the

not from divination, but from experience. Of the pretended crime laid to their charge, they were innocent; but in all their tranfactions in times paft,they could not plead equally guiltlefs. When Jofeph put the question, What is this that ye have done brethren clearly understood him to refer to fome other iniquity of theirs, as appears from the answer of Judah, God hath found out the iniquity of thy fervants, that is,we acknowledge ourselves to be guilty, we own the fentence of our condemnation to be juft, we are content that judgment take placeBehold we are my Lord's fervants, both we and he alfo with whom the cup is found.

To aggravate their diftrefs, he refuses this requeft; alledging, it would be unjust to make them all fuffer, where only one appeared in fault_

And he faid, God forbid that I should do fo but the man in whofe hand the cup is found, he fhall be my fervant; and as for you, get ye up in peace unto your father_This he faid to try the affection of his brethren for Benjamin, and to fee whether they would leave him in his prefent diftrefs.

BUT here Judah ftands forward_ Judah, who had engaged to his Father for the fafety of his brother Benjamin, came near, and addreffed the Governor in a ftrain of as moving eloquence as ever flowed from the human heart; and yet, it is but a plain ftatement of facts; which fhews that there is nothing fo powerful, fo irrefiftible in its energy as truth. Could Jofeph have withstood fuch a fpeech as this, we might conclude, that amidst the fplendors of a throne, he had loft the feel

ing of a man, and that neither fraternal nor filial affection any longer found place in his bofom. But the effect of this difcourfe, muft be referved for the confideration of a future opportunity; the myftic fignification of the tranfaction before us now calls for our attention.

AND here we no longer behold Jofeph, but JESUS. The policy of the Egyptian Governor to ftay his brethren, is the type of our Governor's plan to unite us unto himself. The filver cup, which was the cause of fo much diftrefs to the fons of Jacob, is with us, THE CUP OF SALVATION. They are charged with having ftolen this cup, though in reality it was placed in their facks mouth by the order of Jofeph; and thus falvation is the free gift of God

through Chrift, but when man unwarily attributes it to himfelf, and afcribes it to his own righteoufnefs and works, there appears a kind of robbery or theft, and with this notion of merit, there is a departure from God; But fee the method he takes to bring us back, he fends after us his fleward, even the minifters and ftewards of his holy word, to charge us with the theft, and to expoftulate on the injuftice and ingratitude of attributing to ourselves that falvation which in reality belongs to God— His is all the glory-His the cup of falvation, which we have received. We are examined, and with Benjamin, even with the fimple and pure in heart, is this cup found. There was a theft, though not in intention, yet in fact; and fo involuntary fins are found even with good men, nor are our best

actions pure in the fight of God. Benjamin was going away with the cup. without knowing it; and how many fins are we furprifed into, without knowing that we commit them, till God fends after us his ftewards and minifters, to convince us of our vilenefs, and to make it appear that falva- tion from firft to laft is all from him. When the discovery is made, and to use the language of the fons of Jacob, when God hath found out the iniquity of his fervants, what fhall we fay in our defence, or how fhall we clear ourselves unto our Lord! We must acknowledge our guilt and throw ourselves upon the mercy of our Judge Behold we are my Lord's fervants, both we, and he alfo with whom the cup is found. But our Joseph will have none but Benjamin,none but they whofe hearts are fimple and pure before God. His decree runs thus,