ing his bones;" and doth not declare what it was that he gave in charge concerning them; but this is expressed in the story, viz. "that when God visited them, and delivered them out of Egypt, they should carry his bones along with them into Canaan," Gen. 1, 25. In order to this they embalmed him, and put him in a coffin in Egypt, ver. 26; probably the Egyptians left the care of his funeral to his brethren, and that his coffin remained in the custody of their posterity, perhaps his own in particular, until the time of their departure; then Moses took him into his care, Exod. xiii, 19; and the issue of the whole was, that into the land of Canaan they were safely carried, according to the oath of the people, and buried in Sichem, in a parcel of ground whereof Jacob had made a purchase, and left it in legacies to the children of Joseph, Josh. xxiv, 32.

§4. But there were some things peculiar to Joseph which caused his faith to act in this way about the disposal of his bones. For,

1. He had been of great power, authority, and dignity among the Egyptians; his fame and reputation for wisdom, righteousness, and legislation were great among the nations; he might therefore justly have feared, that if he had not thus openly renounced all cognation and alliance with them, he might among posterity be esteemed an Egyptian, which he abhorred; therefore he established this lasting monument of his being of the seed and posterity of Abraham, and not an Egyptian; yea, it is thought by many that in after ages they worshipped him under the name of Serapis, and the symbol of an ox; but this (as much as in him was) he prevented by the removal of his bones.

2. He did it plainly to encourage the faith and ex

pectation of his brethren and their posterity, both for the certainty of their furure deliverance, and also to take them off from all intention to fix themselves in Egypt, seeing he who had all advantages above them for that end, would not have so much as his bones to abide in the land; the frame of his spirit, now he was dying, may be fairly considered as an indication of what it was in the whole course of his life; he is not solicitous about the disposal of his wealth and revenues, which no doubt were very great; but his mind is wholly on the promise, and thereby on the covenant with Abraham; it is highly probable that his wife Asenath, a woman of a princely family, was converted from idolatry to the knowledge of God and faith in him; and hereon, probably, she also was contented that her children and posterity should fall from their parental honor and revenues, to take up their portion among the afflicted people of God. The mighty working of his faith shines out in all these things; and this instance of the apostle eminently suited the argument he had in hand.

The plea of some of the Roman church from this place, for the perservation and veneration of reliques, or the bones of saints departed-digging men's bones out of their graves, enshrining and placing them on altars, carrying them up and down in procession, adorning them with all signs of religious veneration, applying them to miraculous operations in curing diseases, casting out devils, and the like-is ridiculous and contemptible.

$5. Hence we may observe,

1. That it is of great use to the edification of the church, that such believers as have been eminent in profession, should at their dying moments testify their faith in the promises of God; so did Jacob, so did

Joseph; and blessed be God, so others have done, to the great advantage of the living.

2. Joseph, after his trial of all that this world could afford, and when he was dying, chose the promise for his lot and portion.

3. No interposition of difficulties ought to weaken our faith, as to the accomplishment of the promises of God.

VERSE 23.

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.

§1. The parents of Moses, their faith. §2. The cruelty of Pharaoh prevented. $5. Moses hid by his parents. §4. A peculiar motive to it. §5, 6. Faith the principle of their actings. §7. Observations.

§1. IN searching the sacred records of eminent examples of the power and efficacy of faith, the apostle proceeds to Moses; and indeed, if we consider his person and circumstances, the work he was called to, the trials, difficulties, and temptations he had to engage with, the concernment of the glory of God and of the whole church in him, the illustrious representation of the redemption and deliverance of the church by Christ in what he did, with his success and victory over all opposition, we must acknowledge that there eannot be a more excellent exemplification of the power of faith, than that was which was given in him; for this cause, the apostle takes one step backwards, to declare the faith of his parents in preserving him when an infant.

$2. After that Pharaoh failed in his design of destroying the male children of the Hebrews by the midwives, he gave the execution of it in charge to all the officers among them, who no doubt were sufficiently

diligent and officious in the work committed to them. About the very entrance of this new effectual way of destroying the male children, when their rage was most fierce, no way abated by compassion, not wearied by long continuance, nor weakened by want of success, Moses, who was destined to be the deliverer of the whole people from their misery, is born and preserved. How blind are poor sinful mortals in all their contrivances against the church of God! When they think all is secure, and that they shall not fail of their end, that their counsels are laid so deep as not to be blown up, their power so uncontrollable, and the way wherein they are engaged so effectual, that God himself can hardly deliver his servants out of their hands; he that sits on high laughs them to scorn, and with an almighty facility lays in provision utterly to destroy them, and to deliver his church.

§3. "Moses was hid three months (UTO TV Talεpwv (υπο των πατέρων avis) of his parents." The word (Talepes) fathers, is here used in the common gender for (yovɛiç) parents; in the story there is mentioned only of his mother, Exod. ii, 2; and that was, because the execution of the counsel or advice was committed to her; wherein she used also the helps of her daughters, ver. 4; but it is plain his father was no less engaged in this work and duty than his mother; (εирußи тpiμnνov) he was hid by them three months; herein they exercised their faith, in that they concealed, as much as they were able, that a male child was born in the family; they kept him not in the usual place for children, but hid him in some secret part of the house. Here he abode "three months;" about the end of which time probably the report began to grow, that there was a male child born there, which would have occasioned an immediate strict search, from which

they could not have preserved him. No doubt but during this season their diligence was accompanied with fervent cries to God, and the exercise of trust in him. The occasion was great on all hands, and they were not wanting to their duty. The outward act of hiding the child was but an indication of the internal working of faith.

It

$4. Because they saw he was a proper child;" (So) because, or when, or whereas they saw. doth not include the whole cause of what they did, as if this were the only reason why they did it, but it respects that impression on their minds which the sight of the child gave them, exciting them to that duty which they had other grounds and reasons for. It is granted, the sight of the child greatly excited their natural affections, by which their minds were made the more ready to engage in the hazard which faith called them to, for his preservation. They saw that he was (aolo to aidion) a proper child. The Hebrew word () Tob, is applied to every thing that is on any account approveable and excellent in its kind. The word signifies comely, beautiful, goodly, (ayabos, xaλos.) Holy Stephen expressed the force of the Hebrew word by (aolεlos TW

Ew) fair to God, or in the sight of God, Acts vii, 20; which we render exceeding fair. No doubt but some unusual sweetness and beauty of countenance is intend-.ed. And not only so, but I am persuaded, from that expression of Stephen, that there was (BELO TI) an appearance of somewhat divine and supernatural, which drew the thoughts of the parents to a deep consideration of the child. They quickly thought it was not for nothing that God had given such a peculiarly promisin gcountenance to the infant. This not only drew their affections, engaged them, but moved their minds and judgments to endeavor all lawful ways for