This is what

in doubt what to do with him. fome might confider as chance, and a moft lucky chance they might call it. Such kind of chances now and then happen to us all, but in fact they are Providences. There is many a narrow efcape for our lives experienced by us, which is entirely owing to God's goodnefs, though at the time we do not fo confider it. How many have tumbled down when they have been children, and would have been kiled if fome arm had not been ftretched out to fave them? How many have fallen fick and would have died, if at the critical moment fome particular medicine had not been given them? and how many have been caft away, and would have been drowned in the fea, if the fame God who fent the Midianites to the relief of Jofeph, had not fent fome strange and unexpected fhip or boat to the place where they were floating. It may here be remarked alfo, that many matters of importance turn on the fmalleft points. If thefe Midianites had not gone by on the very day, and the very hour of the day on which they did, Jofeph, (speaking af ter the manner of men) would probably have fuffered death, and not one of those great events in his life, which are foon to be spoken of, could have happened. One of the chief things, which I wifh my readers to learn from this hiftory of Jofeph, is the doctrine of a particular Providence. Judah having propofed to fell his brother to the Midianites, inftead of killing him or leaving him in the pit, as had been wickedly intended,

"his brethren were content. Then they d and lifted up Jofeph out of the pit, and fold feph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of filand the Ifhmaelites brought Jofeph into Egy Now Egypt was a far country, to which w Jofeph was carried, his brethren concluded they should hear no more of him.

"And Reuben returned unto the pit, and hold Jofeph was not in the pit, and he rent clothes, and he went to his brethren, and fa the child is not to be found, and I, whither fl I go."

Reuben had himself propofed the measure putting Jofeph into the pit, as a contrivance which he meant to fave his life, for he fecre intended to go afterwards to the pit, and to de ver him, but he was too late in executing purpose.

"And they took Jofeph's coat, and killed kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in t blood; and they brought the coat of many lours to their father, and faid, this have found, know now whether it be thy fon's co

or no."

What a bare-faced lie! but thus does one lead on to another. It is eafy to fee from th ftory of Jofeph's Brethren, that when people folve upon committing one fin, they are immer ately tempted to commit another fin: and efpe ally to commit the fin of lying, in order to hi what they have been doing: they are alfo plun ed from this time into a thousand ftraits and d

ficulties, and it is by adding fin to fin that they commonly try to get out. Reader did you never do fomething wrong, and then find yourself tempted to tell fome lie, or to play fome artful trick to conceal it? Jofeph's brethren killed a kid, and then dipped Jofeph's coat in the blood of it, and faid to old Jacob, "this have we found." This is the very picture of what wicked children fometimes do. Having fome fin to conceal, they invent a fine artful tale, which they tell to their masters and miftreffes, or to their good old parents, who too readily believe it, and thus, perhaps, like Jofeph's brethren, they come off for the prefent unpunished. But foon, as in the cafe of Jofeph's brethren, their lie will be found out. For already God knows it. God faw them do the wicked deed, and God now hears them tell the lie by which they hide it. God waits, indeed, to fee if they will repent, but by-and-by, perhaps, their fin fhall be known to all the world, and fhall not go unpunished. God faw from the very firft the fecret envy rife up in the hearts of the brethren of Jofeph. God heard them when they fneered at Jofeph, faying, "behold this dreamer cometh," and when they privately talked together of killing him. God faw them throw him into the pit, and cruelly leave him there. God faw them alfo when they were felling him to the Midianites: He had his eye upon them while they were bargaining by the pit's fide, and while they were counting over the twenty pieces of filver, which they after

E

wards put in their pockets. And God's prefence alfo was in the midst of them, while they were killing the kid, and dipping Jofeph's coat in the blood of it, and while they were faying to themselves, furely now no one will ever know the thing we have been doing. That ftory, which these foolish men thought would never be known by any body, is now published in the book of fcripture, that you and I, and all the world may be acquainted with it, and that we may draw the right inftruction from it.

"When poor old Jacob faw the coat, he immediately knew it, and faid, it is my fon's coat,. an evil beaft hath devoured him: Jofeph is with out doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes and put fackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his fon many days. And all his fons and all his daughters rofe up to comfort him.".

What a fet of hypocritical comforters must thefe fons have been, and how many fresh lies muft they have told when they were talking with their father.

"But Jacob refused to be comforted. And he faid, for I will go down into the grave unto my fon mourning. Thus did his father weep for him."

PART II.

JOSEPH IN PRISON.

How little do we know whether the things which befal us will turn out for our happiness

or mifery! If I was to be made a king to morrow, I am not fure that it would not prove to my hurt; and if, on the contrary, I was to be fold to-morrow for a flave, it is far from being clear that it might not be for my good; for God has all events under his direction; and he can bring strange things to pass just as he pleafes.

Jofeph (as we have already told you) was fold by his brethren as a flave, to a company of Midianitifh merchants. Now "the Midianites brought Jofeph down to Egypt, and fold him to Potiphar, who was an officer, or captain of the guard, to king Pharoah." Jofeph fell, as it feems, into good hands; but the Scriptures take care to inform us to what cause this was to be attributed; for there we read, that "the Lord was with Joseph:" hence it was, that "he became a profperous man; and he was taken into the house of his mafter the Egyptian. And his master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord made all that Jofeph did to profper in his hand."

What a great thing is it to have God's bleffing with us in every thing we do! Some people are always talking of their good or bad luck; and, according to fuch perfons, Jofeph was merely a lucky perfon; he was lucky firft, they would fay, in getting fo good a master, and ftill more lucky in finding every thing go well to which he fet his hand: In fact, however, there is no fuch thing as luck, as we have ob