, 1876-03-11


not think No, lie condemned himself llo wss
not punished one i,Alf 30 severely ~ he Thought
ho ought to hAyo becn. 11o Was compelled 70
destn % Of hs snt t.o~ se' -. ,shy 1
line. III f's had Il ies,.aoa nsf hs se,respee @ h
Impaired bis character among tho people lid
dlminished tho seEa1a1 r., o. ns ,a nsn snd HpS s
opened q way through winch an cnd!ass limo OF
s!ns and disorders might onsot into Tho lan,l
David soon found that Gods rords. ~ vi!
raiso ,ip owl aanunt Thee III .htno house," had
terrible meaning. aud wero beginning 70 bo ful- |
fllioj His oldest eon, Amnon, heads the roll Of |
crime, aud then hls favoitto Bon, Abaslom, fol-
lows his brother in porpetratlng au asroc1ous
houo aud drive him 10 land with which no sx- /
tradition trosty had boon formed. No sanctuary |
II, any c&Y OF rofugo Id hia own country would |
receive aud protect h'aa. Dasid doomed hls sroi-
Uut ho longed tor sorue AYmpatAizlng friend. |
Jouatnau ho sill loved. lie had boeu away
from his homo throc long. years. A woman Of
Tokoal visited DAVID snS w. ~, woman t, ot o,
language and perauaaion. She iivod oniy IL
n1i,ea t9pu, Jerusalem. Sho related = story 10
the King which touched his heart. David saw
Josb 10 ss play sna was pcssea e :. n o4tanE
trindod victorian, In whom ho llad had confidence
for many yosrs aud finally requested him to 20 70
0eshurn sod bring. home hls e1lIcd aud yot be-
loved bN1s I08dlQlJ l6 AHA klD 1OA4Q N1Wp1kA$
With him, a. fellow in crime.
Joab seioced 1t this act Of grace to Absafom.
Uo felt that the King aud hs son wore now
undor lastIng obllgasions 70 HIM, and tlet i4e
now bad boartng upon them which by aud by
would give him some advantage. David must
hAyo boon mindful that, - supreme magistrate.
be was bound To execute impartial Justice. God
Ind satd. "Let no guilty man escape" {Nunb.,
XIV, 30) His own consciousness OF crime
may have aoftoned his heart, o. tncreaaod hIs
mercy. Those words must havo been ringing in
his ears, "Thou Art tho mau." Possibly
urtahB spirit may have Waited tho guilty King
in tie dartness Of tho night. Amnons crime
was SO enormous that .Absalom muat havo his
revenge. David may hAvo thought that his son
70 ronatn in T. pagan land: nd that
tho iaterests Of big people ana q. the s.i, safety
and thon tho people still loved Absalom and
| appiauded him for his spirit All these in
oitnod tho King to pardon his son. Probnblyt
too. tho people demanded bis return from exile:
"a In all 1araol thcro WAS none 20 much praised
as Abaalom tor his beauty" ue uas popular
man. Ho had = nob!o spirit aud coutt1y NAH
nere. Ho Was tnli and wcll-doveloped, llko his
uncIos, tho sons OF JoaBc, some Of whom at
tracted Sanucls attention when he w1s select
ing irrespective King Of Israel. lIo alwaye
| tuRlo d handsome appearance. Ho bad =
| prqfusion Of beautiful hatr. An object OF
great admiration, especially to the women,
who always have . keonor, sense Of the
beautiful than meu. It's wonderful luxurlanco
compelled him to cut II very often, and thou II
was In domand, probably for making finger-
rings 90 highly esteemed by the young ladics
| Of thoso times.
