Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1890-01-09

4
them, and she says within herself: i
heard great deal about thislplace, and
about this wonderful religion of the
Hebrews, but find it far beyond my
highest anticipations. must add
more than 50 per cent. to what has been
related. 1t exceeds everything that ]
could have expected. The half-the
half was not told me.S
Learn from this subject what q beau
tifdl thing it is when social position
and wealth surrender themselves to
God. When religion comes to a neigh
borhood, the first to receive il are the
women. Some men say it is because
they are weak minded. say it is be-
cause they have quicker perception of
what is right, more ardent affection and
capacity for sublimer emotion. After
the women have received the Gospel
then all the distressed and the poor of
both sexes, those who have no friends,
accept Jesus. Last of all come the
greatly prospered. Alas, that it is
so!
If there are those who have been IA
vored of fortune, or, as I might better
put it, favored of God, surrender all
you have and all you expect to be to
the Lord who blessed this queen OF
Sheba. Certainly you are not ashamed
to be found in this queens company. ]
am glad that Christ has had his imperial
friends in all ages-Elizabeth Chris
tina, Queen of Prussia; Maria Ferdo-
rovna, Queen of Russia; Marie, En-
press of France; Helena, the imperial
mother of Constantine; Arcadia, from
her great fortunes building public baths
in Constantinople and toiling for the
alleviation of the masses; Queen
Clotilda, leading her husband and three
thousand of his armed warriors to
Christian baptism; Elizabeth of Bur-
gundy, giving her jewled glove to q
beggar, and scattering great fortunes
among the distressed; Prince Albert,
singing Rock of Ages" in Windsor
Castle, and Queen Victoria, incognita,
reading the Scriptures to a dying
pauper.
I bless God that the day is coming
when royalty will bring oil its thrones,
and music all its harmonies, and paint
ing all its pictures, and architecture all
| its pillars, and conquest all its scepters,
and the queens of the earth, in long
line of advance, frankincense filling
the air and the camels laden with gold,
shall approach Jerusalem, and the
gates shall be hoisted, and the great
burden of splendor shall be lifted into
the palace of this greater than Solo,
M on.
Again, my subject teaches me what is
earnestness in the search of truth. Do
you dnow where Sheba was? 1t was in
Abyssinia, or some say in the southern
part of Arabia Felix. In either case il
was a great way off from Jerusalem.
To get from there to Jerusalem she had
to cross a country infested with bandits,
and go across blistering deserts. Why
did not the queen of Sheba stay at
home and send committee to inquire
about this new religion, and have the
delegates report in regard to that re-
ligion and wealth of King Salomon?
She wanted to see for herself, and hear
for herself. She could not do this by
work of committee. She felt she had q
soul worth ten thousand kingdoms like
Sheba, and she wanted q robe richer
than any woven by Oriental shut
ties, and she wanted crown set with
the Jewels of eternity. Bring Iout the
camels. Put on the spices. Gather up
the jewels of the throne and put them
on the caravan. Start now; no time to
be lost. Goad on the camels. When ]
see that caravan, dust covered, weary
and exhausted, trudging on across the
desert and among the bandits until it
reaches Jerusalem, say: There is an
earnest seeker after the truth"
But there are great many who do lot
act in that way. They all want to get
the truth, but they want the truth to
come to them; they do not want to go to
it. There are people who fold their
arms and say: Il am ready to become a
Christian at any time; if / am to be
saved shall be saved, and if am to be
lost shall be lost" But Jerusalem will
never come to you; you must go to Jeru-
salem. The religion of the Lord Jesus
Christ will not come to you; you must
go and get religion. Bring out the
camels; put on all the sweet
spices, all the treasures of the
hearts affection. Start for the throne.
Go in and hear the waters of salvation
dashing in fountains all around about
the throne. Sit down at the banquet
the wine pressed from the grapes of the
heavenly Eshcol, the angels of God the
cup bearers. Goad on the camels. The
Bible declares it: aThe queen Of the
south that is, this very woman am
speaking of-"the queen of the south
shall rise up in Judgment against this
generation and condemn it; for she
came from the uttermost parts of the
earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and, behold! o greater than Solomon is
here" What infatuation the sitting
down in idleness expecting to be saved.
Strive to enter in at the strait gate.
Ask, and it shall be given you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened to you" Take the kingdom of
Heaven by violence. Urge on the
camels
Again, my subject impresses me with
the fact that religion is surprise to
any one that gets it. This story of the
new religion in Jerusalem, and of the
glory of King Solomon, who was type
of Christ-that story rolled on and on,
and was told by every traveller coming
back from Jerusalem. The news goes
on the wing of every ship and with every
caravan, and you know q story en-
larges as it is retold, and by the time
that story gets down into the southern
part Of Arabia Felix, and the queen of
| Sheba hears it, it must be tremendous
story. And yet this queen declares in
| regard to it, although she had heard SO
much and had her anticipations raised
SO high, the half-the half was not told
| her.
So religion is always surprise to any
one that gets it,. The story of grace-an
old story. Apostles preached it with
rattle of chain; martyrs declared it with
| arm Of fire; deathbeds have affirmed il
with visions of glory, and ministers of
religion have sounded it through the
| lanes, and highways, and the chapels,