The Iola register., 1891-10-30
REV. TALMAGE'S SERMON.
He Talks on the Wonderful
Egyptian Pyramids.
he Describes the Vast Structures In Detail
The Ascent and Descent-Musings
on the Grand work-Heav-
ems Mementoes.

DR.. Talmage's sermon was the
first Of series he intends preaching
on his eastern tour, entitled From the
Pyramids TO the Acropolis, or What L
Saw in Egypt and Greece Confirmatory
Of the scriptures" His text was Isaiah
xix: 1920: "In that day shall there be an
altar to the Lord in the midst
OF the land of Egypt and pillar
at the border thereof to the Lord. And
1t shall be for a sign and for a witness. ="
Isaiah no doubt here refers 10 the
great pyramid of Egypt. The text
speaks OF pillar in Egypt and this is
the greatest pillar ever lifted; and the
text says it is to be at the border of the
land, and this pyramid is at the border of
the land; and the text says it shall be for
a witness, and the object of this sermon
Is the first of a course of sermons enti-
tied, From the Pyramids to the Aero
polls, or What Saw in Egypt or Greece
Confrmatory of the Scriptures"
We had on the morning OF December,
1891. landed in Africa Amid the howl
ing boatmen at Alexandria we had come
ashore and taken the rail train for Cal
70, Egypt, along the banks Of the most
thoroughly harnessed river OF all the
world-the river Nile. We had, at
eventide, entered the city of Cairo, the
city where Christ dwelt while staying
in Egypt during the Herodic persecu-
tuition. 1t was our first night in Egypt.
No destroying angel sweeping through
as once, but all the stars were out. and
the skies were filed with angels OF
beauty and angels of light, and the air
was balmy as an American June. The
next morning we were early awake and
at the window looking upon palm trees
in full glory of LEAKAGE, aud upon the
gardens Of fruits and flowers at the very
season when our homes far away are
csnopied by bleak skies and the last
ieaf oi the forest has gone down in the
eQinoctials.
But how can describe the thrill OF
expectation, for to-day we are to see
what all the world has seen or wants to
see-the pyramids. We are mounted
for an hour and halfs ride. We pass
on amid bazaars stuffed with rugs and
carpets, and curious fabrics of all sorts
from Smyrna, from Algiers, from Per-
sia, from Turkey and through streets
where we meet people OF all colors and
all garhs, carts loaded with garden pro-
ductions, priests in gowns, women in
black wells, Bedouins in long and SEEM
ingly superiuous apparel, Janissaries
in jacket OF embroidered golc-out and
on toward the great pyramid: for
though there are sixty-nine pyramids
still standing, the pyramid OF Gizeh is
the monarch OF pyramids. We meet
camels grunting under their load, and
see buffaloes on either side, browsing
in pasture fields. The road we travel
is for part the way under clumps OF aca-
cia, and by long rows of sycamore and
tamerisk, but after awhile It is a pile of
rock and sand, and we find we have
reached the margin of the desert, the
Sahara desert, and we cry out to lhe
dragoman as we see a huge pile Of rock
looming ip sight: "Dragoman, what is
that?', His answer is: 1.-THE pyra-
mid" and then it seemed as If we we're
living a century every minute, Our
thoughts and emotions were too rapid
and intense for utterarce, and we ride
on in silence until we come TO the foot
Of the pyramid spoken Of in the text,
the oldest structure in all the earth,
1900 years old at least Here it is.
We stand under the shadow of struct-
ure that shuts out ali the earth and all
the sky and we look up and strain our
vision to appreciate the distant top. and
are overwhelmed while we cry: ''Tbe
Pyramid The pyramidr'
had started that morning with the
determination of ascending the pyra-
mid. One Of my chief objects In going
10 Egypt was not only to see the base OF
that granitic wonder, but to stand on
the top of it. Yet the nearer l came
20 the eternity of stone the more my de-
termination was shaken. Its altitude
20 me was simply appalling. A great
height has always been to me a most
6isagreeable sensation. AS we dis
mounted at the base OF the pyramid /
said: Others may go up it, but not /.
will satisfy myself With view from
the base. The ascent of Il would be to
me q foolhardy undertaking." But
after had given up all idea OF ascend
ing found my daughter was deter
mined TO go, and could not let her go
with strangers and changed my mind
and We started with guides. II can not
be done without these helpers. Two or
three times foolhardy men have at
tum bling down unacceptable and life
less. Each person in our party had
twoor three guides or helpers. One oi
them unrolled his turban and tied it
around my wrist and he held the other
end Of the turban as matter of safety.
Many of the blocks of stone are four or
five feet high and beyond any human
stride unless assisted. But two Arabs
70 null and two tO Arabs nnsh 4 found
myself rapidly ascending from height
70 height, and on, 10 attitudes terrific.
ana at last at the tip top we found our
feet square. Through clearest atmos-
phere we looked off upon the desert.
and of upon the winding Nile, and off
upon the Sphinx with its features Of
everlasting stocity. and yonder upon
sun, and yonder npon Memphis in ruins.
and of upon the wreck of empires and
the battlefelds of ages, radius OF view
enough to fill the mind and shock the
nerves and overwhelm ones entire
being.
After looking aronnd for 9 while. and
a kodac6 had pictured the group, we de-
scerded. The descent was more trying
than the ascent for in climbing you
need not see the depths beneath, but in
coming down it was impossible not to
see the abysms below. But two Arabs
ahead to help us down, and two behind
TO hold us back, we were lowered hand
below hand until the earth was invit-
ingly near, and amid the jargon of the
Arabs we were safely landed. Then
came one Of the most wonderful feats of
dar nf ha he