sent him the presents of beds, basins, and food. He was an old man, and David thanked him, and asked him to come and live with him at Jerusalem. The rich man said he was too old, but that he would like David to take his son with him to Jerusalem: and David did take his son with him, and he kissed the old man, and blessed him. David was grateful: he was kind to people who had been kind to him.

David was very glad to come back to Jerusalem. Do you know what made him most glad? It was because he wished to worship God near his ark, and to hear all the people praising God. While David had been a great way from Jerusalem, he had often sighed and wept to think that he could not go to the house of the Lord: * for David loved God very much. David was pleased to see the priests offer sacrifices on the altar to God,

* My tears have been my meat day and night. When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me; for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God. Ps. xlii. 3, 4.

and to praise God himself for his goodness upon the harp.*

You remember the kind promise that God had made to David. He had promised that David should have one good son, who should be king after David was dead, who should build a house for the Lord.

God loved

One of David's sons was good. him, and made him good. His name was Solomon. God told David that he was to be king after him. At last David grew very old, and weak, and he knew that he should die. So he wished to make Solomon king before he died. He desired the high priest to pour oil upon his head; and so the high priest anointed Solomon to be king.

Then David desired his people to come together to a place in Jerusalem, that he might speak to them all before he died. When they were all come, the king stood up on his feet, and said, "I once wished to build a house for the ark of God, but God would

Then will I go unto the altar of God; unto God my exceeding joy; yea, upon the harp will I praise thee, O God, my God. Ps. xliii. 4.

not let me build a house, because I had shed so much blood in battle, but he said that my son should build it."

Then David spoke to Solomon, and said, "Solomon, my son; serve God, and he will bless you." Then David showed Solomon the things he had got ready for building the house: gold, and silver, and iron, and stones, and wood: and David asked the people whether they would give any of their things to build a house for God.

And the people gave a great many things; gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and beautiful shining stones: and the people liked to give their things for God's house.

And David was pleased to see that they liked to give for that was a sign that they loved God.

Dear children, if you love God you will like to spare your money, to help poor people, and to buy bibles, and to build churches, and to send ministers to the heathen.

I shall tell you no more about David. I know that you like him very much. He had loved God since he was a child, and kept

my

sheep. How pleasant it is to love God all our lives long! This is what I wish you to do, dear children. I want you to love God now you are little, and to go on loving him when you are grown up, if you live: and to love him when your hair is grey.

David be

gan to sing God's praises when he was a shepherd-boy and he went on praising him till he died. God was kind to David all his days. And he will be kind to you, dear children, even when you are old and greyheaded, and he will take you to that sweet place, where David is now, and where Christ is.

Then David prayed to God, and thanked him for letting Solomon build him a house, and for letting the people give their things to God. And David asked God to make Solomon love him, and obey him. David offered a great many sacrifices to God.

Afterwards all the people went to their own homes again, and very soon David died.

Where did his spirit go? To the God he loved. He had sung many sweet songs to him while he lived on the earth, but now he sings sweeter songs.

This was the name that was given to David; "The sweet Psalmist of Israel." Why think that name was given to him? I shall soon tell you about Solomon.

do

you

CHAPTER LVIII.

SOLOMON, OR THE WISE CHOICE.

2 Chron. i. 1-6. 1 Kings. iii. 3, to the end.

ALMOST the first thing that Solomon did when he was made king, was to offer sacrifices to God.

Was not that right?

He did not offer these sacrifices on Mount Zion, where the ark was, but he went to the place where the old tabernacle was, that Moses had made, and where the great brass