ot Shiloh, ond etill more by the cutting off of respects Rome. The city of David's choice so mu.ny of its leading members ot Nob, never he.a been, and continues to this hour to be, recovered itself after Abiothar was set aside the most holy spot upon earth alike t.o the by Solomon for taking port with Adonije.h, Jew and to the Christion, though t.o the The line continued to exist, for members of latter it is BO bece.use of De.vid's Son. At it returned from Babylon (Ezra viii. 2); but Zion, moreover, D!l.vid's spiritual e.ddition to though it produced e. prophet, Jeremiah, it the Mosaic ritue.1 has given the ~hurch ite never a.gain produced a high priest, and there- best book of devotion and the brightest fore only the line of Eleazar, to which Ezra. pe.rt of its services ; for every hymn sung himself belonged, is given in I Chron. vi. to God's glory, and every instrument of Thus Abiathor's misconduct and the music played in God's house, is but the growing fame of J erueolem put an end to continuance of the prophesying with harp, all fear of schism. We easily trace in the ps!l.ltery, e.nd cymbal (I Chron. xxv. 1), first Psalms the increase of the nation's regard instituted by David, though, like all that for Zion. In Ps. :u:iv., written probably by we.s best in David personally e.nd in .his David to celebrate the entry of the ark institutions, it grew out of Samuel's in- thither, it is simply "the hill of J ehove.h fluence e.nd the practices of his schools (I . . . hie holy ple.ce." In Ps. ix. it is "his Sam. xiL 20). Finally, the temple services dwelling,"·but in Ps. xx. a higher note is were doing much to weld the discordant struck. Zion is " the sanctuary" whence tribes into one nation, and would have Jehovah sends "help'' and " strength ; " succeeded in so doing bnt for the unhappy and in Ps. xlviii., written at a later date, degeneracy of Solomon's latter years, and Zion is found installed in the very heart the obstinacy of his son. Yet even so, of the people's love, Thus the Divine' Jerus!l.lem remains for ever e. memoril\l of ,blessing rested fully upon David's work. the genius e.nd piety of this extraordinary To Jehovah's worship he ge.ve a gre.nd man, and the symbol of ••Jerna!l.lem the and noble centre, which from his de.y golden, the home of God's elect." has he.d no rive.I, unless it be in some
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-11.-The fe.cts are: 1. David, deeming the time to be come for reorganizing the religious services, raises a select force wherewith to bring the ark from its obscurity at Kirjath-jearim. 2. Providing a. new cart, the ark is set thereon, and brought out of the house of Abinadab under charge of his two sons. 3. David and the people move in joyous procession before the ark to music from all manner of instru- ments. 4. Arriving at a certain place, Uzzah, putting forth his hand to steady the ark, is smitten for his rashness, and dies before the ark. 5. Thereupon David's spirit i! much troubled, and is filled with dread at the thought of taking charge of so sacred and terrible a treasure. 6. David is restrained by this apprehension from his purpose, and meanwhile leaves the ark in the house of Ohed-Edom. 7. The sojourn of the ark in the house of Obed-Edom for three months proves an occasion of ~eat blessing to him and his family. The remarkable events of this section naturally arrange themselves in a threefold order-the bringing up of the ark; the judgment on Uzzah; and the suspension of the undertaking. We here find three topics, which we will te.ke iu succession.
Religious restorations. I. RELIGION IS THE FOUNDATION OF NATIONAL PROSPERITY. This is tho interpretation of David's action in seeking to bring the ark out of its obscurity to the central seat of government. From the time when the ark was captured by the Philistines Q- SBm. iv.) and its deposit at Kirjath-jearim (1 Sam. vi. 21), all throu!1:h the reign of Snul, with the exception of the brief revival at Ebenezer, the religion of the nation had been at a. low ebb. 'J'hat so sacred a treasure ehou!J have been left in obscurity, without the forms and order of worship enjoined in the La\\ of Moses, was an indication of spiritual decadence, and goes far to account for t':e 150 'l'BE SECOND 1300K OF SAMU-Et.