Interpreters queition, whether Solomon was ſaved, or damned ? That he was damned, ſome believe upon this only Argument, That he died without Repentance ; which they gather, 1x. Becauſe his Re- pentance is not mentioned in his Hiſtory. 2+ Becauſe if he had re- pented, he would have aboliſhed the Monuments of Idolatry which he had ereQed ; which that he did not, they gather from 2 Kings 23: 13. Of which, ( God afliſting ) I ſhall ſpeak upon that place. But to the former, many things may be ſaid; x. We read nothing of the Repentance of Adam ; Neoeh, after his Drunkenneſs, Lot, Samp- ſon, Aſa, &c. ſhall we therefore conclude, they were all damned ? The ſilence ofthe Scripture is a very weak Argument in matters of Hiſtory, 2- If he did Repent, yet the filence of the Scripture abour it in this Hiſtory, was not without wiſe Reaſons ; as, among others, That his Eternal Condition being thus far left doubtful, his Example might have the greater influence for the Terror and Caution of fu- ture Offenders. 3. His Repenrtance is ſufficiently implied in this, (to omit divers other Paſſages ) Thar after Solomon's death the way of So- lomon is mentioned with Honour, and joyncd with the way of David, 2 Chron: 11: 17. But it ſeems to be put out of diſpute by the Book of Ecclefiaftes; which ( by the general conſent both of Jewiſh and Chriſtian Interpreters ) was written by Solomon, and that after his Fall ; as is evident, not only from the unanimous Teſtimony of the Hebrew Writers, who thence concludeg/That he did Repent, and was ſaved ; but alſo, from the whole ſtraiff&f that Book, which was written long after he had finiſhed all his Works, and after he had li- berally drunk of all ſorts of ſenſual pleaſures, and ſadly experienced the bitter EffeQs of his love of Women, Eccleſ: 7: 17, &. Which makes it more than probable, that as David writ Pſal: 51: ſo Solomon wrote this Book as a publick Teſtimony and Profeſſion of his Repentance. And this Argument is ſo cogent, thatthoſe Interpreters who are of the other Opinion, confeſs it, if So/omon did write this Book after his Fall, which they pretend he wrote before it : but they offer not any Argument to prove it. And therefore we have reaſon to conclude, That Solomon did Repent, and was Saved.
H- AJ P.
The Iſraelites ſeek to Rehoboam for relaxation, 1, 5. He refuſing the old mens counſel, by the advice of the young men anſwereth them roughly, 6, I5, For which ten tribes revolt ; kill Adoram : and make Rehoboam to flee, 16, — —21. Heraiſing an army # forbidden by Shemaiah, 225 25. FJeroboam, king of Iſrael, ftrengtheneth himſelf by cities 3 and by the idolatry of the two calves, 25, 233.
| N D * Rehoboam went to Shechem ; for all Iſrael
were come to Shechem 4 to make him king 6.
a Rehoboam did not call them thither, but went thither, becauſe the Iſraelites prevented him, and had generally pitched upon that place, rather .than upon Jeruſalem ; partly, becauſe it was moſt con- venient for all, as being in the Center of the whole Kingdom : part- ly, becauſe that being in the potent Tribe of Ephraim. they ſuppoſed there they might uſe thatfreedom of Speech, which they reſolved to uſe, to get their Grievances redreſfled : and partly, by the ſecret dire&ion of Jeroboam, or his Friends, who would not truſt them- ſelves in Jeruſalem ; and thought Shechem a fitter place to execute their Deſign. 6 To confirm him in the Kingdom, which they gene- rally intended to do ; he being the undoubred Heir of the Crown,and the only Son which Solemon had from ſo vaſt a number of Wives,
2 And it came to paſs, when Jeroboam the ſon of
Nebat, who was yet in * Egypt, heard of z# c, ( for he was fled from the preſence of king Solomon, and
Jeroboam dwelr in Egypt. )
e In the Hebrew it is only heard, and may relate either to Solomon's Death, or to the meeting which all the Tribes had appointed at
Shechem- ; 3 That they ſent and called him 4: and Jeroboam,
and all the congregation of Iſrael! came and ſpake unto Rehoboam, ſaying,
d When the people ſent him word of Solomon's death, they alſo ſent a Summons for him to come to Shechem. Or, as foon as he had heard the tidings of Solomons death from others, or from com- mon Fame; preſenrly there came a ſolemn Meflage to him from the people, who deſired his preſence and afſiſtance, as it ſeems pro- bable from divers Motives ; ſome, that they might tranſlate the Kingdom from Rehoboam to him; and others only for this reaſon. That the preſence and Countenance of a Man of ſo grear Intereſt and Repuration, and one that had ſome Claim or Pretence upon the Kingdom, may lay the greater Obligation upon Rehoboarn to grant their deſires' of Eaſe and Relief. ;
4 Thy father made our * yoke grievous e: now there- fore make thou the grievous ſervice of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we
will ſerve thee.
e By heavy Taxes and Impoſitions,not only for the Templeand his Magnificent Buildings, but for the Expences of his numerous Court, and of ſo many Wives and Concubines, whoſe Luxury and Tdolatry muſt deeds be very coſtly. And Solomon having ſo grofly forſaken God, itis no wonder if he oppreſſed the people, and made their Yoke moſt grievous, as they ſpeak- But here the peoples per- verſeneſs is very obſervable, both in this, that they mention and aggravate only the grievances of the Government, buttake no no- rice of the vaſt Benefits which they received from it; and in that, that they mind nothing but their outward preſſures, and have no regard unto that abominable Idolatry which he ſet up among them ; being, it ſeemed, Either leavened with it by his pernicious Example, or grown careleſs and negligent ofallthe concerns of Religion. By which, ſee how ripe they were all for thoſe dreadful Judgments of God which are now haſtening upon them.
5 And he faid unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me f. And the people departed. f Give me that time for deliberation and advice. 6 © And king Rehoboam conſulted with the old men that ſtood before Solomon his father g, while he 'yet lived, and ſaid, How do ye adviſe, that I may
anſwer this people ?
Judah, or intermixed with them.
N GC S.
g With Solomon's old Counſellors, whom Age and Exper:
Men and Things, and converſe with ſuch a Kige, had pen ts nary