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k0iritin and ABptnt jebusaia:m— \ C ^ rA Sermon Preached by the Bcv. Ht, c. Bill*, 1». »„ ■« Ike CoBcrecatlOBAl Chnreh, Rtlone, N, VM on Sunday Morning* Avg. l, 1880.ra-ItiIPtoiMs, CXlFfr, ..2,—“ 6«r feet shall stand within;toy gates, O Jerusalem.”To th© Jew of David's 4ay, Jerusalm was the one sacred spot of the world- Beautiful for situ a*fcloncompactly built updo an elevated mountainridge which Is divided by two intersecting valleys into fourdistinct hills, and is itaelf surrounded bydeep ravinesand encircling mouotaios ;^ntrallyadd conveniently located with reference to the distribution of the tribes throughout Palestine; U was as truly the delight as it Was the duty of the ancient covenant people, to go up to the holy city. lt;And as they climbed the rugged waya that led up to it, singing these songs of “ degrees * • or ascending steps, it was a Joy whlchfully compensated, for all toO or weariness of toe pilgrimage that toeir feetwhose testimony we hare,! foiiad it Identified as the scene, of these wonderful exeats. - I do not know any good reason to doubt the identification. It istrue that traditions .bAVO gathered as thickly ■upoh localities In the Holy Land ostbey had gathered to Christ’s day upw toe holy law, and wfifcveiy similar .result . Yet we should not question oursejves Into heedless jtocredumy. We can notafford, to throw away Om gooa grain with the chaff. And the-mere poenbutty that within these wails our Saviour did indeed mqet with his disciples in toot last Passover, that, here he taughtthem tfcatmemorafcteleraon of^ humility, that here., he ^Appeared, to them after his resurrection with a benediction whose echo we heard in the11ItIsalutation that was given us as we entered theand that here the baptism of the Spirit andthe gift of fcongues and the power from onwere bestowed, is too precious «. possibility tolightly denied- It waaa ooinfortlto me to believeitI stood in that hallowed rownever/had such a sense of nearness to Christtm. I think 1anywhere else as came to me there.John tells ua that afterthe Interview with his disci-.gte# in the Oaenacuium, Jesus went forth dyer the brookflron, and entered into a garden which was there onthe western slope of Olivet. The general location oflbyhlstthis Garden of Gethsemane is fixed oy historical tradition dating back to Euaebiua and Jerome. It may not have been Just that third of anaore which is nowIt was with a Joy richer in many of Its elements, because tt was Christian and not Jewish, that I retinae monks identify so exactly* have really any closer.. ... . . .. n - - - . relltloa to toegarrtan Jqwnf* -thancently visited this sacred city; and toe first wordslotoehiwhito atoS,^u?»Sewhare IntoS^yicin-whlch foroed themselves Jrom my tips, as I entered it? through the Jaffa gate, were these words of David t “Our feet shall stand within toy gates, O Jerusalem/* Let me attempt to walk with you. about Zion to-day, if possibly i may help you to some share in this holy Interestae we visit together a few of its most memorable scenes.tty Urarelythe spot madeaacred forever to Christian toought andieeling, where the bloody sweat fell from his too© to the ground* where those wonderful prayers broke from hla heart, where were enacted the greatest tragedy of human sorrow and the greatest triumph of divine love: Upon Calvary his body was crucified, but herewae the scene of the crucifixion of hisaonl. There the letter of to© law was executed, but here the awful weight of its spirit was borne. There be drank theuoVsbaa0f1s*pifqaiI must leave each of von to reeaO and review for I dre©J of aQrrowi hut here the full cup of bitterness i muse wave eacu oryoo to recau ana review ror i ^ im. flere til© enemy Whohadde-hlihself, however, Jerusalem's centuries of diktinc-1 ported from him for a seasonilvely ancient and Jewish htetoiy tram ita firet f gathered Mwere of darknees to omention to Genesis as toe Salem of Mekhltodek to to© times of Christ; For, enticing as that thrilling story Is. our chief desire to-day is to put ourselvee into association with such places In and aboutJerusalem as our Saviour’s presence has hallowed. Wherever we go, in the thoughts of thla hotir, we would search for his footsteps; we