GAther your selves together] To some that were then present he giveth this charge, to call the absent, that they may come together, and heare all at once, what he hath to say unto them at his farewell with the world; and he doubleth this charge, for it is repeated againe vers. 2. they were brethren, and though divers in person, yet in him united as the branches in the stock; and by this joynt injunction for their assembly unto him, he intimateth the union that should be among them, which the Psalmist highly praiseth, in the comparison of it to the precious ointment, wherewith Aaron was anointed, and to the dew of Hermon, Psal. 133. vers. 2, 3. the ointment was most pleasant, as made up of many sweet ingredients, exquisitely tempered and put together by the art of the Apothecarie, Exod. 30. vers. 23, 24, 25. And the mountaine of Hermon (which in the allotment of the Tribes was part of the portion of Issachar) was a very fruitfull mountaine, by the dew of heaven descending upon it, where for that reason the cattell were fed, which were offered in sacrifice to God; Adrichom. Delph. Theatr. pag. 36. col. 2. Such is the delight, and benefit of brotherly union; nor is it more acceptable, or profitable to man, then pleasing unto God, for where that is he is so well pleased with it, that there he concludeth the blessing, Psal. 33. vers. 3. he causeth blessednesse to settle there, as it were solemnly enacting a law that unitie and felicitie shall dwell together; as on the contrary, discord, and distraction breed want, and woe not onely to particular families, but to whole States, and Kingdomes, Mar. 3. 24, 25. that I may tell] Being now to leave the world he leaveth such advertisements with his sonnes, as the remembrance of them may doe them good when he is dead; whose example should be a patterne to other dying men (though they have not the Spirit of Prophecie as Jacob had) to deliver some memorandums at the time of their death to their surviving children, and friends, if they be apprehensive of the approach of it; and have understanding, memory, and speech to enable them; as to recount unto them what remarkable things have hapned in their dayes, what notable judgements or mercies either upon the State in generall, or particular persons God hath shewed in their times, and what have beene conceived to be the motives, and meanes of either; what changes they have observed, and what peculiar acts of providence to make the condition of man either better or worse; what have beene the waies, and methods of Satan to intice unto sinne, and what helps and escapes they have had to get from it; what comfort and lightsomenesse of conscience they have enjoyed in a sincere constant attendance on Gods Ordinances, and in an holy care to make their conversations conformable to them; and what discomfort they have felt by neglect of them, or straying from them; what they thinke of sinne, and of this world compared with holinesse, and the happinesse of the world to come; and for this purpose it would doe well if they made some preparations in the time of health and life, by storing up such observable matter as may be like to worke most effectually upon children, servants, and friends, who shall be witnesses of their last words; for a mans last words are the more heeded by those that heare them, because first, then his heart being more affectionately set upon God, his tongue is the more likely to be guided by God. Secondly, because then what he saith is conceived to be spoken in sinceritie; for whatsoever he doth in the time of life, and health, no man almost dare dissemble at his death. Thirdly, because with the words the person that spake them will be readily remembred, and the state wherein he was at that time he spake; which being the common condition of all men (for all are mortall) may dispose them to make a more serious application of all to themselves. tell you] He telleth them all together, what he hath to say to every one of them in particular, that every one may receive benefit, not onely by his owne proper portion of Jacobs speech, but by his brethrens likewise. It was wisely done of Jacob thus to order his discourse unto them; that being good in it selfe, it might by communication be the more good; and it should be every ones desire (and will be so in such as are sincerely religious) not to confine those advertisements to one alone, or to a few, which they may with hope of more fruit impart unto many. last dayes] (1 Timothy 4:1. 2 Timothy 3:1.) That is, in aftertimes, yet a great while to come: see and compare Acts 2:17. with Joe 2:28. More particularly in the last dayes, that is, your last state in this Land, when God shall bring you out of Egypt; and because he speaketh of the Messias (viz. vers. 10.) as farre off as to his coming in the flesh, which was 1680. yeares after this prophecie, the state, and time of the Gospel may be called the last time, because after that there will be no change of the Church from Christianitie to the worlds end; before the flood, and a good while after, the Church was ordered without a written Law, untill Moses, and then came in the Leviticall Priesthood, and Ceremonies, which lasted untill Christ: Last of all came in the Christian Religion, (that Priesthood, and those Ceremonies being abolished) which without any change of Doctrine, or Sacraments, shall last untill the worlds end. Now in that Jacob, when the eyes of his body were dimme, Chap. 48. vers. 10. had his soule so enlightned as that it could pierce to the apprehension of future events so farre off, and could discerne through so many thousand darke nights as were to come betwixt the prophecie and the event, it is an assured evidence of the assistance of a Divine Spiri; for neither humane policie, nor judiciall Astrologie, (for though a starre was appointed to guide the Wise men to Bethlehem, when he was borne, Matth. 2. 2, &c. all the starres of the firmament could not (if they had beene consulted with) have told any tydings of his coming many hundred yeares after this time when Jacob foretold it) nor Angel, nor Devil, could at Jacobs death (without a revelation from God) have prophecied of the Messiahs birth.