soon be missed, diligent search being made. He also intimated that Joseph knew who had stolen the cup. Joseph no doubt expected that his brethren would deny the charge and say that they were innocent of the crime. Hear their reply. "And they said unto him, wherefore saith my Lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing! Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy Lord's house silver or gold? With whomso ever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my Lord's bondmen." So sure were they of their innocence that they make the assertion with the greatest confidence This was wrong, because when they were returning the first time, they found every man his money in his sack's mouth. If they had been accused of carrying away their money, they would have declared that they were innocent; they knew not who put their money in their sacks, and how could they know but that the same person had put the the cup into one of their sacks. They said as a proof of their honesty, they had brought the money back again. How then could it be thought that they had stolen the silver cup? They pronounced their own sentence of condemnation. Therefore the steward replied, "Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found, shall be my servant, and ye shall be blameless." This was a lighter punishment than they had pronounced on themselves; they immediately began the search. "Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he searched and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack." Ten are found not guilty and acquitted. Ten sacks were searched and no cup found. Surely they must now be sure of their innocence. They could hardly think that the cup would be found in his sack to whom the Governor had showed such a public mark of favor, when, behold, Benjamin's sack being opened, there the silver cup was found. Who could have put it there? Somebody must. They do not reproach Benjamin. They can not believe him guilty of such base ingrat tude. They do not believe that he stole the cup, yet what can they say? The stolen property is found in his possession. This is proof positive in the eye of the Law. Especially when the person cannot give any account how he came by such property, and he cannot prove it to be his own. They rend their clothes in agony, and with grief they lade their asses and return to the city. "And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, for he was yet there, and they fell before him on the ground." Now indeed has Joseph the complete dominion over all his brethren, and that by their own consent. But he was too upright and good to take the advantage of words spoken in haste. "And Joseph said unto them, what deed is this that thou hast done? Wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine." As if he had said, did you not think that I should search and examine this matter and punish the guilty according to the laws of the land. "And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak ? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; Be hold hold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. And he said, God forbid that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; as for you, get in peace unto your father." you up II. JUDAH'S MIN. INTERCESSION for BENJA • Then Judah came near unto him and said, Oh, my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his ser vants, saying, have ye a father or a brother? And we said unto my lord, we have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, the lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest bre ther come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again and buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face except our youngest brother be with us. And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: And the one went out from me; and I said, surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: And if ye take this also from me, and mischief befal him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us, (seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life,) it shall come to pass when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die: and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad, a bondman unto |