would have fellowship with him.Where stands to day toe Mosque of Omar, called also toe M Dome, of toe Bock,1* once stood the Jewish Temple# crowning to© summit of Mount Moriah; and covering-aa eeema, quite evident—with all thewhim# Herehis familiar friends forsook him, and his own disciple betrayed him. Here the Captain of Salvation was madeperfect through suffering; and from this, place, with a ores.....reeking hem, with a heavier cross than that whichwas Just before hlm. hS’ went forth to trial and mock*ery and death—heaven’s sacrifice for the world's sUl Shall we follow him to the PalaoO of Oaiaphas, the poarible site of which la Indicated 05 a ruin Just outside toe Zion gate?1tcnogVShall we go wito him thence to Pilate's Judgmentalt 9 fThft Onot» Qonfc 11 at ana- VM/tffnn fA fho hellHall ? The “Seal* Santa,’’—steps which It Is supposed he ascended but the place whence they wereout, Turkish barracks occupy toealtsira3dthe spot where Abraham wag about to sacrifice his smi ; ftacac, where the anger of the plague stayedhis flight In answer to David’s prayer, and Where the. grateful king's sacrifice and vow on toe threshing floor of Ornan fixed for so many ages theresting place of the ark and toe aanctuary of toe. Shftkfnah. The mosque Is an old and magnifloentstructure, bunt by Caliph Omar after his conquestAntonia. And behind the altar toSisters of Zion is still standing an s of the origtoal Judgment Hall of the “ £cc© Homo arch from the the one under which Pilate stood i said to the people: ^Behold the probable that this la the scene of rsuch a caricature upon rightebua J barous sooaiglng and of the mail hd was subjected. Bat it is re; the “Vis Dolorosa” of tbep turnings and multiplied stations,seek to faith and with tears tonr ;*•If MUtorof Jerosalem to 637; octagonal to form and bright I steps of their Lord* Is toe veritableto toe now in Borne: is still pointed of toe castle of church of toe h, said to , and ition (hat it is to Jesus when he 1” It is very trial which was of hlsbar-tosuUa to which m probable that with its curious ong which many in toe very foot-y by which het20with many-colored marbles, rich porcelain tiles, and most beautiful stained glass. One can not see It ** glistening to the sunlight os once toe goodly stones of the temple shone before the eyes of Christ's disciples,9' without being moved by the (tight; Yet to the Christian visitor nothing else connected wito tola brilliant building can compare to lute real with that bare, rugged, unhewn ruck, 60 f eet long and 15 feet wide, which he sees directly. under Its dome, It is one of toe most Impressive things to be seen to Jerusalem to-day. For it U undoubtedly a portion of toe summit of Mt. Mo-riah, where Melchisedk may have offered sacrifice, where for centuries the Jewish sacrifices were offered and where as ayio other earthly spot the religious and political and poetical life of God's chosen nation centered. When one looks upon it and walks round about it, as it ilea under toe mosque's overhanging dome and lifts its uneven surface- above its marble pavement; or, descending into toe cave which fa curiously formed to its aide, sees the circular hole through toe rock over*was led oat to toe place of crucifixion. For the street was not even known till the 14th oentpry. it lies, moreover, on the surface level of toe present city, whereas the magnificent city of Herpd was toe fourthof the (tight (titles which have been built on toe historicsite of Jerusalem; and at least 13 of the Zi sieges it has been called upon to sustain since the days of toe Jeb-usites have smitten it within toe Christian centuries.it is Incredible, therefore, th^ tola one street should have escaped when rubbish and debris have coveredIxttiCtIIItIxcI\I*ialmost every pari of toe JerusalemotChrist sday many feet deep. Bat under.toe convent of toe sisters of Zion,some eight feet below the level of the Via Dolorosa, is a section of ancient pavement grooved deeply with rksof travel, which many are inclined to think maynmbe patriot a street which ran northwards from Antoniasoldito the city wall, mid by which the soldiers led Jesus forth to crucify him.But whither- did they lend him ? Where is Calvary ?3 Church of th§ Holy sop*head, and toe deep well inthe rock