Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-05-08
GROWING BETTER.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on Nature
and Christianity.
The Spread of True Religion Likely to Make
the World Grow Better-Nature's
Contribution to Christianity
The Resurrection.

| OeHlIt 1aImage took his text from
Isaiah TX. Is, THE glory of Lebanon
shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the
pine tree and the box together, to beau
tify the place of my sanctuary" Fol-
lowing is his sermon:
On our way from Damascus we saw
the mountains of Lebanon white with
snow, and the places from which the
cedars were hewn, and then drawn by
OK teams down to the Mediterranean
sea, and then foated in great RATS to
Joppa, and then again drawn by OK
teams up to Jerusalem to build SOlomon's
temple. Those mighty trees in my text
are called the glory of Lebanon" In
animate nature felt the effects of the
first transgression. When Eve touched
the forbidden tree, it seemed as if the
sinful contact had smitten not only that
tree, but as if the air caught the pollu-
ton from the leaves, and as if the sap
had carried the virus down into the very
soil until the entire earth reeked with
the leprosy. Under that sinful touch
nature withered. The inanimate crea-
ton, as if aware of the damage done
1t, sent up the thorn and brier
and nettle to wound, and fiercely
/ oppose, the human race. Now
as the physical earth felt the effects of
the first tranSgreSsion, so it shall also
/ feel the effect of the Saviours mission.
AS from that one tree in Paradise
| blight went forth through the entire
earth, so from one tree on Calvary an
other force shall speed out to interpene-
trate and check, subdue- and override
the evil. In the end it shall be found
that the tree of Calvary has more poten
cy than the tree of Paradise.
AS the nations are evangelical / think
a corresponding change will be effected
in the natural world. verify believe
| that the trees, and the birds, and the
rivers, and the skies will have their
millennium. If mans sin affected the
/ ground, and the vegetation, and the at
mosphere, shall Christ's work be less
! powerful or less extensive? Doubtless
| God will take the irregularity and fierce
ness from the elements so as to make
/ them congenial to the race, which will
then be symmetrical and evangelical.
/ The ground shall not be so lavish of
weeds and so grudgeful of grain. Soils
which now have peculiar proclivities
toward certain forms of evil production
will be delivered from their besetting
| sins. Steep mountains, plowed down
into more gradual ascent, shall be girded
/ with flocks of sheep and shocks of corn.
| The wet marsh shall become the deep
| grassed meadow. Cattle shall eat I'M
harmed by cavernS once haunted of wild
! beasts. Children will build playhouses
in what was once a cave of serpents;
and, as the Scripture saith: 1.-THE
weaned child shall put his hand on the
cockatrice's den.''
| o, what harvests shall be reaped when
neither drouth, nor excessive rain, nor
mildew, nor infesting insects shall ar
rest the growth and the utmost capacity
of the fields for production shall be tested
by an intelligent and athletic yeomanry.
Isaiah in my text seems to look for
ward to the future condition of the
| physical earth as condition of great
beauty and excellence, and then
phophesies that as the strongest and
most ornamental timber in Lebanon was
| brought down to Jerusalem and con-
structed into the ancient temple, so all
that is beautiful and excellent in the
physical earth shall yet contribute to
the church now being built in the world.
''The glory of Lebanon shall come unto
thee; the fir tree, the pine tree, and the
box together to beautify the place of my
sanctuary"
Much of this prophecy has already
been fulfilled, and l proceed to some
practical remarks upon the contributions
which the natural world is making to
the Kingdom of God, and then draw
some differences. The first contribution
that nature gives to the church is her
testimony in behalf of the truth of
Christianity. This is an age of profound
research. Nature cannot evade mems
inquiries as once. In chemists labora-
tory she is put to torture and compelled
to give up her mysteries. Hidden laws
have come out of their hiding place.
The earth and the heavens, since they
have been ransacked by geolOgist, and
botanist, and astronomer, appear so
different from what they once were that
they may be called ''the new heavens
and the new earth"
This research will have powerful eff
feet upon the religious world. They
must either advance or arrest Christian
ity, make men better or make them
worse, be the church's honor or the
church's overthrow Christians, aware
of this in the early ages of discovery,
were nervous and fearful as to the prog
resS of science.
Some of the followers of Aristotle,
after the invention of the telescope, re-
fused to look through the instrument
lest what they saw would overthrow the
teachings of that great philosopher.
But the Christian religion has no such
apprehension now. Bring on your tele-
scopes and microscopes and spectre
scopes-and the more the better. The
God of nature is the God of the Bible,
and in all the universe, and in all the
eternities, He has never once contra
dicted Himself Christian merchants
endow universities, and in them Chris
tan professors instruct the children of
Christian communities. The warmest
and most enthusiastic friends of Christ
are the bravest and most enthusiastic
friends of science.
Scientific discussions may be divided
into those which are concluded. and
those which are still in progress, de-
pending for decision upon future intesti-
CATION. Those which are concluded
have invariably rendered their verdict
for Christianity, and we have faith to
believe that those which are still IN
prosecution will come to as favorable
conclusion. The great systems OF error