duce themselves before the lord of the country. | to Goshen; and presented himself unto him, What had been Joseph's first question on the and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck former visit, was his first question in this, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spake is he yet alive? And they answered, Thy servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive: and they bowed down their heads, and made obeisance."

a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph,
Now let me die, since I have seen thy face;
because thou art yet alive." Not content with
these strong expressions of personal duty and
respect, Joseph now availed himself of his
power and station to fix his father's family in
the enjoyment of those comforts and advanta-
ges, which the land of Egypt afforded in the
universal dearth which then oppressed that re-
gion of the world. For this purpose, as well
as to give another public token to his family,
and to the country, of the deep reverence with
which he regarded his parent, he introduced
the aged patriarch to Pharaoh himself. "And
Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set
him before Pharaoh : and Jacob blessed Pha-
raoh." The sovereign of Egypt received a be-
nediction from this venerable stranger.
"And
Joseph (the account proceeds) nourished his
father, and his brethren, and all his father's
household, with bread according to their fami
lies."

Hitherto, you observe, all had passed in disguise. The brethren of Joseph knew nothing who they were speaking to; and Joseph was careful to preserve the secret. You will now take notice, how this affected disguise was broken, and how Joseph found himself forced, as it were, from the resolution he had taken, of keeping his brethren in ignorance of his person. He had proposed, you read, to detain Benjamin; the rest, being perplexed be yond measure, and distressed by this proposal, Judah, approaching Joseph, presents a most earnest supplication for the deliverance of the child: offers himself to remain Joseph's prisoner or slave, in his brother's place; and, in the conclusion, touches, unknowingly, upon a string, which vibrates with all the affections It remains to be seen how Joseph conductof the person whom he was addressing. "How ed himself towards his father, on the two ocshall I go up to my father, and the lad be not casions, in which alone it was left for him to with me? lest peradventure I see the evil discharge the office, and testify the affection, that shall come on my father." The mention of a son; in his sickness, and upon his death. of this circumstance, and this person, subdued" And it came to pass," we read, " after these immediately the heart of Joseph, and produ- things, one told Joseph, behold, thy father is ced a sudden, and, as it should seem, an un-sick and he took with him his two sons, Ma designed, and premature discovery of himself, to his astonished family. Then, that is, upon this circumstance being mentioned, Joseph could not refrain himself; and after a little preparation, Joseph said unto his brethren, "i am Joseph."

The great secret being now disclosed, what was the conversation which immediately followed? The next word from Joseph's mouth was, "Doth my father yet live ?" and his brethren could not answer him; surprise had overcome their faculty of utterance. After comforting, however, and encouraging his brethren, who seemed to sink under the intelligence, Joseph proceeds, "Haste ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, and there will I nourish thee, (for yet there are five years of famine) lest thou, and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen and ye shall haste and bring down my father hither."

It is well known that Jacob yielded to this invitation, and passed over with his family into Egypt.

nasseh and Ephraim." Joseph delayed not you find, to leave the court of Pharaoh, the cares and greatness of his station in it, in order to pay the last visit to his dying parent: and to place before him the hopes of his house and family, in the persons of his two sons. "And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, Who are these? And Joseph said unto his father, They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place. And he said, Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them. (Now the eyes of Israel were dim, so that he could not see.) And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them: and Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo! God hath showed me also thy seed. And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth." Nothing can well be more solemn or interesting than this interview; more honourable or consoling to old age; or more expressive of the dignified piety of the best of sons, and the greatest of men.

We now approach the last scene of this eventful history, and the best testimony, which it was possible for Joseph to give, of the love and reverence with which he had never ceased to treat his father, and that was upon the ocThe next thing to be attended to, is the re-casion of his death, and the honours which he ception which he there met with from his re-paid to his memory; honours, vain, no doubt, covered son. "And Joseph made ready his to the dead, but, so far as they are significa shariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, tions of gratitude or affe tion, justly deserving

