But Saian lays his plans according to what he knowsto be the state of the heart, and (when allowed by God) can readily provide an opportunity for gratifying hatred, and can even hurry the envious to yet further lengths than they had thought of, Buch an opportunity came in the way of Joseph's brethren. \,«.They were feeding their father's flock at a distance, and Israel sent Joseph to see after their welfaie, After some difficulty he found them. He came to them alone. Their father was not there to see what they did. They did not think of Him whose eyes are in every plnce, beholding the evil and the good. Here was a golden opportunity. "Behoid," said they one to another, "this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say some evil beaet hath devoured him ; and we shall see what •will become of his dreams. " Thus they plot ted nothing les3 than the murder of their brother. One of them however, Reuben, was more merciful than the rest. He kept them from shedding Joseph's blood, and persuaded them instead to cast him into a pit, meaning afterwards to rescue him and restore him to his father. The othert had no thought in casting him into the pit but to leave him there to die. V\ edo not know that Judah, who afterwards proposed to sell him instead, had at this time any other thought in his mind. At that moment the brothers were guilty in intention of murder, the mur der of their own brother. A cruel and heart less murder it was. They turned a deaf ear to all his entreaties for mercy ; they saw the anguish of his soul when he besought them, and they would not hear (xlii. 21). In their cold-blooded cruelty they even sat down to eat bread near the pit into wbich they had> cast him. To such lengths did envy and hatred in dulged lead these brothers ; to hardness of heart, to uspitying cruelty, to lying and deceit, and in intention to murder itself. 