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cannot endure that all the love he exercises should be construed as a mere hypocritical pretence, covering a rooted enmity that will break forth as soon as an opportunity shall enable him to manifest it with effect: yea, the more conscious a man feels of his own integrity, the more deeply will he feel such unfounded suspicions. If jealousy is painful to him who harbours it, it is no less painful to him who is undeservedly the object of it. This avowal therefore of their secret fears could not but inflict a deep wound on his tender spirit.

At the same time it must be distressing to Joseph to see, that, after all they had witnessed of piety in their father Jacob, and all the reason they had to believe he was possessed of the same divine principle, they should betray such ignorance of religion, as to suppose, that, where the lowest degrees of it existed, a vindictive spirit could be indulged. If indeed they thought him a determined hypocrite, they might suppose him capable of harbouring such resentment: but, if he had any hope of forgiveness from God himself, he never could suffer such feelings to rankle in his breast. Whilst therefore they doubted the influence of true religion in him, they shewed, that they were in a very great degree strangers to it themselves: and this discovery must have been painful to him, in proportion to the love he bore them, and the desire he felt for their eternal welfare. Hence that expression of his, "Am I in the place of God," to whom exclusively "vengeance belongs," and whose prerogative, if I avenged myself, I should usurpe?] 2. Of joy

[Whilst they thus betrayed an ignorance of genuine religion, they gave by their voluntary humiliation some reason to hope that the seeds of true piety were springing up in their souls. And this hope doubtless filled him with holy joy. Say, any of you, who have wept over an abandoned child, or the impiety of a friend or brother, what joy has not sprung up in your bosom when you have first seen the obdurate heart to relent, and the tears of penitential sorrow to flow down, so as to justify a hope that a work of grace was begun in the soul! How have you secretly lifted up your heart to God in devout aspirations, to entreat, that he would confirm the rising purpose, and perfect in their souls the work he had begun! Doubtless then, in such a pious mind as Joseph's, the very first dawn of piety in his obdurate brethren could not but cause the tear of love and gratitude to start from his eyes.

Another thought too, that could not fail of rushing into his mind, and filling him with adoring gratitude to God, was, that in this act of humiliation his brethren had voluntarily fulfilled those dreams which they had before accomplished only from

c Rom. xii. 19. with Gen. 1. 19.

necessity and constraint. To trace the ways of Providence, and especially to see how mysteriously God has dealt with us, and made all things to work together for our good, is one of the sublimest enjoyments that we can experience on earth; and I doubt not but that it will constitute in no small degree the blessedness of heaven. Well therefore might Joseph now weep for joy, more especially as the exaltation which all his previous trials had led to, enabled him now to requite, not evil for evil, as they feared, but good for evil, and to "overcome evil with goodd."]

From hence then we may LEARN,

1. To ask forgiveness of those whom we have injured

[This is a hard task to an unhumbled spirit: but it is indispensably necessary: nor can any man be upright before God, who will not submit to it. To approach the table of the Lord without first endeavouring to conciliate our offended brother is directly to oppose the command of God, who says, "Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way:" "Go thy way: first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." Many will be the excuses which we shall be ready to offer for our neglect of this duty;---but the command of God is plain and express; and a compliance with it is indispensable, to prove that our penitence is sincere: nor can we ever obtain forgiveness from God, if we are too proud to solicit forgiveness from man.]

2. To forgive those who have injured us—

[This is a far easier duty than the other; because, whilst a compliance with the other humbles us, the performance of this elevates and exalts us. Is it asked, "How often shall I forgive an offending brother? till seven times?" I answer, Yes, and "till seventy times seven." Nor is our forgiveness to be merely negative, such as consists in a forbearance from retaliation: no; it must be real, cordial, permanent: for in the parable of the unforgiving servant who is represented as cast into prison till he shall have paid the uttermost farthing, we are warned, "So also shall your heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses." Let not any one then say, 'I cannot forgive, or, Though I forgive, I cannot forget:' for we must, in the mercy which we extend towards man, resemble that which we ourselves hope to receive from God; and must "forgive our brother as completely and cordially as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us."]

d Rom. xii. 20, 21. g Matt. xviii. 35.

e Matt. v. 23, 24. f Matt. xviii. 21, 22. h Eph. iv. 32.

EXODU S.

LXIII.

THE BURNING BUSH.

