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Travels and Experiences In Other Lands
BY
E. E. BYRUM
Author of “The Secret of Salvation; How to Get It and How to Keep It,” “Divine Healing of Soul and Body,” “The Great Physician and His Power to Heal,” “Be hind the Prison Bars,’ “Boys Cornpanion” “Ordinances of the Bible,” etc., etc.
Moundsville West Virginia U. S. A.
GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY 1905
COPYRIGHT, 1905, By E. E. BYRUM ___________________ Audio download after each article
Preface
PEOPLE travel and afterwards write and tell what they have seen and heard. The tour in “other lands” was not made for the purpose of writing a book; and as but a few days were spent at any place while traveling about forty thousand miles, the reader will not expect to find in this volume a complete history of the countries. Further more, it was written in the midst of the most pressing editorial and office work.
While it gives an account of a tour around the world, it is not a history of the world. This tour was not made merely because of a desire to travel, but by the direction of the Lord, of which the reader will learn by reading the accounts given.
Most people who read this may never have the privilege of visiting the countries mentioned; therefore an effort has been made to present to their minds some facts, and expe riences encountered along the way, that will at least give a faint idea of these lands and peoples, with their manners and customs, religions, and some of the general conditions, and peculiarities that are to be seen as they exist to-day. The illustrations are nearly all from original photographs.
Where extended accounts are given of past events and places, it is generally for some special purpose. For in stance, the insertion of Pliny’s letters to Tacitus and the other aceounts concerning the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of the cities of Herculaneum and Pompeii, A. P. 79, are to acquaint the reader with these places and occurrences, that other truths may be more viv idly portrayed to the mind. As these cities remained buried for many centuries, and in recent years have been excavated, there have been found among those ruins of apostolic days not only signs of gross wickedness, but strong evidences of Christiauity. Also, old manuscripts have been unearthed written in uncial, or the same style of writing as are the oldest manuscripts of the Bible that have been discovered elsewhere.
Frequent and liberal quotations have been made from other writers and authors, among whom the author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to Brother A. D. Khan and Sister N. Evalyn Nichols for quotations from some articles previonsly published. Also, to Kitto, Schaff, Hast ings, and others, regarding the history and fall of Jeru salem and other subjects. In most places no quotation -marks are used, or credit given, as the quotations are frequently intermingled with the language of the author.
This volume is by no means giveu as a production worthy of literary commendation; yet it is hoped that the reader will be able to glean some helpful thoughts on travel, his tory, and religious experience, that may prove beneficial in after-life. With a prayer that the rich blessings of the Lord may he bestowed upon the reader, I remain, Yours in Him, E. E. Byrum February 11, 1905 
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HOME EXPERIENCES.
When fifteen years of age, the Lord sent conviction to my soul, and made known unto me the way of salvation and how to get it. At this age, however, I was very bashful and reserved, and always had averseness of publicity. While attending a protracted meeting, conviction rested on me to such an extent that I finally went forward for prayers. But the first night I received no help. This was repeated the next night, and so on for almost a week. Finally in deep remorse on account of my sins, and the burden that was upon my soul, bashfulness was forgotten, and supplications were sent to the throne; at first in a low audible tone, then with real boldness. At last the point was reached where all was yielded to the Lord, he sent a witness of the Spirit that the work was done. Arising to my feet and facing the audience my first words were, ‘‘I am not afraid of the whole world; the Lord has saved me.” That was about the extent of my testimony, so far as words were concerned. For a number of years afterwards my prayers and testimonies were of but few words.
My father died a few weeks after my conversion. Our home was on a farm in Indiana. At that early age the responsibility of earning for my mother, my sisters, and my two younger brothers, and the management of the farm, was left to me. As time went on my great desire was to be of use to the Lord in some way. But when I would consider my inabilities, my lack of the gift of speech, or gift of prayer, it seemed there was but little for me to do, except what little could be done with my hands in doing good to others.
I remember that not many months after my conversion, while attending a protracted meeting, I had a special desire to be useful in that meeting. Many times I felt a desire to exhort people to come to Christ, and to instruct those who were seeking the Lord, but felt utterly incapable of doing anything on that line. I could not think of enough words to give a testimony one minute in length, and used but few words in prayer. After pondering over the matter, a decision was made to commit to memory the prayer of some one else, and to use it as my own at the meeting.
Returning home after service one day, upon going to my room, a paper was lying on the table, which contained one of Henry Ward Beecher’s sermons with a short prayer pre ceding it. As the prayer contained only a few lines, it would be but an easy matter to commit the same to memory before the afternoon service. After reading it over a few times and repeating it audibly without looking on the paper, I went down upon my knees and rqpeated it a few times, and attended the afternoon service with a feeling of assur ance of being better qualified for doing something in the Master’s service. When the time for prayer service arrived and it came time for me to pray, the prayer was begun with real boldness, which was about as follows: Lord God Almighty, bless our nation, the President of the United States, the Cabinet, the Vice-President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives; bless the Governors of the various States, and—a-n-d---. That was all I could remember of the prayer. After some little hesitation I had to drop down to my own words and common language, which indeed seemed very flat to me and no doubt to those who were listening.
Feeling so chagrined over my failure in the matter, it was for a time a great trial; but the Lord comforted me when I decided thereafter to pray my own prayers and not the prayers of some one else, and to be myself and not try to be Henry Ward Beecher or some other noted man. I decided to pray my short prayer and give in my short testi mony, and when through to sit down and rest assured that I had done the will of God so far as was required of me. In doing this the Lord helped me and increased my talents on these lines as I obeyed him and did my duty, although he never did see fit to give me a gift of speech, as he has given to many others.
This was only one of the experiences along the way. After a few years I began to feel the hand of the Lord upon me more and more for his work; but on account of my ina bilities on the line of public speaking and in private conver sation it seemed that there was little hope of my ever doing any active service in the gospel work.
The time came when the Lord seemed to lay his hand upon me and give me a special calling for his work. This call came the most vividly while plowing in the field. Many times before there were felt the leadings of the Holy Spirit to more active work for God, but now it came as a direct call, it could not be thrown off. Falling upon my knees in the furrow, a prayer was offered to God, asking him to let me off. I would say, “Anybody else, Lord, but me. I am unfit for the work of the Lord; I am not able to compose anything to write; I can not preach, can not talk publicly or do public work, and have no talent for private work.” In fact, there was a doubt as to whether one talent could be claimed as my own. The plow would be followed to the end of the field, and there upon my knees in a fence corner again I would plead with God; or stop along the way behind a stump or almost any place to call upon the Lord for his help. This continued day after day, yet with a great hesi tancy to yield to the call on account of inabilities.
Having been brought up on the farm unacquainted with the many avenues of usefulness in the Master’s vineyard, it did not enter my mind that the Lord would call any one to do anything else but preach. The thought was often pre sented that to consecrate to preach would mean for me that the next thing would be to go to Africa; and above all things it seemed that such was out of the question with me because it would require the learning of a foreign language. Thus was I burdened and harassed for many days, and in this condition would look about trying to call to memory the bright, intelligent young men of my acquaintance, hoping the Lord would accept them instead of myself; but the Lord gave me to understand that He had his hand upon me, and that he meant for me to obey.
With this came an almost irresistible desire to go to school. Just for what purpose was not known; but finally, weak and bashful, and burdened on account of the respon sibilities, a venture was made to promise obedience to God, and thus a covenant was made with him, that if he would open up the way for me to go to school, whenever he called me into his vineyard, let it be whatever it would, I would go. The consecration was complete, as much so as if to be put into action the next day, and the burden was removed. Although under the circumstances at the time no way could be seen open for years to come to attend school, yet almost in a miraculous way there was an opening, and within two weeks from that time I was away from home attending school. As I now look back over my school-days and past life, the hand of the Lord can he seen and his wise direc tion in pushing me forward into places of responsibility and authority all the way along, preparing me for the work which he had for me in the future.
After a short time in school I was obliged to come home on account of sickness, and did not return again for a num ber of months. During my last year in school five of the students formed a private Bible class, and during our Bible study we all became convicted for a deeper work of grace and more spiritual life and a closer walk with God. From the reading of the Word, we soon found that we were in need of real holiness of heart. During a short vacation in holidays, while visiting at my home, I obtained the blessing of sanctification. Upon my return to school the others also were anxious to obtain the same experience. One night two of them met the conditions of the Word and claimed the experience, and received an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Others began seeking in earnest, and we continued to advance in the ways of the Lord.
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ENTERING THE PUBLISHING WORK.
AT the close of the school year on the 9th of June, I started for Bangor, Michigan, where there was a camp-meeting of the children of God. It was not only undenom inational, but anti-sectarian. This was the first of the kind I had ever attended. Here a people was met who believed in fulfilling the Word of God, and who believed that we had reached the time of which the prophet Zechariah foretold when he said, “At eventime it shall be light.” Here the Word of God was preached in its fullness. This for some time had been my idea of worship—all formality cast aside and pride rooted out and the heart filled with the praises and glory of God.
By this time it was clear to me that the time was near at hand when I should be called upon to enter active service in the vineyard of the Lord, but supposed it would be at least two years, and before leaving the university I made arrangements to take another year’s course of studies. Prior to this time I had read a few copies of the Gospel Trumpet, which was then published at Grand Junction, Michigan, about seven miles from where the camp-meeting was held, but had never met D. S. Warner, who was then editor.
A few days after my arrival at the camp-meeting Brother Warner and others came to me and asked me to take the position of publisher and business manager, as some one was required to take the place of the previous publisher. Having never done any work in a publishing house, it seemed almost unreasonable to entertain the thought of accepting such a responsible position, and my inabilities presented themselves more vividly than ever. Immediately the Lord brought to my mind the consecration made while plowing in the field a few years before, when I had said, “Lord, if you open the way for me to go to school, whenever you call me into the work, let it be whatever it will, I will go.” One excuse after another presented itself; but that consecration seemed to stand before me as it were in bold-faced letters deeply imprinted upon my mind, and the Lord gave me to understand that it meant obedience, and he would take care of the inabilities where there was a perfect submission to his will. After being informed that to take the position meant a life of faith, giving my time without salary, and trust in God not only for my own living, but for others and the work that would come under my charge, the matter was taken to the Lord in prayer. After fully considering the matter before the Lord, he soon made it clear beyond a doubt that this was the place where he intended for me to labor.
These responsibilities were assumed June 21, 1887, with out even taking time to return home for a vacation. It was no doubt well that the responsibilities ahead of me could not be realized, or I might have been inclined to turn away from them with a fearful heart; but God, who knows all things, knew how to direct in these matters. Shortly before this I had sold my possessions, and now came a time to make use of the proceeds in the work of the Lord. I soon learned what it was to have not only my means, but my entire life, consecrated to the work of God, which proved to be the way wherein many tests of faith were ahead of me; but the Lord gave the needed grace and faith and help in every time of need.
A few days after I assumed the responsibilities the editor of the Gospel Trumpet started on a western tour, holding revival meeting, and did not return until the middle of the next April. During this time there were many experiences of faith, many close places, financially and otherwise; there were many battles to fight for God on various lines, but victories were won on every hand. Only a few months previous to this time it was very difficult for me to compose a letter of two pages. Although having been a Bible reader from my childhood, I was able to quote but few passages of Scripture and locate them, and had never taken charge of any public services, with the exception of one cottage prayer-meeting. But now there were duties to perform on every hand, new lessons to learn, and responsibilities to assume every day.
The Gospel Trumpet was then a large four-page semi monthly paper. There were only four or five persons besides myself to do the work in the office, kitchen, and home. Only a few books and tracts were published and handled at that time. Aside from having full charge and control of the mail, the correspondence, and the bookkeep ing, I had to aid in setting the type, arranging the same for the press, and do my part of the work in operating the press and the engine, and help in almost every other department of the work. While a narration of the many experiences along these lines would be of some interest, as well as amus ing, we shall refrain from giving them at the present time.
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GOSPEL WORK AND DIVINE HEALING.
IT was not long until I had to take the responsibility of conducting the cottage prayer-meetings; and having had but little experience in explaining and teaching the Word of God, the Lord began to increase me on these lines as I was obedient to his call. Soon in other meetings the same responsibilities fell upon me. But it was two or three years after this before I undertook to take the pulpit before a large assembly of people. My first attempt on this line at a camp meeting was after I felt the Lord specially leading me out and giving me a message. Just how it sounded to others I do not know; but by this time I had been doing consid erable writing through the papers, and there were some present who, knowing my position in the office, expected to hear quite a sermon. But after it was over one lady from Kansas remarked to another, “Brother Byrum can not talk at all.” Hearing this did not puff me up, as the saying is; neither did it discourage me, for I was well aware of my inabilities, and also knew that the Lord was able to bless my weak attempts to his own glory. Leaving the matter with him to bring about results, I desired not to put myself ahead to get out of his order, or to fail to do my duty, but do as he would direct.
As the requests for prayer and for advice and help on many lines came in through the mail and from personal visits, I realized the necessity of having some of the special gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians, and called upon the Lord for the gift of faith, which was granted to me, and later I was led out on the line of divine healing, wherein the Lord saw fit to bestow special gifts upon me, which were developed and increased accord ingly as they were exercised.
The first manifestation to any great extent of the power of healing after this was in the case of a thirteen-year-old boy who had been sick for some time with fever. Another young brother and I were at his home attending a cottage prayer-meeting one evening. Five persons came forward for prayers for the salvation of their souls; and as they received the desire of their hearts, and were leaping and shouting, this boy, being in the same room, said that he desired us to lay hands on him according to the Word of God, and he believed that he should be healed. This was only a few months after entering active service for the Master, and at this time I had never undertaken to preach a sermon, and did not know whether we had any right to lay hands upon him, or consider ourselves elders. But remem bering that the other brother had preached four times before this, and feeling somewhat directed to fullfil the Word of God, we proceeded to lay our hands upon him and ask God to heal him. He was instantly healed, and the fever left him. After this, however, the enemy suggested that as the other brother had preached a few times, it was all done through his faith and none of it through mine.
A week later, while I was at a place where a woman was sorely afflicted with erysipelas, another brother was called upon to pray for her. I said, “Now, Lord, if thou hast given me a gift on that line, have that brother to ask me also to lay on hands.” No sooner had I quietly breathed this prayer than the brother turned and asked me to lay on hands with him. The woman was instantly healed. But still the enemy suggested to me that this brother had been greatly used in praying for the sick and that it was through his faith the woman was healed.
For some time after this I was harassed in this way until finally I had others to agree with me that the Lord would make it clear and plain and give me a real evidence of his will in this matter. It was not long until the matter was thoroughly tested, and others healed in such a manner that there was no question as to what the Lord had given me on this line. Since that time I have witnessed the healing of thousands of people of almost all kinds of diseases. This was not given me because of my own holiness or abilities over that of my brethren, but was a gift from God, to whom I ascribe all the praise and the glory.
In the year 1895 the Lord made clear to me in various ways that he wanted not only me, but also the church, to advance on the line of divine healing and the graces of the Holy Spirit. There seemed to be many more failures in those for whom prayer was offered than we felt could pos sibly be to the glory of God. While pondering over these things one night, I fell asleep and dreamed. In my slumber it seemed that the ministers and I and the other gospel workers in this glorious reformation of the gospel, were in the edge of the lake by the camp-ground. Most of them were running back and forth along the edge in water from ankle to knee deep. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, but afraid to wade out into the deeper water. Now and then some of them would wade out until the water was up to their waists; others would call them back, and warn them against going in where it was so deep. Finally two or three of us waded in up to our necks. There were some loud pro testations against such boldness and what seemed to them rashness. While in that depth we knew it was only two or three feet farther where the water was several feet deeper. I remarked to some one near by, that I had heard people say they could swim better in deep water, and told of my inten tions of moving out into the deep. Without hesitating I sprang forward and soon found myself easily floating on top of the water. It seemed so much easier after going out into the deep that I arose to my feet and found that I could easily run about all over the lake, while those on the shore stood looking on with great fear and trembling. Then others began to move out in like manner, and at this I awakened.
It was only a dream, but the Lord made clear to me through this that it was just the condition of the ministry and the gospel workers. They were only playing along the shore, and not moving out into the deep, where he wanted to show a manifestation of His power in healing the sick and with victory and power over devils. The Lord did not show me by this that he wanted us to walk on water, but to advance to a place in his work where we not only could realize that we were upheld by the power of God, but that others might also see a manifestation of the same.
At the first general camp-meeting that year a number of ministers did move out and take advanced steps, which was honored of the Lord; and there was a manifestation of the power of God in more cases of marvelous healings and deliverances from the power of the devil than had been wit nessed at any previous time.
A few weeks before the beginning of this meeting, I felt the Lord directing me to take a tour along the Pacific coast and in the Western States, visiting the churches in a line of camp-meetings. Here again I was made to realize my ina bilities on many lines. At first the enemy tried to harass me over the advanced step and position I had taken on the line of healing, and in my spare time for more than a week was spent in earnest prayer concerning that matter until the enemy was colnpletely defeated, and during the next few weeks I was enabled to witness the healing of many sick people of various diseases. Among the number of healings were the unstopping of deaf ears, the opening of blind eyes, healing of broken bones, casting out of evil spirits, and a general advancement in the manifestation of the power of God. Another thing that the enemy had brought vividly to my mind at the beginning of this trip was my inability in public speaking, but I promised the Lord I would do His bidding on that line in my stammering way and leave the result with him. I was absent on this trip about four months, and traveled about nine thousand miles.
It may be of interest and also helpful to some reader in experiences on other lines for me to give a brief state ment of some of my experience during those few months. A few weeks before taking the journey mentioned, the Lord had in various ways impressed and tried to show me the great necessity of a special advancement of the ministry and church in general. I also had another dream besides the one mentioned. While it was very plain, yet it was not fully understood at the time.
During the camp-meeting at Grand Junction, while there were some marvelous healings on the last Sunday of the meeting, some of which were witnessed by thousands of people, yet in the midst of this a strange circumstance took place. About a dozen ministers were praying for the sick and afflicted near the clnldren’s park on the camp ground sometime in the afternoon, and many were receiv ing help and realizing the healing touch of their bodies and the removal of their sicknesses and diseases; but the work in general in the church on the line of healing was not so extensive as God desired it should be, and he meant to speedily show us the need of further steps on this line. While one after another was seated in the chair and hands laid on and the prayer of faith offered, two blind girls about eight years of age took their seats in the chair and asked to be prayed for. As soon as they sat down, it seemed the faith of all the brethren dropped, as it were, and vanished away, and I was not a whit behind them; and we all real ized that we were unable to pray the prayer of faith. The little girls had never looked upon anything from the time of their birth. They did not know what it was to behold the beauties of nature. As they arose from the chair they tried to look around, and said: “Mamma, we can see, can’t we? Can we see?’’ But their eyes were not opened.
Others took the chair to be prayed for, but it was very difficult for us to exercise faith for them, even for other afflictions. Soon we had to vacate the place on account of another public service for children, and a number of us went earnestly to God concerning these matters. From that time until night my soul was burdened for poor afflicted human beings, also because of such a failure in the manifes tation of the power of God.
As it began to grow dark in the evening and the night services had commenced in the tabernacle, I went out into the grove and threw myself down on my face upon the grass, earnestly calling upon God for a better understand ing of these things. Then came words something like these, vividly impressed upon my mind: “In this case a miracle is required. Who in the church of God claims the gift of miracles?” I realized that it was God speaking to my soul, and I said: “Lord, I know of no one who claims the gift.” Then and there the Lord gave me an interpretation of the dream I had had concerning these things, and showed me that he desired some one to move out on this line, and when the power of God was manifested the church in general would fall in line accordingly, without fear and with a per fect faith. I arose and at once felt impressed to go and tell Brother Warner about it. Not knowing where he was, I went to his house, and found him alone in his room. After telling him what had taken place, he said, “Brother Byrum, this is of God. He wants his church to advance on these lines, and no doubt desires you to put in for that gift.” I told him that if there was any honor in it, I would prefer that some of my brethren have it. After talking over the matter for some time, we went in prayer. After praying aloud for a short time, Brother Warner began to pray aloud; and while he was thus praying, I silently told the Lord if he wanted me to have that gift to impress Brother Warner to lay hands upon me for that purpose. Immediately he stopped praying and said, “Brother Byrum, the Lord wants me to lay hands upon you for the reception of that gift.” Then I told him what I had told the Lord. He laid hands upon me, and asked God to bestow the gift upon me. While I felt no great manifestation of his power, yet there was an inward consciousness that God had answered prayer.
We afterward learned that a meeting had already been appointed for nine o’clock the next morning for those who desired to make a special advance in spiritual gifts and especially on the line of healing. When I went to that meeting the next morning, it was not my intention to say anything about what had taken place the evening before; but feeling impressed to explain two or three passages of Scripture, I entered the pulpit for a few minutes. I had said only a few words when it seemed I could say no more until I honored the Lord by telling what had taken place. After some hesitation I proceeded and told them how the Lord had led me and what I had claimed. A number of spir itual brethren and sisters had a hearty amen, and felt the need of a forward move. But I occasionally felt a spirit of opposition come against me from others, in words as vividly as if they had been outspoken, as much as to say, “I would rather see you work a few miracles than to hear you tell about it.” And I learned shortly afterwards that the words were frequently actually spoken to others. A few of the brethren presented themselves for special prayer concerning the spiritual gifts, and some claimed special help from the Lord.
A day or two later, together with those brethren, it being the last day of the meeting, those two little blind girls and a crippled girl were brought to a small tent for healing. One brother among the number, however, was inclined to take glory unto himself. After prayer the chil dren were just as they were before. We could not see that they received, any help whatever. Then the enemy seemed to come in like a flood against us and especially against me. I had made a public statement and now the enemy sug gested, “You know you do not have the gift now, as there was a complete failure.”
Two days later, in company with Brother J. W. Daugh erty, my wife and three children and my sister, I started for the Pacific coast. My wife was to remain with her sister in California while Brother Daugherty and I attended a camp-meeting at Elberton, Washington, and other places in the West. We were several days on the way traveling through the northern part of the United States, and British Columbia, and much of the time was spent in prayer. There were but few persons in the coach. It being a tourist car, there was a small anteroom at one end. This we occupied as our private prayer-room. We plead with the Lord to know the reason of the failure, and what was required of us. The Lord began to bring to my mind some reasons for the failure in the cases mentioned, and that one of the persons present was not where he would give God the glory due to Him.
The devil still was suggesting to me that it was no use for me to undertake to advance and claim what I had claimed. He would suggest that I was not able to turn water into wine, walk upon the water, and do such like things, which was meant by miracles. But the Lord brought to my mind the record of the healing of the lame man as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, and that even the opposers at that time, in talking among themselves, said, “That indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we can not deny it.” And there were a number of other things on the line of healing which he brought to my mind as mar velous. Then I asked the Lord what to do, and desired to know more about our responsibilities. And the answer came clear: “It is the duty of the minister to preach the Word with authority from heaven; then it is the duty of the hearer to believe that preaching; and when the min ister is called for, it is his place to pray the prayer of faith. It is the duty of the afflicted one to meet the conditions of the Word of God concerning removing any hindrance possi ble, and to believe for the healing.” My mind was greatly relieved, but still the enemy was harassing with many sug gestions, doubts, and fears.
When we arrived at the camp-ground, a brother met us and said: “We are just waiting for you brethren; we have heard what you claimed in the East, and of the great mani festations of the power of God there, and we have just been waiting your arrival. God is working in our midst, but here are some pretty hard cases that are not healed yet.” As we lifted our eyes, before us were the blind, the deaf, the dumb, the lame, the paralyzed, and those having various other afflictions, awaiting with great expectancy. I silently breathed a prayer, and said, “0 Lord, will my faith take in the situation?” Never did I realize a more utter depend ence upon God, nor feel my weakness to a greater extent; yet God uplifted me by his Spirit and encouraged my heart. Those around me knew nothing about the struggles through which I was passing while we were rejoicing together. As soon as the first short service was over and I could get away, Brother Daugherty and I went to an adjoining hill, he on one side and I on the other, where I threw myself on my face in the tall barley and for two hours prayed God to help and to show me positively regarding these things, and to let me know if he had really given me this gift. It seemed all the answer I could get was, “What is the use of continually asking the Lord for some thing you already have obtained?” I arose and went to the camp-ground.
After the next service I went again alone before God. But this time I had no spirit of prayer. For about an hour I tried to pray and call upon the Lord for Special help and a more positive knowledge; but it seemed as if the Lord did not care to hear my continual asking, but only seemed to bring to my mind how unnecessary it was to keep calling upon him for the thing that I already had. Not feeling thoroughly satisfied, I went out the third time. We had been putting off nearly all those special cases from time to time thus far, and in one way or another excusing our selves or absenting ourselves from them; but we found that this could not he continued much longer. Therefore as I went out into the grove alone the third time, I was just getting ready to kneel and earnestly implore the Lord for help as usual; but scarcely had my knees touched the ground when the only words I could speak were, “0 Lord, I praise thee for what thou hast given me.” It seemed my soul was filled with the power and glory of God, and only those words escaped my lips. Finally I arose and said, “Lord, now make manifest thy power to thy servant.”
Upon going back to the ground, I overheard a man from Idaho speaking to some one else, saying that he came to that meeting with the intention of being healed, but he supposed now that he would have to return without receiv ing the needed help. Calling him to me, I inquired some cerning his condition. He said that twenty-three years before, while engaged in a fight, a man struck him on the ear, bursting what is generally called the ear-drum, making him totally deaf in that ear. Doctors examined it and said it would be impossible for him ever to hear out of it again. Just before going to the meeting he had a physician examine it in order that the Lord would get glory in his healing. As we were talking, the Lord seemed to impress me that here was a chance for the power of God to be manifested. Immediately the man was told to come into the tent, and the Lord would heal him. Another brother whom the Lord had been using both in preaching and in practising the Word of God on these lines was present; and when we laid our hands upon him and asked God to heal him, the healing power was manifested, and the man threw up his hands, and said, ‘‘I can hear as well out of that ear as out of the other one.’’ He was made every whit whole from that moment. A brother who stood in the door of the tent and witnessed the same said: ‘‘Brethren, we are living in the days of apostolic power. We have a boy here on the grounds, who has been going about on crutches, and we do not feel it to the glory of God for him to continue in that way. We desire that you come and pray for him.” In compliance with his request we went immediately and prayed for the boy, and commanded him in the name of Jesus to arise. He threw down his crutches and started to walk, at first with some difficulty, but as he moved forward God sent the healing power, and he had not taken many steps until he was walking with both feet upon the ground and without difficulty. A day or two later, being anxious to know how he was getting along, while looking for him, I found some little children riding his crutches around for horses; so concluded the boy was all right; and when I found the boy, he was every whit whole.
Then there was a woman to be prayed for, who had been paralyzed on one side for twelve years, during which time she was totally blind in one eye and deaf in one ear. She also was healed, and likewise the others who applied. The devil was completely defeated, and did not come around with his discouraging suggestions.
At our next camp-meeting in Oregon there were a num ber of healings, among which was a marvelous case of the healing of broken bones, an account of which is given on page 366 in the book entitled “The Secret of Salvation: how to Get It, and How to Keep It.”
Then the enemy took a new line of suggestions. His first was, “Now as God did this work, let him do his own advertising of it; you say nothing about it, in order that you may keep humble.’’ The suggestion seemed to be such a good one that I thought it probably was from the Lord; but, with other suggestions, I soon found it was from the enemy, who did not want the church in general to know what was going on, as it would increase their faith. The Lord gave me to understand that he could keep us humble; that he desired to have his name glorified among the people; and that the apostles recorded some of the wonderful heal ings done in their day, and through the publishing of the same our faith is increased. I therefore published an account of some of the healings, which was truly a great help to the faith of the brethren elsewhere.
I then decided that upon my return home I would begin a special colmnn in the Gospel Trumpet devoted entirely to the subject of divine healing. Among the special articles I felt led to write was one against the use of medicines. It seemed from that time, as I journeyed from one camp-meeting to another, almost at every meeting shortly before the time came for me to preach on divine healing, I became sick. Then the enemy would suggest that it was not wisdom for me to talk on that subject, as I was not well myself. But from the experiences I had been having along the way with him, I concluded that he should not defeat me in carry ing out the design of the Lord; and as I moved forward, regardless of my afflictions or the oppositions of the enemy, I always received the needed help from the Lord.
While at a meeting in Okhahoma on my way home, one day I felt specially led to give a lesson on divine healing. Two hours before the time came I began to feel quite ill; but I knew God wanted the lesson to be delivered. When the time arrived, I started for the pulpit, but became so violently sick I had to stop and have the elders lay hands upon me. I received considerable help, but was yet feeling very weak. The enemy suggested that I dare not preach very strong on healing that day as I was not well myself. I said, “I will preach stronger than ever, if possible.” The lesson was followed by a very precious healing service. Among those who presented themselves were two men—one blind in one eye, the other deaf in one ear. One had been in that condition for thirteen years; the other, thirty-nine. They were made every whit whole, and testified to the glory of God. I knew then why the enemy did not care to have me give the lesson.
It was immediately after that service that a Trumpet was handed me in which the editor had written an article almost directly contradicting or teaching contrary to some things I had taught that day. He, throngh the influence of others, seemed to let down the shield of faith and rather compromise on the line of healing, rather advising the use of remedies, not realizing to what extent it would be a hindrance to the faith of those who would adhere to his teaching. He had not intentionally lowered the standard of faith, but the enemy of souls was working to hinder a general movement on this line. After giving the lesson heretofore stated, a brother handed me that paper and requested me to read the article and asked me what I thought of it. I told him that I did not think the editor desired to compromise at all, but he had undoubtedly started off on that line; but I could not afford to let down the standard, and I would have a talk with him when I reached home. When I met him a few weeks later, I said, “You have tied my hands, as the saying is, from teaching the whole Word of God, if I permit them to be tied; but I can not afford to let down the standard.” He said if he had let down the standard, he would raise it up again, which he did.
It is the business of Satan to call in question every advanced step of the children of God, and to hinder and prevent in every way possible. I am safe in saying that God has been urging his ministers and gospel workers on many lines, and that they have simply let Satan defeat them through some of his wily suggestions and oppositions.
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PROPOSED TRIP TO HONOLULU.
DURING this trip there was something that proved to be a source of considerable thought and prayer and varied experience. Two years previous to this time I dreamed one night that I had taken a trip to the Pacific coast; and upon my arrival at Los Angeles, I met some of the brothers and sisters with whom I was to remain for a few days, and I was preparing to go on to a foreign field as a mis sionary. Here among the first ones I met, I very unexpect edly saw Sister Caroline Bobbins, who had in former years lived near my home, although I did not know that she was hiving in that part of the country. During my dream I thought I went to the ship landing, and I did not know just what ship I was to take. There were the masts of many ships from different countries, and I saw the long line of different ships. Near the top of one mast was the name in silver letters. I said, “That is not the one.”
Farther on was one in gold, which said HONOLULU. Imme diately I felt that was the one I was to take. I awakened, but could not fully understand what it meant.
Two years afterward the Lord moved upon me to take the journey that has just been mentioned; and while pre paring to start, it was impressed on my mind that probably Honolulu might be in the trip. This city is about twenty-four hundred miles from San Francisco, out in the Pacific Ocean, on the Hawaiian Islands.
Before starting on the western tour, I made mention to my brother how I had been feeling for the last few da.ys, that probably Honolulu would be included in the tour; but never having been engaged in missionary work in a city, and not being a good public speaker, and knowing nothing about the language of that country, I keenly felt my inabilities. Then came before me the consecration I had made while plowing in the field a number of years before; that I would preach, I would go to Africa, I would do anything; whatever he called me to do I would do. After reviewing my consecration again, I found it was complete and included Honolulu or any other place if the Lord directed; but the Lord desired to test me to the extent of my consecration, as He did Abraham of old.
After arriving at Washington and having talked the matter over with Brother Daugherty, he had decided to go if the Lord so directed. We did not know what the expenses would be. We had only a few dollars, but that was not bothering so very much, as we knew from past experiences that God would supply our needs. We were not working for a salary, neither were we taking up collections, but depending on our needs being supplied by free-will offer ings, unsolicited. One day while crossing the camp-ground a piece of paper was found lying upon the ground, which proved to be a time-table giving the rates of a recent excursion to Honolulu. From this piece of paper was obtained the address of the General Manager of the Steam ship Company at San Francisco. The fare mentioned on the circular was about $150.00 for round trip from Port land, Oregon. I said to Brother Daugherty, “The Lord must bring that down to $25.00 one way for each of us.” And remarked to a brother that if my dream had anything to do with it, we were to start from Los Angeles. The brother laughed at me, and said, “Los Angeles is an inland town, and you can not sail from there.” It is about five hundred miles from San Franeisco, from whence the ship sailed. In looking over the circular again, I found that one of the general passenger agents was located at Los Angeles, and wrote to him regarding the fare and found that the fare from San Francisco was $75.00 first-class, $25.00 steer age, and would be the same from Los Angeles, transporta tion between the two places being given in addition free.
We had a little prayer-meeting at the camp-meeting concerning the matter of going, and a brother prayed that if it was pleasing to the Lord for us to go that our desire to go be increased and if not that the desire be taken away. It seemed from that time on there was an intense desire to go to Honolulu and longing to work for God among the natives. While on our way southward through California we read in a paper that cholera had broken out among the people in Honolulu. Brother Daugherty said, “What do you think of that?” I told him that if only they permitted us to land there we should be all right. Soon we learned that the ports were closed—people were not allowed to land; but this did not seem to discourage us.
The time for the Los Angeles camp-meeting was draw ing near, and we were to sail about the middle of the meeting. I had never visited California before, but upon arriv ing at Los Angeles the scenery about the depot was just the same as I had seen in a dream two years before. Among the first ones met after getting off the train, as we went into the tent where the meeting was to be held, was Sister Caroline Robbins.
