Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-01-31

| ali ANTIQUITIES are not cleared. the Scrip
| tural accounts are triumphantly Nlnuut-
| Gated from the aspersions OF I'M noi '' -
critics on the very points IN resainIo oye 81
! which they most strenuouslS "''S'"
| error in the sacred narrative.
| "For instance the campaign or Cheuyyl
| laomer. about 900 b. c.. described IN Wy
! fourteenth chapter Of Genesis. iney sun
| this was impossible as Babylonian klhss
| could not have made such distant cam,
| paigns at SO early a period. ana lnslstcu
! that special proof OF the fictitious cha,,
| raCtCr OF the account lay III tne stct -. /.
| writer's statement that Babylonla was AT
| ttat time under Elamite dominion HER
Is n sharp issue of fact. Nhat 90 W., Nv
! tablets say? They say. unequVocal4 /,
repeatedly. abundantly, that long peIoae
the days of Abraham and ChedorIa.oi,,ite 4
Babvlonian kings had conquereu w
whole of SYRIA. and even passed over into
cyprus. and that BaG-lonia was nj mat
time under the dominion OF E!am'
THE KINGS OF ISRAEL.
But the most important and most
numerous are the cuneifOrm records OF
the time of the kings Of lsrael. vi "
period of three hundred years these rec
Ords and those Of the Bible run size ny
side, confirming, illustrating, ana e%l iiIl,
ing one another, from the time OF AmdD
till the time of Cyrus the Great; ne
tablets OF Tigiath-Pilaser deSclibe nj
overthrow OF the western cOdlluOn anu
his reduction Of Ahab 20 the POSI- non Oh
a vassal. Shalmaneser on the famous
black marble obelisk. plaster cast Iac-
smile Of which may be seen IN the sPshce
Library. describes I'm detail the tribute
paid by Jehu. and the obelisk shows clear
~ the Jewish physiognomy or the III
bute-bearers. Sargon was said by isaiah
10 have captured Ashdod. the CRITICS
said there never was such KING a.
Sargon. and that Isaiah had blundered.
Now Sargon's own tablets descrlne lne
very campaign referred 10 by lsalan.
Similar illustrations may be given from
the records of Sennacherib ana hsar-
haddOn
I'm short the cuneiform tablets. no less
than the hieroglyphic inscriptions OF
Egypt show that the Bible IS not the
farrlgO Of myth and fiction alleged Dy
the critics. but careful and accurate MS
tory We may therefore turn to these
Scriptures with increased confidence ana
faith. confidence I'm the historical picture
which they set before us ana talth III
the Divine message which they were COM
missoned TO deliver"
Rev. Mr.. Buttricis Mt Y. VI. c. \.
The services at the Young Mems Chris
tian Association Sunday were unusually
interesting. especially so at the mems
meeting. The attendance was large. con-
siderlng the bad weather, and the usual
talk TO men was delivered by Rev a. ID.
Buttrick the drummer evangelist, Of
the life OF Noah. illustrating obedience
and faithfuness to God. The address
was practical and thoroughly helpful. Mr..
Buttrick has a church at Worcester but
IS now travelling for his health. which
had begun to fail under the strain of
work.
Rev. Mr.. CnpcrS nj Holy Trinity.
Rev W. =. Capers. rector Of ST. Johns
Memorial church. of Farmyile, Va, was
in the city Sunday. and preached for Rev.
J. j. Gravatt. at the HOly-Trinity church.
Rev. Mr.. 'Tapers spoke from the text:
God fOrlsd that ! should glory save in
the Cross Of our Lord Jesus Christ"
found i'm Gal. vi, part Of 18th verse.
Mr. Capers cOntrasted the meaning Of
the Cross. that of ienomity and shame
in the apostles time to its symbolism in
the present day. and then asked If It did
not seem strange that the apostle should
find his chefest glory I'm that which had,
until the death of Christ. been the SYM
Dol only of shame and disgrace? The an
swer is that Christs death upon II sane
tilted the Cross. and that He revealed its
true Interpretation to ST. Paul after that
lightning fash from Heaven had struck
him down in the way and the Divine
voice called Saul from his base mission
10 the service Of the Christ whom he PERI
secuted.
CHRIST THE TEACHER.
The speaker then spoke Of Christ as a
teacher. and the perfect example. the |
Messiah. and the wonder worker, and ask |
ad why IL was that 81. Paul did not make |
bis proudest boast of Christ in any or |
aither OF these capacities? Why Christ |
the crucifed? Simply because, said he. |
he apostle realized that something more |
han teaching and example are needed |
for human REDEMPTION. for Christ the |
Teacher proclaimed Himself TO be Christ |
me Saviour. and this salvation was ac-
by His death.
Mr. Capers closed by declaring that az
profoundly mysterious as this doctrine |
seemed 20 the human mind: that if we
win accept the Scriptures we must be-
ieve that there was merit-salvauon-in |
he death of Christ The speaker made
an earnest appeal that men should not |
substitute a merely moral code for the
religion of Christ, and that they should |
not attempt 20 rationalize everything |
mysterious out OF the Scriptures.
MIR. Capers preached ~ St. James
'hurch nc the evening hour. At both
.hurches he made a fine impression for
.arnestness and the strength Of his dis
curses.
RnilE-DaN at Lnurcl-Sifeet.
The services at Laurel-Street Metho-
list Episcopal church on Sunday were of
most interesting nature as the day was
get aside as "Rally-Day." at which time
he members Of the church and congre-
,ation made an Offering which was 90 be
used in tho obliteratl0n Of the church
lebt. The sum of $3.50 was needed, and
,mcrings at the morning and evening SER
'iccs aggregated $40.
The congregations both morning and
evening were large. The pastor, Rev. +.
7inlay Gayle preached at the morning
service from Haggai, second chapter, 18th
% 9th verses and delivered a most elO- !
luent discourse thereon.
At the evening service the pastor also
occupied the pulpit and his sermon was
me of great power and edihcation He
moose as his subject Lots Choice
,sing a part of the 18th verse of 18th
ienesis. "And he pitched his tent toward
'odom" as his text.
Lots choice, he said from a worldly
iew of the situation. was one of honor,
n that he chose for himself the lands
If the Valley Of the Jordan, which were
critic and afforded a supply Of water. un-
United. on which his herds could flourish
md bring TO him valuable returns, so
hat The worldly desire of his heart could
,e fulfilled. SO prosperous was Lot that
Mss herds flOurshed on thousand
nils Prosperity meet him everywhere,
,ut what did 10 profit him? The preacher
iore drew some forclble Illustrations Sc
'eroly inveishing against The bathrooms
md clubs M which the young people Of
o-day meet and enjoy the dance and the