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by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow. But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns, thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: but the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.*

And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.†

So David died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour; and slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.+

The following character of this monarch is given by the learned Dr. Anselm Bayly; "View him a youth feeding his father's sheep, patient of his brethren's insults, and not fearing the Philistine; view him a man steady in friendship, brave in perils, and faithful under all the persecutions of Saul; see him a king, mindful of favours received from kings, and

2 Sam. xxiii. 1–7.

+1 Kings, ii. 11. 1 Chron. xxix. 27.

1 Kings, ii. 10. 1 Chron. xxix. 28. Jerome mentions the remains of David's Sepulchre as extant in his time; (Hier. Epist. xvi. ad Marcell.) and a large account of other testimonies concerning it may be seen in Fabricius. (Cod. Apoc. Vet. Test. pages 1063-1070.) It is strange that this sepulchre should have survived so much barbarous rage, as we know Jerusalem was often subjected to; but perhaps it was rebuilt in later days. As for the treasures, which Josephus so often mentions as found in this sepulchre by Hyrcanus and Herod, (Antiq. lib. vii. cap. 15. [al. 11.] sec. 3.—lib. xiii. cap. 8. [al. 16.] sec. 4.-lib. xvi. cap. 7. [al. 11.] sec. 1.-and Bell. Jud. lib. i. cap. 2. sec. 5. Haverc.) I think with Beza, the stories have an air of fable. DoDDRIDGE, iii. 25. A. CLARKE,

regardful of his people, sitting in the gate and attentive to their grievances; but especially behold him walking humbly, penitently, and devoutly with his God, an example to all. If poetry be thy taste and delight, thou canst not but admire David in his psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, when he teacheth thee to weep for Saul and Jonathan; to discern the spirit of the law, (Ps. 1. li. cxix.); to adore thy maker in his works of creation, (Ps. cxxxix. civ.); and to praise and love him for his mercies of preservation and redemption, (Ps. ciii. and xvi)."*

SOLOMON.

THIS monarch began his reign with the brightest A.C. 1015. prospects, and the fairest promise: the approbation and appointment of his venerable parent, the good-will of his subjects, and, what was infinitely of more importance, the especial favour and providence of God.

Solomon was hardly seated on his throne, when his brother Adonijah, although so lately pardoned, discovered symptoms of a disposition to dispute the sovereignty. At least, that is the construction put by commentators upon his application to be permitted to marry Abishag, the Shunamite. He prevailed on Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to prefer this request, which, however, produced an immediate sentence of death from the incensed monarch, and which was as immediately executed by Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada.†

That there was some conspiracy connected with this appli

• Old Testament in Hebrew and English, at the end of the Second Book of Samuel.

+1 Kings, ii. 13–25.

cation is clear; for Joab, the old commander-in-chief, had turned after Adonijah, although he turned not after Absalom,* and fled for sanctuary to the horns of the altar, whereeven he was slain by the express command of Solomon. This we may remember was one of the last commands of David, and to which Solomon in passing judgment, distinctly alluded, “Fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And Jehovah shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father, David, not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner, the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa, the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed, for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from Jehovah." +

Shimei also soon after received the same sentence, for Solomon having prescribed him a sort of honourable imprisonment within the city of Jerusalem, he went after two of his servants to Achish, king of Gath; but upon his return, Solomon ordered him to be executed by Benaiah.

The monarch next proceeded to strengthen his throne by alliances, and having married the daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, he brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Jehovah, and the wall of Jerusalem round about.‡

Solomon having proceeded with the fathers of Israel, and all the congregation, to Gibeon, the great high place,§ and offered up a thousand burnt offerings; Jehovah appeared to

* 1 Kings, ii. 28.

+1 Kings, ii. 31-33.

1 Kings, iii. 1.

§ 2 Chron. i. 3-5.

The tabernacle and altar were then there.

him in a dream by night, and said, ask what I shall give thee. To which the monarch replied, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David, my father, great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O Jehovah, my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David, my father; and I am but a little child, I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people, which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Give, therefore, thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? And the speech pleased Jehovah, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee; neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honour; so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days. And Solomon awoke, and behold it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and stood before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah, and offered up burnt offerings, and offered peace offerings, and made a feast to all his servants.

It is not easy to arrange or preserve a correct chronology of the transactions related concerning Solomon, in the First Book of Kings and the Second Book of Chronicles; and it will therefore be most convenient to relate them merely as facts which took place during that monarch's reign, the great and principal feature of which was the erection and dedication of the first temple.

For this purpose his father, David, had collected immense materials; to which Solomon added others, and was much assisted by Hiram, king of Tyre, who sent him both artificers and materials, sending the cedars of Mount Lebanon in floats to Joppa, from whence Solomon conveyed them by land to Jerusalem.

This great work was began in the month of April,† in the 480th year after the Exodus,+ and was completed in the month of October§, seven years afterwards. The spot selected for this object was in Mount Moriah, so long distinguished for the exhibition of the faith of Abraham,|| and was the actual threshing floor lately purchased of Araunah,¶ and visited by the especial presence of God.**

Having completed the temple, the monarch was next careful to place therein its most important embellishments, even the ark of the covenant, which David had brought up from Kirjathjearim, and placed in a tent at Jerusalem.†† For

* 1 Kings, v. 2 Chron. ii.

+ Which corresponds to the Hebrew month Zif.

1 Kings, vi. 1.

Which answers to the Hebrew month Bul..
|| Gen. xxii. ¶ 2 Sam. xxiv. 16. 23.

** The particulars, proportion, and splendid decorations of this magnificent erection are minutely related in 1 Kings, vi. vii. and 2 Chron. iii. iv. And see a minute history of the temple from its erection to its final destruction, extracted from Calmet and Josephus, by A. Clarke, apud finem, 2 Kings, vi.

++ 2 Chron. i. 4.

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