leave Uriah to be slain. Joab obeyed this wicked order: he placed Uriah in the front of the assault, and then retiring, gave him and his party up to be killed by the men of the city, who sallied out upon them in great fury. To all but Joab and David, Uriah's death seemed the effect of accident. Immediately Joab sent a messenger to acquaint the king apparently with the loss the army had sustained; but he charged him, if the king showed anger at the destruction of his troops, to say that "Uriah the Hittite died also.” The messenger obeyed; and David too well understood the import of the words: he returned an answer which marked his satisfaction at Joab's obedience to his wishes, but couched in ambiguous words, which the messenger understood not, and then made Bathsheba his wife. "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD."

"And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came and said unto him, There were two men in one city, the one rich, and the other poor."

"The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds; But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished up; and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter."

"And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and

of his own herd, to dress for the way-faring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him."

"And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man: and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die, And he shall restore the lamb four fold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

"And Nathan said unto David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; and I gave thee thy master's house, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah, and moreover if that had been too little, I would have given thee such and such things."

"Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."

"Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife:"

David, struck with conviction, repented of the sin he had committed: the first child of Bathsheba died; and the troubles of his family which soon after broke out, yet farther punished his crime, and fulfilled the Prophet's denunciation.

CHAPTER XVI.

ABSALOM'S REBELLION.

WE now come to those domestic calamities which shed bitterness and grief over the latter years of David's life: As a king, and as the leader and prophet of his people, he had ever given an example of obedience to the Divine command. He had removed from the land every vestige of idolatry; he had restored the Ark of the Covenant, and established its rites and ceremonies, which he devoutly observed in his own person: in all his successes he gave glory to the LORD of hosts, and fulfilled the designs of Providence by showing to the heathen world, that prosperity and blessings followed the worship of the One True God. As a king, therefore, David was true to his pure and exalted faith; and, as a king, the blessings promised to his nation expressly on the condition of their abstaining from idolatry, were bestowed. As a man, however, David's character partook of the vices of his age, and of the sins besetting his ardent and impetuous temper; therefore as a man we find him reaping the sure reward of his errors, although outwardly the great and glorious king of God's chosen people. So inflexible is that decree which makes vice misery, and virtue alone happiness, in every station of life.

In the numerous family of David, many causes of dissension and jealousy arose, and his authority was often insufficient to prevent strife. On one occasion, his favourite son Absalom was banished by him for three years, and only pardoned by the artful intervention of Joab. On his return, Absalom laid himself out to obtain the favor of the people, by affecting extreme courtesy of manner, taking part with every one who thought he had suffered wrong at the hands of the king, or of his officers, and complaining in public that the common people were neglected. At these times, he would exclaim, "Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that every man. which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice." The effect of these artful flatteries was heightened by the beauty of his person. It is said of him, that from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head, there was no blemish in him; and his hair was so long that when it was cut, he boastingly had it weighed, in order to excite the admiration of the people.

At this period it was usual for men to wear the hair long. It is stated by Josephus that the men in Solomon's chosen guard, "had very long heads of hair hanging down, and were clothed in garments of Tyrian purple. They had also dust of gold every day sprinkled on their hair, so that their heads sparkled with the reflection of the sunbeams on the gold." If Absalom used

gold-dust and perfumes, it renders the great weight of his hair less extraordinary.

When Absalom had gained over the hearts of all the people, he desired leave of his father to go to make a feast at Hebron, in fulfilment of a vow, which he pretended to have made: hither all his partizans hastened to join him, besides many who came in ignorance of his criminal designs. He then openly declared his purpose of making himself king, and prepared to march directly against Jerusalem. The grief and indignation of David at this rebellion of his favorite son, were poignant in the extreme. Many of the Psalms composed during this dreadful season of calamity, afford the most pathetic description of his anguish; and are full of tender reproaches, which cannot be read even at this distance of time without emotion. Several of the princes of the tribes joined the party of Absalom; and amongst the rest Ahithophel, David's chief counsellor and friend. Of this desertion he makes frequent and touching complaints; and as Ahithophel was a man long versed in the art of government, he especially feared his influence in the councils of the rebels.

Psalm lv. 5, 6. "Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me. And I said, Oh that I had the wings of a dove; for then would I fly away, and be at rest." 12. "For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it; neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him." 13, 14. "But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance," "We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company."