19

David was instructed by the prophet to build an altar on the spot where Abraham had offered his son, on the summit of Mount Moriah. But this locality was the property of Araunah,18 a chief person amongst the Jebusites, who were allowed to live at peace in Jerusalem under the protection of the Jewish laws. Here he had established his threshing floor," and here the angel of God was stationed, when the eyes of David were opened, and he was permitted to behold the bright display of Almighty power, that his vain confidence in human strength might be scattered to

18 Araunah had always been the friend of David, and when the latter took the city, he spared the life and effects of Araunah, and restored him to his former rank.

19 An idle reason is assigned for this privilege by R. Eliezer, who relates that, "when the angels were Abraham's guests, the calf he sought out from the herd escaped from him, and took refuge in a cave. In following it, he found it to be the sepulchre of Adam and Eve. Their bodies were lying on couches, with lamps burning before them, which shed a rich perfume throughout the cave. Abraham was desirous of purchasing this cave; but the Jebusites, aware that the land had been promised to his posterity, withheld their consent, unless he would swear that they should never be dispossessed. Abraham took the required oath, which was engraven on two bronze images, placed in the fortress, so that they could not be conquered until those images were removed. Thus the Jebusites said to David, except you take away the blind and the lame, thou canst not come in hither; alluding to these images, which have eyes and see not, and feet but walk not. When Joab took possession of

the fortress, he removed the images."

20 A threshing floor was generally established in some open place, where the operation of the air might have free exercise to blow away the chaff. In this instance, it was on the summit of the mountain, and hence received the full benefit of the wind. Horace calls such places Libyeæ areæ.

the winds of heaven. In compliance with the above direction, David purchased the threshing floor, with the oxen for sacrifice," and their appendages for materials to construct the pile. Here he reared an altar,22 and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, accompanied with many pious prayers and ejaculations, which were accepted as an atonement for his sin, and the plague ceased. This was the holy place which Jehovah had provided as the site of that glorious temple, which was the pride of Judah and the admiration of the world.

Subsequently, on the same mountain,23 Jehovah

21 In the book of Samuel, it is said, "David bought the site and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver, (2 Sam. xxiv. 24.) while, in Chronicles, it is asserted that "David gave to Ornan six hundred shekels of gold for the place." (1 Chron. xxi. 25.) "The difficulty in these texts is great; but the ancients solve it admirably. R. Eliezer says, this purchase was made at the expense of all the tribes for six hundred shekels of gold, as stated in Chronicles, and understands the fifty mentioned in Samuel to be Judas' share, which, from David being in Jerusalem, was immediately collected as 50 x 12 = 600; and its saying silver, he understands it to be that this portion was collected in silver coin. Rab says there were two purchases; one was the site and the cows, and the other the remainder of the field and the house. And to this the R. David Kimchi, R. Levi ben Gershon, and Don Isaac Abarbanel all agree." (Concil. ii. 72.)

22 This threshing floor, as we have seen, was on Mount Moriah; the place where Abraham offered up his son, and where the temple was afterwards built. Eupolemus, who was an heathen, admits that God sent his angel to communicate to David the place where the temple should be built. The Cabalists further say that this was the spot where Abel was sacrificed, and where Adam was born.

23.66

There were, in the same tract of ground, three hills, Sion, Moriah, and Calvary. On Sion was the city and castle of David,

declared to David, in a vision, that it was his pleasure that a temple should be erected on this spot by his son, who, as a man of peace, would be essentially qualified to engage in such a pious undertaking." Here David was favoured with a gracious revelation of the plan and details of this superb work, that he might behold in imagination the riches and glory of a fabric which should excel every architectural attempt that the world had hitherto beheld. And, having received this revelation, David collected materials for the building, for here the Almighty was pleased to

25

on Moriah was the temple, and, on Mount Calvary, Christ was crucified. But all these three were generally called by the name of Sion, whence it is, that though the temple was built on Moriah, yet the scripture speaketh of it commonly, as if it were on Mount Sion." (Godwyn. Moses and Aaron, B. ii. c. 10.)

24"The custom which prohibits persons polluted with blood to perform any offices of divine worship before they were purified, is so ancient and universal, that it may almost be esteemed a precept of natural religion, tending to inspire an uncommon dread and horror of bloodshed. In the case of David, it amounted to a disqualification, as it respected the building of the temple. And, with regard to some of the Israelites, it was the cause of the rejection of their prayers. (Isai. i. 15.) The Greeks were influenced by the same principles. Euripides represents Iphigena as arguing that it was impossible for human sacrifices to be acceptable to the gods, since they do not permit any defiled with blood, or even polluted with the touch of a dead body to come near their altars.” (Burder. Orient. Cust. vol. ii. p. 168. See also Hom. II. vi. 335. Vir. En. ii. 717.)

25" David gave orders for numbering the strangers in his dominions, who appeared to be about 180,000 of whom 100,000 were employed to carry materials for the building, and 80,000 to do the stone work; besides which, 35,000 were directed to act as overseers of the workmen. Vast numbers of cedar trees, the largest and best

declare that he would establish His sacred name and word, which should endure throughout all generations.

that could be got, were procured from Tyre and Sidon, and an immense quantity of iron and brass was brought together on the occasion. To his particular friends, David used to say, that these things were only procured in readiness, against the time his son might want them, which would forward the work, and save much time and labour." (Jos. Ant. Jud. B. vii. c. 10.)

LECTURE IX.

THE SUPPORT OF THE LODGE.

"A Mason's Lodge is supported by three Grand pillars. They are called Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty. Wisdom to contrive, Strength to support, and Beauty to adorn. Wisdom to direct us in all our undertakings, Strength to support us under all our difficulties, and Beauty to adorn the inward man."-HEMMING.

"The number three is frequently mentioned in the lectures of Masonry; and I find that the ancients, both Greek and Latins, professed a great veneration for that number. Whether this fancy owes its origin to the esteem the Pythagoreans and other philosophers had for the number three, on account of their Triad or Trinity, or to its aptness to signify the power of all the gods, who were divided into three classes, celestial, terrestrial, and infernal, I shall leave to be determined by others."-ANDERSON.

THE science of Freemasonry embraces every branch of moral duty, whether it be applied to God, our neighbour, or ourselves. "A Mason is obliged by his tenure to obey the moral law; and if he rightly understand the art, he will never be a stupid Atheist, nor an irreligious libertine." This peculiarity in the system is expressly inculcated on every member of the Order at his first admission into a Lodge; so anxiously

1 Anc. Ch. i. And, therefore, we find that Atheists and libertines, such as Paine and Carlisle, have always been its greatest enemies, because it exposes and condemns their principles.