David his servant, and for Israel his people."]-The Lord's goodness was the matter of their joy, which was figurative of the joy which the spiritual Israel of God take in the loving kindness of the Lord to them, not only in his counsel, covenant, and promises, but more especially when they enjoy the seals of his love and the testimonies of his favour; then they rejoice in his word, in his ways, and in his ordinances, and go on rejoicing that Christ, according to the covenant of redemption, is their life, their peace, their joy; that he of God is made to them "wisdom, righte ousness, sanctification, and redemption," 1 Cor. i. 30.

CHAPTER IX.

In this chapter we have, (1.) The answer which God in a vision gave to Solomon's prayer, and the terms he settled with him, ver. 1-9. (2.) The interchanging of grateful kindnesses between Solomon and Hiram, ver. 10-14. (3.) His workmen and buildings, ver. 15-24. (4.) His devotion, ver. 25. (5.) His trading navy, ver. 26–28.

VER. 2. "That the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time."]-That is, the divine Shekinah, which was the residence or habitation of the Most High, doubtless appeared in a splendour of light peculiarly glori ous, and spoke with that majesty that proved him to be the "Lord from heaven:" these favours were singular visits from the Lord, and were signs of his incarnation. This appearance of the Lord gave Solomon a fresh testimony of the Lord's love to him; and the manifestation of the Lord's love to the soul gives the soul an undoubted assurance of his favour.

Ver. 3. "To put my name there for ever."]-As the temple was a type of Christ, so the Lord's putting his name there for ever, I apprehend to be his ESSENCE, glory, and perfections, being put in Christ by union, and that his name JEHOVAM, I AM THAT I AM, should shine in him as his temple, where he would be worshipped, adored, loved, and reverenced for ever.

"And mine eyes, and mine heart, shall be there perpetually."]-That is, his eye should be upon Christ as his temple, his residence, his delight, where he would see his people, bless them, and meet with them, and take up his constant delight in them. And by God's eye and heart

being there, may be understood, that his eye sees them under all their wants and distresses; his heart being there perpetually, may denote his eternal love to them, his delights in them, and likewise point out his presence and blessings with his people, who meet and worship him in Christ, the temple, or in the ordinances of his house.

CHAPTER X.

Still Solomon looks great, and every thing in this chapter adds to his magnificence. We read nothing indeed of his charity, of no hospitals he built, or alms-houses; he made his kingdom so rich that it did not need them; yet no question, many poor were relieved from the abundance of his table. A church he had built, never to be equalled: schools nor colleges he need not build any, his own palace was an academy, and his court a rendezvous of wise and learned men, as well as the centre of all the circulating riches of that part of the world. 1. What abundance of wisdom there was there, appears here by the application which the queen of Sheba made to him, and the great satisfaction she had in her entertainment there, ver. 1-13. and others likewise, ver. 24. 2. What abundance of wealth there was there, appears here by the gold imported, with other things, yearly, ver. 14, 15. and in a triennial return, ver. 22. Gold presented, ver. 25. and gold used in targets and shields, ver. 16, 17. and vessels, ver. 21. A stately throne he made, ver. 18-20. His chariots and horsemen, ver. 26. His trade with Egypt, ver. 28, 29. And the great plenty of silver and cedars among his people, ver. 27. So that putting all together, it must be owned, as it is here said, ver. 23. that "king Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth for riches, and for wisdom:" yet what was he to the King of kings? Where Christ is by his word and Spirit, Behold, a greater than Solomon is there."

VER. 6. "And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land, of thy acts, and of thy wisdom."]-Solomon was a type of Christ in his name, which signifies peaceable; so also in his name Jedidiah, which signifies the beloved of the Lord; and likewise in his great wisdom, riches, and treasures, and in his building the temple of the Lord. The queen of Sheba, which word signifies captivity, was a type of the church: for, first, the queen of Sheba, whom our Lord calls "the queen of the south," dwelt in the south part of Arabia the happy, was by nature a stranger to the God of Israel, and in a state of captivity by sin and idolatry, and so are we by nature. Secondly, the queen of Sheba came to Solomon upon hearing of his fame, so the soul that is sensible of its state of captivity comes by prayer to Christ, when it hears of the

fame of his person, his blood, his righteousness, his promises, and his invitations: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest," Matt. xi. 28. Thirdly, the queen of Sheba came freely and voluntarily to Solomon; and the soul comes to Christ freely in its thoughts and desires in the day of his power. Fourthly, She communed with Solomon of "all that was in her heart;" and the believer communes with Christ of all that is in his heart, that is, of all its fears, darkness, wants, and distresses. Fifthly, the queen of Sheba believed the report that she had heard of Solomon, and said that "it was a true report;" and the soul when it comes to Christ, and views the glory of his person, the majesty of his kingdom, the provisions of his house, the order of his servants, namely, the pastor, elders, deacons, and members of the church, which is his house, attending in the order and the fellowship of the gospel, then the soul views, adores, and admires the wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ; "for behold a greater than Solomon is here.'

