January 18

"I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath showed me also thy seed." Ges. 48:11.

THIS was the language of the dying Jacob, when Joseph presented to him his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim.

We behold in it his puty. He owns God in his indulgences—He has shown me. Our comforts are sanctified, and rendered doubly sweet when we receive them all from his hand. Let others live without God with them in the world; I would acknowledge him in all my ways. Let them ascribe their successes and enjoyments to chance, or to the power of their friends, or to their own diligence and skill; I would give him the glory that is due only to his name. I would remember that, whatever be the medium of my comfort, he is the source; that, whatever be the instrument, he is the author: "The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it."

Observe also his surprise: his expectation was more than exceeded. We remember the sad relation of the loss of Joseph, and the garment dipped in blood, by which his grief was deluded, though not relieved. "He knew it, and said, It is my son's coat: an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons, and all his daughters, rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him." For many years he never dreamed of his survival; but added, "Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and will ye take Benjamin away? all these things are against me." In process of time, however, all this gloomy conclusion was contradicted. "They told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt. And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not. And they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them: and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived: and Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die." By and by this was fulfilled. "And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive."

Something, however, was still wanting. Joseph had sons, and these would be peculiarly endeared to Jacob. At length he embraces them, as well as the father: "I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath showed me also thy seed."

Is this the only instance in which God has not only frustrated the fears, but surpassed the hopes of his people? When Moses was in the ark of bulrushes, all his parents could have hoped for would have been his preservation, or falling into the hands of some kind individual, who, affected with his infancy and suffering, would have taken care of him, though they should never have seen him more. But Pharaoh's daughter finds him, and adopts him, and his mother becomes his nurse, and he is educated in all the learning of Egypt, and he appears the deliverer and leader of Israel! "David said, I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul:" but, after a number of hairbreadth escapes, he was saved from all his enemies, and sat down upon the throne, "a wonder unto many."

What numbers are there in whose experience this remark has been exemplified as to temporal things. They once had no inheritance, no, not so much as to set their foot on: all they hoped to gain by their humble efforts was, only bread to eat and raiment to put on; and lo, he has given them not only subsistence, but competency and affluence.