,,the ,,expositor',s ,,bible4 ,edited by ,rev4 ,w4 ,r4 ,,nicoll1 ,d4,d41 ,editor of ,london ,expositor4 #a,,st ,,series ,,in #f ,,vols4 ,,maclaren1 ,rev4 ,alex4--,,colossians--,,philemon4 ,,dods1 ,rev4 ,marcus4--,,genesis4 ,,chadwick1 ,rev4 ,dean4--,,st4 ,,mark4 ,,blaikie1 ,rev4 ,w4 ,g4--,,samuel1 #b ,,vols4 ,,edwards1 ,rev4 ,t4 ,c4--,,hebrews4 #b;,d ,,series ,,in #f ,,vols4 ,,smith1 ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4--,,isaiah1 ,,vol4 ,i4 ,,alexander1 ,bishop4--,,epistles ,,of ,,st4 ,,john4 ,,plummer1 ,rev4 ,a4--,,pastoral ,,epistles4 ,,findlay1 ,rev4 ,g4 ,g4--,,galatians4 ,,milligan1 ,rev4 ,w4--,,revelation4 ,,dods1 ,rev4 ,marcus4--#a,,st ,,corinthians4 #c;,d ,,series ,,in #f ,,vols4 ,,smith1 ,rev4 ,g4 ,a4--,,isaiah1 ,,vol4 ,,ii4 ,,gibson1 ,rev4 ,j4 ,m4--,,st4 ,,matthew4 ,,watson1 ,rev4 ,r4 ,a4--,,judges--,,ruth4 ,,ball1 ,rev4 ,c4 ,j4--,,jeremiah4 ,,chap4 ,i-,,xx4 ,,chadwick1 ,rev4 ,dean4--,,exodus4 ,,burton1 ,rev4 ,h4--,,st4 ,,luke4 #d,,th ,,series ,,in #f ,,vols4 ,,kellogg1 ,rev4 ,s4 ,h4--,,leviticus4 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,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,david',s ,,reign ,,at ,,hebron #ad ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,civil ,,war #bf ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,conclusion ,,of ,,civil ,,war #ch ,,chapter ,v4 ,,assassination ,,of ,,abner ,,and ,,ishbosheth #ej ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,david ,,king ,,of ,,all ,,israel #fb ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,kingdom ,,established #gc ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,ark ,,brought ,,up ,,to ,,jerusalem #he ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,proposal ,,to ,,build ,a ,,temple #ig ,,chapter ,x4 ,,foreign ,,wars #aji ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,administration ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom #aba ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,david ,,and ,,mephibosheth #acd ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,david ,,and ,,hanun #adf ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,david ,,and ,,uriah #aeh ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,david ,,and ,,nathan #afi ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,penitence ,,and ,,chastisement #aha ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,absalom ,,and ,,amnon #aic ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,absalom ,,banished ,,and ,,brought ,,back #bje ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,absalom',s ,,revolt #bag ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,david',s ,,flight ,,from ,,jerusalem #bbi ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,from ,,jerusalem ,,to ,,mahanaim #bda ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,absalom ,,in ,,council #bec ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 ,,absalom',s ,,defeat ,,and ,,death #bfe ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,david',s ,,grief ,,for ,,absalom #bgg ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,restoration #bhi ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,david ,,and ,,barzillai #cja ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,insurrection ,,of ,,sheba #cad ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,famine #cbf ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,last ,,battles ,,and ,,the ,,mighty ,,men #cch ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,song ,,of ,,thanksgiving #cej ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,the ,,last ,,words ,,of ,,david #cfc ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,numbering ,,of ,,israel #cgf ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,two ,,books ,,of ,,samuel #chh ,,chapter ,i4 ,,david',s ,,lament ,,for ,,saul ,,and ,,jonathan4 #b ,,samuel i4 ,david had returned to ,ziklag from the slaughter of the ,amalekites only two days before he heard of the death of ,saul4 ,he had returned weary enough1 we may believe1 in body1 though refreshed in spirit by the recovery of all that had been taken away1 and by the possession of a vast store of booty besides4 ,but in the midst of his success1 it was discouraging to see nothing but ruin and confusion where the homes of himself and his people had recently been2 and it must have needed no small effort even to plan1 and much more to execute1 the reconstruction of the city4 ,but besides this1 a still heavier feeling must have oppressed him4 ,what had been the issue of that great battle at ,mount ,gilboa8 ,which army had conquered8 ,if the ,israelites were defeated1 what would be the fate of ,saul and ,jonathan8 ,would they be prisoners now in the hands of the ,philistines8 ,and if so1 what would be his duty in regard to them8 ,and what course would it be best for him to take for the welfare of his ruined and distracted country8 ,he was not kept long in suspense4 ,an ,amalekite from the camp of ,israel1 accustomed1 like the ,bedouin generally1 to long and rapid runs1 arrived at ,ziklag1 bearing on his body all the tokens of a disaster1 and did obeisance to ,david1 as now the legitimate occupant of the throne4 ,david must have surmised at a glance how matters stood4 ,his questions to the ,amalekite elicited an account of the death of ,saul materially different from that given in a former part of the history1 ,as ,i happened by chance upon ,mount ,gilboa1 behold ,saul leaned upon his spear2 and lo1 the chariots and the horsemen followed hard after him4 ,and when he looked behind him1 he saw me and called unto me4 ,and ,i answered1 ,here am ,i4 ,and he said unto me1 ,who art thou8 ,and ,i answered him1 ,i am an ,amalekite4 ,and he said unto me1 ,stand1 ,i pray thee1 beside me1 and slay me1 for anguish hath taken hold of me3 because my life is yet whole in me4 ,so ,i stood beside him and slew him1 because ,i was sure that he could not live after that he was fallen2 and ,i took the crown that was upon his head1 and the bracelet that was upon his arm1 and have brought them hither to my lord4 ,there is no reason to suppose that this narrative of ,saul's death1 in so far as it differs from the previous one1 is correct4 ,that this ,amalekite was somehow near the place where ,saul ,fell1 and that he witnessed all that took place at his death1 there is no cause to doubt4 ,that when he saw that both ,saul and his armour-bearer were dead he removed the crown and the bracelet from the person of the fallen king1 and stowed them away among his own accoutrements1 may likewise be accepted without any difficulty4 ,then1 managing to escape1 and considering what he would do with the ensigns of royalty1 he decided to carry them to ,david4 ,to ,david he accordingly brought them1 and no doubt it was to ingratiate himself the more with him1 and to establish the stronger claim to a splendid recompense1 that he invented the story of ,saul asking him to kill him1 and of his complying with the king's order1 and thus putting an end to a life which already was obviously doomed4 ,in his belief that his pretended despatching of the king would gratify ,david1 the ,amalekite undoubtedly reckoned without his host2 but such things were so common1 so universal in the ,east1 that we can hardly divest ourselves of a certain amount of compassion for him4 ,probably there was no other kingdom1 round and round1 where this ,amalekite would not have found that he had done a wise thing in so far as his own interests were concerned4 ,for helping to despatch a rival1 and to open the way to a throne1 he would probably have received cordial thanks and ample gifts from one and all of the neighbouring potentates4 ,to ,david1 the matter appeared in a quite different light4 ,he had none of that eagerness to occupy the throne on which the ,amalekite reckoned as a universal instinct of human nature4 ,and he had a view of the sanctity of ,saul's life which the ,amalekite could not understand4 ,his being the ,lord's anointed ought to have withheld this man from hurting a hair of his head4 ,sadly though ,saul had fallen back1 the divinity that doth hedge a king still encompassed him4 ,touch not mine anointed was still ,god's word concerning him4 ,this miserable ,amalekite1 a member of a doomed race1 appeared to ,david by his own confession not only a murderer1 but a murderer of the deepest dye4 ,he had destroyed the life of one who in an eminent sense was the ,lord's anointed4 ,he had done what once and again ,david had himself shrunk from doing4 ,it is no wonder that ,david was at once horrified and provoked1--horrified at the unblushing criminality of the man2 provoked at his effrontery1 at his doing without the slightest compunction what1 at an immense sacrifice1 he had twice restrained himself from doing4 ,no doubt he was irritated1 too1 at the bare supposition on which the ,amalekite reckoned so securely1 that such a black deed could be gratifying to ,david himself4 ,so without a moment's hesitation1 and without allowing the astonished youth a moment's preparation1 he caused an attendant to fall upon him and kill him4 ,his sentence was short and clear1 ,thy blood be upon thy head2 for thy mouth hath testified against thee saying1 ,i have slain the ,lord's anointed4 ,in this incident we find ,david in a position in which good men are often placed1 who profess to have regard to higher principles than the men of the world in regulating their lives1 and especially in the estimate which they form of their worldly interests and considerations4 ,that such men are sincere in the estimate they thus profess to follow is what the world is very slow to believe4 ,faith in any moral virtue that rises higher than the ordinary worldly level is extremely rare among men4 ,the world fancies that every man has his price--sometimes that every woman has her price4 ,virtue of the heroic quality that will face death itself rather than do wrong is what it is most unwilling to believe in4 ,was it not this that gave rise to the memorable trial of ,job8 ,did not the great enemy1 representing here the spirit of the world1 scorn the notion that at bottom ,job was in any way better than his neighbours1 although the wonderful prosperity with which he had been gifted made him appear more ready to pay honour to ,god8 ,it is all a matter of selfishness1 was ,satan's plea2 take away his prosperity1 and lay a painful malady on his body1 his religion will vanish1 he will curse ,thee to ,thy face4 ,he would not give ,job credit for anything like disinterested virtue--anything like genuine reverence for ,god4 ,and was it not on the same principle the tempter acted when he brought his threefold temptation to our ,lord in the wilderness8 ,he did not believe in the superhuman virtue of ,jesus2 he did not believe in ,his unswerving loyalty to truth and duty4 ,he did not believe that ,he was proof at once against the lust of the flesh1 and the lust of the eye1 and the pride of life4 ,at least he did not believe till he tried1 and had to retreat defeated4 ,when the end of ,his life drew near ,jesus could say1 ,the prince of this world cometh1 but hath nothing in ,me4 ,there was no weakness in ,jesus to which he could fasten his cord--no trace of that worldliness by which he had so often been able to entangle and secure his victims4 ,so likewise ,simon the sorcerer fancied that he only needed to offer money to the ,apostles to secure from them the gift of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,thy money perish with thee6 was the indignant rebuke of ,peter4 ,it is the same refusal to believe in the reality of high principle that has made so many a persecutor fancy that he could bend the obstinacy of the heretic by the terrors of suffering and torture4 ,and on the other hand1 no nobler sight has ever been presented than when this incredulous scorn of the world has been rebuked by the firmness and triumphant faith of the noble martyr4 ,what could ,nebuchadnezzar have thought when the three ,hebrew children were willing to enter the fiery furnace8 ,what did ,darius think of ,daniel when he shrank not from the lions' den8 ,how many a rebuke and surprise was furnished to the rulers of this world in the early persecutions of the ,christians1 and to the champions of the ,church of ,rome in the splendid defiance hurled against them by the ,protestant martyrs6 ,the men who formed the ,free ,church of ,scotland were utterly discredited when they affirmed that rather than surrender the liberties of their ,church they would part with every temporal privilege which they had enjoyed from connection with the ,state4 ,such is the spirit of the world2 if it will not rise to the apparent level of the saints1 it delights to pull down the saints to its own4 ,these pretences to superior virtue are hypocrisy and pharisaism2 test their professions by their worldly interests1 and you will find them soon enough on a level with yourselves4 ,the ,amalekite that thought to gratify ,david by pretending that he had slain his rival had no idea that he was wronging him2 in his blind innocency he seems to have assumed as a matter of course that ,david would be pleased4 ,it is not likely the ,amalekite had ever heard of ,david's noble magnanimity in twice sparing ,saul's life when he had an excellent pretext for taking it1 if his conscience had allowed him4 ,he just assumed that ,david would feel as he would have felt himself4 ,he simply judged of him by his own standard4 ,his object was to show how great a service he had rendered him1 and thus establish a claim to a great reward4 ,never did heartless selfishness more completely overreach itself4 ,instead of a reward1 this impious murderer had earned a fearful punishment4 ,an ,israelite might have had a chance of mercy1 but an ,amalekite had none--the man was condemned to instant death4 ,one can hardly fancy his bewilderment1--what a strange man was this ,david6 ,what a marvellous reverence he had for ,god6 ,to place him on a throne was no favor1 if it involved doing anything against the ,lord's anointed6 ,and yet who shall say that in his estimate of this proceeding ,david did more than recognize the obligation of the first commandment8 ,to him ,god's will was all in all4 ,dismissing this painful episode1 we now turn to contemplate ,david's conduct after the intelligence reached him that ,saul was dead4 ,david was now just thirty 7#b ,sam4 v4 #d72 and never did man at that age1 or at any age1 act a finer part4 ,the death1 and especially the sudden death1 of a relative or a friend has usually a remarkable effect on the tender heart1 and especially in the case of the young4 ,it blots out all remembrance of little injuries done by the departed2 it fills one with regret for any unkind words one may have spoken1 or any unkind deeds one may ever have done to him4 ,it makes one very forgiving4 ,but it must have been a far more generous heart than the common that could so soon rid itself of every shred of bitter feeling toward ,saul--that could blot out1 in one great act of forgiveness1 the remembrance of many long years of injustice1 oppression1 and toil1 and leave no feelings but those of kindness1 admiration1 and regret1 called forth by the contemplation of what was favourable in ,saul's character4 ,how beautiful does the spirit of forgiveness appear in such a light6 ,yet how hard do many feel it to be to exercise this spirit in any case1 far less in all cases6 ,how terrible a snare the unforgiving spirit is liable to be to us1 and how terrible an obstacle to peaceful communion with ,god6 ,for if ye forgive not men their trespasses1 neither will your ,father in heaven forgive your trespasses4 ,the feelings of ,david toward ,saul and ,jonathan were permanently embodied in a song which he composed for the occasion4 ,it seems to have been called ,the ,song of the ,bow1 so that the rendering of the ,revised ,version--he taught them the ,song of the ,bow1 gives a much better sense than the old--he taught them the use of the bow4 ,the song was first written in the book of ,jasher2 and it was ordered by ,david to be taught to the people as a permanent memorial of their king and his eldest son4 ,the writing of such a song1 the spirit of admiration and eulogy which pervades it1 and the unusual enactment that it should be taught to the people1 show how far superior ,david was to the ordinary feelings of jealousy1 how full his heart was of true generosity4 ,there was1 indeed1 a political end which it might advance2 it might conciliate the supporters of ,saul1 and smooth ,david's way to the throne4 ,but there is in it such depth and fulness of feeling that one can think of it only as a genuine cardiphonia--a true voice of the heart4 ,the song dwells on all that could be commended in ,saul1 and makes no allusion to his faults4 ,his courage and energy in war1 his happy co-operation with ,jonathan1 his advancement of the kingdom in elegance and comfort1 are all duly celebrated4 ,david appears to have had a real affection for ,saul1 if only it had been allowed to bloom and flourish4 ,his martial energy had probably awakened his admiration before he knew him personally2 