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51 - Commentary on The Book of Genesis · Sacred Texts Archive

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Chapter forty eight Genesis Chapter forty eight, the time drawing nigh that Israel must
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die, having in the former chapter given order about his burial. In this
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he takes leave of his grandchildren by Joseph, and in the next of his
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children. Thus Jacob's dying words are recorded because he then spoke by a spirit
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of prophecy. Abraham's and Isaac's are not God's gifts and graces shine forth much
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more in some saints than in others upon their death beds. The spirit,
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like the wind, blows where it listeth. In this chapter Numeral one,
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Joseph, hearing of his father's sickness, goes to visit him and takes his
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two sons with him Verses one and two Numeral two. Jacob solemnly adopts his
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two sons and takes them for his own. Verse three through seven. Three
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he blesses them Verses eight through sixteen. Numeral four. He explains and justifies
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the crossing of his hands in blessing them. Verses seventeen through twenty Numeral five.
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He leaves a particular legacy to Joseph. Verses twenty one and twenty two.
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Jacob's latest illness B C. Sixteen eighty nine, Verse one. And
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it came to pass after these things that one told Joseph, behold, thy
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father is sick, and he took with him his two sons, Manassa and
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Ephrium. Verse two. And one told Jacob and said, behold, thy
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son, Joseph cometh unto THEE, and Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the
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bed verse three. And Jacob said, unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto
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me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me verse four, and
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said, unto meis me Behold, I will make THEE fruitful and multiply THEE.
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And I will make of THEE a multitude of people, and will give
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this land to thy seed after THEE for and everlasting possession. Verse five.
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And Now thy two sons, Ephrium and n Nassa, which were born unto
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THEE in the land of Egypt before I came unto THEE into Egypt, are
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mine, as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine Verse six. And
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thy issue which thou begettest after them, shall be thine, and shall be
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called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance. Verse seven. And
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as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died by me in
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the land of Canaan, in the way when yet there was but a little
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way to come unto Ephrath. And I buried her there in the way of
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Ephrath. And the same is Bethlehem here numeral one. Joseph, upon notice
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of his father's illness, goes to see him. Though a man of honor
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and business, yet he will not fail to show this due respect to his
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aged father. Verse one. Visiting the sick to whom we lie under obligations
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or may have opportunity of doing good, either for body or soul, is
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our duty. The sick bed is a proper place both for giving comfort and
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counsel to others, and receiving instruction ourselves. Joseph took his two sons with
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him, that they might receive their dying grandfather's blessing, and that what they
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might see in him and hear from him might make an abiding impression upon them.
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Note number one. It is good to acquaint young people that are coming
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into the world with the aged servants of God that are going out of it,
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whose dying testimony to the goodness of God and the pleasantness of Wisdom's ways
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may be a great encouragement to the rising generation. Manassa and Ephrium, I
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dare say would never forget what passed at this time. Number two. Pious
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parents are desirous of a blessing not only for themselves, but for their children,
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oh, that they may live before God. Joseph had been above all
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his brethren kind to his father, and therefore had reason to expect particular favor
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from him. Numeral two. Jacob, upon notice of his son's visit,
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prepared himself as well as he could to entertain him. Verse two. He
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did what he could to rouse his spirits and to stir up the gift that
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was in him. What little was left to bodily strength, he put forth
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to the utmost and sat upon the bed. Note it is very good for
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sick and aged people to be as lively and cheerful as they can, that
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they may not faint in the day of adversity. Strengthen thyself, as Jacob
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hear, and God will strengthen thee. Hearten thyself and help thyself, and
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God will help and hearten thee. Let the spirit sustain the infirmity Numeral three.
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In recompense to Joseph for all his attention to him, He adopted his
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two sons. In this charter of adoption. There is number one a particular
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recital of God's promise to him, to which this had reference. God bless
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me verse three, and let that blessing be entailed upon them. God had
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promised him two things, a numerous issue and Canaan for an inheritance verse four.
