Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-03-03
ovuld have eXlneved. The half--the hall
was not told me-"
WOMEN EIRST

surrender themselves to God. When re-
ligion comes to II neghborhood, the first to
receive it are the women Some men say
it is because they are weakminded. say
it is because 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 people of aflluence !
and high social position. Alas. that it
is so,
If there are those here today who have
been favored of fortune, or, as might bet |
ter put it, favored of God, surrender all |
you have and all you expect to be to the
Lord who blessed this Queen of Sheba Ger !
tainly you are not ashamed to be found in !
this queens company. am glad that |
Christ has had his imperial friends in all
ages Elizabeth Christina, queen of Prus
STA; Maria FeodOrovna, queen of Russia,
Marie, empress of France; Helena, the inn
pcrial mother of Constantine; Arcadia, |
from her great fortunes building public
baths in Constantinope and toiling for the
alienation of the masses; Queen Clotilda,
leading her husband and three thousand
of his armed warriors to Christian baptism;
Elizabeth of Burgundy, giving her jeweled
| glove to bcGgar and scattering great for.
tunes among the distressed; Prince Albert,
singing Rock of Ages" in Windsor castle,
and Queen Victoria, incognta, reading the
| Scriptures to a dying pauper.
| bless God that the day is coming when
royalty will bring all its thrones, and mu-
sic all its harmonies, and painting all its
| pictures and sculpture all its statuary,
| and architecture all it's pillars, and con
| quest all its scepters and the queens of
| the earth, in long line of advance, franklin
cense 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 thanSolomon.
| EARNEsTNEsS IN SEARCHING FOR TRUTH.
Again, my subject teaches me what is
earnestness in the search of truth Do you
know where Sheba was? II was in Abys-
.inin. or some say in the southern part of
irabia Felix In either case it was a great
way oil from Jerusalem. To go from there
% Jerusalem she had to cross a country in
| tested with bandits and go across blister
| ing deserts. Why did not the Queen of
Shcba stay at home and send a committee
TO inquire about this new religion, and
lave the delegates report in regard to
that religion and wealth of King Solo
mon?
She wanted to see for herself and hear
| Tor lefSell. one COulu not 40 lllS ny WOTh
of committee. She felt she had n soul
worth ten thousand kingdoms like Sheba,
and she wanted robe richer than any
woven by oriental shuttles and she wanted
crown set with the jewels of eternity.
Bring out 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 camcls.
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 ear
nest seeker after the truth"
But there are great many of you, my
friends. who Go not act in that way. You
all want to get the truth, but you want the
truth to come to you; you do not want to
90 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" All! Jerusalem will never
come to you; you must go to Jerusalem.
| The religion of the Lord Jesus Christ will
not come to you; you must go and get re-
ligion. Bring out the camels. Put on all
the sweet spices, all the treasures of the
heart 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 Eschol,
, the angels Of God the cupbearers.
GOad on the camels; Jerusalem Will never
come to you; you must go to Jerusalem.
: The Bible declares it: 1.-The queen of the
south"-that is this very woman l am
speaking of-''the queen of the south shall
rise up in Judgment against this genera
, ton and condemn it; for she came from the
uttermCst parts of the earth to hear the
! wisdom of Solomon; and behold! u greater
than Solomon is here" God help me To
break up the infatuation of those people
who are sitting down in idleness expecting
to he saved. Strive to enter in at the
l straight gate Ask, and it shall be given
you; seek, aud We shall find knock, and il
y shall be opened to you" Take the king
dom Of heaven by violence. Urge on the
5 camclsl
4 TIE GLORIES OF RELIGION.
G Again, my subject impresses me with the
l fact that religion is surprise TO any one
+ that gets it. This story of the new religion
4 in Jerusalem, and Of the glory of King
! Solomon, vino WAS II type of Christ-that
story rolls on and on and is told by every
Traveller coming back from Jerusalem.
f The news goes on the wing of every ship
y and with every caravan, and You know 4
! story enlarges as it is retOld, and by the
l | Jlnc JulU STORY SeuS dOWu INTO the south
: crn part of Arabia Felix, and the Queen OF
< Sheba hears it, it must be tremendous
y story. And yet this queen declares in re
C gard to it,, although she had heard sc
! much and had her anticipations raised sc
G high, the half-the half was not told her.
t SO religion is always a surprise to any
) one that gets it. The story of grace-al
/ old story, Apostles preached it with rat
. tie Of chain; martyrs declared it with arm
{ of fire; Geathbeds have affirmed it with
u visions of glory and ministers of religion
e have sounded it through the lanes and the
c highways and the chapels and the cathe
s drals. 1t has been cut into stone will
e chsel and spread on the canvas with pen
$ Gill; and it has been reoited in the doxol
ogy of great congregations. And yet whel
s q man first comes to look on the palace O
e Gods mercy and to see the royalty Of Christ
s and the wealth of this banquet, and thu
G luXurance of his attendants, and the love
n illness of his face, and the JOY of his serv
S ice, he eXclaimS with prayers with tears