Ver. 7. "And behold, the half was not told me."]As Solomon far exceeded in wisdom, glory, grandeur, and riches, all that the queen of Sheba had heard of him, so doth the Lord Jesus infinitely exceed all that we have heard or ever can hear: for what know we of his wisdom, power, glory, and greatness, who is infinite in wisdom, almighty in power, incomprehensible in his glory, and unsearchable in his riches. And when we come to " see him as he is," in all his essential perfections, as JEHOVAH by nature; in his personal glories, as GoD-MAN; in his relative beauties, as our head, husband, and divine bridegroom, and in the mediatorial excellencies of his person, promises, and blessings; then the believing soul will say, "One half was not told him."

Ver. 8. "Happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom."]-lf the servants of king Solomon were happy in hearing of his wisdom and standing in his presence, then how happy indeed are the servants of king Jesus, who hear of his wisdom, not only in creation and providence, but in redemption, and in accomplishing man's salvation: how justice should be satisfied, the law magnified, God glorified, sin punished, and yet the sinner pardoned, and received to glory. This was the work of infinite wisdom, which is one of the names of the Mediator, 1 Cor. i. 24.

Ver. 13. "And king Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked."]-As Solomon in his riches and wisdom was a type of Christ, so he was also in his liberality: and by giving the queen of Sheba "all her desire," it might (as the queen of Sheba was a figure of the church) spiritually point out the free bounties and liberality of Christ to his church, granting all that she asketh in faith, and doing exceedingly above and beyond what she is able to ask or think.

CHAPTER XI.

This chapter begins with as melancholy a but as almost any we find in all the bible: hitherto we have read nothing of Solomon but what was great and good; but the lustre both of his goodness, and of his greatness, is here sullied and eclipsed, and his sun sets under a cloud. (1.) The glory of his piety is stained by his departure from God and his duty in his latter days, and marrying strange wives, who turned away his heart after other gods, ver. 4-8. (2.) The glory of his prosperity is stained, by God's displeasure against him, and the fruits of that displeasure. (1.) He sent him an angry message, ver. 2-13. (2.) He stirred up enemies, which gave him disturbance, Hadad, ver. 14–22. Rezon, ver. 23-25. (3.) He gave away ten tribes of his twelve from his posterity after him to Jeroboam, whom therefore he sought in vain to slay, ver. 26-40. And this is all that remains here to be told concerning Solomon, but only his death and burial, ver. 41-43. for there is nothing perfect under the sun, but all is so above the sun.

VER. 9. "Because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which bad appeared unto him twice."] -Solomon was zealous for the Lord; which appears in his building the temple for the glory of God; yet in these words we find that he was a great backslider, and that he had great corruptions as well as real grace.

CHAPTER XII.

The glory of the kingdom of Israel was in its height and perfection in Solomon, it was long in coming to it, but it soon declined, and began to sink and wither in the very next reign; as we find in this chapter, where we have the kingdom divided, and thereby weakened, and made little in comparison with what it had been. Here is, (1.) Rehoboam's accession to the throne, and Jeroboam's return out of Egypt, ver. 1, 2. (2.) The people's petition to Rehoboam for the redress of grievanges, and the rough answer he gave by the advice of his young coun

sellors, to that petition, ver. 3--15. (3.) The revolt of the ten tribes thereupon, and their setting up of Jeroboam, ver. 16-20. (4.) Rehoboam's attempt to reduce them, and the prohibition God gave to that attempt, ver. 21-24. (5.) Jeroboam's establishment of his government upon idolatry, ver. 25-33. Thus did Judah become weak, being deserted by their brethren; and Israel by deserting the house of the Lord.

VER. 24. "They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord."]-Probably Rehoboam might have gained a conquest, for his army was great and resolute; but the Lord commanded him by the voice of his prophet, and his obedience to this command is the best action in Rebobam's reign. We ought to be at all times reconciled to our losses and troubles, as remembering that it is the will of God, though our brethren may be the instruments of them.

Ver. 28. "Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."]-Jeroboam intended by these to represent not any false god, as Moloch, or Chemoth, but the true God only, the God of Israel, the God that brought them up out of the land of Egypt, as he declares, ver. 28. Therefore it was not a violation of the first commandment, but of the second. And he chose thus to engage the people's devotion, because he knew there were many among them so in love with images, that for the sake of the calves they would willingly quit God's temple, where all images were forbidden. He set up these two at Dan and Beth-el, one the utmost border of his country northward, the other southwards, as if they were guardians and protectors of the kingdom. Beth-el lay close to Judah: he set up one there, to tempt those of Rehoboam's subjects over to him, who were inclined to image worship, in lieu of those of his subjects that would continue to go to Jerusalem. He set the other at Dan, for the convenience of those that lay most remote, and because Micah's images had been set up there, and great veneration paid to them for many ages, Judg. xviii. 30. Beth-el signifies the house of God; which gave some colour to the superstition; but the prophet called it Beth-haven, the house of vanity or iniquity.

CHAPTER XIII.

In the close of the foregoing chapter we left Jeroboam attending his altar at Beth-el, and there we find him in the beginning of this, when he received a testimony from God against his idolatry and apostacy: this was sent him by a prophet, a man of God, that lived in Judah, who is