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ner of his first becoming religious; we read hot a word about the religious form of worship which he preferred, nor about the religious party that he followed, nor the religious name he bore; but we read, that he refifted hard temptations; and that both in his profperity and in his adverfity he was faithful to his God: and we find alfo, as I fhall prefently fhew you, that although his brethren had ufed him very cruelly, yet he behaved very kindly and charitably towards them, and forgave them freely, and rejoiced over them to do them good. May my religion be like his; and may the clearer knowledge, which God has given me, both of himfelf and of a Saviour, make me the more earnest to do his will, and to walk worthy of that "vocation wherewith I am called."

But to return to the ftory." And it came to pass about this time, that Jofeph went into the house to do his business, and there was none of the men of the house there within. And Potiphar's wife caught him by his garment, and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she faw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, that the called unto the men of her houfe, and fpake unto them, faying, "See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; (or to offer an infult to us) and I cried with a loud voice, and it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice, and cried, that he left his garment with me, and

fled, and got him out." And fhe laid And fhe laid up his garment by her until his lord came home; and they fpake unto him according to the fame words; and it came to pafs when his master heard the words of his wife, that his wrath was kindled. And Jofeph's mafter took him, and put him into the prifon, a place where the king's prifoners were bound; and he was there in prifon."

What a change! inftead of having the command of every thing in Potiphar's house, where he was looked up to, and respected, he is shut up in prifon among thieves, and other wicked or fufpected perfons. And why was he thus fhut up? For doing wrong? No! but for doing right. It now and then happens in this world, that a man fuffers for fulfilling his duty. It is a mistake to fuppofe, that virtue here below is always its own reward. Reader, if you act ever fo right, I cannot promise you that in this uncertain world you will be rewarded for it. Your conduct may chance to be mireprefented, or not fufficiently understood. Some enemy may injure you; fome falfe and hollow friend, or lover, who is become offended, may turn against you. Some one, whofe feelings, or whose interest you may have wounded, through your unbending virtue and integrity, may fet himfelf up as your enemy, and may come and give falfe evidence against you, and may charge you, poffibly, with the very fin to which that perfon himself has tried in vain to feduce you,

and from which, of all the fins in the world, you are happily the moft clear. Let us learn from this part of the ftory of Jofeph to look to God for his favour, and not to care fo much, as we are apt to do, about our character with our fellow-creatures. It is better to go to prison, like Jofeph, for the fake of a good confcience, than to live in fin with Potiphar's wife, in the midft of a palace, even though we should contrive to live in credit also.

We before remarked, that when Jofeph was fold as a flave to Potiphar, and when his affairs seemed at the worft, yet "the Lord was with him, and blessed him, and-gave him favor in the fight of Potiphar his mafter." The fame God, who fhewed favor to him in his former diftrefs, fhewed him the fame favor now; for when he had got into prifon, we again read, that "the Lord was with Jofeph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favor in fight of the keeper of the prifon. And the keeper of the prifon committed to Jofeph's hand all the pri foners that were in the prifon, and whatever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prifon 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."

"And it came to pass, after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt, and his baker, had offended their lord the king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was wroth against them,

and put them into the prifon where Jofeph was bound; and the captain of the guard charged Jofeph with them; and they dreamed a dream, both of them, each on one night; and Jofeph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and behold they were fad; and he afked them, Wherefore look ye fo fadly today? And they faid unto him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Jofeph faid unto them, Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them I pray you."

In ancient times it pleafed God occafionally to fend dreams, in order to make known future events; but let not any one therefore fuppofe, that by the help of dreams he can dive into futurity now. In the days of Jofeph, men were in much darkness and ignorance concerning the true God. Jefus Chrift had not appeared, the New Teftament had not been written, nor as yet even the Old. Signs and wonders were therefore used, in order to prove that the God of Jofeph was the true God. But now we no longer need figns and wonders, for the holy Scriptures plainly declare him to us; and if any man fhould now follow his dreams, it is more than probable that in doing fo he would be obliged to difregard Scripture, and his own common sense alfo. It is worthy of remark, indeed, that foon after the law of Mofes was given, (which fell far fhort of the revelation made to us by Jefus Chrift) people were

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exprefsly warned to beware, left by following fome dreamer of dreams, they fhould forfake that God who was now made known to them for it is written, in the 13th chapter of Deuteronomy, "If there arife among you a dreamer of dreams, faying, Let us go after other Gods, and ferve them, even though the fign or the wonder fhall come to pass, yet thou shalt not go after the dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God hereby proveth you to know whether you love the Lord your God," and will "ferve him and cleave to him."

But to return to the hiftory of Jofeph. God, it feems, having fpecial mercy for him, and having great defigns in view, and having first fent two remarkable dreams to Jofeph, now fends two other dreams to the chief butler and baker of king Pharaoh, who were in prison with him, and enables him to interpret them.

"And the chief butler told his dream to Jofeph, and faid to him, In my dream, "behold a vine was before me, and in the vine were three branches, and it was as though it budded, and her bloffoms fhot forth, and the clufters thereof brought forth ripe grapes; and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand, and I took the grapes and preffed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

"And Jofeph faid unto him, This is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; yet within three days fhall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thy place;

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