and when he became his minstrel1 his distressed countenance would excite his pity1 while his occasional gleams of generous feeling would thrill his heart with sympathy4 ,the terrible effort of ,saul to crush ,david was now at an end1 and like a lily released from a heavy stone1 the old attachment bloomed out speedily and sweetly4 ,there would be more true love in families and in the world1 more of expansive1 responsive affection1 if it were not so often stunted by reserve on the one hand1 and crushed by persecution on the other4 ,the song embalms very tenderly the love of ,jonathan for ,david4 ,years had probably elapsed since the two friends met1 but time had not impaired the affection and admiration of ,david4 ,and now that ,jonathan's light was extinguished1 a sense of desolation fell on ,david's heart1 and the very throne that invited his occupation seemed dark and dull under the shadow cast on it by the death of ,jonathan4 ,as a prize of earthly ambition it would be poor indeed2 and if ever it had seemed to ,david a proud distinction to look forward to1 such a feeling would appear very detestable when the same act that opened it up to him had deprived him for ever of his dearest friend1 his sweetest source of earthly joy4 ,the only way in which it was possible for ,david to enjoy his new position was by losing sight of himself2 by identifying himself more closely than ever with the people2 by regarding the throne as only a position for more self-denying labours for the good of others4 ,and in the song there is evidence of the great strength and activity of this feeling4 ,the sentiment of patriotism burns with a noble ardour2 the national disgrace is most keenly felt2 the thought of personal gain from the death of ,saul and ,jonathan is entirely swallowed up by grief for the public loss4 ,tell it not in ,gath1 publish it not in the streets of ,askelon2 lest the daughters of the ,philistines rejoice1 lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph6 ,in ,david's view1 it is no ordinary calamity that has fallen on ,israel4 ,it is no common men that have fallen1 but the beauty of ,israel1 her ornament and her glory1 men that were never known to flinch or to flee from battle1 men that were swifter than eagles1 and stronger than lions4 ,it is not in any obscure corner that they have fallen1 but on her high places1 on ,mount ,gilboa1 at the head of a most conspicuous and momentous enterprise4 ,such a national loss was unprecedented in the history of ,israel1 and it seems to have affected ,david and the nation generally as the slaughter at ,flodden affected the ,scots1 when it seemed as if all that was great and beautiful in the nation perished--the flowers o' the forest were a' weed awa'4 ,a word on the general structure of this song4 ,it is not a song that can be classed with the ,psalms4 ,nor can it be said that in any marked degree it resembles the tone or spirit of the ,psalms4 ,yet this need not surprise us1 nor need it throw any doubt either as to the authorship of the song or the authorship of the ,psalms4 ,the ,psalms1 we must remember1 were avowedly composed and designed for use in the worship of ,god4 ,if the ,greek term psalmoi denotes their character1 they were songs designed for use in public worship1 to be accompanied with the lyre1 or harp1 or other musical instruments suitable for them4 ,the special sphere of such songs was--the relation of the human soul to ,god4 ,these songs might be of various kinds--historical1 lyrical1 dramatical2 but in all cases the paramount subject was1 the dealings of ,god with man1 or the dealings of man with ,god4 ,it was in this class of composition that ,david excelled1 and became the organ of the ,holy ,ghost for the highest instruction and edification of the ,church in all ages4 ,but it does not by any means follow that the poetical compositions of ,david were restricted to this one class of subject4 ,his muse may sometimes have taken a different course4 ,his poems were not always directly religious4 ,in the case of this song1 whose original place in the book of ,jasher indicated its special character1 there is no mention of the relation of ,saul and ,jonathan to ,god4 ,the theme is1 their services to the nation1 and the national loss involved in their death4 ,the soul of the poet is profoundly thrilled by their death1 occurring in such circumstances of national disaster4 ,no form of words could have conveyed more vividly the idea of unprecedented loss1 or thrilled the nation with such a sense of calamity4 ,there is not a line of the song but is full of life1 and hardly one that is not full of beauty4 ,what could more touchingly indicate the fatal nature of the calamity than that plaintive entreaty--,tell it not in ,gath1 publish it not in the streets of ,askelon8 ,how could the hills be more impressively summoned to show their sympathy than in that invocation of everlasting sterility--,ye mountains of ,gilboa1 let there be no dew1 neither let there be rain upon you1 or fields of offerings8 ,what gentler veil could be drawn over the horrors of their bloody death and mutilated bodies than in the tender words1 ,saul and ,jonathan were loving and pleasant in their lives1 and in their deaths they were not divided8 ,and what more fitting theme for tears could have been furnished to the daughters of ,israel1 considering what was probably the prevalent taste1 than that ,saul had clothed them with scarlet and other delights1 and put on ornaments of gold upon their apparel8 ,up to this point ,saul and ,jonathan are joined together2 but the poet cannot close without a special lamentation for himself over him whom he loved as his own soul4 ,and in one line he touches the very kernel of his own loss1 as he touches the very core of ,jonathan's heart--thy love to me was wonderful1 passing the love of women4 ,such is the ,song of the ,bow4 ,it hardly seems suitable to attempt to draw spiritual lessons out of a song1 which1 on purpose1 was placed in a different category4 ,surely it is enough to point out the exceeding beauty and generosity of spirit which sought in this way to embalm the memory and perpetuate the virtues of ,saul and ,jonathan2 which blended together in such melodious words a deadly enemy and a beloved friend2 which transfigured one of the lives so that it shone with the lustre and the beauty of the other2 which sought to bury every painful association1 and gave full and unlimited scope to the charity that thinketh no evil4 ,de mortuis nil nisi bonum1 was a heathen maxim1--,say nothing but what is good of the dead4 ,surely no finer exemplification of the maxim was ever given than in this ,song of the ,bow4 ,to thoughts that breathe and words that burn1 like those of this song1 ,david could not have given expression without having his whole soul stirred with the desire to repair the national disaster1 and by ,god's help bring back prosperity and honour to ,israel4 ,thus1 both by the afflictions that saddened his heart and the stroke of prosperity that raised him to the throne1 he was impelled to that course of action which is the best safeguard under ,god against the hurtful influences both of adversity and prosperity4 ,affliction might have driven him into his shell1 to think only of his own comfort2 prosperity might have swollen him with a sense of his importance1 and tempted him to expect universal admiration2--both would have made him unfit to rule2 by the grace of ,god he was preserved from both4 ,he was induced to gird himself for a course of high exertion for the good of his country2 the spirit of trust in ,god1 after its long discipline1 had a new field opened for its exercise2 and the self-government acquired in the wilderness was to prove its usefulness in a higher sphere4 ,thus the providence of his heavenly ,father was gradually unfolding ,his purposes concerning him2 the clouds were clearing off his horizon2 and the all things that once seemed to be against him were now plainly working together for his good4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,david',s ,,reign ,,at ,,hebron4 #b ,,samuel ii4 #a-g4 ,the death of ,saul did not end ,david's troubles1 nor was it for a good many years that he became free to employ his whole energies for the good of the kingdom4 ,it appears that his chastisement for his unbelieving spirit1 and for the alliance with ,achish to which it led1 was not yet completed4 ,the more remote consequences of that step were only beginning to emerge1 and years elapsed before its evil influence ceased altogether to be felt4 ,for in allying himself with ,achish1 and accompanying his army to the plain of ,esdraelon1 ,david had gone as near to the position of a traitor to his country as he could have gone without actually fighting against it4 ,that he should have acted as he did is one of the greatest mysteries of his life2 and the reason why it has not attracted more notice is simply because the worst consequences of it were averted by his dismissal from the ,philistine army through the jealousy and suspicion of their lords4 ,but for that step ,david must have been guilty of gross treachery either in one direction or another2 either to his own countrymen1 by fighting against them in the ,philistine army2 or to ,king ,achish1 by suddenly turning against him in the heat of the battle1 and creating a diversion which might have given a new chance to his countrymen4 ,in either case the proceeding would have been most reprehensible4 ,but to his own countrymen he would have made himself especially obnoxious if he had lent himself to ,achish in the battle4 ,whether he contemplated treachery to ,achish is a secret that seems never to have gone beyond his own bosom4 ,all the appearances favoured the supposition that he would fight against his country1 and we cannot wonder if1 for a long time1 this made him an object of distrust and suspicion4 ,if we would understand how the men of ,israel must have looked on him1 we have only to fancy how we should have viewed a ,british soldier if1 with a troop of his countrymen1 he had followed ,napoleon to the field of ,waterloo1 and had been sent away from the ,french army only through the suspicion of ,napoleon's generals4 ,in ,david's case1 all his former achievements against the ,philistines1 all that injustice from ,saul which had driven him in despair to ,achish1 his services against the ,amalekites1 his generous use of the spoil1 as well as his high personal character1 did not suffice to counteract the bad impression of his having followed ,achish to battle4 ,for after a great disaster the public mind is exasperated2 it is eager to find a scapegoat on whom to throw the blame1 and it is unmeasured in its denunciations of any one who can be plausibly assailed4 ,beyond all doubt1 angry and perplexed as the nation was1 ,david would come in for a large share of the blame2 his alliance with ,achish would be denounced with unmeasured bitterness2 and1 probably enough1 he would have to bear the brunt of many a bitter calumny in addition1 as if he had instigated ,achish1 and given him information which had helped him to conquer4 ,his own tribe1 the tribe of ,judah1 was far the friendliest1 and the most likely to make allowance for the position in which he had been placed4 ,they were his own flesh and blood2 they knew the fierce and cruel malignity with which ,saul had hunted him down1 and they knew that1 as far as appearances went1 his chances of getting the better of ,saul's efforts were extremely small1 and the temptation to throw himself into the hands of ,achish correspondingly great4 ,evidently1 therefore1 the most expedient course he could now take was to establish himself in some of the cities of ,judah4 ,but in that frame of recovered loyalty to ,god in which he now was1 he declined to take this step1 indispensable though it seemed1 until he had got ,divine direction regarding it4 ,it came to pass1 after this1 that ,david inquired of the ,lord saying1 ,shall ,i go up to any of the cities of ,judah8 ,and the ,lord said unto him1 ,go up4 ,and ,david said1 ,whither shall ,i go up8 ,and ,he said1 ,unto ,hebron4 ,the form in which he made the inquiry shows that to his mind it was very clear that he ought to go up to one or another of the cities of ,judah2 his advisers and companions had probably the same conviction2 but notwithstanding1 it was right and fitting that no such step should be taken without his asking direction from ,god4 ,and let us observe that1 on this occasion1 prayer was not the last resort of one whom all other refuge had failed1 but the first resort of one who regarded the ,divine approval as the most essential element for determining the propriety of the undertaking4 ,it is interesting and instructive to ponder this fact4 ,the first thing done by ,david1 after virtually acquiring a royal position1 was to ask counsel of ,god4 ,his royal administration was begun by prayer4 ,and there was a singular appropriateness in this act4 ,for the great characteristic of ,david1 brought out especially in his ,psalms1 is the reality and the nearness of his fellowship with ,god4 ,we may find other men who equalled him in every other feature of character--who were as full of human sympathy1 as reverential1 as self-denying1 as earnest in their efforts to please ,god and to benefit men2 but we shall find no one who lived so closely under ,god's shadow1 whose heart and life were so influenced by regard to ,god1 to whom ,god was so much of a personal ,friend1 so blended1 we may say1 with his very existence4 ,david therefore is eminently himself when asking counsel of the ,lord4 ,and would not all do well to follow him in this8 ,true1 he had supernatural methods of doing this1 and you have only natural2 he had the ,urim and ,thummim1 you have only the voice of prayer2 but this makes no real difference1 for it was only in great national matters that he made use of the supernatural method2 in all that concerned his personal relations to ,god it was the other that he employed4 ,and so may you4 ,but the great matter is to resemble ,david in his profound sense of the infinite value and reality of ,divine direction4 ,without this your prayers will always be more or less matters of formality4 ,and being formal1 you will not feel that you get any good of them4 ,is it really a profound conviction of yours that in every step of your life ,god's direction is of supreme value8 ,that you dare not even change your residence with safety without being directed by ,him8 ,that you dare not enter on new relations in life1--new business1 new connections1 new recreations--without seeking the ,divine countenance8 ,that endless difficulties1 troubles1 complications1 are liable to arise1 when you simply follow your own notions or inclinations without consulting the ,lord8 ,and under the influence of that conviction do you try to follow the rule1 ,in all thy ways acknowledge ,him8 ,and do you endeavour to get from prayer a trustful rest in ,god1 an assurance that ,he will not forsake you1 a calm confidence that ,he will keep ,his word8 ,then1 indeed1 you are treading in ,david's footsteps1 and you may expect to share his privilege--,divine direction in your times of need4 ,the city of ,hebron1 situated about eighteen miles to the south of ,jerusalem1 was the place to which ,david was directed to go4 ,it was a place abounding in venerable and elevating associations4 ,it was among the first1 if not the very first1 of the haunts of civilised men in the land--so ancient that it is said to have been built seven years before ,zoan in ,egypt 7,numb4 xiii4 #bb74 ,the father of the faithful had often pitched his tent under its spreading oaks1 and among its olive groves and vine-clad hills the gentle ,isaac had meditated at eventide4 ,there ,abraham had watched the last breath of his beloved ,sarah1 the partner of his faith and the faithful companion of his wanderings2 and there from the sons of ,heth he had purchased the sepulchre of ,machpelah1 where first ,sarah's body1 then his own1 then that of ,isaac were laid to rest4 ,there ,joseph and his brethren had brought up the body of ,jacob1 in fulfilment of his dying command1 laying it beside the bones of ,leah4 ,it had been a halting-place of the twelve spies when they went up to search the land2 and the cluster of grapes which they carried back was cut from the neighbouring valley1 where the finest grapes of the country are found to this day4 ,the sight of its venerable cave had doubtless served to raise the faith and courage of ,joshua and ,caleb1 when the other spies became so feeble and so faithless4 ,in the division of the land it had been assigned to ,caleb1 one of the best and noblest spirits the nation ever produced2 afterwards it was made one of the ,levitical cities of refuge4 ,more recently1 it had been one of the places selected by ,david to receive a portion of the ,amalekite spoil4 ,no place could have recalled more vividly the lessons of departed worth and the victories of early faith1 or abounded more in tokens of the blessedness of fully following the ,lord4 ,it was a token of ,god's kindness to ,david that ,he directed him to make