Cijrap iaepctsttorp. SUN DAT READING. THE STORY JOSEPH & III* OF 'TS ¥3 TP" 5 JO it ID, M 'ft *J uL ■ ut. -ii 14/ ^ 1 © //z Four Part?, ■MaMaMMMBIMMl S ° LD BY HOWARD and EVANS ' Grt «All o* " ,v ."°' uun 05 il; i«'teis fn Town & Country. PAk-E THREE-PENCE. THE STORY OF Joseph and his Brethren. THE first part of Joseph's story, though both fatm and entertaining to all, is particularly so to children. I porpose to tell the story nearly in the words of the Old Tes- tament, but to make now and then afew remarks upon it Jctseph was the son of good old Jacob. "Now Jaw! says the Scripture,,* 4 loved Joseph more than all his chilk because he was the son of his old age- and he made hijj poat of many colours. And when, hfs brethren saw trt father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated-hifl, and could not speak peaceably unto him." _ r . But was not this hatred of Joseph's Brethrei against Jose? ; very wicked ? It is true Jacob might be faulty injMJ much partiality to one son above another, 7 ct , !i w ?J excuse for the hatred which was felt by Joseph s W ^ Methinks this hatred, though as yet it is only cooos ■ their breasts, will, by-and-by break out into some \erj aet or other. But let us go on with the story. ^ ^ £ f And Joseph dreamed a dream, and htio Brethren : and they hated him yet the more ' t p This is doing worse and worse, and it s ^ I •hatred once begins, we know not where y 0l!r | " And Joseph said unto them, Her, M dream which [ have dreamed : for behold ^prfl sheaves in the field, and my sheaf arose and ai ■ and behold your sheaves stood round about . ance (or bowed down} to my sheaf. Th Story of Joseph and his Brethren. 3 1 to h seems to me to have told, this dream thus publicly, U the openness of heart and simplicity ; it was a dream Lver which God sent, and God caused afterwards the Lignifiedby it to be fulfilled, as in due time we shall see. And his Brethren said to him, shalt thou indeed reign pmhnb they hated him yet the more for his dream, and L for nis words . — A ltd Joseph dreamed yet another dream, jtJ told it to his Brethren, and said, " Behold I have dreamed item more, and behold the Sun, and the Moon, and the Eleven Stars made obedience to mc." And he told it to his ■father and to his Brethren ; and his father rehuked him, and nid to him, " What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? pi) and thy mother, and thy Brethren, indeed come tp jMswri ourselves to thee to the earth.*' Poor honest, simple old man, he little ! and ^ingme word iCl i n . thlm ' aml I° se P h Cdme to Shechem ; but Nhe 7 and thcir flocks vvere S° ne forward be- K n!lV Vei ? 1° Dmhan ' So J° sc I )h went a{ ^r his Koff tl ■ i in Dotha »- And when they saw K'com e 7 , ° ne t0 anothe »'» Behold, this Dreamer P'^somenT i ref ° re ' and us sky him, and cast N hi m ' :1a wc wiI1 sa y somc ev;i1 1)east hath K," ' wc will see what will become of his li 1 a drcadf 1 O^ldaJ '^f ? 1 ! what ! kil1 their own bi other ! C ■ t0 tell a li, , ' 1 (]o#not bonder at their affre e- K ,but ^osi^ ln01 ' dci ' tohidct]lcl1 - crime-thus not C " 3,1 *ese eU e, ' C n be com ™«ed. But is it pos- fcfeth? F C C C Cn BfCthren sh °«M join in putting E^^a'rTS bad ™ n > some are apt to be * Pf ' 0Se Ph' s IW Y tlTeref ore, we may hope, that one larder. Krelh ^n *[\\ bc stopping short of the A2 , The Story of Joseph and his Brethren. It proved as I think 'might very naturally be expect that one of Joseph's Brethren, named Reuben, though seems before ro have joined in envying Joseph was afraid joining in this most horrid crime. When, therefore, " Reuben heard it,, he delivered fcjij of their hands ; and said, shed no bldod, but cast hunintw this pit that is in the wildri n< ss,'and kv no hands ortliim; tins he said, that 'le might rid .him out of their hands, and deliver him to his father's house. And it came to pass that when Joseph (who was at a distance while this conveisatioi passed) was come unto nis Brethren, they stripped Joseph of Ins coat, it being his coat of many colors." What satisfaction would they feel while they were tins stripping him! This was the coat which Joseph's father Id given him, because he was a favorite, and which reminded Joseph's Brethren of his advantage over them. 1 h-ey now thought themselves revenged upon him, and revenge, #|| would say, is sweet. Many a joke, many a bitter and severe expression was uttered, no doubt, while they were stnf| him : they^had got him into their power, and they wer|| solved to shew that they were greater than be, mstea o being grea' or than they, as he pretended. , , *Now this sort of spirit in them was a most m ^ u ^ ^ it was coupled with envy, and malice, and ha tred^a . not far from carrying them on to an act ,° ^y^gtto here let me warn all my young readers against in ^ ^ same- evil temper. Thus, tor instance, lf ^ GU j soe aryoH your teacher praise vonr school -fellow who stai while he says nit a word of -praise to you, oo n ° J^joifl your school- fellow on this account ; or it V°" ^ parent give a reward to your brother or sis e » ^ ^allfj good behaviour, do not be eager to think t'^^^ deserve a reward, and then hate or cn y y v"" 1 aCt m^ for being more floored than yocrsclf, toi h Sq ^ pm ^ame spirit with the Brethren of josepn. re>an ,lc» d ther child should be drest as hue again a* y lourS ye as fine as Joseph himself, in his caat^f u ' Qt }&\ any not do as' Joseph's Brethren did. U °\^S^M towards .your bother, your sbrcr, oi- offo fh^ re«bni 'Do not long to strip the ^ o q (WM Joseph's Brethren stripped the fine co . TkSforfofJo^ph anil hit Brethren 5 wor to look upon his fine dress contentedly, and with-, Uvv, and without any desire to take it from him and to ! ! iron your o,wn backs. Tins is one of the lessons thatyou Lttota from the present story, which was not wiittfed indie Bible in order to entertain you only, and in ord :r to foch vou hp\y to read, but in order to instruct you in vour kajso. This passion of hatred an! envy, if indurged when parewung, may lead to dreadful consequences when you \mo\i We shall presently- shew vci very plainly how in |5iecase of Joseph's Brethren it led on to lying, and cruelty, [ jod almost even to murder. |-;For "after chey ha 1 stripped Joseph of his coat, rhev took j bimand casthim inco a pit, and the pit was empty, and there- [.woo water in ir. And they sat down to eat Bread." I How very hardened must these Brethren of Joseph have* i W They went to their dinner after they had thrown" [=Fpa into the pit just as if nothing had happened. Men wno thus give way to their evil pa&ions, are apt to be very jjpand hard-hearted also. ! "And behold a company of Ishmaehtes ca.nefrom Gilead ' E tneir camels, hearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, ■Rto carry it down to Egypt. |m wanevvthouglucomcs across oneof Joseph's Brethren, named Judah, and who, though more blameabte « J ^ye^ccms rather less so than some of the ot he rs; l%o.ji b i aul untohls Brethren, what profit is it if we P 5m t0the Ot T 1 k' anJ COnCeal h ' S bloCxL Con: ° and lct us scii Pfeisl i! , e,lles » rind let not our J ^nd be upon him. ■p 1,0 vou no- v 15 your broiher vour flesh, i ckt « his fath , V /Cr m ako g cthei ' ? you should send him &^ldpcvc-? n ° U ?' asReuben wished to do ; indeed l! la ? !ill takinoK:/'" VC ' t ; lrown him into the pit, nor haVe ■tK youI??! man >* CoIour5 fromhim; Nay, T Will feMS 1 ^ even have hated him and envied . m*k v I^ emdlll Se dt ^wick e j ha-ed andenvy ^oiis • j U1 hearts, p^n k — ..w ? _,vi - ■> *-%to,Jr m> ?