ness: much more to the highest and busiest vocation, the regiment of men.

As God hath no reason, to give his best favors unasked, so hath he no will to withhold them, where they are asked. He, that in his cradle had the title of 'beloved of God,' is now beloved more in the throne, for the love and desire of wisdom.

This soil could never have borne this fruit alone. Solomon could not so much as have dreamed of wisdom, if God had not put it into him; and now God takes the suit so well, as if he were beholden to his creature, for wishing the best to itself; and because Solomon hath asked what he should, he shall now receive, both what he asked and what he asked not: riches and honor shall be given him into the match. So doth God love a good choice, that he recompenses it with overgiving. Could we but first seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all these earthly things should be superadded to us. Had Solomon made wealth his boon, he had failed both of riches and wisdom; now he asks the best, and speeds of all. They are in a fair way of happiness, that can pray well.

It was no discomfort to Solomon, that he awaked and found it a dream; for he knew this dream was divine and oracular; and he already found in his first waking, the real performance of what was promised him sleeping: such illumination did he sensibly find in all the rooms of his heart, as if God had now given him a new soul.

No marvel if Solomon, now returning from the tabernacle to the ark, testified his joy and thankfulness, by burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings, and public feastings. The heart, that hath found in itself the lively testimonies of God's presence and favor, cannot contain itself from outward expressions.

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God likes not to have his gifts lie dead, where he hath conferred them. Israel shall soon witness they have a king enlightened from heaven; in whom wisdom did not stay for heirs, did not admit of any parallel in his predecessors. The all-wise God will find occasions to draw forth those graces to use and light, which he hath bestowed

on man.

Two harlots come before young Solomon, with a diffic cult plea. It is not like, the prince's ear was the first that heard this complaint: there was a subordinate course of justice, for the determination of these meaner incidences. The hardness of this decision brought the matter, through all the benches of inferior judicature, to the tribunal of Solomon.

The very Israelitish harlots were not so unnatural, as some now-a-days, that counterfeit honesty. These strive for the fruit of their womb; ours, to put them off. One son is yet alive; two mothers contend for him. The children were alike for feature, for age; the mothers were alike for reputation. Here can be no evidence from others' eyes. Whether's now is the living child; and whether's is dead? Had Solomon gone about to wring forth the truth by tortures, he had perhaps plagued the innocent, and added pain to the misery of her loss: the weaker had been guilty; and the more able to bear, had carried away both the child and the victory. The countenance of either of the mothers bewrayed an equality of passion: sorrow possessed the one, for the son she had lost; and the other, for the son she was in danger to lose. Both were equally peremptory and importunate in their claim. It is in vain to think, that the true part can be discerned, by the vehemence of their challenge: false hood is ofttimes more clamorous than truth. No wit nesses can be produced. They two dwelt apart under one roof; and if some neighbors have seen the children at their birth and circumcision, yet how little difference, how much change, is there, in the favor of infants! How doth death alter more confirmed lines!

The impossibility of proof makes the guilty more confident, more impudent. The true mother pleads, that her child was taken away at midnight, by the other; but in her sleep: she saw it not; she felt it not; and, if all her senses could have witnessed it, yet here was but the af firmation of the one, against the denial of the other, which in persons alike credible do but counterpoise.

What is there now to lead the judge, since there is nothing either in the act, or circumstances, or persons, or plea, or evidence, that might sway the sentence? Solomon

well saw, that, when all outward proofs failed, there was an inward affection, which, if it could be fetched out, would certainly bewray the true mother. He knew, sorrow might more easily be dissembled, than natural love: both sorrowed for their own; both could not love one, as theirs to draw forth then this true proof of motherhood, Solomon calls for a sword.

Doubtless, some of the wiser hearers smiled on each other; and thought in themselves, What! will the young king cut these knotty causes in pieces? Will he divide justice with edge tools? Will he smite at hazard, before conviction?' The actions of wise princes are riddles to vulgar constructions; neither is it for the shallow capacities of the multitude, to fathom the deep projects of sovereign authority. That sword, which had served for execution, shall now serve for trial; ' Divide ye the living child in twain, and give the one half to the one, and the other half to the other.' O divine oracle of justice, commanding that which it would not have done, that it might find out that could not be discovered! Neither God nor his deputies may be so taken at their words, as if they always intended their commands for action, and not sometimes for probation.

