Inexpressibly awful is the account here given us. Let us now proceed to consider, II. The instruction to be gathered from it —
Never was a history more replete with instruction than this. We may learn from it,
1. That temporal prosperity is very unfavourable for spiritual advancement —
[Doubtless the facility with which Solomon could gratify all his natural appetites, rendered him the more easy prey to his own corruptions: and as his carnal gratifications increased, his spiritual affections would decay. And do we not find it thus in all ages ? Adversity has been a source of benefit to thousands ; but few have ever been permanently quickened by prosperity. If we look into the Church of God, we shall find innumerable instances of persons, who have suffered loss in their souls, in proportion as their wealth or honours have been increased : " The cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lust of other things have choked the word, and
"^ ver. 11. n ver. 12, 13. ' ver. 14, 23, 26—33.
rendered it unfruitful." The account given of JeshurunP con- tains the history of many; over vi^hose tombs it might be inscribed, " The prosperity of fools destroys them^."
Let us not then covet earthly gains or honours : they are but as " thick clay" around the feet of one that runneth in a race% or as a garment that obstructs the motion of his legs ^ ]
2. That however advanced any man may be in age or piety, he is still in danger of falling —
[It is said of Solomon, that, " when he was old, his waives turned away his heart*." Had it been in the days of his youth, we should have the less wondered at his folly ; because versatility of mind is incident to that time of life : but after years of wisdom and piety, to turn in old age to such extreme folly and wickedness, what shall we say? Well may we exclaim, " Lord, what is man?" Can any thing speak more loudly to us than this? Can any thing more strongly enforce that warning of the Apostle, " Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall?" O "let us not be high- minded, but fear." " Let us fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into God's rest, any of us should seem to come short of it." This is certain, that, as our wickedness shall not be remembered if we truly turn from it, so " neither shall our righteousness be remembered if we turn from that." It is not he who " runs well for a season," but " he who endures unto the end, that shall be saved." If we turn back, at whatever period of our life it be, " we turn back unto perdition." Let all of us then cry to God, " to hold up our goings in his paths, that our footsteps slij) not." Our motto to the last must be, " Hold thou me up, and I shall be safe." To all then, what- ever eminence they may have attained, I would say, as our Lord did to his discij»les, not only " Remember Lot's wife," but. Remember the fall of Solomon.]
3. That smaller sins, if not guarded against in time, will issue in the greatest —
[Solomon might frame some excuse to himself for the sins in which his fall commenced : he worshipped on high places, because the temple was not yet huilt : he multiplied wives and concubines, because his father had had several before him: he procured much gold, and a multitude of horses, because they ivould add to the splendour of his court, and perhaps also to his security. But he found at last what a dangerous thing it is to tamper with sin, or to deviate knowingly even an hair's
P Deut. xxxii. 15. i Prov, i, 32. r Hab. ii. 6.
^ Heb. xii. 1. einrepiffTarov ajxapriav. ' ver. 4.