The Portland daily press., 1878-12-24
PULPIT AND PLATFORM

JERUSALEM IN THE LIGHT OF MODERN EA-
PLoRATIoN.
jerusalem in the light Of recent explorations
was the subject of the fifth and closing lecture
OF the series given at the First Baptist Church
on successive Monday evenings.
The lecturer, Rev. Tbos. d. Anderson, JE,
pastor of the church, commenced by remarking
that it is a cause Of congratuation that amid
the general attention to material interests
some lovers of higher things find time and il
clination to devote themselves to the investiga-
ton of subjects pertaining to history, art, the
intellectual and moral progress of our race,
matters entirely separated from the pursuit OF
material Egood. Such men have achieved
wonders In the exploration of regions and cities
famous In history; and among those lands thus
explored, Palestine has yielded especially IL
terestng returns. Among American explorers
of this famous region, DR. Edward Robinson
holds the first place. In England there are
three societies organized for the express pur-
pose of exploring Palestine. One of these is
that in which Dean Stanley has taken great in
terest; and it had its work in connection with
supplying Jerusalem with water. This
society was formed in 1861 Another society
was organized some years later; and this has
arranged for a full aud M mute survey of all
western Palestine. But interesting as all this
would be to refer to, it is necessary to restrict
lecture to single point-and Jerusalem, the
capital city, may well be the subject of brief
lecture In its ancient and moJern history the
city has b,en nearly the central point of in
terest to the world; and even now we all look
With equally deep and thrilling interest to the
city where our holy religion had its birth aud
our Divine Eedeemer lived and taught.
The course of the Palestine sea coast runs
nearly north and south; and about thirty miles
east of the coast extends deep gorge or
ravine. much of it far below the level of the
sea. Jerusalem itself is situated on four hills
Toe seaport of the city is the ancient JopDa,
now Jatfs, and from this city stage road is
opened to Jerusalem. Jerusalem is not
striking city. 1t has four sectons--the nor h.
east section IS the Moslem quarter, the south
east the jewish, the northwest Armenian, and
the southwest the English. The houses are of
stone, the streets narrow, and the climate
peculiar-the people being greatly exposed to
fevers.
The population of the city is about 35 900
The Jews differ much in personal appearance
and also in character, according to their pre-
sent location among the nations. But We
would look little at Jerusalem below the
surface and it is impossible to tell all the trials
Of the explorers 10 their work. They deserve
all honor for their labors. On the sou Invest,
under the DIT bris the explorers found fl ght of
steps cut 10 the stone, and ancle1i WORK which
mast have been done in the time of David.
Various arches aud s1bstructions We're found
oenesth the liae of the bridge leading from the
temple area TO the city of David. We are
amazed at the height of the walls of the
temple area, and the immense size Of the
stones built into them. Lacking as the
modern city is in water, the explorers found
facilities for supplying its ancient Inhabitants
with inexhaustible quantities of pure water.
The lecturer referred 10 the disputes concern
ing the place where the Saviour suffered. He
also spoke of the limited territorial extent of
the City and of its massive walls giving full
description OF the appearance OF the city in the
time of Christ, its glorious temple, lofty towers,
splendid palaces and vast wealth. Interesting
AS it was for all these things, it was douoly so
as the central point of the religious history of
orr race, and az the type Of the glorious City of
God, Jerusalem on high.
LECTURES ON CHURCH HISTORY.
Rev. Mr.. Daiton's fourth lecture on Church
History was delivered in St. Stephens Church
Sunday afternoon from Hebrews viii, 13-
"rhat which decayeth and waxeth old is
ready to vanish away"
In the third lecture Of this course the
Medieval church was seen at its b,stin the
vigorous exercises of its mighty prarogatves
from Hlldebrand to Innocent III, after whilh
cline and decay. The causes which led to
this decline and so prepared the way for the
great changes of the 10th century will engage
our attention to-day.
OF these, we may mention among the first
in Importance, as of time, the Crusades.
Though undertaken 10 defence and fer the ex-
tension of prevailing ideas and institutions, as
often happens in this world, the Issue was
something quite different.
wider experience and further knowledge
of men and manners was acquired however,
and this prepared the way for further enlighten-
ment. But this light was far from favorable
to civil or ecclesiastical despotsm. Isolation
from the rest of mankind and ignorance of the
world as large, ara conditions essential to the
maintenance of all arbitrary systems, and
hence the first fort of their defenders, is to
discourage in every way, all intercourse with
those whom they are pleased to call "outside
bar Arians." When influence fails to SECURE
this isolation, laws are enac ed 10 enf0rce It,
From the date of the CrusadeS, Europeans and
their defendants IN America have eng .ged in
voyages and travels to the most remote regions
of the habtable earth. and we are indebted to
these CrnsadeS for no small share of this
spirit of adventure and its attendant benefits.
Next in order, the Babylouian Captivity, az
historians call it, may be assigned as a power
Other causes to be noticed were the growth
of a national life and spirit, the development of
modern languages, tire cultivation of a national
literature and the revival of ancient learning
The last named was intimately connected with
the fall OF CoDstantinope, which was sufrsn-
dered to the Turks about the middle of the 18th
century. The scholars of that city fed into
Italy with their precious treasures and began
that revival OF classical literature which has
continued until this day, the fruits of which we
mar mill mi I'm lnJ fnf ntnu ,1n
of free cities and middle class may be added
as new factors. Blu. far beyond any of these
causes. more potent aud more wide-reaching,
was the invention of printing about the middle
OF the 15th century -7-sn invention which even
iu ts infancy united the vigor of Hercules with
the hundred arm of Briareus, and Ike Anteus
was uncorquerable except on its own ground
ADD by its own weapons.
Still other causes might be enumer ated as con
TT but to the decline of these ages, now called
Middle or ID ark ages, but We have gone through
the principal as well as the most obvious of the
many which worked together to prepare
Earope for new order of things, which we
shall speak Of IN the next lecture.
Though designated in the popular speech as
DARK, We must remember that the darkness was
put relative. There We're giants even in those
days. At the vanishing point and in the hour
OF their dissoving, appeared sucblpoets as Dante
aud Petrarcb, such architects as Bgunellaschi
and Bramante, and such artists in painting
and sculpture as Titlap, LeonardOlia ViDc,
Raphael and Michael Angelo, men of genius
equal to the greatest of any age and superior to
any now living.
NOTES.
Judge Goddard will lecture on Turkey and
Constantinople at ST. Stephens church, on
"Wednesday christmas evening, at Z 80 O'clock
The public are invited.
Christmas services will ha held at St. Stepb-
ems church on Christmas day, at 1Oa a. m.
Also Christmas tree service with ca,os aud
cakes for the little children on Thursday even
ing at O'Clock.
At the Y. M, q. A. entertainment last even
ing Mrs. Googins read several selections to the
delight of her audience, aud Elder Crawford
raised broad smiles by his burlesque school de-
clamatlon and the awarding of prizes by the
school committee,
Reply 10 Neal Dow.
MR.. EDIToR,-I suppose place in your col
umns may be granted to me since your CORES
pendent has taken me before the public as
funny man." Reference is to the article in