Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1891-05-08
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
"HUMDRUM ABOLISHED" THE
SUBJECT AT THAT TEMPLE.
Dr. Taimsgs In n Logical ana weii-Ds-
nnod sermon before ~ Vast Audi
ence In His Spacious and
Handsome Church.

hlnR SOlOnOu mas JU>l taktn 10 IL us bllut,
the princess OF Egypt. You see the pillars
OF tue portico, amt great tower. adorned
with one thousand shields OF gold, hung Oh
the outside OF the tOwer--tve hundred OF
the shields OF gold manufactured AZ solo.
mons order, nve hundred were captured
by DAVID, his father, IN battle. zee how
they blaze in the MONDAY SUM-
solomon goes up the ivory stairs OF Ills
throne, between twelve lious 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 venlson.
/ 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
aud The barley for these horses. King Solo
mon was an early riser, tradition says, and
used TO take 4 ride out at day-kreak; and
when, in his white apparel, beninu tGc
swiftest horses of all the realm. aud follow
cd by mounted archcrs IN purple H. the cav
alcadc dashed through the streets Of Jerll'a-
lem, suppose it was something worth get
ting up at i've o'clock III the morning TO
look at.
solomon was not like some of the kings
Of the present day-crOwued imbeclity.
All the splendor o; his palace and retinue
Why lie seemed to know everything. lie
was the first great naturalist the world ever
saw. Peacocks from ladia Struticd the
ba>altic walk and apes chartered IN the
trees and deer slalked tic parks and there
were aquariums with foreign fish, aud
avlaries with foreign birds; and tradition
says these birds were 80 wcl-tamed that
Solomon might walk clear across the city
under the shadow OF their wings rs they
lowered and lifted about him.
More than this, he had great reputation
for the conundrums and riddles that he
made and guessed. lie and King Hiram.
his ne ghbor. used TO sit by the hour and
SIX riddles, each one paying In money IL lie
ctuld not answer or guess the riddle. The
S1lOmonic navy visited all the world, ana
tie sailors, OF course, talked about the
wealth OF their king. and about the riddles
ard cnigmas thai he made and solved; and
tte news spread until Quecn Balkis, away
of south, heard of il, and sent messengers
with few riddles that she would like 10
heye Solomon solve, and q few puzzles
winch she would like IL have him find out.
Size sent among other thing, TO King Solo-
ntn, diamond with hole so small
tuat a needle could not penetrate IL.
ASKING HIM 10 thread that diamond.
AID SolomOn took worm and put II ut
tbr opening IN the diamond, and the worm
crtwltd through, leaving the thread in the
Diamond. The queen also sent goblet Ia
&C lomon, asking him 10 ill it with water
TINT did not pour from the SKY, aud that
diu not rush out from the earth; and inI-
mcdiately solomon put a slave on the back
oil swift horse and galloped him around
and around the park until the horse was
well-nigh cNhau. ted and from tie per>pi-
ration OF the horse the goblet was filled.
She also sent King Solomon live hundred
boys IN girls dress, and tive hundrei girls
in boys dress, wondering IL lie would he
acute enough TO fnd out tho deception.
Immediately Solomon, when lie saw them
wash their faces, knew from the way they
applied the water that it was al a cheat.
Queen Balks was so pleased with the
acUteness OF solomon, that she said: "Pl
just go and see him for myself" Yonder 1t
c9mes-the cayalcade -horseS aud drome-
diaries, char0ts and charioteers, jinglin
harness and gathering hOots, and blazing
shields, and flying ensigns, aud clapping
cymbals. The place il saturated with the
perfume. She brings cinnamon, and saffron,
ard calamus, and frankinceuse and all
manner OF sweet spices. As The retinue
sweeps through the gate, the armed guard
inhalc he aroma. Halt cry the chariot
GERS, rs the wheels grind the gravel III front
Of the pillared portiro OF Tie king. Queen
Balkis aliehtS IN IN atmosphere bewitched
( with perfume. As the dromedaries are
driven up 10 the kings stOrehouses, and
the bundles OF cnmphor are unloaded, and
the sacks of cinnamon, and the boxes OF
spices are opened, the purveyors OF the pal
ace discover what my text announces: "Of
spices. great abundance; neither was there
any such spices as the Queen OF Sheba gave
To King solomon
Well, my friends, you know that all
thcologiaus agree in making Solomon n
type OF Christ and making the Queen OF
Shcba type Of every truth-seeker; and
shall take The responsibility OF saying that
all the sp kenard. and cassia. and franklin
ccn>e which the Queen Of Sheba brought to
- H..
the sweet spices OF our holy religion.
Christianity il not coilcc ion OF sharp
tcchnicaltios and angular facts aud chrome
logical tables and dry Stats les. Our re.
ligion - compared to frankincerse and TO
casSia. but never to nightshnde. 1t IL "a
bundle Of myrrh. IL is dash OF holy light.
II il sparkle OF cool fountains. 1t
is an opening OF opaline gates. II IL coll
lection OF spices. Would Go that we were
n wise in taking spices to our Divine King
as Queen BakiN was wise In taking the
spices o the earthly solomon! What many
OF us most need Is 10 have tho humdrum
driven out OF our life. and the humdrilm
out OF our religion The American. and
English, and Scottish church will die Of
humdrum unlcss there he 4 change An
editor from San Francisco n few weeks ago
wrote me saving he wa. getting TN for his
paper n symposium from many clergymen,
discussing among other thugs. "Why
do not people 20 To church," and
he wanted my opinion and gave
il In one sentence: PEOPLE do not 20 to
church because they cannot stand tho hum
drum The fact u that most people have
so much humdrum In their worldly calling,
that they do not want To have added the
humdrum OF religion We need in all our
sermons aud exhortations and songs and
prayers more OF what Queen Balkis brought
60 Solomon. namely more spice.
The fact is that tho duties and cares OF
this lie. coming TO us from time 10 time,
nre stupid often, and inane, and intolerabe
Here are men who have been hlrtcriug, aud
negotiating. climbing, pounding, hammer
! ing for twenty wears, forty years, fifty
wears. One great long drudgcry has their
/ life been. What is necessary TO brighten
up that mans life, and to sweetcn that acid
disposition, aud TO put sparkle Into the
mans spiritsy The spiccry OF our holy re-
| ligion. Whv, il between the losses OF life
there dashed CLEAN OF an eternal gam; il
between the hetravals OF life there came
/ the CLEAN OF the undylng friendship Of
/ Christ; IL in dull times in business we
found ministering spirits flying TO and fro
i'm our Office, and store, and shop, everyday
life. instead Of being a stupid monotone
would he glorious inspiration pendulum
ing between calm satisfaction aud high