°, u h -ve all of yon been led ony dlre n^ ^ 1 '^ 11 you hardly linowhr — ■to 1 his f athcr of J ph back r ° his f?rhcr lcsthc flours, ail d J° uv having torn from him his coat ot your having also ill^rejtcd bim bv The Story of Ttseph and his Brethren, throwing him into a pit. Having ill-treated him tl mfj found out. Joseph, therefore, now must, at anVmeT^ rid of,aiy] not be suffered to get home. To kill him \Z are tempted Jo ill-treat him still further, lest you should b is too had, and yet if the only Choice left you was either to kill him or to sendhim home, methinkstherearcsomeanioor you who would not scruple to kill him outright; for von hj already agreed to leave him in the pit, where he would soon have perished with hunger : so that what you had resolved lo do was little short of murder, though you may not have S sen to consider it as such. It was owing to the good providence of God, ant! not to any good design in his brothers, that Joseph escaped being ro death. It pleased God, who orders all human events,,, bring it to pass, that the merchants of Midian should draw near just at the time when Joseph's Brethren were in doubt what to do with him. This is what some may consider! chance, and a most lucky chance they might call it. Such kind of chances now and then happen to us all, but intact they are providences. There is many narrow escapes forour lives experienced by us, which is entirely owing to Gods goodness, though at the time we do not so consider it. How many have tumbled down when thev have benichiidKn.au would have been killed if some arm had not been stretc«| out to save them ! How many have fallen sick and** have died, if at the critical moment some particular ^ j had not been given them ! and how many have ' )ee " j away, and would have been drowndedin the sea. 1 y*j| God who sent the Midianites to the relief osC P h £j| sent some strange and unexpected ship or boat to - 1 where they were floating. It may here be rcmar ^ | that many matters of importance turn on the L'jj | Jf these Midianites had not gone by on the very j» j very hour of the day on which they did, J 0SC P after the manner of men) would prpbably have^^ and not one of those great events in his lire, vv ^ ^ ^ to be spoken of, could have happened, ur. i ^0 f j things, which I wish my readers to learn iiom Joseph, is the doctrine of a particular provide -^i Judah having proposed to sell his brothel ro ^ ^ bcCfl | instead of killing him or leaving hifB m ^ e p 5 IT* The St^irf^ se P k and his Brethreil ' 7 w ;ckdly iutenJed,-his Brethren were content Then they E d lifted up Joseph out ot the pit, and sold Joseph to W hmaelites for twenty pieces of silvef,and the Ishmaelitcs lit Joseph into Egypt." Now Egypt was a far coun- U when Joseph was earned, his Brethren con- cftdthat they should hear no more of him. "And Reuhen returned into the pit, and behold Joseph was not in the pit, and he rent his clothes, and lie went'to his Brethren, and said, the child is not to be found, ana I, whether MI go." Reuben had himself proposed the measure of putting Joseph mk pit, as a contrivance by which he meant' to save his pforhcsecretly intended to go afterwards to the pit, and to deliver him, but he was too late in executing his purpose. I "And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the ;y»t$, and dipped the coat in the blood-; and they brought ttif coat of many colours to their father, ami said, this have wfennd, knovtnow whether it be thy son's coat or no." [Pata bare-Faced lie! but thus does one sin lead on to per, Itises?/ to see from this story of Joseph's Bre- that when people resolve upon committing one sin, pare immediately tempted to commit another- sin : and » jo commit the sin of lying in order to hide what Cf'i g : the y al 'calso plunged from this time Efa ^•t™"* and difficulties, and" »t3s by adding | something wrong, and then find yourself tempted to ^^r?"^ t]kk to conceal iff Jo. J-c Pl Vs coat in P*eve v^r r° ld J aC0b ' " this have ** found.- \ Wsom ll\ What w " icked cbi|d,e & someone* l^ichievtell L?. COncea1 ' the X invent a line artful ^^Xl eir ^ 8and m " fc ~* <>r to their V°* Brethren t? ^ believcit > and thus, perhaps, >hiswi c ], fc ;< F ? ralr .ead y God knows it. Go ey hid j?« "US Sicken « »«i Knows it. God saw ! Wllich 'lievhidT f 'f" d , God now hears tf«BI reii tKs lit'^Va.,, K, ! waits - l!lde ^> 'o see it thev T ( * ^»nd hJi y ; P t erhapS ' theirsin shi » ^ knowu ' W not go unpunished. Cod it* frcm S The Story 6f Joseph and his Brethn the very first the secret envy rise up f rr . m jL Brethren of Joseph. God heard them when thev Joseph, saying, « behold this dreamer cdmeA,^ they privately talked together of killing him Gn-h i throw him into the pit? and cruelly 4v^£l saw them also when they were selling him to the Mil He had Ins eyes upon them while they were bargaining pit s side, and while thev were counting over the t went? P L of silver, which they afterwards put in their pockets k God s presence were also in the midst of them; while $ ■were killing the kid, and dipping Joseph's coat'inleJ of it, and while they were saying to themselves, "surely ini no one wHl ever know the thing we have been doing."' Ik story, which thesefoolish men thought would never betel by any body, is now published in the book of scripture]! you and I, and all the world may be acquainted with it, d that we may draw the right instruction from it. When poor old Jacob saw the coat, he immediately hew 5t, and said, " It is my son's coat, an evil beast haih de- voured htm : Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces, And Jacob rent his clothes and put sackcloth uponliis pj mourntfd for his son many days. And all his sons and a daughters rose up to comfort him.'' What a set of hypocritical comforters must these sons"* heen, and how many fresh lies must they have told when tfitf ■were talking with their father. ., J " But Jacob refused to be comforted. And hesaW will go down into the grave unto my son mourning- did his father ween for him i} PART II. JOSEPH IN PRISON. LOW little do we know whether the thfip { *5| us will turn out for our happiness or mi sery ^ ir.ade a king to-monow, I am not surety ' ^^nio^ to m v hurt , and if, on the contrary, I was to | The Sfory of Joseph and Ms Brethren. I , fC it is far from being clear that it might not he for- P' 8 T'forGodhas all events under his diiection : and he k'SVstrange things to pass just as he phases. Rib fa$ we have already told you) was sold by his Bre- u" as a slave, to a company of MidianitiSh merchants. K « the Mid'ianites brought Joseph down to Kgvpt. and < ' \ him to Potiphar, who was an office?, or captain or the Ltd, to king Pharaoh." Joseph fell, as it seems, into good Bads' but the scriptures take care to inform us to what cause was to be attributed ; for there we read, that k - the Lord ! was with Joseph:" hence it was that " he became a proper- psmdni and he was taken into the house of his m:.-.tc; the iMan. