excellent objects are dangerous in their sudden apprehensions. One grain of that joy would have safely cheered him, whereof a full measure overlays his heart with too much sweetness. There is no earthly pleasure whereof we may not surfeit: of the spiritual we can never have enough.

Yet his eyes revive his mind, which his ears had thus astonished. When he saw the chariots of his son, he believed Joseph's life, and refreshed his own. He had too much before, so that he could not enjoy it: now he saith, "I have enough; Joseph my son is yet alive."

seph to say, "Fear not:" no marvel if they | the knowledge thereof doubled. Overstood with paleness and silence before him, looking on him, and on each other. The more they considered, they wondered more; and the more they believed, the more they feared. For these words, "I am Joseph," seemed to sound thus much to their guilty thoughts:- You are murderers, and I am a prince in spite of you. My power, and this place, give me all opportunities of revenge: my glory is your shame, my life your danger; your sins live together with me. But now the tears and gracious words of Joseph have soon assured them of pardon and love, and have bidden them turn their eyes from their sin against their brother, to their happiness in him, and have changed their doubts into hopes and joys, causing them to look upon him without fear, though not without shame. His loving embracements clear their hearts of all jealousies, and hasten to put new thoughts into them of favour, and of greatness; so that now forgetting what evil they did to their brother, they are thinking of what good their brother may do to them. Actions, salved up with a free forgiveness, are as not done: and as a bone once broken is stronger after well setting, so is love after reconcilement.

But as wounds once healed leave a scar behind them, so remitted injuries leave commonly in the actors a guilty remembrance, which hindered these brethren from that freedom of joy, which else they had conceived. This was their fault, not Joseph's, who strives to give them all security of his love, and will be as bountiful as they were cruel. They send him naked to strangers; he sends them in new and rich liveries to their father: they took a small sum of money for him; he gives them great treasures: they sent his torn coat to his father; he sends variety of costly raiments to his father, by them: they sold him to be the load of camels; he sends them home with chariots. It must be a great favour, that can appease the conscience of a great injury. Now they return home, rich and joyful, making themselves happy to think how glad they should make their father with this news.

That good old man would never have hoped, that Egypt could have afforded such provision as this"Joseph is yet alive.'

This was not food, but life to him. The return of Benjamin was comfortable; but that his dead son was yet alive, after so many years' lamentation, was tidings too happy to be believed, and was enough to endanger that life with excess of joy, which

They told him of his honour; he speaks of his life: life is better than honour. To have heard that Joseph lived a servant, would have joyed him more, than to hear that he died honourably. The greater blessing obscures the less. He is not worthy of honour, that is not thankful for life.

Yet Joseph's life did not content Jacob, without his presence: "I will go down and see him, ere I die." The sight of the eye is better than to walk in desires. Good things pleasure us not in their being, but in our enjoying.

The height of all earthly contentment appeared in the meeting of these two, whom their mutual loss had more endeared to each other. The intermission of comforts hath this advantage, that it sweetens our delight more in the return, than was abated in the forbearance. God doth ofttimes hide away our Joseph for a time, that we may be more joyous and thankful in his recovery. This was the sincerest pleasure that ever Jacob had, which therefore God reserved for his old age.

And if the meeting of earthly friends be so unspeakably comfortable, how happy shall we be in the light of the glorious face of God our heavenly Father! of that of our blessed Redeemer, whom we sold to death by our sins; and which now, after that noble triumph, hath all power given him in heaven and earth!

