Page:The Story of Joseph and His Brethren.djvu/36

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JOSEPH AND HIS BRETHREN.
33

aid. He made Joseph himself a medium of producing what was for his advantage, disposing the keeper of the prison, so far as he was inclined to yield to His divine influence, and to be acted upon by Joseph's conduct, to further His divine purpose. Some may suppose that these favourable results were due to Joseph's own prudent and good conduct—to his own beautiful character. So, in one sense, they were. But, in the first place, Joseph's virtues were of God; and, in the second place, God's grace acted through these virtues to make him find favour with the keeper of the prison. Here, too, his keeper saw, as Potiphar had seen, that the Lord was with him. His piety and virtue assured these Egyptian men that he walked with God, and that Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, was with him. And the keeper of the prison had such confidence in him, that he looked not to any thing that was under his hand.