The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-15
ACROSS MOUNT LEBANON.
TALMAGE TELLS OF ITS HIGHT
AND IT'S CEDARS.

j
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Dec. 4.-To-day DR..
lelmage preached another sermon of his
series on Palestine and the adjoining coun-
tries. After delivering 1t in the morning in
the Academy of Music in > this CITY. he
preached it again In the evening In New
York, at the service held under the auspices
of the Christidn Herald Before commence
ing his sermon DR.. Talmage stated that in
spite OF all the efforts that were being put
forth to hasten the completion of his new
Tabernacle, the work was on SO magnificent
scale, and the necessity for care in its
construction so imperative, that judging by
present indications it would not be ready
for dedication before Easter. He was happy
to say, however. that the hospitality Of the
ChrtStidn Herald through, which these
Sunday evening services in New York had
been held. would DO continued. and the
publisher of that journal had already
secured an extension Of the lease OF the
Academy of Music. He would therefore be-
able to hold services there every Sunday
evening until the new Tabernacle was fin@
ished. Owing to the inclemency of the,
weather he would discontinue the custom OF
giving an address out Of doors after the
regular exercises to the crowd Of people who
had been unable TO gain admission to the
academy; but the publisher of the Christian
Herald was endeavoring TO obtain the use
of church or public building Ia the neigh
borhood In which an overflow service could
be held. DR.. Talmage then announced as
his text Psalm CIV, 10: 1.-THE cedars Of
Lebanon which he hath planted.n
In our journey we change stirrup for
wheel. IL is o'clock In the morning. at
Damascus, Syria, and we are among the
lanterns OF tue hosiery waiting for the
stage to start. A Mohammedan In high
life Is putting his three wives on boarcS
within an apartment by themselves, aud
our party occupy the main apartment OF
one OF the most uncomfortable vehicles in
which mortals were ever jammed and
half-strangulated. But we must not let
the discomforts annul or disparage tho
opportunities. We are rolling on aud out
aud up the mountains OF lebanon
their forehead under q crown OF snow
which coronet the fingers of the hottest
summer cannot cast down. Weare ascend
ing heights around which is garlanded
much of the finest poesy OF the scriptures.
ana are rising toward the mightiest domin-
ion that botany ever recognized, reigned
ovor by the most imperial tree that ever
swayed a leafy scepter-the Lebanon cedar:
"a tree eulogized In my text as having grown
from a nut put into the ground by God
himself, and no human hand had anything
10 do with its planting: 1.-THE trees OF Leba-
non which ho hath planted"
The average hight Of this mountain IL
seven thousand feet, but in one place il
lifts its head to an altitude of ten thousand.
No higher than six thousand feet can vege-
tation exist, but below that line at tho right
season are vineyards and orchards, and
olive groves. aud flowers that dash tho
mountain side with a very carnage of color
and fill the air with aromatics that Hosea.
the prophet and Solomon, the king, cole
brated as "the smell Of Lebanon" AT a
hight of six thousand feet is grove
Of cedars, the only descendants
OF those vast forests from which
Solomon cut his timber for tho temple at
Jerusalem, and where at one time there werei
one hundred thousand axmen hewing out
the beams from which great cities we're con-
structed. But this nation Of trees has by
human iconoclasm been mastered untiH
only small group is left This race off
giants is nearly extinct, but have no doubts
that some OK these were here when Hiram.
King of Tyre, ordered the assassination ofg
those cedars of Lebanon which the Lord
planted. From the multitude Of uses to
which 1t may be put and the employment OF
III IN bHc Tic CeuBF ~ buo GlVln9
vorite. When the plains to be seen from the
window of this stage III which we ride
to-day are parched under summer heats
and not grass blade survives the fervid--
ity, this tree stands in lnxuriance, defyin ri
the summer sun. And when the storms OF
winter terrify the earth. and hurl the rocks
in avalanche down tho mountain side, this
tree grapples the hurricane OF snow In tri-s
umph, and leaves the spent fury at its feet.f
From sixty to eighty feet high are they,
the horizontal branches of great
sweep, with their burden OF leaves, needle
shaped, the top Of the tree pyramidal. a.
throne of foliage on which might, and
splendor, and glory sit But SO continue
ously has the determination OF trees gone
OF Lebanon are bare Of foliage, while, ara
sorry to say, the earth in all lands is being
likewise denuded.
~ THE ak is Staying the forests all round
the earth. To stop the slaughter God
opened the coal mines Of England, and
Scotland, and America. and the world.
practically saying by that: ''Here is fuel;
us far as possible let my trees alone.n And
by opening for the human race the great
quarries of granite, and showing the human
family how to make brick, God is prac-
tically saying: "Here is building material
let my trees alone" We had
better stop the axes among the
Adirondack We had better
stop the axes in all our forests, as it would
have been better for Syria If the axes had
long ago been stopped among the noun
tains Of Lebanon. To punish US for our
reckless assault on the forests, we have the
disordered seasons; now the droughts, be-
cause the uplifted arms Of the trees do not
pray for rain. their presence according to
all scientists disposing the descent Of the
showers, and then we have the cyclones
and the hurricanes multiplied in number
and velocity because there is nothing to
prevent their awful sweep.
Plant the trees in your parks that the
weary may rest under them. Plant them
along your Streets that up through the
branches passers-by may see the God who
first made the trees and then made man to
look at them. Plant them along the brooks,
that under them children may play. Plant
them in your gardens. that as In Eden the
Lord may walk there in the cool Of the day.
Plant them in cemeteries, their shade like
mourner's veil, and their leaves sounding
like tbs rustic Of the wings Of the departed.
Let Arbor day, or the day for
the planting Of trees, recognized
by the legislatures Of many Of
thsstates, be observed by all our people, aud
the next 100 years do as much ia planting
these leafy glories Of God as the last 100
years have accomplished In their dssSruc-
ff.u When NOT IaueF hafaca hia aaarh