Semi-weekly independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-18
TALMAGE'S SERMON
SHOWS JOSEPH'S LIFE TO BE
FULL or PRACTICAL LESSONS.
1t Illustrates the Fact that You Cam
not Keep a Good Man Down and
that the World Is Compelled to
Honor Christian Character.
The Life of TOseph.

nothing and rose to high place. The texts
chosen were: Genesis xXXvii.. -. They
drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit
and sold Joseph 10 the IShmaelites for 20
pieces of silver" Genesis XIV. 20. He
is governor over all the land Of Egypt
You cannot keep good man down.
God has decreed for him certain point of
elevation. He Will bring him to that
though it cost him thousand worlds. You
sometimes find men fearful they Will not
be properly appreciated Every man comes
10 be valued al just what be is worth. You
cannot write him up. and YOU cannot write
him down. These facts are powerfully IL
Illustrated in my subject. Ii would be an
insult 10 suppose that YOU were not all
familiar with the lfc of JoSeph-how his
jealous brothers threw him into pit. but
seeing 4 caravan of Arabian merchants
trudging along on their Games, with
spices and gums that loaded the air with
aroma. sold their brother TO these ner
chants. who carried him down into Egypt:
Joseph there sold 10 pOtiphar. man of
influence and office: how by JoSeph'S in
tegrity he raised himself to high position
in the realm until. under the false charge
of a vile wretch. he was hurled into the
peAiteniiary; how in prison he command
ed respect and confidence: how by the in
depreciation of Pharaoh's dream he was
freed and became the chief man in the
realm. the Bismarck of his century; how
in the time Of famine Joseph lad the con-
troll Of Il magnificent storchouSe which he
had filed during seven years of plenty:
how when his brothers. who had thrown
him into the pit and sold him into captiv-
I'D
with the beast of burden borne down un-
der the helt of the corn sacks: how the
sin against their brother which had 50
long been hidden came out AZ last and WAS
returned by that brothers forgiveness and
Kindness. the only revenge he took.
You see, in the first place. that the
world is compelled 70 honor Christian
character. potiphar was only a man of
the world yet Joseph rose in his estima
ton until all the affairs of that great
house were committed 10 his charge
From his servant no honor or confidence
was withheld. When Joseph was in pris-
on. he soon won the heart of the keeper.
ami. though placed there for being Il
sc0undrel, he soon convinced the taller
that he was an innocent and trustworthy
man, and. released from close confne-
ment. he became general superintendent
of prison affairs. Wherever Joseph was
placed, whether a servant in the house of
Potlphar or a prisoner in the peniten-
tlary, he became the first man everywhere
and Is an Illustration of the truth | lay
down-that the world IS compelled 10
honor Christian character. There are
those who affect 10 desp:Se a religious
life. They speak of it as a system of
phlebotomy by which the man is bled
of all his courage and nobility They say
he has bemcancd himself. They pretend
10 have no more confidence in him since
his conversion than before his conversion.
But all this is hypocrisy. There is great
deal Of hypocrisy in the church. and there
is great deal of hypocrisy outside the
church. 1t is impossible for any man not
to admire and contide in a man who shows
that he has really become a child of God
and IS what he Processes to be. You can
not despise son of the Lord God AL
mighty. OF course we have no admira ton
for the sham of religion.
Religious Pretense.
/ was at place few hours after the
rufiians had gone into the rail train and
demanded that the passengers throw UP
their arms. and then these ruffians took
the pocketbooks. and satan comes and
suggests to a man that he throw up his
arms in hypocritical prayer and preten-
sion, and then steals his soul. For the
mere pretension of religion we have alb
horrence. Redwald, the king after bap-
tism, had an altar of Christian sacrifice
and an altar for sacrifice to devils, and
there are many men now attempting the
th-uo-half hoo e., ~ l.. &c
heart for the word-and it is a dead
failure, and it is a caricature of religion.
and the only successful assault ever made
on Christianity is the inconsistency of its
professors. You may have contempt
for pretension to religion, but when YOU
behold the excellency 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 it. Though that man be far beneath
you III estate as the Egyptian slave of
whom we are discoursing was beneath his
rulers, by an irrevocable law of Your ma
ture Potiphar and Pharaoh will always
esteem Joseph.
When Eudoxia. the empress. threatened
Chrysostom with death. he made the re-
ply, Tell the empress l fear nothing but
Z c4h. NutIi al Sttlt us Iil3t colnDelS the
admiration of the world There was
something in Agrippa and Felix which
demanded their respect for Paul, the
rebel against government. | doubt not
they would willingly have yielded their
office and dignity for a thousandth part
OF that true her0ism which beamed in the
eye and beat in the heart of that uncon-
querable apostle. Paul did not cover be-
fore Felix. Felix covered before Paul.
The infdel and worldling are compelled
to honor in their hearts. although they
may not eulogize with their lips, Chris
tan firm in persecution. cheerful in pow
erty, trustful in losses, triumphant in
death. | find Christian men in all pro-
fessions and occupations. and find them
respected and honored and successful.
John Frederick Oberlin alleviating gnor-
ance and distress; Howard passing from
dungeon to lazarcttO with healing for the
body and soul; Elizabeth Fry going to the
| profligacy of Newgate prison to shake
its obduracy as the angel came to the
prison at Philippi. driving open the doors
4 Ill