Secondly, he tried to soften his brother by a present. Thirdly, he came to him in a most humble manner. Now listen to the success of this pious conduct. (Reads verse 4.) What does this conduct in Esau show? That he was reconciled to his brother. There were four things he did—what was the first? He ran. What does this haste show? Yes; it shows he was eager in the matter. What did he do when he came to Jacob? He embraced him. How did he embrace him? He fell on his neck and kissed him. What does this show? His returning affection. What did both the brothers do? What kind of weeping was this? What had Jacob succeeded in doing? In winning back his angry brother. How did he succeed in winning him back? By showing him kindness. Repeat the text you have learnt. "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Rom. xii. 21. How did Jacob act according to this precept? And now, my dear children, whenever a brother or sister is angry with you, either with or without a cause, what should you do? Yes; show them all kindness; win them by al right means in your power, and do not be angry with them, as you will very likely be tempted to be, and provoke them still more but overcome evil with good. Now tell me how can you do as your text commands; how can you overcome evil with good? On the contrary, if you lose your temper, and answer angry words by still more angry words, or return blow for blow-how do you act contrary to what your text commands? You are overcome of evil. Now think of this, dear children, when your brother is angry with you, and strive to act like Jacob-win him back by kindness, and overcome evil with good. LESSON VIII. JOSEPH CAST INTO THE PIT. THE EFFECTS OF ENVY AMONGST BRETHREN.-James iii. 16. WHAT do you see here? Do you see the whole of the Where is he? person ? Down in a deep hole in the earth-they call such holes, pits-when people have made a hole by digging coals, it is called a coal-pit; when they have made a hole by digging chalk, it is called a chalk-pit. The Bible does not tell us what sort of a pit this was. How does this youth look? He looks sad. How should you like to be put into a deep, dark pit under ground, too deep for you to climb out of it? What should you feel for this poor youth? It appears to me that he is looking to some one for help-what do you think? Yes; he seems to be looking for help to the great God who is able to deliver us out of all our troubles and dangers. The name of this young man is Joseph; he is the son of Jacob. Who was Jacob? How did Jacob behave towards his brother? This young man is Joseph, one of the sons of Jacob. Should you like to hear how it happened that he was in a pit? It is a very sad history, for it is about envying and strife among brothers. You can tell me, from the text you have learnt, to what that leads. Repeat the text. "Where envying and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work." (James iii. 16.) Do you see any one in the picture besides Joseph? These men are the brothers of Joseph. Whose sons were they? What have they in their hands? What then do you think that their employment was? Yes; they were shepherds; the sons of good old Jacob; the brothers of Joseph: and they were so cruel as to put their brother down into this deep pit. Count, and tell me how many there are of them. Yes; there are nine: besides these, there was one called Reuben, who would not join them in their wickedness, and the youngest brother was at home with his father; how many brothers, then, had Joseph? And how many sons altogether had Jacob? Would you like to hear how it was that Joseph's brothers, who ought particularly to have loved and cared for him, because he was their younger brother, treated him so cruelly? They had, dear children, a very bad feeling in their hearts-envy. Envy makes you sorry when any one is better off than you are—or is praised more or loved more-or has more pleasure. Did you ever feel sorry or angry when your brother or sister had anything that you were not to have, or were put before you, or were rewarded when you were not? If you ever have such a feeling, recollect it is envy, a most wicked feeling. You can tell me from your little verse to what envy leads. "To confusion and every evil work." But now I think that you would like to hear what made the brothers of Joseph envy and hate him. They envied and hated him, because Jacob their father loved him better than he did them; and he had made him a pretty little coat of many colours ; and the Bible says, (Teacher reads Gen. xxxvii. 4.) There was another cause why these brothers envied and hated Joseph. God, as he often did in those days, spoke to Joseph in dreams, and showed him that he should be greater than any of his brothers, and that they should come and bow down to him. This made them envy and hate him still (Reads Gen. xxxvii. 8.) more. How did Joseph's brothers feel towards him? What particular mark of affection had Jacob given to Joseph? How did he learn that one day he was to be greater than his brethren? How did this make his brethren feel towards him? What a wretched state this family were in! Brethren, that should have loved one another, giving way to envy and hatred. If we allow bad feelings to remain in our hearts, they will be sure to lead to bad actions, as, if you listen, you will find they did. in Jacob's family. The brethren had taken their flocks for good pasture some way from their home; Jacob wished to hear about them, so he said, (Gen. xxxvii. 13, 14, and 18-20.) Why did Joseph go to his brethren? What did they mean by so calling him? What did they propose to do to him? |