The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1890-11-19
PALESTINE.
Garden and Orchard In Which
Solomon Saw No Glory,
But Where In the Depths Of Bethlehem'a
Well Is Reflected the Star Which
Leads to Salvati0n-Dr. Tai.
IMAGES Sermon.

AuOu OH uiS IOur III dloStino ldSL QUIZ
day. The sermon was on the garden and
public works OF IsraePs magnificent
King, and the text, Ecclesiastes il, 4-6:
II made me great works, l builded me
houses, Iplanted me vineyards, l made
me gardens and orchards, and planted
trees in them of all kinds of fruits; /
made me pools of water to water there.
with the wood that bringeth forth
trees"
A spring morning and before break
fast at Jerusalem: A King with robes
snowy white in chariot decked with
gold, drawn by eight horses, high-met-
tied, and housings as brilliant as IT
scolloped out of that very sunrise, and
like the winds for speed, followed by a
regiment of archers ON horseback with
hand on gilded bow, and arrows with
steel points flashing in the sun, clad
from head to foot in Tyrian purple, and
black hair sprinkled with gold-dust all
dashing down the road, the horses at
full run, the reins loose on their necks,
and the crack of whips and the halloo
of the reckless cavalcade putting the
miles at defiance. Who is it, and what
is it? King Solomon taking an outing
before breakfast from Jerusalem to his
gardens, and parks, and orchards, and
reservoirs, six miles down the road to-
ward Hebron. What contrast between
that and myself on that very road one
morning last December, going afoot, for
our plain vehicle turned back for photo
graphic apparatus forgotten, we on the
way to find what is called Solomon's
pools, the ancient water-works of Jeru-
salem, and the gardens Of King nearly
5000 years ago.
We cross the acqueduct again and
again, and here we are at the three
great reservoirs, not ruins Of reservoirs,
but the reservoirs themselves, that Sol
onion built three milleniums ago for
the purpose Of catching the mountain
streams, and passing them to Jerusa-
lem to Stake the thirst of the city, and
also to irrigate the most glorious range
of gardens that ever bloomed with all
colors, or breathed with all redolence,
for Solomon was the greatest horticuf-
turist, tho greatest botanist, the great
est ornithologist, the greatest capital
list, and the greatest scientist of his CEN
fury.
Come over the piles of gray rock, and
here we are at the first of the three
reservoirs, which are on three great
levels, the base of the top reservoir
higher than the top Of the second, the
base OF the second reservoir higher than
the top of the third, so arranged that
the waters gathered from the several
sources above shall descend from basin
to basin, the sediment of the water de.
posted in each of the three, SO that by
the time 1t gets down to the acqueduct.
which is to take it to Jerusalem it has
had three offerings, and is as pure as
when tho clouds rained it.
Wonderful specimens OF masonry are
these three reservoirs. The white
cement fastening the blocks of stone to-
gether is now just as when the trowels
three thousand years ago smoothed the
layers. The highest reservoir, $50 feet
by 300; the second, 42S feet by 100; and
the lower reservoir, $50 feet by 1859, and
deep enough to float an ocean steamer.
On that December morning we saw
the waters rolling down from reservoir
to reservoir, and can we'll understand
how in this neighborhood the Imperial
gardens were one great blossom, and
the orchard one great basket OF fruit
and that Solomon in his palace, writing
the "Song of Songs" and Ecclesiastes
may have been drawing illustrations
from what he had seen that very morn
ing in the Royal garden, when he al
luded to melons, and mandrakes, ant
apricots, and grapes. and pomegranates
and figs, and spikenard, and cinnamon
and calamus, and campfire, and 'applt
trees among the trees OF the wood" ant
the almond tree as f1ourishing; and t.
myrrh and frankincense, and represent
ed Christ as gone down into His gar
dens, and the beds of spices to feed il
the gardens, and to gather lilies" ant
to "eyes like fish-pools," and to tn,
voice Of the turtledove as heard in tn,
land.
l think 1t was when Solomon wa
showing the Queen Of Sheba through
these gardens, that the Bible says O
her: There remained no more spirit Il
her." She gave it up.
But all this splendor did not max
Solomon happy. One day, after gettin
back from his morning ride and befor
the horses had yet been cooled of an
rubbed down by the royal equerry, Sol
onion wrote the memorable words. fol
lowing my text, like dirge played al
ter grand march, "Behold all was var
ity and vexation of spirit, and Their
was no profit under the SUM-" In othe
words 'itdon't pay!" Would God that W
might all learn the lesson that thi
world can not produce happiness! A
Marseilles there is castellated hous
on high ground crowned with all tina
grove and garden can do. and the Who'll
place looks out upon as enchanting
landscape as the world holds, water an
/ hills clasping hands in aperfect be witcf
ment Of scenery, but the owner Of tina
place is totally blind, and to him all thi
goes for nothing, illustrating the truth
that, whether one be physically or mora
ly blind, brilliancy Of surroundings ca
not give satisfaction.
But tradition says that when tn
"Wise Men of the East" were bein
guided by the star on the way to Betl
lehem, they, for little while, lost sigh
of that star, and, in despair and exhau
ton, came to we'll to drink, whel
looking down the we'll, they saw tn
star reflected in the water, and tina