Thus did Jacob rejoice, when he was to go out of the land of promise to a foreign nation, for Joseph's sake; being glad that he should lose his country for his son. What shall our joy be, who must go out of this foreign land of our pilgrimage, to the home of our glorious inheritance, to dwell with none but our own, in that better and more lightsome Goshen, free from all the encumbrances of this Egypt, and full of all the riches and delights of God! The guilty conscience can never think itself safe: so many years' experience of Joseph's love

could not secure his brethren of remission. | bours to depress. Not seldom the same Those that know they have deserved ill, man changes copies: but if favours outlive are wont to misinterpret favours, and think one age, they prove decrepit and heartless. they cannot be beloved. All that while, It is a rare thing to find posterity heirs of his goodness seemed but concealed and their father's love. How should men's fasleeping malice, which they feared in their your be but like themselves, variable and father's last sleep would awake, and bewray inconstant? There is no certainty but in itself in revenge: still, therefore, they plead the favour of God, in whom can be no the name of their father, though dead, not change, whose love is entailed upon a thoudaring to use their own. Good meanings sand generations. cannot be more wronged than with suspicion. It grieves Joseph to see their fear, and to find they had not forgotten their own sin, and to hear them so passionately crave that which they had.

Yet if the Israelites had been treacherous to Pharaoh, if disobedient, this great change of countenance had been just: now the only offence of Israel is, that he prospereth. That which should be the motive of their gratulation and friendship, is the cause of their malice. There is no more hateful sight to a wicked man, than the prosperity of the conscionable. None but the Spirit of that true harbinger of Christ, can teach us to say with contentment, " He must increase, but I must decrease."

"Forgive the trespass of the servants of thy father's God." What a conjuration of pardon was this! What wound could be either so deep, or so festered, as this plaster could not cure! They say not, the sons of thy father, for they knew Jacob was dead, and they had degenerated; but the servants of thy father's God. How much stronger And what if Israel be mighty and rich? are the bonds of religion than of nature! "If there be war, they may join with our If Joseph had been rancorous, this depre- enemies, and get them out of the land." cation had charmed him; but now it dis--Behold, they are afraid to part with solves him into tears: they are not so ready to acknowledge their old offence, as he to protest his love; and if he chide them for any thing, it is for that they thought they needed to entreat; since they might know it could not stand with the fellow-servant of their father's God to harbour maliciousness, to purpose revenge. "Am not I under God?" And fully to secure them, he turns their eyes from themselves to the decree of God, from the action to the event; as one that would have them think there was no cause to repent of that which proved so successful.

Even late confession finds forgiveness. Joseph had long ago seen their sorrow; never but now heard he their humble acknowledgment. Mercy stays not for out ward solemnities. How much more shall that infinite goodness pardon our sins, when he finds the truth of our repentance!

BOOK IV.

those whom they are grieved to entertain: either staying or going is offence enough to those that seek quarrels: there were no wars, and yet they say, If there be wars. The Israelites had never given cause of fear to revolt, and yet they say, "Lest they join to our enemies," to those enemies which we may have: so they make their certain friends slaves, for fear of uncertain enemies. Wickedness is ever cowardly, and full of unjust suspicions: it makes a man fear, where no fear is; fly, when none pursues him. What difference there is betwixt David and Pharaoh! The faith of the one says, "I will not be afraid for ten thousand that should beset me:" the fear of the other says, "Lest if there be war, they join with our enemies;" therefore should he have made much of the Israelites, that they might be his: his favour might have made them firm. Why might they not as well draw their swords for him?

Weak and base minds ever incline to the worse, and seek safety rather in an impossibility of hurt, than in the likelihood of just

CONTEMPLATION I.—OF THE AFFLICTION OF advantage. Favours had been more bind

ISRAEL.

EGYPT was long an harbour to the Israelites; now it proves a jail: the posterity of Jacob finds too late, what it was for their forefathers to sell Joseph a slave into Egypt. Those whom the Egyptians honoured before as lords, now they contemn as drudges. One Pharaoh advances, whom another la

ing than cruelties: yet the foolish Egyptian had rather have impotent servants, than able friends. For their welfare alone Pharaoh owes Israel a mischief; and how will he pay it?

"Come let us work wisely." Lewd men call wicked policies wisdom, and their success happiness. Herein Satan is wiser than they, who both lays the plot, and makes

them such fools as to mistake villany and | than death, as their sex was weaker. O madness for the best virtue.

marvellous cruelty, that a man should kill a man for his sex's sake! Whosoever hath loosed the reins unto cruelty, is easily carried into incredible extremities.

