The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-11
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DlVINE'S SUN.
DAY SERMON.
Subject: Sailing Up the Nile."

..
Ahai 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.
It 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 miami
Jesus. To find the birthplace of this river
was the fascination and defeat OF expedl-
tions without number.
Not many years ago Bayard Taylor, our
'g1 eat American traveller, wrote, since 20
,lumbus first looked upon San Salvador, the
earth has but one emotion OF triumph let5
for her bestowal, and that she reserves Tor
him who shall first drink from the fountains
of the White Nile under the snow fields Of
iKilima-Njaro." But the discovery or the
sources OF the Nile by most people was con-
Sdere6 an impossibility. The malarias, the
wild beasts the savages, toe uncllmaole
sleeps, the vast distances, stopped all the e1-
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 lady
young and delicate to endure what would
kill the strongest man? Give it up" But
tie work went on until Speke and 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
sof Victoria and Albert. These two lakes,
filled 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
:cataracts, on between frowning mountains,
on between cities living and cities dead, on
for four thousand miles and through a con-
tinent.
But the White Nile would do little for
Egypt If this were all. 1t would keep its
banks and Egypt would remain q desert.
But from Abyssinia 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
.bined waters inundate Egypt with rich soil
which drops 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 up of the River
Nile, and the greatest blessing by its health
full and abundant flow. The famine in Jo-
seph's time came from the lack Of sufficient
inundation from the Nile. Not enough Nile
Is drought: too much Nile is frsshet and
plague. The rivers of the earth are the
mothers Of its prosperity. II 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 and save these
countries.
As we start where the Nile empties into
the Mediterranean Sea, we behold q WON
derful tulfllment of prophecy. The Nile in
very ancient times used to- have seven
mouths. As the great river approached the
SIZED, 'The Lord shall utterly destroy the
tongue of the Egyptian sea and shall smite
IL 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 60; part Of the way by
Egyptian rail train and then by boat, and
we shall understand why the Bible gives such
prominence to thisriver, which is the largest
river Of all the earth with one exception.
But before we board the train we must
take look at Alexandria. It 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 efaorescent with all archi-
tectural and Edenic grandeur and sweetness.
Apollos the eloquent, whom in the New
Testament times some people tried to make
q rival to st. Paul, lived here. Here Mark,
the author Of the second book Of the New
Testament, expired under Nero's anathema.
From here the ship sailed that left Paul and
the crew struggling in the breakers Of
Melita. Pompey's pillar is here, about one
hundred feet high its base surrounded by 80
much filth and squalor was glad to escape
into an air that was breathable.
But Alexandria, fascinating for this or
that thing, according to the taste 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
1t all went under the torch Of beseigers.
,Bailt again and destroyed again. Built
again, but the Arabs came along for its
final demolition and the four thousand baths
iof the city were heated with those volumes,
the fuel lasting six months, and were ever
fires kindled at such fearful cost? What
!holocausts Of the worlds literature! What
'martyrdom Of books! How many Of them
have gone down under the rage Of nations.
Only one book has BEEN able to Withstand
the bombardment and that has gone through
without smell Of fire on its lids. No sword
or spear or musket for its defense. An un.
armed New Testament An unarmed Old
Testament. Yet invulnerable and trl-
nmphant. There must be something SUPER
natural about 1t. Conqueror OF booksl
Monarch of booksI AL the books Of all the
ages in all the libraries outshone by this one
book which you and carry to church in
pocket. So methought amid the ashes OF
Alexandrian libraries.
But all aboard the Egyptian rail train
going up the banks of the Nile! Look out
~ fho xuin nd RToa
for the imposition Of their load. And
think we might take from them lesson,
and, instead Of trying to stand upright in
our own strength, become conscious of our
weakness and need Of divine help before we
take upon US the heavy duties OF the year or
the week or the day, and SO kneel for the
burden. We meet professions OF men and
beasts on the way from their days work,
but alas, for the homes to which the poor
novels of mud. But there is something in
the scene that thoroughly enlists us. 1t is
the novelty Of wretchedness and a scene Of
picturesque rags. For thousands OF years
this land mas been under very damnation
to taxes Nothing but Christian civilization
will roll back the influences which are
spelling the Egyptians" There are gar
dens ana palaces, but they belong 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 deepened as the cur
tains Of the night fall upon all surround
ings. But we sDall not be satisfied until we
can take ship ana pass right out upon
these wondrous waters and between the
banks crowned with the story of empires.
According to the lead pencil mark in my
Bible 1t was Thanksgiving day morning,
November &c. 1889, that with my family
and friende WA Stapned q hoari the Steamer