The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1890-12-10
DAMASCUS.
Dr. Talmage Continues the Story
of His Palestine Tour.
Tho Place on the Road at which Saul
and the saviour Meta Paradise
Surrounded by Deserts-street
Scenes in Damascus.

The subject OF Rev. 4. Dewitt Tai
mages eleventh sermon OF his series on
Palestine and the adjoining countries
was Damascus, and the text, "As he
journeyed he came near Damascus
Acts tx, 3. Following is the sermon:
In Palestine we spent last night in .
mud hovel OF one story, with 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 o tent, as we expected to do that
night, we must have perished. A vio-
lent storm had opened upon US Its vol
leys OF hail, and snow, and rain, and
wind, as II to let us know what the
Bible means when prophet, and evan
gslist and Christ Himself spoke OF the
fury OF the elements The atmospheric
wrath broke upon us about one o'clock
in the afternoon, and we were until
night exposed to 1t. With hands and
feet benumbed, and our.bodies chilled to
the bone, we made our slow way. While
high up on the rocks, and the gale blow
ing the hardest, signal OF distress
halted the party, for down In the ra-
vines ono of-the horses had fallen and
his rider must not be left alone amid
that wildness OF scenery and horror OF
storm. AS the night approached, the
tempest thickened, and blackened and
strengthened. Some OF our attendants
going ahead had gained permission for
us to halt for the night in the mud hovel
speak OF. Our first duty on arrival,
was the resuscltation Of the exhausted OF
our party. My room was without win
dow, and an iron stove without any top,
in the center OF the room, the smoke Sc
lecting my eyes in the absence oil
chimney. Through an opening in the
floor, Arab faces were several times
thrust up to see how was progressing.
But the tempest ceased during the night
and before it was fully day we were feel
ing for the stirrups OF our saddle horses
this being the day whose long march
will bring us to that city, whose name
can not be pronounced in the hearing OF
the intelligent or the Christian without
making the blood TO tingle and the
nerves to thrill, and putting the best
emotions OF the soul into agitation-Da-
mascus!
During the day we passed C@sarea
Philippi, the northern terminus OF
Christ's iournoyings North Of that he
never went. We lunched at noon, seated
on one OF the fallen columns Of one OF
Herod's palaces
At four o'clock in the afternoon, COM
ing to hilltop we saw on the broad
plain city, which the most famous
cnmel-driver OF oil 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 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 over saw so plays hide and
sock with tho traveller. The air is SO
clear the distant objects seem close by.
You come on the top OF hill and Da-
mascus seems only little way of. But
down you 60 into valley and you sec
nothing for the next half hour but bar
renness and rocks regurgitated 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
hilltop and the city OF Damascus, the
Oldest city under the whole heavens,
and built by Noah's grandson, grows
upon your vision. Every mile OF tho
journey now becomes moro solemn and
suggestive and tremendous.
This is the very road, for IL has been
the only road for thousands Of years, the
road from Jerusalem TO Damascus, along
which q cavalcade OF mounted officers
went about /, $40 years ago, in the midst
OF them q fierce little man who made up
by magnitude OF hatred for Christianity
Tor his dimunitiyo stature, and was the
leading spirit and, though suffering
from chronic Inflammation OF the eyes,
from those eyes flashed more indigha-
ton against Christ's followers than any
one OF the horsed procession. This lit
tie man, before his name was changed
10 Paul, was called Saul So many OF
the mightiest natures OF all ages are
condemned into smallness Of stature.
The Frenchman who was sometimes
called by his troops "Old One Hundred
Thousand" was often because OF his alb
breviated personal presence styled "Lit.
tie Nap" Lord Nelson, with insigniR-
can't stature TO start with, and one eye
= put out at Calvi, and his right arm
taken of at Tenerifie, proves himself al
Trafalgar the mightiest hero Of the En-.
glish navy. Tho greatest Of American
theologians, Archibald Alexander, could
stand under tho elbow OF many OF his
contemporaries. Look out for little men
when they start out for some especial
mission OF good or evil The thunder
bolt is only condensation OF electricity
Well, that galloping group Of horse
men on the road TO Damascus were
halted quicker than bombshell or cav
airy charge ever halted regiment The
Syrian MONDAY, because Of the clarity
Of the atmosphere IN the brightest OF ali
mondays and the MONDAY sun In SyriS
Is positively terrific for brilliance But
suddenly that noon there flashed from
the heavens light which made thai
Syrian sun seem tame as star In com
parison. IL was the face OF the slair
and ascended Christ, looking from The
heavens. and under the dash soi tina
w overpowering light all the horsei
dropped with their riders. Human fac,
and horses name together in the dust
And then two claps Of thunder followed
uttering the two words, the SECOND
III. - III. a.. a.at. ttCaulI Ca,,1tfi N,