Morning Star

"SEE THAT YE FALL NOT OUT BY THE WAY."

Joseph having shown himself fully reconciled to his brethren, dismisses them with this needful caution, "See that ye fall not out by the way." He knew they were but too apt to be quarrelsome; one might say, "It was you that first upbraided him with his dreams;" another, "It was you that said, Let us kill him;" another, "It was you that stripped him of his coat;" another, "It was you that threw him into the pit;" another, "It was you that sold him to the Ishmaelites," &c. Thus their journey to their Father's house would be very uncomfortable, if this spirit of quarrelling and upbraiding once got possession of them.

Fellow christians! what a lesson is here for us! what says our Lord Jesus to us? Love one another, live in peace; whatever occurs, "Let us not fall out by the way." Are we not all brethren? Have we not all one Father? Are we not all subjects of free and sovereign grace? Are we not agreed in essential points? Are we not all sinners by nature and practice? Have we not all one object of faith? Are we not all travelling the same road? O then, why should we fall out by the way? Let not the strong despise the weak, nor the weak judge the strong. Suppose our way should part a little as to externals, yet all setting out from the same spiritual Egypt, all under the same leader, why may not we all hope to meet at last in the true Canaan? Have we not open and secret enemies enough, but we must quarrel one with another? Satan, false professors, and the ungodly world, are unanimous in their opposition to us; let us be united that they prevail not against us. Phil. ii. 1,—BOGARTY.