SOLOMON INAUGURATED KING. 353 "My people;" expressing his intense desire to build. the temple, and telling of his having been forbidden by God to carry this purpose into effect. David then incidentally reminds his hearers that God had chosen the tribe of Judah to be ruler, and of that tribe the house of his father, and of that house himself to be king over Israel; and that, of all his sons, Solomon was by God's appointment made his successor to the throne; and, as such, charged with the important duty of building a house for the name of God; so that by the choice of the Lord Himself Solomon was thus divinely appointed to the throne, and to accomplish the great work of erecting a temple to the honour of Jehovah. At the beginning of a new reign, and when the sovereign was a very young man, this recital of God's appointments was most important. Coming from the lips of David under such solemn circumstances, the words would fall on the ears of his audience as a revelation from heaven; and would do much not only toward uniting the people in submission to the Divine will, and to the sway of Solomon, but would inaugurate that prince into his new dignity with a prestige and power that no earthly influence could impart. The king then earnestly exhorted the great assembly to a diligent and faithful observance of the laws of the Lord, that their prosperity might be continued, and their possession of the good land which the Lord had given them be made perpetual. Having thus delivered the burden of his mind to the assembly, David turned to his son, and gave him a solemn charge; which, for piety, earnestness, and power, has never been surpassed. "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and under standeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it." (1 Chron. xxviii. 9, 10.) Who can read this, without asking whether the declaration respecting the consequence of disobedience was prophetic? This is a question we do not wish to answer, but the case is one of most fearful solemnity. After the delivery of this charge, David proceeded to lay before Solomon plans of the intended structure, which he had received by direct revelation from God; (1 Chron. xxviii. 19;) so that Solomon was fully instructed as to the form, size, and manner, not only of the principal building, but also of the numerous accessories thereto, such as chambers for the priests, and treasuries for the gold and precious things which might be deposited in this sacred sanctuary. All these directions were given, with some further information as to the furniture and vessels that would be required in the temple; after which David added a further earnest exhortation to Solomon, to a zealous devotedness to this work, assuring him that the blessing of heaven would aid him: "For," said the pious old king, “the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord." Afterward David produced the precious metals which he had provided for the house and for its sacred furniture,-three thousand talents of pure gold, and seven thousand talents of pure silver; a gift far exceeding twenty millions sterling; and this was exclusive * * According to the estimate of Dean Prideaux, the three thousand talents of gold were worth twenty-one million six hundred thousand pounds sterling. NOBLE LIBERALITY OF THE PEOPLE. 355 of precious stones, brass, and other costly articles. Placing this magnificent gift before his assembled nobles, he appealed to them for their co-operation, saying, "Who, then, is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?" This appeal was responded to by the princes, captains, and chiefs of the people, in a manner which proved that they were worthy of such a king. Their aggregate contributions amounted to five thousand talents of gold, and ten thousand drams, and ten thousand talents of silver, besides vast quantities of brass, iron, and precious stones. A most noble contribution; and, when regarded as consisting of free-will offerings devoted to a strictly religious object, perhaps one without a parallel in the history of the world. The spirit and manner in which all this was done, the truthful and hallowed sentiments uttered by the king, and responded to by his people, and the cordial and devout unanimity which characterized the entire assembly, considered in connexion with their bountiful contributions, render it one of the most interesting and important events on the records of history. "Then the people rejoiced, for that they offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy." The concluding part of this great meeting was, however, its culminating point; and, in real grandeur, transcended all that preceded it. For, after all the contributions had been presented, and while the people were rejoicing at the unanimity and success of the whole proceedings, the mind of the king was imbued. with devout feelings worthy of the occasion; and he rose to bless his people. We have scarcely a more glorious utterance on the pages of revelation than this bene diction. "David said, Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, Q Lord, and Thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious Name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? For all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee a house for Thine holy Name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own. I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto Thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee. And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision." (1 Chron. xxix. 10-19.) Having thus given expression to his devout joy and heart's thanksgiving, David called on all the people to CLOSE OF THE GRAND ASSEMBLY. 357 bless the Lord; which they did, bowing their heads, and worshipping. After this there was a great sacrifice, which continued two days, and was a season of high festival and universal gladness. At the close of this sacrificial feast, the people solemnly anointed Solomon king a second time, and set him on the throne of the kingdom "instead of David his father." From the time that Solomon was anointed at Gihon, he sat on the throne as a partner with his father: from this time, however, he reigned as the sole king, David never afterward assuming royal authority. In this new capacity, as having fully succeeded to the sovereign. authority, Solomon was anointed the second time; and in this character all the other sons of David made their submission, and tendered their allegiance to the new king. All the princes, the mighty men, and the chief captains followed their example; so that Solomon assumed the reins of government with the approbation of the whole Hebrew nation, and was received with universal acclamation. David took the leading part in this solemn assembly up to the time when all present united in offering thanksgiving and blessing to the Most High; but after that moment he is not mentioned. He does not appear to have been present at the sacrifice, the sacrificial feast, or the further inauguration of Solomon. Where was he? For what purpose did he retire from a scene fraught with such intense interest? We have no doubt that these questions can be easily and satisfactorily answered. The composition of the seventy-second Psalm is almost universally ascribed to this occasion. The most approved authorities, and abundant internal evidence, support this opinion; and, notwithstanding the title of the Psalm, we fully concur in this judg |