food and support of the foul; and the foreft of heaven's judgments is that mentioned by the prophet Amos; Ch. viii. 11. "Behold, the days come, faith "the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the "land not a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water,

but of hearing the words of the LORD." Such a famine was fore in all lands, when Chrift made his appearance in the flesh, whose advent, with the bleffed effects of it, is wonderfully fhadowed forth in the prophetical hiftory of the patriarch Jofeph.

17. He fent a man before them, even Joseph, who was fold for a fervant; 18. Whofe feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in iron.

Jofeph and Jefus were both envied, hațed, and fold by their brethren; both fuffered by a falfe accufation; the former was laid in irons, the latter crucified, and confined in the prison of the grave, fast bound with the bands of death. The wickednefs of man, in working it's own will, did unwittingly ac complish the counfels of God." As for you,' faith Jofeph to his brethren, Gen. 1. 20, "ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to

44

bring to pafs, as it is this day, to fave much peo

ple alive." And how doth St. Peter address the brethren of that other Jofeph? "Him, being delivered by the determinate counfel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands "have crucified and flain-And now brethren, I wot "that through ignorance ye did it-But thofe things " which God before had fhewed by the mouth of all This prophets, that Chrift fhould fuffer, he hath fo "fulfilled." Acts ii. 23. and iii. 17.

19. Until

19. Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him.

Jofeph continued in prifon, "until the time that "his word, or caufe, 117, came" before the king, and was "known," according to our old translation; or, "until his word," or prediction concerning the chief butler's promotion" came to pass;" for this was the means of Jofeph's enlargement and juftification; fince a person, guilty of the crime with which he stood charged, would not have been inspired to foretel future events. "Can we find," faid Pharaoh, "fuch an one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of "God is?" Gen. xli. 38. In the mean time, the “word, commandment, or decree, of the "LORD" tried him, in the furnace of affliction, there refining and preparing him for his approaching exaltation to glory and honour. Thus was there a time appointed for the abode of Jefus in the grave, at the expiration of which, all his promises and predictions were fulfilled: he came forth, "made per"fect through fufferings," and ready to "enter into "his glory."

20. The king fent and loofed him: even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. 21. He made him lord of his houfe, and ruler of all his fubRance; 22. To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his fenators wisdom.

The circumstances of Jofeph's advancement, here alluded to, are related, Gen. xli, &c. Those of our Lord's refurrection and glorification afford a marvellous parallel. At the determined hour, "The "king" of heaven "fent" his angel, "and loofed "him" from the bands of death; "the ruler of the "world

3

"world let him go free" from the penalty which he had undertaken to pay, and had now fully paid. "He made him lord of his houfe, the church, and " ruler of all his substance" in heaven and in earth, that he might, by his holy discipline, " bind princes "at his pleasure," and by his Gospel "teach" true "wifdom" to the "fenators" and politicians of the world; he was clothed with the robes of majesty, he was adorned with all the enfigns of royalty, and to him it was ordained that "every knee fhould "bow." The storehouses of grace and falvation were opened; the nations came to be supplied by him with the bread of life; and we look for that happy day, when the Jews fhall do the fame, and Sc Jofeph fhall be made known to his brethren."

23. Ifrael alfo came into Egypt; and Jacob fojourned in the land of Ham. 24. And he increased his people greatly; and made them ftronger than their enemies. 25. He turned their heart to hate his people, to deal fubtilly with his fervants.

The Pfalmift now exhibiteth to our view a fresh scene of tribulation and affliction, which occafioned repeated mercies, and a new deliverance. Ifrael, by means of Jofeph, obtained an establishment in Egypt. But in process of time, the increafe and profperity of Ifrael excited the envy and jealoufy of Egypt, and brought on a perfecution. The kindness and love of God to his people "turned the_hearts" of the Egyptians against them, and caufed animofity to take place of friendship. A king arose who knew not Jofeph, and measures were concerted to keep the Hebrews under; a royal edict was iffued to prevent their increase, by putting the males to death

and

and the generation then in being was reduced to a ftate of the most abject fervitude, and cruel bondage. Such ufage the people of God have often experienced from the world, at the inftigation of him, who in Scripture is ftyled, "the prince of this "world."

26. He fent Mofes his fervant, and Aaron whom he had chofen. 27. They fhewed his figns among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

Deut. xviii.

He came to

When the tyranny and oppreffion of Pharaoh were at the higheft, and Ifrael cried unto Jehovah because of the bondage, he remembered his promise to Abraham, and fent Mofes, with Aaron, to effect that mighty deliverance, which was to be the grand pledge and figure of our falvation by Jefus Christ. Of him Mofes prophefied, when he faid, "A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you "of your brethren, LIKE UNTO ME." 15. cited and applied Acts iii. 22. rescue mankind from a fpiritual bondage, and to deliver all who were " oppreffed by the devil:" Acts x. 38. he came at a time when that oppreffion was moft grievous among Jews and Gentiles: his birth was fignalized by an order from another Pharaoh, to flay the infants; and Egypt afforded him a refuge from the tyrant's fury: he wrought innumerable "figns and wonders;" but they were all figns of mercy, and wonders of love. Those of terror and vengeance were referved for a future advent, forefhewed in the deftruction of Jerufalem.

28. He fent darkness, and made it dark and they rebelled not against his word: or, and did they not

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ftill rebel against his word? 29. He turned their waters into blood, and flew their fish. 30. Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, in the chambers of their kings. 31. He fpake, and there came divers forts of flies, Heb. a mixture came, and lice in all their coafts. 32. He gave them hail for rain: and flaming fire in their land. 33. He fmote their vines alfo, and fig trees; and brake the trees of their coafts. 34. He fpake, and the locufts came, and caterpillars, and that without number; 35. And did eat up all the herbs in their land: and devoured the fruit of their ground. 36. He fmote also all the first born in their land: the chief of all their frength.

Who can behold this army of divine judgments thus paffing in dreadful array before him, without trembling very exceedingly at that power, which is able to fend them, fingly, or in conjunction, upon a finful land? Who can reflect upon their number and variety, without adoring that goodness, patience, and long suffering, which tried so many different methods, and waited fo long, to lead the offenders to repentance? For more particulars, fee the comment on Pf. lxxviii. 43—51.

37. He brought them, i. e. the people of Ifrael, forth alfo with filver and gold: and there was not one feeble perfon among their tribes. 38. Egypt was glad when they departed: for the fear of them fell upon them.

The Ifraelites not only came forth from Egypt, but came forth laden with the fpoils of their enemies, which they were commanded to take, by him

who