Hall - HP BX5133 .H34 1647

[omemplation.r. f.:,d, Ill. feem~d more h:~ynous; forgood turnes aagra\'ate unkindndfcs}andour off~ncesare . A encreafed with our obligations,How e:1fie is ittoJinde advantages where there is 3 1 purpofe to accufe ! Bm]•mins fack makes him guilty of that whereof his hcan was free;Crimes feemdlrange to theinnocent;well might they abjure this fat! withthe offer ofbondage & dearh:Forthey which carefullybrought againethat which they. might have taken,would never take that which was notgi~en them. But rhusJ•feph would yet dally Wlth hiS brethren,and make B<NJAmm • thieie, tbar he miohr make him a fervant,& fright his brethren with theperil ofthatt!Jeir charge,rharhe mioht doubletheir joy, and amazedneffe, in giving rnem two brothers at once: our h~ppmeffe 1s greater, and fweeter,whenwe havewell feared, and fmarted with evil!$. But now when l•d•h ferioufly rel'orted the danger ofhis old Father,and t~c fadneffeofhis!aHcomplaint,. compaflion andjoywillbe concealed no longer, but B breake forth violentlyat Ius voyce and eyes. Many patlions doo nor well abidewirneffes, b<eaufe they are guilty to their owneweakndfe. Io{eph fends forth his fervants, that he might fredy weepe. He knew he could not fay, lam I•flph, without an unbefeeming vehemence. Never any word founded fo firange!y as this,in theeares ofthe Patriarks.Wonder,doubr,reverence,joy, feare,hope,guilrine!fe, Hrucke rhem at once. It was rime for r.jiph to f.1y ,l'e.re not; Nomarvel! ifrheyHood withpakneffe and lilence before him; looking on him,and on each other: rhe more they conlidered, theywondred more;and the more they bdeeved,themore they ftar<d:For rhofe words(! am l•ftph)feemed ro found thus muchto their guilty thoughts;You are mur[hcrcrs:anq I am a Prince in fpight ofyou:My p.owcr andtfiis place,give me all opportunities of C revenge; .My glory is yourlhame, my life your danger, your fionc livesrogerher with me. But now the reares an'dgracious words oflo{iph have foone affured them of pardonand love, and havebiddenthemruroe their eyes from their linne again(\ their broth~r, to theichappinelfem!Um, and have change<! thc;ird.oubti into hopes & joyes; cauling them to lookilpbn him without feare,though not without iliame. His lovin~ embmcoinenrs.clearc rb.dr heart~ bfall jealoultes; and haHen to purnew rhou~hts m to them of favour, and ofgrearneffe: So that nowforgetting whatevill theydid to their brother, theyare thinkingof what good their brother may doe to them.Acnons falvcd up wirhafree forgivendlc,are as nor done :and as a boneonce broken, is Hron,<>'er after well fetting,fo is love atrer reconcilement. Bur as wounds one< healed,lcavea fcarrc behind tl1t:m; forcmitted injuries leave I) commonly in the afrors a guilry remembrance; which hindred thefcbrethren from that freedom o£joy,which elf;they had conceived:This was rheir faulr,no<Iojiphs' who !hives to give them all fccuriry ofhis love; and IYill beos bounrifull, as they were cruel!. They fend him naked rolirangers, he fends them in oew andricb liveries ro their Father.; they tooke a!inall fumme of money for him, he gives them great treafurcs ; They fent his rorne coat to his father ; He fends variery ofcofily rayments to his For her, by them.They fold him to be the load ofCamds;He fends them l1ome with Chariors.lt mu!l be a great favour that can a~J?Cafc rhe.con[cience of agreat injury.Now they rerurnehome rich and joyfull, making rhem[elv~ happy ro thioke how gt..d they !hould make their Father with this nowes. ·That goodold manwoul<i never have hoped that Algypt could have afforded E fuch provilton as this:}ofeph is yet alive: This was not food; but life ro him.The returne of BeNjAmin was comfortable : bur that his dead fonnc was yet alive after fo many yeares lamentation,was tidings roo happy to be beleevcd, and was enough to endanger that life with exceffeofjoy,whichthe knowledge thereofdoubled. Overexcellent objefrs arc dangerous mtheir fuddeo apprthenfions. One gwne pf that joywould have [afelychearcd him,whereofa full meafurc·over-layes hi& heartWith roo much fweemeffe.There;s no earthly p!eafure whereofwe may not turfct:of the fpirituall we can never have enough. Yet his eyes revive his minde,which his eares had thus s!loniOJed.When he f.1w the Ch~riots ofhis fonne, hebeleevcd Io{tphs life, and refre!hed his owne- He had toomuch before,fo that he could not enjoyir:now he faith, I havttnough,Jofephmy /inne is yet•ii11t. They

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