Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/68

 Following the Greek translation of the septugent reads, adored the top of his rod, where, note, that the same word in Hebrew according to the different pointing of it, signifies both a bed and a rod, and to verity both these sentences we must understand that Jacob leaning on Joseph's rod adored, turning towards the head of his bed, which adoration, inasmuch as it was referred to God was an absolute and sovereign worship, but inasmuch as it was referred to the rod of Joseph (as a figure of the sceptre, that is, of the royal dignity of Christ) was only an inferior and relative honor. After Jacob had blessed the two sons of Joseph, he blessed his son and called Reuben his first born. See Gen 49 c. 3 v. He calls him his strength, as being born while his father was in full strength and vigor; he calls him the beginning of his sorrow, because cares and sorrow usually come on with the birth of children excelling in gifts, &c.; because the first born had a title to a double portion, and to have the command over his brethren, which Reuben forfeited by his sin being poured out as water, that is, spilt and lost; this was not meant by way of a curse or imprecation, but by way of prophecy, foretelling that the tribe of Reuben should not inherit the pre-eminence usually annexed to the first birth-right, viz: the double portion, the prince or lord over the other brethren, and the priesthood, of which the double portion was given to Joseph, the princely office to Juda, and the priesthood to Levi. The blessing of Juda foretelleth the strength of his tribe, the fertility of his inheritance, and principally that the sceptre and legislative power should not be utterly taken away from his race until about the time of the coming of Christ, as in effect it never was, which is a demonstration against the modern Jews, that the Messiah is long since come for the sceptre, has long been utterly taken away from Juda. Dan shall Judge; see Gen. 49, 16 This was verified in Samson who was of the tribe of Dan, and began to deliver Israel Judg 13 c. 5 v. But as this deliverance was but temporal and very imperfect, the holy patriarch aspires after another kind of a deliver, saying I have waited for thy salvation O Lord, Gad being girded a troop shall overcome; and it seems to allude to the tribe of Gad, when, after they had received for their lot the land of Gilead, they marched in arms before the Israelites,