Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-12-16

MAS I who made the bread grow larger.
Now. for thy selfshness | condemn
thee forever to the blight Of poverty
Henceforth thou shalt seek thy food as
n bird, pecking between the bark ana
the wood of tree. Henceforth thOu
shalt be called the Gertrude BIRD
Tint. of course, is n mere legend, but 1t
is legend which describes the acts or
many of our own lives. Like the poor
Norwegian peasant are We The little
we might give, which God in his boun-
ty would multiply, we withhold. we
grudge him the wealth he has given us,
and therefore he leaves us to learn the
truth Of the adage, "There is that scat
tereth and yet increaseth, and there IS
that withhodeth more than Is meet,
and it tendeth to poverty"
But amid all his opportunities for do
ing good Joseph was rich in Gods |
grace. which helped him resist one Of |
the darkest temptations which could /
ever enter Il mans life You have read |
the legend of tie temptation of st. An
thony? Well, Joseph's temptations
were even worse. David upon the
housetop watching Bathsheba at the
pool was not in as great a moral dan
ger from human standpoint as was
the hero Of my text Let me describe
to you the scene.
Rich In Grace.
We are in the great capital Of Mem
phis. We are standing under the shad-
ows of mighty obelisks and temples
and pyramids which these men we see
about us have built and are building.
Yonder are the great harvest fields
where they grow the richest grain in
the world. Here are the slaves at
work. Joseph, the poor slave boy, has
worked his way up until today he IS
the right hand man of one of the CHER
potentates of Pharaohs court. But
as he has gone up in life until he mas
become manager Of his masters estate
he has kept all his rugged northern
Hebrew beauty. In this country OF
lasciviOusness the wife of POtiphar
wishes TO do with him rs Cleopatra
did with her paramOurs. when thls
evil woman cast her eyes upon this
youth he either had to yield or in dis
grace leave the masters house and be
ENGAGED in a dungeon. From afiuence
ne was TO 20 to poverty, from honor
to disgrace, from a position of power
TO wear Il convicts garb. Aye, the
temptation was awful. But it came.
And when it came JOseph's God was
the God Of his strength. Ny young
friend. lust as certain as you go up III
the world awful temptation will come
wooing you. Her smile will be the
smile of the enchantress. but her hand
will be the claw of a demon. You VIII
he face TO face with seeming annihila-
ton. And you must choose. VIII the
God of Joseph be your God in that aw-
full day?
Even the very best of men nave
these awful temptations thrust upon
them. Mr.. Mckinley in an address
before a graduating class said that a
short time after his election to congress
quite number of young men wished
TO be appointed to West Point from
his district. He had almost decided
70 send one young man there and had
told him so. Much to his surprise, the
next day this young man sent him a
letter inclosing ten 500 bills. MI
Mckinley was then comparatively a
moor man At once he sent for this
young man. "Why did you give me
81 OOO?" he asked. Because" said the
Young man, Il thought if might ofer
YOU that you would be more willing to
nominate me-" At once Mr.. Mckinney
gave the young man back his money
He said: Under no conditions VIII
now nominate you. If you are untrue
to your government now you VIII Dc
, untrue TO your government when you
wear the United States uniform" 1ha'
> was noble. That was brave and true
But if you had been "A poor congress
man would you have returned thai
money? Perhaps not, unless, like 10
seph or like Major Mckinley, in your
public as we'll as private life you were
and are sustained by the saving grace
OF Cod
Thus, my friends, feel that | an
speaking to some Joseph now in Poti
phar's house. l know not what may
} be the temptation which is imminent
1t is black for you, awfully black. Bu
: be of good courage. Remember, th'
God of Joseph will be your God. Yo'
may seem to be defeated and destroy
7 ed if YOU DO the right now. But wronI
will not triumph in the end Put you
trust in Jesus Keep close to him. III
T will help you bear that temptation
u Though for a little while from Poti
, phars house you may be cast int
l. prison. yet you shall again prosper
J. Joseph because Of his temporary dis
3 grace, became the prime minister o
q the Egyptian capital. Be patient. B
j true. BE firm for God. All will b
. well. All will be well. May tes Co
u Of Joseph be your everlasting help.
, copyright. 1906. by Louis Klopschl