I'll proceed with the second part today. The text was Genesis 42, 25. Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn and to restore every man's money into his sack and to give them provision for the way and thus he did unto them. We left off describing that the trials of Christ may prove that you are in his school or that you're in his correction house, and he continues this way. To clear this, I shall point out some things as distinguishing marks betwixt the one and the other. First, if thou be at this That still the more the Lord strikes and afflicts thee, and seems to thrust thee away from himself. Mission, draw us the more near to him, and as it were creepest in under his hand when smiting. Canst thou cheerfully justify him and condemn thyself? Canst thou from thy soul say thou art righteous, O Lord, in what thou hast done? But I am vile. Thou hast punished me far less than I deserve, for I have sinned against Thee, even against infinite goodness, holiness, love, power, faithfulness, justice, mercy, and tender compassions. But atharic, like a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, spurning at the sight of His covenant, I was wroth and smote him, and he walked on frowardly in the ways of his heart. If thou entertainest heart risings and murmurings at the Lord's dispensations, or hast a quarrelling disposition at his dealings with thee, then thou mayest suspect thyself, for thou hast been but in the correction house and not in Christ's school. Secondly, is it not thy soul's desire and request that the Lord would not take away thy cross, trouble, or affliction until, through his blessing, it work the right kind of effects upon thee, to humble thee by the kindly exercises of godly sorrow and true gospel repentance, wouldst thou more gladly have the causes removed than the stroke itself? Wouldst thou have thy sins pardoned, peace and reconciliation with God, made up through the perfect righteousness of Christ, rather than have thy crosses removed? Then thou hast been at Christ's school. But if thou wouldst have thy troubles and afflictions removed upon any condition, whatever, come after what will, thou mayst suspect thyself to have been but in the correction house. It is the proper mark of a wicked man to seek by all means to get out of God's hands. If he could, he would fain flee out of his hand. But a child of God comes kindly to him, says the psalmist, but it is good for me to draw near to God. Thirdly, hast thou, God, an humbling and heart-breaking discovery of the dreadfulness, the soul-destroying and God-dishonoring nature of sin, of thine own vileness? especially of original sin, the sin of thy nature, that fountain and source of all bitterness, that leaven of malice and wickedness, the unreconciled principle of thy carnal mind against God. I say, hast thou got such a sight and sense of thy sin and sinful nature as has made them more bitter to thy soul than gall and wormwood? Has sin become more loathsome and ugly unto thee than the devil and hell itself? Is thy soul perplexedly weighted therewith, and wouldst thou more gladly be delivered from it than from death and hell? Dost thou see no help for thee in heaven or in the earth, but in the Lord Jesus Christ? Dost thou see him to be a satisfying, suitable, seasonable, in every way all-sufficient Redeemer and Mediator unto thee? Does thy soul cheerfully lay hold, accept of, and close with this glorious device of redemption and salvation by Christ? Does thy soul incessantly long and faint after this only desirable gospel way of justification and sanctification through the righteousness, the infinite merit, and the mediation of Christ? Dost thou esteem those to be the only happy folk in the world that have got this cast of everlasting love, although they were stripped naked of all creature comfort and enjoyment under the sun. Dost thou cheerfully bless and praise the Lord that ever He made this offer to thee, that ever thou didst get an invitation to come to the marriage of the king's son? Is it the grief of thy heart that ever thou wast so long a stranger and enemy thereto? that ever thou didst sit so many calls and refused so many invitations to come to Christ, saying, Woe is me that I dwell in Meshach, that I sojourned so long in the tents of Kedar. Art thou made to sit down astonished at the long-suffering patience of God that has suffered so many affronts and indignities at thy hand, and not consume thee in the midst of thine iniquity? Art thou wondering at the condescension that he yet waits upon thee, and is still pursuing thee with new offers of mercy and salvation? Art thou afraid thou get not grace to improve it right, and that through thy corruptions thou mar thine own mercy? Now I say, if it be thus with thee in good earnest, then it appears thou hast been at the school, and not at the correction house. And fourthly, is thy soul transported and, as it were, carried out of thy body with the beauty and excellency of Christ? Is thy heart ravished with the love of God, making you cry out, Woes me that I cannot get faith to believe in Christ and depend and trust in Him and credit Him with all my concernments. Woes me that I cannot get love enough to lovely Jesus. Is it thy exercise that thou canst not get love to God, strong as death and cruel as the grave, that all the letters of thy lust and corruption cannot drain? And art thou grieved that thou canst not get Christ, active, fervent, and constant love to Christ, love to his kingdom and government, church and people, truths, ways and works, love to his providence, afflictions and crosses, love to his laws and to his gospel, love to his covenant and work of reformation and everything that he has his image and stamped upon it. And art thou longing for the day when thy love to Christ and all these shall be made perfect and there shall be no more defections in it. And fifthly, is Christ so precious and excellent a person, so desirable and lovely to thy soul that thou dost not see his match in heaven or in earth? Is he the fairest among the children of men, the chiefest among 10,000? And as the apple tree amongst the trees of the wood, the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys. And art thou afraid that thy heart runs all upon other objects and so undervalues him in idolizing thyself in thy strength, health, beauty, birth, fortune, wisdom, privileges, enjoyments, gifts, graces, profession, religion, duties, and performances? I say, art thou afraid of undervaluing Christ, by overvaluing any of these things, giving them the room in thy soul that he should have, being guilty of idolatry against the Lord. Sixthly, dost thou with a perfect hatred hate all things, either in thyself or in others that are an enemy to the glory of God or hateful to him, and especially thy secret sins, that the world sees not such as thy predominant lusts, the original corruption of thy vile nature, which is the