Marianne. David's wars would surely be all ended

now?

Grandfather. No; the Philistines came up to attack the Israelites, and David himself went down at the head of his army to meet them. A giant was there, called Ishbibenob, who aimed at the life of David. The king of Israel, less able for the fatigues of war than he had been when he was young, was becoming faint, when Abishai came to his assistance and killed the Philistine. After their sovereign was rescued from this danger, the subjects of David resolved that he should never expose himself any more to the like. They said to him, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel." Some other battles took place with the Philistines during the reign of David; but we have no particular account of any of them.

Marianne. Had he no more trouble in his family?

Grandfather. His son Adonijah endeavoured to supplant Solomon as his successor, but the attempt was put down without a battle.

What do we learn from the example of Ittai the Gittite?

Sorrow for sin caused David to weep,-What does this teach us?

David prayed that the Lord would turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness,-What do we learn from this?

Ahithophel gave the wisest advice, yet the advice of Hushai was followed, because it pleased the Lord to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel,-What may we learn from this?

What are we taught by the miserable end of Ahithophel ?

When Joab had represented to David that he had acted unwisely, the king altered his conduct,-What does his example teach us?

David thought it wrong to put Shimei to death, therefore he considered Abishai his enemy for advising it,-What may we learn from this?

IDOLATRY AND DEFEAT.

"Not to our names, Thou only just and true,
Not to our worthless names is glory due;

Thy power and grace, thy truth and justice claim
Immortal honours to thy sovereign name;

Thine through the earth from heaven, thy blest abode,
Nor let the heathens say, 'And where's your God?'

"Heaven is thine higher court, there stands thy throne,

And through the lower worlds thy will is done;

Our God framed all this earth, these heavens he spread;
But fools adore the gods their hands have made;
The kneeling crowd, with looks devout, behold
Their silver saviours, and their saints of gold.

"Vain are those artful shapes of eyes and ears;

The molten image neither sees nor hears;

Their hands are helpless, nor their feet can move,
They have no speech, nor thought, nor power, nor love;
Yet sottish mortals make their long complaints

To their deaf idols, and their moveless saints.

"The rich have statues well adorn'd with gold;
The poor, content with gods of coarser mould,
With tools of iron carve the senseless stock,
Lopt from a tree, or broken from a rock;
People and priest drive on the solemn trade,
And trust the gods that saws and hammers made.

"Be heaven and earth amaz'd! 'tis hard to say
Which is more stupid, or their gods or they:
Oh Israel, trust the Lord, He hears and sees,
He knows thy sorrows, and restores thy peace;
His worship does a thousand comforts yield,
He is thy help, and He thy heavenly shield."

WATTS.

THE next day was wet. We could not sit in the garden as we always had done before when grandfather was telling of the Bible battles. We all sat in the cottage; grandfather on his big chair, on one side of the window, George on a very high three-legged stool, and Johnnie and I on little stools within the recess of the window. I still remember the soft sound of the rain among the leaves, and its continual drop dropping into the tub which Peggy had put out to catch it. Never to this day do I read the dark stories of Zimri, Ahab, or any of that unbroken list of vicious kings by which the land of Israel was cursed-I can never read of these without fancying I see a dull grey sky and an abundance of fresh green foliage, all that met my outward gaze as I sat on the stool and looked to the window; and the sound that is in my ears when I read of those evil rulers, is that of rain softly falling-a pleasing sound, which teaches me to look with pity on the vices and follies of others; for does not the great Father of all, whom all have so greatly offended, does not He send rain upon the unjust as well as upon the just.

George began, when we were all well seated, by saying to grandfather that Solomon's was the next reign he must tell us about, for he was David's successor.

Grandfather. He was David's successor; but we have nothing to do with his reign. There was no war in it.

George. No war! ficent king.

I thought he was a very magni

Grandfather. So he was; but his magnificence arose not from foreign conquest, but from the prosperity of a great kingdom, at peace within and without. The unity of the sons of Jacob ended with him; for in the reign of his son Rehoboam, they were divided into two kingdoms, called the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, which never afterwards were reunited.

George. Then there would be a good deal of fighting in Rehoboam's reign?

Grandfather. Not very much.

George. Did he not try to prevent his subjects setting up a separate kingdom?

Grandfather. He assembled a hundred and eighty thousand chosen warriors to fight against Jeroboam, whom the ten revolting tribes had chosen for their king; but the Lord forbade him to fight. He sent the prophet Shemaiah to deliver this message:- "Thus saith the Lord, ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house, for this thing is done of me. This command Rehoboam obeyed. He returned home to Jerusalem, and built several cities of defence, both in Judah and in Benjamin.

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Marianne. Were these two the only tribes who remained with him?

Gandfather. The Levites from all parts of the country came to him afterwards, because Jeroboam put them away from being priests, and set up pretended