The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-12-25

and waits, and as soon as the messenger
from the field Of battle comes within hailing
distance the father cries out: Is it a ques-
ton in regard to the establishment of his
Israel been victorious? Am to continue in
my imperial authority? Have overthrown
my enemies% Oh, no. There is one ques-
tion that springs from his heart to the lip:
and springs from the lip into the ear rof
tho besweated and bedusted messenger
flying from the battle field.the question:
rs the young man Absalom safeg' hen it
was told to David, the King, that, though
his armies had been victorious, his son had
been slain, the father turned his back upon
the congratulations of the nation, and went
up the stairs of his palace, his heart breaking
as he went. wringing his hands sometimes,
and then again pressing them against his
temples es though he would press them in,
crying: % Absalom! my son! my son;
my son! my sonm Stupendous grief of
David resounding through all succeeding
ages. This was the city that heard the woe.
o Jerusalem, Jerusalem.
am also thrilled and overpowered with
the remembrance that yonder, where now
stands Mohammedan mosque, stood the
temple the very one that Christ visited.
Solomon's temple had stood there, but Neb-
uchadnezzar thundered it down. Zeruhba-
been prostrated. Then Herod built temple
because he was fond Of great architecture
and he wanted the preceding temples to seem
Insignificant. Put eight OF ten modern ca
thedrals together, and they would not equal
that structure. 1t covered nineteen
acres. There were marble pillars sup
porting roof of cedar, and silver ta-
bles on which stood golden cups, and there
were carvings exquisite and Inscriptions re-
.-l.L
mented gateways The building Of this tenn
pie kept ten thousand workmen busy forty
six years. Stupendous pile of pomp and
magnifcence But the material and archi-
tectural grandeur of the building were very
tame compared with the spiritual meaning OF
its affairs and holy Of holes, and the over
whelming significance of its ceremonies. o
Jerusalem, Jerusaleml
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 the streets of this city He walked, and
that in the outskirts of it He died. Here was
His only day Of triumph, and His assaSsine
tion. 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 De
stopped, as the very government is
imperiled. News comes that last
night this stranger arrived at suburban
Of a man whom He lad resuscitated after
four days sepulture. Well; the people rush
out into the streets, some with the idea of
helping in the arrest of this stranger when
He arrives, and others expecting that on the
morrow he will come into the town and by
some supernatural force GUST the mu-
nicipal and royal authorities and take
everything in His own hands. They
pour out of the city gates until ~, the he
come all around about the house
where the stranger is stopping, and
peer into the doors and windows that they
may get one glimpse of Him or hear the hum
of His voice. The police dare not make the
arrest, because He has somehow won the af-
fections of all the people Oh. it is a lively
night in yonder Bethany! The heretofore
quiet village is filed with uproar and outcry,
and loud discussion about the strange acting
counGryman. do not think there was any
sleep in that house that night where the
stranger was stopping. Although he came
in weary He finds no rest, though for
once in His lifetime He had a pillow.
But the morning dawns, the olive gar
dens wave in the light, and all
along yonder road, reaching over the top of
Olivet toward this city, there is vast sway
ing crowd of wondering people. The excite
ment around the door Of the cottage is wild
as the stranger steps out beside an unbroken
colt that had never been mounted, and after
His friends had strewn their garments on the
beast fora saddle the Savior mounts it, and
the populace, excited and shouting and fever
iSh push on back toward this city of JeruSa-
lem. Let none jeer now or scoff at this rider,
or the populace will trample him un-
der foot in an instant. There is one
long Shout of two miles, and as far as
the eye can reach you see wavings of demon
thing in the riders visage something in His
majestic brow, something in His princely be-
havior that stirs up the enthusiasm Of the
people. They run up against the beast and
try to pail the rider off into their arms and
carry on their shoulders the illustrious
stranger. The populace are so excited that
they hardly know what to do with them
selves, and some rush up to the roadside trees
and wrench off branches and throw them in
His way; and others doff their gar
ments, what though they be new
and costly, and spread them for car
pet for the conauerer to ride over. "Hosan-
nap cry the people at the foot Of the hill.
"Hcsannar p cry the people all up and down
the mountain. The procession has now come
to the brow Of yonder Olivet. Magnificent
prospect reaching out in every direction
vineyards, olive groves, jutting rock, silvery
Sloan, aud above all, rising on its throne Of
earth, Jerusalem. Christ there, in the midst
of the procession, looks off and sees here for
tressed gates, and yondeI the circling wall,
and here the towers blazing in the sun, Phas-
aelus and Marianne Tonder is Hippicus, the
Kings castle. Looking along in the range
of the larger branch of that olive tree, you
see the mansions Of the merchant princes.
Through this cleft in the limestone rock you
see the palace of the richest trafficker in all
the earth. He has made his money by sell
ing Tyrian purple. Behold now the temple!
Clouds of smoke lifting from the Simmer
ing roof while the building rises up beautiful,
grand, majestic, the architectural skill and
glory of the earth lifting themselves there in
one triumphant do1ology, the frozen prayer
of all nations.
The crowd looked around to see e1hilara-
tion and transport in the face Of Christ. Oh,
mol Out from amid the gates, and the
domes, and the palaces, there arose vision
of this city's sin, and of this city's DOOM
which obliterated the landscape from hor!zou
to horizon, and He burst into tears, crying:
20 Jerusalem, Jerusalemm But that was
the only day of pomp that Jesus saw in and
around this city. Yet He walked the streets
of this city the loveliest and most majestic
being that the world ever saw or ever will
see. Publius Lentilus, in letter to the
Roman Senate. describes Him as "a
man of stature somewhat tall, his hair the
color of chestnut fully ripe plain to the |
ears, whence downward it is more orient,
curling and waving about the shoulders; in
the midst of His forehead is a stream, or par
tition of His hair; forehead plain, and very |
delicate; His face without spot or wrinkle,
lovely redi His nose and mouth so forked as
nothing can be represented; His beard thick,
in color like His hair-not very long: His eyes
gray, quick and clear He must die. The
L,ronnh nrrn,- in Italy found hraSS nlata ON