mother of all thy other sins and the root of all evil, thy vain thoughts, thy filthy thoughts, carnal imaginations, both of the flesh and the spirit, proud, self-conceited, vain, glorious thoughts and worldly-mindedness, covetous thoughts, passionate and revengeful thoughts, all these secret heart plagues that the world sees not and the laws of men reach not flowing from thy unsanctified nature which the law of God reaches and His eye sees. And is it the grief of thy heart that thy unsanctified nature has such a propensity and inclination to any of these inordinate affections? Is thy soul vexed with thy misbelief, infidelity, formality, hypocrisy, indifferency, lukewarmness, and deceitful dealing in the matters of God and concerns of His glory, especially His worship and service. Now, art thou as much humbled and grieved for these legions of secret sins of thy nature, presumptuous sins and sins of ignorance, both past and present, as for thy open and scandalous sins before the world? seeing that they both offend God, grieve His Holy Spirit, and defile the chastity of thy soul, marring the beauty of thy internal holiness. Now, is it a matter of thy soul's sad exercises that thou hast such a body of sin and death within thee, and such a law of sin and death in thy members? Is it thy greatest care and work to keep a special watch upon these enemies to God's glory, and thine own salvation, and to crush and knock them down in their very first conception by sincere work of repentance and mortification. But they may not get liberty to bring forth sin, and sin when it is finished brings forth death. And art thou honestly resolved in Christ's strength and through the divine assistance of his Holy Spirit never to give over the combat by letting these enemies have any kindly entertainment in thy soul, to reign in thy mortal body till death be swallowed up in victory. Now, if it has been thus with thee, thou hast been at the school of Christ's discipline, and not in the correction house. Seventhly, art thou anything better polished and purified since thy trouble and afflictions were removed? Art thou anything more humbled, and thy vile nature more subdued than before? Is it the product of thy crosses to mortify thy corruptions and to put a greater distance betwixt thy soul and sin, and to wean thy heart and affections from thy lust, and to make thee say, what have I any more to do with idols? Is that soul-beautifying robe of internal holiness become so lovely, useful and desirable to thee that thou canst no more do without it than thy necessary clothing? Is the wedding garment of Christ's righteousness become so indispensably requisite and absolutely necessary to thee for thy justification and salvation that thou canst no more want it than thy life? Is heart religion and godliness so in all its parts become the very element that thou canst not live without as thou canst not with thy necessary food And is the honor of God more dear and necessary to thee than thy own life and salvation? Now, if it be thus with thee, then thou hast been at the school with Christ. But if thou come out of the furnace with as much dross and scum as ever, if thou be as much the old man and as profane as ever, If thou holdest fast that sinning disposition towards feeding, fostering, serving, and obeying the lusts of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life, then thou mayest remember what Christ said to the man, Sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee, lest hell and the chains of darkness be the next correction house that thou meetest with. For I would not desire a more clear mark or evidence of a person plagued of God and given up to himself than to have so much pains taken on him and yet not profited by it. To be cast into the furnace and yet not purged by it. To be under the rod and yet not humbled. Hear what Solomon says of such. He that being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed in that without remedy. Eighthly, is thy soul's delight and longing desire to have a well-grounded trust in Christ with union and communion with him as the kindly fruits, effects, and result of a regeneration work upon thy soul, the new birth, the new nature, and the new creature. Is it heaven upon earth to thee and that wherein thy life lies to have communion and fellowship with God? Is it hell upon earth to be under the hidings of his face Does thou know when He is present by thy soul's quickening, reviving, strengthening, courage, agility, activity, comfort and joy in Christ? Does thou know when He is absent by thy soul's fainting, failing, lingering, withering, languishing and drooping under this? Knowest thou what it is to have the saving grace of God diffused through all the faculties of thy soul and members of thy body by its operative exercises, to let demonstrate and put forth itself by its proper and native fruits, even external and internal holiness in thy life and conversation. Oh, knowest thou what this new being is and what it is to have a conversation in heaven? And knowest thou what it is to vent thyself in the bosom of God by secret prayer, meditation, and spiritual ejaculations? Knowest thou what it is to have any longing, fainting desire after the sincere, incorruptible, reviving and strengthening milk of the word, the gospel? Or rather, Christ himself, the substance of the gospel, in order to be increased with the increase of God and to grow up as calves of the stalls. And knowest thou what it is to have a new work put into thy hand by obedience to all his commands, from a pure principle of faith, in love to him, and zeal for his glory? Knowest thou what it is to bring down heaven to thy soul, and to bring up thy soul to heaven? Now, if it has been thus with thee, then thou hast been at Christ's school and made some proficiency therein by these crosses and afflictions. But if it be not so, then thou hast reason to be afraid that thou hast but been in the correction house. But ninthly, is there a true and real principle of love and zeal for God and his glory? Holy fear? In regard to God's absolute sovereignty and authority as the great lawgiver, binding thy soul to the gospel way of new obedience to the moral law of God, so that thou darest not slight, neglect, nor omit any known or commanded duty, nor yet allow thyself wittingly or unwillingly in the commission of any known sin or transgression against the Lord, Tenthly, is there such a principle of holy fear and awe of the majesty and authority of God upon thy soul, such a faith discovery of his all-seeing, heart-searching, omniscient eye upon thy ways and actions, that for thy life thou darest not slight or omit any of these duties of religion or Christianity and godliness, either in the first or second table of the law, Even those that are most remote from the cognizance of men and without the reach of their censure or law, and that no eye in the world can see, and yet