Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-11-02


wealth surrender themselves TO God.
When religion comes 10 u neighborhood
the first to receive itare the women. Some
men say II is because they are weak
minded | say it is because they have
/ quicker perception Of what is right, more
ardent affection. and capacity for sub
I Inner emotion. After the women have re-
ceived the gospel, then all the distressed,
and the poor Of both seXes-tbose who
have no friends-accept Jesus. Last Of all
come the people Of atliuence and high social
! position. Alas! that IL ls SO. II there are
| those here to-day who have been favored
OF fortune, or, rs might better put it, IA
Vored of God, surrender all you have and
all you expect 10 be 10 the Lord, who
! blessed this Queen OF Sheba. CertalnlyyOu
are not ashamed to be found in this
! Queens company. am glad that Christ
/ has had his imperial friends in all ages
! Elizabeth Christian, Queen OF Prussia ;
/ Maria FeodOrovna, Queen OF Russia ;
/ Marie, Empress Of France; Helena, the
! imperial mother OF Constantine; Arcadia,
! from her great fortunes building public
baths in Constantinople and tOiiing for the
alleviation OF the masses; Queen Clotilda,
! leading her husband and 5000 Of his
armed warriors to Christian baptism; /;
/ Elizabeth OF BergundY, giving her ieweled
glove to a Deggar and scattering great for
tunes among the distressed; Prince AL
bert, singing "Rock of Ages" in Wind
sOr castle, and Queen Victoria, incog-
nito, reading the scriptures to dying
pauper. bless God that the day is COM
ing when royalty will bring all its thrones
and ;lusic, all It's harmOnies and paint
ing. all It's pictures and sculpture, all its
statuary and architecture, ali it's pillars
! and conquest, ali It's sceptres, and the
queens Of the earth in long line Of ad-
vance, fran6incense filing the air, and
the camels laden with gold, shall approach
Jerusalem, and the gates shall be hOisted,
and the great burden Of splendor shall be
lifted into the palace Of this greater than
Solomon.
Again, my subject teaches me what is
earnestness in the search OF truth. DO
you know where Sheba was2 IL was IN
Abyssinia, or some say in the southern
part Of Arabia Felix. In either case It
was a great way off from Jerusalem. To
get from there TO Jerusalem she had to
cross a country infested with bandits. and
go across bistering deserts. Why did not
the Queen of Sheba stay at home, and send
a committee to inquire about this new re-
lgion, and have the delegates report in
regard to that religion, and the wealth OF
King SolOmon2 She wanted to see for
herself, and hear for herself. She could
not do this by work Of committee. She
kingdoms like Sheba, and she wanted
robe richer than any woven
by oriental shuttles, and she wanted
crown set with the jewels
of eternity. Bring out the camels.
Put on the spices. Gather up the jewels
of the throne and put them on the cara
van. Start now, no time TO be lost Goad
on the camels. When ] see that caravan
dust-covered, weary and exhausted,
Il
| the bandits, until il reaches Jerusalem, /
say: ''rhere is an earnest seeker after the
truth" But there are q great many Of
you, my friends, who do not act in that
way. You all want TO get the truth, but
you want the truth to come to you; you
do not want TO go to it. There are
! people who fold their arms and say Il
am ready TO become a Christian at any
time; if / am to be saved / shall be saved,
and II / am to be lost shall be lost" A
man who says that, and keeps on saying
it, will be lost. Jerusalem will never
come TO you; you must 90 to Jerusalem.
The religion Of the Lord Jesus Christ will
not come TO you; you must go and get
religion. Bring out the camels; put on
all the sweet spices, all the treasures OF
TIE hearts affection. Start for the throne.
| Go In and hear the waters Of salvation
dashing in fountains all around about the
throne. Sit down at the banquet-the
wine pressed from the grapes Of the
heavenly Eshcol, the angels Of God the
cup-bearers. Goad on the cam
els; Jerusalem will never come
to you; you must 80 to
Jerusalem. The Bible declares IT.; ''The
! Queen OF the SOuth"-that is, this very
woman / am speaking Of--''Fhe Queen Of
the South shall rise up In judgment
against this generation and condemn 1t;
for she came to the uttermOst parts Of the
earth to hear the wisdom OF Solomon, and
lOl a greater than Solomon is here." God
help me 70 break up the iniatuatiOn Of
those people who are sitting down in idle
ness expecting 10 be saved. "strive TO
enter In al the straight gate. Ask and IL
shall be given you; seek aud We shall find
knock and 10 shall be opened to you"
Take the kingdom Of heaven by violence.
Urge on the camels.
Again, my subject impresses me with
the fact thar religion Is s. surprise 10 any
one that gets il. This story OF the new
religion IN Jerusalem, and OF the glory Of
King Solomon, who was a type Of Christ
that story rolls on and on, and Is told by
every traveller coming back from Jerusa-
lem. The news goes on the wing Of every
ship and with every caravan, and you
know a story enlarges as IT Is retOld, and
by the time that story gets down into the
southern. part Of Arabia Felix and the
Queen OF Sheba hears IL, IL must be tre-
mendous story. Anc yet this Queen de-
cares In regard TO ~, although she had
heard 30 much and mad her antici-
patiOns raised 50 high, the halt-the half
the was not told ber. So religion Is al
ways a surprise 10 any one that gets IT,.
The story Of grace--an old story. ApOs-
ties preached 10 with rattle OF chain; mar
tyrs declared IL with arm OF fire; DEATH
beds have affirmed IL with visions Of glory,
and ministers Of religion have sounded IL
through the lanes and the highways and
the cbapels and the cathedrals. 10 has
been cut into stone With chisel. and spread
on the canvas with pencil, aud II has been
recited IN the dOxology Of great congrega-
tlons. And yet, when a man first comes
TO look on the palace Of Gods mercy, and
70 see the royalty Of Christ. and the wealth
~ this banquet, and the luxurianee Of
His attendants, and the lOyeliness OF His
face, ana the joy Of His service be ex-
claims with prayers, with tears, with
songs, with triumphs: "rhe half-the half
was not told melD appeal TO those in this
house who are Christians. Compare the
idea you had OF the JOY Of the Chris
tian life before you become Christian
with the appreciation Of that JOY you
have now since you have become Chris
tian, and you are willing 20 attest before
angels and men that you neverin the days
OF your spiritual bondage had any appre-
citation Of what was 20 come. You are
ready to-day 20 answer, and II gave you
an opportunity In the midst Of this as.
] n u 90 assAa