David WAS prudent In putting his Hon on pro-
bation. IIo did not admit lin 10 tho paaco Int
confined him to his own Lousa aud to tho society
OF his own friends. Absalom could not appear
a& Court,-Ala fatlcrH courtlers kept away from
him for Two years lia liberty was thus limited.
lie WAS in dlagraeo. and only tho kindness of
Joab Released him. Such arc tho csuses that
gayo riso 10 tho sobe1iont auch the advantages
Absalom possessed. But bcsidea popularity, be
uaa anxious to soo tho King. II he had .dono
auy wrong ho was willing to pay the penalty
eyen death. Joab obtained leave for the son'e
introduction to tho father. Tho son approached
ground. ,n toheu Of respect and submsaaon to
tho crown. David roccived Absalom kindly
hpoke many tendef words OF adocton. htd eron
klassd bin. (1T;) Absal9m vas s.ns now ftoe to t9
ACQUIRING Tho good will Of tho Poopto.
Ths dear people ho loved very deeply: lfe
wished to attract attention. 50 ho obtained .
chariot and ahowy horses, and fifty elegant snau
uhorerer 10 drove. No such equipaEa had oseer
beforo boon soon In JoruBslem. Such TN catab-
llshmont belonged only to Prince. Public
bustnoss In tho. East waa srAn1aotod carly In the
l,oar causes In court held In tho onen air noat
tho city gateway. Tho growing inflrniscB Of
age aud. probably enough the increasing ds-
snrbonces at homo, and biz doep antcroat IN tor.
eign wars, fully occupied hiH time, 10 that
ho was compelled to neglect many. private
CAUSES, aud thus create q discontented spiri
. hnong tho people. Abaalom'a hond was icvel
His mind was always alors. 10 rose up at carl.
dawp took morning walk for his hoalth, ant
passed tho placos Iii which tho people asaen0lot
: 10 attend David's Court. He Ind tho happ.
faculty OF keeping his Own becrots. He favoret
the discomfort Of the people heard their storlsa
. and shat tho old King muat docde III bis favor
Ho expressed rrslat that his father WAS 20 lnucl
cnfcehled by nlrmisics, and domestic carss, AM
!. disturbances. that ho could not liaten 70 the'
posa. He intimatod willingness to bo invested
With official powor, II they wished him 90 t
: bo, especially IT they thought he had abilil.
sufficient to haseen tho course 81 jus
,, toe. eud advance tho pab'ic, woll.bo!ng
comfort aud pecuniazy intoreEt, IL be could cot
> tribute bis nlto to tho prosperity Of Israel. IL
oven hinted that he had somo clailns-thas h
j, was really heir npparont-thas Its father 1oso
9 Of Israeli but tLat he would waire all Ties
. clalms II the dear people wished It,. Ho VA
doslrona TO a!d hs nfleotiouaso father 10 lta In
tlrmItcs. but was unwilling to noun. The slron
: and wonr tho crown. unless duty to bis countr
. demanded tho sacrifco Absaiom was wolItier
fully shrawd. lIo was = cunning politician
): Ilo avoided making Btump.spaeohos, lest h
' should unwitelngly ahy so1neth!ng that might
| uuAiH AAbA42 &4AAQ W AUPpAkVA w A4'1 NV
= tage. lie understood human nature. He knss
I. that Gattory ras mora diGestib!e Than cananrs
! that tondor words n,ado all fool happy, aud sha
y allowing. sulito always loft good impression.
u 10y Absalon was wonderfully righteous, an
manifested groat concern that tue peoples right
= = should DO 1oligiounIy regarded and that elu'
Justice should 10 dispensed TO al!. high and low
:, lilo repeated blu hiuss in differont woriJ'-a
that tho King would do all his ofhclal dut'es
:, he could. lilo haa no time to investigate you
u difFerouces or examine into your discrepancies,
T. ho said ''you ean gn.u nothing by SoIug !
= him." Thus wo see that Absalom was equal t
u tho occasion. Early dawn found him where
. b..aiacss-suen assembled. 1Ie Hpolo wo!l Of tn
:. King, regretted hts tnabihttod, ,-hls housoho!
= lutiaB wore very many aud very onnrous,-s
q that ho could not do what Lo 1as anxious to d
. for them. These sly words, seemingly ehow'1l
- Affection for the KING. acting like fostnat
|, u mas ct dough: Gradually great alscst -
then ~ now. There wAa 4 largo amont
| OF public busiaess unfinished. Absalom !lastel