The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-05-08
GLORY OF LEBANON.
DIR. TALMAGE breaches ON "SClENCE
AND RELIGION"

Effect Oh Religion.
Dr Talmago on Sunday announced
AS his text Isaial TX, 13: "The glory
Of lebanon shall come unto thee,
the fir tree, the pine-tree, and the
box together, to bcautify the place of
my sanctuary" Following is his scr
mon in full:
On our way from Damascus We
saw the mountains of Lebanon white
with snow, and theplaccs from which
the cedars were hown, and then
drawn by ox-tcams down to the Med
ittelranean sea, and then tlOatcd in
great RATS to Joppa, and then again
drawn by oX-teams up to Jerusalem
to build SolOmOn's. temple. Those
mighty trees III my text are called the
"Glory of Lebanon" Inanimate na-
t,lre felt the effects of the first trans
gression. When Eve touched the
forbidden tree, it seems rs if the sin
full contact had smittcn not only that
tree, but as if the nir had caught the
pollution from the leaves, and as if
the sap had carried tho virus down
into the worry soil until tho en-
tire earth reeked with leprosy. I'm
der that sinful touch nature withered
The inanimate creation, as if aware of
the damage done it, sent up the thorn
and brier and nettlc to wound, and
tiTcely oppose, the human race. Now
as the physical earth felt the effects
of the first trnnsgreSsions, SO it shall
also feel the effect of the Savior's mis-
sion. AS from that one tree i'll Para
disc blight went forth through the
0ntire earth, so from one troO to Cal
vary another force shall speed out to
interpenctrate and check, Subdue and
override, the evil. Inthe end it shall
be found that the tree OF Calvary has
more potency than the tree OF Para
disc. AS the nations are evnngeliZed,
1 think corresponding change will
be effected in the natural world. L
verify believe that the trees, and the
birds, and the rivers, and the skies
will have their millennium. Ii man S
sin affected the ground, and the vege-
tation, and the atmosphere, shall
Christ's work be less powerful or less
extensive?
Doubtless God will take the ilrogu-
larity and fercencss frOu. the Gle
ments so rs to make them cOngeninl
to the race, which will then be sym.
mctrical 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 bescttin9 sins.
Steep mountains, plouGhed dowa into
more gradual ascent, shall be gil',llcd
with hocks of sheep and shocks Of
corn. The wet marsh shall become
the deep-grasscd meadow. Cattle
shall eat unframed by cnvcrnS once
haunted of wild beasts. Children
will build play-housos in what was
once n cave of serpents; and, rs tho
Scripture saith, '"Ihe welned child
shall put his hand on tho cockntrlco Il
dem"
Oh, what hurvests ahtA be 1~apcd
when neither drouth. nor excessive
rain, nor mildow, nor mfesting insects
shall arrest the growth, nnd the ut
most capacity Of the fields for pro
duotion shall be tested by an intelli-
gent and athletic yeomnnry. Thrift
and competency characterizing the
worlds inhabitants, their dwelling
places shall be graceful and healthy
and adorned. Tree and arbor and
grove around about will look as if
Adam and Eve had got back to Para
disc. Great cities, now neglected and
unwashcd, shall be orderly, adomod
with architectural Symmetry and con-
nected with far distant Soap0lts by
present modes of transportation car
riod to their greatest perfection, or by
new inventions yet to spring up out
of the water or drop from tho ar at
the beck of u Morse OF Robert Ful-
ton belonging to future generations.
Isaiah in my text seems to look for
ward to the future condition OF the
physical earth Us II condition OF great
beauty and excellence, and then pro
Dhesies that az the strongest and
most ornamental timber in Lebanon
was brought down to Jerusalem and
constructed into the ancient temple,
so all that is beautiful and excellent
in tho physical earth shall yet con
tribute to the church now being built
in tho world. "Tho glory Of Lebanon
shall come unto thee; the fir-trec, the
pine tree, and tho box together, to
beantify the place of my sanctuary
Much of this prophecy has already
already been fulfilled, and l proceed
to some practical remarks upon the
contributions which the natural world
is making to tho kingdom of God, and
draw some inforencos. The first con,
tribution. 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 evado mems inquiries as once
In chemists laboratory she is put tc
torture and compelled to give up hol
mysteries. Ridden laws have come
out of their hiding place. The earth
and the heavens, since they have beer
D rnnsacked by geologist and hotanist
\ and astronomer, appear so diifcrCnt
S,gronn what they once were that they
4 1rsaly be called "the new heavens anC
tho new earth"
This research and discovery vii
have powerful effocta upon the reliGi
Qua world. They must either ad
vance or arrest Christianity, max,
men better OF make thcm worse, be
the churchs honor or the chmch's
nveI,throy Christians, aware of this