five feet broad, and forty-five feet in height. (1 Kings vii. 2.) But the temple was exquisitely proportioned, and, together with a grand porch, was most splendidly ornamented.

The temple faced the east. On the rear or west side was the lower part of the city, and on the south was a valley, and the principal peak of Mount Zion. There was a gate on each side, together with an additional one on the west-southwest side, that led to the king's house or palace, which stood across the valley, and communicated with the temple by a terrace walk. At each of the gates was a guard-house; at the south gate were two additional houses called Asuppim, where the wardens of the court probably assembled and stored their utensils, arms, &c., and there were similar houses in each of the four corners of the court. In the centre of this court was the priests' court, which was an oblong square of one hundred and fifty feet in length and seventy-five feet in width. There were three doors to this court opening from the north, east, and south. This court was divided by a partition wall through the centre, which made two inner courts of equal extent the innermost or new court containing the temple, and the outer one the priests' court, containing in its centre the altar of burnt-offerings. A gate opened from this last court directly in front of the grand porch of the temple. This porch, which was in front of the temple, it is said was magnificent. It was thirtysix feet long and eighteen wide. On either side of the entrance was a beautiful brass pillar, splendidly worked, particularly the capitals. The precise height of these pillars it is difficult to determine but they were six feet in diameter. The pillar upon the right was called Jachin, which signifies he shall establish, and the other on the left, Boaz, or strength is in him. On either side of the porch winding stairs ascended leading into the chambers of the temple. Directly in front of the entrance to the porch was the door which led into the main room or sanctuary. This door was made of olive wood, beautifully and heavily carved, and overlaid with gold. The mouldings of the door, according to Josephus, were of brass and silver. The sanctuary was a most magnificent room; on which ever side the eyes were turned, no wood nor stone work was to be seen, it was all pure and shining gold. The floor and the ceiling and much of the walls were of cedar, carved with "knops and flowers," but all overlaid with pure gold. The chambers, of which there were three tiers of thirty each, were built in the wall of the temple all around both the sanctuary and the oracle. At the extremity of the sanctuary was made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle. It is supposed this partition, which is called the "veil of the temple," was a strong wall with a door in the centre, before which was hung a curtain upon a chain of gold. This opened into the oracle or most holy place, where was deposited the ark of GOD. This room was thirty feet in length, breadth, and height. The work of the walls and floor was similar to that of the sanctuary, though probably more costly and highly finished. The altar was made of cedar,

SOLOMON'S TEMPLE.

127 and covered with gold. There were also erected in this room two cherubim of olive wood, fifteen feet each in height, and their wings measuring from tip to tip each fifteen feet. These beautiful and sacred ornaments, whose wings together reached across the temple, were also overlaid with pure gold. The main walks of the temple were marble; the roof of board, and beams of cedar; the temple was lighted by "windows with narrow lights." At the dedication, Solomon had a brazen scaffold built, upon which he stood and addressed the congregation and prayed. This was before the brazen altar of the priests' court. It seems that afterward he built an ivory throne, and overlaid it with gold; but whether this throne was situated there or in the temple, we are at loss to determine. If the "pillar" and the throne are one, it was undoubtedly before the altar in the court. This throne doubtless had a covering like the thrones and presidential seats, now-a-days, and this is what is probably meant by the "covert of the sabbath.' A monstrous brazen basin or "molten sea," was built in the court, which was fifteen feet from brim to brim, seven feet deep, and forty-five feet in circumference. This was placed on twelve brazen oxen, and was used by the priests to wash in. There were also ten lavers to wash the burnt-offerings in. Ten candlesticks, ten tables, and a hundred basins, all of gold, were arranged in the temple. There were also thousands of other instruments, vessels, and ornaments, all of them of the purest gold, and the finest workmanship, adorning this magnificent structure. The immense cost of this temple, as beautiful in its workmanship as it was rich in materials, we have never seen estimated. Solomon reigned after its completion, about thirty years, unequalled in prosperity, in fame, in wisdom, wealth, and magnificence. But as his glory left him in his latter years, so his gorgeous edifice soon after ceased to exist. It was pillaged by Sesac, king of Egypt, and afterward greatly mutilated on the invasion of the Syrians, and was finally burnt to ruins.

The temple was surrounded by an immense wall, which was built with great strength upon the most uneven surface, and according to many writers, was about seven hundred feet square. This furnished a court in which the people were allowed to assemble.

We present our readers with a view of the "MODERN HINDOO TEMPLES," as they appear in the East at the present day.

THE works of the LORD are great-honorable and glorioussought out of all them that have pleasure therein.-Ps. cxi. 2, 3.

THE books of nature and of revelation elevate our conceptions and incite our piety; they mutually illustrate each other; they have an equal claim on our regard, for they are both written by the finger of the one ETERNAL INCOMPREHENSIBLE GOD, TO WHOM BE GLORY FOR EVER. AMEN.

DAVID AND GOLIATH.

Of all the monarchs of ancient times, David the son of Jesse holds the most conspicuous rank, whether considered in the light of a military leader, a bright ornament in the galaxy of oriental writers (especially in the department of sacred and imaginative literature), or as a pious and devout servant of the true GOD. Although his son Solomon exceeded him in the splendor of his kingdom and household, and demands reverence for his wisdom, and admiration for his skill, in planning and causing the erection of the great Jewish temple of worship, yet in the true excellence of character which won David his honors and fame, the "wise man" was sadly wanting. One was but a poor obscure shepherdboy, the other was born to a kingdom; the one persevered in his religious integrity till death, the other, enervated in body and mind by debauchery, worshipped false gods; and while we may derive temporal profit by the perusal of the wise sayings' and practical sermons of Solomon, we are elevated morally and spiritually to the highest point, by the glowing pathos, fervent piety, and exalted devotion, which are breathed in every psalm of the "sweet singer of Israel."

In reading the history of David, we are struck with the similarity of customs among the people of that age, and those of the present who inhabit the same section of the world. Persons, then as now, were raised from the lowest to the highest political stations by the caprice of temporal or spiritual rulers, and at once received the implicit obedience and homage of the whole people. Like the kings of Europe, previous to the Reformation, who bowed to the supremacy of the pope, the kings, and preceding them the judges among the Jews, were subject to the direction, in a great measure, of the prophets and priests, who held an intermediate place between the civil and religious interests of the people. Thus, when Israel wished for a change in government, and demanded a king, we find the prophet Samuel anointing Saul, and a short time previous to his death, we find the same prophet going into the family of a shepherd, and anointing a stripling of fifteen years the successor to the reigning monarch.

This is the first notice we have of David. Shortly after, during the violent war that raged between the Israelites and their immediate neighbors, the Philistines, David was sent to the camp with some necessaries for his brethren who were there. Having been left at home in attendance upon the flocks, his brethren addressed him harshly, and reproached him with a neglect of his trust. Yet he bore their reproaches with patience, and lingered about the camp till he saw the two armies drawn up in battle array, each upon a hill on opposite sides of a valley. Such manœuvres had taken place for several consecutive days, and several times a giant warrior by the name of Goliath, belonging to the Philistine army, had come out upon the plain and defied any one of the Israelites