below* through which It b thought the Mood ot Jewish aaeriflcea Iflowed out to the Kidron, he can not but feel that j ” The Via Dolorosa ends at toe ulchre, a cluster of buildings originally, which Constantine erected in toe year 336 over sites supposed to have been revealed to Helena In a vision; and tradition has pointed to this church ever since as corering the spots most Intimately connected wito the crucifixion and burial and resurrection of Christ. Within its walla the whole story la ingeniously and impressively illustrated. Here fs an elevation called Calvary, wito three holes in toe rock in which the three creeses were set up, so at least we are assured; and toe rent madewhen toe earth didquake and toe graves were opened;that toe atoning upon the head 1 marking thehe is standlng.in a holy place. He may well be spot where Mary and John were standing when JesusuntouMied by the Sbhomedwi legends which Mug sttoe TuKn^po? whfcbabout it* He may iiflteii unmoved as the pnjyjng- tfcQ body of Jesus was lald lor anotiwigg vtheu takenQ85$I8It1*3iicXft]£places of Abraham and Elijah,and Darid and Solo mon and Mahomed are being pointed oak Bat when the veritable histories connected with this rock rush upon his thought* and ha remembersdown from the cross* above and around which everburning lamps are hung, and which Is worn away inmany places by toe reverent kisses of pilgrims. In toe oenter of toe rotunda, directly under toe dome, Is the Holy Sepulchre. It lies within a snjiall chapel 26 feethow otantte Saviour viaited the temple which so |aYeI,aa.Ie36O0*IortadeI1eolong glorified It, he must ratlxe that it is Indeed asacred tiling.For similar reasons the vast Irregular enclosure caned the “ Hamm esh-Sherif,” or Noble Sanctuary—within which the Mosque of Omar stands—4sessentially identical with* or at least includes within its present boundaries, the ancient templearea. Aha although every foot of its space* almost,, and every stone upon it, has been a subject of controversy, this tact remains to give ftam opens the descent (83 steps) into A series ofvaulted and pil^fed avenues of stone work, named now the “ Stables of Solomon;” whichwere used as stables by the crusaders: bu •* - _ • _• _*»• . . . . ' __larger is called the “ Angels* Chapel/’ and contains the stone which toe angels rolled away from toe grave ofChrist. The western, only six by seten feet in dimensions, is toe Sepulchre itself—Id of toe 42 square feetof its area being occupied by toe marble enclosure in which is toe supposed tomb of our Lord. The marble slab which cover it la much worn by toe lips ot reverent worshipers from all parts of ttfe world, who are entering toe holy place and prostsmtmg themselves before the tomb in almost continuous 'procession. Mass Is said within It every day, and 43 ever-burning lamps are suspended from its ceiling. It la one of the most remarkable and impressive places In toe world and noone can enter it without emotion.Underneath toe western gallerieslof toe church, notI1t\lt;(toriginal use probably was as foundations to level up atoriah’a unei ’» temphbear all the characteristic marks of theup Moriah’s uneven_surface for the platform of 8olomifar from the Holy Sepulchre, are two excavations inthe face of the rock supposed to be the tombs of Joseph*......... —--yqjte “ion's temple. The Immense beveled stonesJewish builders of that time, and correspond with the sculptured representations of the stones used In the construction of that wonderful buildingsand Nioodemns, upon which stress'is laid by some as tending to verify toe tradition that tola is the real riteof toe comb of Jesus. A stone in toe pavement of toe church marks toe plaoe where Mary stood watching the anointing and entombing of her son, and another stone is set to signalize toe place where toe risen Jesusappeared to Mary and said; “ Wo^nan, why weepesiOn toe city side of the 8, W.i^U of toe Harem I S^*HerMooVaie toe wlum^thFsccSr^gS afid the chapel o! the Crown of ThoiSns, and the chapel100 feet or more at thls point the enormous blocks of marble of which the temple wall Is constructedare fufiy exposed. There are five or six coursesof stones, each stone averaging perhaps 15 ft. by three feet, with smooth bevel, edge and roughpane! surface; and upon these