Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-22
CALL OF THE SHOFAR
Dr.. Callsch Makes an Earnest Appeal
for The Better Life.
POSSIBILITIES OF THE JEW.
With This the Theme Of His New
Years Sermon tho Talented Rabbi
Draws Practical Lessons from His
tory Of Christianity and Judaism.


unusual interest Thursday morning on
tho occasion Of the New-Year's day cele-
bratiou. There was q very large congre-
CATION. and the discourse was enjoyed
by all. as was the exceptionally fine
music.
DIR. Callsch's text was Awake awake,
put on thy strength, o Zion, put on thy
beautiful garments. o. Jerusalem. thou
holy city. . How beautiful upon the
mountains are the feet OF the messengers
Of good tidings. that publisheth peace.
that announceth news OF happiness, that
proclaimeth salvation. that saith unto
Zion, Thy God reigneth.'
The voice OF thy watchmen. they raise
the voice. together they shall shout, for
eye to eye shall they see. when tho Lord
returneth to Zion.-Isaiah ILL.,. /, Z. and ..
THE thoughts that come surging TO
the mind on the morn Of the New Year.
Dr. Calisch began. ARE ever the same.
With the sweep Of recollection we wander
osr the days that have gone, ana apply
ing powerful lens Of memory. the eye
looks DER the fields OF time. trodden by
the feet Of years that once have beeh.
though whose circling months the varied
drama of human history has been en-
acted and upon whose brief existence
the curtain Of irrevocable fnality has been
rung down.
THE sHOFAR's ADMON1TIoN.
"As a dwarf standing upon the Shout
ders OF a great giant, we of the present
are perched upon the monticles OF knowi-
edge and experience. cleaned by the
sweat Of the brow and the anguish OF the
soul We survey the past, and II we
would gain thereby We learn 70 num-
ot,I Hxtrt haQ ri q
DOM IT'S this admonltion the Shofar
sounds with swelling note. As the stroke
OF q bell hung In some lofty cathedral
tower, the horn OF Abraham's surprising
faith calls down the centuries to warn
and guide the Patriarch's seed. Through
what gigantic mutations OF human lie
have not the Shofar notes been heard!
When first its voice was sent Ger Judeas
plains and mountain ranges u fell upon
the ears Of a pastoral people. leading their
herds to the grassy meads, or upturning
the sod OF that sacred soil destined to be
the womb of such glorious births to the
human race.
"FronHthe Jordan to the Mediterranean,
from the heritage Of Naphtali to the con-
fines Of proud Judah, there streamed the
faithful to the sacred CITY OF God
The ploughman from his burrows.
the hersman from his Hooks
the merchant from his bazaar,
the dresser from his vine. the
keeper from his vigil thronged TO
the glorious edlfice on olives mount, and,
as they clustered there, from the lips of
the robed priest rolled forth the swell
ing Shofar notes oh, how then they
thrilled with hope. How were they buoy
ant with glad tidhgs, for redeemed
nation had come unto ity own, and the
sky that arched DER the land OF milk
and honey smiled down upon peaceful
people set free from the yoke OF the ~
ranny Of man and the dangers OF the de-
sert. with every enemy subdued. every OBJ
stacle overcome, serene In the conscious
ness of thfir sll-conqueriny power. ana
gladdened by the manifest approval or
their all-protecting God.
"But the scene gradually shifts. The
walls of the House Of God give way TO
the cruel barriers OF Babylon. Instead
of the home Of their fathers God. MS
the imperial city OF Syrian power. The
tapping Of Jordan's waves - lost IN the
rush Of foreign watera Instead OF the
happy song OF the harvesters comes the
wall Of the exile, as they sit and weep
by the sad waters OF Babylon. But stu
| the Shofar sounds. and its tones are etill
the same, and still II called TO ears that
| knew Its nota and understood the mes
sage that 1t voiced. Still had II hope,
| still spoke IL OF glad tldngs for the
| weary heart had whispered that the
| Lord would return unto His house,
THE SECOND COMMONWEALTH
again the environment alters. Once
more through the courts and chambers
Of the restored temple come the sounds
! Of the Shofar. With the great glories
Of the second house there lives people
| again redeemed, again led from captive
| narrowness into the wide realms OF lio-
erty and Self-government. But during
| the period OF that second commonwealth
mighty changes are taking place. The
| genius of history passed from the east
| to the west of the Holy Land. Human
| ity had stepped out OF It's Mesopotamlan
| cradle and tottered its first childish
| steps toward the land OF the setting
sun. India, Persia. Syria, had doomed
| Powered, and withered, and their seed
| had been waited Ger the Aegean isles TO
| the home Of a new civilization. with the
| conquest and death Of Alexander. and
the division OF his empire, the new
| Power that had been slowly maturing
| IN the Grecian Peninsula began 10 make
| itself felt. Marathon, Thermopylae, and
| Salsmis were fought and Greece became
| supreme. Gradually. yet none the less
surely, Hellenistic culture o'erspread the
known world. Judea felt its influence
yielded to II and thereby paved the way
for Its national catastrophe.
again, q new Power rose out OF the
Occident. Still further to the west strobe
now. with stronger steps the genius OF
| human history. The orb OF Greece
reached the perihelion of Its power. and
! began its downward course, while steadily
| the Roman standard went from conquest
| to conquest. With the overthrow OK
| Grecian supremacy. the city on the 1iber
| became the dominant force OF the world.
| But all the wisdom OF its oracles could
not foresee, nor all the power OF It's le-
| gions suppress the potency Of two events.
| Insignificant at the time, but becoming
eventually the two most puissant factors
| in all the subsequent history OF human
| civilization. The birth of Jesus OF Naza-
reth and the founding OF the school at
Jaime by Rabbi Jochauan ben 5accai
were the centres Of two circles OF inilu-
ence whose circumference have not yet
been reached.
THE ROMAN EAGLES VICTORIES.
"victory upon victory was gained by
the Roman Eagle. From the shores OF
Albion. through the vine-cLld hills or the
Spanish peninsula from the Pillars OF
Hercules to the eastern sands OF the
Mediterranean, spread the conquerins
leglons OF Rome's Unsuitable lust. till they
| found themselves baked for a short pc
| Rod outside the walls OF Jerusalem. The
conflict was fierce. desperate. merciiess.
Famine, dissension. and pestlence were
within; the trained conquerors OF the
world without. On the 9th OF Abh the
| end was come; Jerusalem had fallen. the
| temple lay In ruins. Rome was supreme.