Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-02

Second L. e,ure by Rev. F. e. siurs

giving the nrst things that attract the
traveller, as the exceeding brightness Of
the stars and the transparency of the at.
mosphere, the seeming nearness o.
things at q distance, the universal desola'
ton of the land, the frequency of old
ruins and waste places. The character o.
the people is that of universal degrade
ton; no public spirit, no patriotism,
nothing modern or improved. l might add
that it il q land of universal primitiveness
When you enterPalestine of the nineteenth
century you enter the Palestine of the old
pstriarchs, and prophets and apostles. Its
civilization, manners, customs, scenery and
general appearance are the same now as
they were two thousand years ago. You
see the scenes that you read OF in history
The people travel the same roads that they
did two thousand years ago, and in the
same way, even the same paths that they
did in those ancient times; grind their
corn and wheat in the very same mills
They plough, sow and reap in the very
same way; draw their water in the same
old-fashioned way and from the same wells
that they did in our Savior's time. They
dress very muelthe same, wear the same
kind of sandals, so that in travelling in that
country you are constantly, and at every
turn and corner coming upon som ething
that illustrates the Scriptures. May it not be
that the Providence of God has kept that
land unprogressive and unimproved to the
present day, in order that in these latter
days of the world there might be an argu-
ment for the truth of the Scripture in the
land itself2 Palestine is called the fifth
gospel, because from side to side, and
from end to end, it Is an absolute uncon-
trovertable attestation of the facts recorded
IN the Holy Scriptures. Many an infdel,
who has doubted this Bible and rejected it
upon rational grounds, in travelling through
Palestine has found that the Bible is abso-
Lutte fact; that from the very rocks, and
trees, and external appearance of the land,
1t Is an exact fulhllment of the promises of
Christ two thousand years ago.
We regret the backwardness, and DESC
lation, and degradation of the Holy Land,
but believe that Gods Providence has
kept that land through these long centu-
ries in the hands of the most unprogressiVe
nation on the face of the globe, that in
these latter times of unbeHef and skepti-
cism, it might be an absolute attestation
of the revealed Word Of God; that the
very stones themselves in the ancient
streets of this ancient land might cry out
for the truth and authority of this Holy
Word that is given unto as,
am often asked if a journey through
the Holy Land is pleasant and health
tul trip. 1t is certainly SO in the very
| highest degree, never saw man traV-
cling in Palestine but that he was ever on
| the qua UiUe for enjoyment and recreation.
You are off duty there and surrounded
by the most genial companionship. You
are surrounded by the most delightful
scenery on the face of the globe. You are
encompassed with the most thrilling asso-
citation that stir the heart and quicken the
imagination. The mornings and evenings
are delightfully."- exhilarating and refresh
ing, the nights cool and pleasant. / do
not think we ever came across musquito,
or gnat, or any vigorous thing to trouble
our SAUNDERS at night. You sleep won
derfully sound there / do not think
should have awakened at night if our tent
had been taken up by an Arab and carried
OF, so soundly does one sleep after the ex-
posture of the day. am often asked what
we live upon iu Palestine. I do not think
ever sat down to table spread in the
wilderness more bountifully supplied than
that in the land o. Palestine. have never
eaten In Paris or Vienna bread more deli
cate or mutton more tender and nice than
that In Damascus and Jerusalem. Eggs
always abundant and fresh, and chickens
exceedingly abundant, tender and nice.
1t you are an invalid at home, if may
Judge from my own experience, you will
come out of the Holy Land fifteen or twenty
pounds heavier than you entered it. Out
side of its sacred associations, it is also a
land exceedingly grotesque and ludicrous.
Oid-time traditions and legends are con-
stantly being told you. One of the most
stsid and grave of clergy men carried
through Palestine, and read as much as his
guide book, Mark Twain's travels through
the Holy Land, because the sacred and
the ludicrous are SO Intimately associated
together there. There are constant scenes
and revelations before which you bow with
reverence, and there are ludicrous and
In
coming before you in great variety and at
which you can not bat laugh.
The Christian Church and the world
owes more to America than to any 9th er
la d for the explorations in Palestine.
OGly forty years ago the maps of Pales-
tine were most incomplete and incorrect,
and from them we could not tell the dis
really the external appearance of the
country. Very little had been written on
the flowers and animals except in very
general way, or from what could be learned
from the Bible
DR.. Edward Robinson, of .Andover
Theological Seminary, has explored the
ountry from end to end, and other Ameri-
can writers have given the external appear
ance of the country, go that the Holy
Land is known to the world more through
American Investigation and exploration
than from any other source. In 1865 a
very thorough exploration was made of
the country west of the Jordan, and msny
things hitherto unknown were determined
so that between the sea and the river Jor-
dan, almost every feature of the country
is definitely outlined. An American COM
pany in 1870 explored from the Jordan to
the desert. They determined the heights
of Nebo and Pisga and are about to pub
lish map, 30 that it is only within ten
years that this whole country has had
thorough Typographical Investigation.
There are two ways to go through
the Holy Land. One you enter
from the north, and go across
to Damascus, and then down through the
center of the country in a zigzag line, Wis
come out at Joppa. Another way is to go
from the south up towards the north and
come out at Mount Sinai across the South
EN- Desert. That is the way DR.. Park
went. You leave the came!s at Hebron
and make the journey through Palestine
on horseback. Having been through
Egypt, our journey was from the south
northward; and we embarked on the
steamer to cross the Mediterranean on the
grims from all over the world-Mahome-
dams, Turks, Latins, Greeks and Arabs,
travellers from Africa and jewellers of the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea. They
were all going up to Jerusalem to the fes-
tival of Easter. l presume on that one
ship, on that Saturday night, not less than
fifteen or twenty dialects were spoken.
The cabin, decks and gangways were
packed full and there must have been three
or four hundred people on board. There
were Jews, Christians and Moslems going
up to Jerusalem, Here would be Mos
lem Turk. with his bed spread out beneath
hfFa nd 10 hnc olo q ~