whither it had been carried twenty years after its restoration by the Philistines who had taken it captive. David had greatly desired to bring it up to Jerusalem, where he had prepared a tabernacle for its reception. He ordered it to be jjut on a new cart, and drawn by oxen, in the manner in which the Philistines had restored it ; forgetting that God had given special commands, that none but the Kohathites, who were Levites, should carry it; and that they should never either behold or touch it, but that it should be covered, and they should bear it by means of the staves which were made for that purpose. In its progress, the ark was shaken, at the threshing-floor of Nachon ; and Uzzah, one of the conductors of it, put forth his hand to hold it up, lest it should fall : and for this error God struck him dead upon the spot. This judgment was intended as a rebuke, not to Uzzah only, but to all the priests and Levites who were present ; and especially to David, who had been so regardless of the divine commands, with which he doubtless was well acquainted, and of which he ought to have been most strictly observant. By this judgment David was disheartened, and he dared not to proceed, lest he himself, also, should fall a sacrifice to the divine displeasure. Accordingly, the ark was turned out of its course, and carried to the house of Obed-edom, the Gittite. But during its con- tinuance there, for the space of three months, such manifest and extraordinary blessings flowed down upon Obed-edom and all his family, that David was assured that God was recon- ciled towards him : and, inspired with fresh zeal, he proceeded again to bring it up from thence, taking especial care that every thing should be conducted in God's appointed way. After advancing only six paces, he stopped to offer burnt- offerings and peace-offerings ; and then he felt in his soul, that God had accepted this service, and would crown it with good success*^.
Now, to enter into David's feeUngs aright, we must mark the contrast between this present effort and that which had so lately failed : and we must remember, that, not content with expressing his gratitude to God by secret aspirations, he strove, by his open and visible acknowledgments, to inspire all his people with the same ardent gratitude with which his own breast was filled. This will account for what might other- wise appear extravagant in this outward demonstration of his joy.]
2. By his anticipations of the future —
[The ark was the symbol of the divine presence: and by having it at Jerusalem, he hoped that he should have more
' 1 Chron. xv. 1—3, 11—15.