We were still preparing to set sail, provided the ports opened, although there were several things which had to be removed out of the way by the help of the Lord before we could go. Already a number of things had been brought about in direct answer to prayer. One was my wife and family were not willing for me to go. But this matter was taken to the Lord, asking him to make her willing if it was pleasing for us to take the journey. When we arrived where she was, she gave no objection, but helped in pre paring things for the trip.
We had written for Brother J. W. Byers to come and take charge of the meeting during our absence; but he answered that he was four hundred miles away, and it would be impossible for him to come. We were to start on Sunday at noon. On Saturday morning we went to the Lord in prayer and told him that if He wanted us to go, we desired three things. One was that the ports be opened, another that we have $40.00 more, and the other that Brother Byers be sent to us that morning. Upon going to the post-office, there was a letter with a money order for me from Michigan of just $40.00. Some one who had been owing me for some time had paid the money, and it was forwarded to me. We went down to the ticket-office, and while looking for it along the street, we came to a place where there was a bulletin-board giving a list of steam ship lines in silver letters, but on that we failed to find Honolulu; looking over the door, there in large gold letters was the word “Honolulu.” We went in; the agent said, “The ports are opened at Honolulu.” Brother Byers did not come that forenoon, but he came in the afternoon.
That night I had another dream. I dreamed that we went to Honolulu, and upon our arrival went immediately to a certain part of the city to begin work, very anxious to do something for the Lord. When I came to the door of a house, a man was standing in front; he said to me, “You can not enter here.” I told him that I came there to work for the Lord, and that I would begin at that house. He repeated, “You can not enter here; there is a man sick in this house.’’ ‘‘A man sick!’’ I said; ‘‘the Lord will heal him.” He again repeated, “You can not enter here; the man inside has the cholera.’’ I then said, ‘‘Praise the Lord, he will heal cholera as quick as anything else.” The man, being an officer, was somewhat vexed at my persist ency and said, “I tell you, you can not enter here. If you want to work for the Lord, go back on the other side of that partition and work for him.” I looked and saw a par tition which went the entire length of the city, shutting off that part from the other. Going behind it, I found there were very small rooms or cells where I could do only private work, see one person at a time. There I began my work. In another part of the city was another partition where I could have access among the people to some extent, but could neither hold public meetings nor distribute litera ture. I was awakened and asked the Lord to reveal what it meant. The Lord seemed to give me an assurance that he would make it clear to me.
The next morning, which was the morning of the day we were to start, we went again to the ticket-office, and the agent said, “The ports are opened at Honolulu, but I would advise you not to go now. It would be to my advantage to sell you a ticket; but if you go, you can do but little, if any, work. Through a part of the city, where they have a line of special policeman, no one can go beyond that line of police. In another part of the city you can do only private work; and while in the other part you could go among the people, you would not be allowed to hold public services or distribute literature.” Immediately the Lord flashed into my mind the dream that I had had and the interpretation thereof; that the special line of police was the partition I had seen, and it needed no further explana tion. He also made dear to me that he did not want me to go at that time, thus put an end to my preparations.
A week later I went to San Pedro, eighteen miles dis tant, where I took ship for Cayucos, at which place I landed after two nights and a day and a half. This is a small town along the sea coast. There I was met by a brother, and taken to his home fourteen miles away. The next day we traveled twenty-two miles over the mountains and came to a large union meeting-house, where there were a few brethren anxiously awaiting my coming. They said they were not surprised at my arrival.
Some time before, I had written to them, in answer to a very earnest request to come, that I expected to go to Honolulu, and should not likely have time to visit them. They said that upon receipt of my letter they went in earnest prayer, and had a special prayer-meeting, and fasted and prayed until the Lord assured them that I would come.
It was Thursday evening when I arrived. That night it was announced that on Saturday afternoon a special service would be held for divine healing, and the people were requested to bring in their sick friends that they might hear the Word of God preached and get faith for healing.
When the time came the house was crowded, and after talking for about an hour and a half on the subject of salvation and healing, the invitation was given to all who desired salvation or healing of their bodies. Soon the altar was filled, which extended across the entire house, and the people began to drop on their knees at their chairs. I said, “O Lord, what shall I do? how can I instruct all these people?” It looked as if nearly the whole congregation was seeking help. I asked the Lord to speedily instruct them by his Spirit, and make quick work of it. I gave them some pointed instruction on how to believe the Lord. Many received the desired help before I came to them; and scarcely any one required more than one minute’s instruc tion. After those had received the needed spiritual help there were fourteen left who desired special prayer for the healing of their bodies. The first one upon whom hands were laid, before a short prayer was completed sprang to her feet shouting and praising God for his healing power. One after another in like manner received the healing touch. Finally we came to a little girl, probably twelve years of age. Her mother told me she was almost deaf, could hear only by speaking very loud in her ear. After prayer the impression came to me, Now act out your faith. Walking around to the steps of the high, elevated rostrum, or pulpit, I stood about ten or twelve feet from her and in a common tone of voice called her by name and told her to say, “Praise the Lord.” She immediately repeated the words. I then lowered my voice and stepped back farther away, asking her to repeat the words that I should say, which she did and could hear clearly and distinctly, to the astonish ment of the audience, and the name of the Lord was glorified.
The next day being Sunday, a very large crowd assembled. After the sermon was delivered one man arose and asked for the privilege of testifying, which privilege was granted. He said he was an unsaved man; yet he believed in religion, and he believed in God and that his work should be honored. Now said he, “Since that little girl was healed yesterday, I have heard it rumored among the people here that there was nothing the matter with her.” Turning to the audience, he said, “I know better, and you know better. She was brought up in your midst, and you know that she was almost entirely deaf. You saw her tested publicly yesterday, and know that it was done by the power of God.” He said he made no profession of religion, and knew that he ought to live right and admon ished the people to believe in God. His talk was quite effectual as he was a prominent man in that community. Quite a number were baptized after the services.
From there I went to San Francisco. While at that place I concluded to go to the ship landing and see the vessels that sailed for foreign ports. Being very much puzzled as to the leadings I had been having during the past, I was not just satisfied without a better understand ing from the Lord as to why such things should be. While walking along the dock with my head bowed in silent prayer, I asked the Lord why it was that he seemingly led me all the way along to go to Honolulu, and there were many things removed out of the way in answer to prayer and the way opened in a miraculous manner, then almost at the eve of starting upon the journey he led me to do exactly to the opposite and not go. Could it have been the enemy leading at one time or the other? If so, how should I ever know for sure when the Lord was leading, and when he was not leading? Therefore I desired for him in some way to reveal to me positively in a satisfactory manner for my own benefit as well as for the benefit of others. Imme diately these words came to me by way of impression, yet seemingly as vividly as if they had been spoken aloud: “I the Lord God commanded Abraham to offer Isaac; I the Lord God commanded him not to do it, and it was none of Abraham’s business, except to obey.” This together with the witness of his Spirit made the matter so clear and satisfactory that I no longer questioned his leadings; but knew that he in some way did it for a wise purpose. It has been a source of great help to me at many times.
I also found afterwards that had I gone on the journey, I would have been in that country at the time of the death of Brother Warner, the editor of the Gospel Trumpet; That as it was I arrived home a few weeks before his death. At that time I had been for a few years previous, office editor, but now assumed the duties of the editor.
After this time I also took a number of trips, throughout various parts of the United States and Canada, which were accompanied by the blessings of the Lord in the work, and with many varied experiences, which can not be given here for want of space.
During the past few years, as the sending forth of books, tracts, and papers to foreign countries continued to increase, there came, in response, many letters of inquiry from those who were seeking after light, and desiring advice and instruction on spiritual matters. In these different countries God was raising up a people to proclaim his Word in its fulness. Among those chosen for this pur pose was Brother A. P. Khan, a converted Mohammedan, who was saved and brought out into the light while attend ing college in Calcutta. He began working among his fellow students and those with whom he came in contact, and the work soon began to speedily increase in that country.
In 1897 we made a shipment of over one-half a ton of books and tracts for distribution in India, also sent two small printing-presses. Brother Khan began the publica tion of a paper both in English and native languages. About the beginning of the year 1903 we felt it would be pleasing to the Lord for him to come to this country and visit the different camp-meetings and churches of God throughout the United States and Canada. On the 11th day of April, 1903, he sailed for America, arriving at Moundsville, West Virginia in time for the June camp-meeting, after which for several months he attended meetings in Canada and differ ent parts of the United States. His trip was much blessed of the Lord in meeting with the brethren and acquainting them with the work in India.
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A CALL TO FOREIGN FIELDS.
ABout the time Brother Khan started for America I began to feel very much impressed that the Lord would have me visit some of the Eastern countries soon. For years it had been much impressed upon my mind that some day I would visit Rome and some other parts of Europe, Africa, Egypt, Palestine, and probably India. As the time drew near for his return to India it became a matter that must soon be settled. My wide correspondence in foreign lands was of such a nature that I was incompetent to meet the demands and give the proper advice and instruction to the earnest inquirers, because of a lack of knowledge of the manners and customs of the people in those countries and the situation of affairs in general. There were also people of this country who were feeling led to go to foreign fields, and were writing to us for information and advice concern ing the work in those countries. We were also feeling that there was not as great advancement being made in preaching the gospel to all nations as the Lord desired to have accom plished; and pure literature was not going forth to those countries as rapidly as it should, because of a lack of proper knowledge and understanding of how to send it and secure its proper distribution. There were many other important things brought to bear upon our minds showing the necessity of some one at an early date visiting those different foreign lands, and by the help of the Lord opening up avenues where the literature could be sent forth more abundantly and the truth established among the different nations.
Another thing, the higher critics and some professing Christians who deny the whole truth of the Bible have for years been trying to give reasons for the signs not follow ing, which are mentioned in the last chapter of St. Mark and elsewhere. They finally hit upon a plan, that if they could deceive the people and show them that these things were not in the old manuscripts, their unbelief might be excused; and the devil saw he could lead many people into infidelity and thereby gain a good foothold, and thus defeat Christianity.
At the present time there are many critics of the Bible who call themselves ‘‘higher critics,’’ who have many passages of Scripture which they say are not in the original manuscripts. We had met this matter before by publishing the facts of the case through the Trumpet; but some would say, “What do they know about it? They have never seen the manuscripts, and the critics have seen them.’’ Therefore we felt that it would be pleasing to God, while we were traveling through those countries that we should visit the museums and libraries where those manu scripts are kept and examine them.
At a camp-meeting at Claypool, Indiana, in August, 1903, the matter of such a proposed trip was mentioned to a great number of ministers who were present, for their advice and prayers; and later at an assembly at Mounds ville in November. At that time it had developed very clearly that it was the will of God for me to accompany Brother Khan on his return home, and all the ministers felt the conclusion was reached by the direction of the Lord. It was decided that such a tour would take at least eight months.
There were several things of importance to be taken into consideration. I had constantly been crowded with my work and office responsibilities, and some one had to be found to assist or take charge of my office work. Knowing that it would be quite expensive to travel about forty thou sand miles and be absent about eight months and no money at hand to take the trip was another item to be considered. I had also recently obligated myself to pay $100.00 on the Office indebtedness, of which amount not one cent was yet paid. My wife and children were not reconciled to my going. By the time arrangements could be made we should be obliged to cross the ocean in mid winter, during the most stormy period of the year, and arrive in India at the beginning of the hot weather, to remain during the hottest months. With these things and many others facing me and a deep burden for precious souls, I went to the Lord in earnest prayer. For three days and nights I fasted and prayed, not so much to know the will of God concerning my going, as the Lord had already settled that in my mind, but that these other things might be cleared out of the way or in some way made satisfactory. I knew the Lord could provide the means to go if he wanted me to go, and he could open the way on every other line.
I was confident my brothers and sisters in Christ would be anxious to help bear the expenses if they had a knowl edge of the same, but I hesitated much in asking them to do so. But I desired their earnest prayers. A brother felt led to write an article for publication concerning my trip, and a statement concerning the expenses, and if any felt led of the Lord to send anything for that purpose they should feel free to do so. While this may have occurred to some as almost entirely setting aside faith in the matter, yet I had no evidence as to how much would be sent in for that purpose, and had to call upon God just the same as if no statement had been made.
At the close of my three days’ fast God assured me that he would open the way on every line. My wife and chil dren became perfectly reconciled and willing for me to go. A few hours later a brother gave me seventy-five cents, and said, ‘‘My wife and I feel led to give you tlis money. If you go to India, use it for that purpose; or if not, use it as the Lord directs.’’ Knowing that it was almost the last they had in their purse, I hesitated in accepting the same but he assured me that the Lord impressed them to give it. Some one else gave me $2.00. This was all that was received for almost two weeks. It was then but a short time until we were to start. I had to borrow money to purchase my trunk, satchels, etc.; but in a day or so the Lord had enabled me to pay it. I began making every arrangement the same as if the money was at hand.
One morning a brother came to me and said, “Do you owe anything on the Office indebtedness
To which I replied, ‘‘Yes, sir.’’
He then said, “How much is it $100.00”
‘‘Yes, sir.’’
He continued by saying that during the night the Lord had awakened him out of a deep sleep and told him to pay me $100.00, which I owed on the office indebtedness. I asked him if he was sure it was the Lord.
‘‘Yes, sir,’’ he replied; ‘‘it was the Lord. There is no question about it; and I would not feel right if you did not accept it.’’
Under the circumstances I could not well refuse, as I had asked the Lord while alone fasting and praying to remove that responsibility if he wanted me to go, and here now he was answering my prayer. The brother paid me the money, and I immediately settled my account.
While asking the Lord for some one to help take my work in the Office, I was much impressed to write to a brother; and he immediately answered that he and his wife felt led to come and assume such responsibilities as it was in his power to assume. Thus one obstacle after another was removed until the way was clear for me to go.
In the mean time the Lord was moving upon others to accompany us. Brother and Sister G. W. Bailey had for mouths been feeling their call to the work in India, and had already started on their way from California, going by the way of Oregon and Washington and making a short stop in Chicago, and arriving at Moundsville a few days before time for sailing. In the mean time Sister N. Evalyn Nichols, of Los Angeles, California, was led in like manner, and just a few days before the time made a decision to sail for India.
The time set for sailing was January 23, 1904, from New York City. Brother Khan remained at the Trumpet Home a few days, leaving there about a week before the time of sailing. Brother and Sister Bailey and little Orlen, aged nine months, were there at the time; and the evening before Brother Khan left we had a farewell meeting with the Trumpet Family, and also ordinance service; and hands were laid upon those who were expecting to depart, ask ing the blessings of the Lord upon them, and imploring God to make them useful in his service.
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A FAREWELL LETTER.
After Brother Khan left he wrote the following letter to the brethren of America: To the Saints of God, Greeting: It is with a heavy heart and deep feelings that I take up my pen to write a few lines of farewell salutation, dearly beloved brethren and sisters in the United States and Canada. As the time of my departure from the beautiful shores of America is draw ing nearer, my feeble heart, so full of love and fellowship divine, is beating faster at the very thought of separation from those who are so near and dear to my soul, and whose pure love unfeigned and fraternal is enjoyed so much, and with whose hearts my poor heart is so inseparably entwined with indissoluble ties
—‘‘A thousand chords our hearth entwine Forever and forever.”
How true and prudent are the words of the inspired apostle—that we have been cut off from the wild olive-tree and grafted into the true vine, which is Jesus Christ our Lord! Oh, how intimately and vitally we are connected together as the branches of the same vine and members of the same body, with the same blood flowing through all our veins! Glorious union! Blessed unity! Indeed our hearts are knit together in love! Oh, how I have enjoyed the blessed fellowship and sweet communion with the saints of God! I was asked often and again whether or not I was homesick while in this country, to which my only reply was and is, How can I get homesick when I am at home with beloved saints of God with whom I expect to spend eternity in heaven? Do men get homesick when they are at home? Truly, beloved brothers and sisters, indeed I do not have any occasion to get homesick while in such company, sitting together in heavenly places with Jesus himself. I enjoy it so much I wish I had more of it. A separation under such circumstances is in no way less pain ful and heart-rending than the one I had to undergo when I left my native shore. I can scarcely restrain the flowing tears unbidden, at the very thought of separation for life. When I left my beloved ones beyond the briny deep, I had a hope of the reunion in the near future, and persuaded myself the separation was only for a short time; but alas! this my separation, is—shall I say?—perhaps for life. Who knows whether we shall meet again or not and have the pleasure of beholding each other’s faces? I hope we shall some day; but alas! that hope is so slender and dim that it can hardly sustain the strain and relieve the suspense. If in this life alone we have hope and no more, I would be the most pitiable man on earth. But blessed be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who brought the hope of immortality to light, we have a strong consolation and a hope sure and steadfast that we shall all meet together over there on that brighter shore never to part again.
Joyful, joyful will the meeting be In our eternal home.”
This is the hope that sustains us under all adverse circum stances, and we have joy and peace in believing. Praise the Lord!
Allow me to seize this opportunity to express my sin cerest and heartfelt thanks and gratefulness to all the brethren and sisters who showed their kindness and liber ality to me, and yet not to me, but to the Lord and his cause, for their words of encouragement and active sym pathies. God bless you, one and all. Allow me, also, to ask your prayers on my behalf that I may, if it be the Lord’s will, be granted to you again. I am almost afraid I will get homesick for America after my return.
May I further ask your prayers and invite your active cooperation in the responsible work the Lord has called us to in saving precious souls of the dying millions of that dark continent of religious confusion and superstition. Poor India needs your prayers. The Lord is going to evangelize India with the pure and unadulterated gospel of the glorious evening light. Will you help him? He seeks volunteers to help him; will you ask him what He will have you do in this grand soul-saving campaign? Finally, pray for us who are going to that land to preach the full gospel, that we may go with the fulness of the blessings of Christ, and that we may be kept clean and in pure channels only, and that the blessings of heaven may flow through us and the gospel of the grace of God may have a free course, and that he keep us humble.
‘‘If you should never see my face again, Pray for my soul. More things are wrought by prayer Than this world dreams of. Wherefore, let thy voice Rise like a fountain for me night and day.
For what are men better than sheep or goats That nourish a blind life witin the brain, If, knowing God, they lift not hands up there Both for themselves and those who call them friend?
For so the whole round earth is every way Bound by gold chains about the feet of God. But now farewell.” ‘‘God be with you till we meet again.”
With much holy love, I remain your brother and servant in his cause for poor India’s dying millions, A. D. Khan.
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TIME-TABLE OF TRAVELS.
THE following list was prepared for those desiring to know something about the time we would be at certain places and countries, which was as near complete as we could arrange at that tine: Leave New York, TI. S. A., January 23, 1904. “ Liverpool, England, February 1. Tangier, Morocco, North Africa, February 15. London, England, February 22. “ Rome, Italy, March 7. “ Port Said, Egypt, March 15. ‘‘ Jerusalem, Palestine, April 5. Bombay, India, April 17. Arrive Calcutta, India, April 21. Wi1I receive nail at— London, England. Tangier, Morocco, North Africa. Rome, Italy. Port Said, Egypt. Jerusalem, Palestine. Calcutta, India. Address all communications care of POSTE RESTANTE. Approximate time required in transit of mails: From New York to London 7 days. “ New York to Rome 12 days. “ New York to Tangier 14 days. “ New York to Port Said. - . .15 days. “ New York to Jerusalem... .15 days. “ New York to Calcutta 30 days. Thin paper should be used in writing. Postage of let ters, five cents for every one-half ounce or fraction thereof.
E. E. Byrum, Jerusalem, Palestine, Syria. POSTE RESTANTE.
SAMPLE OF ADDRESS.
This time-table with some further instructions were printed on cards, which also contained other places along the way where stops were to be made.
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LEAVING HOME.
WORDS can not express the feelings of my heart as the time came to bid adieu to my dear family, the workers at the Office and Trumpet Home, brethren and friends of my native land, to go forth into foreign lands among strange people and strange languages and face the dangers of sea and land. But these things were counted as but small matters in comparison with the responsibilities con nected with such a trip. The most impressive thought to me was, Can I fulfil the mission my Lord and Savior has directed me to fulfil? I was aware that it would have the appearance to some as that of a pleasure trip, an unneces sary expense, and seeking fame; but I realized that those who understood the necessity and responsibilities, and who would take the matter to the Lord in earnest submissive prayer in the light of rescuing precious souls, had no such thoughts.
The short trips previously taken through various parts of the country had been of untold value on account of the varied experiences gone through, which aided in preparing me to help precious souls in time of trouble and in giving advice to brethren who met with different cases and things in their field-work. It was not my mission to hold a series of meetings in the many places to be visited, as that was not my calling on thus trip.
At 2 P. M. Thursday, January 21, 1904, the time came to bid farewell to wife and children, then to the faithful workers at the Trumpet Office and Home. It was hard to break loose from those with whom we were so closely bound by natural ties and holy fellowship.
After our farewell greetings, in company with Brother Bailey and wife anl infant son, we started on our journey to New York City. On the train we met Brother V. W. Titley and wife. They had been in the evangelistic work in Ohio, but were now on their way to Pennsylvania. At Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, Brothers McCreary and Pollock met us at the depot. Leaving Pittsburg at ten o’clock at night, our train reached Jersey City, New Jersey, just before noon the next day, it being late. Our baggage was checked for Twenty-third Street Station, New York. At Jersey City the western trains stop, and passengers for New York go aboard the large ferry-boats crossing the river. Instead of crossing over at New York we went by street-car to Hoboken, New Jersey, a distance of about four miles, to the home of Brother Blewitt., where we were to remain until the next morning. Here we met Brother Rhan, Brother J. w. Daugherty, and others, and held a meeting that night in Hoboken. Sister Nichols had not yet arrived. She telegraphed from Moscow, Idaho, stating that she did not think she could arrive at New York in time to sail by January 23rd, and asked if we could wait until the 27th. A message was sent to her telling her to come without delay, and that passage was already secured for her as far as London. It being midwinter and trains liable to be snow-bound in the Northwest, we realized that God would have to almost miraculously open the way for her to arrive in time. She had also sent another telegram from Spokane, Washington, saying she would arrive in New York at 7:40 Saturday morning. About two o’clock Saturday morning another message was received from Buffalo, New York, stating that she would probably arrive at New York City at five or seven o’clock. Many prayers had been offered that God would speed the train and give her wisdom in choosing the right one. Some of the brethren went to the morning trains, but did not find her.
We went aboard the ship, which we were told would sail promptly at nine o’clock. As the passengers were hastening up the gangway, she failed to be among the number. Soon the gangway to our part of the ship was taken up and a partition drawn, which obstructed our vision and cut off all connection with the vessel from that end of the pier. We went to our cabins and held a few minutes’ prayer-meeting, asking God to hold the vessel. An officer of the ship was asked if they could not hold the ship there for a few minutes at least. The reply was emphatically, ‘‘No! When nine o’clock comes this ship sails. Nothing can hold this ship, as it is a mail-steamer.” But nine o’clock came and the ship did not move. Ten minutes passed by, then twenty, and it was still there. Two of the company went into the cabin in earnest agreement of prayer, and said, “Lord, do not let this ship move until Sister Nichols comes.” Before another ten minutes passed by, here she came walking down the hallway of the ship, praising the Lord. Her ticket, however, had been given to Brother Blewitt and Brother Daugherty at nine o’clock, that they might deliver it to her; but as the partition of the dock had been closed for half an hour, cutting off all communication with them, we did not suppose they remained there any longer. All we could do was to ask God to send them to another part of the ship, where a gangway was yet open. As we walked down to the foot of this gangway, here we met the two brethren with the check, as we were about to telegraph the agent with instructions concerning it. It seemed the Lord had directed the whole matter and everything was properly arranged, and in a few minutes the vessel began to move. We were told that because of the heavy fog they did not start earlier. Under such cir cnmstances they usually left the pier at the appointed time, and waited outside at the mouth of the river; but at this time God made them wait at the pier.
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SAILING ON THE ATLANTIC.
In traveling from one country to another it is fre quently necessary for a person to obtain a passport from his own country. A passport is a certificate or paper given by the government, giving a description of the person to whom it is given, which will aid him in identifying him self in foreign countries, and also often enable him to obtain proper recognition and receive protection. Some of our company had obtained their passports before sailing, while others had not, but had to make application throngh the American Consul at Liverpool. It is best for a person before leaving to secure the passport in America. Applica tion, accompanied with a fee of $1.00, is made to the Secretary of the United States at Washington, D. C. First make application for a blank, which upon receipt is to be filled out and sent, and the passport will then be mailed to the applicant.
About eleven o’clock on Satnrday morning, January 23, 1904, we lost all trace of land, and were out upon the bosom of the ocean. We were all upon the promenade-deck to take our farewell glimpse of the American shores, and at the same time take a little survey of the steamer. It was the Lncania, one of the fastest steamers of the Cunard Steamship Company. It has four decks: the main-deck; the saloon-deck; the upper deck, where the dining-room is located; and the promenade-deck, where are the ladies’ parlor and gentlemen’s buffet smoking-room. This ship is six hundred and twenty feet in length, and like a four-story building, with deep basement below. It being the stormiest time of the year, there were not so many passengers as usual. There were four hundred steerage passengers down below on main-deck, eighty in second cabin, and one hundred and fifty in first-class. We traveled at the rate of four hundred and sixty miles a day.
The first part of the journey was smooth, with beauti ful weather. By Tuesday the sea became pretty rough, and the large vessel began to roll from side to side. After Saturday evening many of the passengers were affected with seasickness. We all had a slight touch of it, except the baby and Sister Nichols. The third day at sea, in the afternoon, passengers were ordered off the deck to avoid their being swept overboard by the heavy waves of the sea, which occasionally swept over the ship at that time. From that time, with the exception of one day, the gale increased, and the waters were more violent until after we reached the Irish Sea.
Probably it was not what sailors wonld consider a violent storm, although some who had crossed many times said it was worse than they had ever witnessed before. Words and peu can not describe the grandeur and sublimity of the ocean in a storm. The waves over the face of the deep were at first like foot-hills to distant mountain ranges. The waters were in a great turmoil, and would rise in great heaps, and sometimes burst at the top with a mag nificient spray ascending, giving it the appearance of a volcano in action. At times there were great mountains of water on both sides of us and behind, and we were in a deep valley; but, like the children of Israel crossing the Red Sea, the Lord did not permit the waters to destroy us. In a few minutes our huge vessel would be wafted high in the air, as if located on a small mountain with valleys round about. At times the great waves would sweep over the ship sending many barrels of water at a time down the huge hatehways. At one time the doors were left open or burst open in some way, and the water came rushing down the stairways through the halls, by our cabin door, giving the hallways the appearance of a river overflowing its banks. But the doors were hurriedly fastened before another wave could reach us. As the ship rolled from side to side the water rushed back and forth down the hallways and the stairs, and servants hurriedly dipped it up, took up the carpets, and soon had things in order again. For two nights a crew of men were constantly bailing water out of the ship.
It was interesting and quite often amusing to be in the dining-room at meal-time. The legs of the tables and stools or chairs were all fastened to the floor. In fact, almost every piece of furniture in the room had to be fastened down. The table was covered with a frame of small panels of woodwork about fourteen by twenty-two inches and three inches in depth. In these small panels were placed the plates, cups, and other dishes, and the eatables. The framework of panels was fastened to the table, and was for the purpose of preventing the dishes from sliding off the table. But while the billows were rolling, tossing the ship from side to Side, the ends of the table being towards the sides of the ship, there was a considerable amount of moving the dishes back and forth. During the stormy time the vessel would seem to gently lie down upon its side, and those sitting at the table would brace themselves with their feet and hold to the table with one hand, and try to hold the dishes in the panel before them with the other. Then there would be a gentle upheavel of the waters beneath, and the top of the ship would be carried over on the other side, and the dishes were inclined to slide to the other end of the panel and if not held in their places would sometimes slip over the top of the panels into the next place and sometimes off on the floor. The waiters were accustomed to walking, and under such circumstances could take a tray of dishes while they walked at an angle of almost forty-five degrees, straightening up as the vessel moved from side to side. But most of the passengers in walking to and fro had to hold to tables or grab almost anything within their reach. Sometimes a pile of dishes would tumble over from the table or cupboard and fall down with a crash. While the waves were thus rolling and the ship tossing, Brother Bailey remarked, ‘‘This ship will not go down; there are a thousand prayers hooked on to it.’’ ‘‘Yes, ten thousand,’’ we replied. We knew that the brethren everywhere who knew of our voyage were sending up prayers for our safety; consequently we were not in the least alarmed.
Among the passengers was a young man from Kansas City, who was going to England to see his mother. He was very sick with consumption and diabetes. The steward attending him became somewhat alarmed regarding his condition as to whether he would outlive the voyage. He came to us desiring that we visit the young man at his room. He said the man was in a critical condition and would likely be buried at sea, and if not, as soon as he touched land he would die. We visited him and found that he was a Roman Catholic and that he had been in the liquor business for four years. In answer to an inquiry concerning his soul, he tried to persuade us that he was all right and did not need the prayers of any one. How ever, after talking with him for a time, he consented to let us pray for him, which we did, asking the Lord to have mercy on his soul and to raise him up that he might be able to meet his friends, and give his heart to God. In a day or two after we had prayer for him he was able to go to the dining-room and take his meals, and upon our arrival at Liverpool he was able to go out without any assistance. Truly the Lord had compassion upon him.
As the money for my trip had not yet been received, and we were expecting to receive it after arriving at Lon don, I was asking the Lord to supply me with enough money to pay my expenses while in England. We were then in mid-ocean. As I went to the reading-room, a lady whom I had never seen before learned that we were missionaries, and came where we were. I noticed she had something in her hand. After a few words she said she felt impressed to give me something to help me along the way, and there upon handed me $2.00. I realized it was in answer to prayer. Thus God was true to his Word along the way in supplying our needs, sometimes from very unexpected sources.
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FROM ENGLAND TO AFRICA.
The ocean being too rough, we could not land at Queenstown, Ireland. It was about ten o’clock on Saturday when we arrived at the harbor at Liverpool, England. Some brethren from Liverpool and Chester were at the landing to meet us; and after landing, our baggage was taken to the custom-house for examination by the custom-officers. We were told to unlock our trunks and open our baggage, and were asked if we had any cigars, tobacco, liquor, matches, etc., and as we had none of those things, they hurriedly marked our baggage and let us remove it. Instead of it being baggage any longer it was now called luggage. The railway ticket-office is called booking-office. The conductors on the trains are called guards.
Our company, with the exception of Brother Khan and I, went to Chester, a city about fifteen miles distant, where they began meetings that night. One woman gave her heart to God in the first meeting. We were to come the next morning. We spent the afternoon and until late at night making some important investigations concerning the Mohammedan movement in England. It is reported in India and other Oriental countries by the Mohammedans that thousands of the European people are accepting the Mohammedan religion and turning front the Christian faith. By asserting these things as facts they make it a strong point of opposition for Christian missionaries who go among them to work. We learned that the vice-consulate of Persia, Mr. Quilliam, an European located in Liverpool, was the founder or at the head of the movement. It being after office hours, we called at the mosque, and not finding him there, we went to his residence, where we were kindly received. Here we learned that he became a Mussulman, or accepted the Mohammedan faith, over fifteen years ago, and has since been an earnest advocate of that faith, and became the leader and founder of that work in England. They have a membership of forty of fifty in Liverpool, with an attendance of fifteen or twenty at the mosque. His son told us that there was no other institution of the kind anywhere else in England. Instead of there being thousands of converts among the Europeans in England, there are less than one hundred, and they are as far from the faith and practise of true Mohammedauism as modern Methodists are from the teaching and practise of John Wesley. Mohammedans believe in God, and that Moham med was his prophet. They accept the teaching of Moham med as Christians accept the teaching of Christ. They believe in polygamy, but one man is not allowed to have more than four wives, yet may have concubines. Moham med himself had fourteen wives. They believe in the seclu sion of women during prayers and worship, and of wear ing the old style of Mussulman dress. However, we found that the Mussulman in England do not prohibit women from being in the congregation of worshipers, and they conform themselves to the latest English style of dress. They also have an orphan home and school of about twenty children.
On Sunday morning we went to Chester, where we met the others of our company, and held services in a hall in the forenoon and afternoon. Here we found some who were out for the whole truth of the Bible. Brother and Sister Bowker were present, who had been for the past few years working in evangelistic and gospel work in villages and cities with the Gospel Van, which was a wagon made especially for street preaching, also working in halls and homes wher ever there was an opening; and precious souls were being led into the light and truth.
At night we all went to Great George’s Square, Liver pool, where Brother Khan preached. There were a few there who were once out in the evening light, and had drifted under the influence and power of a false spirit. They believe themselves to be far in advance of almost any one on earth in religious experience, and have but little confidence in the ministry of this reformation. They con tend earnestly for the wearing of gold rings, and other worldly conformity, and oppose having a public altar, where those seeking salvation may come and be instructed by others. They believe in being led by the Spirit; but the trouble is, they are led by the wrong spirit, and will blindly follow their spirit even when the Lord in his Word teaches to the opposite. It is the spirit of compromise and exaltation and rank deception. In the name of Jesus we kindly warned them of their danger, and prayed God to deliver all who would yield to his gentle call.
Leaving the remainder of our company at Chester to continue the meetings, Brother Khan and I made a short stop at Oxford and London to examine the ancient manu scripts of the Bible, of which mention is made in another chapter.
In purchasing our ticket for London the ticket was to Paddington, one of the main stations of the city of Lon don: It was night when we arrived. There we were, in the largest city in the world. Having our trunks and satchels with us, we desired to find a suitable place where we could remain for a few days and leave our luggage until our return from Africa. Having the address of the Foreign Missions Club, we secured a cab to take us to that place. It was several miles, and with considerable diffi culty we found the place after a drive of about two hours, we found it to be a hotel or boarding-place for mission aries passing through. The spirituality of the place was at a very low ebb, formality having taken the place of spiritu ality. However, it was considered a good safe place for travelers. After remaining in the city for two or three days, we were to go to Tiliberry Dock, about twenty miles from the place where we were staying, at which place we were to take ship for Gibraltar on our way to North Africa. From this place we set sail and spent four or five days crossing the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay and along the Atlantic coast until we reached the Strait of Gibraltar. This was a very rough voyage. Most trav elers dread sailing over these waters on account of their generally being so rough.
