The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 41
SECT. XLI.
THen Joſeph commanded his Steward to fill their Sacks with Corn, and to give them as much as they could carry, and privately gave him order to put every mans money in his Sack, and over and above that to put his own Silver Cup, wherein he uſed to drink, into the Sack of the youngeſt. And this poſſibly He did to try how they ſtood affected to his Father, and to his Brother Benjamin; conceiving that if they envied Benjamin as formerly they envy'd Him, they would be glad to ſee him apprehended for Theft, and caſt into Priſon. This being done, early in the morning they began their Journey homeward. But they were not gone far out of the City before Joſeph's Steward follows after them and overtakes them, and then begins to expoſtulate highly with them, and upbraid them, that they had ſo ill requited his Maſter for his great kindneſs to them. He charges them that they had ſtolen his Maſters ſilver Cup, in which he himſelf did drink, and by which he uſed to divine, (q)It ſeems the Egyptians thought that by reaſon of his Skill in Interpreting Dreams, He us'd Divinations, as their Magicians and Wiſe men did; and poſſibly Joſeph was not unwilling it ſhould be believ d He could do it to keep them in better awe, though he only rationally gueſſed at things, and follow'd the guidance and direction of the Spirit of God, whoſe aſſiſtance He had great experience of.and diſcover and foretell ſecret and hidden things. The men were ſtrangely ſurpriz'd and amaz'd at this unexpected Charge, and ſaid to him, God forbid that thy Servants ſhould be found ſuch manner of men as thou accuſeſt us to be. Thou knoweſt we brought again the money which we found in our Sacks when we came home. And therefore ſurely we cannot with any reaſon be ſuppos'd to be men that would ſteal ought from thy Maſter. We are ſo well aſſur'd of our innocency in this matter, that let us all be ſearch'd, and if thy Maſters Cup be found among us, let him with whom it is found die for it, and all the reſt of us will be thy Maſters Bondmen. The Steward replies, He would not deal ſo rigorouſly with them, but according to their own offer he would ſearch them, and He only with whom the Cup was found ſhould be his Servant, the reſt ſhould be blameleſs. Hereupon immediately they all took down their Sacks, and the Steward ſearched them all, beginning at the eldeſt and ſo going on to the youngeſt, viz. Benjamin; And in his Sack the Cup was found. When they ſaw that they rent their Clothes, and in great horrour and amazement loded their Aſſes again and returned back into the City. Then Judah and his Brethren came to Joſeph, and fell before him on the ground. He asks them why they had ſerv'd Him ſo? Did they not think that ſuch a man as He could diſcover them? Judah anſwered, What ſhall we ſay to my Lord? what ſhall we ſpeak? or how ſhall we clear our ſelves? For how innocent ſoever we think our ſelves as to this matter, yet we can no way clear our ſelves before man, and therefore muſt acknowledge that God is juſt in puniſhing us for our former Sins, Gen. 42.21, 22. We have therefore no more to ſay, but that we are all my Lords Bondmen, both he with whom the Cup was found, and all the reſt of us alſo. Nay, ſays Joſeph, That ſhall not be. He only with whom the Cup was found ſhall be my Bondman; as for the reſt of you go to your Father in peace. Then Judah approached near to him, and ſaid, O my Lord let thy Servant without offence ſpeak a few words privately to thee, and let not thine anger burn againſt thy Servant. Thou art even as Pharaoh, being Second to him in Authority, and ſo thine anger to be dread'd even as His. My Lord may pleaſe to remember that when we came firſt down into Egypt, thou didſt ask thy Servants, Have ye a Father living, or any other Brother. And we ſaid unto my Lord, We have a Father an old man, and a Brother that is but a Youth,(r)Namely, in compariſon of them, being about 24 or 27 years of age; being 12 or 13 years younger than Joſeph, ſee Gen. 22.5. and having now nine or ten Sons, Ch. 46.21. born to our Father in his old age. His only Brother both by Father and Mother is dead, and he alone is left of his Mothers Off-ſpring, and his Father tenderly loveth him. And thou ſaidſt unto thy Servants, Bring him down that I may ſee him. We then told my Lord that the lad could not leave his Father without extream danger to his Fathers life; and thou toldſt us peremptorily, That except our youngeſt Brother came down with us, we ſhould ſee thy Face no more. And behold when we came unto thy Servant our Father, we told him the words of my Lord. And he was extream unwilling to let our youngeſt Brother come down with us. Yet afterwards, the Famine preſſing ſore upon us, He commanded us to go down again into Egypt to buy Food. We told him we durſt not go again except our youngeſt Brother went down with us. He ſaid, Ye know that my wife Rachel (firſt in my choice, and deareſt in my love,) bare me two Sons. The Eldeſt went out from me when he was about ſeventeen years of age, and as it ſeems was torn in pieces of wild Beaſts. (s)Hereby Joſeph ſaw what they had told his Father when they had ſold him; namely, that ſome wild Beaſt had devour'd him.[See Ch. 37.33.] So that I ſaw him no more. And if ye take this Son alſo from me, and miſchief befall him, you will bring my gray head with ſorrow to the Grave. I thy Servant engaged my ſelf to my Father for the bringing the lad ſafe home to him again. I told him, I would be ſurety for him, and of my hands he ſhould require him, Ch. 43.8, 9. Now therefore when thy Servants ſhall come back to our Father, and he ſhall perceive that the lad is not with us, (his life being bound up in the lads life) it will ſurely be his death, and ſo thy Servants ſhall bring down the gray head of our Father with ſorrow to the Grave. Seeing therefore I thy Servant ſtand ingaged to my Father for the lad, accept I pray thee of me for thy Bondam inſtead of the lad, and let the lad go up with his Brethren. For I dare not look my Father again in the face, except the lad be with me; nor can I indure to ſee the woe and miſery that will befall my Father if the lad be left behind.
Gen. 44. whole Chapter.