Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/133



Innocent youth. It  is  impossible  not  to  love  the  innocent  and obedient Joseph,  who  did  not  follow  his  brothers’  evil  example,  and who was  such  a joy  to  his  father! Nothing is  more  beautiful  than  a holy,  untarnished  youth. God’s blessing  rests  on  him  as  it  did  on Joseph;  for  it  was  on  account  of  Joseph’s  holy  and  innocent  youth  that God chose  him  for  such  high  things. He who  passes  his  youth  in innocence,  and  is  a joy  to  his  parents,  will  look  back  to  his  young days with  pleasure,  even  when  he  is  an  old  man. On the  contrary, if a man  stains  his  beautiful  youth  with  sins  and  vices,  and  is  a grief to his  parents,  the  memory  of  his  early  days  will  be  as  a gnawing worm to  him  for  the  rest  of  his  life.

Revealing the  faults  of  others. Now,  was  it  nice  or  right  of  Joseph to tell  his  father  about  his  brothers’  sin? One says  ‘Yes’,  and  another says ‘No’; and  both  are  apparently  right. If Joseph  had  taken  pleasure in revealing  his  brothers’  sin,  and  had  hoped  to  bring  punishment  on them  by  doing  so,  he  would  have  acted  very  wrongly. He would  also have sinned,  had  he  revealed  the  wrong  done  to  anyone  but  his  father; for that  would  have  been  a sin  of  detraction. Joseph, however,  had  no bad  intention,  when  he  told  his  father  what  he  knew,  but  acted  out  of true  love  both  for  God  and  his  brothers,  in  order  that  his  father  might warn them  and  exercise  supervision  over  them,  and  that  thus  his  brothers might mend  their  ways,  and  not  offend  God  any  more. The revelation being necessary,  it  was  Joseph’s  duty  to  make  it. If he  had  kept  silence about his  brothers’  sin,  he  would  have  shared  the  guilt  of  it. Had he not  told  his  father,  he  would  have  been  to  blame,  if  his  brothers  had sinned again  in  the  same  way. You can  learn  an  important  rule  from Joseph’s conduct  on  this  occasion:  Never  reveal  the  faults  of  others without necessity; but  you  must  (and  more  especially,  if  you  are  asked) reveal them  to  those  who  have  the  right  to  know,  such  as  your  parents, masters &amp;c.; and  this,  in  order  that  the  wrong-doing  may  be  stopped.

Dreams. Joseph’s  dreams  are  called  supernatural,  because  they were sent  by  God,  and  had  a prophetical  meaning. God has  often shown men  His  will  by  means  of  dreams. Take, for  example,  the  three kings whom  God  commanded  in  a dream  not  to  return  to  Herod  (New Test.  VIII). Such dreams  are  supernatural,  because  they  have  a hidden meaning, and  God  reveals  His  will  through  them. It might  happen, even now,  that  God  should  make  known  something  to  some  holy  person by means  of  a dream;  but  in  a general  way,  dreams  mean  nothing, and are  quite  ordinary  and  natural. We possess  the  teaching  of  Jesus Christ, by  which  to  know  the  will  of  God;  and  we  must  pay  no attention  to  dreams  and  omens,  or  we  shall  sin  by  superstition.

The power  of  passion.  The  example  of  Joseph’s  brethren  shows us, once  more,  to  how  many  sins  one  passion  can  lead. The beginning of these  men’s  sin  was  envy. Hatred, abusive  language,  and  thirst  for