JACOB was not negligent of the heavenly intimation, which he doubtlefs confidered as portending fome great good to his favourite child_____ for while his brethren envied him, it is faid that his father obferved the faying, that is, kept it in his mind, expecting one day to see its accomplishment.

AND now the brethren of Jofeph are feeding their father's flock in Sichem, a place at fome diftance, where they were gone for the fake of pafturage. Jofeph himself was detained at home, probably on account of the known enmity of his brethren. With generous minds, though natural affection may for a while fubfide, yet will it afterwards return with redoubled ftrength, and past misunderstandings be forgotten. Jacob hoping this might be the cafe with his fons proposes to

him to visit them. Go I pray thee, fays he, fee whether it be well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks; and bring me word again. Little did the old-man think of the danger to which he expofed his favourite fon when he fent him on this friendly errand. Little did he imagine that thofe very brethren whofe welfare Jofeph was commiffioned to be affured of, would be the perfons to confpire against his life.

FOR fome time Joseph wandered on the plains of Sichem without being able to find them; at length he met with a person who informed him they were gone from thence to Dothan. To Dothan therefore he went, and found them there.

No fooner did they fee him, than it was inftantly propofed to put him to

death

When they faw him afar off, even

before he came near unto them, they confpired against hin to flay him.

HERE We may obferve the fatal con

we

fequences of evil tempers indulged: envy and hatred are the feeds of vio-lence and murder, if these feeds are fuffered to take root and grow in the heart, fuch will be their fruits: at firft perhaps the difpleasure which they had conceived against their brother was moderate, and fuch as the beft of men are not always exempt from; but: then they ought to have ftrove against the firft fymptoms of ill-will towardstheir brother, and have nipt the paffion in the bud: inftead of this, they cherished their refentments, and meditated nothing but revenge; till at length they deliberated about the commillion of a crime, which in the earlier

flages of their guilt they could not have thought of but with horror. Had any one propofed to them, when they firft faw their brother dreft out in the envied coat, "come let us kill him," with what abhorrence would they not have rejected the propofal! the iniquity of their hearts was not then ripe for the commiffion of fo much wickednefs: But now thoughts of hatred. and ill-will are familiar to their bofoms, and rife up impatient to deftroy the object of their averfion; they confpire to murder their brother_their brother who came to them with a tender meffage from their father to enquire after their welfare.

And they faid one to another, Behold this dreamer cometh The very favours of God are objected to him in the way of reproach. This dreamer, this vi

fionary, who pretends to extraordi nary communications from heaven.

Come now therefore, fay they, and let us flay him, and caft him into fome pit, and we will fay fome evil beaft hath devoured him, and we shall fee what will become of his dreams.

BUT vain will be every attempt of man to defeat the purposes of God. The clay muft yield to the hand of the potter; the oppofition of the wicked does but carry on the defigns of Heaven, and the very means which the brethren of Jofeph employ to prove the falfity of his dreams, are the first ftep towards their fulfilment.

GOD would fuffer thefe men to execute only part of their counfel, and therefore he put it into the heart of