On the 9th of February as we were about to land we recognized the smiling face of Brother Fred Weiss, of Tan gier, who had come to meet us, and was standing on the shore anxiously awaiting our arrival. Although we had never met before we could greet him in Jesus’ name. He had secured rooms for us at the Salvation Army Home.
We had to wait two days at Gibraltar for a boat to Africa, as we had anticipated before leaving London. Our stay, however, was ordered of the Lord, and resulted in a wonderful opening for the spread of the gospel to all nations. The Captain of the Salvation Army turned the meeting over to us both nights, and we had an audience of earnest listeners to the pure gospel. Three young men gave their hearts to God. We found a number here who were saved and had not joined anything, and others who were disgusted with sectism.
Gibraltar was once under Spanish and Moorish rule, but now belongs to the British government. The point, or rather rock, is about three miles in length and consists of a large mountain of rock, which has been converted into one of the strongest forts in the world. This great rock has hundreds of openings in its towering sides, where massive guns and cannon are placed for defense of the surrounding waters. From these openings are hallways leading to the interior of the rock. Here a sufficient quantity of ammunition and food is stored for a seige of months and years. The Strait of Gibraltar lies between Spain and Africa, and is twenty miles or more in width, connecting the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. Here is one of the great gateways to all Eastern cities as well as to the West. Battle-shfps with hundreds of men are constantly in the harbor or passing through, besides a number of other large vessels bound for different countries.
No one can remain in the city over night without a written permission from the city officials. For a person to neglect this makes himself and the keeper of the hotel at which he stays liable to arrest. The entrance of the city is protected by two strong walls extending along the front.
In one sense, it seems strange that we should take a side trip from London and return, coming to this place and Africa only, to remain less than a week, sailing over the rough sea in the English Channel and the Bay of Biscay, with an expense of $50.00 each for fare alone. But know ing God was directing in the matter, it was for us to obey and not to question his leadings. Had we not with all assurance known that we were in his order and under his guidance, we might have had many misgivings and doubts as to how our usefulness for so short a time would equal the expense, and hardships while tossing o’er the billows of the deep. But the blessed assurance of the Holy Spirit constantly witnessing within left no room for a doubt, and we realized that our weakness only made the strength of God the more manifest.
We had been praying the Lord to enable us to find some reliable person here who would handle our literature and distribute it among the thousands of sailors and soldiers who are stationed here, and those who are located here a few days or weeks on their way to other countries; also to tourists, missionaries, and gospel workers bound for all parts of the world. True to his Word, the Lord answered prayer, and enabled us to find a man who is out of sectism, and for seven years has been saved and telling the people of the power of God to save. He has a special call and abilities for distributing tracts and books on the vessels coming and going. He has a small sailboat with a large box of tracts and literature and spends his time visiting the boats as they come and go. These go to all parts of the world. Before visiting him we made special investiga tion as to his reliability, and after meeting him felt sure it was by the direction of the Lord. He was anxious to have an abundance of literature, and promised faithfully to place the same before the people; and he can thus judi ciously send tons of gospel literature to all parts of the world during the year. We at once arranged to ship half a ton of literature free of charge, freight prepaid, and made arrangement as to the best mode of their disposal in a way that they would most likely be read. Since that time we have been learning of the good effects of some of this literature, as letters of appreciation are being received from South Africa and elsewhere, with orders for more literature for distribution; and also testimonies have been received from those who have been led out into the light of the full gospel. This literature will open the way for the truth to be preached in all its purity in the various countries where it is sent. Here and in other countries visited we found some of our books in libraries, and those who had read them were anxious to hear the pure gospel preached. One young officer in the British army had read a copy of the “Secret of Salvation” and was happy in the Lord when we met him and anxiously awaited our coming. He is out of sectism.
Brother Weiss accompanied us to Tangier, Africa, which is about forty miles from Gibraltar, and took us to his home. As the ship sailed along over the sea nearing the shores of Africa, another scene came vividly to me. It was that of the old homestead farm, and for a few moments my mind was vividly carried hack to the time I was plow ing in the field when the Lord first gave me a special call to his work. It brought memories of the struggle concern ing the work of the ministry and going to Africa. The words of my consecration seemed to still stand out in bold letters, wherein I promised the Lord years ago concerning my willingness to obey him, and even go to Africa, or wherever he called me into his work, let it be whatever it would. This time it was not merely a test of my faith, as it was concerning the Honolulu trip a few years ago as to my willingness to go, but it was an actual carrying out of my consecration, and here now we were nearing the shores of Africa with a longing desire to enter the land; but still the thought came, What can I do? This part of the matter was to be left with the Lord for him to direct according as circumstances presented themselves. Soon the vessel entered the beautiful bay near the city of Tangier, where we were soon to land on the shores of Africa.
Africa is a vast expanse of country, in many parts of which the gospel of Jesus Christ is almost entirely unknown. During the past few years missionaries have been entering various parts of the country, and little by little the Word of God is finding its way into the interior, but little work has been done in North Africa. In the northwestern part is the division of the country called Morocco, which con sists of an area of about 260,000 square miles, equal to about five times the size of England. It has a population estimated at eight million or more people, and is governed by a sultan. The sultan who was ruler at this time was a young man of about twenty-five years of age. His views were more progressive and more favorable to Christianity than his predecessor, and more so than those of a great majority of the people of the country over which he rules. In many districts of Morocco the people scarcely acknowl edge the authority of the Sultan, thus causing a general turmoil and unrest throughout the country, with frequent outbreaks of mob violence and war.
It is no uncommon thing, and even of recent occurrence, in time of war for the victors to come from the field of battle with donkeys laden with baskets of human heads. With great glee they bring these human heads and place them upon the gates of the city to be viewed by all passers-by.
The religion of Morocco is almost entirely Mohammed anism. These Moslems hate Christians, Jews, and, in fact, any civilized white person; not only so, but they despise civilization itself. The people are dark-skinned, and speak the Arabic language. In the extreme north but comparatively few real black people are to be seen, and most of them are brought from the Soudan country as slaves. Slavery has not been abolished in Morocco.
Our steamer anchored in Tangier Bay about a quarter of a mile or more from the shore, and the passengers were transferred to rowboats and taken to land. It was quite interesting to wateh the natives crowding their boats together along the side of the ship after passengers and baggage.
Their loud protestations and janglings with each other, speaking in the Arabic language, made it appear as if they were almost ready to fight; sometimes pushing and striking each other, and talking at the top of their voices in the great est confusion. A stranger would think that most of them were filled with intense anger; but as soon as the last passengers and pieces of luggage, produce, and such like were in their boats, every one seemed to become quiet and peaceful. After going a short distance, near the dock we came to the custom-office, where our luggage was examined and marked for admittance to the city. Next we came to a narrow passage through the walls of the city. After passing this gateway, where a penny was charged for entrance, instead of entering into a broad, spacious street, we were ushered into a narrow, winding thoroughfare, twelve or fourteen feet in width, paved with cobblestones, and high walls on either side. This was the main street in and out of the city leading to the sea, and was thronged with men, women, and children, and with donkeys and mules heavily laden with all kinds of produce and fruit. In some places in the city the streets widen to twenty feet or more for a short distance, while in other places some of them are not more than six or eight feet in width. The buildings have a very ancient appearance.
In the soic (market) women sit on the ground, selling bread; others sell fruit and vegetables. The remainder of the space was well filled with people and donkeys.
As we entered this country, in some respects it seemed that we had suddenly been carried back to the days of Abraham. The men and women dress very much alike, the men wearing gelabs, or gown-like clothing, with a hood attached; while the women in addition wear shawls, with which they keep their faces almost entirely concealed, especially when meeting any one.
There are no railroads in Morocco. While there we did not see a wagon, a buggy, or even a cart, and but few modern improvements. Some time ago the Sultan and others consented to have a railroad built between two cities of the interior. After the work had begun the people arose in a body in opposition and murdered the governor of that district and a few others, and threatened still greater violence if the work continued, and the Sultan had to order an abandonment of the work. The natives say they believe in leaving the country as God made it, and have no use for modern improvements. Public roads are not made as in other countries, but people are generally left to choose their way among the hills and valleys as they travel.
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A TRIP INTO THE INTERIOR OF AFRICA.
During our short stay in Africa we made our home with Brother Weiss and family, about two miles from the city of Tangier. A road had been built there by government officials and other foreigners. Their home was situated upon a high elevation, as the immediate surrounding country was rather mountainous.
On Saturday we procured mules to take a trip into the interior to visit some native villages. The villages are surrounded by hedges of cactus. We found no roads built through the country, but heard considerable about the main road to the city of Fez, as we had been traveling over the hills and rolling country wherever we could best pick our way. We were expecting to find a good road, but upon reaching the nearest point found it was a place much traveled by people walking and by caravans, donkeys and mules carrying burdens, and in some places instead of there being a road they traveled in rather a general direction for a certain place. In some places it looked like a marked-out road. It would be very difficult to give a description of such a road and the kind of traveling, as there they do not work and improve the highways; and when the way becomes muddy and too difficult for traveling, a better place is sought out near by.
After riding until after noon passing a few villages, we concluded to visit one of them and eat our luncheon; but as we were nearing the place, the overseer of the village came running out, demanding to know who we were, what we wanted, and why we were coining there. We had with us a native guide and a native colporteur and teacher and Brother Weiss. The guide could understand no English, the colporteur could speak but very little English, and Brother Weiss could speak and understand some Arabic. However, we understood that we were not wanted there. After some explanation by our guide we were permitted to stop at the entrance, where we dismounted, and little by little the overseer became less suspicious of us, and brought a mat and spread it upon the ground where we were pre paring our dinner. He sat down a few feet away. We were told that if the people of those native villages would break bread with us, it would show a sign of friendship; but if they refused to do so, then they were considered our enemies, and we should have to look out for our lives. A number of dirty, ragged children came near where we were, and we gave them our bridle-reins to hold, and let them have the care of our mules. This seemed to somewhat please the overseer, to know that we had paid some special attention to the children. After seating ourselves on the mat ready to eat our dinner, we returned thanks and also asked the Lord to enable us to enter the village. We took a piece of bread and broke it and handed it to the colporteur, and he passed it on to the guide; the guide in turn offered a piece to the overseer. At first he rather hesitated, but a few words from the guide seemed to make it all right, and as soon as he had taken it into his hands and eaten a small portion, he became intensely friendly. He went to the house, brought some fire, a teapot and kettle with some tea, which he soon had ready to serve all who would drink it. After the dinner was over he yet had some hesitation about permitting us to enter the village, as he and all who lived there were Mohammeclans and feared that the place would be defiled if a Christian entered it. Finally we were permitted to visit the gardens within the enclosure, and they were pleased to know that we were interested. Upon our return we were permitted to go nearer the houses. The women and children all came out of the houses, and we were as much of a novelty to them as the houses were to us. Then we were permitted to go even to the doors, but not to enter.
The houses are made of grass, weeds, and brush daubed with mud, with a roof near the ground and a small place on the side for a door. The houses have ground floors and no furniture. The place abounds with filth, lice and other vermin, itch and disease. We noticed that the hands of the children who were holding the reins of our animals were sorely afflicted with itch; not only their hands, but their heads and bodies.
We also became much interested in their method of caring for and preserving their grain. They had a kind of grain which had something the appearance of buckwheat. There was a place in the yard in front of the house where a hole was dug about eighteen inches in depth, three feet wide, and six or eight feet in length. A few bushels of grain were poured into the hole and then covered over with manure from the stable. When any of it was wanted for meal or bread, it was taken, dried in the sun, and in some way ground into meal or cooked whole, when not eaten raw. But little cooking is done in such places on account of the scarcity of fuel. After a rain the grain is taken out of these holes and poured upon a mat to dry, then put back again. There having been a recent rain the grain was being put through a process of drying while we were there. I do not know whether it ever entered their minds or not to keep the grain under shelter in the house, or have a special place built for that purpose. There were five women and a number of children, who, we were told, all belonged to the overseer.
It would not be difficult to imagine how hard a looking country it must be, when told they have no improved machinery or farming implements. While passing through the country we came to a place where there had been some recent plowing. The plows were left by the wayside, and they were of such a peculiar nature that we dismounted to examine them. They were made of some kind of a long crooked stick, to which a pole was fastened for a tongue, and to this some cattle had been yoked. The yoke was about as much of a novelty as was the plow. The plow made about as much impression in the ground as a harrow-tooth in our country would make.
After leaving the village, as we returned to the city in the evening, there were many blind beggars by the wayside.
Sometimes as many as ten side by side. The eyes of most of them had been put out as a punishment for stealing or other offenses, it is often the case that when a person is caught stealing he is taken and his hands and feet tied and staked to the ground, then with red-hot irons his eyes are put out.
During the month called Ramadan the Mohaminedans are not allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset, as this is their month for fasting; and it means death for a person to cook and eat anything during the day in this month. At sunset a gun is fired as a signal for the people to eat; and during the night the people are again awakened, so that they may eat once more before sunrise. Some one is sent around at certain hours in the night to beat a drum or in some way make a noise sufficient to awaken the people. We met a converted Mohammedan who some time ago was frying some meat in the daytime in the month of Ramadan. Some of the Mohammnedans learned of it, and some went for kerosene, and one for matches, others for stakes and ropes, intending to burn him to death. The prompt action of some missionaries, who came running with uplifted canes, saved his life. For a person there to leave Moharnlnedanism and become a Christian is to place his life in jeopardy. A Moorish boy about sixteen years of age, who has become a Christian, much desired to have me return home by that way in order to bring him to America, where he could receive some Christian training and a better education. The natives have scarcely any school privileges. We were told that only two persons out of one hundred can read.
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THE HEAD-CHOPPERS OF NORTH AFRICA.
In Morocco are a people called the “head-choppers.” They generally give their performance in the more interior places, but occasionally go to the seaport cities. It is a terrible sight to witness their performances as they go through with their manifestations and maneuvers. Some times about sixty of them go into a city, and in the evening occupy the sok (market-place), which is an open place near the center of the city. Their performances are late in the evening or at night. With their great, long-handled hatchets or battle-axes in their hands and their strange attire, a queer dancing performance is begun. The air is filled with shrieks, howls, yells, and screaming, accompanied by the most weird performances and noises imaginable, until they are aroused to the highest pitch of nervous demonstra tion and excitement. They begin striking a certain place on the top of their heads with their hatchets, and continue until the blood flows freely from their faces and bodies. Then the demonstrations become violent in the extreme, and their maneuvers and manifestations, together with their horrid appearance, seem beyond that of human beings. In this state of nervous excitement they seem to almost lose their reasoning powers.
It is said that they are kept in the enclosure, and people standing without witness the scene; but if a European or especially a Jew gets within reach of them, his life is in extreme danger. If a goat or sheep is near by, some one of them makes a sudden grab for it, and in a few minutes it is literally torn to pieces, and in their blood thirsty state the entire animal is eaten. They devour it like a pack of so many hungry wolves.
An eye-witness of one of these scenes said that the women would take a slice of fresh bread and lay it upon the heads of bloody head-choppers and when thoroughly soaked in blood would distribute it among other women and children, and the same was greedily and speedily eaten. This may seem like the height of barbarity, but such is the condition of things within a few miles of some civilized nations.
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DEVIL-DANCERS IN WEST AFRICA.
FARTHER south along the western coast of Africa is an almost different race of people, who have many similar performances. One is known as the devil-dance, and is performed in the center of a large open place surounded by people, and during the darkness of the night. In the center of the circle near a glaring light is the devil-dancer with a great crocodile’s head, long grass-like hair dangling from his body and legs, swaying as he moves, beating time with his feet to the beat of the drums. Women in a double row wail and chant and strike their palms together with slow measure. Those in the front row bow down between each beat. Young men in long robes and caps wail with the women. They look dazed to begin with, but gradually work themselves up into a frenzy. The dark faces, the monotonpus wailing, the crying, the thrumming of the drums, the rattling of the clackers, and the beat of the devil-dancer’s feet, make a strange scene.
After tribes have been at war or at enmity with each other and peace is declared between them, the peace devil-dancer comes leaping into the town. If he stumbles or falls, it is considered a bad omen, and he is put to death.
This barbarous country is surely in great need of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We had the privilege of meeting and visiting a few missionaries while in Africa. Those who have the cause of our Master at heart are hoping and trusting and praying that the Lord will send some other faithful laborers into that vineyard, and that the govern ment and people may be turned to a more favorable attitude toward the gospel of Jesus Christ. As it is at present, they will not tolerate street and out-door meetings. The consuls of other governments stationed there can not offer protection to any one who takes the responsibility of thus holding meetings. The way must be opened by the Lord in some way, and can be done through prayer and the faithfulness of his children. Surely God will move upon more faithful workers to go to that country with the pure gospel.
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THE WORK OF THE KIDNAPPERS.
A FEW weeks after we left there, two persons were kid napped only a mile of two from where we made our home while in that country. One was an American citizen named Ton Perdicaris, and his stepson Cromwell Varley, a British subject. They were carried away by the well-known Moroc can bandit Raisuli and his followers on the night of May 18, 1904. As soon as it was known in America, the government officials at Washington took steps to secure the release of Perdicaris. A message was sent to Rear-Admiral Chad wick of the South Atlantic Squadron, directing him to pro ceed with his whole squadron to Tangier, Morocco. Spe cial instructions were cabled to the United States Consul General at Tangier for him to act with great vigor, and to demand that the government of Morocco take the most sweeping measures to secure the release of Mr. Perdicaris, even if necessary to grant the terms of the brigands. The men who were kidnapped were carried into the mountains, where pursuit was almost impossible.
The brigand chief was a man of considerable influence and authority in certain parts of Morocco. Some time before this a considerable amount of his property had been destroyed, and upon his appeal to the Sultan for reparation his request was not granted. He therefore concluded to take measures that would force the government to comply with his terms.
In 1903 he captured an Englishman. Realizing what effect it would have upon the government in bringing the condition of affairs before other nations, he concluded to bring about these things by awakening both the American and the English governments in an effective way. Some of his men had already been taken captive. His first demands were as follows: For the release of the men who were kid napped. $70,000 in cash as a ransom of his captives; that his own followers who were in pnson be set free; and that the Sultan of Morocco give him a subordinate kingdom, with the right to levy taxes throughout a region embracing thirty-eight square kilometers directly along the main route from Tangier to Fez.
The American fleet was soon in the harbor at Tangier. The brigand chief increased his demands, and insisted upon the disnnssal of the pasha at Tangier, his own nomination as governor of the district, the payment of the indemnity of $70,000 for the recent attack upon his village by Moroc can troops, and the imprisonment of the chief who formerly held him a prisoner.
The United States government made their demand to the Sultan of Morocco for the release of the American citi zen held in bondage. The Sultan expressed a willingness to pay the $70,000 if necessary, but objected to complying with the demands from a political standpoint. For the United States government to press the matter and open warfare upon Tangier or pursue the bandits, meant almost sure death to the two men who were held as captives, and their captors had intimated that the men would be murdered in case such action was taken.
There was considerable delay on the part of the Sultan, and more than a month had passed by when the American government deemed it necessary to take steps to hasten the release of the men. On June 22 Secretary Hay sent the following cable message from Washington to the Sultan of Morocco: ‘‘Perdicaris alive, or Raisuli dead.” This spurred the Sultan to action, and the prisoners were sur rendered to the ransom parties. When the men arrived at Tangier, Perdicaris was received at the town-house by the authorities, the admirals of the fleets, and numerous personal friends. His Moorish servants made a great demonstration of joy, kissing their master’s hands and clothes.
A few days later Morocco seemed in a more critical condition than theretofore. Fighting occurred daily in the vicinity of Tangier, amid Raisuhi was only a few miles from Tangier, attacking villages along the way, stealing their cattle, and causing a general terror and turmoil whefever he went. What the final outcome will be can only he known by the developments of the future.
After remaining a few days in Africa, we again set sail for London by way of Gibraltar.
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THE BULL-PENS OF SPAIN.
Passing over a narrow neck of land from Gibraltar, we were soon upon Spanish soil, among people of a strange tongue or language. When we arrived at the custom-house we saw a number of officers searching the people who passed through the custom-house from Gibraltar into Spain. But when we came into their presence, they merely touched one of us with their hands and let us pass on unmolested, while the next ones behind us, as well as those before us, were many of them thoroughly searched. We were now in the Spanish town Algeciras. The houses are quite ancient-looking, with tile roofs and cement or stone floors. Most of the houses are painted white. The streets are very narrow.
After traveling through the city for some time we came to the bull-pens. This is considered a very important place in every Spanish city. The bull-pen is built like the wall of a house made of brick or stone. The wall is twenty-five or thirty feet high, and is built so as to form a circle. Each somewhat resembles the ancient Roman Colosseum and amphitheaters. There are rows of seats from the top of the wall down to another wall on the inside about eight feet high. Thousands of people can be seated here, who come to witness the sports. Below the seats underneath is a ground floor where there are many small rooms, where bulls and horses are kept and trained for the fight. As these animals are often ferocious, they are fed from a hole above. There is no cover over this building, except over a few seats. The bull-ring, or place for fighting, is from one hundred to two hundred feet from one side wall to another.
When the people are seated in the seats above, and the proper time comes, the door is thrown open, and a man on horseback enters, sometimes also attended by a man walking; another heavy door is thrown open, and a large bull that has been tortured with spears comes tearing into the ring. The man standing near by is to fight the bull or defend himself as the animal comes rushing in. The man has a very small sharp spear to stick into the neck of the bull if he does not seem to be inclined to fight. If the man is likely to get killed, the one on the horse will ride near to attract the attention of the animal and get him started in another direction. Men and horses are sometimes killed or nearly torn to pieces by the horns of the enraged animal. The people of Spain will sit for hours and enjoy such sport, but have little desire to wor ship God. There were no bull-fights while we were there.
Some little Spanish boys followed us, throwing stones at us because we were Americans. No doubt because of their teaching and enmity on account of the recent Spanish-American War.
As we sauntered around through the city, we became hungry; but as we could understand none of the signs over the doors of the houses, it was difficult to find an eating-house, for there was no other outward, visible sign. There was so much filth to be found along most of the streets that we questioned whether it would be possible to find a place clean enough that the food would be palatable. However, we soon met a policeman who had evidently met English-speaking people before, as he knew a few words of English. After some time, by many signs and move ments with our hands, he was made to understand that we desired a place where we could get something to eat, and he directed us to quite a neat little private boarding-house. But again we were confronted with difficulties. The servant could not understand a word of English. She undoubtedly asked us what we would have to eat; but as we could not understand or speak Spanish, we were unable to tell her.
She called the lady of the house, but we failed to make her understand. Then the proprietor himself arrived, and soon we enabled him to understand that we wanted some thing to eat and for them to prepare such as they had. We had been there only a few minutes when a Spanish soldier came in and sat at the other end of the table and also pretended to eat a meal. He undoubtedly came as a detective, as we learned that all foreigners were closely watched while in that place. After finishing our meal we took some of the bread along with us as a relic. Having only a short time until the sailing of our vessel, we did not make any further visits into the interior of Spain. We were reminded of the account of Paul’s visit to Spain, and wondered if the people of those days were so far from being religiously inclined as those at the present time. From here we returned to Gibraltar, and set sail for London.
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CHRISTIANITY IN ENGLAND.
THE pathway of the history of Christianity in England during the past centuries has been strewn with blood, oppo sitions, and severe persecutions. Thousands of innocent men and women have been slaughtered to satisfy the spirit of vengeance and retaliation. It is not known how Chris tianity was brought to England, but for about three hundred years at the beginning of the Christian era, Christianity undoubtedly existed in that country. These early Christians were free from doctrines of Roman Catholicism and tradi tional ecclesiasticism of that line of the apostasy. In mak ing mention of the early Christians, the English historian D’Aubigne says they “knew nothing of transubstantiation …. or of auricular confession, or of prayers for the dead or tapers or incense, . . . and papal supremacy was unknown.”
The Romish power had a longing to have a governing power over England and the Christian people of that conntry. In the year 597 Augustine, a Catholic monk, arrived in England as a missionary from Rome. He was the first Romish priest that came to England. He estab lished himself in Canterbury, and was appointed arch bishop by the pope. His next step toward the fulfilment of his ministry was to demand subjugation of the British Christians to the authority and supremacy of Rome. This the British resented at once, and one of their bishops sim ply replied, “We desire to love all men; and what we do for you we will do for him also whom ye call the pope. But he is not entitled to call himself the Father of fathers; and the only submission which we can render him is that which we owe to every Christian.” Thus hostility ensued between pagan Rome and the simple Britons from the beginning. Finally Augustine haughtily declared, “If you will not receive brethren who bring you peace, you shall receive enemies who will bring you war,” and thus revealed the true character and the inner principle of Roman policy. Sure enough the war broke out between the Saxons and the Britons, and twelve hundred Christians were barbarously massacred while they were on their knees calling upon God with prayer and fasting. This probably was the first Chris tian blood that was shed in the country, and this was the beginning of the sanguinary stream that flooded the entire land for centuries to follow. It is impossible to trace the winding trail of the persistent and determined struggle, which cost the precious blood of thousands of martyrs and noble reformers of England in the cause of religious liberty and freedom of conscience, but suffice it to say that the English church underwent great changes and varied expe riences in its social upheavals and ecclesiastical revolutions. The next great struggle, which arose between the king and the barons of the country, and which ended in cruel blood shed and extensive massacre, was through the interfer ence of Rome during the reign of John. But the triumph of Rome did not live very long.
Next came the able reformer John Wyclif to the field. As we passed through the famous University of Oxford, our memory was refreshed of this sainted teacher, who attempted the first translation of the Word of God into the Anglo-Saxon tongue, so that the people might read the sacred oracles, and understand the revealed will of God and their duty to him; for the clergy had almost banished the Bible from the land, and kept the people ignorant about it, to make it the more convenient to impose upon them, and to take advantage of their simplicity with pretentious legends and heresies, worship of images and sanctity of shrines, and relics of saints (so called). This famous translation of the Bible was finished in 1380, and copies were made by skilful scribes and spread over the country. Wyclif’s teaching as a professor and preaching drew followers of the new teaching, and he sent them all over the country to preach the simple gospel in its original purity. These “poor priests,” as they were called, did much for the cause of reformation in England. They went about barefooted, singing psalms as they went along, for which custom they received the name of “Lollards,” or psalm-singers. These preachings and teachings made the Romish pontiff mad against Wyclif, and several plots were laid, and schemes were contrived to put him out of the way; but the hand of God protected him, and it was almost by divine interposition that he escaped martyrtom. It is interesting to know that it was the reading of Wydlif’s writing that kindled the first fire of reformation in the continent. John Huss was one of those who suffered at the stake for the views that he imbibed from Wyclif, and it was Huss who prepared the way for Luther.
Wyclif’s mantle fell upon his followers at his death, and the spirit of reformation did not die with him. At this juncture Rome succeeded in persuading Henry IV, an usurper of the royal throne, to begin a severe persecu tion of the reformers. William Sawtree, the English priest who dared to say, “Instead of adoring the cross on which Christ suffered, I adore Christ who suffered on it,” was the first to fall victim, and was burned at the stake in 1401. Then followed a period of great darkness in England. Con stitutions were passed which forbade the reading of the Bible, and styled the pope, “not a mere man, but a true God.” Hundreds of reformers and Lollards were arrested and imprisoned, and were hanged or burned. During the next two reigns, namely, that of Henry VII, and the first part of Henry VIII, several pious and simple Christians were martyred. Henry VIII at first was a bitter enemy of reformation, and even wrote against Luther, for which he received the title of ‘‘Defender of the Faith’’ from the pope. But later on when the pope did not yield to his carnal gratification, he turned from him and favored the reformers. Thus through an infamous motive the entire Christian community turned from the Romish tyrany and popish yoke. The whole Bible was translated into English by Coverdale, with the royal sanction, and the king ordered the whole Bible to he kept in every church, and to be read by the public. That was a great day for England. Cranmer was the champion of the cause of reformation during this period, and he succeeded in introducing many helpful and favorable views in the constitution of England. Many Roman Catholic institutions and monasteries, which were the strongholds of papacy and headquarters of many a black deed and abominable practises, were demolished, and their benefits were confiscated.
After the death of Henry VIII, his son Edward came to the throne and ruled England as Edward VI. He was quite favorable to the reformation, and it was during his reign that the present prayer-book of the church of England (Episcopal) was first compiled and printed. By this time the reformed Christianity of England drifted far away from the primitive simplicity of British Christianity. Com ing in close contact with the Romish apostasy, they lost their simple faith, and became entangled with more or less erroneous teachings of traditions of men. In short, the reformed Christianity of England assumed the shape of present Anglicanism of Episcopacy.
Young King Edward died in 1553, and his elder sister, Mary, succeeded him to the throne. Mary was bitterly opposed to the reformation, and her reign is conspicuously notorious for a long and determined persecution of the Protestants in England. Two hundred and seventy-seven persons were burnt alive for heresy during this bloody period. Among these were five bishops, twenty-one clergy men, eight lay gentlemen, eighty-four tradesmen, one hun dred hnsbandmen, servants, and laborers, fifty-five women, and four children. Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley were burnt at the stake during this period, in Oxford, and the very spot is identified by a high column built in their sacred memory. The strong monument well represents the noble firmness with which they sealed their faith with their own blood. After Mary, Elizabeth came to the throne. She was not in favor with the Romish church, so the pope lost England almost forever. James II. was the last Cath olic king that tried to revive Roman supremacy again in England.
Thus ended the long and protracted warfare between papacy and British Christianity in England; and though the former did not conquer in the end, it left its impress quite visible in the latter. While we passed through the country we could not refrain from praising God for grati tude in giving us freedom of conscience in religious liberty in these days. All the great reformations had to wade through bloody rivers on their way to success, and how thankful ought we to be for living in a time when we can preach the whole counsel of God without hindrance, and can read the Word of God in our own tongues.
As a mighty river, taking its rise from the lofty mountain-top, flows down the valley to the sandy plain, its crystal waters becoming more and more foul, being mixed with the dirt and impurities of the soil through which it flows; so the divine truth of Christianity had its origin from the throne of God, but as it flowed past the high apos tolic region to the land of apostate medheval ecclesiasticism, it became impure with a considerable admixture of human tradition and erroneous superstitions.
The only way to purify the stream would be to inter pose filters of immense size to cleanse the dirty stream. If one would not wholly purify and restore the water to its original purity and transparency, each process of filtration will help to bring about the desired result. So we find all the former reformations by their preaching and teaching of the Word of God interposed in the foul stream, and each helped in its way to restore the primitive glory of the morning church, till at last it was reserved for this evening time that the church should appear in her primitive glory again in beauty of holiness. Let us praise God for the great privilege of seeing the day when the earnest desires of the ages gone by are being realized and appreciated.
After long and successive struggles with conventional ism and apostasy the true light is shining now in England, and the Lord has gathered quite a number of his own “little flock” in Great Britain. We had the privilege of meeting them in sweet communion and fellowship, and had a glori ous time with them at the throne of grace. Our hearts were truly refreshed and blessed in their company.
As the Word of God went forth in Chester and Liver pool, there was realized the fulfilment of Ezek. 34: 11-14: “For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. I will feed them in good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.”
On our way from Africa, instead of remaining on the ship until we arrived at London, we stopped at Plymouth. This was the first port we had reached since leaving Gib raltar, and having had a few days’ experience of seasick ness, being tossed about by the waves, we were anxious to make our voyage as short as possible. It was night when we arrived in this city in which we remained until the next morning. Here is the place of the founding of the sect known as the Plymouth Brethren. The next morning after our arrival we went on to Bristol, a few hours’ ride by train to the orphan homes of the great work on that line started by George Mnller, who was a man of great faith and prayer. There were five large buildings, with about two thousand orphan children. George Muller had been dead about six years, and the work at the time of our visit was being conducted by his son-in-law, Mr. Wright. The work is still carried on in a similar manner to that of its founder. It being rather an independent or undenomina tional line.
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EXAMINING MANUSCRIPTS OF THE BIBLE.
As it has been stated, one of the objects of our mission was to examine ancient manuscnpts of the Bible, some of which are kept in England. The first place visited for that purpose was the famous Bodleian Library, Oxford, England. There are probably not more than two larger libraries in the world than this one. Besides the several hundred thousand printed books, there are 32,000 manu scripts. However, there was only one manuscript at that place in which we were specially interested, and that was the volume which contains the New Testament Scriptures, and known as Codex Tischendorfianus IV. This manuscript is a volume in old-fashioned design, and made up of parchment leaves of over 1,100 years old, not printed in type, but writ ten in large square capital letters of Greek, without any punctuation or division between words, having only para graphs here and there. It is the oldest New Testament that Oxford possesses. While in conversation with a librarian we soon learned that he was a higher critic, and in making mention concerning the ancient manuscripts and especially concerning the Gospels, he said: ‘‘You are no doubt aware that the last twelve verses of the last chapter of St. Mark are spurious.’’
We replied, ‘‘We are not aware of this being the case, although we have frequcntly heard it so stated.’’
To this he said, ‘‘it is not in the old manuscripts,’’ and aimed to leave the impression on us that it was not in this manuscript.
He further stated, ‘‘I have written a commentary on St. Matthew and also on St. Mark. The one on Matthew has been published; the one on Mark has not.”
We soon found that he was not very much of a believer in preaching and practising the whole Word of God in these days. We told him that we should like to examine the ancient manuscript, and especially the last chapter of St. Mark. To this he replied, “It would do you no good, as the passage is spurious.’’
