thou comest to see my face. And on his bed in his bedchamber, and David sent messengers to Ish-bosheth Saul's son, saying, Deliver me my wife Michal, which I espoused to me for an hundred foreskins of the Philistines. And Ish-bosheth sent, and took her from her husband, even from Phaltiel the son of Laish. And her husband went with her along weeping behind her to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, Go, return. And he returned. Ry. And it came to pass. p. xXXV. Lesson III. they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. And they brought the head of Ish-bosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life. Ry. I have sinned. p. xxviii. Lesson II. AND David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto AND Abner had communication them, As the LORD liveth, who hath with the elders of Israel, saying, Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you: now then do it: for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, By the hand of my servant David I will save my people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines, and out of the hand of all their enemies. And Abner also spake in the ears of Benjamin: and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel, and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin. So Abner came to David to Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men that were with him a feast. And Abner said unto David, I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king. Ry. I took thee. p. xxvii. WEDNESDAY. Of the 2nd Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chap. iv. A ND the sons of Rimmon the Bee rothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. For when they came into the house, he lay redeemed my soul out of all adversity, when one told me saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: how much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ish-bosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron. Ry. Thou hast heard. p. xxviii. Lesson III. Chap. v. THEN came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah. And the king and his men went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land: which spake unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither: thinking, David cannot come in hither. Nevertheless David took the strong hold of Zion; the same is the city of David. Ry. Hearken, O LORD. p. xxix. Of the 2nd Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chap. vi. AGAIN, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of GOD, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims. And they set the ark of GoD upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in Gibeah: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drave the new cart. Ry. Prepare. p. xxvi. Lesson II. AND they brought it out of the house of Abinadab which was at Gibeah, accompanying the ark of GOD: and Ahio went before the ark. And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps, and on psalteries, and on timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals. And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of GOD, and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah; and GOD smote him there for his error; there he died by the ark of GOD. Ry. God is the hearer. p. xxvi. and Lesson III. AND David was displeased, because upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perez-uzzah to this day. And David was afraid of the LORD that day, and said, How shall the ark of the LORD come to me? So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the city of David: but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months and the LORD blessed Obededom, and all his household. And it was told king David, saying, The LORD hath blessed the house of Obed-edom, the LORD had made a breach and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of GOD. So David went and brought up the ark of GOD from the house of Obed-edom into the city of David with gladness. Ry. The LORD that. p. xxvii. Of the 2nd Book of Samuel. AND it came to that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying. Go and tell my servant David, Thus saith the LORD, Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in? Whereas I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. Ry. Saul hath slain. p. xxvii. Lesson II. IN all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed my people Israel, saying, Why build ye not me an house of cedar? Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: and I an evening-tide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself: and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of was with thee whithersoever thou¦ Jerusalem. And it came to pass in wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth. Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as before-Uriah the Hittite? And David sent time, and as since the time that I messengers, and took her. commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the Ry. I have sinned. p. xxviii. Lesson II. LORD telleth thee that he will make AND she returned unto her house. thee an house. Ry. Ye mountains. p. xxvii. Lesson III. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child. And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. AND when thy days be fulfilled, and And Joab sent Uriah to David. And thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men: but my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee and thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. According to all these words, and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David. Ry. I took thee. p. xxvii. Of the 2nd Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chap. xi. AND it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. Ry. Thou hast heard. p. xxviii. AND David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to-morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called | he said to Nathan, As the LORD him, he did eat and drink before him; liveth, the man that hath done this and he made him drunk: and at even thing shall surely die: and he shall he went out to lie on his bed with the restore the lamb fourfold, because he servants of his lord, but went not did this thing, and because he had no down to his house. And it came to pity. And Nathan said to David, pass in the morning, that David wrote Thou art the man. Thus saith the a letter to Joab, and sent it by the LORD GOD of Israel, I anointed thee hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the king oyer Israel, and I delivered thee letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the out of the hand of Saul; and I gave forefront of the hottest battle, and thee thy master's house, and thy retire ye from him, that he may be master's wives into thy bosom, and smitten, and die. And it came to gave thee the house of Israel and of pass, when Joab observed the city, Judah; and if that had been too that he assigned Uriah unto a place little, I would moreover have given where he knew that valiant men were. unto thee such and such things. And the men of the city went out, and Wherefore hast thou despised the fought with Joab: and there fell some commandment of the LORD, to do of the people of the servants of David; evil in his sight? thou hast killed and Uriah the Hittite died also. Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Rz. God is the hearer. p. xxvi. Lesson III. Ry. Hearken, O LORD. p. xxix. FIFTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY. Of the 2nd Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chap. xii. AND the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: but the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. Ry. Prepare. p. xxvi. Lesson II. AND David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and NOW therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house: because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun: for thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought GOD for the child; 1 and David fasted, and went in, and goad of shame; so that their fall not lay all night upon the earth. Ry. The LORD that. p. xxvii. SECOND NOCTURN. From the Book of S. Ambrose on the Character of David. Lesson IV. IN how many things does each of us offend every hour of the day. And yet it is not everyone of the commons who thinks that his sin needs to be confessed. But he that was so mighty and illustrious a king would not even for one moment allow his conscience to remain under a load of guilt, but with hurried confession, and with great sorrow of heart, acknowledged his sin to the LORD. What honoured and wealthy person could you readily find for me, who, if he were rebuked as guilty of a fault, would not take it amiss? But he, dignified with royal power, approved by so many divine messages, when he was rebuked by a private man for that he had grievously offended, gave way to no burst of passion, but confessed, and sighed with sorrow for his fault. Ry. Saul hath slain. p. xxvii. Lesson V. THE sorrow of inward feeling so prevailed with the LORD, that Nathan said: Because thou hast repented, the LORD also hath put away thy sin. The speed of the pardon shewed how deep was the penitence of the king, in that he removed the offence of so heinous a sin. Others, when they were rebuked by priests, increase their sin, either by desiring to deny it, or to defend it: and therefore their fall is the more grievous just where amendment is hoped for. But the saints of the LORD who desire to accomplish their holy fight, and to run the race of salvation, if by any chance they have fallen as men do, rather by the frailty of nature than by the lust of sinning, they rise more vigorous to the race, and renewing greater efforts with the only seems to have been no impediment, but even to have added incentives to their speed. Ry. Ye mountains. p. xxvii. Lesson VI. DAVID sinned, as kings are wont to do: but he repented, he wept, he bemoaned himself; which kings are not wont to do. He confessed his faults, he implored mercy, he lay Rz. vii. I have sinned. p. xxviii. MONDAY. Of the 2nd Book of Samuel. Lesson I. Chap. xiii. AND Absalom spake unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad: for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. And it came to pass after two full years, that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baal-hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king's sons. And Absalom came to the king, and said, Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant. And the king said to Absalom, Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be chargeable unto thee. And he pressed him : howbeit he would not go, but blessed him. Ry. Remember. p. xxviii. Lesson II. THEN said Absalom, If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go |