The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-03
DR.. TALMAGE'S LETTER.
WHAT HE HAS SEEN ABROAD IN
HIS JOURNEYINGs.

CONsTANTINoPLE, January, 1So0.-On
leaving America addressed some words of
farewell to nv sermonic readers. and now,
on my way home. I write this letter of sal
utation, which viii probably reach you
about the Monday that will find me on the
Atlantic ocean, from which cannot reach
you with the usual sermon. / have COM
pleted the journey of inspection for which
/ came. Others may write a life of Christ
without seeing the holy Land l did not
feel competent for such a work until
had seen with my own eyes
the sacred places; and SO | left
home and church and native coun-
try for a most srduous undertaking. l have
visited all the scenery connected with our
Lords history. The whole journey has
been TO me a surprise, an amaZement, a
grand rapture or a deep sOlemnity. | have
already sent to America my Holy Land OBJ
servations for nv Life of Christ" ana
they were written on horseback, on mule
back, on camelback, on ships deck, by dim
candle in tent, IN mud howell Of Arab vii
lage amid the ruins of old cities, on Mount
of Beatitudes, on beach of Genesareth, but
it will take twenty years of sermons TO tell
what / have seen aud felt on this Journey
through Palestine and Syria.
All things have combined to make our
tour instructive and advantageous. The
Atlantic and Mediterranean and Adriatic
Aegean and Dardanelles and Marmora seas
have treated us we'll Since we left New
York we have had but half day and one
night of storm, and that while crossing
Mount Hermon But let only those in ro-
bust health attempt to go the length of
Palestine and Syria on horseback. | do
not think it is because of the unheath of
the climate in Holy Land that 80
many have sickened and died here or
afterward as a result of visiting these
ands, but because of the fatigues of travel
7 the number of miles gives no indication Of
the exhaustions of the way. A hundred
and fifty miles in Palestine and Syria on
horseback demand as much physical
/, strength as 400 miles on horseback in regions
{ of easy journey. Because of the near two
months of bright sunlight by day,
and bright moonlight or starlight by
night, the half day of storm was
to us the more memorable. 1t was
about noon of Dec. Is that the tempest
struck us and drenched the mountains. One
of the horses falls, and we halt amid a
Ablinding rain. 1t is freezing cold. Fingers
and feet like ice. Two hours and three
quarters before encampment. We ride on
in silence, longing for the terminus of
to-day's pilgrimage. 1t is, through the
awful inclemancy of the weather, the
only dangerous day of the Journey.
Slip and slide and tumble and climb
and descend we must, sometimes on the
horse and sometimes off, until at last we
halt in the howell of village, and instead of
entering camp for the night we are glad to
find this retreat from the storm. 1t is a
house of one story, built out of mud NY
groom is covered with a roof of goats hair.
|. A feeble fire mid-aoor, but no chimney. 1t
is the best house of the village. Arabs,
young and old. stand around in wonder
ment as to why we come. There is
no window in the room, but two
little openings, one over the door
and the other in the wall, through
which latter opening / occasionally find an
Arab face thrust TO see how | am progress
ing. But the door is open, so | have some
light. This is an afternoon and night never
TO be forgotten for its exposures and &C
ouaintancs with the hardships of what an
Arab considers luxurious apartment. sat
that night by fire, the smoke of which,
finding no appropriate place of exit, took
Judgment in my nostrils and eyes, For the
first time in my life | realized that
chimneys were a luxury but not a
necessity The only adornments Ia this
room were representations of two tree
branches in the mud Of the wall, circle,
supposed to mean a star, bottle hung from
IL the wall to be used as mantels for any,
thing that may be placed there. This storm
was not a-surprise. Through pessimstic
prophets we had expected that at this sea-
son we should have rain and snow and hail
throughout our journey. For the most
part it has been sunshine-and tonic atrnos-
phere, and not moment has our Journey
been hindered, Gratitude to God is with
us the dominant emotion.
Having visited the scenery connected
with Christ's life | was glad to close nv
journey by passing through the apostolic
lands and seas. You can hardly imagine
our feelings as we came in sight of Damas-
Gus, and on the very road where Saul was
endorsed at the flash of the supernal light.
We did not want, like him. to be flung to
the earth, but we did hope for some great
spiritual blessing brighter than any noon
day sun, and new preparation for useful
ness. Our long horseback ride was ended
for a carriage met us some miles out and
took US to the city. The impression one
receives as he rides along the walled
gardens of the place are different from
those produced by any other city.
But we cannot describe our
1eenngs as we entered the
city about whicnswe have heard and read
so much, the oldest city under the sun, aud
founded by the grandson of Noah: nor our
emotions as we pass through the street
called Straight, along which good Ananias
went TO meet Saul; and by tho site of the
palace of Naaman the leper, and saw the
river ALBANIA, as yesterday we saw Pharpar.
the rivers of Damascus that Naaman pre-
ferred to wash in rather than the Jordan.
Strange and unique Damascus! 1t is worth
while TO cross the Atlantic and Europe to see
it. Though it has been the place of battle
and massacre, and of ancient affluence
and splendor as well as il is of present
prosperity, to me its chief attraction
arises from the fact that here the scales fell
from PauPs eyes, and that chief of apostles
here began that mission which will not end
until heaven is peopled with ransomed
spirits. So also ] saw day before yesterday
Patmos, where John heard the trumpets
and the waves Of the sea dashed to his feet,
reminding him of the songs of heaven,
''lke the voice Of many waters"
But this letter can only give hint of the
things we mean to tell you about when we
get home, where we expect to be before this
month is ended. baptized by immersion
IN the Jordan an American whom we met,
and who desired the solemn ordinance ad-
mlnistered to him in the sacred waters
rolled down from Mount Calvary or "place
of a skulP' a stone for the corner of our new
Brooklyn tabernacle. We bathed in the
'Dead Sea" and in "Gideon's Foun-
tain" where his three hundred men
Tapped the water from their hands as they
passed through; and we sailed on Lake