However, we made application according to the rules of the library, and he could not refuse letting us see the manu script. Upon examination we found the sixteenth chapter of St. Mark in full, as we had anticipated. Other question able passages were also to be found in this manuscript. The questionable verses in St. Mark in the Common Version read as follows: ‘‘Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not. After that he appeared in another fonn unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country. And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them. Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is bap tized shall he saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.’’ Mark 16: 9-20.
From Oxford we went to London to continue our work regarding the manuscripts at the British Museum. This is one of the greatest museums of the kind in the world. There are several large rooms in this spacious building contain ing only manuscripts. Some of them contain the most ancient in existencc. As we had only two or three days in which to complete our work there, we had to ask the Lord to open the way before us. The rules of the Museum were that those desiring to examine the manuscripts were to take out a reader’s certificate for three or six months, and three days were required after application was made before time certificate was granted. By the time of the expiration of three days it was necessary that we be on our way to another country. Having a letter of introduction to Lord Cunaird we visited him, and he gave us a letter to the secretary of the Museum, asking him to let us have such privileges as we desired at that place. The secretary was very kind, and gave us special favors, and waived the rules, giving us immediate admittance, and mailing the notice concerning the certificate three days later in fulfilment of the rules of the library. Through these special favors by the help of the Lord we not only had the privilege of examining the photographic copies of the old manuscripts, but were per initted to examine the old manuscripts themselves. Upon these old parchments the Bible was written hundreds of years ago. They were kept in places hidden away until almost forgotten. Since they have been discovered again, and are kept in museums and libraries. They were written in Greek, Hebrew, or Latin, which have since been trans lated into the English and other languages, and Bibles have been printed.
Here we examined three of the ancient manuscripts of the Bible. The first of these, Codex Alexandrinus, one of the three most ancient manuscripts of the Bible in the world, was written in Greek paleography about 1,500 years ago, on fine parchments that have so well stood the hostile attacks of unfavorable ages, and the wear and tear of centuries past, standing as a firm and strong monumental witness to the providence of God in preserving the Saercd Oracles in record. The original of these precious documents is kept with great care, and is not for public handling or inspec tion; but a perfect facsimile, photographic copy is allowed to be used. At first they refused to allow us to examine the original. However, through the grace of God we had the privilege of reading the very original volume, but the super intendent of that department of the library stood by and turned the leaves for us, not permitting us to handle them. In this volume we found the entire passage of Mark 16: 9-20.
Then we examined Codex Harleianus, a manuscript of the ninth and tenth century, and Codex Burneimus of the eleventh century, both of which contain the disputed con clusion of Mark uncurtailed. Besides this passage we examined some other New Testament scriptures, the genu ineness of which is sometimes questioned by the scholars (so called) ; and we are glad to say that we found them all right in these manuscripts. Now these are all of the most ancient manuscripts of the kind in the British Museum.
A few days later we continued our work with the manu scripts at the Bibliotheque Nationale at Paris. At first everything seemed to go against us in obtaining admittance to the library; but after working hard all day, traveling from place to place, we had made the necessary arrange ment, which gave us admittance early the next morning to the National Libraries of Paris. Here we examined the important and curious manuscript known as Codex Ephraemi, wluch is one of the most ancient manuscripts of the Bible. In value it is as important as Codex Ahexandrinus of the British Museum, and in antiquity it stands fourth, if not earlier; Codex Sinaiticus in St. Peters burg, the Vaticanus in Home, and Codex Alexandrinus in London, are the first three. But this manuscript is perhaps the most difficult to read, as it is most obscure and blurred, as if blue or black ink had been smeared over the pages of the sacred volume. This was the result of a chemical which the parchment folios underwent in order to bring to light the almost obliterated sacred writing, which was rubbed out to receive a later inscription. The manuscript is about 1,500 years old. We examined this codex and found the last twelve verses of Mark’s Gospel in it all right.
Then we examined the Royal Manuscript of Paris, which is about 1,200 years old. This is the only manuscript, so far as we know, that contains an alternative conclusion of Mark, but it gives in full the usual revision of the text page. The eighth verse ends about the middle of the second column and the entire third column is left vacant, leaving sufficient space for the remainder of the chapter. The Gospel of St. Luke begins over on the next page. Now, there is no other similar instance in the whole New Testa inent portion of the manuscript. If a book ends in the middle of first column, the next book always begins at the next coluTnn. We examined the whole of the New Testa ment, and found no other unnecessary vacancy anywhere else. This singular fact decidedly proves that the original manuscript from which this copy was made must have con tained the verses nine to twenty in full, but for some reason or other the transcriber did not copy them. It may be the signs and wonders promised to the church had almost ceased at that time because of the unbelief of the apostate professors, and in order to free themselves they kept the truth hid from the people. Nor is this a wild imagination and groundless fancy, for humanity is so deceptive and deluded that it would sooner doubt God than itself.
At the present time many do not believe in the genuine ness of these verscs, because of their inability to work the signs that are to follow the believers. For such reasons the omission of the passage from this manuscript can be accounted for. Besides this, it may also have been because that in the original manuscript this was the last leaf and it was torn off, which caused the absence of the section in subsequent copies of which this manuscript in the Vatican is a sample. This idea has been entertained by several of the able scholars of Biblical criticism; for they are all united in declaring that the gospel could not have been ended with verse eight, the last word of which is a con junction “for,” which can never close a book without doing severe violence to the simple and elementary laws of cormposition and rhetoric. There are many other internal and external reasons in favor of the genuineness of the passage. In fact, all the manuscripts that we examined contained the passages, except this one. Another one at St. Peters burg, which we have not seen, does not contain it. But we have since received facsimile pages of the last chapter of St. Mark and the first chapter of St. Luke from this manuscript. It is to be fonnd in all the ancient versions and in the writings of the Fathers. One of the earliest Fathers, Irenaeus, who was the disciple of Polycarp, a dis ciple of John the Evangelist, quotes the passage in his treatise against the heretics. There are many other over whelming evidences of the genuineness of these scriptnres.
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HOW WE GOT OUR BIBLE.
‘‘We live in a land of Bibles’’ is an oft-quoted expres sion. But the inquisitive reader asks, ‘‘Whence came this Bible! Have we the original manuscripts and books writ ten by Moses, the prophets, and the apostles!” When we reply that none of these original books or writings have been discovered in this age of the world, then the question comes, ‘‘What evidence have we of the genuineness of these Scriptures?” Some say that it was handed down from generation to generation by hearsay until centuries after the time of the apostles; but such is not the case.
The Pentateuch, or first five books of the Bible, whose writing is ascribed to Moses, and which is sometimes called “the book,” or “the book of Moses,” was a written book. It was sometimes called ‘‘the law,’’ or ‘‘the book of the law.” Moses gave the law to the people, and after his death we find Joshua having the people gather together between Mount (Gerizim and mount Ebal, near Shechem, and the law was read to them.
Centuries after this we find about the time Nehemiah was preparing to rebuild the walls of, Jerusalem, he had the people gather together, and told Ezra to ‘‘bring the book of the law.’’ Neh. 8:4. And the book was brought, ‘‘and Ezra opened the book’’ and read to the people. We find, also, in the Old Testament where it is stated that the acts of the kings are recorded in the book of the Kings and in Chronicles, etc. These records were preserved and handed down from generation to generation, and the people of God were made acquainted with their teachings.
When Jesus Christ came and began His ministry, He frequemitlv referred the people to what had been written. In St. Luke 4: 16-20 is an account given of the time when Jesus began his ministry at Nazareth, which says, ‘‘He went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias [Isaiah]. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,’’ etc. ‘‘And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.’’ They not only had in those days the book containing the Law, but here Jesus read from the book of Isaiah the prophet, which told concerning himself. It was a book which could be opened (verse 11), and it says he ‘‘closed the book.’’ Verse 2O.
It is plain to see that they had the Scriptures recorded in book form, not only during the centuries before Christ, but at the time he began his ministry, and no doubt they had copies of these Scriptures in all the synagogues. It would not, therefore, be a strange thing if many copies of these ancient manuscripts were sealed up and kept in some secluded place for centuries and many copies were made from others. In consideration of the fact that the Scrip tures, or Old Testanlent, were so made into book form and were carefully preserved before and during the time of Christ, it would not seem strange if his own words and the words of the apostles were also carefully preserved in book manuscript, written upon the durable parchments of that day.
When the devil came to tempt him, Jesus said, ‘‘It is written,’’ etc. To the Jews who were not willing to accept Jesus as a Savior he said, ‘‘Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” John 5: 39. Now, he would not have told them to search the Scriptures had there not been some records for them to search. There was a book of Psalms (Acts 1:20), which David wrote (Luke 20:42); and Jesus told of what was ‘‘written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms.’’ Luke 24: 44.
After the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we find Paul preaching to the people, as recorded in Acts 17: 11, ‘‘and they searched the Scriptures daily.’’ Upon this occa sion there were ‘‘noble’’ Jews, and also ‘‘honorable’’ men and women among the Greeks. At one place was a man named Apollos, of whom it is said, that he was ‘‘mighty in the Scriptures.’’ Acts 18: 24. These Scriptures were with out doubt the books or writings of the Old Testament. Paul in his second Epistle to Timothy spoke to him about the cloak, which, said he, ‘‘when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.’’ 2 Tim. 4: 13. It is very likely that some of these books mentioned were not only the Old Testament, but also the Gospels; and the parchments were to be brought that Paul might complete the writing of the Epistles. The parchments were pre pared skins of goats or of some other animals. They were prepared in such a manner as to very much resemble paper, although very strong and durable.
The Old Testament was originally written in the Hebrew language, while the original language of the New Testa ment was Greek. A knowledge of this fact explains the different use of words. For instance, 1 Kings 18: 41-46, which relates the circumstances of the prayer of Elijah after the famine of three years and six months. In refer ring to him, in translating from Hebrew to English, his name is called Elijah. In Jas. 5: 17, referring to the same occurrence, the same name translated from the Greek is Elias, meaning the same person. There are a number of similar changes.
The earliest Hebrew text known of the Old Testament is one in the British Museum, which dates back about to the ninth century A. D.; but there are many other evidences of the writings of the Old Testament in existence which date back much further. Aside from the Talmud and the Targums, there is the Samaritan Pentateuch. This is a very ancient manuscript in the form of a roll, written in Samaritan or Old Hebrew characters, independently of the Orthodox Jews, and is supposed to be almost as ancient as the Hebrew. It contains the first five books of the Bible. It is kept by the Samaritan people at Nabulus, a city which is built on the site of the ancient city of Shechem. It is claimed that this manuscript was written by the great grand son of Aaron. In our travels through Palestine we remained one night in this city, where there are about one hundred and fifty of the Samaritan people still living as a colony. They take much pride in the preservation of these manuscripts.
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THE SEPTUAGINT VERSION.
We have to-day what is called the Septuagint Version, or version of the Seventy. This is a translation of the Old Testament made in the Greek language at Alexandria by seventy-two Jewish scholars, and for this reason it is called the Septuagint or Seventy. It is said that Ptolemy Philadelphus, king of Egypt B. C. 284-246, while preparing his large library, desired to have reliable books on every theme from the best authority possible; therefore sent an embassy to Eliazar the high priest at Jerusalem to obtain copies of their sacred books and of the Hebrew law, and make a translation of the same. This high priest sent the copies requested, together with these seventy-two transla tors. It is said that they were separated from each other, and that when their translations were compared they were exactly the same. However, let that be as it may, a transla tion of the books of the Pentateuch was made about two hundred and fifty years or more before Christ, and the other books completed a few years later. Thus the entire Old Testament was translated into Greek over one hundred and fifty years before Christ. There have been a number of other versions since that time. But, it is the New Testa ment that we desire more especially to dwell upon.
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THE NEW TESTAMENT.
We have a Bible to-day consisting of both the Old and New Testaments. We have shown that the Old Testament existed in book form before and at the time of Christ and his apostles; but it is almost nineteen centuries since that time, and the question comes to us now, How was this Bible handed down to us from generation to generation and from century to century? or, in other words, How did we get our Bible? as none of the original manuscripts of the apostles’ writings are known to be in existence to-day. The evidences by which we may know the facts concerning the reliability and genuineness of our Bible are through the versions, manuscripts, and quotations from the Bible by early writers. There are, however, a few things that we do know beyond doubt. One is that we have to-day a version of the New Testament called the Twentieth Century Testament given in modern English. Then, we have what is called the Revised Version of both Old and New Testa ments, dated 1881-95. Also, the authorized or King James’ Version, dated 1611. This is the one in general use to-day. No one calls in question that King James I. almost three centuries ago ordered it to be translated and printed. Neither do they believe that King James or any one else in his day wrote this book in order to deceive the people. Consequently there must have been some versions or man uscripts older than this one.
We have heretofore stated that the original language of the New Testament was Greek. About the eighth cen tury some portions of the Scripture were made into Anglo-Saxon, and into English about the thirteenth century. About 1380 Wyclif, with some of his followers, translated the entire Bible into the English from the Latin Vulgate; but as this was before the days of printing, it existed only in manuscript form until about the year 1848 or 1850, when it was published in type. In 1525 William Tyndale began the publication of his translation of the New Testament. In 1534 he published a revised edition of the New Testa ment. In 1535 Miles Coverdale translated the Bible from the Swiss-German Bible and the Latin Version of Pagninus. This was the first version of the entire Bible published in English. Then came what was known as Matthew’s Bible, 1537; Taverner’s, 1539; the Great Bible, 1539; the Geneva Bible, 1560; the Bishop’s Bible, 1568; Beims’ New Testa ment, 1582; then came the Authorized Version, 1611. King James had fifty-four scholarly persons assigned to the work of translating and preparing this Bible. They were located at Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge. It was not parti cularly to be a new translation, but to be a better one, as many errors had been made in the former translations. They were to follow the text of the Bishop’s Bible with as little alteration as the truth of the original permitted. They used the text of Beza’s Latin and Greek Testaments of 1598, and also made considerable use of the Geneva of 1560 and the lkim’s New Testament of 1582. They did not at that time have access to the older Greek manuscripts, the most reliable of which have been discovered and brought into use since that date.
After some of these older manuscripts were found it was deemed necessary to get out a revised edition in order to correct some of the errors that were clearly pointed out through the reading of the older manuscripts, and some also found to be made by those who copied the manuscripts in later years, although there was nothing of such a serious nature as to change the doctrine or teachings to any great extent. Another reason for the change was to bring the expression in the English up to date, as many of the English words formerly used have become obsolete.
But now we must go further back than the English versions, and see what we can find among the manuscripts. A version is that which is translated from another language. For instance, from Greek to Latin or from Greek to English or some other language. The manuscripts are written on parchments made of the skins of animals. They very much resemble paper, and the words are printed and written with ink. There are two classes Greek writing; the oldest being written in capital letters, which is called uncial. These are written without any extra space between the words, making it quite difficult to read. It is not divided into sentences, and is without punctuation. However, about the ninth or tenth century another style of writing was used, which is called the cursive style, which is a kind of run ning hand.
There are about one hundred of the old uncial manu scripts and nearly three thousand of the cursive manu scripts which are to be seen and examined. The most im portant of the old Greek manuscripts that have been found are the Codex Sinaiticus, the Codex Vaticanus, the Codex Alexandrinus, and Codex Ephraemi. These date back from A. D. 300 to A. D. 450. Some claim the Codex Vaticanus to be the oldest, while others believe the Codex Sinaiticus to be the oldest volume. There are strong evidences that both of these were copied from other manuscripts between the years 300 and 400 A. D.
The three oldest Greek manuscripts of the Bible in the world are the Vatican, Sinaitic, and Alexandrian. Fre quent use of them was made in making the Revised Version in 1881. and 1885; but none of them were used by the translators of the Authorized or King James’ Version. The two latter manuscripts were discovered and brought into use at a later day and the Codex Vaticanus was not accessible at that time. These manuscripts give us positive evidence of the existence of the Bible soon after the apos tolic days. From the days of the apostles and their original writings to the time of these manuscripts just mentioned, is about the same period of time as from the date of the King James’ Version to the time of the Revised Version and later versions.
The Alexandrian manuscript, the youngest of these three great manuscripts, is preserved in the British Museum. It was presented to Charles I. by the Patriarch of Constantinople, A. D. 1628. This was seventeen years too late to be used in preparing the Authorized Version. Only ten leaves are missing from the Old Testament; but of the New Testament twenty-five leaves have been lost from the beginning of Matthew, two from John, and three from Corinthians. It is written two columns on a page. The Vatican manuscript is written three columns on a page, and the Sinaitic has four columns.
The Vatican, or the Codex Vaticanus, which is generahly considered the most ancient in existence, has been in the Vatican Library for at heast four or five hundred years. The early history of this manuscript is not known. It con tains over seven hundred leaves of the finest vellum, about a foot square, bound together in book form. Gen. 1 to 46 is lost, also Psa. 105 to 127, and all after Hebrews 9:14 of the New Testament. In this manuscript, which is generahhy claimed to be the oldest one, the last twelve verses of the last chapter of St. Mark are omitted. But for some reason, enough blank space is left on the page, showing that the scribe knew of its existence; but for some reason it was not inserted, although in other old manuscripts and still older versions in other languages these verses appear; also in the writings of the early church Fathers. This manu script having been kept in the Vatican Library by the Roman Catholics, it was not until recent years that any one but the Roman Catholics had access to it, and at the present time it is very carefully guarded, and a hard matter to obtain the privilege of examining it. A number of years ago Dr. Tregelles, who is said to be one of the most eminent of textual critics, made an attempt to examine the manu script; but he said they would not let him open the volume without first searching his pockets and depriving him of pens, ink, and paper. The two priests who were left to guard and watch him would try to detract his attention if he seemed too intent on any passage, and if he studied any part of it too long they would snatch away the book. Since that time, by order of Pope Pius IX., facsimile pages have been made of it, and bound volumes are to be found in many of our chief public libraries.
When Brother A. P. Khan and I asked for the original, we were at first refused. They gave us a facsimile volume, and told us that we conld look at the original open book through a glass case. To this we replied that we had special reasons for desiring to examine the original manuscript, as we were there under peculiar circumstances, and were expected to examine the original without fail. We had already presented our letters of recommendation and our cards showing that we had examined the manuscripts in London and Paris, and after some hesitation the original mannscript was brought forth and was at our disposal, although closely guarded with the greatest of care.
The Sinaitic manuscript, which was copied about the same time of the Vatican manuscript, was of more recent discovery. The story of its discovery is quite an interesting one. Tischendorf, who for some years had been spending his time principally in examining all the old manuscripts he could find, decided to make a special tour through the East and visit the old libraries and convents in order to find more ancient manuscripts of the Bible. From the very earliest age of the Christian era the Greek texts had been translated into different languages—into Latin, Syriac, Egyptian, etc. Ancient manuscripts of these versions had been brought to light where for centuries they had been hidden away in old libraries and convents. But it was the ancient Greek manuscripts that he was more anxious to obtain.
In the year 1844 he embarked for Egypt, and was soon at the foot of Mount Sinai in the convent of St. Catherine. While here, in the month of May, he found in the middle of a great hall a basket full of old parchments. The librarian told him that two heaps of papers like those had already been committed to the flames. Tischendorf looked over this pile of papers and found several sheets of a copy of the Old Testament in Greek, which seemed to him the most ancient of any he had ever seen. The authorities of the convent allowed him to take one-third of the pile of parchments in the waste-basket, or about forty-five sheets. He was so delighted, and gave expression to his feelings to such an extent that they suspicioned the manuscript was of great value and refused to allow him to take any more than the forty-five sheets. He tried in various ways to procure the others, but failed.
In February, 1854, he again visited the convent at Sinai. This visit was successful in some ways, but he was not successful in procuring the desired manuscripts. He was not able to discover any further traces of those he had seen in 1844, although he found in a roll of papers a little fragment written on both sides which contained eleven short lines of the first book of Moses, which convinced him that the manuscript originally contained the entire Old Testa ment, but that the greater part had been long since destroyed.
On January 18, 1859, he made a short visit to the con vent, hoping to make some further discoveries. After remaining a few days looking over some other ancient manuscripts, he made arrangements with his Bedouin guides to make ready for their return journey soon, when a peculiar circumstance took place. To give it in his own language, he says:
“On the afternoon of this day I was taking a walk with the steward of the convent in the neighborhood, and as we returned towards sunset he begged me to take some refresh ments with him in his cell. Scarcely had he entered the room when, resuming our former subject of conversation, he said, ‘And I too have read a Septuagint, that is, a copy of the Greek translation made by the Seventy’; and so saying he took down from the corner of the room a bulky kind of volume wrapped up in a red cloth, and laid it before me. I unrolled the cover, and discovered, to my great sur prise, not only those very fragments which, fifteen years before, I had taken ont of the basket, but also parts of the Old Testament, the New Testament complete, and in addition, the Epistle of Barnabas and part of the Pastor of Hernias. Full of joy, which I had at this time the self command to conceal from the steward and the rest of the coirnnunitv, I asked, as if in a careless way, for permission to take the manuscript into my sleeping-chamber, to look over it more at leisure. There by myself, I could give way to the transport of joy which I felt. I knew that I held in my hand the most precious Biblical treasure in existence—a document whose age and importance exceeded that of all the manuscripts which I had ever examined dur ing twenty years’ of study on the subject. I can not now, I confess, recall all the emotions which I felt in that excit ing moment, with such a diamond in my possession. Though my lamp was dim and the night cold, I sat down at once to transcribe the Epistle of Barnabas. For two centuries search had been made in vain for the original Greek of the first of this epistle, which has been only known through a very faulty Latin translation. And yet this letter, from the end of the second down to the beginning of the fourth century, had an extensive authority, since many Christians assigned to it and to the Pastor of Hermas a place side by side with the inspired writings of the New Testanment. This was the very reason why these two writ ings were thus both bound up with the Sinaitic Bible, time transcription of which is to he referred to the first half of the fourth century, and about the time of the first Christian emperor.
‘‘Early on the 5th of February, I called upon the steward and asked permission to take the manuscript with me to Cairo, to have it there transcribed from cover to cover; but time prior had set out only two days before for Cairo, on his way to Constantinople, to attend at the election of a new archbishop, and one of the monks would not give his consent to my request. What was then to be done? My plans were quickly decided. On the 7th, at sunrise, I took a hasty farewell of the monks, in hopes of reaching Cairo in time to get the prior’s consent. Every mark of attention was shown me on setting out. The Russian flag was hoisted from the convent walls, while the hillsides rang with time echoes of a parting salute, and the most distin guished members of the order escorted me on my way as far as the plain.
‘‘The following Sunday I reached Cairo where I was received with the same marks of good-will. The prior, who had not yet set out, at once gave his consent to my request, and also gave instructions to a Bedouin to go and fetch the manuscript with all speed. Mounted on his camel, in nine days he went from Cairo to Sinai and back, and on the 24th of February the priceless treasure was again in my hands. The time was now come at once boldly and without delay to set to work to a task of transcribing no less than one hundred and ten thousand lines, of which a great many were difficult to read either on account of later corrections or through the ink having faded, aud that in a climate where the thermometer through March, April, and May is never below seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit in the shade. No one can say what this cost me in fatigue and exhaustion.” On the 27th of September Tischendorf returned to Cairo, and received from the monks under the form of a loan the Sinaitic Bible, which he took to St. Petersburg, where it was accurately copied.
Since my return from India, in the month of November, 1904, I received two facsimile pages from the original man uscript, which is now at St. Petersburg, Russia. These consist of the last chapter of St. Mark and the first chapter of St. Luke.
There is another quite important one of the uncial manuscripts, called Codex Ephraemi. This is, however, called a palimpsest or rescript manuscripts that is, the origi nal writings were rubbed out in order to make room for other writings. It was first written in uncial characters, and about the twelfth century these pages were washed and pumiced, and on it were placed the writings of an old church Father by the name of Ephraemn Syrus. This last writing was done in the cursive or running hand style of writing. About two hundred years ago a Swiss theologian attempted to decipher a few traces of the original manu script. Some time after that another man undertook it with but little success. In later years an attempt was made to bring out the characters by means of chemicals. But after all these attempts proved to be unsuccessful, Tischen dorf tried his skill at the manuscript, and by the use of chemicals was enabled to be successful in his efforts, inso much that he was able to completely decipher the whole of it and distinguish between the dates of the different writers who had been engaged upon the manuscript. This manuscript is kept in the Royal Library at Paris.
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THE BRIDGE OF TIME FROM THE APOSTLES TO A. D. 400.
We have heretofore shown that the Old Testament Scriptures were handed down from generation to genera tion in book form to the days of Christ, and that Ptolemy, king of Egypt, had the Septnagint Version made about two hundred and fifty years before Christ for the great library at Alexandria. We have also shown that from A. D. 300 to 400 up to the present time there have been manuscripts in existence of both Old and New Testaments; that these manuscripts are still in existence, and that we have personally examined the oldest of them. But now there is the space of about three hnndred years from the time of the apostles to the time when these old manuscripts were copied, which time must be bridged over by unquestionable evidence; otherwise we shall be at sea, as it were, regarding establishing the truthfulness of the foundation of the Bible. Skeptics, too, will say, as one said to me a few months ago while we were sailing on the Pacific Ocean.
He asked, ‘‘How old are the oldest manuscripts of the Bible in the Greek language?’’
I replied that they dated hack to A. D. 300 to 400 years.
‘‘Then, there are no older manuscripts in existence? the original can not be found?’’
‘‘No, sir. The original Greek manuscripts have never been discovered.’’
‘‘If that is the case, that the oldest manuscripts date back only to about A. D. 300 to 400, I suppose some impostor just wrote it up about that time, don’t you think?’’
But we have an abundance of substantial evidence with which to bridge over these few centuries of time. There is no questioning the fact that there was at one time a man living whose name was Jesus, and that there were twelve apostles and others who were his followers and to whom he gave the Word. After Jesus’ death Saul of Tarsus, who was afterwards called Paul, became a believer iu the Christian religion, and went forth preaching the gospel, and also wrote a number of epistles. History tells us of these men.
Constantine, who lived A. D. 272 to 337, became the emperor of Rome. He was the first Christian emperor, and required the people to recognize Christianity, whereas before this time the Christians had undergone the most severe persecutions of torture of every kind, and thousands upon thousands were put to death.
In the year 325 the Nicaean Council was held, where certain authoritative steps were taken concerning this affair. Before Constantine’s time, during the great persecutions of the Christians, a special effort was made by the rulers of the land and others to completely wipe out of existence not only the Christians themselves, but their doctrine by also destroying the manuscripts. Many of these sacred volumnes were delivered up and burned, but others were hidden away and sealed up in caves and vaults and in some way preserved. Constantine, desiring to reestablish the work on this line and preserve the Scriptures, gave orders that fifty copies of the Bible be made for use in the churches at the various places. Eusebius Pamphili, bishop of Caesarea, who lived during the time of the Emperor Con stantine and died a few years later, wrote a history of the life of the Emperor. This great Christian historian, who was a personal friend of Constantine, in giving his account of Constantine says:
‘‘Ever careful for the welfare of the churches of God, the Emperor addressed me personally in a letter on the means of providing copies of the inspired oracles. His letter, which related to the providing of copies of the Scriptures for reading in the churches, was to the following purport:
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VICTOR CONSTANTINE, MAXIMUS AUGUSTUS, TO EUSEBIUS:
‘‘‘it seems highly requisite, since that city is rapidly advancing in prosperity in all other respects, that the number of churches should be also increased. Do you, therefore, receive with all readiness my determination on this behalf? I have thought it expedient to instruct your Prudence to order fifty copies of the sacred Scriptures, the provision and use of which you know to be most needful for the instruction of the church, to be written on prepared parchment, in a legible manner, and in a commodious and portable form, by transcribers thoroughly practised in their art. The procurator of the diocese has also received instructions by letter from our Clemency to be careful to furnish all things necessary for the preparation of such copies; and it will be for you to take special care that they be completed with as little delay as possible. You have authority, also, in virtue of this letter, to use two of the public carriages for their conveyance, by which arrange ment the copies, when fairly written, will most easily be forwarded for my personal inspection; and one of the deacons of your church may he entrusted with this service, who, on his arrival here, shall experience my liberality. God preserve you, beloved brother.’
‘‘Such were the Emperor’s commands, which were followed by the immediate execution of the work itself, which we sent him in magnificent and elaborate volumes of a threefold and fourfold form. This fact is attested by another letter, which the Emperor wrote in acknowledg ment.”—EUSEBIUS: Life of Constantine, Bk IV, Chap. 34-37.
Here we find that fifty copies of the Bible were prepared by the hand and at the expense of the Roman emperor for the benefit of the congregations in the different places. And when Tischendorf found the Sinaitic manuscript, he was quite well convinced that it was very probably one of these fifty copies ordered by Constantine, which had been pre sented to that convent.
Infidels admit that the New Testament as we have it existed at the time of the Council of Nice in the year 325. Then, we have only to bridge over a chasm of less than three hundred years in order to meet the apostles with their original writings and work.
As Jesus Christ was the foundation and chief corner stone of the church of God, and he gave his gospel to his apostles, we will now begin building our bridge, using him for our foundation-stone and place of starting. He gave the word and the Twelve and the Seventy who went forth preached it. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John wrote the Gospels. Paul and others wrote the Epistles. Paul in writing to Timothy told him when he came to “bring the books, but especially the parchments.” He no doubt at that very time had been writing his Epistles to the churches, which have been handed down to us as a portion of the New Testament. John, who was one of the apostles, and who wrote a part of the New Testament, lived until about the year 100. Polycarp, who was a great writer, and whose writings are to be found to-day, lived from about the year 69 to 165. He was also bishop of Smyrna, was acquainted with John, and was not only acquainted with John, but was one of his disciples, who sat at his feet and learned from the blessed apostle.
Among other writers whose writings are still extant is Justin Martyr, Who lived from about the year 105 to 163, who was well acquainted with Polycarp, and had heard him tell of his conversations with John and of hearing John preach. There were other noted writers of about the same time. One, Ignatius, who died about A. D. 115; another, Clement, who was bishop of Rome from A. D. 91 to 101. Then, there was Iremeus, bishop of Lyons, who died about A. D. 202; Tertullian, A. D. 150 to 230; Origen, A. D. 185 to 253; Gregory, 210 to 270; Constantine, A. D. 272 to 337; Lactantius, A. D. 301 to 325; Euebius, A. D. 264 to 349.
As we have heretofore stated, infidels admit that the New Testament existed at the time of Constantine. We have now bridged the chasm over to the apostles by a number of noted reliable writers, whose writings are now extant and a copy of the same before me as I write. We will now proceed to quote a few expressions from the writings of some of these men. As the dates have already been given at the time which these men lived, it will be unnecessary to make mention again all the dates of their life and writings. However, we would say that Iremeus died in the second year of the third century, that is, A. P.
202. In his youth he had sat at the feet of the aged Poly carp; and Polycarp had in turn been a disciple of the Evangelist St. John, and had conversation with other eye witnesses of the gospel narrative. Irenmus, in speaking of his own personal recollections, gives us Polycarp’s own account of that which he had heard from the lips of St. John and other disciples of our Lord, and expressly adds that all these words agree with Scripture. But let us hear his own words, as contained in a letter to Florinus:
“When I was yet a child, I saw thee at Smyrna in Asia Minor, at Polycarp’s house, where thou wert distinguished at court, and obtained the regard of the bishop. I can more distinctly recollect things which happened then than others more recent; for events which happen in infancy seem to grow with the mind, and to become part of ourselves; so that I can recall the very place where Polycarp used to sit and teach, his manner of speech, his mode of life, his appearance, the style of his address to the people, his fre quent references to St. John and to others who had seen our Lord; how he used to repeat from memory their dis courses, which he had heard from them concerning our Lord, his miracles and mode of teaching, and how, being instructed himself by those who were eye-witnesses of the Word, there was in all that he said a strict agreement with the Scriptures.’’
This is the account which Irenaeus himself gives of his connection with Polycarp, and of the truths which he had learned from him.
About a century or more after this, Eusebius wrote in his ‘‘Ecclesiastical History’’ (Book II, Chap. 2), and Con stantine had the means of knowing whether or not Eusebius wrote the truth: ‘‘The fame of our Lord’s remarkable resurrection being now spread abroad, according to an ancient custom prevalent among the rulers of the nations to communicate novel occurrences to the emperor, that noth ing might escape him, Pontius Pilate transmits to Tiberius an account of the circumstances concerning the resurrection of our Lord from the dead, the report of which had been spread throughout all Palestine. In this account he also intimated that he ascertained other miracles respecting heaven, and having now risen from the dead he was believed to be a God by the great mass of the people. Tiberius referred the matter to the senate, but it is said they rejected the proposition.’’
Tertullian also wrote in his “Apology” to the rulers of the Roman empire (section 21), wherein he spoke of the darkness of the crucifixion, and said, “You yourselves have an account of the world-potent in your archives”; and when recording Christ’s condemnation, death, burial, resurrec tion, and ascension, he said, ‘‘All these things did Pilate do to Christ; and, now in fact a Christian in his own con victions, he sent word of Him to the reigning Caesar, who was at the time Tiberius.’’ Constantine knew whether or not these were facts, and also knew whether or not Justin Martyr spoke the truth in his “Apology” to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (chapter 21), when he testified of Christ’s healing the sick, casting out demons, cleansing the lepers, and raising the dead; and added, “And that he did these things you can learn from the Acts of Pontius Pilate.” The public records of Rome had not yet been destroyed by barbarian conquerors, and were at his command. He was nearly thirty years old in A. D. 303, when his predecessor Piocletian published his imperial edict commanding them to tear down the churches of the Christians, and to burn their copies of the sacred Scriptures.
Eusebius, in writing concerning some of these things, said: “We saw with our own eyes our houses of worship thrown down from their elevation, the sacred Scriptures of inspiration committed to the flames in the midst of the markets. It was in the nineteenth year of the reign of Piocletian [A. D. 302], in the month of Dystrus, called by the Romans March, in which the festival of our Savior was at hand, when the imperial edicts were everywhere pub lished to tear down the churches to the foundation and to destroy the sacred Scriptures by fire.’’—Eusebius Ecclesias tical History, Book VIII, Chap. 21.
