Connecticut western news., 1889-12-11
DIR. TALMAGEIN JERUSALEM.
A Sermon to the Christians of the Holy
 City.

Large Gathering Hears tho Eminent
 Brooklyn Divine's Sermon-Some of the
 messed During Her Eventful Existence
 Treated by the Preacher.
 ESPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE BOSTON HERALD]
 JERUSALEM, Dec 8, 1889. At large meet ing of Christian people in this city today, Rev. T. De Witt Talmage, D. D., of Brook lyn, was the preacher. His text was Mat thew XXiii. 37: "Jerusalem! JerusalemW This exclamation, he said, burst from Christ's lips as he came in sight of this great city, and, although things have marvellOusly changed, who can visit Jerusalem today without having it's mighty past roll over on for the eXclamatory as we cry, o Jerusalem, Jerusalem! Disappointed with the Holy Land many have been, and l have heard good friends say that their ardor about sa- cred places had been so dampened that they were sorry they ever visited Jerusalem. But with me the city and its surroundings are rapture, solemnity, an overwhelming emotion. Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The procession of kings. cOnquerers, poets and immortal men and women pass before me as I stand here. Among the throng are Solo mop, David and Christ.
 Yes, through these streets and amid these surroundings rode Solomon, that wonder of splendor and wretchedness. It seemed as if the world exhausted itself on that man. It wove it's brightest flowers into bis garland. It set its richest gems in his coronet. It pressed the rarest wine to his lips. It robed him in the purest purple and embroidery. It cheered him with the sweetest music in that land of harps. It greeted him with the gladdest laughter that ever leaped from mirth's lip. It sprinkled his cheek with spray from the brightest fountains. Royalty had no dominion, wealth no luxury, gold no glitter, flowers no sweetness, song no melody, light no radiance, upholstery no gorgeous ness, waters no gleam, birds no plumage, oA%1 grandeur, but it was all his. Across the thick grass of the lawn, fragrant with tufts of campfire from Engedi, fell the long shad- ows of trees brought from distant forests.
 Fish pools, fed by artificial channels that brought the streams from far away, were scales shot from water cave to water cave with endless dive and swirl, attracting the gaze of foreign pOtentates. Birds that had been brought from foreign aviaries glanced and fauttered among the foliage, and called to their mates far beyond the sea. From the royal stables there came up the neighing of 12.OO0 horses, standing in blankets of Tyrian purple, chewing their bits over troughs of gold, waiting for the Kings order to be brought out in front of the palace when the for some grand parade, or, harnessed to some of the 14OO chariots of the King, the fiery chargers with Haunting mane and thrObbing nostril would make the earth jar with the tramp of hoofs and the thunder of wheels.
 While within or without the palace you could not think of single luxury that could be added, or of single splendor that could be kindled, down on the banks of the sea the dry docks of Ezion-geber rang with the hammers of the shipwrights, who were con- structing larger vessels for still wider com merce, for all lands and climes were to be robbed to make up Solomon's glory. No rest till his keels shall cut every sea, his axemen hew every forest, his archers strike every rare wing, his fishermen whip every stream, his merchants trade in every bazaar, his name be honored by every tribe, and royalty shall have no dominion, wealth no luxury, gold no glitter, song no melody, light no radiance, waters no gleam. birds no plumage, prancing coursers no mettle, upholstery no gorgeousness, architecture no grandeur, but 1t was all his.
 "Wel," you say, eff there Is any man happy, he ought to be-" But I hear him coming out through the palace, and see his robes actually incrusted with jewels, as he stands in the front and looks out upon the vast domain. What does he say? King Solomon, great is your dominion, great is your honor, great Is your joy? No. While standing here amid all the splendor, the tears start and his heart breaks and he eX- claims: s'Vanity of vanities; all is vanity" What! Solomon not happy yet? No, not happy. The honors and emoluments of this world bring so many cares with them that they bring also torture and disquietude. If wealth and wisdom could have satisfied a man, Solomon would have been satisfied. To say that Solomon was a millionaire gives but a very imperfect idea of the property he his command gold to the value of f68O.0OO,- 900, and he had silver to the value of E1 ,O29, ; OOO,377. The Queen of Sheba made him 8 nice little present of f720, 0,00O, and Hiram made him present of the same amount.
 If he had lost the value of a whole realm out of his pocket, 1t would have been hardly worth his while to stoop down and pick it up. He wrote 1905 songs. He wrote 5000 prov erbs. He wrote about almost everything. The Bible says distinctly he wrote about plants, from the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssOp that groweth out of the wall, and about birds and beasts and fishes. No doubt he put of bis royal robes and put on hunters trapping and went out with his arrows to bring down the rarest specimens of birds; and then with bis fishing apparatus, he went down to the stream to bring up the denizens of the deep, and plunged into the forest and found the | rarest specimens of flowers; and then he came back to his study and wrote books about zoology, the science of animals; about ichthyOlOgy, the science of fishes; about or anthology, the science of birds; about botany, the science of plants. Yet, notwithstanding all his wisdom and wealth, behold his wretch edness, and let him pass on. Did any other | city ever behold so wonderful a man? Jerusalem, Jerusalem!
 pOSSSo imagination sec him, quite as wonderful and far better man. David the conqueror | the king. the poet. Can it be that I am in the very city where he lived and rcignedp David was wrapped up in his boy Absolom. He was splendid boy, judged by the rules o1 worldly criticism. From the crown of his head to the sole of his foot there was not s single blemish. The Bible says that he had such a luxuriant shock of air that, when once | ahn hot ont t>fT nt1r1,o over three pounds. But, notwithstanding all his brilltancy of appearance, he was bad boy and broke his fathers heart. He was plot ting to get the throne of Israel. He haG marshalled an army to overthrow his fathers government. The day of battle had come The conflict was begun. David, the father sat between the gates of the palace waiting for the tidings of the conflict. Oh, how rap idly his heart beat with emotion!
 Two great questions were to be decided | the safety of his boy, and the continuance o1 the throne of Israel. After awhile, 8 servant standing on top of the house, looks of, and he sees some one running. He Is coming with great speed, and the man on the top of tho house announces the coming of the mes senger, and the father watches and waits and as soon as the messenger from the field of battle comes within hailing distance tho father cries out. Is it a question in regard te the establishment of his throne? Does he say "Have the armies of Israel been victor ious? Am I to continue in my imperia authority? Have overthrown my enemies P Oh, no. There Is one question that springs from his heart to the lip, and springs from the lip into the ear of the besweated and be dusted messenger flying from the battlefield the question i: "Is the young man Absalon safeT'
 When it was told to David, the King, that though his armies had been victorious, hi. son had been slain, the father turned his back upon the congratulations of the nation and went up the stairs of his palace, his hear
 breaking as lie went, wringing his hand. sometimes and then again pressing then against his temples as though he would pres them in, crying; 70 Absaloml my son! m!