Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-18
The Twelfth Of DR.. Talmage's Sc
ries on His Recent Journey.
The Magnificent New Tabernacle Will
Not Be Completed for Dedica-
ton Until Easter.
HIS Start From Damascus, syria, for the
Mountains O, Lebanon - "Ihs Trees of
Lebanon, Which He Hath Planted"
ACROSS MOUNT LEBANON.


BIooKLYN, y. Y. Dec. 4.-To-day
DR.. Talmece preached another sermon
of his series on Palestine aud the adjoin-
ng countries. After delivering il in the
morning in the academy of music in this
rlty, he preached 1t again in the evening
IN New York, ut the service held under
the auspices % the Christian Herald.
Before commencing his sermon DR.. Tai
mage stated, that in spite of all the
efforts that were beng put forth 10
hasten the completion of his new taber-
nacle, the work was on so magnificent
scale and the necessity for care
in It's construction so imperative
that, judging by present indications, it
would not be rendy for dedication before
Faster. lie was happy TO say, how
ever, that the hospitality OF the Chris
tign Herald through which these Sunday
evening services in New York had been
held, would be continued and the pub
Usher of that journal has already Sc
cured an extension OF the lease of the
academy of music. lie would therefore
lie able TO hold services there every Sum
day evening until tho new tabernacle
was finished. Owing to the inclemency
of the weather he would discontinue the
custom OF giving all address out OF doors
after the regular exercises TO the crowd
of people who had been unable TO gain
admission 10 the academy; but the pub
Usher of the Christian Herald was en-
deavoring TO obtain the use of church
Or public building in the neighborhood
in which an overflow service could be
held. Or. Taimaye then announced as
his text Psalm lOl:lG-"The Cedars of
Lebanon Which lie Hath Planted.
\ CHANGE IN NODE OF TRAVEL.
In our Journey we change stirrup for
wheel. It IS Clock in the morning,
at Damascus, Syria, and We are among
the lanterns OF the hostelry waiting for
the stage 10 start. \ Mohammedan IN
high life ia putting his three wives on
board within an apartment by them
selves, and our party occupy the main
apartment OF one of the most uncomfort-
able vehicles in which mortais were ever
jammed and half straugulated. But we
must not let the discomforts annul or
disparage the opportunities. We are
rolling on and out and up the mountains
of Lebanon, their forehead under
crown OF snow, which coronet the
fingers of the hottest summer cannot
cast down. We are ascending
heights around which is Earlanded much
Of the finest poesy OF the Scriptures, and
are rising toward the miChtiest domiu-
ion that botany ever recognized, reigued
over bT the most imperial tree that ever
swayed a leafy sceptre--the Lebanon ce-
dur; tree eulosized IN my text as hav-
ing grown from a nut put into the
ground by God himself, and no human
hand had anything to do with Its plant
ing. 1.-THE trees of Lebanon which He
hath planted.
TIE AVERAGE HEIGHT
OF this mountain is 1000 feet, but in one
place il lifts its head to au altitude OF
10, 900. No higher than 5000 feet can
vegetation exist. bat below that line at
the right season, are vineyards and
orchards. and olive groves, and flowers
that dash the mountain side with Il very
carnage Of color, and fill the air with
aromatics that Hosea, the prophet, and
solomon, the king, celebrated rs ''the |
smell OF Lebanon. At height of G000 |
feet Is Il grove OF cedars, the only de- |
srendants of those vast forests from which |
solomon cut his timber for the temple of |
Jerusalem, and where NJ one time there |
were 100 eco aXmen hewing out the |
beams from which great cities were con- |
structed. But This nntion of trees has |
by human iconoclasm been massacred |
until only a small group is left. This |
race of giants is nearly extinct. but l |
have no doubt that some of these were |
here when Hiram, King OF |
Tyre, ordered the assassination
OF those cedars of Lebanon
which the Lord plauted. From the null !
titude Of uses TO which ii may be put aud |
the employment OF il in the Scriptures,
the cedar is the divine fsvorite. When
the plains TO be seen from the window of
this stage in which we ride to-day are
parched under summer heats, and not
grass blade survives the fcrvidity, this
tree stands in luIuriance,
pEFrING TIE SUMMER SUN.
And when the storms of winter ferrify
The earth and hurl the rocks in avail
mnche down this mountain side, this tree
examples the hurricane of snow in tr!-
umph, and leaves the spent fury at its
feet. From sixty to eighty feet high
are they, the horizontal branches OF |
great sweep, with ttei- burden of leaves !
needIe-shaped, she top of the tree pyra-
midal, throne of foliage. on which !
might, and splendor and glory sit.
But so continuously has the eXternna-
Iinn of trees gone on, that for the most
part, the mountains OF Lebanon are bare
Oh lOI!aEe, HlC, nun sorry TO say, |
the earth in all lands is being likewise
denuded.
The ak is Staying the forests all round
the earth. 10 stop the slaughter God
opened the coal mines OF England aud
ana America aud the world,
practically saving By that: Here is
fuel; as far rs possible let my trees
alone And by opening for the human
race the great quarries of granite, and
showing the human family how 10 make
brick, God is practically saying: "Hers
Is building material; let my trees
alone. We had better stop the axes
among the Adirondacks. We had bet
ter stop the axes II all our forests. as if
would have been better tor Syria il the
axes had long ago besn stopped among
the
MOUNTAINS OF LEBANON.
To punish us for our reckless assault
on the forests, we have the disordsred
seasons; now the drouths because the
uplifted arms of the trees do not pray
for rain, their presence, according to
all scientists ,disposiug the descent of the |
showers; and then we have the cyclones
aud the hurricanes, multiplied in num-
her and velocity beoauss fhpra ia pnth |