The Iola register., 1890-05-09
GROWING BETTER.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on Nature
and Christianity.
The Spread of True Religion Likely to Make
the World Grow Better-Nature's
Contribution te Christianity
The Resurrection.

In late sermon at Brooklyn. Rev. T.
| Dewitt Talmage 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 fioated in great RATS to
Joppa. and then again drawn by OK
teams upt 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 transgrcssion. 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 withercd. The inanimate crea-
tion, as If aware of the damage done
it 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 Saviour's mission
As from that one tree in Paradise a
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
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 evangelized.
The ground shall not be so lavish of
weeds and so grudge full 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 un-
harmed by caverns once haunted of wild
beasts. Children will build playhouses
in what was once cave of serpents;
and, as the Scripture saith: "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 a 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
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
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
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 |
boranist, 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,
we're nervous and fearful as to the prog
,ess of science.
Some of the followers of Aristotle, |
after the invention of the telescope, re-
fused to look through the instrument,
est what they saw would overthrow the
teachings of that great philosopher.
But the Christian religion has no such
now. Bring on your tele-
scopes and microscopes and spectre
;copes-and the more the better. The
Iod of nature is the God of the Bible,
Ind in all the universe, and in all the
,ternities, He has never once contra
licted Himself. Christian merchants
,ndow universities, and IN them Chris
ian professors instruct the children of
christian communities. The warmest
md most enthusiastic friends of Christ
ire the bravest and most enthusiastic
friends of science.
Scientific discussions may be divided
nto those which are concluded, and
hose which are still in progress, de-
'ending for decision upon future investi-
,ation. Those which are concluded
lave invariably rendered their verdict
or Christianity, and We have faith to
,elieye that those which are still in
will come to as favorable a