Soon the first man who was running came up, and cried out, "All is well."

He said all was well, because David's men had conquered. Then the man fell down to the ground upon his face before the king, and he thanked God for having let David's men conquer. Then the king said, “Is the young man Absalom safe?" The messenger knew that Absalom was dead, but he did not like to grieve David, by telling him this sad news all at once, so he said, "There was a great deal of noise and confusion when Joab sent me here." The man did not tell David what this noise was about.

Soon the other man came running up to David, and he said, "God has punished the wicked people, who fought against the king.” Then the king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?"

And the messenger answered, "May all people who fight against the king, be as Absalom now is." The king knew that the man meant that Absalom was dead. How very unhappy the king was when he heard this! He went into a room that was near the gate, and

he wept as he went up and he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son !"

When David's soldiers were coming back into the city, they heard how much the king was grieved for Absalom, and they felt unhappy too, because they loved the king. The king did not come out to meet them, and to thank them for having fought for him, as he would have done, if Absalom had not been killed; but he remained by himself, and he covered his face, and cried, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son !"

I do not wonder that David was unhappy about Absalom. Could David hope that he was gone to heaven, and that he should see him again one day? O! it is dreadful to lose a wicked child. God cut off Absalom in the midst of his wickedness. God is very angry with children, who behave ill to their parents, and he often punishes them by letting them die while they are young, and sending their souls to hell.*

* Whoso curseth his father or mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.-Prov. xx. 20.

Jonathan died while he was young, but he was good; and he went to heaven. I hope, my dear children, that none of you will die in wickedness, as Absalom did. Pray now, my darlings, to God, to make you love and obey him, and I know that he will hear you. Why will he hear you? Because Jesus died for you.

Young Absalom's beautiful hair

Is caught in the boughs of a tree :
The prince is suspended in air,
And struggles in vain to get free,

Three arrows are struck through his heart;
He dies in his youth's freshest bloom.
O that all from his sins might depart
Who hear of young Absalom's doom!
The beauty that made him so vain,
Shall be hid in a desolate pit,
And none shall admire him again;
On a throne be never shall sit.

I wonder not David should weep
O'er a son in his sins snatch'd away;
O well might his anguish be deep

As he thought of the great judgment-day.

CHILD.

Dear Saviour, thou seest my heart
With pride and with vanity fill'd;
In mercy thy Spirit impart,
And make me a dutiful child.

Then weep not, dear parents, for me,
If I in my childhood should die ;
Believe that my face you would see
Amongst the redeemed on high.

CHAPTER LVII.

DAVID, OR THE FAREWELL.

2 Samuel xix. 1 Kings ii. 38, 39. 1 Chron. xxviii. xxix.

DID not Absalom come to a very dreadful end? He died in the midst of his wickedness; for God curses children who behave ungratefully to their parents. How much David loved this wicked Absalom! He went on crying for him, for some time. David knew why God had let him have such a wicked child. Do you know why? It was because David had killed Uriah. Yet God had forgiven David.

Now Absalom was dead, David could re

M

turn to Jesusalem. The people who had said that Absalom was king, now wished David to be king again. So David went over the river Jordan on his way back to Jerusalem. As he was on the other side of the river, a man came to David, and threw himself down before him to ask his pardon. Who could this man be? It was the wicked man, who had thrown stones and dust at David, when he was unhappy.

Did David forgive him? Yes, he did. Was not that kind of David? The man deserved to die, but David said to him, "Thou shalt not die." The man was not really sorry; only he did not dare to behave ill to David now he was king again. God would punish that wicked man, though David forgave him. I hope, dear children, that you will forgive people who behave rudely to you; God has said that if we do not forgive, he will not forgive us.

There was another man, who came to see David, before he crossed over the river. I was one of those rich men, who had been kind to David in his distress, and who had