Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1890-11-07
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN sDIvINE's SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: THE Holy Land in Winter"

TEXT: "a certain man 1Uent d0,on from
Jerusalem to ho."-Luke K, ~.
It is the morning of December in Jeru,
salem. and we take stirrups for the road
along which the wayfarer OF old fell among
thieves, who left him wounded and hall
dead Jobs picture of the horse in the
orient as having neck clothed with thun'
der is not true of most horses now IN raj
estine. There is no thunder on their necks,
though there is some lightning In their
heels Poorly fed ard numerically
whacked. they sometimes retort. To Amerl-
ans and English, who are accustomed to
guide horses by the bride, these horses OF
the orient, guided only by foot and voice,
make equestrianism an uncertainty, and the
pull on the bride that you intend for slow
ing up of the pace may be mistaken for
hint that you want to Oatgallop the wind or
wheel in swift circles like the hawk. But
they can climb steps and descend preclplces
with skilled foot and the one choose for our
Journey in Palestine shall have the praise Of
going for weeks without one stumbling step
and amid rocky sleeps, where an ordinary
horse would not for an hour maintain sure
foOtedness There were eighteen OF our
party and twenty-five beasts of burden car
ried our camp equipment. We are led by an
Arab sheik. with his black Nubian servant
carrying a loaded gun in full sight, but 1T Is
the fact that this sheik represents the Turk
ish Government which assures the safety OF
the caravan.
if it had not been memorable in history and
were only now discovered, would excite the
admiration of all who look upon it. 1t Is
like the gorges of the Yosemite or the chaSms
of the Yellowstone Park The sides of this
JehOshap hat Valley are tunneied with graves
and overlooked by Jerusalem walls-an eter-
nifty of depths overshadowei by an eternity
of architecture Within sight of Mount
Olivet and Gethsemane and with the heavens
and the earth full of sunshine, we start out
%rx&
it says: "A certain man went down from
Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among
thieves" No road that [ ever saw so
well constructed for brigandage - deep
gulleyS, sharp turns, caves on either side.
There are fifty places on this road where
highwayman might surprise and overpower
an unarmed pilgrim. His cry for help, his
shrek of pain, his death groan would be an
swered only by the echoes On this road to-
day We met groups OF men, who, judging
from their countenances, have in their veins
the blood OF many generations of Rob ROys.
Josephus says that Herod at one time dis
charged from the service of the temple forty
thousand men, and that the great part of
them became robbers. So late as 1920 Sir
Frederick Hennlker, an English tourist, was
attacked on this very road from Jerusalem
to Jericho and shot and almost slai-1 There
has never been any scarcity of bandits along
the road we travel to-day.
With the fresh memory of some recent
violence in their minds Christ tells the
people of the good Samaritan who came along
that way and took care of poor fellow that
had len set upon by villainOus Arabs and
robbed ana pounded and cut. We encamped
for lunch that noon close by an old stone
building, said to be the tavern where the
scene spoken of in the Bible eliminated.
Tumbled in the dust and CHASTITY with
wounds the victim of this highway robbery
lay in the middle of the road--a fact of
which [ am certain, because the Bible says
the people passed by on either side. There
were $4,000 priests living at Jericho, and
they had to go to Jerusalem to officiate at
the temple. And one of these ministers Of
religion, | suppose, was on his way
to the temple service, and he is
startled as he sees this bleeding victim in the
middle of the road. "Oh," he says, here is
a man that has been attacked Of thieves.
Why don't you go home?' says the minister.
The man, in comatose state, makes no an
swer, or, with a half dazed look, puts his
wounded hand to his gashed forehead, and
drawls out ''What?' ~''Well saws the min
lister, Il must hurry to my duties at Jeru-
salem. [ have to kill lamb and two pigeons
in sacrifice to-day. [ cannot spend any more
time with this unfortunate. L guess some
body else will take care of him. But this is
one OF the things that cannot be helped, any
how Beside that, my business is with souls
and rot with bodies. Good morning! When
YOU get well enough to sit up | will be glad
to see you at the temple"
And the minister curves his way out
toward the overhanglng sides OF the
road and passes. You hypOcrite! One of
the chief officers Of religion is to heal wounds.
\ GU might have done here kindness that
would have been more acceptable to God
than all the incense that will smoke up from
YOU censor for the next three weeks, and you
missed the chance. 10 on your Way-eXe-
Grated by the centuries.
Soon afterward Levite came npon the
scene The Levites looked after the music
of the temple and waited upon the priests
and provided the supplies of the temple.
This Levite, passing along this road where
We are to-day, took look at the mass OF
bruises and laceration in the middle of the
read. MY! mym says the Levite, this
man is awfully hurt and he ought to be
helped. But my business is to sing IN the
choir at the temple. Ii [ am not there no
one will carry my part. Besides that there
may not be enough frankincanse for the CEN
-sers and the wine or oil may have given out,
and what fear I'll balk in the service that
would make. Then one of the priests might
get his breastplate on crooked. BuSl6 seems
too bad to leave this man in this condition.
Perhaps had better try to stanch this oieed,
ing and give him little stlnulant. But no!
The ceremony at Jerusalem is of more i'm
portance than taking care OF the wounds OF
man who will probably soon be dead any
how This highway robbery ought to be
stopped, for it hinders US Levites on our way
I'D to the temple. There. l have lost five
minutes already! Go along, you beast" he
shouts as he strikes his heels into the sides OF
the animal carrying him, and the dust rising
from the road soon hides the hard hearted
official.
But third person is coming alorg this
road. You cannot expect him to do any
thing by way o. alienation, because he aud
the wounded man belong to different ma
tons which have abominated each other
for centuries. The wounded man is an