The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-10-03


lad, bondman to my lord, and let
the lad go up with his brethren. For
how shall go up to my father and
the lad be not with me? lest perad-
venture / see the evil that shall come
on my father"
This simple and pathetic appeal
was overpowering. Joseph could no
longer restrain his feelings, or sus-
tain his feigned and forced severity.
He caused his attendants to leave the
room, and che wept aloud 1t was
the spontaneous burst of affection
the generous effusion of heart
OVERLOOKING with all the tender sensi-
bilities of nature. But it must have
been singular position for an Egyp-
tian Lord to assume before the hum
BILE suppliants at his feet. And the
first words which his swelling heart
would allow him to pronounce were
at the same time the most natural,
the most suitable and the most con-
founding to his suppliant brethren
81 am Joseph; doth my father yet
live?" We may imagine the over
whelming establishment which the
announcement of this astounding fact
would produce; but it is difficult to
enter into the feelings of the guilty
sons of Jacob. No wonder they can
not answer him: "for they were troub-
led at his presence" But Joseph
with all the native tenderness of his
heart, took measures to remove their
uneasiness. He requested them to
draw near him, and again assured
them that he was Joseph whom they
had sold into Egypt.
Now therefore be not grieved nor
angry with yourselves that ye sold
me hither, for God did send me be-
fore you to preserve life" And the
same benevolent and forgiving dis
position continued with him through
life. Knowing that the same calam-
itv which had drawn his brethren
into Egypt for supply of food
would continue for some years lopSS-
er, he took measures to bring the
whole HOUSEHOLD of his father into
Egypt, and support them there. Ac-
cordingly the news of Joseph's ex-
istence and great honor was commu-
nicated to the aged patriarch. At
first his heart tainted for he believed
it not. But when he was again as
| sured, and when he saw the long
array of carriages which Joseph had
sent to convey him away, with all his
effects, the spirit of Jacob revived,
and he said, at is enough, Joseph
my son is yet alive; l will go and
see him before I die" And accord
ingly he took his departure for a
stranger land, where his posterity
was to sojourn for some hundred
succeeding years.
If the incidents of history and
biography are calculated, in any case,
| to exert salutary influence upon the
lives of men, | know of none in the
whole range of historical fact, more
beneficial than these incidents con-
nected with the life of Joseph. In
stead of attempting to take revenge
for the injuries he had received, as
would have been done by many in
his, situation, he freely forgave his
guilty brethren, and exercised au-
thority over them with all the mild
ness and meekness. of brother. Ac-
cording to the spirit of his dream
when his sheaf stood up and re-
ceived obeisance from the sheaves of
his brethren; he felt the intimate re-
lationship between himself and his
fathers house, and treated them as
brethren. And when, after the death
of his venerable father, the guilt of
his brethren awakened suspicious as
to their own safety, he still consoled
them and calmed their fears, assur-
ing them that though they had de-
signed evil against him, yet God had
overruled it for good, and this was
enough; they were freely and fully
forgiven and might rest in peace. He
constantly referred the whole subject
to the will and wisdom of God, and
seems to have been perfectly salts
fed with all the sufferings which he
experienced; since the purposes of
God had been advanced by his suf-
ferings, and great accumulation of
blessings secured to himself and his
fathers family.
And certainly there is very strik-
ing and very interesting manifesto
ton of divine wisdom in. the order
ing of these incidents, wherein God
makes even the wicked intentions of
men subservient to the execution of
his complicated and benevolent pur-
poses: and, at the same time, in the