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, ■ b 1 • [ and that the Lord made all that Joseph did to prosper in his . . What a great thing is it to have God's blessing with us in every thing we do ! Some people arc al ways talking of their jwiii or bad luck; and, according to such persons, Joseph I was merely a lucky person ; he was lucky first, they would | s ay, in getting so good a master, and still more lucky in Mngevery thing go well to which he set his hand ; in fact, r jjifter, there is no such thing as luck, as we have observed »torc;ahdas we shall have occasion, again and again, to ob- | mm telling this story. Let us learn therefore to thank ■ and not to thank our stars, or to thank fortune, when- Fwe succeed in any thing ; for whatever it be, we suc- tion y because' the Lord is with us in that thing. g ( ^'M)y degrees, found much favour in his master's sight, Parha ! eWasmadeover seeT of the house, and all that Poti- fairir T int ° hai ? ds '." Such was the confide ^Wsrfrk f 1 laSt Poci P'' la1 ' seems to have done nothing PC'* V ° haveleft if ^1 to Joseph; for we read, tint ^ not ought that he had, save the bread that he did fotd ^s set 1? f S n T h as t0 sa y» that he knrw in( ' e - cl v^hat ' 'jng about i T t0 al1 thc rcst of hs ^ rs > he knew fesplf^ ^ ot iphar might be wfofn* i* tkAh* ?n lt*tlii $ , ' T e t what -n 1 - • L- ■ S 5 S 80 ,,l . uc Petel y trusted 1 \ honour was 3t to Joseph to he th# ee * in mvda>s' l! e 1;n own s;)me common servants J » who, by being very remarkable for thek TTT - i mxtbrg of j osejT^Fm^; faithfulness, have risen first to be upper servant even to be stewards to their masters. Like Whu set out with doing first one little thing well and then r and so they hive gone on till they have had vervlarl trusted to them, and have got info places ef prodigious c! fklence ; and if it were not tor the number of servants 2 pretend to be very trusty when they arc not so, the'sort of case that I am speaking of would probably happen mud ■fcftener than it does. " And it came to pass, says, the scripture, « from the tine that PoJiphar had made Joseph overseer in his house, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house tor Joseph's sake'; mi the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had, both it the house, and in the field. " What an encouragement is this to take good people into our family j for God, perhaps, may bless us for their sab. Such a good man as Joseph is a blessing wherevet he goes, But nov, comes a new scene in the life of Joseph. His prosperity was great; but the greatest prosperity is sometimes suddenly interrupted. Potipher had a very wicked wife, and *' she cast her eyes" very criminally on Joseph. Joseph in- deed was "a goodly person and well-favoured;" and this ve^ goodliness, or beauty of his, proved a misfortune to M How foolish then are those persons (whether young men cr young women) who think, that to be handsome and wf looking, is one of the greatest blessings. It may turn out, perhaps, to be the greatest snare; it may prove the worstf lamity that ever yet befel you, as happened in Joseph easy It appears, that Potiphar's wife, the wicked wofflanj now mentioned, " spake to Joseph day by day, an ^ pratcdlv to seduce him ; " but Joseph refused, and sal | his master's wife, Behold, my master observe^ <| with me in the house, and he hath coxnrnitted al ^ se ^ to my hand. There is none greater in this neither hath he kept back any thing from ntt, ^ ^ cause thou art his wife. How then can xvickedness, and sin against God ?!_ . ^ t ] ie 0i "Here let us stop, in order, to consider one ^ theStt tfiJ striking parts of the character of Joseph. Hel ^ n . he .t"#| «est manner, tempted to sin by a wicked ] V0 ^\ iQ fag&M stlso hope for her iavor, if he consented ; nau 1 L TfZSlSrpfttcpn ana ms nretnmi a I The refused: every thing united to make the temp- tfttonr hewas invitcc ^ b y * her ' not once on ^y> Dut TlVain; not publicly, so as to endanger a discovery, ite secretly. By what means then did Joseph resist the lion? He risked it, partly by reflecting how unge- us a thing towards his master it would be ro yield, and v also by saying to himself, as fie also said to the wo- '« How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against in Joseph knew that tlie eye of God was upon him at all is, and in all places ; and I have no doubt that he had bog acted under the influence of tin's knowledge. What was it that had made him such a faithful steward ot his nias- ifs goods? It was his being aware that God could see the West dishonesty in him, and that Gcd's eye was upon k even when his master's hack was turned. And what rait that now made him resist another kind of temptation 1 , tas the same principle of regard to Almighty God. This Me seems to have been very powerful in him, and "toiiave h ™ always at hand. Joseph (I warrant you) IL^Tr ? paSS da >' s amd bours together without o wngot Ood, as some people do. Had this been the . lotion whether he would not have yielded to one or |»«>s temptations.. j "^Jet me revest my readers to take a hint from iolseil 7 thems ^ lves in ™e following manner. Say PwtliatoVr i amImsecret? Whar » 1 wh en no iWcv^t SUF ° nme? When on the one bond Pareon the 11 '' ™ e t0 sin ' when n W own indi - & ,wIl €n there ' SamC f ldc ' whcn a Present 'opportunity r, 4111 ^/ he < a f n ° 7 ngcr of ^scovery, so that my re. I^HeindnlJ ^ u n my worldl V interest will not E^. ln short, a ™;*" K n > wili rather be promoted by it; to onn tem P tatio ™ Which beset me, Hndolt;?^ h f the fear of God in the heart, l? nthe victory? Am l M r ° fGodw strong in me as. 5l,ued to mv a - t0 con 4 uei ' my temptations,. tion in C SS '^s n!: ph A l d ' " How 1 ^ Ihi.s .rear 5 Z 71 G ° d ? ", Now tllis » ^ue rc!i|ion. «e liave not learning enough t» J 2 The Story of J &ep luS^ understand it; but, surely, that fear of God whi c U - I spoken of is very easy be understood J on l \ E{ * as easy to be truly felt- Some there are wJ&J selves religious, because they attend at reli ff iom I 1 worship ; because they understand well sonjelSl tnpcs ; .because ihey remember to have once expffii tab .religions feelings or because they have now or religions phrases always in their mouth. L ? r such per2 ! ajsp try their irrehgmn by the same test. DoesirenabW to conquer your sins ? When all things seem to d| the side of sin, does your religion in any measure enable™ to get the victory ? Secret self-denial, secret congest! ourselves, secret preference to God above all the wi secret consciousness of having been enabled, by GofrfSj to overcome our temptations, and of having, like Joseph, stool : firm to God and duty, in times of peculiar and repeated trials,; these ate some of the proofs of true religion ; these are some ; of the best evidences of our being in a state of grace, I would ■ value these evidences above any comfortable frames anili ings , and thev are more in my opinion, than atliowanl- fancies--, or impressions, that our salvation is sure. Rfafj if you hope to stand undismayed before God on (lie grat; day of Judgment, try yourself by this test. We reaa'H little in scripture of Joseph's religious opinions; (notjj these arc unimportant) we read nothing about the partig time anS manner of his first becoming ie!"rgious \ ^ IC "S . a word about the religious form of worship which Ml"?! cd, nor about the reli pious party that he followed, nor J ebore°; but we read, thathe <** M religious name he bore; but we read, tnathe je ; ' temptations; and that both in his prosperity anctnis f he was faithful to his God : and we find also, as W scntly shew vou, that although his Brethren ihad mm ry cruelly, <, et he behaved very kindly and c »* n ™lM them, and forgave them freely./and fchem good. May rnv religion be like his knowtaVe, which God hath given me, botr i,c » j of a Savior, make Die tfee mote earnest to do w ^ v/aik worthy of that " vocation wberewitn i^ . bc But to return to the story--" And it can* ^ ^ ^ t)nstitne, thatjoseplvwent into the house and there was none of the $m y oi the .iot Th»rn "f Joseph and his Brethren. ! 