thou darest not slight them. Eleventh, art thou living within the continual sight, sense and impression of thy weakness, folly, madness and inability to do what is really good. with respect either to God or man, either of a natural, moral, civil or religious nature. It can be acceptable or well-pleasing to God unless done from a principle of his grace in the soul and with a constant dependence on him for the divine help and assistance of his spirit. For Christ says himself, without me, he can do nothing. Twelfthly, art thou so far from resting thyself content in a set form of religion or godliness, or sitting down upon thine own proficiency or attainments that thou wholly slightest and overlookest all that thou ever didst? Dost thou forget that those things that are behind and press forward toward the mark of the high calling of God, knowing that no less than perfection can do the turn, and that no perfection is attainable in this life? And is thy soul longing for that happy day when that state of imperfection shall be done away, and when that blessed state of perfection shall commence? And thirteenth, are thou so overawed with holy fear and jealousy, so watchful and tender of thy ways and actions, that thou darest not for thy life offend or do anything of weight or consequence in the matters of religion, either by terror or argument, neither by the dictates of thine own heart nor yet the example of others, till first thou go to the law and to the testimony and consult the word of God and see whether or not it be agreeable thereunto. And therefore, art thou pleading and wrestling with the Lord that he would send forth his light and his truth and guide thee in the way of his truth and thy duty. Fourteenth, art thou afraid that thou proved nothing at last but a gilded hypocrite, a deceitful dealer with God, a lamp wanting oil, and a flourishing like fig tree without fruit, a head full of unsanctified knowledge as a candle to let thee see thy way to destruction. And yet art thou importunately pleading with the Lord that he would search and try thee and let thee know what thou art. and how it is with thee, and that he would give thee truth and sincerity in the inward part, and prevent thee from going down to the grave with a lie in thy right hand. Art thou a serious, active, and diligent in the practical performance of every commanded duty and religion, as if thou were to get heaven and happiness by it? And yet, in point of justification and merit before God, dost thou reckon thy duties to signify no more than dipping thy finger in water? Dost thou look upon all in the matter of self-righteousness, but as filthy rags, and as a plunging of thyself in the ditch, until thou be more vile before God than the devil himself? Art thou come to this with that? When thou hast done all that thou canst do or suffer, that thou accountest thyself an unprofitable servant, in point of merit and justification. Sixteenth, is it only through the perfect righteousness of Christ freely imputed to thee and instrumentally laid a hold upon by faith the all-sufficient virtue, value, merit, and mediation of Jesus Christ, the Lord, Redeemer, and Mediator, that thou desirest to expect the love, favor, and friendship of God? heaven and happiness and in no other way imaginable. Seventeenth, is it only to prove the reality and sincerity of thy faith in Christ and to testify thy love and thankfulness to God for thy justification and salvation through Christ and for all his benefits to thee. that thou dost good works, and performest every commanded duty. Is it because the Lord commands it, ye will do it? And because it is thy walking to heaven, though not the meritorious cause thereof? Eighteenth, in all thy thoughts, works, words, and actions of life, is it thy soul's delight, design, desire, and endeavor to glorify and honor God, to exalt his name, and to abase thyself? And so to do his will cheerfully obeying his commands, although thine own profit or personal advantages were excluded out of it, is that thy sorrow, that thou art so useless in thy day and generation, and that thou canst not be more serviceable to him. As thou love God so much and hate sin with such a perfect hatred that thou darest not think of going to hell for ten thousand worlds, if it were no more, but for fear of blaspheming the holy name of God under the terrors of these tormenting pains. Where these damned creatures are scalded with fire and their worm dieth not, they have no other thing to do. Neither are they capable of doing any other thing in hell but sinning against God perpetually. Though they have no pleasure in it, but on the contrary, tormenting pains under the wrath of God, and this makes them continually blaspheme his holy name. Nineteenth, dost thou rejoice to see Christ's school thriving, and much honor put upon the master by the proficiency of the scholars under his hand? Is it the joy of thy heart to see thy fellows profiting much in godliness? and thy sorrow to see them spending their time, and nothing the better but worse, under all the pains taken upon them. And art thou exerting thyself according to thy capacity for their relief, pulling them out of the fire as by example, Christian admonition and reproof? And if they will not lay it to heart, does thy soul mourn for them in secret, is thy soul grieved to see so many people delighting in that which shall ruin their own souls? And that thou canst not put a stop to their career of sin and wickedness? But perhaps thou wilt say, If folk take pleasure in their own destruction, who can help it? To this I answer, Canst thou not pity and commiserate the impenitency, unbelief, and obduracy of their hearts, when thou seest their security, ignorance, profanity, and ungodliness. Canst thou not protest against their sin and testify thy abhorrence of their evil ways? And if they will not turn from and forsake them, their blood shall be upon their own heads, but thou shalt be free of it. And canst thou not carry thyself so as not to be a stumbling block or bad example in their way, and keep thyself from doing anything that may harden them in their iniquity. Canst thou not go to God with their miserable case and condition, and by prayer and supplication crave that mercy and repentance may be given unto them, if they be of the travail of his soul and belong to the election of free grace? Canst thou not cast a fair copy of a Christian and see if the beauty and excellency of gospel holiness will prevail upon them. Canst thou not tell what the Lord has done for thy soul? And bid them come and taste and see that the Lord God is good. And invite them to share in your lot. There are some self-seeking folk. If they could be well and sure of heaven themselves, they care not what becomes of others. But if thou be one of Christ, thou shalt be one of the faithful. Scholars and a right expectant of heaven, thou wilt be glad how well others thrive and how