be n source of danger, and, if not guarde<l against, a cause of sin, to their possess- ors. In particular the good looks of men and women are often snares to others 11s well as fraught with peril to themselves, as the cases of Sarah (eh. xii. 14), Rebekah (eh. xxvi. 10), and Dinah (eh. xxxiv. 2)testify. Hence beauty of the person should neither be too eagerly coveted nor too proudly worn by either sex, as by each its charms in the other should be moderately admired, and its allurements earnestly resisted. 3. The form of it. The special trial to which the young man Joseph was no\V sub- jected partook of the character of an assault upon his chastity. It is, however, a mistake to suppose that a good man is always assaulted at the point where he is weakest. On the contrary, it is one of the devil's blunders that, in directing his attacks against saints, be for the most part mistakenly selects the point where they are strongest. Joseph was permitted to be assailed by his lascivious mistress not because his own personal virtue was doubtful, but because in that direction he was best prepared to repel the fiercest onset of temptation. 4. The strervjtk of it. There were elements in this assault upon Josepb's virtue which were calculated to impart to it a vehemence that in ordinary circumstances, i. e. with persons of less robustness of moral principle than Joseph, must have proved overwhelming. These were-(1) The person by whom it was directed, viz., Joseph's mistress, the wife of a high officer of state, whose smile might have turned the head and intoxicated the heart of a young man who was only her slave. (2) The vehement importunity with which it was urged, his mistress speaking to him day by day, and even by act as well as word endeavouring to prevail. (3/ The convenient opportunity which was almost always presented, seeing that Josephs master was mostly absent, and the domestics often out of the way. (4) The danger he might incur by offending one so high in rank as his master's wife. (5) The advantages he might expect to reap from com- plyi11g with her pleasure. II. THE SPLENDID VICTORY. 1. The manner of Joe!\ph's refusal. (1) Promptly, without the slightest hesitation or appenrance of dallying with the tempting bait. Had Joseph hesitated, be might have. been lost; bad he trifled with the forbidden fruit, he might have plucked and nte. (2) Firmly. There ,vas no sonnd of m1ver- ing or indecision nbout the reply of Joseph. It was not the answer of II man who was only half-hearted in putting away from him a thing which be secretly desired. In Joseph's II no" there was the clear, full-toned ring of a man who had made up his mind intelligently and finally. (3) Kindly. Joseph behaved towards his mistress with as much tenderness as his moral indignation and disgust at her behaviour would allow ; his considerateness shining out conspicuously in this, that he studiously en- deavoured to be as much as possible out of the unhappy womnn's sight, in the hope, doubtless, that her unholy passion might abate. (4) Bravely. Joseph was prepared to run any risk rather than accede to the baRe proposal of his mistress, as was proved by his fleeing from the house without his doublet, when tho impudent woman sought by catching hold of him to secure compliance with her request. 2. The reason of Joseph's refusal. (1) The greatness of the trust reposed in him by his muster. Poti- phar hnd committed everything to his (Joseph's) care; and how then could he repay with treachery so e.bominable a confidence so grent? (2) The extent of tho power delegated to him. Potiphar bad kept back nothing from him except his wife ; how then, having privileges so extElnsive, should he covet the one thing forbidden? (3) The sacredness of the relationship existing between his rni8tress nnd Potipht1r. 11 Thou nrt his wife ; '' and by the covenant of marriage thou belongest to him only,
and not to me. (4) The heinousness of tho sin of which ho would be guilty. "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" III. THE REMARKABLE REWARD. 1. The slander of his mistress. The <lisnppointerl Jtrumpet, thirsting for revenge, resolves upon accomplishing the ruin of tho fair youth of whom the moment before she affected to be enamoured. But indeed nil illicit passion, whether gratified or baulked, has a tendency sooner or later to become trans- formed into hate. Laying up the garment which Joseph had indiscreetly dropped in his haste, she makes use of it to trump up a charge against Joseph of having attempted a violation of her chastity. There is no length to which the fierce resentment of a wicked woman will not proceed against those who have incurred her hate. It will commonly go hard with her 1f out of a atre.w her infernal ingenuity cannot G G 2 452 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [CH. XXXIX, 7-2,i,
manufacture a rope wherewith to strangle her victim. 2. The wratli of his master Potipha.r, as was natural, at first felt inclined to believe his wife and to suppose that Joseph ha? foully betrayed t~e trnst reposed in his honour. In this, of course, he ncted _has~1l.y, ~nd therefore sinfully. Even from the nearest and the dearest reports affecting mJunously the characters of others should not be accepted without investi- gation. Bt!t that secon? thou~hts prevailed with Potiphar, who, remembering the bad reputation of Egyptian ladies generally, and knowing something possibly of the slenderness of his own wife's virtue, as well as recalling the previous high character of Joseph, began to doubt the truth of what was alleged against his favourite and to think it more likely that his wife lied than that Joseph sinned, has been inferr~d from the circumstance that Joseph was not forthwith remitted to the executioner's block but only committed to the tower. 3. The mercy of his God. As before, Jehovah w:ent ~ t~ Joseph to the prison, an_d comf?rted hi~ with gracious thoughts concerning Ins affiwtron, with speedy favour m the sight of his keeper, so that the severity of his confinement was considerably mitigated, and with ultimate promotion to a position of trust within the prison, the charge of all the criminals being committed to his care. And finally, the Lord made him prosperous and successful as before in all hie undertakings.