Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-02-21
REV, DIR. TALMAGE."
THE DIVINE WRITES A LETTER
OF SALUTATION.
What He Has Seen Abroad.

Ioo1-iry America | addressed some words Of
farewell TO my SermoDlc readers, and now
ON nv way home write this letter Of salu.
+e+ion which will probably reach you about
r. Monday that will find me on the Atlantic
ocean from which | cannot reach you with
The usual sermon. I have completed the
Journey Of inspection for which l came.
others NAV write life Of Christ without saa-
Ing the Holy Land. l did not feel competent
for such work until l had seen with nv
own ewes the sacred places and 50 |
left home and church and native country for
most arduOus undertaking. have visited
all the scenery connected with our Lords his
tory The whole journey has been to me a
surprise an amazement, grand rapture or
deep sCIennity. | have already sent to
America my Holy Land observations for my
Life of Christ" and they were written on
horseback, on muleback on camelback. on
ships deck, by dim candle in tent. in mud
hOvcl OF Arab village, amid the ruins of old
cities on Mount Of Beautitudes on beach Of
Genesareth, but it will take twenty years of
sermons to tell what have seen and felt on
this journey through Palestine and Syria.
All things have combined to make our tour
instructive and advantageous. The Atlantic
and Mediterranean and Adriatic and 1Egean
and Dardanelles and Marmora Seas have
treated u- well. Since we left New York we
have had but half n day and one night Of
storm, and that while crossing Mount Her
mon. But let only those III robust health at
tempt to 20 the length of Palestine and Syria
on horseback. | do not think it is because of
the unhcalth Of the climate in Holy Land
that 50 many have sickened and died here or
afterward as a result Of visiting these lands,
but because Of the fatigues OF travel The
number Of miles gives no indication Of the
exhaustions Of the way. A hundred and fifty
miles to Palestine and Syria on horseback
demand as much physical strength as
four hundred miles on horseback i'll
regions Of easy journey. Because Of the near
two months Of bright sunlight by day. and
bright moonlight or starlight by night, the
half day OF storm was to US the more memOra-
BILE 1t was about noon Of December IS that the
tempest struck Us and drenched the mount
aims. One of the horses falls and we halt
amid a binding rain. 1t is freezing cold.
Fingers and feet like ice. Two hours and
three-quarters before encampment. Verde
on i'll silence, longing for the terminus Of to
days pilgrimage It is, through the awful
inclemency of the weather, the only
dangerous day of the Journey Slip
and slide and tumble and climb and
descend must, sometimes on the
horse and sometimes off, until at last we halt
in the novel of village and instead of en-
terng camp for the night we are glad to find
this retreat from the storm. 1t is house
Of one story, built out of mud. My room is
covered with n roof of goats hair. A feeble
fire mid-hoOr but no chimney. 1t is the best
house Of the village. Arabs young and old,
stand around in wOnderment as. to why we
come. There is no window i'll the room, but
two little openings, one over the door and
the other in the wall through which latter
opening | occasionally find an Arab face
thrust to see how | am progressing. But tile
door is Open 50 | have some light. This is
an afternoon and night never to be forgot
ten for its exposures and acquaintance with
the hardshps Of what an Arab considers q
luxurious apartment. | sat that night by q
fire the smoke of which, finding no apprO-
pirate place Of exit, took Judgment in my
nOstris and eyes. For the first time in my
i : III
but not a necessity. The only adornments
in this room were representations Of two
tree branches in the mud of the wall, a circle |
supposed to mean star, q bottle hung from
The ceiling, and about twelve identatiOnS in
5he wall to be used as mantelS for anything
5hat NAV be placed there. This storm was
not a surprise. Through pessimistic propn- |
cts we had expected that at this season we
should have rain and snow and hail through |
out our Journey. For the most part it has |
been sunshine and tonic atmosphere, and not |
a moment has our journey been hindered !
Gratitude to God is with us the dominant |
emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected with !
Chrst's life was glad to close my journey |
by passing through the apostolic lands and |
seas You can hardly imagine our feelings |
as we came in sight of Damascus, and on the |
very road where Saul was endorsed at the |
Gash Of the supernal light. We did not want, |
like him. to be flung to the earth but we did |
than any MONDAY sun, and new prepara-
ton for usefulness. Our long horseback ride |
was ended. for carriage met US some miles |
out and took us to the city. The impression |
one receives as he rides along the walled |
gardens Of the place are different from those |
produced by any other city. But we cannot |
describe our feelings as we entered the |
city about which we have heard and read so |
much, the oldest city under the sun, and |
founded by the grandson Of Noah; nor our |
a : va 1D1S thrOnOh the
Straight along which good Ananias went to |
meet Saul: and by the site of the palace Of |
Naaman the leDer, and saw the river ALBANIA |
yesterday saw Pharpar, the rivers Of |
Damascus that Naamau preferred to wash in |
Gather than the Jordan. Strange and unique |
Damascus, 1t is worth while to cross the |
Atlantic II Europe to see ii. Though it has |
been the place OF battle and massacre, !
and OF ancient atfluenCe and splendOr I
as 35o,i+ We'll as 1t is OF present pros pros:
arises from the fact that here the scales fell !
from PauES eyes, and that chief of apostles |
here began that mission which will not emo |
untll heaven is peOpled with ransOmed |
spirits. 80 also saw day before yesterday |
fatmoS where John heard the trumpets |
ana tn waves of the sea dashed to his feet |
reminding him of the songs of heaven, like |
the voice Of many waters"
But this letter only give hint of the |
things We mean to tell you about when we
this month is ended l baptized by INNER
sion in the Jordan an American whom we |
met, and who desired the solemn ordi |
nance administered to him in the 81
cred waters. I rolled down from Mount |
Calvary or place of skull stone
Ign tabernacle. We bathed in the Dead |
Sea" and in ''Gideon's Fountain" where his |
three hundred men Tapped the water from |
their hands as they passed through; and we |