
transfigure--to smite to the earth the  
persecutor1 to give triumph to the      
martyr1 or to conform an elect ,vessel  
to itself1 it can be present in a       
moment1 in the twinkling of an eye4 ,it 
is but a thin veil1 which either hides  
it or distances it4 ,the path is short1 
and the journey rapidly accomplished4   
,we should cherish the thought of this1 
beloved4 ,it has its power as well as   
its consolation4 ,and so ere long1 when 

the time of #a ,cor4 xv4 #ea arrives1   
that moment of the general              
transfiguration1 as soon as the voice of
 the archangel summons it1 the glory    
will be here again1 as in the twinkling 
of an eye1 to do its business with us1  
and in the image of the heavenly to bear
 us up1 like ,enoch1 to the heavenly    
country4  ,then shall the ,lord be      
glorified in ,his saints--not as now1 in
 their obedience and service1 their     
holiness and fruitfulness1 but in their 
personal beauty4 ,arrayed in white1 and 
shining in our glories1 we shall be the 
wondrous witness of what ,he has done   
for the sinner that trusts in ,him4 ,and
 as one much loved and honoured in the  
,lord has just written to me1 so ,i     
write to you1 beloved3 ,no lark ever    
sprang up on a dewy morning to sing its 
sweet song with such alacrity as you and
 ,i shall spring up to meet our ,lord in
 the air4 ,and his exhortation to me ,i 
would make mine to you 7though feebly   
echoed from my heart73 ,oh1 my brother1 

set it before your mind's eye as a      
living reality1 and then let hope       
patiently wait for the fulfilment6      
,amen4 ,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus4    
,,noah4                                 
,,genesis ,,vi4-,,xi4   ,how changed is 
the whole condition of things since the 
day of ,genesis6  ,were ,i to read the  
opening of this fine scripture1 and just
 expose my heart to the simpler earliest
 impression of what ,i get there1 it is 
this thought which would engage my mind2
 and yet with all ease we can account   
for this strange and wondrous           
revolution4 ,in chapter i4 ,god was     
alone1 producing the fruit of ,his own  
handiwork1 in wisdom1 goodness1 and     
skill2 and then all was good and        
desirable4 ,on the return of every      
evening and morning the divine delights 
lingered over what the divine hand was  
working out1 and behold all was very    
good2 and the seventh day was sanctified
 for the celebration of this rest and   
enjoyment4 ,but now1 it is not ,god's   

hand presenting a perfect work to ,god's
 thoughts and affections1 but it is man1
 the apostate artificer1 spreading out a
 wide scene of corruption and violence  
for the grief and repentings of the     
divine mind4 ,the secret of the change  
lies there4 ,man has been at work2 man  
has been fashioning and furnishing the  
scene1 and not the living1 blessed ,god4
 ,the earth is therefore filled with    
violence2 giants there are1 mighty men1 
men of renown2 and the imaginations of  
that heart which was now making this    
present evil world are only evil1 and   
that continually4  ,here lies the       
secret4 ,the change was complete because
 of the new potter that had been at the 
wheel2 the change could not be less4    
,the song of the morning stars1 the     
shout of the sons of ,god1 had no echo  
in the scene of creation now2 man was   
now abroad--not as a part of the work1  
but as a reprobate workman4  ,it is just
 this which gives character to the      
opening of chapter vi4 ,and there is no 

relief for all this in the creature--the
 best sample and portion it could offer 
is itself defiled4 ,the sons of ,god    
themselves are dragged into the         
mire--their will1 their desire1 their   
taste1 are supreme with them4 ,the      
daughters of ,moab have seduced to      
fornication2 and the ,nazarites1 who    
were purer than snow and whiter than    
milk1 whose polishing was of sapphire1  
are become blacker than a coal4 ,the    
witness against them is1 he also is     
flesh4  ,if ,adam was seduced by the    
subtilest of enemies1 and followed the  
sight of his eye and the desire of his  
heart1 the sons of ,god are now seduced 
by an enemy equally successful4 ,he     
works1 it is true1 from within rather   
than without--he also is flesh--but the 
sight of the eye and the desire of the  
heart are again followed4 ,wives are    
taken of all whom they choose2 other    
lords are listened to1 for ,god is not  
in all their thoughts1 and then it      
matters not whether it be the promise of

 the serpent1 or the fairness of the    
daughters of men4 ,gen4 iii4 #d1 #e4    
,the multiplying of men on the face of  
the earth is noticed as connected with  
all this corruption--just as in the     
history of the ,church4 ,acts vi4 #a4   
,it was when the number of disciples was
 multiplied that murmurings and         
disputings began to arise2 and these    
kindred cases in ,genesis vi4 and ,acts 
vi4 tell us that man is never to be     
trusted1 and that the more we get of him
 the worse things are4 ,jesus did not   
commit ,himself to them1 for ,he knew   
all men1 and needed not that any should 
testify of man1 for ,he knew what was in
 man4  ,such was the condition of the   
scene from one end to the other2 and    
against all this corruption and violence
 which now overspread the earth1 the    
judgment of ,god is marked--,my spirit  
shall not always strive with man4 ,there
 may be1 and there shall be1 a term of  
long-suffering--as it is said1 his days 
shall be one hundred and twenty         

years--but still judgment is marked1 and
 the day of visitation will come--the   
,spirit will not always strive4  ,but   
there is resource in ,god1 as well as   
judgment with ,him4 ,if man1 the work of
 ,his hand1 have grieved ,him1 still1   
drawing from ,himself1 ,he will 7may ,i 
say87 go deeper1 and find ,his joy in   
the counsels of ,his heart4  ,noah found
 grace in the eyes of the ,lord4 ,man1  
as a sinner1 shall become the object of 
electing1 pardoning1 justifying love--he
 shall engage the heart now1 as of old1 
at creation1 he engaged the hand of the 
,lord4  ,thus from ,himself the ,lord   
draws1 but from ,himself in a deeper    
sense and way than before4 ,this was to 
be no more repairing of the             
creature--such a thing would have been  
no fit work for ,god4 ,as to man1 ,god  
had to repent that ,he had made him on  
the earth2 and as to the scene around   
him1 the mind of ,god was               
changed--changed unalterably1 and for   
ever4 ,man1 as a thing formed of the    

dust1 was never to be the divine delight
 again--mere man4 ,but grace can make a 
new thing--not repairing the work marred
 on the wheel1 but making it another    
vessel1 as it seem good to the potter to
 make it4 ,in its old estate it was     
ruined1 but in its ruins grace will take
 it up to make it a goodly and a        
pleasant vessel of richest treasures and
 all-desirable beauty4  ,we admire a    
ruin2 and some1 as they have thought of 
this1 have suspected the moral of such a
 sentiment1 and been ready to condemn   
the heart and eye that could linger with
 pleasure over what was the witness of  
decay and death1 and the entrance of the
 power of sin4 ,but ,i would venture to 
embolden such1 and to tell them that    
they may still admire a ruin1 and do so 
without fear or self-judgment4 ,the     
redeemed thing is a vast1 and precious1 
and beautiful ruin2 it will bespeak the 
power of sin and death for ever1 while  
displaying the boundless1 glorious      
victory of death's ,destroyer4 ,and the 

thoughts of the ,spirit of ,god1 the    
mind of ,christ1 as well as heaven      
itself and all its hosts1 will linger   
over that ruin for a happy eternity4 ,it
 will be the ornament and the delight of
 the creation of ,god4 ,sing1 ,o ye     
heavens2 for the ,lord hath done it6    
,shout1 ye lower parts of the earth2    
break forth into singing1 ye mountains1 
,o forest1 and every tree therein2 for  
the ,lord hath redeemed ,jacob6 ,and    
again1 ,joy shall be in heaven over one 
sinner that repenteth1 more than over   
ninety-and-nine just persons which need 
no repentance4  ,this is heaven's       
admiration of a beautiful ruin2 and     
these are the ways of ,god4 ,the        
operations of ,his hands were1 of old1  
,his delight1 and the counsels of ,his  
grace are now ,his delight1 and the     
attending angels have their music1 and  
their dancing in the house of the       
prodigal's ,father4  ,noah1 having thus 
found grace in the eyes of the ,lord1   
becomes the subject of divine teaching4 

,an elect vessel is always the vessel   
for the handiwork of ,god1 through the  
,spirit4 ,the ,lord communicates ,his   
mind to him2 ,he tells him that the     
judgment of an evil world1 which had now
 filled up its measure1 was marked      
before ,him1 but that for him and his   
house there was safety1 and a great     
deliverance4  ,this communication has a 
very precious character in it--it is    
strictly according to the previous      
counsel of ,his own bosom4 ,this is very
 much to be prized4 ,god tells ,his     
elect one1 that the end of all flesh was
 come before ,him--as1 in ,his own      
secret counsels ,he had already said1   
,my spirit shall not always strive with 
man2 ,he tells him of the sense and     
judgment ,he had of the moral condition 
of the earth--just such as ,he had      
uttered in secret before2 and1 further1 
,he tells him to get ready an ark for   
the saving of his house1 as1 in the     
counsels of ,his electing love and      
sovereign purpose1 ,noah had already    

found grace in ,his eyes4  ,it is very  
establishing to the heart to notice     
this4 ,it lets us understand how exactly
 the revelation made to us puts us into 
possession of the divine mind1 ,shall ,i
 hide from ,abraham that thing which ,i 
do8 says the ,lord1 on another occasion1
 when ,he was1 as here1 speaking to     
,himself4 ,and a fulness1 as well as    
exactness1 ,i may say1 distinguishes    
these revelations4 ,jesus says to ,his  
disciples1 ,all things that ,i have     
heard of my ,father ,i have made known  
unto you--with1 however1 one exception4 
,the ,lord ,god had fixed #abj years as 
the term of ,his longsuffering4 ,noah's 
preaching1 as well as ark-building1 was 
to be for that period4 ,such was the    
purpose of ,god4 ,but ,noah was told    
nothing of this predestinated interval4 
,the ,lord kept back all mention of the 
#abj years4 ,noah knew1 indeed1 that the
 waters could not prevail till he and   
his were safe in the ark1 but how long  
that might be preparing1 or whether or  

not1 after it was finished1 any time    
should pass ere the waters should begin 
to rise1 he knew not4 ,this part of the 
divine counsel the ,father kept in ,his 
own power2 this was the exception to the
 fulness of the communication4 ,events  
were to take place1 signs were to       
precede the day of the ,lord--such1 at  
least1 as the finishing and filling of  
the ark4 ,in the language of the        
prophet1 the bud was to become tender1  
and to put forth its leaves4 ,had any   
one talked to ,noah about the waters    
rising ere the ark was ready1 ,noah     
would not have been shaken in mind1 or  
in anywise troubled4 ,that could not be4
 ,the time draweth nigh would have been 
deceit then1 as it will be by-and-by1   
when the earthly remnant1 or election1  
are1 like ,noah1 waiting for redemption4
 ,luke xxi4 #h4 ,but still1 the period  
itself1 the term of the divine          
longsuffering1 was put in the ,father's 
power1 and no one knew the day nor the  
hour4 ,so rich and full are those       

harmonies in earlier and latter days1 in
 typical and closing actions of ,god's  
hand4 ,noah was at this time an earthly 
man--that is an elect one destined for  
inheritance in the earth1 as the nation 
of ,israel1 by-and-by1 will be2 and both
 of them1 in their several days1 are    
provided1 by divine instructions1       
against the deceits which might alarm   
them1 or the promises which might seduce
 them2 but the day and hour of their    
deliverance are not told4  ,the ark1 in 
the size1 fashion1 and material of it1  
is entirely the prescription of ,god4   
,noah has but to make it--the ,lord     
plans it as well as appoints it4 ,the   
making of it is only the trial and the  
proof of faith--by faith ,noah1 moved   
with fear1 prepared an ark to the saving
 of his house4 ,israel fashioning the   
sanctuary1 in after days1 was a like act
 of faith4 ,they had to make it1 and    
make it they did1 with willing hearts   
and ready service1 yielding their brass1
 and their silver1 and their gold1 their

 fine linen1 badgers' skins1            
shittim-wood1 oil1 spices1 and precious 
stones4 ,but all this was only the      
obedience of faith to the way of        
deliverance and peace1 which ,god       
,himself had planned and revealed4 ,they
 made the sanctuary as ,noah made the   
ark2 but neither was his act nor their  
act anything more than faith in the     
provisions of ,god4 ,and what is the    
gospel1 and faith in the gospel1 to this
 hour1 but such a revelation of the     
provisions of grace1 and such obedience 
to that revelation8 ,the religion of the
 elect has ever been the same--,it is of
 faith1 that it might be by grace4      
,faith in ,god's sovereign provisions   
was ,adam's religion at the beginning1  
then it was ,noah's1 afterwards it was  
the religion of ,abraham1 and of every  
true ,israelite2 and so at this day it  
is ours4 ,we all1 as well as ,adam1 come
 forth from our shame1 and fear1 and    
confusion of conscience1 at the tidings 
of the bruised and bruising ,seed of the

 woman4 ,we all1 as well as ,noah1      
prepare an ark for salvation1 and become
 heirs of the righteousness which is by 
faith2 we all as well as ,israel1 betake
 us from the fiery hill to the sanctuary
 of enthroned mercy--and ,jesus1 ,jesus1
 is the name borne along the line1 from 
one end of it to the other1 of          
patriarchs1 prophets1 apostles1 and     
saints1 ,gentile and ,jewish1 small and 
great1 in the deep-toned melody that is 
to charm the eternity of heaven4  ,it is
 not merely mercy4 ,heaven knows no such
 thought4 ,neither is it simple1 naked  
promise4 ,it is propitiation and        
victory1 and purchased as well as       
promised blessings4  ,inspect the       
sanctuary of ,god and you will find that
 it is not mere mercy that is there4 ,it
 is enthroned mercy1 mercy on the ark of
 the covenant1 mercy sustained by the   
work and on the person of the ,son of   
,god4 ,and faith has respect only to    
such a mystery as that4 ,faith never    
talks of mere mercy4 ,it could not4 ,it 

could no more talk of mere mercy in ,god
 than it could of moral righteousness in
 man4 ,the gospel does not know such    
ideas1 and therefore faith cannot       
apprehend them4 ,the gospel reveals ,one
 who is just1 while justifying the      
ungodly4 ,mercy and truth have met      
together4 ,it is glory to ,god in the   
highest while it is peace and good will 
to men4 ,this is the way of the gospel4 
,abraham is in the faith of this1 as we 
see in ,genesis xv4 ,the ,lord had said 
to him1 ,i will give thee this land to  
inherit it4 ,this was a promise1 the    
promise too of ,one that could not lie4 
,it was an immutable thing4 ,and        
,abraham rightly listened to this4 ,as a
 sinner1 who knew full well and full    
justly1 that promises to such an one    
must have foundations and warranty1 he  
listened to it2 therefore he at once    
says1 ,whereby shall ,i know that ,i    
shall inherit it8 ,is this a challenge  
of the promise8 ,is this a question of  
the divine truthfulness8 ,no1 indeed4   

,it is only faith letting ,god know1    
that it was a conscious sinner who was  
listening to ,his promise1 which needed 
therefore some warranty1 or             
consideration1 to carry it with         
certainty to the heart4 ,and the ,lord  
was well pleased with this4 ,faith      
always pleases ,him1 as without it      
nothing does4 ,and at once ,he prepares 
to let ,abraham know that sacrifice     
sustained the promise4  ,our patriarch1 
before ,abraham1 was in the like faith4 
,and walking in the steps of the same   
faith he takes an advanced character4   
,he attains righteousness4 ,thee have ,i
 seen righteous before me in this       
generation1 is now the word of ,god to  
him4 ,by faith ,noah1 being warned of   
,god of things not seen as yet1 moved   
with fear1 prepared an ark to the saving
 of his house2 by the which he condemned
 the world1 and became heir of the      
righteousness which is by faith4  ,love1
 and faith1 and the patience of hope    
were1 however1 each to animate his soul1

 and form his life1 for that solemn     
interval of #abj years4 ,while the ark  
was preparing1 the ,spirit1 in ,noah's  
preaching1 was striving with that       
generation4 ,nothing can be more        
beautifully replete with meaning than   
all this4 ,noah was in the work of      
faith1 the labour of love1 and the      
patience of hope--a true ,thessalonian  
saint4 ,he was preparing the ark in that
 faith which had received the divine    
warning--in love he was telling his     
generation of righteousness4 #b ,peter  
ii4 #e4 ,just like a saint of this day4 
,his own safety is settled and          
sure--that he knows2 but he is careful  
that his neighbours should share it with
 him4 ,the ,spirit then strove in the   
testimony as now ,he strives2 but every 
stroke of ,noah's hammer day by day told
 that ,he would not always strive4  ,at 
the close of this predestinated but     
undisclosed period1 ,noah enters the    
ark4 ,this was the great salvation in a 
mystery4 ,it was as the night of        

,egypt's doom and ,israel's rescue4     
,nothing less than safety and           
deliverance under the fullest securities
 and dearest title in an hour of most   
solemn judgment1 was now the story of   
,noah4 ,and this is the salvation of the
 gospel4 ,in ,egypt afterwards1 the very
 hand which carried the sword of        
destruction along the land had appointed
 the sheltering blood4 ,could the sword 
strike8 ,impossible6 ,and now it was    
,he1 who took counsel with ,himself     
about the judgment of the world1 who had
 also counselled ,his elect about the   
way of escape4 ,it was the hand which   
was about to let the waters out which   
was now shutting ,noah in4 ,could they  
then prevail against him6 ,just1 in like
 manner1 impossible6        ,the voice  
that speaks in thunder       ,says1     
',sinner1 ,i am thine4'  ,the ,one to   
whom vengeance belongs has settled all  
the plan of safety4 ,he that is bearing 
the sword into the land has appointed   
the scarlet line in the window4 ,but a  

solemn scene of judgment accompanies all
 this4 ,the sun was risen on the earth1 
as1 after this1 ,lot entered into ,zoar4
 ,and yet that sunny hour was the very  
time for the rain of brimstone and fire 
to fall4 ,nothing could be done till    
,lot entered the city1 but then nothing 
remained to be done ere the fire came   
down4  ,how deeply was the moment of    
visitation hid6 ,they might well have   
said1 ,peace and safety1 when they saw  
that morning sun1 as he was wont1       
gilding the bright and happy surface of 
the scene around them4 ,but even then   
the sudden destruction fell4  ,noah's   
generation was eating1 and drinking1 and
 marrying1 just as the water began to   
rise4 ,there was no harbinger1 save1    
like ,lot's escape to ,zoar1 ,noah's    
entrance into the ark4 ,but that was    
folly4 ,to imprison himself and all that
 he had in the sides of a ship aground1 
that was folly4 ,but the flood came in  
the moment of fancied security1 and took
 them all away4 ,they were willingly    

ignorant of the word of ,god1 the       
testimony of the preacher of            
righteousness2 one who addressed them in
 the power and on the principle of a    
resurrection hope4 #a ,peter iii4       
,sudden and sure destruction on all     
outside1 but divine1 infallible security
 on all within4 ,the city of refuge was 
appointed of ,god1 and its walls must be
 salvation4 ,impossible to be less4 ,the
 same righteousness which has pronounced
 a curse on every one that continueth   
not in all things written in the book of
 the law to do them1 has likewise       
pronounced a curse on every one that    
hangeth on a tree4 ,gal4 iii4 ,can ,he  
then deny ,his own remedy to the sinner1
 cursed under the law1 when he pleads1  
by faith1 the ,saviour cursed on the    
tree8 ,alike1 impossible4  ,the ,lord   
shut him in4 ,the hand of the ,lord     
imparted its own strength and security  
to ,noah's condition4 ,it is not too    
bold to say1 that all within the door of
 the ark were as safe as the ,lord      

,himself4 ,the ,lord returned1 we may   
say1 to ,his own heavens1 or to ,his    
throne1 which is established for ever1  
and ,noah was left on the earth1 in the 
place and day of judgment4 ,but ,noah   
was as safe as the ,lord4 ,we may have  
boldness in the day of judgment3 because
 as ,he is1 so are we in this world4    
,jesus has gone back to heaven1 and we  
are still in this world1 the judgment of
 which is marked before ,god2 but we    
have the boldness which is proper to    
,jesus4 ,wonderful to utter it6 ,and yet
 is all that mysterious1 glorious       
security figured in that little action1 
,the ,lord shut him in4 ,god's own hand 
imparted its strength to ,noah's        
condition ere ,he returned to the       
heavens4  ,some of every sort are borne 
with ,noah from the place of death into 
the ark of salvation4 ,the eight souls1 
as ,peter speaks1 but with them1        
remnants of the beasts of the earth1    
small and great1 winged fowl and        
creeping things1 all are housed and     

redeemed together with ,noah4  ,so was  
it afterwards in ,egypt4 ,not a hoof was
 left behind4 ,the great redemption of  
that day1 in like manner1 provided for  
all--,moses and the #fjj1jjj1 with their
 wives and little ones1 and also all    
their cattle2 all again knew and        
manifested the saving strength of ,god4 
,as in the day of ,nineveh1 long after1 
the much cattle are the ,lord's thought1
 as the six-score thousand persons that 
could not discern between their right   
hand and their left4  ,and in the coming
 day of the inheritance of ,christ1 ,his
 dominions will measure all the works of
 ,god's hand1 ,all sheep and oxen1 yea1 
and the beasts of the field2 the fowl of
 the air1 and the fish of the sea2 and  
the fields and the floods1 and the hills
 and trees of the wood1 shall be joyful 
before ,him4 ,psalm xcviii4  ,welcome   
mystery6 ,are they not all ,his         
creatures8 ,did not ,his hand of old    
form them1 and ,his eyes and ,his heart 
rest and delight in them8 ,and is this  

lost to ,him8 ,may ,jonah grieve for his
 withered gourd1 and the ,lord not spare
 the works of ,his own hand for ,his    
abiding joy8 ,he will renew the face of 
the earth1 as it is written--,the glory 
of the ,lord shall endure for ever1 the 
,lord shall rejoice in ,his works4      
,psalm civ4 #ca4 ,the earnest           
expectation of the creature waiteth for 
the manifestation of the sons of ,god4  
,for the creature was made subject to   
vanity1 not willingly1 but by reason of 
,him who hath subjected the same in     
hope1 because the creature itself also  
shall be delivered from the bondage of  
corruption into the liberty of the glory
 of the children of ,god4  ,but it is   
here that ,i may pause for a moment1 to 
notice the dispensational character of  
these days of ,noah4   ,the earth1 as   
the scene of ,god's delight1 and of ,his
 people's citizenship1 had been lost by 
the apostasy of ,adam2 and the hopes and
 inheritance of the saints1 all through 
the days before the flood1 were         

heavenly--the ,lord thereby disclosing1 
though faintly1 certain portions of the 
great secrets of ,his own bosom--the    
secrets of the good pleasure purposed in
 ,himself ere worlds were1 that heaven1 
as well as earth1 should be connected   
with the destinies of man4 ,the heavens 
were opened to man1 when ,adam1 the man 
of the earth1 failed4 ,gen4 v4 #bd4     
,that was so4 ,but earth was not shut   
because heaven was thus opened4 ,the    
divine counsel ran otherwise4 ,it was   
this--that ,god would gather together in
 one all things in ,christ1 both which  
are in heaven1 and which are on earth4  
,and the heavenly calling having been   
already revealed in the story of the    
saints before the flood1 the due season 
had now come for the revelation of      
,god's great purpose concerning the     
earth1 and to make it known that ,he had
 not given it up1 because1 in ,his      
dispensational ways1 ,he had taken up   
the heavens4  ,as in ,rev4 iv4 ,when the
 heavenly saints1 the fulness of the    

,gentiles1 the mystic elders and living 
creatures1 are seated in their heavenly 
places1 the thoughts of ,him who sat on 
the throne there return to the earth4   
,the rainbow is at once seen around the 
throne--the witness of this1 that the   
covenant which gives security to the    
earth was about to be the spring of     
action in heaven4 ,and so now in these  
days of ,noah4 ,when the heavenly family
 had ended their course1 and ,enoch was 
translated1 the ,lord's thoughts        
returned to the earth1 and that1 ,i may 
say1 at once2 for the next thing of     
character in the progress of the hand1  
or the ,spirit of ,god1 is the prophecy 
of ,lamech1 pledging ,god and ,his      
mercies to the earth again1 and         
introducing ,noah--,this same ,noah     
shall comfort us concerning our work and
 toil of our hands1 because of the      
ground which the ,lord hath cursed4     
,this is all simple--scarcely capable of
 being misunderstood4 ,the prophecy of  
,lamech1 which introduces it1 tells us  

what we are to expect and find in the   
mystery of ,noah4 ,the key of the       
parable lies at the door4 ,the recovery 
of the earth1 the return of ,god's rest 
and delight in it1 all this will be made
 good in the coming times of the true   
,noah1 in whom1 and in whom alone1 all  
the promises of ,god are yea and amen4  
,a great action1 however1 must usher in 
those times4 ,the call of the heavenly  
people is quite otherwise1 as in the    
call of the antediluvian saints4 ,there 
was in those days no interference with  
the scene around4 ,cain's family was    
left in possession--quiet1 undisputed   
possession--of their cities and their   
wealth4 ,the visitation of ,god then1 as
 always under such a call1 only         
separated a people without affecting    
either to regulate or judge the world4  
,it left it as it found it4 ,but ,god's 
claim to the earth1 and ,his purpose to 
take it up again1 is necessarily        
otherwise4 ,there ,he is as thoroughly  
interfering with every thing1 as in the 

other way of ,his manifold wisdom ,he   
was utterly leaving all alone4 ,for by  
judgment ,he must purge the earth1 and  
get it fit to be ,his footstool4  ,all  
this is the dispensational truth we     
learn here1 in this parable1 or in these
 times of ,noah4 ,the earth has been    
remembered1 and is now resumed1 but     
through purifying judgments4 ,all takes 
the sentence of death into itself1 that 
it may stand as a new thing1 in the     
strength and grace of ,him who quickens 
the dead4 ,the earth itself was in the  
water1 or under the water1 and the elect
 remnant were saved--as in the appointed
 city of refuge--from the hand of the   
avenger2 and all therefore appears      
again1 as in resurrection4  ,beasts1 and
 fowl1 and creeping things1 some of     
every sort1 go into the ark2 and there1 
within that refuge1 which kept its      
charge in peace from fear of evil1 the  
ransomed passed the days of their       
patience4  ,but they were more than     
safe4 ,they were remembered--,god       

remembered ,noah1 and every living      
thing1 and all the cattle that was with 
him in the ark4 ,so did ,joshua1 in     
other days1 remember ,rahab4 ,the scene 
of death and judgment lay all around our
 patriarch4 ,it was one vast1 and deep1 
and mighty ruin--an extended ,jericho   
the accursed--another and a wider land  
of ,pharaoh1 with the doom of the ,lord 
resting darkly and heavily upon it4 ,but
 ,he who had already shut ,his remnant  
in1 now remembers them2 and in that     
remembrance there was present life1 and1
 in prospect1 a goodly inheritance4  ,it
 will be so with another elect remnant1 
in coming days4 ,before the same        
covenant ,god1 who was now keeping ,noah
 in mind1 a book of remembrance will be 
written for them that fear the ,lord and
 think upon ,his name4 ,mal4 iii4 ,and  
of them the ,lord says1 ,they shall be  
mine in that day when ,i make up my     
jewels2 as now1 in virtue of this       
covenant-remembrance1 the ,lord causes a
 wind to pass over the earth1 the waters

 abate1 and the ark rests on the        
mountains of ,ararat4  ,this remembrance
 of ,god was most precious4 ,but ,noah1 
in his city of refuge1 had other        
consolations4 ,the divine remembrance   
was the hidden comfort of faith2 but he 
had also blessed1 conscious exercises of
 spirit4  ,the ark had a window in it4  
,the door was in the keeping of the     
,lord1 but the window was for ,noah's   
use4 ,he who had shut him in1 alone     
could let him out--the times and the    
seasons were in ,his hand4 ,but while   
the time of his pilgrimage1 as a        
prisoner of hope1 cannot be shortened1  
yet may the hopes of such a prisoner be 
very preciously nourished1 and his      
spirit within him blessedly exercised4  
,noah may open the window1 remove the   
covering1 look out1 and send forth his  
messengers1 his ,caleb and ,joshua and  
their companions1 to spy out the land1  
and report to him what it is1 whether it
 be fat or lean1 good or bad1 and to    
bring him the fruit of it4  ,what beauty

 and what wisdom strike the eye and the 
heart in all this6 ,this window in the  
ark1 and its uses1 are so significant6  
,the divine methods are so worthy of the
 divine communications6 ,apples of gold 
in pictures of silver are the ,spirit's 
words4  ,typical1 symbolic1 parabolic   
teaching is very acceptable to the      
heart1 and makes ready entrance there4  
,we all prove this1 just as children    
like pictures and stories4 ,not only1 ,i
 would here observe1 are doctrines thus 
taught--not only the great mysteries of 
the glory1 but experiences of the soul1 
the personal inworkings of the ,spirit1 
are illustrated by these same methods4  
,conviction of sin1 for instance1 was   
expressed in ,adam retreating from the  
voice of the ,lord ,god1 amongst the    
trees of the garden4 ,the longings and  
inquiries of a soul awakened to a sense 
of its condition1 if haply it might find
 its path1 are given to us in the       
,israelite standing at his tent door    
stripped of his ornaments1 and looking  

after the ,mediator as he entered the   
,tabernacle4 ,ex4 xxxiii4 ,and ,moses1  
with his veiled and unveiled face1 might
 have spoken of exercises and           
experiences of heart to us1 even had not
 the ,spirit1 by ,his light in the      
,apostle1 helped our understandings4 #b 
,cor4 iii4  ,we might go through a      
thousand such instances4 ,and by this   
method the great things of ,god are     
pressed home upon the heart4 ,by these  
figures the ,lord is standing very near 
the heart1 and knocking there4 ,it is   
not ,his grace displaying itself in the 
distance1 or shining from afar1 but it  
is the ,lord ,himself1 and ,his         
blessing1 coming very near for our full 
acceptance4 ,we may admire1 but if we do
 not also enjoy1 the purpose of the     
revelation is not answered4  ,now this  
method is beautifully preserved in these
 days of ,noah4 ,indeed the whole of    
,genesis is full of it4 ,it is a book of
 allegories1 as ,st4 ,paul              
speaks--divine stories written for the  

school of ,god4  ,the ark1 as ,i have   
already noticed1 had its door and its   
window1 and ,noah had his spies to send 
into the promised land--and the mission 
of these spies1 the raven and the dove1 
express the experience of the saint in  
the contrary workings of the flesh and  
spirit1 which contend in him4  ,the     
raven never returns4 ,the earth may be  
still unpurged1 but the unclean nature  
can take up with it4 ,the present evil  
world will do well enough for fallen1   
degraded man4 ,indeed1 the ark was      
rather a place of captivity than        
security1 to the unclean raven4 ,she    
never returns to it when once escaped4  
,but ,noah will not trust her4          
,beautiful saintly intelligence6 ,the   
raven may remain outside2 but that is no
 proof to ,noah that the earth is clean1
 or fit for the sole of his foot4 ,noah 
will not trust her1 but sends out a     
clean creature after her4 ,and different
 indeed are the tidings which she bears4
 ,it is1 in principle1 the contest of   

,caleb and ,joshua with their companion 
spies4 ,the dove returns instinctively4 
,there was no rest for her in a place   
still under judgment of ,god1 and       
unpurged4 ,and ,noah1 conscious that he 
can trust her and commit the question to
 her settlement1 sends her out a second 
and a third time4 ,and well indeed he   
may trust her4 ,her only sympathy is    
with the pledges of peace and of a new  
creation4 ,on her second return she     
bears an olive-leaf in her mouth1 and   
after her third mission she never comes 
back4  ,beautiful mystery6 ,the earth   
was redeemed from the curse now1 and in 
its new-creation state the dove can     
delight4 ,all is native air to her4 ,it 
is now the land of the turtle and the   
olive1 and ,noah understands the absence
 of this clean creature4 ,he at once    
removes the covering from the ark1 and  
looks out2 and the ,god of glory shortly
 lets him out1 as the ,god of all grace 
had before shut him in4  ,surely the    
ways of a saint1 the ways of the mind of

 ,christ1 are here6 ,i know not that any
 action can be more pregnant with       
meaning4 ,there was the ark1 and its    
window1 and its door4 ,the ark itself   
was for safety1 the window for a        
prospect1 and the door for an exodus1 in
 due season4 ,all this was faith and    
hope ending their pilgrimage in the     
place of promised glory4  ,noah         
suspected not the ark2 he did not occupy
 himself in feeling its timbers1 whether
 indeed they were keeping the waters    
outside--he had no doubt of that4 ,he   
had no pump in his ship1 if ,i may be   
allowed the figure2 and ,i may utter it1
 since1 homely as it is1 it glorifies   
,jesus in the security ,he gives the    
sinner2 for such is the very style of   
,scripture itself4  ,the lesson taught  
us may be the profoundest in the mind of
 the ,spirit1 but the school where it is
 learnt may be a despised place4 ,look1 
for instance1 at ,genesis xlviii4 ,you  
are there at the bedside of a dying old 
man--a common homely spot4 ,but there1  

some of the deepest and richest secrets 
of the mind of ,god are1 in a figure1   
conveyed to us--the great mystery of our
 adoption1 according to divine good     
pleasure2 and then our welcome into the 
family of ,god1 in the day of our       
manifestation1 or conversion4 ,and what 
richer counsels of grace are there than 
those8 ,and yet in what more common or  
homely school could they have been      
taught us8  ,as in still earlier days1  
in ,genesis xvi4 ,there you are         
introduced to the domestic arrangement  
of ,abraham's family as to the servant  
and her mistress1 and their disputes2   
and yet1 in all that1 you get the       
profound mystery of the two covenants4  
,gal4 iv4 ,and again1 in the act1 the   
ordinary act1 of discharging a servant1 
another feature in the same mystery is  
presented to us1 in chapter xxi4 ,the   
wisdom of ,god delights in these scenes 
and materials2 they rebuke the erring   
thought of man's heart1 that important  
things must be done or said by imposing 

methods--that the prophet must come     
forth and strike his hand over the      
place4 #b ,kings v4 #aa4 ,but it is with
 rude and inartificial instruments that 
both the wisdom of ,god and the power of
 ,god are commonly seen4 ,rams' horns   
blew down ,jericho1 and fishermen turned
 the world upside down1 as was said of  
them4 ,but these homely methods of      
,god's wisdom aid in carrying the       
instruction home1 and lodging it deep in
 the intimacies and recollections of the
 heart4 ,i may therefore still say that 
,noah's ship had no pump in it4 ,indeed 
it could not4 ,such a thing would have  
witnessed against it4 ,god's provisions 
would have declared their own           
insufficiency4 ,that could never have   
been4 ,god's provisions and ,god's works
 always tell whose they are by being    
what they are4 ,simplicity1 and yet     
sufficiency1 give them their character4 
,let there be light1 and there was      
light4 ,believe in the ,lord ,jesus     
,christ1 and thou shalt be saved2 and   

the sinner1 believing1 rejoiced in ,god 
with all his house4  ,so1 in like       
simplicity1 in these earlier days4 ,the 
heart of ,noah was not soiled by a      
suspicion4 ,he rested in the            
sea-worthiness of his vessel1 because of
 ,god's appointment and approval of     
it--nay1 ,i may say1 because of ,god's  
building of it4 ,faith keeping his heart
 quiet and assured as to the judgment1  
hope fills it as to the coming glory4   
,such is the beautiful way of this      
prisoner of hope4 ,a prisoner of hope is
 one of the ,spirit's titles1 ,i may    
say1 for all the saints of ,god4        
,jeremiah was such an one in his day4   
,jeremiah was shut up in the court of   
the prison1 which was in the king of    
,judah's house1 and this1 too1 for      
,christ's sake4 ,he was ,god's prisoner1
 and such an one is always hope's       
prisoner4 ,jeremiah is told to purchase 
,hananiah's field1 and that was food for
 hope1 like the olive-leaf in the mouth 
of the dove4 ,it told the prophet of    

good days to come1 though at that moment
 he was in a prison1 the ,chaldean army 
at the city gates1 and all the land     
deserted4 ,the waters were again all    
around and abroad2 but the ark of the   
prophet1 like that of the patriarch1 had
 a window in it4  ,so was ,israel a     
prisoner of hope in the night of the    
passover4 ,with shoe on foot1 staff in  
hand1 and girded loins1 ,israel waited  
in the very midst of the judgments of   
the ,lord2 but1 like our patriarch1 they
 waited there only to pass out to the   
inheritance of the ,lord4 ,and having   
the pre-eminence in all things1 ,jesus  
again and again shows us the perfect way
 of a prisoner of hope1 looking for a   
resurrection portion4 ,as when ,he      
entered ,jerusalem1 in ,john xii41 the  
,jewish multitudes and the ,gentile     
strangers being drawn thither to inquire
 after ,him1 and all the dignities and  
joys of the ,son of ,david seeming to   
wait on ,him1 ,his heart waits on the   
resurrection hope still1 the joy set    

before him1 and forth from that attitude
 of soul1 or place of expectation1 ,he  
speaks of the corn of wheat falling into
 the ground and dying4 ,steadily and    
desirously did ,his eye rest on the     
glory which lay1 not in that hour1 but  
beyond it4 ,in a spirit of entire       
consecration and sacrifice1 ,he         
surrenders that hour 7bright to ,him in 
the world as it was1 and big with the   
promise of all its kingdoms and the     
glory thereof7 to the ,father3 and the  
voice from heaven then visits this      
perfect1 blessed prisoner of hope1 with 
assurances that1 in due season1 even    
resurrection times1 ,his name and       
victory and honour should all be        
provided for and secured4  ,matchless   
,jesus6--,this voice from heaven was    
again the food of hope's prisoner4 ,and 
what was the transfiguration on the holy
 hill but the same8 ,jesus had been     
speaking to the disciples of ,his death1
 and encouraging them 7as ,he would us1 
beloved7 not to love their lives in this

 world1 when1 soon after1 six or eight  
days1 as we read1 the holy hill shines  
suddenly with the light of resurrection 
or millennial regions4 ,and what was all
 that visitation of glory1 but the      
grapes of ,eshcol brought from ,canaan  
to the camp of ,god in the desert2 or as
 the return of the dove to ,noah1 with  
the olive-leaf in her mouth8   ,the     
time1 however1 for rendering double to  
this prisoner of hope 7,zech4 ix4 #ab71 
comes in due course4 ,and ,god spake    
unto ,noah1 saying1 ,go forth of the    
ark1 thou1 and thy wife1 and thy sons1  
and thy sons' wives with thee6 bring    
forth with thee every living thing that 
is with thee1 of all flesh1 both of fowl
 and of cattle1 and of every creeping   
thing that creepeth upon the earth4 ,and
 ,noah went forth4 ,he landed on the    
renewed earth1 where1 at that mystic    
moment1 all was1 in a great sense1      
according to ,god's mind again2 no      
longer corrupt1 as when he had last trod
 it in its old estate1 but clean1 under 

the refining of the judgment4  ,not a   
thing had gone into the ark thirteen    
months before1 which did not now come   
forth4 ,the small and the great had been
 in it1 and the small were as safe as   
the great2 the creeping thing of the    
ditch or the hedge1 as free of all      
danger or harm as ,noah himself4        
,precious mystery6 ,we may be little1   
and we are little1 as the heart knows   
full well2 but heaven1 or the coming    
system of glory1 has fitted itself like 
the ark1 for the receiving of the small 
as well as the great4 ,a voice came out 
of the throne1 saying1 ,praise our ,god1
 all ye ,his servants1 and ye that fear 
,him1 both small and great4 ,we may be  
calm1 though we know ourselves to be    
small in every way1 even as the creeping
 thing that went in with ,noah--for such
 a little one was equally in the        
covenant1 or the family settlement1     
which made each and all1 in their way   
and measure1 inheritors of the new      
world4 ,the ,father's house on high has 

surely made its reckoning according to  
these differences of small and great4   
,as in ancient days of typical glory1   
all the congregation of ,israel1 the    
distant ones of ,dan and ,naphtali1 as  
well as the princes of ,judah1 joined in
 the shout of triumph when the fire came
 down1 and in mystery1 the kingdom was  
entered4 ,lev4 ix4 ,clement and others  
were not ,paul in the measure of their  
labours1 or in the energy of the        
,spirit2 but they were ,paul as having  
their names1 alike with his1 in the book
 of life4 ,phil4 iv4 #c4 ,the ,father   
has built ,his house in the heavens1 on 
the very plan of its receiving the      
saints as well as ,jesus ,himself4 ,it  
was part of the original design4 ,ere   
foundations were laid1 that plan and    
purpose were laid4 ,in counsels of      
everlasting love it was provided that   
the house should be a large one1 a      
many-roomed or mansioned house1 that all
 the children might be there4  ,what say
 we1 beloved8 ,do our thoughts of it and

 glances at it do justice to this love  
of ,god8 ,as well might you say1 your   
prospect from the highest of the hills  
could do justice to ,god's creation4    
,could your glance then measure the ten 
thousandth part of the earth8 ,the      
length1 the depth1 the breadth1 the     
height--the love of ,christ which       
passeth knowledge6   ,and ,noah builded 
an altar unto the ,lord2 and took of    
every clean beast1 and every clean fowl1
 and offered burnt offerings on the     
altar4 ,and the ,lord smelled a sweet   
savour3 and the ,lord said in ,his      
heart1 ,i will not again curse the      
ground any more for man's sake2 for the 
imagination of man's heart is evil from 
his youth3 neither will ,i again smite  
any more every thing living1 as ,i have 
done4 ,while the earth remaineth1 seed  
time and harvest1 and cold and heat1 and
 summer and winter1 and day and night1  
shall not cease4 ,the cleansing of the  
waters of judgment had made no change in
 the imaginations of the thoughts of    

man's heart4 ,they were still evil1 and 
that only4 ,the heart was uncured1 for  
that which is born of the flesh is      
flesh1 though there be water to cleanse 
or fire to refine4 ,it was no change    
there which gave the ,lord thoughts of  
peace and not of evil towards men4      
,faith eyes the blood of ,christ1 and   
not victory over corruptions1 as one has
 said1 even where there is such victory4
 ,but here1 in spite of corruptions1    
that blood awakens thoughts of peace and
 not of evil1 to give the sinner an     
expected end4 ,christ was under the eye 
of ,god1 and that was enough2 as in the 
day of atonement4 ,the blood of         
sprinkling is then seen everywhere4     
,that was the great secret1 the great   
principle1 of that mystic day in        
,israel4 ,the blood of the lamb 7,lev4  
xvi47 went into the presence of ,god1   
attended by a cloud of incense2 so that 
,aaron himself was hid1 and there was no
 man in the tabernacle of the           
congregation1 as the holy service of    

putting the blood on every thing        
proceeded4 ,christ in mystery was seen1 
and nothing else--and the fruit of that 
was the bearing away of sins into the   
wilderness1 a land not inhabited1 a     
place of forgetfulness1 where there was 
no voice to accuse1 to judge1 or to     
condemn1 where nothing could be heard   
but the voice of that blood which       
speaketh better things than the blood of
 ,abel4  ,that blood1 now under the eye 
of the ,lord ,god1 had moved ,his heart4
 ,do ,i speak as a man8 ,no1 the word   
is1 ,the ,lord said in ,his heart1 ,i   
will not again curse the ground4 ,as the
 ,saviour ,himself says 7in spirit bound
 for the altar71 ,therefore doth my     
,father love me1 because ,i lay down my 
life4 ,the heart of the ,lord ,god has  
sealed the acceptance of the sacrifice4 
,it did so here1 in the times of ,noah4 
,this word that broke from the heart of 
the ,lord ,god in ,noah's day1 the      
passage of the burning lamp in          
,abraham's day 7,gen4 xv471 and the     

answer of ,god to ,solomon 7#b ,chron4  
i471 all witness to the value of the    
cross of ,christ with ,god established4 
,the rending of the veil from top to    
bottom1 the breaking of the rocks1 and  
the bursting of the graves1 witness the 
same1 when the true offering was once   
and for ever accomplished4 ,in rich     
variety of form and character is the    
acceptance of the work done in the place
 that is called ,calvary testified and  
published--in every tongue and language1
 as it were1 in ,hebrew1 and ,greek1 and
 ,latin4  ,and ,noah becomes at once the
 object of fresh and multiplied         
blessings1 blessings in glory and       
inheritance now1 as already he had      
blessings in election1 an acceptance of 
grace and the righteousness which is by 
faith4 ,god blessed ,noah and his sons1 
and said unto them1 ,be fruitful1 and   
multiply1 and replenish the earth4 ,and 
the fear of you1 and the dread of you1  
shall be upon every beast of the earth1 
and upon every fowl of the air1 upon all

 that moveth upon the earth1 and upon   
all the fishes of the sea3 into your    
hand they are delivered4  ,noah was     
blessed in the new world4 ,that blessing
 conveyed to him property and dominion  
in the earth1 and the use or enjoyment  
of the creatures good for food4 ,every  
moving thing that liveth was given to   
him1 that it might be meat for him4     
,here was a large grant1 as wide as the 
scene which lay around him4 ,he was     
monarch of all he surveyed1 lord1 like  
,adam in the garden1 of the new world4  
,instructed1 however1 as well as        
honoured and enriched--taught that the  
blood of the animal was not to be eaten 
with its flesh3 the flesh with the blood
 thereof1 which is the life thereof1    
thou shalt not eat--a principle which   
involves all the thoughts and counsels  
of ,god in ,his way with sinners--as    
suited a prohibition1 or limitation to  
the grant made to ,noah now1 as had been
 the prohibition of the tree in the     
midst of the garden1 to the grant of all

 things else made to ,adam4  ,the blood 
was the life1 and man was not to eat it4
 ,it would have been a bold re-assuming 
of that which through sin he had lost1 a
 challenge to regain life by forcing the
 passage kept by the sword of the       
cherubim4 ,for this ordinance told the  
sinner1 that having lost his title to   
the tree of life1 he can never return to
 it in his own strength4 ,the life has  
reverted to ,god4 ,blood is ,his4 ,and  
the gospel comes to tell us how ,he has 
used it1 even providing with it and     
through it new1 eternal1 infallible life
 for the dead sinner4  ,the way of ,god 
in the gospel was1 therefore1 rehearsed 
to ,noah in this ordinance3 ,the flesh  
with the blood thereof1 which is the    
life thereof1 thou shalt not eat4 ,his  
altar had already told us that he stood 
with ,adam in the faith of the woman's  
,seed1 and that that mystery was the    
principle of his religion and his       
worship4 ,but here1 while making over   
every thing to him for property1        

dominion1 and use1 the ,lord will not   
pass by this great exception out of the 
grant2 conveying1 as it does1 the great 
secret or principle of ,his gospel4 ,in 
the changed circumstances of ,adam and  
,noah1 in the difference between an     
upright creature and a ruined sinner1   
this exception was as fitting and       
necessary1 as ,i have said1 as that of  
the tree of knowledge out of the grant  
of all with which the ,lord1 the        
,creator1 had of old1 furnished and     
filled the scene4  ,we take life from   
,christ who has made atonement by ,his  
blood4 ,but we deeply own we can get it 
nowhere else4 ,we do not look for it    
elsewhere1 but we refuse it not from    
,him4 ,we know we were dead in          
trespasses and sins1 but we know that we
 have life in ,him1 though only in ,him4
 ,adam learnt these things in the       
promise of the woman's ,seed1 and in the
 sword of the cherubim2 ,noah learnt    
them or witnessed them in his altar and 
in this ordinance2 these things the     

whole book of ,god declares2 and        
eternity will celebrate them4  ,further1
 however1 still--for in this blessing we
 find ,noah with the sword of justice in
 his hand4 ,his fellow-man was to be    
both protected and avenged4 ,man's      
person was sacred2 and his life or      
blood1 if shed by either man or beast1  
would be required4 ,and surely your     
blood of your lives will ,i require2 at 
the hand of every beast will ,i require 
it1 and at the hand of man2 at the hand 
of every man's brother1 will ,i require 
the life of man4 ,whoso sheddeth man's  
blood1 by man shall his blood be shed4#f
    #f ,it has been justly said by      
another1 that the principle of          
government was represented in ,noah2    
that ,adam had been the                 
representative head of creation1 and    
that ,noah is the same now       of     
government4 ,and ,i doubt not1 that     
after the judicial       scattering from
 ,babel1 the nations became associations
 in which       ,god still recognized   

the sword of justice and the seat of    
government1 which therefore are still to
 be exercised1 and ought       still to 
be religiously owned and reverenced4    
,who does not instinctively approve of  
this8 ,all that we feel judges the      
fitness of thus treating the person of  
man as sacred4 ,while every other moving
 thing that lived was submitted to the  
use of man1 his fellow-man was to be    
sacred in his eyes4  ,we instinctively  
approve this4 ,but this scripture       
accounts for this instinct4 ,the reason 
lies here--in the image of ,god made ,he
 man4 ,there is a dignity in man that is
 entirely his own4 ,he is the natural   
head of creation4 ,man is the possessor 
and governor1 and not part of the       
conveyed inheritance1 or of the         
delegated dominion4 ,he is the object   
and not the subject of the divine grant4
 ,the instinctive verdict of our own    
hearts is thus divinely accounted for4  
,after this1 however1 a great subject   
opens before us4 ,with thee will ,i     

establish my covenant had been ,god's   
word to ,noah1 before the ark was made1 
or the waters had come4 vi4 #ah4 ,now   
that the judgment is past1 and the new  
earth is inherited1 that covenant is    
fully detailed1 as well as pledged again
 to ,god's elect4 ix4 #h-ag4 ,and it is 
here that the word covenant is first    
used4 ,the covenants of which we read in
 ,scripture are all specific1 having    
their parties and their objects well    
defined and plainly declared4 ,there is 
no mistaking of them4 ,whether it be    
this covenant of the earth with ,noah1  
the covenant with ,abraham and his seed1
 the covenant of priesthood with        
,phinehas1 or that of the throne with   
,david1 all is defined--the parties are 
declared and the objects set forth4 ,nor
 do these1 nor any of them1 ,i surely   
judge1 contemplate the peculiar calling 
of the ,church4 ,spiritual calling in   
heavenly places1 and the results of     
oneness with ,christ1 are neither       
described nor conveyed by them4 ,but the

 ,scriptures of the ,new ,testament     
abundantly declare a purpose1 or a      
counsel1 of ,god according to the good  
pleasure of ,his will2 a mystery hid in 
,god1 before the foundation of the      
world1 in which the ,church is directly 
interested4 ,see ,romans xvi4 #be2 #a   
,cor4 ii4 #g2 ,eph4 i4 #i2 iii4 #h-aa2  
,col4 i4 #bf2 #a ,tim4 ii4 #i4  ,the    
inquiry may arise1 ,does this purpose or
 counsel take the form of a covenant8   
,let us call it covenant1 or simply a   
purpose taken of ,god2 still the great  
and holy and august transaction itself  
is richly found in the ,new ,testament4 
,but has it1 we may still ask1 the      
character of a covenant8  ,i would not  
be careful to say that it is ever called
 so2 but ,i believe we may say1 that    
many things of a covenant nature are    
intimated as attaching to it4 ,promises 
are made1 consideration or price        
contemplated1 arrangements formed and   
fixed1 and all this as between distinct 
parties4 ,in the volume of the book it  

is written of ,me--,i was set up from   
everlasting--and such words of deepest  
and holiest import have their place in  
settling these thoughts that arise4 ,and
 not only were our election1 and        
appointment to our peculiar glory1 as in
 predestination1 matters before the     
world 7,rom4 viii4 #bh1 #bi2 ,eph4 i4   
#d1 #e2 #a ,peter i4 #b71 but we were   
then formally or virtually given by the 
,father to ,christ4 ,john vi4 #cg1 #ci2 
x4 #bi2 xvii4 #a1 #f1 #h1 #i1 #aa4  ,and
 eternal life is declared to have been  
promised before the world was--language 
which intimates ,christ as a party to a 
blessed transaction then1 and one that  
has covenant character in it4 ,titus i4 
#b4  ,i do not1 then1 say that this     
transaction is called a covenant1 as    
,god's dealing with ,noah is1 and ,his  
dealing with ,abraham1 with ,david1 and 
with ,phinehas2 but it has these        
qualities1 or this form of a covenant2  
the presence of distinct parties1       
considerations and purposes all settled1

 and the whole confirmed and acted on4  
,and how does the spirit of a saint     
welcome the blessed truth of this great 
eternal transaction1 engaging all the   
,godhead in the behalf of our souls6--as
 we read1 among other passages1 elect   
according to the foreknowledge of ,god  
the ,father1 through sanctification of  
the ,spirit unto obedience and          
sprinkling of the blood of ,jesus       
,christ4#g    #g ,as intimating blessed 
and distinct actions among the ,persons 
of       the ,godhead1 according to     
covenant arrangements1 we may remember  
,messiah's words in ,isa4 xlviii4--,and 
now hath the ,lord ,god and       ,his  
,spirit sent me4 ,what words6 how full  
of deep1 counselled1 and       ordered  
grace towards sinners6 ,and they are    
quite according to the       structure  
of things in the ,gospels--for there not
 only does the       baptism of ,jesus  
but many passages tell us or show us1   
according       to this word of the     
prophet1 that the mission and ministry  

of the       ,lord ,jesus were under the
 ordaining of ,god and the anointing of 
the ,holy ,ghost2--the ,lord ,god and   
,his ,spirit sent the ,son1 the         
,christ or ,messiah4  ,but what strong  
foundations are these6 what wondrous    
discoveries of grace6 ,god ,himself1    
,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost1 in     
counsel and in action for us6 ,in the   
,gospel1 man is in the place of vision  
and audience only4 ,it is ,god that is  
active4 ,the activities and sacrifices  
are ,god's1 and the sinner has but to   
hear and live1 to look and be saved4    
,but these doings of ,god in the gospel 
of ,his grace1 are the fruit 7as we thus
 see7 of precious and wondrous counsels1
 taken in ,himself ere worlds were      
framed4 ,and what1 ,i ask1 can surpass  
this8 ,can title or stability for a     
sinner1 such as may allay all motion and
 uneasiness of conscience1 be conceived 
beyond what he gets in this8 ,doings for
 him by ,god1 and sacrifices made for   
him1 and all this according to counsels 

ere worlds began6 ,a sinner made happy  
7may ,i use this word87 at ,god's       
expense6  ,it is covenant or counselled 
service that ,jesus has rendered us4 ,a 
promise is made to ,noah1 that the      
waters shall not again prevail to       
destroy the earth1 but this promise     
rests on the strong foundation of the   
blood of a covenant4 ,noah's altar had  
already sent up a sweet savour1 a savour
 of rest1 to ,god1 and in the           
satisfaction and delight of that the    
,lord had said1 ,i will not again curse 
the ground for man's sake4 ,that blood  
was the foundation of the promise4 ,just
 as with ,abraham afterwards4 ,the land 
is promised to him1 but it is by the    
covenant of ,him who passes through the 
pieces of the sacrifice4 ,no promised   
blessing that is not a purchased        
blessing also--no throne of grace1 as we
 have said before1 that does not stay   
itself on the ark of the covenant4 ,gen4
 xv4 #ag4  ,but the covenant comes with 
its seal1 as well as with its blood4 ,as

 here4 ,there is the bow which witnesses
 it as well as the blood which sustains 
it4 ,wondrous thoughts keep themselves  
before the soul in all this6 ,the       
foundation and the witness1 the blood   
and the token1 the consideration and the
 attestation of the great act and deed  
of ,god come to mind here4 ,the like    
figure whereunto even circumcision      
afterwards2 for as the bow in the cloud1
 so circumcision in the flesh1 is a sign
 of covenant engagements4  ,all such    
signs1 however1 beautiful and sure as   
they may be1 are lost when we think of  
the great original4 ,for it is the ,holy
 ,ghost ,himself that is now given as   
the great sign1 the seal of our         
adoption1 the earnest of our            
inheritance1 the witness of the         
accomplished work of ,jesus1 and of the 
acceptance of it in all its sufficiency 
and preciousness4  ,what thoughts are   
these6 ,the promise of ,god sustained by
 the blood of the ,son1 and witnessed by
 the presence of the ,spirit6 ,how has  

,god imparted ,himself to us in this    
marvellous act and deed for sinners6    
,the soul can conceive nothing richer4  
,in divine activities we are interested1
 but such activities as are founded on  
everlasting counsels1 and which make    
manifest to us and for us the name of   
,god1 ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy ,ghost4  
,how should it take us out of ourselves1
 to stand in sight of this6 ,what a     
mystery it is2 and what have we to do1  
but with ,moses to turn aside and see   
this great sight1 turn aside from all   
else6 ,the grander this great sight     
presents itself to our eye1 the more    
commanding will it be4 ,let us get rich 
thoughts of this mystery4 ,the secret of
 the ,lord is with them that fear ,him1 
and ,he will shew them ,his covenant4   
,let us see this great transaction      
settled ere worlds began1 see it calling
 forth all the energies of divine love  
and power in ,father1 ,son1 and ,holy   
,ghost1 see it undertaking the most deep
 and marvellous purposes of grace and   

glory for the elect1 keep the eye on it1
 like ,moses1 till1 like him1 we        
discover ,him who dwells in the midst of
 it1 and whose name explains it all4    
,oh1 all ye rich1 ye wise1 ye just1     
,who the blood's doctrine have discussed
         ,and judge it mean and slight--
       ,grant that ,i may1 the rest's   
your own1       ,in shame and poverty   
sit down         ,at this one           
well-spring of delight6   ,if it be but 
a man's covenant1 there is both the     
consideration and the deed1 the purchase
 money and the muniments1 the price and 
the witness of its payment4 ,god treats 
with our souls in language thus well    
understood1 and tells us thus of the    
consideration and the deed1 or that     
which sustains and that which witnesses 
the counsels of ,his sovereign good     
pleasure4 ,it is a deed of gift to the  
elect1 but it is nothing less than the  
blood of the ,son which sustains it1 and
 the presence of the ,spirit which      
witnesses it4  ,what a secret6 ,by      

nature ,i am at a great distance from   
,god1 an alien and a foreigner4 ,i am   
also shut up1 so that ,i cannot come    
forth4 ,but in this great transaction   
,god ,himself undertook to travel this  
unmeasured distance1 and assail the     
house of my strong enemy2 and in ,his   
incarnation1 sorrows1 and victory all   
this mighty doing of love is            
accomplished1 and ,i am compassed about 
with songs of deliverance4  ,can it be1 
as ,i gaze at such a mystery1 that ,i   
fear lest the distant one be not brought
 nigh1 or the captive one be not        
delivered8 ,surely in the floods of     
great waters they shall not come nigh   
unto me4 ,i may say--,thou art my       
hiding-place2 thou shalt preserve me    
from trouble2 thou shalt compass me     
about with songs of deliverance4        
,strong ,deliverer6       ,be ,thou     
still our strength and shield6   ,this  
may well be our confidence in the faith 
of such truth4 ,but to these general    
thoughts on the covenants and their     

signs1 ,i might add1 the token given to 
,noah has a beautiful significancy4 ,the
 bow1 as it were1 rode triumphant on the
 cloud4 ,it rolled away the stone and   
sat upon it4 ,its form and bearing were 
those of a conqueror4 ,it said to the   
cloud1 ,hitherto shalt thou come and no 
further1 and here shall thy proud waves 
be stayed4 ,it gave the angel of death  
his measure1 and said to him1 ,it is    
enough1 stay now thine hand4  ,and all  
this lives in the divine remembrance4   
,the earth and the covenant that secures
 it are there4 ,the bow shall be in the 
cloud1 and ,i will look upon it1 that ,i
 may remember the everlasting covenant  
between ,god and every living creature  
of all flesh that is upon the earth4    
,accordingly this promise to the earth  
is remembered1 the bow in the cloud is  
looked at1 through every stage and      
variety of the dispensational actings of
 the ,lord4  ,it was remembered1 of     
course1 all the time the ,lord had ,his 
seat in ,zion1 for then the glory made  

the earth its residence4 ,the ,lord then
 dwelt between the cherubim1 in the     
temple at ,jerusalem1 in the land of    
,israel4 ,but when the throne of the    
,lord leaves that city1 and the         
sanctuary loses the glory1 because      
abominations had grieved and disturbed  
it1 the throne and the glory are        
accompanied by the rainbow to heaven4   
,ezek4 i4 #bh4 ,though the earth then   
ceased1 for a while1 to be the          
dwelling-place of ,god1 still it was    
before ,him in counsel4 ,he would be    
mindful of it1 as the object of ,his    
faithful care1 according to the         
promise4#h    #h ,just like the throne  
of ,david4 ,that throne is for the      
present in       the dust--the crown of 
,judah is cast down--but the promise of 
the       ,lord to it is remembered1 as 
is ,his promise to the earth4 ,this     
analogy ,scripture giveth us in ,jer4   
xxxiii4 ,dishonoured now or       made  
the sport of the wicked1 the promises to
 the earth and to       ,david's throne 

are still in full remembrance1 and1 in  
their       season1 will be             
accomplished4  ,and therefore when      
heaven is opened to our view1 we see the
 faithful and remembered bow            
encompassing the throne4 ,rev4 iv4 ,and 
further still4 ,the rainbow is seen when
 the ,lord is presented as coming down  
for the direct1 immediate execution of  
judgment4 ,the mighty angel1 the divine 
executor of the day of the ,lord1 comes 
down to the earth clothed with a cloud1 
the symbol of judgment1 and the fearful 
vessel of wrath4 ,gen4 ix4 #ad2 ,rev4 i4
 #g4 ,but even then the rainbow is with 
,him 7,rev4 x472 as much as to tell us1 
that to the end1 and at the end1 ,god   
remembers ,his promise to the earth1 and
 will debate with judgment4 ,the cloud  
is to descend1 it is true--,they shall  
see the ,son of man coming in the clouds
 of heaven4 ,the judgment must sit--the 
books must be opened--the vials must be 
emptied2 but it is only to take out of  
the kingdom them that offend--to destroy

 them that destroy the earth4 ,the      
cloud1 as it executes its commission1   
must stay itself at the beginning of the
 bow4 ,the day of the ,lord1 or the     
judgment1 must give place to the        
presence of the ,lord1 or the           
refreshment and restoration4 ,time shall
 be no longer1 the mighty angel may cry2
 the present course of things may cease 
again1 as once it did in the days of    
,noah2 but the bow shines1 in the eye of
 the ,lord1 as brightly as ever1 and    
,his promise lives in ,his heart4 ,the  
earth is still beloved1 for ,noah's     
sake1 as ,israel is for the fathers'    
sake--that true ,noah1 in whom 7but in  
whom alone7 all the promises of ,god are
 yea and amen2 and of whom it shall be  
said1 in all its fulness and truth1     
,this same shall comfort us concerning  
our work and toil of our hands1 because 
of the ground which the ,lord hath      
cursed4  ,this earth of ours1 given to  
the children of men1 therefore outlives 
the judgment4 ,it stands the shock of   

the descent of the mighty angel1 though 
clothed with a cloud1 planting his right
 foot on the sea1 and his left on the   
earth1 and crying aloud1 as when a lion 
roareth4 ,rev4 x4  ,and what is it      
reserved for8 ,for more than the bow had
 promised it4 ,it is not only           
preserved--with its seed time and       
harvest1 its summer and winter1 its day 
and night1 its cold and heat--but it is 
to be delivered into the liberty of the 
glory of the children of ,god4 ,this is 
more than had been promised4  ,such was 
the token1 and such will be its         
acknowledgment--such was the pledge1 and
 such will be its redemption4 ,beautiful
 mystery6 ,the covenant1 with its blood 
and its sign6 ,god's promise1 with the  
sacrifice of the ,son as its foundation1
 and the presence of the ,spirit as its 
witness6  ,but here this thought occurs 
to me3 ,are we1 beloved1 to stand before
 such ways and revelations of ,god in   
the same calmness in which they are     
delivered to us8 ,is that the thing that

 becomes us8 ,the ,queen of ,sheba did  
not stand before the glories of ,solomon
 in the same way that ,solomon himself  
dwelt among them4 ,solomon was at home  
in the midst of them4 ,they were all his
 own4 ,it was his wisdom1 and his house 
that he had built4 ,the meat of the     
table1 and the sitting of the servants1 
with their apparel1 were all his4 ,the  
ascent by which he went into the house  
of ,god was his4 ,but the ,queen of     
,sheba1 from the distant south1 was but 
introduced to it all4 ,fitting it was   
that he should be at ease there2 and    
fitting it was that she should be all   
rapture4 ,so with the book of ,god and  
the disciple4 ,all the profound and     
precious mysteries which the ,spirit is 
unfolding there are ,his own--the       
thoughts and counsels of the divine     
mind4 ,there is no effort to produce    
effect in the communication of them2 the
 tale of the wonders of grace and glory 
is told artlessly4 ,but is the soul1    
introduced to them1 to be1 in like      

manner1 unmoved8 ,such an one may rather
 gaze with more of rapture than she who 
came from the uttermost parts of the    
earth1 for a greater than ,solomon is   
here4  ,and it is more of this          
,sheba-rapture we want4 ,we too easily  
afford to talk of ,god's things as      
though there were no more preciousness  
and excellency in them than our hearts  
could measure2 but as secret after      
secret comes forth from the wisdom of   
the greater than ,solomon1 surely our   
souls should say1 ,happy are thy men1   
and happy are these thy servants1 which 
stand continually before thee1 and hear 
thy wisdom4   ,endowed and blessed1     
enriched and honoured--instructed too1  
and ordained as the power under ,god1   
and with all this1 at ease1 in conscious
 safety1 no evil or enemy occurrent1    
,noah is seated in the new world4 ,a new
 trial of man1 under new circumstances1 
was proceeding2 and1 as with ,adam in   
,eden1 nothing is left undone on ,god's 
part4 ,the oxen and fatlings were       

killed1 and all things were ready4 ,but 
where is man's sufficiency8 ,if ,adam   
failed before him1 and lost the garden2 
if ,israel failed after him1 and lost   
their land of milk and honey2 it may be 
said to ,noah1 ,lovest thou me more than
 these8 ,in ,christ1 and in ,him only1  
are unfailing fidelity and strength4    
,and ,noah1 like the rest1 fails1 and   
the virgin soil of the new world is     
quickly tarnished by the very first foot
 that trod it4  ,and ,noah began to be  
an husbandman1 and he planted a         
vineyard1 and drank of the vine1 and was
 drunken1 and he was uncovered within   
the tent4  ,noah himself is put to      
shame2 the very first man1 the ,adam of 
this new system1 begins the history of  
this second apostasy1 like his first    
father4  ,the little fire is thus       
kindled2 but it is for a greater matter4
 ,noah is put to shame2 but ,ham1 his   
son1 glories in the shame4 ,that was a  
terrible advance in the progress of     
evil4 ,ham1 the father of ,canaan1 saw  

the nakedness of his father1 and told   
his two brethren without4  ,it was a    
terrible advance in evil2 this was not  
simply the being overtaken in a fault1  
but rejoicing in iniquity4 ,the common  
moral sense rejects this--,shem and     
,japheth took a garment1 laid it on     
their shoulders1 went backwards1 and    
covered the nakedness of their father4  
,and the saint himself is soon restored4
 ,noah awakens from his wine4 ,he that  
was overtaken recovers himself1 through 
the ,spirit1 and the grace of ,god gives
 him a great triumph--a very precious   
and glorious triumph indeed1 for the    
restored one judges his judge1 and      
condemns his accuser--,cursed be        
,canaan1 a servant of servants shall he 
be unto his brethren4 ,this is something
 more than recovery--it is triumphant   
recovery4 ,even the apostle's fine word1
 ,who shall lay anything to the charge  
of ,god's elect8 scarcely measures it2  
for that is only the silencing of the   
accuser1 while this is turning back on  

the pursuer4 ,rejoice not against me1 ,o
 mine enemy3 when ,i fall1 ,i shall     
rise4444 ,then she that is mine enemy   
shall be trodden down as the mire of the
 streets4  ,here1 however1 we may stand 
for a moment--the rich and interesting  
prospects of the ,spirit of prophecy    
here spread themselves out before us4   
,this curse upon ,canaan is part of     
,noah's prophecy4 ,noah1 in spirit1     
looked out from the renewed earth1 but  
anticipated the return of corruption and
 violence1 though the grace of ,god were
 to have its witness in the midst of it4
 ,in detail1 he saw that one branch of  
the human family 7now about to re-people
 the earth7 was to be distinguished by  
the revelation and presence of ,god     
among them2 another by their success and
 advancement in the world--a people to  
be enlarged and made honourable in the  
earth2 another1 by the constant1        
unchanging token1 in their flesh1 of    
degradation and servitude4 ,his prophecy
 contemplated1 as we may say1 the       

,asiatic1 the ,european1 and the        
,african man2 or1 the ,hebrew in the    
,east1 with whom was to be the sanctuary
 of ,god--the ,gentile of the ,west1 who
 was1 under the hand or providence of   
,god1 to make himself great in borders  
beyond his own--and the slave of the    
,south1 who might know a change of      
masters1 but who was to be a slave      
still4  ,short is the notice of the     
world's history1 but just and perfect as
 far as it goes1 and enough to answer   
the purpose of the ,spirit in ,noah1 who
 was taking his son ,ham for his text4  
,the three prophecies1 which we get in  
these earliest times1 that of ,enoch1   
that of ,lamech1 and this of ,noah1 all 
touching the earth and its history1     
though respecting different stages or   
parts of that history1 together present 
a very perfect outline of the whole     
thing4 ,we must take them in this       
order--,noah's1 ,enoch's1 ,lamech's4    
,noah's prophecy has been accomplishing 
from of old1 and is still getting its   

seal and witness in all the changes of  
the world's solemn and interesting      
story4 ,enoch's 7,jude #ad71 which spoke
 of judgment1 will have its answer1 its 
full answer1 when the present course of 
things is closing1 and the day of the   
,lord comes to convince the ungodly4    
,lamech's 7,genesis v4 #bi71 which spoke
 of rest1 will be made good afterwards1 
when1 the day of the ,lord having       
fulfilled the judgment1 the presence of 
the ,lord will bring its restitution and
 refreshing4  ,the present and the      
future of the world's history1 the      
varied good and evil of the present1 and
 the judgment and the glory that are to 
share the future1 are thus sketched     
before us in these prophecies4 ,it is   
easy to discern these things1 and to    
give these early patriarchal oracles    
their order and character4  ,it is      
,noah's1 however1 that ,i must look at  
more particularly1 as what we have more 
properly to do with here4 ,it was       
delivered on the discovery of the evil  

of his son ,ham1 and the onward course  
of evil is then detailed to its close   
and maturity1 ere we leave these        
chapters4  ,we have already watched the 
infant springing of it in ,noah himself1
 and the advanced form of it in ,ham4   
,its further growth is next to be seen  
in the builders of ,babel1 some hundred 
years after the flood4 ,and an awful    
exhibition it is4  ,at the birth-time of
 this new world1 ,noah's altar was      
raised1 witnessing faith and            
worship--but now the city and the tower 
are reared1 witnessing defiance of ,god 
and the affected independency of man4   
,and the answer of heaven to these      
things is just as different4 ,noah's    
altar brought down words and tokens of  
peace and security--the cry of the city 
and the tower now bring down judgment4  
,corruption here1 and vengeance from on 
high1 mark the scene1 instead of worship
 here1 and blessing from ,god4 ,then it 
was1 that the ,lord hung the bright     
token of ,his covenant in the heavens1  

but now ,he is sending abroad over the  
earth the witnesses of ,his righteous   
anger4  ,but this is not all4 ,the tower
 is over-topped1 high and proud as it   
was4 ,the builders may be scattered1 but
 their principles survive4 ,judgment    
does not cure4 ,all the apostate mind   
that quickened that proud and rebellious
 confederacy1 gathers itself rapidly for
 its perfect work and display in one    
man4 ,for soon after the scattering 7it 
may be about thirty years7 ,nimrod1 a   
grandson of ,ham1 plants his standard on
 the very spot which had witnessed the  
judgment of ,god4 ,the beginning of his 
kingdom was ,babel4 x4 #aj4 ,he unfurls 
his banner in the very face of ,him to  
whom vengeance belongs1 and cries1      
,where is the ,god of judgment8 ,he was 
as the fool of ,ps4 xiv4--,the fool hath
 said in his heart1 ,there is no ,god4  
,he begins to be a mighty one in the    
earth4 ,before the ,lord he hunted4 ,in 
defiance of ,god he sought conquest and 
power4 ,he added house to house and     

field to field1 in the desire to be lord
 alone4 ,erech and ,accad and ,calneh   
are mother-cities1 and mighty ,nineveh  
with ,rehoboth and ,calah1 and that     
great city ,resen1 are but colonies in  
the system of this vaunting apostate4   
,he had no heart for any portion which  
,god could give him4 ,he undertook to   
provide for himself1 to be the maker of 
his own fortune1 that his dignity and   
honour should proceed from himself4 ,and
 such an one is the man of the world to 
this day4 ,his intellect or his         
industry1 his skill or his courage1     
makes him what he is1 and provides him  
what he cares for4 ,such was this       
distinguished apostate1 this earliest   
representative and type of that one who1
 in closing days1 is to do according to 
his will1 and fill the measure of man's 
iniquity4  ,it is a serious sight for   
the watching and observance of our      
souls4 ,are we1 beloved1 waiting for    
other and purer scenes8 and are our     
hearts upon such enjoyments as ,god can 

sanction1 and ,jesus share with us8     
,these chapters properly close with     
this--these scenes of evil and proud    
rebellion pass from before us1 with a   
faint and distant view of the call of   
another heavenly stranger apart from the
 world4 ,but all that is the dawn of    
another era in the ways of ,god1 and our
 present subject only looks at it in the
 distance4  ,the second part of the book
 of ,genesis1 ,i may say1 ends here4 ,it
 presents a complete1 distinct action1  
suitably following what had preceded it1
 and as suitably 7were it my purpose to 
show it7 introducing what is to follow  
it4  ,in this portion1 ,gen4 vi4-xi41   
the scene is laid in the earth4 ,the    
heavenly family have already been before
 us1 ,gen4 i4-v41 and their course ended
 in the translation of ,enoch2 now the  
scene is laid in the earth again1 as at 
the beginning in the garden of ,eden4   
,the contents of this little volume1    
which ,i have now closed1 might be given
 in the following order3  vi4-viii4     

