"oxen and fatlings were sacrificed." The king himself, laying aside his royal garments, and clothed with a linen robe, mingled with the Levites in their songs and dances. "So David and the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and joy; and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it;" (the old tabernacle was still at Gibeon;) "and David offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the Lord." After this he turned and "blessed the people in the name of the Lord of hosts," and dismissed them to their homes with royal munificence.

"Then David returned to bless his household." While the ark was passing into the city, Michal had witnessed David's public dancing, and despised him in her heart. She looked upon it as degrading to a king, and did not spare her reproaches when she met her husband. David's reply was just and spirited. "It was before the Lord, which chose me before thy father, to appoint me ruler over the people of the Lord: therefore will I play before the Lord." It was but the expression of his religious feelings, the manifestation of his gratitude to Jehovah, to whom he owed his kingdom and his prosperity. And if this rendered him contemptible in the eyes of any, he was ready yet to be more humble than this, and base in his own sight. He was ready to submit to any service however low, or unkingly, if thus he might honour God, and confess his subjection to him.

Having thus brought the ark to its resting-place, and secured the Divine presence-the glorious Shechinah-in the royal city, he appointed the priests and levites to their respective offices, and provided for the more regular and splendid public worship; and then delivered to Asaph the chief singer, and his brethren, this beautiful hymn of praise and thanksgiving:

1. "Give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the people.

2. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works.

3. Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord.

4. Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his face continually.

5. Remember his marvellous works that he hath done; his wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

6. O ye seed of Israel his servant, ye children of Jacob his chosen ones. 7. He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.

8. Be ye mindful always of his covenant, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations;

9. Even of the covenant which he made with Abraham, and of his oath unto Isaac;

10. And hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an

everlasting covenant,

11. Saying, Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your in

heritance;

12. When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

13. And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people;

14. He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved kings for their sakes,

15. Saying, Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

16. Sing unto the Lord, all the earth; show forth from day to day his salvation:

17. Declare his glory among the heathen; his marvellous works among all nations.

18. For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised: he also is to be feared above all gods.

19. For all the gods of the people are idols: but the Lord made the heavens.

20. Glory and honour are in his presence; strength and gladness are in his place.

21. Give unto the Lord, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength.

22. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come before him; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. 23. Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

24. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice: and let men say, Among the nations, the Lord reigneth.

25. Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof: let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

26. Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the Lord, because he cometh to judge the earth.

27. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth

for ever.

28. And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise.

29. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel for ever and ever. And let all the people say Amen, and offer praise to Jehovah."

Henceforth, Jerusalem was not only the royal, but sacred city, "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth." There the solemn feasts were celebrated. Thither the tribes constantly repaired; and there God dwelt between the cherubim, and shone forth to bless and save his people.

David now formed the design of building the temple. His pious heart gave him no rest while the ark of God dwelt in curtains, and he himself abode in palaces. Moved by the past mercies of God towards him, and finding himself at rest from all his enemies, he said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains." Nathan immediately replied, "Go, do all that is in thy heart for God is with thee." He thought the purpose of the king so just and proper that there could be no doubt of the Divine approval. But God had other purposes. That same night "the word of the Lord came unto Nathan: Go tell David, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in. From the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, I have

1

not dwelt in any house. Neither spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? Now, therefore, so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the Lord of Hosts, I took thee from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people Israel: and I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name like unto the name of the great men of the earth. Moreover, I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more, neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more as aforetime. Also the Lord telleth thee that he will make thee an house. And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his Father, and he shall be my Son. If he commit iniquity, I will chastise him with the rod of men; but my mercy shall not depart from him as I took it away from him. that was before thee. And thine house, and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever."

As soon as David heard this gracious message from God, he went to the tabernacle, and poured out his grateful soul in the warmest expressions of true devotion.

