REBELLION AND SORROW. 218

phel’s counsel into foolishness. We learn from this to
pray that God would defeat that counsel which is taken
against his own people.

George. I think David might have tried a plan to
make Ahithophel’s advice useless.

Grandfather. He did try a plan. He sent his friend
Hushai to profess submission to Absalom, but secretly
to favour David by giving contrary advice to what Ahi-
thophel gave, and send word to the exiled king what was
determined on.

Marianne. That was not honest, grandfather. David
ought not to have done it.

George. Why not? stratagems are common in war.

Grandfather. That they are common is true, George,
but that does not make them right. David acted in this
case as nine hundred and ninety-nine men out of a thou-
sand would have acted, had they been in the same cir-
cumstances, and had the same idea occurred to them ;
yet I do not think that what he did was right. It was
successful, however, as you shall hear. But first I must
tell you who met the king on his journey. When he had
got a little way past the top of the hill, there came up
to him a man named Ziba, who was the servant of
Mephibosheth.

Johnnie. Who was Mephibosheth ? I do not recollect
about him.

Grandfather. He was one of the sons of Saul, and he
was lame. When David came to the throne, he had
treated Mephibosheth very kindly. He gave him the