,these chapters present the sin and     
judgment of the earth1 with the         
election1 faith1 and deliverance of the 
saints in the midst of it all1 and out  
of it all4  ix4 ,this chapter shows us  
the new condition of man in the new     
world1 endowed and enriched there by the
 ,god of heaven and earth1 secured in   
the covenant mercy1 and made the        
representative and executor of divine   
authority4  x4 xi4 ,these chapters      
unfold great portions of the history of 
the new world1 the springs1 workings1   
progress1 and maturity of evil1 leaving 
or rendering the earth such a place as  
that the ,lord must again1 a second     
time1 retire from it 7at least for the  
present7 and bring out from it1 also a  
second time1 a people to be heavenly    
strangers in the midst of it1 like the  
antediluvian saints4  ,heaven and earth 
have thus1 in their season1 been        
rehearsing the mystery1 till together1  
in coming days1 the days of the glory1  
they shall display it1 when at the name 

of ,jesus every knee shall bow1 of      
things in heaven1 and things in earth1  
and things under the earth2 and every   
tongue confess that ,jesus ,christ is   
,lord1 to the glory of ,god the ,father4
   ,the land shall not be sold for ever1
 says the ,lord2 for the land is mine4  
,lev4 xxv4 #bc4 ,man has a term of years
 granted him1 in which it is left in his
 power to disturb the divine order4 ,for
 forty-nine years in ,israel disturbing 
traffic might go on1 but in the fiftieth
 year the ,lord asserted ,his right1 and
 restored all things according to ,his  
own mind2 for it was a time of          
refreshing and of restitution as from   
,his own presence4  ,bright and happy   
expectation6 ,the earth is the ,lord's1 
and the fulness thereof1 is the         
proclamation of ,psalm xxiv4 ,and then  
the challenge goes forth1 ,who shall    
ascend into the hill of the ,lord8--that
 is1 ,who shall take the government of  
this earth and its fulness8 ,and the    
answer is made by another challenge to  

the city gates1 to lift up their heads  
to the ,lord of hosts1 the ,king of     
glory2 a fervent form of words whereby  
to convey the truth1 that the ,lord1 as 
in strength and victory1 the ,lord as   
,redeemer and ,avenger1 should take the 
government4 ,as again in ,rev4 v4 a like
 proclamation is heard1 ,who is worthy  
to open the book1 and to loose the seals
 thereof8 ,and the answer from every    
region is this1 ,the ,lamb that was     
slain1 the ,lion of the tribe of ,judah4
 ,he who sat on the throne gave that    
answer by letting the ,book pass from   
,his hand into the hand of the ,lamb4   
,the living creatures and crowned elders
 joined in that answer by singing their 
song over the prospect of their reign   
over the earth4 ,the hosts of angels add
 to it1 by ascribing all wisdom and     
strength and honour and faculty of      
dominion unto the ,lamb--and every      
creature in heaven1 on earth1 under the 
earth and in the seas1 in their order   
and measure1 join in uttering this same 

answer4 ,the title of the ,lamb to take 
dominion in the earth is thus owned and 
verified in the very place where alone  
all lordship or office could be rightly 
attested--the presence of the throne in 
heaven4  ,and so it is4 ,the nobleman   
has now gone into the distant country to
 get for himself a kingdom4 ,jesus1 who 
refused all power from the god of this  
world 7,matt4 iv471 or from the desire  
of the multitude 7,john vi471 takes it  
from ,god1 as ,he owns in ,psalm lxii4  
that to ,him it belongs4 ,and in due    
season ,he will return1 and those who   
have owned ,him in the day of ,his      
rejection shall shine with ,him in the  
day of ,his glory2 those who have served
 ,him now shall take another city with  
,him then4  ,in the prospect of such a  
day1 ,paul says to ,timothy1 ,keep this 
commandment without spot1 unrebukeable1 
until the appearing of our ,lord ,jesus 
,christ3 which in ,his time ,he shall   
show1 who is the blessed and only       
potentate1 the ,king of kings1 and ,lord

 of lords4 ,and in the like prospect the
 same dear apostle could say of himself1
 ,i have fought a good fight1 ,i have   
finished my course1 ,i have kept the    
faith2 henceforth there is laid up for  
me a crown of righteousness1 which the  
,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 shall give 
me at that day2 and not to me only1 but 
unto all them also that love ,his       
appearing4  ,may the ,lord give our poor
 hearts--for they need it much--more of 
the like spirit of faith and power of   
hope6 ,amen4                            
,,abraham4                              
,,genesis ,,xii4-,,xxv4   ,in earlier   
parts of the book of ,genesis1 ,i have  
already traced two distinct             
histories--that of the antediluvian     
saints1 or the times from ,adam to      
,enoch2 and that of ,noah and of those  
who followed him1 down to the scattering
 of the nations4  ,the first of these   
histories occupies chapters i4-v41 the  
second1 vi4-xi4  ,in the chapter which  
follows--xii4--the story of ,abraham    

begins1 and is continued down to chap4  
xxv4 ,this forms the third portion or   
section of the book of ,genesis1 and    
presents to us a new era in the ways of 
,god4 ,and in all this1 ,i am sure1     
there is beautiful moral order1 and an  
unfolding of the dispensational wisdom  
of ,god4 ,for in these things the       
heavens and the earth are made1 by      
turns1 to take up the wondrous tale of  
that wisdom1 and to rehearse divine     
mysteries--such mysteries as1 in the    
fulness of time1 will be accomplished1  
when1 as we know1 ,he shall gather      
together in one all things in ,christ1  
both which are in heaven and which are  
on earth4 ,eph4 i4 #aj4   ,adam in      
innocency was a man of the earth4 ,he   
had to enjoy it1 knowing it all as his1 
but knowing nothing as his beside4 ,but 
when he was sent out of ,eden1 he became
 a stranger in the earth4 ,he received  
no commission to improve or furnish it4 
,he had simply to till the ground for a 
living1 and the translation of ,enoch   

tells us1 that the destiny and          
inheritance of that earliest household  
of ,god was heavenly4#i    #i ,the      
family of ,cain was the contradiction of
 this1 in those       antediluvian days4
 ,they tilled the ground for something  
more than       livelihood4 ,their      
tillage led to the culture and          
advancement of       the world as a     
system of gain and pleasure4 ,and thus  
were the two       families             
distinguished--the one was formed by    
faith1 or by       obedience to the     
revelation of ,god2 the other by the    
despite of       it1 as the world is to 
this day4  ,in ,noah1 however1 in       
process of time1 the purpose of ,god is 
different4 ,noah is a man of the earth  
again4 ,he leaves the ark in a character
 very different from that in which ,adam
 had left the garden4 ,noah left the ark
 under commission to keep the world in  
order1 as judge and ruler4 ,it was not  
strangership on it1 but citizenship in  
it1 and government of it1 that was now  

again the divine thought4 ,but a second 
apostasy was witnessed in the midst of  
,noah's descendants4 ,in process of     
time1 they affected independency in the 
earth1 casting off the fear of ,god1 and
 seeking to do for themselves without   
,him1 as ,adam had 7seeking to be as    
,god7 in the garden of old4  ,abraham1  
upon all this1 finds grace in the eyes  
of the ,lord4 ,he is called out from    
this apostate scene2 and1 as we might   
expect1 from this alternate telling of  
heavenly and earthly mysteries1 after   
,noah the man of the earth1 ,abraham is 
called to be a heavenly man4  ,the ,lord
 said to him1 ,get thee out of thy      
country1 and from thy kindred1 and from 
thy father's house4 ,this was the       
character of the call of ,abraham4 ,it  
was not a call from moral pollution1 or 
from idolatry1 or the like2 it was a    
call from the associations of nature and
 of the earth4 ,there were idols to be  
left1 ,i doubt not4 ,see ,joshua xxiv4  
#b1 #c4 ,but it was not the leaving of  

them that constituted the nature of the 
call4 ,yet ,abraham1 touching the earth1
 was to be like ,adam outside the       
garden4 ,he leaves ,ur of the ,chaldees1
 as ,adam left ,eden4 ,he received no   
commission to cultivate the land of     
,canaan for the ,lord1 or to conquer and
 govern the people there4 ,the          
arrangements of the world were left just
 as they were4 ,abraham had nothing to  
say to the nations through which he     
passed on his way to ,canaan2 and when  
he reached that land1 he found the      
,canaanite there1 and there he left him 
as he found him4  ,government had been  
set up in ,noah1 and nations had been   
organized2 as natural relationships had 
been instituted at the beginning1 or in 
,adam4 ,but ,abraham is called from all 
this4 ,god ,himself is received by      
faith2 and the things of nature which   
,adam might have conveyed to him1 or the
 things of government which ,noah might 
have secured to him1 are left behind4#aj
   #aj ,in their day1 ,abraham's seed1  

or the nation of ,israel1 are again     
an earthly people2 and they exhibit the 
very opposite of all       this4 ,they  
smite the nations of ,canaan2 and       
instead of being       called from      
kindred and country1 they are called to 
all such       things2 men1 women1      
children1 and even cattle 7for not a    
hoof was       to be left behind71      
journeyed from ,egypt to ,canaan--from a
 land of       strangers to their own   
inheritance4  ,in our patriarch1 then1  
we see the election and the call of     
,god4 ,he was of the corrupt1 departed  
family of man1 without a single claim on
 ,god4 ,but sovereign grace 7in the     
virtue of which all the redeemed1       
according to eternal counsel1 stand7 had
 made him its object2 and under such    
grace he is1 in due time1 manifested as 
a chosen one1 and is called of ,god to  
be a heavenly stranger in the world4    
,scripture speaks of him as the father  
of all them that believe4 ,rom4 iv4 ,we 
may1 therefore1 expect to find the life 

of faith exhibited in him2 and so we do 
find it1 as this little book designs to 
show4  ,but in this life of faith we do 
not merely look for the principle of    
dependence on ,god1 or of confidence in 
,him1 though that may be the thought    
immediately suggested by such words4 ,it
 signifies much more4 ,it is a life of  
large and various energies2 for         
according to ,god1 or ,scripture1 faith 
is that principle in the soul which not 
only trusts ,him and believes ,him2 it  
is also that which apprehends ,his way1 
acts in concert with ,his principles and
 purposes1 receives ,his promises1      
enjoys ,his favour1 does ,his bidding1  
looks for ,his kingdom1 in ,his strength
 gains victories1 and by ,his light     
walks in light2 and thus it is ever1    
though variously1 exhibiting a life     
according to ,him1 or formed by         
communion with ,him4  ,all this is      
strongly marked for our observation4    
,heb4 xi4 shows us all this--the life of
 faith in its vast diversity of exercise

 and action4 ,accordingly1 we shall     
find1 in the life of ,abraham1 occasions
 where confidence in ,god was the virtue
 exercised2 occasions1 too1 where       
strength was put forth and conflict     
endured2 and again1 where surrender of  
rights and submission to wrongs were the
 virtues4 ,and the life of faith is     
beautiful in its variety2 for this      
variety is but the changeful glowing of 
the same mind1 the mind of ,christ1 in  
the saint4  ,but again4 ,we are not to  
understand that we get nothing else than
 this light and power of faith in the   
believer or saint4 ,perfectness in this 
variety of the life of faith is not to  
be found save in ,him who is set before 
us as the ,author and ,finisher of      
faith1 and whose way1 from beginning to 
end1 and in every incident of it1 was   
the great exemplar of this life in full 
unsullied brightness4 ,still1 however1  
the life of ,abraham1 or of ,david1 or  
of ,joseph1 or of ,paul1 is to be called
 the life of faith2 for it was the life 

of those in whom that principle was1    
though betraying again and again1 and   
that too in different ways1 the pravity 
of nature1 the workings of unbelief1 and
 the counsels of a heart prone to       
converse with flesh and blood1 and to   
take the way of a revolted world4       
,this life of faith our ,abraham entered
 upon with beautiful simplicity and     
earnestness4 ,he went forth to go into  
the land of ,canaan1 and into the land  
of ,canaan he came4 ,he went out1 not   
knowing whither he went4 ,he took ,god  
for his security and his portion2 and1  
as another has said1 it is in this that 
the ,spirit of ,god rests1 as           
characteristic of his approved faith2   
for1 by separation from the world1 on   
the ground of implicit confidence in    
,god1 he lost everything1 and got       
nothing but the word of ,god4  ,we do   
not like such conditions4 ,the heart    
resents them2 but the renewed mind      
approves them1 and justifies ,god in    
them4 ,the sufferings of ,christ are    

first1 and then the glories4 #a ,peter  
i4 #aa4 ,job was nearer his good thing  
in ,god1 when he lay in ashes amid the  
potsherds1 than when he was happy in his
 nest4 ,israel did not descend ,mount   
,lebanon1 and enter ,canaan after a     
fruitful journey1 through a land of     
cities and villages1 and corn and wine1 
and rivers and vineyards2 but they paced
 it slowly1 through one desert after    
another4 ,and so ,abraham was called out
 from all1 to go he knew not whither2   
but this he knew1 that it was ,god who  
had called him4 ,and this was faith's   
beginning4 ,he went forth to go into the
 land of ,canaan1 and into the land of  
,canaan he came4  ,he came1 however1    
rather to sojourn than to dwell there4  
,he moves from place to place1 and in   
every place it is but a tent he pitches4
 ,he had been told by the ,god of glory1
 that the land should be shown him4 ,he 
should have it in his seed for ever1 but
 in his own person he was but to see it4
 ,and1 accordingly1 we find him         

surveying it carefully1 but not         
occupying any of it4 ,for this was the  
right answer of such a promise4 ,he     
looked on the land1 because the promise 
was that it should be shown him4 ,he    
went first to ,sichem and to the plain  
of ,moreh2 from thence1 southward1 to   
the neighbourhood of ,bethel and ,ai4   
,but he was a man of the tent1 and of   
the tent only1 wherever he went4 ,the   
,canaanite was then in the land1 and he 
was the occupier of the soil2 and       
,abraham did not dispute with him for a 
foot's breadth of it4 ,he surveyed it1  
and had such possession of it as faith  
and hope imparted2 but he sought no     
personal1 present inheritance there4    
,the promise lived in his heart1 and the
 promise was his measure as well as his 
joy4 ,chapter xii4  ,quickly1 however1  
another man in our ,abraham is before   
us2 for1 like all of us1 beloved1 he was
 a man of nature1 as he was a man of    
,god2 and there is none perfect in the  
life of faith1 as we said before1 but   

the ,master ,himself4 ,famine touches   
the land into which the call of ,god had
 brought him4 ,a strange surprise this  
may well be thought to have been4 ,but  
faith would have been equal to it4      
,faith in ,paul was equal to a like     
surprise4 ,called into ,macedonia by the
 voice of ,god1 a prison awaited him4   
,but ,paul stands the shock1 though     
,abraham falls before it4 ,paul and his 
companion sing hymns in the prison in   
,macedonia2 but ,abraham practises a    
lie1 seeking help from the famine of    
,canaan in another land1 of which his   
call under the ,god of glory had made no
 mention whatever4  ,such things have   
been1 and still are1 found among the    
saints4 ,there are ,little ,faith and   
,great ,heart among the elect1 as well  
as flesh and spirit--nature and the new 
mind in each of them4 ,but this we may  
know3 that if nature rule us1 nature    
will expose us4 ,even the man of the    
earth1 ,pharaoh of ,egypt1 puts ,abraham
 to shame2 and his journey1 instead of  

being onward in the witness of his tent 
and in the joy of his altar1 was that of
 a wearied foot1 because it was that of 
a rebuking heart4 ,he has to do his     
first works1 to retrace his steps1 and  
regain his standing--sorrowful works at 
all times4 ,he has to leave by-path     
meadow for the ,king's highway again1   
betaking himself back from ,egypt to the
 place between ,ai and ,bethel1 where he
 had raised his altar at the first4     
,what say we to this1 beloved8 ,the     
flocks got in ,egypt accompany him home4
 ,the glitter of the gold and the       
silver--the offerings of a land that lay
 beyond where the ,god of glory had     
called him--adorn and set off his       
return4 ,all this is so indeed4 ,but    
what say we to all this8 again ,i ask4  
,is the bleating and the lowing of such 
flocks and herds in our ears like the   
soft music of an approving conscience8  
or this glittering wealth like the      
brightness of the divine presence which 
was now lost to ,abraham8 ,i am bold to 

answer for ,abraham1 though ,i may not  
for myself1 that his spirit knew the    
difference4 ,the wearied heart was but  
feebly relieved by all that he brought  
with him from the land of ,egypt1 or out
 of the house of ,pharaoh4 ,sure ,i am  
of this4 ,it could not but be so with   
such a man4 ,he that sinneth against me 
wrongeth his own soul1 must have been   
his experience2 and his action in the   
scene which immediately succeeds1 as ,i 
judge1 tells us something of this4      
,lot1 his younger brother1 or his       
brother's son1 who had come with him out
 of ,ur into ,canaan1 now becomes the   
occasion of trial to ,abraham1 as the   
famine had lately been4 ,but faith in   
,abraham triumphs1 ,i may say1 to       
admiration4 ,the very style in which he 
gives this trial its answer seems to    
say1 that he will return fourfold to the
 life of faith for that which nature had
 so lately1 as it were1 taken away from 
it4 ,the herdmen of the two brothers1   
the elder and the younger1 cannot feed  

their flocks together4 ,they must       
separate4 ,this was the occasion of     
trial which had now arisen4 ,but let    
,lot choose1 is ,abraham's language4 ,in
 a fine sense1 he will act on the divine
 oracle1 the elder shall serve the      
younger4 ,lot may choose1 and leave     
,abraham what portion he please4 ,the   
well-watered plains may be his2 ,abraham
 can trust the ,lord of the country1    
though he lose them4 ,he may have to dig
 wells instead of finding them2 but it  
is better to dig for them in the        
strength of ,god1 than to find them in  
the way of covetousness2 better1 as it  
were1 to wait for them in ,canaan1 than 
to go after them again down to ,egypt4  
xiii4  ,this is beautiful recovery4 ,and
 in this way will faith1 at times1      
exercise judgment on unbelief1 and clear
 itself again4 ,and now the ,lord visits
 him1 as ,he had not1 as ,he could not1 
have done in ,egypt4 ,the ,god of glory1
 who had called ,abraham into ,canaan1  
could not go with him into ,egypt3 but  

to the man who was surrendering the best
 of the land to his younger brother1 in 
the joy of restored confidence in ,god1 
,he will delight to show ,himself4      
,where1 then1 are we1 beloved8 ,i will  
ask4 ,where is our spirit8 ,on which    
road with ,abraham are we1 as at this   
moment1 travelling8 ,are we knowing     
,egypt in the bitterness of             
self-reproach1 or a regained ,canaan in 
the joy of ,god's countenance8 ,is it a 
walk with ,god we are taking every day8 
,the life of faith knows the difference 
between the checks of the worldly mind  
and the enlargements of the believing   
mind4 ,abraham knew these things4 ,he   
knew1 in spirit1 what ,egypt was--the   
place of gold and of silver1 and of     
rebuke and death2 he knew what it was to
 regain ,ai without an altar on the     
road2 and he knew what it was to rest   
again1 with altar and tent1 in the      
plains of ,mamre4   ,thus the chequered 
life of faith begins4 ,but there is     
vastly more in it than this4 ,and in    

this variety of action in the life of   
faith1 we notice its intelligence1 the  
exercise of the mind of ,christ1 or of  
the spiritual sense1 which discerns     
things that differ1 which has capacity  
to know times and seasons according to  
,god4 ,this fine endowment of the saint 
we find in ,abraham1 in the next passage
 of his history4  ,the battle of the    
kings is recorded in chap4 xiv4 ,while  
that was a mere contest between such1   
,abraham has nothing to say to it4 ,let 
the potsherds strive with the potsherds4
 ,but as soon as he hears that his      
kinsman ,lot is involved in that        
struggle1 he stirs himself4             
,everything1 as we read1 is beautiful in
 its season4 ,there is a time to build1 
and a time to pull down4 ,there was a   
time for ,abraham to be still1 and a    
time for ,abraham to be active2 a time  
to be silent1 and a time to break       
silence4 ,and he understood the time4   
,like the men of ,issachar afterwards1  
he knew the time1 and what ,israel ought

 to do4 ,god's principles were          
,abraham's rules4 ,lot was taken        
prisoner1 and the kinsman's part was now
 ,abraham's duty4 ,the battle-field in  
the vale of ,siddim shall be his now1 as
 the tent had been his till now in the  
plains of ,mamre4 ,the mind of ,god had 
another lesson for him than that which  
he learnt while the potsherds of the    
earth were alone in the conflict2 and a 
time to break silence calls him out at  
the head of his trained servants4       
,excellent and beautiful indeed in a    
saint is this intelligence of the mind  
of ,christ1 and beautiful is everything 
in its season4 ,out of season the very  
same action is defiled and disfigured4  
,for the material of an action is not   
enough to determine the character of an 
action4 ,it must be seasonable likewise4
 ,elijah1 from his elevation1 may call  
down fire from heaven on the captains   
and their fifties2 and so1 the two      
witnesses1 in the day of ,rev4 xi4 ,but 
it will not do for the companions of the

 lowly1 rejected ,jesus to act thus on  
the ,samaritan villagers4 ,luke ix4 ,it 
is only in its season that anything is  
really right4 ,how was the garden of    
,gethsemane 7made sacred as it was by   
the sorrows of the ,lord ,jesus7        
disfigured by the blood which ,peter's  
sword drew there6 ,what a stain on that 
soil1 though the power of ,christ was   
present to remove it6 ,but another sword
 was doing right service when it hewed  
,agag in pieces4 ,for when vengeance is 
demanded1 when the trumpet of the       
sanctuary sounds an alarm for war1      
vengeance or war will be as perfect as  
grace and suffering4 ,it is for ,god to 
determine the dispensational way1 and to
 make known the dispensational truth4   
,that being done1 all life of faith is  
just that manner or order or character  
of life that is according to it4 ,the   
duties and services of faith flow from  
truths entrusted4 ,if the truths be     
neglected1 the duties or services cannot
 be fulfilled4 ,and the good pleasure of

 ,god1 or ,his revealed and dispensed   
wisdom1 varies in changing and advancing
 ages4 ,noah1 in a few generations      
before ,abraham1 would have avenged the 
blood of one made in the likeness or    
image of ,god1 in the same spirit of    
faith1 as ,abraham allowed one army of  
confederate kings to slay another4 ,it  
is neither the sword nor the garment1 as
 the ,lord speaks in ,luke xxii41 that  
must needs be the due instrument of     
service1 or symbol of faith2 but either 
of them1 according as it severally      
expresses the dispensational good       
pleasure of ,god at the time4  ,this is 
much to be observed2 for the            
distinguishing of things that differ1   
and the rightly dividing of the word of 
,god or of truth1 is expected1 among    
other virtues1 in the life of faith4    
,abraham was endowed with this fine     
faculty4 ,he walked in the light of that
 day1 as ,god was in the light4 ,he knew
 the voice of the silver trumpet2 when1 
as it were1 to gather to the tabernacle1

 and when to go forth to the battle4    
,but there is more than this in our     
patriarch at this time4 ,two victories  
distinguish him--one over the armies of 
the kings1 and one over the offers of   
the king of ,sodom4  ,the first of these
 ,abraham gained1 because he struck the 
blow exactly in ,god's time4 ,he went   
out to the battle neither sooner nor    
later than ,god would have had him4 ,he 
waited1 as it were1 till he heard the   
going in the mulberry trees4 ,victory   
was therefore sure2 for the battle was  
the ,lord's1 not his4 ,his arm was      
braced by the ,lord2 and this victory of
 ,abraham's was that of an earlier sling
 and stone1 or of the jaw-bone of an    
ass1 or of a ,jonathan and his          
armour-bearer against a ,philistine     
host2 for ,abraham's was but a band of  
trained servants against the armies of  
four confederated kings4  ,the second1  
still brighter than the first1 was      
achieved in virtue of fellowship with   
the very springs of divine strength4    

,the spirit of the patriarch was in     
victory here1 as his arm had been       
before4 ,he had so drunk in the         
communication of the ,king of           
,salem--had so fed on the bread and wine
 of that royal1 priestly stranger--that 
the king of ,sodom spread out his feast 
in vain4 ,the soul of ,abraham had been 
in heaven1 and he could not return to   
the world4  ,that was his blessed       
experience in the valley of ,shaveh4    
,happy soul indeed6 ,oh for something   
more than to trace the image of it in   
the book6 ,zaccheus1 in his day1 was a  
son of ,abraham in this generation1 or  
according to this life and power4       
,zaccheus so drank in the joy and       
strength that are to be known in the    
presence of ,christ1 that the world     
became a dead thing to him4 ,he had sat 
at table with the true ,melchizedek1 and
 had eaten of ,his bread and drunk of   
,his wine4 ,jesus had spread a feast for
 ,his host at ,jericho as ,he had in    
other days for ,abraham in the valley of

 ,shaveh2 and1 strengthened and         
refreshed1 this son of ,abraham1 like   
his father of old1 was able to surrender
 the world4 ,behold1 ,lord1 says he1 the
 half of my goods ,i give to the poor1  
and if ,i have wronged any man of       
anything by false accusation1 ,i restore
 him fourfold4 ,he could give ,abraham's
 answer to the king of ,sodom1 for he   
had had ,abraham's refreshment from the 
,king of ,salem4  ,surely1 beloved1 this
 is the way of victory in all the       
saints4 ,the springs of strength and joy
 are found in ,jesus4 ,may you and ,i be
 able to look at ,him and say1 ,all my  
fresh springs are in thee4 ,this is the 
victory that overcometh the world1 even 
our faith4 ,and what are all conquests  
in ,god's account but such8--           
',tis within       ,the fervent spirit  
labours4 ,there he gains       ,fresh   
conquests o'er himself1 compared with   
which       ,the laurels that a ,caesar 
wears are weeds4   ,such1 then1 are the 
victories of faith4  ,but we have more  

still2 and in the next scene1 in chapter
 xv4 we see faith's boldness4  ,and let 
me ask1 for our common comfort1 what    
more precious with ,god ,himself than   
this8 ,the intelligence of faith is     
bright1 and its victories glorious2 but 
in the accounting of the ,god of all    
grace1 its boldness surpasses all4      
,after ,abraham's victory over the      
world1 or over the offers of the king of
 ,sodom1 the ,lord comes to him with    
some great pledges and promises4 ,after 
these things the word of the ,lord came 
unto ,abram in a vision1 saying1 ,fear  
not1 ,abram3 ,i am thy shield1 and thy  
exceeding great reward4 xv4 #a4 ,after  
the heat of the preceding day1 it was   
meet1 in the ways of grace1 that        
,abraham should be owned again1 and     
encouraged again4 ,but faith is bold1   
very bold1 apparently aiming higher than
 the purposes and undertakings of grace4
 ,and this is a wonderful moment to     
contemplate4 ,abraham seems to throw    
back the words of the ,lord4 ,i am thy  

shield1 and thy exceeding great reward1 
says the ,lord4 ,what wilt thou give me8
 ,abraham replies--,what wilt thou give 
me1 seeing ,i go childless1 and the     
steward of my house is this ,eliezer of 
,damascus8  ,this was bold2 but1 blessed
 to say it1 not too bold for the ear of 
the ,lord who finds ,his richest joy in 
the language of faith like this4  ,good 
it is to have a portion2 but ,abraham   
sought an object1 an object for the     
heart2 something far more important to  
us4 ,adam found it so4 ,eden was not to 
him what ,eve was4 ,the garden with all 
its tributes did not do for him what the
 helpmeet did4 ,eve opened his mouth2   
she alone did that1 because she alone   
had filled his heart4 ,christ finds it  
so4 ,the ,church is more to ,him than   
all the glory of the kingdom--as the    
pearl and the treasure were more to the 
men who found them1 than all their      
possessions1 for they sold all to get   
them4 ,the strayed sheep1 the lost piece
 of silver1 the prodigal son1 are more  

to heaven--to the ,father1 to the       
,shepherd1 to the ,spirit1 and to       
angels--as occasions of joy1 than all   
else2 just because the heart has got its
 object--love has found its answer4     
,this is the mind of ,christ4 ,affection
 puts the heart on a journey2 and it    
cannot rest1 in the midst of all beside1
 without its object2 and it says even to
 the ,lord and ,his pledges1 ,what wilt 
thou give me1 seeing ,i go childless8   
,but bold faith this was indeed1        
appearing thus to throw back the words  
of ,god4 ,but it was precious to ,him4  
,yea1 it was precious to ,him on the    
highest kind of title2 for faith1 acting
 thus and craving after this manner1    
spoke the way and the taste of the      
divine mind itself4 ,for ,god ,himself  
looks for children1 as ,abraham did4 ,it
 is not the spirit of bondage that is to
 fill ,his house1 but that of adoption2 
it is not servants but children ,he will
 have round ,him4 ,he has predestinated 
us unto the adoption of children1 by    

,jesus ,christ1 to ,himself4 ,he has    
found in ,his children an object for    
,himself2 and ,abraham was1 therefore1  
but telling out the common secret of his
 own heart1 and of the bosom of ,god4   
,and at once his desire is answered2 and
 the sight of the starry heavens is made
 to pledge to the patriarch something   
better than all portions and all        
conditions2 for the ,lord says to him1  
,so shall thy seed be4  ,how truly may  
we say1 never does faith aim more justly
 than when it aims high1 and draws with 
a bold hand4 ,never is the mark it sets 
before it more ,god's own purpose4 ,ask 
thee a sign of the ,lord thy ,god1 says 
the prophet to the king1 ask it either  
in the depth1 or in the height above2   
range through the divine resources1 and 
use them4 ,what king ,ahaz would not do1
 wearying the ,lord by his reserve1 and 
unbelief1 and slowness of heart1        
,abraham does and continues to do4 ,his 
soul continues in the same power of     
faith to the end of this action4 ,he    

holds on in the same track4 ,i'll give  
thee this land to inherit it1 says the  
,lord to him shortly afterwards4        
,whereby shall ,i know that ,i shall    
inherit it8 is his reply to the ,lord4  
,this is of the same fine character2 and
 being so--bespeaking the boldness of   
faith--it is still infinitely acceptable
 with the ,lord4 ,abraham seeks         
something beyond a promise4 ,not that he
 doubted the promise4 ,he was sure of   
it4 ,it could never fail4 ,heaven and   
earth would pass away1 ere it could pass
 away4 ,but oath and blood to seal it   
were desired by ,abraham4 ,he loved     
covenant title1 and his faith sought it2
 but sought no more than grace and      
purpose and sovereign good-pleasure had 
already designed to give him4  ,and     
there lies the richest1 fullest         
consolation4 ,faith is never too bold to
 please the ,lord4 ,in the days of ,his 
flesh1 ,he often rebuked the reserves   
and suspicions of little faith1 but     
never the strength and decision of a    

faith that aimed as at everything1 and  
would not go without a blessing4 ,so1   
the very style in which1 in this fine   
chapter 7xv471 ,he answers the faith of 
,his servant1 tells us of the delight   
with which ,he had entertained ,his     
servant's boldness4 ,the very style of  
the answer speaks this in our ears2 as  
afterwards in the case of the palsied   
man in ,luke v42 for there the words1   
,man1 thy sins be forgiven thee1 tell   
how the heart of the same ,lord1 the    
,god of ,abraham1 had been refreshed by 
the faith which broke up the roof of the
 house without apology1 in order to     
reach ,him4 ,and it is the same here4   
,when a fine1 bold1 unquestioning faith 
sought for a child1 the ,lord ,god took 
,abraham forth that very night1 and1    
showing him the starry heavens1 said to 
him1 ,so shall thy seed be4 ,when like  
faith would have the land secured by    
something more than a word of promise1  
the same ,lord pledges the covenant by  
the passage of a burning lamp between   

the pieces of the sacrifice4  ,this     
style1 as ,i said1 is full of meaning4  
,it eloquently 7may ,i say87 bespeaks   
the divine mind4 ,the ,lord does not    
content ,himself by merely promising a  
child1 as by word of mouth1 or by merely
 giving some other assurances to        
,abraham that the land shall be the     
inheritance of his seed2 but1 in each   
case1 ,he enters on certain actions1 and
 conducts them with such august and     
striking solemnities1 as lets us know   
instinctively1 the delight with which   
,he had listened to these demands of    
faith4  ,would that we knew our ,god as 
,he is to be known1 for ,his praise and 
our comfort6 ,love delights to be used4 
,love is wearied with ceremoniousness4  
,it is1 in its way1 a trespasser on     
love's very nature1 and on its essential
 mode of acting4 ,family affection1 for 
instance1 puts ceremony aside all the   
day long4 ,intimacy is there1 and not   
form4 ,form would be too cumbrous for   
it1 as ,saul's armour was for ,david4   

,it has not proved it1 and cannot       
therefore wear it4 ,love is doing the   
business of the house in one and        
another1 and the common confidence of   
all allows it to be done in love's way4 
,so will the ,lord have it with         
,himself4 ,the intimacy of faith is     
according to ,his grace1 and ceremony is
 but a weariness to ,him4  ,grace1 as we
 sing at times1 is a sea without a      
shore1 and we are encouraged to launch  
forth with full-spread sails4 ,the pot  
of oil would have been without a bottom1
 had the woman's faith still drawn from 
it2 and the king of ,israel's victories 
would have been in quick succession1    
till not a ,syrian had been left to tell
 the tale1 had his faith trod the field 
of battle as one who knew it only as a  
field of conquest4 #b ,kings iv4 and    
xiii4 ,but we are straitened4 ,the      
boldness of faith is too fine an element
 for the niggard heart of man that      
cannot trust the ,lord3 though1 blessed 
to tell it1 it is that which answers1 as

 well as uses1 the boundless grace of   
,god4  ,the believing mind is the happy 
mind2 and it is the obedient mind also1 
the ,god-glorifying mind4 ,it is the    
thankful and the worshipping mind2 the  
mind too that keeps the saint the most  
in readiness for service1 and in        
separation from pollutions4 ,we may be  
watchful1 and it is right2 we may be    
self-judging1 and it is right2 we may be
 careful to observe the rule of         
righteousness in all that we do1 and it 
is right3 but withal1 to hold the heart 
up in the light of the favour of ,god1  
by the exercise of a simple1 child-like1
 believing mind1 this is what glorifies 
,him1 this is what answers ,his grace1  
this is what above all proves itself    
grateful to ,him with whom we have to   
do4 ,we have access by faith into this  
grace wherein we stand4 ,it is not      
attainment1 it is not watchfulness1 it  
is not services or duties1 which entitle
 us to take that journey1 that gives the
 soul entrance into that wealthy place  

of the divine favour--by faith we have  
access into this grace wherein we stand4
  ,but we go onward still in this       
history1 and find it rich in other      
instructions and illustrations of the   
life of faith4  ,sarah now comes forth  
for the first time in independent       
action4 ,chapters xvi4 xvii4  ,the      
famine had already1 as we saw1 tempted  
,abraham to seek the land of ,egypt1 and
 he got the resources of that land1 with
 shame and sorrow1 and a wearisome      
journey back again to ,canaan4 ,sarah   
now tempts him to seek the bondmaid of  
,egypt4  ,we know what this ,egyptian   
bondmaid is1 from the divine teaching of
 the epistle to the ,galatians4 ,she is 
the covenant from mount ,sinai1 the law1
 the religion of ordinances2 and ,sarah1
 in her suggestions to ,abraham1 that he
 should take this ,egyptian1 represents 
nature1 which always finds its relief   
and its resources in flesh and blood1   
finds its religion there also1 as well  
as everything else4  ,the ,spirit had   

not as yet dealt with ,sarah's soul4 ,at
 least1 we have had no manifestation of 
this4 ,she was an elect one surely2 but 
our election goes long before we become 
the subject of divine workmanship2 and1 
as yet1 spiritual life1 the life of     
faith1 the operation of the truth on    
,sarah through the ,holy ,ghost1 had not
 been witnessed4 ,she had not as yet    
been spoken of by the ,lord4 ,she had   
not been the companion of her husband in
 the exercise of his spirit before ,god1
 nor his fellow-disciple in ,god's      
school4 ,she was not called out with    
,abraham to number the stars1 or to     
watch the sacrifice4 ,she was still1 ,i 
may say1 in the place of nature2 and    
accordingly she invites her husband to  
give her seed by her ,egyptian handmaid4
  ,that is her place in this action2 and
 ,abraham becomes the saint betrayed by 
nature1 led in nature's path1 surprised 
by a temptation from that quarter now1  
as he had been before by the pressure of
 famine4  ,but all this is unbelief and 

departure from ,god4 ,it is the way of  
man1 the way of nature2 not of faith or 
of the ,spirit4 ,we naturally resort to 
the law1 the bondwoman1 the religion of 
ordinances1 when the soul feels its     
need2 as we naturally go down to ,egypt1
 or seek the world1 when our            
circumstances are needy4 ,it is unbelief
 and departure from ,god1 as is seen    
even in ,abraham2 but to leave ,god and 
the restorings of ,his grace1 when the  
soul has need1 is a more grievous       
offence and wrong against ,him1 than to 
seek help as from ,egypt1 when our      
circumstances have need4 ,my poverty may
 tempt me to use shifts and             
contrivances1 which is bad enough2 but  
if my conscience want healing1 if       
breaches within need repairing1 that ,i 
may walk again in the enjoyed light of  
,his countenance1 and ,i go to mere     
religion1 or to ordinances1 or to       
anything but the provisions of ,his own 
sanctuary1 this is still worse4  ,the   
,hagars and the ,pharaohs1 the bondmaids

 and the wealth of ,egypt1 are poor     
resorts for the ,abrahams of ,god4 ,but 
so it has been1 and so it is1 through   
the working of nature4 ,but ,abraham 7we
 will now see for our comfort7 is under 
,god's eye1 though led by ,sarah's      
suggestions4 ,god has ,his place in him 
as well as nature2 and ,he will assert  
it for his restoring4 ,he rises on his  
soul in a fresh revelation of ,himself1 
demanding of ,his saint the fresh       
obedience of faith4 ,i am the almighty  
,god2 walk before me1 and be thou       
perfect4 ,for ,abraham's soul had lost  
this truth1 the almightiness or the     
all-sufficiency of ,god4 ,he had gone in
 to ,hagar2 he had taken up confidence  
in the flesh2 he had left the ground he 
had stood upon in chap4 xv42 but the    
,lord will not and cannot allow this2   
and therefore rises1 in a renewed       
revelation of ,himself1 on the spirit of
 ,his saint2 and it is a rising with    
healing in its wings2 for ,abraham falls
 on his face1 convicted and abashed1 and

 the soul is led again in paths of      
righteousness4  ,surely there are to    
this hour such moments in the history of
 them that believe1 as well as of their 
father ,abraham4 ,abraham had not fallen
 on his face1 when the ,lord appeared to
 him and spoke to him in chap4 xv4      
,there he stood1 conscious that he was  
in the light with the ,lord4 ,but       
darkness had now come over his soul1 and
 he is not ready for the ,lord4 ,he is  
on his face1 silent and amazed4 ,he is  
not standing1 urging the suits of faith1
 as there2 but on his face1 silent and  
confounded4 ,the change in his          
experience is great2 but there is no    
change in the ,lord2 for it is the same 
love1 whether ,he rebuke or comfort4 ,if
 we walk in the light1 we have          
fellowship with ,him2 if we confess our 
sins1 we have forgiveness with ,him2 if 
we be able to stand before ,him1 ,he    
will feed and strengthen us2 if we must 
needs fall convicted in ,his presence1  
,he will raise us up again4  ,this is a 

fine1 earnest path of the spirit of a   
saint4 ,there is a deep reality here4   
,departure from ,god proves itself to be
 bitterness2 but ,god proves ,himself to
 the soul to be restoration and peace2  
and under ,his gracious hand faith is   
afresh emboldened1 and ,abraham plies   
his suit1 as one that was again in the  
vigour of chap4 xv41 and seeks of ,god  
that ,ishmael might live before ,him4   
,how one longs to have one's own soul   
formed by these blessed revelations of  
grace1 and the inwrought work of faith  
which answers them4 ,the scene changes2 
but ,god and the soul are together      
still4 ,there is reality--reality in the
 sadness and in the joy1 in the light of
 the divine countenance and in the      
hiding of our own face as in the dust4  
,all this may be said of the life of    
faith1 as seen in chapters xvi4 xvii4   
,but on entering upon the next scene of 
action1 in chapters xviii4 xix41 ,i     
would observe1 that in the life of      
,abraham we get something beside these  

exercises and illustrations of faith4   
,we get exhibitions of certain divine   
mysteries also4   ,all the facts in this
 history are simple truths4 ,they       
happened just as recorded4 ,but there is
 this twofold design in them3 either to 
give samples of the life of faith in a  
saint1 or to give illustrations of some 
great ways and purposes of ,god4  ,and  
such illustrations of the divine        
counsels and mysteries is the common way
 of divine wisdom throughout ,scripture4
 ,what was the tabernacle or the temple 
but a place for the constant rehearsal  
of mysteries1 such as atonement and     
intercession1 and the varied order of   
,god in the worship and services of ,his
 house1 or in the ministry of grace8    
,for such were the sacrifices and the   
services there1 the feasts1 and the holy
 days1 and the jubilees4 ,what1 in like 
manner1 were the exodus1 and the journey
 through the wilderness1 and the        
entrance into ,canaan1 the wars there1  
and then the throne of the peaceful one8

 ,were not all these1 whether institutes
 of the sanctuary1 or facts in the      
history1 exhibitions of the hidden1     
eternal counsels of the divine bosom8   
,now chapters xviii4 xix4 of this       
history suggest this recollection4      
,these chapters are to be read together1
 and afford us a large and vivid        
exhibition of certain great truths1     
which concern us at this moment1 in as  
full a sense as ever the facts          
themselves1 which convey them to us as  
in a parable1 concerned ,abraham and his
 generation4  ,sodom1 in that day1 was  
the world4 ,it had been warned1 but had 
refused instruction4 ,it had proved     
incurably departed from ,god1 and beyond
 correction4 ,sodom had been visited and
 chastened in the day of the victory of 
the confederated kings--as we saw in    
chapter xiv42 but it was ,sodom still1  
and was1 at this time1 in advanced      
iniquity1 in a state of ripened         
apostasy1 her last state worse than her 
first4  ,sodom was the world in this    

day4 ,the ,lord ,jesus1 in ,his         
teaching1 gives it morally that place1  
just as another generation had been the 
world in ,noah's day4 ,see ,matt4 xxiv42
 ,luke xvii4 ,they are like figures1    
presenting to our thoughts this present 
evil world1 which is ripening itself for
 the judgment of ,god4  ,at such a      
crisis1 however1 in this day of the     
judgment of ,sodom1 or the overthrow of 
the cities of the plain1 as in every    
other like day1 there are two incidental
 matters to be deeply pondered by our   
souls2 there is deliverance out of the  
judgment1 and there is separation before
 it come4 ,there is ,lot1 and there is  
,abraham4 ,lot is delivered1 when the   
hour of the crisis comes2 ,abraham is   
separated before it comes4  ,all this is
 much to be weighed in our thoughts4    
,judgment1 deliverance1                 
separation--these are the elements of   
the action here1 and these are full of  
meaning1 and of application to our own  
history as the ,church of ,god1 and to  

the world around us4  ,before this      
action opens1 ,abraham had been in a    
heavenly place4 ,he was a stranger on   
the earth1 having his tent only1 and    
wandering from place to place without so
 much as to set his foot on2 and now1   
when the judgment comes1 he is apart    
from it altogether1 like ,enoch1 the    
heavenly ,enoch1 in another and earlier 
day of judgment4 ,each of these1 in the 
day of visitation1 was outside1 beyond1 
or above the scene of the ruin2 not     
merely delivered out of it when it came1
 but separated from it before it came4  
,abraham had already stood with the     
,lord ,himself on an eminence which     
overlooked ,sodom1 as he and the ,lord  
had walked together from the plain of   
,mamre2 and now1 when the judgment      
spends itself on that apostate1 polluted
 city1 ,abraham is again1 in that high  
place1 beholding the desolation afar    
off4 ,he was 7in the spirit of the place
 where he stood7 in company with ,him   
who was executing the judgment4 ,but    

,lot is only rescued4 ,lot is a         
delivered man1 ,abraham is a separated  
one4 ,as ,abraham is the ,enoch1 ,lot is
 the ,noah of this later day1 and is    
drawn forth from the devoted city4      
,what mysteries are these6 ,what solemn 
realities1 in the counsels of ,god1 are 
here rehearsed for our learning6 ,do we 
know what we are looking at in all this8
 ,do we not see great purposes of ,god1 
as in a glass1 in this varied and       
eventful action8 ,have we to ask1 ,where
 is this mystic ground1 on which we are 
here standing8 ,surely1 beloved1 we     
ought to know it4 ,in this action1 the  
world1 as ,sodom1 is typically meeting  
its doom2 the righteous remnant1 as in  
,lot1 are delivered in that hour of     
wrath2 and the ,church1 as in ,abraham1 
already separated and borne above1 looks
 afar off on the scene of the mighty    
desolation4 ,surely these mysteries are 
before us in this action at ,sodom4     
,known unto ,god are all ,his works from
 the beginning of the world4 ,the world1

 the ,church1 and the kingdom1 are here 
in mysteries or types2 the thing that is
 to be judged2 the thing that is to be  
separated to heavenly glory2 the thing  
that is to be delivered1 and thus       
reserved for the earth again after the  
purification4 ,enoch1 ,noah1 and the    
deluged creation are again here in      
,abraham1 and ,lot1 and the doomed      
cities of the plain4  ,these are        
mysteries of which the ,book of ,god is 
full4 ,and thus is it again and afresh  
witnessed to us1 what we are and where  
we are1 though travelling on1 to all    
appearance1 in the common track of      
everyday human life1 with a generation1 
in the spirit of their mind1 still1 as  
ever1 saying1 ,where is the promise of  
,his coming8 for since the fathers fell 
asleep1 all things continue as they were
 from the beginning of the creation4    
,many incidental things might occur to  
the mind in this1 as in other sections  
of this wonderful history2 such as the  
visit of the ,son of ,god to ,abraham2  

,abraham's intercession for ,sodom2 the 
angels' reserve towards ,lot2 and the   
contrasted characters of the two        
saints--the saint of the tent1 and the  
saint in ,sodom4 ,but my purpose1 in    
this little book1 does not take in such 
details4 ,but ,i would ask1 in closing  
this action in chapters xviii4 xix4 ,are
 we1 beloved1 apprehensive of the moment
 in which we are living8 ,is man's day  
brightening up to its meridian before   
us1 ascending to its noontide splendour8
 ,and what think we of that8 ,are we    
joining in the congratulations of man   
with his fellow1 that thus it is8 ,or is
 all this brightness suspected and      
challenged by us1 as the sure precursor 
of ,god's judgment8 ,do we know that the
 god of this world finds a house swept  
and garnished as thoroughly a scene for 
his evil and destructive energy as a    
,sodom8 ,do we judge1 with our          
generation1 that this cannot be8 ,or do 
we hold it in mind1 that it is in such a
 house that he will work at the closing 

of ,christendom's history8 ,and are we  
waiting for the ,son of ,god to take us 
up to that mystic eminence where of old 
,he took ,his ,abraham8 ,the ,lord give 
us grace to occupy such ground6 ,and we 
shall the more easily and naturally do  
so1 if1 like ,abraham1 we are saints of 
the tent and not of the city--such      
saints 7again like ,abraham7 as rejoice1
 in the heat of the day1 to hold        
communion with the ,lord of glory4      
,after this we go1 with our patriarch1  
into the land of the ,philistines1 where
 he sojourns during the times of        
chapters xx4 xxi4  ,the old compact     
between ,abraham and ,sarah is acted on 
again1 after so long a time--acted on   
now at ,gerar1 as before it had been in 
,egypt4 ,it had been made between them  
ere they left their native country4 ,it 
was brought out with them from the very 
place of their birth4 ,it was1 ,i may   
say1 in them older than anything of     
,god2 and after many changes and        
exercises it is in them and with them   

the same thing still4  ,it was a very   
evil thing--both subtle and unclean4 ,it
 was false and yet specious1 and        
savoured strongly of the serpent1 of him
 that is a liar and the father of lies4 
,abraham was forced to betray it1 vile  
as it was1 to the king of ,gerar4 ,it   
came to pass1 when ,god caused me to    
wander from my father's house1 that ,i  
said unto her1 ,this is thy kindness    
which thou shalt show unto me3 at every 
place whither we shall come1 say of me1 
,he is my brother4 ,this was worse than 
we might even have feared4 ,there was   
not a principle in the life of faith    
that was not gainsaid by so vile a      
compact as this1 brought from the very  
place of their nativity with them4 ,and 
such is the flesh1 the inbred           
corruption4 ,its way1 whenever taken1 is
 shame and deep dishonour4 ,it degrades 
a saint even before men4 ,it is that    
which will confound and expose an       
,abraham before an ,abimelech4 ,and it  
never changes1 or improves1 or ceases to

 be4 ,it is the same in ,egypt1 and at  
,gerar4 ,it lives in us still1 and      
follows us everywhere4 ,we get it at our
 birth from the loins of ,adam2 and we  
are1 for the common consistency of our  
way as the called of ,god1 to mortify   
and refuse it4  ,wretched indeed it is  
to have to see such a thing as this4    
,but the ,spirit of ,god hides nothing4 
,there it lies before us1 this vile and 
wicked thing1 in the pathway of the     
recording ,spirit4 ,we have1 however1   
other happier objects4  ,the progress of
 ,sarah's soul1 under the light and     
leading of the ,lord1 is to be tracked  
in its own peculiar and instructive     
path4 ,under the influence of the flesh 
she had1 at the outset1 joined ,abraham 
in this unclean compact1 of which ,i    
have just spoken4 ,in unbelief1 she had 
afterwards1 as we also saw1 given ,hagar
 to her husband2 and then1 in the haste 
and rebellion of the heart1 she resented
 the effects of that unbelief1 and cast 
out the bondwoman1 whom she had adopted 

and settled in the family4 ,but at the  
command of the ,lord1 ,hagar had gone   
back to her2 and now1 at the time of    
this action1 she had borne with her in  
the house for fourteen years4 ,there    
was1 however1 no manifestation of the   
renewed mind1 or the life of faith1 in  
her4 ,it was even during these years1   
that in unbelief she had laughed at the 
promise1 behind the tent-door4 ,but     
still1 ,i may say1 she had1 during this 
time1 in one sense1 been at school2 and 
she seems to have learnt a lesson1 for  
she submitted patiently and             
unresistingly1 to the presence of the   
bondwoman and her child in the house of 
her husband4 ,we hear of no fresh       
quarrels between them4 ,this was        
something4 ,this was witness of her     
being in the hand of ,god1 till at      
length1 as we know1 she was given faith 
to conceive seed4 ,heb4 xi4 ,a great    
journey1 however1 after all this1 is now
 about to be taken by her spirit4 ,she  
is to take the lead even of her husband4

 ,and happy this is--common enough1 too1
 among the saints--but happy1 very      
happy4 ,and were we of a delivered      
heart--a heart given up to the desire of
 ,christ's glory only--we should rejoice
 in these discoveries1 made in the      
regions of the ,spirit1 though we       
ourselves would have to be humbled by   
them4 ,the last shall be first1 and the 
first last4 ,these are among the ways of
 new-born souls1 and to be discerned    
still by those who mark the steps of    
grace4 ,paul could say of some1 ,who    
also were in ,christ before me2 but we  
may be bold to add1 in that case1 though
 he did not1 ,the last were first4 ,and 
the generous liberty of the redeemed    
soul will but glory in these sovereign  
actings of the ,spirit4  ,sarah's       
elevation above ,abraham in the things  
of the kingdom of ,god is now to appear 
in illustration of all this4 ,in        
obedience to the command1 ,abraham calls
 the child that was born1 ,isaac4 ,but  
,sarah interprets that name3 and this is

 a finer exercise of soul over the gift 
of ,god4 ,to obey a word is good2 but to
 obey it in the joy of an exercised     
heart1 and in the light and intelligence
 of a mind that has entered into the    
divine sense of that word1 is better4   
,abraham called the child that was born 
to him1 ,isaac3 but ,sarah said ,god has
 made me to laugh2 and all they that    
hear it will laugh with me4 ,the oracle 
of chapter xvii4 #ai was made more to   
her than a command to be observed4 ,it  
had springs of refreshing in it1 and    
kindlings of soul4 ,it was full of light
 and meaning to the opened understanding
 of ,sarah4 ,and this leads to strength 
and decision4 ,this ,deborah of earlier 
days will brace the loins of ,barak4    
,cast out this bondwoman and her son1   
says ,sarah to ,abraham2 for she was    
happy in the liberty of grace and       
promise1 while he was still lingering   
amid the claims of nature1 and the      
desires which his own loins had         
gendered4 ,cast out this bondwoman and  

her son2 for the son of this bondwoman  
shall not be heir with my son1 even with
 ,isaac4 ,and this was ,scripture1 as we
 read in ,gal4 iv42 this was the voice  
of ,god4 ,this decision of faith1 in the
 liberty of grace1 gets its sealing at  
once under ,god's own hand4 ,stand fast 
in the liberty wherewith ,christ hath   
made you free1 says the ,spirit4 ,and   
what met the mind of the ,lord1 in the  
days of ,his flesh1 like the faith which
 was bold and free1 after this manner8  
the faith which would use ,him without  
ceremony1 which reached ,him through a  
crowd1 which pressed in through the     
silent reproaches of a misjudging       
,pharisee1 or through the injurious     
whispers of a self-righteous multitude6 
,and how much of the energy of the      
,spirit in ,st4 ,paul is engaged in     
giving the sinner this precious         
boldness1 this immediate assurance of   
heart in ,christ1 in spite of law1      
conscience1 earth1 and hell6  ,this     
boldness of faith in ,sarah1 this       

challenge of the bondwoman1 this demand 
7in her own behalf too7 that she might  
enjoy her ,isaac all alone1 is          
,scripture4 ,gal4 iv4 #cj4 ,she spake as
 the oracles of ,god4 ,but in ,abraham  
nature now acts4 ,he would fain retain  
,ishmael4 ,this is no strange thing4    
,nature now acts in ,abraham1 and faith 
in ,sarah2 as1 on an earlier occasion1  
which we noticed1 nature had acted in   
,sarah and faith in ,abraham4 ,but      
nature in ,abraham must submit4 ,he must
 not let ,sarah be entangled any longer 
as with this yoke of bondage4 ,the house
 must be freed of ,ishmael1 for it is to
 be built only in ,isaac4 ,the son of   
the bondwoman shall not be heir with the
 son of the freewoman4  ,but all this   
quickly bears its fruit4 ,hagar being   
now gone1 and the house settled in      
,isaac according to this demand of      
faith1 glory is therefore quickly ready 
to enter4 ,for this is the divine order4
 ,having access into this grace wherein 
we stand1 we rejoice in hope of the     

glory of ,god4 ,such is the order of the
 ,spirit in the soul of such a saint2   
and such is the order now in the mystic 
house of our ,abraham4  ,abraham is     
sought by the ,gentile4 ,this is full of
 meaning4 ,in the days of stress and    
famine1 ,abraham seeks the ,gentile1    
whether in ,egypt or in ,philistia2 but 
now1 the ,gentile seeks ,abraham4 ,this 
is a great change4 ,abraham's house1 as 
we have seen1 is now established in     
grace4 ,ishmael is dismissed1 and ,isaac
 is gloried in4 ,in mystic sense1       
,israel has turned to the ,lord1 the    
veil is taken away1 ,jerusalem has said 
to ,christ1 ,blessed is ,he that cometh 
in the name of the ,lord1 her warfare is
 therefore accomplished1 and she is     
receiving the double4 ,the ,gentile     
seeks ,israel4 ,abimelech and ,phichol1 
the king and his chief captain1 come to 
,abraham4  ,this is a great             
dispensational change4 ,israel is the   
head now1 and not the tail4 ,the skirt  
of the ,jew is now laid hold on by the  

nations2 for the ,jew has1 by faith1    
laid hold on the ,lord1 and the nations 
say1 ,god is with you4 ,chap4 xxi4 #bb2 
,zech4 viii4 #bc4  ,this is full of     
meaning2 and ,abraham on all this 7led  
of the ,spirit7 is full of thoughts of  
glory or of the kingdom4 ,and rightly   
so4 ,because1 when the ,jew is sought by
 the ,gentile1 instead of being trodden 
down or degraded by the ,gentile1 the   
kingdom is at hand4 ,accordingly1 on the
 king of ,gerar seeking him and suing   
him1 our patriarch raises a new altar2  
not the altar of a heavenly stranger1 as
 in chapter xii41 but an altar to the   
everlasting ,god2 not an altar in a     
wilderness-world1 but an altar beside a 
grove and a well2 the one being a       
witness that the solitary place had been
 made glad1 and that the wilderness was 
rejoicing2 the other1 that the peoples  
of the earth were confederate with the  
seed of ,abraham4#aa   #aa ,the ,lord   
,jesus1 in ,his day1 acknowledged this  
same pledge or       symptom of the     

kingdom4 ,for when the ,greeks came up  
to the feast       and asked to see     
,him1 as the ,gentile here seeks        
,abraham1 ,his       thoughts are       
immediately upon ,his glory4 ,he knows  
indeed that       glory is to be reached
 only by ,his death1 and so ,he         
testifies2 but       still1 ,his        
thoughts go out at once to the glory4   
,see ,john xii4 #bc4  ,all this bright  
intelligence of faith in ,abraham is    
very beautiful4 ,we have already seen   
other actings of it in him4 ,he knew a  
time of peace and a time of war1 and    
acted accordingly in the day of the     
battle of the five kings with four4 ,so1
 again1 he knew his heavenly place1 and 
took it1 when the fire of the ,lord was 
judging the cities of the plain4 ,so1   
again1 as this chapter xxi4 very        
remarkably shows us1 he also knew when  
to suffer wrong and when to resent1 when
 to be passive and when to assert his   
rights4 ,for now1 in the time of this   
chapter1 when the ,gentile seeks him1 he

 reproves ,abimelech for a well of water
 which ,abimelech's servants had        
violently taken away4 ,but he had not   
complained of this injury until now2 for
 ,abimelech said to him1 ,i wot not who 
has done this thing2 neither didst thou 
tell me1 neither yet heard ,i of it1 but
 to-day4 ,and this is exceedingly       
beautiful4 ,it is perfect in its        
generation4 ,abraham had till now       
suffered1 and taken it patiently1       
because till now he had been a heavenly 
stranger on the earth2 and such patient 
suffering in such an one is acceptable  
with ,god4 ,but now1 times are changed4 
,the heavenly stranger has become the   
head of the nations1 sought by the      
,gentile2 and rights and wrongs must now
 be settled1 and the cry of the         
oppressed must be heard4  ,all this has 
great moral beauty in it4 ,i know not   
how sufficiently to admire this         
workmanship of the ,spirit in the mind  
of ,abraham4 ,he was an ,israelite who  
knew the seasons of the year--when to be

 at the ,passover1 and when at the      
,feast of ,tabernacles4 ,he knew1 in    
spirit1 when to continue with ,jesus in 
,his temptations1 and then again1 when  
the day arrived1 how to surround ,him   
with hosannahs as ,he entered the city  
of the ,son of ,david4 ,all such various
 and blending lights shone in the       
spiritual intelligence of his soul4     
,god1 by the ,spirit1 communicated a    
beautiful mind to ,abraham4 ,in other   
days1 he would not have so much of this 
earth as to set his foot on--he would   
surrender the choice of the land to     
,lot--he would leave the ,canaanite     
where he found him--he would refuse to  
be enriched by the king of ,sodom even  
in so little as a thread or a           
shoe-latchet--he would wander up and    
down in his tent here1 a stranger from  
heaven--but now1 in a day signified and 
marked by the hand of ,god1 he can be   
another man1 and know his millennial    
place1 as father of the ,israel of ,god1
 and their representative as head of the

 nations4 ,he can keep the ,feast of    
,tabernacles in its season4 ,his rebuke 
of ,abimelech--his entertaining him--his
 enriching him--his giving him covenant 
pledges--and all this in such easy1     
conscious dignity--and then his new     
altar or his calling on ,god in a new   
character1 and his planting a grove1 all
 bespeak another man1 and that a        
transfiguration1 if ,i may so speak1 had
 taken place in him1 according to ,god4 
,all this ,i judge to have a great      
character in it4 ,but ,i will not any   
longer stay here2 for there is still    
more in this fine life of faith which   
our father ,abraham1 through grace1     
tracked to the very end1 holding still  
the beginning of his confidence4  ,and  
here let me say1 this life of faith is1 
in other words1 life spent in the power 
of resurrection4 ,it is the life of a   
dead and risen man4 ,it is a lesson1 if 
one may speak for others1 hard indeed to
 be learnt to any good effect1 but still
 it is the lesson1 the practical lesson 

of our lives1 that we are a dead and    
risen people4 ,at the outset ,abraham1  
in spirit1 took that character4 ,he left
 behind him all that nature or the world
 had provided him with4 ,he left what   
his birth introduced him to1 for that   
which faith introduced him to4 ,and as  
he began1 so he continued and ended1    
with failings by the way indeed1 and    
that too again and again1 but still to  
the end he was a man of faith1 a dead   
and risen man4  ,as such an one he had  
received ,isaac1 some twenty years ago1 
not considering his own body now dead1  
neither yet the deadness of ,sarah's    
womb2 and as such an one he now offers  
him on the altar at the word of the     
,lord4 ,the promise was ,god's--that was
 enough for him4 ,for faith is never    
overcome4 ,it has divine1 infinite      
resources4 ,the believer fails again and
 again2 but faith is never overcome1 or 
comes short of its expectation4 xxii4   
,this is the way of faith1 when ,isaac  
was demanded4#ab ,and the same          

overcoming faith we trace in the very   
next scene1 the burial of ,sarah4 ,this 
was the same faith1 the faith of a dead 
and risen man1 the faith which had      
already received ,isaac1 and offered    
,isaac1 now buries ,sarah4 ,abraham     
believed in resurrection1 and in ,god as
 the ,god of resurrection1 the ,god who 
quickens the dead1 and calls those      
things that be not as though they were4 
,the cave of ,machpelah tells us this4  
,earth to earth1 dust to dust1 ashes to 
ashes1 in sure and certain hope1 was the
 language of ,abraham's heart there4    
,his purchase of that place1 with all   
his care to make it his own1 to have it 
as his possession1 while beyond it he   
cared not for a single acre of the whole
 land1 tells us of his faith in         
resurrection4 ,his treaty for it with   
the children of ,heth is like his words 
to his servants at the foot of mount    
,moriah1 ,abide ye here with the ass1   
while ,i and the lad will go yonder and 
worship1 and come again to you4 ,each of

 these things bespoke beforehand what he
 knew about his ,isaac and his ,sarah4  
,he committed each of them into the     
hands of ,him who1 as he knew1 quickens 
the dead4 ,the corn of wheat dying1 as  
he knew1 was to live again4 ,the handful
 of sacred dust1 as he knew1 was to be  
gathered again4 ,death itself was eyed  
in like victory of faith1 as had already
 been eyed the fire1 and the wood1 and  
the beloved victim on the altar4 xxiii4 
#ab ,there are mysteries as well as     
illustrations of faith in these         
things2 but ,i cannot follow them here4 
,the offer of ,isaac on       ,moriah1  
we none of us doubt1 is a mystery4 ,so1 
,i surely know1 is       the action of  
,hagar and ,ishmael in chapter xxi4 ,it 
is the picture       of the present     
outcast but preserved ,jew--a homeless  
fugitive1       destined1 however1 for  
future purposes of mercy4 ,see ,gal4 iv4
 #be4       ,but ,i follow not these    
things particularly here4  ,these were  
the victories of faith again4 ,faith in 

our patriarch1 after this manner1 talked
 calmly with all circumstances1 and won 
the day over them all in their turn4    
,beautiful victories of precious faith6 
,and they are gained still4 ,faith still
 disposes of one circumstance after     
another as it rises4 ,it meets our own  
personal condition as dead in trespasses
 and sins2 it meets the difficulties and
 temptations of the way2 it meets the   
last great enemy4 ,let me not make a    
wonder of meeting things on the journey1
 or at the end of it1 if ,i have already
 met what withstood me at the outset4   
,faith will go to mount ,moriah1 or to  
the cave of ,machpelah1 if it have      
already gone out in the starry night    
with the ,lord at ,hebron4 ,if it have  
met death in my own person1 it may meet 
it in my ,isaac or my ,sarah4 ,one      
speaks1 the ,lord knows1 of ,his grace1 
and not of one's own experience4 ,but   
still1 beloved1 let each of us say1 ,am 
,i not at peace with ,god8 ,do ,i not   
know that ,he is for me8 ,do ,i not know

 that my estate of sin1 guilt1 and      
condemnation has been met in ,his grace8
 ,do ,i not know that ,i am washed1     
accepted1 adopted8 ,have ,i not gone out
 with ,abraham1 as in the night of chap4
 xv41 and found relief for my own state 
by nature1 and shall ,i then tarry on my
 way1 though the trial of mount ,moriah 
await me1 or the death and burial at    
,machpelah8 ,if faith have already met  
sin1 it is to know itself conqueror over
 even death4 ,let our souls be          
accustomed to the thought that the      
brightest victory of faith was achieved 
at the beginning--that if at peace with 
,god in spite of sin1 we may reckon on  
strength and comfort from ,him in spite 
of the trials of the way1 and on power  
and triumph in ,him in spite of the end 
of it4 ,faith which has done its first  
work has done its greatest work4 ,if1   
when we were enemies1 we were reconciled
 to ,god by the death of ,his ,son1 much
 more1 being reconciled1 we shall be    
saved by ,his life4 ,god is glorified in

 these reckonings of faith4 ,he that    
spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered 
,him up for us all1 how shall ,he not   
with ,him also freely give us all       
things8  ,it is the power of life over  
death1 life in victory1 that faith uses4
 ,it was such power of victorious life  
that ,abraham possessed himself of by   
faith4 ,the sepulchre is empty1 and the 
grave-clothes are lying there1 as the   
spoils of war4 ,the deadness of his own 
body1 the altar of his ,isaac1 and the  
grave of his ,sarah1 were visited and   
inspected by a risen man1 in the light  
of the faith of ,him who is the         
,quickener of the dead1 and calleth     
those things that be not as though they 
were4  ,these are the great things of   
faith in the souls of the elect4 ,but   
further still1 in this fruitful1        
shifting history4 ,abraham1 at the end1 
is seen to hold his first ground1 as    
well as to work his earlier victories4  
,he maintains1 through grace1 erect and 
firm1 that very attitude which he had at

 once and at the first assumed1 when by 
faith he hearkened to the call of ,god4 
,that call of ,god had done these two   
things with ,abraham1 ,i might say for  
,abraham2 it had separated him from     
,mesopotamia1 and yet left him a        
stranger in ,canaan4 ,from country1     
kindred1 and father's house he had been 
withdrawn2 but still1 in the midst of   
that land and people to which he had    
come1 he was to be but a pilgrim1       
dwelling as on the surface of it1 in a  
tent1 whatever part of it he might pass 
through or visit4  ,this position was   
very holy4 ,his separation was          
twofold--separation from pollution1 such
 as he might meet in ,canaan2 separation
 from natural alliances1 such as he had 
been born into in ,mesopotamia4 ,he was 
under the call of the ,god of glory2 and
 such a call made no terms with either  
the flesh or the world4 ,in somewhat of 
,levite holiness1 he did not know his   
mother's children2 in somewhat of church
 holiness1 he knew no man after the     

flesh4 ,nay2 beyond even all this1 in   
somewhat of the virtue of his divine    
,lord1 he did not know himself4 ,he was 
the heir of the land where he was a     
pilgrim4 ,the promise of ,god was his1  
as surely as the call4 ,he knew himself 
to be destined of divine1 unimpeachable 
purpose1 to dignities of a very high    
order4 ,but to the end he was willing to
 pass unknown1 entirely unknown4 ,he    
talked of himself to the children of the
 land only as a stranger and a          
sojourner4 ,he would pay for the        
smallest plot of ground which he wanted4
 ,he would be nothing and nobody in the 
midst of them4 ,he never talked of the  
dignities which he knew1 all the time1  
really attached to him4 ,david1 in like 
spirit1 in other days1 had the oil of   
,samuel on him1 the consecration of ,god
 to the throne of the tribes of ,israel2
 and yet he would be hid1 and thank a   
rich neighbour1 in his need1 for a piece
 of bread4 ,these men of ,god knew not  
themselves4 ,this was the way of our    

,abraham2 and this was the virtue of    
,him who1 in this same departed1 evil   
world1 made ,himself of no reputation1  
though ,god of heaven and earth4        
,blessed virtues of soul under the power
 of the call of ,god1 through the ,holy 
,ghost6 ,mesopotamia is left1 ,canaan is
 estranged1 and self is forgotten and   
hid6 ,the call of ,god purposes to do at
 this day with us what in that day it   
did with ,abraham4 ,it would fain       
conform us to itself4 ,its authority is 
supreme4 ,it is not that country or     
kindred are1 of necessity1 defiling4    
,nature accredits them2 and the law of  
,god1 in its season1 owns and enforces  
them4 ,but the call of ,god is supreme1 
and demands separation of a very high1  
and fine1 and peculiar order4 ,and this 
was what addressed ,abraham when he     
dwelt in ,mesopotamia1 the place of his 
birth1 of his kindred1 and of his       
natural associations1 and this was what 
still echoed in his heart all the time  
of his sojourn in ,canaan4  ,it was not 

that he was called to assert the harm of
 such things4 ,not at all4 ,but they    
were such things as the call of ,god    
left behind2 and the harm1 or the moral 
wrong1 or the pollution of a thing was  
no longer his rule1 but inconsistency   
with the call of ,god4 ,he may allow the
 right and the claim of a thousand      
things2 but it is the voice of the ,god 
of glory1 to which in faith he had      
hearkened already1 that must lead him   
and command him4 ,no man1 having put his
 hand to the plough1 and looking back1  
is fit for the kingdom of ,god4  ,he was
 very true to his call4 ,according to   
it1 at the beginning1 he had gone forth1
 not knowing1 as before him1 whither he 
went1 and leaving1 as behind him1 all   
that even nature itself must accredit1  
and all but the sovereign pleasure of   
,god sanction4 ,he continued in the     
power of it1 sojourning in tents1       
unknown and unendowed1 a stranger in the
 world1 refusing to take one backward   
step4 ,and at the end1 we find the same 

power of his call as fresh in his soul  
as ever--as earnest and as simple in    
chap4 xxiv4 as it had been in chap4 xii4
 ,he charges ,eliezer to act upon it to 
the full1 as he himself at the outset   
had done--that is1 he was to keep ,isaac
 in the place of separation at all cost4
 ,let come what may1 ,isaac was neither 
to be taken back to ,mesopotamia1 nor to
 be allied with ,canaan4 ,he was1 let   
circumstances make it difficult as they 
may1 to be maintained in his true place 
under the call of ,god4  ,this has a    
great character in it4 ,there is another
 mystery in this exquisite chapter      
7xxiv471 as we commonly know2 but ,i do 
not notice it here4 ,i rather design to 
trace the earnest1 simple path1 which   
faith trod from first to last1 in our   
father ,abraham4 ,the voice of the ,god 
of glory was still heard by him4 ,he was
 still the separated man4 ,he declared  
plainly that he sought a heavenly       
country4 ,he might have had opportunity 
to return4 ,this very journey of        

,eliezer proved that he had not         
forgotten the road4 ,but he did not1 he 
would not4  ,this strangership of our   
patriarch in the earth has indeed a very
 fine character4 ,he left ,mesopotamia1 
he sojourned in ,canaan1 he hid or      
forgot himself6 ,abraham left ,abraham  
behind1 as well as country1 kindred1 and
 father's house4 ,he made himself of no 
reputation4 ,he spoke of himself as a   
stranger and a sojourner1 and as that   
only1 in the audience of the children of
 ,heth1 though he was1 all the while1   
the one who had the promises4 ,all this 
was real1 true-hearted strangership in  
the world4 ,and it was conscious        
citizenship in heaven that made him1    
after this manner1 a willing stranger   
here4 ,because of possessions in        
prospect1 he could do without them in   
hand4 ,the land of promise was to him   
but a strange country1 because it was   
but a land of promise and not of        
possession4 ,he saw ,christ's day1 and  
was glad2 but he saw it in the distance4

 ,heb4 xi4 #i-ad4   ,and ,abraham was   
all this to the very end--as these      
closing chapters show us4 ,the character
 which he took up at the beginning1     
under the call of ,god1 that character  
he maintained to the end4 ,he fails in  
the power of faith along the road1 again
 and again1 but he is the same heavenly 
stranger to the end of his journey4#ac  
#ac ,in the mystic history of the earth 
given to us in ,lev4 xxiii4 the         
,church is brought in as the poor and   
the stranger gleaning in       another  
man's field1 in ver4 #bb4 ,but as she   
entered that field so       she left it4
 ,she was the poor one1 and the         
stranger1 and the       gleaner in      
another's field1 to the end4 ,the field 
never becomes       her property4       
,looked at in the light of this         
beautiful figure1 what is               
,christendom under ,god's eye8  ,and    
strangership of this order is ours1 ,i  
am deeply assured4 ,ours is to be       
strangership in the earth1 because of   

conscious and well-known citizenship in 
heaven2 separation from the world1      
because of oneness with an already risen
 ,christ4 ,nothing can alter this while 
we are on the earth4 ,we ought so to    
look in the face of a rejected ,christ  
as to maintain this strangership in     
power4 ,and so we do1 as far as ,christ 
is of more value to us than all our     
circumstances4 ,it is for want of this  
that we take up with the world as we do4
 ,we have not learnt the lesson that    
,moses learnt--that the reproach of     
,christ was greater riches than the     
treasures of ,egypt4  ,hard but blessed4
 ,abraham knew something of it in power4
 ,he was the stranger to the end4 ,he   
might have returned to ,mesopotamia4 ,he
 had not forgotten the road1 as we      
observed before2 and the constant       
respect and friendliness of all his     
neighbours proved that there was no     
enemy to hinder the journey4 ,but the   
call of ,god had fixed his heart1 and he
 looked only where it led him4#ad   #ad 

,the ,lord ,jesus1 in the days of ,his  
flesh1 acted as the ,god who1 of        
old1 had called ,abraham4 ,for ,he put  
in the supreme claims of such       an  
one4 ,he that loveth father or mother   
more than ,me1 says ,he1       is not   
worthy of ,me4 ,and again1 ,follow ,me1 
and let the dead       bury their dead4 
,who but ,god can step in between us and
 such       relationships1 such         
obligations and services8 ,duties and   
affections like these are more than     
sanctioned by nature2 they are          
enforced by law--law of ,god ,himself4  
,but the call of ,god is       supreme1 
and ,jesus asserted it in the day of    
,his humiliation here4  ,would that the 
soul held these things in increased     
power6 ,little indeed does the heart    
know of this1 if one may speak for      
others4 ,but they are real--the prized  
fruit of divine energy in the elect of  
,god4  ,after all this we find another  
and distinct matter in the history of   
,abraham4 ,i mean his marriage with     

,keturah1 and his family by her4  ,this 
family by ,keturah is1 we may surely    
judge1 a distinct mystery4 ,that is1    
,abraham is here presenting a new       
feature of the divine wisdom1 or        
illustrating another secret in the ways 
of the divine dispensations4 ,in these  
children of the second wife we get      
7typically7 the millennial nations1 the 
nations which shall people the earth in 
the days of the kingdom1 branches of the
 great family of ,god in that day1 and  
children of ,abraham4 ,they may lie far 
off1 as in the ends of the earth2 but   
they shall have their allotments1 and be
 owned as of the one extended millennial
 family4 ,rejoice1 ye ,gentiles1 with   
,his people1 shall be said to them4 ,the
 ends of the earth shall be ,christ's   
inheritance then1 as surely as the      
,church shall be glorified in ,him and  
with ,him in the heavens1 and the throne
 of ,david1 and the inheritance of      
,israel be ,his1 as set up and revived  
in the land of their fathers4 ,abraham's

 children will be all the world over4   
,for in that day of glory1 the ,king of 
,israel shall be the ,god of the whole  
earth4 ,christ is the ,father of the    
everlasting age4 ,if ,israel be honoured
 by ,him1 all the nations shall be blest
 in ,him4 ,he is the light to lighten   
the ,gentiles1 as ,he is the glory of   
,his people ,israel4 ,keturah's         
children1 parcelled off in other lands1 
bespeak this mystery4 ,they will be     
second to ,israel1 it is true2 but1     
nevertheless1 they will be elect and    
beloved4 ,as it is here written3 ,and   
,abraham gave all that he had unto      
,isaac4 ,but unto the sons of the       
concubines which ,abraham had1 ,abraham 
gave gifts1 and sent them away from     
,isaac his son1 while he yet lived1     
eastward1 unto the east country4 xxv4#ae
   #ae ,the same mystery1 ,i doubt not1 
is presented in the marriage of         
,moses and the ,ethiopian1 and in that  
also of ,solomon with       ,pharaoh's  
daughter4 ,moses' second wife stands1 in

 dignity1 below       his ,zipporah1 who
 shines in peculiar glory at the mount  
of ,god in       ,exodus xviii42 and    
,pharaoh's daughter1 though fully       
acknowledged       by the king at       
,jerusalem1 would not be given a place  
in the city       of ,david4  ,this is1 
,i believe1 the mystic meaning of this  
new family of ,abraham2 and this strange
 and wondrous article is that which     
closes his history4 ,but it is another  
witness of the large and varied         
testimony which ,god has borne to ,his  
own counsels and secrets in that        
history4 ,and this is very remarkable4  
,at times the ,father is seen in        
,abraham--as1 in his desire for         
children--his making a feast at the     
weaning of ,isaac--his offering up of   
his son--his sending for a wife for his 
son2 at other times the ,christ is seen 
in him1 as the one in whom all the      
families of the earth are to be         
blest--as the kinsman-redeemer of       
,israel--as the holder of the headship  

of the nations--father of the millennial
 or everlasting age--and then1 at other 
times1 the ,church1 or heavenly people1 
are traced or reflected in this wondrous
 story2 and1 at other times1 we are on  
earth1 or with ,israel4  ,we have the   
,blessed ,one1 unto whom all ,his works 
are known from the beginning of the     
world1 in the details and changeful     
stories of this life of ,abraham1 thus  
showing forth parts of ,his ways4 ,in   
the allegories of ,sarah and her seed1  
of ,hagar and her seed1 of ,keturah and 
her seed1 we have the mystery of        
,jerusalem1 the mother of us all1       
,israel in bondage as she now is with   
her children1 and the gathering of the  
nations all the world over1 as branches 
of the one extended millennial family4  
,mystery after mystery is thus acted in 
the life of ,abraham2 and many and      
various parts of the manifold wisdom of 
,god are taught us4  ,i am quite aware1 
that living or personal types may have  
been as unconscious of what they were1  

under ,god's hand1 as material types4   
,hagar1 no doubt1 was as passive as the 
gold that overlaid the table of         
shew-bread1 or as the water which filled
 the brazen laver4 ,but the lesson to us
 is not affected by this4 ,i have       
,christ's royal glory in the state of   
,solomon1 and ,i have the deeply        
precious provisions of ,his grace in the
 golden plate on ,aaron's forehead2 and 
,i no more think of enquiring about     
,solomon himself in that matter than ,i 
do about the gold4 ,the sleeping ,adam  
teaches me about the death of the       
,christ of ,god2 the waking rapture of  
,adam1 on receiving ,eve1 teaches me    
about the satisfaction and joy of the   
same ,christ of ,god1 when ,he shall see
 of the travail of ,his soul2 but       
whether ,adam knew what he was doing for
 me1 ,i do not ask myself4 ,i can learn 
about the first covenant from an        
unconscious ,hagar1 as ,i can learn     
about the cleansing of the blood of     
,christ from an unconscious altar4 ,so1 

as to our ,abraham1 in taking his place 
in the midst of all these varied and    
wondrous mysteries1 ,i enquire not      
curiously the measure of his mind in    
these things4 ,the wisdom of ,god can   
say--the ,christ who stood in the       
eternal counsels can say1 ,behold1 ,i   
and the children whom the ,lord hath    
given me are for signs and for wonders2 
but how far ,abraham could speak so1 in 
whatever measure he was himself in the  
secret he was made to utter1 or whether 
he spoke mysteries as in an unknown     
tongue1 we have not to enquire4 ,god is 
,his own interpreter4  ,our patriarch   
has now closed his actings and his      
exercises4 ,we have now to close his    
eyes1 as we read in chap4 xxv4 #g1 #h1  
,and these are the days of the years of 
,abraham's life which he lived1 an      
hundred threescore and fifteen years4   
,then ,abraham gave up the ghost1 and   
died in a good old age1 an old man1 and 
full of years2 and was gathered to his  
people4  ,he had1 we may say1 seen the  

land1 but he was not to go over and     
possess it4 ,he was the ,moses of an    
earlier generation2 like him1 a heavenly
 man1 a man of the wilderness and not of
 the inheritance--a man of the tent--a  
child of resurrection4 ,he was gathered 
to his people1 ere the land was entered 
by the ,israel of ,god according to     
promise4 ,as in the glass of ,god's     
purpose1 and by the light of faith1 he  
sees the land2 but he goes not over to  
possess it4 ,he dies as on ,mount       
,pisgah1 on the wilderness-side of the  
,jordan1 destined1 with ,enoch before   
him and with ,moses after him1 to shine 
on the top of the hill in the heavenly  
glory of the ,son of man4   ,we have now
 closed the third section of the ,book  
of ,genesis2 and1 with it1 the scenes   
and circumstances of the life of        
,abraham4  ,in the midst of these       
fragments1 thus gathered and treasured  
up for us by the ,holy ,ghost1 we have  
seen faith getting its victories1       
knowing its rights and pleading its     

titles1 practising its generosity1      
enjoying its fellowships1 making its    
surrenders1 and obtaining its           
consolations and promises4 ,but we have 
seen also its intelligence1 and learnt  
it to be such a thing as walks in the   
light1 or according to the judgment1 of 
the mind of ,christ4  ,there is         
something very beautiful in such a sight
 as this4 ,we do not commonly witness   
this fine combination--the intelligence 
of faith1 and the moral power of faith4 
,in some saints1 there is the earnest1  
urgent power of faith1 which goes on    
right truthfully and honestly1 but with 
many a mistake as to the dispensational 
wisdom of ,god4 ,in others1 there is a  
mind nicely taught1 endowed with much   
priestly1 spiritual skill1 in following 
the wisdom of ,god in ages and          
dispensations1 but with lack of power in
 all that service which a simpler and   
more earnest faith would be constantly  
pursuing4 ,but in ,abraham we see these 
things combined4  ,in our walk with     

,god1 the light of the knowledge of ,his
 mind should be seen1 as well as our    
hearts be ever found open to ,his       
presence and joy1 and our consciences   
alive to ,his claims and ,his will4 ,the
 life of faith is a very incomplete     
thing1 if we know not1 as ,abraham knew1
 the times as signified of ,god1 when to
 fight1 as it were1 and when to be      
still2 when to be silent under the      
wrongs of an ,abimelech1 and when to    
resent them2 when to raise the altar of 
a sojourning stranger1 and when to call 
on the name of the everlasting ,god4 ,in
 other words1 we ought to know what the 
,lord is about1 according to ,his own   
eternal purpose1 and what ,he is leading
 onward to its consummation1 in ,his    
varied and fruitful wisdom4  ,such is   
the nature of all obedience2 for the    
conduct of the saint is ever to be      
according to the dispensed wisdom of    
,god at the time1 or in the given age4  
,but1 let me add1 the highest point of  
moral dignity in ,abraham was this3 that

 he was a stranger in the earth4  ,this1
 ,i may say1 outshines all4 ,it was this
 that made ,god not ashamed to be called
 his ,god4 ,god can morally own the soul
 that advisedly refuses citizenship in  
this revolted1 corrupted world4  ,this  
was the highest point in moral dignity  
in ,abraham4  ,god loveth the stranger4 
,deut4 x4 #ah4 ,he loves the poor1      
unfriended stranger1 with the love of   
pity and of grace1 and provides for him4
 ,but with the separated stranger1 who  
has turned his back on this polluted    
scene1 ,god links ,his name and ,his    
honour1 and morally owns such without   
shame4 ,heb4 xi4 #ac-af4  ,how finely he
 started on his journey at the          
beginning6 ,the ,lord and ,his promises 
were all he had4 ,he left1 as we have   
seen1 his natural home behind him1 but  
he did not expect to find another home  
in the place he was going to4 ,he knew  
that he was to be a stranger and        
sojourner with ,god in the earth4       
,mesopotamia was left1 but ,canaan was  

not taken up in the stead of it4        
,accordingly1 from all the people there1
 he was a separated man all his days1 or
 during his sojourn among them of about 
one hundred years4 ,canaan was the world
 to that heavenly man1 and he had as    
little to do with it or to say to it as 
he might1 though all the while in it4   
,when circumstances demanded it1 or as  
far as business involved him1 he dealt  
with it4 ,he would traffic with the     
people of the land1 if need were 7to be 
sure he would71 but his sympathies were 
not with them4 ,he needed a             
burying-place1 and he purchased it of   
the children of ,heth4 ,he would not    
think of hesitating to treat with them  
about a necessary matter of bargain and 
sale2 but he would rather buy than      
receive4 ,he was loth to be debtor to   
them1 or to be enriched by them--nor    
were they his companions4 ,this we      
observe throughout4 ,if ,aner1 ,eshcol1 
and ,mamre--it may be morally attracted 
by what they saw in him--seek           

confederacy with him1 he will not refuse
 their alliance on a given occasion of  
the common interest1 when such interest 
the ,god who had called him would       
sanction or commend4 ,but still the     
,canaanites were not his company4 ,his  
wife was his company1 his household1 his
 flocks and his herds1 and his          
fellow-saint1 ,lot1 his brother's son1  
who had come out of ,mesopotamia with   
him--as long1 at least1 as such an one  
walked as a separated man in ,canaan4   
,but even he1 when undistinguished from 
the people of the land1 is a stranger to
 him as well and as fully as they4      
,all this has surely a voice in our     
ears4 ,angels were ,abraham's company at
 times1 and so the ,lord of angels--and 
at all times1 his altar and his tent    
were with him1 and the mysteries or     
truths of ,god1 as they were made known 
to him4 ,but the people of the land1 the
 men of the world1 did not acquire his  
tastes or sympathies1 or share his      
confidence4 ,he was among them but not  

of them--and rather would he have had   
his house unbuilt1 and ,isaac be without
 a wife1 than that such wife should be a
 daughter of ,canaan4  ,to some of us1  
beloved1 this breaking up of natural    
things is terrible4 ,but if ,jesus were 
loved more1 all this would be the easier
 reckoned on4 ,if ,his value for us     
within the veil were more pondered in   
our hearts and treasured up there1 we   
should go to ,him without the camp with 
firmer1 surer step4 ,i have learnt1 said
 one of the martyrs1 that there is no   
freedom like that of the heart that has 
given up all for ,christ--no wisdom like
 that learnt at ,his feet--no poetry    
like the calm foreseeing of the glory   
that shall be4   ,of our ,abraham and   
his companions in this life of faith1   
confessing that they were strangers and 
pilgrims on the earth1 it is written1   
,they that say such things declare      
plainly that they seek a country--and   
truly if they had been mindful of that  
from whence they came out1 they might   

have had opportunity to have returned1  
but now they desire a better country1   
that is1 an heavenly1 wherefore ,god is 
not ashamed to be called their ,god1 for
 ,he hath prepared for them a city4     
,beloved1 we are called to be these     
strangers--strangers such as ,god can   
thus morally own4 ,if the world were not
 ,abraham's object1 we ought to feel1   
even on higher sanctions1 that it cannot
 be ours4 ,the call of the ,god of glory
 made ,abraham a stranger here--the     
cross of ,christ1 in addition to that1  
may still more make us strangers4 ,as we
 sometimes sing--        ,before ,his   
cross we now are left1       ,as        
strangers in the land4   ,ye are dead1  
says the apostle1 and your life is hid  
with ,christ in ,god4 ,that is          
strangership of the highest order--the  
strangership of the ,son of ,god        
,himself4 ,the world knoweth us not1    
because it knew ,him not4  ,in the      
strength of this strangership in the    
world1 may we have grace to abstain from

 fleshly lusts which war against the    
soul6 and in the strength of our        
conscious citizenship in heaven may we  
look for the ,saviour1 the ,lord ,jesus 
,christ3 who shall change our vile body1
 that it may be fashioned like unto ,his
 glorious body1 according to the working
 whereby ,he is able even to subdue all 
things unto ,himself4                   
,,isaac4                                
,,genesis ,,xxv4-,,xxvii4   ,in the     
former papers1 entitled ,enoch1 ,noah1  
and ,abraham1 ,i have followed the      
course of the ,book of ,genesis1 down to
 the end of chapter xxiv4 ,i now propose
 to take it up from thence1 and follow  
it on through chapters xxv4-xxvii42     
,isaac1 after ,abraham1 being the       
principal person there4  ,there is1     
however1 but little in his history1 and 
little in his character4 ,in some       
respects this is no matter2 for1 whether
 much or little1 his name is in the     
recollection of us all who have learnt  
the ways of the ,god of grace1 the ,god 

of ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 which  
is ,his name for ever1 ,his memorial    
unto all generations4 ,exod4 iii4       
,isaac was a stranger in the earth1 a   
heavenly stranger1 as his father had    
been1 and we see him with his tent and  
his altar1 as we saw ,abraham2 and we   
hear the ,lord giving him the promises1 
as ,he had given them to ,abraham4  ,by 
faith ,abraham sojourned in the land of 
promise1 as in a strange country1       
dwelling in tabernacles with ,isaac and 
,jacob1 the heirs with him of the same  
promise4  ,this tent-life of the        
patriarchs had a great character in it4 
,hebrews xi4 #i1 #aj teaches us this4   
,it tells us that the fathers were      
content to live upon the surface of this
 world4 ,a tent has no foundations4 ,it 
is pitched or struck at a moment's      
warning4 ,and such a slight and passing 
connection with this earth1 and life    
upon it1 these patriarchs were satisfied
 to have and seek only4 ,they did not   
look for a city or for foundations1 till

