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forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us.

5. We learn fidelity in delivering the most awful messages, when a man's welfare is concerned. Joseph told the baker plainly his terrible doom, and perhaps instructed him in the knowledge of the true God, and the nature of religion, and urged him to improve the little time he had left. This is a good hint to ministers, to speak the Lord's word faithfully, and deliver their message with seriousness and fidelity; especially to those who are near the grave. Because they see them in an oppressed state, and for fear of disobliging their friends, and the like, they are often too negligent in this instance; but it is a cruel kindness, and they are accessary to the blood and ruin of their souls, if they neglect to give them fair and faithful warning.

6. Learn to avoid ingratitude, which appears so odious in the butler, who forgat Joseph. Joseph had served him in prison, sympathized with him, brought him good tidings, and done him many kind offices; yet he was unmindful of his sufferings, and his kindness when advanced in Pharaoh's court, and surrounded with all the delicacies and pomp of it, he forgot his fellow sufferer. It is probably in allusion to this, that the prophet, speaking of the obduracy and insensibility of the people, says, Amos vi. 6. They drink wine in bowls, und anoint themselves with the chief of ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Let us abhor this character, and not think it strange if we should meet with such treatment. Especially let us abhor ingratitude to God, who hath done so much for us, and laid us under such strong obligations to remember and serve him. Let us ever be mindful of his goodness; study, by holy and obedient lives, to show forth his praise, who hath sent his own Son from heaven, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound, and to bring our feet into a large place.

CHAP. XLI,

It is the observation of an inspired writer, that' many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all? This is illustrated in the history of Joseph, particularly in this chapter; where are related Pharaoh's remarkable dreams ; Joseph's interpretation of them; his advancement to a place of great trust and power, and his prudent management of it.

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1 ND it came to pass at the end of two full years after the butler's restoration, that Pharaoh dreamed, and, behold, he stood by the river Nile; on the rise of which in the spring, the fruitfulness of the next year depended, there being 2 no rain in that country. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine, and fat fleshed; and they

3 fed in a meadow.

And, behold, seven other kine came up`after them out of the river, ill favoured and lean fleshed; and stood by the [other] kine upon the brink of the river, feeding on the rushes that grew on its banks, and not in meadows as the former did. This also shows that the river did not then overflow its banks, and consequently there 4 the land. And the ill favoured and lean up the seven well favoured and fat kine. 5 And he slept, and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven 6 ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And,

must be a famine in fleshed kine did eat So Pharaoh awoke.

behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung 7 up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, [it was] a dream; a divine, supernatural dream, sent immediately by God, and intimated that both the grazing and arable land would 8 then fail. And it came to pass in the morning, that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men, or philosophers, thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but [there was] none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh. It is a wonder they did not find something to satisfy his mind; but God restrained their spirits.

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Then spake the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, I do remember my faults this day, my ingratitude to Joseph and 10 breach of promise: Pharaoh was wroth with his servants,

and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, [both] 11 me, and the chief baker: And we dreamed a dream in one

night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the in12 terpretation of his dream. (See ch. xl. 5.) And [there was] there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did in13 terpret. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.

14

Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon, that is, out of the prison house, a part being put for the whole of it. Here he had let his hair grow, and wore the habit of mourning; but it was not decent to appear before the king in this manner, and therefore he shaved [himself,] and changed his raiment, and came in unto 15 Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and [there is] none that can interpret it and I have heard say of thee, [that] thou canst understand a dream to 16 interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, [It is] not in me, I cannot do it of myself: the interpretation of dreams belongs to God, who shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace; such an answer as may portend happiness, prosperity, and all good to thee, and may quiet thy troubled mind. This he wished,

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and perhaps foresaw. No doubt Joseph's mind was greatly impressed with these things: perhaps he now began to see the meaning of his own dreams, and how Providence was grad17 ually working for their accomplishment. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon 18 the bank of the river: And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat fleshed and well favoured : 19 and they fed in a meadow: And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and lean fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for bad20 ness: And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the 21 first seven fat kine: And when they had eaten them up,

it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in 23 one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, [and] blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears and I told [this] unto the magicians; but [there was] none that could declare [it] to me.

