The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-22
JOSEPH AND THE ARCHERS.
The Rev. John Van Schaick, Jr.,
Gives n Lesson in Patience

At the Church of Our Father. Thirteenth
and l. Streets northwest. the pastor, John
| Van Schaick, jr.! devoted his sermon yes
terday morning to Joseph and the Ach-
ers." selecting his text from Genesis,
NliX:25, "A. He said in part:
We have sought a sermon for this
morning in the first book of the old tesla
ment. We have known there were many
wrapped up in it, but we have to confess
with sorrow that we have not read Gene
sis nor any part of the Bible as much as
we should. Desultory reading takes our
time. History. essays, biography. and fic
ton, newspapers and magazines occupy
our reading hours. Only small percen-
tage of our time goes into a study of the
Bible. Not because 1t is not interesting;
not because we know all its contents; not
because 1t is not instructive. and surely
not because 1t is not inspiring.
Now that | have confessed so much. 1
have another confession to make, that
whether rational or Irrational. Ineligible
or unintelligible, reasonable or unreason-
able. this statement is true. | do not re-
gard the Bible in any sense as a super
natural book, but never is our mind SO
tilled with high ideals and courage to pur-
sue them, never is our imagination so
stirred and quickened. never does life seem
so beautiful to us, never is our heart so
charged with message for this people as
when we have been reading carefully and
intelligently and reverently the Bible.
I'VE come to talk little about what
Jacob, In dying. said to Joseph. Jacob was
happy in his illustration. He thought of
all that Joseph had endured, and of the
attacks made upon him, and so insidious
so secret, so unexpected did they seem to
him that he could compare them to moth
ing much as the sudden silent whizzing
of the arrow shot from cover unseen until
Ii lodges in its victim.
What did he meet first but the arrows
of envy. shot by his brethren. They en-
We'd his good looks; they envied his fine
mind. He was pure. good boy morally,
and his fathers heart yearned after him.
They conspired for his death, flung him
into a pit, wanted to murder him. then
drew him out, murder and avarice com
ing to the fore, and sold him into slavery
Envy is a terrible thing, and once give it
Judgment in the heart, we don't know
what arrows it will make us shoot.
Joseph also stood the arrows of temp
tation. He was raised from slavery to
authority with a rapidity which makes
weak heads swim. He lived in a day when
the moral law was not respected it is
now ana mere IN Egypt, IN the full rush
of his youth, came an insidious tempta-
ton to him. And Joseph fed Can it
cowardice if yen please, he had sense
enough to know the strength of his bat
teries, and his bow abode in strength
There is law of retreat as well as of ad-
vance. Il is the highest courage for us to
fly from some situations. 1t is the height
of recklessness for US. 10 stand exposed to
temptation for the mere purpose of test
ing our strength.
And truly the arrows of Islander. false
hood, and deceit We're discharged against
Joseph How the old Jewish law thun-
dered against this: Thou shalt not bear
false witness against thy neiEhbor.' But
Joseph, shut up in prison. good name
gone. reputation blasted, friends alienat-
ed, because of the lying, angry tongue.
But his bow abode In strength. He was
shooting back all the time. While the
little arrows went~~whiZZiug from this
side and that. he held his peace, saving
his bow and arrows for the real conflict
against evil ahead.