SERMON III. THE EXALTATION OF JOSEPH. GENESIS, xli. 39, 40. And Pharaoh faid unto Jofeph, Forafmuch as God hath fhewed thee all this, there is none fo difcreet and wife as thou art; thou shalt be over my houfe, and according unto thy word fhall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou. WE E left Jofeph in prifon, forgotten indeed by the man whofe deliverance he had foretold, but ftill under the kind protection of that Providence which was preparing to exalt him from his prefent confinement to the adminiftration of the affairs of Egypt. We will now fee by what means fo extraordinary an event was accomplifhed. Two years after the tranfactions already mentioned the mind of Pharaoh was difturbed by two dreams, which not all the wisdom of Egypt could explain. And here for the first time the chief butler bethinks himself of Jofeph who interpreted his dream when in prison and foretold his enlargement as it afterwards happened. On hearing this, Pharaoh immediately fends for him; the dreams are propofed, and Jofeph, after afcribing his knowledge to God, undertakes to interpret them. It is not in me, fays he, to interpret; God fhall give Pharaoh an anfwer of peace that is, fuch an answer to his requeft, and in terpretation of his dreams, as fhould compofe his troubled mind, and tend. to the welfare of him and his kingdom. JOSEPH declares that Pharaoh's two dreams, of the fat and lean kine, and of the full and thin ears of corn, portended one and the fame event, viz. feven years of abundance to be afterwards fucceeded by seven years of famine; and that the years of famine fhould confume the produce of the years of abundance. THUS did God, in mercy forefhew unto Pharaoh what he was about to do, by which means care might be taken, during the feven years of abundance, to lay up store and provide against the feven years of want. To this purpose is the advice of Jofeph. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man difcreet and and wife, and fet 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 feven plenteous years. And let them gather up all the food of thofe good years that come„ and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. And that food fhall be for ftore to the land, against the feven years of famine which fhall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perifh not in the time of famine. PHARAOH faw the wifdom of this advice, approved the plan propofed, and made choice of Jofeph; accounting him the fitteft person to carry into execution his own defigns: His words are remarkable_Can we find fuch a one as this, a man in whom the fpirit of God is!Forafmuch as God hath Thewed thee all this, there is none fo dif creet and wife as thou art: thou shalt be over my houfe, and according to thy word Shall all my people be ruled, only in the throne will I be greater than thou I have fet thee over all the land of Egypt See And he took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Jofeph's hand, and arrayed him in veftures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. And he made him to ride in the fecond chariot which he had. And they cried before him, bow the knee; and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt. THUS have we seen a fhepherd's fon conducted by the hand of Providence to the adminiftration of the affairs of a great kingdom, and by thofe very means which feemed to all human appearance the greatest obftacles to his advancement, by perfecution and unmerited fufferings, and reproach H |