The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1895-11-15
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Eloquent Sermon Last Sunday I'm Support
OF the Bible.

And we shall observe this thing for an
ordinance to thee and to thy sons for
ever" Elk. 12:A.
After giving the history OF Arch Titus.
which stand on via Sacra in Rome, and
describing by a grapihic word picture the
triumphal celebration given in honor OF
Titus and VespasHan. Vhis rather, after all
the great victories which they had
achieved, and particularly that of the
overthrow Of Jerusalem and the scatter
ing OF the Jews, which took place over Is
centuries ago. MIR. Llddell went on to say:
The graGarfc pen OF Gtnsbon, a scepticai
historian has traced Through the succes-
siye centuries THE Decline and Fall of
the Roman Empire" Tho grandest mon
tments of her imperial greatness and
glory are but the vast ruins. desodate pal
aces broken sculpture scattered and
malrred by the vengeance of the barbarian
and the accidents of passing ages. The
grandeur of Rome has departed. The pail
aces of the Caesars lie desolate. All her
laws are dead and buried amid the dust OF
ages. The world wide power OF this iron
Kingdom is broken and divided. The en-
phre OF the Caesars has perished from the
earth but the jewish people remain.
Though Rome has been sacked, though
her temples desolated, her altars destroy
ed and her laws abolished, yet the law
contained in that parchment roll which
titus ordered bo be placed In tine kings
palace, the grandest of all hi5trophies-
that law has been honored and preserved,
and rules today throughout the world and
Is written by the finger of God in the
hearts and minds of thousands of men
and women In every land and clime
Tnanslated into hundreds OF languages
printed in thousands of editions and scat.
tered by hundreds of millions Of copies
THAT law has gone into all the earth and
that law today though apmned and scoff-
ed at and desptsed by the goddess and un-
believing, unloclos the mystery of the
Jewish preservation and of Israefs ack-
nowledged greatness, and stands with
them as a witness TO the faSullfulnesS OF
God, and to the truth OF the Revelation
which Cie 0laD given. The Roman conquer
ors are gone; the deities mfhfch Vespa-
sian and Titus worshlpped. on that trium-
plhal day are buried out OF sight, but
testimony OF Israel stands today. the
testimony OF Moses has gone through all
lands and is still pursuing its aggressive
forward march, lighting up the darkness
OF tine night of Alea!t1enism as with a
pITlar Of fire, and leading the van of
human progress as a pillar of cloud by
day. Over THE wrecks of departed en-
pires we read, "AiI flesh Is grass and the
goodyIness thereof 10 as the flower of the
field" But In fulfHsment OF sacred
prophecy and In the permanence Of the
law given to Moses. we may read that.
though "the gras3 wfthereth and the
flower fadeth." yet the word Of our God
shall stand forever.
THE LAW OF MOSES.
Upon the origin of that law general
history eIheds but little ligft. The
sources OF other laws are generally very
well lVnown. The code OF Napoleon, the
pandects OF JuStinian, the decrees ana
codes Of the Caesars. the laws OF Greece,
have come down to us, and we mark the
date and time when they were enacted
or decreed. We can trace the history OF
the British Magma Charta, wrung by the
people from a stubborn, selfish king, or
the American Declaration OF Independ-
ence. and so on, but Israel has no record
or tradition of any bawmaiuing body. NO
parliament or congress ever convened 10
enact or establish the statutes which
governed them after their passage OF the
Red sea. The acts of legislatures and
the decrees OF monarchs 0re all NUM-
bered and dated and can be traced, but
this law stands alone. Various conJec-
lures as to how this law came into being
have been made, but the Jewish trani-
tion 10 that It came In accordance with
the written records, namely, that II was
received from the Almighty by Moses on
Sinai. And one thing here 10 certain.
IL II was not 90 received. there IL no
record OF now It came to be, OF OF Us
reception and adoption, and II stands
ooday an Unexplained enigma7-a law
without a law-gIver.
But We accept the record of the Jew.
and, IN confirmation, let me recall the
point al wthlch we closed bwo weeks ago
ta1.s evonine-rhe Passover. when all the
nrse-born of Egypt died and Israel were
thrust out. I'm.
In connection with this Passover feast |
I wish TO note sonB tffingIs namely, the |
kind OF bread which was used-un-
ieaIvcied ASaeEd. To-day we find people |
scatt6red 41Foughout Asia, Africa, Eu-t
rope, AuSerieA, retc.ssfog seven days they |
eat ta1is hard dread every year.
Why does nhis custom pertain 20 uni
Z, r,nay2 When the Jewish families !
gather around Bbeir tables Il = custo- |
mary for tho youngest Of the family 10 /
ask fhe faaler what = the meaning Of !