224 BATTLES OF THE BIBLE.

Grandfather. He thought that Abishai did wrong in
advising him to put Shimei to death, and therefore he
looked upon him as his enemy. From the words of
David on this subject, we learn to regard those as our
greatest enemies who advise us to do what is wrong. Next
came out Mephibosheth to meet the king. He was the
lame son of Saul, of whom I spoke to you before. So
greatly had he mourned for David’s misfortunes, that all
the time he was away he had not once changed his
clothes, norcombed his hair. ‘* Wherefore wentest
thou not with me, Mephibosheth ?” said the king.
“ My lord, oh king,” replied the son of Saul, “ my ser-
vant deceived me; for thy servant said, I will saddle
me an ass, that I may ride thereon, and go to the king,
because thy servant is lame: And he hath slandered
thy servant unto my lord the king; but my lord the
king is as an angel of God: Do therefore what is good
in thine eyes; for all of my father’s house were but
dead men before my lord the king: yet didst thou set thy
servant among them that did eat at thine own table.”
He was so grateful for the king’s kindness to him,
and so thankful that he was returning to his capital
in safety, that his own losses seemed to him of no im-
portance.

George. Did he not ask back his estate then ?

Grandfather. He did not ; and when the king proposed
_ that he and Ziba might divide the land, Mephibosheth
replied,—“ Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my Lord
the king is come again in peace unto his own house.”