dreamer cometh." Well has our blessed Lord cautioned his disciples against the use of contemptuous expressions one to another. For however slight and insignificant a hard or ridiculous name at first sight may appear, it proceeds from an unkind heart, and partakes of the nature of murder.

It is no uncommon thing for men who have quite got over every scruple of conscience, and all sense of duty, still to retain some regard to decency; and to respect opinion and appearances after the heart is become perfectly callous. Though they can remorse

sheba, where Jacob dwelt, being considerable; their absence being extended to a length of time that created anxiety, and though their apprehensions might, a solicitous father's anxiety not being quite laid to rest, he thinks proper to send Joseph from Hebron, to inquire after their welfare, and to bring him word again. Unhappy father and son!, little did they think the parting of that day was to be for such a length of duration. Blind that we are to futurity! We "cannot tell what a day may bring forth." The last meeting, the last parting; the last coming in and going out; the last time of speaking and of hear-lessly resolve on shedding blood, they have ing; the last of every thing must soon over- not confidence enough to avow their violence take us all. Joseph accordingly leaves his and barbarity, but craft and falsehood must father's house, never, never to return to it be called in, to cover their villany from the more, and goes forth in quest of his brethren. eye of the world. "Come, now, therefore, Our tender affections are now strongly ex- and let us slay him; and cast him into some cited for the hapless youth. A lad of seven- pit, and we will say, some evil beast hath teen, who had never till now been from be-devoured him: and we shall see what will neath the protection of paternal care and become of his dreams."* That there should tenderness; whose face "the wind of Hea- have been one of the ten capable of conven" had never hitherto "visited too rough-ceiving and suggesting such a deed of horLy;" whose spirit mortification had never ror, had been wonderful; but that only one galled, whose heart affliction had never yet of ten should rise up to intercede for the unpierced; thrown at once into the wide world, happy victim, exceeds all belief. We almost missing his way in an unknown country, ex-lose the remembrance of Reuben's filthiness, posed to savage beasts, or more savage men; coming at length to the place of his destination, but disappointed of finding what he looked for there; and finally falling into the hands of butchers, where he expected brothers. If ever there were an object of compassion, it is now before us. I observe his young heart flutter with joy, when, after all his wanderings and anxieties, he descries his brothers, and their tents, and their flocks afar off. I see the tear of tenderness rush to his eyes, while he delivers his father's greeting, and tells the tale of his youthful sorrows and mistakes upon the road. I see his blooming countenance flushed with delight and satisfaction, at the thought of being again among friends, of having once more a protector. Ah cruel, cruel disappointment! They have been plotting his ruin, they have devoted him to death. He comes to them with words of peace, with kind and affectionate inquiries after their health and prosperity. They meet him with looks of aversion, with words of contempt and hatred, with thoughts of blood. The history of Jacob's family exhibits a shocking view of manners and of society at that period. They digest and execute a plan of murder, with as much coolness as we would an improvement in agriculture, or an adventure in trade. It is no wonder the poor Shechemites found no pity at their hands, when they are so lost to the feelings of nature, humanity, and filial duty, as to deliberate and determine, without ceremony or remorse, upon their own brother's death. The trifling incident of the dreams lies rankling in their bosoms. 66 Behold," say they, "this

66

in his good-natured attempt to save his brother. If there were something of deceit in the proposal which he made to the rest for this purpose, it was on the side of virtue, and calls at least for pardon, if not for commendation. Joseph was now at hand. And O how different his reception from what he fondly expected! "They stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him. And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it." With truth has the wise man said, "the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." The demons of envy and revenge have taken possession of their hearts. In vain he weeps, in vain he prays, in vain employs the tender names of father and brother, to win their pity. The coat, the odious coat, the badge of a partial father's fondness, steels their breasts. They strip it off with more of savage joy than ever the doating parent felt of satisfaction in seeing him put it on, or the hapless youth himself in wearing it. The horror of being cast alive into a pit to perish with hunger, is not to be conceived, much less expressed. What must it then have been to a heart like Joseph's, tremblingly alive to the keenest sensations of pain; acquainted, till then, only with gentleness and indulgence, and now dreadfully awakened to perceive the full extent of his misery? Instant death had been mercy to one in such a situation.