Exod. iii. 2, 3. The angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not con-sumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

IF God have on some occasions revealed himself to persons, when, like Saul, they have been in the very act of committing the most heinous sins, he has more generally favoured them when they have been occupied, like the shepherds, in their proper calling. Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, when God appeared to him in a burning bush, and gave him a commission to deliver Israel from their bondage in Egypt. By this extraordinary appearance God not merely awakened the curiosity of Moses, but conveyed to him some very important instruction; to elucidate which we shall,

I. Shew what was intended by the burning bushIt was intended to represent the state and condition

1. Of the Israelites in Egypt

[They were cruelly oppressed, and every effort was made to destroy them". Nor had they in themselves any more ability to withstand their enemies, than a thorny bush has to resist the action of fire. Yet not only were they preserved from destruction, but they even multiplied in proportion as means were used to prevent their increase.]

2. Of the church of God in the world

[The church, whose state was typified by that of Israel, has at all times suffered by persecution, though it has enjoyed

a Acts ix. 4. b Luke ii. 8, 9.

• Exod. i. 9—22.

some intervals of comparative rest. And, considering that all the powers of the world have been confederate against it, we may well be amazed that it has not been utterly consumed. But it has endured the fiery trial to this hour, and still defies the impotent attacks of all its adversaries.]

3. Of every individual in the church

[The declaration that "all who would live godly in Christ Jesus should suffer persecution," has been verified in every place and every age: "the third part are, and ever will be, brought through the fire." And it is no less than a miracle, that, when the believer has so many enemies, both without and within, he does not "make shipwreck of faith and of a good conscience." But the furnace, instead of destroying, purifies and refines him; and his very graces are perfected by the trials that endanger their existence.]

Having pointed out both the primary and more remote signification of this phenomenon, we shall, II. Account for the miracle which it exhibited

Well might the sight of a bush burning, but not consumed, excite the astonishment of Moses: but his wonder would cease when he found that God was in the bush.

The person here called "the angel of the Lord" was Christ

[The angel expressly called himself "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;" which sufficiently proves that he could not be a created angel, seeing that it would be the most daring blasphemy in any creature to assume that incommunicable title of Jehovah: yet it was not God the Father: for St. Stephen, recording this history, informs us, that "God sent Moses by the hand of the angel":" consequently the angel was God the Son, and not God the Father. Indeed Christ, who is elsewhere called "The angel of the covenant," was the person, who, in all the appearances of God to man, assumed the human or angelic shape; thereby preparing the world for the fuller manifestation of himself in his incarnate state. And it is on this account that he is called "The image of the invisible God."]

It was his presence with the Israelites that prevented their destruction

[He was in the bush, and therefore the bush was not consumed: so he was in the midst of his oppressed people; and

d Rom. v. 3-5.

e Acts vii. 30-35.

f Col. i. 15.

therefore the Egyptians could not prevail against them. Christ was among them before he gave them any symbol of his presence; for it was he who rendered the assistance of the midwives unnecessary, and emboldened them to withstand the commands of Pharaoh. He was afterwards with them in the pillar and the cloud, protecting them from the Egyptian hosts, and stopping the progress of their enemies till they were overwhelmed in the sea. When, for the punishment of their sins, he refused to go with them, they were sure to be overpowered: but whenever he returned in mercy to them, they prospered and prevailed.]

It is that same presence that preserves the church and every member of it—

[Christ has said, "Lo, I am with you alway, even to the end of the world;" and hence it is that "the gates of hell have never prevailed against the church;" yea, we are assured, they never shall prevail. We are also told that "he dwelleth in the hearts" of all his people", and is "their life1;" and that, whereinsoever they live and act, it is not so much they, as Christ in them. It is by this consideration that he encourages them to "go through fire and water," persuaded that no evil shall happen to them'. And to his continued interposition and support they must ascribe their preservation in every danger, and their deliverance from every enemy m.] Let us now "turn aside and behold this great sight" (let

us turn from every worldly thought, and inspect this wonderful appearance, not with curiosity, but profoundest reverence); let us OBSERVE herein, 1. To what state God's most favoured people may be reduced

[Your afflictions may be heavy. But are any discouraged by reason of their great trials? Be it known that tribulation is the way to the kingdom; and all, who arrive there, have trodden the same path". Nor need we be alarmed at any fire that is kindled for us, since Christ will be with us in the midst of it, and "bring us out of it purified as gold."]

2. What they may expect at God's hands

[In seasons of great trial we are tempted to think that God has forsaken us: but he never was more immediately present with the Hebrew youths, than when they were cast into the furnace; nor did he ever feel more love to his own

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