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and marble stones, and stones of divers colours. Moreover, because I have set my affection to the house of my God, I have of my own proper goods given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, three thousand talents of gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, to overlay the walls of the house, and for all manner of work to be made by the hand of artificers. Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the Lord?"

Then the chief of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the officers of the king's household, offered willingly. And they gave for the service of the house of God, of gold five thousand talents, and of silver eighteen thousand talents. And they who had precious stones gave them to the treasurer of the house of the Lord. And the people rejoiced because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

And when the king and all the princes of Israel

had made their offerings for the temple of the Lord their God, David prayed aloud and blessed the Lord, and said, "Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine. Both riches and honour come of thee, thou reignest over all; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength to all. Now therefore, O God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee. For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thy holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own. know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of my heart I have willingly

I

offered all these things: and now I have seen with joy thy people who are present here to offer willingly unto thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, stablish their hearts unto thee, and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart to keep thy commandments, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace for which I have made provision."

Then all the congregation also blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord.

And on the morrow after that day, they sacrificed sacrifices unto the Lord, and offered burnt offerings in abundance for all Israel, a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs. And they feasted before the Lord on that day with great gladness.

1 Chronicles xxix.

A talent was a weight used among the children of Israel, about one hundred and fourteen pounds of English weight. A talent of gold was worth more than £5000 of English money, and a talent of silver about £342.

The gold of Ophir was the best and purest gold.

To refine, is to purify; refined silver was very pure silver.
An artificer, is a skilful workman in some particular work or

art.

A sojourner, is a person who remains in a place for a short time. David said that he and his people were strangers and sojourners on earth, because this world was not their everlasting home, but appointed by God to be their dwelling-place only for a time.

Chapter CXXXVE.

THE DEATH AND CHARACTER OF DAVID.

AFTER all things had been prepared for the temple of the Lord which Solomon his son was to build, king David "slept with his fathers," and was buried in Jerusalem. He died "in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour;" and Solomon his son reigned in his stead. The time that he had reigned in Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron over his own tribe, the tribe of Judah; and thirty and three years in Jerusalem over all the tribes of Israel.

Thus died David, the son of Jesse, "the man after God's own heart," "the man who was raised

B.C.

1015.

up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the sweet Psalmist of Israel'." His last words were words of prayer and praise to God; his last work, the care for God's worship and the honour of His

name.

Among the chosen saints of God, few hold a higher place than David, the son of Jesse. While he was a youth in Bethlehem, and kept his father's sheep, it was said of him by the prophet Samuel, that he was 66 a man after God's own heart2.” And after his long life of seventy years was ended, it was written of him in holy Scripture, that "his heart was perfect with the Lord his God;" and that "he turned not aside from any thing that He had commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite "." 3." From his earliest years, his heart was full of faith in God and zeal for His honour; he acted as God's servant with a faithful, zealous spirit, and trusted to God to protect and guide him. Thus in his youth he longed to go forth against the Philistine, be

1 2 Samuel xxiii. 1, 2.
2 1 Samuel xiii. 14.
3 1 Kings xi. 4; xv. 3—5.

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