Connecticut western news., 1897-10-07
REVERENCE FOR AGE.
JOSEPH AND HIS DEVOTION TO HIS
 OLD FATHER.

Dr. Talmage Breaches Sermon on Fa-
 therly Love and FiliaI Devotion-Rus-
 ticity In . Palace-The Ingrate and the
 Fate That Should Re His.
 Copyright, 1897, by American Press Asso-
 ciation.1
 WAsHINGToN, Oct 3-Dr. Talmage in his sermon shows us scene of ten aerness and reverence and tells us how we ought to treat old people. His text is Genesis xiv, 28, "I will go and see him before die. ''
 Jacob had long since passed the hun lred year milestone. In those times peo- pie were distinguished for longevity. In the centuries after persons lived to great age. Galen, the most celebrated phy- sician of his time, took so little of his own medicine that he lived to 40 years. A man of undoubted veracity on the witness stand in England swore that he remembered an event 15O years before. Lord Bacon speaks of countess who had cut three sets of teeth and died at 14O years. Joseph Crele of Pennsylva- mia lived 140 years. In 1857 book was printed containing the names of 37 per sons who lived 40 years, and the names Df II persons who lived 150 years.
 Among the grand old people of whom we have record was Jacob, the shepherd of the text. But he had 8 bad lot of boys They were jealous and ambitious and every way unprincipled. Joseph, however, seemed to be an exception, but he had been gone many years, and khe probability was that he was dead. As sometimes now in 8 house you will lind kept at the table vacant chair, a plate, a knife, fork, for some deceased member of the family, so Jacob kept in his heart a place for his beloved Joseph. There sits the old man, the flock of 40 years in their flight having alighted long enough to leave the marks of their claw on forehead and cheek and temple. His long beard snows down over his chest. His eyes are somewhat dim, and he can see farther when they are closed than when they are open, for he can see clear back into the time when beauti- tul Rachel, his wife, was living and his children shook the oriental abode with their merriment.
 The Dead Alive.
 The centenarian is sitting dreaming over the past when he hears wagon rumbling to the front door. He gets up and goes to the door to see who has ar rived, and his long absent sons from Egypt come in and announce to him that Joseph, instead of being dead, is living in an Egyptian palace, with all the investiture of prime minister, next to the king in the mightiest empire of Ill the world The news was too sudden and too glad for the old man, and his cheeks whiten, and he has dazed look, and his staff falls out of his hand, and he would have dropped had not the sons caught him and led him to lounge and put cold water on his face and tanned him little.
 In that half delirium the old man mumbles something about his son Jo- seph. He says: "You don't mean Jo- Seph, do you-my dear son who has been dead so long? 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 Dld man quiver, and he brings his bent fingers together as he says: "Joseph is yet alive. will go and see him before die.' ''
 It did not take the old man a great while to get ready, warrant you. He put on the best clothes that the shep- herds wardrobe could afford. He got into the wagon, and though the aged Rre 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 Joseph's chariot com Ing down to meet him and Joseph got out of the chariot and got into the wag- on and threw his arms around his fa- ther's neck it was an antithesis of roy atty and rusticity, of simplicity and pomp, of filial affection and paternal love, which leaves us so much in doubt whether we had better laugh or cry, that we do both, So Jacob kept the res olution of the text-'I will go and see him before die."
 Tho Cord That Is Not Snapped.
 What strong and unfailing thing is parental attachment Was it not almost time for Jacob to forget Joseph? The hot suns of many summers had blazed on the heath; the river Nile had over- flowed and receded, overfowed and re- ceded again and again; the seed had been sown and the harvests 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 overwhelmingly dramatic. Oh, that is . cord that is not snapped, though pull ed on by many decadesl Though when the little child expired the parents may not have been more than 25 years ot age, and now they are 75, yet the vi don of the cradle, and the childish face, and the first utterances of the infantile lips are fresh today, in spite of the pas sage of half century. Joseph was al fresh in Jacobs memory as ever, though at IT years of age the boy had disap peared from the old homestead. found in our family record the story of an in fant that had died 50 years before, an6 I said to my parents, What is this rec ord and what does it mean?" Their chief answer was long, deep sigh. Il was yet to them very tender sorrow What does that all mean? Why, il means our children departed are our' yet, and that cord of attachment reach ing across the years will hold us unti 1t brings us together in the palace, a Jacob and Joseph were brought togeth or. That is one thing that makes olt people die happy. They realize it is re union with those from whom they have long been separated.
 I am often asked as pastor-and every pastor is asked the question-"Will m, children be children in heaven and for ever childrenr' We'll, there was, nc doubt, great change in Joseph from the time Jacob lost him and the time when Jacob found him-between tht boy of IT years of age and the man il midlife, his forehead developed witl the great business of state. But Jacol ~~,no <xJo1 4< rxo< 1>oo1r TDooy,h