Слике страница
PDF
ePub

"tain of confolation; and thus we are "enabled to proceed from one degree "of holiness to another, until we come "to the glorified vifion of God in "Heaven itself.

To which bleffed ftate, may God Almighty bring us all, through Jefus Christ our Lord Amen.

SERMON XIII.

JACOB'S BLESSING.

GENESIS, xlviii. 8, 9.

And Ifrael beheld Jofeph's fons, and faid, Who are thefe And Jofeph faid unto his father, they are my fons whom God hath given me in this place, and he faid bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will blefs them.

THE laft fcenes of Jacob's life are peculiarly awful and grand: As the outer man decayeth, fo much the more is he renewed in the inner man; weak in body, but strong in faith, his views into futurity are open and enlarged, as his mortal fight grows dim.

DRAW near the fick bed of the aged Patriarch, and witnefs the dying behaviour of an old man who has lived all his life long in the fear of God — Hear him pronounce the folemn patriarchal bleffing on the two fons of Jofeph Hear him afterwards declare to his twelve fons affembled round him, their future fortunes in the laft days: What an impreffive fcene muft this have been to them-May it be fo to us, as we contemplate the defcription of it by Mofes, and confider the last words of dying Jacob.

WHEN Jofeph was told that his father was fick, he haftened to him without delay,and brought with him his two fons Ephraim and Manaffes: No worldly business could detain him from attending on his dying parent. He took his fons with him, that he might pro

cure for them the bleffing of their venerable anceftor: Riches and honours himfelf could give them; but what are the riches and honours of Egypt, compared to the bleffing of God, and an inheritance in the heavenly Canaan! He took them that they might fee his father die, that they might liften to his dying injunctions, and learn from his faith and hope, the fovereign remedy against the fear of death.

Joy fparkled in the countenance of the dying Patriarch, when he heard that Jofeph and his fons were come; he fummoned all his fcattered fpirits to receive them; he ftrengthened himfelf and fat upon his bed. The affection he had for his children was no hindrance to his piety towards God. About to refign his spirit into the hands of his Creator, he is pleased to find those near

НЬ

him whom he loves, and to take a laft farewell of that family whom he expects to fee once more, affembled before the eternal throne.

AND what think you, were the fub. jects of his difcourfe? Not the vain things of this perifhing life; not uselefs regrets at parting with them; not idle lamentation on the prevalence of disease, and the inefficacy of remedies fought out to prolong life; but, his truft in the mercies of God, the promifes he had received, and his reliance on the Divine faithfulness for their fulfilment.

HEAR him relate the wondrous hif tory in his own words God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, and faid unto me, behold I will make thee fruitful, and mul

« ПретходнаНастави »