The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-05-31

llSSH out II moves those WHO Eoon at
it. 1t has passed before each success
sive generation and aroused the
strongest computations. IL is the story
of sin. its turpitude and penalties: ex-
hibits the progress of awakening. con-
viction and conversion: reveals the
possibility of forgiveness and reconcil-
iation. Joseph was the most
discreet pardoner the world has ever
seen. If he had just condoned his
brothers sins against himself. he
would have been casting pearls before
swine. Forgiveness is too precious
thing for that. So he prepared a Sc
ries of surprises calculated TO remind
them in a most vivid way of their
sin of twenty years before. and led
them TO regret 1t fervently. BY these
tests also their gains in character were
revealed to him, and were augmented
in them. . II Joseph had found
his brethren just where they were
two decades before in morals, il was
evidently his purpose to have dis
owned them, but to have rescued his
own full brother from their vicious
company. Great must have been his
Twenty years before they would have
left Benjamin in the hands of this APP
parently cruel viceroy. to suffer what
ever fate might be in store for him.
just as they would have put Joseph
himself in the hands OF the slave trad
ers. They would even have put him
to death, If necessary, to exonerate
and free themselves. The distinct hon.
or and preference which the viceroy
had shown for Benjamin was enough
to have inflamed their old envy IL a
spark of il remained. Again. Jacob
had shown such Partially toward Ben
jamin that he was almost ready to let
them and their children die of hun
ger rather than run the risk of losing
him, and he had lost Joseph in Egypt.
. But under the severest test
the brothers proved themselves a fire
brand new set of men. They thought
nothing OF themselves. They consid-
cred the effect upon their aged father
IL they should return without Benja-
min 1t would be his deathblow and
bring down his gray hairs with sor-
row to the grave" They thought of
Benjamin. Could they leave him to
the fate of a slave? Splendid
was their moral earnestness! 1t
voiced itself in the depreciation and
pronounced one of the finest specimens
of dignifed and persuasive eloquence.
For pathos and sustaining dramatic
power 1t is unsurpassed in literature.
But back of the fervid rhetoric is the
steel frame of a noble purpose. The
climax of Judah's orderly and progress
sive plea is that he himself be allowed
to take Benjamin's place and suffer
in his stead any penalty that might be
inflicted. Greater contrast to the Gu
pidity. sell-shness and jealousy OF
twenty years before could not be inn
agined.
Joseph's method of testing his breth-
rem will not stand the ethical STAN
dard of today. 1t was not absolutely
truthful at every point, or at least he
allowed his brothers to infer some
thing the opposite of what was true.
No apology needs to be made for him,
however. Tried by the standards of
his own day and that is the only just
way of trying any one, he was far
ahead of current ideals and practices.
|. Some one says that Joseph's
course does not conform to the spirit
of the Sermon on the Mount; but
then, Joseph had not heard that ser
mon. The glory of the Bible
is that it gives US it's heroes just as
they are. faults and all. 1t does not
give us perfect characters. We find
them men of like passions with our
selves. 1t is for this reason they are
so phenomenal, suggestive. and help
full; their faults to be Stunned, their
virtues to be initiated 1t would
seem, from the story of the divining
cup, that Joseph was more entangled
with the practices of Egypt than Dan
iel was with those of Babylon. But,
again, it must be remembered that
Daniel had the advantage of living
two thousand years later than Joseph
A quaint old commentator
says: when God comes to turn the
bag upwards, all will be out Sin not
in hope of secrecy. All packs shall
be opened" Luther calls Jud
abs intercession for Benjamin "a per
feet model prayer" II is in fact the
strong feeling underlying all success
full prayer. Considering all the
circumstances, especially the age in
which he lived, the self-sacrifice oil
Judah was superb. 1t exemplary pow
er to improve the characters of his
brothers and. in point Of fact, all who
shall hear the story of it to the end Of
time, is incalculable- Self-sacri
fee has a reflex enriching power
Some one says, 'It is not what We
take up, but what we give up, tina
makes US rich Telling fortunes
by tea-leaves, or bubbles on the coffes
cup seems a survival of divination b,
the bowl almost universal In the East
Some think the custom involved the
fixing of the eye upon the shining lilo
, uid in the cup until the diviner wa:
> thrown into a clairvoyant state.
I've consulted my cup!" cried loca
EOyufian dipnifary in refusing mas