Joseph was sold for a slave, he would never be their Lord. The Lord wonderfully kept them from taking away Joseph's life, by put-ing it into the heart of Ruben to plead, that he might be put in a pit; but if Joseph had remained there, he might have died of hunger and fatigue. Reuben intended to take him out of this, and had left his brethren for the purpose of going to the pit and saving his life. God put it into Judah's heart to propose to his brethren, that they should sell him: they all consented to this, (one only being absent) and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver. Jesus Christ was sold by one of the same name for thirty pieces of silver. "The wrath of man shall praise God, and the remainder of that wrath he will restrain."

II. REUBEN'S DISTRESS AT NOT FIND ING JOSEPH IN THE PIT.

"And Reuben returned unto the pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren and said: The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?", Reuben, it seems, went round

round some other way to the pit, and before he came to it, they had gone a nearer way, and had taken Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the merchants. Reuben rent his clothes as an expression of his uncommon concern and grief; for being the eldest, he expected no doubt that his father would question him concerning Joseph when he went. home. He seemed to have been sincerely grieved when he found that Joseph was not in the pit, he returned in an agony of grief, and Jaments his loss with the feelings of a brother. They, it seems, soon pacified Reuben, and we hear no more of his lamentations for Joseph The love of money induced them to sell their brother for a slave, so they sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver, the value of which was not more than eight or ten rupees; so that they did not get more than a rupee each, by the bargain they had made. This sum was four rupees less than the price of a common slave.

III. THE BASE AND CRUEL DECEPTION OR IMPOSITION WHICH THEY PUT ON

THEIR AGED FATHER. "And they took Joseph's coat and killed a kid of the goats,

and

And they

and dipped the coat in the blood. sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This we have found: know now, whether it be thy sou's coat or no."

They wish to make their father and others believe that Joseph was torn to pieces by a wild beast. They sent this coat of many colours to their father, with one colour more than it had before, and that was a bloody colour. They say they had found it. They inform their father of Joseph's supposed death in the most undutiful and unfeeling manner. This we have found: know now whether it be THY SON'S Coat or no! Not Joseph's coat. Not our brother's coat. No, but thy son's coat, as if they would reproach their father for his partiality, and seemed to say that Joseph alone was considered as his son. Let those who are parents place themselves in Jacob's state, and think how very painful his feelings must have been when he saw Joseph's bloody coat.

IV. JACOB'S GRIEF for the Loss of JOSEPH.

And he knew it, and said, it is my son's

coat;

coat; an evil beast hath devoured him: Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." No, Jacob, it is no evil beast, no lion, no tiger, no wolf, but men more cruel than tigers have done that to Joseph, which they had concealed from him. Alas, what hearts must they possess to see the grief of their aged parent, and not relieve the painful feelings of his mind by telling the truth! Reuben no doubt felt more than the rest, how could he stand by and keep silence; yet he said nothing: perhaps he might be afraid that if he discovered what they had done to Joseph, that they would take away his life." And Jacob rent his clothes and put on sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters, (that is, Dinah and his son's wives) rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted: and he said, for I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him."

V.

CATECHETICAL QUESTIONS.

1. Who proposed that Joseph should be sold for a slave? Judah.

should be sold? He said, what profit shall we have if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood.

3. Did they agree to Judah's proposal? Yes," And his brethren were content."

4. To whom did they sell Joseph? To merchantmen going to Egypt.

5. For how much did they sell Joseph ? For twenty pieces of silver,

6. Who was absent when Joseph was sold? Reuben, who had gone to the pit another way, in order to save Joseph's life.

7. When he came to the pit and found Joseph was not there, what did he do? He rent his clothes and returned to his brethren; and said, the child is not; and I, whither shall

I go:

8. What did they do to Joseph's coat? They killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.

9. What did they do this for? To make their father believe that Joseph was torn in pieces by an evil beast.

10. Did Jacob think so when he saw the

coat?