The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-12-14

on hunters trapping, and went out with
his arrows to bring down the rarcst
specimens of birds; and then, with his
fishing apparatus, he went down to the
stream to bring up the denizens
of the deep, and plunged into the forest
and found the rarest specimens of flow,
ers; and then he came back to his study
and wrote books about zoology, the sci.
ence of animals; about ichthyology, the
: science of fishes; about ORTHODOXY, the
science of birds; about botany, the sci.
ence Of plants. Yet, Notwithstanding
all his wisdom and wealth, behold his
w~retchedness and let him pass on. Did
any other city aver behold SO wonderful
a man? o Jerusalem, Jerusalem! But
here passes through these streets, as in
Imagination see him, quite as wonder.
full and a far better man. David, the
conqueror, the King, the poet. Can it
be that / am in the very city where he
lived and reigned? David, great for
power and great for grief. lie was
wrapped up in his boy Absalom. He
was a splendid boy, judged by tho rules
of worldly criticism. From the crown
of his head to the sole of his foot there
was not a single blemish. The Bible
says that he had such a luxuriant shock
of hair that, when once q year it was
shorn, what was cut off weighed owe
three pounds.
But, notwithstanding all his brilliancy
of appearance, he was a bad boy, and
broke his fathers heart. He was plot
ting to get the throne of Israel. He had
marshaled an army to overthrow his IA
theirs government. The day of battle
had come. The conflict had begun.
David, the father, sat between the gates
of the palace waiting for the tidings of
the conflict. Oh, how rapidly his heart
beat with emotion! Two great questions
were to be decided: the safety of his boy
and the continuance of the throne of
Israel. After awhile, a servant, stand
ing on the top of the house, looks off,
and he ices some one running. He is
coming with great speed, and the man
on the top of the house the
coming Of the messenger, and the father
watches and waits, and as soon as the
messenger from the field of battle comes
within hailing distance the father cries
out. Is it a question in regard to the
establishment of his throne? Does he
say: "Have the armies of Israel been
victorious? Am l to continue in my i'm
perial authority? Have I o%verthrown
my enemies?"
Oh, no.. There is one question that
springs from his heart to the lip, and
springs from the lip into the ear of the
besweated and be busted messenger fly
ing from the battle-field-the question::
us the young man Absalom safe?"
When 1t was told to David, the King,
that, though his armies had been vic
t~orious, his son had been slain, the
father turned his back upon the con
CALCULATIONS of the nation, and went up
the stairs of his palace, his heart break
ing as he went, wringing his hands
sometimes, and then again pressing
them against his temples as though he
would press them in, crying: 80, Abb
saloml my son! my son! Would God /
had died for thee, o, Absaloml my soni
my son!" Stupendous grief of David re-
sounding through all succeeding ages.
This was the city that heard the woe.
Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
l am also thrilled and o~verpowered
with the remembrance hat yonder,
whore now stands a Mohammedan
Mosque, stood the temple, the very
n that Christ visited. Solo
mans temple had stood there, but
Nebuchadnezzar Numbered it down.
Ze~rubbabel's temple had stood there,
but that had been FRUSTRATED. Then
Herod built a temple because he was
fond of great architecture, and he
wanted the preceding temples to seem
insignificant. Put eight or ten modern
cathedrals together and they would not
equal that structure. 1t covered nine-
teen acres. There were marble pillars
supporting roofs of cedar, and silver
tables on which stood golden cups, and
there were carvings exquisite and in
scriptions re~splendent, glittering balus-
trades and ornamented gateways. The
building of this temple kept ten thou
sand workmen busy f~orty-six years.
.Stupendous pile of pomp and magnih-
cence! But the material and architect
ural grandeur of the building we're very
ing of its affairs and holy Of holes, and
the overwhelming significance of its
ceremonies. o, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
But standing in this old city all other
facts are eclipsed when we think that
near here our blessed Lord was born;
that up and down these streets lie
walked, and that in the outskirts of it
He died. Here was His only day of
triumph, and His assassination. One
day this old Jerusalem is at the tiptop
of excitement. Christ has been doing
some remarkable works and asserting
very high authority. The police court
has issued papers for His arrest, for this
thing must be stopped, as the very gov
eminent is imperiled. News comes that
last night this stranger arrived at .
suburban village, and that He is stop
ping at the house of a man whom He re-
suscitated after our days sculpture.
Well, the people run out into the streets,
some with the idea of helping in the ar
rest of this stranger VIII en- He arrives,
and others expecting that on the NOR
row He will come into the town, and,
by some supernatural force, GUST the
municipal and royal authorities, and take
every thing in His own hands. They
RooA OuO VI nv S1bI kdOCo ullOlI Ulc
procession reaches to the village. They
come all around about the house
where the stranger is stopping, and
peer into the doors and windows that
they may get II glimpse of Him or
hear the hum of His voice. The police
dare not make the arrest, because He
has somehow won the affections of all
the people. Oh, it is a lively night in
yonder Bethany The heretofore quiet
village is filled with uproar, and out
cry, and loud discussion about the
strange-actiDg countryman. l do not
think there vas any sleep in that house
that night where the stranger was
stopping. Although He came in weary,
He finds no rest, though for nee in His
lifetime He had a pillow. But the
morning dawns, the olive gardens wave
in the light, and all along yonder road,
reaching over the top Of Olive toward
this city, there Is a vast swaying crowd
Of wondering people. The excitement
around the door of the cottage is wild
as the stranger steps out beside an I'M
broken colt that had never been mount
ed, and after His friends had strewn
their garments on the beast for a saddle
the Saviour mounted it, and the populace,
excited and shouting and feverish,
pushed on back toward this city of
Jerusalem.
Let none jeer now nor scoff at this
rider, or the populace will trample him
under foot in an instant. There is n
long shout of two miles, and as far as
the eye can reach you see wavings of
demonstrations md opp,nyaI Tbo.o