There are numerous statements made by these early writers concerning the “Acts of Pontius Pilate,” and the report that he gave to Caesar concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. And Eusebius and others say that these records or reports were kept in the Archives of Rome. Among the old, manuscripts in the Vatican Library in Rome at the present time, is one giving the report of Pontins Pilate to Augustus Caesar, a translation of which I have before me as I write. But even though this manuscript should be forged, there is enough evidence that such a report did exist and was safely kept in the Archives of Rome.
We could continue by giving a great multiplicity of similar quotations from these early writers, but now we will notice what they had to say concerning the Bible. Irenaeus said, ‘‘So well established are our Gospels, that even teachers of error themselves bear testimony to them; even they rest their objections on the foundations of the Gos pels.’’—Adv. Hoer. III, 11, 7.
It was not Constantine who made the Bible, nor who decided what books were canonical, as this was decided in the days of the apostles and continued to be known as such during the centuries to follow. Polycarp, who was martyred A. D. 155 or 156 and lived about thirty years of his life at the same time with St. John, quotes in his epistles to the Philippians nearly forty passages from our New Tes tament. Justin Martyr, who wrote about A. D. 140, or forty years after the death of the apostle John, has many quotations and uses the very words that we now read in the New Testament. In the writings of Irenmus, A. D. 178; Clement, A. D. 194; Tertullian, A. D. 200; and Origen, A. D. 230, are to he found 8,723 quotations from the New Testament, including every book which we accept as ca nonical.
Dr. Keith, in the sixth chapter of his “ ‘Demonstration of the Truth of the Christian Religion,’ records the num ber of quotations from the New Testament which can be seen in works which are still extant of the writers we have named. He reports 767 passages quoted by Irenaeus, from every book in the New Testament except the third Epistle of John, and the Epistle of Jude; 389 passages quoted by Clement, from every book except the Epistle of James and the second and third Epistles of John, and the Epistle of Jude; 1,802, or, if repetitions are included, more than 3,000, quoted by Tertullian from every book of the New Testament except the Epistle of James, the third of John, the second of Peter, and the Epistle of Jude; while the works of Urigen yet extant, contain 5,765 quo tations from the New Testament, including every book contained therein, and excluding all the so-called apocry phal books, about which infidels sometimes talk so freely. Many works of Origen and other authors of those times have perished, but it is probable that if Origen’s entire writings had been preserved, if the New Testament had been lost, it could have been reconstructed from them alone.”
Tregelles, when speaking of Origen, who died about A. D. 254, says: “In his writings he makes such extensive use of the New Testament, that although a very large number of his works are lost, and many others have come down to us only in defective Latin versions, we can in his extant Greek writings alone, . . . find cited at least two-thirds of the New Testament; so that, had such a thing been permitted as that the Gospels, and some of the others books, should have been lost, we might restore them in a great measure by means of the quotations in Origen.”
These were the Gospels which Justin Martyr said were read in the public assemblies of the Christians every Lord’s day. They were the “authentic writings” which Ter tullian (A. D. 200) said were to be found in his time by any inquirer, in the custody of the churches of Corinth, Philippi, Thessalonica, Ephesus, and Rome. They were the Scriptures which the Emperor Piocletian (A. D. 300) ordered to be surrendered and burned, that he might destroy the foundations of Christianity. They were the same Scriptures that Constantine (A. D. 331) made men tion of in a letter which is still extant, ordering Eusebius to provide fifty copies, to be carefully transcribed upon prepared parchments, as heretofore mentioned. Mr. Buchanan of Edinburgh relates the following concerning Lord Hailes, a Scottish judge. He says:
“I was dining some time ago with a literary party at old Mr. Abercrombie’s, father of General Abercrombie, who was slain in Egypt at the head of the British army, and spending the evening together. A gentleman present put a question which puzzled the whole company. It was this: ‘Supposing all the New Testaments in the world had been destroyed at the end of the third century, could their contents have been recovered from the writings of the first three centuries?’
“The question was novel to all, and no one even haz arded a guess in answer to the inquiry. About two months after this meeting, I received a note from Lord Hailes, inviting me to breakfast with him next morning. He had been one of the party. During breakfast he asked me if I recollected the curious question about the possibility of recovering the contents of the New Testament from the writings of the first three centuries.
“ ‘I remember it well,’ said I, ‘and have thought of it often, without being able to form any opinion or conjecture on the subject.’ “ ‘Well,’ said Lord Hailes, ‘that question quite ac corded with the turn or taste of my antiquarian mind. On returning home, as I knew I had all the writings of those centuries, I began immediately to collect them, that I might set to work on the arduous task as soon as pos sible.’ Pointing to a table covered with papers, he said, ‘There have I been busy for these two months, searching for chapters, half-chapters, and sentences of the New Tes tament, and have marked down what I have found, and where I found it, so that any person may examine and see for himself. I have actually discovered the whole New Testament from those writings, except seven (or eleven) verses (I forget which), which satisfied me that I could discover them also.’ ‘Now,’ said he, ‘here was a way in which God concealed or hid the treasure of his Word, that Julian, the apostate emperor, and other enemies of Christ who tried to extirpate the Gospels from the world, never would have thought of; and though they had, they could never have effected their destruction.’”
With all this evidence we feel that the chasm of time has been well bridged; that we can clasp hands, as it were, with the apostles, and when we read our New Testament, feel assured that we are speaking the same words that they spoke; and when we search our Old Testament, we do not question it being the same Scriptures to which Jesus referred when he said to the Jews, “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.”
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FROM ENGLAND TO ITALY.
Upon arriving at Chester, England, we entered our first walled city. In England as in most Oriental countries there are some walled cities. Not all cities have a wall around them; but some which were of special importance in the time of the sieges of warfare during the past. Chester is a very old or ancient city. The wall around it was probably first built by the Romans many hundred years ago, and has since been repaired at different times. In those days they built walls around the cities so as to be safe in time of war. The walls of Chester are from twelve to twenty feet high, and there is a canal just outside the wall to make it more difficult for an enemy to approach. On the wall are a number of towers where watchmen used to stand and watch for an approaching enemy, but no watch men are kept there now for that purpose. In one of these towers a man stays and keeps some ancient relics. Here we looked from the window where King Charles looked out one time and saw his army defeated by Oliver Cromwell.
The coaches of the trains in the East are very much different from those in America. They are divided into small rooms or compartments, with two seats across the coach. Each room will seat ten or twelve persons, and is something like the inside of a small omnibus or cab. There is a row of doors on either side of the coach or car, which open to every room from the outside. The conductors are called guards. They can not pass through the train and take up the tickets; but when the train stops, they walk along the platform and come and open the doors from the outside, and the passengers must hand him their tickets at the door. Just before the train starts the guards lock the doors until the next station is reached.
The traveler in England must take his money to the exchange office and have it exchanged for English money, as that is the only kind in use there. Half-penny, penny, sixpence, shilling, florin, crown, sovereign, pound, etc., instead of dollars and cents of the United States money.
It is not a good plan for a traveler to carry much money upon his person. We had secured our tickets for the voyage and journey through Thomas Cook and Son, a transportation company, who have offices in most of the leading cities in the world. To avoid loss and danger of robbery we deposited our money with them, for which we received a book of circular notes of five and ten pounds each. A pound equals $4.86 of United States money. In connection with the book of circular notes we also received a letter of identification. Upon our arrival in a city where we expected to remain a few days and would need money, we would present one or more of the circular notes, together with the letter of identification, at the office of Thomas Cook and Son in that city, and thus secure the necessary amount until we arrived at another place. In this way, if one were to be so unfortunate as to have the book stolen, he might yet have the letter of identification and could arrange to secure the money, and even both might be stolen, and yet there would be a chance of recovering the money. These little items are mentioned as a hint, which may be helpful to the reader who may become a future traveler. There is also a letter-of-credit system which is used by many for the same purpose.
There are many places of interest in England, and especially in London; but as our stay was very short, and our time well occupied with the special business and work concerning the manuscripts in the British Museum, we did not have time to visit these places of interest. Those who desire to obtain an insight or knowledge of the manners and customs of the people of several centuries can well interest themselves in Madame Tussaud’s Place. Here is to be found a very fine collection, representing the different nations, of noted men and women dressed in the style and custom of their day. It includes the kings and royal families of past ages, not only of England, but noted men and women of the world. They are made in beautiful wax figures of the exact size of the person when living. These are so natural, and are either sitting or standing in such positions, that visitors often begin talking to them, asking them questions concerning the other figures in another part of the room. There, standing in a group, are President Roosevelt, Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, and William McKinley. The readers of history can here study the characters, and brighten their memories regarding the knowledge received by reading the records of the past.
In the basement can be seen the place called “The Chamber of Horrors,’’ which portrays lifelike scenes of the foulest murders and executions and bloody scenes of the past, during the reign of kings and queens of centuries ago while the country was undergoing a change in religious affairs. A representation of the scenes with the old machines and instruments of execution of Christians are there to be found, making it truly a scene of horrors.
But few street-cars are to be seen on the streets of London, and those are drawn by horses. The streets are crowded with cabs and omnibuses. Most of these have seats and a stairway leading up at the end. Each place seating about sixteen persons. Hundreds of these are to be seen at a time hurriedly driven along the streets. There are some elevated railways, and underneath is the network of etectric cars.
England is proud of her London police. As some one has said, when a London policeman holds up his hand, that part of the world stops. The cabdrivers understand that they can go no farther without his command for them to proceed.
After our return from Africa we met the remainder of our company in London, and proceeded together on our way to India. Upon leaving London it seemed more like enter ing a foreign land. It required but a few hours to cross the English Channel upon a French vessel, the journey being made in the night. The tickets were printed in French, the officers and porters all talked French. It was the same way at the railroad ticket-offices, and on the trains when we arrived in France early the next morning. It was the same in Paris during our stay there at hotels, in restaurants, or in the National Library, on street-cars, or wherever we went—there was seldom any one who could speak or understand English, and in many places they did not know a word of the English language. But the good Lord helped us to get along and fulfil our mission, and to scatter the gospel truths here and there among those who could speak the English language. The French, generally, are quite different from the people of many other countries visited. They have no special desire to learn the English language. They feel that people should learn French instead of their learning English. At the hotel where we stopped one lady was employed who could speak some English. Having to do considerable traveling about the city in order to gain admittance to the National Library, in the mean time we had some interesting and amusing experiences on the street-cars, in restaurants, and other places where we were obliged to do more or less business. A part of our experience one day in a restaurant will give an idea of many other experiences along the way.
Having remained in the Library until after the regular meal-time in order to finish our work there, we afterwards went to a very nice-looking restaurant. It being too late for the noonday meal, we had to give a special order. Not one of the employers or servants could speak or understand a word of English. We could not speak or understand the French. We were invited to take a seat at the table, and they understood that we wanted something to eat; but the next thing was to make them understand what we desired. A bill of fare printed in the French language was brought to us. We could not tell a thing on the card, and to point to some certain thing and order it, we did not know whether it would be vegetables, fruit, or meat; and as there was a large ham of a horse hanging up in the window, we were afraid we should get horse-meat to eat if they simply gave us what was on the card. In France horse-meat is used as freely as are beef and pork in other countries. It was also very difficult to let them know what we desired to drink, as the people in France and Italy would consider water about the last thing a person would order to drink, as wines and liquors are used freely and abundantly. How ever, after some time we managed to complete our meal.
After our work was completed in Paris we passed on through Switzerland and across the beautiful range of the Alps, and were soon within the borders of Italy. The beauti ful scenery of the Alps Mountains equals that of our Rockies and Cascades. As we were beholding the towering peaks of the Alps with their deep intervening valleys, the grandeur of the scene was so inspiring that some one suggested that we write a poem. None of us claimed to be an expert in writing poetry. It was decided that Brother Bailey write the first stanza, and after reading it the others were to each compose a stanza and when all were finished they were to be read and put together and make one poem. Sister Bailey had the baby, and insisted that I should com pose hers and also one for myself. When completed, the stanza Brother Bailey wrote was used for the beginning of the poem. Next came the production of Brother Khan, followed by that of Sister Nichols, while my two stanzas closed our attempt of poetic expression.
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AMONG THE ALPS.
We’re sweeping through fair Switzerland, Our train doth onward fly, We’re nearing now the Alpine peaks, Which seem to reach the sky.
With snow-clad cliffs of rugged rocks, And wreaths of silver streaks, The grandeur of the Alpine heights, His Maker’s praises speaks.
Could they relieve their burdened mind Pent with events of yore What awful scenes might be reviewed Of Alpine’s battle gore!
Thou grand old scene of ancient days, Whose hills and rocks sublime And awe-inspiring tow’ring peaks With grandeur dost combine.
When come the bleak and wintry winds Thou cov’rst thy face with snow, But summer’s breath upon thy brow Bids joyful tears to flow
At the first city in Italy after crossing the line the passengers were all ordered out of the train with their luggage to pass through the custom-house, where they had to open it for examination. The doors were all locked until the officers had finished their work, then all were again sent to the train.
In Italy we came in contact with a people who talked another language. Having anticipated this change, some Italian conversational books had been purchased, and our company being together, we were enabled to learn and put into practise enough of the language to get along nicely. Centuries ago the Latin language was used, but now the Italian language is spoken, and a Latin scholar has much difficulty in being understood even in Rome.
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VENICE—A CITY WITH STREETS OF WATER.
AFTER traveling nearly all night we arrived at the city of Venice just before daybreak. This is one of the noted cites of the world. It is at the edge of the Adriatic Sea, and is situated upon many small islands. Most of the streets are water. Solid rows of houses are built, leaving a space of water about the width of a common street, with no sidewalks on either side. The inhabitants of the city in order to visit or do business of any kind in another part of the city step into a gondola, which is a small rowboat with a little room near the center with a covering over it and place for four or five persons to be comfortably situated. These gondolas are to be seen almost anywhere along the watery streets, for the benefit and accommodation of the inmates of the houses. Now and then a short paved street is to be found in the middle of one of these islands, and occasionally an open square. The king has a palace here. Some of the finest glassworks and lace in the world are to be found in this city. It is also the scene of the “Merchant of Venice” of Shakespeare’s writings. Some of the ancient manuscripts of the Bible are also kept here, for the examination of which we visited the city.
From here we started on our way to Rome. Having to change cars at Pisa, and having about two hours to wait, some of us walked to another part of the city to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the wonders of the world. This is a large tower, the incline of which, we were told, is about thirteen feet. The entire height is one hun dred and eighty-three feet. The top is reached by a stair way inside the wall.
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THE CITY OF ROME.
IT was about midnight when we reached the famous city of Rome. This ancient city, with all its modern improve ments, still bears many marks of antiquity here and there. The traveler sauuteriug forth into the streets out into the suburbs of the city, on every hand frequently sees old ruins and remains of the ancient city walls, towers and other places once famous, but now only a mass of ruins, or here and there a part of the walls preserved as a work of an tiquity. To those who have studied Roman history and acquainted themselves with the bloody scenes of past cen turies and the many vicissitudes through which the city has passed, it becomes a place of very great interest to have even ruins pointed out.
This is the city where Paul was brought after having made his appeal to Caersar. Although brought as a prisoner and in chains, he was permitted to preach the gospel in Rome and to write some of his epistles. He was here at the time of the great persecution of Christians under the cruel reign of Emperor Nero. It was here that thousands and thousands of Christians gave their lives in various ways for their faithfulness to the cause of Christ. Here Nero had his beautiful gardens, where Christians were burned alive as torches to illuminate the walks about the place. It would be impossible to picture in our minds the horrible scenes and the treatment of the people of that day; but there still remains enough of the ancient sites to viv idly bring to the mind some idea of the dark picture of the torchlights of that time.
In the city still stands the great Colosseum, with the immense arena where the gladiators fought the wild beasts, and where Christian martyrs were thrown into the mouths of lions or tigers, or into the presence of infuriated bulls and other animals. This is the most wonderful ruin in the world—the amphitheater of imperial Rome. The Colos seum, as it is called now, was begun by Vespasian in 72 A. D., on the site of Nero’s Golden House. It was inau gurated by Titus on the twenty-first day of April, 80 A. D., by sports that lasted one hundred days, during which thou sands of men and beasts lost their lives. It was almost finished by Domitian after ten years, at a cost of fifteen millions of francs, notwithstanding the free labor of thou sands of captive Jews who were compelled to work in the amphitheater of the Caesars.
This amphitheater occupies six acres of ground. The outside mole consists of four stories of arches, being sup ported by half engaged pillars. The last story consists of a wall faced with pillars and pierced with forty windows. On the top cornice of this wall we may still see the holes for the poles which held the ropes for the awning that was spread over the heads of the spectators. The style of architecture is Greek, and changes at each tier. The first is Doric, the second Tonic, and the third Corinthian. Each of the lower tiers had eighty arches, forty-seven of which have disappeared. The number of holes which we see all over is probably the work of the dark ages, when the clamps and fastening of the stones were extricated.
The interior is a noble wreck. The arena was two hun dred and seventy-five feet long, one hundred and seventy-seven feet in breadth, and set on corbels about five feet lower than the present surface. This was discovered not long ago when half of what was supposed to be the arena was unearthed. A high wall crowned with bronzed rail ings protected the spectators from the wild beasts that were introduced info the arena from subterranean passages. The Colosseum could accommodate abont fifty thousand spectators seated on tiers all around. The podium was the place for the emperor, the vestals and the state officials. On and above the podium were three more tiers. The first was for those of senatorial rank, the second for the knights, and the other for soldiers, married men with two children, and schoolmasters with their pupils. The upper galleries were for the gods, as the lower ranks were called by those occupying better seats. On certain days the arena would be filled with water, and naval battles were represented to commemorate engagements in Roman history.
A show of wild beasts under Theodoric and a bull-fight in 1332 were the last exhibitions that took place in this slaughter-house of ancient Rome. In the middle ages the Colosseum was converted into a fortress, a hospital, a man ufactory of cotton, and at last consecrated by Pope Benedict XIV. to the memory of the martyrs.
This mighty wreck has defied time for two thousands of years. Jewish in its labor, Roman in its origin, Greek in its architecture, thrilling in its history, and gigantic in its wreck of ruinous perfection. The scores of arched caves and dens for the beasts on the one side and for the impris oned Christians on the other side who suffered martyrdom for their faith brought to us feeling of serenity and remem brances of these scenes of centuries past. To stand faith ful and true to God frequently meant to sacrifice even life itself.
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THE CATACOMBS.
A SHORT distance from the city are to be seen the cata combs of St. Calixtus, consisting of subterranean passages cut in volcanic soil, called tufa. Here the Christians used to bury their dead, and also conceal themselves from per secution. During the time of great persecution, when not only their lives were threatened, but many were being taken to the arena and thrown among the wild beasts in the pres ence of thousands of people, or in some other way tortured and killed, many fled to the catacombs and there sought ref uge underneath the surface of the earth. It is said that there was a Roman law which prevented any interference with the cemetery; and as these catacombs were used for burial-places, they became a place of safety to the fugitive Chris tians. While they were a place of safety in one sense, they frequently meant death in another sense. There the Chris tians were out of reach of their enemies, but had to live in those small dark hallways underneath the ground, ofttimes amidst the stench of the tombs and dampness, facing starva tion. However, many of them preferred death in this way to meeting the severe persecutions and tortures of the persecutors. Ofttimes the Christians had to flee to the cata combs in order to have their religious services.
As we passed through these dark hallways underneath the ground with lighted candles, we descended as far as the third or fourth story. One of these catacombs is said to extend for about thirteen miles. More than thirty cata combs have been discovered around Rome, extending over an erea of six hundred and twenty acres. If all the subter ranean passages were put in a line, we should have the whole length of Italy; namely, about five hundred and eighty-seven English miles.
In the catacombs of St. Calixtus it is said that about two hundred thousand Christians were buried. It is claimed that the bones of the martyrs have been taken by the popes and placed in Roman Catholic cathedrals in all parts of the world.
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THE VATICAN—THE HOME OF THE POPE.
The Vatican is no doubt the largest and most popular palace of the world, it is occupied as the residence of the pope, part of his court, and some of the guards. It has twenty courtyards, eight great staircases, and two hundred smaller ones, and is said to contain thousands of rooms. Many of these are dccorated with master-pieces of art in painting and sculpture. The place is well guarded by soldiers and special guards under the supervision of the pope. It is the home of the pope, and he is scarcely ever out side of its walls. It is the headquarters of the Roman Cath olic Church. It is a fact, however, that the government of Italy and the Roman Catholic power at the Vatican are not in harmony, but in many respects in direct opposition to each other.
The traveler who is escorted from place to place in the city and its immediate vicinity, unless well-versed in the history of Rome, will be unable to distinguish between true history and Roman Catholic traditions and supersti tions. One day we took a ride out of the city a distance of about four miles to a place where it said that St. Paul was beheaded and his remains placed and where there now stands a cathedral. Upon arriving near the place we fonnd a number of monks, both old and young, working in the garden by the wayside. They seemed to be working as if their lives depended upon their faithful labors, and activity. The guide told us that they were expected to work in this way all day long, and were not allowed to speak to each other at morning, evening, or at night while in their rooms. Many other things he told us concerning their privations and sacrifices. On the top of the head near the back part these monks had a small place shaved, a place about the size of a silver dollar. By close observation we found that many of the assertions of the guide concerning these monks were untrue, and when we were farther away from them, and they thought no one was watching, they did not work much, and conversed with each other quite freely.
Upon our return, as the guide repeated the same old story, we took him aside, and said, ‘‘Now, we desire to know the truth of some of these things.’’ At first he declared he had told us the truth. After telling him of a number of things we had observed, he said, “Well, as you have found out so many things, I will tell you. The whole thing is a humbug from beginning to end. They work only when some visitors or travelers are near; at other times they are not required to work much, and can talk all they please. When alone in their rooms of morn ings and evenings, they are not under such restrictions.”
Investigation regarding the present situation of affairs brought considerable surprise, as we learned both froln prominent Catholics and others that the pope has for years been losing power and influence with the majority of his people, and the government is in many respects in direct opposition to Catholicism. I was told by a number of Roman Catholics that they did not believe what the pope says. ‘‘We do not believe in his infallibility. The majority of Catholics do not believe in him’’ A Catholic guide told us the same. Notwithstanding what I had heard concern ing the priests of Rome, I expected to find them a more intelligent-looking class of people. There are, neverthe less, men of intelligence among them.
But few of their large church-buildings have seats in them, as the people are supposed either to stand or to kneel before the crucifix of the Virgin Mary.
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PERFORMING THEIR RELIGIOUS RITES.
IT is a worship of formality, without the Spirit of God, from beginning to end. It is truly an image-worship. Take from them the image of the Virgin Mary and the crucifix, and they would not know how to worship. In order to show that such is the case, it is only necessary to make mention of one of the many scenes I witnessed while among them and saw with my own eyes. At a place called the Scala Santa there are five flights of stairs side by side of about forty steps each and twelve or fifteen feet wide. There are a crucifixion scene and images back in a beautiful vault or room at the top of the middle stairs. Here we saw a con tinual crowd of people climbing these stairs, from the bot tom to the top. When they arrived near the top, with the most intense earnestness they looked upon these images, did obeisance to them, placed some money before them, or dropped it into the treasury, and went their way giving place to others to do likewise. They have been taught to believe that these steps were brought from Jerusalem, and are holy, being the same steps that Jesus walked upon when led to the judgment-hall. They say that the original steps have been covered over with thick wooden steps, which have been worn out and re-covered many times, because of their constant wearing away by the people going up on their knees.
Martin Luther, who was then a young monk, had been studying the Bible, and the Lord had been flashing some light upon him. When he was half way up these stairs, going up in the usual way, on his knees, the Spirit of the Lord made known to him that “the just shall live by faith.” That put a stop to his climbing those stairs on his knees, and he soon began seeking the Lord in a different manner, which brought about a great reformation in his life and in the lives of many others. He no longer considered it a virtue to ascend these stairs.
We stood and watched the crowds of people climbing these stairs on their knees, stopping upon each step and counting their beads and saying prayers, and as they neared the top looking intently at a crucifix in front of the stair way back in a small room, which was illuminated with can dles glittering with beautiful golden ornaments. When they reached the top, they kneeled before this image, or sat at the lattice window intently peering in with the keenest vision for a few minutes; then they passed into the next room, and bowed before the beautiful image of the Virgin Mary. There again they went through a similar process; then moved their chairs a few feet, in front of a picture or image of some noted sainted person of past centuries; then pushed their chairs a few feet farther to another one. Thus they went the entire round of the room continuing the idolatrous image-worship.
Surely had St. Paul been present, he would have said, as he did to the people of his day: “Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever.” Rom. 1: 21, 25. Surely these image-worshipers were worshiping the cruci fix instead of the crucified One.
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KISSING ST. PETER’S TOE.
NEAR the main entrance of the Vatican is a magnificent building known as St. Peter’s Cathedral. Here is a beau tiful row of picturesque scenery and architecture both ancient and modern. This spacious building, like most other cathedrals and places of worship in Italy, contains no seats for the audience. The people while doing obei sance to the pope and prelates, and worshiping the crucifix and other images, either do so standing, upon their knees, or prostrate on the stone floor. Millions of dollars have been spent in arranging and in decorating this building with mosaic work and precious ornaments. Here and there are to be found rows of confessional-boxes, similar to a witness-box in a court of justice or to a railroad ticket-window. Each of these boxes has a long seat in the middle and a place on either side for one person to stand to make confession of sins and evil deeds. The priest takes his seat in the middle and locks himself in, while the one who does the confessing stands on a little platform without, speaking through the lattice bars, and somewhat repre sents one waiting at a ticket-window Above the confes sional-boxes are inscriptions indicating the language spoken therein, for instance, at the top of one is English, another Latin, another German, another Portugese, etc., in order that people of different languages may know where to make their confessions in their own language.
One of the great secrets of the power of Romanism is the confessional. Here the priests learn the secret evil deeds of the laity winch are hid from the public knowledge, and the intelligence of which would cause many to be impris oned or banished. With a knowledge of these things the priests hold their subjects in subjection through fear of exposure and abandonment. Through the power of the spirit of deception the people are kept under the power of the dignitaries of the church, and from childhood have been taught the necessity of making known their evil deeds, until they believe it to be obligatory and by so doing their sins will actually be remitted through the priest. Through this confession they receive a temporary relief to the wounded conscience, and also an imaginary sense of par don for their crimes and evil deeds. One of their principal scriptures for the confessional-box is James 5: 16, which says, “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may he healed.’’ But Romanism makes this a one-sided affair: the laity makes confession to the priests; but the priests do not fulfil their part, and make confession to the laity. However, the confession mentioned here has reference only to faults in time of sickness, some thing that may stand in the way of the healing, and these priests do not require the confession in order that the one who confesses may be healed.
In this building is a large bronze statue, supposed to represent St. Peter, life-sized, seated on a chair with the right foot projected. Here Roman Catholics from all parts of the world visit, and consider it a great privilege to bow with holy reverence and obeisance to this image of metal; and as they approach with the sanctimonious feeling of reverence to this, they consider it a holy privilege to be permitted to kiss the big toe of the projecting foot. As we stood near by watching the crowds pass and thus kissing the toe of this statue, it did truly appear to us to be genuine idol-worship. Not only do the followers kiss this toe, but many bow themselves on the floor in front of it and kiss the floor where others have been constantly walking.
In other places are representations of the pope; the image of the Virgin Mary; the crucifix, that is, the image of Christ nailed to the cross; and other images, paintings, or drawings of noted so-called saints, to which those idol atrous worshipers bow in reverence, and go through their form of worship.
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INDULGENCES.
In many places among the Roman shrines are to be read Latin inscriptions on the altars and walls and church doors— “Indulgenza Plenaria Perpetua.” The Roman definition of the term “indulgence” is “the remission of the temporal punishment that the church grants for some good work,” such as making a pilgrimage to Rome to visit shrines and churches, and praying before statues and images, kissing crosses, etc.
There are different kinds and grades of indulgences. “Ordinary” and “partial indulgences” secure only remis sion of “the temporal punishment due to sin.” “Plenary indulgences’’ secure remission of ‘‘all the penalty that the sinner owes to divine justice’’; that is, even the eternal pun ishment due to sin. Thus the pope grants the so-called remis sion of sins to the pilgrims of Rome, and plenary indulgence to those who visited St. Peter’s and went through the “Holy Door” and attended services during the “Anno Santo,” or the holy year, which was the jubilee year of the papal church. On such occasions, as on all other occasions, indul gences are granted, or rather sold, to the public by the agents of the pope.
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DECEPTIONS AND SUPERSTITIONS.
THERE are many erroneous traditions and superstitions handed down from generation to generation concerning things held sacred that are imposed, by many decep tions of the pope, priests, and monks, upon those who believe in the Roman Catholic religion. We would not here have time nor space to record the great number of deceptions and impositions on these lines. As an illustra tion of these things, and to give the reader a faint idea of the facts mentioned, we quote from one of their books entitled “Rome Ancient and Modern,” pages 47 and 49, which gives an account of the things that are shown to the public on Christmas eve and stations in Lent at certain cathedrals or places of worship.
“On Christmas eve at the Santa Maria Maggiore, the whole cradle is exposed in sacristy of this basilica. The cradle consists of a box made of silver, containing pieces of stones from the Bethlehem stable, the swaddling-bands, some of the straw which was spread in the manger, and pieces of wood which lined the manger.—Vespers at 2: 30 P. M.,” etc.
“In Lent the church of the station is opened all day, the relics are exposed, and an indulgence is granted to those visiting the church.’’
“Sunday.—First in Lent St. John Lateran. The relics exposed are pieces of the purple robe, the sponge raised to His mouth, the Virgin’s veil, the towel with which he wiped his disciples’ feet, and a thorn from the crown,” etc.
On Saturday after Good Friday is the “lighting of the holy fire in all the churches at 9 A. M.” A fuller account of the holy fire will be given in another chapter concerning the holy fire at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.
Similar statements from other books and announce ments could be made to fill many pages, giving announce ments of their deceptions and superstitious ideas.
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BEHEADING OF ST. PAUL.
WHILE passing along through the city of Rome the place was pointed out that is said to be the site of the place where Paul had his own hired house and remained for two years, and where Luke wrote the Acts of the Apostles. A few miles outside of the city is a building which is said to stand over the spot where Paul was beheaded. There is a round marble pillar, which has been broken, and which stands about three feet above the ground, and Roman tradition has it that upon this pillar Paul was placed at the time his head was cut off, and they say that when his head fell to the ground it gave two bounds after striking the ground. They pointed out to us the place where the head first struck, about five feet from the pillar or place of execution; then another place, where it bounded and struck the ground, a distance of twenty-five feet from where it first struck; and then bounded the second time and struck still twenty-five feet beyond. At each of these three places where his head struck a spring of water burst forth; the first one being very warm, the same temperature as blood; the second being slightly cooler, and the third being cool water. They say that these springs have never ceased to flow from that day; but for the past few years the water has become cool, all being of the same tempera ture. Doubtless they have become tired of heating it in order to deceive the public. The so-called springs have been walled up with mason-work under the edge of the wall of the building, amid the traveler is given a long handled dipper to reach down into the narrow place to get water to drink, but is unable to make further investigations. The whole thing is a “put-up job,” or sham, which well represents the deceptions of Romanism.
When our Roman Catholic guide was telling us of the superstitious traditions, and we reminded him of some con flictions and contradictions of the truth of the matter, he replied with a smile, ‘‘Believe it all, or believe it none.’’
They have a list of over two hundred and fifty popes, and consider that Peter was the first pope; but the truth of the matter is that Peter never was a pope of Roman Catholicism, and were he present to deliver a message to them, it would doubtless be with as severe judgments as was his niessage to those who crucified Christ, as recorded in the second and third chapters of Acts. He would expose their sins and destroy their images and idol-worship, and teach them salvation through Jesus Christ and how to wor ship the crucified One instead of the crucifix.
At one place we were shown a marble slab on which some one had carved footprints, making a deep indentation in the marble; and this is kept as a very sacred work, in a case, but where it is exposed to public view. The tradi tion is that Peter was at one time in Rome, and was much discouraged and on the point of leaving, when the Savior met him, giving him somewhat of a reproof, and Jesus stood upon this marble slab and left his footprints, making quite an indentation. Another one of these, in a Catholic institution in Jerusalem, is to be seen; but those who have measured the two Say the footprints are of different size. As we looked upon this marble slab and listened to their narration, we could only feel sad because of their ignor ance, deceptive and superstitious ideas. Truly the pure, unadulterated gospel of Jesus Christ is needed to be preached in Rome as much as in any heathen and idolatrous country.
There are a few Protestant denominations in Rome, but most of them also have only a form of worship, and deny the power of the Lord Jesus Christ to save and keep people from their sins and to heal them of their sicknesses and diseases. We had an opportunity, also, to attend some of the Protestant services, and in one place had the privilege of presenting the gospel of our Lord and Savior to an audience of English-speaking people.
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RUINS OF POMPEII.
From Rome we went to Naples, the largest city of Italy, where we were to take ship for Alexandria, Egypt. Hav ing to wait two days for the departure of the ship, we visited the ancient city of Pomnpeii, or rather the ruins of it. This city is only a few miles from Naples, at the base of Mount Vesuvius, the great volcano of Italy. The city was built about six hundred years before Christ. According to ancient history, the Romans gained control of the city about 80 B. C. Pompeii and Herculaneum, an adjoining city, from this period to the time of their destruction in the year 79 A. D. became pleasure seats of the Roman aristocracy, who introduced into them all the vice and luxury of the capital. It was from the time that Pompeii became a Roman city that it developed into what it was to be found at the time of its excavation. The Empire was an age of wealth and luxury, and religion was but little heeded among the educated classes. How ever, it was so interwoven with the state, and seemingly so necessary to the ruling classes and magistrates, that there was no way in which they considered public money, imperial extravagance, or private surplus means could be more usefully expended than in enriching the city with costly temples, and encouraging the citizens to spend great sums in sacrifices to the gods, and thus blinding the people by the feasting and revelry which always accompanied the rites.