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And Joseph's sons pursuant here unto should each of them multiply into a tribe,
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and each of them have a distinct lot in Canaan equal with Jacob's own
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sons. See how he blessed them by faith in that which God had said
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to him Hebrews eleven, verse twenty one. Note in all our prayers,
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both for ourselves and for our children, we ought to have a particular eye
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too, and remembrance of God's promises to us. Number two an express reception
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of Joseph's sons into his family. Thy sons are mine verse five, not
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only my grandchildren, but as my own children. Though they were born in
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Egypt, and their father was then separated from his brethren, which might seem
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to have cut them off from the heritage of the Lord. Yet Jacob takes
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them in and owns them for visible church members. He explains this at verse
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sixteen, let my name be named upon them, and the name of my
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fathers, as if he had said, let them not succeed their father in
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his power and grandeur here in Egypt, but let them succeed me in the
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inheritance of the promise made to Abraham, which Jacob looked upon as much more
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valuable and honorable, and would have them to prize and covet accordingly. Thus,
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the aged, dying Patriarch teaches these young persons, now that they were
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of age, being about twenty one years old, not to look upon Egypt
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as their home, nor to incorporate themselves with the Egyptians, but to take
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their lot with the people of God, as Moses afterwards in the like temptation
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Hebrews, Chapter eleven, verses twenty four through twenty six. And because it
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would be a peace of self denial in them, who stood so fair for
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preferment in Egypt, to adhere to the dec despised Hebrews. To encourage them,
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he constitutes each of them the head of a tribe. Note those are
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worthy of double honor, who, through God's grace, break through the temptations
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of worldly wealth and preferment to embrace religion in disgrace and poverty. Jacob will
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have Ephrium and Manassa to believe that it is better to be low and in
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the church than high and out of it, to be called by the name
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of poor Jacob than to be called by the name of rich Joseph. Number
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three, a proviso inserted concerning the children he might afterwards have. They should
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not be accounted heads of tribes as Ephrium and manassawer, but should fall in
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with either of the one or the other of their brethren. Verse six.
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It does not appear that Joseph had any more children. However, it was
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Jacob's pre prudents to give this direction for the preventing of contest and mismanagement.
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Note in making settlements, it is good to take advice and to provide for
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what may happen. While we cannot foresee what will happen, our prudence must
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attend God's providence. Number four mention is made of the death and burial of
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Rachel, Joseph's mother and Jacob's best beloved wife. Verse seven referring to that
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story, Chapter thirty five, verse nineteen. Note number one. When we
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come to die ourselves, it is good to call to mind the death of
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our dear relations and friends that have gone before us, to make death and
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the grave the more familiar to us. See Numbers twenty seven, verse thirteen.
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Those that were to us as our own souls are dead and buried,
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and shall we think it much to follow them in the same path? Number
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two. The removal of dear relations from us is an affliction, the remembrance
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of which cannot but abide with us a great while strong affections in the enjoyment
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cause long afflictions in the loss. Jacob blesses the sons of Joseph Jacob's dying
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Prophecy b. S. Sixteen eighty nine, verse eight. And Israel beheld
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Joseph's sons and said, who are these? Verse nine. And Joseph said,
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unto his fathers, they are my sons, whom God hath given me
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in this place. And he said, bring them, I pray thee unto
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me, and I will bless them. Verse ten. Now the eyes of
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Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he
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brought them near unto him, and he kissed them and embraced them verse eleven.
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And Israel said, unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy
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face. And lo, God hath showed me also thy seed Verse twelve.
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And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with
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his face to the earth verse thirteen. And Joseph took them both, Ephrium
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in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manassa in his left hand
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toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him Verse fourteen. And
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Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephrium's head, who was
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the younger, and his left hand upon the NASA's head, guiding his hands
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wittingly, for Manassa was the first born Verse fifteen. And he blessed Joseph
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and said, God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the
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God which fed me all my life long unto this day Verse sixteen. The
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Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and let my
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name be named on them, and the name of my father's Abraham and Isaac,
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and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth verse
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seventeen. And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the
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head of Ephrium, it displeased him, and he held up his father's hand
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to remove it from Ephrium's head unto Manassa's head verse eighteen. And Joseph said,
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unto his father, not so, my father, for this is the
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first born, put thy right hand upon his head verse nineteen. And his
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father refused and said, I know it, my son, I know it.
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He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great.
