the whole event to the overruling providence of God. So effectually were "his hands strengthened by the mighty God of Jacob," that in no instance was he "overcome of evil, but at all times overcame evil with good."] Our blessed Lord also shone like him, only with infinitely brighter lustre [Never did an inadvertent word drop from the lips of Jesus under all his persecutions: "When he was reviled, he reviled not again; when he suffered, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteouslya." "As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so opened he not his mouth" either in menaces, or complaints. His meekness was uniform, his fortitude undaunted, his patience invincible. He sought nothing but the good of those who were daily conspiring against his life: he wept over them, when they resisted all his overtures of mercy: he even prayed for them, and apologized for their crimes, when they were in the very act of putting him to death: and, after his resurrection, commanded that the offers of salvation through his blood should be made first to the very people who had so lately shed it.] There is yet one more feature of resemblance to be noticed, in, IV. His glorious advancement After all his trials Joseph was exalted to a throne [Through the good providence of God, Joseph was enabled to interpret the dreams of Pharaoh, and was, on that account, brought from the dungeon, and made, next to Pharaoh, the supreme governor of the Egyptian kingdom: all were ordered to bow the knee to Josephs; and all, who came for a supply of corn, received this direction, Go to Josephh. Thus did God exalt him to be both "the shepherd and the stone of Israel," that he might not only provide for Egypt and the neighbouring kingdoms, but be an effectual support to all his kindred, and preserve the lives of those very persons who had sought his destruction.] Can we reasonably doubt but that in this he was a type of Jesus? [Jesus was raised from the prison of the grave by the effectual working of God's power: "he was highly exalted; and had a name given him above every name, that at the z Gen. xlv. 5. c Luke xix. 41. f Gen. xli. 14, 15, 41. a 1 Pet. ii. 23. d Luke xxiii. 34. g Gen. xli. 43. b Isai. liii. 7. name of Jesus every knee should bowi:" "all power was committed to him in heaven and in earth; and all things were put under him, HE only excepted, who did put all things under himk." Whatever we want for our souls, we must receive it all out of his fulness1: the direction given to every living creature is, Go to Jesus, Look to Jesusm. And how does he exercise his power? Behold, he calls his sinful brethren from a land of want and misery, and brings them to his own land of peace and plenty. There he nourishes them with the bread of life, and “ reigns over the house of Jacob for ever and ever.” Thus, as "the great Shepherd of the sheep," he both feeds and rules his flock, while as "the foundation" and "cornerstone" he supports and connects, confirms and dignifies, all the "Israel" of God".] By way of IMPROVEMENT we observe, 1. The purposes of God, whatever may be done to frustrate them, shall surely be accomplished [We are amazed at the variety of incidents, that seemed to put the elevation of Joseph, and of Christ, almost beyond the reach of Omnipotence itself. Yet God's purposes were accomplished by the very means used to defeat them. Thus shall it be with us also, if we confide in the word of God. Whatever means Satan, or the world, may use to 66 separate us from God," they shall not prevail. "What God has promised, he is able also to perform." Let us therefore trust in him; for He will work, and who shall let it? He hath purposed, and who shall disannul it ? His counsel shall stand; and he will do all his pleasure.] 2. God's dearest children must expect many trials in their way to glory [Joseph, and Christ, endured much before their exaltation. And we also "through much tribulation shall enter into the kingdom." The number and weight of our trials are no grounds of concluding ourselves to be objects of God's displeasure they should rather, especially if they be sanctified to us, be considered as tokens of his love. As the Captain of our salvation was, so also must we be, made perfect through sufferings. Let us then "arm ourselves with the mind that was in Christ." We shall surely have no reason to regret the difficulties of the way, when we have attained the rest prepared for us.] i Phil. ii. 9-11. Ps. lxxii. 8, 9, 11. k 1 Cor. xv. 27. 1 John i. 16. m Isai. xlv. 22. John vii. 37. n Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 6. • Isai. xliii. 13. and xiv. 27. and xlvi. 10. 9 Heb. ii. 10. P Heb. xii. 6. 3. We should not labour to control events, but study rather to accommodate ourselves to the circumstances in which God has placed us [How often might Joseph have escaped from the house of Potiphar, or sent to his brethren the news of his exaltation in Egypt! But he left all in the hands of God, endeavouring only to fulfil his duty, whether as a slave or a steward, whether as a jailor or a prince. Thus did our Lord also, when he could in ten thousand ways have changed the course of events. Let us do likewise. Whatever be our circumstances or condition in life, let us be more desirous of glorifying God under them, than of contriving, by any means, to alter them. God's time and manner of accomplishing his own ends will be found infinitely better in the issue, than any we can devise1. Let us then tarry his leisure, and leave ourselves wholly to his disposal, and approve ourselves to him as faithful, and obedient children.] r Isai. lv. 8, 9. LXII. JOSEPH'S BREthren fulfilling the prOPHECY RESPECTING THEM. Gen. 1. 