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FA HYMN.

HAPPY the Children who betimes
Have learnt to know the Lord,

Who thro' his grace escape the crimes
Forbidden in his word.

Should they be early hence removid
He will their souls receive,
For they whom Jesus here hath lov'd
With him shall ever live.

The Saviour whom they trusted here
Shall wipe their tears away :
No night of darkness shall be there,
But one eternal day.

May we with them in bliss O Lord . For ever number'd be:

Tanght by thy spirit and thy word,

To live alone to thee.

Come, holy spirit, and may each heart

Thy blessed temple prove;
Thy heav'nly likeness now impart,

And rule us all by love,

LECTURE

JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.

GEN. 37. 4. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

We now enter upon the interesting and affecting history of Joseph. A history which all young persons delight to read, but from which few derive that instruction which they ought. Let me hope you will attend to the few things which are now to be noticed in -this Lecture, relating to the History of Joseph-The life of Joseph is perhaps the most remarkable in the history of Man. It is too beautiful to be imitated by any writer that is not inspired by God. It is related with great simplicity, and abounds with the most interesting and affecting scenes. A writer who did not believe the Bible to be true, once said that he never read the History of Joseph without tears. The Mother of Joseph was dead. A child who has no mother, com

mands

mands our pity and deserves our love.

We

cannot but feel for Joseph, because he is deprived of the friend and guide of his youth. His father would, but cannot supply the loss of a beloved Mother. The child who knows and loves his Mother, must every moment feel and lament her loss. No voice so sweet, no smile so pleasant, no hand so soft, no frown, no displeasure so severe as her's. Joseph had lost his Mother, and was capable of feeling her loss, he knew her worth. He saw his Father's tears, and wept when the pillar was raised over the grave where she was buried. Such was Joseph when his History begins. His person and his youth makes us not only love him, but we are anxious for his future welfare.

1. We notice the EMPLOYMENT of Joseph. Joseph being seventeen years old was feeding the flock with his brethren. How dangerous is the path of youth at the age of seventeen. How many snares and tempta tions surround him. How much depends on the principles in which he has been instruc ted on the impressions that are made upon

T

his mind. His habits, of life and general. conduct will in a great measure, be formed from the example of his companions.

Joseph is introduced to us as a shepherd, feeding his father's flock, engaged in the same employment as his brethren. "And the lad was with tlie sons of Bilhah and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Ashur were his compa nions. Brethren are not always the most suitable companions. Joseph's brethren were most of them, if not all of them, very wicked. Joseph was much with them, and their em ployment allowed them much leisure time to pursue those evil inclinations which had already discovered themselves on more than one occasion.

H. We must notice the conduct af JoSEPH'S BRETHREN.

It was evil. And Joseph brought unto his father their evil reports." What, was Jos ph a tell-tale? Did he try to make mischief, and by representing the wicked conduct of his brethren, endeavor to gain all his fa ther's love? No, Joseph was grieved at the conduct

conduct of his brethren. He was vexed with their evil words and evil deeds, there fore he left them, could not bear to stay with them any longer. He had seen and heard such things as he knew were sinful. What these things were we are not told. Ja cob's sons did those things when absent front their father's presence, which they dare not do when at home. The nind of pious Joseph was hurt, for he appeared to have walked in the fear of God and to have remembered his Creator in the days of his youth. His father would naturally inquire the reason of his kaving his brethren and returning home. He told his father what he had seen and heard and it was an evil report, not a good one. How much must Jacob feel when he had heard what Joseph had to say.!

II. JACOB's great PARTIALITY for JOSEPH.

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children; because he was the Son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. This was very wrong in Jacob to love Joseph more than all his other children: and he was still more to be blamed for showing his partial

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