When it was finished, Solomon desired all people to come to the temple. The priests came, and they carried the ark into a little room in the temple, called the Holy of Holies; and Solomon had made a great door to the little room; and he had placed a great curtain or veil,* over the door, and he had made two very large angels, of wood, covered with gold, and had placed them in the little room, besides the two golden angels that were on the top of the ark. The large angels stood upright, and each had two great wings stretched out all across the little room; the priests left the ark under the wings of the great angels, and no one could see into the little room because of the great door, and of the curtain or veil which was over the door. The other part of the temple was filled with priests, and with singers, all clothed in white, and holding harps, and other kinds. of musical instruments in their hands-and some of the priests blew trumpets: and these were the words the singers sang. * Compare 1 Kings vi. 31. with 2 Chron. iii. 14. "O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever.” As soon as the priests had left the ark in the little room, and while the priests and singers were praising the Lord in the temple, the Lord himself came down in a cloud, and filled the temple, so that the priests and singers were obliged to go out of the temple and to stand in the court. How glad Solomon was to see that the Lord was come into the house that he had built for him! Solomon liked to see the brightness of the Lord, though he knew that the Lord filled every place. Where did king Solomon stand? He had made a high place of brass, and he put it near the brass altar in the court, and he stood upon this high place, so that all the people could see him. And Solomon knelt down on this place, and spread wide his arms, and began to pray to God. His prayer was very long but 1 will only tell you a little part of it. He asked God to hear all people who were unhappy, and who were sorry for their sins, and to forgive them. When Solomon had ended his prayer, there came down fire from heaven, and burned up the beasts that had been killed, and spread upon the altar. The fire did not hurt the people it only burned the dead beasts on the altar. God sent the fire to show the people that he liked them to offer sacrifices to him, and to pray to him. When the people saw the fire, and the glory of God all over the temple, they bowed themselves down to the ground, and praised the Lord, and said, "He is good: his mercy endureth for ever." At last the people went home to their own houses, but they very often came to offer sacrifices at the temple, and to pray to God. Sweet psalms and sweet music might be heard at the temple both night and day. That temple was a delightful place: because there people praised God, and because there they saw his glory. There is a sweeter place, where I hope we shall go some day. There God shines brighter than the sun, and there angels clothed in white are always singing his praises. Shall you like to go there, dear children? Then what must you do? You must pray to God for two things; to forgive you your sins, and to give you his Holy Spirit. Why will God hear your prayers? Because Jesus died on the cross; God promised his Son, that he would hear people's prayers. God cannot break his promise. My dear little child, say to God, "O keep thy promise to thy Son: forgive me for his sake: Give me his Holy Spirit." 66 |