As if they had done nothing, they sit down unconcernedly to eat bread. Savage monsters! Could the moderate cravings of their

* Gen. xxxvii. 20. † Gen. xxxvii. 23, 24.

HISTORY OF JACOB AND JOSEPH.

own appetite fail to remind them of the wretched state of their poor brother; fail to suggest the misery of perishing for want, and to awaken compassion in some gentle bosom? Yes; with his piercing shrieks yet sounding in their ears, with his piteous, supplicating looks yet before their eyes, they indulge the commonest, lowest cravings of their own nature, and calmly consign him to a lingering death; the bitterness of which was every instant increased by the slowness of its approach. And now, behold the darling of Jacob on the very brink of despair; when Providence, wiser than they were cunning, and more powerful than they were wicked, interposes for his deliverance.

It was so ordered of Heaven, that a travelling company or caravan of Ishmaelitish merchants passed by, while they were at dinner, in the course of their traffic to Egypt. A thought occurred to Judah, whose heart now began somewhat to relent, that an opportunity offered of ridding themselves of their hated rival, without incurring the guilt of shedding his blood; namely, that of selling him for a slave to the Ishmaelites; who, he knew would carry him along with them into Egypt, sell him over again for profit, and thereby for ever prevent the possibility of his return, to detect their villany, and renew his pretensions to superiority over them.

[LECT. XXIX.

ants of him whose "hands were against every man, and every man's hands against him," and he is safer with wild Ishmaelites, than with bloody, unnatural brothers. From avarice, if not from pity or affection, they will treat him kindly, that they may dispose of him to advantage. So much better is a merciful, or even a mercenary stranger, than an envious and cruel brother. Reuben, it appears, was not present at this consultation, bargain, and delivery. He probably stole away, when the rest sat down to meat, that by a round-about path he might arrive at the pit where Joseph was hid, and assist him in effecting his escape, while the rest were large a circuit in order to avoid suspicion, otherwise employed. But he had made so that the sale was transacted before he came to the place, and his benevolent intention was thereby frustrated. He is the only one of the brothers who seems to have felt a single spark of pity for the unfortunate youth, or of concern for the distress of his aged parent. What then must his anguish have been, when he came to the pit, and found no Joseph there? From his worst fears however he is soon relieved, and, bad as it was, rejoices to hear that Joseph was only sold for a slave.

ceal, if possible, the whole of this dark scene. By common consent it is agreed to conhim something must be said for the non-apThey must meet their father again, and to pearance of his amiable, his beloved son. I am not more shocked at their first purpose of blood, than at their artful device to cover it, and their awful steadiness and fidelity to each other, in guarding so well the dreadful secret. It proves what deep, what determined, what thorough-paced villains they were. nation glory to have sprung! They stain And from such men does the Jewish the variegated coat, the cause of so much jealousy, with blood, which they intend shall pass with the wretched father for the blood of him that wore it; and they send it to Hebron as accidentally found in the field in that state, to carry its own doleful tidings with it.

No sooner was this proposal made than it was assented to. And they, who a little while before made nothing of taking away their brother's life, with less scruple and ceremony still, take upon them to rob him of his liberty; and, as if he had been a bullock, or a kid from the flock, sell him for twenty pieces of silver, into the hands of strangers. O the wonder-working hand of God! The eircumstances which lately seemed to poor Joseph so untoward and unfavourable, were working together for the preservation of his life, and paving the way to glory. Had he not wandered in the field, his arrival had happened too early for the passing by of these merchants to save him. Had he found his brethren in Shechem, as he expected, instead of Dothan, he had been out of the track the place of its destination. Who can bear I cannot accompany this fatal pledge to which his deliverers took. "Who can tell to witness the anguish of a miserable old what is good or evil for a man," till the end man sinking under the weight of accumucome, and the mystery of Providence be un-lated wo? All his former griefs admitted folded? These, to the eye of man, are little accidental circumstances. But they are a part of a vast arrangement, made by Him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will," to bring about a great purpose. There are wheels almost imperceptible in the great machine, which the untutored eye is apt wholly to overlook, but which are indeed as necessary to motion as the largest and most obvious.