3 , • 1 • -»;fe caiHit him bv his g.irment, and he left ft* A) 1 S fl ,vhen she saw that he had left bis garment in 7ani w3$ fled forth, that she called unto the men of % ind spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought fcflebrcwunto us to mock us ; (or to offer an insult to Iwi cried with a loud voice, and it came to pass, when Ew that-I lifted up my voice, and cried, that he left his mientwith me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid ip his garment by her until his lord came home ; and they juke unto him according to the same words ; and it came to his master heard the words of his wife, that his pass, when p was kindled. And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners we: c W; and he was there in prison." What a change ! instead of having the command of cverv % in Potiphar's house, where he was looked up to, and rapected, he is shiit'up in prison among thieves, and other* wicked or suspected persons. And why was he thus shut up ? Fordoing wrong ! No ? but fordoing right. It now and ■Mhappens in this world, that a man suffers for fulfilling his w ft is a mistake to suppose, that virtue here below is a ways its own reward. Reader, if you act ever so right, I "^promise you that in tins uncertain world you will he L Your cont * uct ma y chance to be misrepre- L '° r not efficiently underwood. Some enemy may t^ iS0I ? e£ alse and hollow friend, or lover, who is Efio u may turn a S amst vou. Some one, whose kSnbr ° Se - mterest vou ™V have wounded, through I^enemv ling ^ lrtue and integrity, may set himself u P \s Pandjav? C ° m ° antl £ ive ^ ] se evidence against r^oahi,m C in! y01 - P° ssibl ?» with the vervsiri to which iS of all th ' as . tnecim v ^in to seduce you and from fc Let us w"r m th 1 e . world > are happily the r^t r toG °^orh v om of the srory of f° sc 'P h 10 f^Pt todo abn!V dV0Ur ' and llot to care - so Wi«gh, as we 1 ettei *to .0 ?d ° Ur charac tei- with our fellow creatines? ^ P 80 ?* 11 ^ Joseph, for the sake oV a j Ud | 0fa N a ce Jl VC C PSm wilh Potiphar's wife, ui the Kalso, ' ' <™* though we should contrive to live in 1 4 The 8 tory of J otcpk and his Brethren. We before remarked, that when TosmK , , toPotiphcr, and when his affairs seemed aul ^ " the Lord was with him,andblessedhirn .mi. TV ft fox when he had got into prison, we again read th4 Lord was wath Joseph, and shewed him mercy.andl' favors the sight of the keeper of the prison. deeper of the prison committed to [ofeph's hand al! the J toners that were in the prison, and whatever they did i lie was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison'looked* tO.ahy thing that was tinder his hands, because the Lord* with him, and that which hedidthe Lord made it to prosper." " And it came to pass, after these things, that the butlerof the king of Egypt, and his baker, had off ended their lord tie king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was wroth against them, and L>ut them into the prison where Joseph was bound ; and ifio cap- tain of the guard chargedjoseph with them ;and they dread a dream, both of them, each on one night, and Joseph cmk in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, ani" behold they weresad ; and he asked them, Wherefore loot it so sadly to-day? And they said unto him, We have dreairi a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Joseph said, unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? TelMj them I pray vou." In ancient times itpleascd God-occasionally to send dram, in order to make known future events ; but let not any o«| therefore suppose, that by thehelp of dreams he can Ave# futurity now. In the days of Joseph, men were min^ darkness and ignorance concerning the true God. Jesus had not appeared, the New Testament had not been jtfj.] nor as yet even the Old. Signs and wonders were tn^ used, in order to prove that the God of Joseph vw ^ God. But now we no longer need sign* and the holy scriptures plainly declare him to us ; an i should now follow his dreams, it is more than pro ^ ^ doing so he would be obliged to disregard scnp j n der| own common sense also. It is worthy oi id ' 0§ that soon after the law of Moses was given, J e w| Short of the revettion made to us by J ts " st : ,i " ^cdrc^ ssly warned to beware, lest by following ex ore TheStory of Joseph and his Brethren. \ 5. ftams, they should forsake that God who was now mada L*ntothem; forit is written, in the 13 th chapter of Deu- teronomv, " If there arise among you a dreamer of dreams, Ipi, Let us go after othei 'Gods, and serve them, even jjy the sign or the Wonder iball come to pass, jet thou iili noi go after that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your Whereby proreth you to know whether yoo love the Lord jour God, 1 ' and will " serve him and cleave to him." But ti return to the history of Joseph. God, it seems, big ipecial mercy for him, and having great designs in ikw.andhaving first sent two remarkable dreams to Joseph, km two other dreams to the chief butler and baker of %fharaoh,who were in prison with him, and enables him Diiutrpret them. "And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said lnmy dream, behold a vine was before me, and in the ■ •wthree branches, and it was as though it budded, and kk»m shot forth, and the cl ustars thereof brought forth W? 1 ST?'' C " P WaS in n V hand > and I took CSThtt^ PWoh ' s cu *» and 1 :*Z& a UDt0 ! r ' This is the interpretation of NCoh ft " ' T lh , rce » V« " ithi " three days 2 t ltad >, a »^«torethee unto thy placl; H>» r when ° h 8 f U >' " lt0 his hand sft " the * Bit «l e veU ' h °^, WaSt bu , t!er - But think op me k^T' 6 *^ shew kindness, I p ra „ hie«rf{S« ^"tion of me unto Pharaoh,and > »h« ( S h SSI -° Uld Put mc into this dun ^«» • " fei' he «aidu„,tS e b D a h ke T s r that the interpr^atioa l! 1411 ^ three viitl t P , ' 1 a ' SO Wis in m Y d '-"m, and J° St lsk « th % ' n kCtS ° n >>«* the up- "irda d7d a 1 th ma?ner ° f ' >akcd meats fer Phi- L^J^haJweirt of the basket on m, C trtof: the, e Z I \ Said ' ' rhis is th e inter- IS^^ ^ three days; vet SiX*« on VS° h C "P l , h y head ffom off thee . W thee.- tree, and the bir s th e scripture, b V foral ' the m 5 ^ ss » >,r » was troubled, and he \f Coul(l inter- ,hem h,s dreams ; b t 'here ^ t' Was the p C u *em to Pharaoh." „d no i^thfl t0 «skani n v P ' m °'' (ler t!>:;r fh , : king KfiT^Wft.* ^ ? araoh- i P ^a„d p U ;; m h, . sdav = - ' ' - h was k 1 b rae 111 ward in the captain of JD * nc wry oj josepti ana Ms js r eth m I the guard's house, both me and the chief U ' dreamed a dream in one night, I and he a i ^ there with us a young Hebrew, servant of the ^ guard, and we told him, and he interpreted to \f m ^ And it came to pass as he interpreted so it stored unto mine office, and him he hanged » * What joyful intelligence was this toPharaoL Jul I fee his countenance brighten up at once upon it " Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they bro^ Iiim hastily out of the dungeor . And he shaved hi j -changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh." When this great eastern king commands, notamomani to be lost in obeying him. For two long years had Joseph made to wait in prison for his deli verance, but Pharaoh wool hardly wait two minutes before Joseph, whose appearance had become quite forlorn and wretched, must be brought be. fore him shaved and dressed, and fit for the royal presence, "And immediately Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I bat i dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret k, and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a ten to interpret it." Pharaoh seems not yet to have understood by whose kit it was that Joseph was enabled to interpret dreams. Joseph! had no more skill in these matters than any other man, to he was the servant of God, and it pleased God, for his own ; purposes, to give to Joseph by miracle the power of pretrng the drear, of Pharaoh. Accordingly Joseph answers Pharaoh by saying, << it is not in me, God shall give to !»