drew and lifted Joseph up out of tho pit, and sold him to the Midianites for thirty pieces of silver." The first recorded specimen of a transaction which has fre- quently been repeated in the history of mankind. Slave markets have often imitated, but seldom surpassed, the wickedness of which Joseph'e brethren were guilty. It wns not simply a fellow-creature that they sold, but a brother; and they had not even the poor apology of getting a good bargain, as they sold him for twenty shekels-little over forty shillings I 5. The unf(J'reseen result. Joseph's purchasers convey11d him into Egypt, and sold him, as probably his brethren expected; it is scarcely likely they nnticipated he would find hie way into so honourable service as that of a high officer of state. Dut God was taking Joseph thereby a step nearer to his predicted elevation. II. THE DOLEFUL TIDINGS. 1. The ominous B?Jmbol. The coat of ends, the token of a father's love for his darling son, the insensate ruffians, after dipping it in blood, caused to be conveyed into their father's presence by the hands of a swift-footecl messenger. This was rather a proof of their cowardice than of their consideration for Jacob's feelings. 2. The pretended ducovery. The bearer of the blood-stained tunic was directed to say that the brethren had found the robe, and to ask, with expressions of their deep concern, whether or not it was the coat of his beloved son. Their intention we cannot think was to stab their father's heart, bat to mislead his judgment. 3. The e:r:pected inference. As they designed, the old man conclurled that his son was devoured: 11 Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." Seldom do villains' plots succeed so well. III. THE SORROWING PARENT. 1. The biller grief. The depth and tendemess of Jacob's mourning for his lost son was-(1) visibly expressed: "he rent his clothes, and put snckcloth on his loins;" (2) long continued: 11 he mourned for his son many days;" nnd, if we accept n proposed reading of the last clause of ver. 35, (3) lovingly shared: '' his fother," the blind Isaac, who still survived, "wept for him" -for Rachel' s dead child and Jacob's lost son. 2. The ineffectual consolation. " All hie sons and alJ his daughters rose up to comfort him ; but he refused to be tomforted." For this Ja.cob was (1) to be excused, since his comforters were mostly hypocrites, whose proffered consolations must have sounded strangely hollow in his enrs; but also (2) to be blamed, since although God in his providence harl taken away Joseph, that was no reason why he should give way to despairing grief. Not so did Abraham when be thought of losing Isaac.
HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vor. 28.-Drawnfrom the pie. 11 And they drew and lifted up Joseph out of tho pit." As a compromise Joseph had been thrown into a pit. His brothers nt first mtended to murder him. Their intention wns almost as bnd ns a murder. Tho Scriptures telJ us that II he thnt hateth his brother is a murderer." And one writer snys, 11 Many a man who hns not taken a brother's life, by indulgence of mnle- volence, is in the sight of God a more sinful man tho.n many who have expiated their guilt on a scaffold." Joseph only was the gainer in that life was spared. To the brothers deep guilt appertained. They threw him into a pit to perish, thinking possibly to lessen guilt by avoiding the actual shedding of blood. I. WE MUST EXPECT TO FIND PITFALLS IN LIFF,. To Joseph the snnre cnme sud- denly. He was forced in. He had acted as he believed rightly in revealing the wicked deeds of his brethren, and he suffers for it. His brothers seize the first opportunity of bringing reprisals upon him for what they considered his officiousness. When alone they seized him. They were ten men to one stripling. Coward brothers I "In with him," they say. In the pit's depth is security, in its dryness speedy death. The pitfalls into which mnny stumble or into which they aro drawn are such as these: circumstances being altogether unfavourable in life; or severe and overpowering temptations to some special sin, ns intemperance, passion, or lust; or greed, or ambition, or spiritual pride. Debt, loss of character, and despondency are also deep pitfalls. If wo come to love evil for itself, that is a very deep pit, and it adjoins that state which is hopeless. Many nre drawn into these pits hy 440 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [cu. XXXVlll. 1-90.
carelessness, indifference, and neglect, while others are so entangled by circum• stances and conditions of birth that the wonder is that they ever escape. II. THERE IS O~'TEN DELIVERANCE FROM THE DEEPEST PITFALLS, To Joseph it came at the right moment, It came in response to earnest desire. The brothers thought to make a profit by his deliverance, but God was saving him through their avarice and timidity. Joseph was helpless. His brothers had to lift him out. We must feel our helplessness, and then Christ is sure to deliver us from the pit of sin and despair. The brothers of Joseph had low and mercenary aims in lifting up their brother; Jesus is all love and self-sacrifice in the effort to save us. Nothing but the long line of his finished work and fervent love could reach souls. When brought up from the pit we shall not be inclined to praise ourselves. We shall ascribe all the glory to him who "brought us up out of the deep pit and miry clay, and placed our feet upon a rock, and established our goings."-H.