satisfy his cruel brothers, they cast him into a deep pit; perhaps he might have found his way out of the wilderness home to his father, but he could not get out of the pit; and the burning sun would beat upon him there, and there was no water to quench his thirst. He entreated his brothers not to cast him in, and they saw the anguish of his soul when he besought them, but they would not hear : they turned away from his piercing cry, and sat down to eat bread. O how Satan had hardened their hearts! they could see their young brother's anguish, they could leave him to die of hunger and thirst, and then sit down themselves to eat and to drink! Israel could not hear his Joseph's cry, he had no thought of what was done, he could not see the pit in the wilderness, and his darling child at the bottom of it, stripped of his many-coloured coat. There was no earthly helper near. But there was one Eye that saw; one Ear that heard; even God his Saviour, even the Lord Jesus, the beloved Son of God, who was one day Himself to be left alone in the waste howling wilder

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ness. Joseph could look up, from that deep pit, to his Father in Heaven: and God looked down upon him in tender pity and love. Joseph's cruel brothers had him far away from his earthly father; but they could not separate him from his Father in Heaven. God heard the voice of Joseph out of the deep pit. He heard his sighs, He heard the faintest breath he drew.

His brothers sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery, and balm, and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, "What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him, and let not our hand be upon him: for he is our brother, and our flesh." And his brethren were content. It was God who kept those cruel brothers from their wicked purpose. He would not suffer Joseph's life to be taken from the earth. And they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver: so

Joseph was taken into Egypt. Reuben was not there when Joseph was sold for a slave: perhaps he was gone to find some means by which he could get Joseph back to his father: but when he returned to the pit, behold Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes in his distress. And he returned unto his brethren, and said, "The child is not; and I, whither shall I go?"

And they took Joseph's coat, his coat of many colours that his father gave him, and they killed a kid and dipped the coat in the blood. 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." And Israel knew it, and said, "It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces." And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. 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