The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-09-11
DR.. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
BY THE REV FRANK DE WITT TALMAcE. o. o.

Los Angeles, Cal, September An this
sermon, which Is especially appropriate
to the Sunday before Labor day, the
preacher expresses his sympathy with
the hard lot of the workingman and
points out some of the conditions which
increase his difficulties. The text Is Ex-
odus /, u, 'The more they afflicted them
the more they mu-eplied and grew
Some virtues wrote Joseph Addison,
ARE seen only in affliction.e But from
the Egyptian standpoint 1t would take
a very long and a very useless investiga-
ton to find any virtue IN the national
catastrophe which. as the text would in
dictate, was about to overwhelm the
Egyptian kingdom The mightiest for
eign foe ever assembled upon the border
land drained by the arteries Of the gi-
gantic Nile was not to be feared as much
as was the host of enslaved Hebrews
who were living among them. 1t was
only a few hundred years before that
fiocks and herds had migrated to and
settled in the land of Goshen during the
premiership of Joseph the famous states
man. But since that time the descend
ants of old Jacob had multiplied so great
ly that now they could be counted lit
orally by the hundreds of thousands. Not
only in numbers were they to be feared.
but In mental power also. With the
proverbial acquisitiveness of the Hebrew.
these people were absorbing much of the
wealth of the kingdom Moreover, the
signs of the times declared they would
soon become rulers of the nation. BY a
silent revolution they threatened to take
possession of the Egyptian government,
as long afterward the descendants of the
old Aztecs. whose fathers had been con-
quered by Cortes. bided their time and
finally worked out their own government
salvation by electing practically a full
blooded Indian to the throne of the Mon
tezumas-Porfirio Diaz, president of the
Mexican republic.
What shall we DO? What shall we
do?" was the one question that was upon
almost every Egyptian lip. Shall we al
low the Hebrew people to become the
dominant factors upon the banks of the
Nile and to sit upon the throne of the
pharaohs?" This question was not only
asked In the street. but it was anxiously
discussed in the kings palace. Tonight
we see the lights blazing in the privy
-cOuitll IOOH. As we enter the council
chamber we see the king sitting at the
end of the long room, surrounded by his
best and strongest ministers After the
question has been tallted over long and
earnestly see the king rise He looks
straight at his councillors of state as he
says: Gentlemen. we are facing a con-
dition, not a theory. We dare not and
cannot deport the Hebrews from our
realm. They are now essential to our ma
tional welfare and prosperity as labor
ers, clerks and servants. But we can de-
bar them from holding property. We can
forbid them studying in our schools We
can enslave them and make them the
chattels of our people. We can degrade
them by ignorance and overwork Thus
saith the king. I here and now decree
the Hebrew men and women and children
from henceforth to be in perpetual bond
age. They shall be compelled to make
bricks without straw. My ministers will
see that my decree Is carried out. When
the king speaks the kings will becomes
the law. Gentlemen of the privy cham
ber' the council is dismissed"
Disfranchisement of Hebrews.
It's royal behest VS. carried out to the
letter. The Hebrew people living in
Egypt were dis-ranchised. Not only were
they deprived of the rights of citizenship
but they were degraded to the most alb
ject and humiliating servitude. Their
property was taken away from them. and
they could not even claim their wives and