The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-12-05
SOIONON'S SIN.
The International ,unday-schooi Lesson
for To- Morrow.

for To- MorfoW'
December 6.-solomon's Sin.-L Kings
XII. Alb. A.,
III we would always look only on the
bright side OF mems lives. we wouin 80
much to MI us with wonder ana praise,
but little to cause Us 10 wdtcn ana pray %
long as humanity Is bowed down WIN III
frmities 80 long will II be necessary
for US 10 look now and then upon the
dark side OF life. that we may be kept
aware OF our own weakness and OF the
dangers which surround US.
We have seen the sun rise IN solomon
life and have watched its progress 10
the zenith. until our eyes have been ddI-
zlcd by the cver-increasing blaIe OF
splendOr. II makes one heart acne 10
think that such a sun should go down
behind black bank OF clouds, ana we
would gladly turn from the scene while
Solomon Is yet in his glory. But II Is IN
the last view of his life That we learn 4
lesson of warning. and that, atter All
is the important lesson OF his ne.
IL is not difficult 10 trace the footsteps
I'm the path which leads downward.
Luxury Influences the appetite and often
starts cry for more that cannot be sat
isned within the bounds OF righteous
ness. Solomon took too much sauce IN
his life. and his taste became Nluated
until he could enjoy nothing that was not
STEPPED In sauce. Such craving new.
tably carries a man into the realms OF
sin. and Solomon soon reached the point
where. according TO his own Sohltssion'
soever mine eye desired 1 kept not from
them. l withheld not my heart from any
lOy." That means sin; II always means
sin. II was natural that At TINS point
he should have yielded 10 the sin that
is the common failing OF oriental kings,
and IL IS not difficult 10 believe that ms
harem had 4 thousand inmates. But the
sin here stressed was not sensuditty, nut
dsobedence 10 the divine law. which
required that "he should not multiply
wives unto himself. that his heart turn
not away II was the sin OF exposing
himself to the temptations OF idolatry by
marrying pagan women. in the face OF
divine warnings. He turned away from
tho Lord and put himself in the power
Of enchanting ido.aters. OF course We are
not 10 suppose that he looked M II that
way. lie knew he was doing wrong.
but he quoted his conscience with the
assurance that IL could not be very
great wrong-not so great, perhaps, but
that II might be balanced by the liberal
spirit he would manifest I'm forming alli-
anccs with heather. Probably he argued
his conscience To sleep just as a great
many do nowadays This eXclusiveness.
he might have said. lis all wrong. We
must not set ourselves above the rest
of the world as If we were better than
others. Who knows. after all but that
their religion may be true as well as ours2
or who knows but that they may be
worshpping our God under another
nance Why may not there be good IN
an religions
Why not show catholic spirit by hon
Oring the gods of other nations as well
as our own GOd2' II Is easy TO put
ones self TO sleep with such talk The
snare is In installing liberalism for lib
crafty. The man who IS welded to his
creed, but who. Notwithstanding, cher
shes kindly feelings toward those of
opposing crccds is liberal. lie gives
OF the Kindness Of his heart when II
costs something. But the man who hon
ors all beliefs because he has no settled
convictions of his own t. not liberal.
| he does not give anything. The man VINO
SAYS that AN religions are good can be
depended upon not to care a fig for any
| Of them. When Solomon set up affairs
| 10 the gods Of the heather. II meant
| plainly that there was plenty OF Toom
| for them. Jehovah no longer occupied
the place In his heart which belonged
! 10 him. That is what Is meant by the
declaration that SolOmon's heart was
not perfect with the Lord his God as
| 10 does not mean that David WAS per-
| feet or that Solomon was only a little
| less than perfect. But whatever David
| WAS. and whatever he aid. he could
Of Israel and against the gods OF the
! heather. He was perfect I'm that In
| AN his hackslidings he never turned a
| hairs breadth toward idolatry. I'm this
! Solomon was unlike his father lie
was disloyal 10 Jehovah. lie went
after AshtOreth and Mlcom (MOlech)
! and Chemosh II is not said that &c
w0rshippod these heather diviniiies. but
| he favored and ahctted idOldtry. by
| building temples 10 idols and supporting
| idol worship in Jerusalem.
| And the Lord was angry with Solo
| mon because his heart was turned
| from the Lord God of Israel What
! evor this may mean. 10 certainly means
| something. it is time for us 20 stop
! slurrlng over such statements IN a way
! that leaves God as cold and Indifferent