sonfinement, till they submitted to his will and came to a determination among themselves. What do you think were their thoughts while they were in confinement? They were innocent of the crime of which they were ac cused, but then they had been guilty of so many others, that they had reason to fear that the vengeance of God would one day overtake them.

III. Their DELIVERANCE from PRISON.

And Joseph said unto them the third day, this do and live; for I fear God: If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye and carry corn for the famine of your houses: But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so." They agreed to this proposal; finding it was in vain to resist. They knew no other way of preventing their families from pe rishing with hunger. "For I fear God." How surprized they must have been to hear these words from the mouth of the Governor of Egypt. If he really does fear God, then he will do us no harm. He will not starve our fami

lies, nor take away our lives unjustly and without cause. These words must at once encourage and impress their minds. He wan ted them to think how much better treatment they had received at his hands, than they had shown to their brother who had pleaded for his life, but they would not hear him. he may have some surety for their return, he insists on one of them being detained in prison, till they prove themselv s to be true men, by bringing their brother,

That

IV. The sorrowful REFLECTION of JoSEPH'S BRETHREN upon this EVENT.

When Joseph had told them what they were to do, he probably retired from them, and as. he spoke to them by an interpreter, they little thought that the Governor of Egypt understood their language. What must have been Joseph's feeling when he heard them saying one to ar other, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he sought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Rueben spake unto them, saying, spake ľ ́ not unto you do not sin against the child; and

ye would not hear: therefore, behold also, his blood is required? And they knew not that Joseph understood them." Joseph having mentioned the fear of God, set them a thinking: their conscience which had slept for more than twenty years, was now awakened, and Joseph had brought them to that state of mind which he wished to see them in. Reuben remembers his efforts to save his brother, and is comforted, while they are tormented with the stings of a guilty conscience. What they

said had such an effect on Joseph's mind, that he turned himself about from them and wept, and returned to them again and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

V. JOSEPH'S BRETHREN dismissed with CORN and MONEY.

After binding Simeon and detaining him as a hostage or surety for their return, he ordered their sacks to be filled with corn and their money to be returned; this was done at the command of Joseph. "Then Joseph commanded to fill theirsacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and

to

to give them provision for the way: and this did he unto them. And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence. And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth." The money was not given into their hands, but put in the sack, tied up in a bundle, just as they had delivered it. This must be a new source of fear and sorrow to them. "And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their hearts failed them, and they said one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us." This was done by Joseph in kindness to them: but he knew that they would be alarmed by it, that they would think it a snare to entrap them and accuse them of carrying away the money

ther by force or fraud. They do not reproach the Governor or his officers, but ascribe it to the righteous judgment of God.

VI. The ARRIVAL of JOSEPH'S BRETHREN at HOME.

"And they came unto Jacob their father in the land of Canaan, and told him all that bef.1

unto

unto them." That the Governor of the country had spoken roughly to them, and had ta ken them for spies, that he had bound Simeon and detained him in prison till they brought Benjamin, to prove that they had spoken the truth. They then emptied their sacks of the corn, and behold every man's bundle of money was in his sack. It seems they did not mention this circumstance to their father, fearing perhaps that he would reprove them for not going back to Egypt immediately as soon as they had found the money. And when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. This seems to have made a deep impression on their father's mind, who began to suspect that all was not right. "And Jacob their father said unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children. Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin a way. All these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, slay my two sons, if I bring him not unto thee: Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again. And he said, my son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone; if mischief befal him by the way