particularly noted by St. Stephen; that at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren. At the first meeting they knew him not: but after they had accused themselves for being guilty of his death, and had imputed their troubles to its proper cause, then their brother was made known unto them. Thus we trust it will be at last betwixt Christ and the Jews. The time will come, when they shall see the true reason why they had been wandering backwards and forwards, and seeking their bread with anxiety and suspicion, in a strange land; and shall say with the brethren of Joseph, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us*. God who found out the iniquity of Joseph's brethren, and at last opened their eyes to see and confess it, can turn the hearts of the Jews, how hard soever they may be at present, and prepare them for that second meeting when their Saviour shall be known to them.

Some things which have passed before us in the present lecture would suggest many profitable reflections, if I had time to insist upon them.

From

Genesis xlii. 21.

From the office of John the Baptist, which was preparatory to the doctrines of Jesus Christ, we are to learn, that no man can receive the truth of the gospel, unless he is prepared by a baptism of repentance, and is ready to forsake his sins. The counsel of God for his salyation can take no effect, till his former evil ways are given up. With an attachment to his old sins and errors, he can neither understand nor approve any thing the gospel offers to him; but, will either hate or despise it, and tempt others to do the same as the scribes did, who would not accept of John's baptism. Why do not all men receive the gospel, but because some have taken part with the world, the flesh, and the devil; and determine never to renounce them? To all such the gospel is a thing of no value.

From the case of Joseph, and our blessed Saviour, hated and persecuted as they were, we should learn to suspect all those whom the world magnifies, and not trust to reports and appearances, where self love and temporal interest are concerned to disguise things. This is a world in which truth is neglected, goodness evil spoken of, and innocence run down and persecuted. It is the constant practice of mankind to misrepresent and defame those whom theyhave injured, that their own injustice may not

appear.

appear. When virtue is oppressed, it is generally silent; while its oppressors never fail to be clamorous in their own vindication: and in most cases, men may distinguish where the fault lies, by the noise that is made to conceal it. When Christ was defamed he answered not again; and his disciples also suffered in patience; while the Jews were running here and there all over the world to tell their story, and turn the hearts of men against the gospel, that they might be prepared to disbelieve and reject it, as soon as it should come to their ears.

In the history of Joseph's brethren, you see them in distress under their wants; not able to stay at home without starving, nor daring to go into Egypt, taking the lord of the country for their enemy. Every mortal man will suffer under the like miserable dilemma, who cannot find his happiness in the world, and dare not seek it where only it is to be found. All this happens because he does not know Jesus Christ; does not know that he is the brother and the friend of sinners, ready to take them under his protection and supply all their wants; but supposes religion to be his enemy, and expects to be roughly handled. The brethren of Joseph did not know him; and were distressed with fear and anxiety; the Jews did not know

Christ,

Christ, and are to this day wandering, restless, and hopeless about the world; and every man will find himself in the like condition, till he discovers that the religion he is afraid of is his best friend, and that God has sent a Saviour before us to preserve life, not to destroy it.

LECT.

LECTURE IX.

ON THE PERSONAL FÍGURES, OR TYPES, OF THE SCRIPTURE.

(A CONTINUATION OF THE FORMER.)

Of all the personal figures of the Old Testa

F

ment, none are so proper to answer the purpose of these lectures, as the two characters which St. Stephen proposed to the Jews, as figures and fore-runners of Jesus Christ; whom they would not have crucified if they had known him, and they could not have failed to know him, if they had looked to those saints of old who had foreshewed him in their lives and actions, more plainly than words could have described him. Notice had been given of this by Moses himself; so that they ought not to have been igno

rant.