St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-06-26

grant with the rich perfumes of Sharon's
Rose, trausplanted by the daughters o.
Gods chosen people near every tent that
dotted the plains, or graced the mountain
side-the palm tree no longer clad in
mourning by weeping wives or daughters
of husbands and fathers slain in civil OF
defensive war, threw their protecting
shadows at high twelve over reunited fam.
lilies Stern warriors had thrown aside
the spear and helmet, and resumed their
labors Of love in tuning anew the harps,
which civil commotion and fierce invasion
had long kept unstrung. The vineyards
were again being pruned-the wine press
made ready for the delicious grape-tAe
oil was again poured iuto the cruises, and
gamers we'll filed with corn, made that
land of milk and honey, assume its prime.
val beauty, while all Israel looked forward
with peculiar satisfaction for that display
of wisdom-destined to astonished the
whole world. Having become satisfied by
Divine visitations, Of the great work be.
fore him, Solomon began the erection Of
the Temple, and having received the con.
gratulations of his intimate friend Hiram,
King of Tyre. who manifested a st,ong
desire to participate in some small degree
in the hi h honors that clustered around
the throne Of Israel, it was agreed, SO
sacred Scripture informs US, that while
Solomon was to furnish the means or mon.
ey, by sending squadrons of vessels to
Opher for gold, Hiram was to furnish
the men and materials for the stately edi.
fee. To demonstrate more forcibly the
sincerity Of his magnanimous profer and
to illustrate more clearly the true prinoi.
pies of the order or brotherhood about to
be thoroughly organized-viz. that of
universal equality" Hiram sent unto
Solomon the most celebrated master work.
man that the world has ever Known
subject of his own realm; and one Gun.
ming to work in all works of gold-skill.
full to work in silver, brass, iron and stone
and in timber, in purple, in blue, in fine
linen and in crimson; and also to "grave
any manner of craving ," and this was
none other than Hiram Abebeff-a wild.
owls son of the tribe of Napthali, whose
father was man of Tyre. Solomon re.
ceived him joyfully and having every
thing prepared began the erection of this
splendid edi6ce in the fourth year of his
reign, on the second day of the month Zif,
being the second month Of the sacred year,
which answers to the 2lst day of April
in the year of the world 1902, and four
hundred and eighty years after the deliv-
cry oe the children of Israel from their
Egyptian bondage; laying the founda.
tombstone at the Northeast angle of the
temple on Mount Mo1iah, near the place
where Enoch built his subterranean tenn
pie, where Abraham was about to offer up
his son Isaac, and where David met and
with prayers and entreaties appeased the
destroying angel performing the solemn
| ceremonies, amidst the acclamations and
rejoicings Of his assembled subjects.
The constructive of this Grand Edifce
was attended with two remarkable circum.
stances. From Josephus we learn that al.
though seven years were occupied in
building it, yet during the whole term it
rained not in the day time, that the work
men might not be obstructed in their la,
Dor, and from sacred history it appears
that there was neither the sound Of the
hammer, nor ak, nor any tool of iron heard
in the house while it was building. The
structure was built according to plan Civ
en- by King David to Solomon upon the
Ark of Alliance, and every energy used to
render it perfect specimen of art. Eve.
' ry stone every piece of timber was carved;
marked and numbered in the quarry and
forest, and nothing left for the workmen
at Jerusalem but to join the materials with
precision on a reference to the plans laid
down by the master workmen upon the
trestle board.
This Temple was only small building
and very inferior in point of size to some
of our churches; its dimensions being on.
ly one hundred and fifty feet long and one
hundred and five feet broad; its splendo,
and superiority lay in the richness of its
materials, its ornaments and the cloisters
and other buildings with which it was sur.
rounded. 1t was supported by fourteen
hundred and fifty three columns and two
thousand nine hundred and six pilastres,
all hewn from the finest Parian marble.
There were employed in its building three
Grand Masters, three thousand and three
hundred masters or overseers of the work,
eighty thousand Fellen Crafts, and seven.
ty thousand entered apprentices or bear.
ers of burdens. All these were Chased aad
arranged in such a manner hythe wisdom of