Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-07-03

Christian philosophy; and in 1858, in the
southwestern party of this country, Chris
tian men went out to examine the march ol
the locust. There are men right before me
who must have noticed in that very part oi
the country the coming up of the locust like
an army; and it was found that all the news
papers unwittingly spoke of them as an
army. Why? They seem to have com
mander. They march like host. They
halt like host. No arrow ever went with
straighter fight than the locusts come-not
even turning aside for the winds. If the
wind rises, the locusts drop and then rise
again after it has gone down, taking the
same line of march, not varying foot.
The old Bible right every time when it
speaks of flocusts coming like an army;
worldly philosophy wrong.
about the light turned as clay to the seal is
simply an absurdity" Old time worldly
philosophy said: 'tThe light comes
straight Christian philosophy said:
"Wait a little while," and it goes on and
makes discoveries and finds that the atmos-
phere curves and bends the rays of light
around the earth, literally 'as the clay to
ths seal.' The Bible right again; worldly
philosophy wrong again. "Ah," says
worldly philosophy, "all that illusion in
Job about the foundations of the earth is
simply an absurdity. Where vast thou, ,
says God, when set the foundations of
the earth p The earth has no foundations. !"
Christian philosophy comes and finds that
the word as translated Foundation may
be better translated sockets" So now see
how it will read If it is translated right;
''Where vast thou when I set the sockets
of the earth?' Where is the socket? It is
the hollow of Gods hand-a socket large
enough for any world to turn in.
| Worldly philosophy said: "What an ab-
surd story about Joshua making the sun
and moon stand still. If the world had
stopped an instant the whole universe would
have been out of gear" "Stop," said
| Christian philosophy, "not so quick" The
world has two motions-one on its own axis
and the other around the sun. II was not
necessary in making them stand still that
both motions should be stopped-on]y the
one turning the world on its own axis.
There was no reason why tie halting of the
earth should have Jared and disarranged
| the whole universe. Joshua right and God
right; infidelity wrong every time. / knew
it would be wrong. I thank God that the
| time has come when Christians need not be
scared at any scientific exploration. The
| fact is that religion and science have struck
hand in eternal friendship, and the deeper
down theology can dig and the higher up
| astronomy can soar, all the better for us.
| The armies of the Lord Jesus Christ have
stormed the observatories of the worlds
science, and from the highest towers have
| flung out the banner of the cross, and Chris
tianity tonight. from the obervatories of
Albany and Washington, stretches out its
hand toward the opposing scientific weapon,
crying: "There is none like that; give it
mep / was reading this afternoon of Her.
schel, who was looking at meteor through
a telescope, and when it came over the face
of the telescope it was so powerful he had
to avert his eyes. And it has been just so
that many an astronomer has gone into an
observatory and looked up into the mid
night heavens, and the Lord God has,
through some swinging world, famed upon
his vision, and the learned man cried out:
"Who am 1? Undonel Unclean! Have
mercy, Lord God"
| Again, remark, that the travelling dis
position of the world, which was averse to
morals and religion, is to be brought on our
side, The man that went down to Jericho
and fell amidst thieves was type of a great
many travellers. There is many a man who
is very honest at home who, when he is
abroad, has his honor fllched and his good
habits stolen. There are but very few men
who can stand the stress of an expedition.
Six weeks at watering place has damned
many man. In the olden times God for
bade the travelling of men for the purposes
of trade because of the corrupting influence
attending it. A good many men now can
not stand the transition from one place to
lanother. Some men who seem to be very
consistent at home in the way of keeping
the Sabbath, when they get into Spain, on
the Lords day, always go out to see the
bull fights. Plato said that no city ought
TO be bnilt nearer to the sea than ten miles,
lest it be tempted to commerce. But this
travelling disposition of the world, which
was adverse to that which is good, is to be
brought on our side. These rail trains,
why, they are to take our Bibles; these
steamships, they are to transport our mis-
sionaries; these sailors, rushing from city tc
city all around the world, are to be convert
ed into Christian heralds and go out anG
preach Christ among the heather nations.
The Gospels are infinitely multiplied il
beauty and power since Robinson, anC
Thompson and Burckhardt have come back
and talked to US about Sloan, and Caper-
naum, and Jerusalem, pointing out to us
the lilies about which Jesus preached, the
beach upon which Paul was ship-wrecked
the fords at which Jordan was passed, the
Red sea bank on which were tossed the
carcasses of the drowned Egyptians. A
man said: 81 went to the Holy Land an IN
fidel; came back Christian. could moi
help it.
am not shocked at the idea of building
a railroad to the Holy Land. l wish that
all the world might go and see Golgotha
and Bethlehem. If we cannot afford to
pay for muleteers now, perhaps when the
rail train goes we can afford to buy ticket
from Constantinople to Joppa, and so we
will get to see the Holy Land. Then let
Christians travel! God speed the rail
trains, and guide the steamships this night
painting across the deep in the phosphores-
cent wake of the shining feet of Him who
from wave cliff to wave cliff trod the
stormed Tiberias. The Japanese come
across the water and see our civilization,
and examine our Christianity, and go back
and tell the story, and keep that empire
rocking until Jesus shall reign
| Where'er the sun
Does his successive journeys run.
Aud the firearms, with which the infidel
traveller brought down the Arab horseman
and the jackals of the desert, have been
surrendered to the Church, and we reach
forth our hands, crying ''There is none
like that; give it mev'
| So it has also been with the learning
and the eloquence of the world. People
say: "Religion is very good for women, it
is very good for children, but not for men,