Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/25

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and comfort may you not expect to receive from such a brother!

II. Reflect on your cruel conduct towards your brother; for you have sold him not for twenty pieces of silver, as did the sons of Jacob their brother Joseph, but perhaps for some transient or degrading passion. Like another, and a more guilty Cain, you have murdered this innocent brother Abel of yours, by your sins, and nailed Him to a cross. Yet He has forgiven you, and now invites you to Himself, saying with Joseph, " I am Joseph, your brother; be not afraid; come to me and I will give you all the good things of Egypt, that you may eat the marrow of the land." (Gen. xlv. 4.) And what is this marrow of the land, but His own most precious body and blood, " the corn of the chosen ones, and wine which maketh virgins spring forth." (Zach. ix. 17.)

III. How ought you to meet this divine brother of yours? Imitate Jacob, who went with great presents to meet his angry brother Esau. (Gen. xxxiii. 10.) Let your presents be first " a contrite and humble heart," (Ps, 1. 19), which He will never despise. Secondly, a firm determination of never sinning again "against your brother." (Gen. xlii. 21.) Thirdly, a desire of imitating His virtues, in order that, by rendering your life and conduct like His, He may appear to be what He really is, " the first-born among many brethren." (Rom. viii. 29.)

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER ALL-SAINTS.

Christ your Master.

"The Master is come and calleth for thee." (John xi. 2S.)

I. How ignorant mankind generally are in heavenly things, and in the great affair of salvation! We often "call evil good, and good evil;" we " put darkness for