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brethren. Though they were compara tively mean and despicable in Egypt, yet he owned them. Our Lord Jesus like Joseph here “ is not ashamed to call us brethren.”—Henry. v. 2. Took five men. Five is the number of grace.— Comp. Bible. It is as if some high official in Paris were to walk in a half dozen peasants in blouse and sabots and present them to the President as “ my brethren.” It was a brave thing to do, and it teaches a lesson which many people who have made their way in the world would be nobler and more esteemed if they had learned.— Maclaren. Thus Christ pre sents His brethren in the court of heaven and proves His interest for them, though in themselves unworthy. <—Henry. v. 6. Tiie land is before thee. Why was Pharaoh so pleased to have Jacob and his family settled in Egypt? It was not merely three score and six souls that constituted the encampment of Jacob, but between 3000 and 4000, if we count all their dependents, which was a valuable accession to any nation. — Gray. v. 7. Joseph brought in Jacob. Joseph might have been ashamed of his rela tions who needed to become benefic iaries on the land of his adoption, but all these thoughts were forgotten in the presence of another. This withered, halting, famine pursued man was his father. Some do not care to remember the cause of those long years of humb lest childhood when they were only a burden and a care.—Meyer. A marvelous interview—-the greatest monarch of the time, the ablest states man of his age, and the oldest saint then upon earth.—W. M. Taylor. v. 8 How old art thou? There are men who will be seventy years next birthday but who have only lived six months out of the whole time. Our real life dates not from our first birth but from our second. All before that counts for nothing,-S-Meyer.
v. 9. My days few and evil. In retro spect the longest life appears but brief. —-Sel. Though your sun is nearing the setting, there may be time in the pres ent opportunity to recover the day.— Taylor. His life had been almost an unbroken series of trouble.— Jamieson. Some men do seem to live most in their dying.— Parker. True concerning men in general (Job. 14:1), and since his days are evil, it is well that they are few.— Henry. Here we learn that old wrong doing, even when forgiven, leaves regret ful memories life longg-Maclaren. No lapse of time deprives a sin of its power to sting.— Sel. v. 10. Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Jacob in his earlier life was crafty, a mere bargainmaker, but all seems to have been eliminated in the first crucible of suffering through which he had passed, and he\had reached a moral greatness which impressed even the haughty Pharaoh.— Meyer. The great and pow erful monarch of the great land of Egypt was blessed by the poor old Jacob. He is a type of what Israel is yet to be for the nations of the earth.— Gaebelein. “ The less is blessed of the better” (Heb. 7 :7).— Comp. Bible. Though in worldly worth Pharaoh was greater, yet in interest with God Jacob was greater. He was God’s anointed (Psa. 105-15 ),5—Henry. v. 12. Nourished his father and breth ren. Here again we see Joseph as a type of Christ feeding his brethren and sustaining them in life.&-Torrey. Christmas Lesson. Why do we give gifts at Christmas rather than at Thanksgiving? Why do we give only to those whom we love? God gave Christ, a Christmas present to the people He loved, all MY the folks of the world, so we GIRLS celebrate His birthday by giving gifts to those we love. Bethlehem were thronged. Why? Yonder comes a young All roads to
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