Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1896-04-24
TALMAGE'S SERMON
INTERESTING THEME BY THE
WASHINGTON PREACHER.
Subject: Practical Lessons From the
Life of Joseph.

TE1Ts: They drew and lifted M Joseph
out Of the pit aud sold Joseph TO the lshmael-
ties for twenty pieces OF silver. "-GCncsis
NxxyiL, 2s. He il governor over all the
land Of Egypt. "-Genesis XIV, &c.
You cannot keep 4 good man down. God
has deerced for him a certain point Of eleva-
ton. He will bring him 10 that though IL
: est Him a thousand worlds. You sometimes
Nul men fearful they will not be- properly
gpure. dated. Every man comes 10 be valued
at lust what 10 is worth. You cannot write
him mp. and you cannot write him down.
These facts are powerfully illustrated in my
f subject Ii would be an insult 20 suppose
that You were not all familiar with the life of
Iazsuh-how his Jealous brothers threw him
7 into q nit, hut seeing a caravan of Arabian
R merchants trudging along on their camcls
. with spices and gums that loaded the air
/ with aroma, sold their brother to these mer-
chants. who carried him down into Egypt;
Joseph there soldto Pouphar, man Of In
nurncr and office; how by J0Seph's integ-
rifv De- raised himself to high position In the
realm until, under the false charge 1T vile
wretch he was hurled into the penitentiary;
how in prison he commanded respect AMI
. confidence: how bv the Interpretation OF
. pharl0h's dream he was freed aud became
. the chief man in the realm, the Bismarck oi
his century: how in the time of famine Jos
! eph hal the control of a magnificent store
+ hou-c. which he had filled during seven
wears of plenty; how when his brothers, who
had thrown him into the pit and sold him
into captivity. applied for corn he sent them
/ home with the beasts of burden borne down
B under the heit of the corn sacks; how the
/ sin against their brother, which had SO long
been hidden. came out at last and was re-
turned by that hrathnr's forgiveness and
. kindness, the only revenge he took
In fFsf MIA
is compelled to honor Christian character.
/ Potiphar was only man Of the world, yet
. Joseph rose in his estimation until al
the affairs Of that great house were COM
mittel to his charge. From his servant no
/ honor or confidence was withheld. When
Joseph was in prison, he soon won the heart
OF the keeper, and though placed there Tor
+ being a gcOundrel, he soon convinced the
taller that he was an innocent and trust
worthy man. and released from close con-
/ lnement he became general superintendent
4 of prison affairs. Wherever Joseph was
placel, whether Il servant in the house OF
POtiphar, or prisoner In the pcnltentiary
he became the first man everywhere, AMI l.
an illustration Of the truth ! lay down, that
the world is compelled to honor Christian
character. There are those who affect to
despise a religious life. They speak OF it
as a system OF phlebotomy 10y which the man
Is BLEED Of all his courage aud nobility. They
say he has bemuaned himself. They pretend
10 have no more confidence in him since his
conversion than before his conversion, But
all this is hvpoerisy There is a great deal
Of hypocrisy in the church, aud there is a
great deal of hypocrisy outside the church.
1t is impossible Tor any man not TO admire
and cOntldein man who shows that he has
really become a child Of God and is what he
processes to be. You cannot despse son
of TIE Lord Goa Almighty. OF course we
/ have no admiration for the shame OF religion.
was at a place few hours after the ruff
fans had gone into the rail train and de-
manled that the passengers throw up their
arms and then these ruhlans took the pocket
books, and satan comes and suggests 10 a
man that he throw up his arms in hypoerit-
zeal PRAYER and pretenslOn, ind then steals
his soul. For the mere pretension Of relig-
ION We have adherence. Redwald, the
king after baptism, had an altar OF Chris
tian sacrifice and an altar for sacrifice u
devils, and there are many men now at
tempting the same thing-half a heart for
God and half a heart Tor the world--and il
is a dead failure, and 1t Is carlcature OF re-
lIgion. and the only successful assault ever
made on Christianity is the inconsistency OF
its professors You may have a contempt lor
pretenslon to religion, but when you behold
the exCeieney Of Jesus Christ come out in
the life Of one Of His disciples. all that there
Is good and noble in your soul rises up into
admiration, and you cannot help 1t. Though
: that man be rs far beneath you in estate a.
the Egyptian slave of whom we are dis
! vocabe law OF Your nature, POtiphar an,
. Pharaoh will always esteem Joseph.
When EudoIia, the empress, threatene,
Chrysostom with death, he made the reply
"Tel the empress | fear nothing but sin.
Such scene ms that cOmpeis the admiration
% hap ty-as ,f,g h. 5,,.r /,
Agrippa and Felix which demanded their re
spect for Paul, the rebel against government
doubt not they would willingly have yield
ed their Office ard dignity tor a thOusandtl
part Of that true heroism which bcamed il
the eye and bent in the heart OF that uucou
querable apostle. Paul did not cover befor
Felix; Felix covered elore Paul. The inf
del and worldling are compelle to honor il
their hearts, although they may no. eulogiZ
ton, cheerful in poverty trustful in losses
triumphant in death. / find Christian mel
in all professions and occupations. and | I'm
them respected and h0nOred and successful
John Frederick 0berlin alternating ignOranc
and distress Howard passing from dungeon
to la2arctto with healing for the bod
and soul: Elizabeth Fry going to the proAi
gacy of NeWgate prison TO shake its obiur
6cy as the angel came to the prison Il
Philippi, driving open the doors and SNAP
ping loose the chain, as well as the lives O
thousands of followers Of Jesus who haY
devoted themselves to the temporal an
spiritual welfare of the race are monument
OF the Christian religion that shall no
crumble while the world lasts. 4 man sai
to me In the cars: "What is religion? Judl
ing from the character Of many professors
religion l do not admire religion" | sale
"NOw, suppose We went to an artist in tn
city of Rome. and while in his gallery aske
him, what is the art Of paintingT Woul
he take US out in low alley and show us
mere daub OF pretender at paintings, {
would he take US down into the corridor
and show us the Rubens, and tho Raphae
and the Michael Angeles? When we askO
him, What is the art of paindng?' he woul
point to the works of these great master
and say, That is painting Now, you pre-
pose to find the mere carcature of religion
to seek after that which is the mere prefer
sion of n holy life, and you call that religion
point you to the splendid men and wome
whom this gospel has blessed and lifted an
crowned. Look at the masterpieces of divir
grace if you want to know what religion is.
We learn also from this story Of JOSEF
that the result of persecution Is elevation
Had it not been for his being sold into Egyp
ian bondage by his malicious brothers an
his false Imprisonment Joseph never wOul
have become governor Everybody accep
INC prululSeJ Dlc97eu arc lhey tIut are Pc
secuted for righteousness sake, for theirs
the kingdom of heaven" but they do NJ
realize the fact that this principle applies
worldly as well as spiritual success. 1t
true in all departments. Men rise to hig
official positions through misrepresentation
Public abuse is all that some of our publ
men have had to rely upon for their elevi
ton. 1t has brought TO them what taller
and executive force could not have achieved
Many of those who are making great etro
for place and power will never succeed ju
because they are not of enough important
to be abused It is the nature of men--th
L. IL IL .-...a..a..- ,nn.Ar kln