which followed the latter event, a civil war was constantly kept up between the contending parties, the result of almost every incident of which favored the cause of David. The continuance of this contest for so many years is mainly attributable to the prudence and address of Abner; but at length a quarrel of so serious a nature occurred between that general and Ishbosheth, as to induce Abner to determine to transfer his interest and influence to the cause of David. Having settled in his own mind this determina tion, he addressed himself to Ishbosheth, saying, “As the Lord hath sworn unto David, even so do I unto him; to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul, and to set up the throne of David over Israel, and over Judah, from Dan even to Beer-sheba."

In accordance with this fixed purpose, Abner sent messengers to Hebron, through whom he proposed to David to bring, on certain conditions, those tribes over to his interest which had hitherto adhered to the house of Saul. These messengers David received with the utmost courtesy; but he declined to enter into any negotiations with Abner, unless he would first cause his wife, Michal, the daughter of Saul, to be restored to him. The desire of David for the restoration of Michal, was no sooner communicated to Abner by his messengers, than he constrained Phaltiel, upon whom he had bestowed her, to deliver her up to her lawful husband. This being done, Michal was immediately sent to Hebron; and the only obstacle in the way of the execution of Abner's purpose being thus removed, he assembled together the elders and principal men of Israel, at Mahanaim, and said to them, "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." The

elders of Israel, and the officers of the army, having long desired to transfer their allegiance from Ishbosheth to David, readily acceded to Abner's proposal; and their example was immediately followed by the whole tribe of Benjamin. Having thus consummated his arrangements in favor of David, Abner selected twenty of the most eminent of the Benjamites, and with them repaired to Hebron, to ratify the treaty into which he and David had entered. David received him and his companions with the greatest kindness; and, after having entertained them in the most sumptuous manner for ten days, Abner left Hebron for the purpose of bringing the elders of the people and the officers of the army thither, that he might in their presence, and under their sanction, publicly deliver the government into David's hands.

Soon after Abner had left Hebron, Joab returned from a successful expedition against the Philistines; and being informed that that distinguished general had, during his absence, visited the king, and been received by him in the most flattering manner, his jealous fears became at once alarmed, lest Abner, after his reconciliation with David, should supplant him in his favor. Under the influence of the excitement which these fears produced, Joab immediately repaired to the king, and severely reproached him for listening to Abner's proposals, and allowing him to depart from Hebron in safety. He then, in the king's name, sent messengers in pursuit of Abner; and they, having overtaken him at the well of Sirah, requested him to return immediately to Hebron, as the king had some farther important communication to make to him. Abner, not suspecting any evil, unhesitatingly obeyed, as he supposed, the royal summons; but on his way back to Hebron he was waylaid by Joab and his brother Abishai, and inhumanly murdered.

When David was informed of the death of Abner, and of the circumstances attending that melancholy event, his grief was excessive; and having first publicly exonerated himself from all participation in the foul and wicked transaction, he next ordered that the funeral ceremonies should be observed in the most solemn and impressive manner, and to give to the scene all the imposingness possible, he himself walked at the head of the procession as the chief mourner. The day preceding the burial of Abner David passed in solemn prayer and fasting; and immediately after the ceremonies were closed, he publicly addressed the people, expatiating upon the various virtues of the deceased, and deploring the loss both to himself and to the nation, of so brave a soldier, and so wise and prudent a counsellor. The power and influence of Joab were, however, so great, that David did not feel warranted in punishing him as his crime deserved; and he, therefore, closed his address with the reflection, that "The Lord shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness."

Soon after the death of Abner Ishbosheth was publicly murdered by Baanah and Rechab, two of the principal officers of the army; and intelligence of this event being soon spread throughout the nation, all the tribes at once sent deputies to Hebron, to acknowledge David's right to the sovereignty, and to pledge to him their allegiance. Thus David, in the thirty-eighth year of his age, and after having reigned seven and a half years over the tribe of Judah at Hebron, became, in 1048, A. C., by common con sent, king of all Israel.

SECTION IV.

DAVID-Jerusalem taken, and made the Capital of the Kingdom--Defeat of the Philistines-Removal of the Tabernacle and the Ark to Jerusalem-David designs to build a Temple to Jehovah, but is forbidden-War with the Moabites-Triumphs over other Nations-Organization of the Army, and Settlement of the Government -His Kindness to Mephibosheth-Joab's Triumph over the Ammonites and the Syrians.

DAVID being now invested with full regal authority over all Israel, and having a brave and gallant army at his command, resolved to signalize the commencement of his reign by the reduction of Jerusalem, the strong-hold of the Jebusites. He, accordingly, without loss of time, marched his army against that place; and having arrived before the citadel, or fort of Zion, which commanded the city, he summoned the garrison to surrender. The Jebusites, however, supposing the place to be impregnable, haughtily derided his command; and in their reply to his summons, they intimated that such was the strength of the place, that the lame and the blind alone, within it, would be able to defend it against any assault of an enemy.

Irritated by this haughty defiance, David immediately determined that the citadel should, at all hazards, be reduced; and he, therefore, in order to excite the emulation of his soldiers, caused proclamation to be made throughout the camp that, "Whoever scaleth the wall, and smiteth the Jebusites first, shall be chief and captain." Joab, who was then at the head of the army, being more alert and active than any of his associates, seized this new opportunity to signalize his valor; and he was, therefore, the first to mount the wall and attack the enemy. This daring action of their leader being immediately imitated by a large body of the troops, the garrison was soon overcome; and as the flight of its defenders was witnessed by the inhabitants of the city, they at once followed their example; and thus

the whole place now became an easy conquest to the army of Israel. "So David took the strong-hold of Zion, and called it The city of David."

Having thus taken Jerusalem, David resolved to make it, thenceforth, the royal residence; and he, therefore, extended the city to the citadel, and commissioned Joab to repair and beautify the old city of Jebus, for the better accommodation of the people. Jerusalem, however, contained no dwelling place suitable for the residence of the king; and David, therefore, resolved to build a royal palace on one of the high places of the city, to aid him in the erection of which, Hiram, king of Tyre, with whom he had entered into a treaty of alliance, sent him cedar trees, carpenters, and other artificers-the Tyrians being at that time much better skilled in the mechanical arts than the Israelites.

While the preparations for the permanent abode of David in the city of Jerusalem were thus advancing, the Philistines, the common enemies of Israel, resolved to check his increasing greatness, before his strength should become invincible; and with this view they raised a powerful army, marched towards Jerusalem, and encamped on the plains of Rephaim, which was separated from the fortress of Zion by the valley of Hinnom. When David received intelligence of the approach of this formidable enemy, he inquired of the Lord, "Whether he should go up to the Philistines ;" and being answered in the affirmative, with the additional assurance of success, he immediately drew out his men of war, and fell upon the enemy so suddenly, and with such intrepidity, that they were completely routed -great numbers of them being slain upon the spot, while the rest, to save their lives, resorted to a precipitate flight. In their haste to escape from the fury of David's soldiers, the Philistines left their idols, which they always carried