Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-06

great uSNlSlOlls JOSepH SSSlllS 10 nav Z
chosen to cast his lot in with God.
And that firm must have real pres
perity.
True. the junior partner was cast
into cistern and sold to Midianites
and carried into slavery in Egypt.
These, however were mere Incidents
in a big business, episodes hy the
way. The firm of God and Joseph
was bound to succeed; and, after all,
what are a few years or decades in
the life of a great business? 4 throne
lay ahead for the dreaming Joseph,
even though the road thereto WAS
rough.
Before he reached his height. the
young man made for himself place
of honor in the house of his master.
Potiphar. He did his work so well
wherever he was that behoiders in
sttnctvely commented that God was
with him. Joseph had hold of the
great truth which an American later
; expressed. The best way to get
out of an inadequate position is TO he
conspicuously effective in it" He
made good" as a slave or a pris-
oner or a prime minister. Right
where he was, there he undertook to
glorify God. No signing for better
chance on his part; no incoming or
mourning over his lack of opportuni-
ties.
Not long since, I met 4 talented
young officer. an earnest Christian.
who had been assigned to 4 garrison
town. He was restive to the last de-
gree. He wanted action in France, or
else propaganda work where he
, could have influence. When il was
. nntnfnH 70 J., To-,
and its civilian community were a
rare and desirable opportunity for
doing all. that he sought, he scoffed
at it. lie wanted some made-to or
/ der place, with a stage set for him
! self. His superior talents deserved
a better field, he contended. "'he net
result has been that he has simply
deteriorated where he is. lie has
missed great opportunity, because
he had not the Joseph vision
An old Question For To-day
/ This matter of the finding of ones
/ best place and employment is given
I Worldwide acuteness by the prospec-
/ tive return to their homes of millions
/ or soldiers. How shall they fit into
/ the new conditions? What readjust-
/ mentS are necesSary? In what way
will they affect The existing order?
/ Ttmid home-folk are more fearful
about new conditions than are the
I battle-taught soldiers themselves.
{ They have found themselves" and
are not afraid of changed circum-
/ stances.
! Light for the hour is shed by this
Joseph story, for it is a study in
efficiency. The man who can is the
man who will. In times OF lux and
stress. the competent stand. Already,
We have seen that the first to be
/ discharged from the big plants are
the slackers ana the clock-watchers.
[ The efficient person is sure of sue
cess anywhere be it in mid-Russia
or in mid-Africa.
Joseph was Efficient even as n
slave. His religion made him a good
servant, as well as a good prime min
ister. There was a constant and vi
tai connection between his ideals and
ms duties. This gave him character
and self-respect. He valued his own
manhood, regardless of his status
IN society. 1t was this moral iHteg-
rlty that enabled him to Withstand
the wiles of the sensual wife of his
master.
When tempted. he struck the key
note TO the solution of our present
social problem: How can [ do this
great wickedness and sin against
God? Our days radical tendency is
TO eliminate from the sex question
all these large considerations of low
atty TO man, to society and to God.
An arrant anarchy is substituted for
ancient fidelity. Straight-nung into
the teeth of a loose-thinking and
loose-living world we must proclaim
the eternal truth that there are sane
! titles in life which must be Kept in
violate, and that who Violates them
sins against God. TO talk of social
indiscretions' which we mean clear
cut transgressions of the laws of man
! and God is a dangerous euphemism.
This is not the place to enter into
| a discussion of the large aspects Of
the theme; but from my studies in
Russia and Europe, 1 am convinced
that lack of the fundamental spirit
of loyalty-all kinds of loyalty-is
| at the basis of the rising spirit of
BolsheWkiSm which threatens So
| ciety. Never have we more greatly
needed the state of mind which says.
| How can / do this great wickedness
and sin against God?"
Fidelity landed Joseph in jniI; but
that was the shortest route to he
rulership of Egypt; just as until a
/ few weeks ago, one entered the Notre
! Dame Cathedral in Paris by way of
/ hideous tunnel of sandbags, or as
| one goes into an oriental palace by
/ means of a miserable alley. In the
! Jail to which Joseph went for hight
| eousness sake We're Pharaoh's butler
| and baker, with dreams to be solved
/ by him; thus establishing, by the
unlikeliest sort of providence, his
contact with Egypt's throne.
| God moves in a mysterious way,
! His wonders to perform"
A Famine Story For Famine Times
| Dreams play striking part in the
| biography of this young Hebrew
| dreamer. First, Joseph dreamed;
then the two court officials dreamed.
/ and then Pharaoh himself dreamed
"a dream of seven fat cows coming
| up from the Nile. followed. by seven
! lean cows which devoured them: and
/ in parallel, of seven full heads of
wheat that were devoured by seven
| scrawny heads of wheat that came
/ after them. In these figures Joseph.
when called, saw seven years of
! plenty for Egypt, to be followed by
! seven years of dire famine.
Famine is an old, old story. now
/ newly real to a large part of the
| earth's population. We should look
well to the present condition, for it
/ is the last we shall ever see. AS I
7 talked one day. east of the Jordan.
/ with an Arab and his wife and child.
who had fled from Beer-sheba be-
cause of famine, / realized how old
/ their story was; for thousands of
1 years people have been driven by