cccxxx.
Solomon's choice.
1 Kings iii. 11 — 13. ^nd God said unto Mm, Because tliou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life ; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies ; hut hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment: hehold, I have done according to thy words : lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that tvhich thou hast not asked, hoth riches, arid honour: so that there shall not he any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.
SUCH is the condescension of Almighty God, that he not only conversed familiarly with man in a state of innocence, but even in his fallen state has talked with him as a man talketh with his friend. So free was the intercourse which he maintained with Abra- ham, that that patriarch was '' called the friend of God." With Solomon too his communications were most familiar, as the instance recorded in our text will evince. Solomon, after he was seated on the throne of David his father, offered a thousand burnt- offerings at Gibeon, where God's principal altar was, previous to the building of the temple. After that pious work was performed, God visited him, and re- vealed himself to him in a dream or vision, and bade him ask any blessing that he chose ; assuring him that it should certainly be granted. Solomon ac- cepted the offer, and made known to God the request contained in our text.
Let us consider,
I. The choice of Solomon —
His request was for a more abundant measure of wisdom —
[In this request, he desired intellectual wisdom, whereby he might be fitted for all the duties and services of his high station. He was conscious, that, without this, he should but ill discharge the office to which God in his providence had called him. He felt the awful responsibihty attached to the
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office of a monarcli ; and he longed to approve himself both able and faithful in the execution of his trust.
But it is evident that he desired s^nritnal wisdom also ; for he w^anted " to discern in all things between good and bad," which he could not do without a clear discovery of the Law, which is the only true test of good and evil.
Now this was a wise choice. He might, as God tells him, have asked for riches, or honour, or power over his enemies : but he felt that none of those things could make him happy, or render those happy who were committed to his care. Indeed we need only look at those who have been most famed for their conquests, and we shall find, that no acquisitions of wealth or territory could satisfy them ; and that they have been no less a curse to the people they governed, than to those whom they endeavoured to subdue ; since they sought only to gratify their own ambition at the expense of those, whose welfare they should have solely regarded. But without extending our views to them, we need only look within the narrow circle of our own ac- quaintance, and we shall see, that wisdom conduces more to the happiness of men, than all other things whatever. See the man that is enabled to conduct himself well in the most arduous affiiirs of life, how happy does he make all who are connected with him; especially, if he be endued with spiritual wisdom also, so as to have a spiritual discernment in eveiy thing relating to God and man ! What a light then shines around him ; and what blessings does he communicate wherever he comes ! Compare such an one with the great, the rich, the miglity, and he \\\\\ be found far happier than them all.