The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1892-03-12

breWs, and she then and there becomes
a servant OF the Lord God.
She is overwhelmed. She begins to
think that all the spices she brought,
and all the precious woods which are
intended to be turned into harps and
psalteries and into ratings for the
causeway between the temple and the
palace, and the $3.50, 900 in money
she begins to think that all these
presents amount to nothing in such a
place, and she is almost ashamed that
she has brought them, and she says
within herself: II heard a great deal
about this wonderful religion of the
Hebrews, but l find it far beyond my
highest anticipations. l must add
more than so per cent to what has
been related. 1t exceeds everything
that could have expected. The half
the half vas not told me-"
Learn from this subject what a
beautiful thing it is when social
position and wealth
SURRENDER THEMSELVES TO GOD.
When religion comes to a neighbour
hood the first to receive it 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 people of aff1uence and high
social position. Alas, that it is so!
If there are those here today who
have oeen favored of fortune, or, as I
might better put it, favored of God,
surrender all you have and all you
except to beto the Lord who blessed
this Queen of Sheba.
I bless God that the day is coming
when royalty will bring all it's thrones,
and music all it's harmonies, and
paintings all it's pictures, and sculp-
ture all it's statuary, and architecture
all it's pillars, and conquest all it's
sceptres; and the queens OF the earth,
in long line of advance, frankincense
filling the air and the camels laden
with gold, shall approach Jesusalem,
and the gates shall he hoisted, and
the great burden of splendor shall be
lifted into the palace of this greater
than Solomon.
Again, my subject teaches me what
is ~earnestness in the search of truth.
Do you know where Sheba was? 1t
was in Abyssinia, Or some say in the
southern part of Arabia Felix. In
either Ease it was a great way off
from Jerusalem. To get from there
to Jerusalem she had to cross a coun-
try infested with bandits, and 90
across %blistering deserts. Why did
not the Queen OF Sheba stay at home
and send II committee to inquire
about
THE NEW RELIGION,
and have the delegates report in re-
gard to that religion and wealth of
King Solomon? She wanted to see
for herself, and hear for herself. She
could not do this by work of commit
tee. She felt she had a soul worth
10000 kingdoms like Sheba, and she
wanted a robe richer than any woven
by oriental shuttles, and she wanted
a 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 camels. When I see that cara
van, dust-covered, weary and exhaus-
ted, trudging on across the desert and
among the bandits until it reaches
Jerusalem, I say. '"There is an earn
est seeker after the truth"
The religion ofthe Lord Jesus Christ
will not cometo you; you must 60 and
get religion. Bring cut 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 Eschol, the angels of
God the cup bearers. God help me to
break up the infatuation Of those peo-
pie who are sitting down in idleness
expecting to be saved. "Strive to en-
ter in at the strait gate. Ask, and it
shall be given you; seek, and We 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 a SURPRISE
to any one that gets it. This story
| of the new religion in Jerusalem, and
of the glory of King Solomon, who
was a type of Christ-that story rolls
on and on, and is told by every travel
81 coming back from Jerusalem. The
news goes on the wing of every ship
and with every caravan, and you
know q story enlarges as it is retold,
and by the time that story gets down
into the southern part OF Arabia
Felix, and the Queen OF SheDa 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
me. -..c T. ..
So religion is always a surprise to
any one that gets it. TIE story of
grace-an old story. Apostles preach
ed it with rattle of chain; martyrs
declared it with arm of fire; death-beds
have affirmed it with visions of glory,
and ministers Of religion have sounded
it through the lanes, and the high
ways, and the chapels, and the cathe-
drals. Ithas been cut into stone with
cnlSel, anu spread Oh the canvas WIN
pencil; and it has been recited in the
doxology of the great congregations.
And yet when a man first comes &c
| look on the palace Of Gods mercy,
and to see the rovaltv OF Christ. and
the wealth of this banquet, and the
luxuriance of his attendants, and,the
loneliness Of his face and thejoy of his
service, he exclaims withprayers, with
tears, with signs, with triumphs:
"The half-the half was not told mel"
IT rs THE OLD STORY.