thou not be accepted? and if thou doeft not well fin lieth at the door; which feems to imply, that the fruits of the ground which Cain brought, would have been equally pleafing to God, with the flain beafts of Abel; had not Sin, the fins of the offerer, flood in the way, and hindered their acceptance. Jacob being a fhepherd, the facrifices he here of fered to the God of his fathers, were probably taken from his flock. In the act of facrifice, the life of the beaft was offered unto God; it was flain upon the altar, then confumed by fire, and borne upwards with the afcending flame: An emblem of true spiritual worship, when the facrifices of the heart, the life of our affections, are offered up to God, and afcend in the holy fervours of devotion towards the throne of the most High.

It was thus that Jacob worshipped at the altar which his father Ifaac had built.

He was going to entrust himself and all that he had to a strange country. As a man ftricken in years, and experienced in the viciffitudes of human life, he could not be without his fears and apprehenfions; he might never arrive in Egypt: or fhould he furmount the perils and fatigues of fo long a journey, he might find Jofeph (fo mutable is the favour of princes) removed from his high office, and no longer able to afford him the promised protection. In this perplexity, whom fhould he have recourfe to, but the God of his fathers, the God who had preferved him alive unto this day.

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His prayers were heard, and anfwered God fpake unto Ifrael in the vifions of the night and faid, Jacob, Jacob

While his earthly fenfes were locked in fleep, did God open the ears of his fervant, and reveal to him the knowledge of his will. And he faid, I am God, the God of thy father; fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation. I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will furely bring thee up again; and Jofeph Shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

OBSERVE how every word tends to confirm the weak faith of aged Jacob. It is God the Supreme Disposer of all things in heaven and earth. It is the God of his father the known and tried friend of his family, who had entered into covenant with them, that

bids him not fear. His defcent into Egypt, the fubject of his alarm, fhall be productive of good to him; God will make of him a great nation there____ the divine prefence will accompany him in the journey. Nor this only, but will allo furely bring him up again

bring him moft certainly into the inheritance of his fathers. A promife which was not fulfilled to him, till after he was dead; when his body was tranfported back to the land of Canaan, and his foul to that better country which remaineth for the people of God. And in that awful feason, of all others to human apprehenfion the moft dreadful, which divides the deareft earthly ties; it is promifed, that Jofeph fhall perform the laft office of tenderness to his dying parent-Jofeph fhall put his hand upon thine eyes.

Down into the MYSTIC EGYPT, the land of darkness, and the fhadow of death must we go, whither our Saviour Chrift is gone before us; but even then will we fear no evil, for God will be with us there, and will furely bring us up again, and raife us to a joyful refurrection; for he is our covenant God the God whom our fathers have known They hoped in him, they trufted in him, and were not confounded. Him the Patriarchs worshipped; Prophets foretold his glory, and Apostles preached his Gospel, and fealed their teftimony with their blood. He was the feed of the woman that should bruife the ferpent's head the ftar that fhould come out of Jacob-the defire of all nations-the hope of Ifrael, and the expectation of all the ends of the earth. The Lord is my shepherd,