these dreams that, within three days, the butler would be restored to his office, but that the baker would be hanged.

According to Joseph's word, so on the third day it happened. When the chief butler was fetched out of prison, he begged him to present a petition to Pharoah for his release, saying, "For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews, and here, also, I have done no wrong, that they should put me into the dungeon."

Yet, when the butler was restored to happiness and freedom, he forgot the poor Hebrew who pined in captivity, from whom he had so often received kindnesses which had lightened his own confinement. But at the end of two full years Pharaoh had two dreams which troubled his spirit; and in all Egypt was not found a magician sufficiently skilful to interpret them. It was then that the butler remembered Joseph, and told Pharaoh of his skill in interpretation. So the king sent quickly to the prison to fetch him; and he changed his raiment, and went and stood before the king. When he demanded whether he were able to tell him the

signification of the dreams, Joseph humbly ascribed the power to God, with a prayer that He might give Pharaoh an answer of peace.

The dreams were these. Pharaoh was walking beside that glorious river which gives to Egypt its power and beauty—the Nile; when, from its majestic waters, arose seven fat-fleshed and well-favoured kine. After these arose seven lean kine, poorer than were ever in the land of Egypt, and they devoured the fat kine; but they still remained as lean as before. Then the king awoke. A second time he slept, and seven full ears of corn arose, and, after them seven withered ears, which devoured the first, but still remained as poor as before.

"And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, the dream of Pharaoh is one; God hath shewed Pharoah what he is about to do. Behold there come seven years of great plenty, throughout all the land of Egypt; and there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following, for it shall be very grievous.” And he counselled Pharaoh to appoint officers to collect corn during the years of plenty, that

the people might not be destroyed during the famine.

The king, seeing the wisdom of Joseph, appointed him head over his kingdom, and made him next to himself in dignity and honour. He took his own ring from his finger, and gave it to him, and arrayed him in costly garments, and put a chain of gold about his neck. When he rode out, officers went before, and cried, "Bow the knee;" and he was ruler over all Egypt. He also gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potipherah, priest or prince of On, to be his wife.

Now he was a king

Joseph was now thirty years of age; fourteen years ago he had come down to Egypt, a poor, weeping, miserable slave; torn from his home and all he loved, and with no earthly friend to comfort him. he was ruler of a land, famed for its beauty and fertility; but still more famed for the power, wisdom, and learning of its inhabitants-and of these he had been pronounced the most wise and learned. But one distinguishing property raised him far above those around him, and rendered him even happier than all his power

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and splendour-this was the knowledge and love of Jehovah; whilst they were wrapped in darkness and ignorance.

What would his cruel and envious brethren have said could they now have seen him? They hoped for ever to prevent his attainment of the eminence which, in childhood, God had in dreams revealed to him; but vainly does man fight against God. When the Lord hath said it, He will make it good.

During the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth in such abundance, as even the land of Egypt had never before seen. The people laughed, and feasted, and rejoiced; but they prepared not for a time of need. "Who," they cried, "shall bring scarcity upon us? Look at our fields—see the heavy ears of corn, bending to the ground!—see our vines drooping to the earth beneath their purple burden!—see our plantations of olives, dates, and figs,-talk not of famine! Do we not receive these year after year, without any prospect of failure!" And they laughed at the provident care of Joseph, who built storehouses and yearly filled them with corn.

When Joseph had been married three years, he had a son, whom he named Manasseh, signifying, "forgetting," "For God," said he,"hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house." And, in the fourth year, a second was born, to whom he gave the name of Ephraim, that is, "fruitful," saying, "God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

And now the years of famine came. The people saw, with astonishment, their fields bring forth no grain, and their trees bear no fruit ; and, when another year, and another followed, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and blessed the hand that, from the overflowing abundance, had collected food for their present want. At length they had no longer any money left, wherewith to purchase corn; so they brought their children, and cattle, and lands, and exchanged for bread; so all the land of Egypt passed into the hands of Pharaoh. Joseph made a law that all the fifths of the produce of the land should, in future, be given to Pharaoh, except the land of the priests which be left free, and upon this condition he restored it to the people.