of Israel. And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God: But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: Thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born unto thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days. He shall build an house for my name." The temple which Solomon built, was the most rich and magnificent structure that ever was raised by the hand of man. It was seven years in building; it daily employed above a hundred thousand workmen; and there was more gold and silver expended in adorning it, than is now in circulation in all the nations of Europe. And after he had finished this great work, he still went on to build cities and palaces, and to make Jerusalem, the seat of his kingdom, the metropolis of the world. Such vast and important designs were accomplished, in the long and peaceful reign of Solomon. And when any nation enjoys peace on all sides round about it, it has the fairest opportunity of forming and of executing designs of public utility and importance. In this view, national peace is highly conducive to the general good of every civil community.

5. It is the direct tendency of national peace to promote person as well as public prosperity. There is no other national blessing so extensive in its kindly influence. It pervades every part of a nation, and yields a peculiar pleasure to high and low, rich and poor, young and old. It looks, with a mild and cheering aspect, upon every individual, and increases every other public and private blessing. In the peaceful reign of Solomon, all his subjects appeared to be in a state of real happiness and self-enjoyment. This is expressly mentioned as the fruit of national peace. "Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating, and drinking, and making merry." These expressions cannot mean carnal mirth and levity, but that serenity and cheerfulness of mind which God required his people to feel and express, in a state of outward prosperity. Universal peace diffuses universal joy through any community. While they dwell safely, and sit under their vines and fig-trees, none being able to make them afraid, they enjoy a train of pleasing reflections. The idea of safety, with respect to ourselves, our friends, and our country, is not only agreeable in its own nature, but it also gives a high relish to every other earthly enjoyment. Happy is that people 12

VOL. II.

This was the case of
And this is the case

that is in such a case, that there is no breaking in, nor going out, and no complaining in the streets. Israel, in the peaceful reign of Solomon. of any nation which enjoys the blessing of universal peace. I may add,

6. National peace is very friendly to the interests of religion. During the peaceful reign of Solomon, religion greatly flourished. As soon as he was fixed upon the throne, he invited the people to go with him to Gibeon, where he offered sacrifices, and called upon God for wisdom to enable him to discharge the weighty duties which should devolve upon him in the course of his reign. His prayer was graciously heard and abundantly answered. When he had finished the temple, he consecrated it to the service of the Deity with great solemnity and devotion, which met the approbation of Heaven. Nor did he stop here; but by his example and authority promoted the regular and solemn worship of God in his house. "Then Solomon offered burnt-offerings unto the Lord upon the altar of the Lord which he had built before the porch, even after å certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts three times in a year, even in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles. And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests to their service, and the Levites to their charges, to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required. And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites, concerning any matter." Such was the happy influence of national peace upon religion in Solomon's reign. And it had the same effect in the reigns of other pious and pacific princes. All the revivals of religion which we have an account of in the succeeding reigns were in times of national peace. Of Asa we are told, "In his days the land was quiet ten years. And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves, and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and commandment." His son Jehoshaphat was a great reformer, and promoted the cause of religion in a time of peace. Accordingly it is said, "The fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat." There was another revival of religion in Hezekiah's peaceful reign. And another after that, in the peaceful reign of Josiah. Indeed, public peace and true

religion have always promoted each other. It is the natural tendency of peace in any nation which enjoys divine revelation, to promote the interests of religion. And in this view especially, the reign of Solomon is represented by the Psalmist as a type of the future spread of religion, and prosperity of the church, under the reign of the Prince of Peace. "In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust. The kings of Tarshish and of the Isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him." As soon as universal peace shall reign, and men shall beat their swords into plough-shares and their spears into pruning-hooks, this glorious prediction shall be fully accomplished. Our Saviour was born in a time of peace, and he shall reign in a time of peace. The peace of nations always has been and always will be highly favorable to the cause of religion. In a word, national peace serves to promote every national interest, and is the greatest of all national blessings.

IMPROVEMENT.

War

1. IF peace be the greatest national blessing, then war is the greatest national calamity. War and peace are diametrically opposite to each other in their nature and tendency. War tends to destroy all that prosperity which peace tends to produce. War diminishes the numbers and wastes the wealth of nations. War obstructs the progress of science, and destroys the works of ages. War corrupts the hearts and lives of men, and wounds the interests of religion and morality. spreads a general gloom over the beautiful face of nature, disturbs the peace and destroys the hopes of families, and pierces the bosoms of old and young with the keenest anguish and distress. It is impossible to paint the horrors of war and all its attendant miseries. It will appear in its truest light in contrast with the blessings of peace. And to view it in this dreadful light, we need only turn our eyes to Europe. It has there spilt the blood of millions. It has there trampled upon all laws, human and divine. It has there laid waste the labors and wisdom of ages. It has there spread ignorance, infidelity, vice, and misery, through a large portion of the globe. In a word, war is the calamity of calamities, and the greatest of all natural and national evils.

