The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1888-12-14
OUR DEAD STILL LIVE.
SERMON PREACHED By REV T. De
WITT TALMAGE ON DEG. 9,


Heart--The Hope Of Immortality Be'
You'd tho Grave.
BROOKLYN, Dec. 9.-The Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage, d. D., preached today
on "Our Departed Still Living" His
text was Genesis xiv, ~, %: "And
when he saw the wagons which Jo-
seph had sent to carry him, the spirit
of Jacob their father revived. And
Israel said, It is enough; Joseph my
son is yet alive" DR.. Talmage said:
The Egyptian capital was the focus
of the worlds wealth. In ships and
barges, there had been brought to it
from India franlSicense, and cinnamon,
and ivory, and diamonds; from the
north, marble and iron; from Syria,
purple and silk; from Greece, some Of
the finest horses of the world, and some
of the most brilliant chariots; and from
all the earth that which could best
please the eye, and charm the ear, and
crafty the taste. There were temples
aflame with red sandstone, entered by
gateways that were guarded by pillars
bewildering with hieroglyphics, and
wound with brazen serpents, and
adorned with winged creatures-their
eyes, and beaks, and pinions glittering
with precious stones There were
marble columns blooming into white
flower buds, there we're stone pillars
at the top bursting into the shape Of
the lotus when in full bloom. Along
the avenues, lined with sphinx and
fame and obelisk, there were princes
who came in gorgeously upholstered
palanquin, carried by servants in scar
let, or elsewhere drawn by vehicles,
the snow white horses, golden bitted
and six abreast, dashing at full run.
There were fountains from stone
wreathed vases climbing the ladders
Of the light You would hear bolt
shove, and door of brass would open
like flash of the sun. The surround
ing gardens were saturated with odors
that mounted the terrace and dripped
from the arbors, and burned their in
cense in the Egyptian noon. On floors
of mosaic the glories of Pharaoh
were spelled out in letters of porphyry,
and beryl, and flame. There were
ornaments twisted from the wood of
the tamarisk, embossed with silver
breaking into foam. There were foot
stools made out of single precious
stone. There were beds fashioned out
of a crouched lion in bronze. There
were chairs spotted with the sleek hide
of leopards There were sofas footed
with the claws of wild beasts, and
armed with the beaks of birds. AS
you stand on the level beach of the
sea on summer day, and look either
way and there are miles of breakers,
white with the ocean foam, dashing
Dhoreward; SO it seemed as if thu sea
~gyptah capitd llasles
ing itself up into Eng 1(|llkers of
earble temple, mausoleum and ODE
fisk.
WHAT A CONTRAST!
This was the place where Joseph,
the shepherd boy, was called to stand
next to Pharaoh in honor. What
contrast between this scene and his
humble starting, and the pit into
which his brothers threw him! Yet
he was not forgetful of his early home;
be was not ashamed of where he came
from. The bishop of Mentz, descended
from wheelwright, covered his house
with spokes, and hammers, and wheels;
and the king of Sicily, in honor of his
father, who was potter, refused to
drink out Of anything but an earthen
vessel. So Joseph was not ashamed
Of his early surroundings, or of his
old time father, or Of his BROTH
ers. When they came up from
the famine stricken land to get corn
from the kings corn crib, Joseph, in
stead Of Gliding them for the way they
had maltreated and abused him, sent
them back with wagons, which Pha-
raoh furnished, laden with corn; and
old Jacob, the father, in the very same
wagons, was brought back, that Jo-
seph, the son, might see him, and give |
him comfortable home all the rest of
his days.
Well, I hear the wagons, the kings
rumbling down in front Of
the palace. On the outside of the pal
ace, to see the wagons 60 off, stands
Pharaoh in royal robes; and beside
him Prime Minister Joseph, with
chain Of gold around his neck, and
On his hand a ring given by Pharaoh
% him, SO that at any time he want
I'd to stamp the royal seal upon
4 document he could do So Wagon
after wagon rolls on down from the
palace, laden with corn, and meat,
md changes of raiment, and every
hing that could help famine struck
people. One day l see aged Jacob
seated in front of his house. He is
possibly thinking of his absent boys
sons, however old they get, are never
@ father any more than boys); and
while he is seated there, he sees dust
arising, and he hears wagons rum
bling, and he wonders what is coming
low, for the whole land had been
'mitten with the famine, and was in
silence. But after while the wagons
nave come near enough, and he sees
lis sons on the wagons, and before
hey come quite up, they shout:
Joseph is yet alive!" The old man
aints dead away. do not wonder at
t. The boys tell the story how that
he boy, the long absent Joseph, has
rot to be the first man in the Egyptian
,alace. While they unload the
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