SUNDAY COLUMN.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXII, Issue 57, 2 March 1912, Page 3

SUNDAY COLUMN.

JACOB'S PESSIMISM: SOME OBSERVATIONS. Sermon by Mr J. L. Robinson, B.A. Text: And Jacob their father said unto them: Me have ye bereaved of my children; Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away:; all these things aro against me.— : Gen. 42.36. Pessimism. Gloomy, dark, hopeless pessimism. A fashionable affectation of many minds, even in these days. Men like to be pessimistic. There is no doubt of that. A certain whimsical fatalism seems to sit becomingly on not very serious minds and on some sides it is held to be a proof of intellectuality to entertain doubts, however precariously or erroneously formed, is to the meaning and purpose of human life. I make bold to say that the spirit of pessimism, not necessarily of the Omar Khayyam type, is pervading to a large extent our modern life. Undor its influence mert become peculiarly fatalistic. It is true the idea is in many cases but superficial, 'but even superficial things have a danger of becoming an essential part' of man's outlook in life. If I were asked for the cause I would say that it results from a lack of faith in oneself, in others, and in God. The proverb of pessimism is "Trust no man, not even thyself." And yet an analysis of ( the circumstances that cause ' a pessimistic outlook often reveals that there is no real reason for istich an attitude of mind. It is true that trouble and misfortune weaken sometimes outfaith in God, and we begin to think that in spite of what we have been taught of the goodness of God there is some doubt as to His interest in the human creation.

I want to look at this question tonight particularly as it is brought hefore us in the words of our text. I suppose if ever a man had a right to be pessimistic it was this old patriarch. After a long and'.checkered career in which he had experienced his full share of the''' trials and dis- ; appointments of life!, ' we find him stricken in years and 'surrounded by an environment that was enough to turn any man's' thoughts in a pessimistic direction. Rachel, his beloved wife, for whom he had served, four teen long years, ' was de=ad.' She who had ' been, his companion/ and \ comfort through ' so ! many yicissitudes ' and -changing 'scenes of life. And Joseph was dead. Joseph his favourite son had been torn to pieces by wild beasts—as least 'so the old man had been led to believe, and now he was surrounded by sons some of whom judging by the denunciation.that Jacob metod out. to them when on his death bed were, sadly wanting,in that vital? love, and: affection that make the closing years of : a father's life . less difficult to bear. Famine reared her gaunt and, hungry look in the land ; ; and starvation stared them m the face. There. Avas a combination of circumstances sufficient indeed to turn the old .man's thoughts in a pessimistic direction. It was a pessimistic outlook. Nor was,this all. Jacob had sent his sons down into Egypt to .bring the corn that was plentiful there. They had been coldly received by the governor of that country and one of their number—Simeon—had been retained: the governor had thought fit to treat them as spies and had oven requested that the youngest son, Benjamin, should be sent down also, as a guarantee of their good faith. It is in response to this request that Jacob, grief-stricken, uses the words of my text:' "Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye would take Benjamin' away; all these things arc against me." And yet it is in analysis of cases such as this that we find that tilings are not always so dark as they seem, and in the case of Jacob the first thought we meet is that I The apparent is not always the real. That is the first observation I would like to make. Now look at the circumstances. "Me have ye bereaved of my children," ho cries "Joseph is not," but he is; and Joseph is the means whereby Jacob and his sons would be brought to health and comfort in a new land. It was Joseph that was governor of Egypt and it was Joseph that was to give them the fertile land of Goshen for an inheritance, and through whom the old patriarch himself after being strangely tossed about on a very rough' ocean would find at last a tranquil harbour where the best affections of his life would be gently exercised and largely unfolded. It was Joseph who was to save Jacob's grey hours from going down in sorrow to the grave. "Joseph is not!" but he is. "And Simeon is not." But he is; and Simeon is the link that binds Jacob to his son Joseph, the guarantee if you like that the reunion of the family will' take place. - "Simeon is not." But he is. And "Ye would take Benjamin away." Yes, but only for a time and Benjamin is to be the means whereby the floodgate of Jacob's love is to be fully opened and the misunderstanding and the guilt of years be swept away. And so we find that all these circumstances that Jacob judged to lie against ' him were in reality factors that made for the betterment of Israel and for the fulfilment of God's purposes concerning His people. The apparent is not always the real. And so here wo have a picture of an old man who doesn't know what he is talking about. Jacob sits down to

write down the list of 'his sorrows and while ho writes the angels of heaven look down and write the true account. "Joseph is not," says Jacob. "Joseph is," say the angels. "Simeon is not," says Jacob. "Simeon is," say the angels. "Benjamin is to be taken away," says Jacob. "Benjamin is to be restored," say the angels. I fancy we would hear very little of tho grievances of men if it were that the true record as God sees it were to be placed alongside.

After all what docs the oldest and best among us know about life? We aro placed in the midst of conditions that are as complex as they are varied. The simplest action is often determined by a variety of causes. You see the action as it stands, but you see hone of the motives that dictated it. An event in history yon condemn with absoluteness and yet you know nothing of the circumstances that made that event inevitable. You cannot really pass an intelligent judgment upon the event, but that does not deter you from trying. We snatch at the very first appearances and pronounce decisions on incomplete proe'es scs. There are men who cannot conduct their own domestic affairs whe can pass judgment on Cod's way with the Universe. We all do it. We all know how often we have erred and our ignorance should teach us how precarious it is to pass judgment unless wvc have full and complete knowledge of the facts. Day after day we are being taught that the apparent is not the real, and day after day we are acting as if it were.