on him an inheritance in his eternal kingdom. Come, then, to him, confessing and forsaking your sins, and fear not, how many or how great they may have been ; be ye reconciled to God, and he will pardon you and bless you, for the sake of Jesus Christ his Son.

I

170

SERMON IX.

GENESIS xlv. 25, 26.

"And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan, unto Jacob their father, and told him, saying, Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt."

THE news of Joseph's brethren having come to Egypt soon reached the ears of Pharaoh and his servants. The manner in which it was received does honour both to Joseph and his sovereign. "It pleased Pharaoh well and his servants." Pharaoh appreciated the services of his minister, and though he had already munificently rewarded him, he was pleased to be able to confer still more benefits through the means

of his family. And we may remark, that it is a high testimony of the integrity of Joseph, and also of the justice and propriety of his conduct, that the servants of Pharaoh, no less than their lord, should rejoice in his brethren's coming. He seems to have been singularly exempt from the envy and jealousy which usually beset those who have risen to eminence; and the arrival of so large a number of his relatives did not, apparently, excite any ill-will either towards them or towards himself, though it might be imagined that, especially in a time of scarcity, they would have been looked upon as an addition to the public burdens. Pharaoh sent the most cordial and pressing invitation to induce them to come and make their abode in Egypt; and far from narrowing the offers which Joseph had made, speaks in terms of more princely liberality. The minister had modestly offered only a competency to his father and his brethren; but Pharaoh, as a king, sends waggons

and provisions for their journey, and bids them welcome to all the good of the land of Egypt. "Say unto thy brethren, This do ye; lade your beasts, and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; and take your father and your housholds, and come unto me: and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land. Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you waggons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Also regard not your stuff: for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours."

The conduct of Pharaoh is a noble instance of gratitude. He considered that for all he had, the prosperity of his kingdom, the lives of his subjects, nay, perhaps even his own life also, he was, under God, indebted to Joseph; and he appears to have rejoiced at finding an opportunity to manifest his good-will. How seldom do we witness gratitude like this! The selfish world is apt to forget and disregard bene

fits almost as soon as they have been bestowed. And yet so dependent are we upon each other, that it would seem that the daily kindnesses we receive should daily remind us of the many debts of gratitude we owe to all around us. If indeed we do neglect them, it is a fatal sign of an irreligious state of heart. If we are not grateful to man, we do but deceive ourselves when we believe that we are grateful to God. He who fulfils his duty towards God, will not fail in that towards man. "He that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?" Our kindly affections to our brethren in the flesh, and especially to those who have conferred benefits and favours on us, must needs be among the strongest evidences both to ourselves and to the world around us, that we are numbered in that family of love which our heavenly Father calls his own.

With regard to Pharaoh, too, let us not forget to remark, that his high station en