with our most secret griefs. True; but he is ignorant of us, and our sorrows cannot be told into his ear. What, then, should we think of Him whose sympathy is far more tender, and whose power is incomparably greater? Joseph is dead, but Jesus lives. He who wept at the grave of Lazarus is alive for evermore, and we may freely cast upon him the burden of all our cares. There is not one pain that we can feel, nor one sigh that we can heave, which he did not anticipate in the days of his flesh. Highly exalted as now he is, he yet has, and ever shall have, a human heart. When no one else can sympathise with us, HE will; when those who are most intimate with us are unable to enter into our feelings, He can understand them perfectly. Our very groans, which cannot be uttered, are to Him perfectly intelligible. The thoughts within us, "which lie too deep for tears," He can interpret. Never did brother so feel for brother as He does for his people. Let us go, then, with boldness to His throne of grace. In those sad seasons, when lover and acquaintance are put far from us, and when our own familiar friend" fails us, let us pour out our hearts before Him; let us be free and unreserved in our communications with him; let us breathe out before him our most ardent desires, and tell him our utmost needs. Joseph could not afford to show tenderness at all times; but our Elder Brother is always at leisure. He even waits to be gracious. even "We may look home, and seek in vain A fond fraternal heart; But Christ hath given his promise plain M CHAPTER FOURTEENTH. AN UNLOOKED FOR INCIDENT, "A friend that frowns Is better than a smiling enemy; We welcome clouds which bring the former rain, SWAINE THE brethren of Joseph had "marvelled one at another," when they found themselves seated before him, "the first-born according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth." But the ease and courtesy which the Governor manifested to them, soon dispelled every shadow of apprehension from their minds. "They drank, and were merry with him." But a fresh and unlooked for trial awaited them on their return towards Canaan. For as we read: "Joseph commanded the steward of his house, saying, Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn-money. And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, Up, follow after the men ; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing. And he overtook them, and he spake unto them these same words. 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 his 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. Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house (for he was yet there); and they fell before him on the ground. And Joseph said unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? wot ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? And Judah said, What shall we say unto my lord? what shall we speak ? or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants: behold, we are my lord's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. And he said, God forbid that I should do so : but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father."-Genesis xliv, 1—17. Sudden and unlooked for adversity! Already had they been kindly feasted in the Governor's house, and their sacks being again filled with corn, it seemed as if they had nought to do but go on their way rejoicing. Unconscious of what, accoring to Joseph's orders, had been done, they journey homeward. Probably they communed with each other as to the unaccountable kindness which Pharaoh's minister had shown, and congratulated themselves above all on the prospect of being able ere long to disappoint their old father's fears in regard to the safety of his beloved son. We can easily imagine the satisfaction felt on this point by Judah in particular, who had with much difficulty prevailed upon the patriarch to let Benjamin go. Soon, however, very soon, was their complacency to be disturbed. For, when they were yet not a great way out of the city, a messenger comes after them in haste, charges them with base ingratitude, and accuses them of having stolen from the table, where they had been so hospitably entertained, a valuable cup of silver. It is easy, too, to form an idea of the alarm which must now have seized them, and of the vehement indignation with which, guiltless as they were of the crime charged against them, they exclaimed-" God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing." Nothing in the world had been farther from their thoughts or intentions; and so, with all the unaffected earnestness of men whose consciences were clear in the matter, they call God to witness that they heartily detested the iniquity ascribed to them. They appeal to the fact that they had voluntarily brought back the money which, on the former occasion, had been unaccountably restored to them. On this they build the con clusion that they might well be presumed most unlikely persons to commit a deed of theft in the very house of the Governor by whose kindness they were so largely benefited. Was it to be supposed that they who had acted thus honourably in a matter that might never have been discovered, would behave so unworthily in regard to a thing which must inevitably have been brought to light? So, conscious to themselves of innocence, they declare that, if upon any one of them the cup that was awanting should be found, they would with one accord submit to have the sentence of death passed upon him, while the rest would hold themselves the Governor's bondmen. Judge, then, of their astonishment and perplexity when, one sack after another being searched, the cup was at length found in that of Benjamin-the person in whose safety their very souls were bound up, and of the slightest mischance to whom they were so tenderly apprehensive! Oh! doubtless, when in every sack that had been opened in succession proof was obtained of each brother's innocence, a feeling of triumph would be experienced by them over the steward, who had charged them so causelessly; and, sure as they believed themselves to be that Benjamin was the very last person in the world to conceive the idea of such a crime, they must have been on the very point of expressing their indignant resentment at the unworthy imputation. But, alas, just when their confidence must have been at its height, was the discovery made. Benjamin's sack is opened, and there the treasure is found! Unhappy men! What shall they now say for themselves, and what can they do? In vain would they |