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of communicating to others. Though the lamp of life burn dim, ftill may give light for a season, and edify the furrounding friends and relatives, by an example of faith, and patience, and refignation to the will of God. Jacob was content to die when he had seen Jofeph, but it pleafed God to prolong his life; he must appear before Pharaoh the aged fervant of the living God before the king of Egypt he must pronounce the patriarchal bleffing on the two fons of Jofephto his own fons he muft declare that which fhall befall them in the laft days_ then may he depart in peace but till then, he must remain a prisoner in the flesh, and wait all the days of his appointed time, till his change come.

Now let me die, faid Jacob. We muft not depart hence without God's per

miffion: With the Apostle Paul, we may defire to depart, and to be withChrift, but we must be contented to remain in the flesh, fo long as fhall please God. Impatience would fometimes prompt us to rush out of the body, uncalled, before our time, to escape from evils under which we groan. The wounded fpirit, finking under the weight of its own infirmities, or distracted by imaginary terrors, is often prompted by the enemy of our peace, to unnatural rashness and defperation: Butlet it be confidered, that to do violence to ourselves, is to break in upon the order of Heaven; that he only who wounds,can heal, in his own good time, when, and how he fees fit; that fo long as we are in the body, the diforders of the mind may expect their cure; but that the disease becomes more defperate and hopeless, when the naked fpi

rit fees herfelf prematurely ftript of this corporeal covering, with all the horrors of guilt upon her head. Befides, go where we will, we cannot fly from God or ourfelves. When the chaftening hand of the Almighty is upon us, the counfel of the Prophet is,

Hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. Refiftance to the will of God does but aggravate and increase our fufferings. Never was man more tried and afflicted than Job: And what a leffon of patience does his example hold forth! His latter end was more bleffed than his beginning! How Jacob mourned for the lofs of Jofeph, and here at length we fee the mourner comforted! When our profperity is interrupted, we are too apt to imagine it is gone never to return; but this is a want of faith. We know that fun-fhine fucceeds after a ftorm; the gloomy inter

val of night, is followed by a brighter day; and the inclement winter's fky muft disappear, and give place to the

more genial warmth of the fummer season. Why may not the fame procedure be equally neceffary in the dif penfations of grace, as in the order of nature? We know that if there were no feed-time, there would be no harveft; the earth would be parched up with unremitting fun-fhine. So it is that seasons of affliction, which are the feed time of the human mind, for then the precious feeds of wisdom are fown, do but prepare us for an harveft of everlafting happinefs. He that now goeth on his way weeping, bearing precious feed, fhall doubtlefs come again with joy, and bring his fheaves with him. Our light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The redeem

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ed of the Lord fhall return, and come with finging unto Sion; they fhall obtain joy and gladnefs, and forrow and fighing shall for ever flee away.

In the perfon of Jacob, we have feen faith and piety tried and exercised; in the perfon of Jofeph, we have feen innocence and virtue flandered, oppreffed, and perfecuted; we have seen guilt brought to contrition in the perfons of the brethren; and now we fee faith and piety rewarded, innocence and virtue triumphantly exalted, and guilt pardoned. Jacob and Jofeph are locked in each others arms, while the brethren ftand around fpectators of the scene: What leffon this to them and their families, that God never forfakes thofe who put their trust in him. Here let parents come and learn affection for their offspring