St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1907-12-28

en- king remained at Mahanaim And
DRY of David's greatness ard goodness
and power came crowding, into his
heart there came likewise the mem
DRY of other days. Now that the first
poignant grief over the death of Alb
salon was passed and he had time to
contemplate his state and think on
what the loss Of the nation and the
royal city meant to him, deeper,
more crushing sorrow came upon him.
Jerusalem, the holy city of God. the
place where with Joy he had set up
the tabernacle of the Lord and with
er he had brought the ark of the Gov
enant of the Lord.
When first he came upon the strong
hold years before while it was still in
the hands of the enemy the inspiration
had come to him to conquer it for the
Lord. What a glorious situation for
the city which should become in pc.
culiar sense the habitation of the
| Lord, he had thought. And SO in the
strength of the Lord and at the peril
of his life he had assembled by almost
| superhuman effort the precipltous
walls and had after a fierce hand-to.
| hand conflict subdued the city.
| And because Of what that city had
cost him, and because of what it had
become in his thought and ambitions
| he longed with an intense longing to
| be back there once more. 1t was i'll
that city he had planned and purposed
to build the Lord splendid temple,
but God had said him nay. and had
given him the promise that his son
should build the Lord house And
this thought of the future had made
/ bright the late years of his life as
he had set about gathering material
which would be used in the construc-
ton Of such temple as he longed to
see built
But now he was an exile from his
beloved city Were his dreams for
the future Of the city -Rever 10 be
realized? Was he never more to
dwell there? Thus in sorrow and
doubt he waited. Rut no word came
from his people looking to his re,
turn.
But one day delegation came to
Mahanaim from the northern tribes
bringing words Of good cheer to the
king and urging his return.
While thou art absent, Sheba, the
son of Bichri, and others are busy
striving to cause further trouble
they said. Come with us, and we
will establish thy kingdom"
But how can I return" David cried
to his confidential advisers, after he
had dismissed the delegation, while
the people of judah, mine own breth
ren, and while Jerusalem, the holy
city, speaks no word of invitation"
So this proved a great sorrow tc
David that NO word had yet come tc
him from Jerusalem, and those who
served near to the king discerning the
grief of his heart over this thing. SEM
messengers secretly to Zadok and Abb
athar, the priests at Jerusalem, say
ing:
Speak unto the elders Of Judah
saying, Why are ye the last to bring
the king back to his house? Seeing
the speech of all Israel is come to tbs
king, even to his house. Ye are his
brethren, We are his bones and his
flesh: wherefore then are We the las
to bring back the king?"
Now when this word was repeated
in the ears Of the elders by Zadok ant
LoI oF
them into their presence, deep sorrow
seized their hearts that they had st
forgotten and neglected their king
why" they said, 1--WE had feared
his anger, and thought that he woult
return but to punish us for our dis
loyalty"
May. but thou hast misjudged oul
king, fer his heart is towards his PEG
i pie and Jerusalem, continually"
Yea, and the tribes to the nortl
have been first to send word to The
king beseeching his return. How
ever, if thou shalt send speedily anc
ask the king to return he will for
give thy neglect and return with jo!
to his land, urged the priests.
Then we will send at once the.
all exclaimed For our city ant
our land is desolate without its king.
So they sent this word unto the
king:
Return thou and all thy servants.
And the king returned, and came
to Jordan. And Judah came to Gilga
to go to meet the king, to conduct thu
| ,;oo oxror Jordan