this city his headquarters4 ,it was equivalent to a new promise that the ,god of ,abraham and of ,isaac and ,jacob would be the ,god of ,david1 and that his public career would prepare the way for the mercies in the prospect of which they rejoiced1 and sustain the hope to which they looked forward1 though they did not in their time see the promise realised4 ,it was a further token of ,god's goodness that no sooner had ,david gone up to ,hebron than the men of ,judah came and anointed him king over the house of ,judah4 ,judah was the imperial or premier tribe1 and though this was not all that ,god had promised to ,david1 it was a large instalment4 ,the occasion might well awaken mingled emotions in his breast--gratitude for mercies given and solicitude for the responsibility of a royal position4 ,with his strong sense of duty1 his love of righteousness and hatred of wickedness1 we should expect to find him strengthening himself in the purpose to rule only in the fear of ,god4 ,it is just such views and purposes as these we find expressed in the hundred and first ,psalm1 which internal evidence would lead us to assign to this period of his life3-- ,i will sing of mercy and of judgment3 ,unto ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 will ,i sing4 ,i will behave myself wisely in a perfect way4 ,o when wilt ,thou come unto me8 ,i will walk within my house with a perfect heart4 ,i will set no base thing before mine eyes3 ,i hate the work of them that turn aside2 ,it shall not cleave to me4 ,a froward heart shall depart from me3 ,i will know no evil thing4 ,whoso privily slandereth his neighbour1 him will ,i destroy2 ,him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not ,i suffer4 ,mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me3 ,he that walketh in a perfect way1 he shall minister unto me4 ,he that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house2 ,he that speaketh falsehood shall not be established before mine eyes4 ,morning by morning will ,i destroy all the wicked of the land2 ,to cut off all the workers of iniquity from the city of the ,lord4#a ,by a singular coincidence1 the first place to which the attention of ,david was called1 after his taking possession of the royal position1 was the same as that to which ,saul had been directed in the same circumstances--namely1 ,jabesh-gilead4 ,it was far away from ,hebron1 on the other side of ,jordan1 and quite out of the scope of ,david's former activities2 but he recognised a duty to its people1 and he hastened to perform it4 ,in the first place1 he sent them a gracious and grateful message of thanks for the kindness shown to ,saul1 the mark of respect they had paid him in burying his body4 ,every action of ,david's in reference to his great rival evinces the superiority of his spirit to that which was wont to prevail in similar circumstances4 ,within the ,scriptures themselves we have instances of the dishonour that was often put on the body of a conquered rival4 ,the body of ,jehoram1 cast ignominiously by ,jehu1 in mockery of his royal state1 into the vineyard of ,naboth1 which his father ,ahaz had unrighteously seized1 and the body of ,jezebel1 flung out of the window1 trodden under foot1 and devoured by dogs are instances readily remembered4 ,the shocking fate of the dead body of ,hector1 dragged thrice round the walls of ,troy after ,achilles' chariot1 was regarded as only such a calamity as might be looked for amid the changing fortunes of war4 ,mark ,antony is said to have broken out into laughter at the sight of the hands and head of ,cicero1 which he had caused to be severed from his body4 ,the respect of ,david for the person of ,saul was evidently a sincere and genuine feeling2 and it was a sincere pleasure to him to find that this feeling had been shared by the ,jabeshites1 and manifested in their rescuing ,saul's body and consigning it to honourable burial4 ,in the next place1 he invokes on these people a glowing benediction from the ,lord3 ,the ,lord show kindness and truth to you2 and he expresses his purpose also to requite their kindness himself4 ,kindness and truth4 ,there is something instructive in the combination of these two words4 ,it is the ,hebrew way of expressing true kindness1 but even in that form1 the words suggest that kindness is not always true kindness1 and mere kindness cannot be a real blessing unless it rest on a solid basis4 ,there is in many men an amiable spirit which takes pleasure in gratifying the feelings of others4 ,some manifest it to children by loading them with toys and sweetmeats1 or taking them to amusements which they know they like4 ,but it does not follow that such kindness is always true kindness4 ,to please one is not always the kindest thing you can do for one1 for sometimes it is a far kinder thing to withhold what will please4 ,true kindness must be tested by its ultimate effects4 ,the kindness that loves best to improve our hearts1 to elevate our tastes1 to straighten our habits1 to give a higher tone to our lives1 to place us on a pedestal from which we may look down on conquered spiritual foes1 and on the possession of what is best and highest in human attainment1--the kindness that bears on the future1 and especially the eternal future1 is surely far more true than that which1 by gratifying our present feelings1 perhaps confirms us in many a hurtful lust4 ,david's prayer for the men of ,jabesh was an enlightened benediction3 ,god show you kindness and truth4 ,and so far as he may have opportunity1 he promises that he will show them the same kindness too4 ,we need not surely dwell on the lesson which this suggests4 ,are you kindly disposed to any one8 ,you wish sincerely to promote his happiness1 and you try to do so4 ,but see well to it that your kindness is true4 ,see that the day shall never come when that which you meant so kindly will turn out to have been a snare1 and perhaps a curse4 ,think of your friend as an immortal being1 with either heaven or hell before him1 and consider what genuine kindness requires of you in such a case4 ,and in every instance beware of the kindness which shakes the stability of his principles1 which increases the force of his temptations1 and makes the narrow way more distasteful and difficult to him than ever4 ,there can be no doubt that ,david was moved by considerations of policy as well as by more disinterested motives in sending this message and offering this prayer for the men of ,jabesh-gilead4 ,indeed1 in the close of his message he invites them to declare for him1 and follow the example of the men of ,judah1 who have made him king4 ,the kindly proceeding of ,david was calculated to have a wider influence than over the men of ,jabesh1 and to have a conciliating effect on all the friends of the former king4 ,it would have been natural enough for them to fear1 considering the ordinary ways of conquerors and the ordinary fate of the friends of the conquered1 that ,david would adopt very rigid steps against the friends of his persecutors4 ,by this message sent across the whole country and across the ,jordan1 he showed that he was animated by the very opposite spirit3 that1 instead of wishing to punish those who had served with ,saul1 he was quite disposed to show them favour4 ,divine grace1 acting on his kindly nature1 made him forgiving to ,saul and all his comrades1 and presented to the world the spectacle of an eminent religious profession in harmony with a noble generosity4 ,but the spirit in which ,david acted towards the friends of ,saul did not receive the fitting return4 ,the men of ,jabesh-gilead appear to have made no response to his appeal4 ,his peaceable purpose was defeated through ,abner1 ,saul's cousin and captain-general of his army1 who set up ,ishbosheth1 one of ,saul's sons1 as king in opposition to ,david4 ,ishbosheth himself was but a tool in ,abner's hands1 evidently a man of no spirit or activity2 and in setting him up as a claimant for the kingdom1 ,abner very probably had an eye to the interests of himself and his family4 ,it is plain that he acted in this matter in that spirit of ungodliness and wilfulness of which his royal cousin had given so many proofs2 he knew that ,god had given the kingdom to ,david1 and afterwards taunted ,ishbosheth with the fact 7iii4 #i72 perhaps he looked for the reversion of the throne if ,ishbosheth should die1 for it needed more than an ordinary motive to go right in opposition to the known decree of ,god4 ,the world's annals contain too many instances of wars springing from no higher motive than the ambition of some ,diotrephes to have the pre-eminence4 ,you cry shame on such a spirit2 but while you do so take heed lest you share it yourselves4 ,to many a soldier war is welcome because it is the pathway to promotion1 to many a civilian because it gives for the moment an impulse to the business with which he is connected4 ,how subtle and dangerous is the feeling that secretly welcomes what may spread numberless woes through a community if only it is likely to bring some advantage to ourselves6 ,o ,god1 drive selfishness from the throne of our hearts1 and write on them in deepest letters ,thine own holy law1 ,thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself4 ,the place chosen for the residence of ,ishbosheth was ,mahanaim1 in the half-tribe of ,manasseh1 on the east side of the ,jordan4 ,it is a proof how much the ,philistines must have dominated the central part of the country that no city in the tribe of ,benjamin and no place even on the western side of the ,jordan could be obtained as a royal seat for the son of ,saul4 ,surely this was an evil omen4 ,ishbosheth's reign1 if reign it might be called1 lasted but two short years4 ,no single event took place to give it lustre4 ,no city was taken from the ,philistines1 no garrison put to flight1 as at ,michmash4 ,no deed was ever done by him or done by his adherents of which they might be proud1 and to which they might point in justification of their resistance to ,david4 ,ishbosheth was not the wicked man in great power1 spreading himself like the green bay-tree1 but a short-lived1 shrivelled plant1 that never rose above the humiliating circumstances of its origin4 ,men who have defied the purpose of the ,almighty have often grown and prospered1 like the little horn of the ,apocalypse2 but in this case of ,ishbosheth little more than one breath of the ,almighty sufficed to wither him up4 ,yes1 indeed1 whatever may be the immediate fortunes of those who unfurl their own banner against the clear purpose of the ,almighty1 there is but one fate for them all in the end--utter humiliation and defeat4 ,well may the ,psalm counsel all1 ,kiss ye the ,son1 lest ,he be angry1 and ye perish from the way1 if once ,his wrath is kindled but a little4 ,blessed are all they that put their trust in ,him4 ,,footnote3 #a ,from the use of the expression city of the ,lord1 it has been inferred by some critics that this ,psalm must have been written after the capture and consecration of ,jerusalem4 ,but there is no reason why ,hebron might not have been called at that time the city of the ,lord4 ,the ,lord had specially designated it as the abode of ,david2 and that alone entitled it to be so called4 ,those who have regarded this ,psalm as a picture of a model household or family have never weighed the force of the last line1 which marks the position of a king1 not a father4 ,the ,psalm is a true statement of the principles usually followed by ,david in public rule1 but not in domestic administration4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,beginning ,,of ,,civil ,,war4 #b ,,samuel ii4 #ab-cb ,the well-meant and earnest efforts of ,david to ward off strife and bring the people together in recognising him as king were frustrated1 as we have seen1 through the efforts of ,abner4 ,unmoved by the solemn testimony of ,god1 uttered again and again through ,samuel1 that ,he had rejected ,saul and found as king a man after ,his own heart2 unmoved by the sad proceedings at ,endor1 where1 under such awful circumstances1 the same announcement of the purpose of the ,almighty had been repeated2 unmoved by the doom of ,saul and his three sons on ,mount ,gilboa1 where such a striking proof of the reality of ,god's judgment on his house had been given2 unmoved by the miserable state of the kingdom1 overrun and humiliated by the ,philistines and in the worst possible condition to bear the strain of a civil war1--this ,abner insisted on setting up ,ishbosheth and endeavouring to make good his claims by the sword4 ,it was never seen more clearly how one sinner destroyeth much good4 ,as to the immediate occasion of the war1 ,david was quite innocent1 and ,abner alone was responsible2 but to a feeling and patriotic heart like ,david's1 the war itself must have been the occasion of bitter distress ,did it ever occur to him to think that in a sense he was now brought1 against his will1 into the position which he had professed to ,king ,achish to be willing to occupy1 or that1 placed as he now was in an attitude of opposition to a large section of his countrymen1 he was undergoing a chastisement for what he was rash enough to say and to do then8 ,in the commencement of the war1 the first step was taken by ,abner4 ,he went out from ,mahanaim1 descended the ,jordan valley1 and came to ,gibeon1 in the tribe of ,benjamin1 a place but a few miles distant from ,gibeah1 where ,saul had reigned4 ,his immediate object probably was to gain such an advantage over ,david in that quarter as would enable him to establish ,ishbosheth at ,gibeah1 and thus bring to him all the prestige due to the son and successor of ,saul4 ,we must not forget that the ,philistines had still great influence in the land1 and very likely they were in possession of ,gibeah1 after having rifled ,saul's palace and appropriated all his private property4 ,with this powerful enemy to be dealt with ultimately1 it was the interest of ,abner to avoid a collision of the whole forces on either side1 and spare the slaughter which such a contest would have involved4 ,there is some obscurity in the narrative now before us1 both at this point and at other places4 ,but it would appear that1 when the two armies were ranged on opposite sides of the pool or reservoir at ,gibeon1 ,abner made the proposal to ,joab that the contest should be decided by a limited number of young men on either side1 whose encounter would form a sort of play or spectacle1 that their brethren might look on1 and1 in a sense1 enjoy4 ,in the circumstances1 it was a wise and humane proposal1 although we get something of a shock from the frivolous spirit that could speak of such a deadly encounter as play4 ,david was not present with his troops on this occasion1 the management of them being entrusted to ,joab1 his sister's son4 ,here was another of the difficulties of ,david--a difficulty which embarrassed him for forty years4 ,he was led to commit the management of his army to his warlike nephew1 although he appears to have been a man very unlike himself4 ,joab is much more of the type of ,saul than of ,david4 ,he is rough1 impetuous1 worldly1 manifesting no faith1 no prayerfulness1 no habit or spirit of communion with ,god4 ,yet from the beginning he threw in his lot with ,david2 he remained faithful to him in the insurrection of ,absalom2 and sometimes he gave him advice which was more worthy to be followed than his own devices4 ,but though ,joab was a difficulty to ,david1 he did not master him4 ,the course of ,david's life and the character of his reign were determined mainly by those spiritual feelings with which ,joab appears to have had no sympathy4 ,it was unfortunate that the first stage of the war should have been in the hands of ,joab2 he conducted it in a way that must have been painful to ,david2 he stained it with a crime that gave him bitter pain4 ,the practice of deciding public contests by a small and equal number of champions on either side1 if not a common one in ancient times1 was1 at any rate1 not very rare4 ,roman history furnishes some memorable instances of it3 that of ,romulus and ,aruns1 and that of the ,horatii and the ,curiatii2 while the challenge of ,goliath and the proposal to settle the strife between the ,philistines and the ,hebrews according to the result of the duel with him had taken place not many years before4 ,the young men were accordingly chosen1 twelve on either side2 but they rushed against each other with such impetuosity that the whole of them fell together1 and the contest remained undecided as before4 ,excited probably by what they had witnessed1 the main forces on either side now rushed against each other2 and when the shock of battle came1 the victory fell to the side of ,david1 and ,abner and his troops were signally defeated4 ,on ,david's side1 there was not a very serious loss1 the number of the slain amounting to twenty2 but on the side of ,abner the loss was three hundred and sixty4 ,to account for so great an inequality we must remember that in ,eastern warfare it was in the pursuit that by far the greatest amount of slaughter took place4 ,that