exactly verified in the person of Christ; his brethren moved with envy sold him for money, and delivered him to the Gentiles. The brother who advised the selling of Joseph, that some profit might be made of him, was Judah, who answers even in his name to the traitor that sold Jesus Christ: but the guilt which attends his name extends to the whole nation of the Jews, of whom Judah among the twelve patriarchs, and Judas among the twelve apostles, were the representatives. Envy was the motive on which the patriarchs sold Joseph; and Christ was accused and condemned on the same principle, according to the opinion of his judge; of whom two of the evangelists relate, that Pilate knew the chief priests had delivered him for envy. When Joseph declared his dreams, which signified his future superiority over his whole family; his brethren hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words; and persuaded themselves they should prevent his advancement by selling him for a slave but this was the circumstance without which his advancement could not have happened: he had never been a ruler and a prince, if he had not been sent into Egypt as a slave, and to prison * See Gen. xxxvii. 26. as as a malefactor. So when Christ asserted his own dignity, his brethren took up stones to cast at him for making himself the Son of God; and when he told them they should see him coming in the clouds, and sitting at the right hand of power, they pronounced him to be guilty of blasphemy, and inflicted those sufferings which were necessary to his exaltation. They sold him into the hands of the Romans, to be treated as a slave, scourged, and crucified. With the kingdoms of the Gentiles, to whom his brethren delivered him, he remains to this day; and thither they must come after him, if they are to meet with him, as Joseph was followed by his family into Egypt. Much more might be said to shew how exact the parallel is between the history of Joseph and the history of Christ, if we were to pursue it. We see Joseph in company with two malefactors in the prison, and promising life to one of them: we see him endued with such wisdom, that even Heathens were obliged to own that this Hebrew spoke by the spirit of God; and they were content that he should receive the power and glory of dominion. amongst them; while his brethren had rejected him as an insignificant dreamer. One circumstance, however, I must not pass over, which is particularly N 4 particularly noted by St. Stephen; that at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren. At the first meeting they knew him not: but after they had accused themselves for being guilty of his death, and had imputed their troubles to its proper cause, then their brother was made known unto them. Thus we trust it will be at last betwixt Christ and the Jews. The time will come, when they shall see the true reason why they had been wandering backwards and forwards, and seeking their bread with anxiety and suspicion, in a strange land; and shall say with the brethren of Joseph, we are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us*. God who found out the iniquity of Joseph's brethren, and at last opened their eyes to see and confess it, can turn the hearts of the Jews, how hard soever they may be at present, and prepare them for that second meeting when their Saviour shall be known to them. Some things which have passed before us in the present lecture would suggest many profitable reflections, if I had time to insist upon them. From Genesis xlii. 21. From the office of John the Baptist, which was preparatory to the doctrines of Jesus Christ, we are to learn, that no man can receive the truth of the gospel, unless he is prepared by a baptism of repentance, and is ready to forsake his sins. The counsel of God for his salvation can take no effect, till his former evil ways are given up. With an attachment to his old sins and errors, he can neither understand nor approve any thing the gospel offers to him; but will either hate or despise it, and tempt others to do the same as the scribes did, who would not accept of John's baptism. Why do not all men receive the gospel, but because some have taken part with the world, the flesh, and the devil; and determine never to renounce them? To all such the gospel is a thing of no value. From the case of Joseph, and our blessed Saviour, hated and persecuted as they were, we should learn to suspect all those whom the world magnifies, and not trust to reports and appearances, where self love and temporal interest are concerned to disguise things. This is a world in which truth is neglected, goodness evil spoken of, and innocence run down and persecuted. It is the constant practice of mankind to misrepresent and defame those whom they have injured, that their own injustice may not appear. appear. When virtue is oppressed, it is generally silent; while its oppressors never fail to be clamorous in their own vindication: and in most cases, men may distinguish where the fault lies, by the noise that is made to conceal it. When Christ was defamed he answered not again; and his disciples also suffered in patience'; while the Jews were running here and there all over the world to tell their story, and turn the hearts of men against the gospel, that they might be prepared to disbelieve and reject it, as soon as it should come to their ears. In the history of Joseph's brethren, you see them in distress under their wants; not able to stay at home without starving, nor daring to go into Egypt, taking the lord of the country for their enemy. Every mortal man will suffer under the like miserable dilemma, who cannot find his happiness in the world, and dare not seek it where only it is to be found. All this happens because he does not know Jesus Christ; does not know that he is the brother and the friend of sinners, ready to take them under his protection and supply all their wants; but supposes religion to be his enemy, and expects to be roughly handled. The brethren of Joseph did not know him ; and were distressed with fear and anxiety; the Jews did not know Christ, 1 |