The Globe-republican., 1892-03-17

i COutO nave expected. Inc Q8II-L0c
half was not told me-"
Learn from this subject what q beau
tiful thing it is when social position and
wealth surrender themselves to God.
When religion comes to a neighborhood,
the first to receive it are the women.
Some men say it is because they are
weakminded. 1 say it is because tLey
have quicker perception of what is
right, more ardent affection and capac-
ity 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, ex-
cept Jesus. Last of all come the people
OF affluence and high social position.
Alas, that it is SO!
II there are those here to-day who
have been favored of fortune, or, as
might better put it, favored Of God, sur
render all you have and all you expect
to be to the Lord who blessed the Queen
OF Sheba- Certainly you are not ashamed
to be found in this Queens company. I
am glad that Christ has had His imperial
friends in all ages-Elizabeth Christina,
Queen Of Prussia; Maria Feodorovna,
Queen of Russia; Marie. Empress Of
France; Helena, the imperial mother of
Constantine; Arcadia. from her great
fortunes building public baths in Con-
stantinople and toiling for the alienation
of the masses; Queen ClOtilda, leading
her husband and 1900 of his armed war
riors to Christian baptism: Elizabeth of
Burgundy, giving her jeweled glove to a
beggar. and scattering great fortunes
among the distressed; Prince Albert.
singing Brock of Ages" in Windsor Cas-
tie, and Queen Victoria, incognita, read
ing the Scriptures to dying pauper.
l bless God that the day is coming
when royalty will bring ali its thrones,
and music all its harmonies, and paint
ing all its pictures, and sculpture all its
statuary, and architecture all its pillars,
and conquest all its scepters; and the
queens of the earth, in long lone of adj
vance. frarkincense filling the air and
the camels laden with gold, shall ap-
proach Jerusalem, and the gates shall
be 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
Abvssinia, or some say in the southern
part of Arabia Felix. In either case it
was great way off from Jerusalem. To
go from there to Jerusalem she had to
cross country infested with bandits and
60 across blistering deserts. Why did
not the Queen of Sheba stay at home and
send a committee to inquire about this
new religion, and have the delegates re-
port in regard 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 committee. She felt she had
soul worth ten thousand kingdoms like
Sheba, and she wanted a robe richer
than any woven by oriental shuttle. 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 (road
on the camels. When l see that cara
van. dust covered, weary and exhausted,
trudglng on across the desert and among
the bandits until it reached Jerusalem, l
say, "There is an earnest seeker after
truth"
But there are great many Of you,
my friends, who do 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 go to it. There are people
who fold their arms and say: 81 am
ready to become Christian at any time.
If am to be saved shall be saved, aud
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 religion.
Bring out 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 above
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 Jeru-
salem. The Bible declares it: 1.-The
Queen of the South"-that is, this very
woman am speaking Of-'the Queen Of
the South shall rise up in judgment
against this generation and condemn it;
for she came from the uttermost parts of
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon;
and, behold! a greater than Solomon is
ucIc. uclU tllc W UTcdk UP Vic
of those people who are sitting
down in idleness expecting to be saved.
''Strive to enter in at the straight 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 traveller coming back from
Jerusalem. The news goes on the wing
Of every ship and with every caravan,
and you know story enlarges as it is re-
told, and by the time that story gets
down into the southern part of Arabia
Felix, and the Queen of Sheba hears it,
it must be tremendous story. And yet
this queen declares in regard to it, al
though she had heard so much and had