doubts, and fills it with instruction. It is not good neglecting the opportunities of furnishing our souls with profitable, with saving knowledge. There is much wisdom, in moving a question well, though there be more in assoiling it: what use do we make of Solomon's teacher; if, sitting at the feet of Christ, we leave our hearts either ignorant or perplexed?

As if the errand of this wealthy queen had been to buy wisdom, she came with her camels laden with gold, and precious stones, and rich odours: though to a mighty king, she will not come to school empty-handed. If she came to fetch an invaluable treasure, she finds it reason to give thanks unto him that kept it. As he is a fool, that hath a price in his hand to get wisdom, and wants a heart; so is he unthankful, that hath a heart to get wisdom and hath no price in his hand; a price, not countervailable to what he seeks, but retributory to him of whom he seeks. How shameful is it, to come always with close hands to them, that teach us the great mysteries of salvation!

Expectation is no better than a kind enemy to good deserts. We lose those objects which we overlook. Many had been admired, if they had not been overmuch befriended by fame; who now, in our judgment, are cast as much below their rank as they were fore-imagined above it. This disadvantage had wise Solomon with this stranger, whom rumour had bid to look for incredible excellencies; yet, so wonderful were the graces of Solomon, that they overcame the highest expectation, and the liberallest belief; so as when she saw the architecture of his buildings, the provisions of his tables, the order of his attendants, the religion of his sacrifices, she confessed, both her unjust incredulity in not believing the report of his wisdom, and the injury of report in underrating it; I believed not the words till I came, and mine eyes had seen it, and lo, the one half was not told me. Her eyes were more sure informers than her ears. She did not so much hear as see Solomon's wisdom, in these real effects. His answers did not so much demonstrate it, as his prudent government. There are some, whose speeches are witty, while their carriage is weak; whose deeds are incongruities, while their words are apothegms. It is not worth the name of wisdom, that may be heard only, and not seen good discourse is but the froth of wisdom; the pure and solid substance of it, is in well-framed actions: If we know these things, happy are we if we do them.

And if this great person admired the wisdom, and buildings, the domestic order of Solomon, and chiefly his stately ascent into the house of the Lord, how should our souls be taken up with wonder at thee, O thou true Son of David, and Prince of everlasting Peace, who receivedst the Spirit not by measure! who hast built this glorious house, not made with hands, even the heaven of heavens! whose infinite providence hath sweetly disposed of all the family of thy creatures both in heaven and earth!

and who, lastly, didst ascend up on high, and leddest captivity captive, and gavest gifts to men!

So well had this studious lady profited by the lectures of that exquisite master, that now she envies, she magnifies, none but them, who may live within the air of Solomon's wisdom; Happy are the men, and happy are thy servants, which stand continually befroe thee, and that hear thy wisdom; as if she could have been content, to have changed her throne for the footstool of Solomon. It is not easy to conceive, how great a blessing it is, to live under those lips, which do both preserve knowledge and utter it if we were not glutted with good counsel, we should find no relish in any worldly contentment, in comparison thereof; but, He that is full despiseth a honeycomb.

She, whom her own experience had taught how happy a thing it is to have a skilful pilot sitting at the stern of the state, blesseth Israel for Solomon, blesseth God for Israel, blesseth Solomon and Israel mutually in each other; Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel. Because the Lord loved Israel for ever, therefore made he thee king, to do judgment and justice.

It was not more Solomon's advancement to be king of Israel, than it was the advancement of Israel to be governed by a Solomon. There is no earthly proof of God's love to any nation, comparable to the substitution of a wise and pious governor to him we owe our peace, our life, and which is deservedly dearer, the life of our souls, the Gospel. But, O God, how much hast thou loved thine Israel for ever, in that thou hast set over it that righteous branch of Jesse, whose name is Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace in whose days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely! Sing, O heaven, and rejoice, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains, for God hath comforted his people, and will have everlasting mercy upon his afflicted.