obstinate maintenance of their ground which is characteristic of modern armies seems to have been unknown in those times4 ,the superiority of one of the hosts over the other appears usually to have made itself felt at the beginning of the engagement2 the opposite force1 seized with panic1 fled in confusion1 followed close by the conquerors1 whose weapons1 directed against the backs of the fugitive1 were neither caught on shields1 nor met by counter-volleys4 ,thus it was that ,joab's loss was little more than the twelve who had fallen at first1 while that of ,abner was many times more4 ,among those who had to save themselves by flight after the battle was ,abner1 the captain of the host4 ,hard in pursuit of him1 and of him only1 hastened ,asahel1 the brother of ,joab4 ,it is not easy to understand all the circumstances of this pursuit4 ,we cannot but believe that ,asahel was bent on killing ,abner1 but probably his hope was that he would get near enough to him to discharge an arrow at him1 and that in doing so he would incur no personal danger4 ,but ,abner appears to have remarked him1 and to have stopped his flight and faced round to meet him4 ,abner seems to have carried sword and spear2 ,asahel had probably nothing heavier than a bow4 ,it was fair enough in ,abner to propose that if they were to be opponents1 ,asahel should borrow armour1 that they might fight on equal terms4 ,but this was not ,asahel's thought4 ,he seems to have been determined to follow ,abner1 and take his opportunity for attacking him in his own way4 ,this ,abner would not permit2 and1 as ,asahel would not desist from his pursuit1 ,abner1 rushing at him1 struck him with such violence with the hinder end of his spear that the weapon came out behind him4 ,and ,asahel fell down there1 and died in the same place2 and it came to pass that as many as came to the place where ,asahel fell down and died stood still4 ,asahel was a man of consequence1 being brother of the commander of the army and nephew of the king4 ,the death of such a man counted for much1 and went far to restore the balance of loss between the two contending armies4 ,it seems to have struck a horror into the hearts of his fellow-soldiers2 it was an awful incident of the war4 ,it was strange enough to see one who an hour ago was so young1 so fresh and full of life1 stretched on the ground a helpless lump of clay2 but it was more appalling to remember his relation to the two greatest men of the nation--,david and ,joab4 ,certainly war is most indiscriminate in the selection of its victims2 commanders and their brothers1 kings and their nephews1 being as open to its catastrophes as any one else4 ,surely it must have sent a thrill through ,abner to see among the first victims of the strife which he had kindled one whose family stood so high1 and whose death would exasperate against him so important a person as his brother ,joab4 ,the pursuit of the defeated army was by-and-bye interrupted by nightfall4 ,in the course of the evening the fugitives somewhat rallied1 and concentrated on the top of a hill1 in the wilderness of ,gibeon4 ,and here the two chiefs held parley together4 ,the proceedings were begun by ,abner1 and begun by a question that was almost insolent4 ,abner called to ,joab and said1 ,shall the sword devour for ever8 knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end8 how long shall it be ere thou bid the people return from following their brethren8 ,it was an audacious attempt to throw on ,joab and ,joab's master the responsibility of the war4 ,we get a new glimpse of ,abner's character here4 ,if there was a fact that might be held to be beyond the possibility of question1 it was that ,abner had begun the contest4 ,had not he1 in opposition to the ,divine ,king of the nation1 set up ,ishbosheth against the man called by ,jehovah8 ,had not he gathered the army at ,mahanaim1 and moved towards ,gibeon1 on express purpose to exclude ,david1 and secure for his nominee what might be counted in reality1 and not in name only1 the kingdom of ,israel8 ,yet he insolently demanded of ,joab1 ,shall the sword devour for ever8 ,he audaciously applies to ,joab a maxim that he had not thought of applying to himself in the morning--,knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end8 ,this is a war that can be terminated only by the destruction of one half of the nation2 it will be a bitter enough consummation1 which half soever it may be4 ,have you no regard for your brethren1 against whom you are fighting1 that you are holding on in this remorseless way8 ,it may be a marvellously clever thing1 in this audacious manner1 to throw upon an opponent all the blame which is obviously one's own4 ,but no good man will do so4 ,the audacity that ascribes its own sins to an opponent is surely the token of a very evil nature4 ,we have no reason to form a very high opinion of ,joab1 but of his opponent in this strife our judgment must be far worse4 ,an insincere man1 ,abner could have no high end before him4 ,if ,david was not happy in his general1 still less was ,ishbosheth in his4 ,joab's answer betrayed a measure of indignation4 ,as ,god liveth1 unless thou hadst spoken1 surely then in the morning the people had gone up every one from following his brother4 ,there is some ambiguity in these words4 ,the ,revised ,version renders1 ,if thou hadst not spoken1 surely then in the morning the people had gone away1 nor followed every one his brother4 ,the meaning of ,joab seems to be that1 apart from any such ill-tempered appeal as ,abner's1 it was his full intention in the morning to recall his men from the pursuit1 and let ,abner and his people go home without further harm4 ,joab shows the indignation of one credited with a purpose he never had1 and with an inhumanity and unbrotherliness of which he was innocent4 ,why ,joab had resolved to give up further hostilities at that time1 we are not told4 ,one might have thought that had he struck another blow at ,abner he might have so harassed his force as to ruin his cause1 and thus secure at once the triumph of ,david4 ,but ,joab probably felt very keenly what ,abner accused him of not feeling3 that it was a miserable thing to destroy the lives of so many brethren4 ,the idea of building up ,david's throne on the dead bodies of his subjects he must have known to be extremely distasteful to ,david himself4 ,civil war is such a horrible thing1 that a general may well be excused who accepts any reason for stopping it4 ,if ,joab had known what was to follow1 he might have taken a different course4 ,if he had foreseen the long war that was to be between the house of ,saul and the house of ,david1 he might have tried on this occasion to strike a decisive blow1 and pursued ,abner's men until they were utterly broken4 ,but that day's work had probably sickened him1 as he knew it would sicken ,david2 and leaving ,abner and his people to make their way across the ,jordan1 he returned to bury his brother1 and to report his proceedings to ,david at ,hebron4 ,and ,david must have grieved exceedingly when he heard what had taken place4 ,the slaughter of nearly four hundred of ,god's nation was a terrible thought2 still more terrible it was to think that in a sense he had been the occasion of it--it was done to prevent him from occupying the throne4 ,no doubt he had reason to be thankful that when fighting had to be done1 the issue was eminently favourable to him and his cause4 ,but he must have been grieved that there should be fighting at all4 ,he must have felt somewhat as the ,duke of ,wellington felt when he made the observation that next to the calamity of losing a battle was that of gaining a victory4 ,was this what ,samuel had meant when he came that morning to ,bethlehem and anointed him in presence of his family8 ,was this what ,god designed when ,he was pleased to put him in the place of ,saul8 ,if this was a sample of what ,david was to bring to his beloved people1 would it not have been better had he never been born8 ,very strange must ,god's ways have appeared to him4 ,how different were his desires1 how different his dreams of what should be done when he got the kingdom1 from this day's work6 ,often he had thought how he would drive out the enemies of his people2 how he would secure tranquillity and prosperity to every ,hebrew homestead2 how he would aim at their all living under their vine and under their fig-tree1 none making them afraid4 ,but now his reign had begun with bloodshed1 and already desolation had been carried to hundreds of his people's homes4 ,was this the work1 ,o ,god1 for which ,thou didst call me from the sheep-folds8 ,should ,i not have been better employed following the ewes great with young1 and protecting my flock from the lion and the bear1 rather than sending forth men to stain the soil of the land with the blood of the people and carry to their habitations the voice of mourning and woe8 ,if ,david's mind was exercised in this way by the proceedings near the pool of ,gibeon1 all his trust and patience would be needed to wait for the time when ,god would vindicate ,his way4 ,after all1 was not his experience somewhat like that of ,moses when he first set about the deliverance of his people8 ,did he not appear to do more harm than good8 ,instead of lightening the burdens of his people1 did he not cause an increase of their weight8 ,but has it not been the experience of most men who have girded themselves for great undertakings in the interest of their brethren8 ,nay1 was it not the experience of our blessed ,lord ,himself8 ,at ,his birth the angels sang1 ,glory to ,god in the highest2 on earth peace2 goodwill to men6 ,and almost the next event was the massacre at ,bethlehem1 and ,jesus ,himself even in ,his lifetime found cause to say1 ,think not that ,i am come to send peace on the earth2 ,i am not come to send peace1 but a sword4 ,what a sad evidence of the moral disorder of the world6 ,the very messengers of the ,god of peace are not allowed to deliver their messages in peace1 but even as they advance toward men with smiles and benedictions1 are fiercely assailed1 and compelled to defend themselves by violence4 ,nevertheless the angels' song is true4 ,jesus did come to bless the world with peace4 ,peace ,i leave with you2 ,my peace ,i give unto you2 not as the world giveth give ,i unto you4 ,the resistance of ,his enemies was essentially a feeble resistance1 and that stronger spirit of peace which ,jesus brought in due time prevailed mightily in the earth4 ,so with the bloodshed in ,david's reign4 ,it did not hinder ,david from being a great benefactor to his kingdom in the end4 ,it did not annul the promise of ,god4 ,it did not neutralise the efficacy of the holy oil4 ,this was just one of the many ways in which his faith and his patience were tried4 ,it must have shown him even more impressively than anything that had yet happened the absolute necessity of ,divine direction in all his ways4 ,for it is far easier for a good man to bear suffering brought on himself by his actions1 than to see suffering and death entailed on his brethren in connection with a course which has been taken by him4 ,in that audacious speech which ,abner addressed to ,joab1 there occurs an expression worthy of being taken out of the connection in which it was used and of being viewed with wider reference4 ,knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end8 ,things are to be viewed by rational beings not merely in their present or immediate result1 but in their final outcome1 in their ultimate fruits4 ,a very commonplace truth1 ,i grant you1 this is1 but most wholesome1 most necessary to be cherished4 ,for how many of the miseries and how many of the worst sins of men come of forgetting the bitterness in the latter end which evil beginnings give rise to6 ,it is one of the most wholesome rules of life never to do to-day what you shall repent of to-morrow4 ,yet how constantly is the rule disregarded6 ,youthful child of fortune1 who are revelling to-day in wealth which is counted by hundreds of thousands1 and which seems as if it could never be exhausted1 remember how dangerous those gambling habits are into which you are falling2 remember that the gambler's biography is usually a short1 and often a tragic1 one2 and when you hear the sound of the pistol with which one like yourself has ended his miserable existence1 remember it all began by disregarding the motto1 written over the gambler's path1 ,knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end8 ,you merry-hearted and amusing companion1 to whom the flowing bowl1 and the jovial company1 and the merry jest and lively song are so attractive1 the more you are tempted to go where they are found remember that rags and dishonour1 dirt and degradation1 form the last stage of the journey1--the latter end bitterness of the course you are now following4 ,you who are wasting in idleness the hours of the morning1 remember how you will repent of it when you have to make up your leeway by hard toil at night4 ,i have said that things are to be viewed by rational beings in their relations to the future as well as the present4 ,it is not the part of a rational being to accumulate disaster1 distress1 and shame for the future4 ,men that are rational will far rather suffer for the present if they may be free from suffering hereafter4 ,benefit societies1 life insurance1 annuity schemes--what are they all but the devices of sensible men desirous to ward off even the possibility of temporal bitterness in the latter end8 ,and may not this wisdom1 this good sense1 be applied with far more purpose to the things that are unseen and eternal8 ,think of the bitterness in the end that must come of neglecting ,christ1 disregarding conscience1 turning away from the ,bible1 the church1 the ,sabbath1 grieving the ,spirit1 neglecting prayer6 ,will not many a foretaste of this bitterness visit you even while yet you are well1 and all things are prospering with you8 ,will it not come on you with overpowering force while you lie on your death-bed8 ,will it not wrap your soul in indescribable anguish through all eternity8 ,think then of this bitterness in the latter end6 ,now is the accepted time4 ,in the deep consciousness of your weakness1 let your prayer be that ,god would restrain you from the folly to which your hearts are so prone1 that1 by ,his ,holy ,spirit1 ,he would work in you both to will and to do of ,his good pleasure4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,conclusion ,,of ,,the ,,civil ,,war4 #b ,,samuel iii4 #a-ba4 ,the victory at the pool of ,gibeon was far from ending the opposition to ,david4 ,in vain1 for many a day1 weary eyes looked out for the dove with the olive leaf4 ,there was long war between the house of ,saul and the house of ,david4 ,the war does not seem to have been carried on by pitched battles1 but rather by a long series of those fretting and worrying little skirmishes which a state of civil war breeds1 even when the volcano is comparatively quiet4 ,but the drift of things was manifest4 ,david waxed stronger and stronger2 but the house of ,saul waxed weaker and weaker4 ,the cause of the house of ,saul was weak in its invisible support because ,god was against it2 it was weak in its champion ,ishbosheth1 a feeble man1 with little or no power to attract people to his standard2 its only element of strength was ,abner1 and even he could not make head against such odds4 ,good and evil so often seem to balance each other1 existing side by side in a kind of feeble stagnation1 and giving rise to such a dull feeling on the part of onlookers1 that we cannot but think with something like envy of the followers of ,david even under the pain of a civil war1 cheered as they were by constant proofs that their cause was advancing to victory4 ,and now we get a glimpse of ,david's domestic mode of life1 which1 indeed1 is far from satisfactory4 ,his wives were now six in number2 of some of them we know nothing2 of the rest what we do know is not always in their favour4 ,the earliest of all was ,ahinoam1 the ,jezreelitess4 ,her native place1 or the home of her family1 was ,jezreel1 that part of the plain of ,esdraelon where the ,philistines encamped before ,saul was defeated 7#a ,sam4 xxix4 #ab71 and afterwards1 in the days of ,ahab1 a royal residence of the kings of ,israel 7#a ,kings xviii4 #df7 and the abode of ,naboth1 who refused to part with his vineyard in ,jezreel to the king 7#a ,kings xxi474 ,of ,ahinoam we find absolutely no mention in the history2 if her son ,amnon1 the oldest of ,david's family1 reflected her character1 we have no reason to regret the silence 7#b ,sam4 xiii474 ,the next of his wives was ,abigail1 the widow of ,nabal the ,carmelite1 of whose smartness and excellent management we have a full account in a former part of the history4 ,her son is called ,chileab1 but in the parallel passage in ,chronicles ,daniel2 we can only guess the reason of the change2 but whether it was another name for the same son1 or the name of another son1 the history is silent concerning him1 and the most probable conjecture is that he died early4 ,his third