the wall Is built upto aof the Division of toe Vestments, and toe chapels of Helena and the finding of the cross, and the prison of Christ, and toe tomb of MelchlKftdBht and toe sword of Godfrey, and much else that I may pot take time even to name to you.a great height with courses of smaller blocks.i have seldomfbeen more saddened than i was by a visit to this “ wailing place ” one Friday afternoonBut is this toe true Calvary t DJs now far within toe walla of toe city. If it was within tbe walla ofHerod’s city It certainly is not crucifixion, for we know that helt was I do not propose to discuss this question thisvceno to witoeas. ^ In toe long ana narrow I oxuroing, though it Is one of toestrangebetween the wall of the temple and a lowerplace of Christ'swithout toewhich runs parallel with it, a great companyraces1Yr.a-h31©r0eB8I0ItXBX£r3%t*s. Jews were assembled: and with their facesomed toward the wall which belonged to their ancient sanctuary, into whose crevices they and their brethren had crowded thblrwritten toetftiona,hut which nevertheless .seemed to be frowning down upon them Jehovaft't 'visible displeasure,they were engaged in their'peculiar services.Some were reodlug from the Hebrew scriptures such selections as toe 70th Psalm, and the fomentations of Jeremiah, their bodies waving to and fro to the murmurimrs of their lips. Others wereit interesting andimportant questions which Palestine scholars are investigating. Permit me, however, (to say that therehaa been lur aome yeama growing toavtctiun that thehill north-east of toe Damascus^ gate, in whosesouthern face is to© grotto in which Jeremiah la sup-posed to have written his lamentations, satisfies toe requirements as to the rite of Glvar:^ better than anyother spot in or about Jerusalem. It is strikingly like - - - * ' indWr ■ ' “ ‘a skull in form, a prominent and Isightiy elevation.chanting their B*d litany, priest and people re-paivify, while ream were running down theircneeka:*and unquestionably outside of theday os well as now. On Sunday,March, I was permitted to take bja company of Christians upon hill. We had come up to Jew parts of toe world. The day was At our feet lay toe highway to place where Sennacherib’s vi ft against Jerusalem. Over against freely to view. And as weand thought of Him who* lifted up town the cross, was made a spectacle to men—reviled by those who passed by—and felt upon our own heartsWe beaeeohThee, have mercy on Zion,And gatiier together the children of Jerusalem!Makf gp ed, make speed: O deliverer of Zion.Spqak afterthekiearfc of Jerusalem I”That these were sinoere mourners,' many of them cbrtainly, I oouid not find- in my heart to mWnholl •doubt; os eincsere, Ibelieve, os were those of whom Jerome tells us, who even paid the Roman sol-dlert forXennitting them to go and weep over the 1116 Sspnlchre, isruins of toeir holy city. Yet all toe more because V8Ki„I believed them to be sincere, did X marvel at theirwall in flerod a ) 2iat dby of last in a service heldq aummlt of thisfrom variously bright;,an d IhQ once encamped the citirop^edread and prayed;lt;Ipower of Him, Ift than at the trap site of Old-a I id desoiatioM orer .hlchtliey monm-yea, I 1ond: their veiy And I tondng it. Still beautiful tor sifamnisgtoemournings And lamehtations-sof . „4,. .befall them as rejecters of Christ* they are strange-^unponscioua pf thls one cause of toelr calami-Surely, blindness hag toropehed to Israeli‘ ‘ ' • — naverthat toey may re«Jive sightl There areBrethren, let us pray os wt have never toey may rewtve s%htl There are ixueln the crevices ot IMS temple wmU, toseems to lift itself so coldly and relof this smitten people. And there - ‘ oftoi a promise planted m tne nearc or the Judgm dch has smitten them—a seod. of hope m toeentvisit to-day in ho have not road thoughts eon* Ion, ■ it is notWe sing of *• Je-nuolem toe golden,” but the city we ride from Jaffa tosee is Jerusalem toe desolate, a city under Judgment and dishonor, through whose narrow and gloomy arid filthy streets it 13 even repulsive as we look away from it tirnt we getvisit; sway toward toe past, tothis fdrsaken oi^r cmce was; away to think of that new Jerusalem whii from God out of heaven, and of whii1rifts of their oalamity. Pray toot It may blossom and become fruitful unto the salvation of Israel, Before leaving the Horom, let me lead you to amost In-wui open Dexore you. In this wall ie the “ Gdlden Gote.” which tradittbn says was the ••Gate Beautiful” of the,temple. Through it the Jewish worshippers could see toe high priest and s!