Слике страница
PDF
ePub

Reuben, Jacob's first-born: It was the right of primogeniture, or birth-right, which the eldeft fon always claimed as his inheritance. It implied three things, namely, dominion over his brethren, the honour of the priesthood, and a double portion of inheritance. These privileges of birth-right, Reuben had forfeited by his treacherous and unworthy conduct; it therefore pleafed God to deprive him of them, as he had done upon another occafion in the case of Efau, and to diftribute them among his brethren: Accordingly, the right of dominion and pre-eminence is transferred to Judah, the priesthood to Levi, and the double portion is given. to Jofeph, to be fhared by his two fons. Thus he, whom his brethren thought to have excluded from the inheritance of their father, receives to their confufion the double portion as his allot

ment.

Now in bleffing the fons of Jofeph, and adopting them for his children and heirs, Jacob prefers the younger before the elder; and for this preference no reafon is affigned in holy fcripture: It must therefore be refolved into the fovereignty of God, who worketh all things according to the counfel of his own will, and, being no man's debtor, has a right to beftow his bleffings and favours on whom he pleafes. Jofeph took care to prefent his fons, according to the order of nature, that is, with the eldest towards his father's righthand, and the youngest opposite his left, but the old-man, guiding his hand wittingly, purpofely croffed them, fo that his right hand fell upon the youngest, and his left upon the eldeft, while he pronounced their bleffing.

THIS difpleafed Jofeph, who would fain have altered the difpofition of his father's hands, but when he found it was the will of God, that the younger fhould be preferred to the elder, he afterwards acquiefced. It is our wifdom to do the fame, in the like circumftances. God is no man's debtor. Haft thou lefs than thy wealthy neighbour; ftill thou oweft what little thou haft to the grace of God, and oughteft not to envy his more ample portion Thou haft no claim of merit to prefer at the bar of Heaven: Every bleffing we receive is of free grace; and though all are finners, God is mer-. ciful unto all How unfearchable are his judgments and his ways paft finding Who hath first given unto him, and it fhall be recompenfed again! Confider what the Pfalmift fays, that promotion

out.

cometh not from the east, nor from the weft, nor yet from the fouth; but that God is the judge, he putteth down one and fetteth up another. It is He that maketh. the families and fortunes of men to increase or decrease; He maketh poor, and maketh rich; He bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raifeth up the poor out of the duft, and lifteth up the beggar out of the dunghill, to fit them among princes, and to make them inherit a throne of glory.

WE may further obferve, that the preference of Ephraim the younger to Manaffes the elder, is a type of the two difpenfations of God, the Jewish and the Chriftian. This laft, though the younger in the order of time, takes place of the former, and is more highly favoured with the bleffings of Heaven: It is cftablifhed upon better promises;

it propofes nobler rewards, and holds. forth more glorious hopes.

BUT though a preference was fhewn, ftill did each of the fons of Jofeph receive the bleffing of Jacob. God may without injuftice beflow peculiar gifts on fome men more than others, but it will be found that every man receives a measure of benediction. Though we cannot all inherit the blefling of the first born, we may however fharethe fortunes of younger children; though not bleffed as Ephraim, we may be bleffed as Manaffes; though not the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven, we may have an inheritance there. And the leaft portion of heavenly blifs, is of more value than all that the world has to beftow; for as the Pfalmift fays, One day in the courts of the Lord, is better than a thoufand I had“

« ПретходнаНастави »