Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1889-12-26
DR.. TALMAGE IN JERUSALEM.
A Sermon to the Christians Of the Holy
City.

A Large Gathering Hears the Eminent
Brooklyn DIvine's sermon-Some of ths
Scenes That Old Jerusalem Has Wit
messed During Her EventfuI Existenc'
Treated by the Preacher.
ESPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE BOSTON HERALD
JERUSALEM. Dec s, 1889. At large meet
ing of Christian people III this city today,
Rev. 7. De Witt Talmage, ID. d., OF Brook
lyn, was the preacher. His text was Mat
thew xiii, 81: '.Jerusaem! Jerusalemn
This exclamation, he said, burst from
Christ's lips as he came in sight of this great
city, and, although things have maryellously
changed, who can visit Jerusalem today
without having its mighty past roll over on
him, and ordinary utterance must give place
for the explanatory as we cry, o Jerusalem,
Jerusaeml Disappointed with the Holy
Land many have been, and | 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 Il
rapture, s0lemnity, an Overwhelming
emotion. o Jerusalem, Jerusalem! The
procession of kings, cOnquerers, poets and
immortal men and women pass before me as
/ stand here. Among the throng are Solo
mon. David and Christ.
Yes, through these streets and amid these
surroundings rode Solomon, that wonder of
splendor aud wretchcdness. 1t seemed as If
the world exhausted itself on that man. 1t
wove its brightest flowers into his garland.
1t set its richest gems in his coronet. IL
pressed the rarest wine to his lips. 1t ROBBED
him in the purest purple and embroidery. II
cheered him with the sweetest music In that
land OF harps. 1t greeted him with the
gladdest laughter that ever leaped from
mirth's lip. Ii 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 CLEAN, birds no plumage,
prancing coursers 10 mettle, architecture no
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
perpetually ruffied with fins, and golden
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 ayiaries glanced
and fiuttered among the foliage, and called to
their mates far beyond the sea. From the
royal stables there came up the neigbing of
$4,000 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
official dignitaries would leap into the saddle
for some grand parade, or, harnessed to some
of the 400 chariots of the King, the fiery
chargers with Haunting name aud 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 |
hcw 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 |
waters no CLEAN. birds no plumage, |
coursers no mettle, upholstery no
architecture no grandeur, but |
i was all his.
''Well," you say, ''if there is any man
happy, he ought to be-" But | hear him |
coming out through the palace, and see his
robes actually incrusted with jewels, rs he
stands In the front and looks out upon the
vast domain. What does he say! King
great is your dominion, great Is
FOUR honor, great Is your joy? No. While
standing here amid all the splendor, the
ears start and his heart breaks aud he ex-
claims: s'Vanity Of vanities; all Is vanity"
What Solomon not happy YETI No. not
Happy. The honors and emouments Of this
world bring so many cares with them that
hey bring also torture and disquietude. II
wealth and wisdom could have satisfied a
nan, Solomon would have been satisfied To
ay that Solomon was millionaire gives but
very imperfect idea OF the property he
Inherited from David, his father. He had at
his command gold to the value of f6S0. 000,-
90, and he had silver to the value Of Fl ,O29,-
0O,3I7. The Queen of Sheba made him
lice little present OF f72O,OOO, and Hiram
made him present Of the same amount.
IL he had lost the value of whole realm
nut of bis pocket, 1t would have been hardly
worth his while to stoop down and pick il
Up. He wrote 1905 songs. He wrote 5000 PROV
RIBS. He wrote about almost everything. The
Bible says distinctly he wrote about plants,
rom the cedar of Lebanon to the hyssop
hat groweth out OF the wall and about birds |
nd beasts and fishes No doubt he put off
rs royal robes and put on hunters trapping
nd went out with his arrows to bring down
he rarest specimens of birds; and then with :
is fishing apparatus, he went down to the
tream to bring up the denizens of the deep,
nd plunged into the forest and found the {
Arrest specimens of flowers and then he
anne back to his study and wrote books :
bout zoology. the science OF animals: about !
the science OF fishes; about or $
THEOLOGY, the science of birds; about botany, {
DC science of plants. Yet, notwithstanding .
j his wisdom aud wealth, behold his wretch !
iness. and let him pass on. Did any other |
ty ever behold so wonderful a mani o
Jerusalemi I
But here passes through these streets, MS in |
Imagination see him, quite as wonderful !
nd far better man. David the conqueror. i
he king. the poet. Can it be that am in the a
cry city where he lived and rcignedg David
reat for power and great for grief. He I
as wrapped up in his boy Absolom. He !
as splendid boy, judged by the rules of b
orldly criticism. From the crown of his {
cad to the sole of his foot there was moi
ngle blemish. The Bible saws that he had b
Ich luxuriant shock of air that. when once a
year it was shorn, what was cut OFF weighed v
yer three pounds. But, Notwithstanding q
IS briliiancy Of appearance, he was bad boy Z
I'd broke his fathers heart. He was plot b
ng to get the throne OF Israel. He had s.
arshalled an army to overthrow his fathers il
,yernment. The day Of battle had come. 81
he conflict was begun. David, the father. 81
t between the gates Of the palace waiting t
T the tidings of the conflict Oh. how ran. b
a hnE Naanman -. Al