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of you? Think a little. Are you truly grateful to your parents? Do you remember all their past kindness to you? Do you love and obey them? Do you do all that you can to make them happy?

Hear what God says on this subject, in the Bible, and may it sink deep into your hearts.

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Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother, and all the people shall say, Amen."

CHAPTER XII.

Pharaoh's dreams. He sends for Joseph.-Joseph's humility. We should not receive the approbation which is due to others, or which we do not deserve.

ABOUT two years after the chief butler was restored to his office, and while Joseph, forgotten by him, was still in prison, Pharaoh had two very singular dreams on the same night.

He dreamed that he was walking by the side of the river Nile, and saw seven fat and good-looking cows come up out of the river, and feed in the meadows near its banks. Seven others, miserably poor, and disagreeable in their appearance, came up also

out of the river, and stood near the fat ones. And, strange to behold, they soon attacked the fat ones, and entirely devoured them. But notwithstanding this, they seemed just as poor and ill-looking as before.

The king awoke, but soon fell asleep again, and had another dream quite as strange as the first one.

He dreamed that he saw seven ears of grain grow out of one stalk, all full and good; and that immediately after, seven other ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up, and devoured the full ones.

Pharaoh was much troubled, the next morning, on account of these dreams. For he thought that probably they had some meaning which it was very important for him to understand.

So he sent for all the magicians of Egypt, and for all the wise men, to see if they could interpret his dreams, which he related to them.

These magicians and wise men were persons who pretended, in some strange way, to explain dreams, and foretell future events; though they knew, at the time, it was all a deception. But, often as they had imposed upon others, and made some sort of guessing about what their dreams meant, they did not dare to run the risk of trying to interpret those of the king.

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So they confessed that they were entirely at a loss to know what his strange dreams meant, and he was in greater perplexity than ever.

It was now that, for the first time, the chief butler thought of Joseph, and remembered his request, that he would mention him to the king.

He seemed to have some faint emotions of gratitude waked up within his bosom. For, after having said to the king, "I do remember my faults this day," he went on to state the circumstances of Joseph's interpreting his dream and that of the chief baker, when they were confined in prison.

The king was much struck with the account, and with the wisdom of Joseph in understanding so exactly what the dreams predicted; and he ordered Joseph to be brought immediately before him.

Having prepared himself in a neat and suitable manner, Joseph went to the king's dwelling, and was introduced into his presence.

He told Joseph about his dreams and that none were able to interpret them, and observed, at the same time, "I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream, to interpret it.'

The king supposed that it was by his own skill that Joseph could do this; in some such way as the magicians and wise men often pretended to do it. He knew not the true God, and that he alone, or the

persons whom he instructed, could look into futurity, and foretell what was to happen.

Joseph might have let the king continue to think so, and thus have acquired great honor and praise, in his estimation, and in that of all his officers, and the Egyptians. But he feared God. He did not dare to let others think that it was by his own wisdom he could interpret dreams, when he knew that it was God alone who enabled him to do it, and that, therefore, God should have all the glory.

"And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying; It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

It is not in me. Remember this saying of Joseph. It sometimes happens that others may think you have done some good thing, when, in truth, somebody else did it. Or, you may have more praise for doing a thing than you really deserve; for somebody else may have helped you to do it. Or, you may be supposed to know something, when you are really quite ignorant about it. You are tempted to let others think more highly of you than they ought, and to have your vanity gratified; and thus to be the means of depriving some one else of the esteem, or praise, that is justly his due.

I have often seen this among children in a family, and among pupils at school.

It is all wrong. It is a violation of the tenth com mandment, which forbids us to covet what belongs to another. It is a violation of the eighth commandment, which forbids us to steal. For it is truly a kind of theft, a secretly taking away from another that to which he is justly entitled.

When you find yourself tempted to do so, remember the example and saying of Joseph. Frankly state the exact truth about the matter. Say, it is not in me. Tell just how much you did, and how much you did not do; how much you know, and how much you do not know; how much you were aided by others, and how much is fairly due to them.

Remember, that although you may, at such a time, deceive your fellow-men, (as Joseph, had he chosen, might have deceived Pharaoh,) you cannot deceive God. For he knows what is in you; your most secret thoughts and feelings, as well as all your conversation and conduct.

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Think not more highly of yourselves than you ought to think. In lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves."

"God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble."

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