of commendation and esteem. "And when look back upon our lives, our recollection dwells Jacob had made an end of commanding his too much upon our virtues; our sins are not, sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and as they ought to be, before us; we think too yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto much of our good qualities, or good actions, too his people. And Joseph fell upon his father's little of our crimes, our corruptions, our fallface, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And ings off and declension from God's laws, our Joseph commanded his servants, the physi- defects and weaknesses. These we sink and cians, to embalm his father; and the physi-overlook, in meditating upon our good propercians embalmed Israel. And the Egyptians ties. This, I allow, is natural: because, unmourned for him threescore and ten days. And doubtedly, it is more agreeable to have our Joseph went up to bury his father; and with minds occupied with the cheering retrospect of him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the virtuous deeds, than with the bitter, humiliatelders of his house, and all the elders of the ing remembrance of sins and follies. But, beland of Egypt. And all the house of Joseph, cause it is natural, it does not follow that it is and his brethren, and his father's house: and good. It may be the bias and inclination of there went up with him both chariots and our minds; and yet neither right nor safe. horsemen ; and it was a very great company. When I say that it is wrong, I mean, that it And they came to the threshing floor of A tad, is not the true Christian disposition: and when which is beyond Jordan; and there they I say that it is dangerous, I have a view to its mourned with a great and a very sore lamenta- effects upon our salvation. tion and he made a mourning for his father seven days."

:

Thus died, and thus was honoured in his death, the founder of the Jewish nation, who, amidst many mercies, and many visitations, sudden and surprising vicissitudes of afflictions and joy, found it the greatest blessing of his varied and eventful life, that he had been the father of a dutiful and affectionate son.

It has been said, and, as I believe, truly, that there is no virtuous quality belonging to the human character, of which there is not some distinct and eminent example to be found in the Bible; no relation in which we can be placed, no duty which we have to discharge, but that we may observe a pattern for it in the sacred history. Of the duty of children to parents, of a son to his father, maintained under great singularities and variations of fortune, undiminished, nay, rather increased, by absence, by distance, by unexampled success, by remote and foreign connexions, you have seen, in this most ancient of all histories, as conspicuous, and as amiable an instance as can be met with in the records of the world, in the purest, best ages of its existence.

SERMON X.

(PART I)

I say, that it is not the true Christian disposition; for, first, how does it accord with what we read in the Christian Scriptures, whether we consider the precepts, which are found there, applicable to the subject, or the conduct and example of Christian characters ?

Now, one precept, and that of Christ himself, you find to be this: "Ye, when ye shall have done all those things, which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do." Luke xvii. 10. It is evident, that this strong admonition was intended, by our Saviour, to check in his disciples an over-weening opinion of their own merit. It is a very remarkable passage. I think none throughout the New Testament more so. And the intention, with which the words were spoken, was evidently to check and repel that opinion of merit, which is sure to arise from the habit of fixing our contemplation so much upon our good qualities, and so little upon our bad ones. Yet this habit is natural, and was never prohibited by any teacher, except by our Saviour. With him it was a great fault, by reason of its inconsist ency with the favourite principle of his religion, humility. I call humility not only a duty, but a principle. Humble-mindedness is Christian principle, if there be one; above all, humble-mindedness towards God. The servants, to whom our Lord's expression refers, were to be humble-minded, we may presume, towards one another; but towards their Lord, the only answer, the only thought, the only sentiment, was to be, "We are unprofitable servants." And who were they, that were in

TO THINK LESS OF OUR VIRTUES, AND structed by our Lord to bear constantly this

MORE OF OUR SINS.

My sin is ever before me.-PSALM li. 3. THERE is a propensity in the human mind, very general and very natural, yet at the same time, unfavourable in a high degree to the Christian character; which is, that, when we

reflection about with them? Were they sinners, distinctively so called? Were they griev ous, or notorious sinners? Nay, the very contrary; they were persons, "who had done all those things that were commanded them!" This is precisely the description which our Lord gives us of the persons to whom his les son was directed. Therefore you see, that an

the evangelical character to be contrition. You hear little of virtue or righteousness; but you hear perpetually of the forgiveness of sins. With the first Christian teachers, repent, repent," was the burden of their exhortations; the almost constant sound of their voice. Does not this strain of preaching show, that the preachers wished all who heard them, to think much more of offences than of merits? Nay, further, with respect to themselves, whenever this contemplation of righteousness came in their way, it came in their way only to be renounced, as natural perhaps, and also grateful, to human feelings, but as inconsistent and irreconcileable with the Christian condition. It might do for a heathen, but it was the reverse of every thing that is Christian.

