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wickedness, and "turn aside to their own crooked way, the Lord will lead them forth with the workers of iniquity."

Therefore, if a man be lost, it is because he reprobates himself. And, what scriptural authority has any to conclude, that Esau, as respects his eternal state, was a reprobate? They have none whatever. For it does not follow, that, because God rejected him from being the seed from which the Mosaic dispensation was to spring, (for that is what is meant by God hating him, and nothing more,) that he was cut off from all the benefits of the redemption by Jesus Christ; for, if so, then were all strangers, not of the lineage of Jacob, in the like predicament; which was not the case; for the Lord, by the mouth of his prophet Isaiah, (lvi. 6, 7,) saith, "Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called a house of prayer for all people." Therefore, although Jacob was especially preferred before Esau, to perpetuate the patriarchal lineage of the church of Christ, it does not follow that Esau was cut off from all spiritual interest in that covenant of redemption which was promised to Abraham, before the sign of circumcision was given unto him. Therefore, as the stranger that was admitted into the fellowship of the Jewish church, although not permitted to offer sacrifices.

as a priest at the altar, yet was privileged to share in the spiritual blessings of that altar; so likewise Esau, although rejected by God from exercising the priestly office of his family, which belonged by customary right to the first-born, yet was he not thereby cut off from the spiritual blessing of it, if he chose to submit to the authority of his brother, who, in the family, was made a vessel of honour, to rule over him; but, instead of that, for a time he studied revenge. But eventually he and his brother became reconciled to each other. And the last record we have in scripture personally concerning Esau, is in Gen. xxxv. 29, where the account of the death of Isaac his father is given, and that he and his brother Jacob buried him; and no account is there given of Esau's death. Therefore, as the scriptures are silent about his eternal state, let not any man presume to judge him; but let each of us look to ourselves, and "examine ourselves, whether we be in the faith"-for Christianity is a personal thing. And when one asked our blessed Lord, "Are there few that be saved?" he did not satisfy his curiosity, but replied, "Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." Luke, xiii. 23, 24. And here I conclude my observations upon the history of Jacob and Esau; having shown by the allegory that God is no respecter of persons.

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.

The next theme I wish to draw my readers' attention to, is the love of Christ to poor sinners, even whilst they are enemies to him; to exemplify

which I will bring forth another allegory, even Joseph and his Brethren, Gen. 37th chap.; according to which it appears, that Jacob loved his son Joseph more than all the rest of his brethren, (who were eleven in number;) and, because he was the son of his old age, he made him a coat of many colours, as a signal mark of his love. All which, conjoined with two singular dreams which Joseph had, caused his brethren to hate him, and at last conspire together to kill him. But, through the intercession of one of his brethren, Reuben, his life was spared; and they, by Reuben's persuasion, cast him into a dry pit, he hoping by that means to restore him to his father again; but some Ishmaelitish merchants coming past on their camels, as they were journeying to Egypt, they immediately agreed together to sell him to them, -which they did, and by that means he was transported to Egypt; where, after enduring much persecution, he was exalted to be ruler over all the land of Egypt, and made next in dignity to Pharaoh the king, in consequence of his interpreting a dream which the king had dreamed; for, after his magicians and wise men declared their inability to explain it, the dream, and the interpretation of it, was by inspiration of God given to Joseph-by which he foretold to the king that seven years' plenty and seven years' famine were coming to pass. And when the said famine became very grievous over all the face of the earth, and Jacob their father heard that there was plenty of corn in Egypt, he sent his sons thereto, to buy some. See from chapters 37 to 46.

How mysteriously does God work, to bring his designs about? Who would have supposed, when

God told Abraham (15 ch. 13 ver.) that his seed should be as strangers in a land that was not theirs, and there be afflicted four hundred years, that the prediction would be brought to pass in such a wonderful manner? So strange did the whole matter appear to old Jacob, that, in the anguish of his soul he exclaimed, "All these things are against me." Ah, poor Jacob, he could not see the end of God's work from the beginning, any more than we can understand the mysterious working of his providence and grace now. But Jacob was mistaken, for he found it all right at last. And so will every man of God find at last, that every pain, every bereavement, every trial, have all been so many links in the chain of God's providences concerning him-that all was necessary to work his final sanctification; just as every circumstance connected with the history of Joseph and his brethren was, to bring about their four hundred years' captivity in Egypt. But God is not at a loss for means when he has a purpose to accomplish, and nothing with him happens by accident; all his proceedings are designed to magnify his love to fallen man; and in no part of the Old Testament is it more vividly illustrated, than in the conduct of Joseph with his brethren.

The worthy old patriarch sent ten of his sons down to Egypt to buy corn; his youngest son Benjamin he would not let go with them, lest something evil should befall him. They arrived there, and Joseph, the governor, knew them; but they knew not him; and they bowed themselves before him, with their faces to the earth, but "he made himself strange unto them. and spake roughly unto them," &c., "and remembered the

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dreams which he dreamed of them." How wonderful are the ways of God; he little thought when he dreamt that he and his brethren were binding, sheaves in the field, when his sheaf arose and stood upright, whilst his brethren's made obedience to his sheaf, that its accomplishment would be brought about in that manner. Verily the ways God are not as our ways, nor his thoughts as our thoughts. But he remembered his dreams, and said to them, "Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land are ye come.' "But all the while his heart glowed with love to them, as the sequel proved; and he so wisely handled the matter as to bring their sin to remembrance: therefore he accused them as being spies. To which accusation they made answer," Nay, my lord; but to buy food are thy servants come. We are all one man's sons: we are true men, thy servants are no spies. And he said unto them, Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land are ye come. And they said, thy servants are twelve brethren the sons of one man in the land of Canaan, and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not." Now was their sin probed to the core." 'One is not." " And Joseph said unto them, that is it that I spake unto you, saying, ye are spies." Now their sin had found them out. And he declared by the life of Pharaoh, that they should not depart unless their youngest brother was produced. But, after they had been kept prisoners for three days, on the third day he proposed that they leave one of their brethren in prison until they carried corn to their Father, and returned again to him, bringing their youngest brother; Benjamin, with them, that so their words might be verified. But, mark the conflict

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