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And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph out of his coat, [his] coat 24 of many colours that [was] on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit; though, as we are told (ch. xlii. 21.) he besought them with great anguish of soul not to do it: and the 25 pit [was] empty, [there was] no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread, to feast on the provisions, which,it is probable, he brought them, while he was starving in the pit (see Amos vi, 6.) and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm, and myrrh, going to carry [it] down 26 to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit [is it] if we slay our brother, or suffer him to perish in the pit, 27 and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and thus make some money of him, and let not our hand be upon him; for he [is] our brother [and] our flesh. Then there passed by Mid

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28 And his brethren were content. ianites merchantmen; and they, that is, Joseph's brethren, drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver, about forty shillings of our money and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

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And Reuben, who it seems was absent at the time this was done, returned unto the pit, probably to deliver Joseph out of it, and send him home: and, behold, Joseph [was] not in the pit; and he rent his clothes, and thus expressed his grief and concern, because, being the eldest brother, his father would expect that he should have taken care of him; and for this neglect would treat him more severely, on account of his former crime. 30 And he returned unto his brethren, and said, The child [is] not in the land of the living; and I, whither shall I go? His brethren then told him the story, and he consented to the cheat intended to be put on his father.

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And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, 32 and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of [many] colours, probably first by a messenger, and then they themselves came, and they brought [it] to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it [be] thy son's coatorno; not our brother's, but thy son's, thy favourite's coat? 33 And he knew it, and said, [It is] my son's coat; an evil beast

hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, 35 and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters, Dinah, and his sons' wives, rose up to com fort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For

A caravan of Ishmaelites and Midianites used to travel together, for fear of robbers or wild beasts.

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I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father* wept for him.

And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, [and] captain, or chief commander, of the king's guard. Thus, as Stephen observes (Acts vii. 9, 10.) God was with him and delivered him out of all his afflictions.

REFLECTIONS.

Itiality to any of their children.

T is dangerous for parents to manifest too great parJacob's fondness for Joseph caused him a great deal of grief, and exposed his son to imminent danger. Allowances ought to be made for merit; where there is any thing serious and pious, it ought to be cherished, encouraged, and rewarded: but this should be done prudently; for the spirit even of children lusteth to envy. The difference should not be too remarkable between one and another. This is one instance in which Paul's advice may be applied; Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

2. How hateful and dangerous a passion is envy ! It had like to have cost this amiable youth his life, as well as his liberty, if God had not interposed. It led his brethren to a most deliberate and malicious design, that shocks human nature. What a diabolical spirit is this! and how careful should we be to guard against it. It destroys all the bonds of natural affection, and makes persons deaf to all pity and humanity. Who, says Solomon, is able to stand before envy? When we see others more beloved and applauded than ourselves, more rich and healthful, easy and comfortable, let us guard our minds, check and suppress the first risings of an envious disposition, which tends to so much mischief; and ever remember, that envy is one of those wretched tempers which exclude from the kingdom of heaven.

3. Inordinate passions are their own punishment. Jacob's fondness for Joseph was a source of bitterness and anxiety: it. was near twenty years after this before he heard of him. A mind which is not under the influence of strong passions, is likely to be most at ease. The nearer creature comforts are to us, the faster root they take in our hearts, and the removal of them, or the fear of that removal, is the more grievous. It is our duty, and will be our wisdom, to have relatives and other comforts, as though we had them not; that is, not to be over fond of them, but expect trouble and changes. The greater our love, the greater will be our grief.

That is, as some imagine, and I think very probable, thus Isaac, Jacob's father, wept for the loss of his grandson: he was alive at this time, and no doubt bore his part in the melancholy affliction of the family.

4. See how secretly the providence of God works to bring about its own purposes, and in how mysterious a manner! This was the beginning of the whole scheme of the Jewish economy. Observe on how many circumstances it depended; on Reuben's interposition; on Judah's proposal; on the merchants coming by at that time; on his being sold into Egypt, to one of Pharaoh's officers! In all this we see the finger of God. There are many devices in the heart of man, but the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. This is a key to many circumstances in the course of our lives, which may seem trifling in themselves, but on which great and important events depend.

