Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1890-02-06
TALMAGE'S SERMON.
Surprises in Store for the Earnest
Seeker for Truth.
Religion Must be Sought to be Enjoyed
Beauties of the Kingdom, However
Rapturously Described, Pale
Before the Reality.

Kew. Il. De VIII l. ~ les "
Brooklyn, preached in Vienna, on Sun
day, on 'sThe Surprises of Religion" His
sermon was /. Kings, x. Z: Behold, the
half was not told me-" The sermon was
as follows:
Appearing before you to-day, my mind
vet agitated 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 circle around Lake Galilee, and
another circle around Jerusalem, and
you describe the two regions in which
cluster memories of more events than
in any other two circles. Jerusalem
was spell of fascination that will hold
me the rest of my life. Solomon had
re solved that that city should be the
center of all sacred, regal and CONNER
cial magnificence. He set himself to
work. and monopolized the surrounding
desert as highway for his caravans.
He built the city of Palmyra around
one of the principal wells of the East,
so that all the long trains Of merchan-
disc from the East were obliged to stop
there, pay toll and leave part of their
wealth in the hands Of Solomon's mer-
chants. He manned the Fortress Thap-
sacus at the chief ford of the Euphrates,
and put under guard every thing that
passed there.
The three great products Of Pales-
tine-wine pressed from the richest
clusters and celebrated all the world
over; oil, which in that country is the
entire substitute for butter and lard. and
was pressed from the olive branches I'M
til every tree in the country became an
oil we'll; and honey which was the entire
substitute for sugar-these three great
products of the country Solomon ex-
ported, and received in return fruits and
precious woods and the animals OF every
cline.
He went down to Ezion-geber and or
dered fleet of ships to be constructed,
oversaw the workmen and watched the
launching OF the flotilla 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 Egyp-
tian horses were large and swift and
long-maned and round-limbed, and he
resolved to purchased them, giving $50
apiece for them, putting the best OF
these horses in his own stall and selling
the surplus to foreign potentates at
great profit.
He heard that there was the best OF
timber on Mount Lebanon, and he sent
ut $50, 900 men to hew down the forest
and drag the timber through the noun
tain rorges, to construct 1t into RATS TO
be fioated to Joppa, and from thence to
be drawn by OK teams twenty-five miles
across the land to Jerusalem. He heard
that there were beautiful flowers in other
lands. He sent for them, planted them
in his own gardens, and to this day there
are flowers found in the ruins of that
city such as are to be found in no other
part OF Palestine, the lineal descendants
Of the very flowers that Solomon plant
ed. He heard that in foreign groves
there were birds of richest voice and
most luxuriant wing. He sent out peo-
pie to catch them and bring them there,
and he put them into his cages.
Stand back now and see this long
train of camels coming up to the Kings
gate, and the OK trains from Egypt gold
and silver and precious stones, and
beasts of every hoof, and birds Of every
wing, and fish of every scale! See the
peacocbs strut under the cedars, and the
horsemen run, and the chariots wheel!
Hank to the orchestral Gaze upon the
dance Not stopping to look into the
wonders of the temple, step right on to
the causeway, and pass up to Solomon's
palacel
Here we find ourselves amid collec-
tion Of buildings on which the King had
lavished the wealth of many empires.
The genius OF Hiram. the architect, and
of the other artists is here seen in the
long line of corridors and the suspected
gallery and the approach to the throne.
Traceried window opposite traceried
window. Bronzed ornaments bursting
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 sculptured on
the marble, SO thin and subtle
that even the leaves seemed to
culver. A laver capable of holding 500
barrels of water on 600 brazen ox-heads,
which gushed with water and filled the
whole place with GOODNESS and crystal
line brightness and musical plash. Ten |
tables chased with chariot-wheel and |
lion and cherubim. Solomon sat on a |
throne of ivory. At the seating place |
of the throne, on each end Of the steps, |
a brazen lion. Why, my friends, in that
place they trimmed their candles with |
suffers of gold, and they cut their
fruits with knives Of gold, and they |
washed their faces in basins of gold. and |
they scooped out the ashes with shovels |
of gold, and they stirred the altar fires
with tongs of gold. Gold reflected in
the waterl Gold flashing from the APP
parel! Gold blazing in the crown! Gold,
gold, goldl
OF course, the news of the afiuence of
that place went out everywhere by
every caravan and by wing of every
ship, until soon the streets Of Jerusa-
lem are crowded with curiosity seekers.
What is that long procession approach
ng Jerusalem? / think from the pomp