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This sword hath already pierced the breast of the true mother; and divided her heart with fear and grief, at so killing a sentence. There needs no other rack, to discover nature; and now she thinks,. Wo is me, that came for justice, and am answered with cruelty; Divide ye the living child!' Alas! what hath that poor infant offended? that it survives, and is sued for? How much less miserable had I been, that my child had been smothered in my sleep, than mangled before mine eyes! If a dead carcass could have satisfied me, I needed not to have complained. What a woful condition am I fallen into, who am accused to have been the death of my supposed child already, and now shall be the death of my own! If there were no loss of my child, yet how can I endure this torment of mine own bowels? How can I live to see this part of myself, sprawling under that bloody sword? And, while she thinks thus, she sues to that suspected mercy of her just judge, 'O my lord, give her the living

child, and slay him not;' as thinking, 'If he live, he shall but change a mother; if he die, his mother loseth a son: while he lives, it shall be my comfort, that I have a son, though I may not call him so; dying, he perisheth to both it is better he should live to a wrong mother, than to neither.' Contrarily, her envious competitor, as holding herself well satisfied that her neighbors hould be as childless as herself, can say, 'Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it.' Well might Solomon and every hearer conclude, that, either she was no mother or a monster, that could be content with the murder of her child; and that if she could have been the true mother, and yet have desired the blood of her infant, she had been as worthy, to have been stripped of her child for so foul unnaturalness, as the other had been worthy to enjoy him for her honest compassion. Not more justly than wisely therefore, doth Solomon trace the true mother, by the footsteps of love and pity; and adjudgeth the child to those bowels, that had yearned at his danger.

Even in morality, it is thus also. Truth, as it is one, so it loves entireness; falsehood, division. Satan, that hath no right to the heart, would be content with a piece of it: God, that made it all, will have either the whole or none. The erroneous church strives with the true, for the living child of saving doctrine: each claims it for her own heresy, conscious of her own injustice, could be content to go away with a leg or an arm of sound principles, as hoping to make up the rest with her own mixtures; truth cannot abide to part with a joint, and will rather endure to lose all by violence, than a piece through a willing connivancy.-1 Kings iii. 2 Chron. i.

THE TEMPLE.

Ir is a weak and injurious censure, that taxeth Solomon's slackness, in founding the house of God. Great bodies must have but slow motions. He was wise, that said, 'The matters must be all prepared without, ere we build within.' And if David have laid ready a great part of the metals and timber, yet many a tree must be felled and squared, and many a stone hewn and polished, ere this foundation could be laid; neither could those large

cedars be cut, sawn, seasoned, in one year; four years are soon gone, in so vast a preparation.

David had not been so entire a friend to Hiram, if Hiram had not been a friend to God. Solomon's wisdom hath taught him to make use of so good a neighbor, of a father's friend. He knew, that the Tyrians' skill was not given them for nothing. Not Jews only, but Gentiles, must have their hand, in building the temple of God: only Jews meddled with the tabernacle, but the temple is not built without the aid of Gentiles: they, together with us, make up the church of God.

Even pagans have their arts from heaven: how justly may we improve their graces, to the service of the God of heaven! If there be a Tyrian, that can work more curiously in gold, in silver, in brass, in iron, in purple, and blue silk, than an Israelite, why should not he be employed about the temple? Their heathenism is their own; their skill is their Maker's. Many a one works for the church of God, that yet hath no part in it.

Solomon raises a tribute for the work; not of money, but of men. Thirty thousand Israelites are levied for the service; yet not continually, but with intermission: their labor is more generous, and less pressing: it is enough if they keep their courses one month in Lebanon, two at home; so as ever ten thousand work, while twenty thousand breathe. So favorable is God to his creature, that he requires us not to be overtoiled, in the works of his own service. Due respirations are requisite in the holiest acts.

The main stress of the work lies on proselytes; whose both number and pains were herein more than the natives. A hundred and fifty thousand of them are employed, in bearing burdens, in hewing stones; besides their three thousand three hundred overseers. Now were the despised Gibeonites of good use; and in vain doth Israel wish, that the zeal of Saul had not robbed them of so serviceable drudges.

There is no man so mean, but may be some way useful to the house of God. Those, that cannot work in gold, and silver, and silk, yet may cut and hew; and those, that can do neither, yet may carry burdens. Even the