Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-05-08
TABERNACLE PULPIT,
"HUMDRUM ABOLISHED" THE
SUBJECT AT THAT TEMPLE.
DIR. Talmage In n Logical ana weu-De-
fined Sermon Before "a Vast Audi
snce In His Spacious and
Handsome Church.

is the House OF the Forest OF Lebanon.
King Solomon has just taken 10 ii his bride.
the princess OF Egypt. You see the pillars
OF the pOrtico, and great tower, adorned
with one thousand shields OF gold, hung Oh
the outside OF the tower-hve hundred OF
the shields OF gold manufactured at solo.
mons order, tive hundred were clptured
by David, his father, III battle. zee how
they blaze in the MONDAY sun!
Solomon goes up the ivory stairs OF hiI
throne. between twelve lions in statuary
and SITS down on the back OF the golden
bull, the head OF the bronzed beast turned
toward the people. The family and
attendants OF the king are so many,
that the caterers OF the palace have 10 pro-
vide every day one hundred sheep and thir-
teen oxen, besides the birds and the venison.
I hear the stamping and paving OF four
thousand fine horses in the royal stables.
There were important officials who had
charge OF the work Of gathering the straw
and The barley for these horses. King Solo
mon was an early riser, tradition says, and
used TO take ride out ut day-break; aud
when. IN his white apparel, behind tha
swiftest horses OF all the realm, and follow
ed by mounted archers in purple ~ the cav
alcade dashed through the streets OF Jerusa-
lem, | suppose 10 was something worth get
ting up ut hve o'clock "a the morning to
look at.
solomon was not ike some OF the kings
VI Tic DTEstnI uuy-CIOWHGu iUlDCtllllls
All the splendOr OF his palace and retnue
were eclipsed by his intellectual power.
Why, he seemed to know everything. lie
was the first great naturalist the world ever
saw. Peacocks from India strutted the
basaltic walk, and apes chartered III the
trees and deer stalked the parks and there
were aQuariums with foreign fish. and
avaries with foreign birds; and tradition
says these birds were so well-iamed that
Solomon might walk clear across the city
under the shadow Of their wings as they
lowered and fitted about him.
More than this, he had great reputation
for the conundrums and riddles that he
made aud guessed. lie and King Hiram.
his neighbor, used 10 sit by the hour and
s'k riddles, each one paying In money II he
csuld not answer or guess the riddle. The
S7lOmonic navy visited all the world and
TIE sailors, OF course, talked about the
wealth OF their king. and about the riddles
srd enigmas that he made aud solved; and
tire news spread until Queen BAlkiS, away
of south, heard OF il, and sent messengers
w:th n few riddles that she would like TO
heve Solomon solve, and u few puzzles
winch she would like to have him find out.
Size sent among other thing, to King Solo
nljn, a diamond with q hole so small
tuat needle could not penetrate il,
ASKING him 10 thread that diamond.
AID sol0mOn took II worm and put II Mt
tbs opening IN the diamond, and the worm
criwlcd through, leaving the thread In the
dimond. Ghe queen also sent goblet To
Solomon, asking him TO fill IL with water
that did not pour from the sky, and that
dil not rush out from The earth: aud inn
mediately solomon put slave on the back
OF Il swift horse and galloped him around
and around the park until the horse WAS
wcll-nigh exhaust ted. and from the perSpi-
ration OF the horse the goblet was filled.
She also sent King Solomon live hundred
boys III girls dress, and live hundred girls
i'm boys dress, wondering il he would I've
acute enough to find out tho deception.
Immediately Solomon. when lie saw them
wash their faces. knew from the way they
applied the water that 1t was all Il cheat
Queen Batis was so pleased with the
aruteness OF solomon, that she said: "Pll
Just go and see him for myself" Yonder 1t
comes-the cavalcade horses aud drOme-
diaries, chariots and chariOteers. jingling
harness and gathering hoOfs, aud blazing
, shields, and flying ensigns, and clapping
cymbalS. The place Is saturated with the
perfume. She brings cinnamon, and saffron.
ard calamus, and frankncense, aud all
manner OF sweet spices. AS the retinue
sweeps through the gate. the armed guard
inhale the aroma. "Ilalt!' cry the Chariot
GERS, rs the wheels grind the gravel IN front
OF the pillared portico OF the king. Queen
Balkis alights in al atmosphere bewitched
with perfume. AS the dromedaries are
driven up to the kings stOrehouses, and
the bundles OF camphor are unloaded. aud
the sacks OF cinnamon, and the boxes Of
spices are opened the purvevors OF the pal
ace discover what my text announces: "Of
spices, great abundance; neither was there
any such specs as the Queen OF Sheba gave
to King Solomon"
Well, my friends, you know that all
theOlogians agree In making Solomon a
type Of Christ and making the Queen OF
Sheba type Of every truth-seeker; and
shall take The responsibility OF saying that
nil the spi kenard. and cnsSia, and franklin
cense which the Queen Of Sheba brought tn
hing solomon are nightly suggestive OF
the sweet spices OF our holy religion.
Christianity is not collection OF sharp
tcchmicalties. and angular facts. and chrome
logical tables. and dry statistics. Our re-
ligl0n ls compared to frankinceHse and to
casSa, but never to nightshade. 1t IL u
bundle OF mvrrh. 1t Is dash OF holy light.
IL IL a sparkle OF cool fountains. 1t
10 an opening OF opaline gates. It's a col
lection OF spices. Would Col that we were
rs wise in taking spices to our Divine King
rs Queen Bakls was wise h taking the
spices 10 the earthly Solomon! What many
OF us most need Is IN have the hlImdrum
driven out OF our life. and the humdrum
out OF our religion. The American, and
English, and Scottish church will die OF
humdrum unless there be y change. An
editor from San Francisco few weeks ago
wrote me saying he wT getting up for his
paper symposium from many cergymon,
discussing among other things, "Why
do not people 60 to church," aud
hs wanted my opinion and gave
1t In one sentence: People do not go to
church because they cannot stand the hum
drum. The fact IL TINT most people have
30 much humdrum in their worldly calling,
that they do not want to have added the
humdrum OF religion. We need In all our
sermons AND exhortations aud songs and
prayers more OF what Queen Balkis brought
60 Solomon namely more spice.
The fact is that the duties and cares OF
this life. coming to us from time TO time,
are stupid often. and inane, and intolerable.
Here are men who have been bartering, and
negotiating. climbing. pounding. hammer
Ing for twenty years, forty years, fifty
wears. One great long drudgery has their
life been. What Is necessary TO brighten
UP TINT mans life, aud to sweeten that acid
disposition, aud TO put sparkle into the
mans spirits? The spiccry of our holy re-
ligion. Why, IL between the losses OF life
there dashed q CLEAN OF an eternal gam; IL
between the betravals Of life there came
the CLEAN OF the undying friendship of
Christ; II IN duh times in business we
found ministering spirits flying 10 and fro
in our office, and store. and shop, everyday
life, instead Of being u stupid monotone,
would be glorious inspiration pendulum
ing between calm satisfaction aud high
rapture.
Moro tbon ti,ot xrc tvant nore life opd