The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-20
THE CHURCH A KING BUILT.
The International Sunday School les
son for July % is Solomon Dcdi-
Gates the Templc.'@I Kings 8:1-55
(By WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)

son Tor july I'd IS SOlOInOH DcuI-
Gates the Templc.'-I Kings 8:1-55.
(By WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
"Ah. but the groves ere Gods first
temples" is the original answer many
a person is making his summer to
an invitation to attend Divine wor-
ship. 81 worship God in nature" he
usually continues. These two stock
arguments are recalled by today's les
son upon the first permanent edifice
ever reared for the worship Of Jeho-
yah, the building Of the temple at
Jerusalem by King Solomon. The &C.
CASTOR is opportune for saying that
while the groves may be the first tenn
pies, they are not Gods latest temples
nor His best; and that they most
truly worship Him in nature who
have worshipped Him In a house ded-
Gated to His glory. Concerning these
woods worshippers, a woman once
remarked, What do you do when it
rainS?"
A living issue Of our own time Is
pe~rtinently before US In connection
with this lesson on the temple,
namely, the whole question Of
church and church-attendance. Dur
ing the past year there have been
"Go-to-Church" compaigns in almost
every community in the land. Great
display advertisements in the news
papers and on the billboards, and a
hundred clever devices for driving
home the "Go-to-Church" invitation,
have all been used, along with SER
mons and addresses, to arouse a new
interest in the church.
1t appears that church-attendance
is on the decline generally. The old
prestige Of the church is seriously
threatened. In the great magazines,
and in other publications, the whole
case of the church is being chal-
lenged. Now let us see what Solo
mon, the wisest of men, can do for us
in the matter.
The Climax of a Kingdom.
Mighty old Davi had done a great
deed of kingliness. He nae welded
the Jews into a nation that stretched
from the Lebanon Mountains to the
Red Sea, and from the Mediterranean
to far east Of the Jordan. His con-
quests lat been wonderful: study
them on the present war maps, where
troops are at this moment operating
and the Importance of this achieve
ment in state-making will be seen.
Even kings cannot fuldll all their
ambitions. David wanted to build a
temple for Jehovah. but his hands
were too blood-stained and sinful fol-
this holy task. He must look to 9
son to carry out his ambition. None
of US does q completed work. Davit
prepares for Solomon, and Solomon
builds on David's planning. Parent:
a to look to children for the full
filment Of their life. Even the "self
made man" is the product of tn,
dreams and denial and duty ant
service Of many others. So c~uriousl
interviewer is the fabric Of life tina
nobody finishes a complete piece
each a only be careful hat hi
portion is done as workmanly as pos
sible.
The summation Of all the roya
plans of Greater Israel was to be tn
temple. where would be housed tn
Ark of the Covenant, and whithe
the nation would resort for WORSHIP
This was to be, through all time, tn
rallying point of the Jews, the HON
of their hearts, the center of the
hopes. Anybody who has seer til
Jews at the Wailing Place in Jerl
salem, weeping besides the stones {
this very temple built by Solomon
has glimpsed the intensity Of this d,
votion. All the present stir and fel
looks toward the great objective
the holy city, where once the temp
stood. The climax of the kfngdo,
of Israel was the Temple Of Solomo
The Place and the People.
Compared with some Christie
churches, Solomon's Temple was n
large. The Church Of the Divi1
called the Mosque of st. Sophia,
far larger. So are many others. F
the whole Of the building viii,