The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-16
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINES SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: sThe Corncrib OF Egypt

: TEXtc "Ye shall not see mn race, eIcept
pour brother be with ou."-Genesis, KILL, s..
This summer, having crossed eighteen Of
the United States. North, South. East ana
West, have to report the mightiest har-
vests that this country or any other
country ever reaped. If the grain gam
blers do not somehow wreck these har-
vests, we are about to enter upon the grand
est scene of prosperity that America has
ever witnessed. But while this Is so In our
own country, on the other side of the At
lantic there are nations threatened WIN
famine, and the most dismal cry that ls
ever heard will fear be uttered, the cry
for bread. pray God that the contrasC
between our prosperity and their want may
not be as sharp as in the lands referred to
by nv text. There was nothing to eat.
Plenty of corn in Egypt, but CHASTITY fam-
inc in Canaan. The cattle moaning IN the
stall. Men, women and children a"tully
white with hunger. Not the failing or one
crop for one summer, but the railing OF all
the crops for seven years. nation dying
for lack of that which is so common on your
table, and so little appreciated; the product
of harvest field, and grist-mill, and oven; the
price of sweat, and anxiety, and struggle
Bread Jacob the father has the last
report from the flour-bin, and he finds
that everything is out, and he
says to his sons: "Boys, hook up the wag-
ons aud start for Egypt, and get US some
thing 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 sew
enty and eighty per cent of their products
to the government. No wonder in that
time rhey had a large corn crib, and
it was full. To that crib they came from
the regions round about-those who were
famished- 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 exhausted, then 81!
selling their own bodies and their families
into slavery.
The morning for starting out on the cru
sade for bread had arrived. Jacob gets his
family up very early. But before the elder
sons start they say something that makes
him tremble with emotion from head to
foot, and burst into tears. The fact was,
that these elder sons had once before been
in Egypt to get corn, and they had been
treated somewhat roughly. the lord OF the
corn-crib supplying them with corn, but say
ing a. the close Of the interview: "Now,
YOU need not come back here Tor any
more corn unless you bring something
better than money-even your younger
brother Benjamin. Ah! Beujamin-that
very pane was suggestive of all tenderness.
The Ii other had died at the birth Of ths son
a spirit coming and another spirit going
and the very thought OF parting. With
Benjamin must have been heart break.
The keeper OF this corn-crib, nevertheless,
says to these older sons: "fhere is no need
of y~ut coming here anymore for corn un-
less you bring Benjamin, your fathers dar-
ling" Now Jacob and his family very
much needed bread; but what struggle
it 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 ones keep reiterating in his
ears the announcement Of the Egyptian
lord, 'Ye shall not see my ff ce unless your
them you had a brotherg' said the old
man, complaining and chiding them.
'Why, father" they said, '.he asked Us
all about our family, and we had no idea
he would make any such demand upon US
as he has made" "No use of asking me-"
said the father, 81 cannot I will not, give
up Benjamin" The fact was that the old
man had lost children; aud when there has
been bereavement in household, and
child taken, it makes the other children in
the household more precious. So the day
for departure adjourned. and adjourned,
and adjourned. 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" 'Fare-
wellr' said the young man to the father, in
q tone Of assumed good cheer. "F-a-r-e-
w-e-l-lm said the old man; for that word has
moro quavers in it when pronounced by the
aged than by the young.
Well, the bread party-the bread embassy
drives up in front Of the corn-crib Of
Egypt. These corn-cribs are filed with
wheat, and barley, and corn in the husk,
Egypt know that there is corn there CORE
spending with our Indian maize. Huzza!
the journey is ended. The lord Of
the corn-crib, who is also the prime minis
ter, comes down to these arrived travellers,
and says: 'Dine with me to-day. How IS
your father? Is this Benjamin, the younger
brother whose presence demanded?' The
travellers are introduced into the palace.
They are worn and beduSted Of the way;
and servants come in with basin
OF water in one hand and a towel
in the other, and kneel down before
these nawly-arrived travellers, washing or
the dust of the way. The butchers, and
poulterers and caterers of the prime min
lister prepare the repast The guests are
seated III small groups, two or three at a
table, the food on tray: all the luxuries
from imperial gardens, and orchards and
acquariums and avlaries are brought
there, and are filing chalce and platter.
Now is the time for this primo minister, IL
he has a grudge against Benjamin, to show
it. Will he kill him, now that he has him in
his hands? Oh, mol This lord of the corn
crib is seated at his own table, and he looks
over to the table of his guests; and he sends
a portion to each Of them, but sends
larger portion to Benjamin, or as
the Bible quantity puts it: "Benja-
min,9 mess was five times as much as any
with the swiftest camel to Canaan to old
Jacob that benjamin is well all is we'll,
he is faring sumptuously the Egyptian lord
did not mean murder and dealt; ; but he
meant deliverauce and life when he an.
nourced to US on that day t: 'Ye snail not see
my tace unless your brother be with you"
Well, my friends, this world is famine.
struck of sin. 1t does not yield a single
crop of solid satisfaction. 1t is dying. 1t
not, cannot, feed a mans heart was we'll
illustrated in the life Of the English coui-
edian. All the world honored him-lid
everything for him that the world could
do. He was applauded in England and
applauded in the United States He reused
up nations into laughter. He had no
equal. And, yet although many people
supposed him entirely happy, and that
this world was completely satiating his
soul, he sits down and writes: Il never
in my life put on new hat that it did not
rain and ruin it. I never went out in a
shabby coat beca use it was raining and
thought all who had the choice would keep
in doors, that tho sun did not burst forth
j., .S, ox~ md hr,nr nit oI hn
butterflies of fashion whom I knew and
who kneW me. I never consented to &C.