 ,god became a ,builder4 ,till ,his     
building was manifested they were       
sojourners here1 just crossing the      
plain1 or surface of the earth1 without 
striking their roots into it4  ,this is 
the voice that is heard from the tents  
of these pilgrim-fathers4 ,and as their 
tents bespoke this heavenly             
strangership1 their altars bespoke their
 worship1 their true worship2 for they  
raised their altar to ,him who had      
appeared to them4 ,they did not affect  
to find out ,god by their wisdom1 and   
then worship ,him in the light and      
dictate of their own thoughts4 ,they did
 not1 thus1 in the common folly1 profess
 themselves to be wise2 but they knew   
,god and worshipped ,god only according 
to ,his revelation of ,himself4         
,therefore it was not an altar to the   
unknown ,god at which they served2 but  
they served or worshipped in truth4 ,and
 in its generation the patriarchal altar
 was1 in this way1 as beautiful as the  
patriarchal tent4 ,the latter put them  

into due relationship to the world      
around them1 the former to the ,lord    
,god of heaven and earth who was above  
them4  ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob were
 alike in all this4 ,there was1         
therefore1 no new dispensational secret1
 no fresh purpose of the divine         
counsels1 revealed in ,isaac1 as there  
had been in ,abraham4#af ,this is so4   
,but still1 though there was no new     
dispensational scene unfolded1 there was
 a further unfolding of the glories that
 attach to the dispensation or calling  
which had been already made known in    
,abraham4 ,and a very important one     
too--such as1 if we had divine          
affections1 we should deeply prize4 ,i  
mean this3 ,the heavenly calling or     
strangership on earth was the common    
thing2 but characteristically1 election 
was illustrated in ,abraham1 and sonship
 or adoption in ,isaac4   #af ,see the  
paper on ,enoch1 pp4 #cb-cg1 where      
certain dispensational       purposes of
 ,god1 in their differences1 are        

considered4  ,god called ,abraham from  
the world1 from kindred1 country1 and   
father's house1 separating him to       
,himself and to ,his promises4 ,but     
,isaac was already as one chosen and    
called and sanctified1 while in the     
house of his father4 ,he was at home    
from his birth1 and he was there with   
,god1 having been born according to     
promise1 and through an energy that     
quickened the dead2 and in all these    
things he represented sonship1 as       
,abraham had represented election4 ,in  
,isaac we see that family that is born  
not of blood1 nor of the will of the    
flesh1 nor of the will of man1 but of   
,god1 and who stand in liberty2 as the  
apostle says1 ,now we1 brethren1 as     
,isaac was1 are the children of promise4
 ,we are ,abraham's seed1 so many       
,isaacs1 children of the freewoman1 or  
in the adoption1 if we be ,christ's4    
,now this mystery of sonship or adoption
 represented in ,isaac1 as the mystery  
of election had been made known in      

,abraham1 is in divine order4 ,for the  
election of ,god is unto adoption1 as we
 read1 ,having predestinated us unto the
 adoption of children by ,jesus ,christ 
unto ,himself2 and this being so1 this  
high1 personal prerogative being        
represented in ,isaac1 in the course of 
his history we get the mystery of the   
son of the freewoman very blessedly1    
largely exhibited4  ,for we get both the
 birth and the weaning4 ,and each of    
these events was the occasion of joy in 
the house of the father4 ,the child born
 was called laughter1 the child weaned  
was celebrated by a feast4  ,wondrous   
and gracious secrets these are4 ,it is  
the father's joy to have children1 it is
 his further joy that his children      
should know themselves to be children4  
,this was the birth and the weaning of  
,isaac in the ,book of ,genesis4 ,and   
all this1 after so long a time1 is      
revived in the ,epistle to the          
,galatians4 ,for what was represented in
 ,isaac is realized in us through the   

,spirit4 ,in that epistle we learn that 
we are children by faith in ,christ     
,jesus4 ,and there we learn also that1  
being children1 we receive the spirit of
 children4 ,we are weaned as well as    
born4 ,paul travailed in birth for them 
again1 as he says3 ,my little children1 
of whom ,i travail in birth again until 
,christ be formed in you4 ,the ,christ  
of this passage is ,christ the ,son2 and
 ,paul longed and laboured that they    
might be brought into the ,isaac-state1 
the liberty of conscious adoption4 ,they
 were under temptation to feed again    
upon the ordinances which gendered      
bondage1 and which the tutors and       
governors of an earlier dispensation had
 enjoined4 ,but opposed to this1 the    
apostle would draw them again into      
liberty1 as he himself had proved the   
virtue of it in his own soul4 ,it had   
pleased ,god1 as he says1 to reveal the 
,son in him4 ,the life he lived in the  
flesh he lived by the faith of the ,son1
 who loved him4 ,he could1 therefore1 go

 down to ,arabia1 where he had no flesh 
and blood to confer with1 no ,jerusalem 
or city of solemnities1 no apostles or  
ordinances1 no priesthood after a carnal
 order1 no worldly sanctuary1 to        
countenance1 to seal1 or to perfect him4
 ,he did not want what any or all could 
give him1 for he had the ,son revealed  
in him4 ,he was a weaned ,isaac2 and he 
would fain have the ,galatians to be    
such likewise2 and to hear the word     
which of old had been heard in the house
 of ,abraham over ,isaac1 ,cast out the 
bondwoman and her son2 for the son of   
the bondwoman shall not be heir with the
 son of the freewoman4  ,all this is    
given us1 mystically1 in ,isaac1 the    
child of the freewoman1 whose birth     
caused laughter1 and whose weaning was  
celebrated with a feast4 ,and this      
mystery is1 we thus see1 largely and    
expressly revived and opened1 in its    
full character1 in the ,epistle to the  
,galatians4  ,it is not of glories only 
that we must be thinking1 when thinking 

of predestination4 ,god's purposes      
concerning us are still richer4 ,we are 
predestinated to a state of gratified   
affections1 as well as to a place of    
displayed glories--to the adoption of   
children1 and to be before ,him in love1
 as well as to the inheritance of all   
things4 ,ephesians i4 ,and the ,spirit  
already given is as surely in us the    
power to cry1 ,abba1 ,father1 as ,he is 
the seal of the title of the coming     
redemption4  ,we are apt to forget this4
 ,we think of calling and of            
predestination1 in connection with      
glory1 rather than in connection with   
love1 and relationship1 and home1 and a 
,father's house4  ,and yet it is        
relationship that will give even the    
inheritance or the glory its richest    
joy4 ,the youngest child in the family  
has another kind of enjoyment of the    
palace of the king1 than the highest    
estate and dignitary of his realm4 ,the 
child is there without state1 for its   
title is in relationship--the lords of  

the land may be there1 but they are     
there as at court1 by title of their    
dignity or office4 ,and the child's     
enjoyment of the palace is not only1 as 
,i said1 of another kind1 it is of a    
higher kind--it is personal and not     
official--the palace is a home to it1   
and not merely the court of royalty4    
,now it is the son1 the child at home1  
the child in the privileges of          
relationship1 that we get in ,isaac4 ,it
 is such an one that he represents--this
 is what ,isaac1 mystically1 is4 ,isaac 
was kept at home1 waited on by the      
household1 nourished and endowed2 and   
the wealth as well as the comfort of his
 father's house was his2 as we read1    
,and ,abraham gave all that he had unto 
,isaac4 ,but unto the sons of the       
concubines which ,abraham had1 ,abraham 
gave gifts1 and sent them away from     
,isaac his son1 while he yet lived1     
eastward1 unto the east country4        
,mystically looked at1 ,isaac is thus   
before us1 a son1 born of the free      

woman1 born of promise1 born of ,god1 as
 it is said1 ,i will come and ,sarah    
shall have a son4 ,isaac represents that
 adopted family who are made accepted in
 the ,beloved1 who have put on ,christ1 
who stand in ,his joy1 and breathe ,his 
spirit4  ,we have1 however1 to consider 
him morally as well as mystically2 that 
is1 in his character1 as well as in his 
person4 ,the elements1 however1 are but 
few4 ,there is but little history       
connected with him4 ,there are but few  
incidents in his life1 and but little   
disclosure of character4 ,and this is to
 our comfort4 ,at times we find among   
the elect of ,god very fine natural     
materials1 a noble bearing of soul1 or a
 delicate1 attractive form of human     
virtue2 and again1 at other times1      
either poor1 or even very bad1 human    
materials4 ,and this becomes a relief to
 our poor hearts4 ,because we find it   
7from a better acquaintance with        
ourselves than with others7 easy to own 
the poor and wretched materials that go 

to make up what we ourselves are2 and   
then it is our comfort 7comfort of a    
certain sort7 to find like samples of   
nature in others of ,god's people4      
,isaac was wanting in character4 ,he was
 neither of fine nor of bad natural     
materials4 ,there was much in him that1 
as we say1 was amiable1 and which1 after
 a human estimate1 would have been      
attractive4 ,but he was wanting in      
character4 ,the style of his education  
may go far to account for this4 ,he had 
been reared tenderly4 ,he had never been
 away from the side of his mother1 the  
child of whose old age he was--her only 
child2 and these habits had relaxed him1
 and kept a naturally amiable temper in 
its common softness4 ,quietness and     
retirement1 the temper that rather      
submits than resents1 and this allied to
 the relaxing indulgence of domestic1 if
 not animal1 life1 appear in him4 ,he   
was blameless1 we may quite assume1     
pious and strict in the observance of   
relative duties1 as a child and as a    

husband1 and would have engaged the     
good-will and good wishes of his        
neighbours2 but he was wanting in that  
energy which would have made him a      
witness among them1 at least1 beyond the
 separation which attended his          
circumcision1 his altar1 and his tent4  
,and such a life is always a poor one4  
,to his tent and his altar he was true1 
to a common measure2 but he pitched the 
one and raised the other with too feeble
 a hand4  ,isaac was forty years old    
when he received ,rebecca to wife4 ,for 
twenty years they were childless2 but   
under this trial they behaved themselves
 even better than ,abraham and ,sarah   
had done4 ,abraham and ,sarah had no    
child1 and ,sarah gave her bondmaid to  
her husband4 ,isaac and ,rebecca had no 
child2 but they entreated the ,lord1 and
 waited for ,his mercy4 ,this was a     
difference1 and for a moment1 the last  
are first1 and the first are last2 and  
such moral variety do we find among the 
people of ,god to this day4 ,but the two

 sets of children suggest different     
divine mysteries1 as the way of the     
parents of each thus afford different   
moral teaching4  ,there were the two    
sons of ,abraham--,isaac and ,ishmael2  
but they were by two wives3 there are   
now the two sons of ,isaac--,jacob and  
,esau2 but they are by the same wife4   
,the enmity between the sons of ,abraham
 began when ,ishmael1 a lad of fourteen 
years of age1 mocked the weaned ,isaac4 
,but the struggle between the sons of   
,isaac was in the womb4 ,two nations    
were there1 as the ,lord had told       
,rebecca1 ,two manner of people shall be
 separated from thy bowels4 ,and so it  
came to pass4 ,the man of ,god was found
 in ,jacob1 the man of the world in     
,esau2 the principle of faith was in the
 one1 the principle of nature in the    
other4 ,two manner of people were indeed
 separated from her bowels1 and had     
struggled in her womb4 ,the friendship  
of the world is enmity against ,god4    
,and this was ,esau4 ,accordingly1 ,esau

 made the earth the scene of his        
energies1 of his enjoyments1 and of his 
expectations4 ,he was a man of the      
field1 and a cunning hunter4 ,he        
prospered in his generation4 ,he loved  
the field1 and he knew how to use the   
field4 ,he set his heart on the present 
life1 and knew how to turn its          
capabilities to the account of his      
enjoyments4 ,his sons quickly became    
dukes1 nay kings1 and had their cities2 
as ,ishmael's children had become       
princes1 and had their castles4 ,their  
dignity and their greatness proceeded   
from themselves2 and the world witnessed
 them in their magnificence4  ,but      
,jacob was a plain man1 a man of the    
tent4 ,he took after his fathers4 ,like 
,abraham and ,isaac1 he was a stranger  
here1 sojourning as on the surface of   
the earth for a season1 with his eye    
upon the promise4 ,his children--while  
,esau's were dukes1 settled in their    
domains1 in the sunshine of their       
dignities and wealth--had to wander from

 one nation to another people1 to suffer
 the hardships and wrongs of injurious  
,egypt1 or to traverse1 as pilgrims1 the
 trackless1 wasted desert4  ,esau was   
the profane one4 ,his hope and his heart
 were linked with life in this world1   
and with that only2 for he would say1 ,i
 am at the point to die1 and what profit
 shall this birthright do to me8 ,like  
the ,gadarenes1 and like ,judas1 ,esau  
would sell his title to ,christ4 ,but   
,jacob had faith1 and was ready to buy  
what ,esau was ready to sell4  ,two     
manner of people were1 after this       
manner1 separated from ,rebecca's       
bowels1 as all this tells us4 ,they are 
no sooner brought forth than this is    
seen2 and their earliest habits1 their  
first activities1 are characteristic4   
,it was not merely the bondwoman and the
 free1 or the children of the two       
covenants1 as ,ishmael and ,isaac had   
been2 in ,esau and ,jacob we get a      
fuller expression of the same natures2  
the one1 that reprobate thing1 had from 

,adam1 profane or worldly1 which takes a
 portion in the earth and not in ,god2  
the other1 that divine thing1 had from  
,christ1 which is believing1 hopeful1   
looking to ,god's provisions1 and       
waiting for the kingdom4  ,all this     
survives to the present day1 and        
flourishes abundantly in different      
samples in the midst of us1 or around   
us4 ,i might say the ,cain1 the ,nimrod1
 the ,ishmael1 and the ,esau are still  
abroad on the earth1 and these tales and
 illustrations have their lessons for   
our souls4 ,they are wonderful in their 
simplicity2 but they are too deep for   
the wisdom of the world1 and too pure   
for the love of it4  ,these things ,i   
have gathered for the sake of the moral 
and the mystery which so abound in them4
 ,but my immediate business is with     
,isaac4   ,isaac1 as ,i have already    
noticed1 was brought up in his mother's 
tent4 ,he was1 as ,i may say1 rather the
 child of his mother than of his        
father--the common case of all of us in 

our earliest days4 ,but with ,isaac1    
this was so till his mother died2 and   
then he must have been much beyond      
thirty years of age4  ,he knew more of  
,sarah's tent1 than of the busier haunts
 and occupations of men4 ,her tent had  
been his teacher1 as well as his nurse1 
and this education left impressions on  
his character which were never effaced4 
,we have a passing or incidental1 but   
still1 a very sure1 witness of the      
strength of maternal influence over him1
 in chap4 xxiv4 #fg4 ,and ,isaac brought
 her ,rebecca into his mother's tent1   
and ,isaac was comforted after his      
mother's death4  ,this strongly         
intimates the tendencies of his early   
life4 ,and thus was character formed in 
him4 ,he was the easy1 gentle1          
unresisting ,isaac1 pious1 as we speak1 
and1 as ,i have said of him1 blameless  
and amicable4  ,but with all this1 and  
while this ,i doubt not is surely so1 ,i
 ask1 ,was it merely nature or character
 that bore him unresistingly along the  

road to ,mount ,moriah8 ,see chap4 xxii4
 ,was it merely filial piety which then 
disposed him to be bound as a lamb for  
the slaughter1 without opening his      
mouth8 ,can we assume this8 ,was this   
the force of character merely8 ,i say   
not so4 ,this was too much for human    
gentleness and submission1 even such as 
might have been found in an ,isaac1 or  
in a ,jephthah's daughter4 ,i must      
rather say1 the hand of the ,lord was   
over him on that occasion1 just as1 long
 afterwards1 it was over the owner of   
the ass that was needed to bear the     
,king on to the city1 and then over the 
multitude that accompanied and hailed   
,him on the road2 or1 as it was over the
 man bearing the pitcher of water1 who  
prepared the guest-chamber for the last 
passover4 ,on these occasions1 the hand 
of the ,lord was strong to force the    
material to comply1 and take the        
impression of the moment4 ,as also in   
the earlier days of ,samuel1 when the   
kine carried the ark of ,god right on   

the way homeward1 though nature resisted
 it1 their young being left behind them4
 ,for the divine power was upon the kine
 then4 ,and ,isaac1 in like manner1 was 
under divine power1 under the hand of   
,god1 on this occasion2 willingly1 ,i   
fully grant1 but made willing as in a   
day of power2 for he was to be the type 
or foreshadowing of a greater than he4  
,the seal was in a strong hand1 and the 
impression must be taken1 clear1 deep1  
and legible4 ,lo1 ,i come to do thy     
will1 ,o ,god1 is the writing on the    
seal4 ,as a lamb before her shearers is 
dumb1 so he openeth not his mouth4      
,that was a great moment in the life of 
,isaac1 an occasion of great meaning4   
,so in his acceptance of ,rebecca4 ,see 
chap4 xxiv4 ,in his taking a wife1 not  
of all whom he chose1 but of his        
father's providing1 we may trace the    
same strong hand over him4 ,there might 
easily have been more of human          
submissiveness and filial piety in this1
 than in the case of the sacrifice on   

,mount ,moriah1 we may surely allow2 but
 still this was a sealing time as well  
as the other4 ,this marriage was a type 
or mystery1 as well as that sacrifice4  
,the wife brought home to the son and   
heir of the father1 by the servant who  
was in the full confidence and secret of
 the father1 this was a mystery2 and the
 material must comply again1 and take   
the impression from the hand that was   
using it4 ,the potter was making vessels
 for the use of the household1 and the  
clay must yield4 ,the prophet's         
children1 ages afterwards1 had names    
given them1 as the ,lord pleased1 and   
the prophet had to say of them1 ,behold1
 ,i and the children whom the ,lord hath
 given me are for signs and for wonders4
 ,isa4 viii4 ,and so1 ,isaac and        
,rebecca1 in the day and circumstances  
of their marriage1 were a type1 for a   
sign and a wonder4 ,this was their chief
 dignity2 they tell the mysteries of    
,god4 ,they are parables as well as     
mysteries4 ,they were events set in time

 or in the progress of the earth's      
history1 as the sun and moon and stars  
are set in the heavens1 for signs4 ,each
 of them has a writing on it under the  
hand of ,god4 ,i will engrave the       
graving thereof1 saith the ,lord of     
hosts2 for on these events ,he has      
impressed the image of some of ,his     
everlasting counsels4  ,but though this 
gentle and submissive nature that was in
 our ,isaac was not equal to such       
sacrifices and surrenders as these1 yet 
gentle1 submissive nature is the quality
 which gives him his character4 ,at     
times it acts amiably and attractively2 
at times it sadly betrays him4 ,but at  
all times1 under all circumstances1 amid
 the few incidents that are recorded of 
him1 it is the easy1 gentle1 yielding   
,isaac that we see4 ,and the presence of
 one and the same virtue on every       
occasion is1 ,i need not say1 but poor  
in point of character4 ,it is           
combination that bespeaks character and 
divine workmanship4 ,the kingdom of ,god

 is righteousness and peace and joy in  
the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is firm as well as
 gracious and joyous4 ,and this is moral
 glory2 as many coloured rays give us   
the one unsullied result in the light we
 enjoy and admire4 ,but this does not   
shine in ,isaac4 ,in none1 surely1 in   
its full beauty1 save in ,him in whom   
all glories1 in their different         
generations1 meet and shine4  ,jeremiah1
 ,i might here take liberty to say1     
appears to me to have been a man of one 
passion1 as ,isaac was a man of one     
virtue4 ,i mean1 of course1             
characteristically as to each of them1  
,isaac and ,jeremiah4 ,a godly passion  
indeed it was1 grief over the moral     
wastes of ,zion1 which characterized    
,jeremiah4 ,but being thus his one      
affection1 the passion or sentiment1    
which1 after this manner1 possessed his 
soul1 it makes him generally very       
engaging and attractive to the heart2   
but at times it allies his spirit with  
that which defiles him4 ,he is angry    

with the people who were stirring the   
sorrows of his heart4 ,and he murmurs   
against ,god ,himself4 ,i speak1 of     
course1 of ,jeremiah's character1 as we 
get it exhibited in his ministry4 ,i    
know1 surely1 in that ministry1 looked  
at in itself1 he was the prophet of ,god
 and delivered the inspirations of the  
,holy ,ghost4 ,but as a man ,i speak of 
him2 as a man1 he was a man of one      
passion2 as ,i have said of ,isaac that 
he was a man of one virtue4 ,but it is  
those in whom there is assemblage of    
virtues1 that tell us more assuredly of 
divine workmanship1 of trees planted by 
the rivers of waters1 that bring forth  
fruit in season4 ,psalm i4 ,for it is   
this seasonableness that is the real    
beauty4 ,everything is beautiful in its 
season1 and only then4 ,gentleness loses
 its beauty1 when zeal and indignation  
are called for4 ,the first ,psalm is too
 high a description for a man of one    
virtue2 it implies character1 and       
decision1 and individuality2 it shows a 

soul drawing its virtue from ,god4 ,he  
shall be like a tree planted by the     
rivers of water1 that bringeth forth its
 fruit in its season2 his leaf also     
shall not wither2 and whatsoever he     
doeth shall prosper4 ,this is of divine 
husbandry2 but such we do not see in our
 ,isaac4 ,in his measure1 and certainly 
in contrast with ,isaac1 this           
combination or assemblage of virtues1 of
 which ,i have already spoken1 appears  
in ,abraham2 and this difference in the 
two may be seen in their acting under   
similar circumstances4 ,abraham in chap4
 xxi4 and ,isaac in this chapter        
xxvi4#ag   #ag ,as to the common sin of 
,abraham and ,isaac touching the denial 
of       their wives1 calling them their
 sisters1 see ,abraham1 p4 #abb4  ,isaac
 had been very badly treated by the     
,philistines4 ,one well after another of
 his own digging was violently taken    
away from him1 as the wells which his   
father had dug had been filled up4 ,he  
had yielded to this wrong with a gentle1

 gracious spirit1 in a spirit that well 
became one of ,god's strangers and      
pilgrims here1 who look for citizenship 
in another world4 ,he went from place to
 place1 as the ,philistines again and   
again strove with him and urged him4    
,this was according to the mind which   
marks him1 as we said1 in every incident
 of his life4 ,suffering1 he threatens  
not--doing well and suffering for it1 he
 takes it patiently2 and this we know is
 acceptable with ,god4 #a ,peter ii4    
#bj4 ,and so ,god here attests this2 for
 ,he owns ,his servant in this thing1   
and comes to him by night as ,he had    
comforted ,abraham4 ,but when1 in       
season1 the ,philistines are brought to 
a better mind1 and ,abimelech the king1 
with his friend ,ahuzzath1 and ,phichol 
his chief captain1 seek ,isaac and      
alliance with him1 ,i ask1 ,does not his
 character1 in its way1 betray him8  ,of
 course it was right in ,isaac to       
receive them1 and plight them his       
friendship1 and to exchange the good    

offices and pledges and securities of   
neighbourliness which they sought4 ,for 
we ought to forgive1 if it be seventy   
times seven a day4 ,but with that there 
is to be faithfulness in its            
season--faithfulness as well as         
forgiveness4 ,if thy brother trespass   
against thee1 rebuke him2 and if he     
repent1 forgive him4 ,but ,isaac was not
 quite up to this sturdier virtue4 ,he  
complains to ,abimelech1 but it is in   
such soft and easy terms1 that it seems 
to carry no authority to the conscience 
with it4 ,not so his entering into      
covenant with him4 ,he strikes hands    
readily1 and1 ,i may say1 heartily4 ,he 
makes a feast for the king of ,gerar1   
and sends him away as his ally1 without 
his being brought to any acknowledgment 
of the wrong which his people had done  
to the man whose friendship he was now  
seeking and getting4 ,nor is there on   
the lips of ,isaac any gainsaying of    
,abimelech's assertion1 that he had done
 nothing but good to ,isaac all the time

 he had been in his country4 ,as far as 
this intercourse went1 and as far as we 
can discover the mind of the king of    
,gerar1 he was not convicted by ,isaac1 
but returned home with his friends at   
peace with himself as well as with      
,isaac4 ,isaac had not made good to     
,abimelech's conscience the complaint he
 had made to his ear--there was want of 
character and force in it--it partook of
 ,isaac's own nature4  ,this was but    
poor virtue in ,isaac4 ,it is but poor  
virtue in ourselves1 when it            
appears--and some of us have to treat it
 as such1 and confess it as such1 at    
times4 ,it is agreeable in a certain    
form of amiable human nature2 but it is 
not service to ,god4 ,we are humbled by 
reason of that in our own ways4 ,it is  
poor1 and our ,isaac here gives us1 in  
measure at least1 a sample of this4  ,it
 was1 however1 otherwise with ,abraham4 
,the king of ,gerar had sought ,abraham 
in his day1 and sought him for a like   
reason1 and with a like desire4 ,abraham

 meets him in as noble a spirit of      
forgiveness as ,isaac would have done1  
with an equal readiness of heart and    
hand to accept him1 and to pledge him4  
,but with all this1 he rebukes him and  
makes him feel the rebukes4 ,abraham    
reproved ,abimelech1 as we read1 but as 
we do not read in the case of ,isaac4   
,abraham will not send him away         
satisfied with himself1 as ,isaac did1  
with an unanswered boast in his mouth of
 his and his people's virtues4 ,he will 
assure him1 as fully as ,isaac could    
have done1 of his full forgiveness and  
reconciliation2 but he will not hide it 
from him1 that his conscience may have a
 question with him1 though his neighbour
 may accept him and pardon him2 that    
there are matters 7as between him and   
the ,lord7 which ,abraham's feast and   
,abraham's friendship could never       
settle4  ,this was real1 real before    
,god1 where reality1 beloved1 ever puts 
us4 ,may we know that secret better1 and
 be upright before ,him6 ,this was      

beautiful--and by this ,abraham was     
blessing ,abimelech1 and not merely     
gratifying him4 ,but this was not so    
with ,isaac2 and we may leave him on    
this occasion1 in chap4 xxvi41 with     
something of this inquiry in our hearts1
 ,was it mere nature1 or the renewed    
mind in the saint1 that acted thus8--a  
question which still occurs4  ,isaac was
 an elect one1 as surely as ,abraham2 a 
stranger with ,god in the earth2 one who
 used his altar as well as carried it4  
,he was meditating in the field when he 
got his ,rebecca1 and he had prayed for 
the mercy1 when ,esau and ,jacob were   
given to him4 ,we speak of character in 
him only1 when we thus contrast him with
 another4 ,we speak of the living1      
practical ways of a saint2 and we see in
 him what was below a witness for ,god  
abroad1 though amiable and devout at    
home4 ,this is found in ,isaac2 and     
kindred things are still found1 again ,i
 may say1 as many of us know to our     
humbling4 ,as one once said to me1      

,there is much that goes with others for
 being spiritual1 because it is done for
 the eye and taste of our               
fellow-,christians1 and not1 as in      
,god's presence1 with a single heart to 
,him4   ,this indeed is true2 and this  
searches our hearts to their profit4    
,such notices of our common ways may    
convict1 but they need by no means      
dishearten us4 ,quite otherwise2 they   
may be welcomed as for blessing4 ,the   
light that penetrates to scatter our    
darkness1 leaves itself behind to       
gladden us1 and has title to assert the 
place as all its own--so that we ought  
to be able1 in spirit1 to sing of       
present light and past darkness1 to know
 what we were1 and what we are1 and     
still to sing--        ,all that ,i was1
 my sin1 my guilt1         ,my death was
 all my own--       ,all that ,i am ,i  
owe to ,thee1         ,my gracious ,god1
 alone4        ,the evil of my former   
state         ,was mine and only mine-- 
,the good in which ,i now rejoice       

,is ,thine and only ,thine4        ,the 
darkness of my former state1            
,the bondage1 all was mine--       ,the 
light of life in which ,i walk1         
,the liberty is ,thine4   ,this is      
standing1 not attainment2 this is what  
faith entitles us to celebrate4 ,faith  
takes up this language1 and the soul    
surely hears it and understands it4 ,but
 faith is the spring1 in the inworking  
power of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,as in ,heb4 
xi41 from beginning to end1 it is faith 
that is celebrated4 ,enoch1 and ,moses1 
and ,david1 and the prophets1 and the   
martyrs of other days1 may be presented 
there in their fruits and victories1 but
 it is faith1 and not the people of     
,god1 that the ,spirit by the apostle is
 celebrating in that fine chapter4      
,but ,i must return to ,isaac4  ,at the 
close of chapter xxvi4 we read3 ,and    
,esau was forty years old when he took  
to wife ,judith the daughter of ,beeri  
the ,hittite1 and ,bashemath the        
daughter of ,elon the ,hittite3 which   

were a grief of mind to ,isaac and to   
,rebekah4  ,this has much for us in the 
way of admonition2 but to use it aright1
 ,i must look to things connected with  
it1 or like it1 in the earlier history  
of ,abraham1 and then in the future     
histories of ,jacob and his son ,judah4 
,the command to the nation of ,israel at
 the very beginning was to keep the way 
of the ,lord very particularly as to    
marriage4 ,they were by no means either 
to give their daughters to the sons of  
the ,canaanites1 or take the            
,canaanites' daughters for their sons4  
,deut4 vii4 #c4 ,if they did so1 it     
would be on the pain of being no longer 
owned of the ,lord4 ,josh4 xxiii4       
,according to this1 the apostate days of
 ,solomon are marked by disobedience to 
this very thing 7#a ,kings xi472 and    
afterwards1 no real recovery to ,god    
could be admitted1 without a return to  
the observance of this principle in     
their marriages4 ,ezra x42 ,neh4 x4     
,obedience1 therefore1 in this thing was

 a peculiar test of the state of the    
nation4 ,and it is thus that ,i look at 
it in this earliest book of ,genesis4   
,for though divine law was not then     
published1 divine principles were then  
understood4 ,it may be regarded as the  
witness of the state of family religion 
then1 as it was of the state of national
 religion afterwards4  ,abraham1 in this
 matter1 eminently keeps the way of the 
,lord2 and so ,eliezer1 one of his      
household2 and so our ,isaac1 one of his
 children4 ,for ,abraham sends a special
 embassy into a distant land1 in order  
to get a wife in the ,lord for his      
son--,eliezer goes on that embassy with 
a ready mind--and ,isaac in patience    
waits for the fruit of it1 not seeking  
any alliance with the nearer people2    
and1 though sad and solitary1 keeps     
himself for the ,lord's appointed       
helpmeet4 ,like ,adam1 he waited for a  
helpmeet from the ,lord's own hand1     
though it cost him patience and sore    
solitude4 ,this his meditation in the   

field at eventide shows4 ,he endured4   
,he might have got a daughter of        
,canaan2 but he endured4 ,he will rather
 suffer the sickening of his heart from 
the deferring of his hope1 than not     
marry in the ,lord1 or take him a wife  
of any that he may choose4 ,and all this
 was very beautiful in this first       
generation of this elect family4 ,the   
father1 the servant1 and the child1 each
 in his way1 witnesses how ,abraham had 
ordered his house according to ,god1    
teaching his children and his household 
the way of the ,lord4 ,see chap4 xviii4 
#ai4  ,but we notice a course of sad    
decline and departure from all this4    
,isaac1 in his turn and generation1     
becomes the head of the family4 ,but he 
is grievously careless in this matter1  
compared with his father2 as this       
scripture1 the close of chapter xxvi41  
shows us4 ,he does not watch over his   
children's ways1 to anticipate mischief1
 as ,abraham had done4 ,esau his son    
marries a daughter of the ,hittites4    

,isaac and ,rebecca are grieved at this1
 it is true2 for they had righteous     
souls which knew how to be vexed with   
this2 but then1 it was their            
carelessness which had brought this     
vexation upon them4  ,this we cannot say
 was beautiful4 ,but still there was a  
happy symptom in it4 ,there was a       
righteous soul to be vexed1 a mind      
sensitive of defilement4 ,and this was  
well4 ,jacob1 however1 declines still   
further4 ,he neither anticipates the    
mischief1 like ,abraham1 nor does he1   
like ,isaac1 grieve over it when it     
occurs4 ,but with an unconcerned heart1 
as far as the history tells us1 he      
allows his children to form what        
alliances they please1 and to take them 
wives of all whom they choose4  ,this is
 sad4 ,there is no joy for the heart    
here1 as in the obedience of ,abraham2  
there is no relief for the heart here1  
as in the sorrow of ,isaac and ,rebecca4
  ,but ,judah afterwards goes beyond    
even all this in a very fearful way4 ,he

 represents the fourth generation of    
this elect family4 ,but he not only does
 not anticipate mischief1 like ,abraham1
 in the ordering of his family1 nor     
grieve over mischief when brought into  
it1 like ,isaac1 nor is he simply       
indifferent about it1 whether it be     
brought in or not1 like ,jacob1 but he  
actually brings it in himself6 ,for he  
does nothing less than take a daughter  
of the ,canaanites to be the wife of his
 son ,er6  ,this exceeded4 ,this was    
sinning with a high hand4 ,and thus1 in 
all this1 in this history of the four   
generations of ,genesis-patriarchs1 we  
notice declension1 gradual but solemn   
declension1 till it reach complete      
apostasy from the way of the ,lord4     
,but if this be serious and sad1 as it  
really is1 is it not profitable and     
seasonable8 ,can we not readily own1    
that it is written for our learning8    
,how does it warn us of a tendency to   
decline from ,god's principles6 ,what   
took place in the same elect family1    

generation after generation1 may take   
place in the same elect person1 year    
after year4 ,the principles of ,god may 
be deserted by easy gradations4 ,they   
may first be relaxed1 then forgotten1   
then despised4 ,they may pass from a    
firm hand into an easy one1 from thence 
to an indifferent one1 and find         
themselves at last flung away by a      
rebellious one4 ,many have at first     
stood for ,god's principles in the face 
of difficulties and fascinations1 like  
,abraham--then1 merely grieved over the 
loss of them1 like ,isaac--then1 been   
careless about their loss or            
maintenance1 like ,jacob--and at last1  
with a high hand1 broken them1 like     
,judah4  ,this is suggested by the scene
 at the close of chap4 xxvi4 ,as we     
pursue the story of ,isaac after this1  
we shall find that his soft and pliant  
nature allies him not only with         
weaknesses1 but with defilement1 with   
some of the low indulgences of mere     
animal nature4 ,i mean in the closing   

action of his life1 his blessing of     
,esau and ,jacob4  ,this is a solemn    
scene indeed1 full of warning and       
admonition4  ,though ,isaac had been    
grieved1 as we have seen1 by the        
marriage of ,esau with a daughter of the
 ,hittites1 yet we learn immediately    
afterwards1 that it is this very same   
,esau that draws and holds the strongest
 affections of his father's heart1 to   
which that father would1 if he could1   
have sacrificed everything4 ,and this   
was very sad4 ,it reminds me of         
,jehoshaphat4 ,jehoshaphat had godly    
sensibilities1 but he was wanting in    
godly energies4 ,through vanity he sadly
 sinned2 first joining in affinity with 
,ahab1 king of ,israel1 and then with   
,ahab going to the battle4 ,but still1  
he had sensibilities that were spiritual
 and of divine workmanship4 ,for in the 
midst of the prophets of ,baal1 he was  
not at ease4 ,he had a witness within1  
that this would not do2 and he asked1   
,is there not here a prophet of the     

,lord beside1 that we might inquire of  
him8 ,but still1 and in spite of all    
this1 he went to ,ramoth-,gilead to     
battle1 and that1 too1 in alliance with 
that very ,ahab1 who had thus so        
painfully wounded the best affections of
 his soul1 and who1 under his own eye1  
and as they sat on the throne together1 
in the spirit of deep revolt from the   
,god of ,israel1 had consulted the      
prophets of ,baal4  ,this was strange1  
as well as terrible2 but this was that  
king ,jehoshaphat4 ,and just after the  
same manner1 our ,isaac on this occasion
 had his sensibilities1 but not his     
corresponding energies4 ,with a godly   
mind he grieved over ,esau's marriage   
with a daughter of ,heth2 and yet that  
very ,esau1 who thus wounded the witness
 within him1 was the one to attract and 
hold and order the fondest sympathies of
 his heart1 so as to hinder him from    
freeing himself to act for ,god4  ,it   
was not through vanity1 as it was in    
,jehoshaphat1 that ,isaac thus sadly and

 strangely failed--it was rather1 from  
the common pravity of his character1    
such as we have seen it to be1 a general
 relaxed moral tone of soul4 ,but       
whether it be through this or that1 he  
is ensnared1 ,i may say1 by an earlier  
,ahab1 though his soul had the sense of 
that ,ahab's apostasy4 ,he would help   
,esau to the blessing all he could1 as  
,jehoshaphat would help the king of     
,israel all he could to the victory at  
,ramoth-,gilead4  ,what sights are      
these6 what lessons and warnings6  ,but 
we must inspect this family scene1 this 
family circle in chap4 xxvii4 a little  
more closely4 ,there are others beside  
,isaac to be looked at4  ,abraham's     
servant in chap4 xxiv4 had brought two  
different things with him out of the    
house of his master1 when he visited the
 house of ,bethuel4 ,he brought a report
 of all that the ,lord had done for     
,abraham1 and gifts4  ,these different  
things become tests of that household in
 ,mesopotamia4 ,the report dealt with   

future and distant things1 and had ,god 
necessarily connected with it--the gifts
 might have been independent of ,him1   
and were a present gain4 ,rebecca was   
moved by the report4 ,she takes the     
jewels1 it is true2 but the tidings     
which the servant brought are chief with
 her4 ,the report of what awaited her   
among a distant people whom the ,lord   
had blessed had power to detach her4 ,it
 was not ,isaac merely1 or ,abraham's   
wealth merely4 ,her father had wealth1  
and she need not go far to promise      
herself a home and its enjoyments4 ,but 
the ,lord had blessed ,abraham1 and had 
now prospered the journey of his        
servant4 ,it was not a question with    
,rebecca whether she would take ,isaac  
and a share in ,abraham's wealth1 or    
remain poor and lonely4 ,the question   
was this--,would she take the portion   
the ,lord was now bringing her1 or that 
which her kindred and circumstances in  
the world had provided her8  ,and so it 
is with us1 beloved4 ,it is not a       

question between heaven and nothing1 but
 between heaven and the world1 between  
our taking the happiness which the ,lord
 in ,his promises1 or which human       
present circumstances1 have for us4 ,are
 we desirous of divine joy and of       
heavenly riches8 ,can we say to the     
,lord ,jesus1 ,thou shalt choose our    
inheritance for us8 ,is the distant     
land1 of which we have received a       
report1 our object8 ,this was ,rebecca2 
she could answer these questions4 ,we   
should wrong her if we judged that with 
her it was ,abraham's wealth and        
,isaac's hand or nothing4 ,it was not   
so4 ,as we said before1 and surely the  
story warrants it1 she had large        
expectations of every kind1 if she      
remained at home4 ,she need not take a  
long1 untried journey with a stranger   
and to a strange people4 ,but all became
 nothing to her1 when in faith she      
received the report4 ,she comes forth at
 the call of ,god4  ,rebecca was a      
genuine daughter of ,abraham4 ,abraham  

had crossed the desert at the call of   
the ,god of glory1 and ,rebecca now     
crosses the same desert at the report of
 what the ,god of glory had done for    
,abraham4 ,they had the like spirit of  
faith4 ,the stronger expression of it we
 may find in ,abraham1 but it was the   
like spirit of faith4 ,abraham had gone 
forth in the faith of an unattested     
call2 ,rebecca now goes forth on an     
accredited report4 ,there was no ,eshcol
 brought out of ,canaan to ,ur to       
embolden ,abraham to take the journey2  
but this is the fruit of it was said to 
,rebecca in the servants and camels and 
gold and jewels--a branch with a cluster
 rich and abundant indeed4 ,the report  
is now sealed to ,rebecca1 as it had not
 been to ,abraham4 ,abraham tried an    
untried path2 ,rebecca did but walk in  
the footsteps of the flock4 ,but they   
were on the same road1 and reached the  
same place4  ,this is simple and        
beautiful in ,rebecca1 and the way of   
faith to this hour4 ,but1 beloved1 there

 is more1 and that1 too1 of another     
kind4 ,rebecca's character had been     
already formed--as1 ,i may say1 it is   
with all of us1 before we are quickened 
of ,god4 ,the moment of ,his power      
arrives--we are made alive with divine  
life then--the separating call is also  
answered2 but it finds us of a certain  
character1 a certain shape and          
complexion of mind4 ,it finds us1 it may
 be1 ,cretans 7,titus i471 or brothers  
and sisters of ,laban1 or something that
 wears the strong stamp of a peculiar   
pravity of nature4 ,and then character  
and mind1 derived from nature or from   
family or from education and the like1  
we take with us after we have been born 
of the ,spirit1 and carry it in us      
across the desert from ,padan-aram to   
the house of ,abraham4  ,this is        
serious4 ,it is serious1 that with the  
quickening of the ,spirit1 nature or the
 force of early habits and education1 or
 of family character1 will cling to us  
still4 ,the ,cretans are always liars4  

,laban1 with whom ,rebecca had grown up1
 was a crafty1 knowing1 worldly man4 ,it
 is plain that1 on the occasion of      
,eliezer's visit1 he had been moved only
 by the gifts4 ,they made a ready way   
for ,abraham's servant2 as we read1 ,a  
man's gift maketh room for him4         
,proverbs xviii4 #af4 ,laban was        
evidently the stirring1 active1         
important one in his father ,bethuel's  
house4 ,he had a taste for occasions    
which called for management4 ,and all   
this is a very bad symptom4 ,it is a bad
 symptom when one carries the bag4 ,it  
is bad to find one prematurely managing 
and clever1 or1 at any period1 fond of  
occasions where skill of that kind is to
 be exercised1 having an aptness in     
conducting either state affairs or      
family interests4 ,and just such an one 
was ,laban2 and ,laban was the brother  
of ,rebecca2 and ,rebecca had passed all
 her life1 till her marriage1 with him2 
and the family character1 in this only  
great action in which she is called to  

take a part1 sadly betrays itself4  ,if 
,abraham and ,sarah had brought the     
foul1 unclean compact between them1 as  
they left their father's house to walk  
with ,god1 so did ,rebecca bring this   
family character1 this ,laban-leaven1   
with her4 ,we have nature in its pravity
 with us after our conversion2 and we   
have our own fleshly characteristics    
also1 as well as the common pravity of  
nature4 ,and we have to rebuke them     
sharply1 that we may be sound1 that is1 
morally healthful1 in the faith4 ,tit4  
i4 #ac4 ,and this lesson is afresh      
pressed upon us1 from the story of this 
distinguished woman in this chapter4    
,but there is more of the same kind4    
,jacob1 as well as his mother1 ,rebecca1
 got his mind formed by this same       
earliest influence4 ,he was all his     
days--,i mean1 all his practical1 active
 days--a slow-hearted1 calculating man2 
and in this family scene1 in chap4      
xxvii41 we find him to be such an one--a
 ready1 intelligent pupil of his mother1

 ,laban's sister1 and whose favourite   
child he had been from his birth4 ,so   
that as ,laban had been corrupting his  
sister ,rebecca1 ,rebecca had been      
corrupting her son ,jacob4  ,and further
 still1 as this same chapter tells us1  
,isaac1 whose mind and character1 as we 
have seen1 had been so remarkably formed
 by his early life in ,sarah's tent1 had
 sunk into the indulgence of some of the
 low desires of nature4 ,he loved his   
son ,esau1 because he ate of his        
venison4 ,this was poor indeed1 and     
something worse than poor4 ,and this    
love of venison1 we may surely suggest1 
must have encouraged ,esau in the chase2
 just as ,rebecca's cleverness1 got and 
brought from her brother's house in     
,padan1 formed the mind and character of
 her favourite ,jacob4 ,and thus one    
parent was helping to corrupt one of the
 children1 and the other the other4     
,what mischief1 what sad defilement1 is 
disclosed here1 in all this family      
scene6 ,but we may go on to expose it   

even more2 for the heart is not only    
capable of such defilement1 but it is   
daring enough1 at times1 to take its    
naughtiness into the sanctuary4 ,i was  
almost in all evil in the midst of the  
congregation and assembly4 ,proverbs v4 
,the word to ,aaron1 long after this1   
was1 ,do not drink wine nor strong      
drink1 thou1 nor thy son with thee1 when
 ye go into the tabernacle of the       
congregation4 ,lev4 x4 ,nature is not to
 be animated in order to wait on the    
service of ,god2 it is not to be set in 
action by its provisions1 for the       
discharge of the duties of the          
sanctuary4 ,strong drink may exhilarate1
 and give ebullition to animal spirits1 
but this is no qualification for a      
priest of the house of ,god4  ,but even 
into pollution such as this ,isaac seems
 to have been betrayed4 ,take1 ,i pray  
thee1 says he to ,esau1 thy weapons1 thy
 quiver and thy bow1 and go to the      
field1 and take me some venison3 and    
make me savoury meat1 such as ,i love1  

and bring it to me1 that ,i may eat2    
that my soul may bless thee before ,i   
die4 ,he was going to do the last       
religious act of a patriarchal priest1  
and he calls as for wine and strong     
drink1 the food of mere animal life1 to 
raise and endow him for the service6    
,this was sad indeed1 thus to deliberate
 on the venison at such a moment4 ,we   
may all be conscious how much of nature 
soils our holy things1 how much of the  
mere animation of the flesh may be      
mistaken for the easy and strong current
 of the ,spirit4 ,we may be aware of    
this1 in the place of communion4 ,and   
this is to be our sorrow and our        
humbling--we are to confess it as evil1 
or at least as weakness1 and to watch   
against it4 ,but to prepare for it1     
carefully to mix the wine and strong    
drink1 to take a full draught1 after    
this manner1 this exceeds in defilement4
  ,and nothing comes of all this but    
dishonour and loss4 ,the whole of this  
family pollution is judged in the       

holiness of ,god1 because this was a    
family of ,god in the earth4 ,you only  
have ,i known of all the families of the
 earth1 therefore ,i will punish you for
 all your iniquities4 ,isaac is laid    
aside1 ,rebecca never sees ,jacob again1
 and the calculating supplanter finds   
himself in the midst of toils and wrongs
 and hardships1 supplanted and deceived 
himself again and again2 for twenty long
 years an alien from the house of his   
father4 ,nothing comes of all this1     
whether we look at the crooked policy of
 the one party1 or at the fleshly       
favouritism of the other2 all is        
disappointment and shame1 under the     
rebuke of the holiness of the ,lord4    
,there is1 however1 one relief1 and it  
is a very important one1 in the midst of
 this otherwise foul and gloomy scene4  
,by faith ,isaac blessed ,jacob and     
,esau concerning things to come4 ,this  
is the ,holy ,ghost's own reference to  
this chapter in ,hebrews xi4  ,but ere  
,i speak of the relief or comfort which 

this has for us when thinking of ,isaac1
 ,i take occasion to inquire1 ,what was 
the nature or character of this blessing
 by the patriarchs upon their children1 
which we find again and again in the    
,book of ,genesis8  ,a blessing was in  
the hand of ,melchizedek in chap4 xiv42 
as again1 long after1 there was a       
blessing in the hand of ,aaron in ,num4 
vi4 ,these instances we may easily      
understand--these blessings were        
conferred or pronounced by reason of    
office4 ,they were delivered through    
priesthood ordained of ,god4 ,there was 
nothing prophetic or oracular in them4  
,the words which these priests used were
 rather prepared than inspired2 words   
already prescribed by divine provision1 
rather than communicated at the moment  
by divine illumination1 at least in the 
case of ,aaron4  ,with the patriarchal  
blessing1 however1 it was as clearly    
otherwise4 ,there was a prophecy or an  
oracle in ,isaac's words on ,esau and   
,jacob here in chap4 xxvii42 and so was 

there afterwards in ,jacob's words on   
his children in chap4 xlix41 and in his 
words on ,joseph's children in chap4    
xlviii42 and so was there before1 in    
,noah's words1 in chap4 ix41 on ,shem1  
,ham1 and ,japheth4  ,but why1 ,i       
inquire1 was this great matter thus     
committed to the patriarchs8  ,if ,i    
mistake not1 some of the secrets of     
patriarchal religion1 patriarchal       
worship and ministry1 are involved in   
the answer to this4 ,religion had1 in   
these earliest days1 the same great     
truths which it still has for its spirit
 and principle4 ,the ,fall and ,recovery
 of man1 or ,ruin and ,redemption1 were 
then made known1 and they were received 
by faith4 ,the altars of the fathers1   
and the ordinance of clean and unclean1 
tell us of faith and of the             
apprehensions of faith in those days4   
,the tent of the living patriarchs1 and 
the ,machpelah of the departed          
patriarchs1 tell us that they understood
 the stranger's calling1 and a coming   

resurrection2 and ,abraham's grove at   
,beersheba 7chap4 xxi471 and his        
alliance with the ,gentile at the well  
of the oath1 tell us likewise1 in clear 
though symbolic language1 that they     
understood some of the bright and happy 
secrets of the millennial age1 or of the
 world to come4  ,and worship and       
ministry1 in those infant days1 were in 
their simplest forms4 ,i may say1 nature
 suggested that the father or head of   
the house should be the prophet1 priest1
 and king1 there4 ,in after times1 when 
the condition of things spread out1 and 
when1 with enlargement and age1         
corruption came in1 the holiness of ,god
 demanded a separated or circumcised    
people2 and1 connected with such1 a     
separated or anointed priesthood4 ,now1 
in our day1 in the day of the kingdom of
 ,god1 which is1 as we know1 not in     
word1 but in power1 it is required that 
ministry should be something more than  
nature would suggest1 or than holiness  
would demand2 there must be power1 such 

as the ,spirit ,himself prepares and    
imparts4 ,but in the early days of      
,genesis1 those family days--those      
infant1 earliest days--the voice of     
nature was listened to1 and duly and    
seasonably so2 and accordingly1 the head
 of the family was the minister of ,god 
to the family1 and both the dignities   
and the services of prophets1 priests1  
and kings1 within the range of the      
homestead1 or in the family temple1     
centred in the father4  ,the blessing of
 the children seems to flow from this4  
,it was an act performed in the combined
 virtues of a prophet and a priest1     
which1 as we see1 the fathers of the    
families carried in their own persons4  
,they received a communication of the   
divine mind1 and then uttered it1 as    
oracles of ,god2 and1 being separated or
 priestly representatives of ,god to    
their children1 they pronounced ,his    
blessing1 ,god's blessing1 upon them4   
,they seem to sustain this character    
through the ,book of ,genesis4  ,in our 

,isaac it is sad indeed to see how this 
character was exercised1 or rather      
abused--as such like high endowments    
have constantly been1 the priestly      
dignity1 for instance1 in the person of 
,eli 7godly old man as he was71 and the 
kingly authority1 in one tremendous     
instance1 even by such an one as the    
deeply-loved and honoured son of ,jesse4
  ,so ,isaac would have made his office 
serve1 not only his private             
partialities1 but his very appetites4   
,and this1 too1 in the face of solemn1  
divine warning4 ,the word had gone      
before1 upon ,isaac's children 7,esau   
the elder and ,jacob the younger71 the  
elder shall serve the younger4 ,but     
,isaac's fleshly favouritism and        
appetites had made him careless and     
forgetful of this1 and he would fain    
have made the elder1 ,esau1 the heir of 
the promise4  ,and here we may call to  
mind1 that ,caiaphas1 in his day1 was   
such an one as ,isaac1 combining the    
prophet and the priest in his own       

person4 ,and ,caiaphas would fain have  
abused his office and his gift to his   
own wretched purposes and desires4 ,he  
delivered a true prophecy with a design 
on the life of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,john  
xi4 ,and in earlier days1 the prophet   
,balaam was of the same generation4 ,he 
sought1 all he could1 to use his gift in
 the service of his lusts4 ,god1        
however1 took him out of his own hand1  
and forced his lips to utter the        
sentence of righteousness1 the judgment 
of truth4 ,and1 though it be sad to put 
such men together1 even in a single     
action1 yet so it is2 for such was      
,isaac in ,gen4 xxvii4 ,though a        
sanctified and filled vessel1 he would  
have served the wish of his own fond    
heart1 in the use of the treasure which 
he carried2 but ,god took him out of his
 own hand1 and used him as the oracle of
 ,his settled1 sovereign purpose4 ,again
 ,i say1 it is sad thus to link such men
 as ,isaac and ,balaam in a common moral
 action4 ,but we know that that which is

 born of the flesh is flesh4 ,as an old 
writer says1 ,the water that is foul in 
the well will not be clean in the       
bucket4 ,the flesh in an ,isaac is as   
the flesh in a ,balaam2 and the world in
 the heart of each of them is the same  
world4  ,but they are not one to the    
end4 ,this is the comfort1 the gracious 
comfort1 of which ,i spoke before4      
,balaam is ,balaam still1 the man who   
loved the wages of unrighteousness1 and 
ran greedily after his own error for    
reward2 he goes on as ,balaam1 giving   
counsel to ,balak to cast a             
stumbling-block before the people of    
,god2 and at last he fell1 as ,balaam1  
with the uncircumcised1 slain with the  
sword1 like those that go down to the   
pit4 ,but ,isaac repented with godly    
sorrow unto a repentance not to be      
repented of4 ,when his eye is opened1   
and he discovers what he had been about1
 and how ,jacob had got the blessing    
which he had prepared for ,esau--when it
 thus confronts him to the face1 that he

 had been withstanding ,god1 but that he
 could not prevail1 his soul seems to   
awaken as from sleep1 and to get alive  
to all this1 for we read of him1 that he
 trembled with a great trembling        
greatly4 v4 #cc4 ,the sight1 the moral  
sense1 of the place that he was filling1
 startles his soul4 ,he trembles in     
himself4 ,the flesh which he had been   
nourishing could not stand him in such a
 moment--and he seeks it not--it has    
been exposed to him2 and in the light   
and energy of the better life1 he acts  
according to faith1 and says1 speaking  
now of ,jacob1 and no longer of ,esau1  
,i have blessed him1 yea1 and he shall  
be blessed4  ,there was nothing of this 
in ,balaam2 ,balaam was not turned back4
 ,when the angel withstood him in the   
narrow way1 and his ass fell under him1 
there was none of this godly sorrow     
working repentance4 ,but our ,isaac is  
restored4 ,he seeks another way1 and    
takes up and follows after ,god's object
 from that moment4 ,it is not the       

madness of the prophet that the ,spirit 
records in ,isaac1 as ,he had to do in  
,balaam1 but the faith of the prophet4  
,for in this hour of happy restored     
fellowship with the mind of ,god1 after 
his trembling1 with a great trembling   
greatly1 the way of ,isaac is sealed and
 signalized by the ,spirit4 ,by faith   
,isaac blessed ,esau and ,jacob         
concerning things to come4 ,and this is 
the only matter in the life of ,isaac   
which is noticed by the ,spirit in that 
chapter1 ,heb4 xi4  ,but this had       
character in it1 and the ,spirit has    
distinguished it4 ,the victories of     
faith which ,moses gained were very     
fine4 ,he answered both the attractions 
and the terrors of ,egypt2 refusing to  
be called the son of the king's         
daughter1 and forsaking the country1 not
 fearing the king's wrath4 ,these were  
splendid victories2 and are so to this  
day1 when achieved in the saint4 ,but   
there are conquests much less           
distinguished1 which nevertheless are   

conquests1 recorded in this chapter     
which celebrates the deeds of faith4    
,they may be seen in ,isaac and in      
,jacob4 ,each of these witnesses of     
faith1 in his day1 blessed the children 
or the sons before him according to     
,god1 though this was contrary to       
nature4 ,isaac would have preferred     
,esau1 and ,jacob would have preferred  
,manasseh2 but ,isaac persisted in his  
blessing of ,jacob1 and ,jacob in his   
blessing of ,ephraim1 and in this1      
nature was conquered4 ,it was not1 we   
may allow1 the world1 in either its     
snares or its dangers1 that stood out to
 try the strength of faith in the       
saint--but still it was an opposer4 ,it 
was nature2 the suggestions or          
sympathies or partialities of           
nature--and while we may admire the     
splendour of the victories of a ,moses  
or an ,abraham1 let us remember and look
 to it1 that we fight the fight of faith
 with nature1 and gain the day in that  
field1 with ,isaac and ,jacob4  ,as to  

,jacob's part in this family scene which
 we are looking at1 we may certainly    
say1 had he but left his matters in the 
,lord's hand1 where they had been from  
the beginning1 from before his birth1   
and not allowed his mother to take them 
into hers1 he would have fared far      
better4 ,how often has many and many a  
,jacob since the days of ,gen4 xxvii4   
proved the same6 ,the ,lord had promised
 him the blessing without any condition4
 ,the elder shall serve the younger4    
,but he could not1 in the patience of   
faith1 wait the ,lord's time and method 
to make good ,his own promise4          
,therefore the promise gets laden with  
reserves and difficulties and burthens4 
,it shall surely be made good4 ,the     
promise of the ,lord is certain1 and    
never was forfeited yet4 ,he is able to 
make it stand4 ,the elder shall serve   
the younger--but now1 by reason of      
,jacob's own unbelief and policy1 the   
elder shall give the younger some       
trouble3 because the younger thinks well

 to deal with the promise in his own    
craft and skill1 he shall be made to    
reach it after delay and sorrow and     
shame4  ,accordingly1 ,esau himself gets
 a promise from the ,lord1 through his  
father ,isaac1 on this occasion1 a      
promise which the divine purpose and    
grace towards ,jacob1 at the first1 had 
never contemplated4 ,and ,isaac his     
father answered and said unto him1      
,behold1 thy dwelling shall be the      
fatness of the earth1 and of the dew of 
heaven from above2 and by thy sword     
shalt thou live1 and shalt serve thy    
brother2 and it shall come to pass when 
thou shalt have the dominion1 thou shalt
 break his yoke from off thy neck4 vv4  
#ci1 #dj4  ,all this comes to pass4     
,david1 who came of ,jacob1 sets        
garrisons in ,edom1 and the ,edomites   
become his servants and bring gifts4    
,jehoram1 who also comes of ,jacob1     
afterwards loses the ,edomites as his   
servants and tributaries2 they revolt1  
and continue so to this day4 #b ,sam4   

viii4 #ad2 #b ,chron4 xxi4 #h4          
,saviours by-and-by shall come to ,zion 
and judge the mount of ,esau4 ,obadiah  
#ba4 ,the tabernacle of ,david which is 
now fallen shall be raised up1 and      
,israel shall possess ,edom and the     
residue of the ,gentiles4 ,amos ix4     
,this shall be made good in its season1 
for the elder shall serve the           
younger--the promise is yea and amen4   
,but now1 and from the days of ,jehoram 
the son of ,jehoshaphat of the house of 
,david of the lineage of ,jacob1 ,esau  
or ,edom has been in revolt2 and the    
promise is thus delayed and complicated 
and burthened in ways such as the grace 
of ,god and the gift by grace had never 
designed1 and such as ,jacob had never  
passed through1 had his faith been more 
simple4  ,and there is much like this in
 ,christian experience4 ,see the        
disciples on the sea of ,galilee1 in    
,mark iv4 ,the ,lord had said to them1  
,let us go unto the other side4 ,this   
was a pledge to them that they were sure

 to reach the other side4 ,they need not
 fear4 ,they may1 if they please1 lay   
them down to sleep with their ,master4  
,but no--they fear1 and consult with    
flesh and blood4 ,and therefore they    
reach the other side with tremblings and
 amazement and shame4 ,their fears      
loaded their spirit with these burdens1 
which1 had they left the fulfilling of  
the word to ,him who had given the word1
 would have been saved them4 ,and so1   
the unbelief of ,jacob in ,gen4 xxvii41 
his putting the promise of ,god into his
 mother's hand1 has loaded the history  
of his house with those perplexities and
 contradictions and changes1 which1 as  
we have mentioned1 were all strangers to
 the promise1 as the simple gift of     
grace1 at the beginning1 had purposed it
 and made it4  ,many like experiences   
the disciples had1 through their        
unbelief1 as they companied with the    
,lord ,jesus all the time ,he went in   
and out among them--and many such are   
known to us ,his saints at this day4    

,our spirits gather amazement and shame1
 when we might have known only the calm 
and bright enjoyments of faith1 looking1
 if it were so1 at a sleeping ,jesus1   
and knowing ,his sufficiency for all    
promises1 though winds and waves oppose4
  ,thus was it with ,jacob1 according to
 the part he acted in this sad family   
scene4 ,esau was not the guilty one     
here4 ,he was rather the injured party2 
and therefore1 in the hand of ,him by   
whom actions are weighed1 ,esau is the  
only one who is a gainer4 ,all the rest 
have to learn what the way of their own 
hearts shall end in4 ,isaac1 ,rebecca1  
and ,jacob alike prove this4 ,it is     
,esau1 so far the injured one1 who      
gains1 as we have seen1 anything by it  
all4 ,by his sword he lives1 and1 in    
time and for a time1 breaks the yoke of 
his younger brother off his neck4#ah    
#ah ,jeroboam in his day took his own   
way to reach the promise of ,god        
touching the kingdom of the ten tribes1 
by the prophet ,ahijah--and       he    

delayed his own mercy2 just as ,jacob   
does in this chapter4 ,nay1             
further4 ,jeroboam has to be an exile in
 ,egypt till the death of               
,solomon1 because of this2 as ,jacob has
 for twenty years to be an       exile  
in ,padan1 for the same evil4 ,see #a   
,kings xi4   ,after all this1 just at   
the end of his ways1 though not of his  
days1 at the desire of the suspicious   
and terrified ,rebecca1 ,isaac sends    
away ,jacob4 ,and this action is done   
with an expression of sorrow and shame  
and disappointment1 the bitter fruit    
which their own way had prepared for    
them4 ,all would have been different    
indeed1 had the spirit and obedience of 
faith kept them in the way of the ,lord4
 xxvii4 #db2 xxviii4 #e4  ,and here we  
reach1 as we said1 the end1 the         
practical end1 of the life of our       
patriarch4 ,he lives1 it is true1 for   
forty years after this2 it may be       
more--but he is lost to us4 ,he is as if
 he were not4  ,at the close of chapter 

xxxv4 we read1 ,and ,jacob came unto    
,isaac his father unto ,mamre1 unto the 
city of ,arbah1 which is ,hebron1 where 
,abraham and ,isaac sojourned4 ,and the 
days of ,isaac were an hundred and      
fourscore years4 ,and ,isaac gave up the
 ghost1 and died1 and was gathered unto 
his people1 old and full of days3 and   
his sons ,esau and ,jacob buried him4   
,abraham had carefully possessed himself
 of ,machpelah1 on the occasion of      
,sarah's death2 and there he had buried 
,sarah1 and there ,isaac and ,ishmael   
had buried him2 and there1 at this time1
 ,jacob and ,esau bury ,isaac2 and there
 afterwards his twelve sons bury ,jacob4
  ,the purchase of this parcel of       
ground1 and the care the patriarchs     
manifested in the matter of their burial
 there1 tell us of their faith in their 
own happy resurrection and its attendant
 inheritance of the land4 ,it tells us  
that hope was in their souls as surely  
as faith--that as they rested1 without a
 doubt1 in the certainty of their call  

and adoption1 so did they1 with like    
assurance1 in the life and inheritance  
prepared for them in the world to come4 
,they lived in faith1 and they died in  
faith4 ,they were a people in whose     
souls the life of faith and hope was    
known and enjoyed4 ,they betray nature  
again and again2 they err1 they shift   
and contrive and play false with ,god at
 times through unbelief2 they incur     
discipline and rebuke1 and at times are 
humbled before men2 but they seem never 
to doubt the blessed facts1 that they   
were adopted and endowed by the ,god of 
glory4 ,faith and hope lived in their   
souls4 ,i say not that they had what we 
have4 ,there is now an unction1 an      
earnest1 and a witness1 fruit of the    
given1 indwelling ,spirit1 imparting not
 only the power but the character of    
this day of ours4 ,but the patriarchs1  
in their infant age1 seem never to      
doubt4 ,and this is precious--that ,god1
 even in the earliest communications of 
,himself--communications of ,himself to 

,his elect even in their childhood1 or1 
in the infant days of ,genesis--would be
 known by them as ,one to be trusted    
both for the present and the future4    
,and again ,i say1 this is precious4    
,the ,spirit forms hope in the soul of  
the elect1 as surely as faith4          
,machpelah tells us this1 as to the     
patriarchs4 ,but it was found before    
them1 and it has been found ever since4 
,adam was a hoping as well as a         
believing man4 ,as soon as he had faith1
 he had hope4 ,he walked as a stranger  
on earth1 as well as in the             
consciousness of life4 ,and with him1   
and like him1 the antediluvian saints4  
,israel afterwards celebrated the last  
night of their sojourn in ,egypt with   
the staff in their hand and the shoe on 
their foot1 as simply and as surely as  
they had put the blood on the lintel4   
,they hoped for something beyond ,egypt1
 as certainly as they counted on        
security in ,egypt4  ,moses witnessed   
this standing of ,israel1 this proper   

standing in the camp of ,god in the     
power of faith and hope1 when afterwards
 he said to ,hobab1 ,we are journeying  
to a place of which the ,lord said1 ,i  
will give it you4 ,and so ,paul1 in his 
words before ,king ,agrippa1 ,unto which
 promise our twelve tribes instantly    
serving ,god day and night hope to come4
  ,the oil in the vessels of the wise   
virgins is the expression of the power  
of hope4 ,they provided against ,his    
delay for whose return alone they looked
 and waited1 be that return far off or  
nigh4  ,and to give hope its highest1   
brightest moral glory1 we are given to  
know1 that the present heaven of ,jesus 
is a heaven of hope4 ,though seated at  
the right hand of the ,majesty on high1 
,he is1 we know1 expecting till ,his    
enemies be made ,his footstool4 ,and the
 mind of the glorified ,church will1    
by-and-by1 be kindred with this mind of 
her glorified ,lord2 for the heaven of  
,rev4 v4 is also a heaven of hope4 ,thou
 art worthy1 say the living creatures   

and enthroned elders of that heaven1 to 
take the book1 and to open the seals    
thereof3 for thou wast slain1 and hast  
redeemed to ,god by thy blood out of    
every kindred1 and tongue1 and people1  
and nation2 and hast made them unto our 
,god kings and priests3 and they shall  
reign over the earth4  ,in this life of 
faith and hope1 the fathers of the ,book
 of ,genesis are seen to be one4 ,happy 
to know this4 ,they illustrate different
 mysteries1 and read us different moral 
lessons2 but in this life of faith and  
hope they are one2 and each in his day1 
,abraham1 ,isaac1 and ,jacob1 is alike  
gathered to his people 7chaps4 xxv41    
xxxv41 xlix47--each is a handful of     
sacred dust in the cave in the field of 
,ephron the ,hittite1 laid up there in  
sure and certain hope of a resurrection 
unto life and to the inheritance4       
,there is a common saying1 ,it is better
 to wear out than to rust out4 ,but this
 better thing was not ,isaac's4 ,he     
rusts out4 ,and such was the natural    

close of such a life4  ,was ,isaac1 ,i  
ask1 a vessel marred on the wheel8 ,was 
he a vessel laid aside as not fit for   
the ,master's use8 or at least not fit  
for it any longer8 ,his history seems to
 tell us this4 ,abraham had not been    
such an one4 ,all the distinguishing    
features of the stranger here1 all the  
proper fruits of that energy that       
quickened him at the outset1 were borne 
in him and by him to the very end4 ,we  
have looked at this already in the walk 
of ,abraham4 7,see pp4 #acd-acg47       
,abraham's leaf did not wither4 ,he     
brought forth fruit in old age4 ,so was 
it with ,moses1 with ,david1 and with   
,paul4 ,they die with their harness on1 
at the plough or in the battle4         
,mistakes and more than mistakes they   
made by the way1 or in their cause1 or  
at their work2 but they are never laid  
aside4 ,moses is counselling the camp   
near the banks of the ,jordan2 ,david is
 ordering the conditions of the kingdom1
 and putting it 7in its beauty and      

strength7 into the hand of ,solomon2    
,paul has his armour on1 his loins      
girded4 ,when1 as ,i may say1 the time  
of their departure was at hand1 the     
,master1 as we read in ,luke xii41 found
 them so doing1 as servants should be   
found4 ,but thus was it not with ,isaac4
 ,isaac is laid aside4 ,for forty long  
years we know nothing of him2 he had    
been1 as it were1 decaying away and     
wasting4 ,the vessel was rusting till it
 rusted out4  ,there surely is meaning  
in all this1 meaning for our admonition4
  ,and yet--such is the fruitfulness and
 instruction of the testimonies of      
,god--there are others1 in ,scripture1  
of other generations1 who have still    
more solemn lessons and warnings for us4
 ,it is humbling to be laid aside as no 
longer fit for use2 but it is sad to be 
left merely to recover ourselves1 and it
 is terrible to remain to defile        
ourselves4 ,and illustrations of all    
this moral variety we get in the        
testimonies of ,god4 ,jacob1 in his     

closing days in ,egypt1 is not as a     
vessel laid aside1 but he is there      
recovering himself4 ,i know there are   
some truly precious things connected    
with him during those seventeen years   
that he spent in that land1 and we could
 not spare the lesson which the ,spirit 
reads to us out of the life of ,jacob in
 ,egypt4 ,but still1 the moral of it is 
this--a saint1 who had been under holy  
discipline1 recovering himself1 and     
yielding fruit meet for recovery4 ,and  
when we think of it a little1 that is   
but a poor thing4 ,but ,solomon is a    
still worse case4 ,he lives to defile   
himself2 sad and terrible to tell it4   
,this was neither ,isaac nor ,jacob--it 
was not a saint simply laid aside1 nor a
 saint left to recover himself4 ,isaac  
was1 in the great moral sense1 blameless
 to the end1 and ,jacob's last days were
 his best days2 but of ,solomon we read1
 ,it came to pass1 when ,solomon was    
old1 that his wives turned away his     
heart after other gods1 and this has    

made the writing over his name1 the     
tablet to his memory1 equivocal1 and    
hard to be deciphered to this day4      
,such lessons do ,isaac and ,jacob and  
,solomon1 in these ways1 read for us1   
beloved--such are the minute and various
 instructions left for our souls in the 
fruitful and living pages of the oracles
 of ,god4 ,they give us to see1 in the  
house of ,god1 vessels fit for use and  
kept in use even to the end--vessels    
laid aside1 to rust out rather than to  
wear out--vessels whose best service it 
is to get themselves clean again--and   
vessels whose dishonour it is1 at the   
end of their service1 to contract some  
fresh defilement4  ,wondrous and various
 the lessons and the ways of grace1     
abounding grace6 ,quickly indeed does   
the soul entertain thoughts of ,god     
according to the suggestions of nature1 
instead of knowing ,him according to    
faith4 ,nature holds ,him before the    
soul as a judge1 or as a lawgiver1 or an
 exactor of righteousness1 as ,one that 

carries balances in ,his hand to try    
every thought and work--,one that is    
sensitive and resentful of the slightest
 touch of evil4 ,but faith holds ,him   
before a gazing1 worshipping eye and    
heart1 as the ,one who always loves us1 
do what ,he may1 or speak as ,he will4  
,for faith worketh by love 7,gal4 v4    
#f7--;it worketh towards ,god as ,love1 
and therefore it is a spirit of         
confidence and liberty4 ,if we find our 
souls under pressure of the spirit of   
fear or bondage or uncertainty1 we may  
be sure that they have let go the gentle
 hand of faith1 and allowed themselves  
to be led by such tutors and governors  
as nature provides4 ,this ought not so  
to be4 ,we are to know that we have ever
 to do with love6 ,when we read1 when we
 pray1 when we converse1 when we        
confess1 when we serve1 when we sing1   
when we look at ,his hand in providence1
 or think of ,his name in secret1 may   
faith's communion with ,god be ours6 ,he
 loves us4 ,the relationship in which we

 stand1 and of which our ,isaac was the 
expression1 makes this a necessary      
truth4  ,it is to ,himself that ,god has
 brought us and adopted us--having      
predestinated us unto the adoption of   
children by ,jesus ,christ to ,himself1 
according to the good pleasure of ,his  
will4 ,eph4 i4 #e4 ,and these words to  
,himself bespeak ,god's own joy in the  
adoption of the elect1 in making them   
children2 as was ,abraham's joy at the  
weaning of our ,isaac4 ,christ presents 
the ,church to ,himself 7,eph4 v4 #bg71 
and the ,father gathers the elect as    
children by adoption to ,himself4 ,each 
has personal interest and personal      
delight in the mysteries of grace4 ,and 
according to this1 the ,holy ,ghost1 in 
the ,epistle to the ,galatians1 to which
 the story of ,isaac so refers1 pleads  
the cause of the ,father as well as the 
cause of ,christ with us4 ,he teaches us
 that we are redeemed by ,christ from   
the curse of the law1 and1 through the  
,spirit given to us by the ,father1 from

 the bondage of the law4 ,all this is   
full of blessing to us2 and all this1   
the mystery of ,isaac1 the son of the   
free-woman1 suggests to us4  ,faith is  
that principle in us which gives to the 
,lord ,jesus the place or privilege     
7such a place indeed as ,god alone can  
fill7 of sustaining the confidence of a 
sinner entirely by ,himself1 of being   
the immediate1 the only object of the   
sinner's trust4 ,but faith1 in this     
dispensation1 involves relationship4 ,by
 faith we stand in the ,person as well  
as on the work of ,christ--and ,christ  
being the ,son1 we are children1 as we  
are saved sinners4 ,we are all the      
children of ,god by faith in ,christ    
,jesus4 ,gal4 iii4 #bf4 ,and ,ishmael is
 not to share the house with ,isaac4    
,the spirit of bondage gendered by the  
law or by the religion of ordinances1 is
 to be put out1 and the spirit of       
liberty alone is to fill it4 ,for the   
house is now set in a child and not in a
 servant1 in ,isaac and not in          

,eliezer--and relationship is ,god's joy
 as it is ours4 ,the ,father seeketh    
such to worship ,him4 ,wondrous words of
 abounding grace1 beloved6 and ,sarah's 
joy in our ,isaac pledged this in       
patriarchal days4                       
,,jacob4                                
,,genesis ,,xxviii4-,,xxxvi4   ,i have  
already followed the course of the ,book
 of ,genesis to the close of chapter    
xxvii4 ,from that chapter to chapter    
xxxvi41 ,jacob is principal2 and it is  
that portion which ,i now purpose to    
consider4  ,there is a very important   
era in the life of ,jacob               
afterwards--his sojourn in ,egypt for   
seventeen years1 and his death there4   
,but this is found in that part of the  
book in which ,joseph becomes principal1
 so that ,i shall refer to it only so   
far as ,jacob is concerned4   ,the life 
of ,jacob is one of very large and      
varied action1 quite of another         
character from that of his father       
,isaac4 ,the wisdom of ,god readily     

accounts for this2 because there is     
divine intention in the construction of 
these histories1 as there is divine     
truthfulness in the record of them4 ,by 
them we are instructed in mysteries1 as 
surely as we are made acquainted with   
circumstances4 ,it has been my desire to
 notice these mysteries1 as well as to  
gather the moral of these earliest ages 
of the human family1 and these first    
fathers of the elect of ,god4           
,election1 and the call of ,god1 in the 
sovereign exercise of ,his grace1 were  
exhibited in ,abraham4  ,sonship1 to    
which election brings us1 7for we are   
predestinated unto the adoption of      
children17 was then shown in ,isaac4    
,discipline1 as of a son1 7for what son 
is he whom the father chasteneth not87  
is now1 in its season1 to be exhibited  
in ,jacob4  ,and thus1 after this       
manner1 these successive histories not  
only continue the orderly narrative of  
facts1 but present us with a view of    
that course or conduct which the grace  

and wisdom of ,god is taking with ,his  
people4   ,jacob was a son as well as   
,isaac4 ,but he was a son at school1 or 
under correction2 not a son1 like       
,isaac1 in the care and nurture of the  
home of his father2 not as one given to 
know the rights and dignities of son and
 heir1 but as one made to know the love1
 the practical love1 that chastens and  
corrects4 ,this was the child ,jacob4   
,but we are never to forget that we are 
never more distinctly children than when
 under such discipline4 ,discipline     
assumes adoption4 ,the exhortation or   
correction speaks to us as to children4 
,the discipline may occupy the          
foreground1 but the fatherly love is the
 secret4  ,but this notice of ,jacob as 
a son under discipline ,i give here only
 as a general characteristic4 ,as to the
 materials of his history1 various and  
striking as they are1 we may distinguish
 them into four eras3  #a4 ,his birth   
and early life in his father's house in 
the land of ,canaan4  #b4 ,his journey  

to ,padan-aram1 and his residence there1
 in the house of ,laban the ,syrian1 for
 twenty years4  #c4 ,his journey back   
from ,padan-aram1 and his second        
residence in ,canaan4  #d4 ,his journey 
from ,canaan to ,egypt1 and his         
residence and death there4  ,this may be
 read as a simple1 natural table of     
contents1 so to call it1 and ,i would   
follow it out in its order4   ,part     
,i4--,this earliest portion of ,jacob's 
history1 his birth1 and his life in the 
house of his father in the land of      
,canaan till he was about seventy years 
of age1#ai ,i have generally anticipated
 in the preceding paper1 entitled       
,isaac4 ,and ,i may be allowed to say1  
necessarily so2 because it is involved  
in those chapters of the ,book of       
,genesis1 where ,isaac is principal4 ,i 
must therefore refer to it4   #ai ,it is
 said in the ,jewish writings that he   
was seventy-seven4   ,part ,,ii4--,jacob
 begins to be seen under discipline in  
chap4 xxviii41 and there it is where    

this second part of his history opens1  
and where also1 in the ,book of         
,genesis1 he becomes the chief or       
leading character4  ,in his journey out 
towards ,padan1 but ere he left the     
borders of ,canaan1 at the place called 
,luz1 the ,lord meets him4 ,this was not
 his father's bed-side1 where he was    
sinning1 but a lonely1 dreary1 distant  
spot where his sin had cast him1 and    
where the discipline of his heavenly    
,father was dealing with him4 ,in such a
 place ,god can meet us4 ,he cannot     
appear to us in the scene of our        
iniquities1 but ,he can in the place of 
,his correction4 ,and such was ,luz to  
,jacob4 ,it was a comfortless spot4 ,the
 stones of the place were his pillow1   
and the sky over his head his covering2 
and he had no friend but his staff to   
accompany and cheer him4 ,but the ,god  
of his fathers comes there to him4 ,he  
does not alter his present circumstances
 or reverse the chastening4 ,he lets him
 still pursue his way unfriended1 to    

find1 at the end of it1 twenty years'   
hard service at the hand of a stranger1 
with many a wrong and injury4 ,but he   
gives him heavenly pledges1 that hosts  
on high should watch and wait around    
him4  ,the ,lord had made1 as we know1  
great promises to ,abraham3 the same    
were repeated to ,isaac1 and are now1 at
 ,bethel1 given to ,jacob4 ,but1 to     
,jacob1 something very distinct from    
these common promises is added3 ,and1   
behold1 ,i am with thee1 and will keep  
thee in all places whither thou goest1  
and will bring thee again into this     
land2 for ,i will not leave thee1 until 
,i have done that which ,i have spoken  
to thee of4 v4 #ae4 ,this was a new     
promise1 an added mercy2 just because   
,jacob needed it1 as ,abraham and ,isaac
 had not4 ,jacob was the only one of the
 three who needed that the ,lord would  
be with him wherever he went1 and bring 
him home again4 ,jacob1 by his own      
naughtiness1 had made this additional   
mercy necessary to himself1 and1 in     

abounding grace1 he gets it2 and the    
vision of the ladder pledges it4 ,the   
promises to ,abraham and to ,isaac had  
not included this providential1 angelic 
care4 ,they had remained in the land2   
but ,jacob had made himself an exile1   
that needed the care and watching of a  
special oversight from heaven1 and he   
gets it4 ,and it is to this1 ,i believe1
 that ,jacob alludes1 when he says to   
,joseph1 ,the blessings of thy father   
have prevailed above the blessings of my
 progenitors4 ,chap4 xlix4 #bf4 ,this   
angelic care1 that watched over him1    
under direct commission from heaven1 in 
his days of exile and drudgery1 which   
his own error had incurred1             
distinguished him as an object of mercy1
 and gave him blessings above those of  
his progenitors4 ,and in this character 
he reached the bounds of the everlasting
 hills4 ,he was heir of the kingdom as a
 debtor to special mercy1 through that  
abounding grace that had helped him and 
kept him amid the bitter fruits of his  

own naughtiness4 ,as ,david1 in his day1
 triumphed in the everlasting covenant  
made with him1 though for the present   
his house was in ruins through his own  
sin4 #b ,samuel xxiii4  ,this is ,god's 
way1 excellent and perfect in the       
combination of grace and holiness4 ,and 
upon this1 let me observe1 that in all  
circumstances there are two objects1 and
 that nature eyes the one1 and faith the
 other4 ,thus1 in divine discipline1    
such as ,jacob was now experiencing1    
there is the rod1 and also the hand that
 is using it4 ,nature regards the first1
 faith recognizes the second4 ,job1 in  
his day1 broke down under the rod1      
because he concerned himself with it    
alone4 ,had he eyed the counsel1 the    
heart1 or the hand that was appointing  
it 7as we are exhorted to do1 ,micah vi4
 #i71 he would have stood4 ,but nature  
prevailed in him1 and he kept his eye   
upon the rod1 and it was too much for   
him4  ,so in failures1 as well as in    
circumstances1 there are two objects4   

,conscience has its object1 and faith   
again has its object4 ,but conscience is
 not to be allowed to rob faith of its  
treasures1 the treasures of restoring1  
pardoning grace1 which the love of ,god 
in ,christ has stored up for it4  ,there
 is great comfort in this4 ,nature is   
not to be over-busy with circumstances1 
nor conscience with failures4 ,nature is
 to feel that no affliction is for the  
present joyous1 and conscience or heart 
may be broken2 but in either case1 faith
 is to be at its post and do its duty2  
and much of the gracious energy of the  
,spirit in the epistles is engaged in   
putting faith at its post1 and          
encouraging it to do its duty4 ,the     
,apostles1 under the ,holy ,ghost1 take 
knowledge of the danger and temptation  
we are under by nature2 and while it is 
abundantly enforced1 that conscience is 
to be quick and jealous1 yet it is      
required that faith shall maintain      
itself in the very face of it4  ,to know
 ,god in grace is ,his praise and our   

joy4 ,we naturally1 or according to the 
instincts of a tainted nature1 think of 
,him as one that exacts obedience and   
looks for service4 ,but faith knows ,him
 as one that communicates1 that speaks  
to us of privileges1 of the liberty and 
the blessing of our relationship to     
,him4  ,but ,jacob's soul was not quite 
up to this way of grace4 ,he found the  
place where the ladder and the angels   
were seen1 and where the ,god of his    
fathers spoke to him1 to be dreadful4   
,in some sense it was too much for him4 
,as it was long afterwards with ,peter  
on the holy hill4 ,god is true to the   
aboundings of ,his grace4 ,jacob may    
say1 ,how dreadful is this place6 ,peter
 and his companions may have their fear2
 but the ladder1 nevertheless1 reaches  
to heaven1 and angels are up and down   
upon it in the sight of the patriarch2  
and the glory on the ,mount still       
shines4 ,for the grace of ,god is richer
 than the apprehensions of the soul     
about it4 ,god shines in ,himself above 

our experiences4 ,and it is in ,himself 
,he is to be known1 and not in the      
reflections of our experience4  ,still1 
like ,peter on the hill1 ,jacob1 in some
 sense1 found it good to be at ,luz1 and
 he called the place ,bethel4 ,it was   
the house of ,god to him1 for ,god had  
there been with him1 and spoken to him2 
it was the gate of heaven in his eye1   
for there the angels had appeared1 as   
descending from their own place on high4
 ,this is none other but the house of   
,god1 says he1 and this is the gate of  
heaven4  ,god both records ,his name and
 glorifies it4 ,he records it or reveals
 it at first1 and faith accepts ,him4   
,in due time ,he verifies that record or
 testimony1 making it all good1 and thus
 glorifies ,his name4 ,and wherever ,he 
records ,his name there is ,his house4  
,ornan's threshing-floor got the same   
dignity long afterwards1 which ,luz now 
gets1 and on the same title4 ,this is   
the house of the ,lord ,god1 and this is
 the altar of burnt-offering for        

