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ed when talking with Nicodemus-"And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven."† In his united natures he stands at the top of the ladder, the Mediator to receive benefits and convey them to men. Exalted high at God's right hand, above all principality and power, far from the ken of human sight; yet his influence is continually experienced by those, who believing in him, are the objects of his love and favour. As without this ladder even angels would have been deprived of the means of conveying blessings to men; so without the union of the divine and human nature in the person of the surety, men could never have been reconciled to God; nor could those who are appointed to minister to the heirs of salvation, have been employed in works of mercy towards them; but by this union, and the fruits of it, God watches over his people with parental love and affection. By it there is access to him from this world, and by it blessings flow from above to us.

The voice of God could have descended to Jacob without this means of communication between heaven and earth; but there would have been no road of access from the latter to the former. Without Christ we might have *John iii. 13.

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heard the voice of God, but it would only have revealed our distance from him, and the impossibility of our approach to him, or reception of blessings from him. At the sound of it, we should have been afraid, and hid ourselves. In Christ we are reconciled and brought near; the intercourse between heaven and earth is continual and uninterrupted.

Jacob's banishment is the consequence of his transgression, not God's command; hence his stay in Syria differed from that of Abraham in Canaan. The latter had the land of promise continually before him. He lived in it, partook of its goodly produce, and had the assurance of it as his heritage. Jacob was going to a strange land, not his home even in remote expectation. He could not anticipate any enjoyment there; any possession, or even hope of inheritWhatever might be his attachments there, he must one day leave them to go to his father's house, which must still be the place where his desires tended, and where alone he was promised rest and peace.

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In these particulars Jacob exhibits a beautiful type of the church. Though delivered from the curse, she is subject to the chastisement of her sins. Transgression and disobedience deprive her of her comfort and privileges; yet she is not forsaken or neglected. The arm of

her Redeemer is ever mighty to protect her; though in her state of humiliation she is under the all-seeing eye of Jehovah, and the Father of mercies is ever watchful to lead her and defend her during all her sojourn in the country that is not her promised land. Her desires are after the Canaan of her inheritance, and if in the place of her pilgrimage God gives her temporal prosperity, and wealth, and blessing, these are accompanied with many and painful warnings, that this is not her rest, and that she must return to her father's house, before she can enjoy tranquillity. Amidst all her sufferings, the promise is her refuge and support; "I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into thy land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

It would be inconsistent with the plan of this work to enter into the fulfilment of this promise, which is prophetical, not typical, farther than to notice, that when he returned from his banishment of twenty years continuance, God met him again, and probably at this same place. The circumstances of that audience are not so detailed as to connect them with the consideration of this subject, but only to assure us, that in the closing, as well as in the early scenes of

His presence

our travel, God will be with us. cheered Jacob at the hour when his destruction seemed inevitable; but the fury of his enemy was restrained by the almighty power of him whose covenant standeth sure; and he who came out in wrath to destroy, was converted into a friend to assist, by him whose mercy endureth for ever.

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CHAPTER X.

Of the Types connected with the Ministry of Moses, previous to the Emancipation from Egypt.

ISRAEL and his family had gone down into Egypt more than two hundred years before the public appearance of Moses as the minister of God, and the leader of his people. During this interval, the descendants of Jacob had become a numerous and powerful nation; but had been reduced by measures as arbitrary and cruel as they were unjust and impolitic, to a state of severe bondage, in which they were considered by their tyrants with those feelings of hatred and terror which ever agitate the oppressor, against those groaning under his oppression.

It seems certain that during this period the true worship of God had been grossly corrupted, or entirely neglected; and that the idolatries of the Egyptians, if not universally adopted, were very generally received and practised by them. Hence arose their attach

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