The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-19
THE sUNDAY-SCHOOL LESSON.
Oct. 20, 1901: Joseph Exalted
Genesis xii. 3S-49.

Genesis xii, 3S-49.
The transition from winter to spring seems
sudden. In the briefest possible time the whole
bosom OF nature Is garlanded with green But
the conditions which make this lovely phelome-
non possible have teen slowly forming In ma
lures secret laboratory. Could we peer into
the mystic fountains whence the crude sap
and the nutritious juices rising, we should
not say that spring had sudden coming
From prison cell to throne room is a startling
abrupt transition But really Joseph had paved
every step of the way, and 1t had taken him
thirteen years to 60 At. He had got the honey
out of the eater by submitting chasten'ng
providences he worked out his salvation
with fear and trembling. At the same time
God was working through him those beneicent
purposes which have always been His pleasure
He intended to bless Joseph and make him
blessing. And Joseph, by his patience, indus
try and piety put himself in the way Of get
ting and being a blessing Joseph's
periences were tying in the extreme: To lie
torn away from home and kindred just when
he thought himself prince, to find himself
a slave; after ten years of faithful service,
to suddenly and unjustly lose the con-
fdence of his master; to stand charged with
an odious crime, with no chance of proving
innocence. 1t looked to Joseph as If he bad
travelled the wide circle of sorrow to find HIM
self in the pit Gnce more, from which Unere
was the least possible likelihood of his ever
being liberated. Leave all hope behind. who
enter here,'' might well be inscribed on demi-
John dungeon Of Egypt David says they hurt
Joseph's feet with letters, and laid him in iron.
And stephen joins Amos in speaking patheticai-
" Of the ''afiictions Of Joseph HOW
the tempter must have gibed him "A pretty
fulhment, this, OF all his brilliant dreamsg'
It was enough TO make heart and flesh fail.
The average man would have given up to in
enity-would have become a spiritIess Drudge.
But Joseph was quite more than average
His fortitude and faith shine bright
~ against the dark background OF Egyptian
slavery and imprisonment The young
Hebrew made the very best OF his cream
stances. He acquired the language, observed
| the manners and customs, detected the defects
in public administration. native would
have been apt to have done. He managed the
considerable estates Of Potphar with such fidei-
ity as to prepare him TO administer well the
vast empire Of Pharaoh. And when his environ
ment narrowed down to prison walls. he avaiIed
himself of his enforced seclusion to reflect upon
what he had observed. He kept himself un-
polluted by the vices incident to prison life.
Like a swan. he sailed down the corridors resk-
ing with moral filth, and kept himself unsul-
lied. Wherefore God highly exalted
him. and gave him a name above every mortal
name of his age. We say God did it; and we
have just said Joseph did IT, ParadoVcal, hut
true! There is no clearer example Of the %
operation of the divine and human. joseph
worked and God worked. The result was the
prisoner was metamorphcsed into the prince.
TEACHERS LANTERN.
a veritable revelation Egypt was to the alert
mind Of Joseph. Imagine his first sight Of
a pyramid To his wondering eye 1t must have
appeared like n Shepherds tent OF Canaan.
grown TO colossal size, and petrifed, with the
antiquity of two thousand years ALREADY uFon
H. What has been aptly called the reserved
grandeur Of the Nile land architecture must
have left its lasting impression upon the shap-
herd lad The weird and manifold ideaizatiol
Of animal forms must lave excited curiosity
followed by reflection. More musical
instruments than he had ever dreamed Of sound
ed upon the erect ears Of the young captive
the harm Tyre guitar flute, single and double
pine tambourine cymbal and drum. He saw
more Industrial arts plying tran he knew were
I'm existence-the leaking OF pottery and glass
ware and metal vessels. arms and domestic I'M
Elements and the weaving OF such linen as
the modern loom cannot match. Egypt
was 10 Joseph a schoolroom crowded with OBJ
iect lessons He was getting all the advantage
of foreign travel and residence. He was COM
,re in contact with one Of the eldest and best
civilizations of earth. lie reading its
literature studying its laws. observing its Gus
toms That was what Providence sent him
N T,qvnt for BY contrast he could
see the superiority Ct his ancestral faith Even
il he had no Scripture. the sub lance trans
mitted TO him o.ally shone respiendent in COM
harrison 10 the religion Of that land-the sp,r-
itiality OF Jehovah compared with the gross
materially OF IA. the nawk-teaded man. II be
read the Egyptian Bible. the Funeral Idtgh
or Book OF the Dead. he found IL. as ore
eflrrns marvel CT confusion and poverty q