men, but promises them good for their evil? Reply: Is this doctrine any better than was the conduct of God towards these envious brethren who sold Joseph? And did not these brethren experience a most just and ample retribution for their sins, before they entered into the enjoyment of the divine favor which was brought about by means of their folly? Is not this doctrine exactly what the gospel holds up and requires? Are we not forbidden to render evil for evil? And are we not commanded to render good for evil? "Be not overcome of evil; but overcome evil with good." The blessing that came on Joseph seems to have been, in all respects, what his sufferings seemed to deserve, as ample as his love, and as extensive as his reasonable desires. To have it in his power to reward his brethren with all the favor which their necessities required for all the evil he had received at their hands, to make every necessary provision for his aged father and the whole of his numerous family, from which he had been so long separated, and of supplying many countries with bread during a famine which must have swept off thousands of innocent children with vast multitudes of others, had it not been for the treasures which were laid up by his wisdom and liberally dispensed by his goodness, seems to have been as large and as rich a blessing as could be desired.

To show, by the language of our text, that Moses had a meaning in view, beyond what respected the literality of the subject, and to apply our text to Jesus, who was separated from his brethren, forms the second general section of this discourse.

"His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns: with them shall he push the people together to the ends of the earth and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh."

The firstling of cattle is similar to the first born among men. The first born of a family possessed, by birth right, a privilege over the younger, as in the case of Esau and Jacob. The first born seemed to have a power of ruling, and of having the younger branches

of the family in subjection. The first born was also considered holy unto God, as were the first fruits of the field; and the holiness of the first born, and of the first fruits was the holiness of all which were represented by them. This part of the text, which relates to the firstling of the bullock, may very fitly be applied to Joseph as well as Jesus, who is styled the "first born among many brethren, the first born from the dead, and the first born of every creature."

Joseph seems to have obtained the birth right of the first born by a divine arrangement, whereby he became the governor and ruler of his numerous family, though it is true Joseph was literally the first born of the beloved Rachel. His glory answered to his birth right, for we see him the ruler and kind father of his brethren.

But why should Moses say; "his horns are as the horns of unicorns: with them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth: and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh?" By horns, no doubt power was intended. But how shall the power of Joseph push the people together to the ends of the earth? And how is it that all people thus united are the ten thousands, and thousands, of the two sons of Joseph ?

As the horns

This language and these sentiments are supposed to apply to Jesus in the following manner. of unicorns are the most powerful among beasts, they are used to represent the power of the Saviour. as it is said, "with them shall he push the people together to the ends of the earth," it means the same as

was

And

expressed by Jacob concerning the Shiloh unto whom the gathering of the people should be; and the same as expressed by Jesus himself, when he said, “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me." The same is expressed by St. Paul to the Ephesians as follows; "Having made known unto us the majesty of his will according to his good pleasure, which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him

Jews and Gentiles thus gathered into Jesus are said to be the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh. The two sons of Joseph are here used to represent the two families, Jews and Gentiles, which in their fullness, are the children of the everlasting Father and Prince of peace."

When Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, being blind, Joseph was careful to present Manasseh, the first born, to Jacob's right hand and Ephraim, the younger, to his left, that the first born might receive the appropriate blessing which belonged to his birth right; but Jacob wittingly crossed his hands and laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim and his left on the head of Manasseh. At this, Joseph endeavored to remove his father's hands, and informed him that his left hand was on the head of the first born; to which he replied; "I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations." Thus Moses in our text, when expressing, the multitudes of Gentiles and Jews, in Christ Jesus, says: "They are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh." The Jews were first reckoned the children of God, and Israel is called God's first born; but the first are last and the last first. The Gentiles take the lead in the gospel dispensation, for not until the fullness of the Gentiles is come in will the deliverer come out of Zion and turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

In considering Joseph and the things concerning him as applicable to Jesus and his ministry we find an extensive field opened before us, a field fruitful as a garden, in all the most beautiful flowers of divine representations, and in the fruits of grace.

The visions of the holy prophets, in which they saw the extensive empire of the Saviour of the world, the subjection of all the nations of the earth to his divine and glorious government, seem to be represented by the dreams of Joseph, which served to kindle his brethen's hearts with envy. The declaration from heaven, which designated Jesus as the beloved Son of God in

whom the Father is well pleased, seems to be represented by Jacob's love for Joseph,-How angry it made the scribes, the pharisees, the priests and the doctors of the law, that Jesus should pretend to be the Son of God. A man by no means of their standing; why should he pretend to be the king of israel? they were as determined not to have this man to rule over them as Joseph's brethren were that he should not rule over them. As Joseph was separated from his brethren, so was Jesus separated from his; as Joseph was sold for money, so was Jesus; as Joseph was the gracious saviour of the whole family of promise, so is Jesus the Saviour of the whole family "of heaven and earth."

My brethren, look, see the future saviour of the family of Israel, leaving his brethren in Dothan to go down to Egypt a slave, to see them no more until he sees them as his humble subjects, and is acknowledged their lord and protector; then look again and see the blessed Jesus, bearing his cross, going bound to Calvary, separated from his brethren and from all the living, to see them not again until in a glorious resurrection state, he appears "the Lord from heaven."

Let us here talk freely on the grace and plan of salvation by Jesus Christ, as represented by the temporal salvation wrought by Joseph. Joseph was appointed by heaven to be the saviour of all his father's house. He was in fact the saviour of his brethren before they knew him in Egypt. He had treasured up a supply of bread during the seven years of plenty for thousands who were not then born. He was the saviour of vast multitudes, by the merciful appointment of heaven, who were strangers to him, and who knew him not. All the time before his brethren came to Egypt, Joseph was the appointed saviour of them and of their little ones. It was just as certain that they would all partake of the rich bounties of Joseph, even before the famine commenced as it was after they were all removed into the land of Goshen.

Now what reasonable objection can there be to the sentiment, that the grace of God, and the scheme of

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man's spiritual salvation "is ordered in all things," and rendered as sure as the temporal salvation of the house of Israel was in the scheme which we have noticed?

Joseph's brethren did not believe that they, their wives and their little ones were all to be fed from the bounty of him whom they had so cruelly treated and sold into Egypt. But what power had their ignorance and unbelief to frustrate the divine plan in which their welfare was secured? It is true, they could not enjoy a confidence in their brother until they knew him and were assured of his forgiveness; but he was as truly their brother and friend during their ignorance and unbelief as he was after he had made himself known to them. Is it not equally true, that Jesus is the sinner's friend and Saviour as truly during the season of ignorance and unbelief as he is after faith is given?

The name of Joseph in Egypt was synonymous with bread, it was synonymous with life; and in no other name was there any confidence. All power in Egypt was committed into the hands of Joseph, there was no other name given whereby the life of the people could be saved. Is not all this true in spirit respecting the name of Jesus, is it not synonymous with Saviour? Is not this the bread of God which came down from heaven, and gave life to the world?

In his wise and gracious appointment, the God of heaven gave life to millions in Joseph before they were born; "and this is the record that God hath given unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." This life was the life of the world from the beginning, This was our life before we came into this world, and the unborn ages to come are equally entitled to all its blessings.

The envy, the hatred, the deadly enmity of Joseph's brethren towards him, could do no more than was necessary to promote his glory and advance him in the way of the divine appointment. So all the cruel envy, hatred and persecution practised on the blessed Jesus, by his enemies, only advanced him towards that glory that during eternal ages will continue to brighten