The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-12-12

Rev. T. De witt Talmage took for his
subject. Damascus" His text was:
las He journeyed He came near Da-
msscus." Acts. tx B. DE-. Talmage
said:
In Palestine we spent last night in q
mud howell of one story, but camels and
sheep in the basement Yet never did
the most brilliant hotel on any conti-
nent seem so attractive to me as that
structure. II we had been obliged to
stay in tent as we expected to do that
night, we must have persisted. A viO-
lent storm had opened upon us its vol
leys OF hail, and snow, and rain, and
wind, as If to let US know what the
Bible means when prophet, and evangel-
list and Christ himself spoke of the fury
CT the clements. The atmospheric
wrath broke upon US about one o'clock
in the afternoon and we were until
night exposed to it With hands and
feet benum bed, and our bodies chilled
to the bone, we made our slow way. AS
the night approached, the tempest
thiclcened and blackened and strength
ened. Some of our attendants going
ahead had gained permission for us to
halt for the night in the mud howell 1
speak Of But the tempest ceased dur
ing the night, and before it was fully
day we were feeling for the stirrups of
our saddIed horses. this being tho day
whose long march will bring TO that
in the hearing of tho intelligent or the
Christian without making the blood to
Jingle and the nerves to thrill and put
ting the best emotions OF the soul into
Observation-Disclosures!
During the day We passed Csesarea
Phiiippi, the northern terminus of
Christ's journeyingR North of that he
never went We lunch at noon seated
on the fallen columns of one of Herod's
palaces
At four O'clock in the afternoon, COM
ing to a hilltop we saw on the broad
plain city, which tho most famous
camel. driver of all time. afterward
called Mohammed, the prophet and the
founder OF the most stupendous system
OF error that has ever cursed the earth,
refused to enter because he said God
would not allow man to enter but one
paradise and he would not enter this
earthly paradise lest he should be de-
MED entrance to the heavenly. But no
city that ever saw so plays hide and
seek with the traveller. The air is so
clear the distant objects seem close by.
You como on the top of hill and Da-
maseus seems only a little way Off But
down you go into valley and you see
nothing for the next half hour but bar
renness and rocks regurg tated by the
volcanoes OF other ages Up another
hill and down again Up again and
down again. But after your patience is
almost exhausted you reach the last hill
top and the city of Damascus, the old
est city under the whole heavens, and
built by Noah's grandson, grows upon
your vision
This is the very road. for it has been
the only road for thousands of years,
the road from Jerusalem to Damascus
along which cavalcade of mounted Of
ficers went, and 1915 years ago, in the
midst of them fierce little man who
made up by magnitude of hatred for
his diminutive stature, and was the
leading spirit and, though suffering
from chronic Inflammation of the eyes,
from those eyes flashed moro indigna-
ton against Christs followers than any
one of the horsed procession This lit
tie man, before his name was changed
to Paul, was called Saul. So many of
the nigh test natures of all ages are
condensed into smallness of stature.
The Frenchman who was some times
called by his troops ''Old One Hundred
Thousand" was often because of his
abbreviated personal presence styled
Little Nap" Lord Nelson, with in
significant stature to start with, and
one eye put out at caIvi, and his right
arm taken of at Teneriffe, proves him
self at Trafalgar the might est hero OF
the English navy. The greatest o!
American theologians. Archibald Alex
andef, could stand under the elbow of
many of his con incorporates. Look out
for little men when they start out for
some especial mission of good or evil.
The thunderbolt is only condensation
of electricity.
Well, that galloping group of horse
men on the road to Damascus were
halted quicker than bombshelI or cav
airy charge ever halted a regiment
The Syrian monday, because of the
clarity OF the atmosphere, is the bright t
a. Il
in Syria is positively terrific for brill
lance. But suddenly that noon there
flashed from the heavens light which
made the Syrian sun seem tame as q
star in comparison. 1t was the face OF
the slain and ascended Christ looking
from the heavens. and under the dash
of that overpoweriug light all the horses
dropped with their riders Human face
and horses mane together in the dust
And then two claps of thunder followed
uttering two words, the second word
like the hrst: SAUL Saull' For three
days that fallen equestrian was totally
blind. for excessive light will some-
times extinguish the eyesight had
read IL q hundred times, but it never SO
impressed me before and probably will
never so Impress me again, as I took my
Bible from the saddle bags and read
aloud to our comrades in travel: AS ht
jouFneyed, he came near Damascus and
suddenly there shined round about hin
light from Heaven and he fell to th,
earth and heard u voice saying unit,
him SAUL SAUL Why persecutest thol
me? and he said; Who artThou, Lord?
And the Lord said: 4 am Jesus whoz.
thou persecutesk'
But He can not stop longer on THU
road for we shall see this unhorsel
equestrian later in Damascus, toward
which his horses head is turned and a
which we must ourselves arrive befors
night The evening is near at hand
and as we leave snowy Hermon behind
us and approach the 200 minarets and
domes. we cut through circumference
OF many miles OF garden which en-
bower the city. So luxuriant are thass
gardens. so opulent in eolors, so iusciou,
OF traits SO glittering with fountains
50 rich with bowers and kiosks that tn,
Mohsmmedan's heaven was fashioned
after what are to be seen here of bloom
and fraitage- Here in Damascus at the
right season are cherries, and muIber
rtesl and apricots, and almonds and
ptstachfos. and pomegranates and
pears. and nDDlaz and