SERMONS.

SERMON I.

GENESIS XXxvii. 3.

"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours."

THE biography of holy men is in the highest degree interesting and instructive. While it presents to us so many bright examples of wisdom and piety, it may, and indeed it ought to, excite in our minds much shame and sorrow, as we reflect on our own inferiority. Our many failings, our slow progress, if any, towards the

B

heavenly Jerusalem, seem to make us almost despair of even approaching that eminent spirituality and devotedness which such persons have attained. These feelings, however, though painful, are highly salutary; and tend to render us more watchful against our frailties and infirmities, and more anxious and earnest to obtain that divine assistance, without which all human strength is but weakness. We may remark, too, the peculiar advantage of scriptural biography in this respect. The portraits which human writers draw, are discouraging, because they are generally too highly coloured. We know but imperfectly the characters of our fellow-men, even under the most favourable circumstances: we estimate them yet more imperfectly; and when we attempt to record their lives, as if conscious that we have undertaken a task for which we are but ill qualified, we seem resolved to indemnify the deceased for our presumption, by bestowing on them all imaginable

virtues, and all possible praise. But not so are the narratives written by the unerring Spirit of God. In reading these, the humble but imperfect Christian can take courage; he finds his heart comforted, his hopes exalted, his prayers stimulated, for he sees recorded the lives of holy men, but not faultless men. Men of like passions and like infirmities with himself, through the help of the gracious Spirit overcoming every difficulty, and finally, in the power of God, after many an error, and many a fear, entering into glory, and welcomed with a Saviour's approbation, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

It is with the hope that such may be the feelings excited in the hearts of many here present, that I am induced to direct your attention to the history of Joseph, one of the most distinguished servants of God that any age or nation has produced. As we proceed, I shall endeavour to make a few plain and practical observations on

the successive changes of his eventful life. And I trust that, with the blessing of God, my efforts, though feeble, may not wholly fail to contribute to your benefit and his glory.

The chapter from which our text is taken, commences the history of Joseph, his birth only having been before mentioned. We find him in the second verse of the chapter spoken of as a youth of seventeen, and as being usefully employed, feeding his father's flock.

His being thus introduced, may show that it is important and honourable for young persons to be diligent and industrious. No young person, whatever may be his rank in life, or whatever his fortune, should be idle; for no station ought to exempt him from such employment as may be both useful and creditable to himself, and all connected with him. If dignity of birth and peculiarity of circumstances exempted any one, they did Joseph, he being the son of a very wealthy

man, and the grandson of Abraham, who was a person of the first consideration in the country where he dwelt, and who was, besides, especially honoured by the divine promise, which said, that " in. him all nations of the earth should be blessed."

While, too, Joseph's conduct is worthy the imitation of the young, parents should admire and follow the example of Jacob, by bringing up their children in habits of industry. Idleness is productive of the greatest evils; it is the occasion of many vices. Jacob loved Joseph, but his affection did not, as is the case with many parents, lead him into excessive indulgence, or allow the good habit of employment to be overlooked, or suffer the youth to waste his time in an unprofitable manIndeed it is not only a foolish but a false affection in parents to permit children to mispend their early years,-years upon which the good or evil of their after life must depend, and which, if lost, can

ner.