much company thou hast. There is room enough there for all the children of Adam if the Lord gives them grace to repent. And 20th, art thou not as nearly and dearly concerned with the public case and condition of the church and people of God as with thine own personal case and condition? Is not thy soul as much humbled for the broken and wasted case of the church of God as for thine own broken case and condition? Are not the reproaches, affronts, and indignities done to Christ in his interest falling upon thee? Art thou not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph? Hast thou not a public spirit of simplicity? and fellow feeling of the wrongs and injuries done to the glory of God by the invasions made upon the kingdom of Christ and the encroachments made upon his church by his enemies. Is not thine own personal case connected with the public interest of the church and the people of God that thou must stand and fall with them? Dost thou not mourn when Zion mourneth, and rejoice when she is comforted? Is it not well with thee when she is well, and ill when she is ill? If it is so with thee, then it is an evidence that thou art a kindly son of Zion, and a living member of Christ's mystical body, and consequently trained up at Christ's school of heavenly education by the cross. But if thou lack this, I like thee worse. Get or have what thou wilt if thou be only seeking self-edification, self-peace, ease, and accommodation. There is some crack or flaw in thy union with the mystical body of Christ. There are some who, if they were sure to be happy themselves, care not whether the church and work of God sink or swim. The bastard children of the church may still be known by this mark, for they are still one of these two, either wicked malignant, malicious enemies, who can never be out of an ill turn to the Church of God, as that is their proper element. They are such as will neither do a good turn to the Church and people of God, nor suffer others to do it. Or else they are only onlookers, and idle spectators, unconcerned with the Church's case. They are resolved to take the times as they find them, and make the best of them that they can for their own personal advantage. They are such as think gain to be godliness, from whom we are exhorted to withdraw. But the genuine sons of Zion are of another stamp. Shall I go to mine house, said Uriah, and the ark, Israel, and my Lord's servants be encamped in the open fields? No, if I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I do not prefer Jerusalem above my chiefest joy. Lastly, and I shall add no more, is it thine only care and study to be of those folk that die in the Lord, that rest from their labor and their works do follow them? Art thou most taken up with making provision for thy soul, laying up a good foundation for the time to come, learning the Lord's wisdom and truth, that thou mayest live thereby and wait all the days of thine appointed time until thy change come, living every day as if it were to be thy last day, and doing every work and action in life as if thou were presently to compare before God's judgment seat and render up thy account. Art thou striving to serve God with singleness of heart? under the awful impression of his omniscient eye, knowing thou must be accountable for all thy thoughts, words, and works. Now, if it be thus with thee, thou hast been at Christ's school and profited thereby. But if thou be putting the evil day far from thee, and living in the world as if it had been made for thyself alone, and not to serve God by it, not minding the great end of thy creation, and living as thou were it never to remove out of the world, making insatiable provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof, then thou mayst suspect thyself and take heed. Lest the day of destruction come upon the unawares, for it seems thou hast been only in the correction house by thy troubles and afflictions. Now, by these marks, you may know whether you have been at Christ's school for edification and discipline or in his correction house where he puts his enemies. If ye be made partakers of his holiness, then ye have doubtless been at the school with Christ. But remember, it must be internal holiness in the soul and holiness in resolution. The king's daughter is all glorious within. or clothing is of wrought gold. It must be holiness in thought, word, and action, even in the inclination, desire, delight, and affection, both natural, moral, and religious. Holiness in Christian moderation, temperance, and sobriety, and the lawful use of every creature enjoyment and recreation. It must be holiness in conversation, holiness in the tongue, hand and foot, family or domestic holiness, holiness within doors and holiness on the street and amongst thy neighbors, holiness in thy calling, laboring, trading or merchandising. Nay, in a word, it must be in all manner of conversation. And if thy sinful defects and failings in this be thy grief and sad soul exercises, and if thou be longing for the perfection of holiness, then the day shall break and the shadows flee away, but now shall be made like the wings of a dove that are covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold. I think without a breach of charity there are some folk going under the name of Christians in the world and I fear amongst professors in the visible church who are of such a disposition that give them peace, ease and wealth They would not care whether they got Christ, truth, and holiness or not. Now, such are strangers to Christ, enemies to holiness and truth, whilst they continue such. But it is not so with the child of God, who has been trained up at Christ's school of heavenly discipline by the cross, who has learned to know by experience how excellent and precious Christ is, and what a soul-beautifying thing holiness is. Yea, they would not desire to go to heaven without Christ, truth and holiness. For in this case, heaven would be no heaven to them. But I return to the second thing proposed, which was wherein lies the sweetness of his love in getting our sack filled by our heavenly Joseph. And we may say it lies in these four things. First, it is a great prop and pillar for the believer's faith. and strengthens the soul against the assaults and suggestions of Satan when infused into the soul and fortified against the objections of carnal reason and its murmurings against the Lord's dispensations and against the sinful and slavish fear of the world. When the Christian is like to be sadly exercised under the cross, then the devil begins to take him up. Now, I know he would never do well. Then carnal reason and misbelief begin in their turns and say, Alas, alas, what shall I do? This is the thing I was afraid of, and now my fears are like to come upon me. I shall surely one day or other fall by the hands of mine enemies. The world begins to frown and the men thereof say, We shall get our will