was sufficiently powerful for the occasion. The ac- count given us of their zeal is truly edifying. It will be proper to notice,
I. The object of it —
[They had lately shewn an unhappy zeal in the service of a false god ; and now they laboured to evince their gratitude to Jehovah, and to exalt the honour of his name. This desire filled the whole nation, and was the main-spring of those exer- tions which they now made.
And who must not acknowledge this to have been an object worthy their supreme attention? Survey the objects which occupy the minds of men, and to the pursuit of which they willingly devote their wealth and labour: the gratifications of sense, how mean are they, in comparison of that which now animated the Jewish people ! the attainment of honour, or the acquisition of wealth, how empty are they in comparison of that nobler end which Israel pursued ! Theirs was worth ambition, and might well provoke them all to holy emulation. To have Jehovah resident among them — to provide for him a suitable habitation — to have proper means of access to him, and of communications from him — and, finally, to possess before their eyes a pledge of his continued care, and his eternal love — this was as much beyond the poor objects of common ambition, as the contemplations of reason and philosophy exceed the dreams of children.
Happy would it be for us, if we all formed the same judg- ment, and were all penetrated with the same desire ! — ■ ]
II. The operation —
[There are two things in their conduct which we cannot fail to notice, and admire ; namely, their liberality and their diligence. No sooner did they know what things would be accepted, than they vied with each other in supplying them. Whatever any man possessed that could be applied to the pro- jected structure, he deemed it instantly, Corbati; and without hesitation consecrated it to the service of his God. Their ornaments, of whatever kind, were stripped off; all, both men and women, being more desirous to beautify the sanctuary of their God, than to adorn themselves. Each seemed to think himself rich, not in proportion to what he retained for his own use, but to the supplies he was able to contribute. The poorest among them were as glad to give their wood, their rams' skins, or their brass, as the richest were their jewels and their gold. Nor were they less solicitous to work, than to supply mate- rials for working. The women engaged in spinning the goats' hair and in embroidering the linen, while the men were occu- pied in forming the wood and metals for their respective uses. Those who could teach were as glad to instruct others, as others