The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 3 · Section 36
SECT. XXXVI.
JOſeph (as we have ſhewed, Sect. 33.) being carried down into Egypt, and ſold to Potiphar, an Officer of Pharaohs, and Captain of his Guard, the Lords bleſſing ſo eminently went along with him, that he quickly found favour in the eyes of his Maſter, and he employ'd him firſt as an ordinary Servant in his houſe, then to attend his own Perſon, as Groom of his Chamber, and finding by the effects the bleſſing of God to follow what he did, and that he was a proſperous man, he made him Overſeer, or Steward over his whole houſe; And 'tis like Joſeph being a young man of great ingenuity, quickly learned the Egyptian Language, to inable him for his Maſters Service: And 'twas evident to Potiphar that God bleſſed his Houſe, and bleſſed all that he had in the Houſe, or in the Field, for Joſeph's ſake. So great is the benefit of having religious Servants. Potiphar hereupon committed the Care of all his Affairs and Concerns to Joſeph, minding nothing himſelf, ſave only to eat and drink, and follow his own contentments. (i)Nec quidquam aliud noverat niſi pane quo veſcebatur,] i. e. Herus omnia fideli Miniſtro committebat, de nulla re alia ſollicitus quam de edendo, & bibendo.Joſeph going on to ſerve his Maſter after this manner with all fidelity, and being a goodly perſon, and well-favoured, about 10 or 11 years after he had been brought down into Egypt, and about the 27th year of his age,(k)Nunc anno triceſſimo liberatus eſt carcere in quo amplius biennio fuerat, Gen. 41.1. There is no certainty how long Joſeph was in Priſon, nor in what Year firſt put in. He waited patiently on God in long Afflictions for Deliverance. his luſtful Miſtriſs caſt her wanton Eyes upon him, and entic'd him to commit folly with her. He refus'd the motion with indignation, telling her how great a Truſt his Maſter had repoſed in him, having put all he had into his Hands but his Wife only, and therefore (ſays He) How can I do this great Wickedneſs and Sin againſt God? And how can I be ſo baſe, ſo ungrateful, ſo diſloyal and unfaithful to my kind Maſter? But ſhe impudently ply'd him with freſh Solicitations, which he by the Grace of God as ſtrongly reſiſted, and ſhun'd (as much as He could) coming nigh her, or being in her company. Shortly, upon a time coming home to perform the buſineſs of his Place, this impudent Woman obſerving moſt of the Servants of the Houſe to be abſent, thought that a fit opportunity for her wicked purpoſe, and ſo laying hands on him, ſaid, Come and lie with me. O the prodigiouſneſs of Luſt, which breaks through all the bands of Conſcience and Modeſty, and inſtigates a Woman (who ſhould be modeſt and ſhamefac't) impudently to offer to commit a Rape upon a Man! Joſeph ſeeing himſelf in this danger, ſtays not*Contra libidinis impetum apprehende fugam ſi vis obtinere victoriam. Ianſ. to parly with her, but ſtrugling to get away from her, He leaves his upper Garment (which ſhe had taken hold of) in her hands. She ſeeing that he had thus eſcaped from her, runs out, and making a Noiſe, calls to thoſe Servants that were about the houſe, and ſhewing the Garment, See (ſaith ſhe) how my Husband hath brought in an Hebrew (ſo ſhe ſpeaks of him in contempt) among us, who by a diſhoneſt and lewd attempt upon me, hath indeavoured to bring Diſgrace and a Reproach upon us; and ſo ſhe laid up the Garment to produce it when her Lord came home. Thus, ſeeing Joſeph will not ſatisfie her Luſt, ſhe will now ſatisfie her Revenge upon him; her raging Luſt being now turn'd into raging hatred. Accordingly when her Husband came home, ſhe tells him how Joſeph had made an attempt upon her Chaſtity, and though ſhe her ſelf was the only guilty Perſon, yet ſhe deeply and vehemently accuſes the Innocent; (l)Neceſſe eſt ut veniant tentationes: Quis enim coronabitur, niſi legitime certaverit? Tu ergo accedens ad ſervitutem Dei, ſta in timore, & praepara animam tuam ad tentationem. Bernard.and as an evidence of his attempt and Crime, ſhe produces his Garment. (m)Nimium credulus Maritus, non animadvertit veſtem eſſe indicium violentiae, ſed muliebris, modeſtiae vero adoleſcentis. Ianſ.Her Husband hearing this, falls into an extreme rage, and without examining the matter, or hearing Joſeph ſpeak for himſelf, or at ieaſt not believing him, caſts him immediately into Priſon. 'Tis wonder he did not preſently kill him, conſidering how violently the rage of jealouſly is, and eſpecially in an Heathen, not awed by the fear of God; But God ſo over-ruled his heart, that he was only caſt into Priſon, which his Providence intended afterwards ſhould be the means of his advancement. Yet at firſt (it ſeems) Potiphar ordered him to be laid in Irons, and thrown into the Dungeon. See Ch. 40.15. and Pſal. 105.18, 19. His feet they hurt with Fetters, and he was laid in Irons. But there alſo the Lord was with him, and comforted him with his own Conſolations under theſe his ſore Afflictions; and the Priſon was not ſo much a Priſon as a School of Vertue and Patience to him, and after a time, gave him favour in the eyes of the Keeper of the Priſon, or chief Goaler, (who probably was an Officer under Potiphar the Captain of the Guard, ſee Ch. 40.4.) to whom it's like he declared the whole matter, and clear'd his Innocency; and Potiphar by his Officers relation might poſſibly at laſt begin to be better perſwaded of him. But the chief Goaler was ſo confident of his Innocency, that he committed to his Care all his Priſoners, and he had the Rule of the whole Priſon, and all things were under his ordering and direction. So that the chief Goaler took care of nothing, ſeeing how careful Joſeph was, and obſerving how God proſpered and bleſſed all that he did. Thus though the Archers hated him, ſhot at him and ſorely grieved him, yet his Bow abode in ſtrength, and his Hands were ſtrong by the mighty God of Jacob, Gen. 49.23, 24.
Gen. 39. whole Chapter.