z Queſt. How could Solomon pray in his Dream, or that prayer be aCceptable ro God, as this was, v. 19 ? Anj. The Dreams of Men are not ſuch inſignificant things as many imagine. That good Dreams are oftentimes praiſe-worthy, and evil Dreams blame-wor= thy, is not only the opinion of the Jews and Chr:ians, but of dis vers of the wiſer and better Heathens; and the reaſon hereof is e= vident, becauſe Mens Dreams are commonly the Images of their Minds and Tempers, and do only reflect and repreſent, though but faintly and imperfectly, thoſe very things which are moſt imprinted upon their hearts by their waking Meditations, and daily Converſa« tion ; and therefore it is not unreaſonable, that eithey the ſinfub Dreams of evil-minded Men ſhould be imputed to them, and pu« niſhed in them, or the virtuous Dreams of good Men imputed to,
-and Rewarded in them ; which was Selomons caſe : for his Heart
having been daily and conſtantly imployed in paſſionate longings and prayers for the Wiſdom, which here he begs; it wasa natural and likely thing that his heart ſhould, as it did, work that way.
.evenin his Dreams. Although, to ſpeak truly and ſtrictly, Solomons
prayer made in his Dream, would have been no way pleating to God, nor profitable to himſelf, if it had not been the reſult ot his
daily and moſt ſerious praftice 3 and though God ſignified his mind 'in a Dream, yet it was Solomons waking Prayers ( which were
. ſhadowed by this dark repreſentation ), which God accepted and
requited 3 and this acceptance of God: was ſignified to him in-an extraordinary manner, and by a Divine Dream, which: was one of thoſe ways whereby God oft uſed to communicate his Will to his Prophets and People. So the whole buſineſs lies thus :. Solomon dreamed that God bid himask what he would, 1 Kings 3. 5. and that he did asck Wiſdom, wv. 6, &c. and that God accepted his deſire, V. 10s. and gave him that gracious anſwer, v.11, &c, Andallthis was done in a dream, but with. this difference ;. Solomons prayer was but imaginary, but Gods anſwer was real, though conveyed'in a dream, And when he awoke, he knew by divine Inſpiration that this was a dream ſent from God. to afſure him that he would give him Wiſdom, and Riches, and Honour, and this with reſpect unta his frequent, conſtant, and fervent waking deſires, which his dream of his Prayers did ſufhciently.intimate, See more on wv. 6. 07, 6 He
+ dreamed that God ſaid fo.
6 And Solomon faid p, Thou haſt ſhewed m_ ny,
by Chrogs 32 17,
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many days.
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_ thy ſervant king inſtead of David my father :
| all the*parts of my duty : for both theſe are ſpoken of in Scripture,
E-* 6 # thy ſervant David my father great ||mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth q, and in righteouſneſs, and in uprightneſs of heart with thee r, and thou haſt kept / for him this great kindneſs, that thou haft given him a fon to ſit on his throne, as zt is this day, —__. ? i- e» He dreamed that he ſaid. See on v. 5. Or, he really ſaid, For although the uſe of reaſon is ordinarly ſo dark and im- perfe& in Dreams, that ſuch aQings arenot human ations 3 yet in extraordinary and Divine Dreams it is but reaſonable to allow ſomething extraordinary. For who can doubt but God may ſo clear up and aſſiſt a Mans reaſon in his Dream, that he may have a true and ſtrong apprehenſion of fome things, which alſo may make a ſuitable impreſſion upon the will or affections 3 and conſequent!y ſuch a&s of the Soul may be moral a&s and regardable by God and Men ? And this might bea kind of extatical rapture, whereby his
*Soul might be as it were carried out of his Body, as St. Pauls was,
2 Cor. 12- 3. for a ſeaſon, in which caſe both his reaſon mighr clearly and diſtin&ly apprehend Gods mind, and his gracious offer ; and his Will might make a free choice of Wiſdom 3 which therefore
.might be accepted and Rewarded by God. 9 Either, Firſt, Sincere-
ly, and without diſfimulation. But that is more fully expretled in the following words, in uprightneſs of hear:. Or rather, Secondly, in the True Worſhip and Service of God, in the profeſſion, belief, praQiice and defence of the Truth, or of the true Religion, or of Gods Will or Word, which is called Truth, Prov: 23: 23: John 17:17: Gal: 3:1. So Truth here contains all his duties to God, as Righteouſ- neſs doth his duties ro Men, and Uprightneſs the right manner of performing both ſorrs of duties 7 i.e. In thy Judgment, ro whom alone his heart was known, and to whom he oft appealed as the wit:.eſs of his Integrity ; and with reſpe& to whom he performed all his duties, even to Men- / Or, reſerved ; that which thou didi} not reſerve for Saul, whoſe Poſterity thou didfſt cut off from the Kingdom. |
7 And now, O LORD my God, thou haſt made
and ] am but a little child s : I know not how to gorout or COmL 1n #.
s So he was in Years : not as if he were now but twelve Years old, as many gather from this name of Child ; for that name is given to Iſhmael, when 18 Years old, Gen: 213 14, 15. and to Rehoboam 'when 41 Years old, 2 Chron: 13: 7: where the word is the fame in the Hebrew : and before this time David calls him a Wiſe Man, Chap; 2: 9: but he was now not above 20 Years old; and withal ( which he principally intends ) _ he was raw and unexperienced, asa Child, in State Affairs, and alrogether unfit for ſo hard a task. t i.e To govern my People, and manage Affairs ; as that Phraſe ſignifies. Num: 27: 17; Dent: 31: 2 Joſ: 14; 17. |
8 And thy ſervant # in the midſt of thy people « whieh thou haſt choſen x, a great people, that cannot be numbred, nor counted for multicude.
% 1. e: Is ſet over them to rule and guide them, A Metaphor from the Overſeer of divers Workmen, who uſually is in the midſt of them, that he may the better obſerve how each of them diſ- chargeth his office. : Thy peculiar People, whom thou takeſt ſpecial care of, and therefore wiltſt expe&t a more punQual ac- count of my Government of them.
9 * Give therefore thy ſervant an + underſtanding
heart z to judge & thy people, that I may diſcern between good and bad « : for who is able þto judge this ſo great a p=ople ? |
5 Whereby I may both clearly diſcern, and ffithfully perform