previous abundance, owing to the overflow of the river, that in the terrible time of dearth there was abundance of bread in Egypt. 2. The foresight and energy of one man had led to the husbanding of resources and storing o-f excessive crops. 3. Divine revelation caused Joseph to act. He could not have known of the impending danger unless it he.d been revealed. He had faith in God when in prison, and main- tained it when he became the governor of Egypt. Indeed that faith shone as brightly when he was the approved of Pharaoh as when he was the slave of Potiphar and the object of passion's hate. His faith was rewarded when he was able to save multi- tudes from starving. What a contrast is presented in the text I Dearth o-f many lands, abundance in one. Such contrasts are often seen. On one side of the ocean there may have been an abundant harvest, on the other side but scanty crops. The world is full of contrasts. Here is a wedding ; there is a funeral. In one family is love, thoughtfulness, harmony, and in that-perhaps separated only by the thin partition of hasty builders-bickering, jealousy, and hastiness of temper. Here sobriety, provi- dence, and religion reign ; there nothing but indigence, drunkenness, and utter neg- lect of the claims of God. In one country is peace, activity in all its branches of industry, commercial confidence, progress in education and art, thoughtfulness for tho untaught and criminal classes, and higher appreciation of the sacredness of life ; in another depression, mistrust, plotting of adventurers, rule of the conscienceless, national faithlessness, and the spreading pall of desolation. Forceful is the con- trast presented by nations under the influence of a simple Christianity and those enslaved by superstition, as Spain or Austria ; or paralysed by fatalism, as Turkey and Asin Minor; or darkened by idolatry, as India, China, Africa, and some of the islands of the seas. And such contrasts are seen in individuals. There walks one whose soul has no light, no hope, no peace; here one who knows he is pardoned, and is sure of acceptance by Christ. At death what a contrast I See one dying shrink- ing, doubting, fearing, grasping at any straw of comfort; another rejoicing that he is soon to enter and tread the streets of the New Jerusalem. Let all be prepared for such a change. Seek Christ, who is the " Bread of life," the Saviour of our souls. Lack of appetite and numbness may come from excessive exhaustion. Hunger and thirst nfter righteousness, and be not like a lady who once said, "Sir, I have been so long without religion that I have, I fear, now no desire for it." If we come to Christ be will receive us readily. Joseph was glad to receive and help his brethren. So will Christ supply all our need out of the treasures of his rich grnce. Remember, that if the need of other nations tested the charity of Egypt, so the need of souls is to test our earnestness. If we have found the riches in Christ, we nre to seek to bless others. If little time remains to some of us in which to do much for Christ, let us act ns those who, having much to write and little space, crowd the letters and words the closer. Let us be earnest as the husbandman, who, seeing winter coming apnce, hastens in the few fine days remaining to gllrner his crops. Alas, many of our doings will hnve to stand useless, like earless, rotten sheaves, blackening dreory fields.-H.
EXPOSITION. but a supply of it, fi·umenti cmnulus, for CHAPTER XLII. sale and purchase. The LXX. render by Ver. 1.-Now when Jacob saw-literally, 1rp&a1,, and the Vnlgate by quocl alimenta and Jacob saw, i. e. percoived by the pre- venderentur-in Egypt (vide eh. xli. 5-i), parations of others for buying corn in Egypt Jacob (literally, and Jacob) said unto his (Lange), but more probably learnt by the sona,-nsing verba non, ut multi volunt, in- report which others brought from Egypt (ver. crepantis, sed excitantis (Rosenmliller)- 2~that there was corn-i;J~, either that Why do ye look one upon another 1-i. e. in which is broken, e. g. ground as in a mill, such a helpless and undecided manner (Keil), which, however, there is no need to regard from iJ~, to break in pieces, to shiver as springing from a consciousness of guilt (Gesenins), or that which breaks forth, hence (Lange), the language fittingly depicting the sprouts or germinates, from an unused root, aspect and attitude of those who arc simply i~t;, to press out, to break forth (Fiirst), i9 consilii inopes (Hoscnmlillcr). here employed to denote not simply grain, Ver. 2.-And he said, Behold, I have heard 474 THE BOOK OF GENESIS. [cH. XLII, 1--88,