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SERM. times deftructive, to be fingularly virtuous, which Jofeph fufficiently experienced. He hearkened not unto her, but refufed to hear the voice of the charmer and his refufal was attended with its natural confequence. The tranfition of violent paffions from one to the other is extremely rapid: her love was quickly changed into hatred, and all the softness of affection into the bittereft and moft implacable refentment. The defpifed and incenfed wife of Potiphar was now refolved to perfecute that virtue which she could not fubdue, and to ruin that innocence which fhe was unable to betray. She artfully accufed him therefore of a crime, which, from his abhorrence of a vice so deteftable, and the natural confequences of it, no temptation could ever induce him to commit; and by impofing on the credulity of her hufband, and Dandering Jofeph, at once fecured and

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enhanced the affection of the one, and SERM. fatiated her revenge on the other. Her accufation, confirmed by a circumftance. very strong in her favour, (the garment which the had wrefted from him) easily procured her a firm belief: and when Jcseph's mafter heard the words of his wife, bis wrath was kindled, and he took him, and put him into the prifon, a place where the king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison. Thus was Jofeph caft down on a fudden from the heighth of glory and happiness, to the lowest and most abject condition; obliged to relinquish all his honours, and to quit the splendor and gaiety of a court, for a scene of forrow and diftrefs, in a dark and loathfome dungeon. But the firm and honeft mind feels no change of place or condition; is equally happy, because equally good, in affluence or penury, in a palace or a prifon. Jofeph carried with

him

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SERM. him riches that could not be alienated, a freedom that could not be enthralled, a confcience void of offence. He who has this companion, will always have a still nobler and more able friend, even his great Creator, as Jofeph had. The Lord, we read, was ftill with him, and fhewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the fight of the keeper of the prifon. The minds of fuch men are seldom softened into compaffion, or open to the dictates of humanity; their hearts are, for the most part, from being constantly used to the fight of diftrefs, callous and infenfible: but there is a native beauty in the face of innocence which wins the affection of the most obdurate; and a dignity in virtue, which commands refpect and deference from the most abandoned. Jofeph feemed born to rule and direct wherever he appeared; infomuch that the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's

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hand, all the prisoners that were in the SERM. prifon; and whatfoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand, because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to profper.

Jofeph, however, was ftill a captive, confined to a sphere infinitely beneath his exalted talents, which called for a nobler field to expatiate in: and an accident foon happened, defigned, no doubt, by the Providence of God, which gave him an opportunity of difplaying that extraordinary knowledge and wisdom, which God had fo liberally bestowed on him. The chief butler and baker of Pharaoh's household had offended their master, and were both committed (probably on suspicion of fraud in their several offices) to the fame prifon where Jofeph

VOL. I.

D

SERM. Jofeph lay. Thefe men dreamed each

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of them a dream,

The cause, nature, and efficacy of dreams, hath ever been, and will always continue to be, matter of fuch doubt and uncertainty, as greatly to puzzle and perplex the understandings of men. It is fufficient on the prefent occasion to remark, that whilft God did himfelfgraciously condefcend to govern his chofen people, he frequently thought fit to reveal his will by this method; and that the interpretation of dreams was one of thofe marks by which his favourite fervants were generally distinguished of this Jofeph is a fufficient teftimony. To him the unfortunate prifoners applied for an interpretation of their dreams; a task which he performed with fo much judgment and penetration, as to leave no doubt that

(as