Every good thing that either the heavens above, or the earth beneath, with its springs, could supply, was to be his. Exuberant fruitfulness in man and beast distinguished the land which was peopled by the myriads of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh; and that yielded to them not only its annual, but its monthly produce. The emblem, as it were, of their chieftain, the "fruitful bough by a well" was seen wherever the eye could rest. The ancestral device appeared on hill and dale, and was blazoned on the mountain ranges of Ephraim, Bashan, and Gilead. His posterity might well be proud of the man whose virtue had both stood the test of bitter trial, and graced the possession of exalted honour; who in Egypt had been to Israel as a shepherd, and the foundation-stone of their fortunes; and from whom descended the captain, by whose victorious arms the tribes of Canaan were expelled, pushed to the ends of the land, as if by the horns of an oryx.

The bush that burned, and yet was not consumed, has often been taken as a type of the preservation of God's people in their afflictions, through his presence with them. It was indeed a very fitting symbol to represent Israel's condition in Egypt, who multiplied and grew the more they were afflicted, and whom God watched over in the midst of the iron furnace. Thus the last-mentioned, and the best of the precious things of Joseph enumerated in the blessing of Moses, "the goodwill of Him that dwelt in the bush, would seem with peculiar propriety to be connected with the descendants of one who had been so eminently sustained in his trials, and kept unscathed in the fire of affliction. It may be, also, that Moses refers to the bush, as the time when he received his Divine commission, and was favoured with the first visible manifestation of the Lord; than whose goodwill the after-experience of all his life had shewn him, there was nothing more precious to possess for oneself, or desire for another. (Compare Jacob's formula of blessing, Gen. xlviii. 15, 16.)

If the misconduct of three of Jacob's sons affected their most distant posterity, it was to the piety of Joseph that his descendants owed their unrivalled lot. Happy had it been for them had they trodden in his steps. But the east wind, for the iniquity of Ephraim, came upon his fruitful land, and dried up his springs and fountains. (Hos. xiii. 15.) Nor is the time yet come for the flock of the heritage of the Lord to feed in Bashan and Gilead, as in the days of old. (Mic. vii. 14.) Nevertheless, there have been many in the house

C C

of God, whose integrity and virtue have been sorely tried, and yet not found to fail them. The quiver of human enmity may almost at times have been emptied of its arrows to persecute them, but their bow, like Joseph's, abode in strength. A pure heart, a good conscience, and faith unfeigned, have clothed their spirits with a peaceful serenity, when prospects were blighted, and character assailed, and the cold iron seemed to enter into their very soul. They have been fruitful in the land of their affliction, and Divine favour has made them to forget all their toil, and all their father's house. If the world has frowned on them, the smile of Heaven has been their compensation. As amends for the enmity of kindred or brethren, they have enjoyed the goodwill of Him that dwelt in the bush. In many instances, too, their painful discipline has resulted, not only in their own ultimate profit, but in important benefits to others. But as in the lion of Judah there is unquestionable allusion to Christ, so it seems probable that in this blessing of Joseph there is contained a reference to Him. It is familiar to all in what remarkable ways Jacob's favourite son was a type of the Lord Jesus,-of Him, who "learned obedience by the things which he suffered, and being made perfect, became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him," (Heb. v. 8, 9,)-of Him, to whom, in the highest sense, belong the titles of the Shepherd, and the Stone of Israel; and who is also to the people of God the Joshua, the "Captain of their salvation," who leads them into the rest that remaineth to them in the heavenly country-a better land than Joseph's, and with more precious things than his. 27 Benjamin (is) a wolf (which) tears in pieces;

In the morning he devours the prey;

And in the evening he divides the spoil. (Gen. xlix. 27.) 12 Of Benjamin he said,

Let the beloved of Jehovah

Dwell in safety by him;

He shall cover him all the day long,

And between his shoulders shall dwell. (Deut. xxxiii. 12.) Benjamin, though a small, was notoriously a warlike tribe. But the comparison to a rapacious wolf seems to indicate a fierceness of character untempered with the nobler qualities that in some of his brethren made them to be compared to the royal lion. In the civil war (Judg. xx.) which had well nigh ended in the extinction of this tribe, its valour was as great as the cause for which it fought was evil. It furnished in Ehud a deliverer to Israel; who, however, in later years,

had little reason to rejoice in the Benjamite, who, first of all their race, wore the regal diadem. The blessing of Moses, however, turns exclusively on the circumstance of Jerusalem and the temple being in the territory of this tribe. Jehovah thus dwelt "between his shoulders," i. e., the sides, or limits of his land.

Something of the character of Benjamin may be discovered in such as are deficient in the softer features of Christianity, while conspicuous for the possession of its sterner qualities. It is well that these latter should appear at suitable times, but not in the unmixed form, which gives to religion a harsh and repulsive aspect. Some in particular, who are incessantly engaged in attacking error, remind us of him who in the morning devoured the prey, and in the evening divided the spoil. Too little of meekness and moderation often appears in the advocacy of a good cause. But without exhibiting too much of the wolfish temperament of Benjamin, it is desirable that the believer should vividly apprehend his privilege as the "beloved of the Lord," to "dwell in safety by him." And we meet at times with those, who, in a more than ordinary degree, live in an ever conscious and happy realization of the Divine presence. Their lot may be comparatively small, but the Lord dwells within its limits, and his fellowship is to them, under all circumstances, an unfailing source of joy and strength.

