Page:Light and truth.djvu/217

Rh thousand men per month in Lebanon, employed in falling and preparing the timbers for the craftsmen to hew them, seventy thousand to carry burdens; eighty thousand to hew the stones and timber; and three thousand three hundred overseers of the work; who were all employed for seven years; to whom, besides their wages and diet, king Solomon gave as a free gift, six millions seven hundred and thirty-three thousand, nine hundred and seventy-seven pounds.

The treasure left by David, towards carrying on this noble and glorious work, is reckoned to be nine hundred and eleven millions, four hundred and sixteen thousand, two hundred and seven pounds; to which if we add king Solomon's annual revenue, his trading to Ophir for gold, and the presents made him by all the earth, as mentioned 1 Kings x. 24, 25, we shall not wonder at his being able to carry on so expensive a work; nor can we, without impiety, question its surpassing all other structures, since we are assured that it was built by the immediate direction of HEAVEN.

And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house. And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders did hew them, and the stone-squarers: so they prepared timber and stones to build the house. (1 Kings v.17, 18.)

When the temple of Jerusalem was finished, the capstone was celebrated, with great joy. "This is the stone which is become the head of the corner." (Psalm cxviii. 22. Matt. xxi. 42. Mark xii. 10. Luke xx. 17. Acts iv. 11. 1 Kings vi. 27.)

And he set the cherubims within the inner house; and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall; and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the Lord: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, whereupon the shew-bread was; and the candle-sticks of pure gold; five on the right side, and five on the left, before the oracle; with the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs of gold; and the bowls, and the snuffers,