d, all her desire was
fulfilled. She was satisfied--so satisfied that, with glad and
thankful heart, she turned and went away to her own country to fulfil
the duties which, in the providence of GOD, devolved upon her.

If we may learn from this narrative how to approach the Antitype of
King Solomon, and to receive from Him blessings as much greater than
those received by the Queen of Sheba as CHRIST is greater than
Solomon, we shall not meditate without profit on this portion of
Scripture.

In many respects we resemble the Queen of Sheba. Though of royal
birth, she was doubtless, like the bride in the Song of Solomon,
black, because the sun had looked upon her. The post which she was
called to occupy was no easy one; in her own life, and in her duty
towards others, she found many hard questions to which she saw no
solution. She heard of one reigning in the power of the LORD, whose
wisdom exceeded that of the wisest of men, and who, if any one could,
might afford her the help that she needed. She felt sure that the
reports that she heard of his wisdom and of his acts were
exaggerated; yet, even allowing for this, she was prepared to take a
long and difficult journey that she might see his face and prove for
herself how far her difficulties could be solved by him. And she came
not empty-handed; she came not only to receive, but also to give,
"with a very great train, with camels that bare spices, and very much
gold, and precious stones," not because she thought Solomon poor and
needy, but because she knew of his magnificence she sought to bring
gifts worthy of his royal dignity, and so coming she was not
disappointed.

Her long journey accomplished, she reached Jerusalem, and was granted
the audience with the great king which her soul craved. She not only
unburdened her camels, she unburdened her own heart, and found that
her difficult questions were no difficulty to him. "Solomon told her
all her questions: there was not any thing hid from the king, which
he told her not." And so gracious was he that, without restraint,
"she communed with him of all that was in her heart." Surely this
utter opening of the heart implies a great deal. To none but the true
Solomon can we give such confidence, but to Him we may lay bare the
innermost recesses of our souls, and bring the questions, difficult,
perplexing, or sad, which we could breathe into no human ear.

We know what came of the questionings, in the case of the Queen of