The beautiful conclusion of the blessing of Moses is general, and relates to all the tribes. It will not be needful here to dwell upon its easy application to the circumstances of the spiritual Israel.

26 (There is) none like unto God, O Jeshurun; (Who) rideth upon the heavens in thy help, And in his excellency on the clouds.

27 (Thy) refuge (is) the eternal God,

And underneath (thee are) the everlasting arms;

And he has thrust out from before thee the enemy,
And has said, Destroy (them.)

28 And Israel shall dwell in safety;

Alone the fountain of Jacob (shall dwell);

In a land of corn and new wine;

Also his heavens shall drop down dew.

29 Happy (art) thou, O Israel; who (is) like unto thee,

O people saved by Jehovah,

The shield of thy help,

And who (is) the sword of thy excellency!

And thine enemies shall dissemble with thee,

And thou upon their high places shalt tread. (Deut. xxxiii. 26-29.)

This is evidently a description of Israel in their yet future condition of millennial felicity.

From the contemplation of the individual peculiarities of the twelve tribes, we may just turn, in conclusion, to the familiar and beautiful type presented in the xxviiith of Exodus. On the two onyx stones on the shoulders of the ephod, the names of the children of Israel were graven," according to their birth." Here all diversities vanish, and every tribe is on an equality. Just so the strength of the priesthood and intercession of Christ, as the true Aaron, sustain in an equal degree each member of his spiritual house. Family relationship alone is here in question, irrespective of all minor distinctions. We cannot determine with certainty in what order the names appeared on the stones of the breastplate, but it would seem as if another arrangement was there followed (v. 21.) Perhaps one in which, as in Deut. xxxiii., an official rather than a domestic priority was observed. If this be so, it would express a further special interest in the intercession of Christ, resulting from, and depending upon, those varieties of position, character, and calling, which make one Christian differ from another, as much as any two tribes differed of old. But even if the order were the same in both cases, there still remains the difference in respect of the precious stones. Yet here it consists only in varieties of lustre and beauty. The faultiness of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, disappeared on the breastplate of Aaron. No record of past misdeeds sullied the brightness of the "memorial" that was "before the Lord continually," upon the heart of the high priest. Nor does Jesus, in the heavenlies, bear the names of the children of God before him, linked with any other memorial than that of the splendour and beauty which they have derived from himself. Whatever their dissimilarities here, and whatever their faults, as represented by their Priest above, the former merge into rich varieties of one common glory, while the latter entirely vanish. We may lose much on earth by sin, which will also undoubtedly, in certain respects, affect our future reward. But viewed as in Christ, every painful and humiliating association is gone; and in the radiance that beams from his breastplate, the diversity that appears is connected with no human imperfections. It is the same heavenly light that streams, as it were, from one name with the fiery glow of the carbuncle, and from another with the soft and lovely hue of the emerald. It is the same glory,

though it be reflected in different-coloured rays, from those in whom all peculiarities have disappeared, but such as are precious and divine.

ART. II.-THE HARMONIES OF GENESIS AND REVELATION.

No prophecy of Scripture, we are told, is of private interpretation. Each is no isolated fragment, which can be fully understood when taken alone, but is part of one harmonious system of Divine truth. Its real source is not the human discernment or dim guesswork of the individual writer, but the mind of that Spirit, who seeth the end from the beginning. And thus a patient and connected study is needful, in order to trace out the full meaning of these Divine messages: "For prophecy came not in old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

This internal consistency, however, and harmony of mutual relation, is not peculiar to the prophecies, but extends to every part of the Word of God. The great diversity of the writers, in age, character, and style, only serves to illustrate more brightly the unity of that scheme of Providence, and system of Divine truth, which they reveal to us. One Mind plainly presides over the whole, and one breath of life animates every part of the message. As soon as we enter this glorious temple of Divine revelation, we may see the inscription on its lofty archway: "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, saith the Lord, which was, and is, and is to come, the Almighty."

A clear view of this unity in diversity, which pervades the whole Word of God, is eminently suited to confirm the faith of Christians, and deepen their reverence for its holy truths. It will be a complete antidote to the critical follies of those heartless anatomists, who strive, with unholy zeal, to resolve the Law and the Gospel alike into a chance medley of uncertain legends, and sicken our ears with profane fancies about Jehovah and Elohim documents in the books of Moses, and the mythical origin of the Gospel narratives. The impiety of these vain attempts is equalled by their folly. It needs only a close and patient study of the Word of God to discover harmonies beyond the reach of human skill, and a Divine and secret unity, amidst endless diversity, that speaks to the conscience and heart of the Christian more