Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-03-04
THE GREAT SURPRISE.
DR.. TALMAOE breaches IN THE
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
A Glowing Description az the Magnih-
cence OF Solom on --Likenei to the
Cleans OF the Chris tian Re
liglon-vory Interesting


Solomon had resolved that Jerusalem
should be the center of all sacred, regal,
and commercial magnificence. He set
himself to work. and monopolized the sur
rounding desert as a highway for his cara
vans. He built the city of Palmyra around
one OF the principal wells of the East, so
that the long trains of merchandise from
the East were obliged to step there. pay
toll, and leave part of their wealth in the
hands of Solomons merchants. He
manned the fortress Thapsacus at the
chief ford of the Euphrates, and put under
guard everything that passed there The
three great products of Palestine-wine
pressed from the richest clusters and
celebrated all the world over; oil which
In that hot country is the entire substitute
for butter and lard and was pressed from
the olive branches ant | every tree in the
country became an oil well; and honey
which wa the entire sub ,titute for sugar
these three great products of the coun-
try Solomon exported, and received in re-
turn fruits and precious woods and the
animals OF every cline.
He went down TO Ezion-geber and or
dered feet OF ships TO be constructed,
oversaw the worllmen, and watched the
launching of the flotilla which was TO go
out on more than years voyage, TO bring
home the wealth of the then known world.
He heard that the Egyptian horses were
large and swift, ard long NAMED and
round-limbed, and he resolved To purchase
them, giving eighty-tive dollars apiece for
them, putting the best of these horses in
his own stall, and selling the surplus TO
foreign potentates at great profit.
He heard that there was the best OF tim
Der on Mount Lebanon, and he sent out
one hundred and eighty thousand men to
hew down the forest and drag the timber
through the mountain gorges to construct
it into RATS TO be hoated to Joppa, and
from thence TO be drawn by OK teams
twenty-five m les across the land to Jeru-
salem. He heard that there we're beauti-
full flowers III other lands. He sent for
them, planted them in his own gardens,
and TO this very day there arc flowers
found IN the ruins of that city such as are
TO be found in no other part of Palestine
the lneal descendants OF the very flowers
that Solomar planted. He heard that in
foreign groves there were birds of richest
voice and most luxuriant wing. He sent
OuI people W CdlCu lHtu anu DIluB luGul
there, and he put them into his cages.
Stand back now and see this long ira n
of came!s coming up TO the kings gate,
and the OK trains from Egypt, gold and
silver and precious stones, and beasts of
every hoof, and birds of every wing, AMI
fish of every scale! See the peacocks
strut under the cedars, and the horsemen
run, and the chariots wheel Hark TO the
~ h.aet tsn ha ~ IL
stopping to look into tie wonders Of the
temple, step right on to the causeway, and
pass up 10 Solomon's palace!
Here we find ourselves auii collection
of buildings on which the king ad Law
ished the wealth of many empires. The
genius of Hiram, the architect and of the
other artists is here seen in the long line
of corridors and the suspended gallery aud
the approach to the throne. Tracericd
window opposite traccried window.
Bronzed ornaments bursting into lotus and
lily and pomegranate. Chapters sur
rounded by network of leaves in wa ch inn
itation fruit seemed suspended as in hang
ing baskets. Three brancncs-so Josephus
tells us-three branches scu atured on the
marble, so thin and subtle that even the
leaves seemed TO culver. a iavcr capable of
holding five hundred barrels OF water on
six-hundred brazen ox-heads. VIII Oh gushed
with water aud filled the whole place with
GOODNESS and crystalline brightness and
musical plash. Ten tables chased with
chario' wheel and lion and cnerubim.
So.omoI at on throne of ivory. At the
seating pace Of the throne on each end Of
the steps. brazen lion Why, my friends,
in that place they trimmed their candles
with shutters of gold, and they cut their
fruits with knives OF gold. aud they
washed their faces in basins of gold, and
they scooped out the ashes with shovels of
gold, and they stirred the altar fires with
tongs of gold. Gold reflected in the water
Gold flashing from the apparel! Gold
blazing in the CROWN Gold gold gold
OF course the news Of the affluence Of
that place went out everywhere by every
caravan and by wing of every ship, until
soon the streets of Jerusalem are crowd
cd with curiosity seekers. What is that
long procession approaching Jerusalem!
l think from the pomp of it tdere must
be royalty in the train Ismell the breath
of the spices which are brought as pres
ents, and / hear the shout of TIL drivers,
and see the dust-covered caravan show
ing that they come from far away Cry
the news up to the palace. The Queen of
Sheha advances. Let all the people come
out 10 see. Let the mighty men of the
land come out on tie palace corridors. Let
Solomon come down the stairs of the pal
ace before the queen has alighted. Shake
ont the cinnamon, and the saffron, and the
calamus, and the frankincense, and pass IL
into the treasure house Take up the dia-
monds until they glitter in the sun
The Queen OF Sheba alights. She en-
tiers the palace. She washes at the BATH
She sits down at the banquet The cup
bearers bow. The meat smokes. You hear
the dash of waters from the molten sea.
Then she rises from the banquet and
walks through the conservatories and
gazes on the architecture, and she asks
Solomon many strange questions. and she
learns about the religion of the Hebrews.
and she then and there becomes a servant
Of the Lord God.
She is overwhelmed. She begins 10
think that all the spices she brought and all
the precious woods which are intended TO
be turned into harps and psalteres and iu-
TO ratings for the causeway between the
Al.