The Opelousas courier., 1890-03-08
TALMAGE'S TRIP.
FHF shROOhLfN RlFtNL's SUI TAT
SERMON.
Tex 'BchoEd, tie half scas not told me-

TEXT: "BchoLd, taeha5 cas not told me-"
Kings K, Z.
Appearing before you to-day, my mind yet
2ssitated with the scenery of the Holy Land,
from which we have just arrived, YOU will
expect me to revert to some of the scenes
once enacted there. Mark q circle around
Lake Galilee, aud another circle around Jer
usalem, and you describe the tive regions in
Whlch cluster memories of more events than
IN any other two circles. Jerusalem was a
spell OF fascination that will hold me tue rest
OF my life. Solomon had resolved that that
Guy should be the center Of all sacred, regal
and commercial magnificence He set him
sen 10 work., and m~onopoli.ad the surround
ing desert as a highway for his caravans. He
pu,lt The city of Palmyra around one of the
principal wells OF the east. 50 that all the
long trains OF merchandise from the cast
were obliged to stop there, pay toll and
leave part Of their wealth In the hands OF
Soton1onS merchants. He manned the for<
t[ess Ihapsacus at the chief ford of the Eu-
pirates, and put under guard everything
ma passed there. The three great products
OF Paiestlnc-wine pressed from the richest
clusters and celebrated all the world over;
oil, which i'll that hot country i; tie entire
substitute for butter and lard, and was pressed
from the olive branches until every, tree i'll
the country became an oil we'll, and honey,
which was the entite substitute for sugar
these three great products of the country
solomon exported, and received in return
fruits and precious woods and the animals of
every cline.
He went down to E~zion-geber and ordered
a feet Of ships 70 be constructed. oversaw
tie Nofkmen, and watched the launching of
the fotlila which was to go out on more
than a 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 limbel /. and
he resolved to purchase them, giving eighty
I'VE dollars apiece for them; putting the best
of these horses in his own stall and selling
the surplus 10 foreign potentates DIT great
profit.
He heard that there was the best of timber
on Mount Lebanon, and he sent out one hum
dred and eighty thousand men to hew down
the forest and drag the timber through the
mountain gorges, to construct it into RATS to
be Heated to Joppa. and from thence to be
drawn by OK teams twenty-five miles across
tie land TO .eId salem. He heard that there
were beautiful flowers in other lands. He
sent for them, planted them in his own gar.
dens, and to this very day there are flowers
found in the ruins of that city such as are to
be found in no other part of Palestine, the
llneaI descendants of the very flowers that
Solomon planted. He heard that in foreign
6ioNVoL AC1e NStb DlfuS DI fICUGSb VOICE ana
most iuxurlait wing. He sent out people to
catch them, and bring them their and he
put them into his cages.
stand back now and see this long train Of
cameis coming up to the Kings gate, and
the OK trains from Egypt, gold and silver
and precious stones, and beasts of every
moor, and birds of every wing, and fish of
every scale! See the pcacocks strut under
the cedars, and the horsemen run, and the
CharlnfS TFhnoli TTnrl- - Al J.z-l 4
Gaze upon NV dancei Not stopping to look
into the wonops rs Of the temple, step right on
to the causeway, and pass up to Solo1hon's
palace.
Here we find ourselves amid a collection of
buildings. on which the King had lavished
tne wealth OF manly empires. The genius Of
hiram, the architect, and of the other artists
IS here seen in the long line Of corridors and
the suspended gallery and the approach to
the throne. Traceried window opposite ira
cerled window. Bronzed ornaments burst
ing INTO lotus and lily and pomegranate.
Chapters surrounded by network Of leaves
IN which Imitation fruit seemed suspended
as in hanging baskets. Three branches-so
Josephus tells us-three branches scu1ptured
on the marble. SO thin and subtle that even
the leaves seemed TO quiver. Alaver capable
OF holding five hundred barrels of water
Oh six hundred brasen ok heads, which
gusiied with water and filled the whole place
with GOODNESS and crystalline brightness and
musical plash. Ten tables chased with
chariot wheel and lion and eherubim. Solo
mon sat on a throne of ivory. AT the seating
place of the throne, on each end Of the steps
a brazen hon. Why, my friends, in tia
place they rinlm their candies with snuffer:
OF gold, and they cut their fruits with kniye;
of gold, and they washed their hands in basin.
OF gold and they scooped out the ashes witt
~ beS OF gold, and they stirred the altal
mes with longs Of gold. Gold reflected il
NO water! Gold flashing from the apparel
Goid blazing in the crown! GoldI gold
goldl
Of course the news of the .af1uence of tina.
place went out everywhere by every caravan
and by wing of every ship, until soon TIL,
streets OF Jerusalem are crowded with curl
oslty seekers. What is that long procession
approaching Jerusalem? / think from TIN
pomp of it there must. be ROYALTY in tl
train. | smell tho breath Of the spice
which are brought as presents, and / heal
the shout OF the drivers, and / see the dus
covered caravan showing that thy com
from far away. Cry the news up to th
palace. The Queen of Sheba advances. he
all the sssople come out to see. Let tn
mighty mel OF the land come out on tn
palace corridors. Let Solomon come dow
the stairs of the palace before the Queen ha
ailghted. Shake out the cinnamon. an
the saffron, and the calamus, aud the frank
incense and pass it into the treasure house
Take up the diamonds until they glitter i
the sun.
The Queen of Sheba alights. She enters th
palace. She washes at the bath. She SIT
| down at the banquet. The cup bearers bow
The meat smokes. The music trembles in til
dash of the waters from the molten sea. The
she rises from the banquet, and walks throug
the Conservatives, and gazes on the architet
ture, and she asks Solomon many strang
questions, and she learns about the reiigio
of the Hebrews, and she then and there b'
comes a servant of the Lord God.
She is overwhelmed. She begins to thin
that all the spices she brought, and all IL
precious wool which are intended TO i
turned into harps and psalteries and into raj
ings for the causewaE between the temple an
the palace, and the DIP hundred II eight
thousand dollqrs m~oney-she begins t
think that all thes8 presents arneuntto noti
ing in such a place, and she is almost ashame
that she has brought them, and she SAY
within herself: Il heard a great deal abou
this place, and about this wonderful religio
Of the Hebrews, but I find it far beyond m
highest anticipations. | must add more tha
ffty per cent. to what has been related.
exceeds everything that I could have e.
pected. The half-the half vas not tol
me-
Learn from this subject what a beautif,
thing it is when social position and wealt
surrender themselves TO God. When religie
comes to a neighborhool. the first to reeei'
it are the women. Some men say tits becau
they are weak minded. ] say it is becau
they have quicker perception of what
right, more ardent affection and capacity fe
galbiiner emotion. After the women hay
received the Gospel then all the distress
and the poor of both sexes, those who ha'
no friends, accept Jesus. Last Of all con
[ the greatly ~prospered. Alas, that it is SO!
If there are those who nave been favor
of fortune, or, as might better put il, favor
of God, surrender all you have and all you g