St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-02-15
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.


He Writes a Letto OF Salutation
WHAT HE HAS SEEN ABROAD-HIs JOUR-
NEYINGs IN PALESTINE AND APos-
TOLIC LANDS AND SEAS -A ROUGH
NIGHT ON MOUNT HERMoN.
CONsTANTINOPLE, Jan. Is, 1890.
On leaving America | addressed some
words of farewell to my sermonic readers,
and now, on my way home, | write this
letter of salutation, which will probably
reach you about the Monday that will find
me on the Atlantic Ocean, from which l
cannot reach you with the usual sermon.
l have completed the journey of inspec-
ton for which l came. Others may write
a life of Christ without seeing the Holy
Land. did not feel competent for such
work until had seen with my own eyes
the sacred places: and l left home and
church and native country for most ar
duous undertaking. ] have visited all the
scenery connected with our Lords history.
The whole journey has been to me sur
prise an amazement, grand rapture or
deep solemnity. / have already sent to
America my Holy Land observations for
my ''Life of Christ, and they were writ
ten on horseback, on muleback, on camel
back, on ships deck, by dim candle in tent,
in mud howell of Arab village, amid the
ruins of old cities, on Mount of Beatitudes,
on beach of Genesareth, but it will take
twenty years of sermons to tell what | have
seen and felt on this journey through Pal
estine aud Syria.
All things have combined to make our
tour instructive and advantageous. The
Atlantic and Mediterranean and Adri-
attic and Egean and Dardanelles and Mar
mora seas have treated US well. Since we
left New York we have had but half day
and one night of storm, and that while
crossing Mount Hermon. But let only
those in robust health attempt to go the
| do not think it is because of the unhealth
of the climate in Holy Land that SO
many have sickened and died here or after
ward as 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 in Palestine and Syria on horse
back demand as muth physical strength
as four hundred miles on horseback in
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
memorable. 1t was about noon OF Dec. IL
that the tempest struck US and drenched
the mountains. One of the horses fall and
We halt amid binding rain. 1t is freez-
ing cold. Fingers and feet like ice. Two
hours and three-quarters before encamp-
ment. We ride on in silence, longing for
the terminus of to- days pilgrimage 1t is,
through the awful inclemensy of the
weather, the only dangerous day of the
journey. Slip and slide and tumble and
climb and descend we must sometimes on
the horse and sometimes off, until at last
we halt in the howell of village, and in
stead of entering 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 roof of
goats hair. A feeble fire mid-foor, but
no chimney. 1t is the best house of the
village. Arabs, young and old, stand
around in wonderment a. to why we come.
There is no window in 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
the door is open, so l have some light.
This is an afternoon and night never to be
forgotten for its exposures and acqualnt-
sncs with the hardships of what an Arab
considers luxurious apartment. l sat that
night by fire, the smoke Of which, find
ing NO appropriate place of exit, took
Judgment in my nostrils and eyes. For
the first time in my life realized that
chimneys were luxury but not neces-
sity. The only adornments in this room
were representations of two tree branches
in the mud of the wall, circle supposed
to mean star, a bottle hung from the
ceiling, and about twelve indentations in
the wall to be used as mantels for anything
that may be placed there. This storm was
| not q surprise. Through pessimistic
prophets we had expected that at this sea
son we should have rain and snow and
hail throughout our journey. For the
most part it has been sunshine and tonic
atmosphere, and not moment has ou1
| journey been hindered. Gratitude to God
is with us the dominant emotion.
! Having visited the scenery connected
| with Christ'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 sig hit of Da-
mascus, and on the very road where Saul
was endorsed at the flash of the supernal
| light. We did not want, like him, to be
| flung to the earth, but we did hope fol
some great spiritual blessing brig liter than
| any MONDAY sun, and new preparation
for usefulness. Our long horseback ride
was ended, for q carriage met US some
! miles out and took US to the city. The
| impressions one receives as he rides along
the walled gardens of the place are differ
emit 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 son, and founded by the grand.
son of Noah nor our emotions as we pass
through the street called Straight, along
which good Ananias went to meet Saul
and by the sight of the palace of Naaman,
the leper, and saw the river ALBANIA. as
| yesterday we saw the Pharpar, the rivers
| of Damascus that Naaman preferred to
wash in rather than the Jordan. Strange
and unique Damascus! 1t is worth while
to cross the Atlantic and Europe to see it.
| Though it has been the place of battle and
massacre, and of ancient aff1uence and
splendor as well as it is of present pros
| perity, to me its chief attraction arises
| from the fact that here the scales fell
from Pauls eyes, and that chief of apos-
ties here began that mission which will
not end until heaven is peopled with ran
somed spirits. So also l saw day before
yesterday Patmos, where John heard the
trumpets, and the waves of the sea dashed
to his feet, reminding him of the songs OF
heaven, like the voice of many waters.
But this letter can only give hint oil
the things we mean to tell you about when
we get home, where we expect to be be-
fore this month is ended. baptized, by
immersion, in the Jordan, an American
whom we met, and who desired the sol
emn ordinance administered to him in the
sacred waters. I rolled down from Noun
Calvary, or place of skull, stone fol