,israel1 says ,david of that spot of the
 ,jebusite4 #a ,chron4 xxii4 #a4 ,for it
 was the place1 like this ,bethel of our
 patriarch1 where mercy had rejoiced    
against judgment1 where ,god was        
revealing ,himself in the aboundings of 
,his grace1 and there faith descries the
 house of ,god4 ,jacob and ,david1 each 
in his day1 were saints under           
discipline2 but the ,lord met them in   
the rich provisions of ,his love1 thus  
revealing ,himself or recording ,his    
name2 and this was ,his house to them4  
,but it is easier thus to consecrate the
 house1 than to learn the lesson that is
 taught there4 ,jacob rightly uttered   
his heart under force of the impressions
 which the vision could not but awaken2 
but there is something of old ,jacob in 
his spirit still4 ,the faulty way of his
 heart is at work still1 and he seems to
 calculate1 and to make bargains1 and to
 enter into conditions1 though the ,lord
 had spoken to him there in the language
 of the promise1 in free1 sovereign1    

abounding goodness4 ,for nature still   
stirs itself after many a rebuke and    
defeat1 and outlives what for a moment  
may have appeared a death-blow4 ,jacob  
no more now leaves it behind him at     
,bethel1 than before he had left it     
behind him in his mother's tent4  ,but  
he goes on4 ,grace sets the chastened   
saint on his journey1 and with some     
alacrity too1 till he came to the land  
of the people of the east1 till he      
reached ,padan-aram1 where his mother's 
counsel had appointed him1 and1         
doubtless1 where the hand of ,god had   
now conducted him4  ,his introduction to
 ,rachel was at the well1 and in the    
midst of the flock1 like that of        
,eliezer to ,rebecca2 and ,eliezer was  
but ,isaac's representative4 ,but ,jacob
 was the poor man1 ,isaac the wealthy4  
,isaac could enrich ,rebecca with       
earrings and bracelets of gold1 pledges 
of the goodly estate he had for her4    
,jacob has but his toil and sweat of    
face4 ,the one was as the son and heir1 

the other a man who had beggared        
himself1 and must find his own way      
through the wear and tear of life as    
best he may1 with ,god's help4 ,israel  
served for a wife1 and for a wife he    
kept sheep4 ,hosea xii4 #ab4 ,and a hard
 service he was about to find it4 ,but  
he enters on it at once1 and continues  
at it for twenty long years4 ,chap4     
xxix4-xxxi4  ,the scene is laid in the  
house of ,laban his mother's brother1   
and a scene of various moral action it  
quickly becomes1 and so continues4 ,we  
have not only ,jacob himself and ,laban1
 but the two wives ,leah and ,rachel1   
and their two handmaids ,zilpah and     
,bilhah4  ,jacob had been but a little  
while under the trials and sorrows of   
his sojourn with ,laban1 ere he was     
visited after the very pattern of his   
own offence at home4 ,he had deceived   
his father touching his brother and the 
blessing4 ,laban now deceives him       
touching ,rachel and the marriage4 ,but 
in much of his behaviour during the     

twenty years he spent with ,laban1 we   
see what was excellent in him4 ,for the 
force and influence of knowing that we  
are under the hand of ,god for          
correction1 is necessarily felt by a    
mind that has anything right towards    
,god in it4 ,it is not that nature will 
be changed or broken under such a       
pressure1 but it must1 in measure1 more 
or less1 be controlled4 ,david when     
under rebuke1 sore and humbling as ever 
saint had exposed himself to1 carries   
himself beautifully4 ,his words to      
,ittai1 to ,zadok1 and to ,hushai1 his  
resentment of the motion of the sons of 
,zeruiah1 his humiliations1 his         
lamentations over ,absalom1 and his     
using his victory as if it had been a   
defeat1 all this and more than this of  
the same kind1 show us a blessed work of
 the ,spirit in his soul4 ,in ,jacob at 
,padan-aram we get nothing so fine as   
this1 ,i know2 but1 if ,i mistake not1  
we get a saint under discipline         
conscious of the discipline1 well       

understanding the character of the      
moment under ,god's hand1 and the       
righteousness of the rebuke of the      
,lord1 carrying himself meekly and      
watchfully4 ,he submits to the wrongs of
 an injurious master in silence4 ,he    
serves patiently1 and suffers without   
complaint4 ,his wages were changed ten  
times1 but he answers not again4 ,in all
 this he is humbled under the mighty    
hand of ,god1 as one who would fain     
remember his own past ways4 ,and at the 
end of twenty years' hard drudgery and  
ill usage1 he is able to testify of his 
fidelity1 and ,god ,himself seems to    
seal the testimony4 ,by the providences 
of ,his hand1 and the revelations in    
visitations of ,his ,spirit1 and also by
 direct interferences with ,laban       
himself1 the ,lord shelters and blesses 
and vindicates ,jacob4  ,there is beauty
 in this4 ,i say not that nature was    
mortified1 that the root of bitterness  
was judged4 ,we shall find1 ,i know1    
that after this1 ,jacob is old ,jacob   

still1 sadly betrayed by the same leaven
 that had been working in him from the  
beginning4 ,but1 while in the house of  
the ,syrian1 ,jacob was as one who knew 
himself to be under the mighty hand of  
,god as for correction1 and carried     
himself accordingly1 neither justifying 
himself against reproaches1 nor         
contending for his rights in the face of
 wrongs and injustice4  ,such a one ,i  
judge ,jacob to have been in the house  
of ,laban4 ,as to ,laban1 he was a      
thorough man of the world when ,jacob   
entered his house1 and so he was when   
,jacob left it4 ,in all his dealings1   
from first to last1 he eyes his own     
advantage4 ,he is constrained to own    
that the hand of ,god was with ,jacob2  
but he would make that hand1 through    
,jacob1 minister to himself1 and turn   
,jacob's interest in ,god to his own    
account4 ,for twenty years he had the   
witness of the hand of the ,lord1 and   
the operation of ,his grace and power1  
under his eye and in his house1 and that

 daily2 but he continued a man of the   
world still4 ,god came near to him1 as  
afterwards to ,bethsaida and ,chorazin  
in the doing of ,his mighty works2 but  
there was no repentance4 ,and ,jacob's  
departure from his house at the last1   
was like an escape out of the enemy's   
hand1 or from the snare of the fowler4  
,it was a kind of exodus4 ,in a family  
way it was what was afterwards known by 
,israel in a national way4 ,laban was as
 ,pharaoh1 and ,padan-aram as ,egypt to 
our patriarch4 ,he would fain have kept 
,jacob a drudge still1 or at best have  
sent him away as a beggar2 but the ,lord
 pleaded for ,jacob with ,laban1 as ,he 
afterwards pleaded for ,israel with     
,pharaoh4 ,laban and ,pharaoh had each  
in his day witnessed the operation of   
,god1 but neither of them became the    
subject of it4  ,a thorough lover of the
 world he surely was1 and never anything
 better2 a crafty one1 and a            
hypocritical one too--common companions4
 ,at the end1 when all his devices are  

broken to pieces1 and no enchantment is 
allowed to prosper1 as against ,israel1 
he does what he can1 according to the   
miserable1 disgusting style of a crafty 
heart1 to cover the purpose which had   
now failed1 and to give himself a fair  
character4 ,he pretends that ,jacob's   
leaving him was mere fondness for home1 
while his conscience must have told him 
many a very different reason4 ,he       
affects grief and indignation at not    
having an opportunity of kissing his    
daughters and grandchildren1 and of     
sending them away honourably1 while his 
conscience must have reminded him how he
 had sold them again and again4 ,he     
seems to be concerned for them1 now     
about to be in ,jacob's hand1 as if his 
own hand had been that of a father to   
them4 ,he pretends to spare ,jacob      
through religious fear of ,god's words1 
while he must have felt himself to be   
completely restrained by ,god1 willing  
or unwilling1 religious or profane2 as  
,balaam afterwards4 ,and he gives a     

serious air to the last bargain between 
him and ,jacob1 introducing the name of 
the ,god of ,abraham1 though he had just
 been searching for his idols1 and was  
preparing to return to that land out of 
which ,god had called ,abraham1 and to  
continue there a thorough1 heartless man
 of the world still1 a worshipper of his
 own god4  ,miserable man6 pointing a   
holy1 serious lesson for us4   ,but we  
have the women and the children of      
,padan-aram1 as well as ,laban the      
,syrian4 ,the women and the children of 
the ,book of ,genesis are all mysteries4
 ,we see this in ,eve and her three     
children--in ,abraham's ,sarah1 and     
,abraham's ,hagar1 and ,abraham's       
,keturah1 and the seed of each of them4 
,and we noticed in ,isaac 7see page     
#aeb7 the same mystic character in      
,rebecca his wife1 and ,esau and ,jacob 
his children4 ,each and all tell out    
parts and parcels of the purpose of     
,god1 as in figures4 ,and now1 in the   
women which become connected with ,jacob

 in ,padan1 whether it be his wife the  
elder sister1 or his wife the younger   
sister1 or the handmaids given to them1 
and in the children of each of them1    
there are mysteries again4  ,in the     
children of ,israel1 that is1 the       
nation1 the seed of ,abraham1 we find   
three classes4 #a4 ,there has already   
been ,israel after the flesh1 set in the
 land under title of their fleshly      
alliance with ,abraham4 #b4 ,there is   
now1 at this time1 the nation in        
bondage1 made to know the service of the
 ,gentiles4 #c4 ,there will be1         
by-and-by1 the nation set in grace1     
,israel redeemed and accepted1          
established in the promises made to the 
fathers4  ,these are three generations  
in the nation of ,israel1 as that nation
 either has been1 now is1 or is to be   
hereafter4 ,and the shadowing of this1  
,i judge1 we see in the families of     
,jacob in ,padan2 that is1 in the       
children of ,leah1 who had her title in 
the flesh2 in the children of the       

handmaids2 and in the children of       
,rachel the beloved1 who had no strength
 in nature1 but whose seed was all of   
promise or of ,god4  ,the way of the    
wisdom of ,god is thus learnt in the    
women and children here1 in chapters    
xxix4-xxxi41 as it had been in the      
earlier family scenes of this wondrous  
book4  ,as soon as ,joseph1 the child of
 promise1 the son of ,rachel the        
beloved1 is given to him1 ,jacob speaks 
of leaving ,padan1 the place of his     
exile and bondage4 ,see xxx4 #be1 #bf4  
,and this1 simple as it seems to be1 has
 character in it4 ,the condition of an  
alien and servant did not suit him1 as  
soon as he got the seed that witnessed  
to him the power of ,god in his behalf4 
,he may have felt somewhat              
instinctively1 that it became him now to
 assert his freedom1 and to bethink     
himself of his home and his inheritance4
 ,i say not whether ,jacob really       
entered into this1 or whether it was    
something of an inspiration that he     

breathed1 and which1 in its full        
meaning1 was beyond him4 ,but so it was 
that he said to ,laban1 immediately upon
 the birth of ,joseph1 ,send me away1   
that ,i may go to my own place and to my
 country4  ,it had been very much after 
this manner with ,abraham in an earlier 
day4 ,as soon as ,isaac was weaned1 the 
scene around ,abraham immediately       
changed4 ,the child of the bondwoman has
 to leave the house1 and ,abraham takes 
precedence of the ,gentile4 ,see chap4  
xxi4 ,the weaning of ,isaac was the     
turning-point in ,abraham's condition4  
,in spirit1 for a moment1 he enters the 
kingdom1 raising a new altar1 an altar  
to the everlasting ,god1 and planting a 
grove4 ,this was very fine1 and the     
character of it ,i have considered in   
its place4 ,see ,abraham1 page #abf4    
,but so was it now with ,jacob1 as then 
with ,abraham4 ,as soon as ,joseph1 the 
child of promise1 that witnessed the    
grace and strength of ,god1 is given to 
him1 he conceives the thought of freedom

 and of home4  ,this was a fine1        
striking instance of the intelligence of
 a new mind in ,jacob4 ,the way of      
faith1 ,i may add1 is seen in ,rachel on
 the same occasion1 for she calls her   
son ,joseph1 that is1 adding2 assured   
that the ,lord1 who had now begun ,his  
mercies towards her1 would go on with   
them and perfect them4 ,as faith now in 
our hearts and on our lips1 in like     
spirit1 says1 ,he that spared not ,his  
own ,son1 but delivered ,him up for us  
all1 how shall ,he not with ,him also   
freely give us all things8 ,from ,his   
gifts1 ,rachel not only drew a plea to  
ask ,him still for more1 but in still   
bolder1 happier faith1 drew a conclusion
 to trust ,him still for more4  ,but    
though this was so1 the connection      
between ,laban and ,jacob is continued  
for a while after ,joseph's birth1 till 
the separation takes place under force  
of other circumstances altogether1      
leaving ,laban1 still more than before1 
a kind of pillar of salt1 or a solemn   

remembrance to us of what our wretched  
hearts are capable4   ,part ,,iii4--,the
 time of his servitude closes in chap4  
xxxi4 ,he is then on his way back from  
,padan-aram to ,canaan2 the principal   
scenes of his journey being at ,mount   
,gilead1 shortly after his setting out1 
and ,mahanaim1 near the brook ,jabbok1 a
 little before he entered the land4  ,it
 was at ,mount ,gilead that the parting 
between him and ,laban took place1 for  
,laban had pursued him so far4 ,but     
there they make a covenant1 offering    
sacrifice1 and then eating together as  
upon the sacrifice4  ,such a scene1 in  
mystery1 exhibits our blessing4 ,for we 
enjoy a covenant of peace1 secured by a 
sacrifice1 and witnessed by a feast4    
,so1 in the night of redemption from    
,egypt1 the altar and the table1 that   
is1 the sacrifice and the feast1 are    
there again4 ,the blood is upon the     
door-post1 and the household1 thus      
ransomed and sheltered1 are within1     
feeding on the lamb1 whose blood was    

protecting and delivering them4  ,but   
there is another thing on this occasion 
to be noticed--it is ,jacob who offers  
the sacrifice4  ,this has a great       
character in it4 ,it tells us that      
,jacob knew his place and dignity under 
,god4 ,laban had all the claims which   
nature or the flesh or relationship     
could confer1 but ,jacob acts in spite  
of them4 ,laban was the elder2 he was   
the master and the father-in-law4 ,but  
still ,jacob takes the place of the     
better1 and offers the sacrifice1 in the
 like spirit of faith as ,abraham when  
entering into covenant with the king of 
,gerar 7chapter xxi472 or like ,jethro  
at ,horeb1 in the midst of the ,israel  
of ,god1 and in the presence of ,aaron4 
,ex4 xviii4  ,such cases are among the  
triumphs of faith2 and they are no mean 
triumphs either4 ,to know our high title
 in ,christ1 and by no means to         
surrender it1 even when circumstances   
may humble us1 this is no easy thing4   
,jacob was under discipline in          

,padan-aram4 ,he had no altar there4    
,before ,god he was rather a penitent   
than a worshipper4 ,but before ,laban he
 knows himself as a saint1 and here1 at 
the ,mount ,gilead1 he has his pillar1  
his sacrifice1 and his feast1 and he    
exercises that faith which emboldens him
 to act according to his dignity as a   
saint and priest of ,god1 in the        
presence of all the claims of flesh and 
blood4 ,elihu1 in the book of ,job1     
though renouncing himself before his    
elders1 asserts the title of the ,spirit
 in him1 in the face of the highest     
claims of nature4  ,it is very          
encouraging to witness such fragments of
 the mind of ,christ in the saints4     
,jacob never suspected his title in     
,christ1 from first to last1 though     
under discipline all his days4 ,and this
 is blessed--blessed to take the place  
that grace1 in its riches1 in its       
exceeding riches1 in its glory and in   
its aboundings1 gives us4 ,i do not     
believe1 if ,peter in ,john xxi4 had    

purposed to reach the ,lord as a        
penitent1 he would have hurried towards 
him as he did4 ,a penitent would have   
approached with a more measured step4   
,but ,peter was not thinking of his late
 denial of his ,lord1 but of his ,lord  
,himself4 ,his step was therefore       
hurried and earnest4 ,he had sinned     
against his ,master1 it is indeed true1 
and might have been backward and        
ashamed4 ,but1 wondrous to say it1 as   
,peter the penitent would not have taken
 so ready and so earnest a journey1 so  
,peter the penitent would not1 at the   
end of it1 have been so welcome to his  
,master1 as the confiding though erring 
,peter4 ,in this is the grace and heart 
of ,him with whom is all our business   
now4  ,these are but fragments however1 
broken pillars in the temples of ,god4  
,nature is nature still2 and ,jacob1    
quickly after all this1 betrays himself 
as old ,jacob still4  ,one has said1    
that had the ,lord slacked ,his hand    
with ,job1 when the first trial was     

over1 ,job would have come short of the 
blessing4 ,there was respite2 and it    
might have been thought that all had    
ended4 ,but ,god's end in grace was not 
yet reached2 and we may be sure that    
,satan's malice was not yet satisfied4  
,the unweary adversary begins afresh1   
the ,lord gives him place again1 and    
,job is visited a second time4  ,and    
nature is just as unwearied as ,satan4  
,expel it and it will return4 ,we have  
just had this little respite from the   
way of nature1 in ,jacob at ,mount      
,gilead1 and seen for a moment the      
better mind in him1 and some expressions
 of the glory1 but we are quickly1 too  
quickly indeed1 to see the old man      
again4  ,jacob goes on his way from     
,mount ,gilead1 and as he approaches the
 borders of the land1 the angels of ,god
 meet him4 ,jacob at once recognizes    
them4 ,this is ,god's host1 says he1 and
 he called the place ,mahanaim4  ,this  
was holy ground4 ,the undertakings of   
chapter xxviii4 had been fulfilled--the 

pledges of ,bethel had been redeemed4   
,accordingly1 we have no ladder here4   
,providential1 angelic guardianship had 
fulfilled its ministry2 ,jacob had been 
kept in the distant land1 and brought   
home to his own land4 ,the ladder may1  
therefore1 be taken down1 and instead of
 angels ascending and descending as     
between heaven and the patriarch1 angels
 meet him4 ,they are standing before    
him1 just to salute him1 or to welcome  
him on his return4 ,the ,lord ,god of   
his fathers and of the promises was     
welcoming our patriarch home1 and       
ministers of the heavenly courts were   
sent to express the mind of their ,king 
towards him4  ,this was piping to       
,jacob1 and ,jacob ought to have danced4
 ,he should have breathed an exulting   
spirit4 ,he should have been already in 
triumph1 ere the battle was fought1 or  
even the armies were arrayed4 ,he should
 have entered the field with songs1 like
 ,jehoshaphat4 ,if the hosts of heaven  
thus waited on him1 what had he to fear 

from the hosts of ,esau8 ,if ,god be for
 us1 who can be against us8 ,but this   
was not so with him4 ,he laments1 rather
 than dances1 at this piping4 ,he       
trembles1 and prays1 and calculates4 ,he
 marshals his force1 as though the      
battle were his4 ,this is all religious1
 but it is all unbelief too2 and all    
this the ,lord resents4 ,surely ,he     
does4 ,it was all out of harmony in ,his
 ear4 ,he had welcomed ,jacob home with 
every token of an earnest1 honourable   
welcome1 but ,jacob was out of spirits4 
,the ,lord seeks to be one with us1 and 
that we be one with ,him2 so that       
discordance of soul can never suit ,him4
 ,he withstands ,jacob4 ,there wrestled 
a man with him1 as we read1 till the    
breaking of the day4 ,this was ,god's   
answer to his prayer4 ,and this is all  
very significant1 and it has lessons for
 us4  ,it is found by us much easier to 
trust the ,lord in all questions that   
arise between ,him and ourselves1 than  
it is to bring ,him in1 and use ,him1   

and trust ,him1 in questions that arise 
between us and others--easier to trust  
,him for eternity than for to-morrow2   
because eternity is entirely in ,his    
hand4 ,to-morrow1 as we judge1 is more  
or less divided between ,him and        
others--in the power of circumstances as
 well as of ,god4 ,abraham1 in his day1 
betrayed this4 ,he came forth at the    
bidding of the ,god of glory1 leaving   
country1 kindred1 and father's house2   
but as soon as a famine came1 his faith 
failed1 and instead of trusting the     
,lord in the face of circumstances1 he  
goes down to ,egypt4  ,jacob1 at        
,mahanaim1 betrays the same easy1 common
 way of nature4 ,he is unable to trust  
,god in the face of ,esau4 ,esau's #djj 
men frighten him1 and he will interpose1
 first1 his messengers with words of    
peace and friendliness1 and then1 his   
presents1 that by one or the other he   
may allay the heat of his brother's     
anger4 ,he has no faith in ,god1 so as  
to bring ,him in between himself and    

,esau4 ,he trembles1 and prays1 and     
calculates1 and marshals his household4 
,circumstances have proved too much for 
him4 ,but immediately afterwards1 when  
the ,lord ,himself withstands him1 when 
it becomes a question between him and   
,god1 then he is bold and prevails4 ,he 
faints not1 though rebuked1 and rebuked 
sharply1 by the ,lord4 ,he behaves      
himself like a champion of faith1 and   
obtains a good report4 ,he carries      
himself like a prince1 and gains new    
honours4 ,this is a common experience1  
and this moment in ,jacob's history at  
the brook ,jabbok expresses it4  ,there 
is not1 however1 necessarily1 in such a 
victory as this1 a cure for that        
faint-heartedness that had occasioned   
the previous conflict4 ,and ,jacob is   
now about to illustrate this for our    
further admonition4 ,in the very next   
chapter 7xxxiii471 which is but the     
continuance of the same action1 or a    
further stage in it1 we find him the    
same timid1 unbelieving1 calculating    

man1 in the presence of ,esau1 as he had
 been1 ere he had prevailed with the    
wrestler at ,jabbok4  ,this is          
admonition for us4 ,there may be        
exercise of spirit before ,god1 and yet 
not much advance in the strength of the 
soul in carrying on its conflict with   
the world4 ,in no stage of his history  
does ,jacob appear morally lower than in
 that which immediately follows ,peniel4
 ,he is not in anywise purified from    
himself4 ,he calculates1 he             
prevaricates1 he affects amiability and 
confidence1 he lies1 he flatters4 ,he   
stood against the stranger at ,jabbok4  
,he was strong in faith1 glorifying the 
grace of ,god1 even when the way of ,god
 had a controversy with him4 ,but before
 ,esau he practises and acts the old man
 to shameful perfection4 ,he rids       
himself of his brother by a grossly     
false pretence4 ,he is nothing better   
than a mean flatterer1 a servile        
courtier1 shamelessly speaking of the   
face of ,esau as of the face of ,god4   

,it is all miserable--a humbling picture
 of the moral condition to which a saint
 may come1 for a time1 if nature be     
allowed4  ,there are moments of         
exhilaration of spirit1 and we may be   
thankful for them2 as when ,jacob had so
 lately1 in the preceding chapter1 said1
 ,this is ,god's host2 and again1 ,i    
have seen ,god face to face1 and my life
 is preserved4 ,these are moments of    
exhilaration of spirit4 ,but then1 they 
may be only refreshments1 and not solid 
edification4 ,and sad indeed it is to   
see a saint after them returning so     
quickly to himself4 ,where is then the  
blessedness ye spake of8  ,and who will 
trust his own heart1 when we thus see   
that ,jacob's was so untrue8 ,jacob had 
lost the knowledge of ,god's name4 ,he  
had to inquire after it1 instead of     
using it and enjoying it4 ,that name was
 ,almighty1 the name that told him of   
all-sufficiency for all his need4 ,but  
,jacob had lost it in chap4 xxxii41 and 
he is not as one who had recovered it in

 chap4 xxxiii4 ,he is contriving for    
himself4 ,and we may1 in like manner1   
lose the name that has been revealed to 
us4 ,that name is ,father--a name that  
may give abiding calmness and strength  
and liberty to the soul4 ,it prepares a 
home for the heart4 ,he that dwelleth in
 love dwelleth in ,god4 ,this home is   
enough to make our joy full1 as ,john   
speaks4 ,and though we may be under ,his
 hand for discipline1 as ,jacob was1    
still we are to know the power of that  
name1 the full1 secret1 unchanging love 
of a father4 ,like ,jacob in these two  
chapters1 we have lost the name of ,god1
 if it be not thus with our souls4 ,ye  
have forgotten the exhortation that     
speaketh unto you as unto children1 says
 the apostle to us4 ,and ,jacob1        
therefore1 may be no longer such a      
wonder to us1 but we may the rather at  
times be a wonder to ourselves4   ,after
 this1 in his journey onward from the   
place where he and ,esau parted1 he     
reaches ,succoth1 and then ,shechem1 and

 we may say1 he had then returned to    
,canaan4 ,but it is only still worse and
 worse with him4 ,he seems for a while  
to have entirely forgotten himself and  
the call of ,god4 ,and mischief must    
follow this4 ,consistency with our      
calling is looked for4 ,we are all1 it  
may be in a thousand ways1 untrue to it2
 but if it be willingly disregarded by  
an easy1 relaxing conscience1 the       
commonest moral defences may soon give  
way4 ,truth and integrity may be forced 
to yield1 and such pollutions may at    
last be found1 that would not1 as the   
apostle speaks1 be named among the      
,gentiles4  ,at ,succoth1 where our     
patriarch first arrived1 he builds a    
house2 and then at ,shalem1 in ,shechem1
 he buys a field--what ,abraham and     
,isaac1 truer to the call of ,god1 never
 did1 and never would have done4 ,how   
could he count on moral security under  
such circumstances8 ,the tent had been  
exchanged for a house1 and the pilgrim  
stranger had become a citizen and a     

freeholder4 ,was not all this a         
forgetting of himself under the call of 
,god8 ,the ,lord1 long after this1 lets 
,david know1 by ,his servant ,nathan1   
that there was a difference between a   
house and a tent1 and that ,he would    
have that difference maintained4 #a     
,chron4 xvii4 ,but here at ,succoth1    
,jacob violates this4 ,so also it is the
 divine memorial of the patriarchs in   
their purity1 that they dwelt in tents  
7,heb4 xi4 #i72 but here at ,succoth1   
,jacob willingly forfeits that memorial4
 ,and again1 the ,lord did not give     
,abraham so much land as to set his foot
 on 7,acts vii4 #e72 but here at ,shalem
 in ,shechem1 ,jacob1 in spite of this1 
will have a parcel of ground1 and buy it
 for an inheritance4  ,the altar1 which 
comes next1 in the catalogue1 to the    
house and the field1 may appear at first
 to be a relief and a sanctifier1 the   
one good thing in the midst of          
corruption4 ,but it is1 perhaps1 the    
worst of all4 ,it was not raised to ,him

 who had appeared to him4 ,there had    
been no communion between the ,lord and 
,jacob1 at either ,succoth or ,shechem4 
,shechem was not ,bethel1 and this      
parcel of ground1 where                 
,el-elohe-,israel was raised1 was not   
the place of stones and destitution1    
where abounding grace had shone from an 
open heaven on the unfriended head of   
the patriarch1 but the parcel of a field
 which ,jacob had bought of the children
 of ,hamor1 the father of ,shechem4 ,it 
was raised1 not by a heavenly stranger  
to the ,god who visited him1 but in the 
midst of the uncircumcised4 ,it looks   
like an attempt to get the ,lord's      
sanction of ,jacob's loss of his        
separated1 pilgrim1 ,nazarite character2
 to link ,his name and ,his worship with
 that on which ,his judgment was        
resting1 and toward which ,his          
long-suffering was shown till iniquity  
was full4  ,surely it is rather an      
uncircumcised ,jacob we see here1 and   
not circumcised ,shechemites4 ,it is all

 miserable4 ,is this a son of ,abraham8 
,is this a saint of ,god8 ,is this one  
of ,god's strangers in a world that has 
revolted from ,him8 ,this is like the   
religious energy of ,christendom1 which 
has put the name of ,christ in company  
with the world that is under ,his       
judgment1 and only borne with in ,his   
long-suffering4 ,it is as if ,israel had
 consented to ,pharaoh1 and undertaken  
to give ,jehovah an altar in ,egypt4    
,but such altars are no altars--as      
another gospel is not another4 ,such    
religion is vain1 whether practised in  
these earliest days at ,shechem1 or now 
in these days of ,christendom1 among the
 nations of a judged1 condemned world1  
from which separation is the call of    
,god4 ,but this will not do4 ,a fair    
trade with the world will be followed1  
and the course of it pursued greedily1  
without watchfulness or conviction1 but 
religious family services1 and religious
 national ordinances1 the modern order  
at ,shechem1 will all the while be      

waited on4  ,it was of the fruit of all 
this that ,jacob had afterwards to say1 
,o my soul1 come not thou into their    
secret2 unto their assembly1 mine       
honour1 be not thou united4 ,for it is  
to the action in chapter xxxiv4 that    
,jacob thus refers1 when he was about to
 die1 in chapter xlix4 ,he finds out1 at
 the end1 the real character of all     
this1 the fruit of his dwelling at      
,shechem4 ,in self-will a man had been  
killed there1 and a fence thrown down4  
,but surely ,jacob himself had digged   
down ,god's fence before4 ,the          
partition-wall which the call of ,god   
had raised between the clean and the    
unclean1 between the circumcision and   
the ,gentile1 he himself1 in spirit1 had
 broken down1 when he settled as a      
citizen or freeholder on his purchased  
estate at ,shechem4 ,and ,simeon and    
,levi may perfect this1 as soon         
afterwards as they please4  ,and ,dinah1
 the daughter of ,leah1 which she bare  
unto ,jacob1 went out to see the        

daughters of the land4 xxxiv4 #a4 ,was  
this the way of the house of ,abraham8  
,was this the family of the separated   
patriarch keeping the way of the ,lord8 
,had ,abraham been thus slack8 ,what    
intercourse had he had for his children 
with either the sons or the daughters of
 the land8  ,it is all sad1 and         
proclaims its own shame4 ,shechem is    
next door to ,sodom4 ,but it is not     
,sodom1 ,i grant4 ,jacob is not ,lot4   
,we can distinguish2 and we have to     
distinguish1 though it is sad to be put 
to the work of distinguishing4 ,nature  
prevails1 in some more1 in some less1 in
 all the recorded saints of ,god4 ,but  
there is moral variety1 as well as the  
prevalency of nature1 and things that   
differ among the saints are to be       
distinguished by us4 ,there is a soiled 
garment1 and there is a mixed garment4  
,our way1 under the ,spirit1 is to keep 
the garment both unsoiled and unmixed4  
,surely it is to keep ourselves         
unspotted from the world4 ,but still1 a 

soiled garment is not a mixed garment1 a
 garment1 as ,scripture speaks1 of      
divers sorts1 of woollen and of linen4  
,nor is a garment with a thread of      
another sort now and again in it1 to be 
mistaken for a mixed garment1 the       
texture of which is wrought on the very 
principle of woollen and linen4         
,scripture1 ever fruitful and perfect1  
exhibits characters formed by what are  
called mixed principles1 and also       
characters which occasionally betray the
 mixture1 but which are not formed      
throughout by them4 ,the life of ,lot   
was formed throughout by mixed          
principles4 ,as soon as temptation      
addressed him1 he entered into          
connection with evil4 ,though associated
 with the call of ,god1 he had to be    
saved so as by fire4 ,the garment which 
,lot wore was of divers sorts1 of       
woollen and of linen4 ,abraham1 at      
times1 wore a soiled garment1 but never 
a mixed one4 ,lot was untrue to the call
 of ,god from the outset of his career  

to the close of it4 ,he became a citizen
 where he should have been a stranger1  
taking a house in the city of ,sodom1   
while ,abraham was traversing the face  
of the country from tent to tent4 ,and  
,lot's life of false principles leads   
him into sorrows that are his shame--and
 that is the real misery of sorrow4 ,he 
had no comfort in his sorrow4 ,his      
righteous soul was vexed3 this is told  
of him2 but there was no joy1 no        
brightness1 no triumph in his spirit4   
,the angels maintained much reserve     
towards him4 ,he had to escape with his 
life as a prey1 and under the loss of   
all beside4  ,our ,jacob was not of this
 generation4 ,we dare not say he was a  
man of mixed principles1 or one who wore
 a garment of divers sorts1 of woollen  
and linen4 ,but he had a soiled garment 
on him pretty commonly1 and here at     
,succoth and at ,shechem1 a garment with
 threads of another sort woven in it4   
,his schemes and calculations disfigure 
him1 and are the soiled garment2 his    

building a house at ,succoth1 and       
purchasing a field at ,shechem1 untrue  
to the call of ,god1 and to the         
tent-life of his fathers1 look very like
 a garment with threads of another sort 
in it4  ,still ,jacob is not to be put  
with ,lot4 ,his life was not formed of  
mixed principles4 ,he was indeed a      
stranger with ,god in the earth4 ,but1  
like ,lot1 he had been in the place of  
the uncircumcised willingly2 and he was 
now to feel the bitterness of his own   
way2 and very much what ,sodom had been 
to ,lot1 ,shechem is now to ,jacob4 ,he 
is saved 7may ,i not say87 yet so as by 
fire4 ,the iniquity of ,simeon and      
,levi1 with the instruments of cruelty  
that were in their habitations1 bring   
poor ,jacob very low4 ,he is at his     
wits' end in the midst of that people1  
of whom he had purchased his estate1 and
 in the neighbourhood of whom1 he had1  
,lot-like1 consented to settle4         
,things1 however1 are now at the worst4 
,we are about to make1 through the grace

 of ,god1 a happy escape with ,jacob out
 of all this1 to find a good riddance of
 ,shechem and all its pollutions4  ,a   
word spoken in due season1 how good is  
it6 ,we often prove this ourselves4 ,a  
word will do more for us at times than  
long and careful discourses4 ,for power 
belongeth unto ,god4 ,follow me1 from   
the lips of ,christ1 had power to detach
 ,levi from the receipt of custom2      
while1 in the same chapter1 a discourse 
was heard by ,peter without effect1     
being left by it1 as he had been before 
it1 the easy1 kind-hearted1 amiable1 and
 obliging ,peter4 ,see ,luke v4 ,thy    
people shall be willing in the day of   
thy power1 even that very people1 of    
whom it had been said before1 ,all day  
long have ,i stretched out my hands unto
 a disobedient and gainsaying people4   
,an instance of this power is found in  
the history of ,jacob1 just at this     
time1 in chapter xxxv4 #a4  ,arise1 go  
up to ,bethel1 said the ,lord to him1   
and dwell there2 and make there an altar

 unto ,god1 that appeared unto thee when
 thou fleddest from the face of ,esau   
thy brother4  ,these few words were with
 power4 ,they formed1 ,i believe1 the   
great era in the life of ,jacob1 or     
rather1 in the history of his soul4     
,they were few and simple1 unaccompanied
 by anything strange or startling1 no   
vision or miracle attending them2 but   
they were a day of power4 ,he had       
already come forth from the vision of   
the ladder at ,bethel1 from the         
magnificent sight of the angelic host at
 ,mahanaim1 and from the wrestling of   
the divine ,stranger at ,peniel1        
scarcely helped or advanced at all in   
the real energy of his soul4 ,but now1  
power visits him2 and power with ,god   
may use as weak an instrument as it     
pleases2 it matters not4 ,the hand of   
,god can do the business of ,god1 though
 it have but a sling and a stone1 or the
 jaw-bone of an ass1 or lamps and       
pitchers2 and the ,spirit of ,god can do
 the business of ,god with souls1 though

 ,he use but a word1 or a look1 or a    
groan4  ,these few words which open     
chapter xxxv4 prevail over ,jacob4      
,arise1 go up to ,bethel4 ,bethel is    
rewritten on his heart and conscience as
 by the finger of ,god4 ,he falls before
 it1 as ,abraham1 in chap4 xvii41 had   
fallen before the name of ,god          
,almighty1 or as ,peter1 long after1 in 
,luke xii41 fell before the look of     
,jesus4  ,power is always its own       
witness1 as light is4 ,these words1     
carrying the power of ,god with them1   
are everything now to the soul of our   
patriarch4 ,they manifest their virtue  
at once1 just as the one touch of the   
woman in the crowd did4 ,as soon as     
,jacob heard them1 without fuller       
commandment to do so1 he cleanses his   
household1 and will have his tents      
purified of all the abominations which  
they had brought with them out of       
,padan4 ,in spirit he was already at    
,bethel1 the place where ,god had met   
him in the riches of ,his grace1 in the 

day of his degradation and misery4      
,bethel had been reintroduced to his    
heart--yea1 manifested to his soul in   
greater vividness than ever4 ,he now    
read the story of grace clearer than    
ever2 and grace pleads for holiness4    
,the feast of unleavened bread waits on 
the ,passover4 ,the grace of ,god that  
bringeth salvation teaches us to deny   
ungodliness and worldly lusts4 ,for     
grace1 again ,i say it1 pleads for      
holiness4 ,and so1 ,jacob1 now hearing  
of ,bethel in the power of the ,spirit1 
without further ordinance1 or           
requirement1 or command1 will have his  
house and his household clean4  ,this is
 full of beauty and meaning4 ,pollution 
cannot be allowed by one who is in the  
sense and joy of abounding grace4 ,gods 
and earrings1 idols and vanities1 are   
together buried under an oak at         
,shechem1 and ,shechem is left behind4  
,the patriarch rises up with all that   
was his1 and is quickly on the road to  
,bethel4 ,he had kept the feast of      

unleavened bread in company with the    
,passover1 as ,israel afterwards did in 
,egypt2 but1 like ,israel too1 he is at 
once1 with staff in hand and shoe on    
foot1 leaving his ,egypt behind him4    
,and the ,lord accompanies him1 as ,he  
did ,israel in the day of their ,exodus 
afterwards2 and accompanies in strength 
too2 for1 as the rod of ,moses opened   
the way of ,israel in the face of       
enemies1 and ,he that was in the cloud  
looked out and troubled the host of     
,pharaoh1 so now1 we read of ,jacob and 
his household1 they journeyed1 and the  
terror of ,god was upon the cities that 
were round about them1 and they did not 
pursue after the sons of ,jacob4  ,this 
is surely full of beauty and meaning1 ,i
 may again say4 ,there is mercy and     
blessing here1 but there is humbling    
also4 ,israel had lost the power of     
,god's name1 and ,jacob must now learn  
that he had lost also the honour of his 
own name4 ,but all shall be given back  
to him4 ,god ,almighty1 and ,israel1 and

 ,bethel are revealed afresh1 at this   
moment of revival4  ,god must be        
worshipped as the ,god of salvation4 ,to
 be sure ,he must1 in such a world as   
this4 ,such worship is the only worship 
in truth4 ,john iv4 #bc4 ,in ,lev4 xvii4
 and in ,deut4 xii4 the divine jealousy 
touching this is strongly expressed4 ,it
 is as ,saviour1 ,he records ,his name  
in a scene of sin and death4 ,as ,he    
says by ,his prophet1 ,there is no ,god 
else beside2 a just ,god and a ,saviour2
 there is none beside me4 ,isa4 xlv4    
#ba4 ,this is revelation of ,him2 and on
 this all worship is grounded4 ,in this 
,he records ,his name1 and there is ,his
 house of praise4 ,at ,bethel1 ,god has 
thus recorded ,his name1 and there was  
,his house1 and there ,jacob now brings 
his sacrifices4 ,he raises his altar1   
and calls it ,el-,bethel4 ,with ,jacob1 
that was the ,tabernacle of the         
wilderness1 or the ,temple on ,mount    
,moriah1 the ,temple on ,ornan's        
threshing-floor4 ,and this was          

infinitely acceptable1 and ,god gave    
fervent and immediate witness of such   
acceptableness2 for ,he appeared to him 
at once at the altar there1 and blessed 
him1 and said1 ,thy name shall not be   
called any more ,jacob1 but ,israel     
shall be thy name3 and ,he called his   
name ,israel4 ,and ,god said unto him1  
,i am ,god ,almighty3 be fruitful and   
multiply2 a nation and a company of     
nations shall be of thee1 and kings     
shall come out of thy loins2 and the    
land which ,i gave ,abraham and ,isaac1 
to thee will ,i give it1 and to thy seed
 after thee will ,i give the land4 ,and 
,god went up from him in the place where
 ,he talked with him4  ,this was the    
expression of divine acceptance1 and    
delight in ,jacob's altar at ,bethel4   
,this was like the glory filling the    
,tabernacle in ,exodus xl41 and again   
filling the ,temple in #b ,chron4 v4    
,this was the ,god of grace and         
salvation with desire occupying the     
house and accepting the worship which a 

poor sinner1 who had tasted abounding   
grace1 had raised and rendered to ,him4 
,nothing can exceed the interest of such
 a moment4 ,solomon felt the power of   
such a moment2 for on seeing the glory  
fill the house which he had built1 he   
utters his heart in these admirable     
words3 ,the ,lord hath said that ,he    
would dwell in the thick darkness4 ,but 
,i have built a house of habitation for 
,thee1 and a place for ,thy dwelling for
 ever4 ,the ,temple1 where mercy was    
seen to rejoice against judgment1 had   
power to draw the ,lord ,god from the   
thick darkness1 the retreat of          
righteousness1 into the midst of ,his   
worshipping people4  ,what could exceed 
this8 ,and1 in patriarchal days1 this   
was seen at this altar or temple at     
,bethel4 ,the glory was there4 ,the     
,lord appeared there1 and spoke there to
 ,jacob1 as afterwards to ,solomon4 ,luz
 was as ,ornan's threshing-floor1 and   
each of them had become ,god's house4   
,and ,jacob called the place1 a second  

time1 ,bethel1 but without any of the   
misgivings that had soiled his spirit   
when he was there at the first4 ,he is  
now there in the spirit of ,solomon     
before the glory in the ,temple1 knowing
 ,god's return to him1 and ,his nearness
 and presence with him4  ,then1 in the  
freedom and strength of all this1 our   
patriarch resumes his journey4 ,he goes 
from ,bethel to ,bethlehem1 and from    
thence1 by the tower of ,edar1 to       
,mamre1 in the south country1 where his 
father ,isaac was dwelling4 ,but in none
 of these places do we read of house or 
land again4 ,it is the tent and the     
altar and the pillar1 the journeying    
onward still1 the burial of his aged    
father1 and at last1 as one with his    
fathers1 dwelling in the land where they
 had dwelt before him4 ,see chap4       
xxxvii4 #a4  ,this was indeed a         
different journey1 in its moral         
character1 from the one which he had    
before taken from ,padan to ,mount      
,gilead1 and from thence onward to      

,shechem through ,mahanaim and ,succoth4
 ,jacob is unrebuked now4 ,we have no   
wrestling as at ,peniel1 no peremptory  
voice summoning away as from ,shechem4  
,no fears are awakened in our hearts    
respecting him1 lest the tent may be    
deserted again1 or the call of ,god be  
forgotten4 ,the word ,bethel1 on the    
lips of the ,lord and on the ear of     
,jacob1 had done wonders4 ,a word spoken
 in due season1 how good is it6 surely  
we may again remember4 ,behold1 ,god    
exalteth by ,his power3 who teacheth    
like ,him8 ,and ,he might surely have   
challenged ,his erring but convicted    
child1 after this second scene at       
,bethel1 and said to him in the words of
 ,isaiah1 ,thus saith the ,lord thy     
,redeemer1 the ,holy ,one of ,israel1 ,i
 am the ,lord thy ,god which teacheth   
thee to profit1 which leadeth thee by   
the way that thou shouldest go4  ,it is 
not that all is perfected as yet4       
,reuben's iniquity may tell us this too 
painfully4 ,but the rising up from the  

place of nature1 and the moral          
extrication of his heart from the spirit
 of the world1 have taken place4 ,nor is
 it that he is as yet beyond the place  
of discipline4 ,that is not so4 ,he does
 not find ,rebecca with ,isaac at       
,mamre4 ,he never sees his mother again1
 the mother who had so preserved him and
 cherished him4 ,his mother's nurse he  
buries2 and more than that1 his beloved 
,rachel he loses4 ,he has indeed the    
pledge of strength in the son of his    
right hand1 but that same son told of   
sorrow touching ,rachel4 ,and thus he is
 under discipline still4 ,but--he is in 
,god's way1 as well as under ,god's     
hand4 ,that is the new thing4           
,discipline is telling upon him1 and    
reaching its end4 ,the path is shining1 
and its latest hour will soon be found  
to be its brightest4   ,part            
,,iv4--,when we enter upon chapter      
xxxvii4 we find ,joseph to be principal 
in the action1 and principal in the     
thoughts of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,this  

is evident from the second verse3 ,these
 are the generations of ,jacob4 ,joseph 
being seventeen years old1 c4 ,but we   
get detached notices of ,jacob from this
 chapter to the end of the book1 and    
which give us the last portion of his   
history4  ,he was now1 as ,i may call   
him1 a widower4 ,he appears before us as
 a lonely1 retired man1 with more of    
recollections than of present activities
 about him4 ,he was indeed the          
patriarch1 the common head and father of
 all the households of his children1 and
 so recognized by them4 ,but the        
business of the family was rather in    
their hands2 and he was passing his     
widowerhood without seeking to be again 
the stirring1 energetic man he had once 
been4  ,his retirement1 however1 was not
 like that of his father ,isaac4 ,isaac1
 for the last forty years of his life1  
is not seen4 ,he appears to have been   
laid aside1 as a vessel unfit for use1  
as ,i have observed of him1 not wearing 
out1 as the word is1 but rusting out4   

,see ,isaac1 p4 #ahe4 ,but this was not 
,jacob's closing years4 ,he was no      
longer a man of business1 but his       
retirement was not inactive4 ,the       
richest1 happiest1 and purest exercises 
of his soul seem to be now1 and they    
enlarge and deepen as they advance2     
chastened and disciplined as we have    
seen1 his soul is now rendering the     
fruit of divine husbandry4 ,we cannot   
fully say that ,jacob ever reached the  
high dignity of being a servant of ,god2
 but we may say1 when we have reached   
the end of his story1 that he was       
fruitful to ,him4  ,for there is a      
difference between service and          
fruitfulness4 ,service is more          
manifested and active1 fruitfulness may 
be hidden4 ,the hand or the foot may    
serve1 and so they should4 ,tipped with 
the blood and with the oil1 they are to 
be instruments in the hands of the      
,master of the house2 but it is in the  
deep1 secret places of the heart that   
the husbandry of the saint1 in the power

 of the ,spirit through the truth1 is to
 be yielding fruit to ,god4             
,fruitfulness is known in the           
cultivation of those graces and virtues 
which give real and intrinsic character 
to the people of ,god--those habits and 
tempers and properties of the inner man 
which1 with ,god1 are of great price4   
,it is within1 or out of the heart1 that
 those herbs1 meet for ,him by whom the 
soul is dressed1 grow fragrant and      
beautiful1 such as bespeak the virtue of
 that rain from heaven which has fallen 
upon it4  ,it is this fruitfulness1 as  
,i judge1 which will be found in our    
,jacob1 in this last scene of his       
pilgrimage4 ,we have had some fainter   
notice of this1 while yet he remained in
 ,canaan1 and ere he took his journey to
 ,egypt4 ,but the richer harvest of this
 husbandry is gathered during the       
seventeen years that he spent in that   
land1 ere he himself was gathered to his
 fathers4 ,for this participation of    
,god's holiness1 this fruit of the      

discipline of the ,father of spirits1 is
 commonly gradual--and we shall find it 
to be so in ,jacob--the light shining   
more and more unto the perfect day2 the 
last hour being the brightest4  ,in the 
course of chapter xxxvii41 which ,i have
 now reached1 we are told that the      
brethren of ,joseph were gone to feed   
their flocks at ,shechem4 ,but why was  
this recurrence to ,shechem8 ,was it    
that the purchased land1 the family     
estate1 was there8#bj ,it was a         
dangerous place to be connected with4   
,it had proved a snare to the whole     
family1 and the ,lord had called them   
from it4 ,had ,jacob been as watchful as
 he should have been1 we might not now  
have heard again of ,shechem and of the 
flocks and the brethren there4 ,but     
still1 it is happy to see that there    
were symptoms of uneasiness in his mind 
about it2 for he sends ,joseph to find  
out how the flocks and the brethren were
 faring there1 as though there were some
 misgiving in his heart about them in so

 suspected a place4 ,and this may be    
received as the pulse of a quickened    
state of soul in our patriarch1 though  
that pulse be but weak4   #bj ,this     
parcel of ground1 at last1 becomes only 
a burying-place1 like       ,machpelah2 
but it had not1 at first1 been purchased
 as such1 as       ,machpelah was4  ,so 
afterwards in chapter xliii41 when he is
 sending away his sons1 the second time1
 into ,egypt to buy food1 he commits    
them into the hand of the ,lord as ,god 
,almighty4 ,god ,almighty1 says he1 give
 you mercy before the man1 that he may  
send away your other brother and        
,benjamin4 ,this also tells happily of  
,jacob's condition of soul--that in some
 measure at least he had recovered the  
power of that name which he had once    
lost1 and which1 as we saw1 all the     
exercise through which he had passed at 
,peniel had not given back to him4      
,from these testimonies we may say that 
,jacob was under godly exercise1 by the 
hand of the ,father of his spirit1 in   

those early days4 ,beyond this ,i need  
not notice him1 till we see him         
preparing to go down to see his son in  
,egypt before he die4 ,but that moment  
was a very important moment indeed in   
the progress of his soul--and we must   
meditate on it4   ,on his hearing that  
,joseph was yet alive1 and governor over
 all the land of ,egypt1 we read that   
his heart fainted1 for he believed it   
not4 ,it was the ,lord's doing--for so  
the fact was--but it was marvellous in  
,jacob's eyes4 ,he believed not for joy1
 and wondered2 for this was receiving   
,joseph alive from the dead4 ,at first  
this was too much for him2 but when he  
saw the waggons which king ,pharaoh had 
sent to bear him1 and all that belonged 
to him1 down to ,egypt1 his spirit      
revived1 and he said1 without further   
delay1 ,it is enough1 ,joseph my son is 
yet alive2 ,i will go and see him before
 ,i die4  ,nature thus spake at once in 
,jacob1 as soon as the report was       
believed2 and without further challenge 

he begins his journey to ,egypt4 ,but a 
calmer moment1 as we shall now see1     
succeeds this outburst or ebullition of 
nature1 and then the way of nature is   
challenged4  ,and ,israel took his      
journey with all that he had1 and came  
to ,beersheba1 and offered sacrifice to 
the ,god of his father ,isaac4  ,this is
 remarkable4 ,why these sacrifices at   
,beersheba8 ,there had been none at     
,mamre1 ere ,jacob set out4 ,why1 then1 
this halt at ,beersheba1 and this       
service to the ,god of ,isaac8  ,this   
may at first be wondered at2 but it will
 be found to be common enough 7,i had   
almost said1 necessary7 in the ways of  
the people of ,god4  ,nature had acted  
in ,jacob at ,mamre1 as soon as he      
believed the report about ,joseph1 and  
set him at once on the road to ,egypt4  
,but now the spiritual sensibilities    
have waked up1 and are challenging the  
conclusions and ways of nature4 ,very   
common this is4 ,the saint is now       
feeling reserve1 where the father had   

felt none4 ,jacob had not dealt with the
 ,lord about this journey1 as he was    
beginning it2 but the mind of ,christ in
 him1 his conscience in the ,holy       
,ghost1 so to speak1 is now taking the  
lead1 and the judgment of nature is     
reviewed1 and reviewed in the light of  
the ,lord4  ,many years before this the 
,lord had said to ,isaac1 ,go not down  
into ,egypt 7xxvi4 #b72 and this had    
been said to ,isaac in a day of famine1 
like the present4 ,and this is          
remembered by ,jacob as soon as he      
reaches ,beersheba1 the last spot in the
 southern quarters of the land1 which   
lay in the way to ,egypt1 and in the    
view of which was stretched out that    
country to which ,isaac had thus been   
warned not to go4  ,all this accounts to
 me for ,jacob's sacrifices at          
,beersheba to the ,god of his father    
,isaac4 ,and all this has great moral   
meaning in it4 ,it was a mighty stir in 
,jacob's soul1 and it was very          
acceptable to the ,lord4 ,as we find in 

the day of the siege of ,samaria4 ,the  
poor lepers outside the city immediately
 feed themselves and gather for         
themselves among the tents of the       
,syrians4 ,it was natural1 almost       
necessary1 that they should do so4 ,but 
soon afterwards another mind begins to  
stir in them1 as here in our patriarch1 
and they say1 ,we do not well3 this day 
is a day of good tidings1 and we hold   
our peace3 if we tarry till the morning 
light1 some mischief will come upon us3 
now therefore come1 that we may go and  
tell the king's household4 #b ,kings    
vii4 ,this was the action of a better   
mind1 like this present stir in ,jacob's
 spirit4 ,and this awakening in ,jacob  
is so acceptable with the ,lord1 that   
,he comes at once to him with these     
words of consolation1 ,i am ,god1 the   
,god of thy father3 fear not to go down 
into ,egypt2 for ,i will there make of  
thee a great nation3 ,i will go down    
with thee into ,egypt2 and ,i will also 
surely bring thee up again3 and ,joseph 

shall put his hand upon thine eyes4     
,when we consider this for a moment1 we 
may well say1 ,what a communication this
 was6 ,how thoroughly did it let ,jacob 
know that the ,lord had read all his    
heart1 his present fears and his earlier
 affections1 the mind of the father and 
the mind of the saint1 the desires of   
nature and the sensibilities of the     
spirit4 ,fear not to go down into ,egypt
 calmed the present uneasiness of his   
renewed mind2 ,joseph shall surely put  
his hand upon thy eyes1 gratified the   
earlier desire of his heart over his    
long-lost child4 ,how full all this was6
 ,how perfectly did it prove the reality
 of the sympathy of ,christ with all    
that was stirring in ,his elect one6    
,jacob found pity in ,him1 and grace for
 seasonable help4 ,when my spirit was   
overwhelmed within me1 thou knewest my  
path1 was said by ,david1 and is here   
surely understood by ,jacob4 ,the groan 
that was not uttered by him in man's    
ear1 had1 in all its meaning1 entered   

the ear of ,him who searcheth the heart4
 ,and after this1 ,jacob can no longer  
halt at ,beersheba1 or question his     
further journey to ,egypt4  ,he         
accomplishes it2 and his first sight of 
,joseph1 as we might have expected1 and 
as the ,lord would have fully warranted 
it to be1 was the occasion of fullest   
joy to his long-bereaved heart4 ,and ,i 
would here observe1 that ,i have felt1  
as to ,jacob in these his last years1   
that he had become a very affectionate  
old man2 and this is a happy impression1
 another witness of an improved state of
 heart4 ,for a calculating man1 such as 
he had been in the habits and activities
 of his life1 is commonly1 and somewhat 
of moral necessity1 wanting in          
thoughtfulness and desire respecting    
others4 ,he is too much1 of course1 his 
own object4 ,but now it is not thus with
 ,jacob4 ,his grief at the loss of      
,joseph was intense4 ,he bewails ,simeon
 bitterly as well1 and seems ready to   
brave the horrors of famine1 rather than

 hazard the loss of any more of the     
children4 ,and then1 at the close of    
these years1 his adoption of the sons of
 ,joseph1 his sympathy with ,joseph in  
his sorrow over the preference of the   
younger1 his reference to ,rachel and   
her burial at ,ephrath1 and his mention 
of ,leah1 and of his fathers and their  
wives in connection with ,machpelah1 all
 is from a loving heart4 ,and the       
general grief which his death occasioned
 would tell us that he had been1 in the 
midst of the people1 a loved1           
affectionate old man4 ,it is delightful 
to mark all this4  ,but with all this we
 find him1 in his own person and ways1  
very much the same widowed1 solitary man
 in ,egypt as we saw him to have been   
for years in ,canaan ere he came out4   
,only it was thus under very strong     
temptation to be otherwise2 for he      
maintained his strangership1 though he  
now had opportunity to make the earth   
again the scene of his efforts and      
expectations4 ,for we like reflected    

dignity4 ,we know the charms of it full 
well4 ,if nature were given its way1 we 
would be making the most of our         
parentage1 and connections1 and set off 
before others our alliance with that    
which is honourable in our generation4  
,jacob1 in ,egypt1 had some of the very 
best opportunities for indulging his    
heart in that way4 ,his son was then the
 pride of that land4 ,joseph was the    
second man in the kingdom1 and ,joseph  
was ,jacob's son4 ,here was a temptation
 to ,jacob to come forth and show       
himself to the world4 ,joseph's father  
would have been an object4 ,would not   
all eyes be upon him8 ,would not place  
be given to him and way made for him1   
whenever or wherever he appeared8       
,nature would have said1 ,if ,jacob had 
such opportunities1 let him show himself
 to the world4 ,the spirit of the world 
must have suggested that2 as long       
afterwards to a greater than ,jacob1 who
 had no reflected glories to exhibit1   
but all personal glories4 ,if thou do   

these things1 shew thyself to the world4
 ,see ,john vii4 #d4 ,but1 in the spirit
 of one who1 in his way1 had overcome   
the world1 ,jacob continues a retired   
man through all his life of seventeen   
years in ,egypt4 ,he was a stranger1    
where every human attraction joined in  
tempting him to be a citizen4  ,to me1  
,i own1 this is exquisite fruit of a    
chastened mind1 fruit of divine         
discipline1 the witness of a large      
participation of the holiness of ,god1  
the holiness that suited the calling of 
,god1 the calling that made ,jacob a    
stranger and pilgrim on the earth4 ,at  
,shechem he reminded us of ,lot in      
,sodom1 but here he reminds us of       
,abraham in his victory over all the    
offers of the king of ,sodom4  ,but with
 this separation from the world there is
 nothing of false humility4 ,in the     
midst of all this practical strangership
 he knows and exercises his dignity     
under ,god4 ,as he enters1 and as he    
leaves the presence of king ,pharaoh    

7chap4 xlvii471 he blesses him4 ,this is
 to be observed4 ,as he stood there in  
the royal presence1 he owned himself a  
pilgrim on the earth1 somewhat poor and 
weary too2 but at his introduction and  
on his exit he blesses him1 as one who  
knew what he was in the election and    
grace of ,god2 for without all          
contradiction the less is blessed of the
 better4 ,this is not what old ,simeon  
did when he had the infant of ,bethlehem
 in his arms1 but this is what old      
,jacob now does1 when he has the        
greatest man on the earth before him4   
,he made no requests of the king1 though
 he might reasonably have expected      
whatever he asked4 ,he was silent as to 
all that ,pharaoh or ,egypt would do for
 him1 but he speaks as the better one   
blessing the less again and again4 ,this
 was like the chained prisoner of ,rome 
before the dignitaries and officers of  
,rome4 ,paul let ,agrippa know--he let  
the ,roman governor know--that he1 their
 prisoner1 carried and owned the good   

thing1 and that he could wish no better 
wish for them all1 than that they were  
as he was4 ,and this is faith that      
glorifies grace--the proper business of 
faith--precious faith indeed1 whether in
 a prisoner-apostle1 or in an exile     
stranger-patriarch4 ,rome and ,egypt    
have the wealth and power of the world1 
such as men will envy and praise1 but   
,paul and ,jacob carry a secret with    
them that makes them speak another      
language4  ,this is all full of meaning 
in our ,jacob4 ,the glory is hidden in  
an earthen vessel1 but it is there1 and 
the vessel knows it to be there4 ,jacob 
does nothing in those ,egypt-years of   
his1 to make history for the world4 ,he 
takes no part in its changes2 its       
interests and progress are lost upon    
him2 he is at the disposal of others1   
taking what they may give him1 and being
 what they may make him2 but he knows a 
secret that takes his spirit above them4
 ,others may flourish in ,egypt1 he only
 spends the remnant of his days there4  

,see xlvii4 #bg1 #bh4  ,i own indeed    
that ,i stand in admiration of this way 
of the ,lord1 of the ,spirit of ,god1   
with ,jacob4 ,to such a life as his had 
been1 most suited was such an end as    
this now is4 ,it is a poor thing that we
 should need such a pause as this1 at   
the end of the journey2 but1 if needed1 
it is beautiful to see it fruitful1     
after this manner4 ,during that long    
husbandry of his soul under the ,father 
of spirits1 that seventeen years in     
,egypt1 how commonly1 ,i dare to        
suppose1 did ,jacob sit before the      
,lord1 meditating the past years1 with  
some confusion of face2 and the fire    
would kindle then1 and the refiner's    
work go on4  ,but when these silent and 
retired years are about to close1 we    
find him1 somewhat abruptly1 stirring   
and earnest4 ,it is with ,joseph        
respecting his burial4 ,he will have    
,joseph not only promise1 but swear1    
that he will bury him in the land of his
 fathers4 xlvii4 #cj4 ,this is also very

 beautiful4 ,we never find him urgent   
about the conditions of his life in     
,egypt2 he seems willing1 as ,i said1 to
 take what they give him and to be what 
they make him2 but as to his burial1 he 
is1 now1 all urgency and decision4 ,he  
will have it confirmed to him by an     
oath1 that his son will take his dead   
body to that land which witnessed the   
promise of ,god to him4 ,he is earnest  
and peremptory now1 as he was           
indifferent before4 ,for faith likes to 
read its title clear1 full1 and         
indefeasible4 ,abraham would have the   
inheritance by covenant1 as well as by  
word4 ,chap4 xv4 ,jacob now will have   
the burial1 such a burial as is worthy  
of the hopes of a child of ,abraham1 by 
oath1 as well as by promise4  ,all this 
shows us another ,jacob than what we    
once knew him to be4 ,he is now partaker
 of ,god's holiness2 his mind and       
character are in consistency with the   
call of ,god4 ,he is a stranger with    
,god in the earth1 but in sure and      

certain hope of promised inheritance4   
,this is fruitfulness2 ,i say not that  
it is service2 but it is beautiful      
fruitfulness in the inner man4  ,in     
chapter xlviii4 which follows1 we get   
that one act in his life which is       
signalized by the ,spirit as the act of 
faith4 ,see ,heb4 xi4 #ba4 ,but the     
whole chapter is beautiful4 ,all is     
grace on ,god's part1 and all is faith  
in the heart of ,jacob4 ,for it is the  
proper business and duty of faith to    
accept the decisions of grace1 and that 
is just what grace is doing here4 ,grace
 adopts the sons of ,joseph1 who had no 
title in the flesh1 and takes them into 
the family of ,abraham4 ,grace gives the
 place and portion of the firstborn1 the
 double portion1 as though they were    
,reuben and ,simeon4 ,grace sets the    
younger of them above the elder4 ,and   
grace gives ,joseph1 or the adopted     
firstborn1 an earnest of his coming     
inheritance4 ,to all this ,jacob bows   
and is obedient4 ,in faith he accepts   

the decisions of grace4 ,nature may     
resent this2 but ,jacob is true to the  
word of grace committed to him4 ,joseph 
was moved when ,jacob was setting       
,ephraim above ,manasseh4 ,jacob feels  
for him2 but he fulfils the word of ,god
 committed to him1 let nature be        
surprised or wounded as it may4 ,he does
 not listen to nature in his son        
,joseph1 as he had listened to it on a  
like occasion1 years and years ago1 in  
his mother ,rebecca4#ba   #ba ,in       
,joseph obtaining the rights of the     
firstborn1 there is       something     
besides grace2 but ,i do not notice it  
here4  ,surely this is beautiful3 faith 
thus accepting the decisions of grace4  
,but in this1 ,jacob was also ,god's    
oracle4 ,he was not only in faith       
obedient to the purpose or counsel of   
grace1 but he was used of ,god as a     
vessel of ,his house1 used to declare   
,his mind1 to represent and act ,his    
purposes in these mysteries of grace1   
the adoption1 and the inheritance1 and  

the earnest4  ,and as this vessel was   
thus so fully approving itself fit for  
the ,master's use1 it is still used4 ,we
 still see him and hear him as ,god's   
oracle1 as we enter chapter xlix4 ,he   
calls his twelve sons1 and blesses them4
 ,he delivers1 under the ,spirit1 the   
words and judgments of ,god touching    
them4 ,but this was a very trying moment
 to him4 ,it exceeds all in what it cost
 him4 ,in preferring ,ephraim to        
,manasseh1 he suffered something4 ,but  
he1 who did not then attend to nature in
 his son1 will not now attend to it in  
himself4 ,he goes through this          
sorrowful1 humbling scene1 feeling it   
bitterly at certain stages of it2 but he
 still goes on with it and through it4  
,he had now to retrace1 under the       
,spirit1 and as the oracle of ,god1 and 
in their presence1 the ways of his sons 
in past days1 and the fruit of these    
ways in days still to come4 ,he had to  
do much of this with a wounded heart1   
and with recollections that might well  

be deeply humbling4 ,for these words    
upon his sons were a kind of judgment   
upon himself for his past carelessness  
about his children4 ,but still he does  
go on and finishes his service1 as the  
oracle of ,god1 and that too with such  
sympathies and affections as give us    
some further beautiful witnesses of his 
purified state of soul4  ,levi's and    
,simeon's iniquity has to come before   
him4 ,but he resents this now in a way1 
no trace of which we find in him in the 
day when that iniquity was perpetrated4 
,it troubled him then because of the    
mischief which it might work for him    
among his neighbours4 ,ye have troubled 
me1 said he1 to make me stink among the 
inhabitants of the land1 among the      
,canaanites and the ,perizzites3 and ,i 
being few in number1 they shall gather  
themselves together against me1 and slay
 me2 and ,i shall be destroyed1 ,i and  
my house4 ,chap4 xxxiv4 #cj4 ,this was  
the mind he was in when he was a citizen
 in ,shechem4 ,but now it is on other   

ground altogether1 higher and purer     
ground1 that his soul refuses this      
iniquity4 ,it was iniquity2 that is     
enough2 and he will not let his honour  
be united with it4 ,then he opens his   
eyes on the uncleanness of ,reuben1 just
 to be shocked by it4 ,and then1 as the 
backsliding of ,dan is summoned up      
before him1 his whole soul is moved1 and
 he is cast on the hope of ,god's       
salvation1 his only escape1 the only    
escape which he would own1 from all that
 was around him1 behind him1 or before  
him4 ,dan shall be a serpent by the way1
 an adder in the path1 that biteth the  
horse's heels1 so that his rider shall  
fall backward4 ,i have waited for thy   
salvation1 ,o ,lord4  ,what affections  
and energies are here6 ,how finely this 
vessel did its service in the house of  
,god6 ,poor ,david knew more than sorrow
 for the loss of ,absalom in the day of 
,absalom's fall4 ,that slaying of his   
son brought sin to remembrance4 ,and    
here ,jacob entered1 with full personal 

sympathies1 into the counsels of ,god1  
and had his own part and share in       
recollections that must have stirred the
 conscience4  ,he not only announced    
these judgments of ,god1 but felt them4 
,he was not a mere vessel1 but a living 
vessel4 ,and he was faithful to ,him    
that appointed him1 though the service  
was1 after this manner1 full of humbling
 and bitterness4  ,we saw ,jacob dumb   
for a season4 ,this we noticed as the   
character of many years of our          
,patriarch's closing life4 ,but his     
mouth had now been opened by faith2 and 
once opened1 ,god uses him abundantly as
 ,his oracle4 ,this is like ,zacharias1 
the ,zacharias of ,luke i4 ,he also1 as 
we know1 had been dumb for a season2 but
 in faith he wrote his child's name upon
 a writing-table1 and then the ,lord    
used him as ,his prophet4   ,here the   
story ends2 but ,i believe we have      
gathered the moral of it4 ,the ,lord's  
hand with ,jacob tells us how unwearied 
,he is with ,his foolish and wayward    

ones4 ,it is variety1 too1 as well as   
patience1 that we see in this constant  
moral culture4 ,jacob had to learn      
different lessons2 and ,he1 with whom he
 had to do1 set ,himself in patient     
grace to teach them all to him4 ,bethel1
 ,peniel1 ,bethel again1 and ,beersheba1
 witness this1 as we have seen4 ,and    
then1 throughout a changeful course1 at 
home and abroad1 in youth and in        
manhood1 among strangers or at the side 
of his father and his mother1 ,jacob    
betrayed much that needed chastening1   
and the lesson was taught him again and 
again4  ,he reminds us of the disciples 
in the days of the ,lord4 ,in how many  
ways had the ,lord to correct and       
instruct them6 ,and it was the same to  
the end2 and the patience of their      
divine ,teacher was the same to the end4
 ,the ignorance1 the selfishness1 the   
constant moral mistakes they made and   
betrayed1 the different ways in which   
they crossed the mind of their ,master1 
all glorify the goodness that waited on 

them4 ,and it may remind us also of ,him
 who bore with ,israel's manners in the 
wilderness for forty years4 ,and it may 
be also a remembrancer to ourselves of  
much of that patience and grace which we
 are daily experiencing at the same     
hand4  ,discipline1 the discipline of a 
child1 is illustrated in ,jacob1 as we  
observed at the beginning1 ere we began 
to consider his story1 and as we now    
have seen it to be4 ,and discipline is  
healthful1 and does good like a         
medicine4 ,if we need it1 it is the only
 thing for us4 ,when in the days of     
,samuel1 ,israel asked for a king1 would
 it have been well for them1 if the     
,lord had given them ,david8 ,the ,lord 
had ,david in reserve for them2 but     
would it have been seasonable1 would it 
have been healthful for them1 if ,david 
had been given to them at once1 when    
with a rebellious will they were asking 
for a king8 ,surely1 they must first be 
made to know the bitterness of their own
 way4 ,a ,saul must be given when       

,israel asks a king4 ,this was          
discipline1 and this was the only thing 
that would have been healthful for them4
 ,but when they have tasted the         
bitterness of their own way1 in pity of 
their misery1 the ,lord will bring out  
that which ,he has in reserve for them1 
the man after ,his own heart that shall 
fulfil all ,his pleasure4  ,how perfect 
was all this6 ,had ,david been given to 
,israel in the day of #a ,sam4 xi4 the  
whole moral of the story would have been
 lost to us4 ,but the love is the same1 
whether it be discipline or consolation1
 medicine or food4  ,this is the        
characteristic lesson we learn from the 
story of our patriarch4  ,with          
,machpelah and his burial1 ,jacob then  
ends these dying intercourses with his  
sons1 as he had begun them4 xlvii4 #bi1 
xlix4 #bi4 ,he had ,joseph's word and   
oath already on this matter1 and now he 
must put all of them under the same     
engagements to him about it4 ,death was 
more important to him than life4 ,life  

kept him in ,egypt1 death would restore 
him to ,canaan4 ,death linked him with  
the ,god and the promise of his fathers4
 ,the hopes of faith lay beyond life1   
and outside ,egypt4 ,in spirit he was   
saying1 ,absent from the body1 present  
with the ,lord2 ,confident1 ,i say1 and 
willing rather to be absent from the    
body1 and to be present with the ,lord4 
,as far as patriarchal faith could utter
 this1 ,jacob was uttering it4 ,and at  
the very last we read1 ,when ,jacob had 
made an end of commanding his sons1 he  
gathered up his feet into the bed1 and  
yielded up the ghost1 and was gathered  
unto his people4  ,it was surely no     
barren or unfruitful time he had spent  
in ,egypt4 ,though to him and to his    
hands the business of life was all over1
 he was not rusting out1 as we had to   
say of ,isaac4 ,jacob's silence was     
husbandry4 ,we rejoice in these last    
days as his best days4 ,we rejoice still
 more in the grace which provided this  
pause for him at the end of his journey1

 that1 in the language of the ,psalmist1
 he might recover strength before he    
went hence1 and was no more seen4       
,gracious indeed is it towards all of us
 ,his elect ones1 to have such a sight  
as this1 such a specimen 7may ,i so call
 it87 of divine patience1 wisdom1 and   
goodness1 as this4 ,it is peculiar      
indeed1 having its own place amid the   
infinite forms and characters which     
grace assumes in relation to the need of
 the saints4 ,jacob's last days were his
 golden days4 ,to others1 to their      
flocks and herds1 ,egypt was a land of  
,goshen2 but it was not to ,jacob's     
flocks and herds1 for we do not read    
that he had any2 but it was to ,jacob's 
soul that ,egypt was a ,goshen1 the very
 richest1 fairest1 best-watered land his
 spirit had ever enjoyed4 ,it was more  
really the gate of heaven to him than   
,bethel had been4 ,it was more the face 
of ,god to him than ,peniel had been4   
,he had the ,lord in secret and in      
silence with him there1 but in real1    

living power4 ,with all that would      
naturally have kept him at home on the  
earth he was a stranger4 ,in ,egypt     
,jacob was a delivered1 extricated man1 
as from the beginning and all through he
 had been a chosen and a called one4    
,are we learning that which ,god was    
teaching him there8 ,are we seeking1    
with more single heart1 the portion of  
,god's strangers and pilgrims1 thinking 
rather of ,machpelah than of ,egypt1 of 
the rapture that links us with the      
promise1 than of all the daily growing  
prosperity of this present evil world8  
,,joseph4                               
,,genesis ,,xxxvii4-,l4   ,joseph       
becomes principal in the narratives of  
the ,book of ,genesis as soon as we     
reach chap4 xxxvii41 and so continues1  
,i may say1 to the end4 ,so that ,i now 
propose to close with this paper on     
,joseph1 referring to the others1       
entitled ,enoch1 ,noah1 ,abraham1       
,isaac1 ,jacob1 as if they had been     
already read4   ,joseph's story has its 

peculiarity in the midst of the things  
of ,genesis--its own mystery1 and its   
characteristic moral2 as the others     
have4 ,election1 as we have seen1 was   
illustrated in ,abraham2 sonship1 or the
 adoption of the elect one1 in ,isaac2  
discipline of the adopted one in ,jacob2
 and now in ,joseph1 heirship is to be4 
,all this is a divine order4  ,and1     
consistently with this1 in ,joseph we   
get sufferings before glories1 or before
 the inheritance of the kingdom2 all    
this realizing that word of the apostle1
 ,if children1 then heirs 444 if so be  
that we suffer with ,him1 that we may be
 also glorified together4  ,for while   
discipline attaches to us as children1  
sufferings go before us as heirs2 and   
this gives us the distinction between   
,jacob and ,joseph4 ,it is discipline we
 see in ,jacob1 discipline leading him  
as a child1 under the hand of the       
,father of his spirit1 to a             
participation of ,god's holiness4 ,it is
 sufferings1 martyr-sufferings1         

sufferings for righteousness1 we see in 
,joseph1 marking his path to glories4   
,and this is the crowning thing2 and    
thus it comes as the closing thing1 in  
this wondrous ,book of ,genesis--after  
this manner perfect in its structure1 as
 it is truthful in its records4 ,one    
moral after another is studied1 one     
secret after another is revealed1 in the
 artless family scenes which constitute 
its materials2 and in them we learn our 
calling1 the sources and the issues of  
our history1 from our election to our   
inheritance4  ,thus is it for our       
learning in this ,book of ,genesis4     
,but as yet1 while we are in this ,book1
 there is no law4 ,we are taught that   
this was so in ,romans v4 #ac1 #ad4 ,but
 we might have perceived it for         
ourselves4 ,because1 in dispensational  
age1 so to speak1 the time of this ,book
 was the time of infancy4 ,the elect    
were as children who had never left     
home1 never as yet been under a         
schoolmaster4  ,neither is there any    

miracle4 ,i mean no miracle by the hand 
of man4 ,for power would no more have   
suited such hands1 than law or a        
schoolmaster would have suited such an  
age4 ,and1 besides1 there was no mission
 or apostleship to seal4 ,miracles or   
signs following were not demanded as    
credentials of a mission4 ,but as soon  
as we leave this ,book1 and enter       
,exodus1 we get a mission or an         
apostleship1 and then we get miracles1  
as seals1 to accredit it4  ,so that what
 we do not get is just as fitting1 from 
its absence1 as what we do get4 ,neither
 power nor law would have been in       
season1 and accordingly neither power   
nor law do we get4  ,but ,i will now    
pass on to ,joseph1 or to chapters      
xxxvii4-l4  ,the materials which we find
 in these chapters1 and which form the  
history of ,joseph1 may be separated    
into four parts3        #a4 ,his early  
times at home in his father's house1 in 
the land          of ,canaan4       #b4 
,his life1 as a separated man1 in       

,egypt4       #c4 ,his recovery of his  
kindred1 his father and his brethren1   
and the results of such recovery4       
#d4 ,his latter times in the land of    
,egypt till the day of his              
death4  ,this may be received as the    
contents of this wondrous story4 ,the   
way in which it is told has been        
witnessed to by the sympathies and      
sensibilities of thousands of hearts in 
every generation4   ,part ,i4 7xxxvii4  
xxxviii47--,as soon as we enter on the  
history1 the heir is at once and        
immediately seen in ,joseph4 ,his dreams
 are dreams of glory4 ,but sufferings as
 quickly form his present reality4  ,the
 story begins by ,joseph being a witness
 both to and against his brethren4 ,he  
tells his father of their evil deeds1   
and he tells themselves of his dreams4  
,i cannot blame him in either4 ,i say   
not how far nature may have soiled him  
in the doing of these things2 but the   
testimonies themselves were1 ,i believe1
 under divine authority4 ,there was ,one

 who was all perfection1 as ,i need not 
say1 in everything ,he did or said1 and 
,he bore witness against the world1 and 
to ,his own glories4 ,a want of season  
and of measure may have soiled these    
services in ,joseph2 for a thing out of 
season and beyond its measure1 though   
right in itself1 has contracted         
defilement4 ,a vessel in the master's   
house1 at times1 has to hide1 as well as
 to hold1 the treasure that is in it1   
and should know where1 and when1 and    
how1 to use it4 ,david had the oil of   
,samuel1 the anointing of the ,lord1    
upon him1 and he knew that the kingdom  
was to be his1 but he veiled his glory  
till ,abigail1 by faith1 owned it4 ,and 
in this ,david may have surpassed       
,joseph4 ,i say not that it was not so4 
,but to tell of what his dreams or his  
visions in the ,spirit had communicated 
to him1 was of ,god4  ,and hence his    
sufferings4 ,the ,lord marks him as the 
heir of glory2 he speaks of the goodness
 he had found1 and of the high purpose  

of ,god concerning him1 and his brethren
 hate him4 ,they envy him2 and who can  
stand before envy8 ,they had already    
begrudged him his father's favour1 and  
now they hate him for ,god's4 ,they hate
 him for his words and for his dreams2  
and when in the field together 7as of   
old1 it had been with ,cain and ,abel71 
they take counsel whether to slay him1  
to cast him into a pit1 or to sell him  
to strangers4  ,and this was at a time  
when he was serving them4 ,he had come a
 long way to inquire after their        
welfare1 and take their pledge1 and to  
carry them blessings from their father's
 house with their father's love4 ,such a
 moment was their opportunity4 ,it was  
not as the bearer of good tidings that  
they received him2 but ,behold1 this    
dreamer cometh1 they say4 ,this is the  
heir 7,matt4 xxi4 #ch72 that was the    
spirit of their words4 ,for envy they   
deliver them2 for his love they are his 
enemies2 and at last they sell him to   
the ,ishmaelites for twenty pieces of   

silver4  ,there may be different        
measures in the common enmity2 but in a 
great moral sense they are all one      
generation4 ,reuben was ,jacob's        
firstborn1 and we may suppose that he   
judged himself more answerable to the   
aged father for the lad1 than any of    
them4 ,he saves ,joseph from the sword1 
and ,judah proposes a sale of him to the
 merchantmen1 in the stead of the pit4  
,after such manners as these there are  
measures in the common enmity4 ,as some 
said of ,jesus1 ,he is a good man2      
others1 ,nay1 but ,he deceiveth the     
people4 ,in the parable of the marriage 
of the king's son1 some went to the     
farm1 and some to the merchandize1 while
 others were taking the servants and    
killing them4 ,but the ,lord speaks of  
all as of one generation4 ,the remnant  
of them1 ,he says1 took his servants and
 slew them4 ,the ,judge of all the earth
 will surely do right1 and sins will get
 their many stripes and their few       
stripes1 but the world has cast out     

