The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-06
SURPRISES OF RELIGION.
REV. TALMAGE IN THE CAPITAL
FAU STRIA.

| lalLlage, II. ~. OF brooklyn prolcned tu
this city to-day on ''The Surprises of Re-
ligion." His text was 1 Kings 4, 4: "Be-
hold, the half was not told me.n The
| sermon was as follows:
Appearing before you to-day, my mind
yet agitated with the scsnery of the Holy
Land, from which we have just arrived,
you will expect me TO revert to so ne of the
scenes once enacted there. Mark circle
around Lake Galilee, and another cir
Gle around Jerusalem, and you de-
scribe the two regions In which cluster
memories OF more events than i'll any other
two circles. Jerusalem was IA spell of fasci-
nation that will hold me the rest of my life.
Solomon had resolved that that city should
be the center OF all sacred, regal, and COM
merclal magnihcence he set himself to
work, and monopoized the surrounding
desert as "A 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 10 stop the g, 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 under guard every
thing that passed there. The three great
products OF Palestine-wine pressed from
the richest clusters and celebrated all this
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 am
oil well; and honey. which was tho entire
substitute for sugar-these three great
products of the country Solomon export ted.
and received in return fruits and precious
woods and the animals of every cline.
de went down to Ezion-ge5er aud ordered
fleet OF ships to be constructed, oversaw
the Workmen, and watched the launching
OF the hotiila which was to go out on more
than years voyage, TO bri home the
wealth of the then known world. He heard
that the Egyptian horses were largo aad
swift, and long maned and round limbed.
and he resolved TO purchase them, giving
eighty-ive dollars piece for them, putting
the best of these hors g in his own stall and
selling the surplus to foreign potentates al
great profit.
He heard that there was the best oe
timber on Mount Lebanon, and he sent out
one hundred and eighty thousand men to
hew down the forest and drag the timber
through the mountain g1rges. to constructs
into RATS to be foated to Joppa, and from
thence to be drawn by OK teams twenty-five
miles across the land to Jerusale n. He
heard that there were beautiful flowers
in other lands He sent for
them, planted them in his own
flowers found in the ruins Of that city such
as are to be found in no other part Of PaIes-
tine, and the lineal descendants OF the yery
flowers that Solomon planted. He beard
that in foreign groves there were birds of
richest voice aud most luxuriant wing Hs
sent out people to catch tae n, 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 siIveFb
and precious stones, aud beasts of every
hoof, and birds Of every wing, and fish OF
every scalel See the peacocks strut under
the cedars. and the horsemen run, and the
chariot, wheeli Hark to the orchestral Gazes
upon the dancel Not stopping to look into
the wonders of the temple, step right on to
the causeway, and pass up to Solomons
palacel
Here we find ourselves amid collection
OF buildings on which the king had Law
ished the wealth of many empires. The
genius Of Hiram, the architect, and of the
other artists is here see in the long line of
corridors, and the suspended gallery and
the approach to the throne Traceriedf
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 bas-,
kets. Three brauches-so Jossphus tellsd
BILE, so thin and subtle that even the leaves
seemed to quiver. A laver capable OF
holding five hundred barrels of water
on 600 brazen OK heads, which gushed with
water and filled the whole place with cool
ne and crystalline brightness and musical
plash. Ten tables chased with chariot
wheel, and lion aid cherubim, Solo,
mon sat on a throne Of ivory. At theg
seating place of the throne, on each end of
the steps, brazea lion Why, my friends,
In that place they trimmed their candles
with snuffers 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 tongss
OF gold. Gold reflected in the waterl Gold
tiasoing from the apparel Gold blazing in
the crownl Gold, gold, goldl
or course the news of the affiuence of that
place went out everywhere by every cara
van and by wing of every snip, until soon
the streets OF Jerusalem are crowded with
curiosity seekers WHAT g that long pro-
cession approaching Jerusaleml I think
from the pomp Of it there must be royalty
in the train. smell the breath of the spices
which are brought as prese IT'S, and I hear
the shout of the drivers, and | 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
mighty men of the land come out Of the
palace corridors. Let Sol mon come down
the st .irs of the palacs before the queen has
alighted. Shake out the cinnamon, and tho
saffron, and the calamus, and the frankin-
ce SO, and pass it into the treasure house.
Take up the diamonds until taey glitter ia
the sun.
The queen of Sheba alights. She enters
the palace. She washes at the bath. Shs
sits down at the banquet. The cup-oearers
bow. The meat nokes. The music
trembles in the dash of the waters from tbe
molten sea. Then she rises from the ban
quet and walks through the conservatories,
and gazes on the arc itecture, and she asks
Solomon many strange questions, and
she learns about the religion of
the Hebrews, and she then and there
becomes a 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 bs
turned into harps and psalteries, and into
ratings for the causeway between ths
temple and the pala %, and the one hundred
and eighty thousand dollars in money--she
begins to think that all these presents
amount to nothing in such place, and she
Is almost ashamed that she has Brought
them, and she says within herself: al
heard q great deal about this place. and
about this wonderful religion of the.
Hebrews, but find it far beyond my high
go.