of him now. The day has come we looked and longed for. Then faith steps in and says, Right at leisure. What have you to say to my master Christ and his cross? You shall be falsifiers, for I shall both do well and be well in spite of the devil and all that take part with him. For my master has as good furniture and provision to give his servants as any in all the world, and better too. So then, we see the advantages and sweetness of the enjoyments lie in this. It stops the mouth of all objections. Secondly, it keeps the hearts of God's people from fainting in the day of trial when they are like to succumb and give over that work. For a long journey and sore labor are very wearisome for pure and undefiled religion before God. Even the practical, pure godliness, the truth and reality of which is a great work and therefore is compared to fighting, wrestling and running a race. striving to enter in at the straight gate and taking the kingdom of God of heaven by violence. But the quantity of good corn in our sack is a good preservative and strengthening cordial against fainting under all discouragements. When we get near Christ's hand and get one meal of a good old preaching, and a second of an old experimental manifestation and enjoyment, and a third from some old lively communion, thinking not that this may be in a long journey, keep us from fainting by the way. Thirdly, it keeps the believer always cheerful under the cross, makes him sing forth the praise of the Lord under the saddest trial and affliction that can befall him. It makes the believer bring up a good report of all the Lord's works, ways, and dealings, and speak much in commendation of the love of God. What was it that made Paul rejoice in tribulation? What made him and Silas sing in prison while their feet were fast in the stocks? What made Habakkuk sing over his destruction? Was it not this quantity of good corn they had in their sacks, and the good provision they got by the way from their brother Joseph? for he will give his friends and brethren the finest of the wheat. Fourthly, it enables the Christian to break through a troop of difficulties and to overleap a wall with fortitude and boldness. It makes the weak strong, as the house of David, to run and not be weary, to walk and not faint. It makes them do all things through Christ that strengthens them. The enemy intends to set hedges of thorns in our way, But through the strength of Jehovah, we will go through them all by the provision of our Master. The provision He gives us, by the way. He can make us over leap a wall and go through a troop of difficulties, yea, all opposition. And may we not say that the quantity of good corn and the provision, by the way, that our brother Joseph puts in our sack is both sweet and comfortable and of great advantage to us, by the way? The third thing we proposed was a word of caution. And first, I would not have you mistake our wise and blessed Joseph, for he will be now and then putting corn in our sacks, but he will take his own time in doing that. Therefore, you must not limit, but leave him room to come and go upon, nor prescribe a way or a time of your own contriving for him to work his work or accomplish his glorious designs. You must leave room to him, both as to the time, the way, the manner, and likewise with reference to the means and instruments, else you will greatly injure yourselves and sit in the way of your own comfort. For if ye will take a right view of my text, ye will find these things in it. First that Christ will empty your hands before he fills them. For they brought empty sacks to Egypt, and they had it as a door of hope that the steward was there before them to fill them. Whenever they came there, they were clapped in prison, and then their sacks were made more empty. At least their case became more hopeless, and it seemed worse than before. to a piece of Christ's wise dealing with his people is that before he fills their sacks, he will give them a sore heart. There was nothing amongst Joseph's brethren but lamenting and mourning. We are all guilty, say they. and then he causes their sacks to be filled. I think there must be more wet cheeks amongst us yet, ere all our sacks be filled. The many stubborn and whole hearts amongst us say that our sacks will be long in filling. Three, another way that the Lord takes is to lay a new cross upon you that you have never dreamed of before He fills your sacks. A bound Simeon was what these brethren looked not for. Therefore, do not mistake our friendly Lord and Master, for He will fill His friends' sacks, but He will take His own way with it, and good reason that He should do so. Do not mistake this. that ye must either get faith to read the Lord's dispensations toward you in a day of your affliction, or then thou wilt let many a parcel or grain of this good corn be lost or mismanaged. I think some folk have got more in their sacks now than they expected. And yet I fear there is but little notice taken of it. The church took on belief to read her case. But Zion said the Lord hath forsaken me. She sees not a grain of mercy in all her lot. But faith comes and reads better. Faith sees she is not utterly destroyed. to posterity, yea, she comes confidently to assert her interest in God and this sustains her till she gets a sight of a happy out gate to herself and ruin to her enemies. As you may read it in the four-sided places of scripture, I dare say there is many a sweet and seasonable sealing mercy under our crosses disregarded and forgotten because we make unbelief read to us under these crosses. Third, beware of this mistake that because we get not as much faith as to overcome the world at one stroke and as much strength to fight the devil out of the field and obtain a final victory over all our enemies, you will think nothing of such a measure of grace as serves to keep you on your feet and to maintain the warfare and combat. Will you think nothing, although you get as much grace and strength as to hold you at your duty without giving it over as hopeless? Because you cannot get as much as will make a full end of your duty, that you may be troubled with it no more. But certainly, we should think it a grain of good corn in our sacks if we can get as much furniture, provision and grace as to maintain the conflict against the devil, the world and the flesh, and to hold us at our duty. I know well we want not a grain of good corn in our sacks if we be helped to sing that song and although we cannot get the day carried completely over our lusts and idols at first hand yet God be thanked they never gained an inch of ground upon us since our cross has commenced and the blessed captain of our salvation helped us to set out in the field against them. And through His grace that strengtheneth His people with all grace in the inner man, we hope we shall never quit the cause till we get them all cut off. Fourth, mistake not in this