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But truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall
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become a multitude of nations verse twenty. And he blessed them that day,
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saying, in THEE shall Israel bless saying God make thee as Ephrium and as
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Manassa. And he set Ephrium before Manassah verse twenty one. And Israel said,
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unto Joseph, behold I die, but God shall be with you and
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bring you again unto the land of your fathers verse twenty two. Moreover,
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I have given to THEE one portion above thy brethren, which I took out
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of the hand of the Emirite with my sword and with my voe. Here
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is numeral one the blessing with which Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph,
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which is the more remarkable because the Apostle makes such particular mention of it.
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Hebrews chapter eleven, verse twenty one, while he says nothing of the blessing
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which Jacob pronounced on the rest of his sons, though that also was done
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in faith. Observe here Number one. Jacob was blind of age verse ten.
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It is one of the common infirmities of old age. Those that look
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out at the windows are darkened. Ecclesiastes, chapter twelve, verse three.
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It is folly to walk in the sight of our eyes, and to suffer
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our hearts to go after them, while we know death will shortly close them,
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and we do not know, but some accident between us and death may
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darken them. Jacob, like his father before him, when he was old,
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was dim sighted. Note number one. Those that have the honor of
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age must therewith be content to take the burden of it. Number two.
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The eye of faith may be very clear, even when the eye of the
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body is very much clouded. Number two. Jacob was very fond of Joseph's
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sons. He kissed them and embraced them. Verse ten. It is common
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for old people to have a very particular affection for their grandchildren, perhaps more
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than they had for their own children when they were little, which Solomon gives
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as a reason for Proverbs chapter seventeen, verse six. Children's children are the
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crown of old men. With what satisfaction does Jacob say here verse eleven,
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I had not thought to see thy face, having many ears given him up
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for lost, and lo, God has shown me also thy seed. See
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here Number one, how these two good men owned God in their comforts,
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Joseph says verse nine. They are my sons whom God has given me.
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And to magnify the favor he adds in this place of my banishment, slavery
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and imprisonment, Jacob says, here God has shown me thy seed. Our
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comforts are then doubly sweet to us when we see them coming from God's hand.
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Number two. How often God, in his merciful providences, outdoes our
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expectations and thus greatly magnifies his favors. He not only prevents our fears,
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but exceeds our hopes. We may apply this to the promise which is made
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to us and to our children. We could not have thought that we should
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have been taken into covenant with God ourselves, considering how guilty and corrupt we
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are. And yet lo he has shown us our seed also in covenant with
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him. Number three, before he entails his blessing, he recounts his experiences
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of God's goodness to him. He had spoken verse three of God's appearing to
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him, The particular visits of his grace and the special communion we have sometimes
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had with him ought never to be forgotten. But verse fifteen and sixteen he
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mentions the constant care which the divine providence had taken of him all his days.
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Number one, he had fed him all his life long unto this day.
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Verse fifteen Note, as long as we have lived in this world,
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we have had continual experience of God's goodness to us. In providing for the
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support of our natural life. Our bodies have called for daily food, and
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no little has gone to feed us. Yet we have never wanted food convenient.
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He that has fed us all our life long surely will not fail us.
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At last. Number two, he had by his angel redeemed him from
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all evil verse sixteen. A great deal of hardship he had known in his
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time, but God had graciously kept him from the evil of his troubles.
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Now that he was dying, he looked upon him himself as redeemed from all
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evil and abiding an everlasting farewell to sin and sorrow. Christ, the Angel
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of the Covenant, is he that redeems us from all evil. Two Timothy
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Chapter four, verse eighteen. Note Number one, it becomes the servants of
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God when they are old and dying, to witness for our God that they
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have found him gracious. Number two. Our experiences of God's goodness to us
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are improvable, both for encouragement of others to serve God and for encouragement to
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us in blessing them and praying for them. Number four. When he confers
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the blessing and name of Abraham and Isaac upon them, he recommends the pattern
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an example of Abraham and Isaac to them. Verse fifteen. He calls God
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the God before whom his father's Abraham and Isaac walked, that is, in
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whom they believed, whom they observed and obeyed, and with whom they kept
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up communion. In instituted ordinances, according to the condition of the covenant walk
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before me. Chapter seventeen, Verse one. Note number one. Those that
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would inherit the blessings of their godly ancestors and have the benefit of God's covenant
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with them must tread in the steps of their piety. Number two. It
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should be recommended religion and the service of God to us that God was the
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God of our fathers, and that they had satisfaction in walking before him.
