Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1891-11-06
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: Sailing Up the Nile"

yellow or silver cOrd on which are hung |
more jewels of thrilling interest than on any |
river that was ever twiste in the sunshine. /
It ripples through the book of EZAkiel 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 expedi- |
Gons without number.
Not many years ago Bayard Taylor, our |
q eat American traveller, wrote, 'Slnce Co |
lumbus first looked upon San Salvador, the
earth has but one emotion OF triumph lett
for her bestowal and that she reserves for
him who shall first drink from tie fountains
of the White Nile under the snow fields OF
Kilima-N jaro." But the discovery OF the
sources of the Nile by most people was con-
sidered an impos.ibility. The malarias, the
wild beasts, the savages, the unclimable
sleeps, the vast distances, stopped all the ex-
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 20 endure what would
kill the strongest man2 Give it up" But
the worl; 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
of Victoria and Albert. These two lakes,
filed by great rainfals and by accumulated
SHOWS from the mountains pour their
waters, laden with agricultural wealth such
as blesses 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 con-
tnent.
But the White Nile would do little for
Egypt if this were all. 1t would keep it's
banks and Egypt would remain 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
bned waters inundate Egypt with a 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 DO
seph's 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 it's 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, behold Won
derful fulfillment of prophecy. The Nile in
very ancient times used to have seven
mouths AS the great river approached the
SEE at seven different places. Isaiah prophe-
sled 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 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 thisriver, which is the largest
river of all the earth with one exception.
But before we board the train we must
take a 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 archl-
tectural and Edenic grandeur and sweetness.
ApollOs the eloquent, whom in the New
Testament times some people tried to make
a rival to ST. Paul. lived here. Here Mark,
the author of the second book of the New
Tesla menr expired under Nero's anathema.
From here the ship sailed that left Paul and
the crew struggling in the breakers OF
Meita. Pompey'S pillar is here, about one
hundred feet high, its base surrounded by so
much filth and squalor [ was glad to escape
into an air that was breathaOie.
But Alexandria, fascinating for this or
that thing, according to the taste Of the vls-
itor, was to me most entertaining because 1t
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 a slow pen. But down
it all went under the torch Of beseigers
Built again and destroyed again. Built
again, but the Arabs came along Tor lts
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 cost? VIVA
holocausts of the worlds literature! VIVA
marrvrdom of books! How many OF then
have gone down under the rage OF nations
Only one book has been able to Withstand
the bombardment and that has gone throug
without smell of fire on its lids. No SWORD
or spear or muskeU for its defense. An un
armed New Testament. An unarmed Ole
Testament. Yet invulnerable and trl
nmphant. There must be something super
natural about it. Conqueror of books
Monarch of books! All the books of all tbs
ages in all the libraries outshone by this on
book which you and l carry to church In {
pocket. So methought amid the ashes o.
Alexandrian libraries.
But all aboard the Egyptian rail trair
going I'D the banks of the Nile Look Ou
of the window and see those camels kneellns
for the imposition OF their load. And
think we might take from them a lesson
and, instead of trying to stand upright IL
our own strength, become conscious OF oul
weakness and need Of divine help before w;
take upon US the heavy duties OF the year OF
the week or the day, and so kneel Tor th
burden. Ne meet PROFESSIONS OF men an
beasts on the way from their days work
but alas, for the nones to which the poo
inhabitants are going, for the most par
novels Of mud But there is something il
the scene that thoroughly enlists US. 1t i