way that because ye get not sensible and satisfying access to God in prayer, and are not taken and dandled by Him upon His knees, and made to read your interest in relation in Christ by the sensible light of His countenance. Therefore you think nothing, though you be kept knocking at the door, pleading, wrestling, importunately waiting at the door till it be opened unto you, and every impediment removed. But I know well we may count it a portion of good corn in our sacks if we can get persevering grace and strength to wait on and not to cast away our confidence and run away because we get not access at the first hand. We must still take it for a door of hope when we get grace to abide at any duty. This way David came to maintain his interest in God. This godly man was not soon foiled as to leave it and run away. Fifthly, you must not mistake this piece of good provision, by the way, and a grain of good corn in the sack, which is little remarked and as little studied or sought after, and that is to grow downward in humility and self-denial. Albeit ye be not sensibly growing upward in attainment, in the progress of other graces and performances of duties, we are ready enough to count our going upwards of mercy and to glory in it. But we think little of it if we are growing downward, as it were, beneath the ground. But I know well, there is many a parcel of worse corn in the country than humility and self-denial. Christ will never love you the worse that your feet make little noise in the streets of Jerusalem. He will never love you the worst that your profession bears not more bulk than your self-denial and practical godliness. We now come to a word of use. I think it cannot be denied, but that there are very heavy crosses this day upon Scotland. But are you getting a grain of this good corn and a piece of provision to help bear up under it? There are two sad words I have to tell you. First, that it both is and has been a piece of Scotland's plague and judgment that our crosses find us asleep and naked with little in our sacks. Empty sacks and sinful security go still together, since it is the hand of the diligent that maketh rich and drowsiness clothes a person with rags. Although our heavenly master hath riches enough to spare, yet I think many of you have empty kitchens at home. There are three storehouses that Christ takes his people to, and there fills their sacks. In Colossians 2.3, in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Is the treasure of soul, saving, heart-humbling, nature-sanctifying, and will-renewing wisdom and knowledge? Oh, that ye knew anything of this, to have your sack full of this good corn. Second, a treasure house He takes them to is that in John 1, 16 and 17. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. O sirs, know ye what it is to be supplied out of Christ, the wellspring of strengthening grace? Third, he takes them to the treasure house of his goodness with suitable satisfaction therein. How great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee. And I know well, if you have got these three, you have got a quantity of good corn in your sacks. The second sad word I have to tell you, and I desire not to predict much therein, but assure you, many will fall by the right way ere all be done. There will be many dead field professors in Scotland ere we get out of Egypt through the wilderness and to the end of all our troubles. I say it and I will stand by it that many will turn their backs yet upon the church and let a blast go over. Well then, Joseph has enough if you will take it and use it. But alas, I think your sacks are marred and your vessels look as though they would not hold water. Hearts prepared for receiving the mercy of God that he is willing to give and allow for his people seem very rare in Britain. Well then, prepare your sacks and mend them, for our Joseph has enough to fill them. There are four rents in them that will mar them if you do not mend them. Well, number one on tenderness as to the truth. and the glorious concerns of Christ's kingdom, I fear that this will be one of the rents in many folks' sacks. Number two, the want of a heart filled with heavenly desires after Christ and His fullness. Number three, the want of a heart warmed and burning with a love to God and a right zeal for the matters of His glory. And number four, the want of a heart purifying faith in Christ in exercise to cast up the scum and to work out all the dregs of corruption by true repentance and mortification. Oh, try to mend these rents in your sack. Otherwise, truly, ye will make but a bad journey to Egypt. Holy and heavenly desires are gone. The holy flesh has departed, and that is a great rent in our sacks. As for love, it was never colder than now. Many are like to die crying out and like to give it over. And our blessed Joseph is saying, who can help it? The fault is at your own door. If you would ask more believingly, you would receive more. If you would love more, you would have more opportunity of being beloved. How well are Christ's words now accomplished that iniquity should abound and that the love of many wax cold. There is nothing that makes this earth more like hell than sin, and its inhabitants more like damned spirits than the want of true Christian love. There is nothing in hell but sin, and there is nothing in the heart of the damned but pure malice and hatred against God and one another. The next observation we shall make is this. Doctrine number three, that although Joseph seems to deal more roughly with his brethren, and with any others in the world, yet at last he gives them a better bargain. He gives them still a low fall, but then he gives them something over which he gives any other in the world. There were none that got their silver in their sacks, for aught we here but Joseph's brethren. And I say, the people of God shall still have the best of it, though your enemies have said and sworn to the contrary. And speaking to this point, I shall shortly Number one, let you see how it comes to pass that Joseph's brethren must have the surplus to the bargain. Two, I shall let you see what this is that Joseph's brethren got beyond others. Third, we shall give you a short word of caution. Fourth, conclude the whole with a word of use. First, now the first of these, how comes it to pass that Joseph's brethren must have the overplus, that is, as we commonly say, the boot and the better bargain. And we say it must be so upon these two or three accounts. First, because of the standing and near relation that was betwixt them and Joseph. There was not such a relation betwixt other men that came to Egypt to buy corn. And therefore, that relation that subsists betwixt them and him and them gives them a better right to this favor. Christ's friends and brethren must have this over plus and carry it from all the rest of the world. Second, the followers of Christ must have this over