The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1891-05-06
1HUMDRUM ABOLISHED. f"
Sermon bv Rev. T. Dewitt Tai.
mage, d. D..
A Great Deal Of the Present Day Religion
Utterly Insiped = More Life and
Spice Must be Put Into Teach
Ing, Church Work and
Church Music.


discourse last Sunday was "Humdrum
Abolished" and his text III. Chronicles
L., 0: "Of spices great abundance;
neither was there any such spice as tho
Queen of Sheba gave King Solomon"
What Is that building out yonder,
giittering in the sun? Have you not
heardP 1t is the House Of the Forest Of
Lebanon. King Solomon has just taken
v 1t his bride, the princess Of Egypt.
You see the pillars of the portico, and q
great tower, adorned with one thousand
thields Of gold, hung on the outside of
the tower--fve hundred of the shields
of gold manufactured at Solomon's
order, five hundred were captured by
David, his father. in battle. See how
they blaze in the MONDAY sunl
Solomon goes up the, ivory stairs Of
his throne, between twelve lions in
ftatuary, and sits down on the back Of
he golden bull, the head Of the bronze
beast turned toward the people. The
family and attendants of the king are
20 many, that the caterers Of tho palace
have 70 provide every day 100 sheep and
thirteen oxen, besides tho birds and the
yenison. Ihear the stamping and paw
ing Of 1000 fine horses in the royal
stables. There were important officials
who had charge of the work OF gather
ing the straw and the barley for these
horses. King Solomon was an early
riser, tradition says, and used TO take a
hdo out at daybreak; and when, in his
white apparel, behind the swiftest
horses Of all the realm, and followed by
mounted archers in purple, as the cav
alcade dashed through the streets Of
Jerusalem, I suppose It was something
worth getting up at 8 o'clock in the
morning to look at.
Solomon was not like some of the
kings Of the present day-crowned i'm
becility. All the splendor Of his palace
and retinue were eclipsed by his intel
lsctual power. Why, he seemed to
know everything. He was the first
great naturalist the world ever saw.
1eacocks from India strutted the ba.
saltic walk, and apes chartered In the
trees, and deer stalked the parks and
there were aquariums with foreign fish,
and aviaries with foreign birds; and ira
dition says these birds were so we'll
tanned 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 repu-
tation for the conundrums and riddles
that he made and guessed. He and King
Hiram, his neighbor, used to sit by the
hour and ask riddles, each one paying
In money II he could not answer or guess
the riddle. The Solomonic navy visited
all the world, and the sailors, of course,
talked about the wealth of their king,
and about the riddles and enigmas that
be made and solved; and the news
until Queen Ballds, away off
south, heard Of It, and sent messengers
with few riddles that she would like
TO have Solomon solve, and few puz-
zles which she would like TO have him
find out. She sent among other things
10 King Solomon, diamond with hole
so small that needle could not pene-
trate II, asking him TO thread that dia-
mond. And Solomon took worm and
put It at the opening in the diamond,
and the worm crawled through, leaving
the thread In the diamond. The queen
also sent a goblet TO Solomon, asking
him TO fill 1t with water that did not
pour from the sky, and that did not
rush out from the earth; and immedi-
etely Solomon put slave on the back
d aswlft horse and galloped him around
and around the park until the horse was
pigh exhausted, and from the perspira-
hon Of the horse the goblet was filled.
She also sent King Solomon FIVE hun
ired boys in girls dress, and FIVE hun
drcd girls in boys dress, wondering IL
he would be cute enough to find out the
deception. Immediately solomon, when
he saw them wash their faces, knew
from the way they applied the water
that II was all cheat.
Queen Balkis was so pleased with the
accuteness Of Solomon that she said
"I'1l Just 20 and see him for myself" Z"
Yonder Il comes-the calvacade
and dromedaries. chariots and chariot
esrs, jingling harness and Gathering
hoofs, and blazing shields, and flying
ensigns, and clapping cymbals The
tlace Is saturated with the perfume.
She brings cinnamon, and saffron, and
and calamus and franlSincense, and all
manner Of sweet spices, As the retinue
sweeps through the gate, the armed
guard inhale the aroma Halt" cry
ne charioteers, as the wheels grind In
the egravel In front Of the pillared portico
Of the king. Queen Balkis slights In an
atmosphere bewitched with perfume.
As the dromedaries are driven up 10 the
kings store-houses, and the bundles Of
sAmphor are unloaded, and the sacks Of
cinnamon, and the boxes Of spices are
opened, the purveyors Of the palace dis
cover what my text announces: "0f
spices, great abundance; neither was
there any such spices as the Queen OF
. Bhebs gave 10 King Solomon"
Well, my frienda, you know that all
thsologians agroe In making Solomon q
type OF Christ, and making the Queen
Of Sheba type Of every truth-seeker;
and shall take the responsibility OF
saying that all the spi<enard, and oas-
ala, and frankincense which the Queen
Of sheba brought 70 King Solomon are
nightly suggestive Of the sweet spices
Of our holy religion. Christianity Ia
& not collection of sharp technicalities,
and angular facts and chronological