the antiquities of the jews-1-第108节

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never　to　despair　of　any　thing　that　he　had　promised　for　the
future；　in　order　to　their　happiness；　or　suspect　that　it　would　not
come　to　pass。

3。　When　the　king　had　thus　discoursed　to　the　multitude；　he　looked
again　towards　the　temple；　and　lifting　up　his　right　hand　to　the
multitude；　he　said；〃　It　is　not　possible　by　what　men　can　do　to
return　sufficient　thanks　to　God　for　his　benefits　bestowed　upon
them；　for　the　Deity　stands　in　need　of　nothing；　and　is　above　any
such　requital；　but　so　far　as　we　have　been　made　superior；　O　Lord；
to　other　animals　by　thee；　it　becomes　us　to　bless　thy　Majesty；　and
it　is　necessary　for　us　to　return　thee　thanks　for　what　thou　hast
bestowed　upon　our　house；　and　on　the　Hebrew　people；　for　with　what
other　instrument　can　we　better　appease　thee　when　thou　art　angry
at　us；　or　more　properly　preserve　thy　favor；　than　with　our　voice？
which；　as　we　have　it　from　the　air；　so　do　we　know　that　by　that　air
it　ascends　upwards　＇towards　thee＇。　I　therefore　ought　myself　to
return　thee　thanks　thereby；　in　the　first　place；　concerning　my
father；　whom　thou　hast　raised　from　obscurity　unto　so　great　joy；
and；　in　the　next　place；　concerning　myself；　since　thou　hast
performed　all　that　thou　hast　promised　unto　this　very　day。　And　I
beseech　thee　for　the　time　to　come　to　afford　us　whatsoever　thou；　O
God；　hast　power　to　bestow　on　such　as　thou　dost　esteem；　and　to
augment　our　house　for　all　ages；　as　thou　hast　promised　to　David　my
father　to　do；　both　in　his　lifetime　and　at　his　death；　that　our
kingdom　shall　continue；　and　that　his　posterity　should
successively　receive　it　to　ten　thousand　generations。　Do　not　thou
therefore　fail　to　give　us　these　blessings；　and　to　bestow　on　my
children　that　virtue　in　which　thou　delightest。　And　besides　all
this；　I　humbly　beseech　thee　that　thou　wilt　let　some　portion　of
thy　Spirit　come　down　and　inhabit　in　this　temple；　that　thou　mayst
appear　to　be　with　us　upon　earth。　As　to　thyself；　the　entire
heavens；　and　the　immensity　of　the　things　that　are　therein；　are
but　a　small　habitation　for　thee；　much　more　is　this　poor　temple
so；　but　I　entreat　thee　to　keep　it　as　thine　own　house；　from　being
destroyed　by　our　enemies　for　ever；　and　to　take　care　of　it　as
thine　own　possession：　but　if　this　people　be　found　to　have　sinned；
and　be　thereupon　afflicted　by　thee　with　any　plague；　because　of
their　sin；　as　with　dearth　or　pestilence；　or　any　other　affliction
which　thou　usest　to　inflict　on　those　that　transgress　any　of　thy
holy　laws；　and　if　they　fly　all　of　them　to　this　temple；　beseeching
thee；　and　begging　of　time　to　deliver　them；　then　do　thou　hear
their　prayers；　as　being　within　thine　house；　and　have　mercy　upon
them；　and　deliver　them　from　their　afflictions。　Nay；　moreover；
this　help　is　what　I　implore　of　thee；　not　for　the　Hebrews　only；
when　they　are　in　distress；　but　when　any　shall　come　hither　from
any　ends　of　the　world　whatsoever；　and　shall　return　from　their
sins　and　implore　thy　pardon；　do　thou　then　pardon　them；　and　hear
their　prayer。　For　hereby　all　shall　learn　that　thou　thyself　wast
pleased　with　the　building　of　this　house　for　thee；　and　that　we　are
not　ourselves　of　an　unsociable　nature；　nor　behave　ourselves　like
enemies　to　such　as　are　not　of　our　own　people；　but　are　willing
that　thy　assistance　should　be　communicated　by　thee　to　all　men　in
common；　and　that　they　may　have　the　enjoyment　of　thy　benefits
bestowed　upon　them。〃

4。　When　Solomon　had　said　this；　and　had　cast　himself　upon　the
ground；　and　worshipped　a　long　time；　he　rose　up；　and　brought
sacrifices　to　the　altar；　and　when　he　had　filled　it　with
unblemished　victims；　he　most　evidently　discovered　that　God　had
with　pleasure　accepted　of　all　that　he　had　sacrificed　to　him；　for
there　came　a　fire　running　out　of　the　air；　and　rushed　with
violence　upon　the　altar；　in　the　sight　of　all；　and　caught　hold　of
and　consumed　the　sacrifices。　Now　when　this　Divine　appearance　was
seen；　the　people　supposed　it　to　be　a　demonstration　of　God's　abode
in　the　temple；　and　were　pleased　with　it；　and　fell　down　upon　the
ground　and　worshipped。　Upon　which　the　king　began　to　bless　God；
and　exhorted　the　multitude　to　do　the　same；　as　now　having
sufficient　indications　of　God's　favorable　disposition　to　them；
and　to　pray　that　they　might　always　have　the　like　indications　from
him；　and　that　he　would　preserve　in　them　a　mind　pure　from　all
wickedness；　in　righteousness　and　religious　worship；　and　that　they
might　continue　in　the　observation　of　those　precepts　which　God　had
given　them　by　Moses；　because　by　that　means　the　Hebrew　nation
would　be　happy；　and　indeed　the　most　blessed　of　all　nations　among
all　mankind。　He　exhorted　them　also　to　be　mindful；　that　by　what
methods　they　had　attained　their　present　good　things；　by　the　same
they　must　preserve　them　sure　to　themselves；　and　make　them　greater
and　more　than　they　were　at　present；　for　that　it　was　not
sufficient　for　them　to　suppose　they　had　received　them　on　account
of　their　piety　and　righteousness；　but　that　they　had　no　other　way
of　preserving　them　for　the　time　to　come；　for　that　it　is　not　so
great　a　thing　for　men　to　acquire　somewhat　which　they　want；　as　to
preserve　what　they　have　acquired；　and　to　be　guilty　of　no　sin
whereby　it　may　be　hurt。

