will our ftate be fimilar to that of the fons of Jacob during the time of fanine. To Jofeph they went for the bread that perifheth. To Jefus we go for the bread of everlafting life: Like them we experience alternate severity and loving-kindness: But whatever be our difpenfation, whether we fuffer or rejoice; the end which God has in view, is to deliver us from this prefent evil world, to bring us nearer unto Chrift, and to make us meet partakers of his heavenly kingdom.

FROM the hiftory before us, and more especially from the Mystery typified thereby, we learn the forgivenefs of injuries. Jofeph forgave the fin of his brethren: We too who have finned after the fimilitude of the fons of Jacob, in our rejection of Chrift the beloved fon of our heavenly fa

ther, are fill acknowledged by him as his brethren, our unrighteoufness is forgiven and our fin covered. Freely as we have received, let us freely give; as we have found mercy, so let us fhew mercy; let us with all humility feek forgiveness of thofe whom our unkind treatment has removed from us; and let us generously pardon and receive to our bofom, our repentant brethren, from whom we may have received injuries, but whom the chaftening hand of the Almighty has brought to a better mind. When the opportunity offers, let your revenge be offices of kindness—if thy enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirft, give him drink_fo fhall you obtain mercy at the great judgment day, when the Chrift of God fhall make himself known to us his finful brethren, and forgive us our trefpaffes, fo far only, as we forgive

them that trefpafs against us. For if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your heavenly Father will alfo forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes.

SERMON VIII.

JACOB'S DETERMINATION.

GENESIS, xlv. 28.

And Ifrael faid, It is enough; Jofeph my fon is yet alive; I will go and fee him before I die.

No fooner has Jofeph revealed him

felf unto his brethren, than his concern for his aged parent appears uppermoft in his mind. The forgiving brother, is also a dutiful fon: Having declared to them I am Jofeph he immediately adds, doth my father yet live. Seeing how troubled they were at his prefence, inftead of upbraiding them with their paft ill-treatment, he

endeavours to quiet their apprehenfions, by the reflexion, that the whole of what had happened to him was overruled by God's Providence for their common benefit, that he was sent into Egypt to preferve life, that there were five years more of the famine yet to come, and that he was exalted to be lord of Egypt, on purpose to fave their lives by a great deliver

ance.

He defires that his father may fpeedily be made glad with the tidings of his life and honour-Hafte you, fays he, and go up unto my father acquaint him that his fon Jofeph is lord of Egypt — tell him of all my glory here, and urge him to come down without delay. Thou shalt dwell, fays he in his meffage to his father, in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me,