The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1890-05-08

tIonS- DuFfNN cAtltN HaNc tctH - AthuAcst
and the truth Of God found written on
their coffin lids. Bartlett, Robinson
and Layard have been not moro the
apostles oi science then the apostles or
religion. Tho dumb lips Of the pyfA-
mids have opened to preach the Gospel.
Expeditions have been fitted out for
Palestine, and explorers have CONS
back to say that they have found among
mountains, and among ruins, and on the
shore OF waters. living and undying
evidences Of our glorious Christianity.
Men who have gone to Palestine inf
dels have come back Christians. They
who were blind and deaf to the truth at
home have seemed to see Christ again
preaching upon 0livet, and have beheld
in vivid imagination the Son Of God
again walking the hills about Jeru-l
salem. Caviglia once rejected the
truth, but afterward said: 81 came to
Egypt, and the Scriptures and the pyra-
mids converted me- When / was in
Beyrout, Syria. last December, our be-
loved missionary, Rev. DIR. Jcssup,
told me OF his friend who met
skeptic at Joppa, the seaport of
Jerusalem, and the nnbeliever said
to his friend: Il am going into
the Holy Land TO show up thesfolly of
the Christian religion. | am going to
visit all the so-called sacred places,
and write them up, and show the world
that the New Testament Is an imposi-
ton upon the worlds credulfyn
Months after, DIR. Jessup's friend met
the sceptic at Beyrout, after he had
completed his journey through the Holy
Land. well, how is it?" said the
aforesaid gentleman to tho sceptic. The
answer was: 81 have seen it all, and
tell you the Bible is trueiI Yes, it Is all
truer The man who went to destroy
came back to defend.
after what | myself saw during my
recent absence, | conclude that any one
who can go through the Holy Land and
remain an unbeliever is either a bad
man or an imbecile. God employed
men to write the Bible, but He took
many of the same truths which they
recorded, and with His own Almighty,
hand He gouged them into the rocks,
and drove them down into smaldepths,
and, as documents are put in the corner
stone of temple, so in the very founda-
ton of the earth lie folded up and
placed the records OF Heavenly truth.
The earth's cornerstone was laid. like
that of other sacred edifices, in the
name Of the Father. and of the Son,
and OF the Holy Ghost. The author of
revelation, standing among the great
strata. looked upon Moses, and said:
ssLet us record for future ages the
worlds history; you write it there on
papyrus; | will write it here on the
powders"
Again, nature offers an invaluable
contribution to Christianity by the Illus
tration she makes Of Divine truth. The
inspired writer's seized upon the advan-i
tages offered by the natural world.
Trees and rivers, and clouds and rocks
broke forth into holy and enthusiastic
utterances. Would Christ set forth the
strength Of faith, He points to the syca-
more, whose roots spread out and strike
down, and clinch themselves amid great
depths of earth, and He said that faith
was strong enough to tear that up by
the roots.
AT Hawarden, England, Mr.. Glad
stone, WI lie showing me his treesduring
prolonged walk through his magnifi-
cent park, pointed out sycamore, and
with wave of the hand said: SIN
your visit to the Holy Land did you see
any sycamore more impressive than
that?" / confessed that i had not. Its
branches were not more remarkable
than its roots. 1t was to such a tree as
that Jesus pointed when He would illus
strate the power of faith. rye might
say unto this sycamore tree BE thou
plucked by the root and be thou cast
into the sea, and it would obey you
One reason Why Ctirists has fascinated
the world as no other teacher, Is be-
cause, Instead Of using severe argu-
ment, He was always telling how some
thing in the spiritual world was like
unto something in the natural world,
Oh, these wonderful slikes' OF our
Lord Like grain OF mustard seed.
Like treasure hid in the field. Like.
a merchant seeking goodly pearls.
Like unto net that was cast into the
sea- Like unto householder.
Would Christ teach the precision with
which He looks after you. He said He
counts the hairs Of your head. Wen,
that is long and tedious count if the
head have the average endowment 1t
has been found that il the hairs Of the
head be black there are about one hun
bred and twenty THOUSAND, or II they be
taken there are about one hundred and
fbrty thousand But God knows the ex-
act number: The hairs OF :your head
are all nun, bered - Would Christ inn
press us with the Divine watchfulness
and care, Lie speaks Of the sparrows
that Mere nuisance in those hines.
They we're caught BIZ the thousands in
the net They were thin and scrawny,
and had Comparatively no meat on their
bones. They seemed almost valueless,
whether living or dead. Now, argues
Christ, IL my Father takes care Of them
Will He not take care Of you?
Would David set forth the freshness
and beauty of genuine Christian char
acter-he sees an eagle starting from
its nest just after the moulting season.
Its old feathers shed, and its wings and
breast decked with new down and
plumes, its body as finely feathered as
that OF her young ones just beginning
TO try the speed of their wings. Thus
rejuyenated and replumed is the Chris
tian's faith and hope by every season Of
communion with God. Thy youth is
renewed like the eagles" Would
solomon represent the annoyance Of
a contentious woman's tongue, he
points to leakage in the top of his
house or tent, whore, throughout the
stormy day, the water comes through,
falling upon the floor--drip! dripl dripl
And he says: "A continual dripping in
very rainy day and contentious wom-
an are alike" Would Christ set forth
the character OF those who make great
profession of pity bait have no fruit,
lie compares them TO barren fg-trees,
which have very large and SNOWY leaves,
and nothing bnt leaves. Would job
illustrate deceitful friendships, he
speaks of brooks in those climes, that
wind about in different directions, and