ABSALOM.

ABSALOM was David's favourite son; and we are told that in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty. He prepared chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him, and then began to work deceitfully to dethrone his father. He said to any men who had a quarrel with each other, "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. And when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel." Next this treacherous man asked his father to let him go to Hebron to perform a vow; and when there, he proclaimed himself to be king.

When David heard this dreadful news, he seems to have had no heart to fight against his own child: "Arise," he said to his servants, "arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly." And SO "David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up, and had his head covered, and he went barefoot; and all the people that was with him covered every man his head; and they went up, weeping as they went up."

In the unnatural war that followed, David seems to have taken no part. The king stood at the gate of the city; the battle was in the wood of Ephraim,

and there was a great slaughter.

"And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak, and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away."

A certain man saw it, and told it to Joab, the captain of the host, who asked him why he had not killed Absalom. If he had, he would have given him ten shekels of silver. But the man answered, "Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee, saying, Beware that none touch the young man Absalom." But Joab had no such scruples; and "he took three darts, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom, while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak."

David still sat between the two gates, waiting. for news of the war. It came at last. The first messenger seems to have been afraid to answer his question, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" He only said that his army had gained a great victory; but when David inquired again whether Absalom was safe, the messenger answered, "The enemies of lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is." And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept; and as he went thus he said, "Oh, my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

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The walled towns of Judah had gates with rooms over them, and there their kings used to transact business, and to listen to petitions. Now David shut himself up, for "the victory that day was turned into mourning," until his subjects became angry with him, and told him that he was making his people ashamed; for they came back victorious, but the grief of the king made them enter the city as if they were fleeing from their enemies. Joab said, "Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants, which this day have saved thy life, and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends; for this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived, and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well." At last David was persuaded to leave his house, and to sit in the gate as usual. But though he could hide his feelings, we know what sorrowful thoughts must have belonged to such a loving and affectionate man, whenever he remembered the wickedness and the death of his favourite son.

SOLOMON.

THE rest of David's life was

There

full of trouble.
There were wars and

were three years of famine. rumours of wars; and as he grew old, the weight of the kingly crown became too heavy to be borne. But he longed to see the building of the Temple begun, for which he had made such magnificent preparations. God had ordered that it should be

the work of Solomon, and He promised that He would give peace and quietness to Israel in his days.

Before the king died, he called together the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies, and the captains over the thousands and captains over the hundreds, and with the mighty men and with all the valiant men, to come to Jerusalem. Then David the king stood up upon his feet, and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people as for me, I had in mine heart to build an house of rest for the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building; but God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood. And of all my sons (for the Lord hath given me many sons), he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord over Israel.

"And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind, for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts; if thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now, for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an house for the sanctuary, be strong and do it."

David then gave Solomon minute directions about the patterns he should follow, adding, "Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great, for the palace is not for man, but for the Lord God." Then he called

upon the princes of the tribes, and the captains, to contribute their offerings, and they gave willingly, and "David the king rejoiced with great joy," and he said, "Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. Both riches and honour come of Thee, and Thou reignest over all. But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners as were all our fathers, our days on the earth are as a shadow." And then David said, "Bless the Lord your God, and all the congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers," and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the Lord. "Then Solomon sat on the throne as king instead of David his father, and prospered, and all Israel obeyed him."

We are told in the First Book of Kings, that "God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and his wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the east country, and all the wisdom of Egypt, for he was wiser than all men; and his fame was in all nations round about; and he spake three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five; and he spake of trees, from the cedar-tree that is in Lebanon, even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall; he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes, and there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon."