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SERMONXII.

GENESIS L. 15.

And when Joseph's brethren Saw that their father was dead, they faid, Joseph will peradventure bate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him.

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HERE are few instances of the exercife of particular virtues which feem harder to attain to, or which appear more amiable and engaging in themselves, than those of moderation and the forgiveness of injuries; and when the temptations against them happen to be heightened by the bitterness of a provocation on one hand, and the fairness of an opportunity to retalitate on the other, the inftances then are truly great and heroic. The words of the text, (which are the consultation of the fons of Jacob amongst themselves

themselves upon their father Ifrael's death, when, because it was in Joseph's power to revenge the deadly injury they had formerly done him, they concluded in course, that it was in his intention), will lead us to a beautiful example of this kind in the character and behaviour of Joseph consequent thereupon; and as it seems a perfect and very engaging pattern of forbearance, it may not be improper to make it serve for the ground-work of a discourse upon that subject. The whole transaction, from the first occafion given by Joseph in his youth, to this last act of remifsion, at the conclusion of his life, may be said to be a masterpiece of history. There is not only in the manner throughout such a happy though uncommon mixture of simplicity and grandeur, which is a double character so hard to be united, that it is seldom to be met with in compositions merely human, but it is likewise related with the greatest variety of tender and affecting circumstances, which would afford matter for reflections useful for the conduct of almost every part and stage of a man's life. But as the words of the text, as well as the intention and compass of this discourse, particularly confine me to speak only only to one point, namely, the forgiveness of injuries, it will be proper only to confider such circumstances of the story as will place this instance of it in its just light; and then proceed to make a more general use of the great example of moderation and forbearance which it sets before us.

It seems strange, at first sight, that after the fons of Jacob had fallen into Joseph's power, when they were forced by the foreness of the famine to go down into Egypt to buy corn, and had found him too good a man even to expoftulate with them for an injury, which he seemed then to have digested, and pioufly to have resolved into the over-ruling providence of GOD, for the preservation of much people, how they could ever after question the uprightness of his intentions, or entertain the leaft fufpicion that his reconciliation was dissembled. Would not one have imagined, that the man who had discovered such a goodness of foul, that he fought where to weep, because he could not bear the struggles of a counterfeited harshness, could never be suspected afterwards of intending a real one? - and that he only waited till their father Ifrael's death to requite them all VOL. II. the

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the evil which they had done unto him. What still adds to this difficulty is, that his affecționate manner in making himself known to them; his goodness in forbearing, not on ly to reproach them for the injury they had formerly done him, but extenuating and excusing the fault to themselves, his comforting and speaking kindly to them, and seconding all with the tenderest marks of an undisguised forgiveness, in falling upon their necks, and weeping aloud, that all the house of Pha raoh heard him; that, moreover, this behaviour of Joseph could not appear to them to be the effect of any warm and sudden transport, which might as suddenly give way to other reflections, but that it evidently sprung from a fettled principle of uncommon generosity in his nature, which was above the temptation of making use of an opportunity for revenge, which the course of God's providence had put into his hands for better purposes; and what might still seem to confirm this, was the evidence of his actions to them afterwards, in bringing them and all their houshold up out of Canaan, and placing them near him in the land of Goshen, the richest part of Egypt, where they had had so many years experience

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of his love and kindness. And yet it is plain all this did not clear his motive from fufpicion, or at least themselves of some apprehenfions of a change in his conduct towards them. And was it not that the whole transaction was wrote under the direction of the Spirit of truth, and that other historians concur in doing justice to Joseph's character, and speak of him as a compassionate and merciful man, one would be apt, you will say, to imagine here, that Mofes might possibly have omitted some circumstances of Joseph's behaviour, which had alarmed his brethren, betwixt the time of his first reconciliation and that of their father's death. For they could not be fufpicious of his intentions without some cause, and fear where no fear was. But does not a guilty conscience often do so? and though it has the grounds, yet wants the power to think itself fafe.

And could we look into the hearts of those who know they deserve ill, we should find many an instance, where a kindness from an injured hand, where there was least reason to expect one, has struck deeper, and touched the heart with a degree of remorse and concern, which

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