wife was ,maachah1 the daughter of ,talmai the ,geshurite4 ,this was not1 as some have rather foolishly supposed1 a member of those ,geshurites in the south against whom ,david led his troop 7#a ,sam4 xxvii4 #h71 for it is expressly stated that of that tribe he left neither man nor woman alive4 ,it was of ,geshur in ,syria that ,talmai was king 7#b ,sam4 xv4 #h72 it formed one of several little principalities lying between ,mount ,hermon and ,damascus3 but we cannot commend the alliance2 for these kingdoms were idolatrous1 and unless ,maachah was an exception1 she must have introduced idolatrous practices into ,david's house4 ,of the other three wives we have no information4 ,and in regard to the household which he thus established at ,hebron1 we can only regret that the king of ,israel did not imitate the example that had been set there by ,abraham1 and followed in the same neighbourhood by ,isaac4 ,what a different complexion would have been given to ,david's character and history if he had shown the self-control in this matter that he showed in his treatment of ,saul6 ,of how many grievous sins and sorrows did he sow the seed when he thus multiplied wives to himself6 ,how many a man1 from his own day down to the days of ,mormonism1 did he silently encourage in licentious conduct1 and furnish with a respectable example and a plausible excuse for it6 ,how difficult did he make it for many who cannot but acknowledge the bright aspect of his spiritual life to believe that even in that it was all good and genuine6 ,we do not hesitate to ascribe to the life of ,david an influence on successive generations on the whole pure and elevating2 but it is impossible not to own that by many1 a justification of relaxed principle and unchaste living has been drawn from his example4 ,we have already said that polygamy was not imputed to ,david as a sin in the sense that it deprived him of the favour of ,god4 ,but we cannot allow that this permission was of the nature of a boon4 ,we cannot but feel how much better it would have been if the seventh commandment had been read by ,david with the same absolute1 unbending limitation with which it is read by us4 ,it would have been better for him and better for his house4 ,puritan strictness of morals is1 after all1 a right wholesome and most blessed thing4 ,who shall say that the sum of a man's enjoyment is not far greatest in the end of life when he has kept with unflinching steadfastness his early vow of faithfulness1 and1 as his reward1 has never lost the freshness and the flavour of his first love1 nor ceased to find in his ever-faithful partner that which fills and satisfies his heart8 ,compared to this1 the life of him who has flitted from one attachment to another1 heedless of the soured feelings or1 it may be1 the broken hearts he has left behind1 and whose children1 instead of breathing the sweet spirit of brotherly and sisterly love1 scowl at one another with the bitter feelings of envy1 jealousy1 and hatred1 is like an existence of wild fever compared to the pure tranquil life of a child4 ,in such a household as ,david's1 occasions of estrangement must have been perpetually arising among the various branches1 and it would require all his wisdom and gentleness to keep these quarrels within moderate bounds4 ,in his own breast1 that sense of delicacy1 that instinct of purity1 which exercises such an influence on a godly family1 could not have existed2 the necessity of reining in his inclinations in that respect was not acknowledged2 and it is remarkable that in the confessions of the fifty-first ,psalm1 while he specifies the sins of blood-guiltiness and seems to have been overwhelmed by a sense of his meanness1 injustice1 and selfishness1 there is no special allusion to the sin of adultery1 and no indication of that sin pressing very heavily upon his conscience4 ,whether it be by design or not1 it is an instructive circumstance that it is immediately after this glimpse of ,david's domestic life that we meet with a sample of the kind of evils which the system of royal harems is ever apt to produce4 ,saul too had had his harem2 and it was a rule of succession in the ,east that the harem went with the throne4 ,to take possession of the one was regarded as equivalent to setting up a claim to the other4 ,when therefore ,ishbosheth heard that ,abner had taken one of his father's concubines1 he looked on it as a proof that ,abner had an eye to the throne for himself4 ,he accordingly demanded an explanation from ,abner1 but instead of explanation or apology1 he received a volley of rudeness and defiance4 ,abner knew well that without him ,ishbosheth was but a figure-head1 and he was enraged by treatment that seemed to overlook all the service he had rendered him and to treat him as if he were some second or third-rate officer of a firm and settled kingdom4 ,perhaps ,abner had begun to see that the cause of ,ishbosheth was hopeless1 and was even glad in his secret heart of an excuse for abandoning an undertaking which could bring neither success nor honour4 ,am ,i a dog's head1 which against ,judah do show kindness this day unto the house of ,saul thy father1 to his brethren1 and to his friends1 and have not delivered thee into the hand of ,david1 that thou chargest me to-day with a fault concerning this woman8 ,so do ,god to ,abner1 and more also1 except1 as the ,lord hath sworn to ,david1 even so ,i do to him1 to translate the kingdom from the house of ,saul1 and to set up the throne of ,david over ,israel and over ,judah from ,dan even to ,beersheba4 ,the proverb says1 ,when rogues fall out1 honest men get their own4 ,how utterly unprincipled the effort of ,abner and ,ishbosheth was is evident from the confession of the former that ,god had sworn to ,david to establish his throne over the whole land4 ,their enterprise therefore bore impiety on its very face2 and we can only account for their setting their hands to it on the principle that keen thirst for worldly advantage will drive ungodly men into virtual atheism1 as if ,god were no factor in the affairs of men1 as if it mattered not that ,he was against them1 and that it is only when their schemes show signs of coming to ruin that they awake to the consciousness that there is a ,god after all6 ,and how often we see that godless men banded together have no firm bond of union2 the very passions which they are united to gratify begin to rage against one another2 they fall into the pit which they digged for others2 they are hanged on the gallows which they erected for their foes4 ,the next step in the narrative brings us to ,abner's offer to ,david to make a league with him for the undisputed possession of the throne4 ,things had changed now very materially from that day when1 in the wilderness of ,judah1 ,david reproached ,abner for his careless custody of the king's person 7#a ,sam4 xxvi4 #ad74 ,what a picture of feebleness ,david had seemed then1 while ,saul commanded the whole resources of the kingdom6 ,yet in that day of weakness ,david had done a noble deed1 a deed made nobler by his very weakness1 and he had thereby shown to any that had eyes to see which party it was that had ,god on its side4 ,and now this truth concerning him1 against which ,abner had kicked and struggled in vain1 was asserting itself in a way not to be resisted4 ,yet even now there is no trace of humility in the language of ,abner4 ,he plays the great man still4 ,behold1 my hand shall be with thee1 to bring about all ,israel to thee4 ,he approaches ,king ,david1 not as one who has done him a great wrong1 but as one who offers to do him a great favour4 ,there is no word of regret for his having opposed what he knew to be ,god's purpose and promise1 no apology for the disturbance he had wrought in ,israel1 no excuse for all the distress which he had caused to ,david by keeping the kingdom and the people at war4 ,he does not come as a rebel to his sovereign1 but as one independent man to another4 ,make a league with me4 ,secure me from punishment2 promise me a reward4 ,for this he simply offers to place at ,david's disposal that powerful hand of his that had been so mighty for evil4 ,if he expected that ,david would leap into his arms at the mention of such an offer1 he was mistaken4 ,this was not the way for a rebel to come to his king4 ,david was too much dissatisfied with his past conduct1 and saw too clearly that it was only stress of weather that was driving him into harbour now1 to show any great enthusiasm about his offer4 ,on the contrary1 he laid down a stiff preliminary condition2 and with the air of one who knew his place and his power1 he let ,abner know that if that condition were not complied with1 he should not see his face4 ,we cannot but admire the firmness shown in this mode of meeting ,abner's advances2 but we are somewhat disappointed when we find what the condition was--that ,michal1 ,saul's daughter1 whom he had espoused for a hundred foreskins of the ,philistines1 should be restored to him as his wife4 ,the demand was no doubt a righteous one1 and it was reasonable that ,david should be vindicated from the great slur cast on him when his wife was given to another2 moreover1 it was fitted to test the genuineness of ,abner's advances1 to show whether he really meant to acknowledge the royal rights of ,david2 but we wonder that1 with six wives already about him1 he should be so eager for another1 and we shrink from the reason given for the restoration--not that the marriage tie was inviolable1 but that he had paid for her a very extraordinary dowry4 ,and most readers1 too1 will feel some sympathy with the second husband1 who seems to have had a strong affection for ,michal1 and who followed her weeping1 until the stern military voice of ,abner compelled him to return4 ,all we can say about him is1 that his sin lay in receiving another man's wife and treating her as his own2 the beginning of the connection was unlawful1 although the manner of its ending on his part was creditable4 ,connections formed in sin must sooner or later end in suffering2 and the tears of ,phaltiel would not have flowed now if that unfortunate man had acted firmly and honourably when ,michal was taken from ,david4 ,but it is not likely that in this demand for the restoration of ,michal ,david acted on purely personal considerations4 ,he does not seem to have been above the prevalent feeling of the ,east which measured the authority and dignity of the monarch by the rank and connections of his wives4 ,moreover1 as ,david laid stress on the way in which he got ,michal as his wife1 it is likely that he desired to recall attention to his early exploits against the ,philistines4 ,he had probably found that his recent alliance with ,king ,achish had brought him into suspicion2 he wished to remind the people therefore of his ancient services against those bitter and implacable enemies of ,israel1 and to encourage the expectation of similar exploits in the future4 ,the purpose which he thus seems to have had in view was successful4 ,for when ,abner soon after made a representation to the elders of ,israel in favour of ,king ,david and reminded them of the promise which ,god had made regarding him1 it was to this effect3 ,by the hand of ,my servant ,david ,i will save ,my people ,israel out of the hand of the ,philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies4 ,it seems to have been a great step towards ,david's recognition by the whole nation that they came to have confidence in him in leading them against the ,philistines4 ,thus he received a fresh proof of the folly of his distrustful conclusion1 ,there is nothing better for me than that ,i should escape into the land of the ,philistines4 ,it became more and more apparent that nothing could have been worse4 ,one is tempted to wonder if ,david ever sat down to consider what would probably have happened if1 instead of going over to the ,philistines1 he had continued to abide in the wilderness of ,judah1 braving the dangers of the place and trusting in the protection of his ,god4 ,some sixteen months after1 the terrible invasion of the ,philistines took place1 and ,saul1 overwhelmed with terror and despair1 was at his wits' end for help4 ,how natural it would have been for him in that hour of despair to send for ,david if he had been still in the country and ask his aid6 ,how much more in his own place would ,david have appeared bravely fronting the ,philistines in battle1 than hovering in the rear of ,achish and pretending to feel himself treated ill because the ,philistine lords had required him to be sent away6 ,might he not have been the instrument of saving his country from defeat and disgrace8 ,and if ,saul and ,jonathan had fallen in the battle1 would not the whole nation have turned as one man to him1 and would not that long and cruel civil war have been entirely averted8 ,it is needless to go back on the past and think how much better we could have acted if unavailing regret is to be the only result of the process2 but it is a salutary and blessed exercise if it tends to fix in our minds--what we doubt not it fixed in ,david's--how infinitely better for us it is to follow the course marked out for us by our heavenly ,father1 with all its difficulties and dangers1 than to walk in the light of our own fire and in the sparks of our own kindling4 ,it appears that ,abner set himself with great vigour to fulfil the promise made by him in his league with ,david4 ,first1 he held communication with the representatives of the whole nation1 the elders of ,israel1 and showed to them1 as we have seen--no doubt to his own confusion and self-condemnation--how ,god had designated ,david as the king through whom deliverance would be granted to ,israel from the ,philistines and all their other enemies4 ,next1 remembering that ,saul was a member of the tribe of ,benjamin1 and believing that the feeling in favour of his family would be eminently strong in that tribe1 he took special pains to attach them to ,david1 and as he was himself likewise a ,benjamite1 he must have been eminently useful in this service4 ,thirdly1 he went in person to ,hebron1 ,david's seat1 to speak in the ears of ,david all that seemed good to ,israel and to the whole house of ,benjamin4 ,finally1 after being entertained by ,david at a great feast1 he set out to bring about a meeting of the whole congregation of ,israel1 that they might solemnly ratify the appointment of ,david as king1 in the same way as1 in the early days of ,saul1 ,samuel had convened the representatives of the nation at ,gilgal 7#a ,sam4 xi4 #ae74 ,that in all this ,abner was rendering a great service both to ,david and the nation cannot be doubted4 ,he was doing what no other man in ,israel could have done at the time for establishing the throne of ,david and ending the civil war4 ,having once made overtures to ,david1 he showed an honourable promptitude in fulfilling the promise under which he had come4 ,no man can atone for past sin by doing his duty at a future time2 but if anything could have blotted out from ,david's memory the remembrance of ,abner's great injury to him and to the nation1 it was the zeal with which he exerted himself now to establish ,david's claims over all the country1 and especially where his cause was feeblest--in the tribe of ,benjamin4 ,it must have been a happy day in ,david's history when ,abner set out from ,hebron to convene the assembly of the tribes that was to call him with one voice to the throne4 ,it was the day long looked for come at last4 ,the dove had at length come with the olive leaf1 and peace would now reign among all the tribes of ,israel4 ,and we may readily conceive him1 with this prospect so near1 expressing his feelings1 if not in the very words of the thirty-seventh ,psalm1 at any rate in language of similar import3-- ,fret not thyself because of evil-doers1 ,neither be thou envious against them that work unrighteousness ,for they shall soon be cut down like the grass1 ,and wither as the green herb4 ,trust in the ,lord and do good2 ,dwell in the land1 and follow after faithfulness4 ,delight thyself also in the ,lord1 ,and ,he shall give thee the desires of thine heart4 ,commit thy way unto the ,lord1 ,trust also in ,him1 and ,he shall bring it to pass4 ,and ,he shall make thy righteousness to go forth as the light1 ,and thy judgment as the noonday4 ,rest in the ,lord and wait patiently for ,him2 ,fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way1 ,because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass4 ,for evil-doers shall be cut off2 ,but those that wait on the ,lord1 they shall inherit the land4 ,but a crime was now on the eve of being perpetrated destined for the time to scatter all ,king ,david's pleasing expectations and plunge him anew into the depths of distress4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,assassination ,,of ,,abner ,,and ,,ishbosheth4 #b ,,samuel iii4 #bb-ci2 iv4 ,it is quite possible that1 in treating with ,abner1 ,david showed too complacent a temper1 that he treated too lightly his appearance in arms against him at the pool of ,gibeon1 and that