as Shechem worthy to be bequeathed to him, and embraced of him, as a noble patrimony; because it was in the promised land, and the legacy of a dying father. How justly do I admire the faith, both of the father and son, in this donation! Jacob was now in Goshen, Shechem was in Canaan; neither was the father now in the present possession, nor were the sons in some ages to enjoy it : it was four hundred and thirty years, that Israel must be a sojourner in a strange country, ere they shall enter into the promised land;' yet now, foreseeing the future possession, which his posterity should take of this spot of earth, so long after, Jacob gives Shechem to Joseph, and Joseph apprehends it as a rich blessing, as the double portion of the divided primogeniture. Infidelity is purblind, and can see nothing but that which is hard at hand; faith is quick sighted, and discerns the events of many centuries of years, yea of ages to come. Abraham saw his Saviour's day, and rejoiced to see it, a thousand nine hundred and forty years off; and Adam, before him, almost four thousand years. As to God all things are present, even future; so to those that by a lively faith partake of him. Why do I not, by that faith, see my Saviour returning in his heavenly magnificence, as truly as now I see the heaven whence he shall come? and my body as verily raised from the dust, and become glorious, as now I see it weak and decrepit, and falling into the dust? 1 Exod. xii. 41. LXXXIX. True knowledge causeth appetite and desire, for the will follows the understanding; whatsoever that apprehends to be good for us, the effective part inclines to it. No man can have any regard to an unknown good. If a hungry man did not know that food would refresh and nourish him, or the thirsty that drink would satisfy him, or the naked that fire would warm him, or the sick that physic would recover him, none of these would affect these succours. And, according to our apprehension of the goodness and use of these helps, so is our appetite towards them; for the object of the will is a known good, either true or appearing so. And if our experience can tell us of some that can say, with her in the poet, "I see and approve better things, but follow the worse," it is not for that evil, as evil, much less as worse, can fall into the will; but that their appetite over-carries them to a misconceit of a particular good: so as, howsoever, in a generality, they do confusedly assent to the goodness of some holy act or object; yet, upon the present occasion, here and now, as the school speaketh,' their sensitive appetite hath prevailed to draw them to a persuasion that this pleasure or that profit is worthy to be embraced. Like as our first parents had a general apprehension that it was good to obey all the commands of their Creator; but, when it came to the forbidden fruit, now their eye and their ear and their heart tell them it is good for them, both for pleasure and for the gain of knowledge, to taste of that forbidden tree. So then, the miscar 1 The divines of the middle ages.-ED. riage is not, in that they affect that which they think not to be good, but, in that they think that to be good which is not: for, alas! for one true good there are many seeming, which delude the soul with a fair semblance; as a man, in a generality, esteems silver above brass, but when he meets with a rusty piece of silver and a clear piece of brass, he chooses rather the clear brass than the silver defaced with rust. Surely it is our ignorance that is guilty of our cool neglect of our spiritual good. If we did know how sweet the Lord is in his sure promises, in his unfailing mercies, we could not but long after him, and remain unsatisfied till we find him ours: would God be pleased to shine in our hearts by the light of the true knowledge of himself, we could not have cause to complain of want of heat in our affections towards his infinite goodness. Did we but know how sweet and delectable Christ, the heavenly manna, is, we could not but hunger after him; and we could not hunger, and not be satisfied, and, in being satisfied, blessed. XC. Those which we miscall goods, are but in their nature indifferent; and are either good or evil as they are affected, as they are used. Indeed, all their malignity or virtue is in the mind, in the hand of the possessor. Riches ill got, ill kept, ill spent, are but the mammon of iniquity; but, if well,' the crown of the wise is their riches.' amiss to have much, when he that How can it be was the richest man of the east was the holiest ?2 Yea, when God himself is justly styled the possessor of heaven and earth? How can it be amiss to have little, when our Saviour says, 'Blessed are ye poor And if from that divine mouth we hear a woe to the rich, himself interprets it of them that trust in riches.* If our riches possess us, instead of our possessing them, we have changed our God, and lost ourselves; but, if we have learnt to use our wealth, and not enjoy it, we may be no less gracious than rich. If a rich man have a large and humble heart, and a just hand, he inherits the blessing of the poor; if a poor man have a proud heart, and a thievish hand, he carries away the woe from the rich. Riches,' saith wise Solomon, 'make themselves wings they fly away as an eagle towards heaven.' So as we may use the matter, our souls may fly thitherward with them; if we do good, and be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up in store for ourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that we may lay hold on eternal life.'* Let me say with Agur, 'Give me neither poverty nor riches; but whethersoever God gives, I am both thankful and indifferent, so as while I am rich in estate, I may be poor spirit; and while I am poor in estate, I may be rich in grace. 3 5 XCI. Had I been in the streets of Jericho, sure methinks I should have justled with Zaccheus for the sycamore, to see Jesus; and should have blessed my eyes for so happy a prospect; and yet I consider that many a one saw his face on earth, which Luke, vi. 20. 3 Prov. xxiii. 5. 2 Ib. vi. 24; Mark, x. 24; 1 Tim. vi. 17. 4 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19. 5 Prov. xxx. 8. 2 shall never see his glory in heaven; and I hear the apostle say, 'Though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him so no more.'1 Oh, for the eyes of a Stephen, that saw the heavens opened, and the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God! That prospect did as much transcend this of Zaccheus, as heaven is above earth, celestial glory above human infirmity. And why should not the eyes of my faith behold the same object which was seen by Stephen's bodily eyes? I see thee, O Saviour, I see thee, as certainly, though not so clearly. Do thou sharpen and fortify these weak eyes of mine, that in thy light I may see light.'' 4 XCII. How gracious a word was that which God said to Israel, I have called thee by thy name,' and 'thou art mine!' He that imposed that name upon Jacob, makes familiar use of it to his posterity. Neither is the case singular, but universally common to all his spiritual issue. There is not one of them whom he doth not both call by his name, and challenge for his own. He that tells the number of the stars, and calls them all by their names,'' hath also a name for every of these earthly luminaries. He, who brought all other living creatures unto man to see how he would call them, and would make use of Adam's appellation, reserved the naming of man to himself. Neither is there any one of his innumerous posterity, whom he knows not by name. But it is one thing to take notice of their 1 2 Cor. v. 16. 2 Acts, vii. 55, 56. |