"Who am I, O Lord God? and what is my house that thou hast brought us hitherto? And this was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; but thou hast spoken of thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of men, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto thee? for thou, Lord God, knowest thy servant. For thy word's sake, and according to thine own heart, hast thou done all these great things. Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God; for there is none like unto thee, neither is there any God beside thee. And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to himself to make thee a name of greatness and terribleness, by driving out nations from before thy people, which thou redeemest from Egypt from the nations and their gods. For thy people Israel didst thou make thine own people for ever, and thou becamest their God. And now, O Lord God, the word that thou hast spoken, concerning thy servant, and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy name be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of hosts is God over Israel; and let the house of thy servant David be established before thee. For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee an house: therefore has thy

servant found in his heart to pray this prayer before thee. And now, Lord, thou art God, and thy words be true; therefore, now let it please thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue for ever before thee; for thou, O Lord God, hast spoken it, and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever."*

The whole of this prayer is a beautiful expression of true piety. The deep humility, the devout confidence in God and his promise, which it everywhere breathes, show clearly the power of his religion in the monarch's heart. It is delightful to see one so great in the eyes of men, thus humbling himself before God, and summing up all his desires in that one simple prayer, which any pious heart will gladly appropriate to itself, "and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever." He who has this, has all things.

SECTION VII.

DAVID'S WARS-THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY-DAVID'S KINDNESS TO MEPHIBOSHETH THE WAR WITH THE AMMONITES.

SOON after this, we find David engaged in wars with the surrounding nations. In the concise summary given us, we are not told distinctly from what cause they originated. The first nation against which he turned his arms, was the Philistines, the inveterate enemies of David and Israel. This attack, were there no other reason, was fully justified by their aggressions when he ascended the throne. His victory was complete. "He smote them, and took Metheg-ammah, or Gath, and its cities;" which would seem to have been the most important posts of that people. So effectually were they subdued, that we hear nothing more of their inroads for twenty years afterwards. From an incidental notice (1 Kings ii. 39) it appears that David treated these foes with great kindness, and most probably left one of their native princes as their governor or tributary king.

This was followed quickly by another, more deadly, against the "Moabites. And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; with two lines he measured to put to death, and with one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts." This account seems to imply that a part of the land, which had taken the more active part in the war, was put to the sword, and a larger part, or a "full line," subjected to tribute. The unusual severity which characterized this war, probably arose

*To perpetuate the remembrance of this great promise, David composed the 2d Psalm-and perhaps also the 45th and 110th.

from a conspiracy on the part of these nations to check and destroy the rising power of David.*

This war was in turn almost immediately followed by another, with a far more powerful king. The occasion of this war was an attempt on the part of Hadadezer king of Zobah, to recover his border, at the river Euphrates. David met and totally routed his forces, took "from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen." Hadadezer called to his aid the Syrians of Damascus; but they were unable to resist the victorious monarch, who again defeated them with great slaughter. The Hebrew king did not fail to improve his victory. He pressed on into the heart of the country, and garrisoned the captured cities. "And the Lord," we are told, "preserved David whithersoever he went." When it is remembered that the country which the king of Zobah invaded, was a part of the promised land, and as such a part of David's kingdom, the strict justice of this war cannot be questioned. And besides, we cannot doubt that David, who was accustomed to inquire of Jehovah on all important questions, undertook these wars under the Divine warrant and permission. From these wars, the king returned with large spoils. received gifts also from Toi king of Hamath," whom David by his victories had freed from the oppression of Hadadezer. All these, with the silver and the gold taken from other nations, David dedicated to the Lord; bearing in mind the temple which was to be built.

“He

While David was engaged at the north in the war with the Syrians, another enemy threatened his kingdom from the opposite quarter. Regarding this as a favourable opportunity, the Edomites treacherously invaded the country. From the title to the 60th Psalm, it appears that this invasion was made while the war with Syria was still going on. A part, therefore, of the army was despatched through the length of the land to meet this new foe. The battle took place in the valley of Salt, lying south from the Dead Sea, and David's forces were completely victorious. The enemy suffered great loss; and their cities were compelled to receive Hebrew garrisons. "Joab was left in the land of Edom, subduing the land, and burying the dead. He remained in the country six months, with all Israel, until he had cut off every male in Edom." The expressions "all Israel” and "every male" in this brief account, explain each other. In both cases we can understand only those who were in arms. Were any other reason necessary to convince us, that this was not the war of utter extermination, which some have wished to

We have no intimation of this in the history; but from the 83d Psalm 4-8, it may be fairly inferred.