Here were to be seen a collection of temples and public buildings of a magnificence out of all proportion to the size of the city, all testifying to enormous wealth, great progress, and exquisite culture.
On the 5th of February, A. D. 63, a violent earthquake was felt over the whole of Campania, damaging many of her cities, but working its worst ravages upon Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Nuceria. A great part of these cities was razed to the ground, and nearly all the public buildings in Pompeii were irretrievably damaged. The statues in the Forum were wrenched from their pedestals, and many of the inhabitants were mad with fear.
The city was for a time completely deserted, as many of the houses were insecure, and large numbers of them had actually fallen. But confidence was eventually restored, the citizens returned to their homes, and set to work to repair their dwellings.
There seems at first to have been considerable debate whether the public buildings should be rebuilt; but eventu afly the panic passed off, and the Decurions gave orders for their reconstruction, premising that even in the case of private houses, the shattered edifices should be rebuilt from their foundations. This rebuilding can be clearly traced in numerous instances, the debased fashion of the day and the hurried, careless work of the artificers stand ing out in strong contrast to the architectural unity and classic style of the older buildings, which Greek taste had erected in a happier age of art. This may specially be seen in the Forum, where some of the Doric stone pillars of the Greek period were replaced by marble ones of Roman style, and the poorest proportions.
Moreover, the restorers modified the architecture of the public buildings very materially. They covered the columns, capitals, and cornices with ornamental reliefs in stucco, picked out with many-colored devices; they departed from the grand simplicity of the Greek originals, and introduced an inferior style contrary to the Greek tastes. Notwithstanding that they thus completely changed the character of the city for the worse, they could not, and did not sweep away Greek art altogether, although the city became one of perfect Roman model, according to the fash ion of the age of Vespasian.
Things seem to have gone pretty smoothly with them for about sixteen years after this great earthquake, when new shocks began to be experienced, and the superstitious asserted that giants had been seen in the plain and upon the mountain.
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A VOLCANIC ERUPTION.
IT was, according to some, on the 23rd of August, according to others, on the 23rd of November, A. D. 79, that Mount Vesuvius was seen to send up a column of black smoke, spreading itself like the giant umbrella pines with which every one who has visited Naples is so familiar. This column was dense with volcanic matter thrown up from the crater beneath, and spread itself gradually far and wide, like a vast black cloud, until it descended upon the doomed city with a gloom as impenetrable as the dark ness of a stormy night.
The volcano mean while emitted without cessation, and with a loud roaring noise, a cloud of ashes, pumice, and red-hot stones; rain fell in torrents from time to time; and the whole city was convulsed by a succession of violent earthquakes. The dense cloud of ashes fell thick and fast, driven on by a strong wind which bore it to shores of Egypt and Syria, and even darkened the daylight in Rome itself.
The best account we have of the catastrophe is written by the younger Pliny, who witnessed it from Misenum, and who contributed two letters on the subject to the historian Tacitus for insertion in his Annals. His uncle, the elder Pliny, lost his life in an heroic endeavor to render assistance to the city. According to Pliny the younger, the earthquakes and darkness experienced at Misenum were scarcely less alarming than those at Pompeii itself. He describes the flight of the terror-stricken population, the cries of the women as they searched wildly in the darkness for their families, whom they could recognize only by the sound of their voices. It seemed, he says, as if everything had come to ruin and must be engulfed by the earth or the flames.
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PLINY’S LETTERS TO TACITUS.
My uncle was at Misenum, in personal command of the fleet. The ninth day before the Kalends of September, at about the seventh hour, my mother indicated to him the appearance of a cloud of unusual size and shape. He had sunned himself, and next gone into his cold bath; and, after a light meal, which he took reposing, was engaged in study. He called for his sandals, and ascended to a spot from which this portent could best he seen. A cloud was rising, from what mountain was a matter of uncertainty to those who looked at it from a distance; afterwards it was known to be Vesuvius—whose appearance and form would be represented by a pine better than any other tree. For, after towering upwards to a great height with an extremely lofty stem, so to speak, it spread out into a number of branches; because, as I imagine, having been lifted up by a recent breeze, and having lost the support of this as it grew feebler, or merely in consequence of yielding to its own weight, it was passing away laterally. It was at one time white, at another dingy and spotted, according as it carried earth or ashes. To a man of my uncle’s attain ments, it seemed a remarkable phenomenon, and one to be observed from a nearer point of view. He ordered his fast-sailing cutter to be got ready, and, in case I wished to accompany him, gave me leave to do so. I replied that I preferred to go on with my studies, and it so happened that he had himself given me something to write out.
He was in the act of leaving the house, when a note was handed him from Rectina. Caesius Bassus, frightened, together with the people there, at the imminence of the peril (for his villa lay under the mountain, and there was no escape for him except by taking a ship) begged mv uncle to rescue him fromn so critical a situation. Upon this he changed his plan, and, having started on his enterprise as a student, proceeded to carry it out in the spirit of a hero. He launched his four-ranked galleys, and embarked in person, in order to carry assistance, not to Rectina only, but to many others, for the charms of the coast caused it to be much peopled. He hastened in the direction whence every one else was flying, holding a direct course, and keeping his helm set straight for the peril, so free from fear that he dictated and caused to be noted down, as fast as he seized them with his eyes, all the shiftings and shapes of the dreadful prodigy. Ashes were already falling on the ship, hotter and thicker the nearer they approached; and even pumice and other stones, black and scorched, and cracked by the fire. There had been a sudden retreat of the sea, and the debris from the mountain made the shore unapproachable. Having hesitated for a momnent whether to turn back, he shortly called out to the helmsman (who was urging him to do so), ‘‘Fortune favors the brave! Make in the direction of Pomponianus.’’ The latter was at Stabiae, separated from him by the whole width of the bay, for the sea flows in by shores gradually winding and curving inwards. There, in view of the danger which, though it had not yet approached, was nevertheless manifest, and must be upon them as soon as it extended itself, he had got his effects together on board ship, resolved to fly, if only the wind left off blowing from the opposite quarter. My uncle, brought to shore by this same wind, which precisely favored him, embraced his trembling friend, consoling and exhorting him, and, in order to calm his fears by his own sang froid, bade them conduct him to the bath. After bathing, he took his place at table, and dined gaily, or (which was equally heroic) with an air of gaiety.
Meanwhile, from many points of Mount Vesuvius, vast sheets of flame and tall columns of fire were blazing, the flashes and brightness of which were heightened by the darkness of night. My uncle, to soothe the terrors of those about him, kept telling them that these were fires which the frightened country people had left to burn, and that the deserted houses were blazing away all by themselves. Then he gave himself up to repose, and slept a perfectly genuine sleep, for his snoring (which, in consequence of his full habit, was heavy and loud) was heard by those in attendance about his door.
However, the courtyard from which this suite of rooms was approached was already so full of ashes mixed with pumice-stones that its surface was rising, and a longer stay in the bedchamher would have cut off all egress. On being aroused, he came forth and rejoined Pomponianus and the others who had kept watching. They consulted together whether to remain under cover or wander about in the open; for the walls nodded under the repeated and tre mendous shocks, and seemed, as thongh dislodged from their foundations, to be swaying to and fro, first in one direction and then in another. On the other hand, in the open air, there was the fall of the pumice-stones (though they were light and burnt out) to be apprehended. How ever, a comparison of dangers led to the choice of the latter course. With my uncle indeed it was a case of one reason getting the better of another; while in the case of others fear overcame fear. They covered their heads with pillows tied round with cloths: this was their way of protecting themselves against the shower. By this time it was day elsewhere, but there it was night, the blackest and thickest of all nights, which, however, numerous torches and lights of various kinds served to alleviate. It was decided to make for the shore, in order to learn from the nearest point whether the sea was by this time at all available. A huge and angry sea still continued running. Here, reclining on a cloth which had been thrown on the round, my uncle more than once called for a draught of cold water and swallowed it. Upon this, an outbreak of flame and smell of sulphur, premonitory of further flames, put some to flight and roused him. With the help of two slave-boys he rose from the ground, and immediately fell back, owing (as I gather) to the dense vapor obstructing his breath and stopping up the access of his gullet, which with him was weak and narrow and frequently subject to wind. When day returned (the third from that which he had looked upon for the last time) his body was found whole and uninjured, in the dress he wore; its appearance was that of one asleep rather than dead.
Mean while my mother and I at Misenum—however, this has nothing to do with history, nor did you wish to learn anything except what related to his death. So I will make an end. This alone will I add, that everything related by me has been either matter of personal observation or else what I heard on the spot, the time of all others when the truth is told. Do you select what you choose. For a letter is a different matter from a history; it is one thing to write to a friend and another to write for the world.
You say that the letter I wrote you, at your request, on the subject of my uncle’s death has made you wish to know what I myself, when left behind at Misenum—for with the mention of this I broke off—had to go through, not merely in the way of alarms, but of actual adventures.
‘‘Though memory shuns the theme, I will begin.’’
After the departure of my uncle I devoted what time was left to study (it was for that I remained behind) the bath shortly followed, then dinner, then a short and troubled sleep. There had been heavings of the earth for many days before this, but they produced the less appre hension from being customary in Campania. On that night, however, they so much increased that everything seemed not so much to be in motion as to be tnrned upside down. My mother rushed into my room; I was similarly getting up with the intention of arousing her in case she was asleep. We sat down in a courtyard attached to the house, which separated by a small space the dwelling from the sea. I do not know whether to style it intrepidity or imprudence on my part, seeing that I was only in my eighteenth year; however, I called for a volume of Livy, and read it as though quite at ease, and even made extracts from it, as I had begnn to do. Upon this, a friend of my uncle’s, who had lately come to him from Spain, when he saw my mother and me seated and me reading into the bargain, reproved her for her apathy and me for my insen sibility to danger. None the less diligently did I devote myself to my book. It was now seven o’clock in the morn ing, yet still there was but a kind of sickly and doubtful light; now, too, that the surrounding buildings had been shaken, as the place in which we were, though not uuder cover, was of small dimensions, there was a great and unavoidable risk of our being overwhelmed. Then, at last, we decided on leaving the town. The mass of the inhabitants followed us terror-stricken, and (an effect of panic causing it to resemble prudence) preferring the guidance of others to their own, they pressed on us, as we were making off, and impelled us forwards with their crowded ranks. When we had got beyond the buildings we stopped. There we experienced much that was strange, and many terrors. For the vehicles which we had ordered to be brought out, though standing on a perfectly level plain, were rocking from one side to the other, and would not remain still in the same place even when propped under with stones.
Moreover, we saw the sea sucked back into itself, and repulsed as it were by the quaking of the earth. The shore had certainly encroached on the sea, and retained a number of marine animals on its dry sands. On the other side of us a black and terrible cloud, broken by the zigzag and tremulous careerings of the fiery element, was parting asunder in long trains of flame: these were like lightning, but on a larger scale. Then, indeed, the above-mentioned friend from Spain became more urgent and pressing. “If,” said he, ‘‘your brother and your uncle is alive, it is his wish that you should be in safety; if he has perished, it was his wish that you should survive him. Why then hesi tate to escape?” We replied that we could not so act as, while uncertain of his safety, to provide for our own. With out further delay he rushed off, and got out of reach of danger as fast as he could.
Not long after, the cloud in question descended on the earth and covered the sea. Already it had enveloped and hidden from view Capreae, and blotted out the promontory of Misenum. Upon this my mother begged and prayed and even ordered me to make my escape as best I could, it being in my power as a young man to do so; as for her self, retarded by her years and her frame, she was well content to die provided she had not been the cause of my death. I, on the other hand, declared that I would not be saved except in her company, and clasping her hand I compelled her to quicken her pace. She obeyed with reluc tance, blaming herself for delaying me. And now came a shower of ashes, though as yet but a thin one. I looked back; a dense mist was closing in behind us, and following us like a torrent as it streamed along the ground. ‘‘Let us turn aside,’’ said I, ‘‘while we can still see, lest we be thrown down in the road and trampled upon in the dark ness by the crowd which accompanies us.’’ We had scarce ly sat down when night came on, not such as it is when there is no moon, or when there are clouds, but the night of a closed place with the lights put out. One could hear the shrieks of the women, the cries for help of the chil dren, the shouts of the men: some were calling for their parents, others for their young ones, others for their part ners and recognizing them by their voices. Some were lamenting their own case, others that of those dear to them. There were those who, through fear of death, invoked death. Man raised their hands to the gods, but the greater number concluded that there were no longer gods any where, and that the last eternal night of story had settled on the world. Nor were there wanting those who by imaginary and false alarms increased the real dangers. Some present announced that such and such a part of Misenum had heen overthrown, or such another was in flames; falsely, yet to believing ears. There was a little light again, but this seemed to us not so much daylight as a sign of approaching fire. Accordingly there was fire, but it stayed at a considerable distance from us, then dark ness again and a thick and heavy shower of ashes. We got up from time to time and shook these off us; otherwise we should have been covered with them and even crushed by their weight. I might make a boast of not having suffered to escape me either a groan or a word lacking in fortitude, in the midst of such perils, were it not for the fact that I believed myself to be perishing in company of all things, and all things with me, a miserable and yet a mighty consolation in death.
At last, this black mist grew thin, and went off into a kind of smoke or haze; soon came real day, and the sun even shone forth, luridly, however, and with the appear ance it usually wears under an eclipse. Our yet trembling eyes saw everything changed and covered with deep ashes as with snow. We returned to Misenum, and refreshed our persons as best we might, and there spent a night of sus pense alternating between hope and fear. Fear prevailed, for the quaking of the earth continued, and many persons, crazy with terror, were sporting with their own and other’s misfortunes by means of the most appalling predictions. Yet not even then, after experiencing and still expecting perils, did we think of going away till news came of my uncle. All this, which is in no way worthy of history, will be for you to read, not to write about, and you must lay it to your own account (since it was you who called for the commnunication) if it should seem to yon not even worthy of a letter.
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FINDING OF POMPEII.
On the third day the darkness began to disappear, and the sun shone pale as through a fog, or as in an eclipse; the ruins were covered with ashes and pumice-stone, and from time to time fresh earthquakes led the population to think that their danger was not yet over.
When confidence was restored, the survivors set to work to recover such of their lost property as they could reach, and it is evident that they succeeded in finding a good deal that was valuable, as there can be no doubt that many of the principal houses were rifled of their chief treasures. Whether the owners were the only persons to profit by these early excavations is a matter of doubt, several indications having been found which lead us to suppose that many thieves searched the ruins with the view of obtaining booty, and of this there is a notable example in the case of a skel eton found in the Street of Stabia? with a lantern and pickax, the remains of a man who it is assumed was buried alive while engaged in excavating the ruins. Titus, who was the reigning emperor at the time of the catastrophe, came with much energy to the assistance of the cities. He sent down some senators to organize the relief of the des titute, and ordered the town to be rebuilt; but whether the gigantic nature of the undertaking baffled him, or the cares of the state diverted his mind to other matters, has never yet been satisfactorily shown. At all events, the idea was abandoned, and Pompeii, little by little, completely disappeared, hidden under the other earth which the rains accumulated, and under the fields and vineyards which grew there. Centuries passed over the city, which was almost forgotten.
Learned men and archeologists remembered it only by fame, because the traces of the place where it once arose had been totally lost. The amphitheater, however, on account of its particular shape had not been filled up, but had preserved a form of ditch. No doubt, in some spots fragments jutted out, which pointed to a construction of old times. The natives called this place Civita, which doubtless refers to an ancient city. No one seems to have troubled himself to search for the lost city, till in 1592 the Architect Fontana, in cutting an aqueduct to convey the waters of the Sarno, discovered the foundations of some ancient buildings, and a few inscriptions. But even then it occurred to no one that Pompeii had been hit upon, the solution being that some remains of the ancient Stabiae had come to light.
It was not till 1748, in the reign of Charles III., the Bourbon King, and after the discovery of Herculaneum had drawn the attention of learned men to the matter, that some statues found by some peasants led to the belief that the site of Pompeii had been discovered, and some convicts were set to work upon the earliest excavations.
Winckelmann, who visited Pompeii in 1757, made an assertion that the work was being carried on so slowly that four generations would find them still searching for the ruins. Notwithstanding the protests of these experts, things went on as before. It was not till 1860 that the mat ter was taken scientifically in hand, and a regular plan formed for grappling with the difficulty and reducing the plan of the excavations into a definite order. From this date everything was changed, and the excavations con ducted by qualified persons, and on a regular system. Every work of art was conscientiously preserved, and a careful record kept of all things of interest. Nothing was so small that it did not receive its due attention.
Pompeii was therefore splendid on account of her mon uments, illustrious for love of country and civil life, and renowned for the products of her lands and for flourishing trade.
When we passed through this city, there were yet to be seen the long rows of buildings in ruins. The streets, paved with large stones in some places, bear the deep inden tations or tracks made by the wagons, chariots, etc. The original roofs of the houses are gone, but the walls of many of them are standing as they were before the eruption. Other walls have been partially rebuilt by modem hands. We were permitted to enter the houses and various rooms. In some places are yet to be seen the paintings upon the walls which are still in a state of preservation. In some rooms are paintings of a licentious nature to such an extent that ladies are not permitted to enter the rooms.
The destruction of life in the city was undoubtedly almost instantaneous. Probably the falling of ashes and lapilli was preceded by stifling sulphuric gases, causing immediate death, as it was in the recent eruptions of Mount Pelee. Then came the shower of ashes deeply covering and keeping the bodies in a perfect state of preservation. After many centuries the city was found almost as it was in the day of its destruction. To be sure, many of the buildings were crushed to a ruinous heap, and doubtless many things were destroyed by the burning emanations from the fiery crater. The positions of many of the bodies when found, and the paintings, inscriptions, statues, etc., show that it was a city of great vice, wickedness, and immorality of the deepest hue. Probably for this reason it suffered the fate of Sodom and Gommorah. In the city is a museum showing some of the bodies and other preservations. In Naples is another museum coutaining the most notable preservations of this ruined city. One room, showing the very intimation of vice and immoralities, can be visited only by special permission.
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OTHER ERUPTIONS.
During the past centuries there have been known to be about fifty other noted eruptions of Mount Vesnvius. It may be of interest to give a short narration of one in the year 1872.
‘‘On the night of the 25th of April, a party of ladies and gentlemen went up Vesuvius in order to enjoy, closer at hand, this awful but splendid sight. The lava-streams had ceased flowing, and only a small branch was glowing brightly from the base of the cone. The disap pointed visitors resolved to venture close to it. This Pro fessor Palmieri strongly advised them not to do, as it would take them two hours to get there over fields and scoriae left by former lavas, a path both difficult and dangerous by night, and because the instruments were so restless that an eruption might be looked for from one moment to another. Warnings were in vain. Accompanied only by a very inex perienced guide these unfortunates left the Observatory towards midnight. About 4 A. M. they got near the burning lava, but, almost at the same moment, the eruption began, and the small cone sank into the abyss with a frightful noise, a great fissure opened in the side of the mountain, and a torrent of fire flooded the place, accompanied by blazing projectiles from the upper crater. Many of these unfortu nates, enveloped in smoke, struck by projectiles, and over taken by the lava, disappeared beneath the torrent. Two were taken up dead, and eleven were found severely injured. Most of these died either in the hospital or on the way to it.”
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A VISIT TO MOUNT VESUVIUS.
It was on the morning of the 8th of March, 1904, that we left the city of Naples in company with about seventy-five persons and visited Mount Vesuvius. Carriages, each drawn by three horses, were procured, and after a drive to the other side of the city we found ourselves winding our way up the mountainside, but one o ‘clock in the afternoon found us only about half way up. From the outer edge of the city were to be seen piles of lava which had been thrown from the crater centuries ago. As we wended our way along, we saw hundreds and thousands of acres of the black and dark-colored lava, which had been poured out in a molten mass, leaving the place without a particle of vege tation, as if it had been deposited only yesterday. In places it would be almost level, then again piled up, forming small hills and mountain-like places with valleys between. Finally we reached the station where there was a tram-car, or electric line. Upon this we rode for half or three quar ters of an hour, which brought us to an incline railway extending up the steep mountainside for probably some thing near a mile. After reaching the top of this incline railway, we then were obliged to walk the remainder of the distance to the top of the mountain, which was about thirty rods. From here for quite a distance no solid path could be made, as under our feet were only ashes and fine, light cin ders, and in many places our feet would sink into the ashes and cinders to our ankles. There were government guides to look after the visitors, to help them and see that they were properly protected.
When we came within a few rods of the top, there was a more solid path, which now and then led beside a hole or crevice in the side of the mountain where heat and smoke were issuing, and the mouth of which was cov ered with brimstone or sulphur. These places were so hot as to almost burn our hands in an instant. After coming within about thirty feet of the top of the crater, we came to a rather level place for a few feet, somewhat like a little valley. Just as this place was reached the wind changed and for a few moments brought sulphuric smoke from the mouth of the crater down upon us, and its stifling, smother ing fumes were almost suffocating; but on we went and climbed to the very top of the crater, from which the smoke was raising high in the air and heat issuing from the burn ing, seething, molten mass below. The smoke was so dense as to make it impossible to see down into the crater, only as the wind would now and then move the smoke to one side for a few moments, making it possible to see down one side to quite a depth. We were near enough the edge to take our hands and push the ashes down into the burning depths. Small pieces of rocks or lava were thrown down into the pit, and after waiting some length of time, which seemed to be almost a minute, there was a strange rumbling, thun dering noise down in the depths below like approaching thunder; and soon incited rock and lava could be seen flying high in the air, as if sent up by a blast of powder. Near by were holes through the crust in the side of the crater, where smoke and heat were issuing forth, with sulphur and brimstone. In viewing those places and looking down into the crater itself, one was very much reminded of the description the Revelator gives of the bottomless pit.
People are constantly visiting the place. While in some respects there is no danger, yet there is no telling when there will be a sudden outburst, destroying the whole top of the mountain, it is truly one of the wonderful works of nature, and reminds a person of the judgment to come, when the Lord shall cause the earth to melt with fervent heat. ‘‘He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.’’ Psa. 104: 32.
During the month of September, since our visit there, Vesuvius became more active, and has been sending forth ashes and lava. The whole top of the mountain where we stood has fallen into the burning mass below, causing a mighty upheaval, and outburst of burning, molten lava, destroying a portion of the incline railway over which we traveled. People from the base of the mountain fled for safety and special police were stationed to prevent people from visiting the scene of eruption.
I distributed literature in different places in Italy, and afterwards sent some to over two hundred English-speak ing people in Rome and elsewhere in Italy, trusting that it would be seed sown upon good ground and yield much fruit unto the Lord in due season.
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FROM ITALY TO EGYPT.
ON the 9th of March we started from Naples, Italy, across the Mediterranean Sea, stopping a few hours at Mesina, Sicily. The sea was smooth, making the voyage a pleasant one. Sunday morning, March 13, we arrived at Alexandria, Egypt. This was at one time a great center of education and learning. During the rule of Julius Caesar over four hundred thousand volumes of the great library at that place were destroyed by fire. During the second and third centuries there was a flourishing church at this city, which was one of the four great central points of the Christians at that time. Tertullian, Origen, and Clement, were early writers who lived here. It was here also that the Septuagint Version of the Old Testament was made, by order of Ptolemy I., who was king at that time. With great care and expense he had secured a very large library of a copy of every important book accessible. He was desirous of a copy of a book of the belief of the Jews, there fore gave orders for a translation of the Old Testament from the Hebrew into the Greek. This is sometimes called the LXX.
We were now in an Oriental country, a land which fur nished much Bible history. It was in this land that the church of God flourished during the first centuries of the Christian era. It was but a short distance to the place where the Pharaohs lived, where Joseph was brought down into Egypt after having been sold by his brethren, and now we were soon to traverse the country over which he was made overseer in gathering the products of the land to pre pare for the famine. It was here that the children of Israel were under bondage to the Pharaohs, and were beaten and oppressed by the taskmasters. It was in this land that Moses was born, and hidden among the flags and rushes, and afterwards lived in the king’s palace. It is the noted scene of the plagues of Egypt; of the blood sprinkled upon the lintels of the doorways of the houses of the children of Israel, and the destroying angel passing over, which cir cumstance brought about the observation of the feast of the passover, which the Jews afterwards observed. It is also the place where Moses led the children of Israel out of the bondage of Egypt to the Red Sea, crossing it as the waters parted, and the army of Pharaoh following was over whelmed with the surging waters; and the journey of Moses and the children of Israel for forty years in the wilderness beyond the sea. The scenes in Egypt not only bring to the mind of the traveler the incidents mentioned, but many other circumstances and transactions among the people which vividly portray the power of God and show his dealing with his people and with their enemies.
A few hours after our arrival in Alexandria we were on our way to Cairo, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, at which place we arrived a few minutes after noon. Upon our arrival at the hotel we went to our room and thanked God for his protection over us and for our safe arrival in the land of the Pharaohs, and asked him to open up a door of utterance that we might be able to present the gospel to the people in Egypt. At five o’clock in the afternoon we went to the American Mission. The services had already commenced, and we were quietly escorted to seats. In a few minutes the leader of the services arose and said, “We notice there are some American missionaries who have just entered the room. We should be pleased to hear from them; therefore the meeting will now be turned over to them.” Under such circumstauces we could not well refuse, as we had previously asked the Lord to open unto us a door of utterance, and now without any further asking it was opened according to our request. We all had a chance to testify and also to present the glorious gospel of full salva tion. Many seemed interested in the way of a deeper spiritual life, and were anxiously inquiring the way. This opened the way for us to attend other services, and for one of the sisters to receive a special invitation to a woman’s Bible reading.
Egypt, although a part of Africa, is under the control of the English government. In the cities there are a number of English-speaking people. Although the leading religion is Mohammedanism, the way seems to be opening for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and doubtless a good work can be done there by gospel workers who are filled with the Holy Spirit, and who preach and practice the full gospel.
The next day after our arrival we visited the pyramids, seven miles from Cairo. There is a street-car line extend ing from the city of Cairo to a place near the pyramids. The pyramids furnish us the oldest and most renowned monuments of human industry yet discovered. There are three pyramids at this place, the construction of which began several centuries before Christ, and no doubt a great length of time was required to complete their construction. These were used as tombs for the kings. They are built of large stones in different layers or steps, which are from two to four feet in height. Each layer of stone is placed in order, the one above being set in two or three feet, sufficient to give the building of the same a proper slant or incline. The largest of these is four hundred and fifty-one feet in height, the length of each side over seven hundred and fifty feet, and the height of each sloping side five hundred and sixty-eight feet. This pyramid covers an area of about thirteen acres.
From the end of the street-car line we rode camels to the Sphinx and around the large pyramid. It seemed that we were so close to them that it would not be necessary for us to ride, but the guide insisted that it was necessary to ride. Standing at the end of the street-car line, we could scarcely realize that the pyramid could possibly cover thir teen acres of ground, or that it was more than a very few rods to the Sphinx; but it required two or three hours to make the journey and necessary examinations of the places. Three of us went to the top of the largest pyramid. Tickets had to be secured from the government officer. No one was allowed to ascend without securing tickets, and the tickets included three guides to each person. These guides were Bedouins, natives of Egypt, who generally inhabit the deserts. Years ago the government did not oversee this part of the protection of travelers; and we were told that people had fallen from some of the places and received injuries, and that others were thrown from the pyramids by the Bedouins because they would not give them “back shish.”
These guides can scale the sides of the pyramids with great rapidity, while the average traveler, even with the help of three guides, must frequently stop to rest. These guides are paid by the government for their services. In ascending, a guide is on either side of the traveler, holding his arm, or climbing on the high step or terrace and pulling him up while the other guide pushes from behind. In descending, there is a guide on either side, and the one behind has a rope a few feet in length fastened around the body of the traveler to prevent him from accident by falling. As the sun was shining clear and bright, we did not go far until a feeling of fatigue came over us; and the guides, while they showed no signs of exhaustion, were now ready to stop, as they were out of hearing of the government officers, and now began the plea for something of which every traveler in Egypt and Palestine is familiar. No sooner had we stopped and were seated on the edge of the rugged rocks, than our nine guides began their earnest plea for ‘‘backshish.’’ This is the word for money. They began holding out their hands to us saving, ‘‘Backshish, backshish, backshish,’’ and thus from the time of the first rest until we reached the base upon our return we were constantly pestered by hearing these words. Upon reaching the top we found a space of about twenty feet which was sufficiently level for us to take a rest, which was much enjoyed, except for the continual teasing of the guides for ‘‘backslash,’’ or to sell us some small coins for relics, or asking for a good sum of money to be given them that we might watch them run down the side of the pyramid to the top of the next one and back again in ten minutes. However, we did not care to see them make the trip, although it required much more than ten minutes for us to descend one of them.
Here upon this elevated position was a striking view. We could look out upon the river Nile and over the great desert, the plateau of rocks, the Sphinx, and the other pyramids. There is an opening into the interior of the great pyramid; but as our time was limited, and it was only a place of dampness and darkness through low narrow passages near the entrance, we did not enter. To those who have the time to enter this long passage-way into the heart of this great pymamid there is generally a feeling of satisfaction, that they have been well repaid for the endurance of the fatigu ing journey.
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THE SPHINX.
NEAR the Great Pyramid is the wonderful and famons monument in this burial-ground known as the Sphinx, which is hewn out of natural rock, with some additional masonry. It was made to represent the body of a lion resting; the head of which represents that of a man. Although the body was left in the rough form, great care was used in the sculpture-work of the head. During some sieges of war fare it was somewhat damaged. The entire height of this monument, from the crown of the head to the base upon which the legs of the lion rest, is said to be sixty-six feet. The ear is said to be four and one-half feet in length, the nose five feet and seven inches, the mouth seven feet and seven inches, and the extreme breadth of the face thirteen feet and eight inches. In the picture will be seen a man standing with its arms lifted upright, which gives some idea of the magnitude of this statue. The man standing below the ear is an average-sized Egyptian, who was very anxious to take his position there when the photograph was taken.
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THE PHARAOHS OF EGYPT.
HERE we were at the edge of the great Sahara Desert. One who has never seen a desert can scarcely imagine what it would be to be out upon this vast territory of sand. It frequently happens that people who undertake to cross this desert perish from the heat or the effects of the sand storm. To be out in the middle of the great Sahara Desert, where, like upon the ocean, from horizon to horizon no vegetation can be seen, day after day may be traveled, and in places week after week, and the only sight that meets the vision is that of sand and sky, with the sun shining down with scorching heat. It frequently happens that whole caravans of people with their camels perish in time of sand-storms. When a storm is approaching, the camels lie down in the best position for their protection. Ofttimes the storms are so severe as to cause the sand to collect like drifts of snow. In fact, the very air is filled with sand and dust.
When we were about ready to leave Port Said for India, there came a sand-storm just about the time the ship was to leave to sail through the Suez Canal. The storm increased insomuch that the air was so filled with sand that it detained our vessel about four hours.
At Cairo is a place where a large museum of Egyptian mummies and gods, or idols for worship, are kept. Here are to be seen many old Egyptian works of antiquity. The ancient Egyptians had a way of preserving the bodies of their dead. After being properly embalmed they were carefully wrapped with a kind of papyrus or covering of some kind that has withstood the wear of ages. The dead bodies thus preserved are called mummies. They have been buried or hidden away in stone vaults for many cen turies, and during the last century many have been discov ered. Among these mummies is one of very great interest, especially to Bible readers. It is said to be that of Rame ses II., who was the “Pharaoh who knew not Joseph,” and the one who so oppressed the children of Israel, and caused them to be in bondage for many years.
God afterwards sent Moses to ask for the release of his people. When Moses received this call, he felt his weakness and inabilities. As we crossed the river Nile on a small sail-boat, and realized that we were where Moses had been many times and near where he was reared and edu cated during his childhood in the king’s palace and where he could also see the rigid rule of Pharaoh and with what power and rigor he dealt with the children of Israel, with vivid remembrance came to our minds the time when God called him to go forth as a chosen vessel to lead the people out from the hand of Pharaoh. Poor man! he felt his weakness indeed. God had called him to a work that required a combat with the great monarchal ruler of the land. He was to take this despised people from this wicked ruler’s hand; but how could it be done? Every one seemed to be subject to the command of Pharaoh; when he spoke, that meant obedience. God had showed himself mighty to Moses, and now he must show Moses to be mighty before Pharaoh. God said to Moses, ‘‘Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.’’ Ex. 3: 10.
Moses felt more like fleeing from the presence of the Lord, realizing his inabilities for such a great work. ‘‘And Moses said unto God. Who am I, that I should go unto Pha raoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee.’’ Ex. 3:11, 12.
While Moses was trying to find excuses, the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.”
But still Moses said, “0 my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since thou hast spoken unto thy ser vant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord? Now therefore go and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.’’ And yet after all this Moses did not want to go except the Lord sent some one with him. This hesitation and lack of confidence in God displeased the Lord. So the Lord sent Aaron to aid Moses in speaking to the people.
Some time after this when Moses went forth to Pharaoh, whose heart was hardened, the Lord enabled Moses to work signs and miracles in the sight of Pharaoh; and upon his refusal to let the people go through the instrumentality of Moses, God had Moses to smite the river Nile, and the waters of the river were turned to blood. The fish in the river died, and the people could not drink of the water of the river. Also the other rivers and the ponds and the pools became blood. This was done in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. Pharaoh would not obey, and one plague after another was sent upon him and the land; but finally, when the plague of the first-born came, he yielded, and per mitted them to leave.
As we sailed over the waters of the Nile, we could scarcely realize that this was really the same river that was turned into blood, and the same country wherein these wonderful works were wrought and the manifestations of the power of God were seen; nevertheless such was the case. Not only so, but to this land the Lord ordered Joseph to take the young child Jesus and escape the wrath and cru elties of Herod, the ruler in the land of Bethlehem.
