Imatges de pàgina
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the administration of affairs being entirely in his hands. And Jofeph's brethren came, fays the fcripture, and bowed down themfelves before him with their faces to the earth. How vifible is the finger of God in this whole tranfaction! how doth it verify the obfervation of the inspired writer in the words of my text, that the Lord was with Jofeph, directing every incident, and guiding every event towards the increase of his honour, and the advancement of his happiness. Those who had fo cruelly and defpitefully used him, are now intreating his favour, and fuing for his protection (they bowed themfelves down before him.) Thus, by a train of extraordinary circumstances, fufficiently pointing out the interpofition of Divine Providence, was the prophetic dream of Jofeph miraculously fulfilled: His brethren bowed down before him; thofe cruel and unnatural brethren, who imagined they had reduced him to the lowest state of fervitude, were now fuppliant at his feet, relying entirely on his will, and totally dependent on his bounty. And this, my brethren, is a triumph which frequently awaits, even in this world, on the good and virtuous. Those who have perfecuted and oppreffed others, are, by the providence of God, which fo ordains it, obliged, by a reverse of fortune, to repent of their ill treatment, and to bow down before those they have injured. Such may ever be the fate of the proud and cruel, who perfecute and op

prefs;

prefs; and fuch it undoubtedly will be, either in this life, or in that which is to come. We are told, Jofeph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. It is, indeed, scarce probable, that after fo long an abfence, his perfon, circumftances, name, every thing fo altered, they could have recollected him; and it is almost as improbable, all things confidered, that he fhould not remember them. He who inflicts the wound, may never think of it after it is given; but he who receives, will generally carry with him fuch impreffions of it, as cannot eafily be forgotten. At fuch a time, what must have been the emotions, the tender feelings, and fituation of fuch a heart as Jofeph's! Love and fear, furprize and aftonifhment; all those mingled paffions at once furrounding him, how wonderful was his prefence of mind on the occafion! He was refolved to delay the discovery of himself to a more proper opportunity; he affumes fuf. picions therefore which he had not, the better to conceal thofe which he had; and told them that they were fpies, come to see the nakedness of the land; a fuppofition which, if we confider the fituation of the country, might be admitted with the utmoft propriety, as that part of Egypt, which bordered on Canaan, and that only, laid open to invasion, so that they might have taken this opportunity of feeing whether famine had fo reduced Egypt, as to render her an easy prey to an ambitious neighbour. This fufpicion naturally pro

duced

duced that explanation which Jofeph wanted; when they replied to it, that they were all fons of one father; a circumstance fufficient to convince him that they came on no bad defign, as it would have been highly abfurd to imagine that any one man would fend all his family on fo hazardous an enterprize. He then queftions them feverely about their younger brother, and threatens to keep them all there till he came. His moft folicitous enquiry after his favourite Benjamin, gives us indeed room to imagine that Jofeph ftrongly fufpected them of fome unfair practices with regard to him. He might well, indeed, fuppofe, that the fame cruel difpofition of which he had himself felt the fatal effects, might have prompted them to fome attack on his life alfo: he infifts, therefore, on their fetching him immediately, and in the mean time orders them into ftrict confinement.

A treatment thus apparently fevere had the effect which might be expected; it filled them immediately with reflections which they had not for a long time entertained. It was now above thirteen years fince they had fold Jofeph into Egypt, and during all that time they had, perhaps, never thought about him but they were now themfelves on the point of being reduced to the fame ftate, and on the fame fpot too, even in the land of Egypt. Every thing confpired to call to their minds the heinoufiefs of their offence,

offence, and to point out the justice of the impending punishment; and they faid one to another, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we faw the anguish of his foul when he befought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this diftrefs come upon us. Nothing could be more ftriking, or more natural, than this reflection. But affliction is, indeed, the beft of mafters: when misfortune comes upon ourselves, then, and feldom till then, do we begin to feel for the calamities of others. Whilft fortune and friends fmile upon us, whilst pleasure delights, luxury allures, and profperity enervates, the confcience is lulled into forgetfulness, the mind grows remifs and negligent of her duty, the heart lofes all its fympathetic tendernefs, and becomes infenfible to the feelings of humanity; but no fooner is the wholefome draught of affliction administered, than the foul awakens from its lethargy, the voice of confcience is loud and clamorous, and the heart is again alive to every tender and delicate fenfation: then we begin to look back on our past actions, and when we are reproached from within, cry out with Jofeph's brethren, we have been guilty, and therefore is this diftrefs come upon

us.

very

Whilft virtue remains to comfort, and innocence to fupport us, there are very few dangers that can affright, very few calamities that can totally deprefs the heart; whilft,

on

on the other hand, nothing so much increases terror as guilt; nothing fo much heightens and aggravates misfortune as the confcioufness of having deserved it. Jofeph was fold to flavery, and fent to prifon: his honour and integrity, the inward complacency and fatisfaction always attendant on the pure and uncorrupted mind, enabled him to bear his fufferings with firmness and intrepidity: but when his brethren were in trouble, guilt enhanced their forrow, and augmented their punishment.

Can we not then, from this circumftance, draw an useful admonition to ourselves?Should not their example alarm our felf-love, excite our compaffion, and open our hearts to a proper feeling of the diftreffes of our fellow-creatures? When the poor and defti. tute cry to us for fuccour, when the fick and the afflicted folicit our aid and protection, let us liften to their prayers, give ear to their complaints, and endeavour to relieve them; and, above all, let us be kindly-affectioned to thofe of our own houfhold. Let no illfounded jealoufy and animofities be fuffered to loosen the bonds of nature, or break the ties of kindred and relation; always remembering, that if we are cruel, hard-hearted, cold and infenfible to others, we must expect, in our turn, to find them one day the fame towards us that affifiance which we will not lend we may be obliged to borrow, and be denied that pity which we refuse to

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