dream on one and the self-same night; that a young man, then an inmate of the cells, a Hebrew, and. a servant of the provost marshal, to whom they severally relatC'd their extraordrnary dreams, 'l'olunteered to deliver their interpretation; and that the eYent, in ~he case of both himself and his companion, had turned out exactly as had been pred1cted-t.he chief baker had been hanged, while himself, the chief but.ler, through the royal clemency of Pharaoh, had been restored to his office. II~. THE APPEARANCE OF THE PRISONER. 1. The opening of tlie interview. In obedience to a royal summons, Joseph, after shaving· and exchanging his prison garb for a costume suited to the high occasion, is hastily presented to the king. Regarding him with mingled feelings of respect and awe, the mighty potentate declares his dilemma,-he has dreamed a dream which has baffled the ingenuity of all the Court magicians,-nnd explains how he has heard of Joseph's rare skill as an interpreter of dreams, upon which Joseph, disclaiming all ability in himself, and pointing Pharaoh to the true Interpreter of dreams, assures him, speaking in the exercise of prophetic faith, that God would vouchsafe to him an answer that should tend at once to the happiness of his own person and the prosperity of his realm. 2. The interpretation of the dreams. Listening to the monarch's recitation of the singular phenomena of his nocturnal visions, Joseph (1) declares their import to be the coming of seven years of plenty to the land, to be followed by seven years of famine, which should consume the land by reason of its severity; (2) affirms the certainty of this pre- diction as involved in the repetition of the dream ; and (3) concludes by recom- mending as a precautionary measure that a fifth part of the produce of the seven years of plenty should be taken up and stored in granaries in the chief cities of the empire, to be distributed among the people during the seven years of famine-a measure which would necessitate the appointment of one competent officer with a requisite staff of assistants, and with supreme authority to enforce the tax or compel the sale, according as the king might determine to uplift the grain. 3. The reward of the interpreter. .As became one who had proved of such incomparable service to the monarch and the State, Joseph was immediately and generously recompensed. (1) His counsel was accepted. "The thing," or advice tendered, "was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants." It is ever a grief to God's pro- phets and .Christ's ministers when their Divinely-sent communications are rejected, as th-e acceptance of their heavenly messages never fails to afford them occasion of rejoicing. (2) His person was exalted. (a) He was constituted grand vizier of the empire, in the historian's account of which may be noticed the monarch's resolution and the reason of it-" Forasmuch as God bath showed thee all this, thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled," or dispose themselves ; the royal edict and the public attestation of it-" See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt. .And Pharaoh took off his ring," &c. ; the extent of his authority and the limitation of it-his power was to be absolute over all the realm-" without thee shall no man lift up hand or foot "-only as to the throne was he to be subordinate to Pha.raoh. (b) He was naturalised as an Egyptian prince by the assignment of a new name, Zaphnath-paaneal1, for the import of which the Exposition may be consulted. (c) He was muried to a daughter of the priestly caste, whc formed the highest dignitaries in the State. Learn-1. The marvellous facility with which God can accomplish his designs. God can make Pharaoh dream and the butler recollect his faults when it is time to bring Joseph out of prison. 2. The amazing incompetence of human wisdom to understand God's riddles. The world by wisdom knows not God, any more tho.n Pharaoh's magicians could interpret his dreams. 3 ..The extraordinary insight which those have wJ10 receive their teaching from God. Joseph can interpret the dreams of the monarch and the dreams of his officers with a like promptitude and accuracy, itnd God's people have an unction from the Holy One that enables them to know all things. 4. The incomparable greatness to which Christ's followers will eventually he raised. Joseph stepped from the prison to the Ji>alace, from the tower to the throne, from the wearing of iron fetters to the wicldmg of regal power ; and ~ud.1 honour will have all the saints in the day uf the manifestation of tho sons of God. Even now God " raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth the needy out of tho dun~ill, that 1ie may set him with prinoes, even with the princes of his people;' CS. XLI. 1-46.] THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 46'1
but then "to him that overcometh will I grant," se.ith the King, "to sit with me on my throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with my Father on his throne,"