• raoh an answer of peace." Thus Joseph takes none oW glory to himself, as a proud person would have been ga do, but he gives it all to God, to whom alone it*»^ Pharaoh then, in a very exact manner, relates his two to Joseph. . nne «ilflt : « And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, the drew* , is to say. the two dreams signify one and ^ "and God hath shewed Pharaoh, by means ot^ > j he is about to do. The seven good kine are se ^ e( j iea in so also the seven good ears of corn are seven ye » ^ ^ t is one. And the seven thin and ill-fev ored ty earsot up after them are seven years, and the . seV .£ seye n yearJ * corn arc also seven years, and these last SJgnuy^' < Tie Story of Joseph and his Brethren. j g L This, therefore, is the thing which God is about to UehiiH there come seven years of great plenty throughout Llandof Egypt, and there shall arise after them seven fooffeaiine. Now, therefore," continued Josenh, "let jLklook out a man discreet and wise, and set him over WofEgypt, and let him appoint officers, and let them toertogerher the food of the good years and lay it up in the feaiakshillbeforstore against the seven years of famine, Eaderthatthe land may not perish. And the thing which fa aiiseemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and of his U, and Pharaoh said unto his servants, dn we find any tail to this Joseph, a man in whom the spirit of God LtaJ Pharaoh said unto Joseph, forasmuch as God hath wedthee all this, thou shalt therefore be over my house i»hg to thy word shall all my people be ruled ; only fetaewJI begreate, than thou : and Pharaoh took %fromh, s h a „d, and t it on y , SftS 013 C Tc t0 ride m the second chat iot k Joseph ill P f nd °^ E ^P t - And Ph araoh P» k thJiti ™° h ,', and without m e shall no h r f° 0t ,n ail the land of Erypt." i,,,le »f Phaisnh'. ,k c ad before been th e first man ^»*=Cof Ph f . C , a P tai "' but he is now the EN- mer i", !° h h ' n " e,f : h e is greater than P ilJ «the™L™ f ; r- he ' S the first P ers °n next 5 '< »* God thT' - e th f g0od Providence of God IS«of fi , u' Sed h "n fi°m being a slave to l\ bei "gaprL n f a ' t '' aml * was G°d lifted ^("tl eP 11 ' - be ru,er over all Egypt— th « life* u D ? S3yS) that raak «h rich, and Se" h r ^ he LI 6 * ,he P° or out of the mire, to ! 11 ^ true t,»r CeS ' even with the princes MW* fe » t n ndth 1 : sa - id) the!r h tr 8 g w be evil entreated through. 20 The Story of Joseph andhis Brethren. tyrants." But at length lie < < brings them our ol^l, and out of the shadow of death, pod breaks their I ? sunder."— "He leads them by a way which thevkrl lie makes darkness light before them, and - crooked T .strait," aid thus " though heaviness may endure for a D ;? yet joy cometh in the morning. ^ » O praise the* Lord then ye servants of his! Opraistl name of the Lord I blessed be the name of the Lord, froJ rime forth for evermore ! for he preserveth the way of hi saints, and hath been ever mindful of his covenant." Hea| Noah from the*waters of the fl ood, he brought forth rijlt ous Lot out of Sodom, he preserved Shad rach and hist* panions in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lion's k He 4 'delivered David his servant from the peril oftheswofi? " He ihewed also his ways untc Moses, and his worbai the chiitken of Israel." It was «• He also thatcausciaW in theland of Egypt, anddestroyed the provision orbii he sent a man before, even Joseph, who ; vas sold rovas^ -ant, whose feet they hurt in the stocks : ,:e iron ent* his soul-until the t^e came that his cause ^Wj the king sent and delivered him ; the : prtnee h g him $6%Cp he made him lord also of his housed all his substance." iH^r Tosephisfltff But let not any of my readers suppos , J J to be admired merely for h,s gvea tnes , * * * his finger, and the fine vestment on wtaci, . j chariot which he rode, were the „ J with. Joseph was a great man undou tcdi; J good as he was great, and, indeed what is, ^ j ness unless goodness is joined with ^ a litf rf my opinion, to wish ^"KS'P* 1 ^ mere honor of it, and I woul r ather * is of some «sc in the world, then be t ^ Europe, unlessl could do some spec ^ | ness. Joseph proceeds cirex «^^ y in his new station. M ^«» through^ *3 presence of Pharaoh and t. ave led t brol)g l,tf > in the, even ^tio«.7«B.Ae^ rfto jrt*J, fuls, and he gathered up a J* d about e^r the food of the field d coV)1 aS he up m the same, and he ga«> crc i fkm ^-c P kan ( l^ Bremen. ... he left numbering. And after that seven t very much, unt } thcn the sevcn years ot rcn" m^lharaoh for bread ; and Pha- >Lm Go unto Joseph, and Joseph opened f ndsold unto the Egyptians." f^ffiat my readers have by this time almost forgot ft* cfiL of Joseph, and his eleven sons, who were F S him in the land of Canaan, at s^me distance from R The famine of the last seven years was such as to be Eel'v felt even in their country. " Then Jacob said unto (whose countenances were all cast down on the oc- casbo j'why do you look one upon another ; behold I have Eita there is corn in Egypt. Get ycu clown thither ajbnyforus from then. 2, that we may live and not die. And Joseph's ten Brethren went down accordingly to Egypt." lkt Benjamin, being now the father's favorite, was notsuf- fd to go with them,- for old Jacob said, u Feradventure «De mischief wi'lbefal him." "Aad when the sons of Jacob arrived, Joseph was the pniotoftlie land, and he it was that sold to all the people. And Joseph's Brethren came andbowed themselves down be- ta with their faces towards the earth," Oli! what a change of scene ! These are the men, who, ' « time they saw Joseph, had said of him, " Behold |«»omer cometh." They then put him into the pit, and Psold him for a slave, because he had foretold that these Ion T' paients > ( wno were signified b v the sun, [ «. and stars) should one day bow down before him. ■» wonderfully does God accomplish his own purposes! ^ieTr - h,Gh wetaket0 clefeat them, are sometimes Pen the 7«h ' n ° rJer t0 brin S them about ' J ose P h '* ^prevem h ' ^ by seuin g him for a slave, they N yet by thi s p Verhavin S to how down before him"; Ho pass. lS aCt theirs > that very prophecy was brought: ^'stwT^- enpreSUmeto think that he can direct events insTr^ 'i 01 ^ ttlac can, bv ar: /^hewilU • • " the Cou ™el of the Lord, it shall k < own t0 P ass - ,> U The Lord taketh the crattmess -he ordereth all things in B 3 c 4 una nis Brethren, 1 heaven above, and in the earth beneath " u p that say, to-day, or to-morrow we will E0 i )' and continue there a year, and buy and sell ^ T^! whereas ye know not what shall be on the mo ^' ^ ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall hl^H or that." ' and H Joseph's Brethren, while they were bowing down n know Joseph, for he made himself strange unto th^T spake roughly, saying,—" Ye are spies! to see the nk- ness of the land you are come. And they said, Nay lord, but to buy food are we come. We are twelve Bri! from the land of Canaan ; and behold the youngestis thisd with our father and one is not. And Joseph said again}! are spies!" and then added j|e, c 4 but hereby shall vti proved, whether there be truth in you. One of vou$j]| go and fetch his brother,while the rest shall be kept in p; a And he kept them all in ward three days." Joseph, howtitij after this lets them depart, one only excepted; and he grot them corn in their bags to carry home, bidding themall to come again, and redeem the brother they had left behind, \iy bringing the next time, their youngest brother 3S T ow all this seems to have been done by Joseph, for the pia> pose of collecting every one of his brethren round him, k- fore he would discover himself to them; and perhaps led to