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CHARACTER OF JOSEPH.

said he, "in the place of God? It is His to punish, and mine to obey His will. He sent me before you into Egypt to save much people alive; now, therefore, fear not; for I will nourish you, and your little ones.'

The useful life of Joseph was protracted to the length of an hundred and ten years; and under his affectionate care, his family grew and flourished. (B. C. 1635.) In his last hours, he reminded them that they were to return to their own country, and enjoined them to carry up his bones and deposit them with those of his ancestors. His unmerited kindness to them had secured their obedience, and they preserved his body for that purpose, by embalming it after the manner of the Egyptians. From the sacred records we learn no more of this celebrated ruler, but profane writers have said, that the Egyptians continued long to venerate the name of their benefactor.

To the fascinating power of such an assemblage of endowments, without the alloy of a single vice, as much as to the affecting vicissitudes of his fortune, we may ascribe the pleasure with which we contemplate the beautiful story of Joseph. No human invention has hitherto exceeded in variety and interest the surprising scenes of his life. Nor has all the imagery of poetry ever touched the heart like the pathos of its simple unadorned style. The bursts of nature's own emotions on several occasions are altogether inimitable! and the speech of Judah to the unknown governor of Egypt, particularly, is a finished model of successful pleading. Severely tried in a variety of circumstances, Joseph was faithful in all. The lustre of his piety augmented the splendour of a court, and illumined the gloomy cells of a prison. Diligent and submissive in adversity-active and beneficent in prosperity-as a statesman—a son—and a brother—he was prudent, dutiful, and generous; diffusing blessings while he lived, and erecting for posterity, a monument of transcendant virtue.

EXODUS.

Mother. Many of the facts recorded in the narrative of Moses are corroborated by corresponding stories in the writings of profane authors; but they shed no light on the train of events which brought the Israelites into the state of servitude and affliction in which we find them at the opening of the book of Exodus.

This name, like that of Genesis, indicates the subject of the book-our young Grecian can give us a literal translation of the word.

Charles. Exodus is derived from the two Greek words, ex, from; and odos, the way; and signify the going out or departure.

Mother. Yes; and therefore applied to this book; because it begins with an account of the Israelites going out of Egypt.

At the conclusion of Genesis and death of Joseph, more than half a century before the period on which we are now entering, we left them in great prosperity in the district of Goshen, enjoying the protection of a benevolent monarch, and the recompense of those advantages he had derived from the wisdom of that statesman.

From that time to the present, there is a chasm which we have no means of supplying; but must be content to take up the concise account of Moses-that "a new king had arisen who knew not Joseph." That is, he had not personally known him, but he probably knew that the ample revenues of Egypt were obtained by the sagacious measures of that excellent minister. When this Pharaoh came to the throne, he found the Israelites a very numerous people-his subjects indeed, but bound by no common tie to his interest. They were separated from the natives, not only by their dwelling in the district of Goshen, but by customs peculiar to themselves, and by the worship of a Deity unknown to them. Six hundred thousand men in

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number, situated on the border of Arabia, they presented a convenient ally to that lawless power, in her predatory irruptions into Egypt. To all these alarming circumstances should a spirit of insurrection be added, the Hebrews would be too formidable to be dispersed. "They are more and mightier than we," said this new king to his people. "Let us be wise betimes, and break down their power, by hard labour and severe treatment."

Fanny. One would think that the people, remembering their obligations to Joseph, would refuse to aid in persecuting his brethren.

Mother. The generation that had been preserved by his wisdom and foresight, had passed away. If their children had been instructed in the duty of gratitude, a despotic government might render it of no use to the poor Hebrews. But they had a more efficient friend; that divine Providence which had great things in store for the sons of Abraham, was 66 on their right hand and on their left,❞—they were supported in their affliction, and they continued to grow and prosper.