“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Mat. 2:13-15.
As we traveled through Egypt, we beheld the beautiful land of a Goshen. It was here Jacob in his old age came down to meet Joseph. ‘‘He sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen; and they came into the land of Goshen. And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went out to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented him self unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. And Israel said unto Joseph, Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive.’’ Gen. 46: 28-30.
Joseph went and told Pharaoh concerning his father and brethren, and Pharaoh said, ‘‘The land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell.’’ Gen. 47: 6. However, it was another Pharaoh (Rameses II.) who became ruler afterwards and so oppressed the chil dren of Israel, and who was succeeded by his son Mineptah II., who was Pharaoh of the Exodus, and with whom Moses had to deal, and who was drowned in the Red Sea.
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MANNERS AND CUSTOMS IN EGYPT.
MANY of the men and women in Egypt dress almost alike. Their skin is of a dark color. Many of the women wear a head-covering, with a piece of wood fastened over the nose, extending almost to the top of the forehead. Some women are to be seen sitting in the dirt selling bread or articles of antiquity, which they call ‘‘antique.’’ They beg, pick lice from the heads or clothing of others, or do almost anything to make a living.
In North Africa the burros, or small donkeys, are the beasts of burden, which, together with the women, carry almost all the produce of the country, sand, gravel, stone, and building material. In Egypt, besides the donkeys, camels are much used as beasts of burden. The ground is very rich and productive along the Nile in the land of Goshen. The plowing reminded us very much of the days of Abraham, as they plow with the old-fashioned wooden plows, drawn by an ox, a cow, a camel, a donkey, or some times one of each.
A very common sight in Egypt is the water-carriers with their goat-skins, consisting of a complete skin of a goat with the ends of the legs and one end sewed up to prevent leaking, while the neck is used for a place to fill it with water and to empty it. This skin, fastened to a rope or strap thrown over the shoulders, is carried under one arm: Frequently the water-carriers have a bell, and for a trifle will sell a drink to those who are thirsty. There were many beggars in Egypt, but not so many as we were expecting, for we had read that Egypt was the greatest place in the world for beggars. Whether the begging-system had been checked somewhat by the English govern ment, we did not learn. We met with many beggars, but not with so many as we did in various parts of Italy and: Palestine. In Rome, Naples, and other places in Italy, sometimes six or eight or even more persons, from children to old men and women, would run along beside the carriages for a great distance, crooking a finger at us, begging for money. They conld not understand our language, and had not learned to say “backshish.” How the common classes of people in Rome, Naples, and Venice would live were it not for the money received from the tourists and travelers, we were at a loss to understand. But while Egypt had her abundance of beggars, and persistent ones at that, hers did not equal those of some other places.
A few years ago a certain class of Mohammedans in Egypt celebrated the tenth day of their month Maharam. This was a cruel, torturous festival given by the Persian Mohammnedans residing in Egypt, in commemoration of the assassination of “El Hassan,” and was something similar to the festivals of the head-choppers in North Africa. One American writer, who was a few years ago a witness to the performances at one of those festivals at Cairo, after describing the surging multitude and the royal carriage, with other descriptive characters, said:
“Suddenly far down the street, as emerging from some enclosure, there appeared a baud of about forty stout men bearing torches, which flickered and blazed above their turbaned heads. Closely following them, riding upon a large horse, came a little boy about six years of age. The horse was closely covered with white cloth, striped and sprinkled with blood, presenting a ghastly appearance. I could scarcely believe my sense of sight. The child held in his hand a large sharp knife, shaped like a small crooked sword, which he moved about him and above his head in every direction, every now and then drawing the sharp blade down across his head from front to rear, cutting and chopping the scalp each time. With each strike of the sword the crimson blood streamed, or trickled, down over his forehead and face and body upon the white, close covering of the horse, presenting a sight the most ghastly and horrifying one can imagine. Never a halt in the procession nor hesitancy of the infuriated lad lulled the stately horror of the scene.
‘‘This scene was closely followed by about thirty stout men dressed in long flowing gowns with their brawny bosoms entirely bare. As they walked they threw their arms wildly about them, smiting their left breast with the right hand with stunning and awful force. With this they cried in a pitiful mournful tone, ‘El Hassen, El Hassen, El Hassen.’ Infuriated with their demonstrations, they seemed with every stroke to almost crush their breasts as they moaned out ‘El Hassen, El Hassen, El Hassen.’
‘‘This company was immediately followed by four men bearing large banners with devices of various kinds. Abreast with them on either side of the street appeared the forms of another company of about fifty, persons like the former, walking rather sidewise in a line, half of the company on either side of the street. Between this company of men rode another boy somewhat larger than the first one, gayly dressed, like his predecessor, having his head shaved entirely bare. He also held a sword some what larger than the first one, which he brandished stead ily in the same manner, now and again drawing it down upon his head in a murderous manner, cutting a gash with every stroke, while the blood ran down over his gay gar ments. The company of men around him, like the others, cried mournfully, ‘El Hassen, El Hassen, Allah, Allah, El Hassen.’ Some of them held their hands upon their breasts. Others had their bodies bare down to their waists, and carried scourges made of small chains, with which they smote themselves in the most beastly and barbarous man ner, leaving great bruises with every stroke, and even inflicting gashes from which the blood oozed forth, and trickled down over the lower parts of their bodies.
‘‘A third company of the same size followed in like order, in the center of which also rode a boy probably nine years of age, dressed in gorgeous robes and wielding his sword in the same heart-sickening and demoniacal manner. His sharp, minor-key voice, like his predecessors, mingled in the melancholy cries of the men around him, ‘Allah, Ailah, El Hassen, El Hassen.’ With almost every step of the horse his sword came down upon his bleeding head, carving its way to the skull with every stroke, while the blood flowed more freely than from any of the others. He seemed to be utterly reckless of all feelings of pain or fear of death, but went on in the insane, suicidal process with a decision and precision of an artist.’’
This was practised evey year, The boys and men who were the bloody performers in the ceremony were induced to do so by the fact that if they survived they believed that they should become saints of a peculiarly high order, and expected to receive great favors from Mohammed. As we heard nothing of this being continued at the present time, we doubt not that it ceased through the influence of the English government, as in like manner they interfered with similar atrocities, superstitious ideas, and outrageous performances among the Hindus in India, who previously to the time of change of government burned the India widows at the death of the husband, and in some places threw chil dren into the river Ganges as a sacrifice to idols, and did many other like things. Nevertheless, similar performances and superstitions ceremonies are yet in existence in some of the less civilized nations of the world.
At the time Elijah tested the power of his God at Mount Carmel with the four hundred and fifty priests of Baal, there was a similar performance, as recorded in 1 Kings 18: 28. When Elijah mocked them for their lack of power, the prophets of Baal “cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lances, till the blood gushed out of them.’’
In our travels we met many blood-thirsty people. In some places all that held them in check was their fear of the power of the law or government under which they were living, it is quite amusing at times to know the shrewdness and credulity of some of the guides. A person must acquaint himself with the money system and be able to know the worth of the coins and money of the country, and before employing a guide make inquiry of the proprietor of the hotel or some other reliable person as to what amount should be paid to the guides and for articles to be purchased; otherwise there will be many impositions.
After completing out short stay in Egypt, Brother Khan and I left for Port Said to make arrangements concerning baggage and tickets, leaving the remainder of tlte company in Cairo to follow the next day. While on the way, about noon we were feeling somewhat hungry, and Brother Khan suggested that we have a regular native luncheon, cooked and sold by native peddlers where the train stoped. At sight of it I was sure that a good look at it was more satisfactory than eating would be; however, the purchase was made, and as we began eating we looked far out into the desert to divert our minds as much as possible from the eating, but the absence of the palatableness of the food seemed to make a stronger impression upon our minds than things of the desert, and our native meal was soon finished, with quite a good supply left, which was thrown out of the window to satisfy the hunger of some Arabs who might have a greater relish for it.
Upon our arrival at Port Said we found that a ship was ready to sail for Joppa that afternoon, although at Cairo we had been informed there would be none to sail until the next evening; and as the remainder of our company was still in Cairo, we had to wait for their arrival the next day.
In Egypt, the same as in Italy and many other places, there were always plenty of porters or servants to carry baggage; but we had learned that in order to keep track of the different pieces of baggage it was best to look after them ourselves, or secure one or two reliable porters to aid us when necessary. In Italy they were called fukinos. At railroad stations, midst the hurry and bustle when the train stopped, could be heard in every direction some one call ing out, “Fukino, fukino,” desiring one of those servants or porters to aid him.
Ofttimes those fukinos were a real pest to the one who had some baggage. If permitted, they would come and each one take a piece and start off, and it was with great difficulty the owner could look after it or find it again, as very few of them could speak any but their own language. Sometimes while the owner of the baggage would be carry ing it along, three or four on each side would have hold of it pretending to help carry it, and trying to get it away; and whether they were permitted to carry it or not, they always wanted pay. When the stopping-place was reached in Port Said, as we were going to the boat-landing, each of us had a small satchel strapped and swinging from our shoulders and larger satchels in either hand. While we were crossing the street, a number of these porters came, and with such impertinence and persistence followed us that I had to put my baggage down and keep them away with my umbrella. After giving them to understand that I would care for my baggage myself, I hurried to where Brother Khan was being taken down the street by them. He was holding to the handles of his valises, and two of those fellows had managed to get under them and got them on their shoulders, despite the resistance he could give and hold to the satchels. They were rapidly taking him down the street. After some effort I halted them and took the baggage from their shoulders. I had to use my umbrella to prevent them from carrying the baggage away despite the efforts of us both. To permit these street-porters to carry the baggage, a person must run the risk of losing one or two pieces at the best, especially where streets and places are crowded with people.
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FROM EGYPT TO THE HOLY LAND.
The next evening after our arrival the remainder of the company came, and we had made all arrangements to take passage over the Mediterranean on a Russian vessel, as that was the only one going at that time. Just before we were ready to start we learned that a message had been received stating that Palestine was quarantined against a plague in Upper Egypt. As there were no arrangements for a legal examination at Joppa, they told us we should be obliged to go to Beyrout, about one hundred and forty miles farther, and there undergo an examination, after which we could land or go to Joppa. We were at this time on the eve of a journey full of adventures and experiences. Upon going aboard the Russian ship we found it to be the filthiest, dirtiest vessel upon which we had ever undertaken to travel. But as there was no other way and our time was limited, we concluded to go, and ask the direction and protection of the Lord, as we had been asking his direction theretofore. Had we all come to Port Said the evening before we could have left on an earlier steamer, and probably landed at Joppa before the quarantine restric tions were issued. But knowing that we had everything committed to the Lord, we were quite sure that he would cause things to work out all right. We were reminded of the scripture which says, ‘‘Everything works together for good to them that love God,’’ and we were sure that this would be the case, because we loved him. We could not understand the language spoken by the Russians on the vessel; however, there were a few among them who could speak some English.
At first it appeared as if it would be almost impossible for us to be comfortably provided for as to our eating and lodging for the night, amidst all the filth that was to be seen on every hand, and it did not require much imagina tion to believe that the place was infested with an abun dance of vermin. However, before the evening meal was prepared we had gone long enough without eating to relish at least a part of the food, which was prepared with greater neatness than we really were expecting. At a late hour at night the sisters of our company were crowded into a cabin with other women, and the remainder of us had a cabin on the other side of the vessel and managed to make ourselves fairly comfortable for the night.
After sailing all night and nearly all day, some time late in the afternoon we arrived at the harbor by Beyrout. About three-quarters of a mile from the shore the anchor was dropped and a quarantine flag hoisted. After waiting for some time the quarantine officers came aboard the ship, and spent some time in making inquiries and. investiga tions. The Egyptians were all taken in small boats to some place on shore, where, together with their baggage, they were given a thorough inspection and fumigation. We had paid something more than a pound each extra fare to be brought to Beyrout. After waiting until almost sunset we were marched into another department of the vessel, where all of us wrote our names, and paid five piasters (25c) as fee for a certificate, which was supposed to be given with the medical examination, but no one gave us an examination. We were then permitted to land, and the first place at landing was the custom-house, through which the proprietor of the hotel to which we were going kindly aided us in getting with our baggage.
The captain of the Russian vessel wanted us to return with them the next day to Joppa, which would have cost us an extra pound each; but we concluded God had not permitted us to come to this out-of-the-way place for nothting, therefore did not feel led to return on the Russian vessel. We arranged to secure passage on a Syrian vessel, which was to start about noon the next day for Haifa, Palestine. At this hotel we met a man who claimed to be a Christian, and who said he did not belong to any denomination. He was a graduate of the American college of that place. We arranged with him to distribute some literature which should be sent afterwards. He also told us that he had a friend who had for some time acted as guide through Palestine, and who would act as our guide if we so desired, and the charges would be but very little.
The next morning we met the man who was to be our guide. A guide in the Oriental countries is called a dragoman. This man could speak English and several other languages. After arranging with him to accompany us to Palestine, we began completing our arrangements and pre paring for another voyage. Beyrout is an important city on the Levantine coast, and is under the Ottoman Dominion of Turkey.
The manners and customs of the people and the system of administration of the government, as might be expected, are very peculiar. One of the peculiarities is that the city gate is closed at sunset, when a bugle blast is sounded from the man-of-war, after which none can enter the city nor leave it until the next morning. Another thing is that a local passport is necessary for every traveler in the country. We, therefore, had to procure passports from the British authorities. There was an assessment or fee to be collected for almost every favor, and at nearly every place we went to attend to business. By the aid of the proprietor of the hotel, we were enabled to get all arrange ments completed, and we were not surprised to find that our expenses from the time we left the Russian ship until we went aboard the Syrian vessel the next day were no little amount. The charges for all being one hundred and twenty francs, aside from our extra fare (one pound each) that had previously been paid on the Russian vessel to take us to that place. Our experiences there by way of expenses seemed more like highway robbery than at any place which we had previously visited. But as we had not only been successful in procuring a guide, but had also found places for the distribution of literature and persons who would distribute the same, we felt that our extra trip and expenses were not in vain, but that God had so ordered it for our good and his glory. Furthermore, had we not been thus unavoidably brought to this place, only a part of our com pany would have had the privilege of visiting Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee, and traveling through Samaria, but would have remained in Jerusalem while some of us made the extra trip.
About noon we left on a Syrian vessel for Haifa, Palestine. We were now again sailing on the Mediter ranean Sea, known in Bible language as the Great Sea. We passed near the place where Jonah was thrown over board when he was trying to flee from the Lord, also passed by Tyre and Sidon. The buildings of the cities are modern, with some very old ruins of the ancient cities. Also, we passed the memorable site of Serapta or Zarephath, where lived the faithful widow who entertained the fugitive prophet Elijah, taking refuge under her roof when perse cuted by King Ahab. The story is narrated in 1 Kings 17: 8-24, and is referred to by our Lord in Luke 4: 26. The present village is situated on the hill very close to the ruins of the old one on the plain, and bears the name of Surafend, which is a corrupted Arabic form of the Zarephath of the Bible. As we passed by the ruins of ancient Tyre, we were reminded that this was the place of the residence of King Hiram, who supplied some valuable material for the temple of Solomon at Jerusalem. 1 Kings 5: 1-18.
We now began to realize that we were approaching the country which is looked upon by people the world over as being almost a sacred place, because of the scenes and transactions of centuries ago, and because of the man ifestations of the power of God among the people in those places, where Jesus walked upon the soil in traveling about over the Holy Land.
We have on record that Jesus crossed the border of the land, and came into the country beyond which we were now passing. It was here that, while he was passing through this country, the Syrophenician woman mentioned in Mat. 15: 21-28 came to him in behalf of her daughter, who was vexed with a devil. With implicit faith and confidence in his power and authority, she pleadingly continued her request with such importunity and fervency that Jesus could not well turn her away nor refuse her request, but said unto her, “0 woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that hour.”
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ENTERING THE HOLY LAND.
THE next morning we arrived at Haifa, which is a flourishing seaport of German colonists, near the base of Mount Carmel on one side, while the Bay of Acre lies to the north on the other side. We could look across the beautiful bay and see the little city of Acre, called Accho in the Old Testament (Judges 1: 31), and Ptolemais in the New Testament. Acts 21: 7. When Paul was returning to Jerusalem from his second missionary tour, he stopped at this place one day with the brethren.
After taking breakfast with a Hebrew family while our guide was procuring a hack to take us to Nazareth, and Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, the necessary arrangements were made for the journey. It was about eight hours’ journey by hack to Nazareth. We had also planned to reach Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee on the same day, which is six or seven hours farther. In that country if you ask the distance from one place to another, they do not tell the number of miles, but will say it is a day’s journey or so many hours, which would be three or four miles an hour.
As we journeyed along we frequently asked the question, Can it be possible that we are in a land where our fore fathers of ancient days lived, and of the patriarchs and prophets and apostles, and upon soil where our blessed Savior trod? Yes, here were the same old hills and moun tains and valleys between them where these men of old roamed. It was now the time of planting. There is but little change concerning the tilling of the soil and farming from that of the time of Abraham. The same kind of an old crooked wooden plow is used, with a short wooden peg near the end of the handle to hold to with one hand, while in the other hand the plowman carries an ox-goad. Hitched to the plow is a yoke of small oxen or cows, or a cow and a donkey, or a donkey and a camel. While watching them toiling. and thus seva tcliing through the ground, we often wished for a good team and an improved American plow, to show them how to turn the soil. The grain and hay is still cut with a ittlc hand sickle, and threshed upon the ground in the open field or upon some large flat rock by the tramping of oxen or flailing it by hand with a stick.
For several miles our road ran between the rugged heights of Mount Carmel on the right, and the ancient river Kishon on the left. Along the wayside were beauti ful flowers in abundance, whose beauty can he known only by being seen. After going a short distance we stopped, and while the horses were taking a rest we made use of the time by enjoying the scenery of ancient repute, and by gathering bouquets of beautiful flowers. We had not gone far until we came in full view of the place on Mount Carmel where the prophet Elijah tested God in the presence of the priests of Baal, and fire came down from heaven and consumed the sacrifice. It was there Elijah went up to pray for rain after there had been a drouth and famine for three years and six months. We also saw his place of sacrifice, and where be was praying, from which place he could not see the sea on account of an elevated point in the mountain, therefore he sent his servant to look out over the sea to find whether or not there was any sign of rain. The servant went and looked, and upon his retnrn he said, ‘‘There is nothing.’’ Elijah told him to go again, and still there was no sign of rain. This was continued until he had gone seven times, during which time Elijah was earnestly calling upon God in prayer. Having tested his God in the sight of the priests of Baal so shortly before this, he was not to be so easily defeated because there was no sign of rain. Therefore he continued his supplications unto the Lord; and when his servant returned to him the seventh time saying, ‘‘Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea like a man’s hand,’’ then was the prayer of Elijah suddenly ended, and he told his servant to go and tell King Ahab to hurry up, lest the rain overtake him. And soon the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. The record of this incident is found in the eighteenth chapter of 1 Kings and Jas. 5: 18.
We had often read this narrative in the Bible, but now to stand and behold the spot upon which this prophet of old prostrated himself before God with such implicit faith and sent up his petitions, was a source of inspiration to us. It seemed to bring the words more vividly to our realiza tion than ever before. Our hearts were inspired to greater confidence in God, realizing that he was not a respecter of persons, and if he so wonderfully answered the petitions of his servants of olden times he would answer the petitions of his faithful ones at the present time. The beholding of these places of ancient scenes and transactions not only freshened our memories and quickened our faith, but encouraged our hearts to push forward to greater useful ness in the vineyard of our Master.
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THE PLAIN OF ESDRAELON.
AFTER leaving Mount Carmel we soon reached the beau tiful Plain of Esdraelon, where Barak and Deborah defeated and destroyed the hosts of Sisera, as described in Judges fourth and fifth chapters. It was early in the afternoon when we arrived at Nazareth, the city which was the home of Jesus throughout his childhood. Here among about fifteen hills, with a narrow valley about a mile and a half wide, upon one of the limestone hillsides, lies Nazareth, a town of about three thousand inhabitants. Most of the people are Greek or Latin Catholics. There are comparatively few Jews and Moslems in this city. The houses have flat roofs, and the streets are many of them winding and very narrow. While there are some gardens and orchards, yet the surrounding land is not what we would call beautiful. Those who picture in their minds Nazareth as being surrounded by beautiful country are mistaken, as the hillsides appear rough, rugged, and rocky; and the situation in general would suggest the idea that it is still the same as in former days—a place of no great reputation, and one will still wonder as Nathaniel of old— “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”
The city has since the time of our Savior undergone many changes, at times being almost completely swept from the face of the earth during the time of war, but reviving again, to fall into the hands of other nations and contend ing powers. It was here that Jesus made his home for almost thirty years.
As we traveled over the hillsides we could picture in our imaginations how in his youthful days he traversed those hills, no doubt as did other boys of his time. The people of the city little suspected the power and influence that was to be swayed by him in future years. It was here in Nazareth in a synagogue on a sabbath-day that he read the prophecy of Isaiah concerning himself, and pro claimed himself to be the promised Messiah. For so doing he was charged with blasphemy. He had been down to Capernaum and returned to Nazareth.
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FROM NAZARETH TO THE SEA OF GALILEE.
“AND he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliver ance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down.
‘‘And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself; what soever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.
“And he said, Verily I say unto you, No Prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; but unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
‘‘And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. But he passing through the midst of them went his way, and came down to Capernanm, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath-days. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.’’ Luke 4 16-32.
Nazareth was also the place where the angel appeared to Mary, and it was where Joseph and Mary returned after their flight into Egypt. Mat. 2: 23. It was situated on a hill (Luke 4: 29) in Galilee (Mark 1: 9), and near Cana, which was fourteen miles from the Sea of Galilee and sixty-six miles north of Jerusalem in a direct line, but much farther on account of the roads winding about the hills and mountains. From the top of some of the hills surround ing Nazareth can be seen the mountains called Heruton, Carmel, Gilead, Tabor, and Gillboa, and the Plain of Esdraelon, with a beautiful view of the surrounding scenes, with which are connected many historic facts and bloody scenes of ancient times, together with mighty man ifestations of the power of God.
Leaving Nazareth, the next place of importance was Cana of Galilee. It was in this little village that our Lord performed his first miracle—changed water into wine. John 2:1-11. The site which is supposed to be the same place where the house stood in which took place the feast was shown to us. A Latin monastery stands over it to preserve the historic location. Just before arriving in sight of Cana we saw another village on the hilltop to the left, which marked the site of the ancient Gath-hepher (2 Kings 14:25), which was the birthplace of the prophet Jonah.
At the outer edge of the village of Cana is a well or spring where the people of the village go for water. Women and children carry the water in large vessels, or water-pots, placed on the top of their heads. It is no uncommon sight to see a woman walking along the wayside with a water-pot containing four or five gallons of water. With this on her head she walks leisurely, along the way, fre quently without supporting it with her hands. Here at this well the flocks of goats and herds of cattle are watered. While we were stopping at this well for a short time, there were flocks of goats waiting to be watered. We measured the ears of some of the goats, which measured from twelve to fourteen inches in length and two and a half inches in width. Their ears hang down, presenting a very peculiar appearance.
The natives here are dark-skinned, and speak the Arabic language. Very few of them understand any English.
Leaving Cana, we soon arrived at the foot of the peculiarly-shaped mountain called Karuin Rattin, which is said to be the mountain upon which was delivered the famous Sermon on the Mount, as recorded in Mat. 5, 6, 7. The darkness of night had gathered around us, but the moon was rising as we proceeded down the winding road along the mountainside. While we could not at this time view the scenery around us as we were nearing the Sea of Galilee, we were conscious that we were rapidly descending from the heights to some valley below. On and on we went along our mountain-trail until about nine o’clock at night, when we arrived at Tiberias. We spent the night in a Jewish house in this ancient city, which was the favorite abode of Herod. There is a tradition that our Lord did not perfonn any of his miracles here, and never entered the city. This, however, we have only as tradition; but the city of Tiherias existed in the days of our Savior, and although none of the ancient houses remain, yet the city retains the same name as when it was spared the fatal doom of the other cities along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, upon which Jesus pronounced his woes because they would not heed his admonitions nor the signs and wonders wrought in their midst.
Very early the next morning arrangements were made to cross the Sea of Galilee to Bethsaida. For that purpose we procured a small sailboat, which, when there was no wind or the wind was unfavorable, was propelled by oars. It was a beautiful morning, and the sea was calm. As we looked on every side, to our remembrance were brought the things which transpired when our Savior was there. To our right across the sea could be seen the place where the five thousand were fed, and where the swine rushed down the steep place into the sea and were drowned. Along here could be seen the country of the Gadarines.
The real site of the city of Bethsaida is somewhat a matter of conjecture, but ruins of that name not far from Capernaum are those generally accepted as being the site of the real city, near where Christ walked on the water. We are told that it was a city of Galilee near Capernaum. John 12: 21 and Mat, 11; 21. At what is considered at the present time the site of Bethsaida there are only modern buildings and an old mill with some ruins near by. A short distance to the right is a spot marked as that of Capernaum; while to the left is Chorazin, of which there is scarcely anything to mark the spot.
The ruins of none of these three cities are sufficient to make the spots inspiring, so as to bring vividly to the mind the former transactions, and the wonderful scenes and manifestations of the power of God of centuries ago. But the same old hills surround this Sea of Galilee, and there is no question concerning their being the identical hills upon which occurred the things recorded in the New Testament. The river Jordan, entering at the one end and passing out at the other end; the narrow valley along the water’s edge in some places, while in other places are the perpendicular banks where the mountainside extends to the very brink of the water; and the sky above,—all have a similar presentation of that of almost two thousand years ago, and to look upon them brings fresh to memory the things of the past.
This sea in New Testament times was not only known as the Sea of Galilee, but as the Lake of Gennesaret (Luke 5:1 and Mark 6:53) and “the sea” (Mat. 4:15), the Sea of Tiberias. John 6: 1. In Old Testament times it was known as Chinnereth. Num. 34: 11; Deut. 3: 17; Josh 11: 2; 12: 3. The Sea of Galilee is somewhat the shape of a pear, the broad end being toward the north. It is about thirteen miles in length and from four to seven miles in width, and is almost seven hundred feet below the Mediterranean. The depth of the sea is one hundred and sixty feet. The water is slightly salty, but not so much so but that it can be used for drinking purposes. Fish abound in the waters, but at the present time no one is allowed to fish without special written permission granted by the authorities; otherwise there is a heavy penalty. Upon this sea at the time of our Savior were many ships of commerce, and the cities upon the shores were flourishing cities of trade and commerce; but now only one or two small fishing-boats or sail-vessels are to be seen. Tiberias is the only place of any note on the shores of the sea, and it is not considered a flourishing town.
While the Sea of Galilee is quite beautiful, yet it is not more so than many of our lakes in America. Were it not for the historical facts connected with it, there would be nothing to attract people to its shores; but because of its past history, as we glide over its waters and view the surrounding scenes, memories of the past are recalled. The mighty stirring times of centuries ago, the miracles wrought upon the face of the waters, the stilling of the storm, the walking upon the water, the healing of the sick in the cities and country around about, the casting out of demons, and all those things, bring over one a sense of awe and sublimity and holy reverence and feelings of inspiration.
On account of the level of the sea being so far below that of the Mediterranean and the mountains and hills around about on every side, it is now as it was in the days of our Savior that storms suddenly sweep down upon the face of the water without warning; and ofttimes travelers and tourists who are leisurely sailing over its waters, enjoying a pleasant ride over the calm face of the sea, are suddenly surprised by a storm, and by reality are made to better understand something of the experiences of ancient days, as that of the apostles’ when they had toiled all night against the waves of the sea, and caught nothing; or the time when “the wind was contrary”; or when Jesus was lying asleep in the ship, and the tempest became so great that they feared their ship would be lost. These and many other scenes are brought vividly to memory.
As we crossed over to Bethsaida the sea was calm, the water clear, and the sun shining. We could realize the favor of the Lord upon us in being privileged to thus cross to the other side, and by the way meditate upon the good ness of God, and his mighty works through his Son Jesus Christ in those places.
Arriving at Bethsaida, we remained a short time; and leaving the boat with the boatmen, we started along the shore toward Capernaum. After going about half way, we found the distance was greater than we had thought. There fore we stopped along the wayside, and had a precious little prayer-meeting. While we were going along the way, the boatmen became rather anxious to return, fearing that we should make them late. They came crying out to us, “The Bedouins will get you! the Bedouins will get you!” Though we knew that the Bedouins were reputed as being a vicious people, robbers, and thieves, yet we told the boatmen that we were not afraid of the Bedouins. As we proceeded still farther, we met a number of Bedouins. Some were carrying guns, and some had long heavy sticks for staffs; but they gave us no trouble. We soon found that the boatmen were not as anxious for our welfare as for something else; and when we came to where they were, they began to beg for ‘‘backshish’’ (money), to which some of the company answered, ‘‘Muskeen’’ (we are poor). But all the way back to the boat, a mile and a half or over, they were constantly pestering us for ‘‘backshish.’’ But from past experience in other countries, we concluded it was best to refrain from giving them anything for the present.
When we arrived at the place where the boat was, they, rather than take it a little farther along the shore, pre ferred to carry us to the boat, a distance of probably thirty feet, having to wade in the water where it was about three feet deep. They had doubtless planned this as a sure method of procuring ‘‘backshish’’ in case they failed to procure it along the way, however, all of us were carried to the boat but two of the brethren. These they utterly refused to carry until the desired “backshish’’ was given. Leaving the brethren upon the shore, they came and began to push the boat out into the deep water. Grasping an oar as they were about to clamber into the boat themselves, we prevented their doing so, and demanded of them to return the boat to where it was, and to carry the other brethren to the boat. Finding that it would be impossible for them to take the boat away on account of those who were already in it, they went back and brought one of the brethren, and then stood and begged a long time before they would bring the remaining one.
Through our guide we told them that they must posi tively bring him, and that they would get no ‘‘backshish’’ as long as he was on the shore. After a time they carried the brother to the boat, but were not in the best of humor; and soon, while the others were rowing, one of the boat men took a cigarette from his pocket and began smoking, purposely to make it unpleasant for this brother and the sisters. We had to ask them to refrain from smoking in such away as to discommode the sisters.
Seeing that they were determined to make it unpleasant for some members of the company, I asked the most per sistent one of the boatmen to give me a piece of tissue paper, from which he made his cigarette. Not knowing for what purpose I desired it, he offered me some tobacco also. Although he could not understand English and I could not understand Arabic, he was soon made to understand that I did not care for his tobacco. Taking the tissue paper, without his notice I took a comb from my pocket and slipped the paper over it. Placing it to my mouth, by a certain sound of the voice I imitated a cornet, and in this way played him a few songs. While the others of the com pany sang some sacred songs, I joined with them, to the amusement of the boatmen; then showed them how it was done, and had them to try the same.
By this time they had forgotten all their ill feelings and disappointment concerning ‘‘backshish.’’ After show ing them a few other things, I also showed them my fountain pen, which was somewhat of a curiosity. After writing upon some shells my name, address, and a quota tion of Scripture, I presented a shell to the persistent boatman. He then took the pen, and in the Arabic language wrote his name and address. By this time they were well pleased and sociable again. Had we yielded to their requests for “backshish’’ under the pressure of the circumstances at the edge of the lake, when reaching the middle of the lake they would have probably stopped and demanded more ‘‘backshish” and threatened not to land until their request was granted. But as it was, everything continued pleasantly.
Upon our return, when about half way to Tiberias, we were suddenly made aware of the presence of a storm. In but a few minutes the whitecaps were showing themselves over the water, and the waves began to toss our boat until the boatmen were exerting all their powers to push for ward; but the wind was contrary, and for an hour or so we made little headway. The storm was not a severe one, but it was sufficient to make us have a vivid realization of former scenes on the sea. When we landed about two o’clock in the afternoon, we went to our place of lodging, at the home of a Hebrew family, and there was awaiting us a dinner including fish from the Sea of Galilee.
While we were on the waters, there was one scene above all others that appeared to show the beauties of nature, and really appeared to present to our view the beauties of heaven with its glorious and radiant light. Before us was Mount Hermon, which is said to be the Mount of Trans figuration. Over the top of the mountain rested a cloud, through which the sun was shining, throwing a halo of light over the top of the mountain; and as we thought upon the description giveu of the scene of the transfiguration, we could scarcely refrain from uttering the words that Peter did— “Lord, it is good for us to be here.’’ Peter was so astonished and overwhelmed by what he had seen that he did not know what else to say. This so vividly portrayed to our minds the actual scene of apostolic days that we could not have asked for a more beautiful view represent ing the place of the scene of the transfiguration.
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GALILEE.
MANY things can be said regarding the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding sites, which recall the historic events of centuries ago when the Man of Galilee walked upon the waters and traversed the hills around about while his fol lowers learned lessons of faith by word and example. The following description by Sister Nichols gives a beautiful portrayal of the scene and narration of our visit while there.
A beautiful spring day in Galilee’s land is drawing to its close. The sun has just sunk beneath the western sky, leaving the eastern sky and landscape richly tinted with the glowing reflection of his departing rays. ‘Tis the most perfect time of the year: nature seems at her best, spring having spread the ground with her fresh green carpet thickly dotted with brilliantly dyed poppies; and now it is just that hour of the day, between the dark and daylight, when our thoughts love to steal away from the cares of life to be with God and the sacred memories of God and life cluster about our hearts, winning and drawing us close to his great loving heart. The rugged hills and low-lying plains seem taking their rest after the burden and heat of the day, and all nature is folded in the calm of the Eternal Peace.
