The Iola register., 1890-10-31
TO JERICHO.
DR.. Talmage Describes Biblical
Scenes in Palestine.
The Valley of Jehosaphat-The Story of the
Good Samaritan-1he Worth of Prac-
teal Christianity-Man,
Reflections.


holy Land DR. Talmage, in late ser
mon at Brooklyn, took his text from
Luke x. 80: "a certain man went dowr
from Jerusalem to Jericho" Dr. Tai
mage said:
1t is the morning of December IL
Jerusalem and We take stirrups for the
road along which the wayfarer of old
fell among thieves who left him wound
ed and half dead. Jobs p cture of the
horse in the Orient as having neck
clothed with thunder is not true Of
most horses now in Palestine There
is no thunder on their neck, though
there is some lightning in their heels.
Poorly fed and numerically whacked
they sometimes retort To Americans
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 uncer-
tainty, and the pull on the bride that
you intend for slowing up of the pace
may be mistaken for a hint that you
want to out gallop the wind or wheel in
swift circles like the hawk. There were
eighteen of our party, and twenty-five
beasts of burden carried our camp equip
ment We are led by an Arab sheik
with his black Nubian servant carrying
loaded gun in full sight but it is the
fact that this sheik represents the Turk
ish Government which assures the safe
ty of the caravan.
We cross the Jehoshaphat valley
which. if it had not been memorable in
history ard 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 Yell
lowstone park. The sides of this Je-
hoshaphat valley are tunneled with
graves and overlooked by Jerusalem
walls-an eternity of depths overshad-
owed by an eternity of architecture.
Within sight of Mount Olivet and Geth-
semane and with the heavens and the
earth full of sunshine, we start out on
the very road mentioned in the text
when it says: "a certain man went
down from Jerusalem to Jericho and
fell among thieves" No road that
ever saw was so we'll constructed for
brigandage-deep gullies, sharp turns,
caves on either side. There are fifty
places on this road where highway
man might surprise and overpower an
unarmed pilgrim. 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 discharged from the service
Of fhn m, 10 4ho{ 21o
great part of them became robbers. So
late as 1870, Sir Frederick Henniker,
an English tourist, was attacked on this
very road from Jerusalem to Jericho
and shot and almost slain. 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 been set upon by viii
lainous Arabs and robbed and pounded
and cut We encamped for lunch that
noon close by an old stone building;
said to be the tavern where tho scene
spoken of in the Bible eliminated
Tumbled in the dust and ghastly with
wounds the victim of this highway rob-
berry lay in the middle of the road-a
fact of which l am certain, because the
Bible says the people passed by on
either side.
There were 1900 priests living at
Jericho and they had to go to Jerusalem
to oficiate 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 bleed
ing victim in the middle of the road.
30" he says, 'here is a man that has
been attacked of thieves" "Why don't
you go homer" says the minister. The
man in a comatose state makes no
answer, or, with half dazed look, puts
his wounded hand to his gashed fore
head and drawls out "What?" "Well," ="
says the minister, "I must hurry on to
my duties at Jerusalem. / have to kill
lamb and two pigeons in sacrifice to-
day. 1 can not spend any more time
with this unfortunate. / guess some
body else will take care of him. But
this is one Of the things that can not be
helped, anyhow. Besides that my
business is with souls and not with
bodies Good morning. When you get
well enough to sit up will be glad to
see you at the temple" And the min
lister curves his way out toward the over
hanging sides Of the road and passes
You hypocrite! One of the chief offices
of religion is to- heal wounds You
might have done here q kindness that
would have been more acceptable to
God than all the incense that will smoke
up from your censer for the next three
weeks and you missed the chanca Go
on your way, execrsted by the centu-
ries
Soon afterward a Levite came upon
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 masses Of bruises and
laceration in the middle of the road.
'My! My!" 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. If am not
there no one will carry my part Be-
side that there may not be enough
frsnkincense for the censers and the
wine or oil may have given out and
what fearful balk in the service that
would make Then one of the priests
might get his breast plate on crooked
But it seems too bad to leave this man
in this condition. Perhaps had better
try to staunch this bleeding and give
him little stimulant But, no! The
ceremony at Jerusalem is of more i'm
portance than taking care of the wounds