eth over us in the hour of distress, and is always able, if we confide in him, to remove it from us. We fee in what manner he ex-. tricated the unhappy Jofeph from difficulties apparently infuperable: we fhall perceive the fame divine power again interpofing to fave his beloved favourite from ftill greater dangers, and a more imminent destruction.

In the prosecution of this hiftory, we shall find the circumftances growing every inftant more interefting, more ferious and pathetic, abounding with ftill more frequent inftruction. I fhall therefore dwell with pleasure on every one of them, and endeavour to draw from them that moral use and improvement which will most naturally refult from them, and which it was moft probably the intention of the inspired writer to inculcate.

But this, as it would exceed the limits of our prefent time, must be deferred to another opportunity. I fhall therefore conclude this difcourfe with this fingle reflection, that an upright and virtuous courfe of life is almost fure, as we fee from the history before us, to meet its reward in this life, though, perhaps, not in fo exemplary a manner as in the cafe of Jofeph: but though it should not, we ought not to be difcouraged; for the confcious approbation of our own hearts not only amply repays us for any facrifice we I make to virtue, but whatever may be our lot here, fuch a life will certainly fecure to us endless felicity hereafter.

SERMON

IN the conclufion of my last discourse on these words, I brought down the history of Jofeph to that remarkable period wherein the providence of God had raised him to the highest honour and preferments in the court of Pharaoh. He who had fo lately called for pity, was now, by an astonishing change of fortune, become an object of envy and admiration: he feemed to have baffled, as it were, the power of the waves, and to be landed fafely in the harbour of peace and profperity, when a violent and unexpected ftorm arofe, which drove him once more into the ocean, and almoft overwhelmed him.

The attractions of Jofeph's perfon were, it feems, no lefs ftriking and fingular than those of his mind. That beauty which had already been fo prejudicial to him, and which was probably the caufe of Jacob's partial affection, became again the fource of forrow and misfortune.

Such

Such is the unhappy lot of human nature, that we are frequently ruined and betrayed even by the perfections of it. Thofe external accomplishments which are fo fervently wifhed for, and fo folicitoufly preserved, but too often prove a dangerous and a deftruc tive pre-eminence, which Jofeph fenfibly and fatally experienced; for the wife of Potiphar no fooner caft her eyes upon, than fhe conceived a violent and fhameful paffion for him, which no confiderations of honour, duty or gratitude, could prevail on her to restrain. This, we must acknowledge, was the ftrongest test of his integrity, and the severest trial of his virtue. Youth and beauty, power and interest, ambition and opportunity, confpired to urge him on to the commiffion of fin: but thofe well-grounded principles which had hitherto directed all his actions, together with that divine grace which affifted him in them, now enabled him to refift, and to overcome, the powerful temptation. He could not bear the thought of injuring, in fo tender a point, the best and most indulgent of mafters. How, fays he to her, can I do this great wickedness, and fin against God?Here let us ftop a moment to reflect on the conduct of this amiable youth. When he was now, as it were on the very brink of deftruction, he starts back with horror at fight of the precipice before him, fummons the powers of reafon and religion to his aid, and cries out, How can I do this great wickedness,

and

and fin against God? What a noble leffon of inftruction may these words afford us: what a fair pattern and ftandard has Jofeph left to pofterity; and how much lefs of fin and forrow would there be in this world, were men to follow fo excellent an example! If, when any dangerous temptation attacked, any darling paffion folicited us, we would but stop a moment only to repeat this short fentence, how can I do this great wickedness, and fin against God? what anfwer would our hearts return to this fevere and penetrating quef tion? that answer, doubtlefs, which Jofeph's did; that to commit the fin, whatever it was, would be ingratitude to the best and moft generous of mafters, (for fuch God is to us all) who committeth all that he hath to our hands, and keepeth back nothing from us which we ought to wifh for or defire. But the followers of vice are too rapid and precipitate in their purfuit of it, ever to ftand ftill in the journey: they rush on without fear, without reluctance or remorfe. To fuch, however, if they are not past all reflection, I would point out the confequences of this feasonable deliberation in the good and confcientious Jofeph, who refifted the arts of the feducer, and was in the end amply rewarded for it, by bleffings which, though not immediately beftowed, were carefully referved for him.

Such, indeed, hath been the degeneracy and corruption of mankind in every age, that

it is generally dangerous, oftentimes deftructive, to be fingularly virtuous, which Jo feph fufficiently experienced. He hearkened not unto her, but refused to hear the voice of the charmer; and his refufal was attended with its natural confequence. The tranfition of violent paffions from one to the other is extremely rapid: her love was quickly changed into hatred, and all the foftnefs of affection into the bittereft and most implacable refentment. The defpifed and incenfed wife of Potiphar was now refolved to perfecute that virtue which fhe could not fubdue, and to ruin that innocence which fhe was unable to betray. She artfully ac cufed him therefore of a crime, which, from his abhorrence of a vice fo deteftable, and the natural confequences of it, no temptation could ever induce him to commit; and by impofing on the credulity of her husband, and flandering Jofeph, at once fecured and enhanced the affection of the one, and fatiated her revenge on the other. Her accufation, confirmed by a circumftance very ftrong in her favour, (the garment which she had wrefted from him) eafily procured her a firm belief: and when Jofeph's mafter heard the words of his wife, his wrath was kindled, and he took him, and put him into the prifon, a place where the king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prifon. Thus was Jofeph caft down on a fudden from the heighth of glory and happiness, to the lowest and most abject

con