had many things to talk about! how successful their journey had been! what surprising treatment they had met with from the governor of the land of Egypt! They were delighted with all they had seen and heard; and they would talk with each other of the good news they had for their father. SIMEON would be glad that he was out of prison, and would again see his own family. JUDAH would be pleased because he had kept his word, and brought Benjamin home again. REUBEN, who had also offered to take charge of Benjamin, would be pleased also. They would all feel together that they were bearing their younger brother back in triumph; while Benjamin himself, pleased at having seen the great country of Egypt, was pleased to be taken home. So, as the nimble asses, with steady steps, brought them nearer and nearer to Canaan, they were looking forward with merry hearts-when, stop! Look back! There seemed to be some one pursuing them. They hear a sound of steps!-a trampling sound-they see a cloud of dust, perhaps. Surely there is nothing wrong?

They soon found, however, that new troubles had come upon them. The parties thus pursuing them were no other than the steward and servants of Joseph's house, who informed them that a valuable cup, the silver drinking-cup of their master, had been stolen. Moreover he declared that one of them had stolen it; and, with a reproachful look, he asked them, Wherefore return ye evil for good? They were not a little surprised at such a question, and declared once more that they were innocent men. "And they said unto him, Wherefore saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing: behold the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan: how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen. And he said, Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. Then they speedily took down every man's sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack." W. Was it really, papa?

P. Yes. How strangely they must have felt! They could hardly believe their eyes! And, that it should be found in the sack of Benjamin was the worst misfortune of all! You can easily imagine how their hearts would sink within, what confusion they would make with their

cries of distress, and how at last, with most desolate feelings, with heavy disappointment hanging on their looks, they would with silent thoughts, and silent steps, turn their backs to Canaan. Yes! they felt that now they would never reach home again. They were returning toward Egypt to meet the angry ruler, and perhaps to meet with imprisonment and death. Ion. Well, really, they deserved to be punished; or rather Benjamin did, if he had stolen the cup.

P. But that was not the case. Joseph himself had caused the cup to be placed in Benjamin's sack; and I will tell you why. Joseph had thought thus-"They all know that our father loves Benjamin; and they seem to care more for him than they cared for me. So, perhaps, they are better men than they used to be. Now," he thought, "if they really care for Benjamin as they ought to do, they will try and save him from trouble; but if they do not, they will let him come back and be a slave." Therefore Joseph resolved to bring Benjamin into trouble, and see what kind of feeling his brothers would show on his behalf. W. Did they feel anxious to save him, papa? P. That point you shall decide in our next lesson.

Chirty-seventh Sunday.

JACOB'S VISIT TO EGYPT.

W. You said, papa, that Joseph wished to try his brothers, and see whether they would help Benjamin.

Ion. I think that they must have cared for him, because they returned with him to Egypt. They might have said, "Well, we will go home again!—and as you choose to steal, we will leave you to help yourself."

On arriving

P. But they acted in a far more generous manner. in the presence of Joseph they fell on the ground before him. They did not know what to say for Benjamin; they had really nothing to say --it was so plain a case that they dared not say he was not guilty. When Joseph reproached them, saying, "What deed is this ye have done?" they only answered that they and Benjamin were all his slaves. To this Joseph replied, "God forbid," and declared that "he

with whom the cup was found" should be his slave, and that they themselves might return to their father:

Ada. They would not like to do that. If they did not bring Benjamin, their father would die!

P. That would not be unlikely-and one brother particularly felt how dreadful was this sentence, for he had been "surety" for Benjamin's

return.

W. That was Judah!

Now was the time for him to Most earnestly and eloquently,

P. Judah listened with trembling. speak, and a noble speech he made. he poured forth his supplications for his brother. He talked to Joseph of "the old man," and of the sorrow he would feel; and tried to move him to pity. He did not attempt to excuse or to deny Benjamin's crime, although, perhaps, he felt that he was innocent. His whole prayer was for mercy. He asked for mercy for his father's sake, that he might not "bring down his gray hairs with sorrow to the grave;" and he ended by begging, as a favour, that Benjamin might return, and that he himself might remain as bondsman instead. This speech of Judah's was truly generous and noble, and I think it would do you good to hear it. Shall I read it to you?

