Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-29
THE GREAT SURPRISE.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on the Won
derful Glories of Solomon.
LIKE THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION.
Why Women Are the First to Surrender to
God and the Church.
A LESSON FROM THE QUEEN OF SHEBA

BROOKLYN, Feb 2S-The congregation
at the Tabernacle this morning listened to 6
glowing description of the magnifcence Of
Solomon which DR.. Talmage likened to the
glories of the Christian religion. His text
was: L Kings x.,7 Behold, the half was
not told me.
Solomon had resolved that Jerusalem
should be the center of all sacred, regal, and
commercial maGnificence. He set himself
to-work, and monopolized the surrounding
desert as highway for his caravans. He
built the city of Palmyra around one of the
principal wells of the East, so that all the
long trains OF merchandise from the East
were obliged to stop there, pay toll, and
leave part of their wealth in the hands of
Solomon's 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 cele-
brated all the world over; oil which IN that
hot country is the entire substitute for but
ter and lard, and was pressed from the olive
branches until every tree in the country be-
came an oil well; and honey which was the
entire substitute for sugar-these three
great products of the country Solomon ex-
ported, and received in return fruits and
pAS1loAS NOOOS anu euc SUlIttlAS VI SNcIg
cline
Some of the Works of Solomon.
He went down to Ezion-geber and ordered
fleet of ships to be constructed, oversaw
the workmen, and watched the launching of
the hotilla 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 and long-maned and roundlimbed,
and he resolved to purchase them, giving
SIS piece for them, putting the best of these
horses in his own stall, and selling the sur
Plus to foreign potentates at great profit.
He heard that there was the best of timber
on Mount Lebanon, and he sent out $50 900
men to hew down the forest and drag the
timber through the mountain gorges to con-
struct it into rafts to be 1loated to Joppa
and from thence to be drawn by ox-teams
. miles across the land to Jerusalem. He
heard that there were beautiful flowers in
f5 45eeT in anas ba own he oa sent foT them planted
day there are flowers found in the ruins of
that CITY such as are to be found in no other
part OF Palestine, the lineal descendants Of
the very flowers that Solomon planted. He
heard that in foreign groves there were
birds of richest voice and most luXuriant
wing. He sent out people to catch them
and bring them there, and he put them into
his cages.
Stand back and and see this long train of
camels coming: Hark to the orchestra!
Gaze upon the dance! Pass up to Solomon's
palace!
Collection of Jerusalem Buildings
Here we find ourselves amid q collection
of buildings on which the king had lavished
the wealth Of many empires The genius of
Hiram, the architect, and of the other
artists is here seen in the long line of cor
ridors and the suspended gallery and the
approach to the throne. A laver capable of
holding 500 barrels of water on GOO brazen
Ox-heads, which gushed with water and
filled the whole place with GOODNESS and
crystalline brightness and musical splash
solomon sat on throne of ivory At the
seatlng-place on the throne, on each end of
the steps brazen lion. Why, my friends,
IN that place, they trimmed their candles
with snufters of gold, and they cut their
fruits with knives of gold, and they washed
their faces in basins of gold, and they
scooped out the ashes with shovels of gold
aud they stirred the altar fires with tongs
of gold. Gold reflected in the water! Gold
flashing from the apparel Gold blazing in
OF course the news OF the affiuence of that
place went out everywhere 10y every cara
van and by wing of every ship, until soon
the streets of Jerusalem are crowded with
curiosity seekers. What is that long pro-
cession approaching Jerusalem? 1 think
from the pomp of it there must be ROYALTY
in the train. smell the breath of the spices
which are brought as presents, and hear
the shout of the drivers.
The Visit of the Queen of Sheba
Cry the news up to the palace. The Queen
of Sheba advances. Let all the people come
ont to see. Let the mighty men of the land
come out on the palace corridors. Let Solo,
mon come down the stairs of the palace be- |
fore the Queen has alighted Shake out the
cinnamon and the saffron and the calamus
aud the frankincense, and pass it into the |
treasure house Take up the diamonds un-
til they glitter in the sun.
The Queen of Sheba alights. She enters |
the palace. She washes at the bath. She sits |
down at the banquet. The cupbearers bow
he DnRat nlas Won f1n d.,e1,
waters from the molten sea. Then she rises
from the banquet and walks through the |
conservatories, and gazes on the architec- |
ture, and she asks Solomon many strange |
questions, and she learns about the religion |
of the Hebrews and she then and there |
becomes 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 halps and psalUeries and |
into railtngs for the causeway be- |
tween the temple and the pal
ace-she begins to think that all |
these presents amount to nothing in such a |
place, and she is almost ashamed that she has /
Drought them, and she SAYS within herself:
i heard great deal about this wonderful |
religion of the Hebrews, but find it far be-
Nond my highest anticipations. l must add |
more than 80 per cent to what has been
related 1t exceeds everything that could
have expected. The haIf-the half was not |
told me-
Why Women Embrace Religion.
4<edTH IRON TINS SnD)ecG what beautiful |
thing it is when social position and wealth
surrender themselves to God. When re-
ligion comes to neighborhood, the first to
receive it are the women. Some men saw it
Is because they are weak-minded. / saw it |
Is because they have quicker perception of |
what Is right, more ardent affection and ca
pacltY Tor SuOllmer emotion. After tie
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 tine people of affiuence and
high social position. Alas, that it is so!
II there are those here today who have
been favored of fortune, o. as might bet
ter put 1t, favored of God, surrender all you
have and all you expect to. be to the Lord
who blessed this Queen of Sheba.
am glad that Christ has had His imperial
friends in all ages. / bless God that the day
Is coming when royalty will bring all its
thrones, and music all its harmonies and
lainLlng an us pictures, and sculpture all its
hIituafy, ana architecture all its pillars and
conquest all its scepters; and the queens of
the earth IN long line of advance franklin |
cense nlllng the air and the caulels laden |
WIN gold, snail approach Jerusalem, and
the gates shall be hoisted and the great |
burden of splendor shall be lifted into the
palace OF this greater than Solomon.
A Long Journey After the Trutb.
Again, my subject teaches me what is
earnestness IN the search of truth Do YOU |
know where Sheba was? 1t was in ALIVE
sinla, or some say in the southern part of
Arabia Felix In either case it was q oreot
way of from Jerusalem. To get from there
to Jerusalem she had to cross a country in
tested with bandits, and go across blistering
deserts. Why did not the Queen of ShebS
stay at home and send a committee to in
cure about TINS new religion, and have the
delegates report in regard to that religion |
and weaith of King Solomon?