Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-11-27
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
TIE BROOKLYN DIVINE.S SUN
DAY SERMON
Subject: "The Island of Patmos."

TEXTS: "When ,Ce had discovered q.
1oT1S zee left 1t on the tefthdnd."-Actsx XXI.
g. and ''L.John. aUas ~, the isle that is called
Idtnos."-Revelation j., 9.
Goodby, Egypt! Although interesting
and instructive beyond any country in ali
the world. excepting the Holy Land, Egvpt
was 70 me somewhat depressing. 1t was a
post mortem examination of cities that died
four thousand years ago. The mummies. or
wrapped up bodies of the dead, were pre-
pared with reference to the Resurrection
day, the Egyptians departing this life want.
Ing their bodies to be kept in as good condi.
ton as possible so that they would be pre-
sentaoie when they were called again to oc-
cupy them. But if when Pharaoh comes to
resurrection he finds his body looking as I
saw his mummy in the museum at Boulac
his soul will become an unwilling tenant
The Sphinx also was to me stern monstros-
lty, statue carved out of rock of red gran.
lie slxty-two feet high and about one hum
dred and forty-three feet long, and having
the head of a man and the body Of a lion.
We sat down in the sand of the African
desert to study it. With cold smile it has
looked down upon thousands of years of
earthly history, Egyptian civilization.
Grecian civilization, Roman civilization:
upon the rise and fall of thrones in
Vulnerable; the victory and defeat Of the
armies of centuries. 1t took three thousand
years to make one wrinkle on its red cheek
1t is dreadful in its stolidity. Itseves have
never wept tear. Its cold ears have not
listened to the groans of the Egyptian ma
ton, the burden of which l tried to weigh
last t SABBATH bath Its heart is stone. 1t cared
first century. 1t will care nothing for the
man who looks into its impertubable coun-
tenance in the last century
But Egypt will yet come up to the glow of
lie. The Bible promises it. The mission
aries, like my FRIEND good and great DR..
SOnn6lnO
trumpet above those slain empires There
will be some other osepb at Memphis There
Will be some other Moses on the banks of the
Nile; There will be some other Hypatia to
teach good morals to the degraded Instead
OF destroying angel to STAY the firstborn of
Egypt the angel of the New Testament will
shake everlasting life from his wings over a
nation born in day. When, soon after nv
arrival IN Egypt, took part in the solemn
and tender obsequies OF a missionary from
our own land, dying there far away from the
sepulchers of her fathers, and saw around
her the duSky and weeping congregation Of
those she had come TO save I said to myself.
Here is self sacrifice of the noblest tyne.
Here is herolsm immortal. Here is a queen
unto God forever. Here is something
grander than the pyramids Here is that
which thrills the heavens. Here is a speci-
men OF that which will yet save the world. "
'oodby' Egypt. This sermon finds us on
the steamer Minerva in the Grecian archi-
pelago, the islands of the New Testament.
and islands Paulinian and Johannian in their
"Reminiscences. What Bradshaw's directory
Is to travellers in Europe, and what the rail-
road guide is to travellers it America +ha
BOOK of the Acts in the Bible is to vovapers |
III the Greclan, or, as shall call it. the Cos
pei archipelago, The Bible geography OF !
tnat region IS accurate without q shadow of
mistake. We are sailing this morning on the
same waters that Paul sailed, but in the !
opposite direction to that which Paul vow |
aged. He was sailing southwark and we !
nOrthWard. With him it was Ephesus Coos |
Rhodes Cyprus. With US It is reversed, and |
1t Is Cyprus, Rhodes, Coos, Ephesus. There
is no book in the world SO accurate as the
Divine Book
MY text says that Paul left Cyprus on the
!eIt; we, gong In an opposite direction have
IL on the right. On our ship Minerva were
only TWO or three passengers besides our
parry SO we had plenty OF room to walk the
deck, and OBJ, what a light was Christmas
night OF 1889 in that Grecian archlpelaro-
islands OF light above, islands OF beauty be-
meath! 1t is royal family of islands, this
dreclan archlpelago-the crown of the
world S scenery set with sapphire and emerald
and topaz and chrysoprasus, and ablaze with
3 glory that seems let down out of celestial
landscapes. God evidently made m His
mind that just here He would demonstrate
the utmost that can be done with islands for
The Identification of earthly scenery.
The steamer had stopped during the night
and IN the morning the ship was as quiet as
this floor, when we FASTENED up to the deck
ana found that we had anchored off the
STAND OF Cyprus. In a boat which the ma
hVeS rowed standing up, as is the custom.
instead CT sitting down, as when we row. we
were soon landed on the streets where Paul
and Barnabas walked and preached Yea,
when at Antioch, Paul and Barnabas got
nto tight-as ministers sometimes did E,,d
sometimes do, for they all have impertec-
hons enough to anchor them to this world
jill their Work Is done, l Say-when, because
u that bitter controversy, Paul and Barna-
oas parted, Barnabas came back here to
-yprus, which was his birthplace. Island,
for history! 1t has been the prize
ometlmes won by Persia, by Greece, by
egypt, by the Saracens, by the Crusaders !
and last of all, not by sword but by pen. and
hat the pen OF the keenest diplomatist of the
century, Lord Beaconstield who under a
ease which was as good as purchase, set
cyprus among the jewels of Victoria's
crown
We went out into the excavations from
Thlch Oh Cesnola has enriched our American
museums with antiquities, and with no bet
er weapon than our foot we stirred up the
round deep enough to get tear bottle in
when some mourner shed his tears thou
ands OF years ago, and lamp which before
lhrlst was born lighted the feet of some
,oor pilgrim on his way. That island of
lyPrus mas enough TO set an antiquarian
Wild. The most of its glory is the glory of ,
he past. and the typhoid fevers that swept
IS coast, and the clouds of locusts that often
'iacSen its skies Though two hundred thou
and dollars were expended by the British
mplre IN one year for the extirpation OF
nese noxlOuS insects, yet failing to do the =
YORK;, and the frequent change of govern .
aental masters hinder prosperity . .
But when the islands of the sea come to
'od, Cyprus will come with them, and the
grlcuitural and commercial opulence which d,
dorned it in ages past will be eclipsed bv I
ne agricultural and commercial and relic. | :