March 20

God." Hence his people pray, "Send out thy light and thy truth;" "that thy way be known on earth, thy saving health among all nations." Hence parents are required to teach him to their children; and every partaker of divine grace to say to his neighbour, "O taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

Let then this name written upon his vesture and upon his thigh be known and read of all men. Let the proud read it and admire his condescension. He who stoops to our mean affairs, allows us to walk with him, tells all our wanderings, puts our tears into his bottle, makes all our bed in our sickness, is "the King of glory," and "the Lord of all."—Let

His enemies read it, and tremble. Who ever hardened themselves against him and prospered? "These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is King of kings and Lord of lords."—Let

His friends read it, and dismiss all their fears. He is for them and with them. Their Redeemer is mighty; and will plead their cause. "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day"—And what is there else that he is not able to keep? my reputation? my business? my health? my family? Is there a loss but he can turn into a gain? He can make all things work together for good to them that love him.—Let

Those who are tempted to deny him read it, and go forth to him without the camp bearing his reproach. Let them remember not only their danger in being ashamed of him and of his words; but of their folly and weakness. Who is he they blush to own? and whose cause, and whose followers, they deem it disgraceful to espouse? The King of kings and Lord of lords!

Let us all read it, and invite him to go on conquering and to conquer, till his title is as fully acknowledged as it is justly deserved, and he shall reign for ever and ever. "Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things."

"Great King of grace, my heart subdue, I would be led in triumph too: A willing captive to my Lord, And sing the victories of thy word."

MARCH 20.—"Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father."—Genesis 49:2.

PRECIOUS in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints; and the scene is peculiarly worthy of our contemplation. It shows us the power of divine grace, and the value of the religion of Jesus in sustaining the possessor when every other support gives way, in comforting him when every other source of consolation dries up, and in irradiating him when every other sun of glory sets. Therefore says David, "Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace." And even Balaam exclaims, "Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his."

Jacob is here dying. He feels perfectly composed and satisfied as to the issue. We see him between two worlds, weary of time, and welcoming eternity; rejoicing in hope of the glory of God, and saying, "I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord." It seems to have been common in the patriarchal age for men when dying, to pronounce a benediction on their offspring; and which, in many cases, not only admonished them of their duty, but foretold their destination—Thus "Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father." The words of dying men, especially of dying parents, are impressive, and ought to be remembered. We have met with instances in which they have proved the power of God to salvation.

—Jacob begins with Reuben. Reuben signifies, "see a son." It was the exclamation of the joyful mother at his birth. So children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. But how little does a parent know in what disappointments his wishes and prognostics are to terminate! Reuben was his first-born, but he had forfeited the prerogatives of birth; and Jacob mentions them only to degrade his son from them. He shall have the privilege of a son, but not the rights of primogeniture—"Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power: unstable as water, thou shalt not excel; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed, then defiledst thou it: he went up to my couch." It may seem strange and unkind in Jacob to revive this scandal now, when Reuben was weeping at the side of a father's dying bed; but he spake as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. The sin had indeed been committed more than forty years before; but as nothing is future, so nothing is past with God. We should hope he had long before repented of the deed; but there are crimes, the consequences of which are irreparable in this world. It was well if the guilt of his conduct was removed from his conscience—and with the Lord there is mercy; but the stain was indelible on his person and family. We are under a moral economy, and the wisdom of God has established connexions which even his goodness does not destroy. "Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burnt? So he that goeth in to his neighbour's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent. Whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away." It is useless to murmur at the divine dispensations. Forgiveness is attainable upon repentance; but they who trifle with character, must not expect to retain esteem and honour. They will be sure to hear of it again; and by providential corrections, the rebukes of friends, the upbraidings of enemies, and galling reflections of their own minds, they will often have reason to say, "My sin is ever before me."

Reuben had fits of good feeling, and was naturally tender-hearted. When therefore his brethren were going to slay Joseph, he urged them to cast him into a pit, hoping to deliver him. And when they had left the place, and he to accomplish his purpose went secretly

round to it and found him not, "he rent his clothes; and returned unto his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?" And when they were all put in ward, and conscience led them to say one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother;" Reuben made this appeal: "Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold also his blood is required." When too they were in danger of perishing for want through Jacob's unwillingness to let Benjamin go, "Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again." And had we a fuller history of his life, we should doubtless meet with many instances of a similar nature. But his goodness was as the morning cloud and early dew that soon passeth away. He had no self-government. He was the slave of his appetites and vile passions—"unstable as water, thou shalt not excel." No; without stability there cannot be excellency. Without stability there can be no character; for character is the effect and force of habit; and habit is produced only by constancy and consistency in acting. The proverb says, a rolling stone gathers no moss. A tree that is every year transplanted will not rise high, and grow strong, and bring forth much fruit. Even obstinacy is preferable to versatility: the one may perchance be well guided, and then it will firmly go on; in the other there is nothing to guide. You may build upon a rock, but what can you do with a mound of sand?

In the next exercise, we will inquire wherein we should seek to excel; and in the following, wherein we should guard against instability.

MARCH 21.—"Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel."—Genesis 49:4.

—WHEREIN should we seek after excellence?

Let us seek to excel in knowledge. For the soul to be without knowledge it is not good. It is like a vessel without rudder or compass; or a body without an eye. Bacon is admired for saying, knowledge is power. But Solomon had said ages before: "Wisdom is a defence, and money is a defence: but the excellency of knowledge is, that wisdom giveth life to them that have it." We are to have the innocency of the dove, but our Saviour himself requires us to combine with it the wisdom of the serpent. And while the apostle tells us in malice to be children, he adds, but in understanding be ye men. And "henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive." It is lamentable to think how little judgment many professors of religion exercise, and how little information they have acquired after enjoying so many advantages and for so long a season: so that when for the time they ought to be teachers, they have need that one teach them again which be the first principles of the oracles of God. How cloudy and confused and inconsistent are the views of some even with regard to the leading articles of the truth as it is in Jesus; by which if their safety is not affected, their comfort and welfare are injured.