Jacob.— “By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the Sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff.” (Heb. 11:2121By faith Jacob, when he was a dying, blessed both the sons of Joseph; and worshipped, leaning upon the top of his staff. (Hebrews 11:21).) (London: J. B. Bateman, Ivy Lane, Paternoster Row. 1857.)
This, as will be felt is the natural successor to the little book on “Isaac,” brought before the readers of our last Volume. It especially dwells on Genesis xxvii.—xxxvi.; after which chapter, Joseph becomes the principle figure. The leading thought which the author first developes is, that as in Abraham election, and in Isaac sonship, so in Jacob discipline is the prominent thought. “And upon this let me observe,” says the author, “that in all circumstances there are two objects, and that nature eyes the one and faith the other. Thus, in divine discipline, such as Jacob was now experiencing, there is the rod, and also the hand that is using it. Nature regards the first, faith recognizes the second. Job, in his day, broke down under the rod, because he concerned himself with it alone. Had he eyed the counsel, the heart, or the hand that was appointing it, (as we are exhorted to do, Mic. 6:99The Lord's voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see thy name: hear ye the rod, and who hath appointed it. (Micah 6:9).) he would have stood. But nature prevailed in him, and he kept his eye upon the rod, and it was too much for him.
“So in failures, as well as in circumstances, there are two objects. Conscience has its object, and faith again has its object. But conscience is not to be allowed to rob faith of its treasures, the treasures of restoring pardoning grace, which the love of God in Christ has stored up for it.
“There is great comfort in this. Nature is not to be over-busy with circumstances, nor conscience with failures. Nature is to feel that no affliction is for the present joyous, and conscience or heart may be broken; but in either ease, faith is to be at its post and do its duty; and much of the gracious energy of the Spirit in the epistles is engaged in putting faith at its post, and encouraging it to do its duty. The apostle, under the Holy Ghost, takes knowledge of the danger and temptation we are under by nature; and while it is abundantly enforced that conscience is to be quick and jealous, yet it is required that faith shall maintain itself in the very face of it."
“Prattler, no more, I say;
My thoughts must work; but like a noiseless sphere,
Harmonious peace must rock them all the day.”
“To know God in grace is His praise and our joy, We naturally, or according to the instincts of a tainted nature, think of him as one that exacts obedience and looks for service. But faith knows him as one that communicates, that speaks to us of privileges, of the liberty and the blessing of our relationship to Him.
2. Five Letters on Worship and Ministry in the Spirit. (London: George Morrish, 24 Warwick Lane, Paternoster Row. W. H. Broom, 112 Pentonville Road.)
It is with great pleasure that we recommend to our readers this plain, sound, and seasonable tract. The letters were bona fide communications from the author to Christians, in whose midst he had been laboring, and whose help, and profit, and continued blessing, he was seeking thus to promote. It seems from the preface that some alterations have been made. here and there, but the letters still carry with them their original tone of affectionate interest, such as could hardly be in papers written with a view to publication. This will not detract from their worth in the eyes of most Christians. The general heads are, 1, God present in the assembly; 2, The Church edified by gifts; 3, How to distinguish the guidance of the Spirit, negative marks: 4, Do., positive marks; and 5, Miscellaneous observations on the mutual dependence of saints in meetings for mutual edification, and on other subjects. It will be seen that the aim is eminently practical.