THE ARK AND ZADOK.

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the scene before him, until the people had all come out of the city.

These ministers of religion thought that the symbol of the divine presence, and themselves its attendants, should accompany their rightful sovereign in this trying emergency. But David

would not consent to it. The ark he deemed of too sacred a character to be removed from its proper place the tabernacle, and to be exposed to the dangers which might await his exile. He felt more for the honor of God, and the public worship which should be rendered to him, than for his own personal safety, and the temporary advantage he might enjoy from having the ark and the priests with him.

"Carry back the ark of God into the city," said the king unto Zadok: "if I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and show me both it and his habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him."

"Art thou not a seer?" he added, as if to imply in this inquiry that it was Zadok's duty in that official capacity, being a prophet or teacher and priest of God, to remain in his proper place, and instruct the people at this momentous crisis of the public affairs. "Return," said he, "into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness until there come word from you to certify me."

In this way David hoped to receive, from a source on which he could rely, such information as would enable him the better to ascertain the way both of duty and of safety.

Zadok and Abiathar, in compliance with these injunctions, carried back the ark to Jerusalem, and there continued to abide. At this time David composed Psalm 3.

David and those who followed him now advanced farther on their way, and began to ascend mount Olivet. He "wept as he went up, and had his head covered," to show the depth of his sorrow, as was customary with mourners, and for the same reason "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."

To add to his affliction, David was told of the defection of his counsellor Ahithophel, and that he was among the conspirators with Absalom. He knew the sagacity as well as the influence of this formidable man, and feeling that he must rely on the Almighty alone for protection against such a foe, he exclaimed, "O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness." David is supposed to have written the 55th Psalm with reference to Ahithophel's treachery.

HUSHAI SENT BACK.

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CHAPTER XXXI.

ZIBA

DAVID SENDS HUSHAI BACK TO JERUSALEM. OBTAINS HIS FAVOR. SHIMEI CURSES HIM. ABSALOM'S GROSS SIN.

On the summit of mount Olivet, and in the presence of his attendants, David engaged in a solemn act of religious worship, invoking the divine protection and guidance. At this critical moment, as if in answer to his prayers, his particular friend Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent and earth upon his head, as indicative of his grief at the king's calamity.

The thought immediately occurred to David that he might avail himself of Hushai's interposition to defeat the counsel of Ahithophel. For this purpose he dissuaded him from going any farther with them, and urged his return to Jerusalem, to offer his services to Absalom. In this way he would have an opportunity both of defeating the plans of Ahithophel and of letting the king know what course the conspirators designed to take. Zadok and Abiathar with their sons were already there, and through the latter could easily inform David of any thing which Hushai might in this way wish to communicate. Hushai accordingly went back to the city, which was very soon in the possession of Absalom and his party

David had passed but a little way beyond the top of mount Olivet, when he was met by Ziba, the servant of Mephibosheth, with a couple of asses saddled, bearing two hundred loaves of bread, a hundred bunches of raisins, as many of summer fruits, and a vessel of wine. On being asked by David what was meant by these things, Ziba replied, that the asses were for the use of the king's household, the bread and fruit for his attendants, and the wine for such as might be faint in the wilderness.

"Where is thy master's son ?" inquired David. The false and artful Ziba replied that Mephibosheth continued still at Jerusalem, expecting that the tide of public commotion would turn in his favor, and even going so far as to say, in the exultation of his hopes, "To-day shall the house of Israel restore me the kingdom of my father."

Indignant at this reported treachery of one that he had treated with so much favor, and too credulously yielding to the assertions of Ziba, who had his private ends to gain by the falsehood, David said to him, "Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth."

"I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king," was the farewell salutation of this base flatterer and calumniator.

Do you despise such meanness? It was worse than meanness. It was the vilest wickedness— an outrageous wrong against the innocent victim of his treachery, and a heinous offence against

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God. Beware, my young friend, lest you are beguiled into some forms, perhaps less flagrant, of the same spirit of selfish calumny and adulation. Hesitate to speak ill of the absent. Never do it, unless compelled reluctantly to say that and that only which imperious duty demands. And be equally on your guard against flattering those whose friendly offices you may wish to obtain. Uprightness, truth, and frankness are the surest passports to the good-will of those whose favor is worth possessing.

As David drew near to Bahurim, a small town in the tribe of Benjamin, he met with a rude insult which showed with what meekness and submission to the will of God he could endure one of the severest trials. A man of the family of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, came forth and uttered the most bitter curses

against David. He soon too began to cast stones at the king and his attendants, exclaiming, as he continued his imprecations, "Come out, come out, thou bloody man, and thou man of Belial: the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son: and, behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man."

Abishai, the nephew of David, could not brook the insult which, in the presence of all the people, was thus offered to the king. "Why should this