The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-13
GOOD MEN ELEVATED BY GOD.
TALMAGE TAKES A LESSON FROM
THE LIFE OF JOSEPH.

GoOd Men Can't BE Kept Down he
cause God Has Decreed for Them
a Certain Point of Elevation
Every Man Comes 20 BE valued at
just what He is NOrth-The world
Compelled 10 Honor Christian
Character.
Washington. April 12-The sermon Of
Rev. DR.. Talmage to-day is fun Of stir
ring and practical lessons for all Wash
ington has many men who. like the hero
Of the texts, started from almost nothing,
and rose 10 high place. The texts chosen
were: Genesis S7:2S; They drew and lifted
up Joseph out of the pit and sold Joseph
to the Ishmalites for twenty pieces of sill
YER" Genesis 1926: "IIe is governor over
all the land of Egypt
You cannot keep a good man down. God
has decreed for him a certain point Of
elevation. He will bring him TO that
though it cost him a thousand worlds.
You sometimes ind men fearful they will
not be properly appreciated Every man
comes TO be valued at just what he is
worth. You cannot write him up, and you
cannot write him down. These facts are
powerfully illustrated in my subject. II
would be an Insult to suppose that you
were not all familiar with the life of Jo-
seph. How his jealous brothers threw him
into a pit, but seeing a caravan of Ara
bian merchants trudging along on their
camels, with spices and gums that loaded
the air with aroma, sold their brother to
these merchants, who carried him down
into Egypt; Joseph there sold to Potiphat,
a man of influence and Office. How by
1t
high position in the realm, until under
the false charge of a vile wretch he was
hurled into the penitentiary. How in pris-
on he commanded respect and confidence.
How by the Interpretation 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 Jo-
seph had the control of a magnificent
storehouse which he had filled during
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 under the
heft of the corn sacks. How the sin against
their brother which had so long been hid
den came out at 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 to honor Christian
character. POuphar was only man Of
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,
and though placed there for being
scoundrel, he soon convinced the 1aier
that he was an innocent and trustworthy
man. and released from close contlne-
ment he became general superintendent
OF prison affairs. Wherever Joseph was
placed, whether servant in the house
OF ROTtnnaT. a prisoner in the npui-
tertiary, he became the first man every
where, and Is 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 phlebo-
tony by which the man is bled of all
mis- courage and nobility. They say he has
bemeaned himself. They pretend to have
no more confidence in him since his con-
version than before his conversion.
But all this IS hypocrisy. There
is a great deal of hypocrisy in the church
and there is great deal of hypocrisy
outside the church. is impossible for
any man not to admire and confide in a
man who shows that he has really become
child of God, and is what he Processes
70 be. You cannot despise a son of the
Lord God Almighty. OF course we have
no admiration for the sham of religion.
was at place a few hours after the
gufnans had gone into the rail-train and
demanded that the passengers throw up
their arms, and then these rufians took
the pocket-books; and satan comes and
suggests TO a man that he throw up his
arms IN hypOcr1ucal prayer and preten-
sion, and then steals his soul For the mere
pretenSion of religion we have abhor-
renee. Redwald, the king, after baptism,
mad an altar of Christian sacrifice, and an
altar for sacrifice TO devils; and there
are many men now attempting the same
tnlng-half heart for God and half a
heart for the woodland 1t is a dead fail
ure, and II is caricature of religion, and
me only successful assault ever made
on christianity IS the inconsis tency of it's
professors ,hsaxf a M,
pretenSion TO religion, but when you be-
mold the excellency of Jesus Christ come
out IN the life of one of his disciples, all
that there is good and noble in your souls
rises up into admiration, and you cannot
help It. Though that man be as far be-
meath you in estate as the Egyptian slave
or whom We are discoursing was beneath
his rulers, by an irrevocable law of your
nature, Potiphar and Pharaoh will always
press, threatened Chrysostom with death
he made the reply, TELL the empress |
rear nothing but sin" Such a scene as
that compels the admiration of the world
There was something in Agrippa and Felix
which demanded their respect for Paul.
the rebel against government. I doubt
not they would willingly have yielded
their office and dignity for thousandth
part OF that true heroiSm which BEAM
ed IN the eye and beat in the heart
OF that unconquerable apostle. Paul
did not cover before Felix; Felix covered
before Paul. The infidel and wording are
compelled to honor in their hearts, al
InGlr
lips, Christian firm in persecution
cheerful in poverty, trustful in losses,
triumphant in death. / find Christian men
an all professions and occupations, and /
find them respected and honored and sue
cessful. John Frederick Oberlin alleviating
ignorance and distress: Howard passing
from dungeon to laZaretta with healing
for the body and soul; Elizabeth Fry going
10 the profligacy of Newgate prison to
shake its obduracy as the angel came to
the prison at Philippi, driving open the
doors and swapping loose the chain, as
we'll as the lives of thousands of followers
of Jesus who have devoted themselves to
the temporal and spiritual welfare of the
race, are monuments of the Christian re-
hgfon that shall not crumble while the
world lasts. A man said to me in the cars:
What is religiOn?' Judging from the
character of many professors of religion
/ do not admire religion"
said: Now suppose we went TO
an artist in the city of Rome
and while in his gallery asked him, What
is the art of painting" would he take US
out in a low alley and show US a mere
daub of a pretender at painting? or would
he take US down into the corridors and
show us the Rubens, and the Raphaels
and the Michael Angeles? When we asked
him, What is the art of painting? he
would point TO the works OF these great
masters, and say, That is painting Now
n ind u rfo