rather be a door-keeper in the houfe of my God, than to dwell in the tents of ungod liness.

WHAT an idea does it give us of the faith and piety of the holy Patriarchs, when we fee them fo folicitous to tranfmit the bleffing of God to their pofterity. Fit it was that they who had experienced fo much of the goodnefs of God themselves, fhould commend their children to his care, when they were no longer able to afford them protection. The promife was to them and their feed. Secure of their own inheritance in the heavenly Canaan, it feems to have been their greatest concern in their dying moments, that the fucceeding generation might tread in their steps, and be counted worthy to partake their bleffcdnefs. Obferve the

style of Jacob's bleffing—God, before whom my fathers, Abraham and faac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day. the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, blefs the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Ifaac ; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth. This was the language of a dying man of an old man, aged near an hundred and fifty years, who had feen many viciffitudes and changes of fortune_With these words he bleffed his two grand children, the fons of his favourite Jofeph: He fets before them the example of their illuftrious ancestors who had walked in the true faith and fear of God He invokes that Being whom his family had long known and ferved, and whofe gracious protection and fup

port he had himself so often experienced who had fed him all his life long unto this day, who had delivered him out of all his troubles, and redeemed him from all evil: He implores the fame kind protection in behalf of thefe young pilgrims, juft fetting out in a pilgrimage, which he had traversed fo long. We muft allow him to feel fome anxiety for the welfare of thofe he is about to leave; but to whom can he fo properly commit them, as unto the known and tried friend of his family, who had chofen that family to fet his love upon them, and with whom there is no variableness nor fhadow of changing. Nor ought we to blame his defire to perpetuate the memorial of his name, and of the name of his forefathers to future generations; it fhews that the defire of immortality of every kind is

congenial to all noble minds, and that even the name and fhadow of immortality is held precious for the fake of the fubftance it reprefents: And if the earthly immortality, of preferving a name or a family among the fons of men, be of any account; how much more truly defirable, is that glorious reality, of which earthly fame is but the fhadow, even an heavenly immortality with God and his holy angels; where fhall be fulfilled in the spirit, all the promises made in the letter; where patriarchs and prophets, apoftles faints and martys fhall rejoice together, and unite their voices in the praise of him, who hath redeemed them from all evil.

BEHOLD I die, faid Ifrael unto Jofeph, but God fhall be with you, and bring

you again unto the land of your fathers. Happy they, who, like dying Jacob, can confide in the promifes of God, and intruft all they hold dear to his holy keeping. To pofterity they leave an inheritance better than worldly riches, and entail the divine bleffing on thofe that come after them. Parents, imprefs upon your children the fear of God, teach them the value and importance of the divine bleffing. Let it be the business of your life to obtain it for them; nor can you leave them a better legacy with your dying breath; or ought wherewith to remember you with equal advantage, when no longer prefent with them. Would you have them, like Jofeph, faithful and fearing God?You must then be yourselves like Jacob, and bring them up in the true faith and fear, that

Kk