plus that many a time he puts them under the cross beyond others. Many a troubled heart they get that others want. Many a frown they get beyond others in respect of his love tokens and tender dealing with them. As he puts a difference betwixt his people and the rest of the world in respect of these, so he will put a difference between them in respect of mercies and enjoyments. Three, a ground and reason wherefore the people of God get this, and the better bargain beyond others is that Christ may manifest his love and favor to those that are brought in and converted, that others may be engaged thereby to come unto him. Oh, taste and see that God is good, says the psalmist. This is an invitation to come and get a share of the bread that he gives to his children. I am to let you see what this overplus or bounty is that Joseph's brethren get beyond others. And there are these four things that they get beyond all other people. One, all the enjoyments they get, whether they be in the way of prosperity or adversity, come out of the hand of a loving brother who was born for and inured to adversity. This makes their afflictions lighter. and their mercies sweeter than otherwise they would be. Oh, sirs, would ye make a richer bargain than that who gave us Christ and with Him freely all things, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or the life or death or things present or things to come? All are yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's. The men of the world say, How comes it that ye are cheerful on your crosses? In answer to this, we say we have the testimony of a good conscience, which is a continual feast to us. And two, all our afflictions come out of the hand of our Heavenly Father and from the fingers of our loving brother. And therefore, we need not be afraid of them, for they can never hurt us. It may be ye shall be put in prison, but what is the matter? Simeon will not be the worse if Joseph be the jailer. The ten patriarchs will not be the worse for being put in prison since they are his brethren. There is not one who gets Joseph's crosses, but they get his blessing with them. That is to say, they get God's blessing in the midst of their afflictions. And is not that bounty enough? The men of the world are filling our sack. But what think ye is it with? Sirs, I will assure you, it is no good grain. Some are putting in reproaches and derision, some hunting and horning, some prisons and banishments, some are putting in heading and hanging. Here they must hold, for they can go no farther. Well, what think ye of that sort of corn? But, says our blessed Joseph, have ye done all ye can, O enemies, and can ye do no more? Yes, they say, we can go no farther. Well, says Christ, I will put a fill of better grain in my children's sacks, since they have gotten the cross, they shall have my love and blessing with it. And what think ye of that? I defy all the world to equal it. What wilt thou do, man, with thy little quantity of silver? Never trouble yourself with that, for I will do well enough with it. I will tell you two words for that. First, to be much in God's common and in His sphere which is better than the best inheritance under the sun. God's providence are common that He makes His children to go upon is better and they will grow better upon it than the men of this world will do with the best things that they have to enjoy. Second, a poor widow has but a little oil in a cruise and a handful of meal in a barrel which will be but a bit of bread today and then she will die tomorrow. God can make that same handful of meal and drop of oil go far and last long. Yea, it cannot be told how far a little mercy or enjoyment will go under the cross. Third, Joseph pays them well for all the pains that they are in his work or business. The very marrow of their soul and the fire of sin to do the devil service. And then he gives them hell for their pains at last. But our master gives his servants a sack full of the finest wheat and silver in the sacks month. Will you ever get an account of our stipends, our plundered houses and our forfeited lands? We think not, says the men of the world. Yea, but our master will count with us and pay to the full. He will give us his hundredfold. And in the end, give us eternal life. And may we not fare well? Our blessed Joseph will not let his friends or brethren be at any loss, but he will pay them well for their pains. All the loss that ye are at in suffering for Christ shall not be one penny out of your purse. He will count with you for the house, the cattle, etc. Yes, to the very last penny and deny nothing of it. For a thing that God's people get is a new invitation to come and get more as an addition to what they got before. They may say, as we commonly say, keep the stock on foot and prevent a downfalling market. Pray, says our Lord, give us this day our daily bread. Feed me with food convenient for me, says Eger. Is not this a brave thing that our Master would never weary to give if we would not weary to ask and thereby give him employment? The men of this world say that such a man is very troublesome and they give him one thing this day and another thing the next day and yet he is still coming again. But our Master gives us a new bounty and a new invitation to come and receive more. Oh, but this is a gallant thing. He will give us an enjoyment and a cross upon it that may affect our hearts and be an invitation to come and get more furniture and supply out of his storehouse. Every new touch and trial we get is an engagement to come back and receive more provision for the way. Is not this overplus enough to the bargain? Well then, for use, what say ye to the cause of Christ? Now, sirs, may there not be a sad complaint in Scotland this day? What aileth the Lord at his people? For if there be any that may be called Joseph's brethren, they must be those that are most roughly dealt with, the poor mourners and weepers who are the most roughly handled. But I will tell you, no less will do our turn to bring to remembrance our old bygone trespasses and evil deeds done against our heavenly Joseph, Christ Jesus, and to humble us for them. But when God has humbled his people by the cross, he will put as great a distance betwixt them under their enjoyments as ever there was under the cross. Christ counts up all his people's crosses to pay them home with comforts. but he counts up the world's crosses to double them. Then I think the value of a covenant is still best known under the cross. And the worth of a mercy is best known then, for there is always an overplus betwixt our stock and the world's stock. As our spiritual enjoyments and provision come under our blessed master's care and providing, so do our temporal enjoyments also. Were it but a dinner or supper, it shall be cared for. Count over your overplus under the cross, and bear up your heart, and stand by your duty, and hold on in the way of