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gratitude to him for his kindness in the hour of adversity, and invited him to spend the remainder of his days at Jerusalem; but this the worthy Gileadite declined on account of his extreme age, recommending, however, his son, Chimham, to the royal protection and favour.*

A useful lesson is afforded, by Absalom's rebellion, of the great unsteadiness of popular favour. A short time before, both Judah and Israel were shouting, God save King Absalom, and united to drive his aged father into exile: now both divisions of the nation are disposed to quarrel, and almost fight each other, through jealousy who should have most credit for bringing him back again.†

"With every minute they do change their mind,

And call him noble, that was now their hate;
Him vile, that was their garland."+

Indeed, so violent was the animosity, that out of it a fresh rebellion was excited by Sheba, the son of Bichri, a Benjamite, who blew a trumpet, and cried, "We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; every man to his tents, O Israel! So every man of Israel went up from after David, and followed Sheba, the son of Bichri: but the men of Judah clave unto their king, from Jordan, even unto Jerusalem."§

David at first instructed Amasa to put down this new insurrection; but that officer not collecting his troops together with sufficient expedition, and the monarch becoming apprehensive that this might prove a more serious affair than that of Absalom, ordered Abishai to follow after Sheba with all possible expedition, lest he should obtain and shelter himself in some of the fortified cities. With Abishai went Joab's

2 Sam. xix. 31-40.
+ Coriol.

2 Sam. xix. 41-43. § 2 Sam. xx. 1, 2.

men, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and all the mighty men and as they went out of Jerusalem they were joined by Amasa and his troops. Joab, who although deprived of his command had accompanied his brother, assassinated Amasa, under pretence of kissing him; and immediately assuming the command, with his brother Abishai, pursued after Sheba, through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel, of Beth-maachah, in which city he took refuge, and Joab immediately prepared to besiege it.

By the advice and interference of a prudent woman, an inhabitant of the city, the rebel was apprehended, and his head thrown over the wall, and thus the rebellion was extinguished; and Joab and his army returned home to Jerusalem, to the king;* who appears to have allowed Joab to resume his post of commander-in-chief, for it is said Joab was over all the host of Israel.†

No sooner had David quelled these two formidable rebellions, but the whole land was afflicted, for the space of three years, by a famine; and when David enquired of Jehovah why he had thus afflicted them, he was answered that it was for Saul and his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites, whom the children of Israel had sworn unto. David having enquired of the Gibeonites what atonement they required, they demanded that seven of Saul's sons or descendants should be given up to them; and David accordingly gave two of Saul's sons by Rizpah, and five of his grandsons, the children of Michal by Adriel, to the Gibeonites, who hanged them in Gibeah of Saul.

Having thus satisfied the justice of the case, and the unhappy Rizpah watching them day and night, in order to protect them from the birds and beasts of prey, David took them down; and having obtained from the men of Jabesh

2 Sam. xx. 22.

+ 2 Sam. xx. 23.

Josh. ix. 3. 16, 17.

Gilead the bones of Saul and Jonathan, he buried the whole in the country of Benjamin, in Zelah, in the Sepulchre of Kish.*

The following beautiful hymn is here introduced by the author of the Books of Samuel, as sung by David in the day that Jehovah had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul; and which is in substance the same as the 18th Psalm.†

"Jehovah is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, the God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence. I will call on Jehovah, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies. When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid; the sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death prevented me; in my distress I called upon Jehovah, and cried to my God: and he did hear my voice out of his temple, and my cry did enter into his ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because he was wroth. There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also and came down ; and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: and he was seen upon the wings of the wind. And he made darkness pavilions round about him, dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies. Through the brightness before him were coals of fire kindled. Jehovah

* 2 Sam. xxi. 12—14.

+ When Jehovah delivered, that is, every time of any great deliverance, David gave thanks in these or the like words; they were the substance of his daily devotions, and at last formed into a hymn for public use, entitled, To the chief musician. The variations from this in Psalm xviii. are, by the Jewish Commentator, Abarbinel, reckoned to be 74. PATRICK.

thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered his voice, and he sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them. And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were discovered, at the rebuking of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of his nostrils. He sent from above, he took me; he drew me out of many waters; he delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me: for they were too strong for me. They prevented me in the day of my calamity: but Jehovah was my stay. He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me, because he delighted in me. Jehovah rewarded me according to my righteousness: according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of Jehovah, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me: and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them. I was also upright before him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eyesight. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful, and with the upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright. With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward thou wilt shew thyself unsavoury. And the afflicted people thou wilt save but thine eyes are upon the haughty, that thou mayest bring them down. For thou art my lamp, O Jehovah; and Jehovah will lighten my darkness. For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God his way is perfect; the word of Jehovah is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. For who is God, save Jehovah? and who is a rock, save our God? God is my strength and power, and he maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like hind's feet: and setteth me upon my high places. He teacheth my hands to war: so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms. Thou hast also given me

the shield of thy salvation: and thy gentleness hath made me great. Thou hast enlarged my steps under me; so that my feet did not slip. I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them; and turned not again till I had consumed them. And I have consumed them, and wounded them, that they could not arise: yea, they are fallen under my feet. For thou hast girded me with strength to battle: them that rose up against me hast thou subdued under me. Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me. They looked, but there was none to save; even unto Jehovah, but he answered them not. Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth, I did stamp them as the mire of the street, and did spread them abroad. Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people, thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen: a people which I knew not shall serve me. Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear they shall be obedient unto me. Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their close places. Jehovah liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation, It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me. And that bringeth me forth from mine enemies : thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man. Therefore I will give thanks unto thee, O Jehovah, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto thy name. He is the tower of salvation for his king, and sheweth mercy to his anointed; unto David, and to his seed for evermore.'

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Under the influence of undue self satisfaction, and at the instigation of the great adversary of the human race, who is continually going about seeking whom he may devour,+ David was induced to ascertain the number of his subjects,

* 2 Sam. xxii. 2-51.

+ 1 Peter, v. 8.

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