of consolation. They were more directly from the hand of God, they were in the course of nature, they might be cured or endured. But this stab was mortal; it defied medicine, it mocked at length of time. He himself has had the principal hand in this great evil; and I fear, I fear he suspects the truth, though he says it not. Beautiful, too much beloved, ill-starred Rachel! once I pitied, now I conThus was the jewel of his father's heart in kindness taken thee away from the evil to gratulate thee. A gracious Providence has vilely bartered away as a thing of little value. come. The sight of Joseph's vesture dipped Behold Joseph in the hands of the descend-in blood, must have proved fatal to thee,

We hasten from a scene which the heart is unable long to contemplate, to land Joseph safely in Egypt-where being arrived, he is transferred, like a bundle of spicery, from the Midianites to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, and captain of the guard.

hadst thou lived to that day. To have lived eat of his bread, lifted up his heel against till now, must have been to endure pangs him." Judas, one of his own house, sold him more frightful than the agonizing throes of for thirty pieces of silver. He was stripped childbirth, or the last dying struggles of dis- of his vesture, his raiment was stained with solving nature. blood. "He looked and there was none to help." "He trode the wine-press alone." "He was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners." "He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth."* "It became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings." Men "thought evil against him, but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." "The counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations." To the attentive reader of the sciptures, these, and many such applications as these, of the history of Joseph, to the person, the character, the office, and undertaking of the Messiah, will readily occur. To the careless and unbelieving, more has been said than they will understand, regard, or approve. We commend them to the mercy of God, and we implore a blessing on what has been spoken, for Christ's sake. Amen.

And here your time warns me to stop. And here, in the hands of that God who "delivered him from the paw of the lion and the bear," we deposit this precious trust, confident of its being restored, like all that we commit to God, increased in value, importance, and utility. If the subject be pleasing to you as it is to me, I shall hope to have the pleasure of resuming it with you next Lord's day.

Jesus, the well-beloved Son of God, came from his Father's house above, to bring to us, his brethren after the flesh, the gentle and affectionate commendations of his Father's love. Instead of welcome, he met with reproach and scorn. "He came to his own and his own received him not." "He was despised and rejected of men." "His familiar friend in whom he trusted, which did

Isa. liii. 7. † Heb. ii. 10. Gen. 1. 20. § Ps. xxxiii. IL

HISTORY OF JOSEPH.

LECTURE XXX.

And the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man, and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that he did to prosper in his hand. And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house and all that he had he put into his hand. And it came to pass, from the time that he made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake: and the blessing of the Lord was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field. And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand: and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat; and Joseph was a goodly person, and well-favoured.-GENESIS xxxix. 2—6.

UNLESS "the heart be established by grace," in prosperity it will be elated above measure, and in adversity will be ready to sink under the weight of its wo. A principle of religion preserves the balance of the soul, and guards it equally from rising into insolence, or falling into dejection. It has been disputed whether prosperity or adversity be the severer trial of the two. In order to determine the question, it is necessary to know the character of the party who is tried. In some persons we meet with a stupidity, an insensibility of nature, on which change of

circumstances makes no apparent impression. This endeavours to pass upon itself, and actually does pass upon superficial observers, for moderation in success, and patience in affliction. But the rock is not patient, because without murmuring it bears the incessant dashing of the raging sea; neither does the snail deserve the praise of humility, because it attempts not to fly. That moderation is estimable, which, awake to all the advantages of rank, and fortune, and success, offends not God by levity and ingratitude, nor man by haughtiness and pride. That patience

It is a fearful example of the dreadful length which the human mind is capable of going, when the restraints of shame are once broken through.

