Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1895-01-12

the Spirituality of the Christian Faith.
BRooKLYN, Jan G.-In continuing
his series Of round the world sermons
through the press Rev DR.. Talmage to-
lay chose for his subject Tomb and
Temple" having reference 70 that most
famous and beautiful Of mausoleums,
the Tai Mahal. The text selected WINS.
From India even unto Ethiopia" Is
Their i. -.
In all the Bible this Is the only book
In which the word India occurs. but il
stands for a realm Of vast iutcres; in the
time Of Esther. as in our time II yield
ed then, rs now, spices and silks and cot
ton and rico and indigo and ores Of all
richness aud precious stones 81 all
sparkle and had civilization IF its
own rs psarkod rs Egyptian or Greciau
or Roman civilization. II holds the cost
lest tomb ever built and the most
unique and wonderful idolatrous temple
ever opened. For practical lessons in
this my sixth discourse il round tho
world series / show you that tomb and
temple of India
In Journey around tho world ii lnay
not be easy 10 tell the exact point which
divides the pilgrimage into halves. But
there was one structure toward which
we Were all the time travelling, and hav-
ing seen that we felt that II we SAW
nothing more our expedition would he
success That one object was the Tai
Mahal Of India IL is the crown OF the
whole earth. The spirits Of architecture
met 10 inthrone king, and the spirit Of
the Parthenon Of Athens was there. aud
the spirit Of 81. Sophia Of Constantine
pie was there, and the spirit Il St Izaak
Of St Petersburg was there and the
spirit Of tho Baptistery Of Pisa was there,
and the spirits of the great pyramid
and of Luxor obclisk, and Of the Porco-
lain tower OF Nanlin, and Of ST. Mark
Of Venice and the spirits Of all the
great towers. great cathcdrals, great
mausoleums, great sarcophag, great
capitols for the living and Of great no
cropolises for the dead were there. And
the presiding genius of the throng with
gavel Of Parian marble smote the table
OF Russian malachite, and called the
throng OF spirits 10 order, and called FOR
vote as 20 which spirit should wear the
chief crown. and mount the chief throne.
and wave the chief scepter, and by unan
imous acclaim the cry was; Long live
the spirit Of the Taj, king of all the
spirits Of Architectural Thine is the TAI
Mahal of India"'
FuiiIis All Expectations.
The building is about six miles from
Agra. and as we rode out in the early
dawn we heard nothing but the ho3fs
and wheels that pulled and turned Us
Rlong the road. at every yard Of which
our expectations rose until we had some
thought that we might be disappointed
at the first glimpse, as some say they
were disappointed. But how can any
one be disappointed with the TAI is nj
most rs great wonder 10 me rs the Tag
itself. There are some people always
disappointed. and who knows bnt that
having entered heaven they may criti-
else the architecture Of the temple and
the cut Of the white robes aud say that
tine river Of Life is not quite up 10 their
expectations. and that the white horses
on which the conquerors ride seem q lit
tie spring halt or spawned:
Ny son said. There il is | said,
"Where:" For that which he saw TO be
the building seemed to me TO be more
like the morning cloud blushing under
the stare Of the rising sun. Il seemed
not so much built up from earth rs let
down from heaven. Fortunately you
stop at an elaborated gateway Of red
sandstone onc-eighth Of mile from tho
TAI, an entrance SO high, 80 arched, 50
graceful. so four domed, so painted and
chiscled and scrolled that Won come
very gradually upon the Tai, which
structure is enough 10 intoxicate the eye
and stun the imagination and entrance
the soul. We 20 up the winding stairs
Of this majestic entrance Of the gateway.
nnd buy few pictures, and examine a
few curios. and from il look of upon the
TAI. and descend to the pavement of the
garden that raptures everything between
the gateway and the ecstasy Of marble
and precious stones You pass along
deep stream of water in which all man
ner Of brilliant fins swirl and float.
There are So fountains that spout and
bend and arch themselves Ia fall in
showers Of pearl in basins Of snowy
whiteness. Beds Of all imaginable flora
greet the nostril before they do the eve
and seem 70 roll in waves Of color rs
you advance toward the vision you are
soon 10 have Of what human genius did
when il did its best; moon flowers,
lilacS, marigolds. tulips and almost
everywhere the lotus; thickets Of bewil-
dcring bloom; on either side trees from
many lands bend their arboresceuce over
your head or seem with convoluTed
branches TO reach out their arms toward
you in welcome On and on you 20 amid
tamarind and cypress and poplar and
Oleandcr and yow and sycamore and ban
yam and palm and trees Of such novel
branch and leaf and girth you cease TO
ask their name or nativity
An Ideal Memorial.
As You approach the door 81 the Tai
one experiences strange sensation II
awe and tenderness and humility and
worship. The building is only grave.
but what a gravel Built for a queen,
who, according 10 some, was very good.
and according 10 others was vcly bad.
choose TO think she was very good ~
any rate, il makes me feel better 10
think that this commemorative pile was
set up for the Standardization az virtue
rather than vice The Tai Is mountain
of white marble. Int never such walls
faced each other with cxquisiteness;
never such "A tomb was cut from block
Of alahaster; never such a congregation
Of precious stones frightened aud gloom
ed and blazcd and chastoncd and glori-
fed building since sculptor's chisei cut
its first curve. or painters pencil traced
its first figure. or mason's plumb line
measured its first wall. or architects
compass swept its first circle.
The TAI has l6 great archcG win
dows. four at each corner; also ai each
of the four corners of the Tai stands u
minarct I3s fcct high; also n each side
Of this huilding is a splendid mosque q
red sandstone Two hundred and fifty
years has tho TAI stood, and yet not q
wall is cracked. nor mosaic loosenod,
nor an arch saggcd, nor panel dulled.
The storms Of ESQ winters have not
marred nor the heats Of $50 summers
disintegrated a marble. There Is no
story Of age written by mosscs on It's
white surface. Montaz, the queen, was
beautiful, and Shah Jehan, the king,
here proposed to let all the centuries o.