tions worship Him;" and agreeable to this is Phil. ii. 8-10. . . Joseph was thus exalted as a reward for his being the means of saving the people from famine and death. So Christ is exalted to God's right hand, and all things put under His feet in reward for His effecting the work of redemption. Pharaoh exalted Joseph and made him head over Egypt, and put the people and all the land into his hand, that he himself might have the immediate disposal and ordering of that office of saving the people from famine that he had laid the foundation for. So Christ is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour, to dispose of the affairs of the actual applying and accomplishing that redemption He had effected; all things were committed to Him of the Father, that He might give eternal life to as many as God had given Him. The food of the land by which the people were to be saved from famine was committed to Joseph's hands, that he might be the immediate dispenser of it. So the purchased blessings are committed to Christ. He has received gifts for men. When He ascended on high, He had the purchased blessings given to Him that He Himself might bestow them on those that He purchased them for. Joseph was advanced to be a Saviour to his brethren and kindred; so Christ was exalted to be the Saviour of His brethren. The saints are Christ's near relations. He that hears the word of God and keeps it, the same is His mother, and sister, and brother. Joseph, by his exaltation in Egypt, made way for his brethren's reception there. He there prepared a place for them in Goshen, and made way for their reception there, by taking his brethren and presenting them to the king, and interceding with him for them, (chap. xlvii.) Pharaoh gave them the best of the land by giving it to Joseph for them, chap. xlvii. 6); and Joseph nourished his brethren in Egypt. So Christ, by His exaltation in heaven, made way for their coming there. "He prepared a place for them." Joseph saved his brethren, though they had been enemies; yea, though they had been his mortal enemies, though they would have put him to death, though they "sold" him. He saved them by his banishment, and those very sufferings which their sin, their enmity brought upon him, as it was with Christ, and he saved them from famine. He first humbled them before he made himself known to them; he exercised them with a variety of dispensations, hopes, fears, diappointments, confusions, perplexities, to humble them before he made himself known to them. They bring their money with them to buy corn, whereas that was not their way to obtain it of Joseph; he would not accept of their money. So we must come to Christ for spiritual food, without our own righteousness, "without money and without price." Joseph at first made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly to them; charges them with not coming as friends, but as enemies, and thereby he makes them sensible of their guilt in their former treatment of him. So when the elect are under convictions, and are first stirred up to seek to God for salvation, God is wont, as it were, to frown upon them, to express His anger, as though He looked upon them as enemies; thereby to bring their sins to remembrance, and make them sensible of their guilt in their former treatment of Éim. Joseph insists on it that he should look upon them as enemies till they had delivered up their younger brother that they had kept back; that they were tender of as a child; that they pitied and spared, and looked upon it that it would be too hard for him to be brought out of the family, and rent from the arms of his father and delivered up to another lord. So oftentimes sinners, when they begin to seek salvation, keep back something that is dear and tender to their eyes, and flatter themselves that they are not obliged to deliver up; they think it is too hard and cruel for them so to expose such an enjoyment or possession; but God will surely look upon them as enemies till all is delivered up and nothing kept back. Joseph put them all together in ward three days. So God for a while holds sinners prisoners under conviction; they are shut up as condemned creatures; exposed to the execution of God's wrath. Joseph pities them, and weeps with compassion for them at the same time that he treats them thus roughly. So God oftentimes pities sinners under conviction at the same time that He seems terribly to frown on them. While they were backward to deliver up Benjamin, Joseph took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes. So while persons keep back some dear lust, God takes away some of their enjoyments from them. Before Joseph made known himself unto them, they did not undersand his language; for he spoke to them by an interpreter. So sinners before their conversion don't understand God's language, and they therefore need the help and advice of ministers under their convictions, as interpreters for them. For a while they seem to have obtained their ends, and get food for