Milford chronicle., 1904-09-09
CalnaQe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmage, D. D.


preacher expresses his sympathy with
the hard lot Of the wOrkinglnan and
points out some Of the conditions which
increase his difficulties. The text is
Exodus 1, u, THE more they afflicted
them the more they multiplied and
grew"
"some virtues" wrote Joseph Addi-
son, ARE seen only in afHictiOn." But
from the Egyptian standpoint it would
take a very long and a very useless
investigation to find any virtue in the
national catastrophe which, as the text
would indicate, was about to over
whelm the Egyptian kingdom. The
nightiest foreign foe ever assembled
upon the borderland drained by the
arteries of the gigantic Nile was not
to be feared as much as was the host
of enslaved Hebrews who were living
among them. 1t was only few hun
dred years before that q little handful
Of Hebrews, with their hocks and
herds. had migrated to and settled in
the land Of Goshen during the pre-
nliership OF Joseph, the famous states
man. But since that time the de-
scendants Of old Jacob had multiplied
80 greatly that now they could be
counted literally by the hundreds OF
thousands. Not only in numbers were
they t. be feared, but in mental power
also. With the pr0verbial acquisitive-
ness Of the Hebrew, these people were
absorbing much Of the wealth OF the
Kingdom. Moreover, the "signs of the
times" declared they would soon be-
come rulers of the nation. By silent
revolution they threatened to take
possession of the Egyptian govern
ment, as long afterward the descend
ants of the old Aztecs, whose fathers
had been conquered by Cortes, bided
their time and finally worked out their
own governmental salvation by elect
ing practically full blooded Indian TO
the throne Of the MOntezumas-Por-
frlo Diaz, president of the Mexican
republic.
"What shall we do? What shall we
dot" was the one question that was
upon almost every Egyptian lip.
"Shall we allow the Hebrew people to
become the dominant factors upon the
banks Of the Nile and to sit upon the
throne of the pharaOhs" This ques-
ton 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 council
room. As we enter the council cham
Der we see the king sitting at the end
of the long room, surrounded by his
best and strongest ministers. After
the question has been talked over long
and earnestly / see the king rise. He
looks straight at his councillors of state
as he says: Gentlemen. we are facing
a condition, not a theory. We dare
not and cannot depOrt the Hebrews
from our realm. They are now essen
tial to our national welfare and pros
perity as laborers, clerks and servants.
But we can debar them from holding
property. We can forbid them study
ing 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
bondage. They shall be compelled to
make bricks without straw. My min
listers will see that my decree is car
rled out. When the king speaks the
Kings will becomes the law. Gentle
men Of the privy chamber, the council
is dismissed"
Disfranchisement of Hebrews.
This royal behest was carried out to
the letter The Hebrew people living
in Egypt were disfranchised Not only
were they deprived Of the rights OF
citizenship, but they were degraded to
the most abject and humiliating servi-
tude. Their property was taken away
from them, and they could not even
claim their wives and children as their
own. Yet, strange to say, and yet
not strange after all, the more the
Hebrews were cursed and struck and
i'll used and murdered by the Egyp-
tians the more their numbers grew,
and the more of a menace they became
10 the Egyptian government. The la
Dor question, on account Of the bru-
talities practiced under the shadow of
Pharaoh's throne in 1873 B. c., be-
came as imminent and dangerous as is
the labor question in the United States
of America in 1904, A. D., under the
shadow Of the statue of the Goddess
Of Liberty which stands in New York
harbor and with uplifted arm declares
that all men in this land are free and
equal.
This is the first Sunday in Septem-
ber Tomorrow is Labor day. Many
preachers this Sabbath morning will be
talking to the mechanics, the clerks
and the farm hands, to the masons, the
carpenters and plumbers, and to all
those who work with their hands. 1t
is not inappropriate that this morning
] should present some Of the conditions
that are affecting American labor. If
In this talk should speak frankly con-
cerning capital, l shall speak with
equal candor concerning labor, for l
r.Ns