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was old, Adonijah set himself up for King, 1 Kings i. 1, 5.

63 Q. How came Adonijah to be fo infolent? A. His Father humoured him too much all his Life, and never difpleafed him, ver. 6.

64 Q. What did David do under this Trouble? A. He proclaimed Solomon the Son of Bathsheba King in his own Life-time, and Zadok the Prieft and Nathan the Prophet anointed him King of Ifrael, ver. 34, 38, 39.

65 Q. Why was Solomon preferred when he was a younger Brother? A. Because God chofe him to the Kingdom, and gave David fome Notice of it, 1 Chron. xxii. 8, 9, 10. and xxviii. 5, 6, 7.

66 Q. What became of Adonijah? A. He fubmitted to Solomon, who fpared him for that time, though for a new Fault he put him to Death afterwards, ver. 50, 53. and ii., 24.

67 Q. How long did David reign in all? A. Forty Years, and then he died in his Bed in Peace, Kings ii. 10, 11.

68 Q. What were David's remarkable Characters, befides that of a Mufician, a Warrior, and a King? A. He was a great Poet and a Prophet, 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, 2.

69 Q. Wherein did his Skill in Pocfy appear? A. Not only in his admirable Elegy on Saul and Jonathan, but on feveral Occafions he wrote the moft Part of the Book of Pfalms, which are the fineft Pieces of ancient Poefy, and he was called, The fweet Pfalmift of Ifrael, 2 Sam. xxiii, 1.

70 Q. Wherein doth it appear that he had the Gift of Prophecy? A. Because thefe Pfalms were written by divine Inspiration, for in fome of them there are many things evidently foretold concerning Chrift, Luke xxiv. 44. Acts ii. 29, 30.

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71Q. What further Evidences are there of his being a Prophet? A. He had a particular Revelation made to him by the Spirit of God, of the Pattern of the Temple, which Solomon his Son was to build, and of the Orders of the Priefts and Levites, and of feveral things relating to the Worfhip of God, which he gave to his Son Solomon, 1 Chron. xxviii. 11, 12, 23, 19.

72Q. What did David do towards the building of this Temple before his Death? A. He made a vaft Preparation of Gold and Silver, and Jewels, and other Materials, and gave the Pattern of every thing to his Son Solomon, as he received it of God, 1 Chron. xxii. 5, 14. and xxviii. 11, 19. and xxix. 2.

СНАР. Х.

Of the Reign of SOLOMON and REHOBOAM over all ISRAEL, and the Divifion of the Nation into two Kingdoms.

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/HAT was the general Character of Solomon? A. That he was the wifeft of Men, 1 Kings iii. 12. and iv. 31.

2 Q. Wherein did his Wifdom toward God appear? A. In that he asked not for long Life, nor Riches, nor Honours, but Understanding and Knowledge to govern fo great a People, 1 Kings iii, 7, &c.

3 Q. What was the firft Inftance of his Wifdom in the Government? A. His deciding the Quarrel between two Women who contended about a Child, and in giving the Child to the true Mother, 1 Kings iii. 16-28.

4Q. How did he find out the true Mother? A. He commanded the Child to be divided in two, that each Woman might have half: then the Tenderness and Love of the true Mother appeared in yielding up her Pretenfions to it, rather than fee it divided, 1 Kings iii. 25.

5Q. What Special Care did Solomon take for the Worship of God? A. He built that Temple for which David had made fo large a Preparation. It was a moft glorious Palace built of Cedar and Fir, and Olive-wood, and hewn Stone, with most amazing Expence of Gold and Silver, and Brafs, and precious Stones, both for the adorning of the Houfe itself and for the holy Veffels thereof, 1 Kings vi. and vii. He built also two diftinct Courts about it, one for the People of Ifrael, and one for the Priests, all which were called The Temple, 2 Kings xxiii. 12, and 2 Chron. iv. 9.

