with this account, without remarking how exactly it answers to our benevolent Jesus, who was the bread of God, who came down out of heaven to give life to the world. How often have I contemplated, with a grateful heart, heaven's unbounded love to the human race; and how ardently have I prayed that all, all might become the happy and blessed partakers of this bread of life, which Jesus brought to mankind. Did Joseph know his brethren before they knew him? Yes, yes, my hearers; and Jesus knows us before we know him. Jesus knows the transgressors, and knows them to be the objects of love, grace, and mercy, while he is yet a stranger to them.

After Joseph had passed his brethren through certain trials and afflictions that were necessary to make them sensible of their wickedness-and when he was under the necessity of retiring from their presence that he might weep in secret for the love he bore them, it came to pass at last, as he could no longer hide himself from them, that he dispersed the Egyptians, and stood confessed before them. "I am Jo-. seph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt." And they were troubled at his presence. How surprised were they to think that they stood before the lord of the land of Egypt! Joseph could now do what he pleased with them; they could not resist him-they were now in his hands. He was once in their's, and they maltreated him, and sold him as a slave. They are now in his hands, and at his entire disposal. And what does he do? Hearken, my hearers, hearken to the words of mercy which fell from the lips of the benevolent Joseph. Are they not enough to break the heart, though it were of

marble? "I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt; be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God did send me life." you to preserve

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before He his own table; invites his brethren to sit down; serves them with an abundance of food; provides them all the good things of Egypt; makes them welcome to all, without taking one farthing of their money; and blesses them to the fulness of his power, and to the fulness of all their wants.

Now, my hearers, what think you of this? Did not grace, in this instance, abound much more than sin? Does not this appear lovely! Behold the tear of compassion trickling down the cheek, and listen to the gracious words proceeding from the lips of the lovely Joseph!

Well, says the hearer, "We discover two things you have mentioned: we see the aggravation of sin, on the one hand; and grace abounding much more than sin, on the other." Now comes the last point. What was the consequence? Did the brethren say, "Joseph, we are very much surprised; you are more merciful than we could think of;-if we had been told that we should meet with Joseph, and that he was lord of the land, we should not have come here; and now we find you here with this authority, and you are so full of merey as to forgive us all our wrong; and not only so, but you are afraid lest we should be grieved with ourselves because we sold you! Such mercy is beyond all expectation. If the question had been proposed to us, What favour do you desire? we should not have asked for so much as this. But, Joseph, you are very imprudent -you have forgiven us all our transgressions, and

our evil conduct towards you has not alienated your affection from us; we say you are very imprudent, and we may as well go on, and do you all the harm in our power." Says the hearer, "It is impossible. I know they did not." And why did they not? Every person present is ready to assign the reason "They could not do it." The love that Joseph manifested towards them reached their hearts, and filled them with the same spirit of love towards him. They were dead to the envy and hatred they formerly felt-dead to the sin they had before committed; and now they loved Joseph, and Joseph loved them; and it was impossible for them to feel towards Joseph as they formerly did. Now our text inquires, "How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ?" The subject is as clear as the sun at noon day; and you must know, that it was the goodness and compassion of the benevolent Joseph towards those brethren, that softened their hearts and filled them with love. And this love was his security against their evil conduct in future.

We will now try another case. You recollect that some of the enemies of Jesus accused him of being a friend of publicans and sinners; and in his reply to the accusation, he used several parables. Among others, is the following: "There was a certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living." Now look at this youth-how much was he like

many are at the present day. Did he go to his father, as he should have done, and say, "I am young and need counsel of thee: give me some advice respecting the improvement of my time and talent?" No, he did not. No such advice was asked for. The language of his conduct was, "I am tired of your way of living; the duties you have imposed on me do not accord with my wishes-I do not feel contented-I believe I could do much better with my property if I go, than if I remain with you; give me what falls to me." He did not ask for, but repudiated, the counsel of his father. "I shall be happy to have the property in my own hands; it will be safer than in yours." How many poor, vain young men, in all ages, have deceived themselves in the same way! They have felt that if they could get away from parental restraint, they could enjoy happiness, and delight themselves with all good things; but it generally turns out as it did in the parable. They dissipate health and property, and plunge themselves into the depths of ruin and distress. This youth lost all his property, became a poor beggar, destitute and forlorn; and in this condition joined himself to a citizen of the country, and was sent into the fields to feed swine. And " famine arose in the land, and he began to be in want; and he desired to be fed with the husks that the swine did eat, and no man gave unto him." In this condition he came to himself. He had been wandering in his mind; and so it is with every sinner. He departs from the path of truth, in hopes of being rendered happy by it. What a mistake! Many people would indulge in sin, were it not that they fear they shall be punished. There are some

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who say, they would go on in sin, if there was to be no punishment in eternity, -regardless of the punishment received in the earth. Our opposers are under this kind of restraint, according to their own acknowledgment. They would delight in sin, if they could persuade themselves to believe that they would not be banished from the favour of heaven!

To return to the parable. What did the youth say when he came to himself? How many hired servants of my father's house have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee; and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.' "He was so hungry and so wretched, that he was now willing to take the place of a servant, if he could only eat bread in his father's house. He could well remember when he moved in the family circle at home; when he had waiters around him at his command; when he basked as it were in the sunbeams of affection and love. But now he felt that those days were past. He was even willing to yield up his sonship. "I am no more worthy to be called thy son." How painful the thought! a son ready to give up his sonship! I have transgressed; let me serve thee; let me till the soil; let me labour; I will do any thing,—only give me bread!

You have noticed the experience of this youth, and you have observed the humiliating consequence of his folly. What did the father say in reply? Did he reproach his son, and tell him that he had dishonoured the family, and conducted so badly that