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voluntarily plunge into the waves, rather than look forward; but my conductor recommended me to Fortitude, who leading me through the bye-path of Difficulty, I began to afcend the Mountain; and now I perceived it lefs barren than I dreaded; the roads were rugged indeed, but the view from thence of the country I had paffed, was often not unpleafing; the river at the foot of the hill had loft its terrors, though from the plains of Happiness it was a dreadful object; I could trace its courfe, and faw, with aftonifhment, that it wandered through the whole extent of the journey I had taken, and that many who pursued the feveral tracks, were often deftroyed by the rapid torrent, in the moft unexpected part of their progrefs to that Mountain, which they faw, but never reached. As I was earnestly furveying the many places where I had myfelf efcaped, I ftruck my bruifed knee against a projecting rock, and awoke with the pain.

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ISRAEL loved bof his old age; and he gave

SRAEL loved Jofeph better than all his children,

him a coat of many colours. But when his brethren faw their father's partiality to him, they hated him, and would not speak peaceably unto him. And Jofeph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren. Behold, he said, we were binding fheaves in the field; and lo! my fheaf arofe, and ftood upright; and your fheaves ftood round about, and made obeifance to my fheaf. And his brethren faid unto him, Shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him the more for his dreams and for his words.

It happened that his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Dothan. And Jofeph went after his brethren; but, when they faw him afar off, they confpired against him to flay him; and they faid one to another, We will tell our father that fome evil beaft hath devoured him. But Reuben wifhed to deliver him

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out of their hands; and he said, Let us not kill him, but caft him into this pit, that is in the wilderness : And they followed his counfel, and caft him into a pit, which then contained no water. A company of Ithmaelites from Gilead paffed by, at this time, with their camels, bearing fpicery, balm and myrrh, which they were carrying into Egypt. And Judah faid unto his brethren, Let us fell Jofeph to the Ifhmaelites, and let not our hands be upon him, for he is our brother and our flesh And Jofeph was fold for twenty pieces of filver. And his brethren killed a kid, and dipt his coat in the blood thereof: And they brought it unto their father, and faid, This have we found. And Jacob knew it; and believing that Jofeph was devoured by an evil beast, he rent his cloaths, and put fackcloth upon his loins, and refufed all comfort, faying, I will go down into the grave to my fon, mourning. Thus wept his father for him. But Jofeph was carried into Egypt, and fold to Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh's guard. And the Lord was with him, and profpered him; and he found favour in the fight of his mafter. But by the wickedness of Potiphar's wife, he was caft into the prifon where the King's prifoner's were bound. Here also the Lord continued to fhew him mercy, and gave him favour in the fight of the keeper of the prifon. And all the prifoners were committed to his care; amongst whom were two of Pharaoh's officers, the chief of the butlers, and the chief of the bakers. And Jofeph interpreted the dreams of the king's fervants; and his interpretation being true, the chief butler recommended him to Pharaoh, who had dreamed a dream, which Joseph thus fhewed unto him. Behold there fhall come feven years of great plenty, throughout all the land of Egypt: And there fhall arife, after them, feven years of famine; and all the plenty fhall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine fhall confume the land.

And the king faid unto Jofeph, Forafmuch as God hath fhewed thee all this, thou shalt be over mine house; and according to thy word fhall all my people

be

be ruled. And Jofeph gathered up all the food of the seven years, and laid up the food in ftorehouses.. Thus the seven years of dearth began to come, as Jofeph had foretold. But in all the land of Egypt there was bread; and people from all countries came unto Jofeph to buy corn, because the famine was fore in all the lands.Now, amongst thofe that came, were the ten fons of Jacob, from the land of Canaan. And Jofeph faw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strangeunto them, and spake roughly to them, faying, Ye are fpies. And they faid, Thy fervants are twelve brethren, the fons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.

But Jofeph faid to them, Ye fhall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither.Let one of your brethren be bound in prison, and go ye and carry corn for the famine of your houses, and bring your youngest brother unto me. And their confciences reproached them; and they faid one to another, We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we faw the anguish of his foul, when he befought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And they knew not that Jofeph understood them, for he fpake unto them by an interpreter: 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. And they returned unto Jacob their father,

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the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them. And Jacob their father faid unto them, Me have ye bereaved of my children: Jofeph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away alfo. But my fon fhall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: If mischief befal him in the way in which ye go, then fhall ye bring down my gray hairs with forrow to the grave. But the famine continued fore in the land; and when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought

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out of Egypt, Jacob faid unto them, Go again, and buy us food: And if it must be so, now take alfo your brother Benjamin, and arise and go unto the man. And they brought presents unto Jofeph, and bowed themfelves to him to the earth. And he asked them of their welfare; and faid, Is your father well? Is he alive? And he lifted up his eyes, and faw Benjamin his brother; and his bowels did yearn towards his brother; and he fought where to weep, and he entered his chamber and wept there: And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself. Then he commanded the fteward of his house, saying, Fill the men's facks with food, as much as they can carry; and put my cup, the filver cup, into the fack of Benjamin, the youngest. And the steward did according to the word that Jofeph had spoken. As foon as the morning was light, the men were fent away, they and their affes. But Jofeph commanded his steward to follow them, and to search their facks, and to bring them back. And when Judahand his brethren were returned into the city, Joseph faid unto them, What deed is this that ye have done? The man in whofe hands the cup is found fhall be my fervant; and as for you, get you in peace unto your father. But they faid, Our father will furely die, if he feeth that the lad is not with us; and we fhall bring down the gray hairs of thy fervant, our father, with forrow to the grave. Then Jofeph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Caufe every man to go out from me; and there ftood no man with him, whilst Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud, and faid unto his brethren, I am Jofeph; doth my father yet live ? And his brethren could not anfwer him, for they were troubled at his prefence. And Jofeph faid unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you; and they came near: And he said, I am Jofeph your brother, whom ye fold into Egypt. Now, therefore, be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye fold me hither; for God did fend me before you, to fave your lives by a great deliverance.

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