SERMON XII.

Jofeph's History confidered.

Forgiveness of Injuries.

GENESIS L. 15.

And when Jofeph's brethren faw that their father was Idead, they faid, Jofeph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evils which we did unto him.

HERE

are few inftances of the TH exercife of particular virtues which feem harder to attain to, or which appear more amiable and engaging in themselves, than those of moderation and the forgiveness of injuries; and when the temptations against them. happen to be heightened by the bitternefs of a provocation on one hand, and the fairness of an opportunity to retaliate on the other, the inftances then are truly great and heroic. The words of the

of tender and affecting circumstances, which would afford matter for reflections useful for the conduct of almost every part and stage of a man's life. But as the words of the text, as well as the intention and compafs of this difcourse, particularly confine me to speak only to one point, namely the forgivenefs of injuries, it will be proper only to confider fuch circumftances of the story, as will place this inftance of it in its just light, and then proceed to take a more general ufe of the great example of moderation and forbearance, which it fets before us.

It seems strange at firft fight, that after the fons of Jacob had fallen into Jofeph's power, when they were forced by the foreness of the famine to go down into Egypt to buy corn, and had found him too good a man even to expoftulate with them for an injury, which he feemed then to have digefted, and pioufly to have refolved into the over-ruling providence of GOD, for the prefervation of much people, how they could ever