he neglected to demand an apology for the death of ,asahel4 ,certainly it would have been wise had some measures been taken to soothe the ruffled temper of ,joab and reconcile him to the new arrangement4 ,this1 however1 was not done4 ,david was so happy in the thought that the civil war was to cease1 and that all ,israel were about to recognise him as their king1 that he would not go back on the past1 or make reprisals even for the death of ,asahel4 ,he was willing to let bygones be bygones4 ,perhaps1 too1 he thought that if ,asahel met his death at the hand of ,abner1 it was his own rashness that was to blame for it4 ,anyhow he was greatly impressed with the value of ,abner's service on his behalf1 and much interested in the project to which he was now going forth--gathering all ,israel to the king1 to make a league with him and bind themselves to his allegiance4 ,in these measures ,joab had not been consulted4 ,when ,abner was at ,hebron1 ,joab was absent on a military enterprise4 ,in that enterprise he had been very successful1 and he was able to appear at ,hebron with the most popular evidence of success that a general could bring--a large amount of spoil4 ,no doubt ,joab was elated with his success1 and was in that very temper when a man is most disposed to resent his being overlooked and to take more upon him than is meet4 ,when he heard of ,david's agreement with ,abner1 he was highly displeased4 ,first he went to the king1 and scolded him for his simplicity in believing ,abner4 ,it was but a stratagem of ,abner's to allow him to come to ,hebron1 ascertain the state of ,david's affairs1 and take his own steps more effectively in the interest of his opponent4 ,suspicion reigned in ,joab's heart2 the generosity of ,david's nature was not only not shared by him1 but seemed silliness itself4 ,his rudeness to ,david is highly offensive4 ,he speaks to him in the tone of a master to a servant1 or in the tone of those servants who rule their master4 ,what hast thou done8 ,behold1 ,abner came unto thee2 why is it that thou hast sent him away1 and he is quite gone8 ,thou knowest ,abner the son of ,ner1 that he came to deceive thee1 and to know thy going out and thy coming in1 and to know all that thou doest4 ,david is spoken to like one guilty of inexcusable folly1 as if he were accountable to ,joab1 and not ,joab to him4 ,of the king's answer to ,joab1 nothing is recorded2 but from ,david's confession 7ver4 #ci7 that the sons of ,zeruiah were too strong for him1 we may infer that it was not very firm or decided1 and that ,joab set it utterly at nought4 ,for the very first thing that ,joab did after seeing the king was to send a message to ,abner1 most likely in ,david's name1 but without ,david's knowledge1 asking him to return4 ,joab was at the gate ready for his treacherous business1 and taking ,abner aside as if for private conversation1 he plunged his dagger in his breast1 ostensibly in revenge for the death of his brother ,asahel4 ,there was something eminently mean and dastardly in the deed4 ,abner was now on the best of terms with ,joab's master1 and he could not have apprehended danger from the servant4 ,if assassination be mean among civilians1 it is eminently mean among soldiers4 ,the laws of hospitality were outraged when one who had just been ,david's guest was assassinated in ,david's city4 ,the outrage was all the greater1 as was also the injury to ,king ,david and to the whole kingdom1 that the crime was committed when ,abner was on the eve of an important and delicate negotiation with the other tribes of ,israel1 since the arrangement which he hoped to bring about was likely to be broken off by the news of his shameful death4 ,at no moment are the feelings of men less to be trifled with than when1 after long and fierce alienation1 they are on the point of coming together4 ,abner had brought the tribes of ,israel to that point1 but now1 like a flock of birds frightened by a shot1 they were certain to fly asunder4 ,all this danger ,joab set at nought1 the one thought of taking revenge for the death of his brother absorbing every other1 and making him1 like so many other men when excited by a guilty passion1 utterly regardless of every consequence provided only his revenge was satisfied4 ,how did ,david act toward ,joab8 ,most kings would at once have put him to death1 and ,david's subsequent action towards the murderers of ,ishbosheth shows that1 even in his judgment1 this would have been the proper retribution on ,joab for his bloody deed4 ,but ,david did not feel himself strong enough to deal with ,joab according to his deserts4 ,it might have been better for him during the rest of his life if he had acted with more vigour now4 ,but instead of making an example of ,joab1 he contented himself with pouring out on him a vial of indignation1 publicly washing his hands of the nefarious transaction1 and pronouncing on its author and his family a terrible malediction4 ,we cannot but shrink from the way in which ,david brought in ,joab's family to share his curse3 ,let there not fail from the house of ,joab one that hath an issue1 or that is a leper1 or that leaneth on a staff1 or that falleth on the sword1 or that lacketh bread4 ,yet we must remember that according to the sentiment of those times a man and his house were so identified that the punishment due to the head was regarded as due to the whole4 ,in our day we see a law in constant operation which visits iniquities of the parents upon the children with a terrible retribution4 ,the drunkard's children are woeful sufferers for their parent's sin2 the family of the felon carries a stigma for ever4 ,we recognise this as a law of ,providence2 but we do not act on it ourselves in inflicting punishment4 ,in ,david's time1 however1 and throughout the whole ,old ,testament period1 punishments due to the fathers were formally shared by their families4 ,when ,joshua sentenced ,achan to die for his crime in stealing from the spoils of ,jericho a wedge of gold and a ,babylonish garment1 his wife and children were put to death along with him4 ,in denouncing the curse on ,joab's family as well as himself1 ,david therefore only recognised a law which was universally acted on in his day4 ,the law may have been a hard one1 but we are not to blame ,david for acting on a principle of retribution universally acknowledged4 ,we are to remember1 too1 that ,david was now acting in a public capacity1 and as the chief magistrate of the nation4 ,if he had put ,joab to death1 his act would have involved his family in many a woe2 in denouncing his deeds and calling for retribution on them generation after generation1 he only carried out the same principle a little further4 ,that ,joab deserved to die for his dastardly crime1 none could have denied2 if ,david abstained from inflicting that punishment1 it was only natural that he should be very emphatic in proclaiming what such a criminal might look for1 in never-failing visitations on himself and his seed1 when he was left to be dealt with by the ,god of justice4 ,having thus disposed of ,joab1 ,david had next to dispose of the dead body of ,abner4 ,he determined that every circumstance connected with ,abner's funeral should manifest the sincerity of his grief at his untimely end4 ,in the first place1 he caused him to be buried at ,hebron4 ,we know of the tomb at ,hebron where the bodies of the patriarchs lay2 if it was at all legitimate to place others in that grave1 we may believe that a place in it was found for ,abner4 ,in the second place1 the mourning company attended the funeral with rent clothes and girdings of sackcloth1 while the king himself followed the bier1 and at the grave both king and people gave way to a burst of tears4 ,in the third place1 the king pronounced an elegy over him1 short1 but expressive of his sense of the unworthy death which had come to such a man3-- ,should ,abner die as a fool dieth8 ,thy hands were not bound1 nor thy feet put into fetters2 ,as a man falleth before the children of iniquity1 so didst thou fall4 ,had he died the death of one taken in battle1 his bound hands and his feet in fetters would have denoted that after honourable conflict he had been defeated in the field1 and that he died the death due to a public enemy4 ,instead of this1 he had fallen before the children of iniquity1 before men mean enough to betray him and murder him1 while he was under the protection of the king4 ,in the fourth place1 he sternly refused to eat bread till that day1 so full of darkness and infamy1 should have passed away4 ,the public manifestations of ,david's grief showed very clearly how far he was from approving of the death of ,abner4 ,and they had the desired effect4 ,the people were pleased with the evidence afforded of ,david's feelings1 and the event that had seemed likely to destroy his prospects turned out in this way in his favour4 ,the people took notice of this1 and it pleased them1 as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people4 ,it was another evidence of the conquering power of goodness and forbearance4 ,by his generous treatment of his foes1 ,david secured a position in the hearts of his people1 and established his kingdom on a basis of security which he could not have obtained by any amount of severity4 ,for ages and ages1 the two methods of dealing with a reluctant people1 generosity and severity1 have been pitted against each other1 and always with the effect that severity fails and generosity succeeds4 ,there were many who were indignant at the clemency shown by ,lord ,canning after the ,indian mutiny4 ,they would have had him inspire terror by acts of awful severity4 ,but the peaceful career of our ,indian empire and the absence of any attempt to renew the insurrection since that time show that the policy of clemency was the policy of wisdom and of success4 ,still another step was taken by ,david that shows how painfully he was impressed by the death of ,abner4 ,to his servants--that is1 his cabinet or his staff--he said in confidence1 ,know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in ,israel8 ,he recognised in ,abner one of those men of consummate ability who are born to rule1 or at least to render the highest service to the actual ruler of a country by their great influence over men4 ,it seems very probable that he looked to him as his own chief officer for the future4 ,rebel though he had been1 he seemed quite cured of his rebellion1 and now that he cordially acknowledged ,david's right to the throne1 he would probably have been his right-hand man4 ,abner1 ,saul's cousin1 was probably a much older man than ,joab1 who was ,david's nephew1 and who could not have been much older than ,david himself4 ,the loss of ,abner was a great personal loss especially as it threw him more into the hands of these sons of ,zeruiah1 ,joab and ,abishai1 whose impetuous1 lordly temper was too much for him to restrain4 ,the representation to his confidential servants1 ,i am weak1 and these men1 the sons of ,zeruiah1 are too strong for me1 was an appeal to them for cordial help in the affairs of the kingdom1 in order that ,joab and his brother might not be able to carry everything their own way4 ,david1 like many another man1 needed to say1 ,save me from my friends4 ,we get a vivid glimpse of the perplexities of kings1 and of the compensations of a humbler lot4 ,men in high places1 worried by the difficulties of managing their affairs and servants1 and by the endless annoyances to which their jealousies and their self-will give rise1 may find much to envy in the simple1 unembarrassed life of the humblest of the people4 ,from the assassination of ,abner1 the real source of the opposition that had been raised to ,david1 the narrative proceeds to the assassination of ,ishbosheth1 the titular king4 ,when ,saul's son heard that ,abner was dead in ,hebron1 his hands were feeble1 and all the ,israelites were troubled4 ,the contrast is striking between his conduct under difficulty and that of ,david4 ,in the history of the latter1 faith often faltered in times of trouble1 and the spirit of distrust found a footing in his soul4 ,but these occasions occurred in the course of protracted and terrible struggles2 they were exceptions to his usual bearing2 faith commonly bore him up in his darkest trials4 ,ishbosheth1 on the other hand1 seems to have had no resource1 no sustaining power whatever1 under visible reverses4 ,david's slips were like the temporary falling back of the gallant soldier when surprised by a sudden onslaught1 or when1 fagged and weary1 he is driven back by superior numbers2 but as soon as he has recovered himself1 he dashes back undaunted to the conflict4 ,ishbosheth was like the soldier who throws down his arms and rushes from the field as soon as he feels the bitter storm of battle4 ,with all his falls1 there was something in ,david that showed him to be cast in a different mould from ordinary men4 ,he was habitually aiming at a higher standard1 and upheld by the consciousness of a higher strength2 he was ever and anon resorting to the secret place of the ,most ,high1 taking hold of ,him as his covenant ,god1 and labouring to draw down from ,him the inspiration and the strength of a nobler life than that of the mass of the children of men4 ,the godless course which ,ishbosheth had followed in setting up a claim to the throne in opposition to the ,divine call of ,david not only lost him the distinction he coveted1 but cost him his life4 ,he made himself a mark for treacherous and heartless men2 and one day1 while lying in his bed at noon1 was despatched by two of his servants4 ,the two men that murdered him seem to have been among those whom ,saul enriched with the spoil of the ,gibeonites4 ,they were brothers1 men of ,beeroth1 which was formerly one of the cities of the ,gibeonites1 but was now reckoned to ,benjamin4 ,saul appears to have attacked the ,beerothites1 and given their property to his favourites 7comp4 #a ,sam4 xxii4 #g and #b ,sam4 xxi4 #b74 ,a curse went with the transaction2 ,ishbosheth1 one of ,saul's sons1 was murdered by two of those who were enriched by the unhallowed deed2 and many years after1 his bloody house had to yield up seven of his sons to justice1 when a great famine showed that for this crime wrath rested on the land4 ,the murderers of ,ishbosheth1 ,baanah and ,rechab1 mistaking the character of ,david as much as it had been mistaken by the ,amalekite who pretended that he had slain ,saul1 hastened to ,hebron1 bearing with them the head of their victim1 a ghastly evidence of the reality of the deed4 ,this revolting trophy they carried all the way from ,mahanaim to ,hebron1 a distance of some fifty miles4 ,mean and selfish themselves1 they thought other men must be the same4 ,they were among those poor creatures who are unable to rise above their own poor level in their conceptions of others4 ,when they presented themselves before ,david1 he showed all his former superiority to selfish1 jealous feelings4 ,he was roused indeed to the highest pitch of indignation4 ,we can hardly conceive the astonishment and horror with which they would receive his answer1 ,as the ,lord liveth1 who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity1 when one told me saying1 ,behold1 ,saul is dead1 thinking to have brought good tidings1 ,i took hold on him and slew him in ,ziklag1 who thought that ,i would have given him a reward for his tidings4 ,how much more when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed6 ,shall ,i not therefore require his blood at your hand1 and take you away from the earth8 ,simple death was not judged a severe enough punishment for such guilt2 as they had cut off the head of ,ishbosheth after killing him1 so after they were slain their hands and their feet were cut off2 and thereafter they were hanged over the pool in ,hebron--a token of the execration in which the crime was held4 ,here was another evidence that deeds of violence done to his rivals1 so far from finding acceptance1 were detestable in the eyes of ,david4 ,and here was another fulfilment of the resolution which he had made when he took possession of the throne--,i will early destroy all the wicked of the land1 that ,i may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the ,lord4 ,these rapid1 instantaneous executions by order of ,david have raised painful feelings in many4 ,granting that the retribution was justly deserved1 and granting that the rapidity of the punishment was in accord with military law1 ancient and modern1 and that it was necessary in order to make a due impression on the people1 still it may be asked1 ,how could ,david1 as a pious man1 hurry these sinners into the presence of their ,judge without giving them any exhortation to repentance or leaving them a moment in which to ask for mercy8 ,the question is undoubtedly a difficult one4 ,but the difficulty arises in a great degree from our ascribing to ,david and others the same knowledge of the future state and the same vivid impressions regarding it that we have ourselves4 ,we often forget that to those who lived in the ,old ,testament the future life