The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-01-11
sOLOMON's GREATNESS
Sermon by Rev. It. Dewitt Talmags
Delivered at Vienna.
The Trip Through the Holy Land and
Thoughts Suggested Thereby - The
Greatness OF Solomon and Its
Far-Reaching Influence.

The Trip Through the Holy Land and
Thoughts Suggested Thereby The
Greatness OF Solomon and Its
Far-Reaching Influence.
The following discourse was deliv
cred by Rev. Il. DeYYtkt Talmage in
Vienna, where he spent q Sabbath Oh
his return trip from the Holy Land. Hi,
ext was.
Behold. the half was not told me.-IKIngs
x..1.
Appearing before you to-day, my mind
Yet agttated With the scenery Of the
holy Land from whence we have JUS
arrived, you will expect me to revert Il
some OF the scenes once enacted there
MaF4 q circle around Lake Galilee, and
another circle around Jerusalem, az
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 re-
solved that hat city should be the cen.
ter OF all sacred, regal and commercial
m~agnihcence. Ho set himself to work,
and monopolized the surrounding desert
BhVo VI hio OAEaNAhb. hc
built b city Of Palmyra around one OF
the principal wells Of the East. 70 thai
AZ the long tyatnsefa psEchaRaiss FROM
the Eaes n>r9 obliged n stop ~tiserespay
en4 }a4y4 paEt of their 4Nea1tli Ia
~ hands 81 Sozamonss 4 marchaa8 ssHs
napnct The Eoft<ass T~hspsacus. 90 the
chief ford Of the Euphrates, and put un-
der guard every thing thaspsssed 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 Ii the entire
substitute for butter and lard, and was
pressed from the olive branches until
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 export
cd, and received In return fruits and
precious woods and the animals Of every
cline.
He went down to Ezion-geber and
ordered q feet Of ships to be construct
ed, oversaw the workmen, and watched
the launching Of the fiotilla which was
TO 60 out on more than q 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 10 purchase them, giving
eighty-hve dollars apiece for them, put
ting the best OF these horses in his own
stall and selling the surplus to foreign
potantates 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
how down the forests and drag the tim
Der through the mountain gorges, to
construct It into RATS to be hoated 10
Joppa, and thence TO be drawn by OK
teanas twenty-five miles across the land
70 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 hat city
such as are 70 be found in no other part
Of Palestine, the lineal 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
ne 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
peacocks strut under the cedars, and the
horsemen run, and the chariots wheeli
Hark 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
palace!
Here we ind 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-
grsnate. Chapters surrounded by net
work OF leaves in which imitation fruit
seemed suspended as in hanging baskets.
Three branches-so Josephus tells US
three branches sculptured on the mar.
BILE. 80 thin and subtle that even the
leaves seemed to culver. A laver oapa.
BILE OF holding five hundred barrels OF
wster on SIX hundred brazen OF heads,
which gushed with water and filled the
whole place with c~oolness and crystal
inc Brightness and musical plash. Ten
tables chased With chariot wheel and
lion and chernbin. Solomon sat on q
throne OF ivory. At the seating place
Of the throne, on each end OF the steps,
q 3razen lion. Why, my, friends, In
that place they trimmed their candles
with snuders Of gold, and they cut their
fruits with knives Of gold, and they
washed their faces In basins OF &C I,
and they scooped out the ashes ~.s-
shoveIs OF gold. and they stirred tho
sltsr hres with tongs Of gold. Gold
reelected In the water! Gold flashing
from the apparel! Gold blazing In the
crown! Gold, gold, goldi
OF course the news Of the afd uence OF
that place went out everywhere by
. caravan and by wing OF every
ship, until soon the streets of Jerusalem
are crowded with curiosity seekers.
Whist Is that long procession approach
ing Jerusalem? ] think from the pomr
Of IL there must be royalty In the train.
4 smell the breath of the spices which
are brought as presents, and hear the
shout Of the drivers, and | see the dust
covered a showing that they come
from far away. Cry the news up TO the
palace. The Queen OF Sheba advances
Let all the people come out TO soc. Let
b A1lHhty men Of the land come out on
the palace ceftidors. Let Solomon come
down the spirs Of the palace before the
Queen nasalightcd. Shake out the Gin
namon and the saffron, and the Gala
nus, and the t~rankincense and pass II
IN 10 the treasure house. Take up the
diamonds until they glitter in the sun.
The Queen of Sheba slights. She en-
ters the palaee. She washes at the
bath. She sits down at the banquet,
Tho cup-bearers bow. The meat smokes,
The music trembles in the dash OF the
waters from the molten sea. Then she
rises from the banquet and walks
through the conservatories, n gazes
on the architecture, and she asks Sol
omon many strange questions, and she
lesrns about the religion OF the he
brews, and she then and there becomes
seryant of the Lord God.
She 10 overwhelmed. She begins tc
think that all the spices sbe brought
and all the precious woods which are
intended 10 be turned into harps and
psalteries and into ratings for the
csuseway between the temple and the
palace, and the one hundred and eighty
thousand dollars In m~oney-she begini
49, 49, Ill Ahnaa nraannLA hmOunI