whilP Huahni wn.s riRking hie life for hie Rnd wonld make them continue the cus• mruater. Still, he wns eent baok to tell " tom1ny sacrifices, Rnd, if hie rebellion proved fR lsehooil, snd his excuse was neoeSBitv; for succeseful, would force them to anoint him, Ahithophel wns so MgMioue that, if hie and so give hie ueurpl\tion a rellgioue sanc- oouneel were not upaet, David's c11nee w11s tion. But he would tell them none of hie IOl't. It w11s not Christian morality. but yet plans, nor would they try to insinuate them- it ha~ a sort of nohlcuess abont it in Hushai's selves into his confidence. They would devotion to his ldng. And even now, in war have a perfect right to be useful in any and diplomacy, such sets are not uncommon, way they could to their true ml\stcr, but 9nd a distinction is unhappily drawn between would do so &t the risk of severe punish- political and social momlity. Even in ment. Husho.i's way of defel\ting Ahitho- common life immoral doings are often sanc- phel was treo..cherous; hut there wns no tioned by use. Thus many customs of trsde deceit in the young men carrying a message are frauds, oonsidered legitim&te because from him, for they were openly David's genera.Hy practised. Even among ourselves friends. Cbristian morality ie far below the level Ver. 37.-Abaalom oame into 'Jerusalem. of om Master's teaching; and the Old Absalom had evidently pushed rapidly for- Testament mmt not be ta.ken as approving ward from Hebron, in hopes, perhaps, of all that it records. Similar blame does not surprising David in the oity. Evidently he attach to Zadok and Abiathar. They were entered it on the day of David's flight (oh. known to be David's friends, and had even xvii. 1), and Ahithophel's proposal to select tried to go with him, bearing with them the twelve thousand men from Absalom's fol- ark. They professed no friendship for lowers shows how very powerful the con• Absalom. and returned for no covert pur- spiracy was. Had this advice been followed, poee, looking for protection, not to guile, the decisive battle would h&ve been fought but to their sacred offic.e. And A.bsalom that evening at the fords of the Jordan, a would be glad to have them in his power, few miles only from Jerusalem.
HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-12.-17ie shady side of human nature. The facts are: 1. Absalom sets up a large domestic establishment with a semblance of royalty. 2. Rising early in the morning of each day, he is first to meet the suitors for judgment at the gate of the city, and seizes the occasion for insinua.ting that there is defect in the king's provision for the administration of justice. 3. Be also professes to manifest sympathy with suitors by expressing the wish that he were in a position to do them justice, and gives outward evidence of his concern for them by taking each one by the hand and kissing him. 4. These plans being in progress, he next asks permission of David to go to Hebron, on the plea that he desired to redeem a vow which he had sacredly made to God while in exile ; and David granting his request, he sets out for Hebron, with a company of men ignorant of his design. 5. :Meanwhile he sends spies throughout Israel, so that on a given signal they might simultaneously make the announcement, "Absalom reignetb in Hebron." 6. He moreover gains to hiB side Ahithophel, David's counsellor, and so advances his canse among the people. The narrative gives us in brief form the scheme, the principles, the methods, and early form of Absalom's conspiracy. He knew his own mind, and was set on the overthrow of his father's authority, from sheer vanity and lust of power. The ontline of his method was clearly defined: (1) to win over the people by criticizing the king's administration, and gratifying them by a showy establish- ment, professed zeal for justice, and marked personal attentions; (2) to secure a good centre for proclaiming his authority, and this by a hypocritical profession of religion which required him to go there; (3) by scattering a.gents through the land, and gaining to his side the king's most sagacious adviser. There is not one relieving feature to the dark picture of pride, ingratitude, filial alienation, low cunning, and religious hypocrisy. It i.s, however, our province to extract good out of evil, and in the early stages of .A.bsalom's rebellion we may see illustrations of the shady side of human nature, which, if noted and applied to conduct, may warn against often-recurring evils, and put us on our gnard against the same tendencies in other departments of life. I. THE PRINCIPLES A.ND METHODS OF UNJUSTIFIABLE REBELLION. Rebellion against existing authority may perhaps be right under special circumstances. People do not el.i8t for g<•Yeruments, but governments for the people; and it is possible that the Olt, XV. 1-37.] THE SECOND IlOOK OF SAMUEL. 313