CHAP. II.
HEre is set forth first the death of David and his exhortation made to his son Solomon before his death. But before this and after Solomons Coronation, there are divers other memorable passages recorded. 1 Chron. 22. &c. which be∣cause they are wanting here, bee there supplyed; as 1. His providing of * 1.1 workmen and materials for the building of the house of God, v. 2, 3, 4, 5. The chapter beginneth with these words, then David said, this is the house of the Lord and the altar of burnt offrings for Israel, and he commanded to gather together the strangers that were in the land of Israel, &c. To whom said he thus? doubtlesse to his Princes and Elders of the people assembled together after Solomons inaugu∣ration, that they might take notice of his succeeding his Father in the Kingdome and be obedient unto him, although this bee not expressed; for verse 6. hee cal∣led for Solomon and spake unto him, and v. 17. to the Princes, and ch. 23. 1, 2. it is expressely said, that he gathered together all the Princes, Priests, and Levites, after that he had made Solomon King; and they spake to him and to them, ch. 28. and 29. and that which is spoken in this chapter, could not be before he was made King, because nothing was known thereof, till the day that it was done. It was then most probably at that time, all the ceremonies about Solomons inauguration being ended, and many comming voluntarily upon this occasion to the Court, that David spake so unto them: after which, there was an assembling of all the Princes generally, 25 ch. 23. He being ascertained, as was before said, that the threshing floore of Arau∣nah was the place chosen of God, signified the same to all about him; and he called it the house of God because his house should be built there. Some think that this was spoken before Solomons Coronation, immediately after the signe given there by fire from heaven, and after he spake; as v. 5, 6. &c. and immediately prepared for the building of the Temple there, gathering together for this purpose workmen in abundance, even all the strangers in the land, fo whom the Masons only are here spoken of, but chap. 28. 21. all manner of skilfull workmen, and 2 Chron. 2. 17. their number is set downe 150000. and 3600. who these strangers were, see 1 Kings 9. 20. 21. the children of the Amorites, Canaanites, and Perizzites, &c. whom the children of Israel could not cast out, a poore and contemptible sort of people, these were imployed in the work of Gods house to figure out the despi∣sed * 1.2 Gentiles gathered together under the Gospell to make the spirituall Temple, none of the Iewes being set to this work, but made men of warre, Princes, Rulers of his Chariots, and Captaines, &c. And he prepared yron in abundance, and brasse * 1.3 without weight, to make the brazen sea and other vessels of brasse, and it is said to be without weight by an hyperbole, to shew the wonderfull great abundance thereof, and abundance of Cedar wood, and v. 5. it is said praeparavit omnes im∣pensas, vulg. lat. yet 2 Chron. 2. 8. Solomon sends to Hiram for Cedar trees. Sol. Hugo saith, that it is meant, that David provided of all sorts of things, and mony to * 1.4 beare the charge of all, but Hebr. it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 copiose, as Iunius renders it, he prepared copiously; and v. 14. having spoken of timber that he had prepared, he saith, and * 1.5 thou maist adde thereto: hereby it appeareth, that the number of Cedars used about the Temple was exceeding great, seeing when David had provided so many, Solomon yet had need to provide many more. And he would have the Temple built with Cedars, because it was wood incorruptible, to shew the incorruption of the Church.