their money; but this food lasts them but a little while before it is spent. So the false comfort that sinners obtain under conviction by their own righteousness lasts them but a little while before it is all spent. For a while they hoped their money was accepted; but they soon find it rejected, to their great disappointment and confusion. They come back to their father in the land of Canaan, who in this case represents the first Adam, or the nature which men have from him by their parents; the father whose tenderest and dearest child Benjamin was kept back; they consult with their father under this difficulty, as men under convictions in their difficulties are wont to consult nature. Their father blames them for yielding to the lord of the land so far as they had done, and greatly objects to deliver up Benjamin. He cries out, "All these things are against me,' as persons under convictions often do in a kind of discouragement; but, however, he at length is forced to do it by sore famine. So men are, as it were, forced to deliver up their dearest lusts, that it grieves them to part with, by sore famine, by a sense of the extreme necessity of their case. He is brought to it by the persuasions of Reuben and Judah. Reuben here represents the family of reason, which is the eldest child of man's nature. Jacob, in his blessing, calls Reuben excellency of dignity" and the " excellency of power." The standard of the camp of Reuben bore the image of a man. Reuben never consented to the selling of Joseph. Man's reason never consents to his sin. Judah, the progenitor of Christ, the Word of God, the other brother that persuaded Jacob to deliver up Benjamin, signifies the Word of God: or Judah represents the ministers of the word, who preach the word of Christ; and therefore he rehearses the words of Joseph, and particularly declares his threatenings and solemn declarations, to persuade Jacob to deliver up Benjamin. Jacob, after disputing with Judah, delivers up Benjamin, the right-hand son; as the name signifies. So nature, after it has long held back, and after much disputing with the word of God, and objecting against it, by the word being earnestly sent home, at last yields to cut off and deliver up the beloved lust, and right-hand sin. Jacob, being at length forced by the extreme necessity of the case, delivers up that one son that he was most fond of, (if it must be so now, says he;) he is brought, as it were, to yield up the case as to natural enjoyments. But now, although the former price that Jacob sent to Joseph for corn was rejected, yet he, having delivered up Benjamin, is still for purchasing corn with his own price, and therefore sends the best fruits that his land afforded, and double money. So sinners under conviction, after they have been seeking salvation by their own righteousness, and have trusted in it for a while, have had comfort in it, and then are disappointed, and find to their surprise that God rejects the price they have offered before their thorough reformation; yet, after they have more thoroughly reformed and proceeded futher in their religion, they make a new attempt, though the price they offered before failed; yet they hope by doubling their price, and offering the best fruits of nature's land, and by delivering up Benjamin to prevail. Now, again, Joseph's brethren have new perplexties and discouragements; they are ready to look on their case as desperate; they thought they were taken prisoners, (Gen. xliii. 18.) So it often is with sinners under convictions. After this distress they had a great deal of comfort and peace in hope of the acceptance of their present. The steward, who here represents conscience, says to them, "Peace be to you; fear not." They seem to be well accepted, and very kindly treated, in Joseph's house, and they enjoyed a feast. But this peace and joy of their's soon vanishes again and comes all to nothing, and, to their great confusion, their double money is found rejected. For now Joseph, that they thought had accepted them and treated them so kindly for their present, appears more angry than ever with them, and sends a dreadful messenger after them, and lays a heavy charge upon them; fastens the imputation of being enemies more upon them, lays their vile treatment of him upon them as deserving death: yea, and by opening their sacks to their view makes the justice of the charge to appear, after they themselves had acknowledged that, if they were guilty as they were charged, death was a just punishment, (chap. xliv. 9.) So sinners under conviction oftentimes, after going far in religion, and after many perplexities and troubles, have at last great peace and joy in their own righteousness, vainly thinking that God accepts them, and loves them for their presents that they offer; and they have a feast of false joy: but all soon anishes, and God appears more angry than ever with them, and a messenger of death is, as it were, sent to seize them, even conscience. He that before said to them, "Peace