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Josephus relateth how this [Judge Potiphar] most highly commended his Wifes Chastity and Loyalty, whereof he had now so clear a witness; but poor Joseph he Condemned for a most un∣grateful wretch (forgetting all his Masters Kindnesses conferr'd upon him) and for a most no∣torious Whore master (that would have ravishd the Judges Wife and his own Mistriss) there∣fore he (though never heard what he could say for himself) in the Judges Judgment deserv'd the most direful Doom that could be denounced against him: Hereupon he is Doomed into a Dungeon (so the place of his Imprisonment is expresly explained, Gen. 40.15. and 41.14.) Until his Sentence of Death, or Day of Execution: The Hebrew word Sohar, Gen. 39.20. signifies the Round-house or Round-Tower, of Sahar, round, Cant. 7.2. perhaps from the grinding Mills which the Prisoners were forced to turn round, as Judg. 16.21. yet [Bor] in Gen. 40.15. and 41.14. and so Zech. 9.11. signifies a darksom dirty Vault under ground: Here is Joseph let down and laid up, relying wholly upon his Righteous God.
Joseph's Exaltation after a long Humiliation had two Harbingers or Providential Precursors fore-running it.
1. The Abatement of his Sufferings, and 2. His Releasment from them.
1. Of the first, Whether his Sufferings were such as Samson suffered in Prison Judges 16.21. where that mighty Champion is made to grind in the Prison-house, and so like a Drudge or Slave, was not suffer'd to eat his Bread till he had earn'd it by this slavish Service, is uncertain, Joseph hath no such Remark upon him for such matchless strength as Samson had, and therefore the Philistims highly hugg'd themselves with thinking what a commodious use they could make of Samsons mighty strength: Yet this is certain that the Egyptians laid Jo∣seph in Irons, as the Philistims bound Samson in Fetters of Iron, for the Sacred Writ asserteth both, Psal. 105.18. and Judg. 16.21. yet with this difference, Chast Joseph did less de∣serve his Iron Fetters, than Unchast Samson, who had long suffered himself to be bound with the Green Withes of Sensual Delights, and therefore was now more justly bound in Fetters of Iron: Neither had Joseph his Eyes put out, as Samson had, for they had not been Organs or Instruments to inflame his Heart with Lust by glancing or gazing upon a filthy Harlot, as Samson's had been: However Joseph suffer'd hard things, and such as he deserved not, yea, for above two years together, yet suffer'd he silently from first to last. All this time, Joseph either pleads not at all for himself, or at least, is not heard of those to whom he made his Plea or Appealed: Doubtless he denied the Fact and Offence, but durst not accuse the only Offender, who seem'd so high, as to be above the reach of the Rod of Justice: Yet, as some suppose, she might Hang her self (and so become Gods Executioner upon her self to save others the labour) when she saw Joseph Exalted to the second Place of Honour in Egypt. This is the less improbable, because History mentioneth a just parallel to this, of Bellerophon a young Prince, with whose Beauty Sthenobaea Queen of the Argives being taken, sollicited him to Lye with her, which when he refused, she accused him to her Husband that he would have Ravish'd her: This he believing (as Potiphar did here) sent him with Letters to Jo∣bates King of Lycia, just as David did Uriah to Joab, 2 Sam. 11.14, 15.) to make him a∣away: Jobatet in order hereunto put him upon many desperate Services to have dispatcht him; but finding him Valiant and Victorious (escaping all Eminent Dangers) he bestowed his Daughter upon him with half of his Kingdom; which when wanton Sthenobaea heard of, she Hang'd her self for woe, and so perhaps might this wanton Huswife do, when she saw Joseph so Exalted by King Pharaoh; likeness in Acting may have likeness in End: Yet this Death was too good for her. However the less Joseph pleaded for himself, the more did his God plead for him, and even by all these cross and contrary means wrought Joseph's Exaltation and brought both his Dreams to their full Accomplishment: Behold and wonder how cross and contrary was Providence to the Promise given by God to him in his Divine Dreams. As,
1. Besides the Arrows aforesaid shot at him by his Mistriss, his Master (who had highly honour'd him) must shoot Arrows at him too: So God would have it, he must be Uxorious, give credit to his Wives Craft, not heeding the Rule,
Nil temerè uxori de servis crede querenti Saepe etenim mulier, quem cojnux diligit odit.Cato.
The Wife will hate, whom the Husband loves , and will asperse them: He must judge him contrary to that old rule of Judgment [〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] hear both parties, and cast him by an improbable evidence; for if Joseph had been the Aggressor and assaulted her by force, he would never have left his Coat in her Hand to have been a Witness of his forcible assault (this the Judge should (at least) have supected) yea not only cast his Cause, but his Person into