The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-02-13
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE DIVINE WRITES A LET
TER OF SALUTATION.
VIVA, He Has seen Abroad.

leaving America | addressed some words of
farewell TO my sermonic readers, and now,
on my way home, write this letter at salu-
tation, which will probably reach you about
the Monday that will find me on the Atlantic
ocean, from which cannot reach you with
the usual sermon. l have completed the
journey of inspection for which came.
Others may write life of Christ without see
ing the Holy Land did not feel competent
for such work until l had seen with my
own eyes the sacred places; and so /
left home and church and native country for
most arduous undertaking. l have visited
all the scenery connected with our Lords his
tory. The whole journey has been to me
surprise an amazement a grand rapture or
deep solemnity. | have already sent TO
America my Holy Land observations for my
Life of Christ" and they were written on
horseback, ON muleback, on camelback, on
ships deck, by dim candle in tent in mud
howell Of Arab village, amid the ruins of old
cities, on Mount of Beautitudes ON beach of
Genesareth, but it will take twenty years OF
sermons to tell what have seen and felt on
this journey through Palestine and Syria.
All things have combined 10 make our tour
instructive and advantageous. The Atlantic
and Mediterranean and Adriatic and Egean
aud Dardanelles and Marmora Seas have
treated US well, Since we left New York we
have had but half Il day and one night of
storm, and that while crossing Mount Her.
mon. But let only those in robust health at
tempt to go the length of Palestine and Syria
on horseback. ] do not think it is because OF
tho unhealth of the climate in Holy Land
that so many have sickened and died here or
afterward as a result Of visiting these lands
but because OF the fatigues Of travel. Tho
number of miles gives no indication Of the
exhaustions of the way. A hundred and fifty
miles TO Palestine and Syria on horseback
demand as much physical strength as
four hundred miles on horseback in
regions of easy journey. Because of the near
two months OF bright sunlight by day. and
bright moonlight or starlight by night, the
half day of storm was to us the more memora-
BILE 1t was about noon of December IS that the
tempest struck us and drenched the mount
aims One of the horses falls and We halt
amid binding rain. 1t is freezing cold
Fingers and feet like ice. Two hours and
three-quarters before encampment. Verde
on in silence, longing for the terminus of to-
days pilgrimage. 1t is, through the awful
inclemency of the weather, the only
dangerous day of the journey. Slip
and slide and tumble and climb and
descend we must, sometimes on the
horse and sometimes off, until at last we halt
in the howell of a village, and instead of en-
tering camp for the night we are glad to find
this retreat from the storm. 1t is house
of one story, built out of mud. My room is
covered with a roof of goats hair. A feeble
fire mid-hoor, but no chimney. 1t is the best
house of the village. Arabs young and old,
stand around in wonderment as to why we
come. There is no window in the room, but
two little openings, one over the door and
the other in the wall, through which latter
opening l occasionally find an Arab face
thrust to see how am progressing. But the
door is open, SO | have some light This is
an afternoon and night never to be forgot
ten for its exposures and acquaintance with
the hardships of what an Arab considers
luxurious apartment. l sat that night by a
fire, the smoke of which, finding no appro-
pirate place of exit, took Judgment in my
nostrils and eyes. For the first time in my
life realized that chimneys were luxury
but not a necessity. The only adornments
in this room were representations of two
tree branches in the mud of the wall, circle
supposed to mean star, a bottle hung from
the ceiling, and about twelve identations in
the wall TO be used as mantels for anything
that may be placed there. This storm was
not a surprise Through pessimistic proph-
cts we had expected that at this season we
should have rain and snow and hail through
out our journey. For the most part it has
been sunshine and tonic atmosphere, and not
a moment has our journey been hindered
emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected with
Christ's life was glad to close my journey
by passing through the apostolic lands and
seas You can hardly imagine our feelings
as we came in sight of Damascus, and on the
very road where Saul was endorsed at the
flash of the supernal light. We did not want,
like him, to be flung to the earth, but we did
hope for some great spiritual blessing brighter
a..
ton for. usefulness. Our long horseback ride
was ended, for a carriage met us some miles
out and took us to the city. The impression
one receives as he rides along the walled
gardens Of the place are different from those
produced by any other city But we cannot
describe our feelings as we entered the
city about which we have heard and read SO
much, the Oldest city under the sun, and
founded by the grandson OF Noah; nor our
emotions as we pass through the street called
Straight, along which good Ananias went to
meet Saul; and by the site of the palace of
Naaman the leper, and saw the river ALBANIA,
as yesterday we saw Pharpar, the rivers of
Damascus that Naamau preferred to wash in
rather than the Jordan. Strange and unique
Damascus! 1t is worth while to cross the
Atlantic to Europe to see it. Though it has
been the place of battle and massacre,
and of ancient affluence and splendor
as well as it is of present pros
perity, to me its chief attraction
arises from the fact that here the scales fell
from Paul's eyes, and that chief of apostles
here began that mission which will not end
until heaven is peopled with ransomed
spirits. So also / saw day before yesterday
Patmos where John heard the trumpets
and the waves Of the sea dashed to his feet,
reminding him of the songs of heaven, like
the voice Of many waters.n
But this letter can only give hint of the
things we mean to tell you about when we
get home, where we expect to go before
this month is ended. l baptized by INNER
sion il the Jordan all American whom we
met, aud who desired the solemn ordi-
nance administered to him in the sa-
cred waters. l rolled down from Mount
Calvary or ''plsce of skull" stone
for the corner stone of our new Brook
Sea" and in "Gideon's Fountain" where his
three hundred men Tapped the water from
their hands as they passed through and we
sailed on Lake Galilee and stood on
Mount Zion and Mount Moriah and
Mount Hermon, and I saw the place
where the shepherds heard the Christ
mas anthem the night Christ was born;
and have been at Nazarneth and Caper-
naum, and sat by Jacobs Well" and
Megiddo of ancient battle, and where the
Israelites crossed the desert, and slept at
Bethel where one ladder was let down into
Jacobs dream, but the night slept there
the heavens were full of ladders, first lad
der of clouds, then ladder of stars, and all
up and down the heavens were the angels of
beauty, angels of consolation, angels Of God
ascending and descending; and ] was on
nearly all the fields Of Herodic, and Solomon
ic, and Davidic, and Mosaic, and Abrahamic
history. took Rome, and Naples, and Athens,
and Alexandria, and Cairo on the way out,
and take the Greek Archipelago, and Con-
stautinople and Vienna on the way back.
What mere can God in His goodness grant
me in the way of natural scenery, and classic
association, and spiritual opportunity All
yes! can think Of something gladder than
that He can grant me. Safe return to the
people of my beloved flock, the field Of my
work, and the land where my fathers died, and
A. 7 N<N6