was wrapped in far greater obscurity than it is to us4 ,that good men had no knowledge of it1 we cannot allow2 but certainly they knew vastly less about it than has been revealed to us4 ,and the general effect of this was that the consciousness of a future life was much fainter even among good men then than now4 ,they did not think about it2 it was not present to their thoughts4 ,there is no use trying to make ,david either a wiser or a better man than he was4 ,there is no use trying to place him high above the level or the light of his age4 ,if it be asked1 ,how did ,david feel with reference to the future life of these men8 the answer is1 that probably it was not much1 if at all1 in his thoughts4 ,that which was prominent in his thoughts was that they had sacrificed their lives by their atrocious wickedness1 and the sooner they were punished the better4 ,if he thought of their future1 he would feel that they were in the hands of ,god1 and that they would be judged by ,him according to the tenor of their lives4 ,it cannot be said that compassion for them mingled with ,david's feelings4 ,the one prominent feeling he had was that of their guilt2 for that they must suffer4 ,and ,david1 like other soldiers who have shed much blood1 was so accustomed to the sight of violent death1 that the horror which it usually excites was no longer familiar to him4 ,it is the ,gospel of ,jesus ,christ that has brought life and immortality to light4 ,so far from the future life being a dim and shadowy revelation1 it is now one of the clearest doctrines of the faith4 ,it is one of the doctrines which every earnest preacher of the ,gospel is profoundly earnest in dwelling on4 ,that death ushers us into the presence of ,god1 that after death cometh the judgment1 that every one of us is to give account of himself to ,god1 that the final condition of men is to be one of misery or one of life1 are among the clearest revelations of the ,gospel4 ,and this fact invests every man's death with profound significance in the ,christian's view4 ,that the condemned criminal may have time to prepare1 our courts of law invariably interpose an interval between the sentence and the punishment4 ,would only that men were more consistent here6 ,if we shudder at the thought of a dying sinner appearing in all the blackness of his guilt before ,god1 let us think more how we may turn sinners from their wickedness while they live4 ,let us see the atrocious guilt of encouraging them in ways of sin that cannot but bring on them the retribution of a righteous ,god4 ,o ye who1 careless yourselves1 laugh at the serious impressions and scruples of others2 ye who teach those that would otherwise do better to drink and gamble and especially to scoff2 ye who do your best to frustrate the prayers of tender-hearted fathers and mothers whose deepest desire is that their children may be saved2 ye1 in one word1 who are missionaries of the devil and help to people hell--would that you pondered your awful guilt6 ,for whosoever shall cause any of the least of these to offend1 it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the depths of the sea4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,david ,,king ,,of ,,all ,,israel4 #b ,,samuel v4 #a-i4 ,after seven and a half years of opposition1#b ,david was now left without a rival1 and the representatives of the whole tribes came to ,hebron to anoint him king4 ,they gave three reasons for their act1 nearly all of which1 however1 would have been as valid at the death of ,saul as they were at this time4 ,the first was that ,david and they were closely related--,behold1 we are thy bone and thy flesh2 rather an unusual reason1 but in the circumstances not unnatural4 ,for ,david's alliance with the ,philistines had thrown some doubt on his nationality2 it was not very clear at that time whether he was to be regarded as a ,hebrew or as a naturalized ,philistine2 but now the doubts that had existed on that point had all disappeared2 conclusive evidence had been afforded that ,david was out-and-out a ,hebrew1 and therefore that he was not disqualified for the ,hebrew throne4 ,this conclusion is confirmed by what they give as their second reason--his former exploits and services against their enemies4 ,also1 in time past1 when ,saul was king1 thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in ,israel4 ,in former days1 ,david had proved himself ,saul's most efficient lieutenant2 he had been at the head of the armies of ,israel1 and his achievements in that capacity pointed to him as the fit and natural successor of ,saul4 ,the third reason is the most conclusive--,the ,lord said to thee1 ,thou shalt feed ,my people ,israel1 and thou shalt be a captain over ,israel4 ,it was little to the credit of the elders that this reason1 which should have been the first1 and which needed no other reasons to confirm it1 was given by them as the last4 ,the truth1 however1 is1 that if they had made it their first and great reason1 they would on the very face of their speech have condemned themselves4 ,why1 if this was the command of ,god1 had they been so long of carrying it out8 ,ought not effect to have been given to it at the very first1 independent of all other reasons whatsoever8 ,the elders cannot but give it a place among their reasons for offering him the throne2 but it is not allowed to have its own place1 and it is added to the others as if they needed to be supplemented before effect could be given to it4 ,the elders did not show that supreme regard to the will of ,god which ought ever to be the first consideration in every loyal heart4 ,it is the great offence of multitudes1 even among those who make a ,christian profession1 that while they are willing to pay regard to ,god's will as one of many considerations1 they are not prepared to pay supreme regard to it4 ,it may be taken along with other considerations1 but it is not allowed to be the chief consideration4 ,religion may have a place in their life1 but not the first place4 ,but can a service thus rendered be acceptable to ,god8 ,can ,god accept the second or the third place in any man's regard8 ,does not the first commandment dispose of this question3 ,thou shalt have no other gods before ,me8 ,so all the elders of ,israel came to the king to ,hebron2 and ,king ,david made a league with them in ,hebron before the ,lord2 and they anointed ,david king over ,israel4 ,it was a happy circumstance that ,david was able to neutralise the effects of the murders of ,abner and ,ishbosheth1 and to convince the people that he had no share in these crimes4 ,notwithstanding the prejudice against his side which in themselves they were fitted to create in the supporters of ,saul's family1 they did not cause any further opposition to his claims4 ,the tact of the king removed any stumbling-block that might have arisen from these untoward events4 ,and thus the throne of ,david was at last set up1 amid the universal approval of the nation4 ,this was a most memorable event in ,david's history4 ,it was the fulfilment of one great instalment of ,god's promises to him4 ,it was fitted very greatly to deepen his trust in ,god1 as his ,protector and his ,friend4 ,to be able to look back on even one case of a ,divine promise distinctly fulfilled to us is a great help to faith in all future time4 ,for ,david to be able to look back on that early period of his life1 so crowded with trials and sufferings1 perplexities and dangers1 and to mark how ,god had delivered him from every one of them1 and1 in spite of the fearful opposition that had been raised against him1 had at last seated him firmly on the throne1 was well fitted to advance the spirit of trust to that place of supremacy which it gained in him4 ,after such an overwhelming experience1 it was little wonder that his trust in ,god became so strong1 and his purpose to serve ,god so intense4 ,the sorrows of death had compassed him1 and the pains of ,hades had taken hold on him1 yet the ,lord had been with him1 and had most wonderfully delivered him4 ,and in token of his deliverance he makes his vow of continual service1 ,o ,lord1 truly ,i am ,thy servant2 ,i am ,thy servant and the son of ,thine handmaid2 ,thou hast loosed my bonds4 ,i will offer to ,thee the sacrifices of praise1 and will call upon the name of the ,lord4 ,we can hardly pass from this event in ,david's history without recalling his typical relation to ,him who in after-years was to be known as the ,son of ,david4 ,the resemblance between the early history of ,david and that of our blessed ,lord in some of its features is too obvious to need to be pointed out4 ,like ,david1 ,jesus spends ,his early years in the obscurity of a country village4 ,like him1 ,he enters on ,his public life under a striking and convincing evidence of the ,divine favour--,david by conquering ,goliath1 ,jesus by the descent of the ,spirit at ,his baptism1 and the voice from heaven which proclaimed1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased4 ,like ,david1 soon after ,his ,divine call ,jesus is led out to the wilderness1 to undergo hardship and temptation2 but1 unlike ,david1 ,he conquers the enemy at every onset4 ,like ,david1 ,jesus attaches to ,himself a small but valiant band of followers1 whose achievements in the spiritual warfare rival the deeds of ,david's worthies in the natural4 ,like ,david1 ,jesus is concerned for ,his relatives2 ,david1 in his extremity1 commits his father and mother to the king of ,moab3 ,jesus1 on the cross1 commits ,his mother to the beloved disciple4 ,in the higher exercises of ,david's spirit1 too1 there is much that resembles the experiences of ,christ4 ,the convincing proof of this is1 that most of the ,psalms which the ,christian ,church has ever held to be ,messianic have their foundation in the experiences of ,david4 ,it is impossible not to see that in one sense there must have been a measureless distance between the experience of a sinful man like ,david and that of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,in the ,divinity of ,his person1 the atoning efficacy of ,his death1 and the glory of ,his resurrection1 ,jesus is high above any of the sons of men4 ,yet there must likewise have been some marvellous similarity between ,him and ,david1 seeing that ,david's words of sorrow and of hope were so often accepted by ,jesus to express ,his own emotions4 ,strange indeed it is that the words in which ,david1 in the twenty-second ,psalm1 pours out the desolation of his spirit1 were the words in which ,jesus found expression for ,his unexampled distress upon the cross4 ,strange1 too1 that ,david's deliverances were so like ,christ's that the same language does for both2 nay1 that the very words in which ,jesus commended ,his soul to the ,father1 as it was passing from ,his body1 were words which had first been used by ,david4 ,but it does not concern us at present to look so much at the general resemblances between ,david and our blessed ,lord1 as at the analogy in the fortunes of their respective kingdoms4 ,and here the most obvious feature is the bitter opposition to their claims offered in both instances even by those who might have been expected most cordially to welcome them4 ,of both it might be said1 ,they came unto their own1 but their own received them not4 ,first1 ,david is hunted almost to death by ,saul2 and then1 even after ,saul's death1 his claims are resisted by most of the tribes4 ,so in ,his lifetime ,jesus encounters all the hatred and opposition of the scribes and ,pharisees2 and even after ,his resurrection1 the council do their utmost to denounce ,his claims and frighten ,his followers4 ,against the one and the other the enemy brings to bear all the devices of hatred and opposition4 ,when ,jesus rose from the grave1 we see ,him personally raised high above all the efforts of ,his enemies2 when ,david was acknowledged king by all ,israel1 he reached a corresponding elevation4 ,and now that ,david is recognised as king1 how do we find him employing his energies8 ,it is to defend and bless his kingdom1 to obtain for it peace and prosperity1 to expel its foes1 to secure to the utmost of his power the welfare of all his people4 ,from ,his throne in glory1 ,jesus does the same4 ,and what encouragement may not the friends and subjects of ,christ's kingdom derive from the example of ,david6 ,for if ,david1 once he was established in his kingdom1 spared no effort to do good to his people1 if he scattered blessings among them from the stores which he was able to command1 how much more may ,christ be relied on to do the same6 ,has ,he not been placed far above all principality and power1 and every name that is named1 and been made ,head over all things for the ,church which is ,his body8 ,rejoice then1 ye members of ,christ's kingdom6 ,raise your eyes to the throne of glory1 and see how ,god has set ,his ,king upon ,his holy hill of ,zion6 ,and be encouraged to tell ,him of all your own needs and the troubles and needs of ,his ,church2 for has ,he not ascended on high1 and led captivity captive1 and received gifts for men8 ,and if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed1 will you not ask1 and shall you not receive according to your faith8 ,will not ,god supply all your need according to ,his riches in glory by ,christ ,jesus8 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the spectacle at ,hebron1 when all the elders of ,israel confirmed ,david on the throne1 and entered into a solemn league with reference to the kingdom1 we pass with ,david to the field of battle4 ,the first enterprise to which he addressed himself was the capture of ,jerusalem1 or rather of the stronghold of ,zion4 ,it is not expressly stated that he consulted ,god before taking this step1 but we can hardly suppose that he would do it without ,divine direction4 ,from the days of ,moses1 ,god had taught ,his people that a place would be appointed by ,him where ,he would set ,his name2 ,jerusalem was to be that place2 and it cannot be thought that when ,david would not even go up to ,hebron without consulting the ,lord1 he would proceed to make ,jerusalem his capital without a ,divine warrant4 ,no doubt the place was well known to him4 ,it had already received consecration when ,melchizedek reigned in it1 king of righteousness and king of peace4 ,in the days of ,joshua its king was ,adonizedek1 lord of righteousness--a noble title1 brought down from the days of ,melchizedek1 however unworthy the bearer of it might be of the designation1 for he was the head of the confederacy against ,joshua 7,josh4 x4 #a1 #c71 and he ended his career by being hanged on a tree4 ,after the slaughter of the ,philistine1 ,david had carried his head to ,jerusalem1 or to some place so near that it might be called by that name2 very probably ,nob was the place1 which1 according to an old tradition1 was situated on the slope of ,mount ,olivet4 ,often in his wanderings1 when his mind was much occupied with fortresses and defences1 the image of this place would occur to him2 observing how the mountains were round about ,jerusalem1 he would see how well it was adapted to be the metropolis of the country4 ,but this could not be done while the stronghold of ,zion was in the hands of the ,jebusites1 and while the ,jebusites were so numerous that they might be called the people of the land4 ,so impregnable was this stronghold deemed1 that any attempt that ,david might make to get possession of it was treated with contempt4 ,the precise circumstances of the siege are somewhat obscure2 if we compare the marginal readings and the text in the ,authorized ,version1 and still more in the ,revised ,version1 we may see what difficulty our translators had in arriving at the meaning of the passage4 ,the most probable supposition is that the ,jebusites placed their lame and blind on the walls1 to show how little artificial defence the place needed1 and defied ,david to touch even these sorry defenders4 ,such defiance ,david could not but have regarded as he regarded the defiance of ,goliath--as an insult to that mighty ,god in whose name and in whose strength he carried on his work4 ,advancing in the same strength in which he advanced against ,goliath1 he got possession of the stronghold4 ,to stimulate the chivalry of his men he had promised the first place in his army to whoever1 by means of the watercourse1 should first get on the battlements and defeat the ,jebusites4 ,joab was the man who made this daring and successful attempt4 ,reaping the promised reward1 he thereby raised himself to the first place in the now united forces of the twelve tribes of ,israel4 ,after the murder of ,abner1 he had probably been degraded2 but now1 by his dash and bravery1 he established his position on a firmer basis than ever4 ,while he contributed by this means to the security and glory of the kingdom1 he diminished at the same time the king's personal satisfaction1 inasmuch as ,david could not regard without anxiety the possession of so much power and influence by so daring and useful1 but unscrupulous and bold-tempered1 a man4 ,the place thus taken was called the city1 and