practice rather too much art, by his anxiety to set them gathered together. m Weais aw the an- guish of his soul, when he besought us, and wewoul^ Then said Joseph's Brethren one to another, verily guilty corcerning our brother, in that wesawtt hear; therefore behold also, his blood is required .of* Oh! how dreadful is a guilty conscience ! U \vu u our sins to haunt us, years after they have been comm^ Now, havenone of my readers ever felt the hke J° n isS ; jSj in consequence of their having done something am^^ the commission of a crime, did you never la ncy,^ ^ one you met, observed you ; and that every com was a judgment of God upon you; and " any n0t been pened to befal you a long time afterwards, na\ ' > ion «i4 apt immediately to imagine, that it had some c gti be Vind your former guilt 2 Sin does not al ™V S ™ V £? Q m^' it, for some people are quite hardened by t If the sin be great and dreadtul, it it * s >° ft£ *Sar and extraordinary like the selling of of pnttinghitn todeatn, then thongh ****** f a 4v qu'^tly. yet it is probable that con- veJ rs should pass * a JH „ ; ut a&l nst us at last. In the H i±a« A that foseph's Brethren had no entcase, itappc he trou ble they dreaded, was formerly sold their brother Joseph. ,d by men s 1 y cor rectly on theoccasion; now is his blood about to be SSffc was not clear thathis blood was now going to be Sftaatall. Itwasnotclearthatanytroublewha - ^sabouttohappentothem; and, even if some trouble Wd happen to them, their having once sold their brother, adit not be the cause, but guilt is fearful. A man that has ^undiscovered crime within him, is apt to feel unreason- frights and fears; his imagination becomes disturbed, kgro# suspicious beyond all reason ; he sees an enemy, peikjMs Joseph's Brethren did, in his best friend, and the very things thai are for him, if they happen to go awkardly foudayor two, are thought to be most dreadfully against in, Inshoit, apeison, whose conscience has become bur- fcaed with some great sin, has often no comfort in his life, pilhehas fairly confessed it, and repented of it. No sooner had Joseph's Brethren expressed their fright than Wan lifts up his voice, and observed to them, how he had mtreated them not to hurt their brother, and they would not ^"Therefore, also," says he, " is his blood required la » ^ Cre a ^ am we ma y discern, a picture of what often ^ pens am »ng those who have been partners in iniquity. I^l^^^of trouble comes, then those who have had ■lilt, begin to reproach the others for having the business. Like Reuben; they begin to S:T sel r s ' and sa y : M Dia 1 not tel1 y° u at the time 'Wore n y ° U ^ but V ou wou ^ cl not mm( * me > anc * '-""wives /° U haVC brou g ht dowi1 * U this trouble on W;e J ! noton yourselves only, but on me also.'* 5 more c °mmon than for those who are all more or £ 4 less, joined in the same crime, to tall out andrew** I anot. ei for it aher \,u\:s. F l «acti 0aft j Joseph overhear,! all this conversation am one his ft iS and he turned himse f about fi"oiTi,them,an then* again, and communed, ( or had conv^"? 1 ! means- of an interpreter,) with them, and took fromA Simeon, and Dound him before their eyes. Joseph ti^ COfKiTian '.ed that their sacks should be laden with com T that ever v nan's- money should be restored into bis ad which- being done thev departed ; and as one of them opened hi jack to give his ass food at the inn, he espied the money for te iold it was in his sack's mouth. And when he toldi hi- Brethren, all their hearts failed them : and thev said ^ to another, 64 What is this that God hath done unto us, 1 ' Heie again, their disposition to take a fright seems to li$ shewn itself. I suppose they now thought that some judg- ment of God would fall upon them in their way home, oa. account of the same sin of selling Joseph. And they came unto Tacob their father, and told k» all that had befallen them, skying : " The man wboiiljM the land spake roughly to us, and took us for spies ; ^ we said unto him, We are true men ; we are no spmm twelve Brethren." Mcthinks it would be some rcWio Joseph's Brethren, to tell their father how harshly they M iuscpu s Dieinren, to ten incn ioiiii " , , > • j been spoken to, and how unjustly they had been g£ irn to anything nght, or innocent in his conduct, in which, , h . , r • • _ To^^K'c sons naduscQW" i^v-u op^mLU iu , aim hv^vt *-* \j J J when they were in Egypt : ^r whenever a ^ great and real sin on his mind, he is glad to tumtog-J ; right, or innocent in his conduct, in which, newn^ ^ has been accused of sinning. Jacob s sons 1 • . ^ . father ill in selling Joseph, but thev themselves ttft ill on the old man's account, when they w ^ f J t0 talk to him in Egypt. It would be a comfort, Mere , ^ ^ hi n of what they had suffered- for his saw, ^ ^ ffh $ seem to make amends in some measute they were conscious of having done him. ^tyd# Let us bewaie, however, of disguising ou * ling on some smaller point, in which !t m . hi f ts of^' are innocent. To do so is one of the .commons ^ ^ ed men, and there are none so ; vicked '^ e il withP leaSU ' part of their conduct on which they can and self-complacency. ftory of Joseph mid his Brethren. % 5 I Joseph's Brethren proceeded to explain to their ^fthe lord of the country had commanded them ^vV o him their brother Benjamin, and how he hadde- s a pledge or hostage on his account ; then h ' the bitterness of his heart, exclaimed, " Me have Wed of my children; Joseph is not, and Simeon is fLj'yewill take Benjamin away ; all these things are ^ Bdt Reuben now came'" . and redf, that ifBenjaminmiglTt but go with then .ed^e Ac lives of his own two infanr chi'di tn, i lienjamiii should be jfjBghtback in safety A 7 1 i, my son shaU not Jown with you, for his b' <■ ■ • seph is already dead ; ll mischief betnl Benjamin a h e way, then shall ye grey hairs with sorrow U> tne grave." * * * * # * * * * # # * * $6 The Story of Joseph and his Breton PART IV. A JrkLL these tilings are against me/' said good old 1 when he was told it what had happened to rfis sons in C for we may remember that they had been obliged by fc to leave their brother Simeon behind them, and hadevenb required to bring Benjamin also. On hearing this old Jacob cried out, " Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, andyewil take away Benjamin : all these things are against me," Ah ! how little did Jacob know of the real nature of fee events which weie befalling himl The very things which lie said were against him, m fact were making for him, for they led the way to the recovery of his son Joseph, who had ten lost, and also to Jacob's removal, with all his family into the plentiful land of Egypt. I do not wonder, indeed, that this poor old man, bowed down as he now was with age fid in- firm'ty, and deprived, as he had been, first of one dear son, and then of anotheiyshould be unwilling to let his present favorite Benjamin be carried off into Egypt.— And yet, what could he do ? The famine now again grew very sore in the land, and at last, when all the corn from Egypt was eaten up, even Jacob himself is represented as asking his sons togo , again and buy a little food. ... j " Then Judah spake unto him, saying, The man 4 so- lemnly protest unto us, ve shall not see my face, exeep y brother Benjamin be with you. Unless, t^JJj him, we will not go down into Egypt. * ' ' vouhaJi unto his sons, " Why did ye tell the man that y brother?" And they answered, " The man did ex fe closely about our kindled, and therefore we 01 ^ how should we know that he would bid us te tci to him?" Then Judah said, very earnestly, ^ ^ ;end the la 1 , that we may not all die, we and _ (i ^ l(0t and I will be surety for him." And Jacob saia,^ ^ he so, do then as you desire. But take ye and nu^ land, balm, and honey, and spices, and w ^ ^ ^ and almonds; and take double money in your Tlie Story of Joseph and his Brethren. 