Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-09
In THECITY OFDAVID.
Dr.. Talmage Recalls Christ's Lamen-
tation Over Jerusalem.
THE PLACE OF SOLOMON'S THRONE
Draws Forth the ElOQuencs of the Brooklyn
Divine, While
BE REYlVES MEMORIES OF ITS HISTORY
ESPECIAL TO THE DrsPArcH.,

ESPECIAL TO THE DIsPATcH.l
JERUSALEM, December Sat q large
meeting of Christian people in this city to-
day, the Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage, d. D.,
Of Brooklyn, was the preacher. His text
was Matt xiii, 81: "Jerusaleml Jerusa-
lem!" A report of his eloquent sermon is
appended.
This exclamation burst from Christ's lips
as he came in sight of this great city, and,
although things have marvelousIy changed,
who can visit Jerusalem to-day without hav-
ing its mighty past roll over on him. and
ordinary utterance must give place for the
EXPLANATORY as we cry, o Jerusalem, Jerusa-
leml Disappointed with the Holy Land
many have been, and 1 have heard good
friends say that their ardor about sacred
places had been SO dampened that they were
sorry they ever visited Jerusalem. But
with me the city and its surroundings are
q rapture, q solemnity, an overwhelm-
ing emotion. o Jerusalem, Jerusa-
leml The procession of kings, con-
querors, poets and immortal men and
women pass before me as I stand here.
Among the throng are Solomon, David and
Christ. Yes, through these streets and amid
these surroundings rode Solomon, that won
der Of splendor and wretchedness. Itseemed
as if the world exhausted itself on that man.
1t vove its brightest flowers into his gar
land. 1t set its richest gems in his coronet.
1t pressed the rarest wines to his lips 1t
robed him in the purest purple and embroid-
cry. 1t cheered him with the sweetest music
in that land of harps. 1t greeted him with
the gladdest laughter that ever leaped from
mirth's lips. 1t sprinkled his cheek with
spray from the brightest fountains.
PossEsSoR OF THE VERY BEST
Royalty had no dominion, wealth no lux
ury, gold no glitter, flowers no sweetness,
song no melody, light no radiance, uphols-
tery no gorgeousness, waters no CLEAN, birds
no plumage, prancing coursers no 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 shadows of trees brought from dis
tant forests.
Fish pools, fed BY artificial channels that
brought the streams from hills far away,
were perpetually ruffied with fms, 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 aviaries
glanced and futtered among the foliage,
and called to their mates far beyond the
sea. From the royal stablas there came up
the neighing of Il, 900 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 1,400 ehariots of the king,
the fiery chargers with Haunting name
and throbbing nostril would make
the earth jar with the tramp of hoofs and
the thunder of wheels. While within and
without the palace you could not think of a
single luxury that could be added, or of a
single splendor that could be kindled, down
on the banks Of the sea the drydocks of
Ezion-geber rang with the hammers of the
shipwrights who were constructing larger
vessels for still wider commerce, for all
lands and elimes were to be robbed to make
up Solomon's glory.
VANITY OF YANITIES.
No rest till his keels shall cut every sea,
his axmen hew every forest, his archers
strike every rare wing, his fishermen whip
every stream, his merchants trade in every
bazaar, his name honored by every tribe:
and royalty shall have no dominion, wealth
- =
light no radiance, waters no CLEAN, birds no
plumage, prancing courSrs no mettle, up
holstery no gorgeousness, architecture no
grandeur, but it was all his.
"Well, you say. 'if there is anv man
happy, he ought to be" But l 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: VANITY of vanities; all is vanity"
What solomon not happy yet? No, not
happy. The honors and the emoluments of
this world bring so many cares with them
that they bring also torture and disquietude.
Pharaoh sits on one of the highest earthly
eminences, yet he is miserable because there
are some people in his realm that do not
want any longer to make bricks. The
head of Edward I. aches under his
crown because the people will not
pay the taxes, and Llewellyn, Prince of
Wales, will not do him homage. and Wallace
will be hero. Frederic William III of
Prussia. is miserable because France wants
to take the Prussian provinces. The world
Is not large enough for Louis XIV. and Will
lam LII. The ghsstliest suffering. the most
Ehriveling fear, the most rending iealousies.
the most gigantic disquietude, have walked
amidst obsequious courtiers, and been
clothed in royal apparel and sat on iudg-
ment seats Of power.
TRUE SOURCES OF HAPPINESS.
Honor and truth and justice cannot 90 so
high up in authority as to be beyond the
range of human assault The pure and the
good in all ages have been execrated by the
mob who cry out: "Not this man, but
Barabbas. Now, Barabbas was a robber."
BY honesty, by Christian principle, would
have you seek for the favor and the conf
dence of your fellow-men; but do not
look upon some high position as
though that were always sunshine.
The mountains of earthly honor are
like the mountains of Switzerland. covered
with perpetual ice and snow. Having OBJ
tained ths confidence and love of your asso-
cistes, be content with such things as Won
have. You brought nothing into the world.
and it is very certain you can carry nothing
out. "Oease We from man, whose breath is
in his nestrils." There is an honor that is
worth possessing, but it is an honor that
comes from God. This day rise I'D and take
1t. "Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us, that we
should be called the sons of God.". Who
aspires not for that royalty? Come now,
and be kings and priests unto God and the
Lamb forever.
If wealth and wisdom could have satisfied
a man, Solomon would have been satisfied,
To say 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 six
hundred and eighty million pounds, and he
had silver to the value of one billion.
fwentv-nine million. three hundrad and |