But what was to be done? This powerful people must be crushed-the murder of their helpless infants would at least arrest the progress of a growing population: accordingly, by a royal edict, every male child of the obnoxious strangers was, from the date of that instrument, consigned to the river Nile-whilst the less dreaded females were allowed to live. Various are the means by which tyranny may depress, and at length triumph over its devoted subjects; but here its purpose was defeated by the excess of its cruelty, for the agents it employed would not concur in a measure so repugnant to the common principles of human nature. They rather secretly assisted in the preservation of the Hebrew children, and the approving smile of Heaven visibly rewarded the benevolent individuals who ventured to disobey the despot.

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At this gloomy period of Hebrew history, Moses, their deliverer and legislator, was born. (B. C. 1571.) He was the son of Amram, and Jochebed, both of the house of Levi, the third son of Israel. Something more than commonly promising in the countenance of the child, or some happy premonition in the heart of the mother, en

PRESERVATION OF MOSES.

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couraged her to disregard the mandate of the tyrant, and for three months she succeeded in concealing him. When concealment was no longer possible, she carried him pri vately to the Nile, and laid him on its sedgy border, placing his little sister* at a convenient distance to bring her intelligence of his fate. Here she knew the inhabitants were accustomed to walk, and hoped that some compassionate hand might yet be directed to save him!

To this eventful spot on the very same evening his guardian angel brought the Egyptian princess Thermutis, attended by her ladies. As they rambled on the shore, a cradle half hid in the rushes arrested her eye-curiosity was awakened, and the smiling infant was discovered. The cruel policy of her father left no doubts of the parentage of the foundling; yet she resolved not only to pre serve, but to adopt him. The little girl, who had now ventured into the group, offered to bring her a nurse, and the fortunate boy was soon committed to the care of his own mother-who could now receive him with more joyful gratitude than she had dared to indulge when he was first given to her arms! Thus this celebrated individual was rescued, by means seemingly the most accidental, from impending death, to fulfil the prediction delivered to Abraham; to lead his brethren out of Egypt-to sustain them forty years in a wilderness-to institute a body of laws for their government, and finally, to record the whole wonderful transaction with the pen of inspiration

But notwithstanding the happy Jochebed was now sure of a powerful protector for her child, she did not venture to assert her right to detain him, but restored him when he was weaned, to the princess, and accepted a compensation for the delightful service she had performed. By this lady he was called Moses, because she drew him out of the water-and by her care he was educated in the learning of Egypt.

Egypt was, at that time, the residence of the arts-the seat of science. Science had not, indeed, made much progress in the world; but all that she had done was, perhaps, known to that country.

* Miriam, who is often mentioned in the succeeding history.

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MOSES FLEES TO MIDIAN.

Catherine. It is very remarkable that Moses should have been not only preserved, but even qualified for his work by the very people who were endeavouring utterly to destroy his nation. Was he ignorant in his youth of his connexion with that people?

Mother. During his earlier years it is probable he thought himself to be in reality what he was called, "the son of Pharaoh's daughter;" for while he was nursed in the house of his father, he could not have been made acquainted with the dangerous secret of his adoption by that princess. But he had learned it some time before his fortieth year. At that time we find he had such a decided predilection for his brethren, that seeing, as he passed along, an Egyptian and a Hebrew engaged in a quarrel, he promptly took part with the latter, and slew their enemy.

This act of violence immediately became public, and endangered his life. The next day, attempting to interpose between two of his own countrymen, whom he found contending angrily together, he was abruptly repulsed with the question, "who made thee a Judge over us-wilt thou kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?"This contemptuous rejection of his offered mediation at once suggested to Moses, the necessity of providing for his own safety. He saw the publicity of his rash deed, and the indisposition of his brethren to protect him from the vengeance of Pharaoh. If at this time he was informed of the part he was to act in the emancipation of Israel, he saw that they were not yet prepared to cooperate with him. Retirement from Egypt, for time, was then the obvious dictate of prudence, and Midian, contiguous, and inhabited by the descendants of Keturah, the last wife of Abraham, presented a convenient retreat. Thither he fled, and found a happy asylum in the house of Jethro, the priest or the prince of that country, in consequence of having assisted his daughters in watering their flocks at a well where he had rested in his way. In process of time, he connected himself with this family, by marrying one of the daughters, and seems to have lived contentedly with them during the life of the king of Egypt, and until another Pharaoh had ascended the throne.

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