Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-12-15
ON MOUNT LEBANON
REV. Dr. I, De WITT TALNAGE DlSCOURSES
ON ITS CEDARS.
The Great Preacher Tells Of His Impressions While
Visiting Tha. Sacred Place Of His.ory-Ae
Draws Some Parallels and Makes
Some Applications

Special telegram 10 ne Register.
BROOKLYN, y. y, December Ito
day DR.. Talmagc preached another SER
mon of his series on Palestine and the
adjoining countries After delivering
il in the morning in the Academy of
Music in this city, he preached it again
in the evening in New York, at the sery-
ice held under the auspices of The
Christian Herald Before commencing
his sermon DR.. Talmage stated that in
spite of all the efforts that were being
put forth to hasten the completion of
his new Tabernacle, the work was on so
magnificent scale and the necessity
for care i'm its construction so impera-
tive that Judging by present indications
il would not be ready for dedication
before Easter. He was happy TO say,
however. that the hospitality of The
Christian Herald, through which these
Sunday evening services in New York
had been held, would be continued and
the publisher OF that journal had already
secured an extension of the lease Of the
Academy of Music. He would therefore
be able 10 hold services there every sun
day evening until the new Tabernacle
was finished. Owing TO the inclemency
of the weather he would discontinue the
custom of giving an address out of doors
after the regular exercises TO the crowd
of people who had been unable to gain
admission TO the Academy; but the pub
fisher of the Christian Herald was en-
deavoriug to obtain .he use of church
or public building in the neighborhOod
i'm which an overflow service could be
held. DR.. Talmage then announced as
his text Psalm lOi: lG: The cedarS OF
Lebanon which ne hath planted.
In our Journey we change Stirrup for
wheel. Il is four o'clock in the morn
ing. at Damascus, Syria, and we are
among the lanterns of the hOStelry
waiting for the stage 10 start. y Mo-
bammedau i'm high life is putting his
three wives on board within an apart
ment By themselves, and our party oc-
cupy the main apartment OF one OF the
most uncomfortable vehicles in which
mortals were ever jammed and half
Strangulated. But we must not let the
Idiscomfor' annul ordiSparage the oppor-
tunitles lA lre rolling on and out
aud dp the mountains OF Lebanon
their forehead under q crown OF snow
which corOnet the fingers of the hottest
simmer cannot cast down. We are as
Icending heights around which is garn-
Iered much of the finest pOeSy OF the
Scriptures. and are rising toward the
mirhtieSt dominion that botany ever
recognized. rcigncd over by the most
/ Iimperial tree that ever Swayed ledIy
seentre-the Lebanon cedar: tree
Ieuloriled I'm my text rs having grown
| from a nut put in the ground by God
/ himself. and no human hand had any
tbinr to do with its planting: The
trees of Lebanon which he hath plant
ed.
MOUNT LEBANON.
The average height of this mountain
is :. 600 feet. but in one place il lifts It's
lbead To- an altitude or 10000. No high
er than d. 900 feet can vegetation exist,
| mn below that line at the right season,
,re VINEYARDS and orchards and olive
Groves and flowers that dash the noun
rain side with very carnage OF color
land fin the air with aromaticS that
Hosea. the prophet, and solomon, the
King. celebrated as 1.-the smell OF Leb-
anon" At height of 5000 feet IS a
grove of cedarS. the only descendants
IF those vast forests from which Solo
non cut his timber for the temple at
Jerusalem. and where at one time there
were zoe. OOO aXemen hewing ont the
beams from which great cities were
constructed. But this nation
lof trees has by human
liconoclasm been maSSacred until only a
small group is left This race OF giants
lis nearly extinct, but have no doubt
lthat some Of these were here when
Hiram, King of Tyre, ordered the as
,assination Of those ccdarS Of Lebanon
which the Lord planted. From the
multitude Of uses to which 10 may be
put and the employment OF 1T in the
Scriptures. the cedar is the divine favor
lite When the plains 10 be seen from
ltbe window of this stage in which we
ride to-day are parched under summer
heats. and not a graSS-blade survives
| the fervidity, this tree stands in
lluxuriance. defying the summer sun.
And when the storms OF WIN
ter terrify the earth, and hurl
the rocks i'm avalanche down
this mountain side, this tree grappled
the hurrance of snow in triumph, and
Leaves the spent fury at. its feet From
sixty TO eighty feet high are they the
horizontal branches OF great sweep
with their burden of leaves -needlc-
shaped. the top of the tree pyramidal.
a throne of foliage ON which might, and
splendor. and glory sit. But 50 con
tinuously has the determination OF
trees gone on. that for the most part
the mountains of Labanon are bare Of
foliage. while | am sorry To say. the
earth I'm all lands is bcfng likewise de-
nuded.
THE LEBANON oF TO-DAY.
As we ride along on these mountains
/ of Lebanon. we bethink how its cedarS
spread their branceS, and breathe their
aroma. and cast their shadows all
through the Bible. Solomon discourScd
about them in his botanical works,
when he spoke of trees from the cedar
tree that is i'm Lebanon even unto the
| hySSop that springeth out of the wall.
/ The DSalmiSt says, The righteous shall
grow like cedar in Lebanon" " and in
| one of his magnificent dONOlOSleS calls
on the cedars to praise the Lord. Aud
Solomon says the cOuntenance OF Christ
is excellent as the cedarS, and Isaiah
declares. Tho day of the Lord shall be
upon all the cedarS of Lebanon. And
Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Amos, and
Zephaniah. and Zachariah weave its
foliage into their SublimeSt utteranceS.
rs we ride over Lebanon to day, there
is a bowling wind sweeping past aud a
dash of rain, all the better enabling Us
10 appreciate that description OF tenn
pest. which no doubt was suggested by
what David had seen with his own eyes
among these heights, for as soldier,
he carried his wars clear up to Damas-
Gus. and such a poet as he, warrant,
spent many a day on Lebanon. And
perhaps while he was seated on this
very rock against which our carriage
iolts. he writes that wonderful deScrip-
tion of a thunder storm: 1.-The voice OF
the Lord is powerful. The voice OF the
Lord is full OF majesty. The voice OF
the Lord breaketh the cedarS of Leban-