Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/281

 caused her  to  be  unfaithful  to  her  lawful  husband. Then, in  order to conceal  his  sin  and  to  marry  Bethsabee,  he  wrote  to  the  general of the  army  to  put  Urias  in  the  front  of  the  next  battle,  so  that he would  surely  be  slain. Joab, the  general,  did  as  his  Lord  and master commanded. Urias fell  in  battle,  and  David  took  Bethsabee for his  wife. Then came  the  prophet  Nathan to  him,  and  told him how  a rich  man  with  many  sheep  had  robbed  a poor  man of his  one  ewe-lamb  in  order  to  entertain  a guest,  and  when  David in great  indignation  at  such  heartless  conduct  inquired  after  the name of  the  man,  saying  “He  shall  die”,  the  prophet  answered: “Thou art  the  man.”  David  was  thunderstruck  by  this  retort,  and confessed his  fault  and  asked  pardon  of  the  Lord. He then  composed the  seven  penitential  Psalms,  which  ever  since  have  been the consolation  of  all  truly  penitent  sinners.

The Lord,  seeing  the  sorrow  of  David,  ordered  Nathan  to tell  him  that  his  sin  was  forgiven,  but  that  nevertheless  he  must undergo many  temporal  punishments,  and  that  the  child  that  was about to  be  born  to  him  should  die. David, humbling  himself before God,  willingly  accepted  this  and  many  other  punishments inflicted upon  him,  and  added,  on  his  own  part,  the  most  severe penance in  expiation  of  his  sin.

The most  terrible  chastisement  inflicted  on  David  was  the ingratitude of  his  son  Absalom. Now Absalom  was  endowed  with rare beauty  of  person,  so  that  from  the  top  of  his  head  to  the sole of  his  foot  there  was  no  blemish  in  him. His hair  was  long and beautiful. And David  gave  Absalom  a princely  retinue  of chariots  and  horsemen,  and  a guard  of  young  men  to  accompany him everywhere.

Absalom was  wont  to  rise  early  in  the  morning  and  stand at the  gate  of  the  palace,  and  when  any  man  presented  himself to ask  justice  of  the  king,  he  kindly  inquired  what  complaint  he had  to  make,  and  on  hearing  it  always  replied:  “Thy  words  seem good and  just  to  me;  but  there  is  no  one  appointed  by  the  king to hear  thy  cause.”  In  this  manner  he  made  friends  for  himself among the  people  by  wrongfully  blaming  his  father.