Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1851-07-12
Misrf1Lunruns.uam
Golden Truths of Solomon.

lecture entitled Solomon the Prince and Sol
omon the Preacher" by the Rev. James Ham
ilton, D. D. DC, and delivered before THE
Young Mems Christian Association at Ex-
erter Hall, Feb. 4th, 1851 lsfaa ht.a bs,.a,l
Hwas autumn with the Hebrew common
wealth. Like withered leaves from the sap
less .ree, the Jews easily parted from the pa
rent Palestine. and were blown about advent
uers in every land; and, like that fungous veg
citation which rushes up when nohler plants
have faded, Journalism and inidelity were rank
ly springing everywhere; and it was only
berry on the topmost bough-some mellow
Simeon or Zacharias-that reminded you of
the rich old piety. The sceptre had not quite
departed from Judah, but he who held it was
puppet in the Gentile's hand; and with ship
less harbors, and silent oraclcs, with Roman
sentinels on every public building, and Roman
tax-gatherers in every town, patriotism felt too
surely, that from the land of Joshua and Sam
uel, of Elijah and Isaiah, of David and Solo
mon, the glory was at last departing. The
sky was lead; the air winding sheet; and
every token told that long winter was set
ting in. It was even then amid the short days
and sombre sunsets of the waning dynasty,
that music filled the armament, and in the city
of David mighty Prince was born. Hegrew
in stature, and in due time he was manifested
to Israel And what was the appearance of
this greater than solomon? What were his
royal robes? The attire Of a common Naza-
rine. What were his palaces? A carpenters
cottage which be sometimes exchanged for a
fisherman's hut. Who were his ministers and
his court attendants? Twelve peasants
And what was his state chariot? None could
he afford; but on one special procession he
rode upon borrowed ass All! said he so
His royal robe was heavens splendor, when
ever he chose to let il through; and solomon
in all his glory, was never arrayed like Jesus
on Tabor. His palace was the heaven OF heav-
ems; and when voluntary exile from it, lit
tie did it matter whether his occasional lodg-
ing were rustic howell or Herod's halls
If fishermen we're his friends, angels were his
servants; and if the borrowed colt were his
triumphal charger, the sea was proud when,
from wave to wave of its foaming billows, it
felt his majestic footsteps moving; and when
the time had arrived for returning to his faith
er and his God the clouds lent the chariot, and
obsequious airs upbore him in their revesent
hands. ''
Solomon's pulpit was a throne, and he had
an audience of kings and queens. The Saw
or's synagogue was mountain-side; his pull
pit was a grassy knowl or a fishing boat; his
audience the Doors of Galilee; and yet in point
of intrinsic greatness, Solomon did not more
excel the children playing in the market-place,
than be who preached the Sermon on the
Mount excelled king Solomon. : - =
But if Solomon in his teaching was mainly
negative, Jesus was as mainly positive, Sol.
omon shook his head and told what happiness
is not; Jesus opened his lips and nnnunciated
what u.s. Solomon said, knowledge is vani-
ty. Power is vanity. Mirth is vanity. Man
and all mans pursuits are perfect vanity. Je-
sus said, Humility is blessedness. Meekness
| is blessedness. Purity of heart is blessedness.
God is blessed for evcrmore, and most bless
ed is the creature that is likest God. Holi-
ness is happiness we labor and find no rest,
said Solomon. Jesus answered, Come unto
me, all ye that labor, and l will give you rest
'AI is vanity sighed the preacher IN the
world ye shall have tribulation, but in me ye
shall have peace replied the Savior. What
is truth p asks Ecclesastes 4 am the truth,
returns the Divine Evangelist. Solomon was
tall enough to scan the most of earth and see
an exparse Of sorrow !; the Son of man knew
all that is in heaven, and could tell of COM
forter who, like flash of Basam floating in
the sea, can fill with peace unspeakable the
soul immersed in outward misery. Solomon
could tell that the gate of bliss is closed against
human effort. Jesus hath the key of David
and opened what Adam shut; and undertakes
to usher into the Fathers propitious presence
all who come through Him. Solomon com
posed eartl1's epitaph, and on the tomb of the
Ispecies wrote. All is vanity. Accustomed tc
date mems, history from their death, Jesu:
substituted, All is heaven or he'll.
Nay, so positive was the Saviors teaching
that, in order to understand him rightly, we
must remember that he was not only the
prophet. but the doctrine; not only the Ora
Gle uttering Gods truth, but his very self tha
Truth. Other prophets could tell that God''
mind is; Jesus was that mind. The law-s
portion of Gods will-was given by Moses
but grace and tru.h-=the gracious reality. The
truthful plenitude of the Divine perfections-
came by Jesus Christ He was the express
image the Father. He was the word in
carnate; and to many query Of mans wist
I full spirit, be was the embodied answer. L
! there any Immortality to this soul? Is ther'
any second life to this body? In my Faith
er's house are many mansions Igo to pre-
pare place for you, and l viii come again