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done? Let thine hand, oh Lord, be against me, and me only!"

God hearkened

to the king.

God heard the prayer of the penitent king, and the plague was stayed before it entered the sacred city. David testified his gratitude

How he showed

his gratitude.

to God for this mercy by buying the parcel of land where the plague was arrested, building thereon an altar, and fixing on the spot as the site of the future temple.

When David

died.

Next year he died, very feeble and infirm. He had been 40 years a king, and was 71 years of age. (B.C. 1010.)

cessor.

David's suc- He appointed Solomon to be his successor, a young man only 18 years of age, at his father's death.

king David.

Section IV.

DAVID'S CHARACTER.

The character of David's character was distinguished for unexampled piety.

He

accounted himself God's viceroy, and maintained the worship of Jehovah in perfect purity, for which reasons he was said to be a man after God's own heart. (Acts xiii. 22.)

blemished.

How it was It was blemished, no doubt, with several heinous sins; but instead of persisting in evil, he bitterly repented as soon as the intoxication of sin had passed away.

Name his great

social merit.

His friendship for Jonathan,

the son of Saul, was admirable; and presents one of the most beautiful instances of friendship upon record.

How he honoured him after death.

When he became king, and Jonathan was dead, David showered his favours on his friend's son, whom he brought to court, treated with distinction, and endowed with all the paternal lands of Saul.

David's reign advantageous.

The kingdom of Israel greatly prospered under the government of David. Its wealth increased enormously; the 12 tribes became consoli

dated; and the nation was entirely freed from every foreign yoke.

Literary character of David's reign.

He was a great patron of literature and the fine arts; thus he collected materials for Solomon's temple, and gathered round him prophets, counsellors, historians, and poets.

The chief historians of David's reign were Gad and Nathan; the chief poets were: Asaph, Heman, Ethan, Jeduthun, and the sons of Korah.

No epoch of Jewish history presents such a phalanx of great names, military as well as literary, whence it is justly called The Golden age of the Jews.

benefitted.

How religion was The service of God felt also the benefit of his wise administration; for he instituted a choir of 4000 singers, divided into 24 classes, to perform the service weekly by rotation. Idolatry was suppressed, and the Mosaic laws were brought into full operation. David's literary He was a poet and pro

merits, what.

phet, as well as a warrior and a king.

What he wrote. He wrote a large part of the Book of Psalms. It is from the ex

ceeding beauty of these compositions he has been termed the sweet psalmist of Israel. (2 Sam. xxiii. 1.)

Object of these

Psalms.

These Psalms were composed

for the service of God; and were sung by choirs of Levites, accompanied with a full band.

Of the collection called Psalms in the Bible, 74 bear the name of David, but 10 more are generally ascribed to him.

The principal musical instruments employed in the reign of David were horns, trumpets, cymbals, pan-pipes, tambourines or timbrels, harps, and the psaltery or guitar.

Proof of his be.

ing a prophet.

The prophetic gift of David is clearly manifested in several of these, which plainly foretell events concerning Jesus Christ. (Luke xxiv. 44. Acts ii. 29, 30.)

SUPPLEMENT FOR SENIOR PUPILS.

David a type.

DAVID was a TYPE of JESUS CHRIST: (1.) He was called David or beloved, and Christ was the beloved of God;

(2.) Both were born at Bethlehem, and both were of the tribe of Judah;

(3.) Both were men "after God's own heart, who fulfilled all His laws;"

(4.) Both were prophets as well as kings;

(5.) Both were regarded by their brethren with envy;

(6.) Both were persecuted and cast out by the rulers of the land;

(7.) Both were made perfect by suffering, and exalted after the greatest humiliation;

(8.) David was the "corner stone" who united in his own person the whole kingdom of Israel; Christ was the "corner stone" who has united in one both Jew and Gentile;

(9.) Both could say: "My own familiar friend, that did eat my bread, has lifted up his heel against me;" and in both cases the traitor met the like tragical end;

Ahithophel and Judas were the two traitors.

(10.) The vaunting Goliath that David slew was an emblem of Satan whom Jesus overcame;

(11.) David laid aside the armour of Saul, and vanquished the giant with a simple stone and sling; Christ laid aside his majesty and power, and vanquished Satan with the foolishness of the

cross;

(12.) David, with the giant's sword, cut off the giant's head; and Christ, by death, destroyed the power of death.

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