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Thm KM jr UnK.For eighteen hundred years the western world*, in all its prosperous life and youthful energy, has looked with reverence and hope towards the stricken, yet honored land of which we have la. ken a survey. After ages of obscurity, as a mere province of a (alien empire* that country suddenly became invested with a glory till then unknown to earth* A few poor fishermen went forth from those shores among the nations, and announced such tidings as changed the destiny of the world forever. Human' life became an altered state; new motives, sympathies, and principles arose 3 new charities were developed, new hopes, enlarg. ing from the grave, animated our race. It was natural that this bright hope and faith should de» generate into enthusiasm. The land of Palestine became a sort of idol; and pilgrims rushed to ils shores in countless multitudes, in the hope of lay. ing down the burden of their sins upon its sa. cred soil.The spirit of all Europe was warlike ; and the voice ot Peter the Hertni* turned hs energies in. to a new channel, when (he cross became the emblem of devotion in the cause of chivalry as well as of religion. The summons which he gave, rent asunder every tie oflore, home, and self-interest. The warriors of England, France and Austria knew no patriotism but for Palestine —no interest but for the sepulchre—no loro but that of glory. Then for centuries the tide of war rolled from Europe upon Asia. Baffled and beaten back, or perishing there fruitlessly, men learned at length that uot by human means was glory to be restored to Palestine, The crescent •hone triumphantly over Calvary, as if to teach the Christain that his faith was to be spiritual,1 j its inspiration no longor to be sought on earth.— His Holy Lano’, although no longer an object of warlike ambition, has lost none of the deep inter* est with which it once inspired the most vehe. ment crusader.The first impressions of childhood are connected with that scenery, and infant lips, in Eng. land’s prosperous homes, pronounced with rever. ence the names of forlorn Jerusalem and despised Galilee. We still experience a sort of patriotism for Palestine, and feel that scenes enacted there were performed for the whole family of man. What church is to a city, Palestine is to tho world. Phoenician fleets once covered those si. lent waters ; wealthy cities once fringed those lonely shores; during three thousand years, war has led all the nations of the earth in terrible pro. cession along those historic plains ; yet it is not mere history that thrills the pilgrim to the Holy Land, with such feelings as no other spot on the wide earth inspires; but the belief that on yonder land the Saviour once trod with human feet, bowed down with sufferings, linked to our race by the sympathy of sorrow, bedewing our^ tombs with his tears, consecrating our world with bis blood.—People's Dictionary of the Bible.
Newspaper Details
Athens Southern Whig
Athens, Georgia, US
Thu, Nov 12, 1846
Page 1
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Anonymous
GB 10 Jun 2021
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