But when he heard more particularly all the circumstances, and the message which Joseph had sent; and saw the wagons that were to carry him and all his family to Egypt, his feelings changed. Joy took the place of doubt and despondency, and the venerable patriarch exclaimed, It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die.

How the strength of a father's love shows itself in these few, yet affecting words. He thought not of the power and rank of Joseph, of his great wealth, and the splendor in which he lived. He thought merely of the simple fact, that he was yet in life; and that he should again meet the child of his beloved Rachel, and the solace of his declining age.

As soon as a few necessary preparations were made, Jacob, and the large family of whom he was the head, commenced their journey to Egypt.

On their way they came to Beer-sheba, a place quite in the south-western part of Canaan, and about twenty miles from Hebron.

It was here that Abraham, the grandfather of Jacob, had formerly tarried a short time, and planted a grove, in the shade of which he might engage in worship. And it was here that he had offered up his prayers to the ever-living God.

It was here that the Lord appeared unto Isaac, and said, "I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and will multiply thy seed, (or give thee very numerous descendants,) for my servant Abraham's sake."

After this, and to commemorate the event, Isaac built an altar there, and offered up his sacrifices and prayers to God.

And it was while residing here, that Jacob, by the direction of his mother Rebekah, and in a deceptive and very wicked way, obtained the blessing which Isaac had intended to bestow upon Esau.

It was from Beer-sheba also that Jacob, at the command of his father, went on his long journey to Padan-aram, where he married Rachel, and where Joseph was born.

The recollection of all these circumstances must have deeply affected the mind of the venerable patriarch, as he arrived at this interesting spot.

No doubt he looked back with shame and contrition at the wicked deception which he had practised upon his father, and with devout gratitude to God for all his unmerited goodness.

Since he left Beer-sheba, in how many various forms this goodness had visited him; and now, to crown it all, Joseph is still alive, and he is on his way to meet him.

In what more suitable place could Jacob acknow. ledge the great kindness of God toward him, and pour out his soul before him, in praise and thanksgiving!

He did this; for we are told that he offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac; unto that God who had promised to bless Isaac, and to give him a very numerous offspring, as was already beginning to be the case in the family of which Jacob was the head.

This promise God was now about to renew to Jacob. For "he spoke to him in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob."

And he said, Here am I. And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will make of thee a great nation: I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes;" that is, he shall close thine eyes, as thou art about to die.

This promise of God was afterward abundantly fulfilled. The descendants of Jacob became indeed a great nation, which returned to Canaan; and in this sense Jacob himself may be said to have been brought back again.

And Joseph, too, was permitted to close the eyes of his dying parent; a mark of affection and respect

which Jacob must have anticipated with a tender and melancholy pleasure.

From Beer-sheba they proceeded on their way to Egypt; "and the sons of Jacob carried their father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed (or descendants) with him," the number of which was sixty-six.

CHAPTER XXVI.

Joseph meets his father in Goshen. He presents five of his brethren to Pharaoh, who grants them leave to dwell in Goshen.-Joseph presents his father to Pharaoh.-What Jacob says.-Life short.-What is death?—Is the reader prepared to die?

JOSEPH had sent word to his father that, when he and his family came down to Egypt, they should dwell in that part of it which was called Goshen. It was on the eastern side of Egypt, extending toward the Red Sea and the borders of Canaan.

Judah was sent by Jacob to inform Joseph of his father's approach.

"And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet his father to Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while."

What must have been the feelings of each, at this moment, to meet once more, after so long a separation! Through how many trials they had passed! What changes had taken place in each! Time had whitened the locks of the father, and age and sor