that goodness cannot mollify, what nature so obdurate that the power of the Almighty cannot reach? The profession of a gaoler is unfriendly to benevolence; it is a characSome kinds of temptation are boldly to be ter which implies sternness and severity. encountered, and resolutely overcome. But whether this man were formed of gentler There are others only to be conquered by clay, or whether the meekness and modesty flight, and disarmed by removing to a dis- of Joseph had wrought even upon a rocky tance. Joseph dwells only on one circum- heart; or whether Providence specially instance, in order to settle and determine his terposed to further its own deep designs, so conduct-the all-seeing eye of God, and the it is, we find our good young man in high danger of offending him; "how then can I favour with his keeper. Wherever we find do this great wickedness, and sin against Joseph,-in Potiphar's house, in prison, or God."* Pleasure, and interest, and passion, at court, we find a man faithful, and diligent, blind the eyes; but conscience with scrupu- and trusty; and we find a man honoured, lous attention, always and every where re-esteemed, and confided in, by all with whom veres an omnipresent Jehovah. The lower he has any connexion. Let a man be inprinciples of our nature respect and are re-flexibly honest and true, and he will never gulated by consequences. This great prin- have reason to accuse the world of want of ciple is moved only by a sense of right and confidence. But it is no wonder if the diswrong. Interest and desire are contented honest knave find men full of doubt and suswith inquiring, "is there no danger of be-picion. As his master's house before, so the ing found out?" But conscience is only to prison now, prospers on Joseph's account. be satisfied by ascertaining, "whether it be The world is not always sensible of its oblisin or duty." gation to the presence of good men. But Sodom was in a fearful state the moment righteous Lot went out of it; and when the people of God, "the salt of the earth," are all removed from it, the end of the world cannot be at a great distance.

By a strange concurrence of circumstances, which the Divine Providence alone could have brought together, Joseph has for his fellow prisoners two of the chief officers of the king of Egypt, who had fallen under their master's displeasure; and had been for some time in confinement, uncertain of their doom. The great God is whetting his instruments, making his arrangements, marshalling his forces, at very different times, and in very different places. The envy of Jacob's sons, the lasciviousness of Potiphar's wife, the disobedience of Pharaoh's servants, the anger of the king himself,―all, all meet, strange to think! in one point, the elevation of Joseph to the right hand of the throne. Remove but one link, and the chain is broken asunder. Take away but a single stone, and the fabric falls to the ground. But "this work and counsel is of God, and therefore it cannot be overthrown." "He willeth, and none can let it."

The consequence to Joseph, was such as might be expected from the temper of a shameless woman, false, lascivious, and resentful. The demon of lust turned into those of rage and revenge, she accuses of an attempt to seduce her, the man, whom no consideration of pleasure, or of advantage, could for a moment seduce from the right path.This accusation, however false, being uncontradicted, is admitted as true; and Joseph, as the reward of faithfulness almost without example, is immured in close custody, to be dragged forth at a proper opportunity to severer punishment. And here again we have a fresh instance of the greatness of his mind. He chooses rather to incur his master's groundless displeasure, and to sink under the weight of a false accusation, than to vindicate his own honour, by exposing the shame of a bad woman; and he leaves the clearing up of his character and the preservation of his life, to that God with whom he had entrusted still higher concerns, those of his immortal soul. And thus, the least-assuming, the shamefaced, feminine virtues, temperance, and chastity, and innocence, and self-government, are found in company with the most manly, the heroic qualities, It is not at all surprising, that he who had intrepidity, constancy and contempt of death. been preparing his work in places and in No place is frightful to a good man but minds so remote from, so unlike to, and so the dungeon of an ill conscience. Free from unconnected with each other, should bring that, Joseph is at large, though in prison. It it to a conclusion by means somewhat unis the favour or displeasure of God that makes common and supernatural. It happened, this or the other spot comfortable or irksome. that in one and the same night, the chief "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is butler and the chief baker of Pharaoh dreamliberty; but to the guilty, the whole world ed each a dream, which laid fast hold of their is a place of confinement. God, who deliver-minds and memory. And being men, like ed him out of the pit accompanies him also the rest of their country, strongly tinctured to the prison. And what heart so savage with superstition, and at that time in circumstances which peculiarly disposed them to

* Gen. xxxix. 9.