wish to give David so discouraging an answer as "No," at first.

D. Is David known in any other character than that of a king?

F. Yes in the threefold character of prophet, priest, and king. And herein he was an eminent type of our Lord. Also as a psalmist his name would have gone down to posterity as a man honoured of God and worthy to be remembered and loved by all men, even if he had held no other conspicuous position. For no part of Scripture has been of so much comfort to the church of God in all ages, and such a support to her suffering members, as the Psalms; especially when interpreted by the light of Christianity, and by the fulfilment of many prophecies contained in them.

D. I still can hardly help feeling as though the punishment of David's sin in numbering the people was very severe. Do you not think so?

F. This feeling of yours only shows how very incorrectly we often judge of sins, as to how they will appear before God, and when measured by his perfect standard. Pride, in a being created by God for his honour and glory, must be very offensive to God; for it strikes at the

root of all subordination and order in God's creation. Pride was the sin of Satan; it led him to rebellion; and it was by an appeal to this principle and this weakness in man that Satan tempted our first parents. They liked the idea of knowing good and evil, and of being in some degree independent of God.

D. Do you think then that we often judge of sins incorrectly?

F. Yes; all human laws can judge only such things as are outward; and punish dispositions which show themselves in actions that are injurious to society. And this must be the case; for men are not competent judges of other men's thoughts and feelings; and much injustice would be done if it was allowed that one man should be the judge of another man's conscience. The history of religious persecution clearly proves this, and shows that we must not trust men with the power of judging the consciences of their neighbours.

D. Can you give me any other instances of men judging very differently from what God would, I mean such as occur in sins of everyday life?

F. Yes; taking God's name in vain is placed

M

higher in the list of commandments than the crimes of murder and theft; and covetousness is ranked by St. Paul as idolatry.

D. Have you anything more to tell me about Gad and Nathan?

F. It is generally understood that we are indebted to them, in conjunction with Samuel, for the books of Samuel and the early part of the first book of the Kings. (See 1 Chron. xxix. 29).

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CHAPTER XIII.

FROM THE BEGINNING OF SOLOMON'S REIGN

TO THE DIVISION OF THE TRIBES.

whose names are better

THERE are few persons known than Solomon. Almost every well-informed child can tell the right answer to this question, "Who was the wisest man ?" There is also a charm about his life, from his having reigned at a time of so much grandeur and wealth in the history of the Jewish nation, and on account of the building and dedication of the temple. But there is much to sadden a reader of the Bible in Solomon's history, as we shall soon see.

Solomon, as you will no doubt remember, was the son of David and his wife Bathsheba, of whose painful history you have already heard. David had several sons by different wives; but though Solomon was not the eldest, yet God

chose him out of the family as the successor of David, and he gave his father instructions to have his title made secure, by proclaiming him king even before his father's death. There was

some opposition by Adonijah and his followers, but it was soon put down and pardoned, until, shortly after David's death, he made a request which Solomon interpreted into an act of rebellion, and he was put to death.

As soon as Solomon became formally appointed to the kingdom, he was visited by God in a vision by night, and permitted by the Almighty to ask for anything which he desired to have. And he wisely asked that he might be endued with wisdom from above, so that he might have knowledge to judge this people over whom he was set, or, as he said, that he might go out and come in before his people. And because he did not ask riches, wealth, or honour, but wisdom, God promised to give him wisdom and knowledge; and, in addition, to give him riches and honour such as had never belonged to any man before him, nor ever should again.

It was very soon evident that God had fulfilled his promise; for he managed the affairs