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promises of God will be accomplished upon Israel; for his gifts are without repentance, and his truth endureth for ever. But a just severity suspends the effects of a clemency, which our groans, joined to those of the prophets, are to hasten.

Qu. Can Joseph be looked upon in any other circumstances of his life as the figure of Jesus Christ?

Ans. There are few saints of the Old Testament, in whom God has been pleased to express so many circumstances of resemblance with his Son as in Joseph. The bare repetition of them will be an evident proof of this observation.

PARTICULARS OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN JESUS CHRIST AND JOSEPH.

JOSEPH.

JESUS CHRIST.

He is hated of his bre

thren.

1. For accusing them of some great crime.

2. For being affectionately beloved by his father.

3. For foretelling his future glory.

He is sent by his father to his brethren at a dis

tante.

His brethren conspire against his life.

He is sold for twenty pieces of silver.

He is given up into the hands of strangers by his own brethren.

His

He is hated by the

Jews.

1. For reproving them for their sins.

2. For declaring himself to be the Son of God, and saying, that God himself called him his wellbeloved Son.

3. For fortelling, that they should see him sitting at the right-hand of God.

He is sent by God his father to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

The Jews form a design of putting him to death.

He is sold for thirty pieces of silver.

He is delivered up to the Romans by the Jews.

The

His garment was dipped in blood.

He is condemned by Potiphar, without any one's speaking in his behalf.

He suffers in silence.

Placed between two criminals, he foretels the advancement of the one, and the approaching death of the other. He lies three years in prison.

He arrives at glory by sufferings and humiliations.

He is set over the house of Pharaoh, and over all Egypt.

Pharaoh alone is above

him.

He was called the Saviour of the world.

All bend the knee before him.

The famine is in all lands; there is no bread but in Egypt, where Joseph governs.

All

The humanity he was clothed with, suffers a bloody death.

He is condemned, and no body speaks in his defence.

He suffers all kind of injuries and punishments, without complaining.

Placed between two thieves, he foretels the one, that he should go into paradise, and lets the other die impenitent.

He lies three days in the grave.

It behoved that Christ should suffer, and thus enter into his glory.

He is made head of the church, and every creature is made subject unto him.

He is above every creature, but subject to God

as man.

His name of JESUS signifies a saviour, and is indeed the only one by whom we can be saved. Every creature must bow at the name of Jesus Christ.

Poverty and error are universal; truth and grace are found only in the church, where Jesus Christ reigns.

There

All are sent back to Joseph by Pharaoh.

All the neighbouring people come into Egypt to buy corn.

Joseph's brethren come to him, own him, fall down before him, and are fixed in Egypt.

There is no salvation, no grace but by Jesus Christ.

All nations are admit

ted into the church to obtain salvation.

The Jews will one day return to Jesus Christ, own him, worship him, and enter into the church.

In all these applications, and I could add several others, is there any thing forced or constrained? Could pure chance have possibly thrown together so many resembling circumstances, so different, and at the same time so natural? I should as soon say, that the most finished and resembling portrait was also the effect of mere chance. It is plain, that an intelligent hand did purposely contrive and apply all these colours to make a perfect picture, and that the design of God in joining together so many singular circumstances in the life of Joseph, was to describe the principal lines in that of his son. We should therefore know the history of Joseph only by halves, if we stopped at the bare surface, without informing ourselves of the hidden and mysterious sense, wherein the most essential part of it consists, as Jesus Christ is the end of the law and of all the scriptures.

I beg the reader to observe, that though these particulars relating to Joseph and Jesus Christ are so extremely natural and alike, there is no mention made of their agreement either in the gospels, or the writings of the apostles; which shews, that besides the figures which are explained in the New Testament, there are others so plain and evident, that we cannot reasonably doubt of their containing also some mystery. But we must be very cautious and reserved upon this last kind, especially when we are instructing youth, and principally insist upon the figures of which Christ and his apostles have made the application.

AR

ARTICLE II.

THE MIRACULOUS DELIVERANCE OF JERUSALEM UNDER HEZEKIAH.

I SHALL treat of this fact only in the life of the holy king Hezekiah, as it is one of the most signal in Sacred History, and most proper to make us sensible of the omnipotence of God, and his watchfulness over those who place their confidence in him. And here I shall barely point out the principal circumstances, which the reader may see at large, if he consults the historical books, that give an account of it, and especially the prophecies of Isaiah, which contain a very clear and express prediction of it.

[f] Sennacherib, king of the Assyrians, was set out from Nineveh with a formidable army, designing to destroy utterly the city of Jerusalem with its king and inhabitants. [g] He assured himself of victory, and insulted before-hand the God of Jerusalem, saying, he would treat him as he had done the gods of all the other cities and kingdoms he had conquered.

[h] He knew not that he was but an instrument in the hand of God, who called him by an hissing (as the scripture expresses it) from the end of the earth, not to destroy, but to correct his people.

All opposition gave way before the victorious arms of this prince; in a little time he made himself master of all the fortified places in the land of Judah. [i] Jerusalem was in great consternation. Hezekiah had taken all necessary measures to put the city in a condition to make a vigorous defence; but he relied only upon the divine assistance for its deliverance. [k] God had engaged himself by a solemn and fre

[f] 2 Kings xviii. 13.

[g] Isa. x. 7, 15.

[] Ibid. v. 26. vii. 11, x. 5, 6.

[i] 2 Chron. xxxiii. e, 8.
[k] Isa. xxx.

quently

quently repeated promise to defend the city against the assault of the king of Assyria, but upon condition that the inhabitants should depend only upon him, should remain quiet, and not seek aid from the king of Egypt. In returning and rest shall ye be saved, [] said he to them, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength. [m] He had several times declared to them, that the strength of Egypt should turn to their shame and confusion. [n] To render this prediction still more sensible to them, he had obliged the prophet Isaiah to walk naked and barefoot through the midst of Jerusalem, declaring that such should be the fate of the Egyptians and Ethiopians.

The great men, the politicians, could not be satisfied to continue unactive, and rely upon the promise of God. [o] They collected a considerable sum of money, and sent deputies to the king of Egypt to implore his assistance. Several of them thought fit to retire into that country, in hopes of finding a secure retreat there against the evils with which they were threatened. God several times reproached them for it by his prophet, but always in vain. And the holy king Hezekiah incessantly repeated to them, [p] The Lord will deliver us; Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the Assyrians. But they hearkened not unto him.

[q] This holy king, fearing he had done wrong in breaking the treaty he had made with the king of Assyria, resolved, in order to have nothing to reproach himself with, and all possible right on his side, to make him entire satisfaction. He therefore sent ambassadors to Lachish, and said to him, I have offended, return from me; that which thou puttest on me I will bear. And the king of Assyria appointed Hezekiah to give him three hundred talents of silver, and thirty

[] Isa. xxx. 15.
[m] Ibid. 1,-5.
[] Ibid. xx. 1-6.

[o] Ibid. xxx.
[p] 2 Kings xviii. 32, xix. 10.
[7] Ibid. xviii. 19.

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