"And Jofeph faid unto Pharaoh, the dream is one," that is to fay, the two dreams fignify one and the fame thing, "and God hath fhewed Pharaoh, by means of them, what he is about to do." "The feven good kine are feven years, and fo alfo the feven good ears of corn are seven years, the dream is one. And the feven thin and illfavored kine that came up after them are feven years, and the feven empty ears of corn are also feven years, and thefe laft fignify feven years of famine. This, therefore, is the thing which God is about to do; behold there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, and there fhall arife after them feven years of famine. Now, therefore, continued Jofeph, let Pharaoh look out a man difcreet and wife, and fet him over the land of Egypt, and let him appoint officers, and let them gather together the food of the good years and lay it up in the cities, and it fhall be for ftore against the feven years of famine, in order that the land may not perish. And the thing which Jofeph faid feemed good in the eyes of Pharaoh and of his fervants, and Pharaoh faid unto his fervants, can we find any one equal to this Jofeph, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Jofeph, forafmuch as God hath fhewed thee all this, thou fhalt therefore be over my house, and according to thy word fhall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou; and Pharaoh took off the ring from his hand, and put it on Jofeph's hand, and arrayed him in veft

ments of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck, and made him to ride in the fecond chariot that he had, and they cried before him, bow the knee! And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh faid unto Jofeph, I am Pharaoh, and without me fhall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."

How wonderful was this exultation of Joseph! he is now greater than ever he was. He had before been the first man in the houfe of Pharaoh's chief captain, but he is now the first man in the houfe of Pharaoh him felf; he is greater than Potiphar, his own former mafter; he is the firft perfon next to Pharaoh in all the kingdom of Egypt.

But let us not forget to admire the good providence of God in all this. It was God that faifed him from being a flave to be the chief servant of Potiphar, and it was God that lifted him up from being a prifoner, to be ruler of all Egypt. "For it is the Lord (as the Pfalmift fays) that maketh rich, and maketh poor, that lifteth up, and cafteth down. He taketh the fimple out of the duft, and lifteth the poor out of the mire, that he may fet him with the princes, even with the princes of the people." It is true, he fometimes afflicts even his most favored people; "He brings down, as it is faid, their heart through heavinefs, they fall down and there is none to help them:" "He alfo fuffers them to be evil entreated through tyrants.' But at length he "brings them out of darkness, and out of the shadow of death, and breaks their

bonds in funder." He leads them by a way which they know not, he makes darknefs light before them, and crooked things ftraight;" and thus, "though heavinefs may endure for a night, yet joy cometh in the morning."

"O praise the Lord then ye fervants of his! O praise the name of the Lord! bleffed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore!" for he preferveth the way of his faints, and hath been ever mindful of his covenant.' He faved Noah from the waters of the flood, he brought forth righteous Lot out of Sodom, he preferved Shadrach and his companions in the fiery furnace, and Daniel in the lion's den. "He delivered David his fervant from the peril of the fword." He fhewed alfo his ways unto Mofes, and his works unto the children of Ifrael." It was "He alfo that caufed a dearth in the land of Egypt, and destroyed the provision of bread. But he fent a man before, even Jofeph, who was fold for a fervant, whofe feet they hurt in the ftocks; the iron entered into his foul-until the time came that his caufe was heard. Then the king fent and delivered him; the prince of the people let him go free, he made him Lord alfo of his house, and ruler of all his fubftance."

But let not any of my readers fuppofe, that Jofeph is now to be admired merely for his greatnefs, and that the ring on his finger, and the fine veftment on his back, and the grand chariot in which he rode, were the chief things he was pleased with. Joseph was a great man undoubt

edly, but he was as good as he was great, and, indeed, what is all earthly greatnefs unlefs goodnefs is joined with it? It is a great fin, in my opinion, to wish to be a prime minister or a king, for the mere honor of it, and I would rather be a poor laborer that is of fome ufe in the world, than be the greatest monarch in Europe, unless I could do fome fpecial fervice by my greatnefs. Jofeph proceeds directly to make himself very ufeful in his new ftation; "for he immediately went out from the prefence of Pharaoh and travelled throughout the land, and, in the feven plenteous years, the earth brought forth by handfulls, and he gathered up all the food of the feven years, and the food of the field which was round about every city laid he up in the fame, and he gathered corn as the fand of the fea, very much, until he left numbering. And after the feven years of plenteousness were ended, then the feven years of dearth began to come, according as Jofeph had faid. And the people of Egypt cried unto Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh faid unto them, Go unto Jofeph, and Jofeph opened the ftore-houses and fold unto the Egyptians."

I am afraid that my readers have by this time almoft forgot old Jacob, the father of Jofeph, and his eleven fons, who were living with him in the land of Canaan, at some distance from Egypt. The famine of the laft feven years was fuch as to be feverely felt even in their country. "Then Jacob faid unto his fons, whofe countenances were all caft down on the occafion, "Why do ye

look one upon another; behold I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence, that we may live and not die. And Joseph's ten Brethren went down accordingly to Egypt." But Benjamin, being now the father's favorite, was not fuffered to go with them, for old Jacob faid, "Peradventure fome mifchief will befall him.”

"And when the fons of Jacob arrived, Jofeph was the governor of the land, and he it was that fold to all the people. And Jofeph's Brethren came and bowed themfelves down before him with their faces towards the earth."

Oh! what a change of fcene! These are the men, who, the last time they faw Jofeph, had faid of him," Behold this dreamer cometh." They had then put him into the pit, and had fold him for a flave, because he had foretold that these his brethren, and his parents (who were figni. fied by the fun, moon and ftars,) fhould one day bow down before him. How wonderfully does God accomplish his own purposes! The very means which we take to defeat them are fometimes made ufe of by God, in order to bring them about. Jofeph's brethren thought, that by felling him for a flave, they fhould prevent their ever having to bow down before him; and yet by this act of theirs, that very prophecy was brought to pass.

Let no one then presume to think that he can direct events in his own way; or that he can, either by art or power, prevail against God, for