L. Yes, do, papa, please.

P. "Then Judah came near unto him, and said, Omy lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: for thou art even as Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying, Have ye a father, or a brother? And we said unto my lord, We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him. And we said unto my lord, The lad cannot leave his father: for if he should leave his father, his father would die. And thou saidst unto thy servants, Except your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more. And it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the words of my lord. And our father said, Go again, and buy us a little food. And we said, We cannot go down: if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down: for we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with us. And thy servant my father said unto us, Ye know that my wife bare me two sons: and the one went out from me, and I said, Surely he is torn in pieces; and I saw him not since: and if ye take this also from me, and mischief befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave. Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad be not with us; seeing that his life is bound up in the

that

lad's life; it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, he will die and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave. For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever. Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with his brethren. For how shall I go up to my father, and the lad be not with me? lest peradventure I see the evil that shall come on my father."

Now, think with what strange feelings Joseph must have listened to this speech! When he saw their love for their father he could not act his part any longer. He removed the Egyptians from the room, and as he stood before his brethren again he wept aloud,—so loud that the Egyptians heard him. His brethren still knelt before him and wondered why he wept. They were troubled at his presence. They remained in uncomfortable silence. With Judah they looked up, and waited for the answer to his prayer. At length, through his tears, the great governor of Egypt gave them the astounding answer, "I AM JOSEPH !" Do you think you can imagine the scene that followed? What feelings had they when they heard the whole sentence, "I am Joseph, whom ye sold into Egypt"? They were all dumb before him! Through all their minds ran this strange thought-" What have we done? In our hatred and envy we sold him for a slave, because we would never bow down to him, and thus we worked out God's plan to make him great." What different feelings quickly followed each other, and filled their breasts! They were full of shame and confusion of face; again, their souls were relieved when they thought that Benjamin was saved; again, they were filled with joy when they thought of their father Jacob; again, perhaps, came the dread of vengeance which Joseph might inflict upon them. Benjamin, perhaps, would feel his fears of punishment rapidly melt away; he would stand by and notice with curiosity his own brother. He had often heard of him before, but he had heard that he was dead!

Joseph, however, soon quieted all their fears. He directed them to God, and taught them to admire His providence, which overruleth all things. "For," said he, "be not angry with yourselves that ye sold me, for God did send me before you to preserve life." He then explained to them that the famine would last five years longer, and advised them, if they wished to be saved, to bring their wives, children, flocks and herds, and come to live in the land of Egypt.

The account of this meeting of Joseph and his brethren soon reached the ears of King Pharaoh. So much was Joseph beloved amongst the Egyptians that the king and all his servants were much pleased with the news. He told Joseph that if his brethren chose to come to Egypt they should have a place to dwell in; and enjoy the fat of the land. He even sent them this kind message:

"Now thou art commanded, this do ye; take you wagons 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."

Joseph also gave them wagons and provisions according to Pharaoh's order; and changes of raiment; while to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of raiment, and to his father he sent ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt.

I need hardly tell you that Joseph's brethren made haste home. They were truly prosperous this time, and no steward followed after to hinder them. In their haste to meet their father they ran on before the wagons, and cried out to him, JOSEPH is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt!

What wonderful news was this for the old patriarch! It is said that "his heart fainted, as though he believed them not;" but, when he saw the carts and asses, and all the handsome presents, and the good things of Egypt, his spirit revived. He said in his joy, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive: I will go and see him before I die."

Do you think you can learn any lesson from Joseph's history? Ion. Yes, papa; we may learn that it is of no use to try and contradict anything that God has said. God said in Joseph's dream that his brethren should bow down to him, and you see they were obliged to do so, after all.

L. And you may also remember that God's providence acts in very wonderful ways. How wonderful that God should have let Joseph be put into a pit, and spend three years in prison, before he became a great man! I should have thought that God could have made him a great

mán at once!

P. Doubtless God could, but we cannot always understand God's ways. Joseph, perhaps, could not understand at the time, but we can understand them now.

W. Yes. Even I can, I think. The trials of Joseph did him good -they proved him, and showed that he was worthy to have honour. And when he had been tried God could trust him more.

P. And then you can, if you like, find a third lesson-the lesson which you have so often heard-"Hold fast that which is good." Learn from God what is truly good; and when you know what is the right and truthful course to pursue, say to yourself, "With God's help, I will always act so." And, if at any time it should seem to you that you would gain by acting wrongly, do not believe it; do as Joseph did-say again, "I will always pursue an honest, straightforward course;" and God will show you that that is the best in the end.