The Globe-republican., 1892-03-17
tabernacle Truths.

be0OJO, the 0at1 was not COlQ me.
Solomon had resolved that Jerusalem
should be the center of all sacred, regal
and commercial magnificence. BE set
himself to work and monopolized the
surrounding desert as highway tor his
caravans. He built the city Of Palmyra
around one of the principal wells of the
East so that all the long trains of mer-
chandise 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 Eu-
pirates, and put under guard everything
that passed there.
The three great products at Palestine
wine pressed from the richest clusters
and celebrated all the world over: oil
which in that country is the entire SUBJ
stitute for butter and lard, and was
pressed from the olive branches until
every tree in the country became an oil
well. and honey which was the entire
substitute for sEgar-these three great
products of the country Solomon ex-
ported and received in return 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 wcrkmen, and watched the
launching of the flotilla which was to go
out on more than a years voyage to
bring home the wealth of the then known
world. He heard that the Egyptian
horses were large and swift. and long
named and round limbed, and he re-
solved: to purchase them, giving 1855
apiece for them, putting the best of these
10, tal1 fl>a
surplus to foreign potentates at great
profit
He heard that there was the best of
timber on Mount Lebanon, and he sent
out $50. 600 men to hue down the forest
and drag the timber through the noun
tain gOrges, to construct it into RATS to
be flOated to Joppa, and from thence to
be drawn by OK teams twenty-five miles
across the land to Jerusalem. He heard
that there were beautiful flowers in
other lands. He sent for them, planted
them in his own gardens, and to this
very dav 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 for
eign groves there were birds of richest
sent out people to catch them and bring
them there, and he put them into his
cages.
Stand back now and see this long train
of camels 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. and
fish of every scale! See the peacocks
strut under the cedars, and the horsemen
run and the chariots wheel! Hear the
orchestra! Gaze upon the dance! Not
stopping to look into the wonders of the
temple, step right on to The causeway
and pass up to SolomOn's palace!
Here we find ourselves amid a cOllec-
ton 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 corridors, and the suspended
gallery. and the approach to the throne.
Traceried window opposite traceried
window. BronZed ornaments bursting
into lotus and lily and pomegranate.
Chapters surrounded by network of
leaves in which imitation fruit seemed
suspended as in hanging baskets.
Three brancheS-sO JOsephus tells us
three branches Scultured on the mar
BILE, so thin and subtle that even the
leaves seemed to culver. A laver
capable of holding 500 barrels of
water and 600 braZen OK "headS, which
guShed with water and filled the whole
place with GOODNESS and crystalline
brightness and musical plash. Ten ia
bles chased with chariot wheel and lion
and cherIbim. Solomon sat on throne
ofivory. At the seating place of the
throne, on each end of the steps. brazen
lion.
Why, my friends, in that place they
trimmed their candles with snufers
of gold, and they cut their fruit
with knives of gold, and 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 crowded
with curiosity seekers. What is that long
procession approaching Jerusalem?
think from the pomp of it there must be
royalty In the train. l smell the breath |
of the spices which are brought as pres
ents. and hear the shout of the 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 Sheba advances. Let all the people i
come out to see. Let the mighty men of |
the land come out on the palace cor
ridors. Let Solomon come down the |
stairs of the palace before the Queen has |
alighted. Shake out the cinnamon and |
the saffron and the calamus and the |
frankincense and pass it into the treas !
ure house. Take up the diamonds until |
thew 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 he fhn0nnh ho