they went, until the cows stopped at a field at Bethshemesh, where the people were engaged in their wheat harvest. When the people saw the ark returned, they rejoiced greatly. Levites took it down from the cart, slew the kine, and, breaking up the cart for firewood, offered the animals as a sacrifice unto the Lord.

The Levites having performed this service in the spirit of their vocation, we should have thought that they would have communicated tidings of this important fact to the high priest at Shiloh; and instant measures would have been taken for the restoration of the ark to its place in the most holy sanctuary. Nothing of the kind appears to have been thought of. Immediately after the sacrifice, the ark seems to have been accessible to the common people; and some of these having evinced a profane curiosity by looking into it, the Lord smote many of them dead. Terrified by this severity, the people of Beth-shemesh sent to Kirjath-jearim, requesting the inhabitants of that place to come and take the ark to them. This request was complied with, and the ark was taken thither, and placed in the house of Abinadab, who sanctified his son Eleazar to keep it.

Kirjath-jearim had of old been regarded as sacred, and might have been occupied by Levites, but of this we have no direct evidence. There can be no doubt, however, that the house of Abinadab was a Levitical family. The ark remained there a long time, (1 Sam. vii. 2,) even until the reign of David. We direct particular attention to this important fact. When we consider the serious consequences of the absence of the ark from the most sacred services of the Mosaic ritual; how easily this defect might have been supplied at any time during the administration of Samuel;

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and the great zeal of this pious judge and prophet for the exact observance of the law; it seems that the conviction must commend itself to every serious and reflecting mind, that there must have been some overruling Divine purpose, which called for a temporary suspension of some portions of the Mosaic ceremonial service, and for the accomplishment of which this great and continued innovation was permitted to take place.

While the established institutions of the Hebrew religion were in this state, David was called to the administration of the affairs of the nation; and after conquering the Jebusites, and securing a suitable capital, he had a fuller and better opportunity to direct his attention to the extension of pure religion throughout the kingdom. Assuming that this was the largeminded and pious purpose of David, how could he have accomplished his object, or have set about it in a manner that would justify the hope of its accomplishment? He might have returned the ark to its proper place in the tabernacle at Gibeon, and restored primitive unity and completeness to the services of that venerable sanctuary. Or, if he thought Gibeon an unsuitable locality, he could have removed this tabernacle to Jerusalem, and thus have placed all the Mosaic ordinances in their purity and completeness in more immediate proximity with his court and capital. There was another course which he might have taken, either in conjunction with those just named, or as a separate agency. The prophetic institute, as improved and extended by Samuel, was capable of still further amplification, and of a greatly enlarged practical influence on the public mind. In any or all of these ways a revival and extension of religion in the Hebrew nation might have been attempted, and

with the Divine blessing successfully obtained.

All these were means commanded by Jehovah himself for securing this grand object; yet none of them were adopted, or if the latter was attempted, it was in a form and manner altogether different from any thing that had been previously done.

The course taken by the king was altogether new and unheard of. He erected on Mount Zion, near his own dwelling, a large tent or tabernacle; and to this tabernacle he determined to transfer the ark of God from the house of Abinadab on the hill at Kirjathjearim. Having formed this purpose, and made the necessary preparations for carrying it into effect, David composed for the occasion

PSALM LXVIII.

"Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered :
Let them also that hate Him flee before Him.
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away:
As wax melteth before the fire,

So let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
But let the righteous be glad :

Let them rejoice before God:

Yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

Sing unto God, sing praises to His name.

Extol Him that rideth on the heavens by His name Јан,

And rejoice before Him.

A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, Is God in His holy habitation.

God setteth the solitary in families :

He bringeth out those which are bound with chains: But the rebellious dwell in a dry land,

THE ARK TAKEN FROM THE HOUSE OF ABINADAB. 131

O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, When Thou didst march through the wilderness; The earth shook,

The heavens also dropped at the presence of God: Even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, The God of Israel.

Thou, O God! didst send a plentiful rain,

Whereby Thou didst confirm Thy inheritance, when it was weary.

Thy congregation hath dwelt therein:

Thou, O God! hast prepared of Thy goodness for

the poor.

The Lord gave the word:

Great was the company of those that published it.

Kings of armies did flee apace:

And she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

Though ye have lien among the pots,

Yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And her feathers with yellow gold.

When the Almighty scattered kings in it,

It was white as snow in Salmon.

The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan;

A high hill as the hill of Bashan.

Why leap ye, ye high hills?

This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in ;

Yea, the Lord will dwell in it for ever.

The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels:

The Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place.

Thou hast ascended on high,

Thou hast led captivity captive:

Thou hast received gifts for men ;

Yea, for the rebellious also,

That the Lord God might dwell among them.

Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with

benefits,

Even the God of our salvation.

He that is our God is the God of salvation;

And unto God the Lord belong the issues from death.
But God shall wound the head of His enemies,
And the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still
in his trespasses.

The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan,.

I will bring My people again from the depths of the sea: That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies,

And the tongue of thy dogs in the same.

They have seen Thy goings, O God!

Even the goings of my God and King in the sanctuary.

The singers went before,

The players on instruments followed after;

Among them were the damsels playing with timbrels. Bless ye God in the congregations,

Even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel.

There is little Benjamin with their ruler,

The princes of Judah and their council,

The princes of Zebulun, and the princes of Naphtali.

Thy God hath commanded thy strength:

Strengthen, O God! that which Thou hast wrought

for us.

Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem

Shall kings bring presents unto Thee.