care, however, to do this in a way which would not expose either himself or the king. He charged the messenger, saying, "When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, and if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall?-then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."

Having received this message, David sent back word to Joab: "Thus," said he, addressing the messenger, "shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him."

Bath-sheba, on hearing of the death of her husband, mourned for him, as was the custom, a few days, with the usual ceremonies, but was soon married to David, and thus they both showed that they still cherished the attachment which had been formed between them, and that nothing like penitence for their offences had as yet found its way to their heart.

The divine testimony is left on record against the conduct of David in the whole of this affair;

for we are told that it displeased the Lord. We shall soon see that this displeasure was expressed in the most striking manner. How sad an exhibition of the deep corruption of human nature! It shows into what dreadful sin even he may fall who gives, as David did, very satisfactory evidence of being a good man, and yet, forgetting his dependence on God, yields to the power of temptation, not looking, daily and fervently, to the throne of grace for strength to resist it. It calls upon us, to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, bearing continually in mind, that it is God which worketh in us both to will and to do of his good pleasure. It admonishes every one that thinketh he standeth, to take heed lest he fall.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

The prophet Nathan reproves David for his sins. The child of Bath-sheba dies. David takes Rabbah.

Some months had now elapsed since David committed the sins by which he incurred such tremendous guilt. Uriah he had caused to be slain, and he felt secure against any attacks upon

his peace from that quarter. Bath-sheba he had taken to be his wife, and she had just become the mother of a son. He began to indulge the hope that the veil of secrecy would be cast over his offences. But God had determined otherwise. Justice must have its course. In the subsequent part of his life David must suffer severely for his great wickedness; and now the time had come to disclose to him the Divine displeasure, and bring him to a state of deep humiliation and penitence.

Nathan, the venerable prophet, was sent to David by Jehovah to carry this purpose into effect. He bore a most touching and pointed message. But he concealed, at first, his real design. His object was, to make David condemn himself. He began, therefore, with a parable, the most beautiful and pertinent of its kind of any on record.

"There were two men," said he, addressing the king, "in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up; and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own

herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him."

David manifested the greatest indignation at this wicked conduct. His anger was kindled. He declared that the individual who had treated the poor man in this manner was worthy of death. "He shall restore the lamb fourfold," said he, " because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."

Little did he expect the denunciation that now burst upon him. Thou art the man, exclaimed the prophet; accompanying the charge with a fearful message in the name of Jehovah. "Thus saith the Lord God of Israel," was its solemn introduction, followed by a declaration of the favors which David had experienced at the hand of the Almighty, (especially in being delivered from the malice of Saul, and constituted king in his stead,) with an assurance that other blessings, had they been needed, would have been bestowed upon him. "Wherefore," continued Nathan, "hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."

The most terrible judgments were then denounced against the trembling, conscience-struck king, to fall upon himself and his family, and to

involve him in the severest domestic trials and disgrace. "Thou didst it secretly," was the conclusion of the appalling message: "but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun."

This divine message was not lost upon the king. It touched his heart. It brought him to reflection, and to penitence for his guilt. I have sinned against the Lord, burst forth from his lips. He could say no more. It was enough to show the sincerity and the depth of his repentance. The prophet understood it, and saw that it proceeded from a broken and a contrite heart. He was authorized, in the name of his Master, to pronounce pardon on the offender. "The Lord also," said he, "hath put away thy sin: thou shalt not die." The death of the body, the temporal punishment which David had incurred by his aggravated sin, should not be inflicted upon him, nor should he be doomed to that more terrible penalty of God's violated law, the death, the eternal loss of his soul. So full of mercy is that Being against whom we all have sinned, to the truly penitent. The case of the guilty king of Israel who thus found this mercy, should encourage even the vilest transgressor to feel that there is pardon and peace also for him, if he will but look to God for it, in the temper of mind which the Gospel of his Son enjoins, and in the way which it points out. See Psalms 51; 32; 33; and 103.