Gen. xlviii. 15, 16. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did tvalk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, the Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads !
THERE are not any more profitable scenes than those which we behold in the chambers of dying saints. There religion is exhibited in the most lively colours, and evinces itself to be, not a visionary phan- tom, but a real and substantial good. We are bidden to " mark the perfect man, and to behold the up- right, because the end of that man is peace." Some
instances there are, where persons on their death-bed are transported with unutterable joy: they seem to breathe the very atmosphere of heaven, while they are yet in the body. But it is more frequent to behold them waiting for their dissolution with a peaceful dignified composure ; and improving their precious moments for the benefit of their surviving friends. Such was the closing scene of Jacob. We read not of any particular ecstasies that he enjoyed ; but we see him with a hope full of immortality, and an affec- tionate attention to the welfare of all his children. It seems indeed that several of the patriarchs were on these occasions endued with a spirit of prophecy, and directed to pronounce blessings on those, for whom God, of his own sovereign will, had reserved them. They were not left to their own caprice or judgment in this matter ; but were overruled, sometimes con- trary to their own intentions to convey the blessings of primogeniture to the younger branches of the family in preference to the elder. Thus Isaac, having unwillingly given the blessing to Jacob, was con- strained to confirm it to him, notwithstanding Esau laboured with tears to prevail upon him to recall his word. Somewhat similar to that was the transfer of the blessing to the younger of Joseph's sons in pre- ference to the elder. Joseph brought his sons to his dying parent, and placed them so that Manasseh, his first-born, should have the right hand of Jacob placed upon his head: but the dying patriarch was inspired of God to counteract the wish of Joseph in this par- ticular, and, by crossing his hands, to convey the principal blessing to Ephraim, who was the younger son. We might remark upon this subject, that God often, if we may so speak, crosses his hands in be- stowing his blessings, since he gives them to those, who, in our eyes, are least worthy of them, and least likely to receive them. But our object at present is rather to inculcate the necessity of attending to the spiritual interests of young people, and especially of those who by the ties of consanguinity are connected with us.