Injustice is upheld by violence, whereas just governments are maintained by love. Taskmasters must be set over Israel; they should not be the true seed of Israel, if they From burdens they proceed to bondage, were not still set to wrestle with God in and from bondage to blood: from an unafflictions: heavy burdens must be laid upon just vexation of their body, to an inhuman them. Israel is never but loaded: the des-destruction of the fruit of their body. As tiny of one of Jacob's sons is common to the sins of the concupiscible part, from all, to lie down betwixt their burdens. If slight motions, grow on to foul executions, they had seemed to breathe them in Goshen so do those of the irascible. There is no sometimes, yet even there it was no small sin whose harbour is more unsafe than that misery to be foreigners, and to live among of malice: but ofttimes the power of tyrants idolaters; but now the name of a slave is answers not their will. Evil commanders added to the name of a stranger. Israel hath cannot always meet with equally mischiegathered some rust in idolatrous Egypt, and vous agents. now he must be scoured: they had borne the burden of God's anger if they had not borne the burdens of the Egyptians.

As God afflicted them with another mind than the Egyptians (God to exercise them, the Egyptians to suppress them), so causes he the event to differ. Who would not have thought with these Egyptians, that so extreme misery should not have made the Israelites unfit, both for generation and resistance? Moderate exercise strengthens, extreme destroys nature: that God, which many times works by contrary means, caused them to grow with depression, with persecution to multiply. How can God's church but fare well, since the very malice of their enemies benefits them! O the sovereign goodness of our God, that turns all our poisons into cordials! God's vine bears the better with bleeding.

And now the Egyptians could be angry with their own maliciousness, that this was the occasion of multiplying them whom they hated and feared; to see that this service gained more to the workmen than to their masters: the stronger therefore the Israelites grew, the more impotent grew the malice of their persecutors. And since their own labour strengthens them, now tyranny will try what can be done by the violence of others. Since the present strength cannot be subdued, the hopes of succession must be prevented: women must be suborned to be murderers; and those whose office is to help the birth must destroy it.

There was less suspicion of cruelty in that sex, and more opportunity of doing mischief. The male children must be born, and die at once.

The fear of God teaches the midwives to disobey an unjust command; they well knew how no excuse it is for evil, I was bidden. God said to their hearts, "Thou shalt not kill." This voice was louder than Pharaoh's. I commend their obedience in disobeying; I dare not commend their excuse. There was as much weakness in their answer, as strength in their practice: as they feared God in not killing, so they feared Pharaoh in dissembling. Ofttimes those that make conscience of greater sins are overtaken with less. It is well and rare, if we can come forth of a dangerous action without any soil; and if we have escaped the storm, that some after-drops

wet us not.

Who would not have expected that the midwives should be murdered, for not murdering? Pharaoh could not be so simple to think these women trusty; yet his indignation had no power to reach to their punishment. God prospered the midwives: who can harm them? Even the not doing of evil is rewarded with good. And why did they prosper? Because they feared God-not for their dissimulation, but their piety; so did God regard their mercy, that he regarded not their infirmity. How fondly do men lay the thank upon the sin, which is due to the virtue! True wisdom teaches to distinguish God's actions, and to ascribe them to the right causes: pardon belongs to the lie of the midwives, and remuneration to their goodness; prosperity to their fear of God.