be to you, fear not," and that invited them into Joseph's house, and there made a feast for them, now charges them with enmity and treason, and condemns to death; and their hearts. are laid open by conscience to let them see what is there, even as the steward opened the men's sacks to show them the stolen cup and money; and they were made to own that the crime deserves death. Upon this Joseph's brehren are seized and carried before Joseph, the lord they had sinned against; and there their lord sets the heinousness of their crime before them, and they are brought down to his feet, to lie on the ground before him. Their mouths are stopped, and they confess their iniquity, and are brought to resign themselves into Joseph's hands, to yield that he should be their sovereign and they his servants, but yet to plead for mercy, and then they were prepared for comfort; then Joseph reveals himself to them as their brother; then they are received indeed as friends and brethren, with great and lasting comfort. Then Joseph reveals to them the whole mystery of their salvation from famine by their selling him, and his humiliation and exaltation in Egypt. And Joseph gives them an inheritance in Goshen, and then they see that it was their brother and understood his voice (chap. xlv. 12.) And hereupon they are accepted of Pharaoh, whose deputy Joseph was in the kingdom; and he, even Pharaoh, the original king of Egypt, gives them inheritance in the land, and Joseph bids them not regard their stuff, their former possessions, for all the land of Egypt (in this case a type of heaven) was before them; and now they are all clothed with changes of raiment, and they had sufficient provision given them to support them by the way, till they came to Egypt, to Goshen, their inheritance, and he charges them not to fall out by the way. When the king exalted Joseph, he gave him a new name. So Christ, in the Revelation, speaks of His new name;" by which is meant that new honour and glory which he received at his exaltation. Joseph's new name, Zaphnath-paaneah, signifies " Revealer of secrets." Christ was the great revealer of secrets (John i. 18) who came out of the bosom of the Father, and was the great Prophet of God to bring to light mysteries that had been kept secret since the world began. Some translate Joseph's new name "The saviour of the world." Joseph was in some respects exalted over the whole world; the whole earth was brought into a dependence on him for life. For it is said (verses 56, 57), all came bending to him, as Joseph's brethren did. So Joseph was in a sense the saviour of the world, and to him every knee bowed, not only in Egypt, but throughout the whole earth. Men were saved by Joseph's word, as we are saved by the word of Christ. It was his predictions, his warnings, his counsels that saved Egypt and saved the world. TRUTH IN NORFOLK AND SUFFOLK. ABOUT two years and a-half ago, a goodly ten shilling octavo volume was published entitled, "History of Congationalism, and Memorials of the Churches in Norfolk and Suffolk." The book was written by Mr. Brown, Congregational minister at Wrentham, as the result of a premium offered for the production of a History of Congregationalism in Norfolk and Suffolk, and contains a good deal that is interesting to those who take pleasure in reading dissenting church history, or records of individual suffering for conscience' sake. The number of those who, in days gone by, have "prophesied in sackcloth and ashes" in this country as witnesses for Christ, and as sufferers for conscience sake, is large indeed, and the two counties comprising the scope of Mr. Brown's book have, as evidenced by his narration, furnished their full proportion of that number. As the work itself has probably been seen by but few of the readers of this magazine, all of whom are to be supposed as taking an interest in such recitals, it is proposed to present in these pages an abstract of that portion of its contents which relates to personal witnessing for the truth under various forms of persecution. This part of the work commences at a much earlier date than that of the history of Congregationalism, but runs on, as we shall see, all through the account, down very nearly to the close of the volume. For, although punishment according to law, for conscience' sake, can hardly be said to obtain in this country at the present time, it is not so very long ago that it did. Thanks be to God for the civil and religious freedom we now enjoy; and all honour to the long and illustrious line of heroes of the faith, into the fruit of whose labours we have entered, and the happy result of whose firmness and constancy in suffering we are privileged to realize. The struggle was dreadfully long and very severe, frequently terribly so; but at last victory is on the side of truth and conscience, and every man is at liberty to think for himself on things pertaining to religion, and to worship his Maker in the manner his own convictions most approve. For