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Number five. In blessing them, he crossed hands. Joseph placed them so
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as that Jacob's right hand should be put on the head of the Nassa the
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Elder, Verses twelfth and thirteen, but Jacob would put it on the head
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of Ephrium the Younger verse fourteen. This displeased Joseph, who was willing to
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support the reputation of his first born and would therefore have removed his father's hands
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Verse seventeen and eighteen. But Jacob gave him to understand that he know what
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he did, and that he did it not by mistake, nor in a
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humor, nor for a partial affection to one more than the other, but
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from a spirit of prophecy and in compliance with the divine councils Manassa should be
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great, but truly Ephrium should be greater. When the tribes were mustered in
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the wilderness, Ephrium was more numerous than Manassa and had the standard of that
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squadron numbers chapter one, thirty two, thirty three, and thirty five,
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Chapter two eighteen and twenty, and is named first saw Elms Chapter eighty,
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verse two. Joshua was of that tribe, so is Jeroboem. The tribe
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of Manassau was divided, one half on the one side of Jordan, the
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other half on the other side, which made it the less powerful and considerable.
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In the foresight of this, Jacob crossed hands. Note number one.
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God, in bestowing his blessings upon his people, gives more to some than
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to others, more gifts, graces and comforts, and more of the good
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things of his life. He often gives most the those that are least likely.
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He chooses the weak things of the world, raises the poor out of
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the dust. Grace observes not the order of nature, nor does God prefer
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those whom we think fittest to be preferred, but as it pleases him.
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It is observable how often God, by the distinguishing things of his covenant advanced
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the younger above the elder, Abel above Cain Sham above Japoth, Abraham above
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Nahor, and Heron Isaac above Ishmael, Jacob above Esau. Judah and Joseph
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were preferred before Reuben, Moses, before Aaron, David, and Solomon before
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their elder brethren. See for Samuel, chapter sixteen, verse seven. He
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tied the Jews to observe the birthright Deuteronomy chapter twenty one, verse seventeen,
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but he never tied himself to observe it. Some make this typical of the
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preference given to the Gentiles above the Jews. The gentile converts were much more
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numerous than those of the Jews see Galatians chapter four, verse twenty seven.
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Thus, free grace becomes more illustrious. Numeral two. The particular tokens of
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his favor to Joseph. Number one, he left with him the promise of
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their return out of Egypt as a sacred trust. I die, but God
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shall be with you and bring you again verse twenty one. Accordingly, Joseph,
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when he died, left it with his brethren Chapter fifty, verse twenty
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four. This assurance was given them and carefully preserved among them, that they
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might neither love Egypt too much when it favored them, nor fear it too
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much when it frowned upon them. These words of Jacob furnish us with comfort
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in reference to the death of our friends. They die, but God shall
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be with us, and his gracious presence is sufficient to make up the loss
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they leave us. But He will never fail us further. He will bring
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us to the land of our fathers, the heavenly Canaan, whither our godly
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fathers have gone before us. If God be with us while we stay behind
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in this world, and will receive us shortly to be with those that have
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gone before to a better world. We ought not to sorrow as those that
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have no hope. Number two, he bestowed one portion upon him above his
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brethren, verse twenty two. The lands bequeathed are described to be those which
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he took out of the hand of the Amorite with his sword and with his
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bow. He purchased them first Joshua, chapter twenty four, verse thirty two,
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And it seems was afterwards deceased of them by the Amorites, but retook
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them by the sword, repelling force by force, and recovering his right by
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violence, when he could not otherwise recover it. These lands he settled upon
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Joseph mention is made of them Grant John chapter four, verse five. Pursuing
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to it. This parcel of ground was given to the tribe of Ephrium as
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their right, and the lot was never cast upon it, And in it
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Joseph's bones were buried, which perhaps Jacob had an eye to, as much
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as to anything in this settlement. Note it may sometimes be both just and
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prudent to give some children portions above the rest. But a grave is that
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which we can most count upon as our own in this earth. And of
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Chapter forty eight