the Lord. He that hath clean hands and a pure heart shall wax stronger and stronger. He shall have your sacks yet full, for Joseph is the governor. Be your case what it will, your sacks shall be full as long as he is the governor. The last thing I observe from the text is this, that this is a heavenly lesson, that the Spirit of God has taught his people that he would have them be very careful to learn all the steps and degrees of his dispensations and dealings towards them. There were six steps of Joseph's dealings towards his brethren. The first every word was for some time rougher than another. It may be that thou art like to be mastered with thy trouble, and comest to God with Thy cross is in condition, thinking to get some respite there. But instead of that, thou gettest more sharp words than before. The poor woman of Canaan thought to have got the devil cast out of her daughter at the first coming. But instead of that, she got this. It is not meat to cast the children's bread unto the dogs. I pray you, see that you take faith to read your cross. I told you the church took unbelief to read her cross and then she never read a word right. But this poor woman takes faith to read her cross and then she comes and makes progress. There is much love in Christ's heart under his rough words and gloomy countenance, so to speak, with reverence to his holy name. Christ has still a melting heart and bowels of compassion under the sharpest words I know well he has spoken much rough language to Scotland since the cross began, but I know not if he have remembered it well. Joseph goes from words to deeds with his brethren, and his deeds are as rough and sharp as his words were. Every means that they made use of for helping to extricate themselves out of these troubles involved them more and made the day become more gloomy upon their head. Oh, do you believe that the result of new troubles and trials will be filled sacks? I doubt not. But it shall be so, if once it were to come to this, that every one of us were crying out, Guilty! I am guilty! But alas, we are yet at this with our case. Joseph will be both weeping and binding his brethren at once. But think ye of our Lord's tenderhearted disposition, that at the same time will both bind and weep over his brethren. Christ loves his people so well that he cannot want them, and he hates their sin so much that he cannot let it destroy them. Therefore he must be both mourning and binding his brethren at once. Oh, but there is a great deal of spiritual wisdom, light and understanding required in a Christian to observe Christ's weeping and binding, wounding and healing his people. To observe his presence and his absence, his going away and his returning again. My soul follows hard after thee, there is his going away. But thy right hand upholds me, there is his presence observed. The extent and largeness of Joseph's enjoyments that he confers upon his brethren should be remembered. Both the good corn, the sack, and the silver in its mouth. That is the overplus or as the good to the bargain. Oh, but we are at the great loss as to the true comfort of our enjoyments. And God wants much glory from us in the right use of them because we are ill remembrances of the extent and largeness of Christ's heart and the mercies he confers upon us. Lastly, Joseph's great and good ends and designs that He had before Him in all His dealings and proceedings with His brethren to make them all happy and honorable should be remembered. What is Christ doing with His people? When He is binding on one burden upon another and a cross above an enjoyment, yea, one cross above another, what is He doing with them? Why, He is hammering them that they may become polished shafts in His quiver made meat for the inheritance of the saints in light, that they may be made vessels of His mercy prepared by His grace unto glory. And is not this worth your observation and remembrance? Now, sirs, when your cross is bound upon your back by the hands of our tenderhearted Joseph, are your spiritual bonds loosed and your heart enlarged? Are you getting liberty to pray Are you getting liberty to cry and pour out your soul to God? Are you getting liberty to mourn and weep over the wrongs and injuries done to Christ? If it be so with you, it may be a good preparative to the filling of your sacks. Therefore, away with your iniquities and lie much about Joseph's hand, for you cannot live without him. Oh, long to have the sacks full. and labor to get a quantity of good corn in them, and to get provision by the way. And you shall have a brave life of it, and rich shall be your enjoyment. This Reformation audio track is a production of Stillwater's Revival Books. You are welcome to make copies and give them to those in need. SWRB makes thousands of classic Reformation resources available. free and for sale in audio, video and printed formats. It is likely that the sermon or book that you just listened to is also available on cassette or video, or as a printed book or booklet. Our many free resources, as well as our complete mail-order catalog, containing thousands of classic and contemporary Puritan and Reform books, tapes and videos at great discounts, is on the web at www.swrb.com. We can also be reached by email by phone at 780-450-3730 by fax at 780-468-1096 or by mail at 4710-37A Edmonton, that's E-D-M-O-N-T-O-N Alberta, abbreviated capital A, capital B, Canada, T6L3T5. You may also request a free printed catalog. And remember that John Kelvin, in defending the Reformation's regulative principle of worship, or what is sometimes called the scriptural law of worship, commenting on the words of God, which I commanded them not, neither came into my heart. From his commentary on Jeremiah 731, writes, God here cuts off from men every occasion for making evasions, since He condemns by this one phrase, I have not commanded them, whatever the Jews devised. There is then no other argument needed to condemn superstitions than that they are not commanded by God. For when men allow themselves to worship God according to their own fancies, and attend not to His commands, they pervert true religion. And if this principle was adopted by the papists, all those fictitious modes of worship in which they absurdly exercise themselves would fall to the ground. It is indeed a horrible thing for the Papists to seek to discharge their duties towards God by performing their own superstitions. There is an immense number of them, as it is well known, and as it manifestly appears. Were they to admit this principle, that we cannot rightly worship God except by obeying his word, they would be delivered from their deep abyss of error. The prophet's words, then, are very important, when he says that God had commanded no such thing, and that it never came to his mind, as though he had said that men assume too much wisdom when they devise what he never required, nay, what he never knew.