The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-11-25
DR.. ThLMAGE'S SERMON.
THE QUEEN OF SHEBA AT
JERUSALEM.

The text: s'Behold the half was not told
me-" I. Kings-1., Z.
Solomon had resolved that Jerusalem
should be the centre Of all sacred, regal and
commercial magnifcence. He set himself to
work and m~onopolized the surrounding des-
ert as highway for his caravans He built
the city of Palmyra around one OF the prin.
| ciral wells Of the East 80 that all the long
trains of merchandise from the East were
obliged to stop there, pay toll and leave part
of their wealth in the hands Of Solomon's
merchants, He manned the fortress Thapsa.
Gus, at the chief port Of the Euphrates, n
put under guard everything that passed there.
The three great products Of Palestine-wine.
pressed from the richest clusters and cele-
brated all the world over, oil, which in that
and lard, and was pressed from the olive
branches until every tree in the country be-
came an oil we'll, and honey, which was the
entire substitute for sugar-these three great
products Of the country Solomon exported,
and received in turn fruits and precious
woods and the animals Of every CLINE.
He went down to Ezion-geber and ordered
a fleet of ships to be constructed, oversaw
the workmen and watched the launching OF
the fotilla which was to 20 out on more than
! q years voyage to bring home the wealth OF
the then known world. He heard that the
Egyptian horses were large and swift and
long named and round limbed, and he re-
solved to purchase them, giving eighty-tve
dollars apiece for them, putting the best or
these horses in his WI stall and selling the
surplus to foreign potentates at great profit.
He heard that there was the best of timber
on Mount Lebanon, and he sent out lSO,0O0
men to hew down the forest and drag the
timber through the mountain .gorges to con.
struct it into RATS to be foated to Joppa, and
from thence to be drawn by o1-team twenty
five miles across the land to Jerusalem. He
heard that there were beautiful overs
other lands. He sent for them, planted them
in his own gardens, and to this very day
there are flowers foun in the ruins OF that
city such as are to DO found in no other part
of Palestine, the lineal descendants Of the
very flowers thai Solomon planted. he
heard that in foreign groves there were birds
! OF richest voice and most luxuriant wing.
He sent out people to catch them and bring
them there, and he put them into his cages. .
Stand back now and see this long train OF
camels coming up to the kings gate and the
OK trains from Egypt; gold and silver and
precious stones and beasts OF every hoof and
birds of every wing and fish Of every scale.
See the peacocks strut mid the cedars and the
h irseuIen run and the chariots wheel. Hark
to the orchestra. Gaze upon the dance. Not
| stopping to look into the wonders OF the tenn
pie step right on to the causeway and pass up
to Solomon's palace. Here we find ourselves
king had lavished the wealth OF many en-
pires. The genius of Hiram, the architect,
and Of the other artists is here seen in the
long line Of corridors and the suspended gal
lery and the approach to the throne. Trac-
cried window opposite traceried window.
Bronzed ornaments bursting into lotos and
lily and pomegranate. Chapters, surrounded
by network of leaves in which imitation fruit
scanned SUSPENDED as in hanging baskets
branches sculptured on the marble, so thin
and subtle that even the leaves seemed to
culver. A layer capable OF holding 500 bar
rels Of water, on GOD brazen OK heads, which
gushed with water and filled the whole place
with GOODNESS and crystalline brightness and
musical plash. Ten tables chased with
chariot whee! and lion and cherubim.
Solomon sat on a throne Of ivory. AT the
seating place Of the throne, Oh each end OF
the steps q brazen lion. Why, my friends,
in that place they timmed their candles with
shutters OF gold, and they cut their fruits
with knives Of gold, they scooped out the
ash, 8 with stovels of gold, and they stirred
the altar-fres with tongues of gold. God
reflected in the water! Gold flashing from
the apparel! Gold blazing in the crown
Gold, gold, gold!
VI course Uu0 I0NS VI Luc dlilucISo VI Uuos
place went out everywhere by every caravan
and by the wing of every ship, until soon the
streets of Jerusalem are crowded with curl.
osity seekers. What is that long procession
approaching Jerusalem? 1 think from the
pomp of il there must be royalty in the train.
I smell the breath of the spices which are
brought as presents, and I hear the shout OF
the drivers, and l see the dust-covered cara
van. showing that they are come from far
---- [S-, la .xu y,~ T. T. rnInnn Tho
Queen of Sheba advances! Let all the peo-
pie come out to see! Let the mighty mon OF
the land come out on the palace corridors!
Let Solomon come Town the stairs OF the pal.
ace before the queen has alighted! Shake
out the cinnamon, and the saffron, and the
calamus and tho frankincense and pass it into
the treasure.house! Take up tn. diamonds
until they glitter in the sun!
The Queen of Sheba alights. She enters
the palace. She washes at the bath. She
sits down at the banquet. The cup-bearers
bow. The meats smoke. The music trem'
bles in the hall and through the corridors In
til it mingles in the dash Of the waters from
the molten sea. Then she rises from the
banquet and she walks through the conserva-
tories and she gazes on the architecture, and
she asks Solomon many strange questions,
and she learns about the religion of the He.
brews, and she then and there becomes a SER
tdll0 W LIZ Lulu IN SDC 10 oNCl
She begins to think that all the spices she
brought and all tho precious woods which az
intended to be turned into harps and psalter'
les and into ratings for the causeway be-
tween the temple and the palace,
and the S1S0,0W in money-she be-
gins to think that all these presents
amount to nothing in such a place, and she IS
almost ashamed that she has brought them,
and she says within herself: 4 heard a great
j. LL:- o1l ohDnf fhic yUNnHnr.
full religion of the Hebrews, but l find it far
beyond my highest anticipations. ! must
add more than fifty per cent. to what has
been related. It exceeds everything that l
could have expected. The hall, the half was
not told me.
Learn from this subject what a beautiful
thing it is when social position and wealth
surrender themselves to God. When religion
comes to a neighborhood the first to receive
cause they are weak minded. I say it is be-
cause they have quicker perception of what
is right. more ardent affection, and capacity
for sublime emotion. After the women have
received the gospel, then all the distressed
AMI the poor of both sexes, those who have
no friends, accept Jesus, Lastof all come the
people Of a%ff1uence and high social position.
Alas, that it is sol If there are those here
to-day who have been favored of fortune, or,
as I might better put it, favored of God, sur
render all you have and all you expect to be
to the Lord, who blessed this queen of Sheba.
Certainly you are not ashamed to be found
in this queens company. -,
am glad that Christ has had his imperial
friends in all ages-Elizabeth Christina.
queen Of Prussia; Maria Fcodorovna, queen
Of Russia; Marie, empress of France; Helena,
the imperial mother Of Constantine; Ardadia,
from her great fortunes building public
baths in Constantinople and toiling for the