Solomon says in his Book of Proverbs, "A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish" (that is, a bad) "son is the heaviness" or sorrow "of his mother." After Absalom's disobedience and rebellion, it must have made David very happy to feel that Solomon his son was wise and good. People say sometimes of unsteady wild boys, "He is no man's enemy but his own; " but that can never be true. Every one can add or take away from the happiness of their parents, or those who stand in their place. They are so glad when they do well, and are so miserable when they do evil.

PSALMS OF DAVID.

AND now King David ended his long reign of forty years. "He died," we are told, "in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour, and Solomon his son reigned in his stead." You will never again read the Psalms, without thinking of the life of him who wrote them.

You will find almost every event in David's life alluded to in these sacred songs, and no great trouble or great joy can happen to yourselves, but you will find some psalm which will express what you feel. When wretched and low-spirited, you will say, "Why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, for the help of His countenance!"

When you are ill, you will be comforted with the words, "The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed

of languishing, Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness." When those who are near and dear to us turn against us, we may remember how he says (probably referring to the rebellion of his son Absalom), "Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me."

But in all David's sorrows he could add, "God is our refuge and strength, and a very present help in time of trouble." When full of tears and perplexities, we may think of his words, "Like as a father pitieth his own children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him; for He knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust."

NEBUCHADNEZZAR.

IN the midst of a large plain in Chaldea, was built the city of Babylon. It was one of the wonders of the world, from its size and magnificence. The walls were twenty-five miles in circumference, and so thick that carriages could drive on the top of them. There were a hundred gates of brass, and an enormously wide moat full of water, to prevent any one climbing over the walls. Round the king's palace, in the centre, were gardens full of the most lovely flowers, planted on terraces one above another.

There was the great Temple of Belus, by some thought to have been the remains of the Tower of Babel. There was no end to the gold, and the silver, and the ivory, and the precious stones, which were there. The most beautiful carpets, and gold and

silver muslins, were made there. Amongst the spoils of Jericho, in the days of Joshua, was a Babylonish garment. But the city was given over to every sort of wickedness, and false gods were innumerable.

About four hundred years after the death of King David, and six hundred before the birth of our Lord, Nebuchadnezzar was king of this great Babylon. He besieged and took Jerusalem, and carried its inhabitants captive to Babylon, among whom were four Jews, named Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They were kindly treated, and were even fed from the king's table; and it is said that “in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times. better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm." But these Jews continued faithful to their own religion, and would not eat of the meat forbidden to the Israelites, when sent to them from the king's table, but were contented to live on vegetables.

One day Nebuchadnezzar chose to make an image of gold, and “sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, ihe treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image" which he had set up. "Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up, and whoso falleth not

down and worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

Soon after this command had been given, some Chaldeans accused the Jews whom the king had "set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego," saying, "These men, O king, have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage and fury, commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego," and inquired whether it was true, telling them that if, when they heard the sound of the music, they fell down to worship the image which he had made, it would be well; "but," he said, "if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace, and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

And they answered, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated, and he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach,

Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace."

"Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, or stockings, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”

Then the king was astonished and rose up in haste, and said unto his counsellors, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth. And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them."

"Then Nebuchadnezzar said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that