15—17. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph; Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. THE heart of man by nature is vindictive. It was a just observation of Saul to David, "If a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away?" Hence, when men have injured any person, they hate him, because they think he must of necessity have become their enemy: and, if they are within the reach of his power, they fear him, because they conclude that he will avail himself of any favourable opportunity to revenge himself upon them. upon them. It was thus with Joseph's brethren. Their father being dead, and they being entirely at the mercy of their brother whom they had sold into Egypt, they concluded, that "he a 1 Sam. xxiv. 19. would requite them all the evil which they had formerly done unto him." It is probable that this apprehension was strengthened by a recollection of what their father Jacob had suffered from the vindictive spirit of Esau: "The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob." Full of fear, they sent to Joseph to implore his forgiveness: which, as will be seen, they readily obtained. The points to which we would direct your attention are, I. The means they used to conciliate his favourThese were certainly well adapted to the end proposed. 1. They plead the dying request of their revered father [What more cogent argument could be used with a pious mind than this? The dying request of a friend is sacred: and how much more of a parent, a parent of such consummate piety as Jacob! A request too so reasonable in itself, and so conducive to the welfare of his whole family! It is probable indeed that the representation which they gave of their father's request was not altogether correct. We cannot conceive that Jacob should have entertained any suspicions about the subsequent conduct of Joseph; or that, if he had, he would have left a posthumous request to be made through his other children, when he could have urged it himself with so much more effect in his lifetime. The probability is, that he enjoined them to act in a submissive spirit towards Joseph, and not by any refractory conduct to bring upon themselves his displeasure. But, however this might be, the plea was very powerful, and could not fail of obtaining for them the favour they implored. True indeed it is, that persons of a headstrong disposition frequently forget, and that at no distant period, the dying advices of their parents but it was not probable that Joseph should do so, after having so long evinced a disposition most contrary to that of which he was suspected.] 2. They unite with it their own most humble and earnest entreaties [However strong may be our propensity to revenge, the entreaties of a penitent offender will disarm us. It is scarcely possible for a man to revenge himself on one who lies prostrate at his feet. But there is a very peculiar delicacy in this address which they make to Joseph: in speaking to him of Jacob, they do not designate him as their father, but as his; "Thy father did command." And when they speak to him of themselves, they do not designate themselves either as Jacob's sons, or as Joseph's brethren, but as "the servants of the God of thy father;" thus keeping out of view every thing which might appear presumptuous, and calling to their aid Joseph's love to his parent, and his duty to his God. If this was the result of ingenuity, we admire it; but if of real humility, we greatly applaud it: for there is a delicacy in humility, a beautiful and lovely delicacy, which, though in words it amount to little, as indicating the spirit by which a man is actuated, is extremely valuable. The true point to be aimed at in asking forgiveness is humility: to be open and ingenuous in our confessions, to take shame to ourselves for what we have done amiss, and to make all the reparation in our power, this is the spirit we should cultivate; and it is pleasing to see these longobdurate men brought at last to a measure of this experience.] Reserving for a while our further observations on this part of our subject, we pass on to notice, II. The effect produced on Joseph's mind Considering how long they had forborne to humble themselves aright, he might well have upbraided them, both with their former cruelty, and their subsequent impenitence: or he might have imposed conditions upon them, as Solomon afterwards did on Shimei: or he might have pardoned them in kind and condescending terms. But the way in which he expressed his forgiveness was more eloquent and convincing than any words which human ingenuity could ever have devised: "Joseph wept when they spake unto him." His weeping was from mixed emotions in his mind. The human heart is susceptible of greatly diversified impressions even at the same moment. The two Marys, when they had ascertained beyond a doubt the resurrection of their Lord, "departed from the sepulchre with fear and great joy." Thus in the breast of Joseph, we apprehend, there was a mixture both of grief and joy: 1. Of grief [It must have been inexpressibly painful to him to have such suspicions entertained respecting him, especially after he had for the space of seventeen years manifested such uniform kindness towards them. A man possessed of a generous mind b Matt. xxviii. 8. |