Morning journal and courier., 1893-03-09
DR. LYON,s LEOTURRs.
Their Great Historical and Biblical
Interest.

Their Great Historical and Biblical
Interest.
Three of these lectures have now been
given and the course has gone far enough
to show their quality and what results are
likely to be reached. Tho first was largely
Of antiquarian interest IL to say, 1t
brought to light only the materials, yet
these memorials Of hoary past were 30
abundant and were the fruit Of 20 much
laborious and ingenious research a. to be-
classed among the freshest and moat on.
gaging discoveries of modern times. In
the second lecture was brought to light
specimens of correspondence between GER
tain magnstes of the old world, showing
the stage of culture reached ct the period
of the patrisrchs and giving amusing illus
trations of the style of manners which then
prevailed. It served to correct the impress
sion, which the simple story of the pstri-
archs tends to produce, that Abraham went
forth az If led by the hand into new and
empty world. #u.r
It shows him to have been indeed the
hrst great emigrant going forth to q region
to him at least wholly unknown and yet
going In some sense as q man of affairs,
opening . path toward the west, the path
| of empire in which he had q large follow
| ing. It shows that his faith had more to
| contend with In his own times than we are
| wont to suppose. That his one surprising
military exploit which gained for him 80
| much renown may not have been 80 singu-
lar after all, the only exception 10 an
otherwise peaceful and idyllio life.
The third lecture served to light up and
| make tangible to us the power and PROV
ess of those mighty empires before which
| at last fell Israel and Judah. And the
picture was awe inspiring, the old names
| to which we are accustomed giving place
to living entities, to proud and cruel world
| powers, struggling for the aacsndency,
| and bafaed at last and their Titonic efforts
overrulsd In behalf of Gods moral king
dom, sometimes buried from sight but
ever advancing.
These lectures have been so simple in
their diction and SO profusely illustrated
In passing we have been hardly conscious
| of effort, much less of the tremendous
strides we have been taking. The lecturer
does not deal with theories startling by
their brilliancy and bewildering by their
number and intrioacy, and which at last
have to be left wholly in the hands of
trained and learned experts, but with sim
pie and indisputsble facts, clearly present.
ed to the eye no less than the mind. The
result Is not thirst for speculation, but q
reposeful confidence in truth solidly
gained, and a readiness for yet further ad !
vauces.
From the first the interest in the subiect
presented has been steadily rising, and we
find ourselves looking forward to the last
half OF the course with heightened expeota-
tions. These lectures are not so much
amusing and exciting as they are instruc-
tive. Without any special display of learn
they fill up easily and admirably gaps in a
history which is Intentionally brief and
condensed, and invest with an air of sober
and inviting reality that which has. been
so often SKINNED over as familiar and
unmeaning. Those who wish to understand
and enjoy the Old Testament history will
ind, We think, in the remaining three lect-
ures an opportunity they will be CORY to
have missed.