Note, In this Temple of Solomon there does not feem to be any Court of the Gentiles, but only the Court of the Priefts, in which the Houfe of God or Sanctuary ftood," and the Court of the People, to which all Ifrael resorted; nor can I find the Gentiles forbidden by any express Word of God. See 2 Chron. vi. 32. one was the outer Court, and the other the inner Court, 2 Chron. iv. 9. and 1 Kings vi. 36. Nor were the People utterly excluded from the inner Court. See 2 Chron. xxiii. 10.

In the second Temple which was built by Zerubbabel after the Captivity, we do not read of any Court of the Gentiles at the building of it: But in following Years, when there were more frequent Communications and Tranfactions with Gentiles, there was a Partition made called Chel, to divide them from the Jews, and the other part of the outer Court was left for the Gentiles. In the Temple which Herod built, and which was in our Saviour's time, there was a Court made on purpose for the Gentiles, and those Jews which

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were unclean. But this Divifion does not fufficiently ap pear to be of divine Appointment, though it must be confelt the Partition Wall in Eph. ii. 14. feems to refer to it.

6 Q. In what Form did he build it? A. In Imitation of the Tabernacle of Mofes and the Court thereof, but with vaft and univerfal Improvement in the Grandeur and Riches, and Magnificence of it, by the Pattern that David his Father received from God, and gave to him, 1 Chron. xxii. 5. and xxviii. 11, 19.

7Q. On what Spot of Ground did be build it? A. On Mount Moriah, not very far from Mount Zion in Jerufalem: 'twas the Place where Abraham was called to offer his Son Ifaac, and where God appeared to David when he ftopped the Peftilence, 2 Chron. iii. 1. and Gen. xxii, 2. and gave him a miraculous Token of his Acceptance, by Fire from Heaven confuming his Sacrifice, 1 Chron. xxi. 26.

Note, Though the Temple was built on Mount Moriah, yet the Name of Zion is ftill preferved by the fol. lowing holy Writers as the Place of the Sanctuary partly because David had written fo much in his Pfalms concerning Zion, where the Ark and Tabernacle flood in his Days, and made the Name familiar to the People: and partly because Zion was literally the City of David, and in a typical Senfe, the City or Refidence of Chrift. And indeed Zion and Moriah may be accounted but two diftinct Heads of the fame Mountain; and though there was a Valley between them, Solomon joined them by a Bridge, that he might eafily pafs from his Palace in Zion to the Temple. Jofephus makes mention of it more than once.

8Q. How did Solomon dedicate this Temple to God? A. By affembling all the Men of Ifrael, by bringing thither the Ark and the holy Things

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from Zion, by a devout Prayer to God, by Mufick and Praifes, by a Feaft of feven Days, and a vaft Number of Sacrifices, 1 Kings viii, and 2 Chron. vi, and vii.

9Q. In what manner did God fhew his Approbation it? A. He filled the House with a Cloud of Glory, to reprefent his taking Poffeffion of it: he fent Fire down from Heaven to confume the Sacrifices, and he appeared in the Night to Solomon, and affured him he had heard his Prayer, and chofen that Place for a Houfe of Sacrifice to himself, 2 Chron. vii. 1, 2, 3, 12.

10 Q. Wherein did God bless the Reign of Solomon? A. By giving him prodigious Treafures and magnificent State, and fpreading the Fame of his Greatness and Wifdom over all Nations, 1 Kings x.

11 Q What peculiar Honours were done to him on this account? A. The Princes round about him coveted his Friendship, and gave him their Affiftance and many Prefents, and the Queen of Sheba came to vifit him, 1 Kings ix. and x.

12 Q, What Satisfaction did she find in this Vifit? 7. She was aftonished at the Sight of his Grandeur and Wifdom, and confeffed that the one half of it was not told her, 1 Kings x. 1-10.

13Q. Wherein did Solomon difpleafe God afterwards? A. In Procefs of Time he forgot his great Obligations to God, he took Wives and Concubines in Multitudes, and that out of the Idolatrous Nations; and by them his Heart was fo far led away for other Gods, that he built Places of Worship for them very near Jerufalem, and offered Sacrifices to them. See 1 Kings xi. 1-8,

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