For while he sat watching his sheep in the fold, It then was his greatest delight, we are told, He gazed on the moon, and the stars in the sky. Which God has appointed to shine, And, "Lord, what is poor sinful man," he would cry, "Compared with these wonders of thine!" Thus seeking so early for knowledge and truth, His childhood in wisdom began: And therefore the Lord was the guide of his youth, And made him so mighty a man. When ready for battle Goliath appear'd, Young David first offered to go; He knew that his God whom he trusted and feared, Would help him to conquer the foe. In war and in fighting he had not been skill'd, Yet ventured to meet him alone; And this mighty giant he presently kill'd With only a sling and a stone. So he soon was made king, for the prophet foretold, That God meant to honour him thus ; And, if we will serve him like David of old, The Lord will be mindful of us. Original Hymns by Ann and Jane Taylor. AT last David was made king, as God had promised. I will tell you the name of the city in which he lived; it was Jerusalem. David was born at Bethlehem, and there he kept sheep, but when he was king he lived at Jerusalem. Jerusalem was a beautiful city. There were a great many hills in it. Do you not think hills very beautiful? One of the hills was called Mount Zion. David desired some men to build him a house upon Mount Zion? Do you know what a king's house is called? It is called a palace. David's palace was on Mount Zion. David loved God very much, and so he thought he should like God's ark to be very near his palace. Where was the ark? You remember that the ark was once at Shiloh, and that the Philistines took it in battle, and that they sent it back to the Israelites: but the ark never was taken back to Shiloh again. God would not let the wicked people who lived in Shiloh have his ark any more. The ark had been kept in a man's house: David knew where it was, and he went himself to fetch it. A great many priests came with David, and a great many people who played on musical instruments, such as harps, and trumpets, and other instruments called cornets, and cymbals, and psalteries, and some people who sang sweet psalms in the praise of God, and there were some women playing on timbrels.* So they brought the ark from the man's house to Mount Zion in Jerusalem. David was dressed in a white ephod, and all the singers and players of music were dressed in white, and the priests were dressed in white. David played upon his harp, and he went with the players and singers; and the ark came afterwards with the priests. How beautiful it was to see all these men in white, and to hear them praising God! Would not the sight have put you in mind of the angels of God in heaven? * The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. Ps. lxviii. 25. A great many of the Israelites came to see this beautiful sight. They saw their king praising God upon his harp. O how glad David felt that day! The ark was taken up the hill, called Mount Zion. There were walls all round the top of Mount Zion, and large gates; the gates were opened wide to let the king come in, and the ark, which was the throne of the Lord.* David had prepared a place made of curtains for the ark to be placed in. He had not brought the old tabernacle to Mount Zion; but he had made a new tabernacle, close to his own palace.† There the priests placed the ark, and David desired the singers to sing a psalm that he had written, beginning "Give thanks unto the Lord." David also offered some sacrifices upon Mount Zion, and David blessed all the people that stood round. Before the people went home, he desired that every man and Lift up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the king of glory shall come in. Ps. xxiv. 9. + 2 Chron. i. 3, 4. |