2. Of joy-
[Whilst they thus betrayed an ignorance of genuine reli- gion, they gave by then* voluntary humiliation some reason to hope that the seeds of true piety were springing up in their souls. And this hope doubtless filled him with holy joy. Say, any of you, who have wept over an abandoned child, or the impiety of a friend or brother, what joy has not sprung up in your bosom when you have first seen the obdurate heart to relent, and the tears of penitential sorrow to flow down, so as to justify a hope that a work of grace was begun in the soul ! How have you secretly lifted up your heart to God in devout aspirations, to entreat, that he would confirm the rising pur- pose, and perfect in their souls the work he had begun ! Doubtless then, in such a pious mind as Joseph's, the very first dawn of piety in his obdurate brethren could not but cause the tear of love and gratitude to start from his eyes.
Another thought too, that could not fail of rushing into his mind, and filling him with adoring gratitude to God, was, that in this act of humiliation his brethren had voluntarily fulfilled those dreams which they had before accomplished only from
'■ Rom. xii. 19. with Gen. 1. 19.
necessity and constraint. To trace the ways of Providence, and especially to see how mysteriously God has dealt with us, and made all things to work together for our good, is one of the sublhnest enjoyments that we can experience on earth ; and I doubt not but that it will constitute in no small degree the blessedness of heaven. Well therefore might Joseph now weep for joy, more especially as the exaltation which all his previous trials had led to, enabled him now to requite, not evil for evil, as they feared, but good for evil, and to " over- come evil with goodd."]
From hence then we may learn,
1. To ask forgiveness of those whom we have injured —
[This is a hard task to an unhumbled spirit : but it is in- dispensably necessary: nor can any man be upright before God, who will not submit to it. To approach the table of the Lord without first endeavouring to conciliate our offended brother is directly to oppose the command of God, who says, " Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way:" " Go thy ivay : first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gifte." Many will be the excuses which we shall be
ready to offer for our neglect of this duty; but the
command of God is plain and express ; and a compliance with it is indispensable, to prove that our penitence is sincere : nor can we ever obtain forgiveness from God, if we are too proud to solicit forgiveness from man.]
2. To forgive those who have injured us —
[This is a far easier duty than the other ; because, Avhilst a compliance with the other humbles us, the performance of this elevates and exalts us. Is it asked, " How often shall I forgive an offending brother? till seven times?" I answer, Yes, and " till seventy times seven f." Nor is our forgiveness to be merely negative, such as consists in a forbearance from retaliation : no ; it must be real, cordial, permanent : for in the parable of the unforgiving servant who is represented as cast into prison till he shall have paid the uttermost farthing, we are warned, " So also shall your heavenly Father do unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses g." Let not any one then say, ' I cannot forgive, or, Though I forgive, I cannot forget : ' for we must, in the mercy which we extend towards man, resemble that which we ourselves hope to re- ceive from God ; and must " forgive our brother as completely and cordially as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven usV]