But that which the midwives will not, the multitude shall do. It were strange if What can be more inno-wicked rulers should not find some or other cent than the child that hath not lived so instruments of violence; all the people much as to cry, or to see light? It is fault must drown whom the women saved: enough to be the son of an Israelite. The cruelty hath but smoked before, now it daughters may live for bondage, for lust; flames up; secret practising hath made it a condition so much (at the least) worse shameless, that now it dare proclaim tv

ranny. It is a miserable state, where | scionable care, singularity. Every vice every man is made an executioner. There hath a title, and every virtue a disgrace. can be no greater argument of an ill cause, Yet while possible tasks were imposed, than a bloody persecution; whereas truth there was some comfort: their diligence upholds herself by mildness, and is pro- might save their back from stripes. The moted by patience. This is their act; what conceit of a benefit to the commander, and was their issue? The people must drown hope of impunity to the labourer, might their males, themselves are drowned: they give a good pretence to great difficulties. die by the same means by which they But to require tasks not feasible is tyrancaused the Israelitish infants to die. That nical, and doth only pick a quarrel to law of retaliation which God will not allow punish. They could neither make straw, to us, because we are fellow-creatures, he nor find it, yet they must have it. Do justly practiseth in us. God would have what may be, is tolerable; but do what us read our sins in our judgments, that we cannot be, is cruel. Those which are might both repent of our sins and give above others in place, must measure their glory to his justice. commands, not by their own wills, but by the strength of their inferiors. To require more of a beast than he can do, is inhuman. The task is not done; the taskmasters are beaten : the punishment lies where the charge is; they must exact it of the people, Pharaoh of them. It is the misery of those which are trusted with authority, that their inferiors' faults are beaten upon their backs. This was not the fault to require it of the taskmasters, but to require it by the taskmasters of the people. Public persons do either good or ill with a thousand hands, and with no fewer shall receive it.

Pharaoh raged before; much more now, that he received a message of dismission. The monitions of God make ill men worse: the waves do not beat, nor roar any where so much as at the bank which restrains them. Corruption, when it is checked, grows mad with rage: as the vapour in a cloud would not make that fearful report, if it met not with opposition. A good heart yields at the stillest voice of God: but the most gracious motions of God harden the wicked. Many would not be so desperately settled in their sins, if the world had not controlled them. How mild a message was this to Pharaoh, and yet how galling! "We pray thee let us go." God commands him that which he feared. He took pleasure in the present servitude of Israel: God calls for a release. If the suit had been for mitigation of labour, for preservation of their children, it might have carried some hope, and have found some favour: but now God requires that which he knows will as much discontent Pharaoh, as Pharaoh's cruelty could discontent the Israelites; "Let us go." How contrary are God's precepts to natural minds! And indeed, as they love to cross him in their practice, so he loves to cross them in their commands before, and his punishments afterwards. It is a dangerous sign of an ill heart to feel God's yoke heavy.

Moses talks of sacrifice. Pharaoh talks of work. Any thing seems due work to a carnal mind, saving God's service; nothing superfluous, but religious duties. Christ tells us, there is but one thing necessary; nature tells us, there is nothing but that needless: Moses speaks of devotion, Pharaoh of idleness. It hath been an old use, as to cast fair colours upon our own vicious actions, so to cast evil aspersions upon the good actions of others. The same devil that spoke in Pharaoh, speaks still in our scoffers, and calls religion hypocrisy ; con

CONTEMPLATION II. OF THE BIRTH AND
BREEDING OF MOSES.

The

It is a wonder that Amram, the father of Moses, would think of the marriage-bed in so troublesome a time, when he knew he should beget children either to slavery or slaughter. Yet even now, in the heat of this bondage, he marries Jochebed. drowning of his sons was not so great an evil, as his own burning; the thraldom of his daughters not so great an evil, as the subjection unto sinful desires. He therefore uses God's remedy for his sin, and refers the sequel of his danger to God. How necessary is this intimation for those which have not the power of containing! Perhaps he would have thought it better to live childless: but Amram and Jochebed durst not incur the danger of a sin, to avoid the dan. ger of a mischief. No doubt, when Jochebed, the mother of Moses, saw a man-child born of her, and him beautiful and comely, she fell into extreme passion to think that the executioner's hand should succeed the midwife's. All the time of her conception, she could not but fear a son; now she sees him, and thinks of his birth and death at once her second throes are more grievous than her first. The pains of travail in

E

|