· Contemplation>. Lr B. Il I. He knew that God would finde a time to cleare his innocem;e, and to regard his challefaithfulnefl'e. . No prifon would ferve him, but Ph•wbs. ']oftph had !yenobfcure and not been know11eto Pb~ro•h, ifbe had not been calljmo Phlro•hs dungeon: rhe afthllions ofGods children turn ever to their advantllges. No fooner is Jofoph aprifoner then aGuardianofthe prifoners.TruClaod honor accompany him wherefoever he i~ In his fathershoufe, in Potiph•rt, in theJayle, in the Court:· ftill he hathboth favor and rule. So long as Ood is with him, he cannot but fhine in fplght ofmen : Thewalsof that dungeon cannot hide hisvenues, tile iron cannot hold them. P/Jaroo!JI Officers are frnt to wimefl'e his graces, which he may not come forth to fhew: theCupbearcr admires him i~ theayle, but forgets himin the Court. Howeafilydotb our owne prorperity roanake~elthet forget the defervings, ormiferjes ofother.s ! But as God cannot negle(ght o'.wne, fo leallofall in their forrowes. Afrerrwo yeares more of 'jofopht patie.•eed Y. that God which caufed him to be liftedour of the former pit to be fold, nownhGtnm out ofrhedungeon to honor. He.now puts adream into the headofPh•r: me;He puts the remembranceof'Joftphslkill into the head oftheCupbearer;who.'he cotfluePh.,o•h, nottt?requit~Joftph, com'llends the Prifoner,for an Interpre<hatwaseusan mrerpretanon in 1he momhofJoftph: he puts rhischoice into the bed ha.t~liaroah, ofamif':"able prif?oer, to ~ake him t~e R.ul~r of./Egypt. Behold:onflll!oure bathchangedhts fetters mto achamofgold,!usrags mro fine linnen, his ll6C:ks intoa Chariot,his Jayle into a Palace, Poliph•rt captive into his Mallers Lord, thenoyfe ofhis chaines into Abrech.He whofe chafiiry refufed thewan- c ton alluremeors oftheWi&o£ Potiphar, had now given him to hisWife the daughter ·of P ot;p/~tr~h. Humility goesbefore honour; Servingand Sufferingare the bell Tutors toGovernment. Howwell areGods children paidfor their patience! How happy ore the ifl'ues ofthe faith,full I Never any manrepented himofthe advance· ment of a good man. ' Pharoah bathnot more preferd 'joftth,then'jofop/1 bath enriched Ph~r,.h; Jfioftp/> hadnot ruled, .IE!(yptandall theborderingNations had perifhed. The providence offo faithfull•n Officerbath bot~ given the.!Egyptians their lives; and the money, cattell,laods, bodiesofthe ./Egypuans to Pharoah. Both have reafon to be well pleafed. The fubjecrs owe to himtheir lives; theKing his Subjects,andhisDominions: rhebounry ofOod made Ioftpb able togivemore then he received. It is like the fe- D ven yearesofplentywere not confined to .IE~ypt; other Countries adjoyning were no !etfe fruitfull : yer in the feven yearesoffamine, lEgypt had corne when they wanted. See the dilference betwixt awife prudent frugality, and avaine ignoramexpence ofthebenefit; o6God: The fparinghand isboth full and beneficiaU, whereas the la· vi!h is not onely empty,but injurious. Good Iacob is pinchedwith the common famine. No piety can exempt~ from theevilsofneighbourhood. No man can tell byoutward event, which is theParriarke, and which rhe Canaanire. Neither doth his profeffion leade hilll'tothe hopeof a miraculous prefervation. It ,is a vaine temptingofGod,tocall our felves upon an immediate proviGon, wirh ne- E tglet'il'ofcommonmeanes: Hisrenne fonnes mullnowleavetheirflocks, andgoe 'downe into.!Egypt, to be theili Fathers purveyours.And now theygo tobuyofhim whom they'bad fold; and bOw their knees to himfOr his reliefe, whichhadbowed ro thembeforefor his owne life. His age, his habite,rh~ place,the language,kept Iolfoph frotn their knowled~e; neither had they callea off their minds from their folds, to enquireofmattersoffomineState, orro heare that an Htbrcfll was advanced to ·thehighell honorof./Egypt. .Bur he cannot bot know them, whomhe left attheir full growth,whofe ton~•·.an~ habit, and.numb_erwere •!I one: ~ho~ faces had left fo deepe an impreffion m h!S mmde,atthe~ruokinde pamog: It IS wifedome fomotime toconcealeout knowlegde, thatwemaynot prejudice trurh. Hethatm~batedofhis brethren, for1Jrioghis Fathenfpye1 nowaccufe~his brethrtll
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