,jesus1 and the world is the world2 as  
here1 all are the guilty brethren of    
,joseph2 and1 as the issue of their     
counsels and of their common hatred1 he 
is sold to the merchantmen1 and by them 
is carried down to the market of ,egypt1
 for further and profitable sale there4 
,it is the heartlessness of all this    
that is specially shocking2 and it is   
that which the prophet ,amos1 under the 
,holy ,ghost1 so solemnly notices in his
 reference to the affliction of ,joseph4
 ,chap4 vi4 ,and we1 though at this     
distant day1 may take our share of the  
rebuke of the prophet for like          
heartlessness1 if we can willingly love 
the world which cast out the true       
,joseph4 ,and what must we say1 when we 
look on the boasted advance of          
everything in that world1 the constant  
skill that is exercised in sweeping and 
garnishing that house which is stained  
with the blood of ,jesus8 ,the beds of  
ivory1 the sound of the viols1 the wine1
 and the chief ointments1 were never so 

abundant as in these days4 ,and if we   
can take up with life in such a world1  
are we true1 as we ought to be1 to the  
cross of ,christ8 ,a heartless heart we 
have1 and a heartless world we live in1 
as it is heartless brethren of ,joseph  
we are here looking at4 ,one knows it   
for one's self full well2 and surely1 ,i
 may again say1 it is this heartlessness
 that is principally shocking to        
ourselves 7if one may speak for others71
 as it was to the ,spirit in ,amos4 ,we 
are not grieved for the affliction of   
,joseph1 we are not true to the         
rejection of ,christ4 ,worldliness is   
heartlessness to ,him4  ,what depths    
there are in the corruption that is in  
us6 ,as here1 they dipped the favoured  
coat1 the coat that the old father had  
put on ,joseph1 they dipped it in blood1
 and sent it to their father with these 
words3 ,this have we found3 know now    
whether it be thy son's coat or no4     
,this is the language of ,cain3 ,am ,i  
my brother's keeper8 ,cain was laying   

the burthen of ,abel's blood on the     
,lord1 intimating by these words that   
the ,lord should have been ,abel's      
keeper1 seeing ,he had had such respect 
to him and his offering4 ,so these words
 of ,joseph's brethren seem to lay the  
burthen of ,joseph's blood upon the aged
 father1 who1 if he loved him as well as
 this coat seemed to say he did1 should 
have looked after him better than this  
blood seemed to say he had4  ,what      
depths1 indeed1 in the revolted1        
corrupted heart of man6 ,what           
discoveries of these depths temptation  
makes at times6 ,they sinned1 in all    
this1 against their aged father1 and    
against their unoffending brother1 at a 
time when the love of the one had       
counselled1 and the love of the other   
had undertaken1 a mission to them of    
grace and blessing2 as is said of a     
generation which they represent both    
morally and typically1 ,they please not 
,god1 and are contrary to all men4      
,dark deeds indeed6 ,joseph's blood is  

upon themselves1 let them seek to hide  
it as they may2 and the day is before   
them when their sin shall find them out1
 and this blood upon ,joseph's coat     
shall be a swift witness against them4  
,for the present they do but prosper in 
wickedness1 that they may fill up their 
measure4 ,the course of ,joseph's       
history is interrupted1 that we might   
get this sight of them during ,joseph's 
separation from them4 ,chap4 xxxviii4   
affords it to us4 ,and it is indeed     
apostasy1 full departure from the way of
 the ,lord1 in which ,abraham had       
walked1 and in which he had commanded   
his children and his household after him
 to walk4 ,judah deals treacherously1   
marrying the daughter of ,shuah4 ,the   
way of the ,lord is utterly despised and
 forsaken by ,judah4 ,still grace gets  
pledge here4 ,pharez is a second        
supplanter4 ,the hope of ,israel is in  
the womb1 a blessing is in the cluster2 
but truly it is such a cluster of a wild
 vine as might well be doomed to the    

sickle1 if sovereign1 abounding grace   
did not say1 ,destroy it not4 ,isa4 lxv4
 #h2 ,matt4 i4 #c4  ,and such is the sin
 of the nation of ,israel1 as of this1  
their own father ,judah2 and such the   
grace in which the nation shall stand in
 the latter day4 ,grace shall then reign
 in the story of ,israel1 as it now does
 in the person of every saint1 elected  
in the sovereign good pleasure of ,god1 
and made a monument of the saving power 
of ,christ4  ,we may not be prepared for
 this grace of ,god in some of its      
surpassing exhibitions4 ,we may be less 
prepared for it than we think4 ,jonah   
was not1 ,ananias was not1 ,peter was   
not4 ,jonah iv42 ,acts ix4 and x4 ,we   
are not always practised1 skilful       
weigh-masters in the use of the         
balances1 the weights and measures of   
the sanctuary4 ,are the heartlessness of
 chap4 xxxvii41 and the defilement of   
chap4 xxxviii41 and that1 too1 when     
found together1 too bad8 ,i ask4 ,after 
all this are we prepared for repentance 

and remission of sins in the grace of   
,god8 ,the moral sense1 the natural     
conscience1 self-righteousness1 the laws
 of society1 and the judgments of men1  
supply us with false weights and        
measures1 and we carry them about with  
us more than we are aware of4 ,but they 
are an abomination4 ,deut4 xxv4 #af4 ,in
 our thoughts1 the way of the harlot and
 the publican are worse than the easy1  
respectable course of the world4 ,had we
 the balances of the sanctuary1 we      
should assay things otherwise4 ,that    
which is highly esteemed among men is   
abomination in the sight of ,god4       
,part ,,ii4 7xxxix4-xli47--,in these    
chapters1 which give us the second part1
 according to our division1 we have the 
life of ,joseph while he was a separated
 man in the land of ,egypt4  ,during    
this time we shall see the beginning of 
his day1 or his exaltation4 ,but ere    
that come1 we are to witness his further
 sufferings--his sufferings at the hand 
of strangers4  ,we may1 somewhat        

naturally1 have the thought that the    
,jew is specially guilty1 as far as the 
moral history of this world             
goes--specially answerable for sin      
against the ,lord4 ,but in this we are  
not fully wise4 ,the ,jew had1 indeed1 a
 special hand in the sorrows of ,christ2
 and1 nationally1 ,israel is under      
special judgment4 ,but the ,gentile is a
 distinct1 not a different man4 ,the    
ministry of our ,lord ,jesus tested the 
world1 as well as ,his own4 ,the record 
touching the cross is this1 ,of a truth 
against thy holy child ,jesus1 whom thou
 hast anointed1 both ,herod and ,pontius
 ,pilate1 with the ,gentiles1 and the   
people of ,israel1 were gathered        
together4 ,acts iv4 ,all were guilty    
there4 ,as the apostle of the ,gentiles1
 in his doctrine1 says1 the whole world 
has become guilty before ,god4 ,jew and 
,gentile are all alike proved under sin4
 ,rom4 iii4  ,our present chapters      
suggest this4 ,joseph's affliction1     
begun among his brethren1 is now        

continued among strangers4 ,his brethren
 had already hated him1 and put him in  
the pit1 and thence taken him to sell   
him as a bond-slave2 an evil woman of   
the ,egyptians now falsely accuses him1 
and he is put in prison1 and then       
another ,egyptian1 whom he had served   
and befriended1 forgets him and leaves  
him4 ,but1 however it may be with him1  
whether at home or abroad1 ,god is with 
him4 ,this becomes the very             
characteristic of his history4 ,chapter 
xxxix42 ,acts vii4 ,for1 in ,his way    
with ,his elect1 ,god's sympathy comes  
first1 and then ,his power1 the sympathy
 which accompanies them through their   
sorrow1 and then the power which        
delivers them out of it4 ,we are prone  
to desire present ease1 and would have  
all inconvenience and contradiction     
removed at once4 ,but this is not ,his  
way4 ,when at ,bethany ,jesus wept2 and 
afterwards1 but not till afterwards1 ,he
 said1 ,lazarus1 come forth4 ,nature    
would have had the death1 which had     

called forth the tears1 anticipated4 ,we
 judge that we might have been spared   
many a trial1 and we reason it out as a 
clear1 unquestioned conclusion1 that    
,god had power4 ,as the friends of the  
family at ,bethany said1 ,could not this
 man1 that opened the eyes of the blind1
 have caused that even this man should  
not have died8 ,but they reasoned       
imperfectly1 because they reasoned      
partially2 that is1 only on the power of
 ,christ4  ,we ought to 7and we should1 
had we but bowels in ,christ7 very      
chiefly value the age or dispensation of
 ,his sympathy2 it gives ,himself to us 
in so peculiar a way4 ,and this sympathy
 was eminently ,joseph's1 in this day of
 his affliction4 ,as we said1 that ,god 
was with him is characteristic of his   
condition4 ,and he had abundant evidence
 of this4 ,as soon as he is in          
,potiphar's house1 all under his hand1  
committed to him by his master1         
prospers4 ,and change of scene works no 
change in this2 for as soon as he is in 

prison1 the same record we read of him1 
and the same circumstances we see around
 him4 ,the keeper of the prison puts the
 same confidence in him that ,potiphar  
his master had2 and under his hand in   
the prison all things prosper1 as they  
had in the ,egyptian's house4 ,so that  
,joseph had full witness from ,god1 that
 ,god was sufficient for him4  ,it was  
not for such an one to leave the help of
 the ,lord for the help of the creature4
 ,but ,joseph craves the remembrance and
 the sympathy of the butler1 and would  
have him give him a good word with the  
king his master4  ,this was natural4    
,joseph had befriended the butler of the
 king1 and such an one was able to      
befriend him4 ,his craving of his       
sympathy is not to be condemned on any  
natural1 human1 or even moral grounds4  
,but whether it was quite worthy of     
,joseph to do so may be questioned1     
whether it was quite the way which faith
 would have suggested4  ,and it comes to
 nothing4 ,the butler1 as we know1      

forgets him1 and he is left for two long
 years in the prison4 ,for ,god will    
still be everything to him4 ,help shall 
come1 but it shall come from ,himself4  
,with the ,lord1 the heaviness of the   
night is sure to yield to the joy of the
 morning2 and ere this season of his    
separation from his brethren came to an 
end1 ,joseph is released1 and blessed1  
and honoured4 ,it becomes the           
budding-time of his glories4  ,excellent
 things indeed are found in the         
condition of the separated ,joseph1 such
 things as bear our thoughts to ,him who
 is the greater than ,joseph4 ,i would  
just observe four of them4  #a4 ,there  
is great moral beauty in him4 ,he was a 
,nazarite then1 as pure an one as       
,daniel in like circumstances1 a captive
 among the uncircumcised1 maintaining   
his circumcision1 his separation to     
,god1 unspotted4 #b4 ,there is precious 
spiritual gift in him4 ,he was a vessel 
in ,god's house1 carrying the mind of   
,christ1 and ministering that mind as an

 oracle of ,god2 like ,daniel again1    
interpreting dreams1 and making known   
even to kings1 though still in his day  
of humiliation1 what was coming upon the
 earth4 #c4 ,there is the right hand of 
power and dignity for him4 ,he is seated
 nearest the throne1 and put in         
possession of those resources on which  
his own brethren1 who had cast him out1 
and the whole world beside1 are destined
 ere long to depend for preservation in 
the earth4 #d4 ,there is joy1 peculiar  
joy1 prepared for him4 ,the king makes a
 marriage for him1 and he becomes the   
head of a family among the ,gentiles2   
and this is a source of such joy to him1
 that he can1 in some sense1 as the     
names of his children tell us1 forget   
his kindred1 and even rejoice in his    
affliction4  ,surely these are excellent
 things found in the condition of       
,joseph while separated from his        
brethren4 ,and in them we see the ,lord 
,himself in this present age1 the season
 of ,his separation from ,israel4 ,a    

child might trace the likeness2 but ,he1
 who reveals to babes and sucklings1 has
 led the way in this4 ,in ,stephen's    
wondrous word1 in ,acts vii41 we get    
,joseph and others put in kindred place 
and circumstances with the ,lord1 who is
 there called the ,just ,one4 ,and this 
is so full of interest1 that though it  
be but incidental1 we must turn aside   
for a little1 and listen to that great  
voice of the ,spirit of ,god4   ,stephen
 appears but for a moment in the course 
of the divine history2 but it is to fill
 a very eminent and distinguished place4
 ,the occasion on which he is seen1 and 
on which he acts1 is full of meaning4   
,jewish enmity was again doing its dark 
deeds1 and the ,god of glory was again  
disclosing ,his brighter purposes4      
,stephen is another witness of the ,lord
 passing from earth to heaven1 leaving  
the earth for a season in its unbelief  
and apostasy1 and calling out a people  
for heavenly places4  ,stephen's was    
another separating era4 ,abraham's had  

been such1 and so had ,joseph's1 and so 
had that of ,moses1 and that of the     
,just ,one1 ,jesus4 ,the occasion of the
 separation from kindred to strangers1  
7and that is1 from earth to heaven17 may
 be different1 but it is alike          
separation4 ,abraham was separated1     
because ,god was leaving a defiled world
 unjudged2 and unjudged defilement ,god 
cannot make ,his habitation1 nor allow  
it to be the habitation of ,his elect4  
,the world after the flood had defiled  
itself1 and the ,lord was leaving it in 
its defilement1 not purifying it by a   
second flood2 and therefore ,he becomes 
a stranger in it ,himself1 and calls    
,his elect out of it with ,him4 ,thus   
,abraham is a separated man4 ,joseph in 
his day was another2 separated from home
 and kindred1 like ,abraham2 and so     
,moses4 ,but ,joseph and ,moses were not
 separated like ,abraham1 simply by the 
call of ,god out of unjudged defilement1
 but by the enmity and persecutions of  
their brethren4 ,and so ,jesus1 ,his    

own1 and the world made by ,him refused 
,him1 and would not know ,him4 ,wicked  
hands slew ,him1 and the heavens        
received ,him4 ,and so ,stephen4        
,stephen is1 thus1 in company with these
 separated ones1 ,abraham1 ,joseph1     
,moses1 and the ,just ,one4 ,and he is  
naturally directed by the ,spirit1 to go
 over their histories in this wondrous  
chapter4 ,and these separated ones have1
 at different eras or intervals1 in the 
progress of ,god's way upon earth1      
marked out or foreshadowed ,his higher  
or richer purposes touching heaven4 ,for
 their times1 as we speak1 were         
transitional4  ,stephen's was such4     
,till his day1 the scene in the ,acts of
 the ,apostles is laid in the earth4 ,in
 chapter i4 the risen ,lord had spoken  
to ,his apostles of the kingdom of ,god4
 ,in the same chapter the angels had    
withdrawn the eyes of the men of        
,galilee1 as they call the disciples1   
from gazing up into heaven1 under the   
promise that ,jesus should return to    

earth4 ,when the ,holy ,ghost is given1 
as in chapter ii41 under ,his baptism it
 is of things in the earth that the     
apostles speak4 ,they testify that      
,jesus was to sit at the right hand of  
,god in heaven1 till ,his foes on earth 
were made ,his footstool4 ,they then    
preach1 that upon the repentance of     
,israel ,jesus would return to earth    
with times of refreshing and            
restitution1 and that ,he was exalted to
 give repentance and remission of sins  
to ,israel4 ,israel is1 thus1 the       
people1 and the earth the scene1        
contemplated in the action or testimony 
of the ,spirit in the apostles in these 
earliest chapters4  ,but ,jewish enmity 
again takes its way1 as it had done in  
many other days1 even from the          
beginning2 and divine grace takes its   
way also1 as it had also done in such   
other days4 ,and ,stephen1 under the    
,spirit of ,god1 takes such a moment as 
his text4 ,he looks back at the way of  
the nation1 uncircumcised in heart and  

ear1 resisting the ,lord in one or      
another of ,his witnesses2 and he looks 
back also at the way of the ,god of     
glory calling into new and peculiar     
blessing those whom either earthly      
pollution or ,jewish enmity was         
separating or casting out4  ,thus his   
own condition at that moment was his    
text1 just as the condition of things in
 chapter ii4 had been ,peter's text4    
,peter preached from the gift of        
tongues2 ,stephen1 as ,i may say1 from  
his own face then shining like the face 
of an angel1 and from the enmity of the 
,jews that was then pressing him and    
threatening him4 ,the ,spirit in        
,stephen takes up the moment4 ,it was a 
transitional moment4 ,it was the hour of
 the shining face and of the murderous  
stones1 of the earth's enmity and of the
 still brighter1 richer discoveries of  
grace calling to heaven4 ,and ,stephen  
looks back to other histories1 histories
 of other elect ones1 who had already   
filled up kindred moments in the way of 

,god4 ,for the people of the earth are  
now withstanding ,god in him1 as they   
had withstood ,him in others4 ,as he    
tells them1 they were always resisting  
the ,holy ,ghost2 the children and the  
fathers were alike in this1 throughout  
all generations of the nation4  ,thus1  
in ,stephen1 we are called to witness   
another great transitional moment4 ,it  
is such a moment in the ,book of the    
,acts1 as ,joseph's was in the ,book of 
,genesis4 ,this links ,stephen and      
,joseph1 and gives natural occasion to  
the ,holy ,ghost in ,stephen to make    
reference1 as ,he does1 to ,joseph4 ,but
 if the earth is refusing ,stephen a    
place1 as his brethren had refused      
,joseph a place in the land of his      
fathers1 heaven shall open to ,stephen4 
,grace in ,god shall be active as enmity
 in man is active--and the eater shall  
yield meat4 ,and heaven does therefore  
open in ,acts vii4 ,a ray from thence   
finds its way out1 and gently yet       
brightly falls upon the face of         

,stephen1 as the people of the earth    
were casting him out4 ,and thus sealed  
from heaven and for heaven1 he speaks of
 heaven1 and heaven itself opens to him1
 and then the ,holy ,ghost ,himself     
guides his eye right upward to heaven1  
and then his spirit is received of the  
,lord ,jesus into heaven4 ,all is       
heaven4 ,stephen gets the pledge or     
earnest of it first1 then the sight of  
it in its wide-opened glories1 and then 
his place in it with ,jesus4  ,nothing  
can exceed1 while still in the body1 the
 brightness of such a moment4 ,it was   
the ,transfiguration of the ,book of the
 ,acts of the ,apostles4 ,it was beyond 
the measure of the patriarch's ,bethel2 
for here the top of the ladder was      
disclosed1 and ,stephen was taught to   
know his place to be there with the     
,lord1 and not at the foot of it merely 
with ,jacob4 ,the moment was            
transitional1 which the time of ,genesis
 xxviii4 was not4 ,it had its           
forecasting rather in the rejected1     

outcast ,joseph finding his richer joys 
and brighter honours among the distant  
,gentiles in ,egypt4 ,or rather1 if we  
please1 ,joseph's history and ,stephen's
 history1 are1 each of them in its day  
and its different way1 the foreshadowing
 and the pledge of that glory and       
inheritance in heaven to which the      
,church1 the election of this age1 is   
called4  ,simply and necessarily1       
therefore1 are ,joseph and ,stephen     
linked together1 as we find in ,acts    
vii4 ,each of them filled the same      
transitional place--more vividly marked 
indeed in ,stephen1 and properly so--but
 each of them filled it4 ,all was new   
and heavenly1 as we have seen1 with     
,stephen4 ,it is not downwards but      
upwards he is commanded to look4 ,the   
angels had told the men of ,galilee in  
chapter i4 to take their eyes off from  
heaven2 the ,spirit ,himself bade       
,stephen1 in chapter vii41 to direct his
 eye right up to heaven4 ,the glory of  
the terrestrial had been one1 the glory 

of the celestial is now another4 ,even  
the gift of ,tongues had not pledged    
heaven to the disciples in chapter ii4  
,there was no transfiguration then1 no  
face shining like the face of an angel4 
,the ,holy ,ghost was upon the assembly 
in ,jerusalem1 but the assembly itself  
was not in sight of heaven as its home  
and inheritance4 ,but ,stephen was on   
the confines of the two worlds4 ,his    
body was the victim of the enmity of    
man's world1 his spirit was about to be 
received amid the glories of ,christ's  
world4 ,he was rejected by his brethren1
 accepted by ,god4 ,all was             
transitional--and fitly does he look    
back to ,joseph and to ,moses1 who had  
been in such a place before him4  ,and  
here let me say1 suggested by this      
allusion to ,joseph and others in ,acts 
vii41 that we are not to be surprised by
 this typical or parabolic character of 
,old ,testament histories4 ,quite       
otherwise4 ,we ought to be fully        
prepared for it2 and that1 too1 on a    

very simple principle4 ,god1 acting in  
these histories 7we speak to ,his       
praise7 acts in them 7surely7 according 
to ,himself and ,his counsels4 ,and1    
consequently1 these histories become so 
many revelations of ,himself1 and of the
 purposes ,he is bringing to pass4  ,an 
assurance of the inspiration of the     
narrative does not1 therefore1 in the   
full sense1 give us ,god in the         
narrative4 ,there is purpose as well as 
veracity in it--there is an ensample as 
well as inspiration4 ,these things      
happened to them for ensamples4 ,they   
happened as they are recorded4 ,there is
 historic truth in them4 ,but ,god      
brought them to pass1 in order that they
 might be ensamples2 and till we find   
this ensample1 that is1 the divine      
purpose in the history1 we have not got 
,god in it4 ,we are to go to these      
narratives1 be they those of ,joseph or 
any other1 very much in the mind with   
which the ,prophet had to go to the     
house of the potter4 ,jer4 xviii4 ,he   

was to see a real work there2 vessels   
made by the hand and skill of the       
workman4 ,but there was a lesson in the 
work1 as well as a reality4 ,there was a
 parable in it2 for the ,prophet had to 
see ,god ,himself at the wheel1 as well 
as the potter4 ,so in these histories   
which we get in ,scripture4 ,there is   
reality in them1 exact truthfulness1    
such as inspiration secures4 ,but there 
is meaning also2 and till we discover   
that1 and learn ,god and ,his purpose in
 the history1 we have not really as yet 
gone down to the potter's house4  ,but  
this is only by the way1 suggested by   
the use which the ,spirit ,himself1     
through ,stephen1 makes of the ,old     
,testament stories of ,abraham1 ,joseph1
 and ,moses1 in that marvellous chapter1
 ,acts vii4   ,part ,,iii4              
7xlii4-lvii47--,we now come to ,joseph's
 recovery of his father and his         
brethren1 and its consequences4  ,among 
the things which gave character to      
,joseph and his circumstances1 while he 

was separated from his brethren1 we     
observed this1 that he was put into     
possession of those resources on which  
his brethren themselves and all the     
world beside were to depend for         
preservation in the earth4 ,the set time
 for the world drawing on these         
resources has now arrived2 and with     
that1 the set time for ,joseph's        
restoration to his brethren4  ,joseph is
 now in authority4 ,his day of          
humiliation and sorrow is over4 ,he is  
at the right hand of the throne of      
,egypt1 and the great executor of all   
rule and power in the land4 ,none can   
lift up hand or foot without him4 ,he   
has received the king's ring1 and he    
rides in the second chariot4 ,he is the 
treasurer and dispenser of all the      
wealth of the nation1 the one who opened
 or shut all its storehouses at his     
pleasure4 ,he that was in the pit is on 
the throne4  ,this is ,joseph as in     
resurrection4 ,i say as in resurrection4
 ,for the thing itself--resurrection    

from the dead--had to wait for the day  
of the ,son of the living ,god1 who was 
to be1 in ,his own person1 alive from   
the dead4 ,but though we could not have 
the very image of this great mystery1   
yet we have shadows of it1 both in      
certain ordinances of the law1 and in   
certain histories of the elect4 ,the    
dead and the living birds of ,leviticus 
xiv41 and the two goats of ,leviticus   
xvi41 are among such ordinances2 and    
such historical scenes as the unbinding 
of ,isaac from the altar on ,mount      
,moriah1 or ,jonah's deliverance from   
the whale's belly1 set forth the same4  
,and so does this season in ,joseph's   
history1 being the day of his power and 
authority in ,egypt after his sore      
troubles in the pit and in the prison4  
,it is ,joseph as in resurrection4  ,the
 ,spirit of ,god1 in chap4 xlix41 using 
,jacob as ,his oracle1 looks back at    
,joseph in this condition1 and          
celebrates him accordingly4 ,joseph is a
 fruitful bough1 a fruitful bough by a  

well2 whose branches run over the wall3 
the archers have sorely grieved him1 and
 shot at him1 and hated him3 but his bow
 abode in strength1 and the arms of his 
hands were made strong by the hands of  
the mighty ,god of ,jacob4 ,and having  
spoken this of ,joseph1 the ,spirit uses
 it as a figure of a ,greater than      
,joseph2 for ,jacob adds1 ,from thence  
is the ,shepherd1 the ,stone of ,israel4
 ,we have ,christ in ,joseph4 ,the risen
 ,christ is seen as in a figure here4   
,all power is now in ,him1 in heaven and
 on earth4 ,he is seated at the right   
hand of the ,majesty on high4 ,his title
 to the resources of creation is sure1  
sealed by the dignity of the place ,he  
now fills4 ,and the resources which ,he 
now owns1 by-and-by ,he will use for    
,israel and for the whole earth1 after  
the pattern of this mystery of ,joseph4 
,this we are now about to see4  ,the    
famine begins1 and the opening of       
,joseph's storehouses begins1 at the    
close of chap4 xli4 ,but the scene is   

then changed for a season2 and the story
 of the brethren's repentance and       
acceptance is let in1 as a kind of      
episode4 ,but there is wonderful beauty 
in this4 ,because the restitution of all
 things waits1 as we know1 for the      
repentance and fulness of ,israel4 ,so  
that this introduction of the new       
matter1 by way of an episode1 in        
chapters xlii4-xlvi41 is full of beauty 
and meaning2 and the scene in ,egypt1   
and the full opening of ,joseph's stores
 for that land and the whole earth1 are 
resumed in due season afterwards1 in    
chapter xlvii4 ,for1 what shall the     
receiving of them be1 but life from the 
dead8 asks the apostle1 tracing1 under  
the ,spirit1 the story of ,israel4 ,rom4
 xi4 ,if the fall of them be the riches 
of the world1 and the diminishing of    
them the riches of the ,gentiles1 how   
much more their fulness8 ,so that we are
 prepared for this repentance of the    
brethren going before the full blessing 
of the earth4  ,over this operation1    

this process of the softening of their  
hearts under the hand of ,joseph1 it    
would be impossible not to tarry for a  
while4 ,i must therefore do so4 ,our own
 hearts would need something1 if we were
 not alive to this scene1 to admire and 
enjoy it1 and be thankful for it2 so    
full is it of the most exquisite touches
 of true affection1 so profound in the  
disclosure of the moral principles of   
our nature1 and so important in the     
sight it gives us of the workmanship of 
,god by ,his ,spirit leading sinners1   
through conviction and the sense of     
their ruined state1 to repentance and   
newness of life4   ,the scene of this   
workmanship of ,god is laid in a season 
of need and sorrow1 as is common in the 
ways of the ,god of all grace4 ,for ,he 
does not refuse to be sought by us1 when
 we have no help for it4 ,it was thus   
with the prodigal2 it is thus with      
,joseph's brethren2 and it will1 ,i     
doubt not1 be found by-and-by to have   
been thus with a goodly portion of those

 who are to praise ,his name in glory   
for ever4 ,the prodigal had no help for 
it1 and back to his father and his      
father's house he must go4 ,joseph's    
brethren have no help for it now1 and   
down to ,egypt and ,egypt's storehouses 
they must go4 ,mean it may be1 base it  
may be1 in the heart of man thus to turn
 to ,god1 when all else is gone4 ,but   
the ,lord will be found by this base and
 selfish heart4 ,he will condescend to  
enter1 as some one speaks1 by these     
despised doors of nature4 ,for twenty   
long years ,joseph's brethren had lived 
easy and prosperous1 with goods laid up1
 and blessings plentiful around them1   
and ,joseph and his sorrows had all been
 forgotten4 ,for a time the prodigal had
 his money1 the portion of his father's 
goods that had fallen to him2 and with  
his money1 as long as it lasted1 he took
 his pleasure1 his back turned upon his 
father4 ,but famine touches the far     
country and the land of ,canaan1 and    
then1 whether they will or not1 the     

father's house and ,joseph's stores must
 be sought4 ,see ,hosea v4 #ae4  ,thus  
the scene opens1 and ,joseph's brethren 
come down to ,egypt to buy food4  ,as   
soon as ,joseph saw them1 he knew them4 
,he remembered the dreams which he had  
dreamed of them4 ,but upon this he at   
once set himself to the task of         
restoring their souls4 ,see xlii4 #i4   
,strange1 and yet beautiful and         
excellent6 ,his dreams had merely       
exalted him above them4 ,had he sought1 
therefore1 simply to make good those    
dreams when he thus remembered them1 he 
might at once have revealed himself1    
and1 as the favoured sheaf in the field1
 or as the sun1 the ruling sun1 in the  
heavens1 have had them on their faces   
before him4 ,but to restore their souls1
 instead of exalting himself1 becomes at
 once his purpose4 ,this was the counsel
 he took in his heart1 as he surveyed   
the moment when he might have realized  
his own greatness and their humiliation1
 according to his dreams4 ,how truly    

excellent and blessed is this6 ,there   
was ,one1 in after-days1 who1 when ,he  
took knowledge that ,he had come from   
,god and went to ,god1 and that the     
,father had put all things into ,his    
hands1 rose and girded ,himself1 and    
began to wash ,his disciples' feet4 ,the
 knowledge of ,his dignities only led   
,him to wait on the need of ,his saints4
 ,who can speak the character of such a 
moment8 ,but ,joseph here1 in the far   
distance1 reminds me of it4 ,he         
remembered his dreams1 dreams which     
exalted him1 and that only2 and yet he  
turns himself at once to the defiled    
feet1 the guilty hearts1 the unclean    
consciences1 of his brethren1 that he   
might heal1 and wash1 and restore them4 
,strange1 again ,i say4 ,there was no   
connection between such remembrance and 
such action1 save as grace1 divine      
grace1 of which ,joseph was the witness1
 is known2 save as the ,jesus of ,john  
xiii4 is understood4  ,joseph remembered
 the dreams which he dreamed of them1   

and said unto them1 ,ye are spies2 to   
see the nakedness of the land ye are    
come4 ,this was taking them up for the  
good work 7though the process be        
humbling and painful7 of restoring their
 souls4 ,the conscience must be         
faithfully dealt with1 if anything be   
done4 ,and ,joseph aims at it at once4  
,he makes himself strange to them4 ,he  
speaks to them by an interpreter1 and he
 speaks roughly4 ,he must get their     
conscience into action1 let it cost     
himself in personal feeling what it may4
 ,his love1 for the present1 must be    
firm2 its hour for melting and          
tenderness is before it4 ,it shall be   
gratified by-and-by2 it must serve now4 
,in the day of their sin they had said  
of him1 ,behold1 this dreamer cometh2   
and now1 in the day of their conviction1
 he says of them1 ,ye are spies2 to see 
the nakedness of the land are ye come4  
,they had once sold their brother1 when 
their heart knew no pity2 now1 with all 
peremptoriness which knew no reserve1   

one of themselves is taken and bound4   
,but all this was only1 in the purpose  
of grace1 to fix the arrow deep in the  
conscience1 there to spend its venom1   
and there to lay the sentence of death4 
,and this is done4 ,when ,god acts1 the 
power of the ,spirit waits upon the     
counsel of love4 ,if they be bound in   
fetters1 and be holden in cords of      
affliction2 then ,he sheweth them their 
work1 and their transgressions that they
 have exceeded4 ,job xxxvi4 ,we are     
verily guilty concerning our brother1   
they all say as with one conscience1 in 
that we saw the anguish of his soul1    
when he besought us1 and we would not   
hear2 therefore is this distress come   
upon us4  ,this was something2 it was   
much2 but ,joseph has still to go on    
with the service of love4 ,had he       
consulted his name at the first1 when he
 remembered his dreams1 he would have   
revealed himself at once1 and stood     
forth as the honoured one in the midst  
of his confounded1 humbled brethren4    

,had he now consulted his heart1 he     
would have revealed himself1 and been   
the gratified one on the bosom of his   
convicted1 sorrowing brethren4 ,but he  
consulted neither the one nor the other4
 ,love was serving2 and the husbandman  
of the soul has1 at times1 like the     
tiller of the ground1 need of long      
patience1 and has to wait for the       
latter1 as for the early rain4  ,this   
was a happy and promising1 because it   
was a real beginning4 ,but ,joseph has  
yet to learn whether the heart of       
children and of brothers were in them1  
or whether they were still1 as once they
 had been1 reckless of a brother's cries
 and of a father's grief4 ,he therefore 
exercises them still4 ,roughness and    
kindness1 encouragements and alarms1    
challenges and feasts1 favours and      
reproaches1 all are used and made to    
work together4 ,though indeed all is    
much the same in the reckoning of a     
guilty conscience4 ,jesus is ,john the  
,baptist raised from the dead in the    

apprehensions of it4 ,a shaken leaf is  
an armed host in its presence4 ,kindness
 and roughness alike alarm4 ,they are   
afraid because they are brought into    
,joseph's house4 ,they fear where no    
fear is4 ,but all is working repentance 
not to be repented of2 and the fruit    
meet for this is soon to be brought     
forth4  ,joseph lays a plan for fully   
testing whether indeed a child's heart  
and a brother's heart were now in them4 
,as they are preparing the second time  
to return to ,canaan with food for them 
and their households1 ,joseph's cup is  
put in ,benjamin's sack--as we all know1
 for it is a favourite story--and they  
set out on their journey4 ,but this1    
simple as it seems1 is the crisis4      
,their own lips will now have to        
pronounce the verdict2 for the question 
is now about to be put1 whether they are
 as once they were1 or whether a heart  
of flesh has been given to them4 ,will  
the sorrows of ,benjamin move them1 as  
the cries of ,joseph once failed to do8 

,will the grief of the aged father at   
home plead with their heart1 as once it 
did not8 ,this place1 this moment1 was  
the field of ,dothan again4 ,they were  
returning1 in spirit1 to the place where
 all their offence was committed4 ,in   
the field of ,dothan1 in chap4 xxxvii41 
they had to say1 ,would they sacrifice  
their innocent brother ,joseph to their 
lusts1 their envy1 and their malice8    
,here1 when ,benjamin is claimed as a   
captive because of the cup found in his 
sack--claimed as one who has forfeited  
life and liberty to the lord of         
,egypt--it is in like manner put to them
 to say whether they would sacrifice    
him1 and return on their way home1 easy 
and careless and satisfied4  ,nothing   
can excel the skill of the wisdom of    
,joseph in thus bringing his brethren   
back1 morally and in spirit1 to the     
field in ,dothan4 ,the same question is 
raised here as there1 and put to them   
solemnly4 ,judah1 he whom his brethren  
shall praise1 gives this question its   

answer4 ,they were innocent1 indeed1    
touching the cup4 ,but this is nothing  
to their consciences1 and nothing on    
,judah's lips4 ,conviction loses sight  
of everything but sin4 ,its offence is  
its object4 ,i acknowledge my           
transgressions1 and my sin is ever      
before me4 ,the brethren might have     
spoken of their innocency1 and been     
somewhat hurt1 that1 after this manner1 
they were again and again misunderstood 
and charged falsely4 ,they had been     
called spies when they were true men1   
and now they were handled as common     
thieves1 though they were honest men4   
,they might have said this was too bad4 
,they could bear a good deal1 injurious 
speeches and hard usage1 but to be dealt
 with thus1 was something too much for  
flesh and blood to put up with4 ,but    
no--nothing of this--this was not       
,joseph's brethren now4 ,they had once  
hid their guilt under the lie which they
 sent to their father1 now they are     
willing to hide their innocency touching

 the cup under the confession they make 
to ,joseph4 ,judah stands forth to      
represent this new mind in them4        
,guiltless they were indeed in all these
 matters1 from first to last2 neither   
spies nor rogues2 but some twenty years 
ago they had been guilty of what this   
stranger in ,egypt 7as they must have   
supposed7 knew nothing1 but which ,god  
and their consciences knew4 ,they may be
 innocent now1 but they were guilty     
then2 and their sin1 and that only1 was 
now before them4 ,confession1 and not   
vindication1 is their language4 ,what   
shall we speak8 says ,judah4 ,how shall 
we clear ourselves8 ,god has found out  
the iniquity of thy servants4  ,joseph  
for a moment feigns as though all this  
was nothing to him4 ,this may be their  
business1 if they please1 but ,benjamin 
was his4 ,benjamin is the guilty one1 as
 far as the great man in ,egypt is      
concerned2 he must remain1 and the rest 
may take themselves home as fast as they
 please4 ,the man in whose hand the cup 

is found1 he shall be my servant2 and as
 for you1 get you up in peace unto your 
father4  ,what could exceed this8 ,i    
ask4 ,did ,solomon's wisdom in settling 
the question between the two harlots    
exceed it8 ,did he1 in a spirit of      
judgment befitting one who sat in the   
place of judgment1 find out the heart of
 a mother8 and does not ,joseph here1 in
 like wisdom from ,god1 find out the    
heart of his brethren8 ,it is all beyond
 admiration4 ,the heart is indeed laid  
open4 ,after these words from ,joseph1  
,judah draws near1 and with the bowels  
of a son and a brother pleads for ,jacob
 and for ,benjamin4 ,the lad and the old
 man are the burthen of his words1 for  
they were now the fulness of his heart4 
,he will abide a bondman to his lord1   
only let the lad go back to his father4 
,let but the father's heart be          
comforted1 and ,benjamin's innocency    
preserve him1 and ,judah will be        
thankful1 come to himself what may4     
,this is everything4 ,the sequel is now 

reached1 the sequel which had been      
weighed from the beginning4 ,the        
goodness of ,god had led to repentance4 
,joseph was exalted indeed2 the sheaf   
had risen and stood upright2 but this   
was all the fruit1 to take away their   
sin4 ,so ,christ is now exalted1 as we  
read1 to be a ,prince and a ,saviour1 to
 give repentance to ,israel1 and        
forgiveness of sins4 ,acts v4 #ca4  ,and
 now the veil may be rent1 and it shall 
be rent4 ,joseph will be made known to  
his brethren4  ,but this was a moment   
hard to meet and to manage4 ,the        
re-appearing of one whom they had hated 
and sold1 and the remembrance of whom   
had been so deeply stirring their souls1
 might be overwhelming4 ,he must        
attemper this light to their vision1    
lest it prove intolerable4 ,but love is 
skilful1 and has its methods and its    
instruments ready for occasions4 ,i am  
,joseph1 he says to his brethren2 but in
 the same breath 7as the common word    
among us is7 he adds1 ,doth my father   

yet live8  ,exquisite indeed1 in the way
 of grace1 this was1 and perfect in the 
skilfulness of love4 ,joseph could have 
answered this question himself4 ,judah's
 speech 7the echo of which was still in 
his ears1 for it was too precious to    
allow him to part with it7 had already  
told him1 that the father was still     
alive4 ,but ,joseph hastened to bring a 
third person into the scene4 ,he could  
not allow the servants or officers of   
the palace to be present then2 for this 
would be to expose his brethren4 ,and   
yet to be alone with himself he dreaded 
as enough to prove too much for them4   
,and therefore he must bring some one   
in1 to share that moment with them2 and 
such an one1 the very best of all1 was  
he whom ,joseph's word introduces4      
,perfect indeed in its place this was4  
,it calls to my mind the scene at the   
well of ,sychar4 ,i that speak unto thee
 am ,he1 says the ,lord to the woman who
 had just by ,his means been discovered 
to herself in all her old crimson sins4 

,it was not merely1 ,i am ,he1 but ,i   
that speak unto thee am ,he4 ,in these  
words ,he reveals ,his glory4 ,he stands
 before her as ,messiah1 who could1 as  
she had said1 tell all things1 and who  
had now1 as she had proved1 really told 
all things1 such things as were terrible
 in the hearing of an awakened          
conscience4 ,but ,he reveals it in      
company with the sweet1 condescending1  
inviting grace of one who was sitting   
and talking with her4 ,and this was the 
title of her soul to find freedom1 where
 she might have expected to be          
overwhelmed4 ,and she did find it4      
,what skilfulness in the ways of love6  
,from its precious stores1 ,i may say1  
in well-known words--        ,there     
sparkles forth whate'er is fit          
,for exigence of every hour4  ,we only  
want to trust it more1 and assure       
ourselves of it4  ,and there is more of 
this in ,joseph still4  ,shortly after  
this he has to say again to them1 ,i am 
,joseph1 and to add to it1 whom ye sold 

into ,egypt4 ,but then he goes at once  
through a long tale of ,god's purposes  
in all that matter1 and lets them know  
how important to ,pharaoh1 to ,egypt1   
and to the whole world1 as well as to   
them and to their households1 his ever  
having left home was about to be4 ,love 
does not give them opportunity to occupy
 the time with thoughts of themselves4  
,joseph crowds a multitude of other     
thoughts upon their minds--and he kisses
 them and weeps with them4  ,pharaoh's  
people may now1 after all this1 return  
and share the scene with them4 ,they can
 now see1 in these visitors from        
,canaan1 not ,joseph's persecutors1 but 
his brethren4 ,they are introduced to   
the palace only in that character4 ,as  
in the parable of the prodigal4 ,the    
father will see him in his misery2 and1 
while yet in rags and hunger and shame1 
kiss him and welcome him2 but the       
household shall see him as a son at the 
table4 ,cause every man to go out from  
me1 had been ,joseph's word1 when he was

 going to make himself known to them2   
but now1 the house of ,pharaoh shall    
hear that ,joseph's brethren have       
arrived4 ,the spirit of that blessed    
,one whom we learn in the ,gospels      
breathes in all this4 ,we are in ,john  
iv4 and in ,luke xv4 when in ,genesis   
xlv4   ,there are occasions in the story
 of human life which the heart claims   
entirely for itself4 ,the ,lord met     
such1 as we all do at times4 ,there was 
constant faithfulness in ,his dealing   
with the disciples4 ,he did not let     
their mistakes pass4 ,he was rebuking   
them very commonly1 because ,he loved   
them very perfectly1 and was training   
their souls rather than indulging       
,himself4 ,but there did come a moment  
when faithfulness must yield up the     
place1 and tenderness fill it4 ,i mean1 
the hour of parting1 as we get it in    
,john xiv4-xvi4 ,it was then too late to
 be faithful4 ,education of the soul    
under the rebukes of a pastor was not to
 go on then4 ,o ye of little faith1 or  

,how is it that ye do not understand8   
was not to be heard then4 ,it was the   
hour of parting1 and the heart had leave
 to take it entirely into its own hand4 
,now a time of reconciliation is1 in    
this1 like the hour of parting4 ,the    
heart claims it for itself4 ,tenderness 
alone suits it2 faithfulness would be an
 intruder4 ,and thus we find it with    
,joseph here4 ,he wept aloud1 so that   
the house of ,pharaoh heard it4 ,he wept
 on the neck of all his brethren and    
kissed them1 fell on his brother        
,benjamin's neck and wept1 and kissed   
him4 ,and if he spoke in the midst of   
his tears1 it was only to encourage     
their hearts1 and give them pledges and 
reasons why they should be in full      
confidence and ease before him4#bb   #bb
 ,neither ,pharaoh1 nor ,pharaoh's      
house1 nor any in ,egypt seem ever      
to have been told of the sin of the     
brethren4  ,surely ,i may claim these   
rights and privileges for the hour of   
parting1 and for the hour of            

reconciliation4 ,and this was so1 as we 
see1 in this time of ,joseph's          
restoration to his brethren4 ,but when  
all this is over1 and he has introduced 
them to ,pharaoh and the palace1 and    
they are in readiness to return to      
,canaan1 in full preparation to bring   
their aged father into ,egypt to        
,joseph1 when they are just standing1   
,benjamin with them1 and ,simeon with   
them1 and all was the exultation of a   
favoured and prosperous hour1 one word  
of warning would not be out of season1  
and ,joseph has it for them1 ,see that  
ye fall not out by the way4 ,simon1 son 
of ,jonas1 lovest thou me8 addressed the
 heart of ,peter much in the same       
spirit1 and at a kindred moment1 when   
the reconciliation1 as ,i may call it1  
had been accomplished1 and ,peter's     
unbroken net had gathered #aec1 and he  
had dined with his denied ,master on the
 sea shore4   ,surely the whole of this1
 from first to last1 is perfect4 ,there 
is a moral magnificence in ,scripture   

which makes it1 of a truth1 the         
chiefest1 as we may say1 of the works of
 ,god4 ,the ,spirit breathes in it all4 
,its tenderness1 its grandeur1 and its  
depth1 are alike ,his4 ,in the issue of 
the story of ,joseph and his brethren we
 see something that is very excellent4  
,the rights and the wrongs of ,joseph1  
the claims which he had made1 and the   
injuries he had endured1 were all       
wonderfully answered4 ,whatever         
dignities his dreams had pledged him1 he
 gained them all in full measure4       
,whatever wrongs he had suffered1 they  
were all avenged in the very way his own
 heart would have chosen4 ,the judgment 
of their sin against him was executed in
 the bosoms of the brethren themselves2 
not a hard word touching it passed his  
lips from first to last4  ,these were   
the issues of both the rights and wrongs
 of ,joseph4 ,this also cometh forth    
from the ,lord of hosts1 who is         
wonderful in counsel1 and excellent in  
working4   ,but ,i must look back at all

 this for another moment4 ,conviction of
 conscience may be but natural1 the     
ordinary necessary working of the soul1 
the absence of which would be resented  
as the evidence of a seared or hardened 
state4 ,but when it is more than the    
mere stirring of the soul under the     
authority of nature--when the ,spirit of
 ,god has produced it--,he takes ,his   
own object or instrument to work by4    
,david1 under the convicting ,spirit1   
says to ,god1 ,against ,thee1 ,thee     
only1 have ,i sinned1 and done this evil
 in ,thy sight4 ,and thus will it be    
with ,israel in the day of their        
conviction2 for their conscience will   
then be linked with the once rejected1  
crucified ,jesus4 ,as the ,lord says by 
the prophet1 ,i will pour upon them the 
spirit of grace and of supplications3   
and they shall look upon ,me whom they  
have pierced1 and they shall mourn for  
,him1 as one mourneth for his only son1 
and shall be in bitterness for ,him1 as 
one that is in bitterness for his       

firstborn4 ,this is conviction1 when the
 ,spirit of ,god takes that business out
 of the hand of nature into ,his own    
hand4 ,this is conscience doing its     
work1 as the apostle speaks1 in the     
,holy ,ghost4 ,in such a day1 under such
 authority and power1 ,israel will      
address themselves directly to ,jesus4  
,isaiah liii4 shows us the same in      
another form4 ,and precious work this is
 in the soul--needed work still in each 
of us4  ,now this is seen in ,joseph's  
brethren4 ,another has noticed it       
already in a general way4 ,but it is    
deeply worthy of notice4 ,it was their  
sin against ,joseph they called to mind 
in the day of their distress4 ,we are   
verily guilty concerning our brother1   
they say1 in that we saw the anguish of 
his soul1 when he besought us1 and we   
would not hear4 ,other sins might have  
been present to the conscience then4    
,reuben might have thought of the       
defilement of his father's bed1 ,simeon 
and ,levi of their blood-shedding and   

treachery1 and ,judah of his marriage2  
but1 stirred into life1 not merely by   
the trouble which had come upon them1   
but by the ,spirit1 they are mindful of 
the common sin1 and speak1 as with one  
conscience1 of their wickedness touching
 ,joseph4 ,and it is this which bespeaks
 the ,spirit's work in this conviction4 
,needed work1 again ,i say1 this is in  
every one of us4 ,but the fountain has  
to do its work as well as the ,spirit of
 grace4 ,joseph1 as we saw1 interpreted 
his sorrows1 though at their wicked     
hands1 very differently from what their 
fears and guilt had interpreted them4   
,they said1 and very rightly1 we are    
verily guilty concerning our brother2 he
 says1 and very truly1 ,god did send me 
before you1 to preserve life4 ,and this 
is the gospel4 ,we are convicted1 but   
saved4 ,we learn that we have destroyed 
ourselves1 but that in ,him is our help4
 ,the blood meets the spear4 ,the       
fountain is opened in those very wounds 
which our own hands have inflicted4 ,and

 this will be the experience of the     
,jewish election 7whose history that of 
these brethren foreshadow1 as we know7  
in the day of ,isaiah liii4 and         
,zechariah xiii4 ,the cross is the      
witness4 ,faith stands before it1 and   
there learns ruin and redemption4   ,in 
the progress of this wondrous story1 the
 reconciliation1 as we have now seen1 is
 accomplished4 ,joseph has received his 
brethren2 and all is therefore ready for
 ,israel's full blessing4 ,restoration  
must follow conversion4 ,times of       
refreshing and restitution must come    
upon ,israel's repentance4 ,the aged    
father1 with his household and flocks1  
is brought from ,canaan1 and with his   
sons presented to ,pharaoh1 and they are
 seated in the very best of the land1   
the land of ,goshen in ,rameses4  ,they 
were told that they might leave all     
their own stuff behind them1 for all the
 good of the land of ,egypt was before  
them4 ,and so it proved to be4 ,their   
empty sacks had come down to ,egypt at  

the first to be made full1 and they were
 still to prove that there were a heart 
and a hand there1 both equal and ready  
to give without measure1 and the emptier
 they came down the fuller they would   
learn this4  ,they were but shepherds1  
it is true1 and such were an abomination
 to the ,egyptians4 ,but ,joseph is not 
ashamed to call them brethren4          
,strangers they were1 and pensioners2   
but the man of that day1 the lord of    
,egypt1 again ,i say1 was not ashamed to
 call them brethren4 ,he owns them in   
the presence of the king1 of the palace1
 and of the nation4 ,and the king proves
 to be of the same mind4 ,that they were
 ,joseph's brethren was enough for      
,pharaoh4 ,truly this has language in   
our ears4 ,a day is at hand1 when all   
this shall be made good in the great    
originals of ,christ and ,israel4 ,he   
will return to them and say1 ,it is my  
people2 and they will say1 ,the ,lord is
 my ,god4   ,but though this is great   
and excellent1 it is not all4 ,the earth

 itself has to be settled and blest1 the
 inheritance has to be received and     
displayed1 as the brethren1 the ,israel 
of ,christ1 had to be thus quickened and
 restored2 and this we are now to see4  
,joseph in chapter xlvii4 becomes the   
upholder of the world in life and order4
 ,by him life is preserved in the earth1
 and order maintained4 ,and all the     
people are made willing in that day of  
his power4 ,all is right that ,joseph   
does1 in the eyes of all the people4    
,their money1 their cattle1 their lands1
 and themselves1 are made over to       
,pharaoh2 and yet all pleases them1 for 
they owe their lives to ,joseph4 ,egypt1
 in those days1 was a sample of the new 
world1 the world brought back to ,god by
 redemption4 ,it was a purchased        
possession1 just what the millennial    
earth is to be4 ,eph4 i4 #ad4 ,it was   
creation reconciled1 delivered from the 
doom of famine1 from death and the      
curse1 by the hand of a saviour4        
,joseph's corn had bought the land1 the 

cattle1 and the people4 ,all was under  
,pharaoh in a new character1 as a       
purchased possession1 standing in the   
grace of redemption4 ,pharaoh1 who had  
been king of the country1 is king of the
 country still2 but he has another1 a   
redeemer of the land and people1        
associated with him now1 as once he had 
not4 ,as in millennial days4 ,what a    
picture has the hand of ,god drawn for  
us here6 what a pledge have we here1    
yea1 what a sample of the earth in the  
days of the kingdom6   ,pharaoh had     
trusted ,joseph1 and ,joseph had pledged
 ,pharaoh1 in earlier days1 when as yet 
nothing was done4 ,ere the word of      
,joseph began to be accomplished        
,pharaoh had seated him in dignity and  
power1 given him a wife from among the  
daughters of the excellent of the land1 
and put upon him a name that told       
already to all who read it1 what he     
thought of him1 and how he received     
him4#bc ,and ,joseph1 in the confidence 
that all would be according to the      

interpretations which ,god had given him
 to deliver1 accepted all this at       
,pharaoh's hand2 and then1 but not till 
then1 the plentiful years came1 one     
after another1 to make good the pledges 
of ,joseph to ,pharaoh1 and to vindicate
 all the honours which had been         
conferred by ,pharaoh on ,joseph4 ,see  
chap4 xli4   #bc ,zaphnath-paaneah1 in  
the old ,egyptian tongue1 is said to    
have       signified the saviour of the 
world2 in the ,hebrew1 as we            
understand1 it might be rendered the    
revealer of secrets4  ,precious notices 
of all that which finds its originals1  
its counselled and eternal reality1 in  
the secrets which have been between ,god
 and ,his anointed6 ,we have only to bow
 and worship2 and as we gather the      
spoils and riches of the word of ,god1  
to rejoice and be thankful4 ,i rejoice  
in thy word as one that findeth great   
spoil4 ,i have rejoiced in the way of   
thy testimonies1 as much as in all      
riches4  ,it was fitting that we should 

have this sample of the new world1 or   
the coming millennial condition of the  
earth1 in the history of ,joseph2 for1  
as we said at the beginning1 he is the  
heir1 set to represent such an one in   
the grace of ,god1 after his fathers had
 told out1 each his several part1 in the
 same fruitful and abounding grace4     
,election1 as we have seen1 we got in   
,abraham2 sonship1 to which election    
predestinates us1 in ,isaac2 discipline1
 to which sonship introduces us1 in     
,jacob2 and now1 the heir and the       
inheritance which follows1 closing the  
mystery which grace has counselled1 and 
closing likewise the ,book of ,genesis1 
in ,joseph4  ,there is no speech or     
language here1 but a voice is heard1    
clear1 full1 and harmonious1 by the ear 
that is awakened4 ,and as we look back  
on ,joseph alone1 we see a page of      
sacred story1 full of ,jesus2 a rejected
 ,jesus first1 a risen and ascended     
,jesus then1 and now at the end1 a      
millennial ,jesus1 ,jesus in ,his       

inheritance and kingdom4  ,known unto   
,god are all ,his works from the        
beginning of the world4 ,but what we do 
not get teaches us this as surely as    
what we do4 ,he has formed the light and
 the darkness4 ,the day is thine1 the   
night also is thine4 ,in all this       
passing and magnificent exhibition of   
the inheritance1 there is one whom we   
might have expected to see chiefly1 and 
yet we see her not at all4 ,asenath the 
wife is not found here4 ,she and her    
children get no portions in this great  
settlement of everything in the land2   
they are not so much as seen or         
mentioned4 ,is it that they were        
forgotten8 ,that could not be4 ,but she 
was the heavenly one1 the wife given to 
,joseph from among the ,gentiles in the 
day of his separation from his kindred1 
and her portion is more excellent than  
what the land in its best condition     
could afford her2 it is in him and with 
him who is the lord and dispenser of it 
all4 ,asenath is lost in ,joseph2 or1 to

 be seen only in ,joseph4  ,and thus the
 full end is told at the beginning2 for 
all this in the ,book of ,genesis is the
 dispensation of the fulness of times1  
when ,god shall gather together all     
things in ,christ1 both which are in    
heaven and which are on earth4 ,and     
surely it is happy1 beloved1 in the     
sight of the world's present confusion1 
in the midst of the agitation of human  
thoughts which is ever around us1 to    
learn in the mouth of such witnesses1   
that the end is thus before ,him1 and   
has been so from the beginning4 ,the    
counsel of the ,lord standeth for ever1 
the thoughts of ,his heart to all       
generations4 ,his people and ,his       
purposes are alike before ,him2 and such
 truths comforted the apostles1 when    
they found themselves in the midst of   
church disappointments4 ,see #b ,tim4   
ii4 #ai4  ,part ,,iv4                   
7xlviii4-l47--,this is rather1 ,i might 
say1 an appendix to the history1 than   
the fourth part of it4 ,it is made up of

 a few detached actions in ,joseph's    
latter days4  ,the first thing1 however1
 which we get is kindred with what we   
have seen to be the characteristic of   
the history itself4 ,chapter xlviii41   
which opens this fourth part1 shows us  
the bestowing of the birthright upon    
,joseph2 and the birthright and the     
inheritance are1 in some sense1 one4    
,in ,israel1 or under the law1 the      
birthright carried the double portion4  
,the firstborn was to have a double     
share of the father's goods2 and the law
 enjoined that this should be his by an 
indefeasible title1 a title that was not
 to be challenged4 ,the double portion  
was not to be given to any other child  
of the family on any ground of personal 
affection or partiality whatever4 ,deut4
 xxi4 #ae-ag4  ,but though this were so1
 the birthright might have been either  
sold or forfeited by the firstborn      
himself4 ,his own acts might alienate   
it1 though his father's partialities or 
prejudices could not4 ,and we find this 

to have been the case4 ,esau sold it1   
and ,reuben forfeited it4 ,genesis xxv42
 #a ,chron4 v4 ,in the case of the sale 
of it by ,esau1 ,jacob who bought it1 of
 course1 had title to it4 ,the bargain  
and sale made it his4 ,that is clear4   
,but in the case of the forfeiture of it
 by ,reuben1 who is to take it8 ,it     
reverted to the father2 but on which of 
the sons would he confer it8 ,that was a
 question1 and it is that question which
 this chapter answers4 ,it presents us  
with the solemnity of the aged father1  
dying ,jacob1 investing ,joseph with the
 birthright which ,reuben his firstborn 
had forfeited4  ,upon hearing of the    
illness of his father1 ,joseph comes to 
his bedside1 bringing his two sons1     
,manasseh and ,ephraim1 with him4 ,none 
of the other sons of ,jacob are present4
 ,the ,spirit of ,god1 through ,jacob1  
has a special business with ,joseph4    
,jacob begins the action by reciting to 
,joseph the divine grant of the land of 
,canaan4 ,this was a setting forth of   

the family estate1 the property which he
 had to leave among his children4 ,he   
then adopts the sons of ,joseph2 for    
this was needed to the investing of them
 with the rights of children1 inasmuch1 
as1 in a great legal sense1 they were   
strangers to ,abraham4 ,their mother was
 an ,egyptian4 ,they were a seed1       
therefore1 whom the law would1 in its   
day1 have put away4 ,ezra x4 #c4 ,but   
,jacob adopts them4 ,he takes them into 
the family4 ,and now1 says he to        
,joseph1 thy two sons1 ,ephraim and     
,manasseh1 which were born unto thee in 
the land of ,egypt before ,i came unto  
thee into ,egypt1 are mine4 ,they are   
constituted of the seed of ,abraham1 and
 made children of ,jacob2 and this being
 done1 ,jacob at once sets them in the  
place of the firstborn2 for he adds     
immediately1 ,as ,reuben and ,simeon1   
they shall be mine4  ,this was a solemn 
act of investiture1 by which the rights 
of the eldest1 the double portion which 
attached to the birthright1 passed over 

to ,joseph in the persons of his two    
sons4 ,see #a ,chron4 v42 ,ezek4 xlvii4 
#ac4bd   #bd ,the title now bestowed was
 afterwards realized1 when the family   
estate1 the land of ,canaan1 came to be 
divided between the tribes2       for   
,joseph then gets two portions in his   
two sons1 who are treated       as      
though they had been two distinct sons  
of ,jacob4  ,but we have still to ask1  
,why was ,joseph thus preferred8 ,the   
forfeited right had reverted to ,jacob1 
and from his hand it had to be disposed 
of afresh4 ,but why was it given to     
,joseph8 ,was this merely grace8 ,i     
could not say so4 ,grace1 ,i know1 on   
this great occasion1 takes its way2 and 
were we duly emptied1 we should delight 
in the way of grace1 even though we     
ourselves might get1 in its             
distributions1 only a left-hand or      
,manasseh blessing4 ,but while all this 
is so1 ,i still question whether it were
 merely grace which thus conferred the  
rights of the eldest son upon ,joseph4  

,i rather judge that ,joseph earned it4 
,if ,jacob aforetime bought it1 ,joseph1
 ,i believe1 had now earned it4  ,we    
have already1 in the history1 tracked   
his path to the inheritance4 ,it was the
 path1 like that of his divine ,master1 
whose shadow in the distance he was1 of 
sorrow and rejection and separation1 and
 yet of righteousness and testimony4    
,and this path had ended with praise and
 honour and glory in the kingdom or     
inheritance2 and the birthright is      
kindred with the inheritance4  ,it is1  
therefore1 easy for us to say1 as we    
have said1 that ,joseph earned the      
birthright4 ,judah earned the royalty1  
,levi the priesthood1 and so ,joseph the
 double portion4 ,and his father gave   
him a pledge1 an earnest of the         
inheritance1 which was characteristic of
 this2 for at the end of this action    
,jacob says to him1 ,moreover ,i have   
given to thee one portion above thy     
brethren1 which ,i took out of the hand 
of the ,amorite with my sword and with  

my bow4 ,this was an earnest4 ,but not  
only so2 it was a sample also4 ,it was  
characteristic4 ,it spoke of the        
inheritance as it was to be in the hand 
of ,joseph4 ,this portion had been won1 
and so had ,joseph's4 ,the sword of     
,jacob had gained this parcel of ground1
 as the patience of ,joseph had gained  
the inheritance and the birthright2 and 
it is according to this that the dying  
father afterwards celebrates him4 ,the  
blessings of thy father have prevailed  
above the blessings of my progenitors1  
unto the utmost bound of the everlasting
 hills3 they shall be on the head of    
,joseph1 and on the crown of the head of
 him that was separate from his         
brethren4 ,or as ,moses1 the man of     
,god1 says of him1 ,let the blessing    
come upon the head of ,joseph1 and upon 
the top of the head of him that was     
separated from his brethren4  ,the      
apostle speaks of the reward of the     
inheritance1 words which may not sound  
as if they exactly suited each other2   

for the inheritance is of grace1 and    
reward is of work4 ,so the ,lord speaks 
of giving a crown of life1 words which  
may also sound in the ear as somewhat   
discordant2 for life is of grace1 and a 
crown is a reward4 ,but the soul accepts
 these things1 and makes no difficulty  
of them4 ,all purchased and promised    
blessings be with you1 said the dying   
martyr to his wife4 ,and he spoke       
wisely1 as he did blessedly2 for        
blessings in one sense are all          
purchased2 in another1 promised or      
given4 ,as a sweet hymn1 which we all   
know1 has it--        ,lord1 ,i believe 
,thou hast prepared1         ,unworthy  
though ,i be1       ,for me a           
blood-bought free reward1         ,a    
golden harp for me4  ,and ,joseph1 ,i   
judge1 got the birthright or the        
inheritance in this way4 ,it was in his 
hand the reward of the inheritance4 ,it 
was a bought thing1 and yet a given     
thing2 an earned thing1 and yet a free  
thing4 ,we see grace in the bestowment  

of it upon him1 but we see also the     
fruit or issue of that path of          
martyr-sorrows which he1 and he alone1  
of all ,jacob's sons1 had trod in       
patience and in triumph4  ,this action1 
therefore1 is in full company with the  
leading character of ,joseph's history4 
,we see the heir in him1 and with that  
the right of the firstborn1 the double  
portion1 with its earnest1 the earnest  
of the inheritance1 made over to him1 in
 the action of this chapter4   ,in the  
next chapter 7xlix47 ,joseph is only one
 of the many sons of ,jacob--,jacob the 
father being principal4 ,joseph and his 
brethren are together under the eye and 
before the thoughts of the dying        
patriarch1 who was led of the ,spirit to
 tell them what should befall them in   
the last days4 ,this ,i take no further 
notice of here1 but refer to the history
 of ,jacob1 where ,i have already       
considered it4   ,in the last chapter   
7l47 ,joseph is again principal2 not1   
however1 so much mystically as          

personally2 that is1 not as the heir1   
but as the man4 ,we see ,joseph himself 
here1 his character and his virtues1    
rather than the lord of ,egypt1 his     
place and his dignities4 ,and considered
 personally1 he is perhaps the most     
attractive character in the book of     
,genesis4 ,there is more of the fruit   
and force of godliness in him than in   
either of his fathers4 ,we have in him  
the steadiest1 most consistent walk in  
the ways of ,god4 ,there is less        
elevation1 ,i am sensible1 than in      
,abraham1 as of course there is less    
exercise of spirit than in ,jacob2 but  
through all circumstances1 trials1      
honours1 changes1 he is still the man of
 ,god who walked in ,his fear and before
 ,him4 ,his history is not made up of   
failures and recoveries1 or a doing of  
first works over again4 ,it is a path of
 light1 if not of such light as shines  
more and more unto the perfect day1 yet 
of light which shines clear and calm and
 constant4 ,in his history we have not  

angelic visits1 nor apparitions of the  
,lord1 or audiences of divine oracles2  
but in ,joseph himself we have a vessel 
used of ,god1 because approved of ,him2 
a very precious thing with ,god4 ,it is 
not ,peniel or ,beersheba again1        
occasional refreshments and             
illuminations1 but rather an abiding    
witness within1 so that he knew the way 
of ,god1 and kept it4 ,until the time   
that his word came1 the word of the     
,lord tried him4 ,the authority which   
,egypt1 in due season1 owned in him1 he 
had before owned in the ,lord4 ,he was  
the obedient one himself1 and then      
became the one set in authority4 ,he    
continued as with ,christ in ,his       
temptations1 and then he was appointed  
to a kingdom4 ,subjection was his path  
to honour1 the due path of all the heirs
 of the same kingdom4  ,but there are   
some peculiarities in the story of      
,joseph beyond this4 ,we do not find the
 altar and the tent with him1 as we do  
with his fathers4 ,because it is not    

strangership in the earth that we see in
 him1 but the inheritance or the        
kingdom1 after suffering and            
humiliation4 ,it is not the tent of his 
fathers that we see in his history1 but 
the pit and the prison1 which were his  
alone1 and not his fathers'4 ,the tent  
and the altar may duly be the symbols of
 their calling2 the pit and the prison  
first1 and then the throne1 become the  
symbols of his4  ,and as another        
peculiarity1 we may observe that the    
,lord is never called the ,god of       
,joseph1 as ,he is called the ,god of   
,abraham1 and the ,god of ,isaac1 and   
the ,god of ,jacob4 ,but this1 likewise1
 we may account for4 ,joseph was rather 
among the sons than the fathers4 ,the   
covenant was not made with him1 as it   
had been with ,abraham1 ,isaac1 and     
,jacob2 nor was any one set aside in    
order that he might have the blessing4  
,the covenant was made with ,abraham    
separated from country1 kindred1 and    
father's house4 ,it was renewed with    

,isaac1 to the setting aside of         
,ishmael4 ,it was renewed again with    
,jacob to the setting aside of ,esau4   
,but it was not renewed with ,joseph2   
for he was only one of the sons of      
,jacob1 and they were all alike         
interested in it2 they were all the seed
 contemplated by it2 and ,joseph was no 
more of that seed than either of the    
others4 ,so that we have no ground for  
the characteristic title1 the ,god of   
,joseph4 ,for1 while grace was displayed
 in the call of ,abraham1 and then again
 in the choosing of ,isaac the younger1 
and in the choosing of ,jacob the       
younger1 it was displayed in ,joseph    
only in its common measure in behalf of 
all the seed1 a measure that reached to 
others as to him4#be   #be ,god is      
afterwards called the ,god of ,israel1  
as before ,he had       been called the 
,god of ,abraham1 of ,isaac1 and of     
,jacob4 ,because       ,his covenant was
 with the nation of ,israel4  ,thus     
,joseph takes his place in our sight1   

and we look at him either morally or    
mystically2 with his characteristic     
virtues1 or in his peculiar typical     
place4 ,but we have not quite done with 
him yet4  ,he was1 ,i would now add1 a  
great weeper4  ,paul says that he was   
mindful of ,timothy's tears2 and there  
were many tears in the eyes of ,joseph  
which we might well be mindful of4      
,david and ,jonathan were weepers1 as   
well as ,paul and ,timothy4 ,but were ,i
 careful to do so1 ,i might claim it for
 ,joseph1 that he exceeded them all4    
,the occasions of his tears were more   
various4 ,and indeed it is an earnest1  
real1 and hearty flow of affections that
 we have to covet in the midst of the   
more cultivated and orderly attainments 
of this day4 ,tears are ofttimes        
precious things1 and sometimes sacred   
too4  ,at the beginning1 when ,joseph   
saw conviction awakening in the         
conscience of his brethren1 he wept4    
,these were tears both of sorrow and of 
joy4 ,he felt for them passing through  

the agony2 but he must have rejoiced to 
see the needed arrow reaching its mark1 
and the bleeding of the wounds that     
followed4  ,he wept again when he saw   
,benjamin4 ,the son of his own mother1  
her only child besides himself1 whose   
birth too had been her death1 and the   
only one in the midst of his father's   
children 7who were all then before him7 
who had not been guilty of his blood4   
,such an one as this was at that moment 
seen by him in ,benjamin4 ,these tears1 
therefore1 nature could account for4    
,he wept again as he saw the work of    
repentance going on in his brethren4 ,in
 his way1 he greatly longed after them2 
till at the last1 ,judah's words were   
too much for him2 conviction of         
conscience had then ended in restoration
 of heart4 ,the old man and the lad     
again and again on the lips of ,judah   
had eloquence which prevailed1 and      
,joseph could no longer refrain himself4
 ,he sobbed aloud1 and the house of     
,pharaoh heard him4 ,but these were more

 than the tears of nature4 ,this was the
 bowels of ,christ1 or the tears of the 
,father upon the neck of the prodigal4  
,each of these weepings was beautiful in
 its season2 but we have more still4    
,he fell on his father's face1 and wept1
 as his father had just yielded up the  
ghost4 ,this was as the grave of        
,lazarus to ,joseph2 and there he and   
his ,lord can weep together4  ,and again
 he wept1 when1 after his father's      
death1 his brethren began to suspect his
 love4 ,he was disappointed4 ,an        
unworthy return to the ways of a        
constant1 patient1 serving love1 made   
him weep--in the spirit of ,him1 ,i may 
say1 who wept over ,jerusalem4 ,for     
years had he been doing all he could to 
win their confidence4 ,he had nourished 
them and their little ones4 ,years had  
now passed1 and not one rebuke of them  
do we find either in his life or in his 
ways4 ,grief over their departed father 
had just freshly given them to know what
 common affections they had to bind them

 together4 ,he had supplied them with   
every reason to trust him4 ,and yet1    
after all1 they were fearing him4 ,this 
was a terrible shock to such a heart as 
,joseph's4 ,but he did not resent it1   
save with his tears1 and renewed        
assurances of his diligent1 faithful    
love4 ,and have not such tears as these1
 ,i ask1 as fine a character as tears   
can have8 ,they were as the pulses of   
the aggrieved spirit of the ,lord4 ,how 
long shall ,i be with you8 ,why are ye  
fearful8 ,have ,i been so long time with
 you1 and yet hast thou not known ,me8  
,these were kindred pulses of an        
aggrieved heart in ,jesus4 ,jesus has   
sanctified tears1 and made them1 like   
everything else that went up from ,him  
to ,god1 a sacrifice of a sweet-smelling
 savour2 ,joseph and ,david and ,paul1  
yea1 ,jonathan and ,timothy too1 have   
made them precious1 and put them among  
the treasures of the ,spirit in the     
bosom of the ,church4   ,such an one was
 ,joseph1 and in such company we put    

him2 again1 ,i say1 perhaps the most    
attractive character in the ,book of    
,genesis4 ,we see in him the grace and  
blamelessness that we get in ,isaac1 the
 piety1 as we speak1 marking him in all 
his relations in life4 ,but withal1     
there was combination which we do not   
find in ,isaac4 ,there was              
firmness--energy as well as sensibility4
  ,it remains for him to do the last    
office of this piety to the memory of   
his father2 and he does it1 we need     
scarcely say1 in all grace and          
faithfulness4 ,he buries his father1 as 
his father had willed it1 in the land of
 ,canaan4 ,but the whole is conducted   
with much solemnity--and the occasion is
 such1 that we must wait upon it for a  
little moment4   ,in other days1 worship
 was a magnificent ceremonial4 ,temples1
 altars1 feasts1 holy days1 sacrifices1 
and the like1 furnished it1 and officers
 of different orders1 in appropriate    
vestments1 conducted it4 ,because in    
those days worship pointed onward to    

certain great mysteries which had then  
to be realized4 ,but now these mysteries
 have been accomplished in the          
manifestation of ,christ1 ,his person1  
work1 sufferings1 and victories--so that
 gorgeous worship is now but a reproach 
on all that which is found in ,him1 in  
its full substance and efficacy4  ,so as
 to funerals1 as well as worship4 ,in   
other days they were to be gorgeous4    
,because resurrection was then only in  
prospect2 and funerals then were a kind 
of pledge of the expected resurrection2 
and it was fitting that the pledge      
should be magnificent according to the  
glory of that which it pledged4 ,but    
now1 since resurrection has been        
realized in the person of the ,lord     
,jesus1 the ,son of ,god1 the gorgeous  
funeral1 like the ceremonious worship1  
is rather a reproach1 as though the     
great mystery itself had not been yet   
realized in its substance and efficacy4 
,for it is not funereal pomp which is   
now the pledge of our coming            

resurrection--the resurrection of the   
,lord is that1 the first-fruits of a    
promised harvest4  ,accordingly1 worship
 and funerals are now1 in like          
simplicity1 to bespeak the ,church's    
faith in accomplished mysteries4 ,we are
 now in sight of the victory of the     
,lord ,jesus4 ,we no longer give or     
receive pledges of it1 as in ordinances1
 but we celebrate it4 ,joseph of        
,arimathea gave ,his body a costly      
burial1 as ,joseph the son of ,jacob    
here gives the body of his loved and    
honoured father4 ,we read of ,jesus3 ,he
 made ,his grave with the wicked1 and   
with the rich in ,his death4 ,in that   
day of ,joseph of ,arimathea the grave  
had not been spoiled2 and pledges       
therefore--like pledges with these in   
the day of the ,patriarch--might still  
be given4 ,but in the burial of the     
,lord ,jesus we properly see the last of
 these pledges2 because in ,him we see  
the first-fruits of them that slept4    
,the grave-clothes and the napkins lie  

in the empty sepulchre as spoils of a   
glorious war1 and trophies which tell of
 glorious victory4 ,death was           
overthrown1 and faith now celebrates    
what offices and usages1 as well as     
ordinances and ceremonies1 had once only
 pledged and foreshadowed4 ,and let me  
add1 that faith did learn this lesson1  
for the burial which followed that of   
,jesus had neither its embalming nor its
 magnificence4 ,it was shortly disposed 
of1 reverently withal1 and lovingly4    
,devout men carried ,stephen to his     
burial1 and made great lamentation over 
him4  ,had we faith1 deeply should we   
prize all this4 ,our privileges are     
great indeed4 ,in the services of the   
house of ,god now1 the table has        
succeeded the altar1 and instead of a   
sacrifice we have a feast upon a        
sacrifice4 ,and so have we to see death 
and burial1 too1 in the light of the    
resurrection of ,jesus4  ,these things  
we notice in connection with ,jacob's   
funeral4 ,his death has its moral       

operation in the family1 bringing out   
7as is often the case when the head of a
 family is removed7 what before was not 
suspected to be there4 ,but ,i must     
meditate on this for a while4   ,the    
simplicity of patriarchal faith is very 
remarkable4 ,it was like their          
manners--beautiful from their           
artlessness4 ,there was nothing of the  
spirit of bondage in the                
,genesis-saints4 ,the patriarchs walked 
in the assurance of this1 that ,god was 
their ,god1 ,his promises their portion1
 and the city and land of the glory     
their inheritance4 ,they lived and died 
in this spirit of faith4 ,no suspicions 
or reserves1 no questionings1 no        
mistrust of grace1 defiles their souls4 
,and this is surely the more strange    
because1 while we nowhere among them    
trace this spirit of bondage1 we see it 
everywhere else1 immediately after we   
leave the ,book of ,genesis1 and then   
all through ,scripture4 ,it would be    
vain to follow all the notices of it    

which ,scripture furnishes4 ,it works   
naturally and abundantly in us4 ,surely 
we know it in ourselves1 and see it in  
all around us4  ,how is it1 then1 that  
it does not betray itself in the        
,patriarchs8 ,was it because they were  
such constant witnesses to themselves of
 the grace and election of ,god1 and had
 never heard the voice of the law8 ,this
 helped to form their minds1 we may be  
sure4 ,but besides this1 this absence of
 the spirit of bondage was beautifully  
consistent with their dispensational    
standing2 for they were as children who 
had never as yet been from home4 ,they  
were in infancy1 and they could no more 
move in the presence of ,god in a spirit
 of fear and uncertainty1 than a child1 
ere he left home1 could be tempted to   
question his title to the nurture and   
shelter of his father's house4 ,and it  
is of the moral beauty and perfection of
 this infant ,book of ,genesis that we  
see this child-like1 unquestioning faith
 in the saints of ,god there4 ,they are 

faulty1 and that1 too1 at times1 through
 want of faith1 when certain            
circumstances press them2 but their     
souls are never defiled by a spirit of  
mistrust and bondage4 ,we see this      
throughout--at least till we reach the  
moment when we are taking leave of the  
,book1 and have gone beyond what is     
properly the patriarchal character of   
it4 ,i mean1 in ,joseph's brethren1 as  
soon as ,jacob's funeral is over4  ,it  
then appeared that they had not been    
trusting their brother with a guileless1
 happy confidence4 ,there had been an   
object of common interest between them1 
and that had been too much the secret of
 their confidence1 instead of ,joseph   
himself4 ,they had not boldness by      
reason of what ,joseph was1 and of what 
he had done1 but they had trusted in a  
circumstance4 ,jacob's presence was the 
stay of their hearts4 ,they had         
repented2 they had been convicted and   
quickened2 but still1 their confidence  
did not honour ,joseph1 as ,joseph had  

richly deserved at their hands4  ,and   
this may have a word for us4 ,we may ask
 ourselves1 if countenance and          
fellowship of others were withdrawn1    
would it be found that our whole        
confidence has all along been in ,jesus8
 that we have so learnt grace1 that we  
can abide the presence of unveiled      
glory8 that the removal of a ,jacob     
clouds not the atmosphere in which our  
souls have been dwelling8   ,but we are 
now reaching the very end of the times  
of ,joseph4 ,however1 ere we witness his
 death1 we have 7seasonable for us to   
notice this in this eventful day of     
ours7 a fine instance of faith's        
acquaintance with the course of the     
world's history4  ,i do not speak of a  
prophet's knowledge of what is about to 
be among the nations1 such as ,daniel   
had1 when he told of the rise of one    
beast after another1 and of the ,great  
,image from its head of gold down to its
 toes of iron and clay4 ,such knowledge 
was by the ,spirit1 the ,lord filling   

the heart of ,daniel1 and of others like
 him1 with ,his own light4 ,i speak only
 of faith's knowledge of that course of 
things which the history of the nations 
is to take4  ,joseph says to his        
brethren1 ,i die3 and ,god will surely  
visit you1 and bring you out of this    
land unto the land which ,he sware to   
,abraham1 to ,isaac1 and to ,jacob4     
,the children of ,israel were at that   
time very happy in the land of ,egypt4  
,they were in the full favour of the    
king2 they were in possession of the    
richest district in the country1 and    
they saw one of themselves the second   
person in the kingdom4 ,not a single    
symptom of danger or of change appeared 
in all their condition4 ,and ,joseph    
himself was as happy as circumstances   
could make him4 ,he saw ,ephraim's      
children of the third generation2 the   
children also of ,machir the son of     
,manasseh were brought up upon ,joseph's
 knees4  ,but in the midst of all this1 
,joseph speaks of ,god visiting them2   

words which bespeak days of sorrow to be
 at hand1 such days as that ,god would  
then be their only friend and helper4   
,strange this was1 very strange6 ,who   
could believe it8 ,was ,joseph dreaming8
 statesmen and politicians might have   
said4 ,but no2 ,joseph was not dreaming4
 ,god's word was his wisdom4 ,the divine
 oracle in chapter xv4 had forewarned1  
that ,egypt would afflict ,israel1 but  
that ,god would befriend them1 and bring
 them back to ,canaan--and this word    
from ,god was everything to ,joseph1 was
 everything to faith--appearances were  
nothing4 ,the oracle had spoken it4     
,joseph believed it and remembered it4  
,and thus by faith ,joseph saw ,israel's
 affliction in the day of ,israel's     
brightest promise and prosperity--he saw
 ,egypt's enmity in this day of ,egypt's
 friendship--he saw brick-kilns and     
task-masters in the fair fields and     
sunny harvest of ,goshen4 ,as ,noah1 by 
like faith1 had once seen a deluged     
world during #abj years of successive   

sowing times and reaping times1 vintages
 and summer gatherings1 times of buying 
and selling1 planting and building4     
,this was faith's acquaintance with the 
coming course of things4 ,and faith1 in 
this our day1 is to be a like           
politician1 and to know something of the
 course of things by the light of ,god's
 word1 in the face of all appearances4  
,and this is the only act in ,joseph's  
life which is recorded as of faith in   
,heb4 xi4 ,it is thus strikingly        
distinguished in the midst of so many   
acts of faith and godliness1 and of such
 a course of walking with ,god1 as we   
have seen in him4 ,but it was worthy to 
be thus signalized4 ,it was a great     
witness of ,joseph's living upon the    
word of ,god1 in the midst of the       
world's attractions and occupations1 and
 with a mind superior to all present    
appearances4 ,abraham had been          
instructed1 through divine visions and  
audiences1 about this coming history of 
,israel in ,egypt2 ,joseph only used    

what ,abraham had received4 ,we have no 
visits of the ,lord to ,joseph1 as we   
have to ,abraham4 ,joseph1 if you       
please1 was not in ,abraham's elevation4
 ,but we have in him what is morally the
 chiefest1 the light and certainty of a 
believing mind1 the apprehensions and   
decisions of faith4 ,he remembered what 
,abraham had heard1 and he acted on what
 he remembered4 ,what he wanted in      
personal elevation1 as an oracle of     
,god1 he had1 in moral power1 as a      
believer in ,god4 ,and if ,i must needs 
choose between them1 ,i would rather    
believe than be inspired4 ,and ,joseph  
believed1 when1 as we read1 he made     
mention of the departing of the children
 of ,israel1 and gave commandment       
concerning his bones4 ,heb4 xi4 #bb4    
,this was faith's political knowledge1  
as ,i may speak--faith's acquaintance   
with the things which were coming on the
 earth4 ,and this is that which made a  
,noah or a ,joseph wiser than all the   
senators of the kingdoms4 ,we know well 

how ,joseph's words were vindicated1 and
 how very unlooked for brick-kilns      
defiled the goodly lands of ,goshen1 and
 task-masters drove ,israel to their    
work4 ,just as before1 in ,noah's day1  
waters covered the very tops of the     
mountains1 and a ship1 apparently in all
 folly built for dry land1 was soon the 
only ark of safety in a watery world4   
,and ,i do ask1 ,is it not to be thus   
with faith still8 ,have we not warrant1 
by faith in the word of ,god1 to know   
the course which this world1 with all   
its growing refinement and varied       
progress1 is taking every hour8 ,have we
 not reason to know that it is on its   
way to judgment8 ,indeed we have4 ,the  
,lord ,jesus has been rejected in this  
world4 ,that is the fact which gives the
 world its character with ,god4 ,no     
advance in civil order and cultivation1 
no spread of even ,his own truth among  
the nations1 can avail to relieve the   
world of the judgment that awaits it    
because of this deed4 ,let the day be as

 bright as was the day of the ,egyptian 
,joseph to ,israel1 faith knows that the
 polished surface is soon to be broken  
up4 ,circumstances never give faith its 
object4 ,it is the word of ,god that    
does that2 and circumstances and        
appearances are not to be allowed to    
take the eye of faith off its object4   
,the house1 swept and garnished as it is
 at present1 promises much4 ,so did the 
land of ,rameses and the friendship of  
,pharaoh1 in the days of ,gen4 #ej4 ,but
 such promises are idle words in the ear
 of faith2 it regards them not4 ,as     
,jeremiah said to the king of ,judah1   
when the allied army had arrived1 and   
the hostile army had broken up and gone 
away1 ,deceive not yourselves2 so faith 
says1 in this hour1 to the generation   
that is boasting in progress1 ,deceive  
not yourselves4 ,faith says this with   
boldness2 for well it knows1 that the   
last state of the swept and garnished   
house is worse than the first4  ,joseph 
then gave proof that he believed what he

 testified4 ,like ,jacob1 his heart was 
in ,canaan1 the land of the covenant1   
the land of his father's sepulchres4    
,and1 like ,jacob1 he took an oath of   
his brethren1 saying1 ,god will surely  
visit you1 and ye shall carry up my     
bones from hence4 ,the unseen world was 
the real thing with him1 as it had been 
with his fathers4 ,the call of ,god had 
linked them all with that which lay     
beyond death1 and their thoughts and    
their hearts were there before          
themselves4 ,it was as natural for them 
to die as to live4  ,joseph died1 being 
an hundred and ten years old4  ,his     
brethren1 the children of ,israel1 were 
true to him1 as he had been to his      
father ,jacob4 ,they embalmed his body  
at once4 ,afterwards1 ,moses carried it 
with him out of ,egypt2 and1 at the     
last1 ,joshua buried it in ,shechem in  
the land of ,canaan4 ,see ,gen4 #ej4    
#bf2 ,ex4 xiii4 #ai2 ,josh4 xxiv4 #cb4  
,we thus close the story of ,joseph1 and
 with it the ,book of ,genesis1 the book

 of the creation and of the first ways  
of ,god1 the book also of the           
patriarchs1 the earliest families of the
 children of men1 and the infant age of 
the elect of ,god4  ,we are sensible1 ,i
 think1 when we leave this book1 that in
 some sense we are getting on lower     
ground4 ,i think this will be generally 
felt4  ,in ,genesis1 the ,lord is rather
 manifesting ,himself2 afterwards ,he is
 exposing man4 ,man was not under law1  
as we have said1 during the times of    
this book4 ,he was set to learn ,god    
under many and different expressions and
 revelations of ,himself4 ,but as soon  
as law enters1 and that is very quickly 
after we leave this book1 man is        
necessarily brought forward1 and we have
 to see him1 not simply as under the    
call of ,god1 but in his own place and  
character4 ,and surely this is enough to
 make us sensible of being1 in some     
sense1 on lower ground4 ,of course1 in  
the unfolding of counsels1 in the       
bringing forth of ,god's resources upon 

man's failures1 and in the further      
manifestations of ,god ,himself upon the
 exposure of man1 we are advancing all  
through the volume from beginning to    
end4  ,but1 all-various and wondrous as 
these counsels are1 which get their     
disclosure as we proceed through        
,scripture1 let the wisdom of ,god be   
never so manifold1 as we know it is1 yet
 we may say1 every part of it gets some 
notice or foreshadowing in this ,book of
 ,genesis4 ,these are faint and obscure2
 but the rudiments of the whole language
 are found in this introductory and     
infant lesson4 ,atonement1 faith1       
judgment1 glory1 government1 calling1   
the kingdom1 the ,church1 ,israel1 the  
nations1 covenants1 promises1           
prophecies1 with the blessed ,god       
,himself in ,his holiness1 love1 and    
truth1 the doings of ,his hand1 and the 
workmanship and fruits of ,his ,spirit1 
all these and the like appear in this   
book4 ,creation was displayed at the    
beginning4 ,soiled and ruined under the 

hand of man1 redemption was published4  
,the heavens and the earth are then     
shown to be the scenes of redemption 7as
 they had been at the first of creation7
 in the histories of ,enoch and ,noah4  
,and then in ,abraham1 ,isaac1 ,jacob1  
and ,joseph we get man 7the leading     
subject of redemption1 as of course he  
is7 in his election1 adoption1          
discipline1 and inheritance4 ,these     
mysteries have been looked at in this   
series1 and they lie under the eye1 and 
for the observation of our souls1 as we 
pass on from one of these histories to  
another4  ,and let us learn to say1     
beloved1 to ,his praise who has spread  
out such living creations before us1    
that if the heavens declare the glory of
 ,god and the firmament showeth ,his    
handiwork1 so with no less clearness and
 certainty do the pages of ,scripture   
bespeak the breathings of ,his ,spirit4 
,,the ,,book ,,of ,,job4                
,,james v4 #aa4                         
,behind a frowning providence           

