The Yale expositor., 1894-12-28

faced the couple. Before the priest
was placed platter of rice. He begaI
TO address the young man and woman
We could not hear word, but we un
derstood just as well rs If we had
heard. Ever and anon he punctuateU
his ceremony by a handful of rice.
which he picked up from the platter
and flung now toward the groom and
now toward the bride. We wanted to
hear the conclusion, but were told
that the ceremony would go on
for long while; indeed, that
it would not conclude until o'clock in
the morning, and this was only be-
tween 7 and o'clock in the evening
There would be recess after awhile
in the ceremony, but it would be taken
up again in earnest at half past twelve
We enjoyed what we had seen, but felt
incap; citated for six more hours we'd
ding ceremony. Silently wishing the
couple happy life in each others
companionship, we pressed our way
through the throng of congratulatory
Parsees. All of them seem bright and
appreciative of the occasion. The
streets outside joyously sympathized
| with the transactions inside.
But, what an afternoon of contrast
in Bombay we experienced! From the
Temple of Silence to the Temple of
Hilarity! From the vultures to the
dovesl From mourning to laughterl
From gathering shadows to cleaning
lights! From obsequies to weddings!
But how much of all our lives is made
up of such opposites. l have carried
the same hour, liturgy of the dead and
the ceremony of espousels. And so
the tears meet the smile, and the
dove meets the vulture.
Thus have set before you the best
of all the religions of the heather
world, and | have done so in order
that you might come to higher appre-
citation Of the glorious religion which
has put its benedictiou over us and
over Christendom.
Compare the absurdities and mum
meries of heather marriage with the
plain, Il will, of Christian marriage,
the hands joined in pledge It'll death
do you part" Compare the doctrine
that the dead may not be touched,
with rs sacred, and tender and loving
a kiss as is ever given, the last kiss of
lips that never again will speak TO us.
Compare the narrow Bridge Chinvat
over which the departing Parsee soul
/ IN IN A
wide open gate of heaven through
which the departing Christian soul
may triumphantly enter Compare
the twenty-one books of the Zend
Avesta of the Parsee which even the
scholars of the earth despair of under
standing, with our Bible, so much of
it as is necessary for our salvation in
language SO plain that "a wayfarine
man, though fool need not err there.
in" Compare the Tower of Silence
with its vultures of Bombay with the
Greenwood of Brooklyn" with its
sculptured angels of resurrection. AND
bow yourselves in thanksgiving and
prayer as you realize that il at the
battles of Marathon and Salamis.
Persia had triumphed over Greece, in
stead of Greece triumphing over Persia.
Parseeism, which was the national re.
ligion of Persia, might have covered
the earth, and you and l instead o.
sitting in the monday light of om
glorious Christianity might have been
cropping in the depressing shadows o.
Parseelsm, religion which is as in
ferior to that which is our inspiration
in life, and our hope in death, as
Zoraster of Persia was inferior to our
radiant and superhuman Christ, to
whom be honor and glory and domin.
ion and victory and song, world with
out end. Amen