Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-05-31

OLDEST CRY IN THE WoRLD-Damascus ID
the oldest city in the would Tyre and ol-
don have crumbled on the shore, Balbee IS
a ruin Palmyra is buried in the sands OF
the desert Nineveh and Babylon have dis
appeared from the Tigrus and Euphates
Damascus remains what it was before the
days of Abraham--a centre of trade and
travel--an island Of verdure in a desert
"a presidential capital" with material and
sacred associations extending through more
than thirty centuries 1t was "near Da-
mascus" that Saul of Tarsus saw the eight
above the brightness of the sun" The
street, which is called Strait in which it
was said "He prayed" still runs through
the city The caravan comes and goes as
it did a thousand years ago there is shiek,
the ass, and the water-wheel the mer-
chant Of the Euphrates and Of the MedIter-
ranean still occupy these with the multi
tude of their waters" The city which Mo-
hammed surveyed from a neighboring hight,
and was afraid to enter because it Is CIV
en- to man to have but one paradise, and for
his part he was resolved not to have 1T IN
this world" is to this day what Julian cal
led the "eve of the East" as 1t was In the
time of Isiah, "the head OF SYRIA FROM
Damascus came the dams 3D, ana the oe-
licious apricot of Portugal cal ed damasco
damask, or beautiful fabric of c. L1tton ana
silk, with vines and flowers raised upon
smoothe bright ground the damask ,,Hse,
which was introduced into England in the
time of Henry VII the Damascus blade,
so famous the world over for its keen edge
and wonderful elasticity the secret of whose
manufacture was lost when Tamerlane car
RED off the artists into Persia and that
beautiful art of inlaying wood and steel
with silver and gold, kind of mosaic en-
CRAVING and sculpture united--called da-
maskee eening, with which boxes, and bu-
reaus, and swords, and guns are ornamen-
ted. 1t is still city of flowers and bright
waters the stream from Lebanon, the
"rivers Of Damascus" the 'rivers Of gold"
still murmer and sparkle in the wilderness
of "Syrian gardens"
CHRISTIAN CHARACTER matters not if
you cannot tell Just when you become
Christian. If we SOW a handful of wheat
in our garden, we could not tell though we
it every so narrowly, the exact
moment when it germinated But when
we see the waving grain in the autumn, we
know 1t did germinate, and that it is all we
care for. The young disciple should not
expect too much light at once 1t will grow
brighter with every Christian duty he per-
forms. The Christian life is a sort of
path ; and the higher one climbs
the clearer the atmosphere, and the sooner
ne Will see the morning sun. To the ad-
venturous traveller who has ascended to the
summit Cf Mount Blanc, the sun rises ear
ier and sets later, and the nights are shor-
Ter than to peasan: who lives down in
he valley at its base. So it is in the
christian life. Clearness of vision, and
irmness of foot, and beauty of prospect
;ame only to those who have struggled up
he nights to the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. Conversion may be the work of a
moment, but saint is not made in an
lour. Christian character, is not an act,
'ut process !; not a sudden creation, but
| development. 1t grows and bears fruit
Ike tree, and like tree it requires pa
lent care and unwearied cultivation.