Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-09-04
THEGAMBLERSIN GRAIN.
DIR. TALMAGE PoURs SOME HOT
SHOT AT THEM.
Abe Present Prosperity Might TIE
spoiled by the specuiators-rhe
United States n Otherwise Like
the Egypt OF Old.

BROOKI.YN, N. y, Aug. 80, lS9l.-1 he
cabled reports of Ineagre harvests in
Europe, and the memory of the vast
crops of ripening grain which Dr. Tai
mage saw during his recent tour in
the West. have combined to turn his
thoughts back to that patriarchal time
when all the world sent to Egypt 10
buy corn and to suggest n gospel les
son. His text is Genesis 43:3. "Ye
shall not see my face, except your
brother be with you.
This summer, having crossed eigh-
teen of the United States, North,
South, East and West, have to report
the mightiest harvests that this coun-
try, or any other country, ever reaped.
If the grain gamblers do not somehow
wreck these harvests, we are about to
enter upon the grandest scene of
prosperity that America has
ever Witnessed But while this is
so in our own country, on the other
side Of the Atlantic there are nations
threatened with famine, ana the most
dismal cry that ever heard will fear
be uttered-the cry for bread. l pray
God that the contrast between our
prosperity and their want may not be
as sharp as in the lands re erred to by
my tcxt. There was nothing to eat.
PLENTY of corn in Egypt, but
ghastly famine in Canaan. The CO tile
moaning in the stall. Men, women
and children awfully white with
hunger. Not the falling OF one crop
for one summer, but the failing OF all
the crops for seven years. nation
dying for lack of that which is so com
mon on your table, and so little APP
preciated; the product of harvest field,
and grist-mill, and oven; the price
of sweat, and anxiety, and struggle,
-breadi Jacob the father, has tho
last report from the iour-bin, and he
finds that everything is out and he says
to his sons: "Boys, hook up the wag-
ons and start for Egypt, and get us
something to eat" The fact was,
there was a great corn crib in Egypt.
The people of Egypt have been largely
taxed in all ages, at the present time
paying between seventy and eighty
per cent of their products to the gov
eminent. No wonder in that time
they had large corn-crib, and it was
full. To that crib they came from the
regions around about-those who were
famished-some paying for corn in
money, when the money was exhausted,
paying for the corn in sheep and cattle
and horses and camels; and when they
were eXaustel, then selling their own
bodies and their families into slavery.
The morning 70. starting out the
crusade has arrived. ia oh gets his
family up very early. But before the
elder sons start they say something
| that males him tremble with emotion
from head TO iGot, and burst into tears.
The fact was, that these elder sons had
once before been in Egygt to get corn,
and they had been treated somewhat
roughly, the lord of the corn-crib sup
plying them with corn, but saying at
| the close of the interview: "Now, you
need not come back here for any more
corn unless you bring something better
than monev-even your younger broth
| or Ben iamin." All. Ben iamin-a name
suggestive of all tenderness. The
mother had died at tho birth of that
soma spirit coming and another spirit
going-aud the very thought OF parting
with Benjamin must have been heart
break. The keeper of this corn crib,
nevertheless, says to these older sons:
There is no need of your coming here
! any more for corn unless YOU bring
BENJAMIN, ysur father darling" Now
Jacob and his family very much needed
| DTGdQ, Dub NndJ u IL
would be to give up this son.
The Orientals are very demonstrative in
their grief, and hear the outwailing
of the father as these older sons Keep
relterating in his ears the announce.
ment of the Egyptian lord, aye shall
not see my ia unless your brother
be with you" Why did you tell them
you had n brother?" said the old
man, complaining and Gliding them.
"Why, father" they said, The asked
us all about our family, and
we had no idea he would make any
such demand upon us as he has made u
"No use of asking me, " said the father,
81 can not, will not, give up Benia-
min The fact was that the old man
had lost children; and when there has
been bereavement in household, and
child taken, it makes the other chill
dren In the household more precious.
So the day for departure was ad-
journed, and adjourned, and adj
jouru ID. Still the horrors OF
the famine increased, and louder
moaned the cattle, and wider
open cracked the earth, and
more pallid became the cheeks,
until Jacob, in despair, cried out to his
sons, Take benjamin and be off," The
older sons tried to cheer up their
father. They said: 1--WE have strong
arms and a stout heart, and no harm
will come to BENJAMIN. Well see that
he gets back again" FAREWELL said
the young men TO the father, in tone
of assumed good cheer. "F-a-r-e.
we'll !" said the old man; for that
word has more quavers in it when pro.
nounced by the aged than by the
young.
Well, the bread party--the bread
embassy-drives up in front of the
eorn-crib of Egypt These corn-cribs
are filed with wheat, and barley, and
corn in the husk, for these who have
travelled in Canaan and Egypt know
that there is corn there corresponding
with our Indian maize. Huzza! the
journey rs ended The lord of the
eorn-crib, who is n so the Prime Min
lister, comes down TO these arrived
travellers, and says: "Dine with me
to-day. Hsw Is your father? Is THU