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And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh [is] one in signification, that is, both dreams signify the same thing : 26 God hath showed Pharaoh what he [is] about to do. The

seven good kine [are] seven years; and the seven good ears 27 [are] seven years: the dream [is] one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them [are] seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind, 28 shall be seven years of famine. This [is] the thing which I

have spoken unto Pharaoh : What God [is] about to do, he 29 showeth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of 30 great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; there shall be no remains of former plenty; their present misery shall make 31 them forget it; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that 32 famine following; for it [shall be] very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; [it is] because the thing [is] established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass; it is both certain and near. Upon this Joseph, under the influence of that Spirit by which he had inter33 preted the dream, gives this wise and prudent advice; Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and 34 set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do [this,] and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.*

If it be asked, Why no more than a fifth part? It may be replied. That a tenth was the usual tax of the king; this year it might be double the quantity of former years, because of the great plenty. He might also purchase a fifth part beside the tax; and all this, in a plentiful year, would be equal to a whole crop in a common season.

35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, according to Pha36 raoh's appointment, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the 37 land perish not through the famine. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. Having truly interpreted the butler's dream, and his interpretation of this being so natural and likely, greatly affected the king's mind, and the minds of his courtiers.

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And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find [such an one] as this [is,] a man in whom the Spirit of God [is?] such prudence as God by his Spirit hath bestowed on this man in 39 such a singular manner? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath showed thee all this, given thee this extraordinary gift of foreseeing and foretelling things to come, and of giving such prudent advice for the future, [there is] none so discreet and wise as thou [art :] Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be 41 ruled only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And

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Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the 42 land of Egypt. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his

hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain, an ensign 43 of honour, about his neck; And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: the Hebrew word signifies, the king's father or tender father, kind saviour of the people; or perhaps it was a common phrase, as God save the king, is with us: and he made him [ruler] over all the land of Egypt. 44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I [am] Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt; that is, as sure as I am king, so sure without thy advice and authority shall no man do any thing in point of govern45 ment. And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; most commentators say it means a revealer of secrets, but Jerome says, it means the saviour of the country. It is common to this day for eastern kings to give names to their favourites, significant of some service they have done, or some honour conferred upon them. And he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah priest, or prince, of On; a city afterward called Heliopolis, where was a famous temple dedicated to the sun. And Joseph went out over [all] the land of Egypt.t

• See De la Valle's Travels to the East.

A late infamous writer endeavours to sully the character of Joseph, and to prove him ambitious, tyrannical, and oppressive; and says, that Pharaoh divested himself of all regal authority, and put the whole military force of the kingdom into Joseph's hands, and gave him the nomínation to all places of power and trust. But these things are evidently false, for Pharaoh says in c. 40, In the throne will I be greater than thou; he rode only in the second chariot. The assertion, that he had the military forces under his command, is founded on a marginal reading, 9. 40. At thy word shall all my people be armed; but in

46 And Joseph [was] thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of 47 Egypt. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought 48 forth by handfuls. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, the fifth part (v. 34.) of all manner of eatable things, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which [was] round about 49 every city, laid he up in the same. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering the measures; for [it was] without number.

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And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Potipherah 51 priest, or prince, of On bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, that is, forgetting: For God, [said he,] hath made me forget all my toil, hath expelled all sorrowful remembrance of it by my present comfort and glory, and all my father's house, that is, all my sufferings there from 52 my brethren. And the name of the second called he Ephraim, that is, fruitful: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

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And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land 54 of Egypt, were ended. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, or pinched with famine, the people cried to Pharaoh, as to their king and common father, for bread and Pharaoh said unto all the 56 Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; 57 and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy [corn ;] because that the famine was [so] sore in all lands. No doubt this business was managed with great prudence and compassion, corn was sold at a reasonable price, and the people were not oppressed, though the king was enriched.

most other places (some critics say in all) it signifies to kiss, or pay civil respect, as in Psalm ii. 12. kiss the Son, &c. And that he was empowered to nominate whom he pleased to places of trust, is equally groundless, for he had not power to raise his brethren when they came, or to send for his father, without Pharaoh's command. See chap. xlv. 19.

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