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father, it is heightened to the highest pitch. All his sons and daughters gather around the grey-headed mourner, to comfort him, but in vain; for still he thinks he sees the wild beast tearing his beloved Joseph to pieces, who screams out for help, but none to help is near; and then he is like to faint through the excess of sorrow. Now, this is the first part of the providence, which indeed has a very dejecting aspect, and if we had never heard more of the matter, we would have concluded them both very miserable; but let us see how the dear connexion stands. Jacob, who had mourned many years, is at last overflowed with tides of joy. Joseph, the lost, the long-lamented Joseph, is still alive! The youth who was sold into Egypt as a servant, has all Egypt at his service! He who had his feet hurt with fetters, may now bind princes at his pleasure, and teach senators wisdom! He who lately drudged about in a dungeon, to attend prisoners, becomes a father to a king! His brothers, who envied him for his dreams, bow before him, as the accomplishment of those very dreams which bred their envy! He whose life they so little valued, saves the lives of thousands; and at his word, whose supplications his brethren would not hear, all the land of Egypt is governed! The long separated relations meet, and melt in kindness on one another's neck!

We have (not to name others) a similar instance in the great apostle Paul, and by his own observation too, in his epistle to the Philippians. This great man, after his singular conversion, preacheth Christ unweariedly in many trials and sufferings; till, at length he returns to Jerusalem. There by the enraged and unbelieving Jews he is set upon, and

would have been slain, had not the Roman captain rescued him; but he is so persecuted with their cruel rage, malice, and underhand dealings, that he is. compelled to appeal to an heathen emperor. Now the great apostle of the Gentiles, to the great grief of the church, is a poor prisoner; hence says he, "I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ." He is a long time confined in Judah, then sent to Rome, where, though shipwrecked in his passage, he arrives, and is kept two years a prisoner at large. But, says he to the Philippians, "I would not that ye should be ignorant, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel, so that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places.. And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear." How noble the connexion ! Paul intends to visit Rome at his own expenses, to preach the gospel there; but Providence, on the Emperor's expenses, brings him to make converts, not only in the royal city, but in the very palace. The Jews think they have succeeded to their very wish, when they have thus got rid of a pestilent fel-low, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes; but they could not have fallen upon a better method to spread his doctrine, and support his cause. To appearance, his success must end, when his imprisonment begins: but it is quite the reverse; not only Paul persists in preaching the gospel without prohi bition, but the brethren wax bold.

What reason, then, have I to complain on the first part of providence, while the outer wheel is only seen? Should I not wait, till the inner wheel turn

round, and I can read plainly the last connexion? And what though that should be reserved for eternity? There every providence shall be completed to mine everlasting comfort, and all things concerning me connected in the most beautiful harmony. There shall not be the least gap in my lot or life, when time is no more; but all things shall be made up to me in Christ Jesus, to the entire satisfaction of my soul.

MEDITATION CVIII.

DEGREES OF NEARNESS TO GOD.

Under sail, June 25, 1759.

THERE are different degrees of nearness to God, which the saints enjoy. One of these is essential to the very being of religion in the soul; namely, when the alien to Israel's commonwealth is brought near to God, through the blood of Jesus, and, of a foreigner, made a fellow-citizen with the saints, and of the household of God. But, another and higher step is the special indulgence of heaven to some saints, and but at some times. In the nearness of faith (for none that have true faith can be far from God) I walk with God in the duties of religion: In the nearness of sense, he walks with me in special manifestation of himself, of his love, and his glory. The one is sure and satisfying; the other is sweet and comforting. Without the approaches of faith, I cannot expect sensible communion; but I may have the first, when the last is withheld from me. The one is my daily allowance from the King's table, without which I could not live, but the other is my

sitting down at the table with the King, to the feast made by him, for the joy of his chosen. The one makes me obtain the victory over the world; the other makes me weary of the world. The former is the King's highway to heaven; and in the latter, I walk on it in the sun-shine of his presence. The one gives a continual relish of spiritual things; the other, a refreshful foretaste of heaven, a prelibation of glory. In the first, I have access to God in all my perplexities, that I may not despair; but I am favoured with the last only at times, that I may not presume. The joy of the first excels the worldling's gladness from all his abundance, as far as light excelleth darkness; but the joy of the last is a-kin to the joy of saints in glory. In acts of lively faith, the world is to me but dung and loss, for the excellency of the glorious object; but in near access to, and communion with my Lord, I would fain put off corruption, put on immortality, and become an inhabitant of the world above. O how does a beauty beam

on my soul, in the few moments of communion, as if heaven opened before me, and eternal day shone full in my face! What sacred joy prevails within, and how am I refreshed in every power! Though the Christian must not build on them, since without them his soul may live, yet they are not, as scoffers would affirm, delusion, enthusiasm, and such like; for always after this divine intercourse, Christ is dearer to me, self more loathsome, sin more odious, the world more vain, religion more pleasant, my affections more refined, my desires more on spiritual things, and heaven more desirable.

But now, if a pleasure so great, of which we can only conceive while we enjoy it, spring from a few

moments communion in a more glorious way than usual (for every saint has communion with God) how divine is a religious life! And what a tragical 'scene is the most pleasant life of the happiest sinner, compared to this! And, in a word, what must the life of glory be, where communion, of another nature than ever known below, shall be the privilege. of all the heavenly family! where God shall shine in all his glory, and shed abroad his love in every glowing heart! and where it shall be the ineffable bliss of every ardent adorer, to see more and more of his goodness, and approach nearer and nearer to God, in the uninterrupted freedom of rapturous. communion, through an endless evermore !

MEDITATION CIX.

UNBELIEF.

Lying to, off Toulon, June 29, 1759.

FEW, I believe, read the history of Israel's deliveranc e from Egypt, passage through the Red Sea, and daily miraculous provision in the wilderness, on the one hand, with their doubts, quarrels, complaints, murmuring, and rebellion, on the other, but are ready to cry out, O hard-hearted Jews! O unbelieving Israelites, to doubt in the midst of such a glorious display of divine goodness! Well, then, I verily believe that no Christian ever lived any while below, but one time or other had providences exercised towards him in such a manner as forbade him any more to doubt. Therefore, we may convert our cry against the Jews into a complaint against our

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