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5. Much of our sorrow for our departed friends arises from ig norance and mistakes. Jacob's sorrow is an emblem of ours; he saw the garment torn, and concluded that Joseph was destroyed. We see the body, which is but the soul's clothing, torn and breathless, and we conclude the soul is lost, at least we too often act as if we thought so; but the rent of the body only serves to let out the soul. Thus, like Jacob, we often perplex ourselves with supposing things to be much worse than they are. If we could but be undeceived, if we did but know things right, we should act quite otherwise. We mourn our departed friends, because their bodies are torn and left behind, when, like Joseph, they are gone to reign, and to be ten thousand times happier than they could be with us. To give way to immoderate sorrow for our departed friends, is dishonourable to God and religion, and shows our ignorance or forgetfulness. So Paul in 1 Thess. iv. 13, 14. I would not have you ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. Jacob's over affectionate love to Joseph, and his immoderate grief, when he supposed him dead, teach us, as the apostle advises, to rejoice as though we rejoiced not, and to weep as though we wept not, and to use all our comforts so as not to overvalue or abuse them, since they are continually passing away.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

In the middle of Joseph's story we find here related some particulars of Judah's family: his murriage; the death of his sons; his incest with Tamar; his confusion at its discovery; and the birth of twin sons, in whom his family was built up.*

ND it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, having quarrelled with them about selling Joseph, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name [was] Hirah; a Canaanite, of little religion, but perhaps 2 as much as himself. And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name [was] Shuah; and he took her to wife, contrary to his father's consent, (ch. xxiv. 3.) and 3 went in unto her. And she conceived, and bare a son; and 4 he called his name Er. And she conceived again, and bare 5 a son; and she called his name Onan. And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah : and he was at Chezib, when she bare him.

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And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name [was] Tamar; a tall, beautiful person, like a palm tree, as the 7 word signifies. And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD slew him, in some ex8 traordinary and remarkable manner. And Judah said unto Onan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, according to that levitical law, made afterward (Deut. xxv. 5.) and raise up seed to thy brother; beget a child which may bear thy brother's name, and have his inheritance. In this case the eldest child was looked upon as the brother's, all the rest would 9 be considered as his own. And Onan knew that the seed, the firstborn (Deut. xxv. 6.) should not be his and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled [it] on the ground, lest that he should give seed to his brothThis was a wicked action, springing from an envious and obstinate temper ; and God was pleased severely to punish it. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also, struck him dead in an awful manner. Let selfpolluting sinners hear and fear, and do no more wickedly. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown : for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren [did.] And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's bouse.

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And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 13 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold, thy father in law goeth As this chapter interrupts the history of Joseph, the reading of it may be omitted in families.

14 up to Timnath to shear his sheep. And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which [is] by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. Her intention probably was to catch Shelah, whom she expected Judah would bring with 15 him. When Judah saw her, he thought her [to be] an harlot ; because she had covered her face. So harlots were used to do, 16 not having then learned to glory in their shame. And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she [was] his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, 17 that thou mayest come in unto me? And he said, I will send [thee] a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give 18 [me] a pledge, till thou send [it] And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, perhaps a cloak or a girdle of small value, and thy staff that [is] in thine hand. And he gave [it] her, and came 19 in unto her, and she conceived by him. And she arose, and went away, and laid by her veil from her, and put on the gar20 ments of her widowhood. And Judah sent the kid by the

hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive [his] pledge 21 from the woman's hand: but he found her not. Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where [is] the harlot that [was] openly by the way side? And they said, There was 22 no harlot in this [place.] And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, 23 [that] there was no harlot in this [place.] And Judah said,

Let her take [it] to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent 24 this kid, and thou hast not found her. And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she [is] with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, that she may be tried, and if found guilty, when she is delivered, let her be burned; let her be put to death, 25 according to the law of God and of nations. When she [was] brought forth, to be tried for her adultery (for she was betrothed to Shelah and considered as his wife,) she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man whose these [are, am] I with child: and she said, Discern, I pray thee, whose [are] these, the 26 signet, and bracelets, and staff. And Judah acknowledged [them,] and said, She hath been more righteous than I; she has more reason to accuse me, than I her; since I have been the cause of her sin; because that I gave her not to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no more; he was ashamed of his sin, and did not repeat it; and probably was not married after this, as we do not read of any other children of his. VOL. I.

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