this solemn purpose, Solomon assembled the elders and fathers of Israel, at the feast in the seventh month of Ethanim, when the priests took up the ark, and brought it, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, unto his place into the oracle* of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims, who spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark. There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when Jehovah made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud† filled the house of Jehovah : so that the priests could not stand § to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Jehovah had filled the house of God.

Then it was that Solomon pronounced that beautiful prayer on the dedication of the temple, which has ever been considered as a standard of beauty, eloquence, and piety. "Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever. And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: and all the congregation of Israel stood. And he said, blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David, my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house,

* 1 Kings, vi. 16. 2 Chron. iv. 20.

+ Or Shechinah; and which Dr. Jamieson considers a type of the incarnation. Use of Sacred History: Vol. ii. 328.

1 Kings, viii. 1-12. 2 Chron. v. 2-14.

What a proof of the being of God, and of the Divine Presence! What must those holy men have felt at that time? A. CLARKE. See

that my name might be therein; neither chose I any man to be a ruler over my people Israel; but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name might be there; and I have chosen David to be over my people Israel. And it was in the heart of David, my father, to build an house for the name of Jehovah, God of Israel. And Jehovah said unto David, my father, whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart. Nevertheless, thou shalt not build the house; but thy son, that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name. And Jehovah hath performed his word that he spake, and I am risen up in the room of David, my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah promised, and have built an house for the name of Jehovah, God of Israel. And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of Jehovah, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah, in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven: and he said, O Jehovah, God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, that walk before thee with all their heart: who hast kept with thy servant David, my father, that thou promisedst him: thou spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day. Therefore now, Jehovah, God of Israel, keep with thy servant David, my father, that thou promisedst him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, so that thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me. And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified, which thou spakest unto thy servant David, my father. But will God, indeed, dwell on the earth? behold,

the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee: how much less this house that I have builded? Yet have thou respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Jehovah, my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee to-day : that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, my name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place. And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place; and when thou hearest, forgive.

If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: then hear thou in heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house: then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest unto their fathers.

When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee: if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them: then hear thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, that thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon thy land, which thou hast given to thy people, for an inheritance.

ting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness, there be; what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands towards this house then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men ;) that they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

Moreover, concerning a stranger,* that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; (for they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray towards this house; hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house which I have builded is called by thy name.

If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto Jehovah toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name, then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; yet if they shall bethink

*This, perhaps, was the reason why, in after times, heathen princes were permitted to bring their sacrifices to this temple. Br. WILSON.

themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying; We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; and so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: for they be thy people and thy inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out. of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: that thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses, thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Jehovah, God.

And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto Jehovah, he arose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying, Blessed be Jehovah, that hath given rest unto his people Israel, according to all that he promised; there hath not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by the hand of Moses, his servant. Jehovah, our God, be with us, as he was with our fathers; let him not