this partiality. And the other was, that he twice dreamed dreams which appeared plainly to foretel that his brethren should some day be subject to him. The first dream was, that he and his brothers were all binding sheaves in a field, and lo! all his brethren's sheaves rose up and made obeisance, that is, bowed to his. The second dream was a similar one, but even more striking: it was that the sun and moon and eleven stars made obeisance to him. This brought upon him the rebuke even of his father, who said, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?" But the effect upon the minds of his father and his brethren was very different, for it is added: "And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying."

An opportunity soon offered itself of giving vent to the feelings of hatred which they entertained towards him: he was sent to them upon an errand by his father, and they said to one another, "Behold this dreamer cometh." After having almost made up their minds to kill him by exposure in a pit, they at length

determined to sell him to some Ishmaelites who were going down into Egypt. And by killing an animal, and dipping Joseph's coat in the blood, they induced their father to believe that his beloved son had been devoured by wild beasts. When his purchasers had brought him to Egypt, they sold him to Potiphar, a captain of Pharaoh's guard; and he behaved himself so faithfully in this service, that Potiphar intrusted all his household into his hands, of which confidence he had no reason to repent, for it is said that "God blessed the Egyptian for Joseph's sake." But, as often happens in time of prosperity, temptation came: Potiphar's wife desired him to act towards his master with great wickedness and ingratitude; and upon his refusal, accused him of the very sin which he had declined to commit. His master, upon hearing the charge, and apparently without making any inquiry into its truth, put him into the king's prison. Yet God, while permitting him to be tempted and sorely tried, did not forsake him, but gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison, so that he was treated as confidentially as he had before been by Potiphar.

God further interposed for him by enabling him to interpret the dreams for the chief baker and butler of Pharaoh, who were then confined in the prison. And when he told the butler that he should be restored to his post of honour, he begged him to intercede for him, that he might be removed from the prison; while with simple pathos he said, "For, indeed, I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me in this dungeon." It is, however, expressively added: "Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgat him."

But in the course of time, Pharaoh also dreamed two dreams which very much disturbed him; and as no one among the wise men of Egypt could be found to interpret them, the difficulty brought Joseph to the recollection of the chief butler, and he exclaimed, “I do remember my faults this day." Upon his describing the successful interpretation by Joseph of his own and the chief baker's dreams, Joseph was sent for to the court of Pharaoh; and he there interpreted the two dreams as foretelling one important event, namely, seven years of plenty to be followed by seven years of famine;

and he at the same time suggested that prompt measures should be taken to make use of the plenty of the former seven years, so as to mitigate the severity of the famine that was to follow. Pharaoh wisely considered that no man would be so competent as Joseph himself to take these prudent measures. He therefore gave him full power to make what provision. he thought best, and made him next to himself in authority over all the land, saying, "Only in the throne will I be greater than thou."

The famine evidently affected other lands besides Egypt, for Jacob and his family suffered from it; it was said, "The famine was sore in the land." And when they heard that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob sent all his sons there, except Benjamin, to buy corn. Now were fulfilled Joseph's two dreams of his brethren paying obeisance to him, the fulfilment of which they had so unintentionally assisted to bring about, by the very means they took to defeat their coming true. They bowed down to him, and humbly begged permission to buy corn for their sustenance.

In the several interviews which are recorded in Scripture, and in the last of which he suc

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ceeded in obtaining the presence of Benjamin, he appears to have kept his brothers in a long and somewhat painful state of suspense. This, no doubt, was intended to arouse their consciences to a full sense of their wrong-doing towards him and this feeling was most strongly and speedily brought about in them; for the moment they found themselves in trouble, they set it all down as a punishment upon them for their shameful conduct towards Joseph, though many years had now passed away. On their second journey, he made them bring Benjamin with them, which was delayed through Jacob's great unwillingness to allow the lad to go to Egpyt; as he pathetically said, "If mischief befall him by the way, then shall ye bring down my grey hairs with sorrow to the grave." At this second interview they were treated rudely, and inveigled into a difficulty, a charge being brought that Benjamin had stolen Joseph's cup, partly, no doubt, to enhance the delight of the surprise that awaited them all, when, after their fears had been roused, he made himself known to them. But I must refer you to the narrative itself, in Gen. xliii.-xlv., of the mode in which Joseph made himself known to his