The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-25

landed ON n mountain 1900 feet high.
They say they do not believe the story.
Neither do /. There is no such story in
the Biblo, will tell you what the Bible
story is. must say that have changed
my mind in regard to some matters which
once were to me very mysterious. They
are no more mysteriouAa This is the key
TO the facts, This is the story OF an eye
witness, Noah, his story Incorporated
aiterward by Moses in the account. Noah
described the scene just as it appeared 10
him. lie saw the flood and he iathomcd
Its depth. As far ~ eye Nc,ad reach
everything was eoyered up from horizon
to horizon, or, as II says, under tho
whole heaven" He did not refer 10 the
Sierra Nevadas, or to Mount Washington,
for America had not been discovered, or,
II II had been discovered, he could not
have seen so far OF. lie is giving the tcs-
timony OF an eye witness. God speaks
after the manner OF men when he says
everything went under. and Noah speaks
after the manner Of men when ho says
everything did 90 under, An eye wit
ness. There is no need Of thinking that
the kangaroo leaped the ocean or that the
polar bear came down from the ice.
Why did the delugc comeP II came for
the purpose OF destroying the outrageous
inhabitants Of the then thinly populated
earth, nearly oil the population. probably
very near the ark before II was launched.
What could have been the use OF submerg-
ing North and South America. or Europe,
or Africa, when they were not inhabited2
And as TO the skeptioal suggestion that in
order TO have the water as doep as the b.
bic states, II must have raincd 500 toot
every day, roply, the Bible distinctly do
clarcs that the most OF tho food rose in
stead OF falling. Before the account where
Il saws "the windows OF heaven were
opened" Il says, ''nll the fountains OF the
great deep we're broken up" All gcolo-
gists agree in saying that there are caverns
In the earth filled with water, and they
rushed forth, and all the lakes and rivers
forsook their bed. The fountains OF the
great deep were broken up, and then the
windows of heaven wofo opened. Is II n
strange thing that wo should be asked to
believe in this flood Of the Bible, when
geologisls tell us that again and again and
again the dry earth has been drowned out2
just open your geology and you will read
of twenty floods. Is Il no, strange that in-
fidel sciontists wanting us 10 believe in the
twenty floods Of geological discovery,
should, as soon as we believe In ono Hood
OF the Bible, pronounce US as non compoa
mcntis?
Well, then, another thing, In regard "a
the size OF the ark. Instead OF being O
mud scow, as some OF these skeptics would
have us understand, II was magnificent
ship, nearly rs large rs the Great Eastern,
three times the sizo OF an ordinary man
oi-war. At the time In the world when
ship building was unknown God had this
vessel constructed, which turned out to be
almost In the same proportions as oul
stanchcst modern vessels. After thou
sands Of years Of experimenting In nava
architecture and in ship carponlcry VI
have at last got up 10 Noahs ark, tha
ship leading all the aecis Of the world Of
all the oceans We'll, Noah saw tho ami
NAL creation going into this ark. lie gav
the account OF an eye witness. Thcy wen
the animals from the r'gon whore h,
lived; for the most part they were animals
useful 10 man, and II noxious insects OF
poisonous reptiles went In IL was only /,
discipline tho patience and to keep alcr
the generations after the food. llo saw
them going in. There were a great mum
Der OF them, and lac gives tho account o
an eye witness. They went In two an,
two OF all flesh.
I ears ago | was on steamer on thl
River Tay, and ! came to Perth, Scotland
got of, aud saw the most wonderful
agricultural show that ! had ever wit
messed. There were horses aud cattle sucl
~ Rosa Bonheur mover skotchcd, and
there wero dogs such ~ the loving pencil
OF Edwin Landsecr never portrayed, nnt
there were sheep and fowl aud creatures
Of all sorts. Supposing that two ans
two" Of all the creatures OF that agricul
tural show were put upon the Tay steamer
TO be transported 20 Dundee, and the mex
day | should be writing homo 10 Amcricl
aud giving an account Ot the occurrence
wonld have used the snme genera
phraseology that Noah used In regard /,
the ombirkation OF tho brute creation "
the ark would have said that they wen
In two and two Of every sort. ] woul,
not have meant G00.0D0. A common sens
man myself, | would suppose that the poo
pie who read the letter were common
sense people.
But how could you get them into tli
ark2' ask iniidcl scientists. "llOw cOuli
they be induced 10 40 into the ark2 III
would have 10 pick them out and dHy
them In, and coax lhom in." Could no
the same God who gave instinct 10 th
animal inspire that instinct 10 seek Tor Hhcl
ter from the storm2 However, nothin
moro than the ordinary animal instinc
WIS necessary. Have you never boon /
the country when an August thnnde
storm WIS coming up aud heard the caitl
moan nt the bars 10 got inp and seen th
niirightcd fowl 20 upon the perch at noon
day, and heard the aiirighted dog aud ca
calling at tho door, supplicating entrance
And are you surprised that In that ago q
the world, when there were fewer place
Of shelter for dumb beasts, at the mutteI
ing aud rumbling aud flashing aud qutl
ing and darkcning Of an approachin
delugc, the animal creation came moanin
and blcating 10 the sloping cmbankmcn
reaching up 10 the ancient Great Faster
and passed in2 / have owned horses an
cattle and sheep aud dogs, but | move
/ had horse or a COW orl sheep or do
that was NO stupid II did not kno
. enough 10 come In when II rained. An
! then, that one window In the ark whic
afforded such poor ventilation 10 the crcl
, lures there assemblcd-that small windo
{ In the ark which excites 10 much mirtl
/ iulncss on the part OF inndels. II the
knew ~ much Hebrew M you could pl
ON your little finger nail they would ha'
. known that that word translated windo
I there means window course, who
, range Of lights. Those ignorant iniido
do not know window pane from twenl
9 windows. So II there is any criticism
/ the ark, there seems 20 bo too much vii
j dow for such long storm. And ~ 10 u
, other charge that the windows Of the NJ
a | nnaullu all tuailn s.s..,ll Hapa s.aFtal