ferved before; and as we fhall have occafion, again and again, to observe in telling this story. Let us learn therefore to thank God, and not to thank our stars, or to thank fortune, whenever we fucceed in any thing; for whatever it be, we fucceed only because the Lord is with us in that thing.

Jofeph, by degrees, found fuch favor in his mafter's fight, that he was made overfeer of the house, and all that Potiphar had was put into his hands." Such was the confidence placed in him, that at laft Potiphar feems to have done nothing for himself, but to have left it all to Jofeph; for we read, that "he knew not ought that he had, fave the bread that he did eat;" which is as much as to say, that he knew indeed what food was fet before him at his own table, in order that he might eat it; but as to all the reft of his affairs, he knew nothing about them.

Now though Potiphar might be wrong in doing fo little for himself, yet what an honor was it to Jofeph to be thus completely trufted. I have known fome common fervants indeed in my days, who, by being very remarkable for their faithfulness, have rifen firft to be upper fervants, and then even to be ftewards to their mafters. Like Jofeph, they have set out with doing first one little thing well, and then another, and fo they have gone on till they have had very large fums trufted to them, and have got into places of prodigious confidence; and if it were not for the number of fervants who pre

tend to be very trufty when they are not fo, the fort of cafe I am fpeaking of would probably happen much oftener than it does.

"And it came to pafs," fays the Scripture, "from the time that Potiphar had made Jofeph overseer in his houfe, that the Lord bleffed the Egyptian's houfe for Jofeph's fake; and the bleffing of the Lord was upon all that he had, both in the house, and in the field.”

What an encouragement is this to take good people into our family; for God, perhaps, may blefs us for their fakes. Such a good man as Jofeph is a bleffing wherever he goes.

But now comes a new scene in the life of Jofeph. His profperity was great; but the greatest profperity is fometimes fuddenly interrupted. Potiphar had a very wicked wife, and "fhe caft her eyes" very criminally on Jofeph. Jofeph indeed was "a goodly perfon, and wellfavored;" and this very goodlinefs, or beauty of his, proved a misfortune to him. How foolish then are thofe perfons (whether young men or young women) who think, that to be handfome and well-looking, is one of the greateft of bleffings. It may turn out, perhaps, to be the greateft fnare; it may prove the worst calamity that ever yet befel you, as happened in Jofeph's cafe.

It appears, that Potiphar's wife, the wicked woman just now mentioned, "fpake to Joseph day by day," and tryed repeatedly to feduce him; "but Jofeph refufed, and faid unto his

master's wife, Behold, my master observeth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand. There is none greater in this houfe than 1; neither hath he kept back any thing from me, but thee, be cause thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickednefs, and fin against God?"

Here let us ftop, in order to confider one of the most striking parts of the character of Jofeph. He is, in the strongest manner, tempted to fin by a wicked woman: he might also hope for her favor, if he confented: he had to dread her wrath if he refused: every thing united to make the temptation ftrong; he was invited by her, not once only, but again and again; not publicly, fo as to endanger a discovery, but quite fecretly. By what means then did Jofeph refift the temptation? He refifted it, partly by reflecting how ungenerous a thing towards his mafter it would be to yield, and partly also by faying to himself, as he alfo faid to the woman, "How can I do this great wickedness, and fin against God ?"

Jofeph knew that the eye of God was upon him at all times, and in all places; and I have no doubt that he had long acted under the influence of this knowledge. What was it that had made him fuch a faithful steward of his mafter's goods? It was his being aware that God 'could fee the fmalleft difhonefty in him, and that God's eye was upon him even when his mafter's back was turned, And what was it

that made him now resist another kind of temptation? It was the fame principle of regard to Almighty God. This principle feems to have been always at hand. Jofeph (I warrant you) was not used to pafs days and hours together without thinking of God, as fome people do. Had this been the cafe, I queftion whether he would not have yielded to one or other of his temptations.

And now let me request my readers to take a hint from Jofeph, and to try themselves in the following manner. Say to yourfelves, what am I in fecret? What am I when no eye but that of God is upon me? When on the one hand fome fellow-creature invites me to fin, when my own inclinations are on the fame fide, when a prefent opportunity offers, when there is also no danger of discovery, fo that my reputation may be safe, and when my worldly interest will not be hurt by the indulgence, but will rather be promoted by it; when, in fhort, against all these temptations which befet me, there is nothing to oppose but the fear of God in the heart, howdo I then act? Is the fear of God fo ftrong in me as to gain the victory? Am I able to conquer my temptations, however fuited to my age, circumftances, and condition in life, by faying, as Jofeph did, "How fhall I do this great wickednefs, and fin againft God?" Now this is true religion. We are apt, many of us, to complain of the difficulties of religion, and to fay, that we have not learning enough to un

derstand it; but, furely, that fear of God whi has been spoken of, is very eafy to be unde ftood. I only wish it was as easy to be tru felt. Some there are who fancy themselves ligious, because they attend at religious plac of worship; because they underftand well fon religious doctrines; because they remember have once experienced certain religious feeling or because they have now a number of religiou phrases always in their mouth. Let fuch pe fons alfo try their religion by the fame tef Does it enable you to conquer your fins? Whe all things feem to unite on the fide of fin, doe your religion in any measure enable you to ge the victory? Secret felf-denial, fecret conquef over ourselves, fecret preference to God abov all the world, fecret confciousness of having beer enabled, by God's grace, to overcome our temptations, and of having, like Jofeph, ftood firm to God and duty, in times of peculiar and repeated trial, these are some of the proofs of true religion; thefe are fome of the beft evidences of our being in a state of grace. I would value these evidences above any comfortable frames and feelings; and they are more, in my opinion, than a thoufand fancies, or impreffions, that our falvation is fure. Reader, if you hope to ftand undismayed before God on the great day of judgment, try yourfelf by this teft. We read but little in Scripture of Jofeph's religious opinions; (not that thefe are unimportant) we read nothing about the particular time and man