2. If peace be the greatest of national blessings, then it is

the wisdom of those who possess the supreme power in any nation, to promote and maintain this desirable and important object. Solomon was the greatest and wisest prince that ever swayed a royal sceptre. He was wiser than all men. The greatest princes admired his wisdom, and placed themselves as pupils at his feet. And this wisest of men and of princes was a prince of peace. He had a just sense of the importance of saving his people from the evils of war, and of turning their attention and exertions to the arts of peace. And through a long reign of forty years he maintained peace on all sides round about him, and raised his kingdom to the first rank among the kingdoms of men. This is a noble example, which it is not beneath the greatest princes and potentates of the earth to imitate. There is nothing of so much importance as war, that is commonly undertaken with so little coolness and prudence. It is much more frequently the result of folly than the fruit of wisdom. From whence come wars and fightings? Do they not too often come from the bitterest passions of human nature? It highly concerns those who hold the reins of government and carry in their hands the lives and interests of their subjects, to take good advice before they make war. This was Solomon's counsel and Solomon's conduct. Near the close of his reign some of his neighbors gave him just grounds of offence; but he had more wisdom than to chastise their insolence at the expense of the peace and prosperity of his own kingdom.

war.

3. If it be the natural tendency of national peace to promote national prosperity, then it is the wisdom of a people to do all in their power to retain this invaluable blessing. A prosperous people are very prone to forget the source of their prosperity, and to become extremely stupid, avaricious, and revengeful. These are the passions which naturally enkindle the spirit of And when the spirit of war has inflamed and infatuated the minds of a people, they are deaf to the voice of reason and blind to the motives of interest. While they feel the powerful impulse of malignant passions, they would much rather sacrifice their own interest and happiness than fail to pour their vengeance on the head of their enemies. How often have all the powers engaged in war been heartily sorry, before they finished it, that they forsook the way of peace and spread their paths with misery and destruction! After the flame of war has once broken out, it is extremely difficult to restrain its fury until it has greatly weakened, diminished, and exhausted all the parties concerned. No people can suffer the spirit of war to seize their breasts, without exposing themselves to the folly and danger of adopting rash and precipitate measures, which

they will always have reason to regret. It is therefore the wisdom of any nation that enjoys the blessing of peace, to cultivate a cool and pacific spirit; and if possible, to avoid the horrors and calamities of war. The beginning of public as well as of private strife is as when one letteth out water; therefore let us, in this land of peace, leave off wars and fightings before they are meddled with.

4. We learn from what has been said, that we are under peculiar obligations to God for the bestowment and continuance of our national peace. For thirteen years past we have dwelt safely, sitting under our vines and fig-trees, none being able to make us afraid. Before this peaceful period commenced, we were engaged in a long and bloody contest with Britain. And though we established our independence and took a rank among the nations of the earth; yet at the close of the war we found ourselves in a miserable state of poverty, anarchy, and depression. But the happy return of peace soon revived our hopes, enlarged our views, and awakened our attention to the national interest. Particular states reviewed and revised their particular forms of government. This wise and prudent measure naturally led them to devise and adopt another, of still greater importance; which was, to frame a federal constitution, that should give them a national capacity, and secure their national interests. And as soon as this new and excellent government was established, it put a new face upon all our public affairs. It spread a It spread a spirit of industry and enterprise through all parts of the Union. And it is almost incredible, what wonders we have wrought by our united and vigorous exertions. How many new plantations have we made! How many cities have we founded! How many large and costly bridges have we constructed! How many useful and expensive canals have we opened! How many manufactories have we set up! How many well-regulated schemes of commerce have we devised and adopted! How many colleges and seminaries of learning have we erected! How many public libraries have we collected! And how many men of science have we raised up and qualified for public usefulness! Nor have we altogether neglected the great interests of religion. For while we have been increasing in numbers we have been extending our settlements over vast tracts of our newly acquired territory, where we have carried the gospel, planted new churches, and supplied many of them with able and faithful pastors. Ever since the ravages of war have ceased and the blessing of peace has come upon us, we have rapidly increased in numbers, in wealth, in knowledge, and in every thing which is really conducive to national prosperity.