Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-10-31
REV. DR.. 7ALMAGH.
The Eminent Brooklyn Diyine's Sun
day Sermon.


4
Made H.n-Ezakiel xxx. 9.
Aha! This is the River Nile. A brown or
yellow or silver cord on which are hung
more jewels of thrilling interest than on any
river that was ever twisted in the sunshine
1t ripples through the book of Ezekiel, and
flashes in the books of Deuteronomy and
Isaiah and Zecharia and Nahum and on its
banks stood the mighties of many ages. 1t
was the crystal cradle Of Moses, and on its
banks, Mary, the refugee, carried the infant
Jesus. To find the birthplace of this river
was the fascination and defeat of expsdi-
lions without number
Not many years ago Bayard Taylor our
great American traveller, wrote, Since Co
lumbus first looked upon San Salvador tbs
earth has but one emotion of triumph left
for her bestowal, and that she reserves for
him who shall first drink from the fountains
OF the White Nile under the snow fields of
klllma-N jaro.' But the discovery of the
sources OF the Nile by most people was con-
sidered an impossibility The malarias. the
wild beasts, the savages, the unclimable
sleeps, the vast distances, stopped all theex
petitions for ages
An intelligent native said TO Sir Samuel
w. Baker and wife as they were on their
way to accomplish that in which others had
failed: Give up the mad scheme of the Nile
source. How would it be possible for a lady
young and delicate TO endure what would
kill the strongest mani Give it upn But
the work went on until Spoke aud Grant and
Baker found the two lakes which are the
source of what was called the White Nile.
and baptized these two lakes with the names
OF Victoria and Albert These two lakes
fllled by great rainfalls and by accumulated
SHOWS from the mountains, pour their
waters, laden with agricultural wealth such
as blesses no other river, on down over the
eataracts, on between frowning mountains,
on between cities living and cities dead. on
tor four thousand miles and through con-
tinent
But the White Nile would do little for
Egypt if this were ALL 1t would keep its
banks and Egypt would remain desert.
But from Abyssiria there comes what is
called the Blue Nile, which, though dry or
nearly dry half the year, under tremendous
rains about the middle of June rises to great
momentum, and this Blue Nile dashes with
sudden influx into the White Nile, which in
consequence rises thirty feet and their COM
blned waters inundate Egypt with rich soil
winch crops on all the fields and gardens as
it is conducted by bitches and sluices and
canals every whittier.
The greatest damage that ever came to
Egypt came by the drying uD of the River
Nile, and the greatest blessing by its health
full and abundant flow. The famine in Jo-
sephs time came from the lack of sufficient
inundation from the Nile Not enough Nile
is drought; too much Nile is freshet and
plague. The rivers of the earth are the
mothers Of its prosperity. If by some CON
vulsion of nature the Mississippi should be
taken from North America or the Amazon
from South America, or the Danube from
Europe. or the Yenisei from Asia-what
hemisphere calamity Still, there are other
rivers that could tertilize ami save these
countries.
A., ,.t., II
the Mediterranean Sea, we behold a won
derful fulfllment of prophecy. The Nile in
very ancient times used to have seven
mouths. As the great river approached the
sea at seven different places. Isaiah prophe-
sled, 1.-THE Lord shall utterly destroy the
tongue of the Egyptian sea and shall smite
it in the seven streams" The fact is they are
all destroyed but two, and Herodotus said
these two remaining are artificial Up the
Nile we shall go, part of the way by
Egyptian rail train and then by boat and
we shall understand why the Bible gives such
prominence to thisriyer which is the largest
river of all the earth with one exception
But before we board the train we must
take look at Alexandria 1t was founded
by Alexander the Great, and was once the
New York, the Paris the London of the
world. Temples, palaces, fountains, gar
dens, pillared and effiorescent with all archi-
tectural and EdeniC grandeur and sweetness.
Apollos, the eloquent, whom in the New
Testament times some people tried to make
rival to st. Paul, lived here. Here Mark,
the author of the second book of the New
Testament expired under Neros anathema.
From here the ship sailed that left Paul and
the crew struggling in the breakers of
Meiita. Pompey'S pillar is here, about one
hundred feet high its base surrounded by so
much filth and squalor | was glai to escape
into an air that was breathable
But Alexandria, fascinating for this or
that thing, according to the tasts of the Wis
itor, was to me most entertaining because it
had been the site Of the greatest library
that the world ever saw, considering the
fact that the art of printing had not been
invented. Seven hundred thousand volumes
and all the work Of slow pen. But down
it all went under the torch of beseigers.
Built again and destroyed again. Built
again. but the Arabs came along for its
final demolition and the four thousand baths
of the city were heated with those volumes,
the fuel lasting six months, and were ever
fires kindled at such fearful coStY What
holocausts of the worlds literaturel What
martyrdom of booksl How many OF them
have gone down under the rage of nations.
q. Only one book has been able to withstand
the bombardment, and that has gone through
without smell of fire on its lids No swort
or spear or mus et for its defense An un
armed New Testament. An unarmed Ole
Testament. Yet invulnsrable and tri
nmphant. There must be something sups-
natural about it, Conqueror of books
Monarch of books! All the books of all tn,
ages in all the libraries outshone by this ont
book which you and | carry to church in q
pocket. So methought anil the ashes o!
Alexandrian libraries.
But all aboard tina Egyptian rail train
going up the banks of the Nile Look out
of the window and see those eamels knesline
for the imposition OF their load And
think we might take from them a lesson
and, instead of trying to stand upright in
our own siren 9Th, become conscious Of our
weakness and need of divine help before we
take upon US the heavy duties Of the year OF
the week or the day, aud so knaal for the
burden. We meet professions of men an
beasts on the way from their days work,
but alas, for the homes to which the poor
inhabitants are going, for the most part
bowels OF mud. But there is something in
the scene that thoroughly enlists Us. II is
the novelty of wretcaedness and scene OF
picturesque rags. For thousands OF years
this land has been under a very damnatior
to taxes Nothing but Christian civilization
will roll back the influences wnic1 ara
spelling the Egyptians There are gar
dens and palaces, but they ba.ong to the
rulers
This ride along the Nile is one of the most
solemn and impressive rides OF all my life
time, and our emotions deepens1 as the cur
tains Of the night fall upon all surround
lngs. But we shall not be satisfied until we
can take ship and pass right out upon
Inese woniroaS waters aud between the
banks crowned with the story of empires.
According TO the lead pencil mark in nv
blole 1t was Thanksgiving day morning,