,he hides a smiling face   ,may surely  
be said1 upon the reading of this deeply
 affecting story4 ,said1 too1 with      
peculiar fitness and fulness of truth1  
as though the thought of the ,christian 
poet had been suggested by the tale of  
the inspired historian4 ,the frown was  
specially dark and lowering1 the smile  
behind it brilliantly beaming and happy4
 ,the veil was very thick1 but the glory
 within very bright4 ,the boastings of  
the ,lord in ,his servant were above the
 noise of all the water-floods4         
,the bud may have a bitter taste1       
,but sweet will be the flower  may as   
surely be the motto for the story also4 
,for let us wait only for a little1 and 
the fruit of the travail will be        
precious beyond all expectation4 ,very  
bitter indeed was the bud1 but very     
sweet indeed was the flower4 ,it had to 
ripen under the pruning of the sprigs   
and the taking away of the branches     
7,isaiah xviii4 #e71 but it tells1 in   
the end1 the skill and patience of its  

divine husbandman4 ,i would1 however1   
rather trace some of the principles of  
this beautiful ,book1 than thus at the  
beginning more largely anticipate the   
moral of it4  ,resurrection1 called by  
the ,lord the power of ,god1 or1 at     
least1 one of the ways of that power    
7,matthew xxii4 #bi71 has been made     
known1 through different witnesses1 and 
in divers manners1 from the very        
beginning4 ,and connected as it is with 
redemption1 the great principle of      
,god's way and the secret of ,his       
purposes1 it must have been so4  ,it was
 intimated in the creation of the       
beautiful scene around us1 for the world
 itself was called forth from the grave 
of the deep4 ,the material was without  
form1 and darkness was upon the face of 
it1 but light was commanded to shine out
 of darkness1 and beauty and order were 
caused to arise4 ,see ,hebrews xi4 #c4  
,it declared itself in the formation of 
,eve4 ,then again in the earliest       
promise about the bruised ,seed of the  

woman4 ,it was kept in memory in ,seth  
given in the place of ,abel whom ,cain  
slew2 and then again in the line of the 
fathers before the flood4 ,but still    
more illustriously was it published in  
,noah4 ,every thing in the earth shall  
die1 says the ,lord to him1 but with    
thee will ,i establish my covenant2 thus
 disclosing the secret1 that the earth  
was to be established according to the  
purpose of ,god1 as in resurrection1    
stability1 and beauty4  ,so1 after these
 earlier fathers1 ,abraham was to have  
both a family and an inheritance on the 
same principle4 ,he and his generations 
after him were taught resurrection in   
the mystery of the barren woman keeping 
house4 ,the covenant blessing was linked
 with the risen family4 ,ishmael may get
 possessions1 and promises too1 but the 
covenant was with ,isaac4  ,and more    
marvellously still1 not to pause longer 
over other witnesses of it1 we see      
resurrection in the blessed history of  
the ,word made flesh4 ,we might indeed  

have forejudged that it would have been 
otherwise4 ,for in ,christ1 flesh was   
without taint4 ,here was a holy thing4  
,but even of such we have now to say1   
,yea1 though we have known ,christ after
 the flesh1 yet now henceforth know we  
,him no more4 ,christ known by us now is
 ,christ in resurrection4 ,and this is  
enough to let us know assuredly1 that   
resurrection is the principle of all the
 divine action1 and the secret of the   
covenant4#bf   #bf ,all orders of ,his  
creatures in all places of ,his         
dominions witness       ,him as the     
living ,god2 but in the history of      
redeemed sinners ,he       is witnessed 
as the living ,god in victory4 ,this is 
,his glory2       and resurrection      
should be prized by us as the display of
 it4 ,the       sepulchre with the      
grave-clothes lying in order1 and the   
napkin       which had been about the   
head1 are the trophies of such victory4 
,john xx4 #f1 #g4 ,the history of       
redeemed sinners celebrates ,him        

thus4 ,to hesitate about resurrection is
 to betray ignorance of       ,god1 and 
of the power that is ,his4 ,see ,matthew
 xxii4 #bi2 #a ,cor4       xv4 #cd4     
,but resurrection has also been1 from   
the beginning1 an article of the faith  
of ,god's people2 and1 being such1 it   
was also the lesson they had to learn   
and to practise1 the principle of their 
life2 because the principle of a divine 
dispensation is ever the rule and       
character of the saints' conduct4 ,the  
purchase and occupation of the burying  
field at ,machpelah1 tell us that the   
,genesis-fathers had learnt the lesson4 
,moses learnt and practised it1 when he 
chose affliction with the people of     
,god1 having respect to the recompense  
of the reward4 ,david was in the power  
of it1 when he made the covenant1 or    
resurrection-promise1 all his salvation 
and all his desire1 though his house1   
his present house1 was not to grow4 #b  
,sam4 xxiii4 ,the whole nation of       
,israel were taught it1 again and again1

 by their prophets1 and by-and-by they  
will learn it1 and then witness it to   
the whole world1 the dry bones living   
again1 the winter-beaten teil tree      
flourishing again2 for what shall the   
receiving of them be1 but life from the 
dead8 ,the ,lord ,jesus1 the ,author and
 ,finisher of faith1 in ,his day1 ,i    
need not say1 practised this lesson to  
all perfection4 ,and each of us1 ,his   
saints and people1 is set down to it    
every day1 that we may know ,him1 and   
the power of ,his resurrection1 and the 
fellowship of ,his sufferings4  ,by the 
life of faith the elders obtained a good
 report4 ,and so the saints in every    
age4 ,for without faith it is impossible
 to please ,him2 that faith which trusts
 ,him as a rewarder of them that        
diligently seek ,him1 which respects the
 unseen and the future4 ,they1 of whom  
the world was not worthy1 practised the 
life of faith1 the life of dead and     
risen people4 ,hebrews xi4 ,stephen     
before the council tells us the same4   

,abraham1 ,joseph1 and ,moses1 in his   
account1 were great witnesses of this   
same life2 and he himself1 at that      
moment1 after the pattern of his master1
 ,jesus1 was exhibiting the strength and
 virtues of it1 through the power of the
 ,holy ,ghost1 and apprehending1 through
 the same ,spirit1 the brightest joys   
and glories of it4 ,acts vii4   ,now1 ,i
 believe that the leading purpose of the
 ,book of ,job is to exhibit this4 ,it  
is the story of an elect one1 in early  
patriarchal days1 a child of            
resurrection1 set down to learn the     
lesson of resurrection4 ,his celebrated 
confession tells us that resurrection   
was understood by him as a doctrine1    
while the whole story tells us1 that he 
had still to know the power of it in his
 soul4 ,it was an article of his faith1 
but not the principle of his life4  ,and
 a sore lesson it was to him1 hard      
indeed to learn and digest4 ,he did not 
like 7and which of us does like87 to    
take the sentence of death into himself1

 that he might not trust in himself1 or 
in his circumstances in life1 or his    
condition by nature1 but in ,god who    
raises the dead4 ,i shall die in my     
nest1 was his thought and his hope4 ,but
 he was to see his nest rifled of all   
with which nature had filled it1 and    
with which circumstances had adorned it4
  ,such is1 ,i believe1 the leading     
purpose of the ,spirit of ,god in this  
,book4 ,this honoured and cherished     
saint had to learn the power of the     
calling of all the elect1 practically   
and personally1 the life of faith1 or   
the lesson of resurrection4 ,and it may 
be a consolation for us1 beloved1 who   
know ourselves to be little among them1 
to read1 in the records which we have of
 them1 that all have not been equally   
apt and bright scholars in that school1 
and that all1 in different measures1    
have failed in it1 as well as made      
attainments in it4  ,how unworthily of  
it1 for instance1 did ,abraham behave1  
how little like a dead and risen man1 a 

man of faith1 when he denied his wife to
 the ,egyptian1 and yet how beautifully 
did he carry himself1 as such1 when he  
surrendered the choice of the land to   
his younger kinsman4 ,and even our own  
,apostle1 the aptest scholar in the     
school1 the constant witness of this    
calling to others1 and the energetic    
disciple of the power of it in his own  
soul1 in a moment when the fear of man  
brought with it a snare1 makes this very
 doctrine the covert of a guileful      
thought4 ,acts xxiii4 #f4               
,encouragements and consolations visit  
the soul from all this4 ,happy is it to 
know1 that our present lesson1 as those 
who are dead1 and whose life is hid with
 ,christ in ,god1 has been the lesson of
 the elect from the beginning--that on  
many a bright and hallowed occasion they
 practised that lesson to the glory of  
their ,lord1 that at times they found it
 hard1 and at times failed in it4 ,this 
tale of the soul is well understood by  
us4 ,only we1 living in ,new ,testament 

times1 are set down to learn the same   
lesson in the still ampler page1 and    
after the clearer method1 in which it is
 now taught us in the death and         
resurrection of the ,lord ,jesus        
,christ4  ,there is some difference1 let
 me observe1 nay1 ,i would say1         
distance1 between a righteous and a     
devoted man4 ,no saint is a devoted one1
 who has not been practising this lesson
 of which ,i have been speaking4 ,the   
measure of his devotedness may be said  
to be according to his attainment in it1
 according to the energy he is          
exercising as a man dead and risen with 
,christ4 ,at the beginning of this      
history1 ,job was a righteous man4 ,he  
was spoken well of again and again1 in  
the very face of his accuser4 ,but he   
was not a devoted man4 ,the whisper of  
his heart1 as ,i noticed before1 was    
this1 ,i shall die in my nest4 ,accepted
 he was1 as a sinner who knew his living
 and triumphant ,redeemer1 godly and    
upright beyond his fellows1 but withal1 

as to the power that wrought in his     
soul1 he was not a dead and risen man4  
,such also1 ,i might add1 was ,agur in  
the ,book of ,proverbs4 ,he was godly1  
and of a lowly1 self-judging spirit4 ,he
 makes a good confession of human       
blindness and pravity1 of the           
unsearchable glories of ,god1 the purity
 and preciousness of ,his word1 and of  
the security of all who trust in ,him4  
,prov4 xxx4 #a-i4 ,he was a man of ,god1
 and walked in a good spirit4 ,but he   
was not a devoted man4 ,he did not know 
how to abound and how to suffer need4   
,he dreaded poverty lest he should      
steal1 and riches lest he should deny   
,god4 ,he was not prepared for changes4 
,neither was ,job4 ,but ,paul was4 ,he  
had surrendered himself to ,christ1 as  
they had not4 ,according to the power   
that wrought in his soul1 ,paul was a   
dead and risen man4 ,he was ready to be 
emptied from vessel to vessel4 ,he was  
instructed both to be full and to be    
hungry4 ,he could do all things through 

,christ strengthening him4 ,see that    
devoted man1 that dead and risen man1 in
 the closing chapters of ,acts4         
xx4-xxviii4 ,he is in the midst of a    
weeping company of brethren at ,miletus1
 and in the bosom of a loving ,christian
 household at ,tyre4 ,but were those1   
the greenest spots on earth to a saint1 
where1 if any where1 the foot of the    
mystic ladder is felt to rest1 and the  
fond heart lingers and says1 ,let us    
make tabernacles here1 able to detain   
him8 ,no4 ,even there1 the dear1 devoted
 ,apostle carried a heart thoroughly    
surrendered to ,christ4 ,what mean ye1  
says he1 to weep and to break mine      
heart8 for ,i am ready not to be bound  
only1 but also to die at ,jerusalem for 
the name of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,he would 
not be kept4 ,and on from thence he     
goes1 along the coast of ,syria up to   
,jerusalem1 and then for two long years1
 apart from brethren1 in perils by sea  
and land1 under insults and wrongs1 a   
single heart and devoted affection      

bearing him through all4  ,a good       
conscience alone is not up to all this4 
,mere righteousness will not take such a
 journey4 ,there must be that singleness
 of eye to ,christ1 that principle of   
devotedness1 which reckons upon death   
and resurrection with ,jesus4 ,job was  
righteous1 but he was not prepared for  
such shifting scenery as this4 ,he loved
 the green spot and the feathered nest4 
,changes come1 and changes are too much 
for him4 ,but ,god1 in the love         
wherewith ,he loved him1 as his heavenly
 ,father1 puts him to school1 to learn  
the lesson of a child of resurrection1  
to be a partaker of ,his holiness1 the  
holiness not merely of a right or       
pure-minded man1 but the holiness that  
suits the call of ,god1 the holiness of 
a dead and risen man1 one of the pilgrim
 family1 one of ,god's strangers in the 
world4 ,heb4 xii4 #i1 #aj4  ,job was    
chastened to be partaker of such a      
holiness as this4 ,not that trials and  
troubles1 like his1 are essential to the

 learning of this lesson4 ,a very common
 method it is1 indeed1 with our heavenly
 ,father1 in ,his wisdom4 ,but ,paul set
 himself daily to practise that lesson1 
without the instructions of griefs and  
losses in either body or estate4 ,phil4 
iii4 ,in the fervent labourings of the  
spirit within1 he exercised himself in  
it every day4 ,and so should we4 ,we are
 to dread the ,laodicean state1         
satisfaction with present condition or  
attainment4 ,the ,laodicean was not a   
,pharisee1 or a self-righteous man of   
religion4 ,he was a professor1 it may   
be1 of very correct notions and         
judgments1 but in a spirit of           
self-complacency1 he did not cherish    
increasing freshness and vigour in the  
ways of the ,lord4  ,arise1 depart2 for 
this is not your rest1 says the ,spirit 
by the ,prophet4 ,and why8 ,why is it   
not to be our rest8 ,it is polluted1 he 
adds4 ,he does not say it is sorrowful1 
it is disappointing1 it is unsatisfying1
 but it is polluted4 ,the quickened soul

 is to gather from the moral and not    
from the circumstances of the scene     
here1 its reasons for cherishing within 
it the power of ,christ's resurrection4 
,the dove outside the ark did not fear  
the snare of the fowler1 but found no   
rest for the sole of her foot on the    
unpurged ground4  ,it is humbling to sit
 down and delineate what has been so    
poorly reached in personal power4 ,but a
 beauteous light may be seen from far1  
and as such1 some of us descry and hail 
the virtues of the risen life4  ,a dead 
and risen man will have neither his     
springs nor his objects here4 ,his      
principles of action will be found in   
,christ1 and his expectations in the    
coming kingdom4 ,he is taken out of all 
the advantages and adornings of the     
flesh into the righteousness of ,god1   
and then1 livingly and practically1 is  
struggling up the hill1 having1 in      
spirit1 left the low level of the world1
 abating the force of nature1 and the   
fascination of nature's circumstances1  

and taking the affections from things on
 earth to give them to those which are  
with ,christ above4 ,he has lost        
himself1 but he has won ,christ4 ,he has
 taken leave of the course of the world 
which goes its rounds on the plain      
beneath1 and is ascending after ,jesus4 
,he lets the world know that it could   
never provide him with his object4 ,in  
the midst of its kingdoms and delights  
he is a stranger still4 ,and virtues and
 qualities of heart he practises that   
are of like divine excellence4 ,he can1 
like his ,master1 hide the glory to     
which ,god has appointed him1 and be    
nothing in the present scene4 ,abraham  
did not tell every ,canaanite whom he   
chanced to meet1 that he was the heir of
 the country4 ,in the ears of the       
children of ,heth he said1 ,i am a      
stranger and a sojourner with you4 ,he  
was content to be1 and 7what is still   
harder7 to be thought to be1 a homeless1
 houseless man4 ,so ,david1 another of  
the dead and risen family1 when hunted  

and driven by the evil thing then in    
power1 though the oil of ,samuel was    
upon him1 ,god's own consecration to the
 throne1 he did not publish it4 ,that   
was the secret and the joy of faith4    
,but he did not publish it4 ,he did not 
traffic with it among men--he did not   
talk of himself in connection with that 
which the world could value4 ,he was    
rather1 in his own reckoning before men1
 no better than a dead dog or a flea4   
,oh1 precious faith6 ,oh1 holy and      
triumphant faith6 ,but this was an      
elevation which ,job had to reach4 ,he  
was not1 according to the power which   
wrought in his soul1 of this generation4
 ,not that his condition in life made   
him proud1 or self-indulgent1 or        
indifferent to others4 ,but he valued   
his condition4 ,with what eloquence does
 he describe it4 ,chapter xxix4 ,the    
minuteness with which he remembers it   
tells us with what fondness he had      
embraced it4 ,the eloquence with which  
he describes it 7and nothing can exceed 

that7 betrays with what fervour of heart
 he had lingered over it1 in the day of 
its bloom and beauty4 ,he loved his     
condition and circumstances in life1 his
 place1 his character1 his estimation1  
his dignities and praise among men4     
,godly he was1 truly and admirably so4  
,there was none like him in the earth4  
,but his place in the earth was         
important to him4 ,he was largely ready 
to communicate and to serve1 but he     
communicated and served as a patron or a
 benefactor4 ,and he desired            
continuance4 ,i shall multiply my days  
as the sand1 was his calculation4 ,hence
 the great end of his trial1 and the    
purpose of recording it4 ,for this ,book
 gives us the story of a saint in       
patriarchal days1 or rather1 the story  
of his trials1 trials through which he  
was to learn the common lesson1         
according to the common calling1 that we
 are a dead and risen people4 ,job came1
 ,i believe1 before ,abraham1 but he did
 not come before this lesson2 for it had

 been taught1 as we have seen1 from the 
beginning2 ,adam and ,abel1 and the line
 of ,seth through ,enoch and ,noah1 had 
already practised it4 ,and ,job1 after  
them1 is set down to the same lesson1   
only engraven in somewhat deeper and    
darker lines4  ,such1 generally1 ,i     
believe1 was ,job1 and such his history4
 ,a solitary saint he was2 at least1 not
 linked with dispensational             
arrangements1 or with the peculiar      
covenanted family1 and before the call  
of ,god was manifested in the person of 
,abraham4 ,this1 however1 adds exceeding
 value to the ,book4 ,for it is1 thus1 a
 witness of the religion of ,god's      
people in the most detached and         
independent condition4 ,time and place  
do not connect him with the             
ecclesiastical order or course of things
 at all4 ,but still1 the faith of the   
elect of ,god was his faith1 their      
truths his truths1 their calling his    
calling1 their hopes his hopes4 ,we have
 ,adam1 and ,seth1 and ,noah1 and ,shem1

 and ,job1 and ,abraham1 ,moses1        
,prophets1 ,apostles1 and ourselves1    
till the number of the elect be         
accomplished1 learning the joy and the  
song of redemption4 ,as we sometimes    
sing together--        ,then shall      
countless myriads1 wearing              
,robes made white in ,jesu's blood1     
,palms 7like rested pilgrims7 bearing1  
,stand around the throne of ,god4       
,these1 redeemed from every nation1     
,shall in triumph bless ,his name2      
,every voice shall cry1 ',salvation     
,to our ,god and to the ,lamb4'   ,not  
only1 however1 the substance or         
materials1 but the very style of the    
,book is in the analogy of the whole    
inspired volume4 ,it does not teach     
doctrines formally1 after the method of 
a science2 it rather assumes them1 or   
lets them publish themselves            
incidentally4 ,even in the ,epistles    
this is the common way4 ,the great      
revelation of doctrines made there comes
 out1 more commonly1 in the way of      

either enforcing results1 or in answer  
to inquiries1 or in defence of truth    
against gainsayers or corrupters4 ,so in
 this ,book1 doctrines are assumed1 or  
delivered incidentally2 the more direct 
object1 as ,i have suggested1 being     
this--to exhibit a soul set to learn1   
through trials and sorrows1 the common  
lesson1 the power of our calling1 that  
our hopes are neither in the world1 nor 
from the flesh1 but in living scenes1   
with ,jesus1 beyond all that is here4   
,and deeply affecting as a narrative of 
trying and sorrowing events it surely   
is1 for the events themselves are deeply
 touching4 ,but they are all ordinary1  
or such as are common to man4 ,robbers  
carry off his oxen and asses4 ,lightning
 destroys his flocks4 ,a high wind blows
 down his house1 and kills his children4
 ,and1 at last1 a sore disease breaks   
out on his body from head to foot4      
,each of these might have happened to   
his ungodly neighbour1 as well as to    
him4 ,in the mere matter of these       

afflictions1 there was nothing that     
distinguished him as a child of ,god4   
,they were not the sufferings of        
righteousness from the hand of man1 the 
sufferings of a martyr4 ,they were such 
as were common to man4 ,but still they  
were all under the exactest inspection  
and admeasurement of his heavenly       
,father1 all in the way of appointment  
and of discipline flowing from heavenly 
interests1 and divine relationships4    
,and all1 too1 the result of great      
transactions in heaven4 ,for ,satan had 
been there1 accusing ,job1 and the ,lord
 had been boasting of him2 and the ,lord
 had licensed ,satan to go against ,job1
 with a quiver full of arrows1 but had  
appointed him his measure and rule4     
,and this is very comforting4 ,for many 
a child of ,god is troubled1 in the day 
of affliction1 with the thought that his
 trial is commonplace1 and no witness at
 all that he is not as other men4 ,but  
such trouble is mistaken4 ,in the shape 
or material of the affliction1 the      

believer may be just in company with    
other men1 it is true4 ,the same storm  
on the distant sea1 or the same disease 
at home1 may have bereaved them alike2  
but faith takes account of the          
relationship with ,god1 and of the      
interest which all that concerns a poor 
saint awakens in heaven4  ,in the wisdom
 of ,god1 in the construction of this   
beautiful story 7true as ,i know it to  
be in every incident that it records71  
it is made to introduce all the great   
actors in the divine mystery1 and to    
reveal the great truths which form the  
common faith of the elect4  ,this is    
much to be prized2 for this declares the
 perfect harmony of all1 even the most  
distant and independent1 portions of the
 oracles of ,god4 ,accordingly1 we see  
engaged in the action of this ,book the 
angels who minister to the divine       
pleasure2 ,satan the great adversary2   
the elect sinner whose faith is cast    
into the furnace2 his brethren in the   
faith2 the minister of ,god in the      

energy of the ,holy ,ghost2 and the     
,lord ,god ,himself4  ,these are the    
actors in the wondrous scenery of this  
,book2 so that while the action itself  
is simply the trial of a saint1 it is so
 constructed as to bring forth all these
 great agents and energies1 the very    
same with which our souls are conversant
 to this hour1 occupied1 also1 in the   
ways and places which the whole of      
,scripture assigns to them4 ,and it is a
 matter of the richest interest to our  
souls to trace this4  ,thus the angels  
or sons of ,god are here seen for a     
moment or two1 but exactly in the place 
and action which the general consent of 
all ,scripture gives them4 ,they are in 
attendance on the ,lord in heaven1 as   
those who had been forth1 and were ready
 again to go forth1 in the service of   
,his good pleasure4 ,for the whole ,word
 thus bears witness to them4 ,they are  
ministering spirits1 ministers of ,his  
that do ,his pleasure4 ,they are ,his   
hosts on high1 and the ,lord ,himself is

 among them4 ,gabriel stands in ,his    
presence4 ,the ,seraphim attend ,his    
throne1 and they are winged1 either to  
veil their faces and their feet before  
the divine majesty1 or to fly1 like the 
wind1 to execute the divine commands4   
,all this is told of the angels         
throughout ,scripture1 and here the     
heavens are opened for a moment1 and all
 this is seen and heard4  ,so as to     
,satan4 ,this ,book is in strictest     
analogy with the whole volume4          
,messengers of ,satan go forth from the 
presence of ,god1 as well as ,gabriel   
and the hosts4 ,lying spirits as well as
 ministering spirits take their journey 
and their commission from thence4 ,he   
goes about1 says an apostle1 seeking    
whom he may devour2 as here1 he says of 
himself1 that he had been up and down1  
and to and fro1 in the earth4 ,another  
apostle tells us1 that he1 with his     
principalities and powers1 is in        
heavenly places2 and here we find him   
among the sons of ,god1 in the presence 

of ,god4 ,and again2 he desired to have 
all the apostles1 that he might sift    
them as wheat1 put them to the proof of 
what they were2 and so here as to ,job4 
,satan is elsewhere called the accuser  
of the brethren1 and here he is heard as
 such4 ,he is the tormentor of this     
servant of ,god1 as ,scripture generally
 presents him2 but1 as ,scripture also  
testifies1 his action is under the      
limitations and sovereignty of ,god4    
,jesus1 ,god manifest in the flesh1 as  
,he walked in the land of ,israel1 gave 
him his measure 7,mark v472 and so      
,elohim from the throne does here1 and  
the eye of the ,seer and the voice of   
the ,prophet assign him also exactly    
this place and action4 #a ,kings xxii42 
,zech4 iii4#bg   #bg ,the children of   
light should reckon upon the attempts of
 the       powers of darkness against   
them4 ,a sudden moment of conflict      
should not therefore surprise us4 ,for  
we are set to be the scene       or     
theatre of their defeat by ,christ4 ,it 

is our illumination       that exposes  
us4 ,that is its proper natural         
operation4 ,the more we       are in the
 light1 ,i may say1 the more exposed we 
are4 ,it was       ,adam's              
creature-beauty1 ,job's memorial with   
,god1 and the ,apostle's                
attachment to ,christ1 that laid them   
open to ,satan4        ,but let me add1 
that a messenger of ,satan may be sent  
forth from       the presence of ,god   
upon either the flesh or the heart of   
man4       ,an evil spirit from the     
,lord came upon ,saul1 and a lying      
spirit       came upon the prophets of  
,ahab4 #a ,sam4 xvi42 #a ,kings xxii4   
,the       ,lord was beginning solemn   
acts of judgment1 and1 therefore1       
these messengers of ,satan were sent    
forth upon the heart of       those who 
were righteously under judgment4 ,but   
other messengers of       ,satan reach  
only the body or circumstances1 as in   
the case of       ,paul and of our      
patriarch4 ,and this is discipline      

merely1 and       not judgment4  ,these 
analogies are as strict and literal as  
they can be4 ,and further--for it is    
edifying to trace this still--we find   
the patriarch in one school with the    
distant apostle of the ,gentiles--so    
richly does one ,spirit breathe through 
the whole volume4 ,we are in the last   
chapters of #b ,corinthians1 when       
reading the first chapters of the ,book 
of ,job6 ,we have the thorn in the      
flesh1 the messenger of ,satan1 in both 
,job and ,paul4  ,then1 as to ,job and  
his friends1 or the elect one whose     
faith is cast into the furnace1 and his 
brethren in the faith4 ,a very principal
 part of this patriarchal story is made 
up1 as we commonly know1 of the         
controversies that arose between them4  
,bitter and heated they were1 in        
something more than the ordinary        
measure4 ,but such things are still1 and
 have been in every age4  ,eliphaz1     
,bildad1 and ,zophar were friends and   
brethren indeed1 though they proved to  

be but miserable comforters4 ,they came 
to ,job when all had deserted him1      
children mocking him1 young men pushing 
away his feet1 his kinsfolk failing him1
 his inward friends forgetting him1 his 
servants giving him no answer1 and his  
wife refusing him1 though he entreated  
for their children's sake4 ,they were   
true-hearted friends1 who said that they
 would go and comfort their afflicted   
brother4 ,and they did go2 and they sat 
with him in his place of ashes and      
potsherds for seven days4  ,but they    
fell out by the way4 ,sad to tell it1   
but so it was2 not strange to tell it1  
for so has it ever been1 and so is it   
still4 ,so early as the times of        
,abraham's herdmen and ,lot's herdmen1  
this stands on record4 ,joseph had to   
say to his brethren1 ,see that ye fall  
not out by the way4 ,moses knew the     
trial of the camp even beyond that of   
the wilderness1 as he went from ,egypt  
to the ,jordan4 ,it was of ,his own that
 ,jesus in ,his day had to say1 ,how    

long shall ,i be with you and suffer    
you8 ,and ,paul counted the care of all 
the churches the heaviest thing that    
came upon him4  ,variety of temper1     
different measures of attainment1 the   
quality of the light and the form of the
 kingdom in us1 if ,i may so express it1
 will occasion collision and trial1 even
 where there is nothing morally wrong4  
,but from whatever cause it be1 so is it
 still1 and so has it been from the days
 of ,job and his friends1 that we form a
 great part of each other's trial4 ,the 
,lord sits over it all1 refining ,his   
silver and purifying ,his gold1 but     
still so it is1 that we help to heat    
each other's furnace for the trial of   
faith4  ,nothing1 perhaps1 has been a   
more common source of this falling out  
by the way1 than the holding of         
favourite religious opinions1 or an     
undue1 disproportioned estimation of    
certain doctrines or points of truth4   
,and this was the case here4 ,job prized
 certain points of truth1 and his       

friends had their favourites also4 ,but 
each knew but in part1 and darkened the 
perfect counsels of ,god4 ,and by reason
 of this1 they fell out by the way4     
,job1 sorely afflicted by stroke upon   
stroke1 insisted on it1 that ,god acted 
arbitrarily2 and having a right to do as
 ,he pleased1 did so4 ,his friends would
 have it1 that ,god dealt retributively1
 and that therefore ,his way with ,job  
convicted ,job of some unconfessed      
iniquity4 ,their doctrines also very    
much savoured of human thoughts2 they   
were not refined from the lees of man's 
religiousness4 ,they drew much from the 
traditions of the elders1 and from their
 own experiences and observations4 ,they
 accredited that false though favourite 
axiom in the morals of the world1 that  
honesty is the best policy4 ,who ever   
perished1 being innocent8 or where were 
the righteous cut off8 is the challenge 
which their religion published4 ,i have 
esteemed the words of ,his mouth more   
than my necessary food4 ,but ,he is of  

one mind1 and who can turn ,him8 is the 
counsel of his heart4 ,they insinuate   
that if all were told1 nothing would be 
too bad for him2 and he reproaches them1
 in the contempt and bitterness of a    
wounded spirit1 and an insulted         
character4 ,no doubt ye are the people1 
and wisdom shall die with you4  ,such   
was the strife of words1 the bickering  
and debate1 among them2 as sad a sample 
of falling out by the way as has ever   
been known1 ,i may say1 among brethren4 
,elihu1 in whom was a manifestation of  
the ,spirit1 at length enters the scene1
 bringing the light of ,god to make     
manifest these forms of darkness4 ,he   
had listened to the discourses and      
controversies of these brethren1 but1 in
 modesty and reserve1 as became his     
years1 in the presence of ancient men1  
he had hitherto held his peace4 ,he     
waited till multitude of days1 which    
should know wisdom1 and speak of        
understanding1 had delivered sentence of
 truth4 ,but now he speaks4 ,the        

stirrings of the ,spirit constrain him4 
,he is silent while it is a question    
between himself and them1 but he durst  
not surrender the rights of the ,spirit 
in him4 ,he cannot respect any man's    
person now4 ,in ,job's day1 ,god chose  
the weak thing1 as ,he has done ever    
since4 ,elihu was but a youth4 ,timothy 
was the same4 ,but the ancient men had  
failed4 ,the stone of help lies in      
another stripling of ,bethlehem4 ,for1  
from beginning to end it must be known1 
that the good that is done upon the     
earth1 ,he doeth ,himself4 ,not by      
might1 nor by power1 but by my ,spirit1 
saith the ,lord4 ,eliphaz and his       
companions shall not have it to say1 ,we
 have found out wisdom2 for ,god        
thrusteth him down1 not man1 said ,elihu
 of ,job4  ,job was to be rebuked4 ,he  
had argued the arbitrariness of the     
divine hand in dealing with man1 and1   
accounting for his present sufferings in
 that way1 he was so far righteous in   
his own eyes4 ,elihu shows that this was

 not so2 that all was the holy          
discipline of ,one who1 knowing the end 
from the beginning1 ever counsels the   
best for ,his people4 ,nor will he1 like
 the others1 draw either from himself1  
or from the elders or fathers4 ,he will 
not1 in the way of human religiousness1 
bow to any names or traditions1 however 
venerated1 but1 led of the ,spirit1     
press on in the path where the light of 
,god shines4  ,elihu will not join in   
laying to ,job's charge what his        
conscience truthfully resisted4 ,but he 
will tell ,job that the thoughts of     
conscience are not to rule his judgment1
 or dictate his speeches2 that he should
 rather have allowed the divine wisdom  
in all this sore discipline1 than       
concluded on the divine arbitrariness in
 it1 just because conscience was clear4 
,he tells ,job this should have been his
 word--,surely it is meet to be said    
unto ,god1 ,i have borne chastisement1  
,i will not offend any more3 that which 
,i see not1 teach ,thou me3 if ,i have  

done iniquity1 ,i will do no more4  ,a  
mighty maze1 philosophy will say1 but   
not without a plan4 ,god is ,his own    
interpreter1 and ,he will make it plain1
 a ,christian poet will say4 ,and a true
 and beautiful thought that is4 ,but    
inspired wisdom counsels and teaches    
thus--,although thou sayest thou shalt  
not see ,him1 yet judgment is before    
,him2 therefore trust thou in ,him4     
,chapter xxxv4 #ad4 ,for we are to know 
that purposes of wisdom and goodness    
rule every event1 though another day has
 so to declare it4 ,judgment is ever    
before ,him1 as ,elihu says4 ,and ,god  
is to be justified in the thoughts of   
,his children now1 as ,he will be in the
 face of heaven and earth by-and-by4    
,matt4 xi4 #ai2 ,ps4 li4 #d2 l4 #d4     
,such an one was ,elihu4 ,and it is a   
circumstance full of meaning and of     
moral beauty1 that ,job does not answer 
him1 as he had the others4 ,elihu       
invited him to speak if he would4 ,but  
he had a moral sense1 a conscience in   

the ,holy ,ghost1 that witnessed to the 
authority with which this minister of   
the ,spirit spake4 ,very precious this  
is4 ,how often1 how common1 among the   
saints1 is this6 ,yea1 and even beyond  
their borders1 at times1 the like       
authority is felt4 ,how often has the   
presence of a holy man controlled the   
ungodly4 ,the multitudes in the villages
 of ,israel1 after this manner1 owned   
the ,lord at times4 ,they were          
astonished at ,his doctrine3 for ,he    
taught them as one having authority1 and
 not as the scribes4 ,and the want of   
this is painful4 ,have we not often1    
beloved1 been grieved to see the heart  
and understanding of others unmoved by  
that which has come to our own souls    
with all the authority of truth1 and in 
the freshness of the divine unction8    
,but ,job gives us not this pain4 ,and a
 man very dear to the saints he is1 as  
he was to the blessed ,lord who was thus
 afflicting him4 ,elihu had spoken to   
him in the ,spirit1 and his soul bowed  

to the authority of his word4 ,he could 
not treat ,elihu as he had treated      
,eliphaz1 ,bildad1 and ,zophar4 ,he may 
not be as yet humbled1 but he cannot be 
angry2 he may not as yet make           
confession1 but he will not reply4 ,the 
,spirit of ,god in the ministry of ,his 
servant had entered the scene1 and ,job 
will at least be silent4#bh   #bh ,the  
knowledge of truth alone will never     
ensure happy or profitable              
ministry4 ,if we draw merely from our   
stores or possessions of                
knowledge1 we shall find ourselves      
confounded4 ,the freshness of       the 
,spirit in us1 and the exercise of our  
gift under ,him1 at the       time of   
ministry1 are also needful4  ,the ,lord1
 however1 is ,he that teacheth to       
profit4 ,there are diversities of       
operations1 but it is the same ,god that
 worketh all in all4 ,paul plants1 and  
,apollos waters1 but it is ,god that    
giveth the increase4 ,and1 in analogy   
with these truths1 the action of this   

beautiful ,book proceeds4 ,the voice of 
,god from the whirlwind makes the       
testimony of the gifted minister        
effectual to the conscience and heart of
 ,job4 ,in a series of challenges as to 
natural things1 that voice1 mighty and  
yet gracious1 addresses him4 ,it has    
been said1 by those competent to        
entertain such inquiries1 that nothing  
in the whole compass of language can    
equal1 much less surpass1 the inimitable
 grandeur and sublimity of this address4
 ,and we can all see that it does that  
which it belongs to divine power to     
do--the complainant is humbled4 ,i know 
that ,thou canst do everything4 ,he     
confesses to ,him whose mighty hand     
could exalt him in due time1 and1 after 
he had suffered awhile1 was well able to
 strengthen1 settle1 and stablish him4  
#a ,peter v4  ,it was not the lesson of 
a sinner which ,job had to learn4 ,he   
knew already the grace of ,god4 ,it was 
the lesson of a saint he needed to be   
taught1 or taught more perfectly4 ,it is

 for this1 therefore1 that the ,lord    
seats ,himself in the whirlwind4 ,had   
,job then1 and for the first time1 to   
learn the lesson of a sinner1 the ,lord 
would rather have addressed him in the  
still small voice1 the tone which suits 
grace1 and in which it seeks and        
delights to be heard4 ,but ,job was     
already a saved sinner4 ,he knew already
 the grace1 but had as yet to be taught 
the rights1 of ,god4 ,and therefore the 
voice from the whirlwind4 ,for the saint
 has to count on such apparent roughness
 as the sinner never gets4 ,john was    
left in prison1 when every sickness and 
disease among the people was attended   
to4 ,the ,lord1 in ,his walks of mercy  
and of usefulness to all who needed     
,him1 may often have passed near the    
prison doors1 but ,he did not open them1
 as ,he could have done1 though ,he was1
 all the while1 giving sight to the     
blind1 and hearing to the deaf4 ,was it 
that ,john was loved the less8 ,no4     
,among them that were born of woman     

there was none like him4 ,and was it    
that ,job was loved the less1 because he
 was addressed out of the whirlwind8    
,no4 ,there was none like him in the    
earth1 a perfect and an upright man4    
,but already knowing the grace of ,god1 
he was now to learn and own ,his rights4
 ,and he does learn them1 and confesses 
them4 ,and he confesses them1 and bows  
to them1 before the pressure of the     
mighty hand was removed1 and while as   
yet it was heavy upon him4 ,that is much
 to be observed1 much to be prized4 ,for
 that is a beautiful witness1 that ,job 
had learnt the lesson indeed1 learnt it 
spiritually1 learnt it in the grace and 
energy of divine teaching4 ,it is easy  
and common to own the good of a         
chastisement when it is over1 and then  
to say1 ,i would not have been without  
it4 ,that is not above the reach of     
nature4 ,but while the burthen is still 
borne1 to vindicate and bless the hand  
that lays it on1 that is something more4
 ,while as yet he lay in the place of   

ashes and potsherds1 and sore boils     
tormented his body from the crown of his
 head to the sole of his foot1 ,job     
said1 ,behold1 ,i am vile2 what shall ,i
 answer ,thee8 ,i will lay mine hand    
upon my mouth4 ,once have ,i spoken2 but
 ,i will not answer3 yea1 twice2 but ,i 
will proceed no further4  ,such was the 
moral1 and such the issue1 of this      
simple but important action4 ,a lesson  
had to be taught a child of ,god4 ,human
 wisdom1 and religion too1 sets itself  
to teach it1 but betrays its own        
weakness and dishonour4 ,a minister of  
the ,spirit1 in the light of the ,lord1 
rebukes the thought of man1 exposing the
 wise and the scribe and the disputer of
 this world1 and applying the principles
 of the truth of ,god4 ,and the power of
 ,him who worketh all in all seals the  
instruction4 ,human and divine energies 
are thus displayed in the places and    
characters which belong to them1 the one
 abased1 and the other magnified4       
,such are the actors in the scene of    

this wondrous ,book--angels1 ,satan1 the
 tried saint1 and his brethren1 the     
minister of ,god in the energy of the   
,spirit1 and the ,lord ,himself4 ,they  
hold the place1 and do the deeds1 which1
 as we have now seen1 all ,scripture    
assigns them respectively4  ,this ,book1
 as ,i observed before1 is an           
independent ,book4 ,the most so1 ,i may 
add1 of any in the inspired volume4 ,in 
the progress of revelation it intimates 
nothing before it1 nor does any other   
part of that revelation find it         
necessary to it4 ,job's history is not  
linked with that of the people of ,god1 
nor does it advance1 in any way1 the    
manifestation of the purposes of ,god4  
,but stranger and foreigner as it is1 it
 speaks exactly the same language4 ,the 
same ,spirit breathes here1 the same    
light shines here4 ,and this is so1 not 
only in the case of those who are       
introduced as actors in the scenes1 but 
also in the truths and doctrines assumed
 or asserted4 ,the corruption of nature 

as found in the seed of ,adam--the value
 of a sacrifice as a propitiation with  
,god--a coming day of                   
judgment--resurrection and life--these  
are among the common thoughts here4 ,but
 more beautiful and striking than all is
 the knowledge it takes of the person   
and duty of the ,kinsman1 a mystery well
 known in ,scripture1 and1 throughout   
,scripture1 largely though silently     
referred to1 when too commonly not      
perceived--a mystery which shadows all  
the great truths that are characteristic
 of the work of our redemption4  ,this  
subject is too great to be fully        
considered here1 even had ,i the grace  
and light to do so4 ,but it is so happy 
a one1 and suggested by our ,patriarch's
 well-known confession of his faith1    
that ,i cannot altogether pass it by4   
,our apostle says1 ,no man ever yet     
hated his own flesh2 but nourisheth and 
cherisheth it4 ,a necessary way of      
nature is here assumed1 and assumed with
 approval1 by the ,spirit of ,god4 ,that

 regard to one's self which each one of 
us is ready enough to render1 is        
divinely sanctioned4 ,and then1 on this 
very principle of nature1 the apostle   
goes on to put the ,lord's nurture of   
the ,church4 ,for no man ever yet hated 
his own flesh2 but nourisheth and       
cherisheth it1 even as the ,lord the    
,church2 for we are members of ,his     
body1 of ,his flesh1 and of ,his bones4 
,christ is declared to act towards us on
 this instinctive verdict of nature1    
that a man is to love his own body4 ,the
 ,holy ,ghost1 through the apostle1     
would let our hearts embrace this joy1  
that the force of this first law of     
nature is felt by ,christ towards us1   
and the duty it imposes is owned by     
,him4 ,so that if ,i can understand my  
love for myself1 ,i may understand      
,christ's love to me4 ,the duty ,i owe  
myself is acknowledged by my ,lord as   
due by ,him to me4 ,he can but nourish  
and cherish me1 as ,i would nourish and 
cherish myself4  ,can any thought1 ,i   

ask1 respecting the place into which the
 love of the ,son of ,god has brought   
,him surpass this8 ,can the imagination 
form the idea of a more intense and     
devoted affection8 ,impossible4 ,if it  
could1 ,christ would embody it1 and ,his
 ,spirit would reveal it1 for ,his love 
passeth knowledge4 ,but it cannot4  ,but
 though this may be the most marvellous 
expression of this love1 yet there is   
another of the same character4 ,there is
 another duty owed on the like claims of
 nature1 which in like manner has been  
adopted and acknowledged by the         
,lord--the duty of kindred or natural   
relations4  ,the ,lord1 the ,son of     
,god1 became our ,kinsman4 ,forasmuch   
then as the children are partakers of   
flesh and blood1 ,he also ,himself      
likewise took part of the same4 ,and ,he
 became this ,kinsman that ,he might do 
for the children the duties and services
 of a ,kinsman4 ,and what these duties  
are1 and how the ,lord has answered and 
discharged them1 we are told in         

,scripture4   ,one principal duty was1  
to ransom a brother or his inheritance1 
if such or either had been sold4  ,now  
such a sold or forfeited condition is   
ours by nature1 under the ruins of      
,adam4 ,forfeiture of every thing is the
 simple idea that holds our natural     
condition in the just light4 ,we have   
forfeited life1 and with it all things1 
by the breach of those terms on which we
 held life1 and with it all things4 ,we 
have incurred the debt of death4 ,in the
 day thou eatest thereof1 thou shalt    
surely die4 ,adam did eat1 and this law 
demanded death4 ,we sold ourselves under
 that sentence1 and to that penalty1 and
 were debtors to die the death4 ,but our
 ,kinsman has paid the price4 ,jesus    
died4 ,he has counted out the money to  
the uttermost farthing4 ,in the language
 of the law1 eye has gone for eye1 life 
for life1 blood for blood4 ,we have not 
been redeemed by corruptible things as  
silver and gold1 but by the precious    
blood of ,christ4 ,the value of that    

blood was well tried4 ,the blood of     
bulls and of goats was not rich enough4 
,it would not do1 it could not do4 ,but 
,lo1 ,i come to do ,thy will1 ,o ,god1  
tells us that ,he was satisfied who     
exacted1 and could not but exact1 the   
full ransom or redemption-price4 ,and   
now we and our inheritance stand        
repurchased by our ,kinsman4  ,this is  
the very principal in the great services
 of ,christ for us4 ,it is largely      
noticed and foreshadowed by the law     
7,lev4 xxv471 but it was understood from
 the beginning4 ,for sacrifice or       
vicarious offering proceeded on this    
principle4 ,and that was made known upon
 the entrance of sin1 or act of         
forfeiture4 ,the coat of skin which     
covered ,adam bore witness that he stood
 in the value of a ransom1 that the     
virtue of ,one who had met the demand of
 ,god against him was now upon him4     
,but this is full of blessing--that the 
great mystery of the ,kinsman or        
,redeemer was known 7published by the   

,lord1 and believed by the sinner7 ere  
the law had shadowed it1 or prophets    
proclaimed it4#bi   #bi ,the same       
,hebrew word signifies kinsman1         
redeemer1 and avenger4  ,another of     
these duties was this--to rescue or     
deliver a brother taken captive4  ,in   
the previous case of ransom or          
repurchase1 the ,kinsman had to deal    
with a rightful claimant1 and to answer 
his demands4 ,his brother or his        
brother's inheritance had been sold1 and
 had to be repurchased at a price well  
and justly ascertained1 according to the
 law of estimations4 ,but this duty of  
rescuing or delivering a brother is     
different4 ,here the ,kinsman has to do 
with a stranger or a foe2 and by        
counterforce1 or the strength of a      
stronger arm1 to perform this service4  
,but this1 also1 is our natural         
condition1 our state under the ruins of 
the fall4 ,and this character of        
,kinsman-service1 the ,son of ,god1     
partaker of our flesh and blood1 renders

 us4  ,in this1 however1 ,his dealing is
 with our enemy4 ,in the previous case  
of repurchase ,he dealt with ,god1      
answering ,his righteous demands for us3
 here1 ,he answers the enemy for us4    
,for while it is true that we had1      
through disobedience1 incurred the debt 
of death1 the forfeiture of life and all
 things1 so as to need a ransom1 it is  
also true that we had suffered wrong at 
the hand of the ,serpent1 out of the    
results of which1 in bondage or         
captivity to the powers of darkness and 
corruption1 our ,redeemer or ,kinsman   
delivers us4  ,it was in this action    
that the ,lord1 in the days of ,his     
flesh1 went through the cities and      
villages of ,israel4 ,as the stronger   
man ,he had then entered the strong     
man's house1 spoiling his goods1 and    
unloosing his prisoners4 ,and ,he will  
finish such work1 and perfect ,his way  
as the ,kinsman-deliverer1 when ,he1 as 
the plague of death and hell's          
destruction1 rescues ,his sleeping      

saints4 ,then will take place the       
redemption of the purchased possession4 
,see ,eph4 i4 #ad4  ,and again ,i may   
say1 ,happy is it to know that this way 
of ,christ1 this work of our great      
,kinsman1 was also known in patriarchal 
days4 ,when ,abraham heard that his     
brother was taken captive1 he armed his 
trained servants1 and brought again his 
brother ,lot and his goods4 ,genesis    
xiv4 ,five kings may fight with four in 
the vale of ,siddim1 the potsherds of   
the earth may strive with their fellows2
 all this1 in one sense1 is no concern  
of the heavenly stranger1 though his    
tent may be pitched in the              
neighbourhood4 ,but the way of ,christ1 
which becomes the principle of conduct  
to ,his people1 is everything to        
him--and that way must have been then   
known1 the service of the               
,kinsman-deliverer must have been then  
quite understood among the elect        
household1 for as soon as ,abraham hears
 of ,lot1 he is all action in a moment1 

and goes forth for the rescue of his    
captured brother4  ,a kindred duty with 
this was1 to avenge the blood of a      
murdered brother1 or relative4  ,this   
duty was recognized by the law1 and kept
 in memory all through the times of the 
nation4 ,the ordinance touching the     
cities of refuge was a relief against   
the abuse of it2 and the famous parable 
of the woman of ,tekoah assumed the     
fact1 that the whole system in ,israel  
took knowledge of it4  ,but1 like the   
others1 it was older than the law and   
the prophets4 ,notices of ,christ and   
,his ways and ,his doings for us were   
the earliest manifestations of the mind 
of ,god4 ,happy for our hearts to know  
this6 ,and1 accordingly1 this           
,kinsman-duty had been prescribed in    
very early days4 ,when the sword was    
committed to ,noah1 it was published4   
,at the hand of every man's brother will
 ,i require the life of man4 ,whoso     
sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his  
blood be shed4 ,but it was understood as

 a divine principle even before then4   
,cain trembled before this law1 which1  
as his words intimate1 must have then   
been known everywhere4 ,genesis iv4 #ad4
 ,it was1 indeed1 a part of the very    
first promise4 ,it shall bruise thy head
 announced it4 ,for that sentence told  
the ,serpent1 that man's ,kinsman1 the  
,woman's ,seed1 would avenge on him the 
wrongs done by him upon the family4 ,and
 this duty ,christ will perform when ,he
 casts the old ,serpent1 which is the   
,devil and ,satan1 with death and hell1 
into the lake of fire4#cj   #cj ,the    
,kinsman delivering and the ,kinsman    
avenging deals with an       enemy or a 
wrong-doer1 and not1 as in the case of  
repurchasing1       with a righteous    
claimant4 ,there is1 however1 this      
difference3 in       the case of        
delivering1 the ,kinsman only rescues   
his brother or       relative out of the
 hand of the enemy2 in the case of      
avenging1 he       visits the blood of  
his brother or relative upon the head of

 the       enemy4 ,christ will deliver  
us from the hand of death at the        
beginning of the ,kingdom 7#a           
,corinthians xv4 #ed71 ,he will avenge  
us upon the head of death at the close  
of the ,kingdom4 #a       ,corinthians  
xv4 #bf4  ,such are among the duties    
which a ,kinsman1 according to the mind 
and reckoning of the ,lord1 owed1 and   
such is the glorious performance of them
 by our great ,kinsman4 ,and wondrous is
 it to be entitled thus to write of     
,him6 wondrous that the necessary and   
instinctive dictates of nature are      
suggested by the ,holy ,ghost as the    
ground1 warrant1 and character of the   
love of ,christ to the ,saints6 that1 as
 ,i said before1 whatever nature tells  
me ,i owe myself1 that ,christ tells me 
,he owes me2 and now1 ,i may add1       
whatever nature tells me my kindred owe 
me1 that also ,christ tells me ,he owes 
me4 ,and again ,i ask1 ,can any thought 
respecting the place into which the love
 of the ,son of ,god has brought ,him1  

surpass this8 ,can the imagination form 
the idea of a more intense and devoted  
affection8  ,the ,son of ,god became our
 ,kinsman for the very end of performing
 all these ,kinsman-services for us4    
,hebrews ii41 ,i believe1 tells us that4
 ,and these duties and services embody  
all the great materials in the mystery  
of redemption4 ,and1 as we have now     
seen1 they have been made known from the
 beginning4 ,jesus did not wait till the
 ,law presented ,him1 in its shadows or 
swaddling-clothes1 to the faith and joy 
of poor sinners4 ,the ,law afterwards   
gave the things concerning ,him a       
tabernacle1 but those things had been   
made known from the beginning4 ,the     
fourth day1 in the course of creation1  
brought forth the ,sun1 which then      
became the tabernacle of the light1 but 
the light had been abroad through the   
scene1 the light had been shining1 from 
the earliest moment of the first day4   
,jesus was known in the garden of ,eden1
 and borne on the breath of the very    

first promise4 ,and cheering this is to 
our spirits--happy to track these       
notices of the common faith1 these      
thoughts and truths of ,god and ,his    
covenant1 all along the line of the     
ages1 linking the most distant hearts of
 the elect in the fellowship of one joy1
 and giving them one song for ever and  
ever4  ,among the saints of the earlier 
days1 our ,job knew ,him in this great  
character of ,kinsman or ,redeemer4 ,as 
rescuing him from the power of death1 or
 from captivity to the grave and        
corruption1 ,job celebrates ,him4 ,it is
 a scripture well known1 and much       
delighted in by the saints4 ,and well   
may it be so4 ,all that ushers it forth 
to our hearing1 and all that sustains   
and accompanies it while we listen to   
it1 give it an uncommon character4  ,oh 
that my words were now written6 oh that 
they were printed in a book6 that they  
were graven with an iron pen and lead in
 the rock for ever6 ,for ,i know that my
 ,redeemer liveth1 and that ,he shall   

stand at the latter day upon the earth3 
and though after my skin1 worms destroy 
this body1 yet in my flesh shall ,i see 
,god3 whom ,i shall see for myself1 and 
mine eyes shall behold1 and not another2
 though my reins be consumed within me4 
,what an apprehension of ,christ in both
 ,his person and ,his work is here6 ,it 
is the faith and hope of our ,gospel4   
,job knew he had a ,redeemer1 a         
,redeemer then living1 and thereafter to
 stand upon the earth manifested in     
flesh1 and that this ,redeemer would    
achieve for him a glorious victory over 
the power of death1 and strength of     
corruption4 ,and all this fine          
apprehension of ,christ is accompanied  
with the simplest appropriating faith4  
,whom ,i shall see for myself1 says     
,job1 and mine eyes shall behold1 and   
not another4 ,this is the confidence of 
,paul4 ,this is the liberty that is     
befitting the full revelation of the    
grace of ,god4 ,paul and ,job1 in like  
spirit1 knew the glorious redemption1   

and knew it for themselves4 ,who loved  
me1 and gave ,himself for me4  ,and what
 fervency is this with which the ,holy  
,ghost enables the patriarch to set his 
seal to all this precious confession of 
his faith6 ,job would have all men know1
 and every generation of them1 he would 
publish it far and wide1 he would tell  
it out without a fear that he should    
ever have to cancel a letter of it1 he  
would engrave it for eternity and have  
it leaded in the rock1 that he knew his 
,redeemer6  ,what light of the ,lord was
 this in which the ,patriarch walked6 ,o
 house of ,jacob1 come ye1 and let us   
walk in the light of the ,lord4 ,job    
walked there long before the house of   
,jacob1 or the prophets of ,israel1 knew
 of it4 ,the light was abroad1 and the  
,spirit led the elect into it1 from the 
beginning4 ,and this occasion1 recorded 
in the #aith chapter1 was a moment when 
that light beamed brightly in ,job's    
soul4 ,his face did not then1 like      
,stephen's1 shine as an angel's in the  

presence of his accusers4 ,he had not1  
in that way1 put on the garments of a   
child of resurrection1 but his spirit   
within was in the regions and liberty   
and triumph of such a one4  ,this       
visitation1 in the energy of the ,holy  
,ghost1 drawing forth this blessed      
utterance from the heart of the         
patriarch1 was the bow in the cloud for 
a moment4 ,it shared the path of ,job's 
spirit with the grief and heaviness that
 it knew so well--as ,jeremiah's vision 
by night1 and the ,mount of             
,transfiguration1 broke the dreary way  
of the weeping prophet1 and of the      
adorable ,man of sorrows4 ,jer4 xxxi4   
#bf2 ,matt4 xvii4 #b4 ,it was the       
,spirit's power4 ,the poor sufferer was 
made to look away from ,god's dealings  
with him to ,his doings for him4 ,for   
there is a difference4 ,the one calls   
the soul into exercise1 and often are   
too unwieldy1 beyond the management of  
our hearts4 ,very generally they need an
 interpreter4 ,the other takes the soul 

into entire liberty4 ,they are so plain 
that a child may read them4 ,they bear  
their own meaning on their forehead4    
,they need no interpreter4 ,god's       
providences1 or ,his dealings with us1  
are ofttimes perplexing1 as well as     
tenderly afflicting4 ,god's grace in the
 ,gospel1 or ,his doings for us1 are    
such as cannot either puzzle the        
thoughts or grieve the heart4 ,they bear
 their own witness1 and tell a tale of  
devoted1 everlasting love1 such as it is
 impossible to mistake4  ,and these are 
the things we have to do with1 every    
day4 ,if we be oppressed or fatigued by 
the current course of circumstances1    
finding them weighty1 dark1 and         
intricate1 it is our privilege1 and our 
duty too1 to pass over1 in spirit and in
 thought1 to that calm and sunny        
atmosphere in which the ,gospel1 or     
,god's doings for us1 ever invest the   
soul4  ,all this may be seen in ,job4   
,that loved and honoured saint is       
generally seen grappling with ,god's    

dealings with him4 ,the hand of ,god had
 gone out upon all his interests and    
enjoyments4 ,loss of fortune1 children1 
and health1 had come1 by sore surprise1 
upon him1 and he persists1 in the heat  
and resentment of nature1 to keep all   
this before his mind4 ,but in a moment  
of the ,spirit's power he is made to    
look away from all this1 to turn from   
,god's dealings with him to ,god's      
doings for him2 and then he triumphs4   
,then he can contemplate more than the  
boils on his body1 even the worms       
destroying it2 but all is light and     
triumph4 ,then1 in the face of all      
enemies1 he can sit and sing in spirit1 
,if ,god be for me1 who can be against  
me8 ,romans viii4  ,truly blessed is    
this4 ,the tempter would lead us to     
judge of ,god by the dark shadings of   
many a passage of our history here4 ,but
 the ,spirit would have us acquaint     
ourselves with ,him in the beauteous    
light of the ,gospel1 the glory that    
shines in the face of ,jesus ,christ2   

and there is light there and no darkness
 at all--no shadows which have to be    
chased away1 no dimness that needs to be
 interpreted4  ,but this rather by the  
way--,i have already traced certain     
combinations between this earliest and  
most independent portion of the book of 
,god and all other parts of it1 whether 
near or distant4 ,and very establishing 
to the heart this is4 ,but such         
combinations or harmonies may be traced 
still further--in the scenes of action1 
as well as in the actors in the scenes4 
,there are heaven and earth here1 as in 
all ,scripture2 each1 too1 having its   
day or special occasion4 ,see i4 #d1 #f1
 #ac2 ii4 #a4 ,there are also this      
present evil world1 and the world to    
come4 ,at the opening of the action the 
scene is laid in this present evil      
world4 ,it is but domestic1 but all the 
features of the great world are seen in 
it4 ,for each family circle1 like every 
heart1 is a little world4 ,indulgence   
and the love of enjoyment appear in the 

children1 and something of the common   
enmity against ,god in the wife of our  
patriarch4 ,then1 again1 there are      
natural calamities1 as from wind and    
fire and disease2 and there are relative
 calamities1 as from the hand of our    
neighbour or fellow-men1 as ,sabeans and
 ,chaldeans4 ,and all this is the       
various casualty of life and human      
circumstance to this hour4 ,there is    
stroke upon stroke1 messenger after     
messenger1 turning over every page of   
the history4 ,it is but human life then 
instead of now1 but the same life in its
 losses1 crosses1 and sore              
contradictions4 ,there is a little      
reality1 a little of the friend in need 
who is a friend indeed1 but there is a  
great deal of scorn and desertion in the
 hour of calamity1 still so well known  
in the world4 ,job has three friends who
 sit with him among his ashes and       
potsherds1 but all beside see him afar  
off4  ,is not all this the present evil 
world drawn to the life8  ,but at the   

close of the action1 the scene is laid  
in the world to come1 ,god's world and  
not man's1 the world which ,his energies
 are to form1 and ,his principles are to
 fill4 ,it is the time of refreshing and
 restitution4 ,in the #dbnd chapter of  
our ,book1 we are1 in spirit1 in the    
,millennium4 ,the ,holy ,ghost gives us 
this account of it4 ,be patient         
therefore1 brethren1 unto the coming of 
the ,lord1 are the words which introduce
 ,his allusion to the patience of ,job1 
and to the end of the ,lord4 ,the       
husbandman toils in hope1 and gets his  
fruit in harvest1 or in resurrection4   
,and so did ,job endure1 till1 at last1 
he that sowed reaped4 ,the #dbnd chapter
 is the harvest of the husbandman4      
,james v4 #g-aa4  ,and happy1 ,i may    
say1 is this further witness to the     
value which a spirit of confession and  
repentance has with our ,god1 beloved4  
,as it is written1 ,the sacrifices of   
,god are a broken spirit2 and again1 ,if
 we confess our sins1 ,he is faithful   

and just to forgive our sins4 ,for ,i   
doubt not1 that it was to ,job's few    
words of confession and repentance that 
the ,lord referred when ,he turned to   
the friends and told them1 that they had
 not spoken of ,him the thing that was  
right1 like ,his servant ,job4 ,they had
 not made confession at the end1 as he  
had done4 ,and let us cherish this      
assurance4 ,there are comfort and       
strength in it4 ,the language of        
repentance prevails4 ,i have surely     
heard ,ephraim bemoaning himself1 says  
,jehovah--and then came the divine      
compassion3 ,is ,ephraim my dear son8 is
 he a pleasant child8 for since ,i spake
 against him1 ,i do earnestly remember  
him still4 ,or1 as we may learn from    
,hosea1 words of confession and         
repentance from ,israel1 in the latter  
day1 mightily prevail with ,god4 ,o     
,israel1 return unto the ,lord thy ,god2
 for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity4
 ,take with you words1 and turn to the  
,lord3 say unto ,him1 ,take away all    

iniquity1 and receive us graciously4 ,i 
will heal their backsliding1 ,i will    
love them freely1 is the divine answer1 
with a rich and beautiful chapter of    
promises4  ,the consolation of this6 the
 tale it tells us of grace1 unwearied1  
long-suffering grace6 ,and accordingly  
,job flourishes again4 ,the ,lord is as 
the dew to him4 ,he grows as the lily1  
his branches spread1 his beauty is as   
the olive tree1 his scent as ,lebanon4  
,in the end of the ,lord he is seen as  
in the regeneration1 or day of the      
kingdom1 and even others dwell under his
 shadow1 reviving as the corn1 and      
growing as the vine4 ,see ,hosea xiv4#ca
   #ca ,i do not regard ,job so much as 
a type1 but rather as a sample4         
,his calling was the common calling1 as 
a dead and risen man4 ,every            
saint1 now gathering for heavenly glory1
 is such4 ,israel in the       latter   
day will be as such1 and the whole      
system of the millennial       age4 ,the
 ,lord ,jesus holds all things1 and     

exercises ,his offices1       as the    
,one that was dead and is alive again4  
,but ,i judge it to be       more       
fitting to speak of ,job as a sample of 
the common calling1       than as a     
type4 ,i could not1 however1 object to  
the expression1       were it used by   
others4        ,job learnt his lesson   
through sufferings4 ,the ,lord1 ,i may  
say1 did       the same4 ,hebrews ii4   
iv4 v4 ,he was made perfect for ,his    
high       functions in that way4       
,christ's compassions could not have    
been       priestly1 till ,he became a  
man1 partaker of the flesh and blood    
of the children1 and suffered as such4  
,and ,job's history may be       read as
 the expression or foreshadowing of all 
this4        ,so ,israel4 ,they will be 
as a people who1 having destroyed       
themselves1 have found their help in    
,god4 ,hosea presents them in       that
 character4 ,their language in chapter  
xiv4 is the language of       such a    
people4 ,and ,job's history may be      

regarded as the expression       or     
foreshadowing of this also4 ,he revives1
 he grows again as the       lily1 and  
his branches spread1 at the end1 as     
,israel and ,israel's       branches    
will1 according to their prophet4 ,so   
that we may speak of       ,job as a    
type4 ,but ,i still feel and judge it to
 be more fitting1       to present him  
as a sample of us all1 in the common    
faith1 as dead       and risen with     
,christ4  ,such was our ,patriarch in   
the end of the ,lord4 ,another witness  
he is that the burning bush is never    
consumed1 because of the good-will of   
,him who dwells in it4 ,it may be       
,israel in ,egypt1 or in ,babylon1 the  
children in the furnace1 or the prophet 
in the den4 ,it may be a poor elect     
,gadarene1 beset with a legion1 or the  
patriarch1 the sport of wind and fire   
and bodily disease1 of ,chaldeans and   
,sabeans too1 the power and messengers  
of ,satan let out upon him1 still the   
burning bush is unconsumed for the      

goodwill of ,him who dwells in it4 ,we  
had the sentence of death in ourselves1 
says the apostle1 as speaking in the    
name of them all1 that we should not    
trust in ourselves1 but in ,god who     
raiseth the dead4  ,such an one was our 
,patriarch4 ,and such an one he had     
learnt himself to be4 ,in the school of 
,god he had now learnt his calling1 as  
in the experience of his own soul4 ,but 
a great lesson it is4 ,a great          
difference1 ,i am full sure1 between    
having ,god in the midst of our         
circumstances1 and ,god as ,himself the 
first and great circumstance4 ,the first
 was ,job's way at the beginning4 ,he   
would not have been without ,god4 ,he   
owned ,him1 and gave ,him an altar in   
the family scene4 ,but he had not said  
to ,him1 ,thou shalt choose our         
inheritance for us4 ,he had not1 as     
,abram did afterward1 come out from     
circumstances with ,god1 trusting ,him  
to surround him with ,his own           
circumstances4 ,the power to do this    

cries1 ,whom have ,i in heaven but      
,thee8 and there is none upon earth that
 ,i desire beside ,thee4 ,for such was  
the utterance of a saint when his soul  
had come forth from the tempest and     
temptation of seeing himself second to  
the wicked in the conditions and        
circumstances of life here4 ,ps4 lxxiii4
  ,what a voice this truth has for us6  
,some may listen to it for comfort1     
others of us of feebler faith for       
warning4 ,the world and pride and       
selfishness form the circumstances out  
of which the call of ,god summons us2   
and religion1 in a sense1 may have      
brought ,god into them2 but faith1 in   
its simplicity1 forms the other1 and    
,god has not to be brought into them1   
for ,he is there from the beginning1 the
 great ,framer or ,artificer of them    
all4  ,one repeats this truth1 for it   
is1 as ,i judge1 the great secret of    
this ,book4 ,our ,job at the end learnt 
the power of the call of ,god4 ,and     
this1 ,i may say1 imparts a just and    

spiritual bearing to all he now does1 as
 well as invests his whole estate with  
the beauty and stability of millennial  
days4  ,he was1 at the beginning1 as a  
prophet1 priest1 and king1 and so is he 
again1 at the end4 ,but he is so after a
 new order1 exercising his different    
functions more according to the mind of 
,god4 ,as a prophet1 he had1 at the     
beginning1 too confidently assumed to be
 the interpreter of ,god and ,his ways2 
but now he says1 ,i will demand of      
,thee1 and declare ,thou unto me4 ,he   
will be a disciple of the ,lord1 ere he 
teach others2 he will have his ear      
opened1 ere his tongue be loosed4 ,isa4 
#ej4 #d4 ,such is the purifying of his  
prophetic ministry4 ,he will know       
nothing1 save as he learns it from ,god4
 ,his doctrine is not his now4 ,as a    
priest1 at the beginning1 he had stepped
 in between ,god and his children1 to   
heal probable or dreaded breaches4 ,but 
he does not seem to wash his own        
clothes1 while sprinkling the purifying 

water on others4 ,num4 xix4 #ba4 ,he    
wanted to remember that he himself was  
also in the body1 temptable like the    
weakest4 ,gal4 vi4 #a4 ,but now he is   
accepted himself4 ,job xlii4 #i2 ,ezek4 
xiv4 #ad1 #bj4 ,as a king1 his honours  
now come after his afflictions1 his     
glories after his sufferings2 and also  
after he prayed for his friends1 is his 
captivity turned4 ,he exercises grace1  
ere he is again entrusted with          
power--all this being according to the  
great originals4 ,ye are they which have
 continued with ,me in my temptations1  
and ,i appoint unto you a kingdom1 as my
 ,father hath appointed unto ,me4  ,in  
these ways1 he is prophet1 priest1 and  
king1 after a new order1 and all is     
refined in the furnace1 like gold tried 
in the fire4  ,and he is the father of a
 family again1 a family also1 as ,i may 
again say1 of a new order--nothing has  
to be corrected among them1 but all is  
in happy1 holy fellowship1 the heart of 
the father turned to the children1 and  

the heart of the children to their      
father4 ,at the beginning he had to     
watch their ways1 and provide for the   
evil they might have committed4 ,but at 
the end there is nothing of this2 their 
father has only to see them with        
admiration and delight4 ,they awakened  
fear at first1 but now contentment4     
,and further1 in this beautiful         
millennial or resurrection scene1 which 
thus closes this story1 the stormy wind 
is hushed1 and the lightning of the     
thunder strikes no more4 ,in this day of
 a second ,noah1 such as ,job was 7the  
lord of a new world71 the waters which  
once prevailed are now assuaged4 ,and   
the ,chaldeans and ,sabeans no longer   
spoil the spoil1 and prey the prey4     
,there is no adversary nor evil         
occurrent1 no ,canaanite in the house of
 the ,lord now4 ,nothing hurts or       
destroys in all the holy mountain4 ,the 
,lord delivers ,his people from those   
who served themselves of them4  ,all    
this is pledged and pictured for us     

here4 ,and what may be said to be of    
still deeper value to us1 the great     
enemy himself1 the ready and wishful    
agent of all the mischief and sorrow    
that had come in1 is gone likewise4 ,at 
the beginning he is in the action1      
exercising himself as an accuser in     
heaven1 and as a tormentor on earth4    
,and it is for the comfort of the tried 
saint1 that the hand of both ,god and   
the enemy are engaged in his trial2 the 
enemy 7as here with our patriarch7      
seeking to cast his crown to the ground1
 and to cast his fair memorial with ,god
 in the dust1 the ,lord purposing 7and  
performing it7 to brighten that crown1  
and still further to bless the heir of  
those dignities and joys4 ,it is a      
comfort to the saint1 in the day of     
trial1 to remember this4 ,but1 at the   
end1 the enemy is gone4 ,the purpose1 in
 the wisdom of ,god1 for which he had   
been used1 is answered1 and he is gone4 
,the discipline of ,job had ceased as in
 his destruction4  ,satan had understood

 ,job4 ,he knew the workings of that    
corrupt nature1 which his own lie had   
formed in the garden of ,eden4 ,he had  
said1 ,doth ,job fear ,god for nought8  
,hast not ,thou made an hedge about     
him8444 ,touch all that he hath1 and he 
will curse ,thee to ,thy face4444 ,skin 
for skin2 yea1 all that a man hath will 
he give for his life4 ,and serious and  
terrible is the thought1 beloved1 that  
he knows us so thoroughly1 and          
understands the springs of thought and  
will within us4 ,but though he thus     
understands ,job1 he did not understand 
,god4 ,the counsels of grace are above  
him4 ,and by reason of this1 he has been
 always1 in the history of this world1  
defeating himself1 while thinking that  
he was getting advantage of us2 for he  
has to meet ,god in the very thing he   
does1 and the purposes he plans1 against
 us4 ,when he interfered with ,adam in  
the garden1 he encountered ,god to his  
confusion1 and the promise to ,adam     
announced his own doom4 ,when he        

provoked ,david to number the people1   
,ornan's threshing-floor was disclosed1 
and the spot where mercy rejoiced       
against judgment becomes the place of   
the temple4 ,when he sifted the         
,apostles as wheat1 he was answered by  
the prayer of ,jesus1 and1 instead of   
faith failing1 brethren were            
strengthened4 ,and1 above all1 when he  
touched ,jesus on the cross1 the very   
death he inflicted was his own perfect  
and accomplished ruin4 ,so1 in every    
trouble which he brings on any of us1 he
 finds1 or is to find1 sooner or later1 
that he has met the mighty ,god1 and not
 the feeble saint4 ,he entered ,job's   
nest that he might spoil it1 and leave  
it driven and wasted4 ,he came into     
another garden then4 ,but ,god was there
 as well as his servant ,job1 and in the
 end ,satan is confounded4  ,thus is it 
with the saints and their enemy4 ,they  
shall take the kingdom1 and in the      
kingdom ,satan shall have no place4 ,out
 of the trials which he had raised      

around them and against them1 they come 
forth to wear their crowns1 and sing    
their songs4 ,and1 instead of his       
appearing again among the sons of ,god1 
the mighty angel shall lay hold on him1 
and cast him into the bottomless pit4#cb
   #cb ,it has been observed by another1
 that ,satan is always defeated4        
,this thought seems to get the most     
striking confirmations from             
,scripture1 beyond the cases mentioned  
above4        ,he is the instrument1 the
 willing instrument1 of destroying the  
flesh2 but that destruction ends in the 
saving of the spirit4 #a       ,cor4 v4 
#e4 ,he receives1 gladly receives1 one  
that is judicially       delivered over 
to him2 but all that ends in such an one
 learning       not to blaspheme4 #a    
,tim4 i4 #bj4 ,he sends forth his       
messengers as       thorns in the flesh1
 delighting to do so1 as being bent on  
mischief1 having been a murderer from   
the beginning2 but this       still     
works good1 for the servant of ,christ  

is thereby kept from       undue        
exaltation4 #b ,cor4 xii4 #g4           
,these are illustrious exhibitions of   
the devil being always       defeated4  
,because they show this--that he lends  
himself directly       to his own       
overthrow4 ,his own weapon is turned    
against himself4       ,the one whom he 
assails is1 by the very assault1 given  
strength or       virtue against him4   
,happy assurance6 our great adversary is
 never victorious6 ,it is       the     
pricks he kicks against4  ,this is full 
of blessing--and this is millennial     
blessing1 shadowed here in this         
beautiful story4 ,but there is more4    
,there will be no question in the       
millennial heavens about the saints1 as 
there was about ,adam in the garden1 and
 about ,job in the beginning of this    
,book4 ,the tree of knowledge tested the
 creature whom ,god had just made4 ,but 
in the age of the resurrection1 in the  
heavens where ,job and all the children 
of the resurrection will be1 there will 

be no such test4 ,there will be no      
question about man4 ,there will be      
silence in heaven as to man1 for the    
great ,kinsman has answered all         
questions1 and man is glorified there4  
,such are the changes which have arisen1
 ere we leave this divine1 inspired     
story4 ,has not the trial of faith been 
precious1 as ,st4 ,peter speaks1 when we
 can talk of such changes8 ,the enemy is
 gone4 ,his ministers1 or messengers1   
the wind and the fire1 the ,chaldeans   
and ,sabeans1 take their commission no  
more4 ,job1 too1 has changed his mind1  
and made his confession to ,god--his    
friends have changed their mind1 and    
humbled themselves to him4 ,but there is
 ,one who abides the same4 ,he has no   
step to retrace1 no word to recall1 no  
deed of ,his hand1 or counsel of ,his   
heart1 to alter or repent of4 ,other    
scriptures tell of ,him1 that ,he is the
 same yesterday1 and to-day1 and for    
ever1 and that with ,him there is no    
variableness1 neither shadow of turning4

 ,and this precious tale about ,him and 
,his doings so illustrates and exhibits 
,him4  ,there is never entire calmness1 
or the absence of all haste and         
distraction1 where we are not conscious 
that our strength is equal to our       
business1 whatever it may be4 ,nor is   
there1 when we are not equally conscious
 of integrity or righteousness in that  
business4 ,the consciousness of both    
righteousness and strength is needed in 
order to fit the hand to do a deed1 or  
the foot to take a step1 with entire    
ease4  ,now we know that this ease marks
 all the ways and operations of ,god4   
,he is ever at work 7to speak after the 
manner of men7 in the full possession of
 this undistractedness of which we are  
speaking4 ,we might judge this from the 
necessary glory of ,his godhead4 ,but   
the ways of ,jesus on earth always      
exhibited this1 and ,he1 as we know1 was
 ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,and this  
ease and calmness1 in which all the     
operations of ,god proceed1 tell us1    

that though they may to us appear       
strange and even wilful1 as ,job thought
 them1 yet is ,he able to interpret them
 every one1 so as to be justified in    
,his sayings1 and clear when ,he is     
judged4 ,and this is happy4 ,the bud may
 have a bitter taste1 and blind unbelief
 is sure to err4 ,these things are so4  
,but ,god is ,his own interpreter1 and  
,he will make it plain4 ,we know how our
 ,job was tried--deeply1 variously1 and1
 as might be thought1 wantonly1         
needlessly2 for he walked in the fear of
 ,god1 and in the service of his        
generation4 ,but the end of the ,lord is
 more than vindication4 ,it is display4 
,the trial is found to be unto praise   
and honour and glory4 ,the light of the 
coming day1 rebuke what it may1 will    
have only to set off and reflect the    
excellency of ,him with whom we have to 
do4  ,thus have we lingered1 for a      
little1 over these bright notices of    
millennial days1 the days of heaven upon
 earth1 which shine at the close of this

 lovely as well as serious and          
instructive tale of patriarchal times4  
,but there is more4  ,at the beginning1 
,job held all his blessings with reserve
 and suspicion4 ,he was not in safety1  
nor at rest1 nor in quiet2 yet trouble  
came4 ,the thing which ,i greatly feared
 is come upon me1 says he1 and that     
which ,i was afraid of is come unto me4 
,it must needs be so4 ,the instability  
with which departure from ,god has      
affected every possession and every     
profit here makes this necessary4 ,but1 
at the end1 there are no fears within1  
any more than ,chaldeans or fightings   
without4 ,no shadow crosses the settled 
sunshine that rests on all around him1  
or the calm light which fills all       
within4  ,and further--his kinsfolk and 
acquaintance1 at the end1 seek him      
again4 ,they ought1 indeed1 never to    
have deserted him4 ,for we deceive      
ourselves if we think that we must be   
right if we grieve those whom ,god is   
disciplining4 ,this is often very far   

indeed from being the case4 ,the ,lord  
said in ,zechariah1 ,i am very sore     
displeased with the heathen that are at 
ease3 for ,i was but a little           
displeased1 and they helped forward the 
affliction4 ,so also is ,isaiah xlvii4  
#f--;and so ,obadiah #aj-ad1 to the same
 effect4 ,we are more commonly1 perhaps1
 in ,god's mind1 and act as the living  
vessels of the ,spirit1 when soothing   
such4 ,and sure ,i am it was so in      
,job's case4 ,had his former friends    
known ,god's way1 they would have dealt 
very differently with him4 ,they would  
not have left him4 ,the very fact that  
the hand of ,god had touched him1 as he 
so deeply expresses it1 would have been 
the occasion of pity1 as he further     
says1 from his friends4  ,however1 as   
part of the bright sunshine that        
gladdens his estate at the end1 his     
kinsfolk and acquaintance again seek    
him4 ,and they do so to congratulate as 
well as to compassionate him4 ,and if   
they talk to him of past griefs1 it is  

but to heighten his present joy--as     
,israel afterwards1 in their triumphant 
feast of ,tabernacles1 might make booths
 and sit under them1 in grateful        
remembrance of wilderness-days4  ,all   
these are happy reverses1 and the latter
 end of our patriarch is twice as good  
as his beginning4 ,but among all the    
gladdening anticipations which shine in 
the latter page of this history there is
 none which more captivates the heart   
than the reconciliation4 ,the patriarch 
and his brethren1 as the narrative      
largely tells us1 and as we well know1  
had sadly fallen out by the way1 as they
 walked along the high road of this     
present evil world2 but as soon as they 
enter the age to come1 the strife of    
tongues and stir of war are heard and   
seen no more4  ,this is truly welcome to
 the heart4 ,for what joy will it be to 
be delivered of selfishness and pride1  
and many other workings of an ungenerous
 and perverted nature4 ,how are the     
pleasures of the heart spoiled by such  

robbers continually6 ,what a thing a    
page of history is6 ,what a record of   
the agitations of envy and ambition and 
revenge6 ,is it not misery thus to see  
men hateful1 and hating one another1 and
 then to remember that we are still     
alive and active in the midst of the    
same elements8 ,but another thing is in 
our prospect2 and it is the way of the  
wisdom and grace of ,god again and      
again1 in the progress of ,his ,word1 as
 here in the #dbnd chapter of ,job1 to  
give us a mystic picture of it4 ,then   
man1 as deceived by ,satan1 shall give  
place2 and man1 as anointed by ,god1    
shall prevail4 ,then shall be known the 
joy of getting out of such darkness into
 such light1 of beholding the ,sun      
again1 after centuries of midnight      
gloom4  ,we know from ,scripture that   
great physical virtue will attend this  
coming kingdom4 ,as prophets sing1 the  
wilderness shall rejoice and blossom as 
the rose--the lame shall leap as the    
hart1 the tongue of the dumb shall sing1

 the cow and the bear shall feed        
together1 and the wolf shall lie down   
with the kid4 ,nature in all its order  
shall own the presence of the ,lord4    
,the floods shall clap their hands1 the 
trees of the wood shall rejoice1 before 
,him4 ,as creation has already felt the 
bondage of corruption1 it shall then    
feel the liberty of glory4  ,it will be 
as though dormant sensibilities had all 
been suddenly awakened4 ,it will be as  
the sweeping of an exquisite instrument 
with a master hand4 ,it will be the same
 creation1 but under new authority1 new 
influences4 ,let but the sons of ,god be
 manifested1 and the whole system shall 
spring into new conditions and          
consciousness4  ,and so man1 when the   
powers of that coming age take him up as
 their subject4 ,let but the passage be 
made from this present evil world into  
the world to come1 and new principles   
will at once gild and furnish the scene1
 and give moral enjoyments 7which are   
the richest of all7 to all personal and 

social life4  ,this will be the touching
 of an instrument of still finer        
workmanship4 ,the system around the     
vegetable and animal world is           
susceptible of such forms of beauty and 
of order as may make it all the vivid1  
happy reflection of divine goodness and 
wisdom2 but in the renewed mind of man  
there lie latent powers and affections  
of nothing less than the divinest       
texture4 ,in its present condition it   
has to struggle with nature1 and to     
suffer sore let and hindrance from the  
flesh4 ,it is oppressed and encumbered  
by a gross atmosphere4 ,but it has      
capabilities of acting1 judging1 and    
feeling of the highest order4 ,and let  
but the due influences reach it in      
power1 those sensibilities and faculties
 will be all awakened1 and forms of     
moral beauty throughout all personal and
 social life will show themselves4 ,what
 a hope for the spirit tried in conflict
 with the flesh6 ,it will be the same   
new creature that now is3 only in other 

conditions4 ,not oppressed and clouded1 
but1 as it were1 breathing its native   
air4  ,scripture gives us many a witness
 of such moral virtue and enjoyment in  
the millennial age4 ,it is one of the   
most delightful occupations of the mind 
of ,christ in us1 to hear these         
witnesses1 in their mystic language1    
deliver their testimony4  ,the ,father  
of ,israel and the ,gentiles are seen   
together1 for a moment1 in ,genesis xxi4
 ,and their communion was a sample of   
the holy1 happy intercourse of ,israel  
and the nations1 in the coming days of  
the kingdom4 ,questions which before had
 divided and disturbed them are now all 
settled4 ,the well of water1 which had  
been the occasion of strife1 is now a   
witness of the oath or covenant4 ,all   
pure social affections adorn this       
communion of ,abraham and ,abimelech2   
and they part under pledged and plighted
 friendship4 ,abraham's grove1 in       
principle1 makes the desert to bloom1   
and his altar makes the earth a         

sanctuary2 but his way with ,abimelech1 
and ,abimelech's with him1 give that    
bright moment its dearest and highest   
character4 ,for there are no enjoyments 
like moral enjoyments1 no pleasures like
 those of the heart4  ,so in ,exodus    
xviii4 ,the heavenly and the earthly    
families are seen together1 under the   
type of ,jethro and the ransomed tribes1
 at the mount of ,god4 ,and all is full 
of moral beauty4 ,and yet the materials 
which make up the scene had been1 in    
other and earlier days1 very differently
 minded towards each other4 ,moses and  
,zipporah had parted in anger1 the last 
time they had met1 and the congregation 
had been murmuring again and again4 ,but
 now the mount of ,god has influences   
for them1 and from the highest to the   
least1 from ,jethro down to the most    
distant parts of the camp1 all is in the
 power of godly order1 subjection1 and  
fellowship4  ,then again1 that          
generation that lived in the closing    
days of ,david and in the early days of 