convenience sake these Norfolk and Suffolk worthies may be spoken of under three classes:-1. Those who suffered death; 2, those who were imprisoned, or spoiled of their goods or substance; and 3, those who endured persecution in other forms, in the cause of truth. First-those who, like Antipas of old, were slain as faithful martyrs for Christ. The number of these connected with the two counties is not inconsiderable. The names of the more prominent ones have been preserved, especially such as had the honour of dying at the stake for their Lord; but of others no record remains but in that book in which God keeps special account of the death of His saints. The first name on the man-recorded list is that of William Sawtree, "parish priest of Linne," that is Lynn, in Norfolk. He is said by some to have been the first who suffered in England as a martyr, by the cruel death of burning at the stake; others who had previously been slain for the truth's sake, in this country, having been sent to their heavenly home by other and milder forms of murder. Certain fragments of history are referred to, however, by others, from which it would appear that in the year 1210 a witness for Christ was put to death by fire in this England of ours. Sawtree's death, says Mr. Brown, occurred in the year 1400; according to others, it was in 1401. When first examined before the Romish Bishop on various charges of heresy, so called, he was prevailed upon to abjure his opinions that is, to deny his Master before His bitter enemies, from fear of death. But the Lord, who turned a look of reproach and love on Peter, looked also upon poor Sawtree, and he repented of his sin, probably with bitter tears, abjured his abjuration, and died in the flames in London, whither he had removed, and became Rector of the parish of St. Osyth. In 1428 William White, a priest, a scholar, and a disciple of Wycliffe, whose many virtues and continual labours, we are told, had won him the esteem of all good men in Norfolk, was burnt at Norwich. Also, some who had received instruction from him in the things of God, were put to death by fire in like manner. Others "sustained great vexation for their Christian faith," and were cruelly handled, and some were forced to abjure their faith and do penance. About 120 in all, between 1427 and 1432, were "vexed and cast into prison, who lived mostly in Beccles, Evsham, and Ludney (Loddon), for their espousal of the doctrines which William White preached. These were, in brief, that forgiveness of sins is to be sought only from God; that image worship is idolatry, likewise the worship of holy men who are dead; and that the Romish Church is the barren figtree that the Lord Jesus Christ hath accursed, seeing it hath brought forth no fruit of the true belief. He had renounced his priesthood, married, and become a Lollard evangelist, prior to his apprehension. On being examined at Canterbury he "lost courage and strength," and was induced to abjure his gospel principles; but afterwards repented of this his error and offence, and exerted himself more zealously than ever in writing and preaching. For this he was again apprehended and condemned by the Bishop of Norwich to be burnt, and this time was faithful unto death, and at the stake essayed to exhort the people to steadfastness in the doctrine he had taught them, but was prevented by the bishop's servant. They stopped his living voice, but his death spoke far more loudly to the people than words could do. About one hundred years later we find another martyr testifying for Christ in these parts. This time it is Ipswich that has the honour of having a faithful witness associated with her name. In the reign of Henry VIII. Thomas Bilney, the martyr now referred to, was "twice plucked from the pulpit" by monks and friars at Ipswich, for preaching contrary to the Romish doctrine. He had been a student at Cambridge, and was the first convert from Romanism there, and is described as being "small of stature, and delicate in constitution." He had long been striving to obtain salvation by a strict observance of the rites and ceremonies of the apostate church, when, in the providence of God, a Greek New Testament came into his hands. The Holy Spirit was pleased to bless the reading of the precious volume to enlighten his mind, and give peace to his conscience. By the sweet application of the words, "This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners," he was shown the way of salvation, and grace given him to walk therein with joy, and peace, in believing. Immediately on finding the only way of salvation, he communicated the all-important discovery to his friends around him, and soon became surrounded by a little company of converts from amongst the students and fellows at Cambridge. Amongst others, he was the means in the hands of God of the conversion of the renowned Latimer. To preach Christ according to the Scriptures at that time of day, was to endanger property, life, all that men hold dear |