and their love of Benjamin, could refrain no longer; but, throwing his arms about their necks, faid, I am Jofeph; doth my father yet live? And perceiving them to be deeply affected and troubled at his prefence, he addreffed them with the most kind and gentle expreffions; Come near me, I pray you; I am Jofeph your brother, whom ye fold into Egypt; but be not grieved, that ye fold me into Egypt; for God fent me before you to preferve life. So now it was not you that fent me hither, but God. Thus he endeavoured to comfort them; to make them forget their past faults, and to fpeak peace to their minds. He then directed them to haften to Jacob to acquaint him that his fon Jofeph was lord of all Egypt; and to bring him and his whole family into Egypt; that he might pay his duty to his aged father, and that they might all partake of the plenty which God had provided.

The heart of Jacob upon the return of his fons, was filled with joy and he faid, It is enough (I defire nothing more in this world) Jofeph, my fon, is yet alive; I Hill go and fee him before I die. He fet out; he arrived fafe in Egypt; but the pleafure of the interview between fuch an affectionate parent and fuch a dutiful fon is

not to be described. Jofeph fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while; and Jacob faid, now let me die, fince 1 have feen thy face. Jacob and his family were fettled in the land of Goshen, where they lived in great plenty; and after some time, the good old man, having blessed his children, and foretold that the Meffiah fhould defcend from Judah, died in

peace.

What fentiments of piety and goodnefs arife in the heart upon confidering the character of Jofeph ! patient under affliction; honeft and juft in his ftewardship; refifting temptation, and fleeing from it; living under the fear of God, and fupported by his prefence; rifing from the loweft fcene of difgrace and mifery to the higheft dignity; providing for the wants of the people; cherishing a spirit of forgivenefs and brotherly love under the greatest injuries, and pouring plenty and comfort into the breaft of his aged father.

There are alfo feveral circumftances, particularly his being hated by his brethren, his defcending into the dungeon, and being raised to rule over Egypt; which, by their refemblance, naturally lead the mind to Chrift; and though too much stress hould not be laid upon fuch resemblances,

9

yet they may be prudently used to direct the and heart to Him, who is the end of the eye law and all the Scriptures.

CHAP. XV.

THE SLAVERY OF THE ISRAELITES AND THE BIRTH OF MOSES.

HE fons of Jacob and their defcendants,

THE

in procefs of time, multiplied fo much, that the land of Goshen was filled with them. They were called Ifraelites, from the furname of Ifrael, which God had given to Jacob: and fometimes they were called Hebrews, from Heber, one of their ancestors; and afterwards Jews, from Judah. But after many years the memory of Jofeph and his great fervices was loft; and a new king arofe, who, instead of protecting the Ifraelites, was jealous of their increafing numbers and ftrength, and determined by all means to reduce them to a low ftate. He therefore employed them like slaves, in making bricks, and building cities; and made their lives bitter with hard bondage; but the more he afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew : at which he was fo enraged, as to com. mand, that all their male infants should be

Before

deftroyed, as foon as they were born. A certain Hebrew woman, however, Chrift called Jochebed, having been deli1571. vered of a fon, hid him for three months; and at length, through fear, of his being difcovered and flain, the laid him in a basket, among the flags in the river Nile ; Miriam, the fifter of the child, was placed at a distance, to fee what would become of him.

The king's daughter foon came with her maid fervants to bathe in the river; and, having found the basket, was affected with the fight of the weeping infant, and melted into pity. Miriam, who had joined herfelf with the attendants, offered to call a nurfe; and, being fent for that purpose, ran with joy for Jochebed. So the infant was happily placed under the care of his own mother; and when he was fufficiently grown, was brought back to Pharaoh's daughter, who called him Mofes, (which means faved out of the water,) and had him educated, as her own fon, in the knowledge and wisdom of the Egyptians.

Mofes, when he was grown to man. hood, turned his eye and heart from the honours of the court to the afflictions of his brethren. He therefore frequently vifited and converfed with them; and one

day, having obferved an Egyptian doing wrong and injury to an Hebrew, he fmote him and killed him. When Pharaoh heard this, he fought to play Mofes; who, upon that account, fled to Midian, to Jethro, the priest of that country; he afterwards married his daughter and lived with him as keeper of his flocks.

After feveral years, as he was feeding the flocks near mount Horeb, he faw a bufh flaming with fire, and yet not in the leaft confumed. While he stood in amazement at the ftrange fight, a voice iffued from the place, faying, I am the God of Abraham, the God of Ifaac, and the God of Jacob; I have feen the oppreffion of my people, and have heard their cry; and I will fend thee to Pharaoh, that thou mayeft lead them out of Egypt: for I will bring them into a land flowing with milk and honey. Mofes was no lefs astonished at what he heard, than at what he faw; and expreffed his fears at undertaking fuch an important and difficult enterprife, because he was a perfon of no authority or eloquence. But God exhorted him to be of good courage, and promised that He would be with him, and give him power to work miracles for the deliverance of his people; and that Aaron, his brother,