The Russellville Democrat., 1890-12-18
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
The Eleventh Discourse of the Holy
 Land Series.
Visit to tho Oldest City In the worla-- The Ancient and Modern Damas- cus--Historic Incidents
 Recalled.

Ahe ancient ana Modern D8mas-
 cus--Ifistoric Incidents
 Recalled.
 Rev T. Dewitt Talmage delivered the Holy Land fin Brooklyn and Now York City, taking as his text;
 As he ioumcyed he came near Damascus. Acts ix., 3,
 In Palestine we spent last night in a mud hoyel 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 mo as that structure. If we had been obliged to stay in tent, as we expected to do that night we must have perished. A vio- lent storm had opened upon us its volleys of hail, and snow, and rain, and wind, as if to let us know what the Bible meant when prophet and evan gelist 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 it. 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 blowing tho hardest, a signal ef distress halted the party, for down in the rayines one 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 strength ened Some of our attendants going ahead had gained permission for us to halt for the night in the mud hoyel I speak of. Cur first duty on arrival was the resuscitation 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 selecting my eyes in the absence of a chimney. Through an opening in the floor Arab faces were several times thrust up to see how l was progressing. But the tempest ceased during the night and before it was fully day we were feeling for the stirrups of our sad- died horses. this being the day whose long march will bring us 10 that city whose name can not be pronounced in the hearing of the intelligent or the Christian without making tho blood to jingle and the nerves to thrill, and put ting the best emotions of the soul into agitation-Damascus
 This is the very road, for 1t has been the only road for thousands of years, the road from Jerusalem to Damascus, alauer phfnh oapa da of yoopptad of ficers went about eighteen handred and thirty-six years ago, in the midst of them fierce little man who made up by magnitude of hatred for Christianity for his diminutive stature, and was the leading spirit and though suffering from chronic inflammation of the eyes, from those eyes flashed more indigna- tion against Christ's 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 mightiest natures of all ages are condensed into smallness of stature. The Frenehman who was sometimes called by his troops "Old One Hun dred 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 Calyi, and his right arm taken of at Teneriffe, proves him. self at Trafalgar the mightiest hero of the English navy. The greatest of American theologians, Archibald All exander, could stand under the elbow of many of his contemporaries. Look out for little men when they start out for some especial mission of good or evil. The thund erbolt is only a con densation of electricity.
 Well, that galloping group of horse men on the road to Damascus were halted quicker than bombshell or cavalry charge ever halted regiment. The Syrian monday, because of the clarity of the atmosphere, is the bright est of all mondays, and the monday sun in Syra is positively terrific for brilliancy. But suddenly that noon there flashed from the heavens light which made that Syrian sun seem tame as a star in comparison. It was the face of the slain and ascended Christ, look ing from the heavens and under the dash of that overpowering 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 the two words, the second word like the first: Saul Saulp For three days that fallen equestrian was totally blind, for excessive light will sometimes ex- tinguish the eye-sight And what cornea and crystalline lens could endure a brightness greater than the monday Syrian sun? l had read it a hundred times, but it never so impressed me before, and probably will never impress me again, as I took my Bible from the saddle bags and read aloud to our com rades in travel: "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shined around about him light from Heaven, and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him; Saul Saul Why persecutest thou Me?' and he said: Who art Thou, Lord?' And the Lord said: I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest
 But we can not stop longer on this road for we shall see this unhorsed later in Damascus, toward which his horses head is turned and at which we must ourselves arrive before night The evening Is near at hand, and as we leave snowy Hermon behind us and approach the shadow of the min arets and domes, we cut through cir of many miles of garden which embower the city. So luxuriant are these gardens, so opulent in colors, so luscious of fruits, so glittering with fountains so rich with bowers and kiosks that the Mobammedan's heaven was fashioned after what are to be seen here of bloom and fruitage. Here in Damascus at the right season are cherries, and mul- berries. and apricots and almonds, and and pomegranates, and pears, and apples, and plums, and citrons, ana all inc richness of the round worlds nomology. No wonder thatJnlian called this city ,the Eye of the East ana that the poets Of Syria have styled Y s.tbe luster on the neck of doves and htatorians said: 1t is the golden clasp