The queen of Sheba did not bring her gold and precious stones to look on, or to re-carry, but to give to a wealthier than herself. She gives therefore to Solomon a hundred and twenty talents of gold, besides costly stones and odours. He that made silver in Jerusalem as stones, is yet richly presented on all hands, The rivers still run into the sea: to him that hath shall be given. How should we bring unto thee, O thou King of Heaven, the purest gold of thine own graces, the sweetest odours of our obediences! Was not this withal a type of that homage, which should be done unto thee, O Saviour, by the heads of the nations? The kings of Tarshish and the Isles bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Saba bring gifts; yea, all kings shall worship thee, all nations shall serve thee. They cannot enrich themselves, but by giving unto thee.

It could not stand with Solomon's magnificence, to receive

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rich courtesies without a return. The greater the person was, the greater was the obligation of requital. The gifts of mean persons are taken but as tributes of duty: it is dishonourable, to take from equals, and not to retribute. There was not therefore more freedom in her gift, than in her receipt: her own will was the measure of both. She gave what she would; she received whatsoever she would ask and she had little profited by Solomon's school, if she had not learned to ask the best: she returns, therefore, more richly laden than she came she gave to Solomon, as a thankful client of wisdom; Solomon returns to her, as a munificent patron, according to the liberality of a king. We shall be sure to be gainers, by whatsoever we give unto thee, O thou God of wisdom and peace. Oh that we could come from the remote regions of our infidelity and worldliness, to learn wisdom of thee, who both teachest and givest it abundantly, without upbraiding, without grudging; and could bring with us the poor presents of our faithful desires and sincere services: how wouldst thou receive us, with a gracious acceptation; and send us away, laden with present comfort, with eternal glory!

CONTEMPLATION VII.-SOLOMON'S DEFECTION. 1 KINGS XI.

SINCE the first man Adam, the world hath not yielded, either so great an example of wisdom, or so fearful an example of apostasy, as Solomon. What human knowledge Adam had, in the perfection of nature by creation, Solomon had by infusion; both fully, both from one fountain. If Adam called all creatures by their names, Solomon spare from the cedars of Lebanon to the moss that springs out of the wall; and besides these vegetables, there was no beast, nor fowl, nor fish, nor creeping thing, that escaped his discourse. Both fell; both fell by one means: as Adam, so might Solomon have said, The woman deceived me. It is true indeed, that Adam fell as all; Solomon, as one; yet so as that this one is the pattern of the frailty of all. If knowledge could have given an immunity from sin, both had stood.

Affections are those feet of the soul, on which it either stands or falls. Solomon loved many outlandish women: I wonder not, if the wise king miscarried. Every word hath bane enough for a man: women; many women; outlandish; idolatrous; and those, not only had, but doated on. Sex, multitude, nation, condition, all conspired to the ruin of a Solomon. If one woman undid all mankind, what marvel is it, if many women undid one? Yet had those many been the daughters of Israel, they had tempted him only to lust; not to mis-devotion: now they were

of those nations, whereof the Lord had said to the children of Israel, Go not ye in to them, nor let them come in to you; for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods. To them did Solomon join in love who can marvel, if they disjoined his heart from God?

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Satan hath found this bait to take so well, that he never changed it, since he crept into Paradise. How many have we known, whose heads have been broken with their own rib! In the first world, the sons of God saw the daughters of men, and took them wives of all they liked: they multiplied not children, but iniquities. Balaam knew well, if the dames of Moab could make the Israelites wantons, they should soon make them idolaters. All lies open, where the covenant is not both made with the eye, and kept.

It was the charge of God to the kings of Israel before they were, that they should not multiply wives. Solomon had gone beyond the stakes of the law; and now is ready to lose himself, amongst a thousand bedfellows. Whoso lays the reins on the neck of his carnal appetite, cannot promise where he will rest.

