Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-10-30

wonder not that this mountain Of lime
| stone and red granite has been the fascina-
ton of scholars, OF scientists, of intellige Mt
Christians In all ages. Sir John Herschei,
the astronomer said he thought 1t had as
Economical significance. The wise men who
accompanied Napoleon's army into Egypt
went into profound stuly OF the pyramid.
In 1855 Professor Smyth and his wife lived
in the empty tombs near by the pyramid
that they might be as continuously as pos
sibe close to the pyramid which they were
investigating. The pyramid, built more
than four thousand years ago, being a COM
pie geometrical figure, wise men have con-
clu1ed it must have been divinely con-
structed. Men came through thousands of
years TO fine architecture, TO music, to paint
ing but this was perfect at the worlds start,
and God must have directed it.
All astronomers, geonetriciaus and scien-
lists say that it was scientifically and mathe-
maticaily constructed before science and
mathematics were born. From the inscrip-
tions on the pyramid, from its proportions
from the points OF the compass recognized
in its structure, from the direction in which
its tunnels run, from the rel ative position OF
the blocks that compose it, scientists, Chris
tians and infdels have demonstrated that
the being who planned this pyramid must
have known the worlds sphericity, and that
Its motion was rotary, and how many miles
how many tons the world weighs, and knew
at what point in the heavens certain stars
would appear at certain periods OF time.
Not in the four thousand years since the
putting up OF that pyramid has single fact
in astronomy or mathematics been found to
contradict the wisdom of that structure,
Yet they had not at the age when the
pyramid was started an astronmer or an ar
chitect or a mathematician worth mention
ing. Who then planned the Pyramid Who
superintended its erection? Who from its first
foundation stone to its capstone erected
everything Itmust have been God. Isaiah
was right when he said in my text, "A pill
lar shall be at the border of the land o
Egypt and 1t shall be for sign and wit
ness The pyramid is Gods first Bible
Hundreds II not Thousands of years before
the first line Of the Book of Genesis wal
written, the lesson Of the pyramid was writ
ten.
Well, OF what is this Cyclopean masonry
sign and Witness Among other things
OF the prolongaton of human work COM
pared with the breyity of human life. In
all the four thousand years this pyramid has
only lost eighteen feet in width; one side of
its square at the base changed only from
seven hundred and sixty four feet to seven
hundred and forty six feet, and the most of
that eighteen feet taken off by architects to
furnish stone for building in the city OF
Cairo. The men who constructed the pyra-
mid worked at 1t only few years and then
put down the trowel, and the compass and
the square, and lowered the derrick which
had lirted the ponderous weights: but forty
centuries has their work stoo !, end it will be
good for forty centuries more.
All Egypt has been shaken by terrible
earthquakes AMI cities have been prostrated
or swallowed but that pyramid has defed all
volcanic paroxysms 1t has looked upon
some of the greatest battles ever fought
since the world stood Where are the men
who constructed il, Their bodies gone to
dust and even the dust scattered. Even the
Sarcophagus in which the kings mummy
may have slept is empty.
SO men die but their work lives on. We
are all building pyramids not TO last four
thousand years but forty thousand, forty
| million, forty trilliop, forty quadrillon,
forty quintilion. For a while we WELD the
trowel or pound with the hammer, or meas
ure with the yard stick or write with the
pen, or experiment with the scientific bat
terry, or plan with the BRAIN and for while
the foot walks, and the eve sees, and the ear
hears, and the tongue speaks. All the good
words or bad words we speak are spread out
into one layer for a pyramid. All the kind
| deeds or malevolent deeds we do are spread
| out into another layer. All the Christian or
| un- Christian example we set ls spread out in
another layer. All the indirect influences Of
our lives are spread out in another layer.
| Then the time soon comes when we put
down the implement of toll and pass away.
but the pyramid stands.
The pyramid is a sign and witness that
! big tombstones are not the best way OF
keeping ones self affectionately remem-
| bered This pyramid and the sixty nine
| other pyramids still standing were built for
sepulchers all this great pile OF granite and
| limestone by which We stand to-day, TO cover
the memory of dead king. 1t was the great
| Westminster abbey Of the ancients. Some
say that Cheops was the king who built this
pyramid but it is uncertain. Who was
| Cheops anyhow? All that the world knows
about him could be told in a few sentences
| Tne only thing certain is that he was bad,
and that he shut up the temples OF worship,
and that he was hated so that the Egyptians
were glad when he was dead.
This pyramid of rock seven hundred and
forty feet each side of the square base and
four hundred and fifty feet high wins for
him no respect. II bone of his arm or foot
| had been found in the sarcophagus beneath
the pyramid, it would have excited no more
yeneration than the skeleton Of camel
bleaching on the Libyan desert: yea, less
veneration, for when saw the carcass OK a
camel by the roadside on the way tIMen'
phis said to myself, Poor thing Wonder
of what it died. We say nothing against
the marble or the bronze Of The metropolis.
Let all the sculpture and horescence and ar
borescence can do for the places OF the dead
be done il means will allow it. But II after
one is dad there is nothing left to remind
the world OF him hut some pieces oh stone,
there is but little left.
While there seems to be no practical use
for post mortem consideration later than the
time Of ones great grandchildren, yet no one
wants to be forgotten as soon as the obseques
are over This pyramid which Isaiah says
Is a sign anda witness, demonstrates tnat
neither limestone nor rsd granite are COM
petent to keep one affectionately remem'
bered; neither can bronze; neither can
Parian marble; neither can AoeIuoen
granite do the work. But there is something
out of which to build an everlasting mon
ument and that will keep one freshly re.
memoered four thousand years-yea, for
ever and ever. 1t does not stand In marbl,
yards. 1t Is not to be purchased at mourn
ing stores. Yet it is to be found In every
neighborhood, plenty of it, inexhaustibi,
the universe to build monuments out of. /
refer to the memories of those to whom W,
can do kindness, the memories OF those
whose struggles we may alleviate, the mem
ories OF those whose souls we may save.
A minister passing along the street every
day looked up and smiled to baby in th,
window The father and mother wondered
VINO IL was mat thus pleasantly greeted theil
child. They found out that he was the pastor
OF IA church. They said 1--WE must 20 and heal
him preach" They went and heard him nnC
both were converted to God Will there b,
any power in fifty million years to eras
from the souls of those parents the memor,
OF that man who by his frendlness brough
them to Godp Matthew Crangwick. a,
evangelist, said that he had the names OF tw
hundred souls saved through his singing th
hymn, ARISE, my soul, arisep win any O
those two hundred soulsin all eternity forge
Matthew Cranswickp viii any of the fou
hundred and seventy mine women and chi
dren imprisoned at Lucknow, India, waitin
for massacre by the Sepoys, forget Haveloc
and Outram aud Sir David Beard, who brok
in and effected Their rescuei