27 that you brought back in your sack's mouths carry pUdvcnture it was an oversight". Take also your EL with von, and God Almighty give you mercy before nian that'hc may send away your other brother, and let Lmin return also' If I must be bereaved of my children fore is no help for it, I must be bereaved. " Thus did the sons of Jacob depart, all of them trembling with anxiety and fear, and using many precautions to avoid tiviiigofence to the great person to whom they were going. How, this I may observe, is a picture of what sometimes happens to us. God is perhaps preparing to favor us with some great blessing, just as he was now about to favor the kibf Jacob; but before he gives us possession of the fang, he leads us through some dark and dreary path, and ;w fancy a great evil is coming upon us. — When, therefore, Godis opening the way to these new mercies, we hang back, ad say with good old Jacob, " All these things are against i" But though loth to move forward, yet what can wc C{1 Some peril greater than that we had been dreading, m us, if we make more delay. With a heavy heart, "4a complaining tongue, and with weeping eyes, we set «*win this path, which is, in fact, nevertheless, the path gWW happiness. Thus do we often quarrel with our JP- And this, I take it, is a common case ; for what > our complaints, but complaints against Providence ; ve not often murmur, even at those very dealings of ce, winch afterwards prove the most remarkable for kit'X K t0 y ° Ur past life ; consider thoss sea- ^asantbmin/ 0U f b ° en forced bv » cc essity, on some Nit °f some f' °. en y° u have been hindered in your El0nsor vour wish VOnte ^^ lan, 0r contrad icted in your opi- kll] has i , and then perhaps your situa- r^^s appeal? i^ qUlte mcl ^holy and desperate; ^^ aSlV- 1 "' 31 ? 1 y° uon every side, and you Uo W ? t ? 01 ?? CVi,S ' J USt Hke tbese so » 8 of fc« ^me, and t Y had ° nl ? t0 choose between a fa. m • The or JJ °f J aseph and Ju s Brethren Thktt arc many persons, I am persuade! l had their souls saved much in the same Wa ' * tyeew femily of Jacob had their lives preserved Tl* ? cht | hack and struggled hard for a while ao^instt'i 4 which have opened the way to their eternal sal? have been dragged from a life of sin .and mi Ir ! ^ Iinglv as ever Jacob's sons were draped from P® m hvoughz into the fruitful land of Egypt Fo st'^' ^ may sound how unwilling are me n to have their sS how unwitting at least, to take those means which £ Jutely necessary tor it ! Mow many servants, 3S well a t prentices, and others are there, who can hardly bepei JS to attentat public worship, or at least, to give their Z to it when they are there ; and yet, is not this one of the means of salvation ? ITiey must be forced to church by tlie authority of their masters ; or by some necessity, almostas urgent as that which drove the sons of Jacob from Canaan Into Egypt ! Again, how many children are there, wb, though invited freely to a Sunday School, nevertheless kg hack from going thither, as much as ever the sons of Jacob hung back from going into Egypt. Perhaps too, their pa. rents have at the same time been as unwilling to part will them through some false fondness or other, as e vcrold Jacob was to part with his son Benjamin, though it proved after- wards to be the making of that whole family. But let us return to the story. Joseph's Brethren setoff . from, Canaan under a great fright, asT have already told you. and they took double money in their hand, and they earned Benjamin with them, and having come down to EgVP^J stood before Joseph. Now when Joseph saw them, ari* served that Benjamin also was with them, he ordered a great dinner to be made ready, and he asked them to come to it And Joseph's Brethren were afraid, on account of thefflMJ whjch they had carried off in their sacks, and they g° ^ -o Joseph's steward, and said to him, " • °' r ' w ^ down hither before to buy iood, and it came to P*^' when we got to the inn, on our way home, we ou ^^ t man's money in his sack's mouth, ami there bj ought it hack to you. We cannot tell who fo ^ * and we have now brought other money also? ' n d his Brethren. vooi' ,, h< ,^wardsaid, reace be to you I had fc'^7,Two«{ht Simeon odt to them. «. and . . „., j • «, „„„.. -„.) offered Cphcame home, they drew near and offered A31 l when Josepu br htj and bowed themselves fateFff ' W And Joseph asked them of their &«-* b t «< fvour fatherwett, the old man of ,*re,2» sa1 ^ J . al|ve? An( j t r iey answered, i hy „k«»yo h e is yet alive; and they fe S neads again to the ground. And Joseph fevesand saw his brother Benjamin, and said, u F'^ L ad God(said he)be gracious unto thee," ISClowmuch moved/ for « his bowels M ta over his brother, and besought to weep, an.lneenter- t^his chamber, and wept there. . . .,.\ e 7 1 does not deprive men (as some have imagined) of S affection and feeling, for Joseph was a rehgimt* ESyethow did he overflow with kindness towaras h» Siren It is also remarked in the New Testament, of one nterthan Joseph was,I mean of our Savior on the occasion ofthedeathofLazarus, that « Jesus wept " Religion re- bates, no doubt, all the natural feelings of men; but it does not destroy them. Presently afterwards, the meat was set on the table, and Benjamin's mess was five times as great ™ an Y otDeI "» anc * they eat and drank together, and were cheerful . Now when the dinner was over, Joseph, who was still unknown to his Brethren, commanded that 44 all their sacks should be filled with corn and that every one's monev should a g a in be put into his sack, and moreover, that a silver cup Sf Joseph's own cup, should together with the money, be R into thp sack of Benjamin; and when the morning was Nthey aU went away. And before they were got for ^omthecity Joseph sent his steward af ; :er them, who charged ™ c m with having stolen Joseph's cup out of his house?. And 89 immediately denied the char<;.\ m:l said vehemently. J 111 whomsoever of us it is round," -ve will agree that he Wie, and that we will -all of us be f qm slave or (bond- .^)and a search being made, behold ::he cup was found «(llTi nm,S Sad * Then rliev rcnt iheii' clothes tor grief, WW every nvan his ass, and returned to the city. \ lU 30 Th€ Stor y °f Joseph a ndhhB Joseph said unto them, "What cW i • , And Judah (the same who haH «? ? th ' S that YeiW; ' *«™$r ^Benjamin) ^^^^ft I H ; G,,d fr* fo«nd out'the „S of h WC 5a ^»' hold, we w,H now be bond ]""| « 'hy ser fl I Not so : b ut he in whose , )ai ^° ^ ord. Andf I Benjamm he shall be my s ] ave .Jf ' » ^nd, (' I getvou all away t0 your father in pea e " What a situation had these snn. Vff r l Could any thin. Be more SSSj? ' »|° W Jacob, Jacob >» they would sa^owl t ^ ! "° face in peace, ifwe bring not Be ij a S i f ' "V W **» : do we remember the w„ g , d, wh c Tc id , 7^ US ' fft1 ' at parting with us. Joseph £ ot I sS " • ^ now ye will take Benjamin from me - ° n * n0t ' ^ when hev c id ' en ' 3nCe i S from >'t. -Th^y had notsuffered rirh fnJft ° ng ; aDd ? 