Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-08-11
CalnnaSe
Sermon
BY Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmaae. d. d.

Los. Angeles. Cal. Aug. BIN this
sermon the preacher shows that In
order to make ones life work OF real
value to the world and humanity the
foundations OF character must he laid
deep and true. The text In Matthew
vii. -. "And the rain descended. and
the floods came. and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house. and II fell,
and great was the fall Of it,
The reason the Bible IL not as plain
and interesting to some people as II
might be Is because they do not I'M
derstand the geographical and geolog-
ical and meteorological conditions OF
the Holy Land. In order to IntellIgently
follow the earthly footsteps OF the
Man Of Galilee" the tourist should not
be content with cursory or superb
cial examination. He should study
the meteOrology OF Palestine TO the
last detail lie should not only study
the tornadoes and hurricanes and
thunderstorms which unsheath their
swords of destruction and tumble
down upon the earth huge masses or
water when the windows OF the
heavens are opened by great cloud
bursts, but he should also study the
freshets and those movable sands
mixed with water. commonly called
"auicksands,' and the simoOms, or
slroccos, sweeping over its nearby
deserts. where there Is but little mois-
ture In the furnace heated air. for the
atmosphere Of Palestine would not be
what II IL II the Arabian desert was
not on It's border All these meteoro-
logical studies will clarity the lessons
OF many OF Christ's parallels aud give
an added meaning TO some OF the
strange. weird oriental customs or
the Hebrew race.
II Is said that General Lew Wallace
wrote his great religious masterpiece.
Ben Hur" before he AS tourist had
ever seen Jerusalem. But, though Lew
Wallace might have evolved a true idea
OF the Holy Land out OF books. ] am
frank to confess that with all my theo-
logical studies ! never knew what the
Holy Land was like until ] set foot In
those sacred valleys and saw with my
own eyes those ballowed hills. ] ex'
pected 10 find Palestine almost a trop-
ical land. expected TO find Its hills
covered with dense forests. its valleys
dotted with farms. its bees turning
every mound into hOneycomb. all Its
vineyards growing huge grapes OF Es-
chol and It's flowers crOwding every
nook and corner of the soil. Now. what
did I find? I found the Holy Land
nothing more or less than parallel Of
southern California with another name.
People who have been 10 Los Angeles
and ridden through San Diego county
can form an Idea OF the Palestine hills.
Like southeFn California.
The soils OF both lands are rich
enough II you can only get water upon
them, hut the trouble Is TO get the wa
ter. Instead OF every two or three
weeks hn wing gentle rain Or shower.
Ms we used TO have In the New Eng
land and the middle states, we have In
these two lands the dry and the rainy
seasons. When IL Is dry II Is awfully
dry. Day In and day out. week In and
week out. month In and month out.
that dry weather will continue. Not
one drop OF water will fall from the
heavens during all that time. Literal
~ not one shower will come. Then the
grass withers The soil becomes like
baked clay The dust Is everywhere.
But when the rainy season comes.
then. In order to compensate for her
pauclty OF moisture. nature sends
storms In perfect deluges. Every
canyon has Its raging torrent. The
hillsdes are cut into deep gullies.
The water seems to be everywhere.
This fact Is due to the geographical
conditions, because the waters cannot
ind their drainage outlets as they do
In the verdure covered hillsldes OF the
east. No man. except the bravest,
dare venture out OF doors when the
storms break upon Los Angeles In the
rainy seasons. The sewers will be
choked with water. Every street from
curb TO curb will be huge, rushing
river The car lines will he block
AIDED. All traffic will come TO stand
still Then the hillsides and the val.
leys will blossom as the rose. The
flowers and the rich grasses will spring
up as II by magic IN every side, No
New Yorker or New Englander can
fully understand this atmospheric con
ditiOn unless he has been In Palestine
or In southern California. Thus you
must study the meteorological infiu-
ences OF Palestine before you try to
interpret the parable OF my text
Christ Is not here saying. Every
one who heareth these sayings OF mine
and doeth them not shall be likened
unto foolish man who built his house
upon the sands In Pennsylvania or In
Germany or In France. where II will
rain two or three days every two or
three weeks In every season OF the
year and the water will he drained
quietly and quickly away" Christ Is
saying. Every one who heareth these
sayings OF mine and doeth them not ls
20 be likened unto foolish man who
builds his house ON the sands at the
foot Of some Palestine canyon In dry
season" That dry season may con-
tiuua ,uaafhe and oran vanrs huf