field. We are left to conclude that it was no common confidence that Potiphar reposed in Joseph, for "he knew not aught he had, save the bread he did eat;" meaning, that he took no account of expense or receipts, but, taking his ease, left all to Joseph's honesty.

Now Joseph's mistress, the wife of Potiphar, was a very wicked woman, and although at first she was much attached to him for his good conduct, yet her love was turned to hatred, because Joseph would not do on one occasion as she wished, as he felt it would be doing very wrong in the sight of God: she therefore became enraged with him, and caused his fellow-servants to accuse him of crimes wrongfully to his master; so that Potiphar thought Joseph had broken the trust reposed in him, and he therefore had him put in prison.

Poor Joseph he knew he was quite innocent of the crime laid to his charge; so he prayed to God in prison to deliver him out of his trouble, and always to keep him from doing wrong; and in committing himself to God's care, felt he was safe.

The keeper of the prison was so pleased with Joseph's conduct, that he committed to his charge all his fellowprisoners; and everything prospered under Joseph's hands in the prison, as it had done in Potiphar's house.

While Joseph was performing the duties committed to him by the keeper of the prison, he had placed under his charge two officers of Pharaoh's court, the chief of the butlers, and the chief of the bakers. men dreamed a dream in one night. them in the morning, he found them very sorrowful and

Now, each of these When Joseph visited

when he asked them "why they were so?" they said, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no person to interpret it." Joseph said unto them, "Do not interpretations belong unto God? however, tell me your dreams."

And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, saying,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 blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes. And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

And Joseph interpreted his dream unto him thus,-" the three branches are three days: yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head, and restore thee to thy place, and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after thy former manner, when thou wast his butler."

Joseph then asked the butler to remember him, when he had his freedom, to make mention of him to Pharaoh, and get him his liberty.

Now the chief baker seeing the interpretation of the butler's dream was good, requested the interpretation of his also, saying: "Behold, I had three white baskets on my head, and in the uppermost basket was all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the baskets upon my head."

Joseph told him the interpretation," the three baskets are three days, yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee."

The expression made use of to the butler and baker,

"lift up thy head," alludes to an ancient way of keeping reckonings; they made use of tables with holes bored in them, in which they put a sort of peg, or nails with broad heads, and the sockets they called "Bases." The meaning of, Pharaoh's lifting up his head," was, that Pharaoh would take out the peg which had the Cup-bearer's name at the top, to read it; that is, would sit in judgment upon his accounts.

For it is stated as probable that they were suspected, or accused of having cheated the king, and that when their accounts were examined and cast up, the one was acquitted, while the other was found guilty.

For we find on the third day after the dreams, which was Pharaoh's birth-day, he made a feast to all his servants; “And he lifted up the head of the chief butler and baker among his servants." He restored the chief butler to his place again, but he hanged the chief baker; as Joseph had interpreted to them.

The butler, however, quite forgot poor Joseph, until a very long while after, when Pharaoh himself dreamed a dream. "And behold he stood by the river. And there came out of the river seven well-favoured kine, and fat fleshed; and they 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 on the brink of the river, And the ill-favoured and lean kine did eat up the seven well-favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh went to sleep, and dreamed the second time: and behold seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. And, behold, seven thin ears, and blasted with the east wind, sprung

up after them. And the thin ears devoured the rank and full ears: and Pharaoh awoke.”

In the morning Pharaoh was much troubled, on account of his two singular dreams, and sent for the magicians and wise men of Egypt, to tell him the meaning of his dreams, yet none of them could interpret them unto Pharaoh. It was at this crisis that the chief butler remembered Joseph, and his neglect of him: and he related to Pharaoh, how that when he and the chief baker were in prison, and both dreamed a dream in one night, that the Hebrew servant of the guard did interpret their dreams; and also that it came to pass as he had interpreted.

Then Pharaoh sent for Joseph in great haste, and told him how that he had dreamed two dreams, and none could interpret them, and concluded by saying-"I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it."

And Joseph made answer-" It is not in me; God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

Then Pharaoh related unto Joseph every particular of his two dreams; and Joseph said unto him, "The dream of Pharaoh is one,-God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears 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, shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh; what God is about to do, he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold there will come seven years of great plenty throughout the land of

Egypt. And then shall arise after them seven years of famine, and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and famine shall consume the land, and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that 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. "Now, therefore, let Pharaoh look out for a discreet and wise man, and 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. And let them gather up all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And the food shall be for store in the land, against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine."

Joseph, in predicting the calamity that was to befal the land, (for what can be such a a calamity as its people not having food?) was also empowered to furnish Pharaoh with a remedy against the forthcoming evil. He tells Pharaoh "to take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years."

Now the tenth part was the common tribute; and the greater and richer sort of grain was used in time of plenty to fill the store-houses against a bad year. In years of extraordinary plenty a fifth was no more than a tenth in scarce years. So Joseph thought Pharaoh might buy as much more as was his tribute, which he could do at an easy rate, when such vast plenty made corn very cheap.