epistle to the Hebrews, in which the history of Isaac is treated of, would afford us many other examples of illustrious persons whose actions. and sufferings were conformed to the character of that Saviour in whom they believed. But of all the personal histories which have a prophetic relation to the sufferings and exaltation of Jesus Christ, none are so full to the purpose as those two characters of Joseph and Moses, which were selected by the blessed martyr St. Stephen in his apology against the Jews which apology, when rightly considered, opens a wonderful scene, and carries us very far into the prophetical imagery of the, scripture. St. Stephen, in his disputes with the adversaries of the gospel, had argued in such a manner from the figures of the Old Testament, to vindicate the sufferings and demonstrate the verity of the mission of Jesus Christ, that none could resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spake *. And at length, in his speech, before the high priest at his trial, we have the method and substance of his reasoning: of which I am now to make my use, so far as it relates to the present part of our subject. The design of this discourse, and the drift of N 2 *See Acts, chap. vi. 7. the the argument may be collected by comparing some passages of it together. Having reminded the Jews, in the first place, that the promises of God, and the hopes of the fathers, did not rest in a temporal or worldly inheritance, as they had falsely flattered themselves; he lays down the histories of Joseph and Moses, with the persecutions. they underwent from their people, and the interposition of God for, their exaltation: and then, to shew his meaning in all this, he makes the following application, for the conviction of his hearers, who had been the persecutors of Jesus Christ. "Ye stiff necked, and uncir"cumcised in heart and ears (who from your "disobedience are not able to hear and under"stand what the law has declared to you) ye "do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your "fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And 66 ઃઃ they have slain them which shewed before "of the coming of the Just one, of whom ye "have been now the betrayers and murder erst." This application shews with what design he had reminded them of the recep-. tion which Joseph and Moses, those two emi nent * See the beginning of the 7th chapter of the Acts. nent characters of the law, had met with. He meant to shew them, that as these favourites of heaven, whom God had commissioned to be the Saviours of their people, were opposed and persecuted; so had they now, in like form and manner, opposed and persecuted the Just one Jesus Christ; and in so doing had fulfilled the scripture, and done all that was wanting to confirm the truth of his divine mission; inasmuch as none could be the true Saviour, according to the scriptures, but a person rejected by them, as these holy prophets had been rejected by their forefathers. Such is the purport of St. Stephen's apology; and, with this key, we are prepared to examine the particulars. He enters on the character of Joseph with these remarkable words: the patriarchs moved with envy sold Joseph into Egypt. Who were the enemies of Joseph ?— The patriarchs; his own brethren, all against him to a man. Having first plotted together to take away his life, they sold him, and then shewed the marks of his blood, that his father . might be assured he was dead. The strangers, to whom he was given up, carried him far from his family, and placed him among heathens in the land of Egypt. All these particulars were exactly verified in the person of Christ: his brethren moved with envy sold him for money, and delivered him to the Gentiles. The brother who advised* the selling of Joseph, that some profit might be made of him, was Judah, who answers even in his name to the traitor that sold Jesus Christ: but the guilt which attends his name extends to the whole nation of the Jews, of whom Judah among the twelve patriarchs, and Judas among the twelve apostles, were the representatives. Envy was the motive on which the patriarchs sold Joseph; and Christ was accused and condemned on the same principle, according to the opinion of his judge; of whom two of the evangelists relate, that Pilate knew the chief priests had delivered him for envy. When Joseph declared his dreams, which signified his future superiority over his whole family; his brethren hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words; and persuaded themselves they should prevent his advancement by selling him for a slave: but this was the circumstance without which his advancement could not have happened: he had never been a ruler and a prince, if he had not been sent into Egypt as a slave, and to prison * See Gen. xxxvii. 26. as as a malefactor. So when Christ asserted his own dignity, his brethren took up stones to cast at him for making himself the Son of God: and when he told them they should see him coming in the clouds, and sitting at the right hand of power, they pronounced him to be guilty of blasphemy, and inflicted those sufferings which were necessary to his exaltation. They sold him into the hands of the Romans, to be treated as a slave, scourged, and crucified. With the kingdoms of the Gentiles, to whom his brethren delivered him, he remains to this day; and thither they must come after him, if they are to meet with him, as Joseph was followed by his family into Egypt. Much more might be said to shew how exact the parallel is between the history of Joseph and the history of Christ, if we were to pursue it. We see Joseph in company with two malefactors in the prison, and promising life to one of them: we see him endued with such wisdom, that even Heathens were obliged to own that this Hebrew spoke by the spirit of God; and they were content that he should receive the power and glory of dominion amongst them; while his brethren had rejected him as an insignificant dreamer. One circumstance, however, I must not pass over, which is ¦ particularly N 4 |