CHAPTER XXIV.

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE.

"DAVID was now, to a great extent, rested and refreshed after the fatigues of his journey. He was calmly reposing on a couch, furnished by Barzillai the Gileadite, and in a low tone was chanting one of his favorite psalms, when Ittai came in.

"I have mentioned," said Belial, "that Ittai was regarded as a superior man, of great delicacy and refinement of feeling, and he had long been the intimate friend of David. Ittai thought it no violation of the orders of his superior, to give the king the most welcome intelligence first.

"News from Jerusalem, my lord, O king.'

"David started from his couch, and Ittai went on. "Ahithophel, disappointed and in despair at some derangement of his plans, has hanged himself.'

""The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice,' exclaimed David, raising his hands and eyes in an attitude of devotion; 'let the multitudes of the isles be glad.'

"Our further advices,' said Ittai, are of a more gloomy character. The insurgents are pursuing us, and will be near Jordan to-night.'

"Clouds and darkness are round about him,' continued David; then adding in a submissive tone, 'right

eousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Ittai, we must prepare for further flight, if it be even beyond the limits of the land of Israel.'

"Your faithful servants, my lord,' said Ittai, 'are of one mind—that further flight must not be thought of.'

"'What then?' said David; 'shall we enter the city and stand a siege? But you see we are not prepared : our only hope is in flight.'

"Give them battle,' said Abishai, who now entered with the Tachmonite. We left them the throne, the capital, and all the country beyond Jordan; but if they follow us here, they shall find the horrid front of war, for we will retreat no farther.'

“We are not able to meet them,' said David: 'they will cross Jordan with one hundred twoscore and ten thousand men that draw the sword; we cannot muster the fifteenth part of that number.'

"In addition to the fifteen hundred that came from Jerusalem,' said Abishai, 'we have now been joined by two thousand five hundred veteran warriors, the soldiers of my lord the king in other wars. And the sons of Gad and Manasseh will strengthen our army with five thousand more. We have valor and discipline, and experienced commanders, which will avail much against a confused and disorganized multitude, such as follows Absalom.'

"We have duty, and right, and the sanction of God,' said Joab, who had now entered. 'My lord, hear one word from your servant. You have been divinely called by the great Jehovah to rule over his people. The honor of his name, the prosperity of his church, and the welfare of his chosen people, for a long while.

PREPARATIONS FOR BATTLE

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fo come, depend on the decision of this hour. yourself again, and trust in God, and these troubles will be scattered as the mists of the morning when the sun shines forth.'

"At this, David, for a moment, turned deadly pale, and exclaimed, 'Alas! deluded Absalom!' then manned himself by a strong effort. 'I will do as seemeth good to you.'

"Then,' said Joab, we will enter the city, and place the king's person in safety till the crisis is past.'

"The gates of Mahanaim were accordingly opened wide, and David and all his followers marched in, and took possession of such accommodations as were freely offered by the citizens.

"This was a city given by the tribe of Gad to the Levites, and Tamar, being the daughter of Abiathar, the high priest at Jerusalem, found a ready and hearty welcome in the house of a wealthy Levite, near the gate of the city. The splendid mansion rose much higher than the city walls, so that the window of the elegant suit of rooms assigned to Tamar not only commanded a view of the extensive plain before the city, but also gave opportunity of witnessing whatever might be transacting immediately before the gate. At her special request, the family of Phinehas the Levite were admitted into the same apartments; Jonathan and Ahimaaz also became inmates with the family to whom the house belonged. The name of this Levite was Merari.

"During the night and the following morning, the intelligence of Absalom's approach was confirmed by messenger after messenger. But as large bodies cannot

move with great rapidity, the second day was closed before he had reached the neighborhood of Mahanaim.

"In the mean time," said Belial, "the leading officers of the army had held consultation. It was known that the king designed to lead the army to battle himself, or at least to be present with them. This they determined to resist, for two reasons: first, it would be a needless and unwise exposure of his person, his life being the great object sought by his enemy; and secondly, his affection for Absalom was such that, in the very crisis of battle, he might make efforts to save him, that would be followed by disastrous results. It was resolved, that Ittai the Gittite, in the name and behalf of all, should resolutely oppose the king's wish in this matter, and that he need only assign the first reason, as that was amply sufficient.

"David, in the mean time, shut up in his chamber, was also revolving in his mind plans for the coming battle day. He doubted not the success of his army against the insurgents. Though their numbers were so far inferior, yet they were choice men, and in such perfect training, that he considered the victory as next to certain. But his anxiety was to save Absalom. He dreaded Joab. Joab had formerly interested himself much in Absalom's favor, and was the moving cause of his being recalled, after he had fled to Geshur, on account of having killed his brother Amnon; but soon after Absalom's return to Jerusalem, Joab discovered unquestionable indications of that restless ambition which afterwards convulsed the whole kingdom. For this reason Joab was unwilling to have any agency in putting Absalom forward in the king's court. Absalom

sent for him again and again, but he quietly declined lending him his influence. And it was not until Absalom became importunate, and, indeed, almost frantic, that Joab consented to procure for him an interview with the king. (2 Sam. xiv. 29-33.) When the first news of the insurrection reached Jerusalem, Joab alone showed no surprise. He promptly proposed to check the conflagration by firing against it. He wished to marshal the troops that were at hand, rush to meet the insurgents, surprise and disperse them. He then believed that this could be done. The blow aimed at the kingdom of David warded off, his throne would scarcely feel the shock; and even Absalom might be saved, though on the brink of ruin. But this counsel, through parental tenderness, was rejected by the king. The order was to fly before the storm, and let the rebels take the city. When David and his servant were told how Absalom had insulted and outraged his father's family, which he had left at Jerusalem, Joab became perfectly silent in relation to Absalom. He no more mentioned his name in the presence of his father, and this silence struck David as ominous. He therefore labored to form such a plan that Absalom, if captured on the defeat of his army, might fall into the hands of some other officer than Joab. Joab was commander-in-chief of the army. For this high office he had paid a high consideration, by storming the strong castle of the Jebusites. But Joab, brave and magnanimous, was not at all tenacious of punctilios, in his intercourse with his uncle, the king; and David thought that for the one day, he could manage that Joab should command but one third of the army. So he resolved