The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-03-13
SOLOMON'S GREATNESS.
Sermon by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage
Delivered at Vienna.
The Trip Through the Holy Land and
Thoughts Suggested Thereby The
Greatness of Solomon and It's
Far-Reaching Influence.

The following discourse was deliv.
cred by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage in
Vienna, where he spent a Sabbath on
his return trip from the Holy Land. His
text was:
Behold, the half was not told mel Kings,
XII
Appearing before you to-day, my mind
yet agitated with the scenery of the
Holy Land, from whence 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 CEN
ter OF all sacred, regal and commercial
magnifcence. 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 merchandise from
the East were obliged to stop there, pay
toll and leave part of their wealth in
the hands of Solomon's merchants. He
manned the Fortress Thapsacus, at the
chief ford of the Euphrates, and put I'M
der guard every thing that passed there.
The three great products of Palestine
wine pressed from the richest clusters
and celebrated all the world over; oil,
which in that hot country is the entire
substitute for butter and lard, and was
pressed from the olive branches until
every tree in the country became an oil
well; and honey, which was the entire
substitute for sugar-these three great
products of the country Solomon export
ed, and received in return fruits and
precious woods and the animals of every
cline.
He went down to Ezion-geber and
ordered feet of ships to be construct
ed, oversaw the workmen, and watched
the launching of the fotilla 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-
tan horses were large and swift, and
long-maned and round-limbed, and he
resolved to purchase them, giving
eighty-fve dollars apiece for them, put
ting the best of these horses in his own
stall and selling the surplus to foreign
potentates at great profit.
He heard that there was best of tim
Der on Mount Lebanon, and he sent one
hundred and eighty thousand men to
hew down the forests and drag the tim
Der through the mountain gorges, to
construct it into RATS to be floated to
Joppa, and thence % 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 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 hneal descendants of
the very flowers that Solomon planted.
He heard that in foreign groves there
were birds of richest voice and most
luxuriant wing. He sent out people 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
peacoeks strut under the cedars, and the
horsemen run, and the chariots wheel!
Hank to the orchestra! Gaze upon the
dancei 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 a col
lection Of buildings on which the King
had lavished the wealth of MANY en-
pires. The genius of Hiram, the archi-
tect, and the other artists is here seen
IN the long line of corridors and the sus-
pended gallery and approach to the
throne. Traceried window opposite
traceried window. Bronze ornaments
bursting into lotus and lily and pome-
granate. Chapters surrounded bv net
work OF leaves in which imitation fruit
seemed suspended as in hanging baskets.
Inree branches-so Josephus tells US
three branches sculptured on the mar
bic, so thin and subtle that even the
leaves seemed to culver. A laver cana
bic Of holding five hundred barrels of
water on six hundred brazen OK heads.
which gushed with water and filed the
whole place with GOODNESS and CRYSTAL
Inc brightness and musi cal plash. Ten
tables chased with chariot wheel and
lion and cherubin. Solomon sat on a
throne of ivory. At the seating place
OF the throne, on each end of the steps,
brazen lion. Why, my, friends, in
that place they trimmed their candles
with shutters 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 water! Gold flashing
from the apparel! Gold blazing in the
crown! Gold, gold, gold!
OF course The news of the fluence of
that place went out everywhere by
every caravan and by wing q eyery
Ship until soon the streets o. Jerusalem
are crowded with curiosity seekers.
What is that long procession approach |
ing Jerusalem? / think from the pomn |
- 4 l.