The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1897-10-16
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Bone New Lessons Drawn From
the Story Of Joseph.
Strength of Parental Attachment-Oar
Children Always Children, No Matter
How Old They Grow-The Beau
ties OF Eiiial Affection.

will go and see him before die.-Gsnesis.
xiv, -
Jacob had long since passed the 100
year milestone. In those times people
were distinguished for longevity. In
the centuries after, persons lived I.
great age. Galen, the most celebrated
physician of his time, took so little OF
his own medicine that he lived to 140
years. A man of undoubted veracity
on the witness stand in England swore
that he remembered an event $50 years
before. Lord Bacon speaks of coun-
tess who had cut three sets of teeth and
died at l4O years Joseph Crele, of
Pennsylvania, lived lao years. In 1857
a book was printed containing the
names of 81 persons who lived 40
years. and the names Of IL persons who
lived $50 years
Among the grand old people of whom
we have record was Jacob, the shep-
herd of the text But he had bad lot
<f boys. They were jealous and am
bilious and every way unprincipled.
Joseph. however, seemed To be an ex-
ception; but he had been gone many
years. and the probability was that he
was dead. As sometimes now in 4
house you will find kept at the table a
vacant chair, a plate, knife, fork,
for some deceased mem Der of the fam
iis. so Jacob kept in his heart 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 fore
head and cheek and temple. His long
beard SHOWS 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-
full Rachel, his wife, was living, and
his children shook the oriental abode
with their merriment
The centenarian is sitting dreaming
over the past when he hears wagon
rum bling to the front door. He gets
up and goes to the door TO see who has
arrived, 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 nightiest empire of
ell the world. The news was too
sudden and too glad for the old man,
and his cheeks whiten, and he has a
dazed look, and his staff falls out of
MS 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 famed 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 your 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 as he says: 40
seph IS yet alive. will go and see
him before die"
1t did not take the old man a great
while 70 get ready. warrant you. He
put on the best clothes that the shop
herds wardrobe could afford. He got
into the wagon. and though the aged
are cautious and like to ride slow, the
wagon did not go fast enough for the
old man; and when the wagon with
the old man met Joseph's chariot com
ing down TO meet him. and Joseph got
ont of the chariot and got into the
wagon and threw his arms around his
fathers neck, it was an antithesis of
royalty 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 resolution of the text will go
and see him before l die"
What a strong and unfailing thing is
parental attachment! Was it not al
most time for Jacob TO forget Joseph?
The hot suns of many summers had
blazed on the heath; the river Nile had
overlooked and receded, overfiowed
aud receded 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
q cord that is not snapped, though
pulled on by many decades! Though
"ntu the ilIIle Cnllu eNplreu the par
ents may not have been more than 25
years of age, and now they are rs,
yet the vision of the cradle,
and the childish face. and the
frs: utterances of the infan-
tile lips are fresh to-day. in spite
of the passage of half century. Joseph
was as fresh in Jacobs memory as
ever, though at II years of age the boy
had disappeared from the old home
stead. l found in our family record
the story of an infant that had died SO
years before, and said to my parents
"What is this record, and what does it
mean?' Their chief answer was a
long deep sigh. 1t was yet to them a
very tender sorrow. What does that
all mean? Why, il means our children
departed are ours yet, and that cord of
attachment reaching across the years
will hold US until it brings us together
IN the palace. rs Jscob and Joseph
were brought togeus.. That Is one
thing that makes old people die happy.