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worth his while to lift up his spear against him.

"Come

hither," quoth the giant, "and I will feed the fowls with

your flesh!"

7. But little David was not at all abashed.

He made a

bold answer, and told Goliath that he would cut off his head, and give his enormous carcass to the beasts of the field. This threat so enraged the giant, that he put himself in motion to slay David.

8. The young man ran forward to meet Goliath, and as he ran he took a smooth stone from his scrip, and placed it in his sling. When at a proper distance, he whirled the sling, and let drive the stone. It went whizzing through the air, and hit Goliath right in the centre of the forehead.

9. The stone penetrated to the brain; and down the giant fell at full length upon the field, with his brazen armour clanging around him. David then cut off Goliath's head with his own sword. The Philistines were affrighted at their champion's overthrow, and fled.

10. The men of Israel pursued them, and made a prodigious slaughter. David returned from the battle, carrying the grim and grisly head of Goliath by the hair. The Hebrew women came forth to meet him, danced around him, and sang triumphant anthems in his praise.

QUESTIONS.-1. Who was David?

What did he do? 2. What had

David done? What did he think? 3. Tell the story of David and Goliath. 9. What effect had the death of Goliath upon the Philistines? 10. What

honours were paid to David?

CHAP. XX.-ASIA continued.

THE REIGN OF DAVID. WISDOM OF SOLOMON.

1. DAVID had won so much renown by his victory over Goliath, that Saul became envious of him, and often endeavoured to kill him. But Jonathan, the son of Saul, loved

David better than a brother.

2. During the lifetime of Saul, David was forced to live in exile. But, after a reign of about twenty-four years, king Saul was slain on the mountains of Gilboa, in a disastrous battle with the Philistines. Jonathan was likewise killed.

3. When David heard of these sad events, he expressed his sorrow by weeping and rending his garments. Yet he gained a kingdom by the death of Saul and Jonathan, for the men of Judah first elected him to reign over them, and afterwards the whole people of Israel chose him for their king.

He

4. A great part of David's life was spent in war. gained many victories, and enjoyed high renown as a gallant leader. He conquered many of the surrounding nations, and raised his kingdom to a higher pitch of power than it ever enjoyed before or afterwards. But he also won a peaceful kind of fame, which will last while the world endures, and be remembered through eternity.

5. He won it by his heavenly poesy; for king David was the sweet Psalmist of Israel; and, in all the ages since he lived, his psalns have been sung to the praise of the Lord.

It is now about three thousand years since David died, yet to this hour every pious heart loves to commune with God in the beautiful words of this inspired man.

6. In the latter part of his life David was much grieved by the rebellious conduct of his son Absalom. But it grieved him more when Absalom was slain by Joab, who found him hanging by his long hair on the branches of an oak, and pierced his body with three darts.

7. When David had reigned forty years, and was grown a very old man, he died in his palace in Jerusalem. The kingdom was inherited by his son Solomon. This prince was very young when he ascended the throne, but he was wiser in his youth than in his riper years.

8. Not long after he became king, two women came into his presence, bringing a little child. Each of the women claimed the child as her own, and they quarrelled violently, as if they would have torn the poor babe asunder. It seemed impossible to find out whose the child really was.

9. "Bring hither a sword," said king Solomon; and immediately one of the attendants brought a sharp sword. "Now," continued Solomon, "that I may not wrong either of these women, the thing in dispute shall be equally divided between them. Cut the child in twain, and let each take half."

10. But when the real mother saw the keen sword glittering over her poor babe, she gave a scream of agony. "Do

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not slay the child!" she cried. "Give it to this wicked woman. Only let it live, and she may be its mother!"

11. But the other woman showed no pity for the child. "I ask no more than my just rights," she said. "Cut the child in two! I will be content with half." Now Solomon had watched the conduct of the two women, and he knew the true mother by her tenderness for the poor babe. "Give the child alive to her who would not have it slain," he said. "She is its mother."

QUESTIONS.-1. Why was Saul envious of David? What did Saul do? What of Jonathan? 2. How was David obliged to live? What of Saul? Jonathan? 3. What effect had these events upon David? Who became king of Israel after the death of Saul? 4. How was a great part of David's life spent? To what condition did he bring the Hebrew nation ? What better fame did he acquire than that of a conqueror? 5. Who was the author of the Psalms? What can you say of the Psalms? How long since David lived? 6. What of Absalom? 7. How long did David reign? Who succeeded him? What of Solomon? 8. Tell the story of the child.

CHAP. XXI.—ASIA continued.

BUILDING OF THE TEMPLE. VISIT OF THE QUEEN OF SHEBA.

1. King David, as I before told you, had increased the power and wealth of the Hebrew nation, so that it was now a great kingdom. Silver and gold were very abundant in the country, and king David had made preparation for the building of a splendid temple, to be dedicated to the worship of the true God.

2. The chief event of Solomon's life was the building of this temple. This was done by the special command of the Lord. It was now four hundred and eighty years since the Israelites had come out of Egypt; and in all that time there had been no edifice erected to the worship of God.

3. Solomon made an agreement with Hiram, king of Tyre, that he would give him a yearly supply of wheat and oil, in exchange for cedar and fir. Tyre was a great commercial city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, to the northward of Jerusalem. It belonged to Phoenicia, a country which has the credit of having first engaged in commerce.

4. With the timber which he procured from Tyre, and with a large quantity of hewn stone, Solomon began to build the temple. The front of this building was one hundred and twenty feet long, thirty-five feet broad, and forty-five feet high, with a porch or entrance of much greater height. It extended around a large square, and, with the various buildings attached to it, covered twenty acres of ground.

5. But no pen can describe the richness and admirable splendour of this sacred edifice. The interior was constructed of the most costly kinds of wood; and the walls were carved with figures of cherubim, and other beautiful devices. The walls and floors were partly overlaid with gold.

6. The temple was furnished with altars, and tables, and candlesticks, and innumerable other articles, all of the purest gold. The whole edifice must have shone almost as if it had been built entirely of that precious metal.

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