,solomon exhibit the same4 ,they had    
been numbering each other to the sword1 
in the wood of ,ephraim1 but the sword  
is turned into a ploughshare now4 ,the  
days of ,solomon were1 typically or in  
spirit1 millennial days1 and sweet and  
surprising virtue attends them4 ,instead
 of going forth again to the field of   
battle1 they sit1 every man with his    
neighbour1 under the vine and under the 
fig-tree4 ,judah and ,israel were many1 
as the sand which is by the sea in      
multitude1 eating and drinking1 and     
making merry4  ,are not these moral     
transfigurations8 ,and how blessed they 
are6 ,pass but the border4 ,leave man's 
day for the ,lord's day4 ,breathe the   
air of the ,mount of ,god--and all this 
moral renovation1 with its countless    
springs and streams of social felicity1 
shall be tasted1 ever fresh and ever    
pure4 ',tis but a little while and all  
this shall be4 ,the same brethren1 who  
may now be a trial to one another1 like 
our ,job and his friends1 shall then    

heighten and enlarge each other's joy4  
,and in the earthly places1 ,ephraim    
shall not envy ,judah1 nor ,judah vex   
,ephraim4 ,pride and selfishness shall  
have ceased to depreciate1 as they do   
now1 with all their companion lusts and 
wickednesses1 the pleasures of the      
heart4  ,this patriarchal story1 on     
which we have now been meditating1 more 
ancient than1 and as illustrious as1 any
 of these inspired records1 gives us a  
like sample of millennial days4 ,job and
 his three friends1 ,eliphaz the        
,temanite1 ,bildad the ,shuhite1 and    
,zophar the ,naamathite1 are the same   
,job1 ,eliphaz1 ,bildad1 and ,zophar1   
the same persons4 ,and they are no      
longer contending1 but united brethren4 
,they have ascended the mount at the    
end2 and there lies all the difference4 
,and barren indeed our hearts must be of
 every gracious affection1 and dead to  
all godly emotions1 if we hail not such 
a prospect4  ,he who by ,his blood did  
long ago break down all partition walls1

 and who is now1 by ,his ,spirit1 giving
 believers common access to the ,father1
 will by-and-by1 with ,his own hand1    
join the stick of ,ephraim and the stick
 of ,judah1 and make them one there4    
,ezekiel xxxvii4 #af4 ,his ,israel on   
the earth shall see eye to eye1 for the 
light and the joy of ,zion's salvation  
shall be passed1 with holy speed1 from  
the messengers on the mountains to the  
watchmen of the city1 and from them to  
the people1 and from the people to the  
nations 7,isaiah lii4 #g-i7--;and1 among
 the heavenly people1 the children of   
the resurrection1 like ,job and his     
friends1 that which is in part shall be 
done away1 and that which is perfect    
shall come4                             
,,the ,,canticles4   ,will ,god in very 
deed dwell with men on the earth8       
,behold1 heaven and the heaven of       
heavens cannot contain ,thee4  ,this was
 the devout breathing of the king of    
,israel 7the penman1 too1 of this little
 book to which we are now proposing1 in 

the ,lord's grace1 to introduce         
ourselves71 when the glory had come to  
fill the house which he had builded4    
,but so it was4 ,the ,son of ,god1      
,jehovah's ,fellow1 ,he that was with   
,god and was ,god1 was manifest in      
flesh1 and conversed with us here4 ,he  
dwelt with men on the earth4 ,he        
tabernacled among us4 ,he was ,jesus4   
,we knew ,him as such4 ,he was a ,man1  
and a ,friend1 and a ,master1 and a     
,companion4 ,he invited confidence4 ,he 
sought sympathy and imparted it4 ,and1  
as a ,man1 we know ,him still--as truly 
a ,man amid the brightest glories of    
heaven now1 as once ,he was a ,man amid 
the ruins and sorrows of earth--as able1
 through sympathy1 to understand the    
sufferings of ,his saints still1 as when
 ,he walked the streets and highways    
here1 bearing our griefs and carrying   
our sicknesses4  ,and what will ,he be  
even for ever8 ,still ,jesus ,christ4   
,dominion of all things will be ,his as 
a ,man4 ,the scene may change the second

 time1 from the present temple in heaven
 to the kingdom of glory1 as at first it
 changed from the cities and villages   
here to the temple on high1 but it is   
the ,man ,christ ,jesus who passes from 
scene to scene4 ,precious mystery6      
,manhood having been once taken up1 will
 never be given up4 ,a temple has been  
found for the glory1 a vessel for the   
blessing1 a person for the              
manifestation1 an instrument for the    
exercise of power and government1 suited
 to the counsels of divine wisdom and to
 the purposes of divine goodness4       
,from the beginning of ,his ways1 and   
throughout them1 the ,lord ,god has been
 evidencing ,his purpose to bring ,his  
creature man very near to ,him4 ,the    
expression of this has been different1  
but still constant4  ,in patriarchal    
days the intimacy was personal4 ,he     
walked in the midst of the human family1
 personally appearing to ,his elect2 not
 so much employing either prophets or   
angels1 but having to do with the action

 ,himself4  ,in the times of ,israel1   
,he was not so much in the human guise  
as before4 ,he was rather in mystic     
dress4 ,but still ,he was near them4    
,the ,lord in the burning bush1 the     
glory in the cloud1 the armed captain by
 ,jericho1 speak this nearness4 ,the    
,god of ,israel seen on the sapphire    
throne1 the glory filling the temple    
courts1 or seated between the cherubim1 
tell the same4 ,and the promises1 ,i    
will set ,my tabernacle among you 444   
and ,i will walk among you1 and ,mine   
eyes and ,mine heart shall be there     
perpetually1 alike witness this desired 
and purposed fellowship4  ,then1 in the 
progress of the ages1 the assumption of 
manhood is a witness1 ,i may say1 that  
speaks for itself2 and the ways of ,god 
manifest in the flesh agree therewith4  
,jesus came eating and drinking4 ,and   
still the same1 after ,he had become the
 risen ,man4 ,he had not then1 it is    
true1 one lodging and repast with ,his  
disciples1 as once ,he had4 ,he did not 

then1 as before1 go in and out among    
them4 ,they were not to know ,him after 
the flesh1 as in earlier days4 ,but     
still there was full intimacy4 ,there   
was many a note of conscious authority  
about ,him1 it is most true4 ,he speaks 
of all power in heaven and in earth     
being ,his4 ,he opens their             
understandings4 ,he pronounces peace    
upon them on new and authoritative      
grounds1 ,he imparts the ,holy ,ghost1  
as the ,head of the new creation4 ,he   
blessed1 as ,priest of the temple1 the  
only ,priest4 ,all this ,he does1 as    
risen from the dead1 with conscious     
power2 but1 with all this1 ,he owns     
intimacy1 loving1 personal intimacy1 as 
near and dear as ever1 if not more so4  
,he eats and drinks with them1 as once  
,he did4 ,he calls them brethren1 as ,he
 had not done before ,his resurrection4 
,he speaks of having one ,god and       
,father with them1 as ,he had not done  
then4 ,though with all authority ,he    
sends them forth to work1 yet does ,he  

still work with them4 ,mark xvi42 ,luke 
xxiv42 ,john xx4 ,and though ,he was at 
that time paying them only an occasional
 visit1 a visit now and then1 as ,he    
pleased1 during forty days 7,acts i4    
#c71 yet ,he intimates1 by a little     
action1 that1 by-and-by1 all such       
distance and separation will be over1   
and they should follow ,him to ,his     
place1 risen and glorified with         
,himself4 ,john xxi4 #ai-bc4  ,is not   
all this intimacy still8 desired and    
enjoyed intimacy on the part of our     
everlasting ,lover8 ,and as to this     
present dispensation1 the same is       
provided for and maintained1 though in a
 different way4 ,the ,holy ,ghost is    
come4 ,the ,spirit of truth is in us4   
,our bodies are nothing less than ,his  
living temples or dwelling-places1 while
 the ,son has1 mystically1 borne us to  
heaven in and with ,himself4 ,eph4 ii4  
#f4 ,surely no form of fellowship which 
we have contemplated is more deep and   
intimate than this4 ,if1 personally1 the

 ,lord ,god was with the patriarchs1 and
 would take a calf and a cake in the    
love of hospitality--if1 in the sight of
 the whole congregation1 ,he would let  
the glory fill the temple courts in the 
joy of its new-found habitation--if1 in 
the ,man ,christ ,jesus1 the ,lord ,god 
would walk with us1 and share our       
seasons of rest and labour and          
refreshment1 talking at a well with one 
elect sinner1 or letting another press  
,his bosom at supper1 and ask ,him about
 the secrets that were in that bosom--in
 this present day ,he has us1 in the    
thoughts and affections of ,his own     
heart1 up in heaven with ,himself1 and  
the ,holy ,ghost is here with us1 in the
 midst of the thoughts and affections of
 our hearts4  ,is this1 ,i ask1 intimacy
 of a feebler nature8 ,is this a        
retracing of ,his way back into ,his own
 perfections and sufficiency1 or amid   
the glories and principalities of       
angels8 ,is this reserve1 as men speak8 
,is this withdrawing ,himself1 or       

repenting of former intimacy with man1  
as though ,he had been disappointed and 
put off8 ,adam1 where art thou8 was ,his
 voice4 ,but has ,adam's retreat forced 
the ,lord back8 ,let this one ,witness1 
this ,witness of our times1 this        
indwelling ,spirit1 leading us in       
company with ,himself after this manner1
 tell us4 ,all ,his present way is only 
a richer pursuit of that purpose which  
broke forth1 in infant form1 in the days
 of ,genesis4  ,and what shall we say of
 this intimacy in still future days8    
,redeemed men take the place of cherubic
 nearness to the throne4 ,the living    
creatures and the crowned elders are    
there1 and the angels do but surround   
them as well as the throne4 ,the ,lamb's
 wife1 the holy ,jerusalem1 bears the   
glory in her bosom4 ,the ,tabernacle of 
,god is with men1 and ,he will dwell    
with them4   ,but if all this be so1 as 
it surely is1 a holy inquiry arises1    
,how are we to entertain this8 ,in what 
spirit1 and after what manner1 are we to

 act on the truth of this gracious      
purpose of ,god8 ,we are to admit and   
believe it in all the simplicity in     
which it is revealed4 ,this is our first
 duty4 ,we are by no means to refuse the
 thought of this divine nearness4 ,did  
,john1 ,i ask1 refuse to lie on ,his    
,lord's bosom1 or excuse himself for    
doing so8 ,no4 ,neither are we1 through 
mistaken humility1 to question whether  
we have rightly interpreted the many    
scriptures which declare this truth4 ,we
 are to use the privileges it confers4  
,but with this use of its privileges we 
are to honour its claims4 ,for this     
presence of ,god is a pure as well as a 
cheerful element4 ,of old1 the shoes    
were to be taken from the feet1 when    
that presence was entered1 to express   
the sense of holiness which became it4  
,but that was all4 ,neither ,moses nor  
,joshua were required to withdraw2 only 
to tread softly4 ,they were welcomed and
 encouraged1 while instructed in the    
holiness of such intimacy4  ,so in the  

,canticles4 ,the soul makes its boast of
 its ,lord's love4 ,it does not refuse  
to listen to the tenderest expressions  
of it1 nor to recite ,his well-known    
desire towards her2 but withal1 there is
 owned and felt unworthiness4 ,there is 
the breathing of the purest though most 
intimate thoughts--an affection quickly 
sensitive of the putting slight on such 
wondrous condescensions of divine love1 
and diligence in nourishing in the soul 
the answer due to them4 ,and1 thus1 this
 little book gives very clear witness to
 the truth of ,god's intimacy with man1 
and to the manner in which it should be 
entertained by us4 ,and in doing this it
 introduces us to a great divine        
mystery1 which1 in like manner1 gets its
 early and constant illustration in the 
,book of ,god--a mystery which must now 
hold our thoughts for a little4 ,i mean 
that of the ,bride and the ,bridegroom4 
,the ,church is called the ,lamb's wife4
 ,but this title has its meaning4 ,the  
,lamb is a figure or a description of   

the ,son of ,god which tells us of the  
sorrows ,he endured for us4 ,the soul   
well understands this2 and therefore    
this title1 the ,lamb's wife1 tells us  
that it is by ,his sufferings the ,lord 
has made her ,his own2 that ,he valued  
her so as to give up all for her4 ,and  
from the beginning ,he has been         
publishing this precious gospel truth4  
,ere ,adam received ,eve he was cast    
into a deep sleep1 and out of his side  
was taken a rib1 of which was formed    
that one that was afterwards presented  
to him as his wife4 ,this witnesses the 
mystery ,i have mentioned4 ,adam was    
humbled and ,adam suffered 7,i mean1 of 
course1 only in the symbol or mystery71 
ere he received ,eve2 all this casting  
beforehand the shadow of the humiliation
 and suffering of the true ,adam1 in    
acquiring ,his ,eve for ,himself4  ,so  
,jacob afterwards4 ,he had to sustain   
the burthen and heat of a long and      
toilsome day1 ere he could possess      
himself of ,rachel4 ,the law of her     

people1 the law of her country1 and the 
oppressive exactions of the covetous    
,laban1 had put him on these terms4 ,he 
had to endure the constant consuming of 
sun and moon1 to toil night and day1 and
 have his exile lengthened out1 or go   
without his ,rachel4  ,joseph1 ere he   
got his ,asenath1 was separated from his
 brethren4  ,the same thing we see in   
,moses4 ,he too was separated from his  
brethren4 ,and still more1 he earned    
,zipporah4 ,he rescued her from         
oppression1 then opened the well to her 
and her flock1 and then her father owned
 his claim to her hand4 ,so with his    
second wife4 ,he had to take her at the 
expense of his good name with his own   
kindred2 she was a black ,ethiopian1 and
 did not suit the thoughts of his       
brother and sister4 ,but he bore the    
reproach1 and married the ,ethiopian4   
,in each of these marriages 7typical as 
well as real7 we see the character of   
the ,bridegroom2 we see the ,lord ,jesus
 ,christ possessing ,himself of ,his    

,bride at some personal cost4 ,whether  
it be humiliation and suffering1 as in  
,adam1 toil and weariness and conflict1 
as in ,jacob1 separation and dreary     
loneliness1 as in ,joseph1 or mere      
reproach1 as doing a thing unworthy of  
him1 as in ,moses1 still it is1 in      
principle1 a suffering ,bridegroom that 
we see4  ,and ,i might notice ,boaz1    
another type of the same4 ,he was a     
mighty man of wealth1 but he pleads the 
cause of a poor gleaner in his fields2  
he allows her approaches and her suit1  
and takes her to him to wife4 ,he is not
 ashamed to make a destitute stranger1  
who but a day before depended on the    
bounty of his hand1 the companion of his
 wealth and honour1 and the builder of  
his house and name among the tribes of  
,israel4 ,and thus the marriage of ,boaz
 tells out the same mystery1 that the   
,bridegroom of the ,church is the ,one  
who had before been humbled to redeem   
her1 and make her ,his own4   ,not only1
 however1 in types and illustrations is 

this great truth set forth1 but in the  
plain teaching of ,scripture also4 ,it  
is said1 that ,christ loved the ,church1
 then gave ,himself for it1 then        
sanctified it by the washing of the     
,word--and all this1 that ,he might     
present it worthily to ,himself as ,his 
,bride4 ,eph4 v4 ,here1 doctrinally1 or 
in the way of plain teaching1 we have   
the ,lamb the ,bridegroom2 for ere ,he  
takes the ,church ,he gives ,himself for
 her4 ,he takes to wife the one whom ,he
 had afore purchased with blood4  ,in   
,old ,testament ,scriptures1 the same   
thing is taught1 as between the ,lord   
and ,jerusalem1 which is1 in principle1 
the same as ,christ and the ,church4    
,thus1 in ,isaiah it is said1 ,thy      
,maker is thy ,husband1 thy             
,redeemer--the whole passage showing    
,jerusalem taken up by the ,lord in     
simple loving-kindness1 ,he owning one  
that1 like the ,ethiopian or like ,ruth1
 might be a reproach to ,him4 liv4  ,so 
,jeremiah represents the ,lord in the   

very same grace1 taking ,jerusalem even 
after she had proved herself unfaithful1
 and been legally and judicially put    
away4 iii4  ,hosea is made the          
representative of the same4 i4-iii4 ,he 
buys his wife 7iii4 #b71 he washes and  
cleanses her1 as well as bears the      
reproach of espousing one in herself so 
worthless and lost4  ,so in the striking
 picture of ,ezekiel4 ,jerusalem is     
looked at in her loathsome1 offensive   
degradation2 but when not one eye       
pitied1 the ,lord not only took         
compassion on1 but quickened1 washed1   
clothed1 anointed1 beautified1 and      
endowed her1 and did not stop till ,he  
had taken her to ,himself4 xvi4  ,thus  
is it in the teachings or voices of the 
prophets1 as in the early types and     
shadows2 both and all telling out the   
mystery1 that the ,lamb is the          
,bridegroom1 that the ,one who at the   
end seats her in the companionship of   
,his glory1 had before redeemed her by  
,his blood1 washed and purified her by  

,his ,word and ,spirit1 suffered        
reproach for her 7,luke xix4 #g71 and   
gone down to her in her ruin1 ere ,he   
could take her up to ,his estate and    
honour4  ,this is the mystery of the    
,divine ,bridegroom4 ,all human tales or
 fables fall short of this1 let the     
imagination that wrought them up be as  
fervent as it may4 ,this is the mystery 
of a love that passes knowledge between 
,christ and the ,church4 ,she must love 
,him for the service ,he has shown her2 
,he must love her for the cost she has  
put ,him to4 ,she will find herself for 
ever by the side of ,one who so loved   
her as to die for her4 ,he will see one 
by ,his side who so engaged ,him that   
,he was willing to go through with ,his 
affection1 though the cost of loving her
 would take 7to speak after the manner  
of men7 all that ,he was worth4 ,he     
cannot but prize her supremely1 and so  
she ,him4 ,this only difference may be  
observed--that ,his love was proved ere 
she became ,his1 for ,he had beforehand 

counted the cost of loving her--her     
love1 later and more backward1 and only 
in the second place1 began on her       
knowing ,his love for her4 ,for ,christ1
 as the ,bridegroom 7as in everything   
else1 whether of grace or glory1 ,col4  
i471 is to have the pre-eminence4 ,in   
the character of ,his love ,he entirely 
outshines the love of the bride1 and    
leaves hers1 as it were1 no love at all1
 by reason of the love that excelleth4  
,but having thus looked at the          
,bridegroom1 ,i would1 in like manner1  
see the ,bride for a moment or two4 ,but
 ,i must limit myself1 and will1        
therefore1 only trace her as reflected  
in the ,book of ,genesis4  ,eve is1 of  
course1 the earliest type4 ,in her we   
see the personal characteristics of the 
bride3 she is formed by the ,lord for   
,adam4 ,adam's joy in a helpmeet was    
what the ,lord proposed to ,himself when
 ,he began to form ,eve4 ,he had respect
 to ,adam's need and joy in this work4  
,and when ,adam receives ,eve from the  

hand of the ,lord1 his words express his
 satisfaction in her1 vindicating the   
,lord's workmanship1 that ,his hand had 
accomplished the design which ,his love 
had undertaken4 ,eve was fitted to      
,adam4 ,this was her full personal      
beauty4 ,he owned her bone of his bone1 
and flesh of his flesh4 ,all in her was 
attractiveness4 ,she entirely answered  
the expectations1 and satisfied the     
heart1 of him for whom she had been     
formed4 ,he took her and clave to her   
7,gen4 ii472 and this1 we know1 is a    
type of ,christ and the ,church4 ,eph4  
v4  ,sarah is the next distinguished    
female in that book2 and she is a mystic
 person also4 ,but it is not the ,bride 
whom she expresses1 but the ,mother4 ,so
 that ,i will not particularly notice   
her4 ,for ,abraham is the father of all 
them that believe--and ,sarah is the    
free woman or1 in an allegory1 the      
mother of us all 7,gal4 iv471 linked    
with the family of ,god in the place of 
the mother1 rather than with the ,lord  

as ,his ,bride4 ,so that ,i pass her by4
  ,rebecca comes next in this holy line1
 and in her we have the ,bride again1 as
 in ,eve4 ,but great and blessed truths 
connected with the ,bride are told in   
,rebecca4 ,she is separated from ,isaac4
 ,he is far away1 and has never seen    
her4 ,but ,rebecca is the father's      
choice1 and ,eliezer's care1 till ,isaac
 receives her4 ,isaac longed for her4   
,that is shown by his going forth in    
solitariness to meditate at eventide4   
,but beyond the sense of this           
loneliness1 we do not see ,isaac doing  
or suffering anything for her4 ,the     
council about the wife is taken between 
,abraham and ,eliezer4 ,they settle the 
whole plan4 ,and ,eliezer1 in beautiful1
 self-denying service1 goes on toil and 
travel to secure this elect ,bride for  
,isaac4 ,and he does secure her4 ,and he
 prepares her for him4 ,he not only     
separates her from her kindred and her  
father's house1 but conducts her across 
the desert2 on the way1 doubtless1      

telling her many a tale of him whose she
 was so soon to be--till at length he   
gives her safely into ,isaac's hand1 and
 ,isaac1 like ,adam1 is comforted in his
 ,bride4  ,this is a beautiful light in 
which to look at the ,bride2 the one who
 is brought home to her lord from the   
distant land1 having been the object of 
the father's choice1 and of the         
servant's care4 ,this is a mystery4 ,and
 in it we get the ,lord receiving ,his  
,bride at the hand of the ,father and of
 the ,holy ,ghost1 chosen for ,him1 and 
given to ,him1 ,he having nothing to do 
but to take her at their hand1 and to   
find in her1 as ,isaac found in         
,rebecca1 the relief of his             
solitariness1 the inmate of his tent1   
and the companion of all his joys4      
,rachel1 next in order1 shows herself to
 us4 ,and in her we get the ,bride      
again1 though in a different character4 
,here we find the one who was to own and
 enjoy her1 travelling and toiling for  
her4 ,and this is just as true1 in the  

mystery1 as the other4 ,for1 in one     
sense1 ,christ has only to receive ,his 
,bride at the hand of the ,father and   
the ,holy ,ghost1 the gift of the one   
and the workmanship of the other--but1  
in another sense1 ,he has ,himself gone 
into the distant land1 and 7as ,i have  
already been observing on the           
,bridegroom7 laboured and been put to   
reproach and wrong for her4 ,in all     
this1 ,jacob sets forth the true        
,bridegroom4 ,the ,lord ,jesus          
personally has borne the heat of the day
 all alone4 ,he had not where to lay    
,his head1 like ,jacob--absent from ,his
 ,father's house1 and the place of ,his 
inheritance--wronged again and again in 
a world which1 like ,laban and his      
house1 ever seeks its own2 and yet1     
enduring all this1 and willing to endure
 all this1 for the love that ,he had to 
her whom ,his eye had rested on2 as     
,jacob's seven years of service seemed  
to him but as a few days1 because of his
 love for ,rachel4  ,this is as striking

 a picture of the truth as we have yet  
seen2 here the same mystery of the      
,bride is still published to us1 though 
still in a distinct part of it4 ,in     
,eve1 we had her full personal fitness  
for her ,lord--in ,rebecca1 we had her  
as the object of the ,father's election 
and the ,spirit's care1 in order to give
 her to ,christ--in ,rachel1 we see her 
as the prize1 whom the ,lord sets before
 ,his own eye1 for the sake of which ,he
 will give ,himself to exile and toil   
and wrongs4 ,as reflected in ,isaac1 ,he
 has nothing to do for her2 as reflected
 in ,jacob1 ,he has everything to do for
 her4  ,asenath closes these wonders4   
,she is the woman of the fourth         
generation of the ,patriarchs4 ,there is
 the ,sarah of ,abraham1 the ,rebecca of
 ,isaac1 the ,rachel of ,jacob1 and the 
,asenath of ,joseph4 ,she now in her    
turn takes up the same mystic tale4 ,she
 was a ,gentile1 and in nowise1 like the
 rest1 connected in the flesh with      
,joseph4 ,the enmity of his brethren had

 cast ,joseph among her people4 ,and he 
is honoured there1 and with these       
strange and ,gentile honours gets a     
,gentile bride and family2 and in the   
bosom of this unexpected joy he is      
willing to forget1 for a season1 his    
father's house1 and to account himself  
fruitful or happy1 though among         
strangers4  ,this1 in its season1 is as 
full of meaning as any of our previous  
pages in this tale of the ,bride4 ,for  
here we get the ,bride in her ,gentile1 
heavenly character4 ,here we are told a 
great secret2 that this same personage1 
whose beauty and personal               
characteristics we saw in ,eve1 whose   
election by the ,father and conduct     
under the hand of the ,spirit we saw in 
,rebecca1 and whose purchase for        
,himself by the personal toil and sorrow
 of ,christ we saw in ,rachel1 is a     
,gentile1 a ,stranger1 one brought into 
union with the ,lord1 after ,his own    
kindred in the flesh had refused ,him4  
,all this speaks clearly in the ear of  

the scribe that is instructed unto the  
kingdom of heaven2 he traces the mystery
 of the ,bride in all this1 and listens 
to ,eve1 to ,rebecca1 to ,rachel1 and to
 ,asenath telling out separate parts of 
it4 ,and how does all this witness to us
 the delight which ,christ takes in ,his
 saints6 ,it is not merely that ,he has 
saved them by ,his blood1 but they are  
,his crown and ,his joy1 ,his glory and 
,his delight4 ,his own love and         
workmanship have been displayed in us1  
more highly than in any scene of ,his   
power4 ,and this joy of ,christ in ,his 
saints is strongly expressed in each of 
these cases4 ,we love ,him for the      
sorrows ,he has endured1 and ,he loves  
us who thus prize ,his love4 ,john xiv4 
#ba4 ,and if these affections be not    
understood as passing between ,christ   
and the saint1 if we do not1 without    
reserve1 allow this satisfaction in each
 other1 our souls will not enter into   
much of that communion which the        
,scripture provides for4 ,the ,canticles

 will not be understood1 if we do not   
allow and entertain the thought of      
,christ's delight in the saints1 with   
the same certainty that we allow the    
thought of ,his having purchased and    
sanctified them by ,his blood4  ,but    
this communion must spring from         
intelligence of the soul1 or it will be 
mere natural fervour4 ,when ,ruth sought
 the feet of ,boaz1 and did not again go
 to the gleaning-field1 it was because  
,naomi had been instructing her further 
about him4 ,her soul had passed through 
the light of ,naomi's words1 and1 thus  
taught1 she desires more intimate       
fellowship with him than she had yet    
enjoyed4 ,she seeks himself4 ,the       
gleaning-field1 where she was less than 
his handmaids1 is deserted1 and the     
place of a suitor for himself is        
assumed4 ,she cannot call herself less  
than one of his handmaids any longer4   
,she seeks a kinsman's love1 for she    
knows him to be a kinsman4 ,and this is 
truly blessed4   ,love1 or desire       

towards another1 takes different forms  
in the heart4 ,there is the love of     
pity1 the love of gratitude1 and the    
love of complacency4 ,the love of pity  
regards its object in some sort as below
 it1 and is full of tenderness4 ,the    
love of gratitude1 on the contrary1     
regards its object as above it1 and is  
full of humility4 ,the love of          
complacency does not necessarily look   
either above or below1 but simply at its
 object1 and is full of admiration4     
,but1 in addition to this1 there is the 
love of kindred4 ,it has its foundation 
in nature1 and hence it is called       
natural affection4 ,and this love of    
kindred has a glory which is peculiarly 
its own4 ,it warrants the deepest       
intimacies4 ,there is no settling of    
one's self for the other's presence4    
,there is full ease in going out and    
coming in4 ,expressions of love are not 
deemed intrusive--nay1 they are         
sanctioned as being due and comely4 ,the
 heart knows its right to indulge itself

 over its object1 and that1 too1 without
 check or shame4 ,this is the glory of  
this affection4 ,the love of pity1 of   
gratitude1 or of complacency1 must act  
decorously1 and in proper form4 ,but the
 love of kindred1 the love of those who 
dwell in one house1 and whom nature or  
the hand of ,god has bound together1    
feels its right to gratify itself1 and  
is not fearful of being rebuked4 ,see1  
for instance1 ,canticles viii4 #a4 ,this
 is its distinguishing boast4 ,nothing  
admits this but itself4 ,this is1 in a  
full and deep sense1 personal affection4
  ,parents and children1 brothers and   
sisters1 husbands and wives 7and ,i     
might add1 friends71 know this4 ,they   
know their title to indulge1 without    
scorn or rebuke1 in the warmest         
expressions of their mutual love4 ,and  
it is the richest feast of the heart4   
,the love of pity has its enjoyment1 and
 so have the love of gratitude and the  
love of complacency2 but they do not1 in
 themselves and alone1 warrant these    

personal fervours4 ,personally1 their   
objects may be below1 above1 or at a    
distance1 and should be approached with 
a due respect to all their rights4 ,but 
not so with our kindred1 because it is  
their persons and not their qualities or
 conditions1 that form the ground of our
 love4 ,we may deal with them without   
apology or reserve4 ,in such cases it is
 himself that the heart embraces4 ,it is
 not his sorrows1 his favours1 or his   
excellencies1 but it is himself1 which  
this affection handles and converses    
with4  ,we may receive a benefit from a 
person1 and be assured of a hearty      
welcome to it1 and yet feel ourselves   
ill at ease in his presence4 ,nothing is
 more common than this4 ,gratitude is   
awakened in the heart very deeply1 and  
yet reserve and uneasiness are felt4 ,it
 calls for something beyond our         
assurance of his good-will1 and of our  
full welcome to his service1 to make us 
at ease in the presence of a benefactor4
 ,and this something1 ,i believe1 is the

 discovery that we have an interest in  
himself1 as well as in his ability to   
serve us4  ,this delineates1 as ,i      
judge1 the experience of the poor woman 
with the issue of blood4 ,mark v4 ,she  
knew the ,lord's ability to relieve her 
sorrow1 and her hearty welcome to avail 
herself of it4 ,she1 therefore1 comes   
and takes the virtue out of ,him without
 reserve4 ,but she comes behind ,him4   
,this expresses her state of mind4 ,she 
knows her welcome to ,his service1 but  
nothing more4 ,but the ,lord trains her 
heart for more4 ,he lets her know that  
she is interested in ,himself1 as well  
as in ,his power to oblige her4 ,he     
calls her daughter4 ,he owns kindred or 
relationship with her4 ,this was the    
communication which alone was equal to  
remove her fears and trembling4 ,her    
rich and mighty patron is her kinsman4  
,this is what her heart needed to know4 
,without this1 in the spirit of her     
mind1 she would have been still behind  
,him4 ,but this gives her ease4 ,go in  

peace may then be said1 as well as ,be  
whole of thy plague4 ,she need not be   
reserved4 ,christ does not deal with her
 as a patron or benefactor4 ,luke xxii4 
#be4 ,she has an interest in ,himself as
 well as in ,his power to bless her4    
,and so as to the ,canticles4 ,it is the
 love which warrants personal intimacy  
7after this manner of the nearest and   
dearest relationships7 that breathes in 
this lovely book4 ,the age of the union 
has not yet arrived4 ,but it is the time
 of betrothment1 and we are ,his        
delight4 ,nay1 it was so ere worlds     
were4 ,prov4 viii4  ,do we believe this8
 ,does it make us happy8 ,we are1       
naturally1 suspicious of any offer to   
make us happy in ,god4 ,because our     
moral sense1 our natural conscience1    
tells us of our having lost all right   
even to ,his ordinary blessings4 ,the   
mere moral sense will therefore be quick
 to stand to it1 and question all       
overtures of peace from heaven1 and be  
ready to challenge their reality4 ,but  

here comes the vigour of the spiritual  
mind1 or the energy of faith4 ,faith    
gainsays these conclusions of nature4   
,it refuses at times to think according 
to the moral sense of nature1 as it     
refuses at times to act according to the
 relative claims of nature4 ,in their   
place1 the dictates of the moral sense  
and the claims of nature are sacred---as
 we read1 ,doth not even nature itself  
teach you1 that if a man have long hair 
it is a shame unto him8 ,but still they 
are not supreme4 ,if ,god put in ,his   
claim1 or make ,his revelation1 the     
relations of nature and the moral sense 
of nature are to withdraw their         
authority4 ,he that loveth father or    
mother more than ,me is not worthy of   
,me4 ,and in the revelation of ,god1    
faith reads our abundant title to be    
near to ,him and happy with ,him1 though
 natural conscience and our sense of the
 fitness of things would have it        
otherwise4 ,faith feeds where the moral 
sensibilities of the natural mind would 

count it presuming even to tread4  ,i   
ask1 then1 ,do we ponder1 without       
reserve or suspicion1 the thought of    
such love towards us in the heart of    
,jesus as this book suggests8 ,does it  
make us happy8 ,we owe the love of      
children to ,god as our ,father1 the    
love of redeemed ones to ,god as our    
,saviour1 the love of disciples to      
,jesus as our ,master and ,lord4 ,but   
what is the love that we owe for this   
way of ,christ's heart to us8 ,how are  
we to meet it in a way worthy of it8    
,this book1 ,i believe1 tells us4 ,but  
this conducts the soul into the holiest4
 ,and what grief1 and shame1 and trouble
 of heart arise1 when we reflect how    
little we are there1 and how many tales 
against us all this is ever telling6    
,the ,canticles do not give us the ways 
of filial affection1 or of the affection
 due to a benefactor4 ,but they give us1
 ,i believe1 the actings of the love of 
espousals1 in both ,christ's heart and  
ours4 ,the joy of hearing the           

,bridegroom's voice1 ,i may say1 is     
fulfilled here in the heart of the      
saint1 as it was in the soul of the     
,baptist4 ,and what1 ,i would ask1 are  
the attributes of a commanding affection
 like this8 ,what do we find the power  
of it to be1 when it seats itself in us8
  ,as to service1 it makes it welcome4  
,to say that service for the object of  
this affection is perfect freedom is far
 too cold4 ,it makes service infinitely 
grateful1 even though it call for       
self-denial or weariness4 ,and it can   
render its offering without caring for  
any eye or heart to approve it1 but that
 of the one whom it has made its object4
 ,it cares not that others should be    
able to esteem its ways4 ,it has all the
 desired fruit of its service1 if its   
object approve it1 and give but its     
presence at the end of it4 ,as to       
society1 this affection wants none but  
that of its object4 ,if there be no     
weariness felt in service1 as we have   
been saying1 so is there no irksomeness 

known in solitude4 ,all that is cared   
for is the presence of that one who     
commands the heart4 ,there is no sense  
of solitude1 if that one alone be       
present2 there is no sense of satiety1  
though that one be always present4 ,as  
to authority in the soul1 it holds its  
place1 ,i need not say1 unrivalled4 ,it 
is the man of the heart4 ,it breaks the 
bands and cuts the cords of other       
desires4 ,it makes us undervalue all    
things but the one4 ,it may take other  
things up1 but this is only by the way4 
,it is ever glancing at its own thing1  
even if others be for a time in the     
foreground4 ,it looks through the       
lattices at it4 ,other things are       
esteemed according to their connection  
with it4 ,and it will control the wrong 
and cultivate the right tendencies of   
the heart2 for occasions which might    
wound vanity or gratify pride are not   
valued or pursued1 while we retain it2  
and yet to approve ourselves there1 we  
will nerve the heart and the hand to    

great and generous ways4  ,what         
intenseness is here6 and what purity    
also6 ,it refreshes the soul to think   
that we have been created susceptible of
 such affections4 ,but the warning of   
another is in season4 ,wherever a       
passion has these properties1 or any of 
them1 conspicuous in it1 it cannot1 but 
by being consecrated to ,god1 avoid     
becoming injurious to ,him and to       
itself4 ,the very nobleness of it       
entitles ,him to it4 ,but the same one  
tells us that we should seek1 not to    
annihilate1 but to transfigure it4 ,he  
says1 ,i would not have it swallowed up 
by death1 the common fate1 but be       
ennobled by a destiny like that of      
,enoch and ,elias1 who1 having ceased to
 converse with mortals1 died not1 but   
were translated to heaven4  ,it is good 
for us to listen to this4 ,the heart has
 been made deeply susceptible of this   
affection1 and ,christ is the offered   
object of it4 ,he proposes ,himself to  
it4 ,he claims the supreme place in our 

hearts4 ,he that loveth father or mother
 more than ,me1 is not worthy of ,me4   
,whatever passion of the soul be moved1 
it is ,god's right to have the highest  
exercise of it towards ,himself4 ,it has
 not treated ,him as ,god if it have not
 rendered this to ,him4 ,if each of the 
passions of our souls do not give ,him  
its richest and largest offerings1 it is
 not a worshipping passion4  ,this we   
may readily grant1 needing1 however1    
increase of grace ourselves to be       
worshippers on such a score4 ,in the    
language of another2 as1 among the      
,jews1 there were odoriferous unguents1 
which it was neither unusual nor        
unlawful to use themselves or bestow    
upon their friends1 but also a peculiar 
composition of a precious ointment1     
which ,god having reserved for ,his own 
service1 the perfuming of others with it
 was sacrilege1 so there are regulated  
degrees of love which we may harbour for
 others1 but there is too a certain     
peculiar strain of love which belongs   

unto ,god4 ,exod4 xxx4 #cd-ch4 ,it is1  
,i may add1 idolatry when bestowed on a 
creature1 but it is worship when        
rendered to ,him4  ,this may sound a    
solemn truth1 but it is a happy one4 ,is
 it not blessed to know that our ,lord  
claims our hearts and their affections8 
,have any of us1 beloved1 read the first
 and great commandment without1 at      
least1 sometimes rejoicing in the grace 
that would make such a demand upon us8  
,mark xii4 #cj4 ,is it nothing to us    
that ,god ,himself values our love1 that
 ,he says to us1 ,my son1 give ,me thine
 heart8 ,the wise virgins delighted in  
such truth4 ,many had gone out with     
them1 professing the common expectation4
 ,the foolish had lamps4 ,they took     
their place in the common profession4   
,but the wise counted the cost of the   
,bridegroom's absence1 and the hope of  
,his return4 ,in the spirit of their    
minds they had said that1 let ,his delay
 be long or short1 they must still wait1
 for that nothing could satisfy them but

 ,his presence4 ,the night of ,his      
absence might be long or short---they   
could not tell---they would not         
undertake to say4 ,it might be1 as to   
its length1 a summer night1 or a winter 
night4 ,but their hearts deeply owned   
this---that nothing could close1 nothing
 could turn that shadow of death into   
the morning1 but the restored presence  
of the ,bridegroom4 ,on this their souls
 were fixed4 ,and1 therefore1 they took 
vessels of oil1 as well as lamps4 ,they 
prepared for a night season1 they       
counted on a darksome time1 till ,jesus 
returned4 ,the expectation of their     
heart so supremely pointed to ,him1 that
 nothing could change hope to fruition  
but ,his presence2 they must be         
expecting1 expecting1 and still         
expecting1 till then4 ,hope to the end  
they purposed to do1 for the grace that 
was to be brought to them at the        
revelation of ,jesus ,christ4 ,it was a 
worshipping hope4  ,the early freshness 
faded1 ,i doubt not4 ,this may sustain  

us who are so conscious of the dulness  
and stupidity of our hearts4 ,the       
brightness of that moment when the lamp 
was first lit is dimmed4 ,while the     
,bridegroom tarried1 they all slumbered 
and slept4 ,but the reality of supreme  
delight in ,christ1 and desire after    
,him1 had not departed4 ,the vessels    
were still at the side of the slumbering
 virgins4 ,the oil had not to be bought1
 but only to be used afresh4  ,how does 
all this1 as in a parable1 tell of the  
heart cleaving to ,jesus6 ,and our      
,canticles express the same4 ,and our   
own poets have sung of this love1 as    
well as these mystic songs of the ,king 
of ,israel3        ,jesus has all my    
powers possess'd1         ,my hopes1 my 
fears1 my joys1       ,he1 the dear     
,sovereign of my breast1         ,shall 
still command my voice4        ,some of 
the fairest choirs above         ,shall 
flock around my song1       ,with joy to
 hear the name they love         ,sound 
from a mortal's tongue4   ,the ,church  

receives such breathings as not beyond  
the measure or the melody of the soul4  
,and we want these affections to make us
 happy1 and to set us free4 ,it is a    
divine method of delivering us from the 
tyranny of carnal or worldly desires4   
,it is the ,spirit's way of spoiling    
other attractions of their power to     
seduce and fill the heart1 and of       
lifting the soul above the frettings of 
low anxieties4 ,look at the commanding  
power of such affection in the poor     
sinner in ,luke vii4 ,working in her    
heart as it did1 she was deaf to the    
reproaches and blind to the splendours  
of the ,pharisee and his entertainment4 
,she knew only her ,object4 ,the feast  
and the guests were all lost upon her4  
,this was the power of affection in her4
 ,and what was the value of it to       
,christ8 ,nothing that it dictated or   
did passed ,his notice4 ,he appeared to 
be silent1 and but the passive ,receiver
 of her offerings2 but ,he had noted    
them all4 ,the tears1 and the kiss1 and 

the ointment1 and all1 had been noted in
 the book of ,his remembrance1 and they 
are read therefrom1 when the time for   
the opening of that book had come4  ,and
 look at the same in ,mary at the       
sepulchre4 ,she sees the angels4 ,and   
they were dazzling1 beautiful in their  
generation1 and wondrous to the eye of  
flesh and blood4 ,but what was all      
splendour to her then8 ,the dead body of
 her ,lord was her object1 the fond     
image of her heart1 and even heavenly   
glories can be passed by in the pursuit 
of it4 ,so with ,david of old4 ,his soul
 was full of joy in the ,lord4 ,he will 
dance before the ark1 he would play     
before the ,lord2 and if such were      
shame1 he purposed to be viler still4   
,as with ,zaccheus too1 not a king like 
,david1 but a mere citizen of ,jericho  
7for the ,spirit links rich and poor1   
high and low1 gentle and simple1 as we  
speak1 in one affection71 he would press
 through the crowd1 and without seeming 
to give the strangeness of the deed a   

thought1 climb into a sycamore tree in  
pursuit of the desire which then        
commanded his heart4  ,would that this1 
beloved1 were more shed abroad in our   
hearts6 ,how should we learn to         
entertain ,christ1 as this passion      
entertains or embalms its object6 ,and  
what a heaven it will be1 when ,he is   
ours in this way1 feeding this fire in  
our souls1 and giving us to know1 in    
,himself and in ,his beauties1 this     
seraph love without chill for ever and  
ever6  ,would that our hearts were      
longing for ,him6 ,this is what we find 
breathed in the ,canticles4 ,it is not  
filial love or grateful love that would 
ever send this message1 ,tell him that  
,i am sick of love4 ,it is more than    
that4 ,such is not the language of those
 affections1 but such is the language of
 the ,canticles4 ,and1 therefore1 we    
cannot say less of this book1 than that 
it is1 after a mystic manner1 the       
utterances of ,christ and of a living1  
espoused soul--all springing from the   

faith which gives the soul the happy    
assurance of acceptance and favour with 
,god through the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4  
,as to the structure of it as a         
composition1 ,i doubt not1 for a moment1
 the correctness of those who treat it  
as a collection of distinct idyls or    
little poems perfectly detached and     
separate from each other1 with no other 
connection than what they derive from a 
common subject1 the peculiarities of the
 style of a common author1 and perhaps  
some unity of design in the mystic      
sense1 which they are intended to bear4 
,the spiritual senses of the saints are 
to be exercised in discerning the       
beginnings and endings of these         
different canticles or little songs1 and
 in interpreting the holy mysteries they
 express4 ,different light1 and         
different enjoyment in doing it1 may    
surely be expected among us4 ,but that  
these songs or little poems are         
allegories1 we will none of us doubt4   
,the intercourses of an espoused pair   

are the imagery2 the love of ,christ and
 the saint1 the mystic sense4 ,and      
warranted1 ,i am sure1 are the          
suggestions of another on this subject1 
that there are those manifestations of  
,his love1 and those affections kindled 
in the heart towards the person of the  
,son of ,god1 which may well borrow     
their allusions from the tenderest and  
most powerful affection which subsists  
among men4 ,as the bridegroom rejoices  
over the bride1 so shall thy ,god       
rejoice over thee4 ,the ,lord thy ,god  
in the midst of thee is mighty2 ,he will
 save1 ,he will rejoice over thee with  
joy2 ,he will rest in ,his love1 ,he    
will joy over thee with singing4 ,so    
shall the king greatly desire thy       
beauty4 ,thou shalt abide for me many   
days 444 thou shalt not be for another  
man3 so will ,i also be for thee4       
,husbands1 love your wives1 even as     
,christ also loved the ,church4 ,these  
and kindred passages1 with many typical 
histories in ,scripture1 and some       

ordinances of the law1 all warrant this 
thought1 as well as the character of the
 ,spirit's inworking at times in the    
souls of the saints4   ,the divine      
authority of this book has never been   
questioned in any way worthy of the     
least regard from those who walk simply 
in the light of ,god1 refusing man and  
his thoughts and his wisdom4 ,where is  
the wise8 where is the scribe8 where is 
the disputer of this world8 ,it was ever
 reverenced by the ,jews as a part of   
the oracles of ,god1 and in that        
character1 we may assure ourselves1     
received the sanction of ,christ1 and of
 the ,holy ,ghost in the ,apostles4 ,no 
one should pause for a moment to admit  
its value to the soul of the saint4 ,we 
may1 as has been well said1 form but a  
guess concerning some of its beauties1  
but1 in the hands of a ,christian1 it is
 invested with a brighter lustre than   
they could have discerned1 who read it  
in the days of ,solomon4 ,for though1 in
 regard to the exterior imagery of the  

allegories1 some of their beauties may  
be lost1 the hidden mystic sense is     
brought more to light1 and manifested   
with fuller assurance to the believer   
under the ,gospel dispensation4 ',for ,i
 tell you that many prophets and kings  
have desired to see those things which  
ye see1 and have not seen them4'        
,there is no inquiry into the fact or   
the ground or the nature of our         
acceptance with ,god1 in this book4     
,such questions and inquiries are       
settled beforehand4 ,the communion is   
upon the settlement of them all1 as ,i  
have already noticed4 ,acceptance with  
,god is known4 ,it is delight in        
,christ1 occupation with ,himself1 that 
we get here4 ,it is not the finding of  
,him out1 nor is it the confession of   
sins4 ,the communion is a sinner's      
communion1 most surely--but it is of a  
consciously pardoned1 accepted1 and     
loved sinner4 ,and when any sorrow or   
repentance is felt or owned1 it is not  
for any blot or open transgression1 but 

for some spiritual backsliding1 some    
momentary coldness1 some infirmity in   
maintaining or cultivating the soul's   
due fervour4 ,this is much to be        
observed4 ,nothing gross1 or even open1 
in conduct--nothing established as a    
habit is detected here--nothing that a  
soul that had not been already in simple
 and earnest fellowship with ,jesus     
would have been apprehensive of4 ,it is 
only a present1 temporary slothfulness  
of heart4 ,the very repentance and      
confession is of such a nature as       
intimates the fine tone of the soul that
 could feel and make it4 ,the contact or
 touch is so tender1 that the very      
perception of it speaks the delicacy of 
the organ which met it and resented it4 
,but what an element is this6 ,oh1 how  
coarse1 beloved1 are our sensibilities  
compared with all this4 ,our poor souls 
are rarely here2 they are engaged       
ofttimes in doing first works again1 in 
grieving over the advantages which our  
lusts have taken of us1 the surprisals  

which the heat of wrong tempers has     
wrought1 and such like things4 ,but all 
such occupation of the soul keeps us    
below this pure and spiritual delight in
 ,christ1 this sickness of love1 this   
breathing on the mountains of myrrh1 and
 this dressing and keeping of the garden
 of spices1 here so blessedly presented4
 ,surely it is but little of this we    
know4 ,is ,god our exceeding joy8 ,is it
 in the chambers of the ,king1 in       
thoughts of glory1 we walk8 ,is our     
spikenard greeting our ,lord1 and are   
our souls able to call ,him nothing less
 than our ,beloved8 ,it were well indeed
 if such affections as these were       
filling and commanding our hearts4 ,then
 should we have weapons of sure victory 
wherewith to meet our enemies1 and to   
beat down the intrusive desires and     
thoughts that defile us so often4 ,in   
the figurative style of another we may  
say3 ,as when1 in a clear morning1 the  
rising sun vouchsafes to visit us1 the  
bright stars which did adorn our        

hemisphere1 as well as those dark shades
 which did benight it1 vanish4 ,lust    
could not with any power come against a 
soul thus occupied4 ,this joy of the    
,lord would indeed be our strength4 ,for
 what a dwelling-place opens here for   
faith to enter6 ,what a banqueting-house
 for the soul6 ,how far distant from    
fear and clouds of conscience such      
regions lie6 ,the land of the turtle is 
this1 the garden of all pleasant fruits4
  ,but where is the precious faith to   
enter it and walk there8 ,we need to cry
 for largeness of heart in the bowels of
 ,christ ,jesus4 ,it is of influence on 
the whole soul to be occupied with such 
affections4 ,it strengthens and         
sanctifies--for all questions of our    
standing are anticipated1 and our energy
 in meeting temptation is increased1 and
 thus the liberty and purity of the soul
 are secured4 ,for how can the thought  
of condemnation or the temptation to    
defilement be entertained1 when the     
believer is seeking to reach more into  

the light and joy of such communion as  
this8 ,does it not lead him into more   
than a mere escape from a spirit of     
bondage1 or from practical evil8 ,is it 
not the divine method of making him more
 than conqueror8  ,as expressing such   
communion as this1 this book of the     
,song of ,songs may suit any saint4     
,not1 however1 that ,i mean1 that we may
 necessarily follow one path of         
experience1 and go from one stage       
therein to another4 ,but according to   
the soul's enlarging knowledge of       
,jesus1 so will1 of course1 be its      
enlarging experience4 ,and there ought  
to be progress--as we read1 ,grow in    
grace1 and in the knowledge of our ,lord
 and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ4 ,and as   
the different relations in which the    
,lord stands to us are apprehended and  
embraced by the soul1 corresponding     
experiences will arise1 for experience  
is our entrance into the power of these 
relations4 ,and the ,canticles ,i judge 
to be the utterances of the soul at one 

point of this journey1 from the first   
quickening to the full and final        
enjoyment4 ,it is not the experience of 
,rebecca when first awakened to leave   
,mesopotamia1 nor of ,ruth1 when first  
made ready1 in ,moab1 to take the ,god  
of ,naomi as her ,god1 nor as afterwards
 a gleaner in the field--it is the      
exercise of ,rebecca's heart1 while on  
the way to ,isaac1 listening to the     
tales of her gracious and wise          
conductor1 and of ,ruth at the feet of  
,boaz1 as the suitor of his hand and    
name4  ,this is the general moral of the
 book4 ,but this being so1 ,i can the   
more admire the perfectness of the      
,spirit in making this a short book4 ,it
 is of too intimate a character to have 
been much spread out4 ,it lies within4  
,it is the recesses of the ,temple4 ,it 
was called by the ,jews the holy of     
holies4 ,and that was the smallest      
place1 as well as the most retired4 ,it 
expressed the deepest character of      
communion with ,god4 ,there was one     

communion at the ,brazen ,altar or the  
,brazen ,laver in the courts--another in
 the holy place1 at the ,table1 the     
,candlestick1 and the ,altar--and       
another in the presence of the ,lord    
,himself1 in the holiest4 ,and of this  
character of communion is that which the
 ,canticles express4 ,it may be that the
 soul cannot at all times enter into it4
 ,ruth would not have been prepared for 
laying herself at the feet of ,boaz when
 she entered his field as a gleaner4    
,the teaching she got from ,naomi was   
needed to bring her into the            
threshing-floor4  ,and this little book 
seems to open with the soul expressing  
all this4 ,it opens with strong and     
fervent desire toward ,himself2 reaching
 forth to apprehend ,him in some more   
intimate manner than had been previously
 understood4 ,it is as though the saint 
had been conscious of being in a lower  
condition than would now satisfy4 ,for  
at times the soul rests itself simply on
 the firm ground of doctrines2 such as  

,the blood of ,jesus ,christ ,his ,son  
cleanseth us from all sin4 ,it is the   
simple and sure power of such truth that
 alone answers1 at times1 the need of   
the soul4 ,but again1 at times1 the     
ground under our feet1 as believers1 is 
understood and rested on1 and it is the 
,lord ,himself that the soul desires4   
,and such is its condition here4 ,let   
,him kiss me with the kisses of ,his    
mouth4 ,she had been keeping the        
vineyards--attending to things abroad1  
but now was learning that her own       
vineyard had been neglected2 and the    
deeper things of personal fellowship are
 longed for4 ,the saint is leaving      
,martha's and taking ,mary's place1     
longing to feed under ,his own eye and  
from ,his own hand1 and not another's4  
,and at the close1 the soul appears to  
know that it had become a keeper of its 
own vineyard4 ,at the beginning there   
had been the grief that the vineyards of
 others had been kept1 but that her own 
had been neglected 7i4 #f72 but now1 it 

is conscious of being more at home1 more
 about its own vineyard2 as though it   
had left the ,martha place1 busy about  
many things1 and assumed the ,mary      
place1 at the feet of ,jesus in personal
 communion4 viii4 #ab4  ,this is the    
advance1 the conscious1 happy advance1  
which the soul makes through these      
exercises4 ,it has reached a higher     
order of communion with the ,lord1 and  
it desires that this may continue till  
,jesus return4   ,the very style of the 
writing1 too1 is just that which suits  
the heart under the power of a          
commanding affection4 ,let ,him kiss me 
with the kisses of ,his mouth--like     
,mary ,magdalene to the supposed        
gardener--,if thou have borne ,him      
hence--both meaning ,christ1 but neither
 naming ,him4 ,for the heart had been   
before taken up with the thoughts of    
,him1 and to this relative these        
thoughts were the antecedent--that good 
matter which the heart was inditing4    
,for they that are full of ,christ      

themselves are ready to think that      
others should be so too4 ,or1 it is as  
the language of the ,apostle1 who means 
the day of glory and of the kingdom     
without naming it1 when he says1 ,i know
 whom ,i have believed1 and am persuaded
 that ,he is able to keep that which ,i 
have committed unto ,him against that   
day2 and again1 ,henceforth there is    
laid up for me a crown of righteousness1
 which the ,lord1 the righteous judge1  
shall give me at that day4  ,thus is it1
 in the very style and manner of the    
renewed mind1 eyeing1 as it does1 both  
the ,lord ,himself and the glory4 ,and  
blessed are these affections4 ,the truth
 or the doctrine of the ,gospel is no   
cold1 rigid system4 ,surely our souls   
must know this4 ,it is at times laid    
down in propositions1 taking the form of
 an argument1 deducing conclusions from 
adequate and proved premises4 ,but still
 the ,gospel calls for the warmest      
affections1 and abundantly provides for 
them4 ,even the ,canticles themselves   

never pass beyond the strict bounds of  
the ,gospel--they never exceed that     
measure which the strictest rules of    
evangelic truth would prescribe4 ,so    
that we should interpret these little   
songs or idyls in the light of the      
didactic ,scriptures1 as we may         
profitably read those ,scriptures in the
 warmth of these ,canticles4 ,the       
,apostle says1 ,i have espoused you to  
one ,husband1 that ,i may present you as
 a chaste virgin to ,christ4 ,this      
assumes all that is in the ,canticles4  
,and in this way1 the ,gospel1 in its   
strictest meaning1 will account for all 
that is in ,solomon's ,song4 ,the latter
 delineates those affections which well 
suit such truths and revelations as the 
former teaches or delivers4 ,but this   
being so important1 as ,i judge1 ,i     
desire to instance it in a few          
particulars4  ,in these idyls1 the ,lord
 looks on the saint as altogether       
lovely4 ,and so in ,his eyes is the     
believer4 ,a sinner in himself1 he has1 

by faith1 taken on him the beauty of    
,christ4 ,he is in ,him4 ,he has the    
righteousness of ,god upon him4 ,he is  
accepted in the ,beloved4 ,faith alone  
gives him all this comeliness4 ,he has  
been baptized into ,christ1 and put on  
,christ4 ,this is the beauty of the     
believer2 and he is lovely in ,christ's 
eye1 as the ,canticles again and again  
express4  ,indeed in this form of beauty
 there can be no spot4 ,for it is       
,christ ,himself that the believer is   
arrayed with4 ,the very best robe in the
 ,father's house is on him4 ,it is a    
spotless beauty he shines in4 ,the      
doctrine of the ,gospel teaches us this1
 and here ,christ utters ,his delight in
 it2 such harmonies are there between   
the ,gospels and the ,canticles4  ,but  
further4 ,in the mystery of ,christ and 
the believer1 ,christ has a mountain of 
myrrh to which ,he here invites the     
believer to turn his steps--and ,st4    
,paul exhorts us1 ,if ye then be risen  
with ,christ1 seek those things which   

are above1 where ,christ sitteth4 ,the  
believer mounts those hills with ,jesus 
as here invited1 and as in the ,gospel  
exhorted4 ,his conversation is in       
heaven4 ,in ,christ he sits in heavenly 
places4 ,and he savours of the myrrh and
 the frankincense which are there4      
,again1 the ,lord delights in the graces
 of ,his saint4 ,he rests1 with the love
 of complacency1 in the believer who    
walks in the ,spirit before ,him4 ,john 
xv4 #aj4 ,she is an enclosed garden     
under ,his eye1 a spring shut up1 a     
fountain sealed4 ,as we read1 the       
,spirit is in him1 a well of water      
springing up into everlasting life4 ,he 
has the savour of the spices1 and the   
flowings of the living water1 in        
himself1 and the fragrancy and freshness
 of these gladden his ,lord anew4 ,this 
is the teaching of the ,gospel1 and this
 is the language of ,christ in the      
,canticles4 ,he delights in what is in  
us through the ,spirit1 as well as in   
what is on us through faith4 ,he has    

,his joy in the places of communion with
 ,his elect here1 as in the heaven to   
which ,he has ascended4  ,this is       
largely told us in ,scripture4 ,hearken1
 ,o daughter1 and consider1 and incline 
thine ear2 forget also thine own people 
and thy father's house1 so shall the    
,king greatly desire thy beauty2 for ,he
 is thy ,lord1 and worship thou ,him4   
,psalm xlv4 ,here is something beyond   
imputed beauty4 ,for here we learn the  
grace in her which kindles ,his desire4 
,she has forgotten her own people and   
her father's house1 so the ,king desires
 her4 ,and she owns ,him as ,lord1 and  
worships ,him4 ,she will render ,him    
affection and homage4 ,and all of this  
suited and attractive grace was shown in
 ,rebecca4 ,she left all for ,isaac4    
,she forgot her own people and her      
father's house1 and came across an      
unknown desert in company with a        
stranger1 in the singleness and         
devotedness of an undivided heart4 ,and 
on reaching him for whom she had        

consented to all this1 she lights from  
her beast1 and veils herself4 ,she puts 
on the ornament of a meek and quiet     
spirit4 ,she arrays herself in          
shamefacedness and sobriety4 ,she loves1
 and yet bows4 ,and so ,isaac desires   
her4 ,and so is the ,church to be       
subject to ,christ1 and yet love ,him   
with virgin love4 ,eph4 v42 #b ,cor4 xi4
 #b4cc   #cc ,affection begets          
confidence4 ,rebecca committed herself  
to ,eliezer1       never asking her     
father or brother for an escort4 ,so the
 more       singly we love ,jesus1 the  
more confidently will our souls trust   
,him and ,his supplies for us alone1    
without confidence in the flesh       or
 anything else4  ,and in the ,canticles 
we find the ,spirit of ,christ inviting 
,his saint into the liberty of this     
present time1 into the atmosphere of a  
house where the cry of adoption is      
heard4 ,all the darker and colder age is
 passed4 ,all that dispensation which   
kept the soul in bondage and fear is    

over4 ,the voice of the turtle is heard2
 the voice of that perfect love which   
casts out fear4 ,the darkness is past1  
and the true light now shineth1 says    
,st4 ,john1 as though he had the        
,canticles in mind4 ,the saint should   
now arise1 taking his place as the loved
 and the fair one1 being in the full    
consciousness of personal unspottedness 
and beauty1 through grace1 and of his   
,lord's perfect favour and delight4 ,he 
should come away from the spirit of     
fear1 and pass over into the spirit of  
love and of power and of a sound mind4  
,for all in the dispensation is         
gladdening4 ,the flowers appear on the  
earth1 and the singing of birds is      
heard4 ,all is promise1 all pledge1 and 
earnest1 and seal1 and unction4  ,and   
again1 if the betrothed one of the      
,canticles say1 ,while the ,king sitteth
 at ,his table1 my spikenard sendeth    
forth the smell thereof1 the disciple in
 the gospel does this4 ,john xii4 #c4   
,and1 according to all this1 we may     

observe how some of the tenderest       
utterances of this book are warranted by
 the simple narratives of the ,gospel4  
,if the beloved watch over the restored 
soul with the fondest jealousy1 not     
allowing the busy foot of others to     
disturb the silent1 hidden rest of the  
loved one1 what does ,jesus do in the   
favoured house at ,bethany less than    
this8 ,how does ,he check the motions of
 ,martha8 ,ch4 ii4 #g2 ,luke x4 #da4cd  
#cd ,till she please1 it ought to be1 as
 the love is the female       in this   
book4 ,ch4 ii4 #g2 iii4 #e2 vii4 #d4    
,the great moral principles of truth are
 also strictly and fully understood     
here1 though under very delicate and    
spiritual illustrations4 ,st4 ,james    
says1 ,ye ask1 and receive not1 because 
ye ask amiss1 that ye may consume it    
upon your lusts4 ,in this book we read1 
,by night upon my bed ,i sought ,him    
whom my soul loveth2 ,i sought ,him1 but
 ,i found ,him not4 ,the great moral    
principle1 that there is a seeking which

 does not find1 is equally owned in each
 of these scriptures2 but the one has a 
much more delicate exhibition of it than
 the other4 ,jesus is here sought on the
 bed1 that is1 in some listlessness of  
mind4 ,the bed may be the place of      
meditation 7,psalm lxiii42 ,isa4 xxvi471
 but not of seeking1 which demands      
action4 ,and thus the seeker on the bed1
 the listless1 drowsy inquirer after the
 ,lord1 will not1 till he pass through  
discipline1 as here 7iii4 #a-e71 find   
,him4  ,if ,christ again and again      
express ,his deep satisfaction in her1  
through this book1 what have we less    
than this in the strict teaching of     
,scripture8 ,did ,he not find1 at the   
beginning1 that ,his delights were with 
the sons of men8 and at the end1 when   
,he sees of the travail of ,his soul for
 us1 will ,he not be satisfied8 ,prov4  
viii42 ,isa4 liii4 ,if the sinner be    
content with ,him1 so is ,he equally    
with the sinner4 ,the woman at the well1
 it is true1 forgot her waterpot for    

,him2 but ,he forgot ,his thirst for    
her1 and that was greater4 ,and then1 in
 like enjoyment of spirit1 ,he said1 on 
the very same occasion1 ,i have meat to 
eat that ye know not of4 ,john iv4      
,from the first to the latest moment of 
our ,christian history1 our power to    
refresh the mind of our ,lord is deeply 
and fully owned in ,scripture4 ,our     
earliest confidence in ,him as sinners  
sets ,him at once at a feast 7as we have
 just seen1 ,john iv4 #cb71 there to    
make merry with his friends 7,luke xv4  
#i72 for angels rejoice4 ,the recovery  
of a wanderer has like joy for ,him4    
,read the utterance of the divine       
affection over repentant ,ephraim1 in   
,jer4 xxxi4 #bj4 ,and what under the    
eye1 and to the heart of our ,lord1 are 
the comely walk of the saints1 and their
 goings in the sanctuary8 ,is not a meek
 and quiet spirit in ,god's sight of    
great price8 ,does not the pure         
behaviour of the believer please ,him1  
convey complacency or delight to the    

divine mind8 #a ,thess4 iv4 #a4 ,and how
 is such complacency in us witnessed    
again and again by the promise that ,he 
will manifest ,himself to us1 and make  
,his abode with us6 ,john xiv4  ,does   
not all this make good the suggestions  
of this book8 ,and so1 in the ,gospels  
as well as in the ,canticles1 is not    
,christ borne away in the chariots of   
,amminadib1 the chariots of ,his willing
 people8 ,where1 ,i ask1 did the report 
of the seventy bear ,him8 ,luke x4 #ag1 
#ah4 ,where did the desire of the       
,greeks translate ,him8 ,john xii4      
#ba-bc4 ,and the faith of the ,gentile  
soldier could1 for a moment1 hold ,his  
spirit in delight and admiration1 and   
then bear ,him onward to the glory1 when
 the ,east and the ,west shall send home
 the children of the kingdom with       
,abraham and ,isaac and ,jacob4 ,matt4  
viii4 #h-aa4  ,but the affection which  
can be thus gratified may be wounded4   
,these are among the properties of love4
 ,you may grieve as well as refresh the 

loving heart4 ,and so it is with our    
,lord1 both in the ,canticles and in the
 ,gospels2 as we read also in the       
,epistles1 ,grieve not the ,holy ,spirit
 of ,god1 whereby ye are sealed unto the
 day of redemption4  ,and again4 ,the   
betrothed one here knows that the       
heavens 7symbolized by hills and        
mountains7 have received her ,beloved4  
,but she knows also that though ,he be  
at home there1 like a roe or a young    
hart upon its native hills1 yet that ,he
 delights in communion with her1 and    
visits her1 desirously looking through  
the lattices4 ,and further still2 she   
knows that her duty it is to watch      
against intrusion and disturbance1 as   
the keepers of a vineyard would watch   
against the young foxes4 ,and ,i ask1   
,is not all this the truth1 the         
enjoyment1 and the practical energy1    
again and again recognized and enforced 
in the teaching of the ,gospel8 ,we know
 that the heavens have received ,jesus  
until the times of refreshing4 ,we know 

that ,he makes ,his present abode with  
the saint1 and manifests ,himself to    
him1 as ,he does not unto the world4    
,and we know that there is to be energy 
and watchfulness that we walk in the    
spirit1 and not in the flesh1 if we     
would taste and enjoy these             
manifestations of ,his name to our      
souls4  ,so1 still further1 there is a  
garden1 in this book1 under the tillage 
of the north wind and the south wind1   
that it may yield its fruits and its    
spices to the ,lord4 ,and does not the  
severer style of the ,new ,testament    
abundantly admit the idea8 ,the ,father 
,himself is the ,husbandman of a vine   
which ,he digs about and dungs2 and the 
saint is as a field that drinketh in the
 rain from heaven1 to yield herbs meet  
for ,him by whom it is dressed4 ,john   
xv42 ,heb4 vi4  ,in the imagery here we 
have ,christ as a ,suitor at the door1  
asking of the one ,he loves admission   
from the drops of the night2 and in the 
,new ,testament we have ,him standing   

and knocking at the reluctant heart1    
desiring that entertainment which       
revived and zealous affection would     
surely provide ,him4 ,rev4 iii4 #bj4    
,and well for us1 beloved1 if our       
lukewarm ,laodiceanism do but depart1   
like the drowsiness of this dear one in 
this lovely mystic song4 ,chap4 v4      
#b-af4  ,and ,i know not that the       
constant self-congratulation of the     
espoused one in this book is a whit     
beyond that of ,paul4 ,she can always   
talk of her ,beloved being hers1 and say
 moreover1 ,i am my ,beloved's1 and ,his
 desire is towards me4 ,but he can also 
always1 in spirit1 sing 7let the toil   
and wear of life be what they may71 ,the
 life that ,i live in the flesh ,i live 
by the faith of the ,son of ,god1 ,who  
loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,and
 that is the language of ,paul1 happy in
 the assurance of ,christ's devoted love
 to him4#ce   #ce ,it is commonly       
interpreted as though ,paul1 in ,gal4   
ii4 #bj1 were       expressing his      

devotedness to his ,master4 ,but this is
 not so4       ,this robs the verse of  
its exquisite glory4 ,he is rather      
speaking       of the joy of his soul in
 the knowledge of what a devoted and    
glorious ,lover he had4  ,if1 ,i may    
also say1 in the imagery of this book1  
the loved saint can say1 ,i sat down    
under ,his shadow with great delight1   
and ,his fruit was sweet to my taste1   
the plainer style of an epistle is not  
less fervent4 ,whom having not seen1 ye 
love2 in ,whom1 though now ye see ,him  
not1 yet believing1 ye rejoice with joy 
unspeakable and full of glory4 ,surely  
the heart is equally in possession of an
 ,object which it knows is fitted to    
answer all its desires4  ,and further   
still4 ,we have1 in the actions of this 
book1 souls in different elevations1 the
 betrothed one1 and the daughters of    
,jerusalem4 ,how much is that known     
among themselves1 and contemplated in   
the illustrations and teachings of the  
,new ,testament6 ,all are not fully     

formed--not fully in the measure of the 
stature1 so to express it4 ,we have a   
little sister1 and she hath no breasts4 
,all are not alike in the liberty of the
 dispensation4 ,such draw out the       
sympathy of the saint established in the
 grace of ,god1 and solicitous care1 and
 prayer1 and inquiry of the ,lord1 are  
made about such1 as here4 ,see chap4    
viii4 #h4  ,indeed1 ,i know not that    
anything can be more in the harmonies of
 the ,spirit1 in the combined and       
glowing lights of the ,gospel1 than the 
utterance of the betrothed one in this  
short passage4 ,chap4 viii4 #h-aj4 ,the 
actings of her soul1 both towards others
 and towards the ,lord1 are the         
,spirit's sweetest and choicest         
workmanship4 ,she has respect to the    
infirmity of the weak1 desiring for them
 strength and edifying in the fuller    
measure of ,christ1 and yet all the time
 owning full oneness and relationship   
with them in ,him1 while she rejoices in
 her own certain1 happy assurance1 and  

the fulness of her growth1 even to an   
ecstasy1 that her breasts were like     
towers6 and because of that1 knowing her
 ,lord's favour towards her1 and delight
 in her4 ,and sure we may be1 that all  
this is purely and richly the way of a  
believing1 renewed soul4 ,full adoption 
of the weak1 with desires for their     
larger liberty and assurance1 and yet   
certainty of personal standing in the   
most undimmed joy of entire assurance1  
with perfect persuasion that all this   
liberty and confidence were thoroughly  
to the heart and mind of ,jesus4        
,nothing can be more perfect1 ,i        
believe1 than all this in the harmonies 
and lights of a spiritual mind1         
according to the strictest sense of     
evangelic truth4  ,so again and again1  
in the gospel history1 we find ,jesus   
led to forget ,his sorrows when         
beholding faith in a sinner4 ,he found  
there1 as ,i have already stated1 the   
refreshment of ,his spirit4 ,he found a 
transient forgetting of ,his sorrows    

among the ,samaritans1 from the         
,centurion1 from ,zaccheus1 and from the
 spikenard and fellowship of ,mary4 ,he 
seeks the same here4 ,he comes to ,his  
espoused one1 that ,he might find1 in   
fellowship with her1 some other and far 
different thing than that rejection and 
refusal which ,he was ever meeting in   
the world4 ,and is it not also so1 that 
if the saint be sluggish and careless1  
the faithful kindred in ,christ will    
help the discipline8 ,if ,jesus say1    
,could ye not watch with ,me one hour8  
,paul will say1 ,quit you like men1 be  
strong4 ,so in the action of this book4 
,jesus leaves a memorial of the soul's  
drowsiness on the hole of the door1 that
 the conscience may take alarm2 and the 
watchman of the city smite her1 and the 
keepers of the walls draw the veil from 
her face4 ,chap4 v4  ,the harmonies of  
the one ,spirit are heard in all this4  
,and so1 in the course of these little  
songs1 ,i discern the way of the ,lord  
toward a repentant1 recovered soul4 ,see

 chap4 vi4 #d-ac4 ,she had just refused 
to open her door to ,him1 but1 through  
discipline1 had been brought to fervent 
communion with ,him again4 v4 #b-vi4 #c4
 ,and now ,his eye and ,his heart are   
full of her again4 ,he looks on her as  
beautiful as ever4 ,she is ,his         
undefiled1 and nothing less2 no         
upbraidings pass ,his lips4 ,her motion 
towards ,him is comely and graceful in  
,his esteem4 ,and ,he lets her know that
 her repentance had given ,him pleasant 
and wondrous refreshment4 ,as soon as   
she was made willing 7,psalm cx4 #b71   
,he got into a chariot to bear ,him away
 speedily and joyously to her4 vi4 #ab1 
margin4 ,she may be a wonder to herself1
 she may take a place unworthy of any   
notice 7v4 #ac72 but the ,lord and      
angels rejoice over her4 ,as we know in 
the ,gospels1 the ninety and nine just  
ones can be left for the one prodigal2  
the angels in heaven rejoice2 the house 
makes merry2 the friends of the beloved 
triumph over the returned ,shulamite4   

,she is like the returned ,jacob3 the   
,mahanaim1 the hosts of ,god1 salute    
them both1 wait at the threshold of the 
land or of the house1 to do their       
,lord's pleasure toward them1 and       
express ,his welcome and concern for    
them4 ,gen4 xxxii4 #a2 ,cant4 vi4 #ac4cf
   #cf ,another once observed to me1    
that in the ,canticles1 the ,beloved    
expresses directly to herself the       
beauties ,he discerns in her2       the 
betrothed one never does this1 but      
recites ,his beauties in       the ears 
of others2 and further observed1 that   
there was great       moral propriety in
 this1 something quite according to the 
dictate       of a delicate affection4  
,and what is the longing here but that  
the day should break8 ,and what is the  
longing of the same soul in the words of
 the ,gospel8 ,come1 ,lord ,jesus1 come 
quickly1--so largely and so exactly do  
the teachings and the breathings of the 
,new ,testament1 in these and kindred   
ways1 measure the affections of the     

heart in this book8 ,christ dwells in   
the heart by faith4 ,christ lies all    
night between the breasts4 ,eph4 iii4   
#ag2 ,cant4 i4 #ac4 ,and has not the    
saint attuned his heart over ,jesus in  
language of like fervour1 such as we all
 use without shame8        ,how tedious 
and tasteless the hours         ,when   
,jesus no longer ,i see1       ,sweet   
prospects1 sweet birds1 and sweet       
flowers1         ,have lost all their   
sweetness for me2       ,the midsummer  
sun shines but dim1         ,the fields 
strive in vain to look gay1       ,but  
when ,i am happy in ,him1               
,december's as pleasant as ,may4        
,his name yields the richest perfume1   
,and sweeter than music ,his voice1     
,his presence disperses my gloom1       
,and makes all within me rejoice3       
,i should1 were ,he always so nigh1     
,have nothing to wish or to fear1       
,no mortal so happy as ,i1         ,my  
summer would last the whole year4       
,these are among the seals set upon this

 beautiful portion of ,god's ,word by   
the spiritual mind of the believer1 and 
also by kindred truths and principles   
found in other scriptures4 ,and it has  
been happily said1 that if there be no  
express allusion to this book in the    
,new ,testament1 the same allegory1 as  
portraying the same truth1 evidently    
appears to have been familiar to the    
minds of the writers of it1 and to the  
minds also of the people whom they      
addressed4 ,not more abruptly does ,john
 the ,baptist1 for instance1 refer to   
our ,lord as 'the ,lamb of ,god who     
taketh away the sin of the world1' as   
being the character of the ,messiah     
which all would know and understand1    
than he does to the same blessed ,person
 in the character of the ,bridegroom of 
the ,church--'he that hath the ,bride is
 the ,bridegroom4'  ,and is it not      
seasonable1 in these days of growing    
irreligiousness and worldliness1 to warn
 one another1 beloved1 to keep our minds
 incorrupt in the simplicity that is in 

