The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-01-22
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Surprises of Religion"
preached in Vienna, Austria.)
TEXT: "Behold, hehalf Was not told me-.
Il Kings Z, z.


Appearing before you to-day, my mind yet
agitated with the scenery Of the Holy Land,
from which we have just arrived, you will
expect mo to revert to some Of the scenes
once enacted there. Mark q circle around
Lake Galilee, and another circle around Jer-
usaIem, and you describe the two regions in
| which cluster memories Of more events than
in any other two circles Jerusalem was q
| spell of fascination that will hold me the rest
of my life. Solomon had resolved that that
city should be the center of all sacred, regal
and commercial magnifcence,; He set him,
| self to work, and monopoliZed the surround
ing desert as highway for his caravans. lie
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 thu for
tress Thapsacus at the chief ford Of the Eu-
pirates, and put under guard everything
Of Palestine-wne pressed from the richest
clusters and celebrated all the world over;
! oil, which in that hot country is the entiro
substitute for butter and lar 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 exported, and received III return
fruits and precious woods and the animals Of
every cline.
| He went down to Ezion-geber and ordered
fleet of ships to be constructed, oversaw
the workmen and watched the launching of
the fotilla which was to go out on more
than 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 limbed, and
he resolved to purchase them, giving eighty
five dollars apiece for them, putting the best
OF these horses in his own stall and selling
the surplus to foreign potentates a. great
profit.
He heard that there was the best OF timber
on Mount Lebanon, and he sent out one hun
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 floated to Joppa, aud from thence to be
drawn by OK teams twenty-five miles across
the land to Jeru;alem. 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 arc flowers
found in the ruins of that city such as arc to
be found in no other part Of Palestine the
llneal descendants Of the very flowers that
Solomon planted. He heard that in foreign
groves there were birds of richest voice and
most luHuriant 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 tho 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 scalel See the peacocks strut under
the cetlars and the horsemen run, and the
chariots WHEEL Hark to tho orchestra
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
palace.
Here we find ourselves amid collection 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 suspended gallery and the approach to
the throne. Traceried window opposite tra-
ceried window. Bronzed ornaments burst
Ing into lotus and lily and pomegranate
Chapters surrounded by network Of leaves
IN which imitation fruit seemed suspended
rs in hanging baskets. Three branches-so
Jostephus tells us-three. branches sculptured
on the marble, SO thin aud subtle that even
the leaves seemed to quivcr. A laver capable
OF holding five hundred barrels of water
On SIX hundred b:'azen OK heads which
gushed with water and filled the whole place
with GOODNESS and crystalline brightness and
musical plash. Ten tables chased with
chariot wheel and lion and cherubm. Solo
mon SIT on throne of ivory. At the seating
pace OF the throne, on each end of tho steps,
a brazen lion. Why, my friends in chat
place they trimmed their candles with shutters
OF gold, and they cut their fruits with knives
OF gold, and they washed their hands 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 tho apparel
Gold blazing il the crown! Gold! gold
gold!
OF course the news Of the afIluence of that
place went out everywhere by every caravan
and by wing Of every ship, until soon the
streets of Jerusalem al'e crowded with curl.
osity seekers. What is that long procession
approaching Jerusalem? l think from the
pomp of it there must DO royalty in the
train. smell the breath of the spices
which are brought as presents, and I hear
the shout Of the drivers, and l see the dust
covered caravan showing that they come
from far away. Cry the news up to the
palace. The Queen of Sheba advances. Let
all tho people come out to see. Let the
mighty men of the land come out on the
palace corridors. Let Solomon come down
the stairs of the palace before the Queen has
alghted. Shake out tho cinnamon. and
Jne sarron, and the calamus, and the frank
incense and pass it into the treasure house.
Take up the diamonds until they glitter in
the sun.
The Queen of Sheba nlights. She enters the
palace. She washes at the bath. She sits
down at the banquet. The cup bearers bow.
The meat smokes The music tremblss in the
dash Of the waters from the molten sea. Then
she rises from the banquet, and walks through
the conseryatories, and gazes OH the architec-
ture, and she asks Solomon many strange
questions, and she learns about tho religion
of the Hebrews, and she then and there be-
comes servant of the Lord God.
She is overwhelmed. She begins to think
that all the spices she brought and all the
precious woods which are intended to be
turned into harps and psalteries and into rail.
ings for the causeway between the temple and
the palace, and the one hundred and eighty
thousand dollars in money-she begins to
think that all these presents amount to moth,
ing in such a place. and she is almost ashamed
that she has brought them, and she says
within herself: ~ heard great deal about
this place, and about this wonderful religion
of the Hebrews, but find it far beyond my
highest anticipations. I must add more than
fifty per cent to what has been related. 1t
exceeds everything that I could have ex.
pected. The half-ths half was not told
| men
Learn from this subject what beautiful
thing it is when social position and wealth
surrender themselves to God. When religion
comes to neighborhool the first to receive
it are the women. Some men say it is because
they are weak minded. I say it is because
they have quicker perception of what is
right, more ardent affection and capacity for
sublimer emotion. After the womon have
received the Gospel then all the distressed
and the poor of both sexes. those who have
no friends, accept Jesus. Last Of all como