him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters 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."

THE

CHAPTER XXVII.

CHARACTER AND CONDUCT OF THE LORD'S PEOPLE OFTEN EXPOSED TO SEVEREST CRITICISM-TEMPTATIONS INTENDED AS TESTS-GOD THE DEFENDER OF HIS PEOPLE, AND THEIR DELIVERER IN HIS OWN TIME AND WAY JOSEPH SOLD INTO EGYPT, BUT THE LORD WITH HIM-JOSEPH'S TEMPTATION AND RESISTANCE JOSEPH IN PRISON, BUT FAVOUR SHOWN HIM THERE THE PRISON JOSEPH'S PREPARATORY SCHOOL-WHEREEVER GOD'S PEOPLE ARE THERE HE IS GOD'S WAY THE BEST -HIS PEOPLE IN THE END ABUNDANTLY SATISFIED THEREWITH -DREAMS THE SOURCE OF JOSEPH'S TRIALS -DREAMS THE SPECIAL INSTRUMENTS OF HIS DELIVERANCE.

THE Lord's people-because He will have it so-are at times placed in circumstances and positions in which their characters are, as far as appearance goes, at stake. So strange and so peculiar are the workings of God's Providence in regard to them, that that very strangeness and peculiarity are ascribed to Divine displeasure, at the same time, it may be, that Jehovah is only working out, in His special and gracious way, the loving intentions of His own eternal mind with respect to them. "His judgments are a great deep." Well has it been asked, "Who by searching can find out God ?" Temptations are oftentimes permitted of God, in order that they should

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become tests; the seeming doubt, at times appertaining to principle, is only for the more striking development of principle; whilst man, judging from mere externals, condemns-God, not unfrequently, condoles. When at length matters have reached their climax, and the destruction of the tried one is anticipated, God's own gracious word is Brought to pass, "For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; and will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him." He "brings forth their righteousness as the light, and their judgment as the noon-day." The Lord's tried and tempted will in due time realize the truth of His own word-"For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death" (Ps. cii. 19, 20).

Joseph is sold into Egypt; but, we are told, that "the Lord was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man;" moreover, we read, that "the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake." In proof, however, of the fluctuating nature of all things here, as well as to allow principles to be tested, and to prove what God's grace can do, a temptation is set before Joseph-one not only congenial to his poor fallen flesh, but coming from such a source as might have led him to conclude the yielding thereto would, in some sense, have led to his advancement. But, ah! no, he was not allowed to take so low and so despicable a view of the matter. Possessed of the

fear of the Lord, and that fear brought into exercise in the most trying and critical of circumstances, he repels the tempter with a "How, then, can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God ?" Oh, admirable plea! most forcible and God-honouring of arguments! Regardless he of all consequences, and acting upon that first and greatest of principles, "Thou, God, seest me," he denies self, denies the tempter, and depends on his God for the issue. And what was that issue? Nought less than the being cast into prison, and that, too, upon the falsest and most groundless of charges. Here Reason may be rife again with argument-here Sense and man's puny judgment may have remonstrated. What returns, these, for honesty, sobriety, and steadfastness of character! What a sorry compensation this! 'Deep calling unto deep!" First, banishment from a father's hearth-then being sold as a slave-and now consignment to a dreary dungeon, upon a charge of which he was absolutely innocent. But Joseph's God was with him even in a prison; for so it is recorded, that “the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison;" yea, "The keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper" (Gen. xxxix. 22, 23). Joseph not only had a teaching and training

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to undergo in the prison, in order to qualify him for filling that all-important position to which he was eternally appointed; but, doubtless, he was to be made of inconceivable benefit to those committed to his care. Wherever a child of God is, there, in a very special manner, God is likewise, and that to instruct him-to comfort him-and to make use of him. He is not lost, not overlooked, nor are his labours in vain, whether they take the form of active service or passive suffering. In either case the Lord is with him, to sustain and bless.

To suppose that service supersedes sensitiveness, is incorrect; the woman of Shunem was so resigned a sufferer, that she answered, "It is well," when interrogated with regard to herself, her husband, and her child, and yet her soul was so bitter (margin) within her, that she caught the prophet by the feet. And Joseph so felt his position, that, notwithstanding the favour shown him in the prison, he said to Pharaoh's butler, when, according to Joseph's interpretation of his dream, he was about to be liberated, "Think on me when it shall be well with thee, and shew kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house: for indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews: and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon" (Gen. xl. 14, 15).

We find that "two full years" passed over before the chief butler remembered Joseph; and that remembrance was brought about by God Him