The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-03-23
A GRAND EXAMPLE.
Dr.. Talmage on the Foundations
OF True Christianity.
Nehemiah's Wonderful Midnight visit to
Jerusalem In Ruins and the Lesson It
Teaches-God Always the Best
Friend.

4hpernacle rev. L. Dew lit Talmage'ss SUD-
1ect was THE Moonlight Ride and the
text, Nehemiah ii. 10: Then I went up
n the night by the brook and viewed the
wall, and turned back, and entered by the
gate Of the valley, and so returned" He
said:
Adead city is more suggestive than q
living city-past Rome than present Rome
ruins rather than newly -frescoed
cathedral. But the best time to visit q
ruin Ia by moonlight. The colosseum Is
far more fascinating to the traveller after
shutdown than before. You may stand by
daylight amid the monastic ruins Of Mel
rose Abbey and study shafted oriel and
rosetted stone n mullion. but they throw
their strongest witchery by moonlight
Some of you remember what the nchante
OF Scotland said in the Lay Of the Last
MINSTREL"
"Wouldst thou view fair Melrose Alright,
Go visit IL by the pale moonlight"
Washington Irving describes the An
dalusian moonlight upon the Alhambra
ruins as amounting to an ~enchantment.
My text presents you Jerusalem in ruins.
The tower down. The gates down. The
walls down. Every thing down. Nehe-
miah on horseback, by moonlight looking
upon the ruin While he rides, there are
some friends on foot going with him, for
tney 90 not want Inc many horses 70 va
turb the suspicious OF the people. These
people do not know the secret OF Meme
miah's heart, but they are going as asor'
OF Dody guard. mar the o',okins noo
o. tpf hqrse on which Nenemiah rides, as
~ guides IL this way and that, into this
gate arC$ out of that, winding through
<n1t gate amid the debris Of once
axo8<at561shlem. Now the horse comes to
dead nnt1ht the masonry where ne can
not pass. Now he SHES on at the cnarreo
timbers- Now ne comes along wnere Uho
water under the moonlight nasnes from
the mouth OF the orazen dragon atSer
which the gate was named.
Heavy hearted Nenemian' hiding IN
and out, now py mis- OLD nome oesoiateo,
now by tne defaoed temple now amid tne
scars OF the city tnat nad gone aown I'm
der oattering ram ana connagras,oh. ing
escorting party knows not wna' rehenha
meant Is ne getIlng cray. asve ns
own Psrsonai sorrows' aIoeu ~ 80.
,ows aNtsinSs a-UIo..t;on ~.
ieo', StiiL u $50
on. Nenemian on morse peok onfousH
the nsn gate, py tne over Oh sne lur inn
oy the klng,s poor, ~ 1ne arasoh "en, III
ana OUT, un.n ene miunisns tiue 10 I'm
eteo' q NenemAu ns
Morse ana 70 tne ama1eu L oun
ana increouious oouy suA.u, -
osad secres OIL ms heaIs m"en says,
Come, now, icy Us oullu oef"se
what Nehemiah. nave you any money!
mo" Have you any kingIy autnorisy!.
No" Have you any el0quence.' NO
Yet that midnignt mooniigns rue o, ne
hem'an resulted IN me slorus r"n"nns
OF sne Guy o. .htnnm H.. - dopa
.ne" no' = .no n.t.
OUT WIN sreaS "N ~ ~,
LET Us rise up now anu pu,iu Tue cry.
some people iaugneu anu .aia }. oouiu nos
De done some eoPie were IniuI,a1e nhu
onered pnysicai sloienco' laying u nin
should not Dc zone. oue .ne WoiAi
went rignt on sthnoing ON tne wall trowe
In n hand, sword In the otner, until tne
work wa gioriousiy compietea- u tna1
very time In 9reece' was wslI.
ing Q history, ana rlaco was making
pniiosopny. n Demostnehes was rat.
ting mis- rnetoricai tnunoer' pu' al Oh
them togetner did NOT 90 SO mucn tor the
world as this midnight moonlight rioe OF
prying nomesick' ciose-
moutned Nenemien.
Ny subject nrst impresses me WIN sne
dea VIVA an insehse sning - onuron =
fection. seize tne prioie oh 'ne' norse anu
stop Nenemian- why you are riskins
your life here In night! Your morse VIII
stumble over these ruins ana Iaii on you
Stop this useless exposure OF your Ire
No; Nehemiah will not stop. He at last
tells us the whole story. ne iets US kno"
he was an exile in q far-dfstant iand, ano
he was q servant, q cup bearer In the pal
ace Of Artaxerxes Longimanus, and ont
day while he was handing the cup OF wine
to the King, the King said to him, "Wha
10 the matter with your You are not sick.
know you must have had some grea
trouble What 10 the matter with yous'
Then he told the King now mat beloved
Jerusalem was knocked down, how tina
his fathers tomb had been desecrated
how that the temple had been
and defaced; how that the walls was scat
tered and broken. well" says kinl
Artaxerxes, what DO you wantf
SWELL" said the cup-bearer Nehemiah
.T want to go home. l want to fx up tn
grave Of my father. want to restore thu
beauty Of the temple. l want to rebuild
the masonry Of the city wall. Besides,
want passports SO that I hall not be hin
dsred In my journey. And besides that,
n You will find In the context, "lwant al
order on the man who keeps POUR fores
for just so much timber as may need TO
the rebuilding Of the city"
How long b you be gomez" said tn
ms
s ss~ ::; to 1 i:ss.: IL: :ss%' e my sa; .:as =
ind him on horseback, in the midnight
riding around the ruins. 1t Is through tn
spsctacles OF this scene that we discove
the ardent attachment OF Nehemiah 10
sacred Jerusalem, which In al ages ma
been the type OF the Cnurcn OF zoo, on
Jerusalem which we love JUST as mucn a
Nehemiah loved his Jerusalem Inc iae
10 that you love the Churcn OF dod
much that there Is no spot on earth 8
sacred. unless 1t IL pour own Preside. In
Church has been TO you SO mucn comioi
n illumination that nothing makes 20
50 lrate as to have IL talked against
there have been Times wneh you nave pee
carried INTO captivity oy sIckheSs' "
Iongeo ior Inc SnuloN, = LII ..
lem, just as muon %
MS Jerusalem, III 49,. -
out you came " =
Wnen ~ SeI une Mah.n,ah nor w.Ir.
"as ysa's -, - ~ .nd IN the moo,
nIou"u =. Ms...t.r a. - could N
nBne you 80 =,
nea, ~ TN
psalm u sno = -
1eruss'e" 90 = I.rds
Oh oou : - -. !.
may scon az : 90
fair, as u Ieiic :. t'e 60
vention
the mp <r.-.h - 60
your,.1t W., would M,
Aoso' - .hsn Sor =,
90 90 r. - ~
r.. ~" XHX|. L. ~ y u Y OtohoS"