God, would fain, if they could, have hindered his rising from the dead. "They went and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch."

The characters of Reuben and Judah next exhibit themselves in this history. Reuben, according to his natural instability, cannot take a straightforward course in order to deliver Joseph, but suggests a middle plan, intending thereby in the end to save him. In this there is not the boldness of faith, but only the expediency of the natural man. Like Nicodemus in after days, who dares not at first be found openly on the side of the Lord, but comes to Him by night, and subsequently seeks to deliver him by suggesting, "Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?" not venturing to take his stand boldly with the Son of God. Judah, on the other hand, desires to make a gain by his brother, for the mere shedding of his blood would be of no profit; and in the true policy of a man wise in the things of the world, suggests that he should be sold, and thus the crime of murder be avoided and an advantage also be reaped. Alas, how much of this halfhearted spirit of Reuben, how much of these calculating ways of Judah are there among us, when the truths of Christ are concerned !

The deed is completed, Joseph is sold and the heart of Jacob is rent by the cruel device and falsehood subsequently acted by his sons, and now the result of Jacob's fond partiality recoils upon himself. He had

acted in the flesh in his gift of the coat of many colours; it becomes the sword to pierce his heart; whilst the revelations of God afford him no comfort, but seem to have been forgotten,-Jacob "refuses to be comforted." Had he strengthened himself in the word of God, and recalled the visions of his son's glory that had been so graciously revealed, he would assuredly have been aroused from this state of despair, and would have had confident hope as to the future; he would also have discovered the untruthfulness of the story that had been related to him about Joseph's death-for how could a wild beast have so completely devoured him and yet have left the garment unrent? But the man of faith becomes a fool when once he loses sight of the word of God; and he makes for himself a whole list of imagi nary sorrows and troubles, if he walk by sight instead of by faith.

Here let us pause. The history of Joseph is for a while interrupted in the sacred record. The ways of man give occasion for God to display Himself. All things are working together for good, to them that love Him, to them that are called according to His purpose. Blessings are steadily ripening for Jacob and for Joseph, which shall be manifested in due time; but they have to wait, and be ripened themselves for the enjoyment of them. Thus God works, He prepares the hearts of those who are to receive good at His hands, as well as provides the mercies themselves in due time for them.

"Accepted in the Beloved." Eph. i. 6.

AM I accepted in Thee, Lord,
With perfect favour greeted?
'Tis so, for I am one with Thee,
Who now on high art seated.

Complete in Thee! adored, adored,
Be Thy name, Lord, for ever,
As Thou art, so am I in Thee,
Less perfect, never, never!

Beloved in Thee! I praise that love,
From which no power can sever;

The Father loveth me as Thee,

With "perfect love," for ever.

And risen too, with Thee, my life
Awhile Thou art concealing,
Till glory be revealed in me,
As grace is now revealing.

Then to make manifest the life

Which now by faith I'm living,
My glorious likeness to Thee, Lord,
Thy glorious presence giving.

FAITH AND SENSE.-I should carefully distinguish in my soul between faith and sense; the work of Christ for me, and the work of the Spirit in me-the object of faith, and the fruits of faith. We have "joy and peace in believing."

DIVINE LOVE.

IN the story of Joseph and his brethren, we observe a very fine process by which he was leading them to repentance. He exercises their hearts and consciences very deeply and variously. He brings their sin to remembrance, though it had lain as in the sleep of death for many a long year. He keeps conscience fully awake, so that every thing is a terror to it, his kindnesses as well as his roughnesses. But he succeeds; and they are brought to repentance, and a new condition of soul. Gen. xlii.-xliv.

But in conducting this fine process, Joseph, in his way, feels as much as they do. He weeps again and again; and all that he was doing, was just what he would not have done, had he considered his own gratification and not their blessing. He was drawing them with cords from under the power of Satan to God; but his own hand, which held those cords, felt the pressure of them.*

This is much to be remembered; for it is a picture

* It need hardly be stated, that these remarks apply to Joseph, only as an instrument in the hand of God, or as a type of the Lord Jesus.

of divine love. But when the process has produced its fruit, when the soul is restored, when Judah's speech lets Joseph know that the heart was again right towards the aged father and the innocent brother, (for against such, some fifteen years before, they had deeply sinned), then Joseph gratified himself by pouring out the overflowings of a long restrained affection. For as soon as he could righteously seat them at the feast with himself, he did not refuse to spread his own table. As soon as he could bring them to share his joy, he consented to be happy, and to close that severe discipline, which, (though in another way,) had cost him as much as it had cost them.

Here is a pattern of the form which divine love takes. It is not a love that comes to flatter us, or merely to please us, and gratify us, and make us to stand well with ourselves. It is a love, which, at every cost to itself, proposes to bless us. It is a faithful love. Such is the love of God in the Gospel. It does not care to say smooth things to us, to meet present human desires, and to answer the cravings of a self-indulging heart. It comes to heal, to renew, and to bless. It leads us to God, as well as restores us to ourselves. God knows that He is entitled to our confidence, and therefore He claims it.

Being just such a perfect thing as this, it must needs take to itself such a form, and exercise itself in such a way, as at times to arouse all the natural sympathies.