He sent Judah to his Sheep-shearing, and placed a Whore (Tamar) in his Way, in the Posture of Temptation, so made him commit Incest and Whoredom both together.
He sent incestuous Reuben to lie with his Father’s Concubine Billah.
He sent Dinah to the Ball, to dance with the Sichemite Ladies, and play the Whore with their Master.
He enrag’d Simeon and Levi, at the supposed Injury, and then prompted them to Revenge, for which their Father heartily cursed them.
He set them all together to fall upon poor Joseph, first to murther him intentionally, and then actually sell him to the Midianites.
He made them shew the Party-colour’d Coat, and tell a lie to their Father, to make the poor old Man believe Joseph was kill’d by a Lion, &c.
He sent Potiphar’s Wife to attack Joseph’s Chastity, and fill’d her with Rage at the Disappointment.
He taught Joseph to swear by the Life of Pharoah.
In a Word, he debauch’d the whole Race, except Benjamin, and never Man had such a Set of Sons, so wicked and so notorious, after so good an Introduction into the World as they all of them had, to be sure; for Jacob, no doubt, gave them as good Instruction as the Circumstances of his wandring Condition would allow him to do.
We must now consider the Devil and his Affairs in a quite differing Situation: When the World first appeared peopled by the creating Power of God, he had only Adam and Eve to take care of, and I think he ply’d his Time with them to purpose enough: After the Deluge he had Noah only to pitch upon, and he quickly conquer’d him by the Instigation of his Grandson.