numbered by him; that the very least and lowest of us are under his eye; and that all our concerns are the objects of his care, and that he can make every thing work together for our good: and though, for a small moment, he may seem to hide his face from us, and to forsake us, yet, in the end, he will bless us with everlasting kindness.

And hence we may learn, 2dly, the great folly of looking upon afflictions as judgments from heaven on those particular persons on whom they fall; a weakness to which too many rashly give way. They cannot see any calamity befalling their neighbour, but immediately they set themselves to work to find out some crying sin in the man, which has drawn down the wrath of God upon him in so signal and vindictive a manner. But, (whatever be the source of these reflections) how idle and impertinent are they? Since it is impossible for us to determine what are evils and what are blessings to particular persons. How many disappointments have in their consequences

saved a man from ruin, if not procured him some extraordinary advantages? How frequently do we see men gaining by their losses, and rising higher by their fall? How often have we repined at the dealings of God's providence with us, as harsh and severe, when, in reality, he has all the time been visiting us with mercy and loving-kindness. Who, that had beheld Joseph in any one of the scenes of his distress, could have helped pronouncing him a wretch indeed, equally forsaken of God and man? And yet we see, that every evil which befel him; the cruelty of his brethren; his slavery in Egypt; the false accusation of his master's wife; were all of them the foundations of his future honours, and as so many steps of that ladder by which he rose to his future glory and happiness.

We may farther observe, from a remarkable circumstance in the story, how greatly useful afflictions are in awakening the hardened sinner, and bringing him to a sense of his guilt. For, whilst men are lulled in ease and prosperity, and the Q3

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world smiles upon them; whilst health blooms on the cheek, and joy sparkles in the eye; they have but little inclination to admit such an unwelcome guest as a self-accusing conscience. They feel no bad effects from their vices, and therefore think it not worth the while to give themselves the trouble of so much as a thought about them. But when the evil days of adversity come upon them, when the storms of calamity blow hard and frequent, when sorrow rains her bitter drops upon their unsheltered heads, they have reason, perhaps, to look upon their sufferings as the fruit of their sins; and then do they begin to take a nearer view of their past conduct, and to behold their crimes in their naked and genuine deformity. Every aggravation of their guilt. then presents itself to their minds; and the tormenting thought, that their misery is the work of their own hands, makes the remembrance of their sins grievous: unto their souls, and the burden of them intolerable. And thus it was with Joseph's: brethren who, whilst they were safe and well in their father's house, did not appear

to

to have even the least remorse for the unnatural cruelty they had been guilty of; but, as soon as they thought their liberty and lives in danger by the well-feigned severity of Joseph, immediately their guilt stares them in the face; they become odious to one another and to themselves, and with one voice break forth into that frank but dreadful confession of their shame: We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the an

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guish of his soul, when he besought us, "and we would not hear: therefore is "this distress come upon us.”

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Again:-It is scarcely possible to go through this story without reflecting on the hateful nature of envy; how much it concerns our own peace and happiness to watch and suppress the first motions of this passion; since it is impossible to say to what lengths it may carry us, if we once give way to it. For here we see it breaking through the strongest ties of nature, and even engaging the children of a virtuous parent in a horrid confederacy against the life of an innocent brother.

At first we may observe, they kept their envy within some bounds, contenting themselves with displaying it in their words only and outward carriage towards Joseph: they hated him, and could not "speak peaceably to him;" but, by suffering it to keep possession of their hearts, it grew too violent to be controlled: the most powerful motives became weak and impotent; they were hardened against every tender sentiment, and seemed not to regard, or so much as even feel, the stings of conscience, the emotions of pity, or the endearments of fraternal affection.

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The chain of this history will naturally lead us to reflect farther on the great unreasonableness, as well as dangerous consequences, of parents dividing their affection unequally among their children. That all such distinctions are highly unreasonable is undeniably evident; since all our children bear an equal relation to us, and therefore have an equal claim' to our favour and regard. And that the consequences of them are dangerous ap

pears

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