January 4

“Joseph Imew his brethren, but they Jcneio not him.” — Gen. xlii. 8.

IIIS morning our desires went forth for growth in oui ll acquaintance with the Lord Jesus; it may be well to night to consider a kindred topic, namely, our heavenli) Joseph’s knowledge of us. This was most blessedly jierfect long before we had the slightest knowledge of Him. “His eyes beheld our substance, yet being imperfect, and in His book all our members were written, when as yet there was none of them.” Before we had a being in the world we had a being in His heart. When we were enemies to Him, He knew us, our misery, our madness, and our wickedness. When we wept bitterly in despairing repentance, and viewed him only as a pudge and a ruler. He viewed us as His brethren well beloved, and His bowels yearned towards us. He never mistook His chosen, but always beheld them as objects of His infinite aifection. “The Lord knoweth them that are His,” is as true of the prodigals who are feeding swine as of the children who sit at the table.

But, alas! we knew not our royal Brother., and out of thi.’ Ignorance grew a host of sins. We withheld our hearts fron Him, and allowed Him no entrance to our love. We mis trusted Him, and gave no credit to His words. We rebelleci against Him, and paid Him no loving homage. The Sun of Righteousness shone forth, and we could not see Him. Heaven came down to earth, and earth perceived it not. Le God be praised, those days are over with us; yet even noT it is but little that we know of Jesus compared with what H knows of us. We have but begun to study Him, but H t knoweth us altogether. It is a blessed circumstance that the ignorance is not on lis side, for then it would be a hopele 13 case for us. He will not say to us, “I never knew you,” it He will coniess our names in the day of His appearing, a h meanwhile will manifest Himself to us as He doth not u, the world.