,christ8 ,in the preparation-season1    
which the present age is1 and which the 
,canticles contemplate1 ,eve was getting
 ready1 under the forming hand of ,god1 
for ,adam1 and for ,adam only4 ,adam    
slept for ,eve1 and ,eve was made for   
,adam4 ,so with ,christ and the ,church4
 ,he slept in death for us1 and we are  
preparing1 under the ,holy ,ghost1 for  
,him4 ,i have espoused you to one       
husband1 that ,i may present you as a   
chaste virgin to ,christ4 ,as he says   
also in another place1 ,my little       
children1 of whom ,i travail in birth   
again till ,christ be formed in you1    
,christ1 and ,christ only1 ,christ in   
,his precious sufficiency for a sinner1 
in answer to the ,hagar or ,galatian    
thought of days1 and months1 and times1 
and years1 that other gospel which yet  
is not another4  ,but this is assailed4 
,the ,gospel1 in its claim on the sinner
 to give his undivided confidence to    
,christ1 has been abroad on the lips of 
a thousand witnesses1 to the gladdening 

of thousands of souls4 ,the enemy has   
watched and hated this4 ,working in the 
scene in which he goes to and fro and up
 and down 7,job i4 #g71 he is busy to   
seduce the heart from this ,gospel4 ,and
 is not his success far beyond the      
measure of the fears of any of us8 ,the 
religion of fleshly confidences or of   
ordinances is to this hour among us4 ,it
 admits of worldliness2 and worldliness 
is1 at this same hour1 flourishing in   
company with it4 ,there is the erection 
of temples for worship1 and of palaces  
for the worshippers2 stricter care to   
observe1 in its season1 due attendance  
in the sanctuary1 together with         
unparalleled skill and energy and       
enterprise in advancing the indulgence  
and elegance of human life1 so as to    
make the world a desirable and safe     
place to live in--a place where religion
 may now be seen to be observed and     
honoured4  ,this is all seductive from  
the principle of faith--this is         
corruption of the mind from the         

simplicity that is in ,christ4 ,the     
,gospel addresses itself to man1 not    
only as a guilty but as a religious     
creature4 ,it finds him under the power 
of superstition or religiousness1 as    
well as of sin4 ,it is as natural for   
man to refuse to go into the            
judgment-hall lest he should be defiled1
 as it is1 in very enmity to ,god1 to   
cry out1 ,crucify ,him1 crucify ,him4   
,and the ,gospel gets as stern a refusal
 from the religious man as from the     
lustful man4 ,as the ,divine ,teacher   
tells us1 the harlot goes into the      
kingdom before the ,pharisee4           
,religious vanities are deeply playing  
their part in our day1 and fascinating  
many souls4 ,what answer1 beloved1 do   
you and ,i give them8 ,is ,jesus so     
precious that no allurement has power8  
,is the virgin purity of the mind still 
kept8 and as chaste ones are we still   
betrothed to ,christ only8 ,like the    
newly-formed ,eve1 are we in our place  
of earliest1 freshest presentation to   

our ,lord8 or have we1 apart from ,his  
side1 opened our ear to the serpent8    
,the kingdom of heaven is as a supper1 a
 royal1 joyous feast got ready for      
sinners1 that they might taste and see  
that the ,lord is good1 and that blessed
 is the man that trusteth in ,him4 ,it  
does not put ,god in the place of a     
receiver1 for man to bring ,him ,his    
due2 but it puts ,him in the place of a 
giver1 and man is called to value ,his  
blessing4 ,but the question is1 ,who    
listens1 with desirous heart1 to the    
bidding8 ,who wears the wedding garment8
 ,who prizes ,christ8 ,who triumphs in  
,his salvation8 ,who longs for the day  
of ,his espousals8 ,john had this       
garment on him1 knowing1 as he did1 the 
joy of being the ,bridegroom's friend4  
,it was flowing at liberty on ,mary's   
shoulders1 as she sat at her ,lord's    
feet and heard ,his words4 ,paul tucked 
it tight about him when he said1 ,god   
forbid that ,i should glory save in the 
cross of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the 

eunuch had just put it on as he went his
 way rejoicing in the faith of the name 
of ,jesus4 ,every sinner adorns himself 
with it the moment his heart values     
,christ4 ,and what joy is it thus to    
know that when we put on ,christ it is  
not sackcloth we put on1 nor is it the  
spirit of heaviness we enter into1 but a
 wedding garment has clothed us1 and    
with the garment of praise we array our 
spirits6  ,have we thus learned the     
kingdom of heaven8 ,have we1 in spirit1 
entered it as a banqueting-hall where   
both magnificence and joy welcome us8   
,are we1 consciously1 guests at the     
marriage of a ,king's ,son8 ,have we    
learnt the mysteries of the faith8 ,have
 we gazed at them8 ,has the musing over 
them kindled a fire in the heart to burn
 up the chaff of worldly rudiments8     
,paul had this element in his soul as he
 travelled through ,greece4 ,and how did
 the glow of these mysteries address    
itself to the princes of the world      
there8 ,it consumed them all4 ,where is 

the wise8 where is the scribe8 where is 
the disputer of this world8 ,precious   
ardour of the ,spirit6 ,what a pile was 
thus fired in the famed cities of the   
learned and the wise6 and how were all  
the thoughts of men thrown as rubbish   
into it6  ,and how did he treat the     
rudiments of the religious world8 ,he   
bore the same fervent sense of ,christ  
with him into their regions1 to test    
what chaff and dross were there4 ,in    
,galatia he found much of it2 but he    
spared none of it4 ,though an angel from
 heaven gather such rubbish2 though     
,peter himself help in the work2 though 
the ,galatians1 who once would have     
plucked out their eyes for him1 be      
enticed1 nothing should stand before the
 heat of the ,spirit that bore him      
onward4 ,o foolish ,galatians1 who hath 
bewitched you8444 ,ye observe days1 and 
months1 and times1 and years4 ,i am     
afraid of you4  ,could he do less8      
,could he carry ,jesus in his heart1 and
 calmly stand and measure his light with

 the lights of ,greece1 or ,god's great 
ordinance with man's traditions8  ,it is
 to make much of ,christ we want1       
beloved--much of ,himself1 and ,his     
glorious achievements for sinners4 ,we  
want simplicity in that sense of the    
word--the breathings of a soul content  
with ,him1 and the peace of a conscience
 for ever at rest in ,his sufficiency4  
,what think ye of ,christ8 is the test1 
as a dear hymn well known among us has  
it--        ,some call ,him a ,saviour1 
in word1         ,but mix their own     
works with ,his plan1       ,and hope   
,he ,his help will afford1         ,when
 they have done all that they can3      
,if doing prove rather too light        
7,a little they own they may fail71     
,they purpose to make up full weight    
,by casting ,his name in the scale4     
,some style ,him the pearl of great     
price1         ,and say ,he's the       
fountain of joys1       ,yet feed upon  
folly and vice1         ,and cleave to  
the world and its toys--       ,like    

,judas1 the ,saviour they kiss1         
,and1 while they salute ,him1 betray--  
,ah1 what will profession like this     
,avail in ,his terrible day6        ,if 
asked what of ,jesus ,i think1          
,though all my best thoughts are but    
poor1       ,i say1 ,he's my meat and my
 drink1         ,my life1 and my        
strength1 and my store2       ,my       
,shepherd1 my ,husband1 my ,friend1     
,my ,saviour from sin and from thrall1  
,my hope from beginning to end1         
,my portion1 my ,lord1 and my all4      
,may these thoughts and affections be   
ours4 ,they are the sweet witness of the
 one faith1 the one ,lord1 the one      
,spirit 7,eph4 iv471 for they express   
the leading1 ruling mind of the         
,canticles4 ,there the soul in kindred  
affection has but one object1 but that  
one is enough4 ,it is satisfied1 and    
never for a moment looks for a second4  
,it has the ,beloved1 and cares for     
nothing else4 ,if it grieve1 it is over 
the want of capacity to enjoy ,him4 ,it 

seeks for nothing but ,jesus1 lamenting 
only that it is not more fully and      
altogether with ,him4 ,and this is the  
experience we have to desire--to find in
 the ,lord a satisfying object1 a cure  
for the wanderings of the poor heart1   
which1 till it fix on ,him1 will go     
about and still say1 ,who will show us  
any good8 ,the labour of the foolish    
wearieth every one of them1 because he  
knoweth not how to go to the city4      
,that unsatisfiedness with transitory   
fruitions which men deplore as the      
unhappiness of their nature is indeed   
the privilege of it4 ,just indeed1 and  
truly to be prized1 is such a sentiment4
 ,for this thirsting again1 this        
spending of labour for that which       
satisfieth not1 casts the heart on      
,jesus1 ,as this has ever been1 so is it
 now4 ,the building of palaces1 the     
planting of vineyards1 the getting of   
singing-men and singing-women1 the      
multiplying of the delights of the      
children of men1 all these efforts and  

travails of the heart take their course 
and have their way still4 ,eccles4 ii4  
,but ,jesus revealed to the heart1 as in
 this book1 commands these thoughts and 
purposes away4 ,it speaks the language  
of the blessed ,lord ,himself2 and the  
experience in it is the experience of   
the poor woman who was able to leave her
 pitcher at the well--,whosoever        
drinketh of this water shall thirst     
again3 but whosoever drinketh of the    
water that ,i shall give him shall never
 thirst2 but the water that ,i shall    
give him shall be in him a well of water
 springing up into everlasting life4    
,i am the ,root and the ,offspring of   
,david1 and the ,bright and ,morning    
,star4444 ,even so1 come1 ,lord ,jesus4 
,,heaven ,,and ,,earth4   ,in the       
beginning ,god created the heaven and   
the earth4 ,the scene of the divine     
handiwork was twofold2 and1 accordingly1
 in the dispensation of the fulness of  
times1 ,god will display ,himself again1
 both in heaven and on earth4  ,i would 

begin my meditation on this divine      
subject with ,genesis i-xlvii41 which   
presents1 ,i judge1 a beautiful view of 
the ,lord acting1 by turns1 as in heaven
 and on earth1 till1 at the close1 we   
find them together in a way typical of  
what their connection and yet           
distinctness will be in that coming     
dispensation of the fulness of times4   
,may our meditations be always submitted
 to ,his truth and ,spirit1 and         
conducted in the temper of worshippers4 
,genesis ,i4 ,,ii4---,it was only of the
 earth that ,adam was made lord4 ,the   
garden was his residence1 and he was to 
replenish and subdue the earth4 ,this   
was the limitation of his inheritance   
and of his enjoyments4 ,he knew of      
heaven only as he saw it above him1 and 
by its lights dividing his day and his  
night4 ,but he had no thoughts which    
linked him1 personally1 with it4        
,,iii4---,but ,adam transgressed and    
lost the garden1 and became a drudge in 
the earth1 instead of being the happy   

lord of it4 ,gen4 iii4 #ag-ai4 ,he was  
now to get a bare existence out of it1  
till he was laid down in death upon it4 
,,iv4 ,v4---,such was his changed       
condition4 ,to cling to the earth now as
 one's delight and portion was to act in
 bold defiance of the ,lord of judgment4
 ,and such was the spirit of ,cain and  
his family4 ,he thought the earth good  
enough for ,god1 and desired nothing    
better for himself4 ,he gave ,god the   
fruit of it1 and built a city for       
himself on the face of it1 furnishing it
 with desirable things of all sorts1    
unmoved by the thought of the blood with
 which his own hand had stained it1 and 
of the presence of the ,lord1 on whom he
 had turned his back4 ,but such was not 
,adam1 or ,abel1 or ,seth1 or that line 
of worshippers who call on the name of  
the ,lord4 ,they have in the earth only 
a burying-place4 ,but grace having      
provided a remedy for them as sinners1  
and righteousness having separated them 
from a cursed earth1 they believe in the

 remedy1 and seek no place or memorial  
in the earth1 and the ,lord gives them a
 higher and a richer inheritance1 even  
in heaven with ,himself1 as signified in
 the translation of ,enoch4             
,,vi4-,,ix4---,but though the ,lord is  
thus removing the scene of ,his counsels
 and the hopes of ,his elect from earth 
to heaven1 yet the earth is not given   
up4 ,it is1 we know1 destined to        
rejoice1 by-and-by1 in the liberty of   
the glory2 or1 as ,i have already       
quoted1 in the dispensation of the      
fulness of times4 ,eph4 i4 #i1 #aj4     
,and1 accordingly1 this purpose the     
,lord will at times rehearse and        
illustrate1 as ,he does now1 in due     
season1 in the history of ,noah4  ,the  
heavenly family1 as we have just seen1  
only died both to and in the earth4     
,they could speak1 it is true1 both of  
its coming judgment and blessing4 ,enoch
 foretold of the one1 and ,lamech of the
 other4 ,jude #ad2 ,gen4 v4 #bi4 ,but   
they were1 neither of them1 in the      

scenes they thus talked about4 ,but     
,noah1 who comes after them1 is a man of
 the earth again4 ,in his day the earth 
re-appears as the scene of divine care  
and delight4 ,god has communion with man
 upon it again4 ,it has passed through  
the judgment of the water1 and ,god     
makes a covenant with it1 has the       
prophet1 priest1 and king upon it1      
providing for its continuance and godly 
government4 ,noah's connection with it  
was quite unlike that of either ,cain or
 ,seth4 ,he did not1 like the former1   
fill it and enjoy it in defiance of     
,god2 nor did he1 like the latter1 take 
merely a burying-place in it2 but he    
enjoyed the whole of it under the ,lord4
 ,the ,lord sanctioned his inheritance  
of it1 his dominion over it1 and his    
delight in it4   ,x4 ,,xi4---,thus the  
earth1 in its turn1 again takes up the  
wondrous tale1 and is the care and      
object of the ,lord4 ,but again it      
becomes corrupt before ,him4 ,noah      
himself1 like ,adam1 begins this sad    

history1 and the builders of ,babel1    
like another family of ,cain1 perfect   
the apostasy1 seeking to fill the earth 
with themselves independently of ,god4  
,they were mighty hunters before the    
,lord4 ,they scoured the face of the    
earth1 as though they asked1 in infidel 
pride1 ,where is the ,god of judgment8  
,,xii4-,,xxxvi4---,this1 however1 was   
not allowed4 ,another judgment comes    
upon them4 ,they are scattered1 and the 
whole human social order is awfully     
broken up4 ,but ,abram is called out to 
find his fellowship with ,god1 apart    
from the world4 ,his family dwelt in    
,mesopotamia beyond the ,euphrates4 ,he 
came from the stock of ,shem1 but was a 
worshipper of idols1 as all the nations 
were4 ,but sovereign grace distinguishes
 him1 and the ,god of glory calls him   
forth from kindred1 from home1 and from 
country4  ,it is a call1 however1 that  
does not interfere with the order of the
 earth1 or government among the nations4
 ,he is called to be a stranger1 and not

 a rival of the powers1 or a            
new-modelled governor of any people4 ,he
 walks with ,god as the ,god of glory--a
 higher character than that of the one  
by whom the powers that be are ordained4
 ,he is a pilgrim and stranger on earth1
 and walks as a heavenly man4 ,he has   
promise that his seed and inheritance in
 the earth shall become linked together 
by-and-by2 but he1 with ,isaac and      
,jacob1 dwell in tents all their days1  
and a tent life is that of a stranger   
here1 of one that is not at home and at 
rest4  ,here1 then1 we have a heavenly  
people again--heavenly in the character 
of their walk1 and heavenly1 like ,enoch
 or ,lamech1 in their intelligence about
 the earth's future history1 and the    
promise to their seed of inheritance in 
it in due season4 ,but we have still    
deeper and fuller mysteries in the      
history of him who comes after them4    
,,xxxvii4-,,xlvii4--,through the        
wickedness of his brethren1 as we all   
know1 for it is a favourite story1      

,joseph is estranged from the scene of  
the promised and covenanted inheritance1
 and becomes first a sufferer1 and then 
a husband1 a father1 and a governor1 in 
the midst of a distant people2 till at  
last his brethren1 who once hated him1  
and the inhabitants of the earth1 are   
fed and ruled by him in grace and       
wisdom4  ,nothing can be more expressive
 than all this4 ,it is a striking       
exhibition of the great result purposed 
of ,god in the dispensation of the      
fulness of times4 ,joseph is cast among 
the ,gentiles2 and there1 after sorrow  
and bondage1 becomes the exalted one1   
and the head and father of a family with
 such joy1 that his heart for a season  
can afford to forget his kindred in the 
flesh4 ,this surely is ,christ in heaven
 now1 exalted after ,his sorrows1 and   
with ,him the ,church taken from among  
the ,gentiles1 made ,his companion and  
joy during the season of ,his           
estrangement from ,israel4 ,but in      
process of time ,joseph is made the     

depositary and the dispenser of the     
world's resources2 his brethren1 as well
 as all beside1 become dependent on him2
 he feeds them and rules them according 
to his pleasure4 ,and this as surely is 
,christ1 as ,he will be in the earth    
by-and-by1 with ,israel brought to      
repentance and seated in the fairest    
portion of the earth1 and with all the  
nations under ,his sceptre1 when ,he    
will order them according to ,his       
wisdom1 feed them out of ,his stores1   
and re-settle them in their inheritance 
in peace and righteousness4  ,surely the
 heavens and the earth are1 in type1    
here seen1 as they will really be in the
 dispensation of the fulness of times1  
when all things1 both in heaven and on  
earth1 shall be gathered together in    
,christ4 ,surely this is a rehearsal of 
the great result1 and the heavens and   
the earth tell out together the mystery 
of ,god6  ,and ,i cannot but observe the
 willing1 unmurmuring subjection which  
the ,egyptians yield to ,joseph4 ,he    

moves them hither and thither1 and      
settles them as he likes1 but all is    
welcome to them2 and so1 in the days of 
the kingdom1 the whole world will be    
ready to say1 ,jesus has done all things
 well4 ,what blessedness6 ,subjection to
 ,jesus1 but willing and glad           
subjection6 ,his sceptre getting its    
approval and its welcome from all over  
whom it waves and asserts its power6    
,and again ,i observe that all this     
power of ,joseph is held in full consent
 of ,pharaoh's supremacy4 ,the people1  
and the cattle1 and the lands1 are all  
bought by ,joseph for ,pharaoh4 ,it is  
,pharaoh's kingdom still1 though under  
,joseph's administration--as in the     
kingdom of which this is the type1 every
 tongue shall confess ,jesus ,lord1 to  
the glory of ,god the ,father4  ,these  
features give clear expression and      
character to the picture4 ,but there is 
one other touch 7the touch of a master's
 hand1 ,i would reverently say7 in this 
picture which is not inferior in meaning

 or in beauty to any4 ,i mean1 that in  
all this settlement of the earth1       
,asenath and the children get no        
portion4 ,they are not seen2 there is no
 mention of them even4 ,jacob may get   
,goshen2 but ,asenath1 ,ephraim1 and    
,manasseh1 nothing4 ,is it that the wife
 and children were loved less1 and the  
father and brethren more8 ,nay1 that    
cannot be4 ,but ,asenath and the        
children are heavenly1 and have their   
portion1 the rather in and with him who 
is the lord and dispenser of all this1  
and they cannot mingle in the interests 
and arrangements of the earth4 ,even    
,goshen1 the fairest and fattest of the 
land1 is unworthy of them4 ,they are the
 family of the lord himself4 ,they share
 the home1 and the presence1 and the    
closest endearments of him who is the   
happy and honoured head of all this     
scene of glory4  ,is not this the great 
result1 in miniature or in type8 ,have  
we not in all this that promised        
dispensation of the fulness of times1   

when ,god will gather together in one   
all things in ,christ1 both which are in
 heaven2 and which are on earth8 ,are   
not the heavens and the earth here seen 
and heard together in their millennial  
order8 ,i surely judge that they are4   
,known unto ,god are all ,his works1    
from the beginning of the world4   ,but 
as we go on in the course of the divine 
dispensations1 earthly and heavenly     
scenes and purposes still unfold        
themselves4 ,israel1 in their turn1 and 
after these scenes in the hook of       
,genesis1 become the witness of ,god1   
and an earthly people4 ,a portion of the
 world is sanctified for ,god's         
possession and dwelling-place again4 ,as
 the deluge had purified the whole of it
 for the divine power and presence in   
,noah's day1 so the sword of ,joshua now
 purifies a portion of it for the same  
divine power and presence in ,israel4   
,god has ,his sanctuary and ,his throne 
in the land of ,canaan4 ,he is          
worshipped in ,jerusalem1 and there ,his

 law is dispensed4 ,the glory is again  
in the earth4 ,as ,lord of the earth1   
the ,god of ,israel keeps court and rule
 on the earth again4 ,but all is        
corrupted again4 ,canaan was defiled by 
the apostasy of ,israel1 as the         
,noah-earth had been defiled by the     
tower of ,babel4 ,ezekiel1 who was set  
as a watchman in the day of this        
apostasy1 sees therefore the glory on   
its way from ,jerusalem to heaven4 ,it  
does not seek any other spot on earth1  
but1 being disturbed at ,jerusalem by   
the defilements there1 it retreats to   
heaven4 ,ezekiel xi4  ,up to this day of
 ,ezekiel the glory had communicated    
with ,israel in power4 ,it was a glory1 
or divine presence1 that had judged     
,egypt1 guided the camp through the     
desert1 smitten the nations of ,canaan1 
divided their land among the tribes1 and
 then seated itself in the temple and on
 the throne at ,jerusalem4 ,all this was
 the glory in power4 ,but1 as we have   
seen1 ,israel had now forfeited it1 and 

it returns to heaven4 ,but it had       
another character in which to show      
itself4 ,this same glory1 or the divine 
presence1 ,god ,himself1 returns veiled 
in the person of ,jesus2 in whom1 as a  
rejected ,galilean1 or carpenter's son1 
having not where to lay ,his head1 worse
 off in the world than the birds or the 
foxes1 it went about in the land of     
,israel in fullest grace1 healing1      
preaching1 toiling1 watching2 poor1 yet 
enriching others2 thirsty and hungry1   
yet feeding thousands1 and in every     
thing as simply and surely declaring    
itself to be the glory1 as it did when  
it divided the waters of ,jordan1 or    
threw down the walls of ,jericho4 ,only 
it was the glory in its grace now1 as it
 had been the glory in its power then4  
,in this form1 however1 ,israel1 or the 
earth1 forfeited it also1 though it did 
not leave the earth in the same way4 ,of
 old1 when rejected in its power1 it    
left the earth of itself1 in righteous  
anger resenting the affront done to its 

majesty1 and withdrawing itself in      
judgment 7,ezek4 i4-xi472 but now1 being
 rejected in its grace1 it is at last   
rather sent away than withdraws itself4 
,but still1 whether we see the glory in 
power or in grace1 the earth has        
forfeited it1 and it is now hid in the  
heavens4 ,see ,acts vii4 #ee4  ,this is 
the history of the glory since ,ezekiel 
xi4 to the ascension of ,jesus4 ,and it 
is again where the prophet of ,god saw  
it going in that chapter1 that is1 in   
heaven4 ,only it is now gathering the   
fulness of the ,gentiles there1         
receiving to itself the holy brethren1  
partakers of the heavenly calling4 ,the 
,holy ,ghost has come forth to tell us  
here of the glory there1 to form us into
 association with its own wondrous      
history1 or to make its portion our     
portion4  ,such is the place1 and such  
the action1 of the glory now4  ,but     
there is another stage in its history   
still4 ,ezekiel sees it return to the   
very spot from whence it set out4       

,ezekiel xliii4 ,it had never sought any
 other place on earth4 ,if ,zion be     
unprepared for ,jesus1 the earth must   
lose ,him1 for of ,zion alone has ,he   
said1 ,this is my rest for ever4 ,but   
the glory does return1 as we see in that
 chapter of ,ezekiel4 ,and then will    
arise that system commonly known by the 
name of the millennium1 when ,jesus will
 become the centre1 the true ladder     
which ,jacob saw1 the sustainer of all  
things in heaven and on earth1          
reconciling all by ,his blood1 and then 
gathering all in ,himself to spread ,his
 glories over all4 ,see ,isaiah iv4 #e1 
#f4  ,thus the two parts of the future  
kingdom1 the heavenly and the earthly1  
have been pledged again and again from  
the beginning2 one witness after        
another1 called forth in the            
dispensations1 has1 as we have seen1    
been telling of ,his counsels2 and the  
millennium will be the owning of these  
pledges1 and the accomplishment of the  
promises of these heavenly and earthly  

witnesses4  ,it has been grateful to my 
own soul to think of the intercourse of 
heaven with earth1 in the progress of   
this varied and wondrous history4 ,i    
mean in the visions1 or the dreams1 or  
the angelic visits1 which at times the  
people of ,god have enjoyed4 ,the       
audiences of divine oracles are of this 
character also4 ,all these show that the
 heavens had access to the earth1 and   
had but to pass through a thin veil to  
meet or reach it4  ,while the earth was 
undefiled1 the ,lord ,god walked in the 
garden4 ,and afterwards1 though ,he was 
in some sense estranged from earth1 yet 
,he was ever ready to visit it in the   
behalf of ,his elect1 as in the         
histories of ,abraham1 ,joshua1 ,gideon1
 and others4 ,the ladder which ,jacob   
saw1 with its top in heaven and its foot
 on the earth2 the passing and repassing
 of ,moses in and out between the ,lord 
and the people2 the elders going up and 
seeing the ,god of ,israel2 ,solomon's  
ascent from his own house up to the     

house of the ,lord1 these are notices of
 intercourse between the heavens and the
 earth in the days of the kingdom4 ,so  
that bright and memorable hour1 when    
,jesus was transfigured1 in company with
 ,moses and ,elias1 in the sight of     
,peter1 ,james1 and ,john4 ,so the      
occasional appearances of ,christ to    
,his disciples after ,he had risen4 ,and
 so the vision of the descending and    
ascending sheet4 ,the heavenly things at
 such moments unfold themselves to the  
eye of man1 and give sweet notice of    
their nearness to us4 ,we do not as yet 
perceive this nearness1 for the glory is
 not yet in its millennial place over   
the city of the ,jews2 but faith reads  
these notices of this nearness1 and     
understands them4 ,isaiah iv4 ,faith1 in
 ,elisha1 knew that the ,lord of hosts  
was nigh1 and he prayed that his servant
 might have his eye opened to see that  
the mountains around him were filled    
with the chariots and horses of heaven2 
and in the millennial kingdom all this  

will be to sight4 ,the heavenly glory1  
or glory of the golden city1 will shine 
over the ,jerusalem of the land of      
,israel4 ,on all her habitations it will
 be a covering4 ,the ladder will be     
erected1 with its head in the heavens   
and its foot on the earth2 the same     
blessed ,lord will be the centre of all 
things2 and1 as in the different parts  
of one temple1 the services of praise   
and joy will be celebrated1 every tongue
 confessing ,jesus ,lord1 to the glory  
of ,god the ,father4  ,the pure moral   
happiness that will be enjoyed by reason
 of this intercourse1 is also sweetly   
pictured in different types and         
prophecies4 ,as at the meeting of       
,jethro and ,moses1 of ,solomon and the 
,queen of the ,south2 as in ,isaiah lx41
 or on the holy ,mount1 or in the holy  
,jerusalem4 ,what right affections do we
 find in all these intercourses6 ,what  
pure social pleasures are1 as ,i have   
said1 pictured before us6 ,at the mount 
of ,god how naturally ,moses at once    

takes the place of the inferior1 and    
,aaron too2 and how gracefully ,jethro1 
representing the heavenly man1 fills the
 duties and wears the honours of their  
superior6 ,and with what joy of heart1  
and praise on his lips1 does he listen  
to the tale of ,god's mercies to        
,israel6 ,in the ,queen of the ,south   
what unenvious and ungrudging generosity
 of soul we witness1 and in ,solomon    
what readiness to make her happy6 ,he   
tells her all that was in her heart1 and
 more besides1 filling her with such    
light and joy1 that1 it is said1 there  
was no more spirit in her2 and she      
returns home1 not to envy his greatness1
 but to spread the report of it4 ,from  
,isaiah lx4 we learn how gladly will all
 the nations1 in the day of the kingdom1
 wait on ,jerusalem with their          
treasures4 ,even like the flight of     
doves to their windows will be the      
willing-hearted journeys of the         
dromedaries of ,midian1 or the voyages  
of the ships of ,tarshish1 with their   

treasures and their spoils1 to nourish  
the joy and glory of ,zion4 ,they will  
delight to do her honour1 and all will  
be with the glow and fervency of a      
free-will offering4 ,as afterwards1 in  
the case of ,peter on the holy ,mount2  
when he awoke to the sight and sense of 
the heavenly glory1 such joy filled his 
soul as1 at once1 and by its own        
necessity1 expelled all selfishness from
 his heart4 ,it was not ,peter properly 
who spoke1 but the virtue of the place1 
the spirit of the scene4 ,he was1 as in 
the twinkling of an eye1 so filled with 
the air and breath of heaven1 that he   
was ready to labour and let other men   
enter into his labours4 ,master1 it is  
good for us to be here1 said he2 let us 
make three tabernacles1 one for ,thee1  
and one for ,moses1 and one for ,elias4 
,and1 again1 in the holy ,jerusalem1    
what is the commerce there between the  
families of ,god8 ,all that is most     
blessedly of the same great and generous
 character4 ,the kings bring their glory

 and honour up to the light of the city1
 counting it their place and their joy  
to do her honour1 not lightly           
approaching her1 but1 as owning her holy
 dignity1 bringing only their glory and 
their honour up to her4 ,and she        
dispenses her treasures with the same   
gracefulness4 ,the leaves of her tree1  
the light of her glory1 the streams of  
her living river1 are all at the welcome
 disposal of the nations4  ,all these   
shadowy expressions of the social       
delights of millennial days will be     
deeply prized by us1 if we love the     
exercise of pure1 unselfish affections4 
,but in this intercourse it is the      
heavens that will visit the earth1 and  
not the earth the heavens--the people of
 the one will come down to the other1   
but not the contrary--the people of the 
earth will only have to receive and     
welcome the visitants from heaven4  ,the
 kingdom of nature1 as we may call it1  
exhibits this4 ,for the earth gives     
nothing to heaven1 but receives from it2

 as the sunshine and the rain come down 
to bless the earth1 but the earth adds  
nothing in return4#cg   #cg ,the saints 
of the present age1 being heavenly in   
their calling1       should be heavenly 
also in the spirit of their mind1 and   
consciously1 in all their tastes and    
desires1 only as strangers1       and   
not at home1 in the earth2 a people1 as 
another once said1 not       as looking 
up from earth to heaven1 but as looking 
down from       heaven to earth4  ,but  
in this coming intercourse of the       
heavens and the earth1 when the people  
of the heavens go up and down the mystic
 or millennial ladder1 ,i have thought  
that ,scripture leads us to judge that  
there will be change of raiment1 or a   
certain veiling of their proper glory1  
when they come down1 and have communion 
with the earth beneath them and under   
them4  ,the expression of this we get in
 the ,lord's appearances after ,he rose 
from the dead4 ,for then ,he could      
assume any veil which suited the        

business ,he had to do1 whether that of 
the gardener to ,mary1 that of a        
travelling companion to the two going to
 ,emmaus1 or that of a courteous        
stranger on the banks of the lake to the
 fishermen4 ,in such appearances ,he    
could not be seen in heaven2 but ,he    
could thus veil ,himself when the       
business ,he had in hand to do on the   
earth required it4 ,as of old1 ,moses   
was the unveiled ,moses in the presence 
of ,god1 but the veiled ,moses in the   
sight of ,aaron and the congregation4   
,one suit of raiment was fitted to      
heaven1 another to earth4 ,and as also1 
in the case of the priests1 they had    
such apparel as became them when they   
were within1 and they had another dress 
wherein to appear without4 ,they suited 
themselves differently to the presence  
of ,god and the people4 ,see ,lev4 vi4  
#aa2 xvi4 #d1 #bc1 #bd2 ,ezek4 xlii4    
#ad2 xiv4 #ai4  ,and1 besides1 we see   
this changeful appearance of the ,son of
 ,god in old times4 ,he had various     

suits wherein to show ,himself1 and     
wherein to veil the brighter glory which
 was fit only to the higher regions4 ,he
 was in a burning bush at ,horeb1 in a  
cloudy chariot through the wilderness1  
and as an armed soldier under the walls 
of ,jericho4 ,joshua v4 #ac4 ,the       
business of the kingdom1 the concerns of
 the earth1 called ,him here2 and ,he   
appeared in a way suited to the business
 ,he had to do4 ,and all these are      
notices of the change of raiment1 in    
which those who are to govern the world 
to come1 and to do the matters of the   
kingdom on earth1 may wait on their     
ministry here1 and then return to appear
 again unveiled in their more proper    
heavenly places4  ,but in addition to   
this doctrine of heavenly and earthly   
places and peoples1 in the days of the  
coming glory1 and in addition to the    
truth of there being blessed and        
wondrous intercourse between them1 as ,i
 have been shortly stating1 we might    
meditate on some of the joys and glories

 peculiar to each of them4  ,to rise and
 meet the ,lord in the air is the hope  
which is the most immediately upon the  
heart of the believer4 ,then the going  
with ,him to the mansions in the        
,father's house4 ,as ,he says1 ,i will  
come again1 and receive you unto        
,myself2 that where ,i am1 there ye may 
be also4 ,and that house will give      
exercise to all those family affections 
which the heart so well understands4    
,the ,father will be there1 and the     
,first-born among many brethren1 and the
 many brethren themselves4 ,and to      
extend these relationships1 and awaken  
affections to the full1 there will be   
the marriage there1 and the now espoused
 or betrothed ,church will become the   
bride of the ,lamb4 ,rev4 xix4  ,there  
are scenes of glory also1 and occasions 
of other joy1 accompanying this4 ,in    
those heavens there will be the ,holy   
,jerusalem1 the dwelling of the saints  
as a royal priestly people1 the place of
 government and of worship4 ,and there  

will be the ,tree of ,life1 and the     
,river of ,life1 and the ,light1 and the
 ,throne of ,god and the ,lamb4 ,and the
 saints will be there as harpers1 not   
having cymbals and timbrels of merely   
human skill1 fitted to raise the joys of
 earth 7,ps4 xcviii471 but having harps 
of ,god1 instruments of divine          
workmanship1 fitted to awaken melody    
worthy of heaven itself4 ,and the       
enthroned elders will be there1 casting 
their crowns before the throne1 and the 
angels delighting to ascribe all power  
and authority to the ,lamb that was     
slain4#ch   #ch ,another once observed1 
that the moment of highest rapture in   
heaven is not when the saints wear their
 crowns1 but when they       cast them  
down before the throne4 ,rev4 iv4 #aj4  
,and throughout all this there will be  
nothing to trouble or to hinder4 ,as on 
earth1 in those days1 nothing will hurt 
or destroy in all ,god's holy mountain1 
so1 in the heavens1 there will be no    
entrance to anything defiling4 ,there   

can be no enemies1 for they have been   
judged2 no serpent1 for he has been     
trodden under foot4 ,there will be no   
weariness of heart1 no coldness or      
dulness of soul1 no fainting of spirit2 
but the servants will serve without     
fault1 and night and day there will be  
the happy worship1 ,holy1 holy1 holy1   
,lord ,god ,almighty4  ,this heaven too 
will be one scene of ,god's own rest or 
sabbath2 and the saints1 in their       
measure tasting the same refreshing1    
will dwell in that rest in bodies       
fashioned like unto ,christ's glorious  
body4 ,they shall be like ,him in ,his  
glory1 seeing ,him as ,he is4 ,they     
shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of
 their ,father4 ,in mind1 body1 and     
estate they will be conformed to the    
,beloved4 ,and there will be the seeing 
or understanding of all the precious    
revelation of ,god1 not as through a    
glass1 darkly1 but as face to face1     
knowing even as we are known4 ,and there
 will be the white stone2 the hidden    

manna2 the morning star2 the white      
robes1 wherein to stand before the      
throne of ,god2 the white garments1     
wherein to walk with the ,lord through  
the dominions2 and the white raiment1   
wherein to sit on their own thrones4    
,rev4 ii4 iii4 ,all these will be ours  
then4  ,but this leads to a scripture   
which is very fruitful in notices of    
heavenly joy and glory4 ,i mean ,rev4   
ii4 iii4 ,the promises there made will  
be found1 ,i believe1 to unroll before  
us1 in holy and exact order1 the things 
which await the saints of the heavens in
 those coming days4  ,ephesus4--,to him 
that overcometh will ,i give to eat of  
the tree of life1 which is in the midst 
of the paradise of ,god4  ,those outside
 shall have the leaves of this same tree
 for healing 7,rev4 xxii471 but the     
saints of the heavens shall have        
more--the very fruit of the tree itself1
 gathered1 as it were1 immediately from 
it1 where it grows in the midst of      
,god's own garden2 not the fruit brought

 to them1 but gathered by their own     
hands off the very tree4 ,strong        
intimation of the freshness1 the        
constant freshness1 of that life which  
is theirs4 ,as ,jesus says 7and what can
 pass beyond such words871 ,because ,i  
live1 ye shall live also4 ,here1 in this
 promise to ,ephesus1 is the tree of    
life partaken of immediately by the     
heavenly saints4 ,for this is their     
portion1 to receive life from the very  
fountains and roots themselves1 and     
there also to feed and to nourish it4   
,smyrna4--,be thou faithful unto death1 
and ,i will give thee a crown of        
life4444 ,he that overcometh shall not  
be hurt of the second death4  ,this is  
something beyond what had been said to  
,ephesus4 ,life was regarded as imparted
 in its richest form to ,ephesus2 but   
here we see it gained by ,smyrna4 ,for  
,smyrna was sorely tried4 ,some were    
cast into prison1 and all of them were  
in tribulation4 ,they were to suffer    
many things1 but they are promised1 on  

being faithful unto death1 a crown of   
life4 ,as ,james in like manner speaks1 
,blessed is the man that endureth       
temptation3 for when he is tried1 he    
shall receive the crown of life1 which  
the ,lord hath promised to them that    
love ,him4 ,here the crown of life is   
promised to them who endure trial4 ,and 
this is beautiful in its season4 ,the   
,lord delights to own the faith of ,his 
saints2 and if they have shown that they
 loved not their life in this world unto
 death1 it shall be as though they had  
gained it in the world to come4 ,life   
shall be a crown to them there1 as the  
glorious reward of their not having     
cared for it here4  ,pergamos4--,to him 
that overcometh will ,i give to eat of  
the hidden manna1 and will give him a   
white stone1 and in the stone a new name
 written1 which no man knoweth saving he
 that receiveth it4  ,we have another   
source of joy disclosed here4 ,life is  
possessed1 and that abundantly and      
honourably1 as we saw1 at ,ephesus and  

,smyrna2 but there is here the promise  
of another joy--the sense of the ,lord's
 personal favour and affection2         
communion with ,him of such kind as is  
known only by hearts closely knit       
together in those delights and          
remembrances with which a stranger could
 not intermeddle4 ,this is here spoken  
of to the faithful remnant in ,pergamos4
 ,they had held ,his faith in the midst 
of difficulties1 and clung to ,his name2
 and this should be rewarded with that  
which is ever most precious--tokens of  
personal affection1 waking the          
delightful sense and assurance that the 
heart of the ,lord is knit to their     
heart4 ,he will kiss the saint with the 
kisses of ,his mouth2 or1 in the midst  
of it all1 give that pledge which shall 
speak it4 ,it is the hidden manna which 
is here fed upon2 and the stone here    
received has a name on it1 which none   
know but he who receives it4 ,this1 as  
another has said1 expresses individual  
affection4 ,it is not public joy1 but   

delight in the conscious possession of  
the ,lord's love4 ,how blessed a        
character of joy in the coming days is  
this6 ,life possessed in abundance and  
in honour we have already seen at       
,ephesus and ,smyrna2 but here1 at      
,pergamos1 we advance to another        
possession--not glory in any form of it 
as yet1 but the blessed certainty and   
consciousness of the ,lord's personal   
affection4  ,thyatira4--,he that        
overcometh1 and keepeth my works unto   
the end1 to him will ,i give power over 
the nations1 and he shall rule them with
 a rod of iron2 as the vessels of a     
potter shall they be broken to shivers1 
even as ,i received of ,my ,father2 and 
,i will give him the morning star4      
,here we reach public scenes1 scenes of 
power and glory4 ,this is not merely    
life1 though enjoyed never so blessedly1
 nor simple personal affection and      
individual joy1 but here is something   
displayed in honour and strength abroad2
 here are power and glory in the first  

character in which the glories of the   
saints are destined hereafter to be     
unfolded2 i4e41 in their being the      
companions of the ,lord in the day when 
,he comes forth to make ,his enemies    
,his footstool2 or1 according to the    
decree of the second psalm1 to break    
them with a rod of iron1 to dash them in
 pieces like a potter's vessel4 ,this   
will be ,his power just as ,he takes the
 kingdom4 ,this will be ,his ridding out
 all that would have been inconsistent  
with the kingdom4 ,this will be the     
girding of the sword upon the thigh1    
like ,david1 ere the throne be ascended1
 like ,solomon4 ,psalm xlv4 ,it will be 
the ,rider's action1 ere the reign of   
the thousand years begins4 ,rev4 xix4   
,and in that exercise of power1 and     
display of glory1 the saints 7as we are 
here instructed and promised7 shall be  
with ,him4 ,this is blessed in its      
place1 and given to us in due season2   
for1 after the life1 and the personal1  
hidden joy1 the public glories begin to 

be ushered forth4  ,sardis4--,they shall
 walk with ,me in white1 for they are   
worthy4 ,he that overcometh1 the same   
shall be clothed in white raiment2 and  
,i will not blot out his name out of the
 book of life1 but ,i will confess his  
name before ,my ,father1 and before ,his
 angels4  ,this is a stage onward in the
 scenes of glory4 ,the vengeance has    
been taken1 the sword of ,him who sits  
on the white horse has done its         
righteous service1 the vessels of the   
potter have been broken1 and the kingdom
 has come4 ,jesus here promises to ,his 
faithful ones that ,he will confess them
 before ,his ,father and ,his angels4   
,this is not redeeming them from        
judgment1 or saving their souls 7as we  
speak71 but publicly owning them before 
the assembled dignities of the kingdom4 
,he promises them that they shall walk  
with ,him in white1 for they are worthy4
 ,that hand which now in grace washes   
their feet1 will then take hold of them 
in holy1 happy intimacy1 and own full   

companionship with them in the realms of
 glory4 ,they shall walk with ,him4     
,what a character of joy is this6 ,to be
 publicly owned1 as before 7as we read  
of ,pergamos7 privately and personally  
caressed4 ,in how many ways does the    
,spirit of ,god trace the coming joy of 
the saints6 ,the life1 the love1 the    
glory1 that are reserved for them2 the  
tree of life1 and its crown too2 the    
white stone1 carrying to the deepest    
senses of the heart the pledge of love2 
and then companionship with the ,king of
 glory in ,his walks abroad through ,his
 bright and happy dominions4 ,but even  
more than this the same ,spirit has     
still to tell4  ,philadelphia4---,him   
that overcometh will ,i make a pillar in
 the temple of ,my ,god1 and he shall go
 no more out3 and ,i will write upon him
 the name of ,my ,god1 and the name of  
the city of ,my ,god1 which is ,new     
,jerusalem1 which cometh down out of    
heaven from ,my ,god3 and ,i will write 
upon him ,my new name4  ,we have just   

seen the heir of the kingdom as the     
companion of the ,lord of the kingdom1  
abroad in the light of the glory1       
walking there in white with ,him1 owned 
before the ,father and before the       
angels4 ,here the promise is1 that the  
faithful one shall have his place in the
 system of glory itself1 that he shall  
be of that glorious order of kings and  
priests who shall then form the         
character of the scene1 each of them    
being a pillar in the temple1 and each  
enrolled as of the city ,high and holy  
dignities6 ,each of the faithful ones   
filling his place in the temple and the 
city1 a needed member of that royal     
priesthood then established in their    
holy government in the heavens1 where   
the ,new ,jerusalem abides and shines4  
,what honour is put on them here6 ,owned
 abroad in companionship with the ,lord1
 walking through the rich and wide scene
 of glory2 and also owned within1 as    
bearing1 each in himself1 a part of the 
glory1 every vessel needed to the full  

expression of the light of the ,new     
,jerusalem1 and formed as the vital part
 of the fulness of ,him who is to fill  
all in all6 ,a king and a priest1 each  
of them occupying his several rank and  
station in the temple and the city1 the 
,salem of the true ,melchisedec4 ,what a
 place of dignity6 ,surely love delights
 to show what it can do1 and will do4   
,if we had but hearts to prize these    
things1 chiefly because of their telling
 us of this love which has thus         
counselled for us6 ,for what higher1    
happier thought can we have1 even of    
glory itself1 than that it is the manner
 in which love lets us know what it will
 do for its elect one4 ,poor1 poor heart
 that moves so little at these things1  
while the mind stirs the conception of  
them6  ,laodicea4---,to him that        
overcometh will ,i grant to sit with ,me
 in ,my throne1 even as ,i also         
overcame1 and am set down with ,my      
,father in ,his throne4  ,here the      
highest point of glory is reached4 ,this

 is the bright and sunny elevation up to
 which this passage through the joys and
 honours of the kingdom has conducted   
us4 ,here the faithful one enters into  
the joy of his ,lord1 sharing ,his      
throne2 not only owned by ,him abroad1  
and established with ,him within1       
walking in white with ,him1 or fixed as 
a needed and honoured portion of the    
great system of royal priesthood1 but   
with ,him seated in the supreme place4  
,these pledges and promises may now end4
 ,they have told of blessedness indeed4 
,exceeding great things have surely     
passed before us in this wondrous       
scripture1 ,rev4 ii4 iii4 ,the tree and 
crown of life---the white stone---the   
morning star---the walking abroad with  
,jesus through the realms---residence in
 the temple and city---a place on the   
throne itself6 ,surely1 if ,jesus       
,himself be prized1 then will all this  
be welcomed by us4 ,and then1 as we are 
further told1 the joy of dispensing to  
the earth the streams of that living    

river1 and the leaves of that living    
tree1 which rises and grows in our      
heavens 7,rev4 xxii472 with access1     
moreover1 to the ladder which lies      
between the upper and lower regions1 in 
order1 as ,i have been already          
observing1 to do the business of the    
kingdom1 in conscious royal dignity1 and
 full priestly holiness4  ,the glory    
also shall be revealed in us1 each saint
 shall bear it or be a vessel of it1 and
 each of them shall be a child of light 
and a child of the day1 and each a son  
of glory1 glorified together with       
,christ1 so as to join with ,him in     
shedding light1 beyond that of the sun  
or the moon1 upon the creation beneath1 
that the present earnest expectation of 
that creation may be satisfied in the   
then manifestation of the sons of ,god4 
,and they shall see ,his face1 and ,his 
name shall be in their foreheads4 ,they 
shall be intimately near ,him1 speaking 
face to face1 as a man speaketh to his  
friend1 without fear or suspicion1 for  

their title shall be signed and sealed  
as with ,his own hand4 ,he will have    
appropriated them to ,himself2 and this 
they shall know1 because ,his name shall
 be on them4 ,and there1 as within all  
veils1 they will walk in their heavenly 
temple1 and look on their ,lord1 and    
love1 and wonder4   ,and to all this1 we
 may add1 that everything will be       
according to our mind1 as we speak2 all 
will be right in our eyes2 all will     
equally and entirely please us1 and be  
just as we would have it4 ,this we see  
in the book of ,revelation1 in the      
progress of which the heavenly family1  
wherever they are seen or heard1 are    
always found in the fullest concord with
 the action that is going on4 ,in chap4 
iv4 the throne is getting itself ready  
for judgment---lightnings1 thunders1 and
 voices proceeding from it2 but the     
elders and the living creatures have    
their doxologies to the name of the     
,lord ,god ,almighty1 who sits and      
orders all4 ,in chap4 v4 the ,lamb takes

 the book1 and they again rejoice1      
taking their harps to celebrate ,him1   
and to make merry at the prospect which 
this sight opens to them4 ,in chap4 xi4 
the seventh angel announces judgment1   
but they have only to fall on their     
faces1 and worship1 and give thanks4 ,in
 chap4 xii4 the war in heaven and its   
issue is just as they would have it2 and
 with a loud voice they publish         
,salvation6 ,in chap4 xv4 ,god's works  
and ways1 all things of ,his counsel or 
,his strength1 form the theme of their  
song4 ,and in chap4 xix4 the judgment of
 the woman who corrupted the earth calls
 forth again and again the hallelujah of
 the glorified family4 ,thus all1 from  
beginning to end1 is equally and        
altogether right in their eyes2 all is  
exactly as they would have it4 ,they as 
loudly triumph in the ,kinsman ,avenger 
7chap4 xix471 as they do in the ,kinsman
 ,redeemer4 ,chap4 v4 ,everything is to 
them beautiful in its season4 ,the      
marriage of the ,lamb1 and the judgment 

of the great whore1 are equally and     
entirely according to their mind4       
,different1 far different indeed1 from  
what is now felt by the believer4 ,as   
far as he is spiritual1 nothing is fully
 right around him here4 ,and this is    
only increasingly so1 as the world gets 
fuller of its own inventions1 and       
increases with the increase of man4 ,and
 a judgment this affords as to the state
 of our affections4 ,for we may ask     
ourselves1 ,how are we moved by the     
present advance in the improvements of  
the world8 ,are we congratulating       
ourselves and the age upon them1 or are 
they sickening to our hearts8 ,this may 
be a touch-stone of the condition of our
 souls1 whether indeed ,christ be our   
object or not4 ,the great tower in the  
plains of ,shinar would have been the   
boast of a ,nimrod1 but ,abram would    
have turned from it to weep4 ,just as   
the merchants of the earth bewail that  
which the heavens rejoice over4 ,rev4   
xviii4  ,and this is the great inquiry  

for us now---,is ,christ the object of  
our hearts---the ,one that we long for8 
,for that ,he will be ours1 and near us 
and with us for ever1 will be the       
highest point in all our rich happiness 
in this future heaven which we have been
 looking at4 ,provision for the heart is
 always the dearest thought we can      
entertain4 ,as with ,adam at the        
beginning4 ,he was put into the         
possession of a goodly estate1 which    
carried with it all that could gratify  
the sense4 ,there were the trees and the
 fruits of that garden1 pleasant to the 
eye and to the palate4 ,the desire of   
the one and of the other1 and of all the
 senses and faculties of man1 might be  
holily indulged1 for the tree of        
knowledge had not been then eaten4 ,the 
,lord ,god was in the supreme place1 the
 creature was not then worshipped and   
served more than the ,creator1 and all  
the senses might righteously take their 
enjoyments1 and the divine ,planter of  
,eden had provided for them4 ,gen4 ii4  

#i4 ,yea1 and more than this4 ,adam     
received dominion from the same hand4   
,the natural--nay1 the divine--delight  
in power and dignity was thus provided  
for2 for as the ,lord ,god in the upper 
world called the stars by their names1  
thus owning them1 so did ,he give ,adam 
on the earth to call the cattle and the 
fowl by their names1 thus taking        
headship of them4 ,and in this way he   
was set in the midst of these divine    
provisions for his eye1 his ear1 his    
tastes1 and his desire of dignity4 ,but 
the heart was as yet unfed4 ,the day of 
his coronation was not the day of his   
espousals4 ,and the ,lord ,god knows    
him4 ,he knows the creature whom in ,his
 love and perfections ,he had formed4   
,it is not good1 says ,he1 that he      
should be alone1 ,i will make him an    
help meet for him4 ,and ,adam receives  
,eve from the same hand which had given 
him ,eden with its fruits1 and dominion 
in the earth4 ,and then it is that his  
lips are opened4 ,out of the abundance  

of the heart the mouth speaks4 ,this is 
now bone of my bone1 and flesh of my    
flesh1 says ,adam1 expressing his deep  
satisfaction1 and that he now needed no 
more4 ,eden could not1 with all its     
delights for the senses1 nor could his  
vast and unrivalled dominion abroad1 as 
monarch of all he surveyed1 do what ,eve
 did for him4 ,she unsealed his lips    
with a confession that now he was       
satisfied4 ,and so with us in possessing
 ,jesus1 above all glory1 in our        
heavenly ,eden1 for ever4  ,these1 and  
the like notices of heaven scattered    
through the ,word1 it is blessed to take
 up and ponder4 ,and1 as one has said1  
,the ,holy ,ghost1 who is called the    
earnest of our inheritance1 acts upon   
these notices1 and makes them living to 
our souls4 ,and it is these notices and 
attractions which make us1 in a divine  
sense1 strangers and pilgrims here4     
,abraham1 it has been observed1 became a
 stranger in the earth1 not from any    
sorrow or pressure in ,mesopotamia1 for 

we read of none such1 but because the   
,god of glory had spoken in the language
 of promise to him4 ,he was drawn out   
from kindred and home and country by    
something before him1 and not urged or  
driven out by anything behind4 ,this was
 heavenly strangership here4  ,is it    
thus1 beloved1 or are we desiring that  
it may be thus1 with our souls8 ,are we 
pondering the prospect1 and following   
out the distant glimpses of it1 with    
fixed and interested hearts8 ,these are 
the present questions for the stirring  
and guiding of our souls4 ,the search   
will lead to humbling and rebuke1 but it
 will be an excellent oil4  ,and1 as if 
to give us full ease of heart in the    
enjoyment of this our future heaven1 the
 ,lord has taught us to know that we are
 in some sense wanted there1 however    
unimportant we may deem ourselves4 ,for 
each is to be a vessel of the glory1 as 
we have already said2 of larger or      
smaller quantity it may be1 but still   
each is a needed vessel in that house of

 glory4 ,we commonly think how necessary
 the ,lord is to us4 ,true indeed4 ,we  
shall celebrate the fact that we owe    
everything to ,him throughout eternity4 
,but it is also a truth 7to the praise  
of the riches of grace be it spoken7    
that we are necessary to ,him4 ,the     
woman is the glory of the man4 ,not in  
the same way1 surely4 ,he is necessary  
to us for life as well as for joy1 for  
salvation as well as for glory2 but we  
are important1 of course1 only to ,his  
joy and glory2 as it is written1 ,that  
we should be to the praise of ,his      
glory2 and again1 ,that in the ages to  
come ,he might shew the exceeding riches
 of ,his grace in ,his kindness toward  
us through ,christ ,jesus4 ,eph4 ii #g4 
,the ,lord ,god consulted for ,adam's   
joy when ,he purposed in ,himself to    
form ,eve4 ,eve1 we may know full well1 
was abundantly happy in ,adam2 but still
 the concern of the ,lord was about     
,adam being happy in ,eve4 ,so it is    
even now in the dispensation of the     

,gospel4 ,the true ,adam is still       
consulted for4 ,the kingdom of heaven is
 like unto a certain king1 which made a 
marriage for his son4 ,and so will it be
 still in the dispensation or age of the
 glory4 ,it is called the marriage of   
the ,lamb--not1 as once observed to me1 
the marriage of the ,church or of the   
,lamb's wife1 but of the ,lamb1 as      
though the ,lamb were the ,one chiefly  
interested in that joy4  ,and so it is4 
,the ,church will have her joy in       
,christ1 but ,christ will have ,his     
greater joy in the ,church4 ,the        
strongest pulse of gladness that is to  
beat for eternity will be in the bosom  
of the ,lord over ,his ransomed ,bride4 
,in all things ,he is to have the       
pre-eminence2 and1 as in all things1 so 
in this--that ,his joy in her will be   
greater than hers in ,him4  ,and all the
 foreknown to that end1 and none less   
than all1 will form the ,eve of that    
,adam1 and be the ,bride or the ,woman  
destined thus to be the ,man's joy and  

glory4 ,all here are now fitly joined   
together and compacted by that which    
every joint supplieth1 and no less then 
will the all be demanded4 ,oh1 how the  
,lord not only prepares the heaven1 but 
in this way prepares the heart for it1  
that we may enjoy it with entire ease1  
seeing ourselves a needed portion of the
 holy furniture of the place6 ,as       
,joseph would comfort his brethren by   
telling them that it was ,god who had   
sent him into ,egypt before them1 that  
life might be preserved by a great      
deliverance4 ,their wicked hands had    
done it1 it is true2 but ,god's purpose 
had done it also1 and it is this ,he    
would have them now think of1 and not   
the other4 ,for this is the way of love2
 and ,god is love4 ,love will not only  
spread the feast1 but do what it can to 
let it be tasted with all confidence and
 joy of heart4 ,love will make the      
guests sit at the table1 give them a    
plentiful board1 and ease while enjoying
 it4  ,can we1 beloved1 read these      

notices of the heaven that is to be ours
 by-and-by1 and for ever1 and1 as we    
read1 wish our hearts joy that it is so8
 ,can we count ourselves happy1 having  
such prospects as these8 ,as the miser  
can bear the scorn of the world without1
 in the thought of his treasures at     
home1 can we in the hope of this joy of 
heaven live above the earth and its     
promises8  ,such things1 however1 as    
these1 excellent as they are1 have      
something still further with them4 ,the 
air of a place is more important to us  
than its scenery4 ,if we can get both1  
of course the better2 but if we can have
 but one1 the good air will be surely   
preferred4  ,now1 heaven1 ,i may say1   
will have both4 ,it will be filled with 
a moral element or atmosphere1 as well  
as furnished with glories2 and the      
former 7,i speak as a man7 will be more 
in the account of our joy than the      
latter4  ,i have found it well at times 
to ponder this1 and to learn something  
of that moral element that is to be the 

air of heaven4 ,scriptures which ,i have
 already noticed test and prove the     
purity of that air4 ,the millennial     
atmosphere both in heaven and on earth  
will indeed be ever fresh1 laden with   
balmy fragrance4 ,if we are now wearied 
with our own selfishness1 and with the  
tempers of hateful and hating human     
nature1 we must long for a change of    
air1 such as the land of the glory is   
said to know1 the land of the voice of  
the turtle4 ,if the brightness of those 
regions1 or the scenery of the place1   
have its attraction 7and what heart can 
conceive it871 what must be the         
atmosphere of it to our happy souls1    
where social life1 through all its      
relations1 as between heaven and earth1 
and as between ,jerusalem1 the land of  
,israel1 and the most distant islands1  
moves and kindles continually with the  
most generous and delicate affections4  
,it is not that nature will be triumphed
 over merely2 nature will not be there2 
at least1 not in the heavens which we   

are approaching4 ,we shall not have to  
speak of saints carrying themselves     
towards each other in a good spirit4    
,such security is well in its place1 and
 while we sojourn in our vile bodies4   
,but there the element itself will be   
good4 ,the fervent currents of pure and 
happy minds1 flowing from each to all1  
will form it4  ,the moral dignity and   
beauty1 the various and yet consistent  
perfections that will animate us then1  
will all be bright and lovely before the
 divine mind4 ,god shall survey the work
 of ,his fingers through the different  
spheres of glory1 and rest with delight 
in it4  ,it is a thought much to be     
cherished1 that our eternal ways will   
thus be the divine delight1 and more    
than make up to ,god 7,i speak again    
after the manner of men7 for the grief  
which1 by us and in us1 ,his ,spirit is 
now so continually put to4  ,such will  
be the moral enjoyments in the realms of
 glory2 no small part of that banquet at
 which the ,lord will seat ,his guests1 

when ,he comes forth and girds ,himself 
to wait upon them4 ,luke xii4 #cg4 ,we  
may be but little able to comprehend the
 glory itself1 but we can appreciate    
these moral characteristics of the      
heaven we are reaching4  ,while still   
here1 in the conflicts of flesh and     
spirit1 we are1 in some sense1 under the
 guardianship of conscience1 that       
principle which judges of good and evil4
 ,but conscience will not keep heaven in
 order4 ,our passions and our           
righteousness will there be one4 ,little
 do we now advance in a heavenly        
direction by the gracious current of    
affections4 ,but what bliss1 when the   
very energy which bears us speedily will
 also bear us rightly onward---when the 
very gale which fills the sails will    
regulate the rudder2 the passion that   
engages and delights the soul being the 
very rule and measure of all that is    
worthy of the presence of ,god6  ,may we
 cherish in our souls these notices of  
heaven6 ,faint is their impression2     

humblingly indeed do some of us know    
this2 but we may entertain them1 and bid
 them welcome1 grieved that our welcome 
is not more warm and affectionate4      
,but the earth is still remembered1 and 
kept in store for great purposes yet to 
be accomplished4 ,the rainbow was1 of   
old1 as we know1 made the pledge of     
this4 ,it is a token of the covenant    
between ,god and all the earth1 and     
every living thing upon it4 ,the ,lord  
says1 that when the cloud comes1 the bow
 shall be with it---when the portent of 
judgment lowers1 the sign of peace shall
 shine4 ,and1 as we see to this day1 the
 earth has not been again destroyed4 ,it
 may not be the residence of the glory1 
as it once was1 and as it will be again1
 but still it is preserved1 according to
 the promise of the rainbow4 ,and       
,scripture is diligent and exact to show
 us1 that in every variety of the divine
 procedure1 this promise has been1 is1  
and will be remembered4  ,thus it was   
surely remembered all the time the ,lord

 had ,his seat in ,zion2 for then the   
,lord made the earth ,his habitation4   
,but when the throne of the ,lord leaves
 ,zion1 and the holiest of holies loses 
the glory1 because the earthly people   
had1 by their sin1 disturbed its rest1  
and all returns to heaven 7,ezek4       
i-xi471 we see the throne and the glory 
carrying the rainbow with them4 ,that   
is1 though the earth was then stripped  
of glory2 though ,jerusalem1 the throne 
of the ,lord1 was then for a season laid
 on heaps1 and put under the foot of the
 ,gentiles2 still the ,lord would be    
mindful of the earth1 and make it the   
object of ,his faithful care1 according 
to ,his promise4 ,and thus we see the   
glory1 though it leave the earth1       
bearing with it the remembrance of the  
earth3 the rainbow accompanies it to    
heaven2 this telling us1 that though the
 ,lord leave the earth as the scene of  
,his power and praise for a time1 ,he   
has it still in recollection before     
,him4 ,accordingly1 when the heaven is  

opened to our vision in ,rev4 iv4 we see
 the faithful bow encompassing the      
throne there4 ,how blessed this is6 ,the
 ,lord in the heavens is still mindful  
of the earth4 ,he has thrown the very   
pledge of its security around ,his      
throne on high1 so that though the earth
 see not that throne1 and is no longer  
the place of that throne1 that throne   
sees the earth and remembers it1 and    
longs1 as it were1 for its natural      
footstool4  ,this shows us the security 
of the earth during this heavenly       
dispensation through which we are now   
passing4 ,the ,lord is now gathering a  
people for heaven4 ,it is true1 ,he is  
not filling the earth with glory yet1   
but gathering an elect family out from  
it1 to have communion with ,himself in  
heaven2 but still ,he is mindful of ,his
 promise4 ,he looks on the bow1 and     
preserves the earth1 keeps the seed-time
 and the harvest1 the cold and the heat1
 the day and the night1 the summer and  
the winter1 in their stated rounds and  

seasons4 ,gen4 ix4  ,how simple all this
 is4 ,when the throne went first from   
earth to heaven1 we saw it bearing along
 with it the recollection of the earth2 
and now in its place in the heavens we  
see it still clasping to its breast and 
encircling across its brow this fond and
 loved token of the earth's blessing4   
,ezek4 i42 ,rev4 iv4  ,but there is     
still more4 ,for let the ,lord come down
 in the judgments that are by-and-by to 
visit the earth1 we shall find ,him as  
fully mindful of ,his promise not to    
destroy it1 as now ,he is1 or has been  
hitherto4 ,this we see in ,rev4 x4 ,the 
mighty angel1 the angel of judgment1    
comes down2 and he is clothed with a    
cloud1 the fearful vessel of wrath1 and 
token of judgment2 as was said at the   
beginning1 ,when ,i bring a cloud over  
the earth4 ,but even then the rainbow is
 with ,him2 as it was added1 ,the bow   
shall be seen in the cloud4 ,it is not  
simply with a cloud ,he comes down1 but 
with the cloud and the bow accompanying 

it4 ,see ,gen4 ix4 #ad2 ,rev4 x4 #a4 ,as
 much as to tell us1 that at the very   
end ,he remembers ,his word1 and will   
debate with judgment4 ,he will say to   
it1 ,hitherto shalt thou come1 but no   
further4 ,the cloud is to descend1 it is
 true2 the judgment must come1 the vials
 of wrath must be poured out2 but it is 
only to judge those who corrupt or      
destroy the earth1 and not to destroy   
the earth itself2 for the mighty angel1 
as we see from this scripture1 who comes
 down clothed with a cloud1 has also a  
rainbow upon his head4 ,and the cloud1  
as it executes its commission1 and pours
 out its water or its judgments again1  
must stay itself in obedience to the bow
 that is to measure and control it4 ,the
 present course of things may cease1 as 
in the days of ,noah1 but the bow shines
 in the eye of the ,lord4 ,his promise  
lives in ,his heart1 and the earth shall
 be the happy scene and witness of its  
rich fulfilment4  ,thus1 then1 we see   
that even the judgment itself shall not 

touch the ancient promise to the earth4 
,it is still beloved for ,noah's sake1  
of whom it was said1 ,this same shall   
comfort us concerning our work and toil 
of our hands1 because of the ground     
which the ,lord hath cursed 7,gen4 v471 
that is1 for ,his blessed sake whom     
,noah typified2 and we need not say1    
beloved1 who ,he is4 ,therefore it      
survives the judgment1 it stands the    
shock of the descent of this mighty     
angel1 though clothed with a cloud1     
planting his right foot on the sea1 and 
his left foot on the land1 and crying   
aloud as when a lion roars4  ,and what  
is it reserved for8 ,for even more than 
the rainbow had promised it4 ,for this  
is the way of ,god4 ,he takes up ,his   
pledges1 and is faithful abundantly1    
doing more exceedingly than ,he had     
spoken4 ,and so is it in this case of   
the earth4 ,it is not only preserved1   
with its seed-time and its harvest1 its 
day and its night1 but it is brought    
into the liberty of the glory of the    

sons of ,god4 ,this is more than had    
been pledged to it4 ,the holy city      
descends out of heaven1 to take its     
connection with the earth2 and1 shining 
in due sphere above it1 forth from its  
bosom it sends the leaves of its living 
tree1 the streams of its living water1  
and the rays of its indwelling glory1 to
 beautify and to refresh the earth and  
its creatures below4 ,rev4 xxi1 xxii4   
,the rainbow need not now appear1 for   
the cloud is gone4 ,the bow would do    
well enough while there was the cloud1  
the promise and the pledge might        
comfort1 while there was place for      
judgment1 or for fear of evil2 but now  
judgment is over4 ,the cloud is         
scattered1 and the bow has therefore no 
place4 ,but the holy city descends out  
of heaven from ,god1 to do more1 much   
more1 than merely to redeem the divine  
pledge4 ,for it is glorifying1 and not  
merely preserving1 the creation4 ,it    
shall then rejoice in the presence of   
the ,lord1 when ,he cometh to govern the

 earth4  ,would not time fail to tell of
 all the types and prophecies of the    
earth's blessing in the days of the     
kingdom8 ,the trees and the fields and  
the floods1 in their order1 will then   
rejoice before the ,lord4 ,the creation 
itself shall be delivered into the      
liberty of the glory of the children of 
,god4 ,psalm viii41 with many a kindred 
voice1 proclaims it4 ,the voice of every
 creature on earth1 under the earth1 and
 in the sea1 heard in vision by the     
prophet1 anticipates it4 ,rev4 v4 ,and  
the promised day1 when the desert shall 
rejoice and blossom as the rose1 when   
the leopard shall lie down with the kid1
 and when the heavens shall hear the    
earth1 and the earth shall hear the corn
 and the wine and the oil1 will realize 
it4 ,isaiah xxxv42 ,hosea ii4  ,and the 
nations1 we know1 will fill their place 
in this approaching system of glory4    
,they will turn their swords into       
ploughshares2 and instead of learning   
war1 they will learn the ways of the    

,lord1 and walk in ,his paths4 ,at the  
appointed season they will wait1 each   
with his offering1 on the ,king in      
,zion1 holding their high and joyous    
feast in the presence of ,his greatness 
there4 ,then from the uttermost parts of
 the earth shall be heard songs to the  
,righteous ,one4 ,and then shall the    
call of the prophet be answered by the  
willing hearts of all the people3 ,sing 
unto the ,lord a new song1 and ,his     
praise from the end of the earth1 ye    
that go down to the sea1 and all that is
 therein2 the isles1 and the inhabitants
 thereof4 ,let the wilderness and the   
cities thereof lift up their voice1 the 
villages that ,kedar doth inhabit3 let  
the inhabitants of the rock sing1 let   
them shout from the top of the          
mountains4 ,let them give glory unto the
 ,lord1 and declare ,his praise in the  
islands4  ,israel then shall dwell      
safely--every man under his vine and    
under his fig tree4 ,they shall be all  
righteous2 they shall be all united2    

they shall call every man his neighbour4
 ,ephraim shall not envy ,judah1 nor    
,judah vex ,ephraim4 ,the two mystic    
sticks shall become one in the prophet's
 hand4 ,they shall be one nation in the 
land upon the mountains of ,israel4     
,and1 as in the shadowy days of         
,solomon1 it shall then be said1 ,judah 
and ,israel were many1 as the sand which
 is by the sea in multitude1 eating and 
drinking and making merry4 ,their       
merriment1 too1 shall be holy4 ,it shall
 be the joy of a sanctuary4 ,they shall 
abundantly utter the memory of ,thy     
great goodness1 and shall sing of ,thy  
righteousness4444 ,they shall speak of  
the glory of ,thy kingdom1 and talk of  
,thy power4 ,within themselves1 towards 
the nations around1 and under the ,god  
of their fathers1 the ,god of their     
covenant1 all shall be blessing with    
,israel4 ,for thus saith the ,lord ,god1
 ,they shall dwell in the land that ,i  
have given unto ,jacob ,my servant4444  
,i will make a covenant of peace with   

them2 it shall be an everlasting        
covenant with them3 and ,i will place   
them1 and multiply them1 and will set   
,my sanctuary in the midst of them for  
evermore4 ,my tabernacle also shall be  
with them3 yea1 ,i will be their ,god1  
and they shall be ,my people4 ,and the  
heathen shall known that ,i the ,lord do
 sanctify ,israel1 when ,my sanctuary   
shall be in the midst of them for       
evermore4 ,ezekiel xxxvii4  ,all this   
tells the tale of millennial joys on the
 earth4 ,but in this system1 of earthly 
glory1 beyond the creation itself1 the  
nations1 and ,israel1 there is a spot   
still more illustrious1 an object       
distinguished in the midst of even joys 
and dignities like these4 ,i mean       
,jerusalem4  ,and ,i have before now    
asked myself1 ,why is it that ,jerusalem
 is made so much of in ,scripture8 ,why 
is it that the ,lord loveth the gates of
 ,zion more than all the dwellings of   
,jacob8  ,it was ,his court--the place  
of ,his presence both as the ,god and   

the ,king of ,israel4 ,his palace and   
,his sanctuary were there4 ,the         
administrations of ,his laws and the    
ordinances of ,his worship were there4  
,the thrones of judgment1 the testimony 
of ,israel1 and the eucharistic service 
of ,his name1 were all known there4     
,psalm cxxii4 ,it was the place where   
,jehovah had recorded ,his name1 and    
where the glory dwelt1 the symbol of    
,his presence4  ,it was ,his home4 ,the 
whole land was the ,lord's demesne2 but 
,jerusalem was the mansion-house1 the   
family dwelling4 ,the children were     
placed out here and there through the   
tribes and divisions of the land1 which 
was the family estate1 but ,jerusalem   
was the family mansion4 ,it was the     
father's house1 the common home1 where1 
at stated holy days1 the children met1  
according to the common way of the      
affection of kindred4  ,this1 ,i        
believe1 was ,jerusalem's first         
attraction in the eye and to the heart  
of the ,lord of ,israel4 ,he sought and 

,he found a home at ,jerusalem1 saying1 
,this is ,my rest for ever3 here will ,i
 dwell2 for ,i have desired it4 ,and ,he
 left it1 when sin had defiled it1 with 
all the hesitation and lingering which  
disappointed affection so well          
understands4 ,ezekiel viii4-xi4         
,jerusalem was all this--the house of   
the ,father1 the palace of the ,king1   
and the temple of the ,god of ,israel4  
,for ,israel were ,his children1 ,his   
people1 and ,his worshippers1 and the   
affections of a ,father's heart1 and the
 joys and honours of the ,lord and      
,king1 found their object and their     
sphere at ,jerusalem4 ,and this is more 
than enough to account to us for her    
high distinction4 ,and all this is she  
to be again4 ,it will be the palace1 the
 temple1 and the family mansion again4  
,it will be the place of prayer for all 
nations4 ,it will be the seat of        
legislation1 worship1 judgment1 and     
government4 ,it will be the fountain1   
too1 of the virtues of the new covenant1

 from whence the living waters will     
flow1 to make her1 in those days1 the   
mystic mother of the family4 ,psalm     
lxxxvii4 ,and the glory of the heavens  
will shine on her from above1 doing for 
her the service of sun and moon1 while  
she is lifted up and exposed1 that she  
may bask in the full light of it1 and   
dwell under it as her native air4 ,isa4 
iv4 #e2 lx4 #a2 ,zech4 xiv4 #aj4  ,and  
she shall be the bride of the ,lord of  
the earth1 and the queen in the day of  
,his power4 ,he will clothe her with    
ornaments as such1 rejoice over her1    
impart ,his name to her1 and have her so
 honoured and cherished by the whole    
world1 as to treat despite of her as    
indignity done to ,himself4 ,psalm xlv42
 ,isaiah lx42 ,jeremiah xxxiii42        
,ezekiel xlviii42 ,zeph4 iii4  ,all this
 may well account for the place which   
,jerusalem holds in the thoughts of the 
,spirit4 ,his prophets1 those who spake 
as they were moved by ,him1 address her 
again and again as the bride1 the queen1

 and the mother1 in the days of the     
approaching glory4 ,but what shall we   
say of ,him1 who has thus decked her    
with all beauty and dignity1 and given  
her such relationship to ,himself8 ,is  
it not wondrous and happy to see the    
circle of human sympathies thus seating 
itself in the divine mind8 ,is          
friendship only human8 ,how can ,i say  
so1 when ,i see ,jesus and the disciple 
whom ,he loved walking in company8 ,are 
the affections of kindred merely human8 
,how can ,i say so1 when ,i think of    
,christ and the ,church1 and a thousand 
witnesses from ,scripture8 ,is the      
heart's fond delight in home a divine as
 well as a human joy8 ,how can ,i doubt 
it1 when ,i thus see the ,lord and      
,jerusalem8 ,surely the divine mind is  
the seat of all the pure and righteous  
sensibilities of the heart1 and the ,man
 ,christ ,jesus tells me so4 ,the ,lord 
,god of ,israel has known1 and will know
 again1 the affection that lingers round
 the homestead of many a family         

recollection and joy4  ,such will be    
,jerusalem1 and such the earth itself1  
the nations1 and ,israel1 in the        
promised days of the presence and power 
of the ,lord4 ,faintly traced by the    
hand1 more feebly responded to by the   
heart4 ,but yet true1 though surpassing 
fable4  ,all ,scripture1 however1 shows 
us that such joy cannot be had on earth1
 or in the circumstances and history of 
the world1 in their present state1 nor  
till the earth is made the scene of     
righteousness2 and such it is not to be1
 till the ,lord have ridded it of all   
that offends1 and all that does         
iniquity4 ,the sword of judgment must go
 before the throne of glory4 ,the earth 
must be cleared of its corruptions1 ere 
it can be a garden of holy1 divine      
delights again4  ,the ,gospel is not    
producing a happy world1 or spreading   
out a garden of ,eden4 ,it proposes no  
such thing1 but to take out of the world
 a people1 a heavenly people1 for       
,christ4 ,but the presence of the ,lord 

will make a happy world by-and-by1 when 
that presence can righteously return to 
it4  ,the close of the ,psalms shows us 
this4 ,beautiful close6 ,all            
praise---untiring1 satisfying fruit of  
lips uttering the joy of a filled heart1
 and owning the undivided glory of the  
,blessed ,one6 ,but this had been       
preceded by the sorrows of the righteous
 in an evil world1 and then the judgment
 of that world4 ,for that ,book gives   
the cries of the righteous in an evil   
world1 the joys of the ,spirit in the   
midst of that evil1 the varied exercises
 of the soul by the way1 and the end of 
the righteous in the joy of praise4     
,all1 however1 forbids the heart from   
entertaining the thought of joy in the  
earth till the judgment have cleansed   
it2 the rest is to be prepared for      
,solomon by the sword of ,david4  ,the  
proper thought of this will keep the    
heart from being tossed by              
disappointments1 and take it off from   
the expectation of any progress to rest 

and stability for the world1 or in it1  
till the ,lord have executed judgment4  
,our joy now is to be in ,himself1 in   
spirit1 in the thought of ,his love1 and
 the sense of ,his peace1 helped onward1
 day by day1 in the hope of full and    
righteous joy with ,him1 when the wicked
 have gone from the scene for ever4     
,how sensitively does the ,lord's mind  
recede from the thought of joy in the   
earth1 when the people were wondering at
 all things that ,he did6 ,turning to   
,his disciples ,he said1 ,let these     
sayings sink down into your ears2 for   
the ,son of man shall be delivered into 
the hands of men4 ,but this1 ,i may say1
 was only a sample of all ,his mind1 as 
,he looked to the earth in its present  
condition4 ,it was ever in ,his thoughts
 connected with trial4  ,psalm lxxv4    
strikingly utters this4 ,there ,messiah 
looks on the earth as all dissolved and 
disordered1 about to drink the cup of   
judgment at ,god's righteous hand4 ,for 
the present ,he expected nothing from   

it4 ,but then1 after the exhausting of  
that cup1 ,he does look on it as the    
scene of joy and praise and exaltation  
of righteousness1 ,he ,himself bearing  
up its pillars1 and leading its songs4  
,i feel it1 however1 to be a very solemn
 truth1 that ,god is allowing man1      
giving him space and time1 to ripen his 
iniquity1 that the judgment may fall    
upon him in the height of his pride1 and
 crush the system which he is raising in
 its point of greatest pretension and   
advancement4 ,it is surely a solemn     
truth4 ,but even in such a purpose1 as  
in all others1 ,wisdom is justified of  
all her children4 ,the believer may be  
awed by such a fact in the divine       
dealings with man1 but he approves it1  
understands it to be a fitting thing1   
that man should be allowed to produce   
the fully ripened fruit of his own      
departure from ,god1 to present it and  
survey it in the pride of his heart1 and
 then receive his righteous answer to   
all his boasted and enjoyed apostasy1   

from the signal judgment of ,god4 ,the  
iniquity of the ,amorites was to be     
full1 ere justice should overtake it4   
,the ,lord bore with ,babel till the cry
 of it went up to ,him4 ,nebuchadnezzar 
had built great ,babylon1 as he gloried1
 by the might of his power1 and for the 
honour of his majesty1 when he was      
driven from his high estate2 ,haman was 
full when ,god emptied him even to the  
dregs4 ,and the great man of the earth1 
at the last1 shall come to his end1 just
 as he has planted the tabernacles of   
his palaces in the glorious holy        
mountain4  ,it is solemn2 but it is as  
wisdom would have it1 and as faith      
deeply approves it4 ,god is justified in
 ,his sayings1 and overcomes when ,he is
 judged4   ,happy ,i desire to find this
 meditation4 ,where there is much       
conflict of thought and judgment among  
the saints1 it is grateful to the soul  
to turn to subjects of common interest  
and delight2 and when the scene around  
is getting full of man's inventions and 

man's importance1 it is well1 to look to
 those regions of light and purity1     
where ,god1 supreme and all-sufficient1 
will gather together all things in      
,christ1 both which are in heaven and   
which are on earth4 ,regions of light   
and purity indeed1 where all will tell  
of intimacy or nearness1 and yet of the 
full sense of the position of the       
,creator and the creature1 the          
,sanctifier and the sanctified4 ,in many
 a delightful page of ,god's ,word is   
this brightly reflected4 ,the ,lord     
dwelt in the midst of the camp of       
,israel while at rest1 and1 as it took  
its journey1 went along with it1 whether
 by night or by day1 whether the road   
lay right onward1 or turned back to the 
mountain or the sea4 ,but still ,he was 
,god1 the ,lord of the camp4  ,how does 
all that commend itself to our souls6   
,we bow to this4 ,we rejoice to know    
that ,he dwells in a light that no man  
can approach unto1 and yet that ,he has 
walked through the cities and villages  

of earth2 that ,he is ,one whom no man  
hath seen1 nor can see1 and yet that    
none less than the ,one who is in ,his  
bosom has declared ,him to us1 been in  
the midst of us1 our ,kinsman in the    
flesh1 as well as ,jehovah's ,fellow4   
,his supreme authority1 as ,lord1 is    
infinite2 ,his distance and holiness1 as
 ,god1 are infinite4 ,and yet ,he is    
,head over all things to the ,church1   
and ,god ,himself is for us4 ,at the    
very moment of ,his commanding ,moses   
and ,joshua to take their shoes from    
their feet1 because of ,his presence1   
,he was manifesting ,himself to them in 
symbols or characters significant of the
 deepest sympathy1 and of the most      
devoted service4 ,exodus iii2 ,joshua v4
  ,but enough4 ,i will not pursue these 
thoughts any further4 ,yet in the days  
of increasing gloom and perplexity1 like
 the present1 the soul is the more sent 
to the sure hiding-place of safety1 or  
to the sunny ,pisgah heights of hope and
 observation4 ,it gets the more         

accustomed to meditate on the strength  
of those foundations which ,god has put 
under our feet---the intimacy of that   
communion into which ,he has even now   
introduced our hearts---and the         
brightness of those prospects which ,he 
has set before our eyes4  ,i only ask1  
beloved1 ,are we pressing1 in desire1   
after this portion8 ,are we unsatisfied 
with all in comparison with it8 ,are we 
refusing to form any purpose1 or to     
entertain any prospect1 short of this8  
,in ,psalm lxxxiv4 the heart of the     
worshipper is still on the way1         
unsatisfied1 though he have pools1 and  
rain1 and strength of the ,lord1 till he
 reach ,zion4 ,in ,psalm xc4 all which  
the man of ,god sees is the vanity of   
human life and the return of the ,lord4 
,he does not anticipate changes and     
improvements in the condition of things1
 but looks to being made glad and of    
being satisfied at the return of        
,christ4  ,is this our mind8 ,i again   
ask4 ,are we still prisoners of hope1   

refusing to let anything change the     
expectant attitude of the soul8 ,the    
,holy ,ghost is given to us1 not to     
change that1 but to strengthen it4 ,his 
very presence does but nourish present  
dissatisfaction of heart1 and the       
longings of hope and desire4 ,he causes 
the saint to abound in hope1 and gives  
breadth and compass to the cry1 ,come1  
,lord ,jesus4 ,spirit of truth1 the     
other ,comforter1 as ,he is1 ,he does   
not show ,himself for the ,bridegroom1  
nor propose to make ,his refreshings the
 marriage supper of the ,lamb4 ,the     
energy of hope1 the desirings of the    
soul after our still unmanifested ,lord1
 only speak the ,spirit's presence in us
 the more clearly and blessedly4 ,it is 
,his very design and workmanship4 ,he   
draws us forth to hope to the end for   
the grace that is to be brought to us at
 the revelation of ,jesus ,christ4  ,and
 is ,he1 beloved1 our object8 ,the heart
 well knows the power of that which is  
its object4 ,do we make ,jesus such8 ,do

 we find1 in ourselves1 anything of that
 sickness of hope of which we read in   
,scripture8 ,and are we able to say1    
,when ,he giveth quietness1 who then can
 make trouble8  ,may the ,spirit shed   
abroad more and more1 in the heart of   
each of us1 these and the like          
affections4 ,and to ,him that loved us1 
and washed us from our sins in ,his own 
blood1 be glory and dominion for ever6  
,amen4        ,bride of the ,lamb6      
awake1 awake6         ,why sleep for    
sorrow now8       ,the hope of glory1   
,christ1 is thine1         ,a child of  
glory thou4        ,thy spirit through  
the lonely night1         ,from earthly 
joy apart1       ,hath sigh'd for ,one  
that's far away1         ,the           
,bridegroom of thy heart4        ,but   
see1 the night is waning fast1          
,the breaking morn is near1       ,and  
,jesus comes with voice of love1        
,thy drooping heart to cheer4        ,he
 comes2 for1 oh1 ,his yearning heart    
,no more can bear delay1       ,to      

scenes of full1 unmingled joy           
,to call ,his ,bride away4        ,this 
earth1 the scene of all ,his woe1       
,a homeless wild to thee1       ,full   
soon upon ,his heav'nly throne1         
,its rightful ,king shall see4          
,thou too shalt reign1 ,he will not wear
         ,his crown of joy alone1       
,and earth ,his royal ,bride shall see  
,beside ,him on the throne4        ,then
 weep no more1 'tis all thine own1      
,his crown1 ,his joy divine1       ,and 
sweeter far than all beside1            
,he1 ,he ,himself is thine4             
,london3 ,a4 ,s4 ,rouse1 #ae  #af1      
,paternoster ,square1 ,e4,c4