Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-11-07

% grooming, as they rolled over and ex-
,ired.
And then boils, one Of which viii put a
man IN wretchedness, came in clusters from
the top OF the head to the sole of the foot.
And then the clouds dropped hail and light
ang. And then locusts came in, swarms of
them, worse than the grasshoppers even were
y Kansas, and then darkness dropped for
three days so that the people could not see
their hand before their face, great surges of
midnight covering them. And last of all
IN the night of the 18th of April, about
eighteen hundred years before Christ, the
Destroying Angel sweeps past: and hear it
Ill night long, the Zap fiapi dapl of his wings
antil Egypt rolled on great hearse, the
oldest child dead in every Egyptian home
The eldest son of Pharaoh expired that night
IN the palace and all along the streets of
Memphis and Heliopohs, and all up and down
the Nile there was funeral wall that would
have rent the fold of the unnatural darkness
IL it had not been impenetrable
The Israelitish homes, however, were I'M
touched. But these homes were full OF prep
aration, for now rs your chance. o We
wronged Hebrews Snatch up what pieces
of food you can and to the deserti It's
simoons are better tnan the bondage you
have suffered. Its scorpions will not sting
SO sharply as the wrongs that have stung
you all your lives. Away! The man who
was Graded in the basket of papyrus on the
Nile will lead you. Up! Upl This is the
night of your rescue They gather together
at signal Aexander's armies and all the
armies of olden time were led by torches on
high poles, great crests of fire; and the
Lord Almighty kindles a torch not held by
human hands but by omnipotent hand.
Not made out of straw or oil, but kindied
out OF the atmosphere, such torch as the
world never saw before and never will ses
again. 1t reached from the earth unto the
heaven, pillar of fire. that pillar practi-
cally saying This way March this wayp
On that supernatural fambeau more than
million refugees set their eyes. Moses and
Aaron lead on. Then come the families of
Israel. Then come the herds and fiocks
moving on across the sands to what is the
beach of waters now called Bahr-el- ulzum.
but called in the B BILE the Red Sea- And
when dipped my hands in its blue waters
the heroics of the Mosaic passage rolled over
me.
After three days march the Israelitish
refugees encampe1 for the night on the
banks of the Red Sea. As the shadows be-
gin to fall, in the distance is seen the host of
Pharaoh in pursuit There were six hun
dred finest war chariots, followed by com
mon chariots. rolling ut full speed. And the
glittering of the wheels and the curses of in
furlated Egyptians came down with the
darkness. But the Lord opened the crystal
gates of Bahr-el-Kulzum and tbs enslaved
lsraelites passed into liberty, and then the
crystal gates of the sea rolled shut against
the Egyptian pursuers
1t was about tvs O'Clock in the morning
when the interlocked axle trees of the
Egyptian chariots could not move an inch
either way. But the Red sea unhitched the
horses and unhelmeted the warriors, and
left the proud host wreck on the Arabian
sands. Then two choruses arose, and Moses
led the men in one, and Miriam led the
women in the other, and the women beat
time with their feet. The record says: "All
the women went out aftey her with timbrels
and with dances And Miriam answered
them, Sing ye to the Lord for He hath
triumphed gloriously, the horse and his
rider hath he thrown into the sea-" What
thrilling story of endurance and victory
SO the burden of oppression was lifted but
another burden of Egypt is made up of des-
erts. Indeed, Africa is a great continent
for deserts, LibyaD, desert, Sahara DESERT
deserts here and there and yonder, condemn.
ing vast regions Of Africa to barrenness one
of the deserts three thousand miles long an
thousand miles wide. But all those deserts
will yet be flooded, and so made fertile. De
Lesseps says it can be done, and he who PLAN
ned the Suez canal, which marries the Red
Sea and the Mediterranean, knows what he
is taking about.
Another burden of Egypt to be lifted is
the burden of Mohammedauism, although
there are some good things about that re.
hgion. Its disciples must always wash be-
fore they pray, and that is five times a day.
