Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1894-07-28
REV. DR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'c sun
DAY okkMUN.
Trxr. "r will 60 AM Sea him bs!ors
cie."-Genesis XIV, IS

year milestone In those timex paop!e were
distinguished for longevity. In the centuries
aterwart persons lival 10 grsa, age. Galen.
the EOS. celebrated physician o. his time.
took 50 Ht,le OF his own naiicins that hs
lived TO lp years. A man 0: unionb.si
~veracity on the witness stand 10 Fng'ant
s.ore that he re-nsmberei An evan, 80 ve.rs
before. Lord Bacon speaks o: n countess
WHO bad cut three sets o'ieeth AMI diai At
40 vears. Joseph Craze. ~ Psnn.vlv7nia.
lived 40 wears. In 1857 \ hook VAS ~pr;n,et
containing the Names Of ihiriv-sevan par
sons who lived 40 vaa-a. an | thu Mans %
eleven persons who tivai $50 years.
Among the grand OH people Of whom va
have record was jacob. the shApheri o. the
text. But lie hal = bad 10. OF hoys. They
were Jealous AMI ambitious AMI every way
nnprinripled. Joseph. however. seemed TO
be an exception. but ha had been gnn. many
years. AMI the probability was that ha was
dead. A sometimes pow in a .house you
will find kept at the table a vacant chair. a
plate. a knife. a fork. for some deceased
member Of the family. 40 Jaroo kept In his
heart a place for bis belovad Joseph. There
sits the old man. the Hock o. lp years in
their flight having aiichted long enough TO
leave tho marks OF their claw on forehead
and cheek and temple. His long beard SHOWS
down over his chest. His ewes are sona-
what dim. and be can see farther when they
are closed than when they are open. for he
can see clear back into the time when eauti-
ful Rachel. his wife. was living n his chill
dren shook the oriental abode with their
merriment.
The scentenarian Is sitting dreaming over
the past when he hears a wagon rumbling
70 the front door. He gets up and goes to
the door TO ace who has arrived, and his
long absent sons from Egypt come In and
announce to him that Joseph instead of be-
ing dead Ia still living in an Egyptian palace.
with all the investiture OF prime minister.
next TO the king in the mightiest empire OF
all tho world, The news was too sudden
AMI too glad for the old man, and his cheeks
whiten, and ha has a dazed look. and his
staff falls out OF his band, and he would
have dropped had not the sons caught him
AMI led him to n lounge and put cold water
on his face and famed him "A little.
In that half delirium tho old man num-
bles something about his son Joseph. He
says You don't mean Joseph. do you-
ny dear son who has been dead so lcnge
You don't mean Joseph, DO you?" But after
they had fully resuscitated him and the news
was confirmed the tears begin their- winding
way down the crossroads Of The wrinkles.
and the sunken lips Of the old man culver.
and he brings his bent fingers together a.
he says "Joseph Is vet alive. l will 60 and
see him before l die"
1t did not thke the old man q great while
to get ready. l warrant you. He put on the
best clothes that the shepherds wardrobe
could afford. H. got into the wagon. and
though the aged are cautious and like to
ride slow the wagon did not get along fast
enough for this old man. and when the
wagon with the old man met Jo.eph's chart
OF coming down to meet him. and Joseph
got out OF the chariot and got into the 'wag-
on and threw his arms around his fathers
neck, it was an antithesls OF royalty and rus
ticity. of simplicity and pomp, OF alial afrec-
ton and paternal love. which leaves US so
much in doubt about whether we had better
laugh or cry that we do both. So Jacob kept
the resolution OF the text, Il will go and see
him before l die"
What a strong and unfailing thing is par
entail attachment! Was II not almost time
for Jacob to for~getJoseph? The hot suns Of
many summers had blazed on the heath the
river Nile had overfowed and receded, over
flowed and receded again and again the
see had been sown and the harvest reaped !:
stars rose and set years Of plenty and years
Of famine had passed on. but the love OF
Jacob for Joseph IN my text IS overwhelm-
ingly dramatic. Oh. that is u cord that is
not snapped. though pulled on by many de-
cades! Though when the little child expired
the parents may not have been more than
twenty-five years OF age. and now they arc
,eventv-five yet the vision OF the cradle, and
The childish face. and the first utterances Of
ING Iultltlic Ups aTt fresh tO-tiuS III Splto Oh
the passage OF a half century. Joseph was
as fresh in Jacobs emor as ever. though
1t seventeen years OF age ths boy had disap-
pearei from the old homestead. Iiouniin our
family record the story OF an infant that had
died fifty years before. and l said to my
parents. what is this record, and what
does 1t mean?' Their chief answer was n
,ong, deep sigh. 1t was yet to them q very
.enier sorrow. What does that all mean?
Why. it means our children departed are ours
yet. and that cori OF attachment reaching
across the years will hold US until 1t brir IS
rs together in the palace. as Jacob and
Joseph were brought together. That Is one
thing that makes old people happy. They
realize it is reunion with those from whom
they have long bren separated.
| am often asked. AZ pastor, and every
pastor is asked the question Twill my
children be children III heaven and forever
,hillren?' Well. there was no doubt a great
change in Joseph from the time jacob lost
him AMI the time when Jacoo found him
between the boy seventeen years OF age and
the man In mid-life, his torehea DEVELOPED
with the great business OF state-hut Jacob
was GLAD 10 get back Joseph ANYHOW. and 1t
did not make much difference tothe old man
whether the boy looked Older or looked
Younger. And 1t. will be enough
Joy for that parent il he can get back
that son. that daughter. ri the gate
Of heaven. whether the departed loved one
shall come "A cheruh or in tull grown angel
hood. There must be "A change wrought by
that celestial climate and by those supernaI
wears. but it will only be from loneliness tC
more loveliness and from health TO more
radiant health. O parent. rs you think o.
the darling painting aud white in membrane
GUS Group l want you TO know 1t will b
%gloriousiy better In that land where there
has never been a death and where all the in
hahitants will live on in the great future a
long as God. Joseph was Joseph, notwlth
standing the palace, and your child viii b
your child Notwithstanding all the reignins
spIendors Of everlasting'noon.
What IA thrilling visit was that OF the OLE
| shepherd TO the prime minister Joseph
see the Old coun,rymans seated in the palace
| looking around at the mirrors. and the foun
| tains. and the carved pillars. and. oh. hos
| be wishes that Rachel. his wife. was aliv
| and she could h. We come there with him (
see their son in his great house "Oh.
SAYS the old man within himself. Il do wis
Rachel could he here 10 see all this
! visited The farmhouse OF the iathe
o. Willard Fillmore when the son wa
President o. the United States, an
the octo4enariau farmer e%ntertai,
eli me until IL O'Clock NJ night. telling n
what great things he saw In his sons hous
at Washington. AMI what Daniel Webste