opinion of merit is discouraged, even in those who had the best pretensions to entertain it; if any pretensions were good. But an opinion of merit, an over-weening opinion of merit, is sure to grow up in the heart, whenever we accustom ourselves to think much of our virtues, and little of our vices. It is generated, fostered, and cherished, by this train of meditation we have been describing. It cannot be otherwise. And if we would repress it; if we would correct ourselves in this respect; if we would bring ourselves into a capacity of complying with our Saviour's rule, we must alter our turn of thinking; we must reflect more upon our sins, and less upon our virtues. Depend upon it, that we shall view our characters more truly, we shall view them much more safely, when we view them in their de- The turn of thought which I am recomfects, and faults, and infirmities, than when mending, or rather, which I find it necessary we view them only, or principally, on the side to insist upon, as an essential part of the of their good qualities; even when these good Christian character, is strongly seen in one qualities are real. I suppose, and I have all particular passage of Saint Paul's writings; along supposed, that the good parts of our cha- namely, in the third chapter to the Philippians: racters, which, as I contend, too much attract "If any other man thinketh that he hath our attention, are, nevertheless, real; and I whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more; suppose this, because our Saviour's parable sup-circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Isposes the same. rael, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of Another great Christian rule is, " Work the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; out your salvation with fear and trembling." concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touch (Philip. ii. 12.) These significant words "fearing the righteousness which is in the law, and trembling," do not accord with the state blameless." These were points which at that of a mind which is all contentment, satisfac- time of day, were thought to be grounds of tion, and self-complacency; and which is confidence and exultation. But this train of brought into that state by the habit of view- thought no sooner rises in his mind, than the ing and regarding those good qualities, which apostle checks it and turns from it to an ana person believes to belong to himself, or those xious view of his own deficiencies. "If by good actions which he remembers to have per- any means I might attain unto the resurrec formed. The precept much better accords tion of the dead." These are the words of an with a mind anxious, fearful, and apprehen- anxious man. "Not," then he proceeds, “not sive; and made so by a sense of sin. But a as though I had already attained, either were sense of sin exists not, as it ought to do, in already perfect; but I follow after, if that I that breast which is in the habit of meditating may apprehend that for which also I am appre chiefly upon its virtues. I can very well be- hended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count lieve, that two persons of the same character not myself to have apprehended, but this one in truth, may, nevertheless, view themselves thing I do; forgetting those things which are in very different lights, according as one is behind, and reaching forth unto those things accustomed to look chiefly at his good qualities, which are before, I press towards the mark, the other chiefly at his transgressions and im- for the prize of the high calling of God in perfections; and I say, that this latter is the Christ Jesus." In this passage, you see, that, disposition for working out salvation agreeably withdrawing his mind from all notions of perto Saint Paul's rule and method; that is, fection, attainment, accomplishment, security, "with fear and trembling :" the other is not. he fixes it upon his deficiencies. Then he tells But further: There is, upon this subject, a you, that forgetting, that is, expressly putting great deal to be learnt from the examples out of his mind and his thought, the progress which the New Testament sets before us. and advance which he had already made, he Precepts are short, necessarily must be so; casts his eyes and attention upon those qualitake up but little room; and, for that reason, ties in which he was short and deficient, updo not always strike with the force, or leave on what remained for him yet to do; and the impression, which they ought to do: but examples of character, when the question is concerning character, and what is the proper character, have more weight and body in the consideration, and take up more room in our minds than precepts. Now, from one end of the New Testament to the other, you will find In another passage, found in a chapter with

this I take to be the true Christian way of proceeding. "Forget those things that are behind;" put out of your thoughts the attainments and progress you have already made, in order to see fully your defects and imperfections.

