his stead. 38 And Saul died, and Baal-hanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead. 39 And Baal-hanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead: and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab. 40 And these are the names of the dukes that came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names; duke Timnah, duke Alvah, duke Jetheth, 41 Duke Aholibamah, duke Elah, duke Pinon, 42 Duke Kenaz, duke Teman, duke Mibzar, 48 Duke Magdiel, duke Iram: these be the dukes of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession: he is Esau the father of the Edomites.

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God often gives ungodly people a large portion of this world; and, satisfied with it, they leave others to possess and enjoy spiritual blessings unenvied and unmolested. This is Esau: still the profane despiser of heavenly things, as when he sold his birthright; though not the same malicious persecutor, as when he vowed Jacob's destruction. Yet he, and such as he, look great, become dukes and princes, and are envied and courted; while the Israel of God are poor, ob

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scure, and despised! But soon the state of things will be reversed: the wicked shall be cut down, and wither as the grass; while the righteous shall flourish as the cedar in Libanus; and having their good things when those of the sinner are spent and gone, they shall have them durably, yea eternally. Let us then seek an interest in these blessings, and not covet the fading distinctions which the enemies of God enjoy.-Scott.

CHAP. XXXVII.

ND Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.

'And Joseph brought,' &c. In this he was to be commended; for though a child should not indulge, nor be indulged by his parents, in reporting every trivial tale to the disadvantage of his brothers and sisters; yet, where wickedness is acted, it ought not to be concealed. The parents should know it, that they may correct it; or, if that

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Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.

Vestures of distinction, similar to Joseph's, are worn all over Persia, India, and China, to this day.

It is dangerous for parents to manifest too great a partiality to their children. Allowances ought to be made for merit; and where there is anything serious and pious, it ought to be cherished and rewarded; but this should be done prudently; for the spirit even of children lusteth to envy.' The difference should not be too remarkable between one and another. This

is one instance in which Paul's advice may be applied: Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.'-Orton.

There is no partiality displayed by our heavenly Father; His children do not, indeed, all equally share the consolations of His presence in this world; and too generally this is owing to their own infirmities; but He says to each alike, 'I have loved thee with an everlasting love' (Jer. xxxi. 3).—Anon.

5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright: and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? 11 And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.

Observe here, Joseph dreamed of his preferment, but he did not dream of his imprisonment. Thus many young people, when they are setting out in the world, think of nothing but prosperity and pleasure, and never dream of trouble.-M. Henry.

When Joseph told his dream to his brethren, their envy, which before lay smothering in their breasts, took fire presently, and soon after flamed forth into that unnatural cruelty which they practised upon him. There was all the use they made of it: but of good Jacob it is said, by way of opposition to them, 'His brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying'; he laid it up for future use as that which had something of God in it. Thus, Christian,do thou by the holy breathings of the spirit of those thou livest with. Note the remarkable passages of their

gracious conversations, as thou would'st do the notions of some excellent book, which is not thy own, but lent thee for a time to peruse: indeed, upon these terms, and no surer, do we enjoy our gracious friends and relations. They are but lent us for a while, and improve them or not improve them, they will be called for ere long; and will it be for thy comfort to part with them, before thou hast had a heart to get good by them?-Gurnall.

God keeps an exact account of the means He offers us for our salvation, and the lives of His holy servants are not of the lowest rank. You may observe that God is very curious in Scripture, to record the time that His faithful servants lived on earth; and sure among other reasons, He would have us know, that He means to reckon with those that lived with them, for

every year, yea, day and hour that they had among them. They shall know they had a prophet, a father, a husband, that were godly, and that

they had them so long; and God will know of them what use they made of them.-Ibid.

12 And his brethren went to feed their father's flocks in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph, Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto them. And he said to him, Here am I. 14 And he said to him, Go, I pray thee, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flocks: and bring me word again. So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. 15 And a certain man found him, and, behold, he was wandering in the field: and the man asked him, saying, What seekest thou? 16 And he said, I seek my brethren: tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks. 17 And the man said, They are departed hence; for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan. 18 And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him. 19 And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. 20 Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams.

V. 20. A man once applied to the Rev. Rowland Hill for admission to his church, and began to give an account of his experience by relating a

dream. 'We will tell you,' said Mr. Hill, 'what we think of your dream, after we have seen how you go on when you are awake.'-Anecdotes. 21 And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. 22 And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit, that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. 23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him: 24 And they took him, and cast him into a pit; and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. 25 And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. 26 And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. 28 Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt.

Recent travellers testify that they have seen caravans near the spot where Joseph must have been sold, and that they were of that class of merchants

who would, in all likelihood, be still ready to buy another Joseph, were he offered to them.-Anon.

and, behold, Joseph was 30 And he returned unto

29 And Reuben returned unto the pit: not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. his brethren, and said, The child is not; and I, whither shall I go? 31 And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; 82 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. 33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. 34 And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 35 And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. 36 And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard.

We may reflect here with admiration on the astonishing machinery of providence. The malignant brothers seem to have obtained their ends; the mercenary merchants, who care not what they deal in so that they get gain, have also obtained theirs; and Potiphar, having got a fine young slave, has obtained his. But, what is of greater importance, God's designs are by these

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means all in train for execution. This event shall issue in Israel's going down to Egypt; that, in their deliverance by Moses; that, in the setting up of a true religion in the world; and that, in the spread of it among all nations by the Gospel. The wrath of man shall praise the Lord, and the remainder thereof He will restrain.'-A. Fuller.

CHAP. XXXVIII.

ND it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah. 2 And Judah saw there a daughter

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of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her. And she conceived, and bare a son; and he called his name Er. And she conceived again, and bare a son; and she called his name Onan. And she yet again conceived, and bare a son; and called his name Shelah: and he was at Chezib, when she bare him. And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar. 'And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him. And Judah said unto Ōnan, Go in unto thy brother's wife, and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother. And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground,

lest that he should give seed to his brother. 10 And the thing which he did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also. 11 Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter in law, Remain a widow at thy father's house, till Shelah my son be grown: for he said, Lest peradventure he die also, as his brethren did. And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house. 12 And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnath, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite. 18 And it was told Tamar, saying, Behold thy father in law goeth up to Timnath to shear his sheep. 14 And she put her widow's garments off from her, and covered her with a vail, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place, which is by the way to Timnath; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him to wife. 15 When Judah saw her, he thought her to be an harlot; because she had covered her face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee; (for he knew not that she was his daughter in law.) And she said, What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me? 17 And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock. And she said, Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it? And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him. 19 And she arose, and went away, and laid by her vail from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive his pledge from the woman's hand; but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of that place, saying, Where is the harlot, that was openly by the way side? And they said, There was no harlot in this place. 22 And he returned to Judah, and said, I cannot find her; and also the men of the place said, that there was no harlot in this place. 23 And Judah said, Let her take it to her, lest we be shamed: behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.

V. 23. How many dread shame more than sin; the tongues of men more than the eyes of God! Lest we be ashamed, has a greater influence with many, than lest we be damned; so unaccountable is the folly of this world. But how unworthy is this of the character of one of God's people!

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Seneca, a heathen, could say, Though all men should be ignorant of the evil I do, and I knew the Gods would forgive me, yet for the filthiness there is in sin, I would not commit it.' Fear of shame may preserve from some sins, but the fear of God is the only preservative from all sin.-Orton.

24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said,

Bring her forth, and let her be burnt. 25 When she was brought forth, she sent to her father in law, saying, By the man, whose