« assistants wl “ 1 toey wi it out to toe Ut. of Olives on their official errands, by steps which led down from this gate across the Kidron, and up the sJde of the opposite hiU post the: southern end of the garden ofGethsemaae. It was through this gate,ifwe may credit toe tradition, that our Lord entered Jenuiolem on the occasion of his .tri-tLmtfiml approach to toe city. It Is now walledop, sot to^unsealed«~-ao tiie ^rt is—tillAviour returna to earth again, wl mho will eni Jerusalem in ttoimph through this some gate.Looking eastward from this point, one sees below him toe vaBey.of jeboshsphat, filled with the graves arid memorial stones of the .dead of allbol to our faith. Beloved, let thefortywalk, it is only infort from our emember whit words the future is yet to descendtola is toe aym-look of our eonlshis resurrection, eg© to look outto-day be an outlook. Forty daysfrom one of toe hiBs it was our prt upon from Bethany, our Lord went] back ogin Into heaven. The work which called him down to earth was done. But another work for us remained to be done. “I go,” hesaidtohia dlsclpiee, “ to preparea Place for yon» and If I go and prepare a place for you, I will oome again to rodrive you unto myself* that where I am; ye may be also.1’ The sweet sound of timt WordIs floating yet over tiiat Bethany tdU, . mingling with that message of the angels: “ This some Jesus shall sooome, in like manner as ye bare Seen him go into heaven !” Oh, my brethren* are wel of toe number ofthose who lore his appearing? Aid wehis return ? Busy wfto.aU toiin wbatevwservioe he has appointed’ns, are we also gazing up into heaven after toe prayer our hearts are ever praying: “ Iren so dome* Lord Jems ?”Or.vords, “ I will gather all them down into the raUe^ bf^ Jehwtoaphat, imi wiUpleod with thftm there for my people and fordri»§otmK ^Apiya toe Mswe%gUc!j:aa!0lug KidriMi ” pf which toe1 .i fion Its fdl-Emt - _ver wmiers, but always. In whatever mood as a stream, or with anly tts dry bed to Jnd^tteito oodrse, sweetly linked, to Christian thought wito titoewthtolireof Jesus.. Here, ®«k w be seen, to greyest advantage, jtoe Mt. of Olives; croesoQ.novr, as from time im-memorable* by its three historic rofds: and bear-‘ “• ‘ Go*h»emai»-^toat—“dear, honored spot,The Came ot wltosewopder can ne'er be forgoOne of. these three paths leads by a tong circuit Over toe ' northeni tooolder of ..Olivet,Dtlal*•aiTLsteep footpath rims pvw the sdm^ of OUvet. And the third, running over the southern shoulder of the mountain, Is toe natural continuatton ofthe road by w53bi mbufited taravelera have always^rinroaohed' Jerusalem from Jericho. It waa bT first of. these ways that D*vW went, afrom hM son* Absalom, more than l,000yea«l . p.toWwe may be almoat sure. that theJLord paured^fdt a moment to behold the magnificent city and todoom.*ttPirahWi^e interesting, did, time permit, tothe Pool Betkesoa* which adjoins thaon its northern wall, close to the gate Which opens upon the traditional site of Stephen's martyrdom; of the Poolof 6iioo|n; of^Bilosh^ breok th^t ftw?dTastbythe oracleof Odd,’ aa Mfiton tom toafc rftt. whose wocere, Isaiah tefis*ftiyf ana of. mtoy otoer plOcto atobcfarea With the life of Qtar Savfonr in and about Je-riaalenL But I inust devote what privilege rmay yet have m your patience tokto© tractor ofhitiitfsteps dMrnmtoe ridge of Zion the rtwh..ear the mimmit of toe ridge ** glt;«*stands today a small mosque, known jut toe,^Tomb of David.” it mariar toe rito cM- toe nenj | ^vicinity of toepiaoewhere fmany of toe kiu 1 of Judah were buried. .By Job Jews and Mshranedansand gastern Christians alikewhere the dtodples nmt for toe wwdaysof prayer wSoh eadad into* baptism ofF^tooo^ Itls- -—raasswaa- —whsMsc wd»i andtravelers
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Malone Palladium
Malone, New York, US
Thu, Aug 19, 1886
Page 3
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GB 17 Jun 2021
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