O Solomon, where was thy wisdom, while thine affections run away with thee into so wild a voluptuousness? What boots it thee to discourse of all things, while thou mis-knowest thyself? The perfections of speculation do not argue the inward powers of self-government. The eye may be clear, while the hand is palsied. It is not so much to be heeded, how the soul is informed, as how it is disciplined: the light of knowledge doth well, but the due order of the affections doth better. Never any mere man since the first knew so much as Solomon; many, that have known less, have had more command of themselves. A competent estate well husbanded, is better than a vast patrimony neglected.

There can be no safety to that soul, where is not a strait curb upon our desires. If our lusts be not held under as slaves, they will rule as tyrants. Nothing can prevent the extremity of our mis-carriage, but early and strong denials of our concupiscence. Had Solomon done thus, delicacy and lawless greatness had not led him into these bogs of intemperance.

The ways of youth are steep and slippery, wherein, as it is easy to fall, so it is commonly relieved with pity; but the wanton inordinations of age are not more unseasonable than odious: : yet behold Solomon's younger years were studious and innocent; his over-hastened age was licentious and misgoverned; For, when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods. If any age can secure us from the danger of a spiritual fall, it is our last; and if any man's old age might secure him, it was Solomon's; the beloved of God, the oracle, the miracle of wisdom. Who would have looked, but that the blossoms of so hopeful a spring, should have yielded a goodly and pleasant

fruit, in the autumn of age? yet behold, even Solomon's old age vicious. There is no time wherein we can be safe, while we carry this body of sin about us: youth is impetuous; mid-age, stubborn; old age, weak; all, dangerous. Say not now; "The fury of my youthful flashes is over: I shall henceforth find my heart calm and impregnable;" while thou seest old Solomon doating upon his concubines, yea, upon their idolatry.

It is no presuming upon time, nor means, nor strength. How many have begun and proceeded well, who yet have shamed themselves in their last stage! If God uphold us not, we cannot stand if God uphold us, we cannot fall. When we are at the strongest, it is the best to be weak in ourselves; and when at our weakest, strong in him, in whom we can do all things.

I cannot yet think so hard of Solomon, that he would project his person to Ashteroth the goddess of the Sidonians, or Milcom the idol of the Ammonites, or Chemosh the abomination of Moab. He, that knew all things from the shrub to the cedar, could not be ignorant, that these statues were but stocks, or stones, or metals; and the powers, resembled by them, devils. It is not like he could be so insensate, to adore such deities; but so far was the uxorious king blinded with affection, that he gave not passage only, to the idolatry of his heathenish wives, but furtherance.

So did he dote upon their persons, that he humoured them in their sins their act is therefore his, because his eyes winked at it; his hand advanced it. He, that built a temple to the living God for himself and Israel in Sion, built a temple to Chemosh in the Mount of Scandal, for his mistresses of Moab, in the very face of God's house. No hill about Jerusalem was free from a chapel of devils. Each of his dames had their puppets, their altars, their incense. Because Solomon feeds them in their superstition, he draws the sin home to himself, and is branded for what he should have forbidden. Even our very permission appropriates crimes to us. We need no more guiltiness of any sin, than our willing toleration.

Who can but yearn and fear, to see the woeful wreck of so rich and goodly a vessel! O Solomon, wert not thou he, whose younger years God honoured with a message and style of love! to whom God twice appeared; and, in a gracious vision, renewed the covenant of his favour? whom he singled out from all the generation of men, to be the founder of that glorious temple, which was no less clearly the type of heaven, than thou wert of Christ, the Son of the ever-living God? Wert not thou that deep sea of wisdom, which God ordained to send forth rivers and fountains of all divine and human knowledge, to all nations, to all ages? Wert not thou one of those select secretaries, whose hand it pleased the Almighty to employ, in three pieces of the divine monuments of Sacred Scriptures? Which of us dares ever hope to aspire unto thy graces? Which of us can promise to secure