The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-11-05
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Holy Land in Winter" q"

TEXT: "a certain man 1cent do,Dn from
Jerusalem to Jericho. Luke <, 30.
1t 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 half
dead. Jobs picture of the horse in the
orient as having neck clothed with thun-
der' is not true of most horses now in Pal
estine. There is no thunder Oh their necks,
though there is some lightning in their
heels. Poorly fed and numerically
whacked, they sometimes retort. To Ameri-
cans and English, VINO 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 outgallop the wind or
wheel in swift circles like the hawk. But
they can climb steps and descend precipices
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 Nubiau servant
CARRYING loaded gun in full sight, Lut it is
the fact that this sheik represents the Turk
ish Government which assures the safety OF
the caravan.
We cross the Jehoshaphat Valley, which,
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 OF the chaSms
Of the Yellowstone Park. The sides Of this
Jehoshaphat Valley are tunne.ed with graves
and overlooked by Jerusalem walls-an eter-
nifty OF depths overshadowed 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
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
gulleys, sharp turns, caves on either side.
There are fifty places on this road where
highwayman might surprise aEd 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 msn, and that the great part OF
them became robbers. So late as lS2O 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
L. NV 1loir Ars he nd
robbed AMI pounded and cut. We eneamped
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 feet Of
which am certain, because the Bible says
the people passed by on either side. There
were 1a,0O0 priests living at Jericho, and
they had to 60 to Jerusalem to oficiate at
the temple. And ono Of these ministers OF
religion, I suppose, was On his way
to the temple service, and he IS
startled as he sees this bleeding victim in tho
middle Of the road. "Oh," he says, "here is
man that mas been attacked of thieves.
Why don't you go homer 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 "WhatY' 7'Wen," says the min
lister, II must hurry on 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 caaEot be helped, any
how. Beside that, my business IS with souls
and not with bodies. Good morningl When
you get well enough to sit up Will be glad
to sec you at the temple"
And the minister curves his way out
toward the overhanging sides Of the
road and passes. You hypocritel Ona Of
the chief officers of ision is to heal wounds
You might have done here kindness that
would have been more acceptable to God
than all the incense that will smoke up from
You censer for the next three weeks, and you
missed the chance. Go 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 ruad where
we are to-day, took look at the mass Of
bruises and laceration in the middle OF the
road. MY! my!' says the Levtte, this
man is awfully hurt aud he ought to be
helped. But my business is to sing in the
one will carry my part. Besides that there
may not be enough frankincsnss for the cen.
sers and the wine or oil may have given out,
and what fear ul balk in the service that
would make. Than one OF the priests might
cethis breastpiats on crooked. But It seamS
too bad to leave this man in this condition.
Perhaps had better try to stanch this bleed
ing and give him little stin1uIaat. But mol
The ceremony at Jerusalem Ia OF more i'm
portance than taking care of the wounds OF q
man who viii probably soon be dead any
stopped, for it binders us Leyites on our way
up to the tsmple. There, I have lost five
minutes already! Go along, you beast r. 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 a third person is coming along this
road. You cannot expect him to do any
thing by way Of alleviation, because he and
the wounded man belong to different ma
tions which have aDominated each other
for centuries. The wounded man Is an
Israelite, and the stranger now coming on
the scene of suffering is a Samaritan. They
belong to nations which hated each other
with an objurgation and maledlction dia-
boiic. They had opposition temples-one on
Mount Gerizim and the other on Mount
Moriah-and 1 guess this Samaritan, when
he comes up will give the fallen lsraelite
another clip and say: "Good for you! 1
will Just finish the WORK these bandits began,
and give you one ncre kick that will put
you out OF your misery. And here is rag
OF your coat that they did not steal, and
will take that. What! Do you dare to ap-
peal to ME Tor mercy? Hush up! Why, your
ancestors worshipsd at Jerusalem when
trey ought to have worshiped at Gerizim:
Now, take that! and that! and that!' will
say the Samaritan as he pounds the fallen
lsraelite.
No: the Samaritan rides up to the scene OF
gets off his beast AMI steps down