A commendable grace is cleanliness. Strong
drink is positively forbidden by Mohamme-
danism, and though some may have seen a
drunken Mohammeian, never saw one. 1t
is religion OF sobrety. Then they are not
ashame OF their devotions. When the cali
for prayers is sounded from the minarets the
Mohammedan Immediately unrolls the rug
on the ground and falls on his knees, and
crowds of spectators are to him no embar-
rassment-reproof to many a Christian who
omits his prayers if people are looking.
But Mohammedanism, with its polyg-
amy, blights everything it touches No.
manned, its founder, had four wives, and
his followers are the enemies of good
womauhooi. Mohammedansm puts its
curse on all Egypt, and by setting up sin
full Arab higher than the immaculate Christ,
is an overwhelming blasphemy. May God
help the brave and consecrated missionar-
les who are spending their lives in combating
it
But before I forget it must put mora
emphasis upon the fact that the last outrage
that resulted in the liberation of the He
brews was their being compelled to make
bricks without straw. That was the last
straw that broke the camePs back God
would allow the despotism against his PEG
pie to go no farther. Making bricks without
straw
That oppression still goes on. Demand of
your wife appropriate wardrobe and
bountifui table without providing the means
necessary-brlckS without straw. Cities de-
manding in the public school faithful and
successful instruction without giving the
teachers competent livelihood--bricks with
out straw, United States government de-
handing of senator's and congressman at
Washington full atten lance to the interests
of the people, but on compensation which
may have done well enough when twenty
five cents went as far as dollar now, but
in these times not sufficient TO preserve their
influence and espectability--bricks without
straw.
In many parts of the land CHURCHES de-
handing of pastors vigorous sermons and
sympathetic service on starvation salary:
sanctified Ciceros on four hundred dollars
a year, BricSs without straw. That is one
reason why there are 50 many poor bricks
In all departments, bricks not even or
bricks that crumbIe or bricks that are not
bricks at all Work adequately paid for is
worth more than work not paid for. More
straw and then better bricks.
But in all departments there are Pharaohs;
sometimes Capital a Pharaoh and sometimes
Labor Pharaoh. When Capital prospers,
and makes large percentage on its invest.
uleHt. anu utClluHS W tOliSlie1 bu5 HtSuS vi
the operatives. and treats them as SO many
human machines-their nerves no more than
the bands on the factory wheel-then Capt.
tai is a Pharaoh. On the other hand, when
workmen, not regarding the anxieties and
business struggles of the firm employing
them. and at the time when the firm are
doing their best to meet an important con-
tract and need all hands busy to plish
it, at such time to have his employees make
A strike and mt th air mi In
perplexity and severe loss-then Labor be-
comes a Pharaoh of the worst oppression,
and must look for the judgments of God.
Let all oppresSors whether in homes In
churches in stora7 IN afinac in factories in
social life or political life, in private lie or
public life know that God hates oppraSsors,
and they will all come to grief here or hsre-
after. Pharaoh thought he did fine thing,
cunning thing, decisive thing when for
the complete extinction of the Hebrews in
Egypt he ordered all the Hebrew boys mas
sacred, but he did not find it SO fins a thing
when his own first born that night of the de-
stroying angel dropped dead on the mosaic
floor at the foot of the porphyry pillar of the
palace. Let all the Pharaohs take warning
Some of the worst of them are on small
scale in households, as when man, because
his arm is strong and his voice loud, dom
mates his poor wife into domestic slavery
There are thousands of such cases where
the wife is q lifetime serf. her opinion disre-
garded, her tastes insulted, aud her existence
wretchedness, though the world may not
know it. 1t is a Pharaoh that sits at the
head of that table, and a Pharaoh that ty-
rannlzes that home. There is no more all
horrent Pharaoh than a domestic Pharaoh
But it rolls over on me with great power
the thought that we have all been slaves
down in Egypt, and sin has been our task
u 4 -N.-