Page:Light and truth.djvu/218

216 and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the most holy place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the Temple. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work, that he had made king Solomon, for the house of the Lord.

Now, when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the house. And the priest could not enter into the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house.

And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. (2 Chron. vii. 1—4.)

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gales, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together: whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper, that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek thy good. (Psalm cxxii.)

In the year of the world 3029, King Solomon died, and was succeeded by his son Rehoboam. Soon after this, instigated and led on by Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, ten of the tribes revolted from Rehoboam, and set up a separate kingdom, with Jeroboam at their head. In this manner were the tribes of Israel divided, and under two distinct governments, for two hundred and fifty-four years. The ten revolted tribes became weak and degenerated; their country was laid waste, and their government overthrown and extirpated by Salmanezer, King of Assyria. After a series of changes and events,