The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-01-25
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Ceylon the Palmiestof All Lands,
and It's Stored Past.
a Fruitful Field for the Missionaries of
All Nations, Hindooism and the SUI
perstition of Centuries the
Common Enemy.

Cne- w orld series OF sermons throug
the press. Its subject is ''Ceylon, tn
Isle of Palms.. and it is based on tn
text:
The ships of Tarshish irst.-Isaiah TX,
The Tarshish of my text by man
commentators is supposed to be tn
island of Ceylon, upon which the sey
enth sermon of the 'Round-the-w orl
series lands us. Ceylon was ruled b
the Roman Taprobane. John Miltol
called it Golden Chersonese" Modern
have called Ceylon "The Isle of Palms;
"The Isle of Flowers" ''The Pear
Drop on the Brow of India" 1.-THE Isl,
of Jewels" 1.-THE Island of Spice;
''The Show Place of the UNIVERSE;
1.-The Land of Hyacinth and Ruby.
In my eyes, for scenery it ap
peared to be mixture OF
Yosemite and Yellowstone park
All Christian people want to know
more of Ceylon, for they have long
while been contributing for its evan
Eelization. AS our ship from Austria
liza approached the island, there how
cred over it clouds thick and black as
the superstitions which have lowered
here for centuries; but the morning
sun was breaking through like the
Gospel light which is to scatter the
last cloud of moral gloom. The sea
lay along the coast calm as the eternal
purposes of God toward all islands and
continents. We swing into the harbor
of Colombo, which is made by break
water built at vast expense AS we
foated into it the water is black with
boats of all sizes, and manned by peo-
pie of all colors, but chiefly Tamils and
Cingalese.
There are two things I went most to
see On this island; heather temple
with its devotees in idolatrous worship,
and an audience of Cingalese addressed
by Christian missionary. The ento-
mologist may have his capture of bril-
liant insects; and the sportsman his
tent adorned with antler of red deer
and tooth of wild boar; and the paint
er his portfolio of gorge three thou
sand feet down, and of days dying on
evening pillows of purple cloud etched
with fire; and the botanist his camp
full of orchids, and crowfoots, and gen
tians, and valerian, and lotus want
most to find out the moral and relig-
ious triumphs, how many wounds have
been healed; how many sorrows COM
forted; how many entombed nations
Sir William Baker, the
famous explorer and geographer, did
we'll for Ceylon after his eight years
residence in this island, and Prof. |
Ernst Heckel, the professor from Jena,
lid well when he swept these waters,
and rummaged these hills, and took |
home for future inspection the insects |
Of this tropical air. And forever hon
bred be such work; but let all that is
Iweet in rhythm, and graphic on can
7as, and imposing in monument, and |
in memory be brought to !
ell the deeds of those who were
heroes and heroines for Christ's sake.
Many scholars have supposed that
his island of Ceylon was the original
Harden of Eden where the snake first
ppeared on reptilian mission. There
re reasons for belief that this was the
lite where the first homestead was
opened and destroyed. 1t is so near
he equator that there are not more
han twelve degrees of Fahrenheit diff
erence all the year round. Perpet-
al foliage, perpetual fruit, and all
tyles of animal life prosper. What
and abundance, and
of life! What
tyles of plumage do not the birds
port! What styles of scale do not the
shes reveal What styles of song do
OF the groves have in their libret-
Of Here on the roadside and clear
ut ON the beach of the sea stands
he cocoanut tree, saying: Take my
caves for shade. Take juice of my
ruit for delectable drink Take my
accnarine for sugar. Take my fiber
Or the cordage of your ships. Take
~ oil to lSindle your lamps Take my
rood to fashion your cups and pitch
RS. Take my leaves to thatch your
oofs. Take my smooth surface on
hitch to print your books. Take my
nirty million trees covering FIVE hun
red thousand acres, and with the ex-
enrich the world. l will
ave in your fans, and spread abroad
! your umbrellas. ! will vibrate in
our musical instruments. | will be
ne scrubbing brush on your floors"
Here also stands the palm tree. say
~: 81 am at your disposal. With
nese arms / fed your ancestors one
undred and fifty years ago, and with
hese same arms l will feed your des-
endants one hundred and fifty years
rom now. defy centuries!"
Here also stands the nutmeg tree,
aging: 81 am ready to spice your bev-
RACES, and enrich your puddings, and
nth my sweet dust make insipid
Kings palatable."
Here also ands the coffee plant.