Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-09-05
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun.
day Sermon.
Subject: "rhe cornerib of Egypt.s

vests that this country or any other
country ever reaped. II 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
lautic there are nations threatened with
famine, and the most dismal cry that Is
ever heard will fear be uttered, the cry
for bread. I pray God that the contrast
between our prosperity and their want NAV
not be as sharp as in the lands referred to
by my 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 awfully
white with hunger. Not the failing of one
crop for one summer but the failing of all
the crops for seven years. A nation dying
for lack of that which is 50 common on your
table, AMI so little appreciated; the product
of harvest field, and grist-nill, and oven; the
price of sweat. and anxiety, and struggle
Bread Jacob the father has the last
report from the hour-bin, and he finds
that everything is out; and he
says to bis sons: Boys, hook up the wag-
ons and start for Egypt and get US some
thing to eat" The fact was, there was
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 they had large corn crib, and
it was full To that crib they came from
the regions roun1 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 exhausted, then
selling their own bodies and their families
into slavery.
The tppfpine, foy. efarfipo ont Nv, sba ,r,,
SADIE 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
i'll Egypt to get corn, and they had been
treated somewhat roughly, the lord of the
corn-crib supplying them with corn, but say
ing at the close of the interview: Now.
you need not come back here for any
more corn unless you bring something
better than money-even your younger
brother Benjamin" All! enjamin--that
very name was suggestive of all tenderness
The mother 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: "Ihere is no need
OF your coming here any more for corn I'M
less you bring Benjamin, your fathers dar-
ling" Now Jacob aud his family very
much needed bread; but what a 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
iord, ''9e shall not see my fs co unless your
brother be with you.' ''Why did you tell
them you had a brother?' said the old
man, complaining and Gliding 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
said the father, 81 cannot, | will not, give
up benjamin" The fact was that the old
man had lost children; and when there has
been bereavement in household, and a
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: I'VE have strong arms and stout
heart, and no harm will come to Benjamin.
Wen see that he gets back again" Fare
well"' said the young man to the father, in
a tone of assumed good cheer. Fare
WE'LL" said the old man; for that word has
more 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 filled with
wheat and barley, and corn in the husk,
for those who have Travelled in Canaan and
Egypt know that there is corn there CORE
spending with our Indian maize. Huzzal
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 | demandedY The
travellers are introduced into the palace.
They are worn and bedusted of the way;
and servants come in with a basin
of water in ono hand and a towel
in the other, and kneel down before
these newly-arrived travellers, washing off
the dust of tho way. The butchers, and
poulterers, and caterers of the prime min
lister prepare the repast. The guests are
seated in small groups, two or three at
table, the food on tray; all the Injuries
from imperial gardens, and orchards and
acquariums and aviaries are brought
there, aud are filling chalice and platter.
Now is the time for this prime minister, if
H0 HAS u II 1SbuJNllitD W suOW
it. viii 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 tatle of his guests; and ne sends
a portion to each of them, but sends a
larger portion to Benjamin, Or as
tho Bible quantity puts it: "Benja-
minis mess was five times as much as any
of theirs.h Be quick and send word back
with the swifteSt camel to Canaan to old
ft,s ie raii all iy wall.
he is faring slEaptuously the Egyptian lord
did not Neon murder and death but he
meant deliYerauce and life when he au-
nounced to lis on that day 'Ye shall not see
my face unless your brother be with you
Well, my friends, this world is famine
struck of sin. 1t does not yield single
crop Of solid satisfaction. 1t is dying. 1t
is hunger-bittcn. The fact that it does
not, caunot, feed mans heart was well
illustrated in the life of the English COM
edian. All the world honored him-1id
everything for him that the world could
do. He was applauded in England and
applauded in tho United States. He reused
up nations into laughter He had nc
equal And, yet although many people
supposed him entirely happy, and that
this world was completely satiating his
soul. he sits down and writes: II never
in my life put on a new hat that it did no;
rain and ruin it. never went out in
shabby coat beca use it was raining AM
thought all who had the choice would keer
in doors, that the sun did not burst forth
in its strength and bring out with it all tbs
butterflies of fashion whom | knew ant
who knew me. | never consented to &C
cept part hated, out of kindness to an.
other that / did not get Kissed by the
public and cut by the writer. | could not
take drive for few minutes with Terry
without being overturned and having my
elhow-bone broken, though MY friend got
off unharmed. | could not make a cove
nant with Arnold, which thought was to
make my fortune without making his in
stead, than in an Incredible space of tima-
l think thirteen months-I earned for him
twenty thousand pounds and for myself
one. am persuad ed that ii [ were to set up
as beggar, everyone in my neighborhood
would leave off eating bread That was
the lament OF the worlds comedian and
joker. All unhappy. The world did every
thing for Lord Byron that it could do, and
yet in his last moment he asks friend to
come and sit down by him and read, as most
appropriate to his case the story of "Tha
Bleeding Heart" Torrigiano the sculptor
executed, after months OF care and carving
Madonna AMI the Child" The royal
family came in and admired it. Everboly
that looked at it was in ecstasy: but one
Gay, aIIeF ali tnit toit anu al tuab dl'HtTd-
ton, because he did not get as much COM
pensation for his WORK as he had ex-
pected, he took a mallet and dashed the
exquisite sculpture into atoms. The world
is poor compensation, poor satisfaction, poor
solace. Famine, famine in all the earth; not
tor seven years, but for six thousand. But,
blessed be God, there is great corn-crib.
The Lord built it. 1t is large place An
angel once measured it. and as far as l can
calculate it in our phrase, that corn-crib is
fifteen hundred mites long and fifteen hundred
broad and fifteen hundred high; aud it is full .
Food foEan nations. "Ohm say the people,
I'VE will start right away ami get this sup
ply for our SOUL But stop a moment; for