In the midst of such surroundings, a small company of God’s saints wend their way by carriage, up the long, rocky hill, four hours’ journey eastward from Nazareth. Their hearts and thoughts are blended with the inspiring scene, and the burden of their conversation is of Him who once walked over these hills, and in some of these lonely nooks between the hills stole away from the villages with their multitudes, and poured out his heart to his Father and called upon God to fit and prepare him for the great life-work before him.
Cana has been passed, where our Savior performed his first miracle at the marriage feast as recorded by John in his second chapter. Just at sunset ‘twas a pretty sight that lay before us as we overlooked the valley where Cana is located among the hills. Descending the steep rocky hill to the west of Cana, we arrived at the outskirts of the village, where is located a wayside well, surrounded by Galilee’s native women and girls who after the Eastern custom were bearing water-pots on their heads and leading their goats to water.
This is the well, they tell us, whence the water was drawn which was afterward converted into wine. Then we were guided to the spot where the wedding-feast took place.
Leaving this place of sacred association, we ascended into a broad and fertile, though somewhat stony plain where dwells the tribe of Naphthali.
Farther on to our right we passed the large and flourishing village of Lubiyeh and arrived at the opening scene of our narrative. Now we came to a spot we have often desired to visit—the Mount of Beatitudes, or Horns of Hattin, at whose base the most bloody and decisive battle of the Crusades was fought, when the Christians were utterly routed by the Moslems.
It is a strange coincidence which strikes us with horror, that this terrible battle, waged nominally in defense of the faith of the Prince of Peace, was fought almost on the very spot where he called his disciples unto him and delivered to the multitude the Sermon on the Mount. Mat. 5, 6 and 7. One of the opening sentences of that sermon was, ‘‘Blessed are the peacemakers; for they shall be called the children of God.’’ This seems holy ground and we fain would linger here, but must hasten on.
The light of departing day is fast fading into the dusk of the evening and night folds her warm blanket about us as the beautiful stars of God light up the heavens, and we sing the sweet songs of Zion which unfold the message our hearts would tell. Here is the first verse and the chorus of one:
joys are flowing like a river, Since the Comforter has come; He abides with us forever, Makes the trusting heart his home,
Chorus:
‘‘Blessed quietness, holy quietness, What assurance in my soul! On the stormy sea, Jesus speaks to me, And the billows cease to roll.”
Another is:
Silently the shades of evening Gather round my lonely door; Silently they bring before me Faces I shall see no more.
Chorus:
Come, ye silent shades of evening, Holy mem’ries cluster round me, Pointed up to that fair haven We still hope to gain at last.’’
Then other snatches of song, a verse or two of ‘‘Nearer My God to Thee,’’ ‘‘Lord Jesus, My Sweet Rose of Sharon,’’ ‘‘Calvary,’’ and ‘‘ Gethsemane.” As we pass on nearer to our destination, our hearts become so charged with sacred thoughts that for long intervals no sound is heard but that of the horses and the carriage wheels and an occasional stroke of the driver’s whip.
How the presence of the Holy Spirit floods our souls! We are nearing Galilee with all that Galilee means to a loving follower of the meek and lowly Jesus. As we ascend the last steep of the long winding road up the hill, whose summit overlooks the sea, the moon, rising out of the eastern sky as if to bless and grace the sublime occasion, illumines and makes thrice beautiful the scene about us. At last the summit is reached, and there, far beneath our present level, illumined by the soft rays of the moon, lies the beautiful, placid Sea of Galilee, and amidst glimpses of scenery almost unearthly in their beauty, stillness and lonely solitude, as the sea unfolds to our view we slowly descend, by a long windnig road, the hill, at the foot of which we reach the walls and gateway of Tiberias. It is a late hour, as we have been over an hour desending the long hill; so partaking of our frugal meal, we commit ourselves to the care of Him who ‘‘giveth His beloved sleep,” and lie down for the night by the sea. Morning has come, and as the sun bursts forth in the east, with eager hearts we make hurried preparation for the day; for, since we are to visit the scenes on the shores around the sea by boat, it is wisdom to start in the early morn ing, as our boatmen tell us treacherous storms are apt to burst upon us suddenly in the afternoon, rendering navigation in fishing-boats unsafe. Residents of Calcutta can well uuderstand this freak of nature.
We are soon embarked, oars manned and sails hoisted and we shoot off into the clear blue waters of the sea. A peculiar sensation of awe yet of safety accompanies one riding where the Master so perfectly controlled the ele ments. Two scenes stand out before me more than any others as we glide into the waters opposite Genesaret— the scenes of two of the most wonderful events while Jesus was with his disciples: the first taking place the night following the marvelous feeding of the five thousand. ‘‘And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitude away. And when he had sent the multitude away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
‘‘And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”
At the simple command “come” from the lips of his Lord, Peter without hesitation fearlessly stepped out of the ship onto the water and “walked on the water to go to Jesus.” How it must have delighted the heart of the Lord to see Peter’s trust and confidence! Dear saints of God, hear is a lesson for us. Our Lord wants us to have this trust in him and in his Word. In the night of discourage ments, in the storm of afflictions and disease; open your spiritual eyes, Jesus is there before you, on the troubled sea, saying, “Come,” and if you look with faith; if you pierce through the storm-cloud straight into the face of your Lord, losing sight of the boisterous waves about you; wholly swallowed up in the fact that Jesus is right there ready and anxtous to deliver you, you will so completely ignore the devil and so fully realize God’s presence that in spite of appearance and surroundings, you will get deliverance and victory in Jesus, only “be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.” “Come.” We are now in almost the same spot where their boat was during the storm. “When they were come into the ship, the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship came and worshiped him, saying, Of a truth thou are the Son of God. And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gen nesaret.” The second scene which stands out prominently this morning is beyond Galilee to the north, and separated from the sea by low ranges of hills. As our boat swings into position around that curve and out toward the middle of the sea, where Mount Hermon comes into full view, we are held as if spellbound as the unexpected scene breaks upon our view, and then exclamations of wonder and admiration escape our lips, and immediately there is a call for the telescope, that the beautiful scene may be drawn closer to us. This mount was the scene of Christ’s transfiguration. “He took with him Peter and John and James, and went up into the mountain to pray. And as he was praying the fashion of his countenance was altered and his raiment became white and dazzling,’’ ‘‘and his face did shine as the sun, and his garments became white as the light.’’ Mat. 17:2. ‘‘And behold there talked with him two men which were Moses and Elias; who appeared in glory, and spoke of his decease which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.’’ Luke 9: 28-31. ‘‘And Peter answered and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt I will make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise and be not afraid. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, save Jesus only.’’ Mat. 17: 4-8. Well can we imagine the scene this morning, for indeed it looks as if the transfiguration were being re-enacted, the lofty snow-capped peaks being overshadowed with clouds, and the shafts of sunlight piercing through the mists and clouds give the appearance of a halo of heavenly glory over the whole mountain. It is one of those rare sights of a life time never to be forgotten. The day seems especially appointed for our satisfaction, and deep gratitude fills my heart for this rare privilege, but soon we pass on so far that the hills between the sea and Hermon conceal it from view and our attention is directed to more immediate interests.
To our right and opposite Gennesaret we notice a narrow valley lying in an east and west direction, which forms the meeting of a steep bluff and a hill. This is the country of the Gadarenes: down this steep declivity the herd of swine violently ran, into which Jesus allowed the legion of devils to pass. Mark 5:1-15. There are many pretty valleys and high rocky headlands all along the shores, and as we draw nearer to the land of Bethsaida, we realize how vain would be the attempt of a pen to portray the rare beauty of this country in the spring-time. Though these villages along the northern shores were once large and flourishing, now there are very few scattering tribes there, so that the country has been left to the beautifying hand of nature, which, after all, is equaled by none of man’s attempts, especially at this time of year, after the rains and in such a favored climate.
The plains are luxuriant in thick herbage and brilliantly adorned with myriads of wild flowers of the richest hue, nature’s own jewels. The ruined remains of the esplanade or sea-wall of ancient Bethsaida, the ‘‘Home of Fish,’’ can he seen by the side of the sea. This then was the home of the Galilean fishermen Peter and Andrew, James, John, and Philip. Bethsaida was among those cities upbraided by our Lord because they repented not. ‘‘Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.’’ The woe pronounced upon this city was certainly fulfilled, for there is scarcely a house standing to mark the spot.
From the boat at this place Jesus taught the multitudes on the land, in Parables, among which was the memorable Parable of the Sower.
An intense desire seizes us to walk to Capernaum; to tread the same ground where Jesus must often have walked to and from Capernaum to Magdala.
Crossing by stepping-stones the many delightful brooks and springy places of Bethsaida we proceeded on our way through the fields on which Jesus and his audience prob ably looked while he preached to them the Parable of the Sower, for we notice along the shore and through the fields all the natural features spoken of in the parable: the trodden foot-path, the projecting surfaces of rock, clumps of thistles and thorns, and the fertile fruit-bearing soil: also as we pass on plucking a few heads of grain for souvenirs, we note the tares among the wheat. How close these associations bring us to our Savior. He seems very near indeed as we walk where he walked, talked, and prayed, and we kneel down by the foot-path and pour out our hearts in humble supplication to him that we may walk even as he walked. Such an intense craving seizes me for a more perfect consecration, a more real crucifying of self—the Ego—and I feel that I am sinking down into the will and love of God more than ever before. These are precious moments, but seeing the threatening sky, and our guides entreating us to return to the boat, we turn our footsteps homeward, having caught only a glimpse of Capernaum.
We tread our way back along the sinuous, hard-beaten path through brambles and over brooks again. Days of childhood come to me with memories of green woods and rippling brooks. Who has not had the pleasure of being out alone with God and nature and listening to nature’s song in bird and brook? Tennyson’s beautiful Song of the Brook comes vividly to mind. It seems to chatter on in its delight, telling of steadfastness and faithfulness and sounds so soothing and friendly, but the storm-cast sky demands haste. Taking boat again we begin the journey, skirting along the northwestern and western shores past Magdala, forever memoriable for its associations with Mary Magdalene, for this was her home. We must stop here if only for a few minutes to gather a few of the thousands of beautiful white spiral shells and sea-stones. They may be gathered up by double handfuls here, almost as shells. Soon after embarking again, clouds thickly overspread the sky and the wind rises. Though the rain and storm seem heavy all about us, we are almost entirely exempt, getting only a sprinkle of rain; but the boat rolls enough to be interesting. The oarsmen tug painfully at the oars as the wind is contrary, rendering the sails useless most of the way, and therefore we arrive at Tiberias for a late dinner. We are rather weary to start back to Nazareth, but it has been a rare, precious day on Galilee, for beautiful Mount Hermon has been seen at its best in the morning, and I am thankful, for as we returned from Bethsaida the mount was enveloped in thick fog and misty cloud. The rain has been withheld, and we have seen Jesus’ sea in sunshine and shadow, fair weather and storm.
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FROM NAZARETH TO JERUSALEM.
LEAVING Tiberias in the afternoon, we began to ascend the mountainside on our way back to Nazareth, which place we reached late at night. Arising quite early the next morning, arrangements were hastily made for our trip to Jerusalem. As there is no carriage road from Nazareth to Jerusalem, because of the rough passageway across the mountains, we were compelled to make other arrangements for the journey. Our guide went out and soon returned, stating that he had engaged ponies for our entire company. Some of us went and examined the ponies, and found them to be all satisfactory.
When we were almost ready to start, the guide returned again, and said that he could not get the horses, as he had had some trouble with the owner, but was about to make a bargain with some one else. We had noticed along the way that he had trouble with many persons with whom he dealt. Sometimes he would come and say, “I had a fight mit ‘em”; and in telling his experiences, he would tell how he had to slap some, or strike them, or grasp them roughly with his hands. We would tell him that it was wrong to act in that way, or to fight them. “But,” said he, “I shust fight dem mit my hands, and not mit my heart; my heart is all right”
We knew that his heart was not right, and soon had reasons by actual experience to learn that it was far from being right. He went away again, and soon returned with two large mules and several burros, or donkeys, which were called asses in the days of our Savior. He also had two muleteers, or persons to drive and take care of them. These were native servants. He seemed to be having con siderable trouble in making arrangements, even after we had mounted our animals ready to start. However, we were soon on our way; Brother and Sister Bailey having the larger mules, and the others of the company the donkeys. My donkey was just forty-one inches in height. A Spaniard and some Roman Catholics joined in with our caravan.
The people of that country speak the Arabic language. The Catholics in our caravan could understand some Arabic, but could not speak English. The Spaniard could not speak English; but Sister Bailey could understand a few words of Spanish, and he could understand a few words of Arabic, which afterwards proved to be a great help to us. No sooner had we reached the outskirts of the city, than we were made aware that our guide was left behind.
After we had waited for some time, the Spaniard came along, moving his hands from side to side, indicating to us that our guide was in a state of intoxication; aud soon he came riding along scarcely able to sit up, and was almost dead drunk, He had our passports in his possession, and we secured them at once. There we were just starting on a three days’ journey through a conntry that required a guide to show the way, and through one of the most dangerous parts of Palestine on account of the wickedness of the people and their enmity against Christians. In the Oriental countries every white person is considered a Chris tian, and generally those of other countries who wear European clothes.
Our first thought concerning the guide was to leave him and undertake the journey alone; but as it was difficult to secure a guide at that place, and very dangerous to go without one, for a time we were at a loss to know what to do. We asked him why he got drunk at such a time. He said they drugged him at the hotel; but as we had noticed his strange actions for some time before as if he had occasionally taken a glass, we told him that he had undoubtedly drugged himself. To the people who came around him he said that he was a Christian, and at the same time was too drunk to sit up by himself. The Spaniard told him that he was of the devil.
Hoping that the guide might within a few hours recover from his drunkenness, we were arranging to tie him on his animal and take him along with us; but the mule teers serionsly objected, and gave us to understand by their motions and other means of objection that in passing over the mountain near by there was danger of the animal stumbling over the stones, causing him to fall and kill himself, and they would be held responsible, and that after we had passed the mountain and reached level country they would not object to having him tied. Hastily placing him in his saddle, with all the force he had he seemed to insist on pushing himself backward so as to lie upon his back upon the animal, and it seemed difficult to hold him upright in the saddle. However, as his animal was very small, for about an hour I held him up by main force while we traveled along the way. Some of the company remarked that it very much resembled the appearance of the good Samaritan of centuries ago. The warm rays of the sun brought the perspiration very freely while thus traveling over the rough mountain. We finally reached the other side, and as soon as we came to smooth roads we let him have his way, so far as lying down was concerned. His head reached back to the tail of the animal. We then took a rope and tied him securely and made him as comfortable as possible, and soon were ready to continue the journey. While most of the others were quite a distance ahead of us, we soon made up for lost time.
We were now passing through a beautiful level country, though comparatively little farming is done there. Thus we traveled along with but little variation in the scenery. About half-past eleven our guide suddenly aroused from his drunken stupor, and was ready to have the ropes untied. He was very much ashamed of himself, and remained quite a distance behind for an hour or so. We, however, encour aged him, and soon he became bold enough to ride along in company with the others.
Along the way we passed Mount Gilboa, which is the place where Saul and Jonathan were slain in battle, and from whence Saul went to consult the witch of Endor. 1 Sam. 28:4; 31:6; 1 Chron. 10:1; 2 5am. 1:21. This mountain is east of the Plain of Jezreel. While passing through this large plain and by the noted mountains along the way, we were made to realize that we were now in full view of the place of noted occurrences and bloody scenes of ancient days.
In the evening we arrived at the village of Jenin, a place of about thirteen hundred inhabitants, including a few Catholics and Moslem or Mohammedan schools and mosques. The people are mostly Mohammedans. This village lies at the entrance of the great Plain of Esdraelon. Upon one of the Turkish mosques is to be read the follow ing sign: “There is one God, and Mohammed is his prophet.”
Here we were unable to secure accommodations at a hotel; but our guide had recovered sufficiently to find the owner of a compound, which place included two or three small stone houses. These were enclosed by a wall eight or ten feet high. In the enclosure were also trees amid luxuriant vegetation. One of the houses was secured. The house was well built, but contained only one room, about twelve by fourteen feet. The proprietor of the compound prepared the room by making beds on the floor for the men, and arranged a bed on boxes in one corner of the room for the others.
We had a talk with our guide and told him that we were very sorry to know that he would act as he did, and unless he promised to do better we would not take him with us any farther. He promised us faithfully that he would drink no more liquor, but would conduct himself properly henceforth. We insisted that he stay with us continually, eat with us, and sleep in the same room, and when necessary to go into the village to make purchases that some of us go with him, that there be no chance for him to yield to the temptation of drunkenness. This he promised to do. That night three of us dreamed of murder. The next morning as the dreams were told, they were so striking that we wondered what the meaning could be. A few days later we were made to better understand concerning our dreams, as will be related in another chapter.
The next day we had a very pleasant journey over level country, with nothing unusual or of special importance until we came to the city of Nabulus. This is the site of the ancient city of Shechem, which is near the place that in the New Testament is called Sychar. It is a walled city of several thousand people, nearly all Mohammedans, there being only about five hundred Greeks, one hundred and fifty Samaritans, and one hundred Jews. The Moham medans of this place are aggressive, fanatical, hating Christians and Jews, and make but little effort to conceal their dislike for both religions. We read in the Old Tes tament of the wickedness of the people of the city of Shechem, and it seems that it has always been noted since that time as a place of rank wickedness, and its people filled with enmity, hatred, and ready for almost any atrocious crime. As we entered the city, we were informned of the disposition of the people and had scarcely passed through the gates of the city until we were made to realize the truth of the statement. Passing by a school or mosque, where a number of young men who were students were just coming out with their red Turkish turban caps upon their heads, we soon learned that they were instilled with the same feelings of enmity and hatred. They began hissing and making undue remarks, signs, and outward manifestations, showing the disposition of their hearts toward us.
We secured quite a comfortable place at a monastery. As it was getting late in the evening and we desired to begin our journey early the next morning, we had to make preparations at once for a luncheon for the next day.
While the others of the company remained at the monastery, in company with the guide I went to the city to make the necessary purchases. We had just begun to make the purchases in the shops and markets along the narrow streets, when the native villagers gathered around. All seemed to have something to say regarding the pur chases; one objecting to this, another to that. The guide, knowing their nature and disposition and understanding some of their remarks, became very uneasy. They began muttering in the Arabic language, to which occasionally he would make a reply. Then some began to reach through the crowd to grab at him, and one or two pushed them selves in to where I was standing; but as I paid no atten tion to them, their minds were principally attracted to the guide. As they crowded in, I gradually stepped back. Soon the talking became loud. The guide called to me, and said we must go. I asked him to finish making his purchases first.
In a few minutes the crowd was increased to a large mob. Many of them with loud demonstrations indicated that there was immediate trouble on hand. We were now separated by probably fifty or a hundred persons. The guide became frightened, and made a hasty exit, and was soon not only out of their midst, but a safe distance from them; while I was at the other side in the very edge of the crowd. But while their attention was mostly attracted to him, I had silently and quietly stepped back, and the angry ones in the middle who had seen me with him at first could not now see me, and those who came later did not know that I had accompanied him. Knowing that I had to make the best of the situation, I took my umbrella, which had a handle like a cane, and twirled it in my hands and looked up at the top of the buildings along the street, as if con siderably interested, and began walking along the street whistling. As my umbrella came down with some force while twirling, those near me made way for me to pass through; and keeping to the opposite side of the street where the crowd was not so dense, I managed to pass by them without attracting any particular attention. I had asked the Lord for protection, and he had given me suffi cient wisdom for the occasion to make good my escape.
Upon going to where the guide had stopped, I said:
“Why did you run’? I did not hear anything said that would make any one run.”
‘‘If you could have understood what they said,’’ he replied, “you would have run too.’’
‘‘This is probably one of the times,’’ said I, ‘‘when ‘ignorance is bliss.’
However, we made good our escape, and in another part of the city procured the necessary provisions, and arrived safe at the monastery.
The streets of the city are narrow, filthy, and winding, and are shut in from the sunlight by the overjutting roofs of the houses. Main street is lined with bazaars, or market places.
This city is near the edge of Samaria, and the Samari tans here have the Pentatench, one of the rare old manu scripts of the books of Moses, in the shape of a scroll, written in Samaritan characters, and claimed to be thirty-two hundred years old, and to be the work of the great-grandson of Aaron.
The Samaritans abhor all images and all expressions whereby human attributes are ascribed to God. They believe in getting a full experience in the resurrection and last judgment. They expect the Messiah to appear six thousand years after the creation of the world, and they do not consider that he will be greater than Moses. Three times a year, viz., at the festival of unleavened bread, the feast of weeks, and the feast of tabernacles, they make a pilgrimage to the sacred Mount Gerizim. They celebrate all the Mosaic festivals, but they offer sacrifices at the pass over only. Bigamy is permitted if the first wife is child less; and when a married man dies, his nearest relation, but not his brother, is bound to marry the widow.
It was near this city that Jesus at one time met the woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well. John 4:4-30. It is said that after he left Judea and departed into Galilee ‘‘he must needs go through Samaria. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.’’ It was here Jesus told the woman of the water of life, and said, ‘‘Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.’’ This well is about a mile and a half from the city.
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LEAVING THE CITY OF SHECHEM.
THE next morning we arose very early, and started on our journey shortly after the break of day, as we had a long, tiresome journey. When we passed out of the city gates, for a short distance there was a carriage road. We were now at a place of a notable scene of the past. To our right towered Mount Gerizim, to our left Mount Ebal, with a beautiful narrow valley between. It is said that in Joshua’s time there were gathered on this spot over three million Israelites to receive the law. Here began the war fare between the Jews and Samaritans. When the people were gathered together in this valley, Joshua and the high priests who read the law were on the mountainside above. We were told that a person upon one of these mountains could speak so as to be heard by all the people in the valley and across to the other mountain. The scene, to say the least, was a very impressive one. Passing the mountain, a little to the left was the site of Jacob’s well.
The morning was very pleasant, but in a few minutes the rain began to fall. Soon we turned from the carriage road to our right through a level country, which was trav eled by animals and footmen. Rain continued to descend for a time, then slacken for a few minutes, only to begin again, and so continued until noon.
After having gone about four miles, the muleteers wanted to return. It was then pouring down rain, and a num ber of us were wet. I had lent my rain-coat to Sister Bailey, Brother Bailey had the baby securely tucked away under his rain-coat, and Brother Khan was also quite well pro tected. Sister Nichols was without a rain-coat, but had a small umbrella. Soon the wind began to blow, turning her umbrella wrong side out, and wresting it from her hands. One of the mules stepped upon it, breaking it. Therefore she was fully exposed to the drenching showers.
We had not gone far when one of the muleteers became sick, and the other one had to hold him on his animal. The weather was getting cooler, and the rain coming down faster. Our guide also was quite unwell. I had, there fore, to take the place of the mule-driver. Some of the animals were laden with baggage. Occasionally another caravan would fall in with us. Sometimes we would out-travel them, and again another one would outtravel us. On we went, with all the tracks and little holes along the way filled with water, tramping through mud and water, some of us completely drenched, and almost all chilled. We continued our journey until eleven o’c-lock, when the muleteers stopped, both of them crying and groaning, and declaring they would go no farther.
We were in sight of a village up the mountainside, about a mile and a half distant. They insisted upon going to that place; but as there were no hotels and only little mud and stone huts without fireplaces and sufficient acconi modations, we talked the matter over and concluded that it would mean the death of some of us to go to such a place and undertake to remain till the storm ceased. We also learned that about one hour’s journey ahead of us was a small stone hut where travelers sometimes stopped to eat their luncheons.
The guide wanted to turn aside to the village, and the muleteers declared they would go no farther. We had to use our own judgment in the matter, and risk the conse quences. Starting our company ahead, by the help of the guide and one muleteer we put the sick man on his animal, and the other muleteer held him on. I used my little whip to make the animal go, and had to keep between them and the village until after they passed the road leading up to it. After getting them at a safe distance beyond the road, I went back after my animal, which was trudging slowly along. Also I found Brother Khan so chilled he could scarcely sit upon his animal. After stopping his animal and getting him off on the ground, I started his animal at a good pace, and then told Brother Khan we must run to catch up with the others. I took him by the arm and man aged to get the circulation started sufficiently to make him a little more comfortable by the time we reached the others in the caravan. Thus one after another had to be dis mounted, and special care given to keep them from chilling to death. After an hour we reached the little stone hut, which was built in circular shape, with no opening except the door. We could reach the roof near the edges and in the center it was probably about nine feet to the top. It reminded us somewhat of a large cistern with no opening at the top. There was not even a place for the smoke to escape.
One man lived there, a native of that country, who could not understand a word of English. Nevertheless, through our guide we told him to hastily prepare us a fire, and we would pay him for it. In a few minutes we had his house almost crowded full of people and baggage. In the middle of the room was a small stone pillar to hold up the center of the roof, and a few stones at its base answered as a fire place. As soon as he began to build the fire, we gave our attention to the muleteer who was sick. He was groaning, and seemed to be at the point of death. The other muleteer had been weeping, fearing that his friend would die. From all appearance it seemed his end was near at hand. Sick, and chilled through, as he was, we laid him down upon the ground floor, and rubbed his hands and arms, and started the circulation more freely. Seeing his critical condition, we saw he must have help from God or he would soon be dead; therefore we offered up our petitions to the Lord, remembering that Jesus centuries ago used to pass through that part of the country and heal the sick; and knowing that he is the same to-day, we called upon the Lord, and asked him to stretch forth his hand to heal. The man ceased groaning immediately, and we told him to say, “Hamdo Lilla” (praise the Lord). He began to repeat the words. And soon of his own accord, as he began to feel the healing power of God penetrating his being he continued saying, “Hamdo Lilla, Hamdo Lilla.” He was now resting quite easy, and the man who lived at the place gave a change of clothing, and he was laid in one side of the room and wrapped in dry clothing. He was soon sound asleep and resting well.
In less than two minutes after the fire was started the room was filled with smoke, and the only place for it to escape was through the door, which opened toward the west. A heavy western wind was blowing in at the open ing, while at the same time there came a storm of rain, which ended with snow and hail. We were, however, prais ing God for his loving protection, for what he had done for the muleteer, and also for a place of escape from the storm.
After eating our luncheon and getting our things ready to travel, it was decided to leave the sick man there until the other muleteer should return the next day. We then paid the man for his services and accommodation, gave him some money for keeping the muleteer until the next day, and left some food for them both, and we were soon ready to start on our journey again.
The saddles and luggage were placed upon the animals, and soon everything was ready. We had not gone far, however, until we were at the very edge of a rough, rugged mountainside. Our journey thus far had been over level plains and through valleys, but now began the winding around the hills and mountains. Some of us dismounted and climbed directly over the top, clambering from rock to rock, and down the other side to meet the remainder of the company as they traveled along the winding way.
We had scarcely started when there came another shower of rain. We were now rising to a higher altitude, and the wind became more cold and piercing. Dashing showers of rain coming now and then kept us well drenched. As we were nearing the top of the highest mountains, the wind seemed to be blowing a regular gale, insomuch that at one time one of the largest mules was blown out of the track sideways. This may seem almost incredible; but had it been taken as far from the track on the other side, it would have gone tnmbling down the mountainside.
After traveling for two or three hours through rain and sunshine and the piercing, driving wind, we came to more level roads between the monntains. Now and then the hills and mountainsides were terraced, and beautiful olive-groves were to be seen along the way. This was one of the rough est roads we had ever traveled. Sometimes for miles we conld see but little else than heaps of stone walls and the almost bare mountains and hills. Years, probably cen turies, ago there had been an enormous amount of work done, probably by some ancient kings, in preparing that conntry for the olive-groves. In some places through which we passed, were narrow lanes with thick, rough stone walls on either side, and small fields in like manner walled from the stones which had been gathered from the ground, and yet the ground seemed to be almost covered with stones. The traveler is rather perplexed to know why there has been so much expense in preparing a land that appears to be almost useless. Furthermore, no cities, villages, or farmhouses are to be seen near these places. We can only imagine what it was at one time when the country was in a more prosperous condition.
On this journey we passed by the hill on which stood ancient Shiloh, and also passed the place where Hannah brought little Samuel to live after he was consecrated to the Lord. 1 Sam. 1: 24, 28. Notwithstanding the appearance of the country during our day’s journey, and the experience through which we had to pass, the remembrances of the ancient history of some of these places brought to our minds the transactions of past ages, and we felt greatly repaid for enduring the hardships of the trip.
Looking out over the hills and valleys while nearing the places where Samuel spent his boyhood days, we remembered how God spoke to him in the night, saying, “Samuel, Samuel.” At first he did not understand that it was the voice of the Lord, but went to Eli and asked for what purpose he had called him. It was there that Eli died of sorrow when the enemy prevailed against the army of Israel, and his sons were slain in battle, and the ark of God was taken by the Philistines. 1 Sam. 4: 10-18. It was at that place that Joshua divided the land to the tribes of Israel.
After continuing our journey for some time, we came to places where our animals had to pick their way between the rough rocks in the pathway and over small ledges. Now and then some of us who were walking held the riders on the animals as they stepped down the rocky precipices.
On and on the march was continued until the sun was sinking over the hills of Judea, when suddenly we caught sight of a city in the distance, but soon the mountain peaks hid it from our view. What city could it be? The journey was not continued long until again we got a glimpse of the city, which must have been almost ten miles distant. Behold, it was the holy city Jerusalem. Our hearts rejoiced as we gazed upon this city on Mount Zion, surrounded by hills and mountains. Again we soon lost sight of it, but we were hurrying onward and the day was fading away. The rain had ceased, and our clothes, still damp from the rain, were slowly becoming dry. Soon the sun had passed down over the western horizon, and night was closing in upon us. About dark we arrived at a small village, where there was an inn and stopping-place for travelers, a place for the animals to be fed and travelers to receive shelter. They did not have suitable accommodations for us to remain dur ing the night. Our animals were tired, and as we now had reached the carriage road to Jerusalem, it did not take long to decide to dismiss our muleteers and animals and hire a carriage for Jerusalem.
While the change was being made, we went into the inn. A kettle with some coals in it was brought for our comfort; and while warming ourselves as best we could from the few coals, we also ate our luncheon. In about half an hour announcement was made that the carriage was ready. Our company filled the seats of the carriage, and some of us lent our rain-coats to the guide, who rode with the driver. Blankets were furnished to make us com fortable, and the carriage was closed. Notwithstanding that the night was cool, we were able to continue the remainder of the journey quite comfortbly; but we were not able to view the country as we went along, because of the darkness of the night. About ten o’clock at night we passed through one gate of the city and out through another gate and on until we came to the Jerusalem Hotel, where we obtained comfortable rooms, baths, and such other accommodations as were necessary.
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JERUSALEM.
JERUSALEM, the most renowned city of the world in ages past. Within its walls rested the glory and power of the Lord, and kings and princes admired its beauty and strength, and they were stricken with awe and filled with fear because of the manifestation of power in its construc tion and defense. While King David was beholding the beautiful site for a city his spiritual vision was opened to the beauties of the church, and in admiration and wonder he exclaimed with prophetic words: ‘‘Beautiful for situa tion, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. They saw it, and so they mar veled; they were troubled, and hasted away. Fear took hold upon them there.’’ Psa. 48: 2-6.
The meaning of the word ‘‘Jerusalem’’ from the Hebrew is ‘‘inheritance of peace, or possession’’; but it has not always been a place of peace and happiness. Within its walls have been the dark scenes of bloody warfare, famine, distress, oppression, misery, and woe. While at times it has been the wonder of the earth because of its beauty and the manifestation of the presence and power of God, at other times it has been the place of the most heart-rend ing scenes upon the face of the earth. The Jewish writers believe that this city in the days of Melchizedek (Gen. 14:18) was called Salem. It is especially held as a sacred city by the Jews and Mohammedans. It is believed by the Mohammnedans that the general judgment will take place in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, under the direction of Mohammed and Jesus.
The range of mountains upon which Jerusalem is situated forms a watershed between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is about eighteen miles from the Dead Sea and thirty-two miles from the Mediterranean Sea. Upon this elevated point of land and upon four or five hills or mountains closely crowded together is builded this noted city, surrounded on three sides by deep ravines. On the east is the Valley of Kedron, which is also called Jehosha phat, and on the west and south is the Valley of Hinnom. These deep ravines come together about half a mile south of the city wall, and extend in an easterly direction toward the Dead Sea. There is another valley, called the tyropoeon, or ‘‘valley of time cheesemongers,’’ which extends from one side, and is connected with the valley of the Kedron a little farther from the city, at the Pool of Siloam.
Within the city walls on the southwest is Mount Moriah, the site of the temple, now covered by the Haram inclosure or square which has the Mosque of Omar. Southwest of this is Mount Zion, a portion of wluch is without the city wall. Directly south of Moriah is the Hill of Ophel, also without the city wall. North of Mount Moriah is Bezetha, or ‘‘new city,’’ and west of Bezetha, in the northwest part of the city, is Akra. The summit of Akra, however, is some times considered to be a part of Mount Zion. South of Mount Zion is the Valley of Hinnom, which extends around on the west side of the city. The Valley of Hinnom and that of the Kedron unite south of the city. The Tyropcron Valley lies between Ophel and Mount Zion. North of the city is the Scopus, east of it the Mount of Olives, and on the south the Hill of Evil Counsel.
The elevation of these hills above the Mediterranean is about as follows: Mount Scopus 2,715 feet, Mount Olives 2,665 feet, Mount Offense 2,409 feet, Hill of Evil Counsel 2,552 feet, Mount Moriah 2,440 feet, Mount Zion 2,550 feet. The highest point within the city is that which is called the Castle of Goliath, which is 2,581 feet high. The Valley of Kedron is 2,190 feet, and the general level of the city 2,610 feet. The Hill of Ophel at the Triple Gate is 300 feet above the Pool of Siloam.
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HISTORY OF JERUSALEM.
IT may be of some special interest to the reader to give here some of the past history of Jerusalem which is given by Phillip Schaff’s ‘‘Dictionary of the Bible.’’ | | |