5。　So　when　the　king　had　spoken　thus　to　the　multitude；　he
dissolved　the　congregation；　but　not　till　he　had　completed　his
oblations；　both　for　himself　and　for　the　Hebrews；　insomuch　that　he
sacrificed　twenty　and　two　thousand　oxen；　and　a　hundred　and　twenty
thousand　sheep；　for　then　it　was　that　the　temple　did　first　of　all
taste　of　the　victims；　and　all　the　Hebrews；　with　their　wives　and
children；　feasted　therein：　nay；　besides　this；　the　king　then
observed　splendidly　and　magnificently　the　feast　which　is　called
the　Feast　of　Tabernacles；　before　the　temple；　for　twice　seven
days；　and　he　then　feasted　together　with　all　the　people。

6。　When　all　these　solemnities　were　abundantly　satisfied；　and
nothing　was　omitted　that　concerned　the　Divine　worship；　the　king
dismissed　them；　and　they　every　one　went　to　their　own　homes；
giving　thanks　to　the　king　for　the　care　he　had　taken　of　them；　and
the　works　he　had　done　for　them；　and　praying　to　God　to　preserve
Solomon　to　be　their　king　for　a　long　time。　They　also　took　their
journey　home　with　rejoicing；　and　making　merry；　and　singing　hymns
to　God。　And　indeed　the　pleasure　they　enjoyed　took　away　the　sense
of　the　pains　they　all　underwent　in　their　journey　home。　So　when
they　had　brought　the　ark　into　the　temple；　and　had　seen　its
greatness；　and　how　fine　it　was；　and　had　been　partakers　of　the
many　sacrifices　that　had　been　offered；　and　of　the　festivals　that
had　been　solemnized；　they　every　one　returned　to　their　own　cities。
But　a　dream　that　appeared　to　the　king　in　his　sleep　informed　him
that　God　had　heard　his　prayers；　and　that　he　would　not　only
preserve　the　temple；　but　would　always　abide　in　it；　that　is；　in
case　his　posterity　and　the　whole　multitude　would　be　righteous。
And　for　himself；　it　said；　that　if　he　continued　according　to　the
admonitions　of　his　father；　he　would　advance　him　to　an　immense
degree　of　dignity　and　happiness；　and　that　then　his　posterity
should　be　kings　of　that　country；　of　the　tribe　of　Judah；　for　ever；
but　that　still；　if　he　should　be　found　a　betrayer　of　the
ordinances　of　the　law；　and　forget　them；　and　turn　away　to　the
worship　of　strange　gods；　he　would　cut　him　off　by　the　roots；　and
would　neither　suffer　any　remainder　of　his　family　to　continue；　nor
would　overlook　the　people　of　Israel；　or　preserve　them　any　longer
from　afflictions；　but　would　utterly　destroy　them　with　ten
thousand　wars　and　misfortunes；　would　cast　them　out　of　the　land
which　he　had　given　their　fathers；　and　make　them　sojourners　in
strange　lands；　and　deliver　that　temple　which　was　now　built　to　be
burnt　and　spoiled　by　their　enemies；　and　that　city　to　be　utterly
overthrown　by　the　hands　of　their　enemies；　and　make　their　miseries
deserve　to　be　a　proverb；　and　such　as　should　very　hardly　be
credited　for　their　stupendous　magnitude；　till　their　neighbors；
when　they　should　hear　of　them；　should　wonder　at　their　calamities；
and　very　earnestly　inquire　for　the　occasion；　why　the　Hebrews；　who
had　been　so　far　advanced　by　God　to　such　glory　and　wealth；　should
be　then　so　hated　by　him？　and　that　the　answer　that　should　be　made
by　the　remainder　of　the　people　should　be；　by　confessing　their
sins；　and　their　transgression　of　the　laws　of　their　country。
Accordingly　we　have　it　transmitted　to　us　in　writing；　that　thus
did　God　speak　to　Solomon　in　his　sleep。

CHAPTER　5。

How　Solomon　Built　Himself　A　Royal　Palace；　Very　Costly　And
Splendid；　And　How　He　Solved　The　Riddles　Which　Were　Sent　Him　By
Hiram。

1。　After　the　building　of　the　temple；　which；　as　we　have　before
said；　was　finished　in　seven　years；　the　king　laid　the　foundation
of　his　palace；　which　be　did　not　finish　under　thirteen　years；　for
he　was　not　equally　zealous　in　the　building　of　this　palace　as　he
had　been　about　the　temple；　for　as　to　that；　though　it　was　a　great
work；　and　required　wonderful　and　surprising　application；　yet　God；
for　whom　it　was　made；　so　far　co…operated　therewith；　that　it　was
finished　in　the　forementioned　number　of　years：　but　the　palace；
which　was　a　building　much　inferior　in　dignity　to　the　temple；　both
on　account　that　its　materials　had　not　been　so　long　beforehand
gotten　ready；　nor