and in comparison with those who were leading them astray. He complies with the occasion; and he does, accordingly, set forth and enumerate his pretensions. But I entreat you to observe, with how many apologies, with what reluctance, and under what strong protestations, he does it; showing most manifestly, how contrary it was to his habit, his judgment, and to the inclination of his mind to do so. His expressions are such as these: "Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly; and, indeed, bear with me." What was his folly? the recital he was about to give of his services and pretensions.Though compelled by the reason you have heard, to give it, yet he calls it folly to do so. He is interrupted as he proceeds by the same sentiment; "That which I speak, I speak it not after the Lord, but, as it were, foolishly in this confidence of boasting." And again, referring to the necessity, which drew from him this sort of language; "I am become," says he, “a fool in glorying; ye have compel.

which all are acquainted, the fifteenth of the
First Epistle to the Corinthians, our apostle,
having occasion to compare his situation with
that of the other apostles, is led to say: "I
laboured more abundantly than they all."
Saint Paul's labours in the Gospel, labours
which consumed his whole life, were surely
what he might reflect upon with complacency
and satisfaction. If such reflections were pro-
per in any case, they were proper in his. Yet
observe how they are checked and qualified.
The moment he had said, "I laboured more
abundantly than they all," he added, as it
were, correcting himself for the expression,
"Yet not I, but the grace of God, which was
with me.
He magnifies not himself, but
the grace of God which was with him. In the
next place, you will observe, that, though the
consciousness of his labours, painful, indefati-
gable labours, and meritorious labours, if ever
man's were so I say, that, though the con-
sciousness of these was present to his mind at
the time, yet it did not hinder him from feel-
ing, with the deepest abasement and self-de-led me."
gradation, his former offences against Christ,
though they were offences which sprang from
error. "I am the least of the apostles, that
am not meet to be called an apostle, because
I persecuted the church of God; but, by the
grace of God, I am what I am." The faults
of his life were uppermost in his mind. No
mention, no recollection of his services, even
when he did happen to recollect them, shut out
even for a single moment, the deep memory of
his offences, or covered or concealed it from
his view.

But what forms, perhaps, the strongest part of the example is, that the apostle considers this tendency to boast and glory, though it was in his gifts, rather than his services, as one of his dangers, one of his temptations, one of the propensities which he had both to guard and struggle against, and lastly, an inclination, for which he found an antidote and remedy in the dispensations of Providence towards him. Of his gifts, he says, considering himself as nothing, as entirely passive in the hands of God, "of such a one," of a person In another place, the same apostle, looking to whom such gifts and revelations as these back upon the history of his singular and event-have been imparted, "I will glory; yet of ful life, exhibits himself to his converts, as myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmihow? not as bringing forward his merit, ties." Then he goes on: "Lest I should be pleading his services, or claiming his reward: exalted above measure through the abundance but as nothing other, nothing more, than a of the revelations, there was given to me a monument and example of God Almighty's thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to mercy. Sinners need not despair of mercy, buffet me, lest I should be exalted above mea vhen so great a sinner as himself obtained it. sure." Hear his own words: "For this cause I oblained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long-suffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting." 1 Timothy, i. 16. What could be more humble or self-depressing than this acknowledgment? yet this was Saint Paul's.

After what you have heard, you will not wonder, that this same Saint Paul should pronounce himself to be "the chief of sinners."

"Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief." 1 Tim. i. 15. His sins were uppermost in his thoughts. Other thoughts occasionally visited his mind: but the impression which these had made, was constant, deep, fixed, and indelible.

The eleventh chapter of the Second Epistle to the Corinthians, and also the twelfth, ought If, therefore, you would imitate Saint Paul to be read by you on this occasion. They are in his turn and train of religious thought; if very remarkable chapters, and very much to you would adopt his disposition, his frame, our present purpose. It had so happened, his habit of mind, in this important exercise; that some hostile, and, as it should seem, some you must meditate more upon your sins, and false teachers, had acquired a considerable in- less upon your virtues.

