Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1879-06-15
w Sugelss Ysrala.
rHR CITY OF GOD.
D.. WIdnsys Lecture Last Evening at the
Poststrsst Methodist 0hurch-A Scholarly
Discesrus.


Poststrsst Methodist 0hurch-A Scholarly
Discenrss.
The third lecture of the course
por the benefit of the Fort-street
v. Z. Church was delivered by DIR.
J. p. Widney Friday evening. The
attendance was fair and the inter.
1t in the subject treated by the
Abls lecturer was very intense and
sngrossing. We present some ex-
tracts from the discourse, which
will give an outline Of the argu.
mont. DR.. Widney said:
It 10 not an argument that have
10 present to you. ] have nothing
to prove. 1t is not a discussion OF
politics, Of moralities, or Of creeds;
/ only am painting a picture. 1t is
Q picture OF q history, and q place.
The history Is the history OF the
hopes, the joys, the aspirations, the
religious life, OF half world, and
OF unnumbered generations. The
place !s : spot the very name ri
which has become creed, a prayer,
. jubilant cry, aud a poem to the
human race.
And fret let me paint to you the
setting Of the picture:
On the eastern shore of the Med
iterranean lies q sun.burned and an
aged land. It IL . land Of bare,
time-worn hills; Of low. desolate
mountains; Of verdureless plains. 1t
10 land Of ruins. And yet this
land, 90 old, 90 worn and desolate,
has been, more than any other
spot upon the earth, o center
around which the life of the
human race has revolved. For
six thousand years it has witness
cd the storm of human passions.
Empires have fought over 1t;
crseds have torn and rent 1t; King,
and priest, aud robber, and soldier,
have In turn swsyed its destinies.
It has been o stage upon which
nations and races have been the
players. Abraham tented in 1t.
Alexander led the coupquering
phalanx of Macedon over 1t. Anto-
ny strobe through it at the head oil
his legions in the days before he
threw away his crown for wo.
mans love, and deemed empire
we'll lost for q wsnton's kisses.
Omar summoned to its invasion
the wild-eyed tribes of the desert.
It was Ishmael, coming to his own
again. The blood Of Cananite, OF
Israelite, of Babylonisn, of Egypt.
ian, OF Perslap, of Greek, of Ro.
man, Of Arab, of Turk, of Crusa-
der, all have bathed its plains, and
helped to give deeper crimson to
the dowers that bloom after Its sum.
mer rains.
What wonder that the land is
worn and old! r.
Does the warning OF human pas
slons leave its wrinkles upon the
face of . land, even as 1t does upon
the face of man? Does the earth
sicken and weary OF it all; and
grow old? It would even seem 30
for away of, In other lands, where
man has not been, the mountains
and the plains are fresh and bloom.
Ing. The pines Of the Sierras are
coeval with the cedars of Lebanon
and yet one says, as he looks out
over the land to the Western sea:
40! how young and fair is the
earth; and how glad in the dews OF
the morningp'
And the pilgrim upon Olivet gaze,
sadly down across the verdi eless
plains and exclaims:
d" Alas, how old and worn! The
earth 10 surely wearyW
And yet, they are coeval. Only,
the one is fresh and unstained from
the hand of its maker; the other,
torn and Scared by the pIoughshare
of war, and ecAthed with the fire oil
man's hates.
Listen for q moment to the old
record: sand Lot lifted up his
eyes, and beheld all the plain oil
Jordan, that 1t was we'll watered
everywhere, even as the garden Of
the Lord, like the land of Egypt, q.
thou CONTEST unto Zoar."
It was land Of the vine, Of the
6g, Of wine, and corn, and oil. II
was In this young land, near to the
plains of Mamre, that the history
Of which I have spoken begins
Let me read to you the first entry
upon the record. Abram was re-
turning from battling with the foul
kings, faint and weary with the
conflict:
"And Melchizedec, king of Sa
lem, brought forth bread and wine
and he was the priest of the mos
high God"
Salem, the "city of Peace" Hier
osolzman, Jerusalem. the "city o
0od," spot around which as arount
no other in all the broad earth hav,
clustered the hopes OF the world
10 the first mention In all history o
IL. What shall be the last?
- ~ ~
The years, go by. Melchisedec
king OF Salem, of the "City o.
Peace" priest of the most high
God, passes from the sacred page
silently, leaving no trace. Salem
the City of Peace, also leaves nc
more record. Yet this was enough
that It WAS the city wherein was
peace, and wherein q king was
priest of the most high God. The
time was yet far off when it was to
be the City Of David and of the
sword.
=
But now the narrative is taken
up again. Salem Is no longer
Salem, City of Peace. It has be.
come Jebus, the city of Jubusites,
and around its walls Israelite and
Canaanite battle fiercely for Its
possession. The "Clty Of Peace
WAS beginning to know that hap.
tism OF blood which for two thoGs.
and years was to crimson its rocky
hsightS until its olden name should
become o mockery and a bitter
satire.
It was not until the time Of
David, 1046 B. c., that the Israel.
ftoa finally capturpd the citadel