Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-12-12
A ROYAL CHURCH BUILDER,
The international Sunday School Les
son for December 10 is, "Solomon
pedleates the Temple" | Kings,
S:1.11
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

a wave OF religious aCllNllS, dAdio
gous in some respects to the spread
of early Christianity, Buddhism and
is passing over our
American world" Throughout history
there have been waves of religious
interest, variously expressed. In KING
Solomon's time this spirit lowered III
the erection of the great temple, the
glory of which marked high water
in Jewish ritualistic worship.
The present day religious MOOD
does not take the form of church .
building. although the magnificently
simple church OF the Christian Sci.
entists in Boston. the great Cathedral
Of st. John the Divine in New York,
and the sumptuous cathedral now
building in Washington. are evidences
that men still delight to honor God
through sumptuous forms and tower.
ing stone and beautiful paintings and
stained glass windows. More slgnm-
cant of the temper of the time are
! the "cathedrals Of work" the ONCE
buildings which are nowadays being
erected as UNCONVENTIONAL headquar-
| tiers and as mission houses. For hui
man service, evangelistic zeal. the
spirit of brotherhood and expressions
of the spirit of civil righteousness
evoke today the religious fervor which
| in Solomon's time concentrated upon
the great temple.
| A churchman Who Was Not Good.
(! There has always been deal oil
scorn expressed for conspicuous
churchmen whose zeal for personal
righteousness does not equal their ar
dor for the concerns of organized re
Iigion. "Hypocrite' is the mildest
word that critics find to describe this
type. Perhaps some persons suppose
that this sort Of man has come into
existence along with our modern
swollen fortunes. Yet even the great
King Solomon was such one.
David's son is best known for the
temple he built This was his CHIEF
Gift to his kingdom The splendor OF
that creation Is the shining event OF
his reign. To the end of time Solo
mon will be known as the man who
elected wisdom (although he did not
always employ it, and as the build
or of the glorious first temple OF
the Jews. His own conduct was not
so beautiful: he was all easy-loving,
oppressive, self-indulgent king, who
brought heavy woes upon his subjects,
and, despite the great temple which
bore his name, he led them into idol
airy.
A brave word of truth needs to be
spoken concerning Solomon, and AL
who have since followed his example
of doing munificent deeds in the
name Of religion without conforming
their own lives to the plain require.
ments Of Jehovah. These times are
ready to speak that word. For God
is not to be bribed by gifts, nor fiat
tered by patronage, nor won by good
deeds, ostentatiously performed with
the right hand while the left is engag
ed in evil The first obligation which
Jehovah lays upon anybody, high OF
low. is to obey his law: from recs
oning on account of that obligation
he cannot be diverted. A beautiful
church, a noble philanthropy, is ne
substitute for a clean life.
The Church and the Skyscraper.
The historic churches along lower
Broadway in New York are beine
dwarfed, INTELLECTUALLY, by the sur
rounding office buildings. Let no one
confuse the relative importance o
the two on this account. We have no
yet gone 10 the point of dedicatins
!, new office buildings with solemn Ger
u emory and ritual The church stands
for the highest expression of man.
life: the Office building represent
. him on a lower scale. A church rep
IS resents the permanent spiritua
IL ideals. 1t embodies the Hottest hu
e man aspirations: nations best e1
q preston of it's religious sentiment rer
resents the nation at it's best. TIL
he apex Of Israel's career was it's ten
g pIe-building era.
II, AS the Orient Builds.
a Anybody who has travelled throug
IS the East, and especially through Ii
it dia, can appreciate somewhat tn
er magnificence Of Solomon's temple
d. There is no architecture to equal tn
Tai Mahal: no masonry to equal tn
A Pyramids, in all this western worlt
at I have seen oriental palaces an
az tombs and mosques and temple
40 which reveal richness of archite
&c tural imagination, sumptuousness
40 scheme. such as our western builder
az seem never to approach in their wilt
a. est flights Not the Vatican itself, nj
~ any OF the cathedrals Of Europe an
~ America that | have seen, conveys
-, -. my mind SO good an impression
% % what Solomon's temple must hay
- been like, or contained, as does til
W stately marble, Temple OF HEAVIER
" in Picking.
ol For seven years Solomons wor
men wrought, and there was neith'
hammer nor axe nor any tool OF ire
ny heard in the house." From the unde
IA. ground quarries-still shown to vii
nj tors-the finished stone was borne
the building and there fitted in plac
che narrative of the construction
ys the temple and its embellishments
Tut fairly bewildering TO the present di
reader. The best that most Of US CO
gain is this general impression
largeness, strength, magniflcance a,
en richness For the best is befittil
ng, the Highest.
MT What Makes Church?
So the great temple was complete
after seven years. without mortga
or endowment. Into it, with pon