THE QUEEN OF SHEBa's VISIT TO SOLOMON.
1 Kings X. 6, 7. And she said to the Jung, It ivas a true repoTt that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom. Hotvbeit I believed not the rvords, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the half iv as not told me.
IT not unfrequently happens, that when the mind has been raised in any extraordinary degree by the representations of others, its expectations are dis- appointed : either the excellencies which appeared
336.1 THE QUEEN OF SHEBa's VISIT TO SOLOMON. 359
SO fascinating to others, have been over-rated ; or they are found blended with such defects, as greatly lessen their value. This is particularly the case with respect to the characters of men ; in estimating which, it is easy to conceive, that our admiration may be too great, and our applause be too unquali- fied. But, in the passage before us, we have an instance where report, though heightened to the utmost, fell short of the reality. The wisdom of Solomon had attracted the attention of all the na- tions around him ; insomuch that persons were sent from all the surrounding potentates, to ascertain whether the reports concerning him were true^: and in the chapter before us, we are informed, that a queen of great power and authority came herself, in order to see with her own eyes, and hear with her own ears, the wonderful things which had been re- ported to her : and her testimony, after the fullest investigation, was, not only that all was true which had been told her, but that the half had not been told her ; so greatly did the truth exceed her most sanguine expectations.
This circumstance deserves particular considera- tion, not merely for the honour of Solomon, but chiefly for the honour of Him whom Solomon pre- figured, even of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Let us notice then, L The surprise occasioned by an acquaintance with Solomon —
We do not know the precise reports which the Queen of Sheba had heard ; but they related prin- cipally, we apprehend, to the wisdom of Solomon. His splendour and magnificence indeed were unpar- alleled ; but his wisdom was that which most of all induced her to come so far ; for '* she came to prove him with hard questions," and " to commune with him of all that was in her heart." Now " his wisdom excelled that of all mankind":" it was not confined to any one branch of science, but embraced the whole
a 1 Kings iv. 34. t> 1 Kings iv. 30, 31.