beneficence of that strange Egyptian lord, as before with his imperious suspicion. Their wealth was now more irksome to them, than their need; and they fear, God means to punish them more in this superfluity of money than in the want of victuals, What is this, that God hath done to us? It is a wise course to be jealous of our gain, and more to fear than desire abundance.

Old Jacob, that was not used to simple and absolute contentments, receives the blessing of seasonable provision, together with the affliction of that heavy message, the loss of one son and the danger of another; and knows not whether it be better for him to die with hunger, or with grief for the departure of that son of his right hand. He drives off all to the last: protraction is a kind of ease in evils that must come.

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At length, as no plea is so importunate as that of famine, Benjamin must go one evil must be hazarded for the redress of another what would it avail him, to see whom he loved, miserable? How injurious were that affection to keep his son so long in his eye, till they should see each other die for hunger?

The ten brothers return into Egypt, loaded with double money in their sacks, and a present in their hands: the danger of mistaking is requited, by honest minds, with more than restitution. It is not enough to find our own hearts clear in suspicious actions, except we satisfy others.

Now had Joseph what he would, the sight and presence of his Benjamin; whom he therefore borrows of his father for a time, that he might return him with a greater interest of joy. And now he feasts them whom he formerly threatened, and turns their fear into wonder: all unequal love is not partial; all the brethren are entertained bountifully, but Benjamin hath a fivefold portion: by how much his welcome was greater, by so much his pretended theft seemed more heinous; for good turns aggravate unkindnesses, and our offences are increased with our obligations.

How easy is it to find advantages, where there is a purpose to accuse ! Benjamin's sack makes him guilty of that, whereof his heart was free: crimes seem strange to the innocent: well might they abjure this fact, with the offer of bondage and death: for they, which carefully brought again that which they might have taken, would never take that which was not given them. But thus Joseph would yet dally with his brethren: and make Benjamin a thief, that he might make him a servant; and fright his brethren with the peril of that their charge, that he might double their joy and amazement, in giving them two brothers at once our happiness is greater, and sweeter, when we have well feared, and smarted with evils.

But now, when Judah seriously reported the danger of his old father and the sadness of his last complaint, compassion and joy

will be concealed no longer, but break forth violently at his voice and eyes. Many passions do not well abide witnesses, because they are guilty to their own weakness. Joseph sends forth his servants, that he might freely weep. He knew he could not say, I am Joseph, without an unbeseeming vehemence.

Never any word sounded so strangely as this, in the ears of the patriarchs. Wonder, doubt, reverence, joy, fear, hope, guiltiness, struck them at once. It was time for Joseph to say, Fear not: no marvel if they stood with paleness and silence before him; looking on him, and on each other; the more they considered, they wondered more; and the more they believed, the more they feared; for those words, I am Joseph, seemed to sound thus much to their guilty thoughts; "You are murderers, and I am a prince in spite of you: my power and this place give me all opportunities of revenge; my glory is your shame, my life your danger; your sin lives together with me.

But now the tears and gracious words of Joseph have soon assured them of pardon and love, and have bidden them turn their eyes from their sin against their brother to their happiness in him, and have changed their doubts into hopes and joys; causing them to look upon him without fear, though not without shame. His loving embracements clear their hearts of all jealousies, and hasten to put new thoughts into them of favour and of greatness; so that now, forgetting what evil they did to their brother, they are thinking of what good their brother may do to them. Actions salved up with a free forgiveness are as not done; and, as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting, so is love after reconcilement.

But, as wounds once healed leave a scar behind them, so remitted injuries leave commonly in the actors a guilty remembrance; which hindered these brethren from that freedom of joy, which else they had conceived: this was their fault, not Joseph's; who strives to give them all security of his love, and will be as bountiful as they are cruel: they send them naked to strangers, he sends them in new and rich liveries to their father; they took a small sum of money for him, he gives them great treasures; they sent his torn coat to his father; he sends variety of costly raiments to his father by them: they sold him to be the load of camels, he sends them home with chariots.

It must be a great favour that can appease the conscience of a great injury. Now they return home rich and joyful, making themselves happy to think how glad they should make their father with the news.

That good old man would never have hoped, that Egypt could have afforded such provision as this; Joseph is yet alive: this was not food, but life to him. The return of Benjamin was comfortable; but that his dead son was yet alive, after so many years' lamentation, was tidings too happy to be believed, and was

enough to endanger that life with excess of joy, which the knowledge thereof doubled. Over-excellent objects are dangerous in their sudden apprehensions. One grain of that joy would have safely cheered him, whereof a full measure overlays his heart with too much sweetness. There is no earthly pleasure whereof we may not surfeit; of the spiritual, we can never have enough.

Yet his eyes revive his mind, which his ears had thus astonished. When he saw the chariots of his son, he believed Joseph's life, and refreshed his own. He had too much before, so that he could not enjoy it; now he sayeth, I have enough, Joseph my son is yet alive.

