Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1877-07-17
SUNDAY EVENING LECTURE.
The Relation Of the Jews to civil.
fzaftOu.

Although Sunday evening was sui.
try, both out and in doors, the Church
was thronged by an interested audi.
ence, who listened with attention to
Rev. j. A. Gray's eloquent discourse,
of which we give the following synop.
sis:
Acts. l9:9i.-"But when they knew that he
was q jew, all with one voice, about the
space Of two hours, cried out Great is Di-
ana Of the Ephesians.'"
The incident which recently trans-
pired at Saratoga struck the popular
helrt. No great wrong was inflicted
upon Mr.. Seligman. lie is a man of
wealth and was not deprived of food
or shelter. An assumption of superi
GRITTY by any class is not to be tolerated
in American thought. The efforts Of
any persons to create an aristocracy is
met with a popular outburst OF con-
tempt and scorn. What people have a
right to pride Of birth equal TO these
lsraelites. The haughtiest noble who
boasts of Norman blood has not an
ancestry half so renowned or a lineage
half so pure as the poor Jew peddler,
on whose vagrancy he thinks with
pity, or whose sordidness he rebukes
with scorn. The Jew had a history
long years before the Babylonian En-
pire laid the foundations of its power,
before a dwelling rose on the hills of
Rome, or the confederate Greeks as
sembled beneath the walls of Troy.
Their historic records antedate All
other histories. They have stamped
their handiwork on the remains of the
proudest Empires. Theirs are some
of the most illustrious names
of history. Why should they
not be statesmen with the blood of
Moses in their veins. Why should
they not be brave-the lineal descend
ants of Joshua and the long and lofty
line Of heroes described in the histo-
ries of the past? Why should they not
have genius who are kind ed of Ezok
lei, the fiery, or Isaiah. the glorious,
or the Minstrel Monarch of Zion?
There are about 1000, 900 of Jews
upon the earth. They are scattered
among all peoples, in all lands. The
wandering jew is the whole Jewish
people. They have never known rest.
He must wander witheringly
In other lands to die;
And where mis- fathers ashes were
Ills own could never lie."
Prosecuted, hunted and hated as no
other people, they have retained their
national characteristics in the most
wonderful n On the royal tombs
OF Thebes you see the same Hebrew
features familiar with us to -day. Even
the beauty of Abraham's wife seems
tn have been transmitted so that the
Je~ess has been a proverb of beauty
down the ages.
But we do not half appreciate the
contribution of the Jews To OR civiii-
cation. Their influence upon govern
ment have been powerful and saluta-
ry. Carried away captives in the vari-
Gus wars that marked their early his-
tory, their influence upon victorious
Governments WAS pronounced and ac-
know!edged. Out of bondage, they
rose to the highest positions in the
Kingdoms. And the best and strong
est ideas of n good Commonwealth
come down to us from Moses. The
visionary dreams of the sages and
philosophers OF more modern times
are not felt to-day as are the Thoughts
and moralities OF the leader OF Israel.
Who can estimate their influence on
religious thought?
TDey were he first people that la
bored for b development of the
moral sense. They tolled in their GER
emonies, and in the rigid observance
of their ritual to instill the conception
of moral purity. They were the first
TO declare the possibility of a character,
:" without spot or wrinkle, or n such
a thing" And they proclaimed the
most beautiful ideas of God. Their
conceptions of God were not stern and
cold as is generally supposed. We
esteem the represen,a alton of Christ as
a shepherd. as beautiful and tend er
aud uhfOld NJ in the most exquisite
manner the relations he sustains to
his people. But Daniel, who battled
the lion and the bear to defend his
flock. and fully appreciated all the re-
lations involved, long years before
had penned his immortal song, 'The
Lord Is my Shepherd, | shall not
Want" The Great Masters touching
words have brought tears of joy to
many hearts. Suffer little children to
come, etc.. out the minstrel had
chanted before his coming. HE shall
gather the lambs i'm his arms and carry
them in his BOSOM" We never tire
of repeating the story of the prodigal
son, but il is only the flower that grew
out of the germ planted in the blessed
words of Zion, Like as a father
pitieth his children 81 the Lord pitieth
them that fear him."
1t is impossible to trace their infu-
euce upon literature. Philosophy and
poetry and music have found inspira-
ton at "Silvas' Brook that flowed fast
by the oracles of God" 1t was said
that Wesley's hymns are more con :
mitted to memory and oftener repeated
on the death bed than any other;" but
none have found such universal pla o
as the old hymn that thrilled the
hearts about Zion, Yea, though |
walk through the valley and shadow
Of DEATH" etc. They are the founders
Of the family, our masters in the in
struction OF childhood, and the first to
accord woman her proper place. 1t is
said they are clanish, over-industrious,
keen in bargains, dishonest and over
frugal. These objections lie with
equal force to representatives of all ma
tionalities. The keen, bargaining,
over-worked Yankee can not cast the
first stone. This universal outburst
of popular feeling that has emanated
from the press and the pulpit is the