RONGOTEA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 180, 1 July 1937, Page 5

RONGOTEA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) RONGOTEA, Juno 29. On the occasion of a. church parade of members of the Masonic Lodge at the Rongotea Methodist. Church on Sunday evening, Rev. It. E. Fordvoe spoke by.request on the subject of “King Solomon’s Temple.” Bro. J. Ilancox (chaplain) read the Scripture Lessons. The speaker stated that he would say something about the temple and its builder, and then pass bn to say a word about the spiritual aspects of tho subject, which to him,' as a Christian minister, were of the highest importance. The text was first Corinthians, 12.31: “Yet show I unto you a more excellent way.” Solomon spent seven and a half years in building the temple. which though of comparatively small dimensions was made of the .finest materials and was of tremendous value; It was a wonderfully beautiful building and was rightly' regarded as a work of art in those days, and was for long a source of wonder. Solomon revoaled his wisdom in his manner of obtaining both material and labour.. He let a valuable contract to Hiram, King of Tyre, for tho supplying of timber from Alt. Lebanon; ho raised a company of 30,000 men to how the timber; they worked in teams of 10.000, each team working for one month in the forest, and then returning home for two months. Solomon paid Hiram in kind and not in • cash: 32.000 porters were employed to convey the material f r> the site and to assist in the, work of building—a vast company comprising bu.OO'J men worked in the quarries. Every block of stono was hewn smooth and levelled, and there was reason l o believe that each was worked with a letter or figure indicating the exact position into which it was to be placed in tho building. Many of those blocks of stone were thirty feet long and seven feet square at tho ends, and weighed as much as one hundred tons. Tho work commenced in about 1012 B.C. and took seven and a half years to complete. The square and tho compasses, so prominent in Masonic regalia, were . in constant demand. David’s desire, and Solo-' moil’s, was that God might have a worthy house in which to dwell among' men. “In the building of Solomon’s temple the best that could be obtained was not too pood for the purpose, suggesting that the God we profess to won’hip is worthy of the very licst that wo can give. For the solution of tho economic and international problems we need millions more of Christian men and women, who will ponaistently and faithfully dav by day seek to build up the Kingdom of God. To the great task Masons anil non-Masons arc called, said tho Pr Mr’ l and Airs IT. N. Rowe loft on Monday for Rotorua, where Aim Rowe will enter the hospital for treatment. Mr E. A C’road who has been seriously ill, has recovered sufficiently -to ' undertake the journey to. Rotorua, where it le hoped he Avail be further benefited. Air IT. J. Crawford. of the Rongotea Presbyterian Church, is spending his vacation at Auckland.