6t now ,h£ y suffer for ioi»j down in [ 7 Cerf r a,nlv - ™ 1 think, did hghtmgoi,, down to buy com for themselves and their aged father! ai even in bringing Benjamin with them, under all the circum- stances ot the case. I .et us for a moment stop here, and p* ourselves in the place of these sons of Jacob. They might now, methmks, be tempted to say, ''Surely, there is no righteous govenor of the world j for when we do right, we only suffer for it ; and when we did wrong, we all escaped Unpunished. We will not believe therefore in Providence : all thinge happen alike to all; this world is governed bydjance; nay, and the chance is often in favor even of the wicked " .To all such profane reasoning, if I had seen Joseph's Brethren « this moment of time, I would have answered, ..' a ' s j a ye3 would now say to themselves, 44 have we , ^ oW W brother so kind, so generous, so excellent as this • ^ did we know of him when wc took upon us ^ uCtch d How rashly did we judge concerning his true c 0V£ JfeSW of Joseph and his Brethren. 3 3 intention in those words which gave US so his i NffflL I He was a better man than we, though We,al1 agai jldl off. Especially I would advise you^ to beware of t flcha^inst him and even thought him hardly fit I >' I would here beg all my readers to take care how j reak evil of persons without due knowledge of then- ar any one, on account of his having said or done some- which happens to wound your own piide, or to givs p m erely to yourself. He may be a good man qm ;he 0RD§ Sole, even though he should have erred in this particular j imlvou may err more by the revenge you take for what he kssaid that is offensive to you, than h ; e Ins -done by saving it, Take heed, then, lest some day or other should come ib the veiy person whom you arc set against, shall have lii character cleared before all the world) in spite of every Aog you have said against him. Tate heed, lest you should seproved to ha v e been the greatest sinner of the two on that day ppo shall each of you appear before God, and all his jjjwgels. that we could all learn something of this ^, and affectionate, and forbearing temper of Joseph. He wasremarkable for it as he was for conquering those secret ^tions which I before spoke of. Waving discovered himself to his Brethren, is now ^|Aat they should go to their father; " Haste ye," B an go up to my father, and say unto him, *t bus ; ;J ^Joseph, God hath made me lord of all Egypt.— P** tarry „ () t, and thou shalt dwell in the land of ESSS?? sh f k he near unto me, thou and thy chil- Wthat ! , i schlltlrcn ^nd thy flocks and thy herds, MuZ u aml tlH - ,e wi!1 1 nourish theejior there F« Benkl r " T C t0 Come - And I oseph fell on his k C n S nc * * n * wept ; and Benjamin wept on hKand^'lr ^? scd a}l hls B^reiy and wept I me Wof a V- lsBrethn;n talket1 with ] nnr. And k ° h ^ his rd ln Phai " aoh ' s house ; and it pleased I P'^ little n r° wa gg°nsout of the land of '^wK^TJ- 5 and hc scnt hS father mc goodth mg s of Egypt, and ten more 3 * TA* Joseph and hi, Bnthren. ^ asses laden with cjrn and bread and meat for u r, the way." «w«r> fj^ Accordingly, Jacob having been invited by hi, ; « Ana Joseph made ready his chariot, and went tow his father, and fell on his neck, and wept a longtime k Jacob said, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou art yet alive. And J oseph brought in Jacob bis fir and set him before Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Jacob| How old art thou ? Arid Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The of the vears of my pilgrimage are an hundred aod thirty yean: few and evil have the days of my life been. And Jacafc blessed Pharaoh. A ad Jacob lived m the land of Era seventeen years, and he died." " Now when Joseph's Brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will uequire us for all the evil that wc 1 did unto him. And thej sent a message to Joseph, saying, that their father before to died, commanded them to request of Joseph, that he wo! forgive their trespass against him. And Joseph wept to B that thev should speak thusuntohim. And Joseph sail, Far not. As for you, indeed, ye thought evil against me; M God meant it for good. Now, therefore, I will nounujj and vour little ones. And he comforted them, and £ kindly unto them. And Joseph lived an hundred, years. And he .aid to his Brethren, God will sM you, and bring you out of this land into the land * promised to Abraham, and Isaac, and JacoD. - i died." I Thus ends the history of Joseph. I have »J^f ^fi that one of the chief things to be learned wm rf | trine of a particular Providence. " vy ^ Joseph said verv justly to his Bscthrcn, i | Egypt; but it uas God:" that is, it "* Men, indeed, were the instruments, to God for every part of their own conduct j , if there was no Providence in the ctfe^^i though mm may act as he pleases, J jY„ry of Joseph and kit Brethren .■-(OBtobringabout his own purposes. God, in this PL |,ad a plan in view. He made a promise to Abra- tl thegiandfather of Jacob, who was the father of Isaac, Hombiratlie Saviour should come, for that " in his -jjll the families of the earth should he Messed." In (ililuait of tin's promise, Isaac and Jacob were born. I yj litre remark, by the way, that to Jacob the name of kti »as given ; so that when the scriptures speak of the litest is the same thing as if they said the children of W>, Of these there were twelve tribes, every one ofthesons Iliad becoming the father of a whole tribe. These Israelites ifarime, were brought out from Egypt, having bte» «f ill-treated there by king Pharaoh, and they became a ((atacd famous people ; for God wrought many miracles ll* of them, and gave them the law of the ten com- ratals, and set up his worship among them, and scpa- «diem from the rest of the world, which continued in P*of God and of the sc, iptures. It was from these or jews, as they were aftc, wards called) that fire Wcame. And, blessed be God, this S,viour • avon, of the J ews only, but he is now preach* 4? ? , r C,13! " ° f Plovi ' !c »", and ,h» Nte GnV me llk of J° Sf P h °»ly, that the E^Jrf concerns uself. Your life and '.nrne, and KCaf^ S 'n at 3nd SmaI1 ' from ou >' S^ho' m ,T? \ y Wldei the < livine direction. to °P V « Joseph &»! ? , t0 P ensh th «*i th = ^me ir?**, and 0r S/ ' a PP°' nt s also to us the bound* N the en-l V mt °, straits - as Josephdi* fee t " h 1 tok1 ' *at we shah be ^S>»ces^t r t v a ' lJ «"«7 even i„ d.emosf CS5eof Jo^,h " ves « as we have n-m been 5g The Mori) of Joseph and his brethren. ' Nor Ictus wonder at the vastconfusi we sometimes see in the world in General i, seem every ^ I i>W| ^onanddisorderv fail US, if now and then die wicked should seem ev^ to prosper, and the whole company of the nVhteotiL cone under adversity. The history of Joseph shews is the plan of Providence sometimes to withdraw, in in ance, his protection and favour from his own servants to put off, to a future season, the evil day which is colt upon sinners. Soon however, the time will come, whei that has been crooked shall he made straight, and all that been dark in* Providence, shall he cleared up. The story of Joseph, as we also observed, is but a sr part of scripture ; it fills hut a few pages of that comprehensive volume, being connected, however, events which go before, and with those which follow i\t\\ and just so, methinks,the history of this wholegjobeofom is but like a single leaf in a great vol u Tie, and it cannot It folly understood until the dealings of God with all nisnnw creatures shall be made known, until the whole bool of Providence shall be opened, and until all those events, W past and future, with which God's government of this wti may be connected, shall be fully revealed. Let us wait, there* fore, in the exercise of faith and hope, remembering, as» apostle says, that while we are here below, " W«* D0W ' in part ; but when that which is perfect is come, then which is in part shall be clone away.— For now weseettoof a glass darkly ; bur then face to face. Now *e W£j part \ but then shall we know, even as also we are J FINIS. Howard and Evans, Printers, 4*, I*8f-Ia«, c