They told him of his honour, he speaks of his life; life is better than honour. To have heard that Joseph lived a servant, would have joyed him more, than to hear that he died honourably. The greater blessing obscures the less. He is not worthy of honour, that is not thankful for life.

Yet Joseph's life did not content Jacob without his presence; I will go down and see him ere I die: the sight of the eye is better than to walk in desires: good things pleasure us not in their being, but in our enjoying.

The height of all earthly contentment appeared in the meeting of these two; whom their mutual loss hath more endeared to each other the intermission of comforts hath this advantage, that it sweeten our delight more in the return, than was abated in the forbearance. God doth oft-times hide away our Joseph for a time, that we may be more joyous and thankful in his recovery. This was the sincerest pleasure that ever Jacob had, which therefore God reserved for his age.

And if the meeting of earthly friends be so unspeakably comfortable, how happy shall we be in the light of the glorious face of God our heavenly Father! of that our blessed Redeemer whom we sold to death by our sins; and which now, after that noble triumph, hath all power given him in heaven and earth!

Thus did Jacob rejoice, when he was to go out of the land of promise to a foreign nation for Joseph's sake; being glad that he should lose his country for his son. What shall our joy be, who must go out of this foreign land of our pilgrimage, to the home of our glorious inheritance, to dwell with none but our own; in that better and more lightsome Goshen, free from all the incumbrances of this Egypt, and full of all the riches and delights of God!

The guilty conscience can never think itself safe; so many years' experience of Joseph's love could not secure his brethren of remission; those, that know they have deserved ill, are wont to misinterpret favours, and think they cannot be beloved: all that while his goodness seemed but concealed and sleeping malice which they feared in their father's last sleep would awake, and

betray itself in revenge: still therefore they plead the name of their father, though dead, not daring to use their own. Good meanings cannot be more wronged than with suspicion : it grieves Joseph to see their fear, and to find they had not forgotten their own sin, and to hear them so passionately crave that which they had.

Forgive the trespass of the servants of thy father's God: What a conjuration of pardon was this! What wound could be either so deep, or so festered, as this plaster could not cure! They say not, the sons of thy father;" for they knew Jacob was dead, and they had degenerated; but the servants of thy father's God: how much stronger are the bonds of religion than of nature! If Joseph had been rancorous, this deprecation had charmed him; but now it resolves him into tears: they are not so ready to acknowledge their old offence, as he to protest his love; and if he chide them for any thing, it is for that they thought they needed to entreat; since they might know, it could not stand with the fellow-servant of their father's God, to harbour maliciousness, to purpose revenge; Am not I under God? And, fully to secure them, he turns their eyes from themselves to the decree of God; from the action to the event; as one that would have them think, there was no cause to repent of that which proved so successful.

Even late confession finds forgiveness: Joseph had long ago seen their sorrow, never but now heard he their humble acknowledgment: mercy stays not for outward solemnities. How much more shall that infinite goodness pardon our sins, when he finds the truth of our repentance!

CONTEMPLATIONS.

BOOK IV.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

JAMES, LORD HAY,

ALL GRACE AND HAPPINESS.

Right Honourable,- All that I can say for myself, is a desire of doing good; which if it were as fervent in richer hearts, the church, which now we see comely, would then be glorious. This honest ambition hath carried me to neglect the fear of seeming prodigal of my little; and while I see others' talents rusting in the earth, hath drawn me to traffic with mine in public. I hope, no adventure, that ever I made of this kind, shall be equally gainful to this my present labour, wherein I take God's own history for the ground, and work upon it by what meditations my weakness can afford: the divineness of this subject shall make more than amends for the manifold defects of my discourse; although also the blame of an imperfection is so much the more, when it lighteth upon so high a choice. This part, which I offer to your lordship, shall show you Pharaoh impotently envious and cruel; the Israelites of friends become slaves, punished only for prospering; Moses in the weeds, in the court, in the desert, in the Hill of Visions; a courtier in Egypt, a shepherd in Midian, an ambassador from God, a leader of God's people: and when you see prodigious variety of the plagues of Egypt, you shall not know whether more to wonder at the miracles of Moses, or Pharaoh's obstinacy. Finally, you shall see the same waves made both a wall and a gulf in one hour; the Egyptians drowned where no Israelite was wet-shod: and if these passages yield not abundance of profitable thoughts, impute it (not without pardon) to the poverty of my weak conceit; which yet may perhaps occasion better unto others. In all humble submission I commend them (what they are) to your lordship's favourable acceptation, and yourself with them to the gracious blessing of our God. Your lordship's, in all dutiful observance, at command, JOSEPH HALL.

CONTEMPLATION I.—THE AFFLICTION OF ISRAEL.

EXODUS I.

EGYPT was long a harbour to the Israelites; now it proves a gaol the posterity of Jacob finds too late, what it was for their forefathers to sell Joseph a slave into Egypt. Those whom the Egyptians honoured before as lords, now they contemn as drudges: one Pharaoh advances whom another labours to depress: not seldom the same men change copies; but if favours out-live one age, they prove decrepit and heartless. It