The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-11-01

onlleSS. inc nreS or That eruption In
tershot the dense smoke and rolled into
theh heavens only to descend again.
And all the coniiguration of that
country was changed. and where there
was a hill there came a valley, and
where there had been the pomp of un-
cleanliness came widespread desolation.
The red-hot spade of volcanic action
had shoveled under the cities of the
plain. Before the catastrophe the cities
stood on the top of the salt and sulphur.
After the catastrophe they were under
the salt and sulphur. Science right
Revelation right. "He touched the
hills and they smoke"
No science ever frightened believers
in revelation 50 much as geology. They
feared that the strata of the earth
would contradict the Scriptures, and
then Moses must go under. But, as in
the Dead Sea instance, so in all cases
o writing on the earth and Gods
writing in the b BILE are harmonious.
The shelves of rock correspond with
the shelves of the American Bible So
ciety. Science d Is into the earth and
finds deep down the remains Of plants,
and so the Bible announces plants
first Science digs down and
says, MARINE animals next" and the
Bible says, Marine animals next"
Science digs down and says, Land ami
mails next" and the Bible responds,
Land animals next" Then comes
mani" says science. Then comes mani
responds the Bible. Science digs nto
the region about the Dead Sea, and finds
result OF fire, and masses of birthstone,
and announces o wonderful formation.
40. yes" says the Bible, "Moses wrote
thousands of years ago, the Lord rained
upon Sodom and Gomorrah' birthstone
and fire from the Lord out of Heaven,
and David wrote, He toucheth the hills
and they smoke" So ] guess we will
hold on to our Bibles a little longer.
My text implies that God controls
volcanoes, not with the full force of His
hand, but with the tip of His finger.
Etna, Stromboli and Vesuvius fawn at
His feet like hounds before the hunter.
These eruptions of the hills do not be-
long to Pluto's realms, as the ancients
thought, but to the divine dominions. If
our American cities do not quit their
profigacy, IL in high life and low life
dissoluteness does not cease to be a Joke
and become a crime, If wealthy libertin-
ism continues to find so many doors of
domestic life open to its faintest touch,
If Russian, and French, and American
literature, stepped in %pruriency, does
not get banished from the news stands
and ladies' parlors. God will let loose
some OF these suppressed monsters of
the earth. And ! tell these American
cities that it will be moro tolerable for
Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of
judgment. whether that day of judg-
men be in this present century or in
the closing century of the earth's JON
tinuance. The volcanic forces are al.
ready in existence, but in the mercy of
God they are chained In the kennels of
subterraneous fire. You let p%rofigacy,
whether it stagger into a lazaretto or
sit on a commercial throne, whether 1t
laugh in a faded shawl under the street
gaslight or be wrapped in the finest ar
ray that foreign loom eve wrought or
lapidary ever impearled, know right
we'll that there is a volcano waiting for
1t, whether in domestic life, or social
life, or political life, or in the founda-
ions of the earth from which sprang
out the devastations that swallowed the
cities of the plain. "He toucheth the
hills and they smoke"
But the dragoman was rejoiced when
we had seen enough of this volcanic
region OF Palestine, and he gladly
tightens the girths for another march.
around the horses which are prancing
and neighing for departure. We are off
for the Jordan, only two hours away.
We pass Bedouins whose stern features
melt into a smile as we give them the
salutation, Salaam Aleikhoum, peace
be with you," their smile sometimes
leaving US in doubt as to whether 1t is
caused by their gladness to see US or by
our poor pronunciation Of the Arabic.
o they are a strange race, those Bed
ouins. Such a commingling of rufiian-
ism and honor, Of cowardice and cour-
age, Of cruelty and kindness.
y n
At last, between two trees ! got O
glimpse Of a river, and said: what Is
that?" 1.-THE Jordan" was the quick
reply. And all along the line. which
had been heightened by other pilgrims,
some from America, some from Europe
and some from Asia, the cry was sound
cd; THE Jordan! The Jordang" Hun
dreds of thousands OF pilgrims have
chanted on it's banks and bathed in its
waters. Many of them dip q gown In
the wave, and wiring it out and carry 1t
home for their own shroud, 1t is an I'M
petuous stream and rushes on as though
1t were Fastening to tell its story to the
ages. Many an explorer has 1t whelmed,
and many a boat has it wrecked. Lieu
tenant Molineux had copper-bottomed
crafts split upon its shelyings. Only
boat, that OF Lieutenant Lynch,
ever lived to sail the whole length OF it.
At the season when the on Lob
anon melt the rage of this stream is
like the Conemaugh when Johnstown
persisted, and the wild beasts that may
be near run for the hills, explaining
what Jeremiah says: Behold, he shall
go up like a lion from the swelling OF
Jordan" No river so otter changes Its
mind, for 1t turns and twists, travelling
200 miles to do that which in a straight
line might be done in sixty miles.
Among banks now low, now high, now
OF rocks, now OF mud and now of sand.
LAYING the fee Of the terebinths and
oleanders, and a~cacias, and reeds, and
pistachios, and silver poplars This
river marries the Dead Sea to Lake GAL
lilee, and did ever 40 rough a groom
lake the hand of so fair a bride?
This is the river which parted to let
an army of 1000, 900 Israelites across.
Here the skilled Major General Of the
Syrian hosts at the seventh plung drop
his leprosy, not only by miraculous cure,
but suggesting to all ages that water
and plenty Of it has much to do with
the sanitary improvement Of the world.
Yea; from the bank of this river
Elijah took team of fire, showing that
the most raging element is servant Of
the good, and that there Is no need that
q child Of God fear any thing; for If the
most destructive of all elements was
that day fashioned into a vehicle for q
departing saint nothing can ever hurt
you who trust in the Lord. l am 80
glad that hat chariot of Elijah was
lot made out OF wood, or crystal, or
any thing ordinarily pleasant, but out of
fire, and yet he went up without having
30 mach as to fan himself. When,
stepping from amid the foliage Of these
oleanders and tamerisks on the banks
OF the Jordan, he put his foot on the
red step OF the red equipage, and took
the red reins Of vapor in his hands and
spurred the galloping steeds toward the
wide open gate Of heaven, 1t was q
-