fluence and ascendancy in the church which Again; and which is another strong scripSaint Paul had planted. To counteract which tural reason for the advice I am giving, the influence it became necessary for him to as-habit of viewing and contemplating our own sert his character, to state his pretensions to virtues has a tendency in opposition to a funcredit and authority, amongst them at least, damental duty of our religion, the entertain

ing of a due and grateful sense of the mercy You have probably heard of the term selfof God in the redemption of the world by Je-righteousness: you find it much in the writEus Christ. The custom of thought, which ings and discourses of a particular class of Chriswe dissuade, is sure to generate in us notions tians, and always accompanied with strong and of merit; and that, not only in comparison severe expressions of censure and reprobation. with other men, which is by no means good, If the term mean the habit of contemplating or likely to produce any good effect upon our our virtues, and not our vices; or a strong disposition, but also in relation to God him- leaning and inclination thereto, I agree with self; whereas the whole of that sentiment, those Christians in thinking, that it is a diswhich springs up in the mind, when we re-position, a turn of mind to be strongly resistgard our characters in comparison with those ed, and restrained, and repressed. If the term of other men, if tolerated at all, ought to sink mean any other way of viewing our own chainto the lowest self-abasement, when we ad-racter, so as to diminish or lower our sense of vance our thoughts to God, and the relation God Almighty's goodness and mercy towards in which we stand to him. Then is all boast- us, in making us the tender of a heavenly reing, either in spirit or by words, to be done ward, then also I agree with them in conaway. The highest act of faith and obedi- demning it, both as erroneous in its principle, ence, recorded in Scripture, was Abraham's and highly dangerous in its effects. If the consent to sacrifice his son, when he believed term mean something more than, or different that God required it. It was the severest trial from what is here stated, and what has been that human nature could be put upon; and, enlarged upon in this discourse, then I profess therefore, if any man, who ever lived, were myself not to understand its meaning. authorized to boast of his obedience, it was Abraham after this experiment. Yet what says Saint Paul? "If Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God." No man's pretensions to glory were greater, yet, before God, they were nothing."By grace ye are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, lest any man should boast." Eph. ii. 8, 9. Here you perceive dis

SERMON XI.

(PART 11.)

MORE OF OUR SINS.

tinctly, that speaking of salvation, with refe. TO THINK LESS OF OUR VIRTUES, AND rence to its cause, it is by grace; it is an act of pure favour; it is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God; it is not of works; and that My sin is ever before me.-PSALM li. 3. this representation was given, lest any man To think well is the way to act rightly; be. should boast, that is, expressly for the purpose cause thought is the source and spring of acof beating down and humbling all sentiments tion. When the course and habit of thinking of merit or desert in what we do; lest they is wrong, the root is corrupt;" and a corinduce us, as they will induce us, to think less gratefully, or less piously, of God's exceeding what you will, if the root be corrupt, the fruit rupt tree bringeth not forth good fruit:" lo love and kindness towards us. There is no will be corrupt also. It is not only true, that proportion between even our best services and different actions will proceed from different that reward which God hath in reserve for trains of thought; but it is also true, that the them that love him. Why then are such services to be so rewarded? It is the grace of be very different in the sight of God, accordsame actions, the same external conduct, may God; it is the riches of his grace; in other ing as it proceeds from a right, or a wrong, a words, his abounding kindness and favour; it is his love; it is his mercy. In this manner more or less proper principle and motive, a the subject is constantly represented in Scrip-tance is attached to the disposition; of such more or less proper disposition. Such impor ture; and it is an article of the Christian religion. And to possess our minds with a sense, an adequate sense. so far as it is possible to do so, of this truth, is a duty of the religion. But to be ruminating and meditating upon our virtues, is not the way to acquire that sense. Such meditations breed opinions of merit and desert; of presumption, of pride, of superciliousness, of self-complacency; tempers of mind, in a word, not only incompatible with humility, but also incompatible with that sense of divine love and mercy towards us, which lies at the root of all true religion, is the source and fountain of all true piety.

great consequence is it, that our disposition in religious matters be what it should be. By disposition is meant, the bent or tendency of meant, the train and habit of our thoughts, our inclinations; and by disposition is also two things which are always nearly connectI use the word; and the particular lesson ed. It is the latter sense, however, in which which I am inculcating, for the conduct of our thoughts, is to think more of our sins, and less of our virtues. In a former discourse, I show. ed, that there are strong and positive Scripture precepts, a due regard to which accords with the state of mind of him who fixes his atten