August 14

Genesis xlii.—21. And they said one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear: therefore is this distress come upon us.

22. And Reuben answered them, saying, Spake I not unto you, saying, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore behold also his blood is required.

23. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter.

24. And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Simeon, and bound him before their eyes.

25. Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them.

26. And they bated their asses with the corn, and departed thence.

27. And, as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth.

28. And he said unto his brethren, My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack. And their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another, What is this that God hath done unto us?

29. And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell unto them, saying,

30. The man who is the lord of the land spake

roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

31. And we said unto him, We are true men; we are no spies:

32. We be twelve brethren, sons of our father: one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.

33. And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone;

34. And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.

35. And it came to pass, as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and, when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

36. And Jacob their father said unto them, We have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not; and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me.

37. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again.

38. And he said, My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Conscience is a terrible quickening of the memory. At any time she can enter its hidden and forgotten chambers, and kindle, as with a magnesium-light, the impressions photographed on their walls. Joseph's brethren had never inquired after his fate, and probably for years had not thought of him at all; but now that they were in this strait of personal danger, and saw what anguish any risk to Benjamin must carry to their father, their cruelty to Joseph seemed as of yesterday;

and they were tortured with remorse and fear. So impossible is it for men to escape from their sins. Joseph's harshness with his brethren was necessary to bring them to this frame of penitence: but it was harshness only in seeming; for his soul was yearning to embrace them. The lament of Jacob was as the tearing out of his heart strings; but often the sorrows that for the moment render us most desolate are but making room for the richest experiences of grace and joy.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 124, 160.

O Lord! make clean our hearts before thee, that, being renewed in the spirit of our minds, we may exhibit in our daily walk all the virtues and graces of the Christian life.

We render thanks to thee for thy loving care in the night-season. We thank thee that health and home and friends and country are preserved to us. We thank thee for all thy goodness to us as a family. O Lord! we beseech thee to visit us this day with thy loving-kindness. Give us grace to discharge faithfully our duties to thee and to each other! May we be kind and courteous unto all men, honest in our dealings, truthful in our words, guile-

less in our thoughts! Strengthen us to bear with patience whatever trials or sufferings may be in store for us, preserve us from the sins which do most easily beset us, and enable us to walk worthy of our Christian calling, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Lord Jesus! we long for thy coming in power and glory among the nations. May thy Church arise, and make straight the way of the Lord! Have pity upon the poor, the sick, the dying, and the sorrowing. Incline thine ear to us, and hear us, we beseech thee; and order all our ways, this and every day, according to thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.