The Progress., 1896-11-28

Ns1ysAEH3l~ III last lesson on SOLO
ikEYSy4E5j ~ mons career. From
SAHS| the glories of llt'
- MxYNM we turn to look up
uS1sSES)l y on a tragedy. we
10 see how 1.-The lons
0S N and bright summer
W day of the great
kings reign was fated to set with sloo n
indications of gathering evil. .ha
Scriptures are too wise to portray .,.o
grandeur without also showing us ua
gers: and they are too truly "nllos ,ol,,,
cal not to show the source Oh the INV"
fall of the wisest of men. ,
There are many instances IN his.o'y
of lives of genius and enthusiasm, OF nls
promise and partial Accomplishments,
marred and flung away, but none We" |
present the great tragedy of wasted GU
and blossoms never fruited in sha!pe'
more striking form than the Ire OF .ils
wise king of Israel who, in ms 'a..e'
days. was "a fool The goofllest Vea
sci may be shipwrecked in slgEt ol POI,
THE sun went down in thick JAIN
of clouds, which rose from ullu,' LIZ,
marshes in his soul. and stretcheo MS
up in the western horizon. HIS cale.''
in it's glory and it's shame, preaches tile
great lesson which the Book OF Eccieslaa,
tes puts into his mouth as the conciu ,
| of the whole matter: Fear Coo, anu n.y.
| His commandments; for this is the "Aoi'
| duty of man. "McLaren.
4. at came to pass, when Sololiio,
was old" Between 50 and 60 years o!u
when he ought to have been in his spirit
ual and mental prime. 'His wives. h,als
of them foreign princesses, the daus, ltel
of Pharaoh, and women of the Moap1tes'
Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians ana NJ
tites. heather women who brought tneh
heather natures, training and custol7
with them. Turned away his heart ai
ter other gods" This was srauu '. !,
process resisted while he was BUSY wiz
; his religious work of building up the
kingdom, but as he gave himself up llloi
to pleasure, his energies became relaAeu !.
his conscience dulled and Weakeheu' as
power of resistance lessened; tnese ~
2 eign wives with youth, ana niue " W.
j, cajoled and persuaded the klls " ''0'
wishes. , co,,,
t S, For Solomon went after" SOM
commentators think that Solomon actual
" worshiped idols, but most thlhh VIC
his sin was that described IN ve,s.
8 where he favored and abetted 'uoia'i'
g by building idol temples, and supporte
-, idolatry "And his heart was not per
- feet with the Lord" The word rendere
l. heart in the Old Testament Is very sig
e nificant 1t means more than the VII
the emotions and the affections. fer1ee
(entire) with the Lord. -. as wa
n the heart of David his father" NOT ina
"a David was a perfect man. but ne neVt
=, swerved from his loyalty to God. HIS SCI
- vice of God was imperfect. lndeeo; ..
St he never served other GODS and MS Vi
TO ter repentance shows that IN MS hea
~ he was always loyal and true. solomo
~ was not whole-hearted in coos serVlce.
to I. "Then did Solomon" as the ne!
ly step, build a high place." a SHRINE
~ temple on a hilltop among the trees. r,
.. "Chemosh," a local name for baai' u ,
OF sun god. "The abomination, the 10
st. and its worship intensely hateful to 10
:, "Of Moab" The Moabites, also descen
49, ants of Lot, lived east Of the lower &c
'e- dan "In the hill that is before Jerus
lis lem" The Mount of Olives, the southe
Nd peak of which was hence called t
4, Mount of Offense," and the mount
us the DESTROYER" and the Mount OF "
ru. ruption" ~
.ln s. "And likewise did he for all
i, strange (foreign) wives" Having 40
'. this for some, there was no reason !"
Dc he should not be impartial. mus
nd 'halted between two opinions, ana tr
nv "to serve two masters solomon, nav
-, committed the double crime OF poiysa
uo with heather wives, could only Will ~
difficulty avoid tolerating idolatry. Lei
ING nersons came to visit him from
the surrounding nations, many OF WI
were included in the empire; ana 10
each one an opportunity TO worship as
pleased at the center of worship seen
so worldly wise, so large-hearted, so
Grant so broad But it was like tolel
Tn. ing worms at the roots of the trees, we
n. in the garden, wild beasts in the no
HA- AS Milman we'll says. Thus the grand
in of the kingdom, by destroying it's un
Iiss and enfeebling it's religion, the Ger
a., and bond of unity, led inevitably to
ouy fall" All this naturally encouraged
Wed morality. and cruelty, and crime, WI
she were a part of the idolatrous worship
oie. was a public dishonoring OF God ana
~ true religion, which he had done so m
1aD' to upbuild.
,ply r. notwithstanding in thy days I
:, - not do It," The threatening had
~ gracious and merciful limitations: ~
re- blow should not fall until after his de
hing (cf, v. "a; chap q! 49, 2 Kings ~ 2W;
ma. ~ the disruption should be but par
There should be remnant. ~
&C. Commentary. For David thy faith
rifle sake" Because of David's goodness
take of the promises made to him q San
wv 1910. We little know the benefits OF
NY NY evils entailed upon us by our forefatf
X. 81 will rend it out of the hand OF
eale. SON." whose bad conduct arose lar
,or from the polygamy and sins OF Solor
gov IL. 81 will give one tribe to
Lues- SON" The tribe of Judah, which aDso
uch. the tribe of Benjamin, so that tn
= 81 entirely consistent with the statemen
~ the same writer a few verses fartne
xact- that two tribes should remain in
Miss mons family. v,,
Naot Compare the history Of Louis XIV
Mee france and the results Of his oppre'
error If the people. For David my serV
to be sake. and for Jerusalem's sake"
,rIo- Lingdom endured in this line, and
kingdom of God in the world to-day
" 10 outgrowth from 1t.
pos -
many FLASHES OF FUN.
rife, "a. .,u
Urt ~, ,ho doocn'f link With rave