36.  Such was our young furnisher of corn, and second Joseph:  though of him we can say somewhat more.  For the one made a gain from the famine, and bought up Egypt73    Gen. xli. 1 et seq. in his philanthropy, by managing the time of plenty with a view to the time of famine, turning to account the dreams of others for that purpose.  But the other’s services were gratuitous, and his succour of the famine gained no profit, having only one object, to win kindly feelings by kindly treatment, and to gain by his rations of corn the heavenly blessings.  Further he provided the nourishment of the Word, and that more perfect bounty and distribution, which is really heavenly and from on high—if the word be that bread of angels,74    Ps. lxxviii. 25. wherewith souls are fed and given to drink, who are a hungered for God,75    Ib. lxiii. 1; S. Matt. v. 6. and seek for a food which does not pass away or fail, but abides forever.  This food he, who was the poorest and most needy man whom I have known, supplied in rich abundance to the relief not of a famine of bread, nor of a thirst for water, but a longing for that Word76    Amos viii. 11. which is really lifegiving and nourishing, and causes to grow to spiritual manhood him who is duly fed thereon.

Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ νέος σιτοδότης ἡμῖν, καὶ δεύτερος Ἰωσήφ: πλὴν ὅτι καὶ πλέον τι λέγειν ἔχομεν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ καταπραγματεύεται τοῦ λιμοῦ καὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐξωνεῖται τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ, τὸν τῆς ἀφθονίας καιρὸν εἰς τὸν τοῦ λιμοῦ διαθέμενος καὶ τοῖς ἑτέρων ὀνείροις εἰς τοῦτο διαταττόμενος: ὁ δὲ προῖκα χρηστὸς ἦν καὶ τῆς σιτοδείας ἐπίκουρος ἀπραγμάτευτος, πρὸς ἓν ὁρῶν, τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ τὸ φιλάνθρωπον κτήσασθαι καὶ τῶν ἐκεῖθεν τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν διὰ τῆς ἐνταῦθα σιτομετρίας. Ταῦτα μετὰ τῆς τοῦ λόγου τροφῆς καὶ τῆς τελεωτέρας εὐεργεσίας καὶ διαδόσεως, τῆς ὄντως οὐρανίου καὶ ὑψηλῆς: εἴπερ ἄρτος Ἀγγέλων λόγος, ᾧ ψυχαὶ τρέφονται καὶ ποτίζονται, Θεὸν πεινῶσαι καὶ ζητοῦσαι τροφὴν οὐ ῥέουσαν οὐδ' ἀπιοῦσαν, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ μένουσαν: ἧς σιτοδότης ἦν ἐκεῖνος, καὶ μάλα πλούσιος, ὁ πενέστατος ὧν ἴσμεν καὶ ἀπορώτατος, οὐ λιμὸν ἄρτων, οὐδὲ δίψαν ὕδατος ἐξιώμενος, λόγου δὲ πόθον τοῦ ἀληθῶς ζωτικοῦ καὶ τροφίμου, καὶ εἰς αὔξησιν ἄγοντος πνευματικῆς ἡλικίας τὸν καλῶς τρεφόμενον.