, 1889-09-07
FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY
A SIMPLE SECT OF CHRISTIANS ABID-
ING IN JERUSALEM.

AHAS
Have Verified Many Landmarks Over
looked by AntIquarians-Tbe Rebuild
Ing of Jerusalem.
Together with bits of stone and like
relics, which 1 threw into my valise, /
gathered a few bits of information, which
may not prove old, of this Palestine,
ashen in physical aspect as morally its
life seems reduced to ashes.
What made Jerusalem itself most in
teresting was the information given us
by a sect Of Christians whom we, in our
explorations, CHANGED to stumble upon.
In searching the Scriptures they nave
verified many landmarks overlooked by
ever a~ntiquarians. One of these places
were the wine presses of Solomon, which
he government was beginning to have
cut away for building purposes. These
not only are located as indicated in the
Bible, and indisputably like all the wine
presses found in the country (cut out of
solid rock with various watts for the wine
in its successive stages, with channels of
ingress and egress from one vat to an
otherl, but are too immense in scale, and
have too tremendous a cistern to nave
been the property of any private indi-
viduaL These, through their influence,
are now in the hands of the Antiquarian
society of Jerusalem, and are thus pre-
served from further harm. Close at hand
to these are the quarries of Solomon.
What a wonderful climate is this, that
time does not alter the freshness of the
rock. The grooves made by the chisel,
as the last block was hewn from its place
centuries ago, show the incision of the
tool as freshly as if cut but yesterday.
Even thus the rocky chambers in the
tombs of the kings and judges how slight
signs of decay, SO hard and sharp are the
edges. The catacombs of Rome, conn
pared to these of modern build, appear
%ruinously old.
In a long donkey ride around the city
these people pointed to literal fulfill
ments of prophecies concerning the re-
building of Jerusalem. In this they
have perfect faith.
A RELIGION OF LovE.
How can l explain to you our impress
sions of this people as their lives and
aims were unfolded to us? They are a
society of now twenty-six people, young
and old, unmarried and with families,
who, viewed as fanatics, left Chicago
some five years ago. They were a peo-
pie to whom their church life seemed
cold and barren, and in a pond of com-
mon feeling met often in private to COM
mun on things spiritual. After a time
they felt called of God, as they express
it, to go where they could lead a life of
pure seeking, feeling they would thus
be preparing themselves for some work
in the future for others. People of cul-
ture, used to all the ~luxuries of refined
society, they left friends and came, by
the call of God, as they felt. to settle in
Jerusalem. Most of them had money,
but their relatives at home made them
out in the court as lunatics, who had no
claim to common sense or the money
that goes with it. So, with very little,
they arrived at Jerusalem, and settled
in a sunny house on the edge of the city
wall. For two or three years they were
subject to gross Misrepresentation of the
worst sort-our own consul, for some
u~naccountable reason, doing much to
damage them in America. They took
no name, have no creed, do not prose-
lyte, abide by no laws peculiar to them
selves, but simply search the Scriptures
hourly for guidance to abide by the sum-
ming up of all doctrines: Love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and
thy neighbor as myself"
They do their own household work,
and, during that time, if any one wishes
help or guidance for anything, they drop
everything until they nave met and
prayed, when they resume their occupa-
tions. They labor outside for pay, if,
after praying over it, they are led to do
SO, but nothing must interfere with their
spiritual life. They claim no mission,
but daily work has come to them, minis
tering to the rich and poor alike, receiv-
ing nothing in return. They nave never
wanted for the bare necessities of life.
They speak the truth to each other, and,
as one of the ladies told me, the constant
friction of different dispositions is what
makes it a life of discipline. Some have
come to them attracted by their peaceful
life, but there is nc glamour about it, no
rigidity to attract ascetics, no rites and
ceremonies embellishing the simple life
of truth to attract the sentimental. They
labor now on the precept: First take
away the beam that is in thine own eye,
and then thou shalt see clearly to take
out the mote that is in thy brothers
eye" Though they do not preach, their
daily living and communication with
their neighbors nave drawn many Mo-
hammedans, Greeks and even Jews to
learn of their simple religion of love.
REBUILDING OF JERUSALEM.
They fully believe that the rebuilding
of Jerusalem is at hand; that the prophe-
cies, which by many people are consid-
cred symbolic of the coming of the heav-
emily kingdom, apply to Jerusalem of to-
day. Certainly, consulting certain pre-
dictions of the Old Testament, as found
in jeremiah xxi, $40, and Zechariah
xiv, 10, IL, where even landmarks of he
new city are cited, just there and no
where else are the new buildings going
up of Jews and Mohammedans.
Among those who have returned to
Jerusalem are 500 Gadites, bringing with
them their ancient scrolls proving them
to be of the twelve tribes of Israel, who,
during one of tho political dispersions of
the Jews, settled about the Persian Gull,
mn II Cl--.-..Ll- - t-o1. tLa.u