sometimes the castle1 of ,david1 and it became from this time his residence and the capital of his kingdom4 ,much though the various sites in ,jerusalem have been debated1 it is surely beyond reasonable doubt that the fortress thus occupied was ,mount ,zion1 the same height which still exists in the south-western corner of the area which came to be covered by ,jerusalem4 ,this seems to have been the only part that the ,jebusites had fortified1 and with the loss of this stronghold their hold of other parts of ,jerusalem was lost4 ,henceforth1 as a people1 they disappear from ,jerusalem1 although individual ,jebusites might still1 like ,araunah1 hold patches of land in the neighbourhood 7#b ,sam4 xxiv4 #af74 ,the captured fortress was turned by ,david into his royal residence4 ,and seeing that a military stronghold was very inadequate for the purposes of a capital1 he began1 by the building of ,millo1 that extension of the city which was afterwards carried out by others on so large a scale4 ,by thus taking possession of ,mount ,zion and commencing those extensions which helped to make ,jerusalem so great and celebrated a city1 ,david introduced two names into the sacred language of the ,bible which have ever since retained a halo1 surpassing all other names in the world4 ,yet1 very obviously1 it was nothing in the little hill which has borne the name of ,zion for so many centuries1 nor in the physical features of the city of ,jerusalem1 that has given them their remarkable distinction4 ,neither is it for mere historical or intellectual associations1 in the common sense of the term1 that they have attained their eminence4 ,it would not be difficult to find more picturesque rocks than ,zion and more striking cities than ,jerusalem4 ,it would not be difficult to find places more memorable in art1 in science1 and intellectual culture4 ,that which gives them their unrivalled pre-eminence is their relation to ,god's revelation of ,himself to man4 ,zion was memorable because it was ,god's dwelling-place1 ,jerusalem because it was the city of the great ,king4 ,if ,jerusalem and ,zion impress our imagination even above other places1 it is because ,god had so much to do with them4 ,the very idea of ,god makes them great4 ,but they impress much more than our imagination4 ,we recall the unrivalled moral and spiritual forces that were concentrated there3 the goodly fellowship of the prophets1 the noble army of the martyrs1 the glorious company of the apostles1 all living under the shadow of ,mount ,zion1 and uttering those words that have moved the world as they received them from the mouth of the ,lord4 ,we recall ,him who claimed to be ,himself ,god1 whose blessed lessons1 and holy life1 and atoning death were so closely connected with ,jerusalem1 and would alone have made it for ever memorable1 even if it had been signalized by nothing else4 ,unless ,david was illuminated from above to a far greater degree than we have any reason to believe1 he could have little thought1 when he captured that citadel1 what a marvellous chapter in the world's history he was beginning4 ,century after century1 millennium after millennium has passed2 and still ,zion and ,jerusalem draw all eyes and hearts1 and pilgrims from the ends of the earth1 as they look even on the ruins of former days1 are conscious of a thrill which no other city in all the world can give4 ,nor is that all4 ,when a name has to be found on earth for the home of the blessed in heaven1 it is the new ,jerusalem2 when the scene of heavenly worship1 vocal with the voice of harpers harping with their harps1 has to be distinguished1 it is said to be ,mount ,zion4 ,is not all this a striking testimony that nothing so ennobles either places or men as the gracious fellowship of ,god8 ,view this distinction of ,jerusalem and ,mount ,zion1 if you choose1 as the result of mere natural causes4 ,though the effect must be held far beyond the efficacy of the cause1 yet you have this fact3 that the places in all the world that to civilized mankind have become far the most glorious are those with which it is believed that ,god maintained a close and unexampled connection4 ,view it1 as it ought to be viewed1 as a supernatural result2 count the fellowship of ,god at ,jerusalem a real fellowship1 and ,his ,spirit a living ,spirit2 count the presence of ,jesus ,christ to have been indeed that of ,god manifest in the flesh2 you have now a cause really adequate to the effect1 and you have a far more striking proof than before of the dignity and glory which ,god's presence brings4 ,would that every one of you might ponder the lesson of ,jerusalem and ,zion6 ,o ye sons of men1 ,god has drawn nigh to you1 and ,he has drawn nigh to you as a ,god of salvation4 ,hear then ,his message6 ,for if they escaped not who refused ,him that spake on earth1 much more shall not we escape if we refuse ,him that speaketh from heaven4 ,,footnote3 #b ,there is difficulty in adjusting all the dates4 ,in chap4 ii4 #aj1 it is said that ,ishbosheth reigned two years4 ,the usual explanation is that he reigned two years before war broke out between him and ,david4 ,another supposition is that there was an interregnum in ,israel of five and a half years1 and that ,ishbosheth reigned the last two years of ,david's seven and a half4 ,the accuracy of the text has been questioned1 and it has been proposed 7on very slender ,,ms4 authority7 to read that ,ishbosheth reigned six years in place of two4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,kingdom ,,established4 #b ,,samuel v4 #aj-be4 ,the events in ,david's reign that followed the capture of ,mount ,zion and the appointment of ,jerusalem as the capital of the country were all of a prosperous kind4 ,david1 we are told1 waxed greater and greater1 for the ,lord of hosts was with him4 ,and ,david perceived that the ,lord had established him to be king over ,israel1 and that ,he had exalted his kingdom for ,his people ,israel's sake4 ,in these words we find two things3 a fact and an explanation4 ,the fact is1 that now the tide fairly turned in ,david's history1 and that1 instead of a sad chronicle of hardship and disappointment1 the record of his reign becomes one of unmingled success and prosperity4 ,the fact is far from an unusual one in the history of men's lives4 ,how often1 even in the case of men who have become eminent1 has the first stage of life been one of disappointment and sorrow1 and the last part one of prosperity so great as to exceed the fondest dreams of youth4 ,effort after effort has been made by a young man to get a footing in the literary world1 but his books have proved comparative failures4 ,at last he issues one which catches in a remarkable degree the popular taste1 and thereafter fame and fortune attend him1 and lay their richest offerings at his feet4 ,a similar tale is to be told of many an artist and professional man4 ,and even persons of more ordinary gifts1 who have found the battle of life awfully difficult in its earlier stages1 have gradually1 through diligence and perseverance1 acquired an excellent position1 more than fulfilling every reasonable desire for success4 ,no man is indeed exempt from the risk of failure if he chooses a path of life for which he has no special fitness1 or if he encounters a storm of unfavourable contingencies2 but it is an encouraging thing for those who begin life under hard conditions1 but with a brave heart and a resolute purpose to do their best1 that1 as a general rule1 the sky clears as the day advances1 and the troubles and struggles of the morning yield to success and enjoyment later in the day4 ,but in the present instance we have not merely a statement of the fact that the tide turned in the case of ,david1 giving him prosperity and enlargement in every quarter1 but an explanation of the fact--it was due to the gracious presence and favour of ,god4 ,this by no means implies that his adversities were due to an opposite cause4 ,god had been with him in the wilderness1 save when he resorted to deceit and other tricks of carnal policy2 but ,he had been with him to try him and to train him1 not to crown him with prosperity4 ,but now1 the purpose of the early training being accomplished1 ,god is with him to grant him all his heart's desire and fulfil all his counsel4 ,if ,god1 indeed1 had not been with him1 sanctifying his early trials1 ,he would not have been with him in the end1 crowning him with loving-kindness and tender mercies4 ,but in the time of their trials1 ,god is with ,his people more in secret1 hid1 at least1 from the observation of the world2 when the time comes for conspicuous blessing and prosperity1 ,he comes more into view in ,his own gracious and bountiful character4 ,in the case of ,david1 ,god was not only with him1 but ,david perceived it2 he was conscious of the fact4 ,his filial spirit recognized the source of all his prosperity and blessing1 as it had done when he was enabled in his boyhood to slay the lion and the bear1 and in his youth to triumph over ,goliath4 ,unlike many successful men1 who ascribe their success so largely to their personal talents and ways of working1 he felt that the great factor in his success was ,god4 ,if he possessed talents and had used them to advantage1 it was ,god who had given them originally1 and it was ,god who had enabled him to employ them well4 ,but in every man's career1 there are many other elements to be considered besides his own abilities4 ,there is what the world calls luck1 that is to say those conditions of success which are quite out of our control2 as for instance in business the unexpected rise or fall of markets1 the occurrence of favourable openings1 the honesty or dishonesty of partners and connections1 the stability or the vicissitudes of investments4 ,the difference between the successful man of the world and the successful godly man in these respects is1 that the one speaks only of his luck1 the other sees the hand of ,god in ordering all such things for his benefit4 ,this last was ,david's case4 ,well did he know that the very best use he could make of his abilities could not ensure success unless ,god was present to order and direct to a prosperous issue the ten thousand incidental influences that bore on the outcome of his undertakings4 ,and when he saw that these influences were all directed to this end1 that nothing went wrong1 that all conspired steadily and harmoniously to the enlargement and establishment of his kingdom1 he perceived that the ,lord was with him1 and was now visibly fulfilling to him that great principle of ,his government which ,he had so solemnly declared to ,eli1 ,them that honour ,me1 ,i will honour4 ,but is this way of claiming to be specially favoured and blessed by ,god not objectionable8 ,is it not what the world calls cant8 ,is it not highly offensive in any man to claim to be a favourite of ,heaven8 ,is this not what hypocrites and fanatics are so fond of doing1 and is it not a course which every good1 humble-minded man will be careful to avoid8 ,this may be a plausible way of reasoning1 but one thing is certain--it has not the support of ,scripture4 ,if it be an offence publicly to recognise the special favour and blessing with which it has pleased ,god to visit us1 ,david himself was the greatest offender in this respect the world has ever known4 ,what is the great burden of his psalms of thanksgiving8 ,is it not an acknowledgment of the special mercies and favours that ,god bestowed on him1 especially in his times of great necessity8 ,and does not the whole tenor of the ,psalms and the whole tenor of ,scripture prove that good men are to take especial note of all the mercies they receive from ,god1 and are not to confine them to their own bosom1 but to tell of all ,his gracious acts and bless ,his name for ever and ever8 ,they shall abundantly utter the memory of ,thy great goodness1 and shall sing of ,thy righteousness4 ,that ,god is to be acknowledged in all our ways1 that ,god's mercy in choosing us in ,christ ,jesus and blessing us with all spiritual blessings in ,him is to be especially recognized1 and that we are not to shrink from extolling ,god's name for conferring on us favours infinitely beyond what belong to the men of the world1 are among the plainest lessons of the word of ,god4 ,what the world is so ready to believe is1 that this cannot be done save in the spirit of the ,pharisee who thanked ,god that he was not as other men4 ,and whenever a worldly man falls foul of one who owns the distinguishing spiritual mercies that ,god has bestowed on him1 it is this accusation he is sure to hurl at his head4 ,but this just shows the recklessness and injustice of the world4 ,strange indeed if ,god in ,his word has imposed on us a duty which cannot be discharged but in company with those who say1 ,stand by thyself2 come not nigh2 ,i am holier than thou6 ,the truth is1 the world cannot or will not distinguish between the ,pharisee1 puffed up with the conceit of his goodness1 and for this goodness of his deeming himself the favourite of ,heaven1 and the humble saint1 conscious that in him dwelleth no good thing1 and filled with adoring wonder at the mercy of ,god in making of one so unworthy a monument of ,his grace4 ,the one is as unlike the other as light is to darkness4 ,what good men need to bear in mind is1 that when they do make mention of the special goodness of ,god to them they should be most careful to do so in no boastful mood1 but in the spirit of a most real1 and not an assumed or formal1 humility4 ,and seeing how ready the world is to misunderstand and misrepresent the feeling1 and to turn into a reproach what is done as a most sincere act of gratitude to ,god1 it becomes them to be cautious how they introduce such topics among persons who have no sympathy with their view4 ,cast not your pearls before swine1 said our ,lord1 lest they turn again and rend you4 ,come near1 said the ,psalmist1 and hear1 all ye that fear ,god1 and ,i will declare what ,he hath done for my soul4 ,midway between the two statements before us on the greatness and prosperity which ,god conferred on ,david1 mention is made of his friendly relations with the king of ,tyre 7ver4 #aa74 ,the ,phnicians were not included among the seven nations of ,palestine whom the ,israelites were to extirpate1 so that a friendly alliance with them was not forbidden4 ,it appears that ,hiram was disposed for such an alliance1 and ,david accepted of his friendly overtures4 ,there is something refreshing in this peaceful episode in a history and in a time when war and violence seem to have been the normal condition of the intercourse of neighbouring nations4 ,tyre had a great genius for commerce2 and the spirit of commerce is alien from the spirit of war4 ,that it is always a nobler spirit cannot be said2 for while commerce ought to rest on the idea of mutual benefit1 and many of its sons honourably fulfil this condition1 it often degenerates into the most atrocious selfishness1 and heeds not what havoc it may inflict on others provided it derives personal gain from its undertakings4 ,what an untold amount of sin and misery has been wrought by the opium traffic1 as well as by the traffic in strong drink1 when pressed by cruel avarice on barbarous nations that have so often lost all of humanity they possessed through the fire-water of the ,christian trader6 ,but we have no reason to believe that there was anything specially hurtful in the traffic which ,tyre now began with ,israel1 although the intercourse of the two countries afterwards led to other results pernicious to the latter--the introduction of ,phnician idolatry and the overthrow of pure worship in the greater part of the tribes of ,israel4 ,meanwhile what ,hiram does is to send to ,david cedar trees1 and carpenters1 and masons1 by means of whom a more civilized style of dwelling is introduced2 and the new city which ,david has commenced to build1 and especially the house which is to be his own1 present features of skill and beauty hitherto unknown in ,israel4 ,for1 amid all his zeal for higher things1 the young king of ,israel does not disdain to advance his kingdom in material comforts4 ,of these1 as of other things of the kind1 he knows well that they are good if a man use them lawfully2 and his effort is at once to promote the welfare of the kingdom in the amenities and comforts of life1 and to deepen that profound regard for ,god and that exalted estimate of ,his favour which will prevent ,his people from relying for their prosperity on mere outward conditions1 and encourage them ever to place their confidence in their heavenly ,protector and ,king4 ,we pass by1 as not requiring more comment than we have already bestowed on a parallel passage 7#b ,sam4 iii4 #b-e71 the unsavoury statement that ,david took to him more concubines and wives in ,jerusalem4 ,with all his light and grace1 he had not overcome the prevalent notion that the dignity and resources of a kingdom were to be measured by the number and rank of the king's wives4 ,the moral element involved in the arrangement he does not seem to have at all apprehended2 and consequently1 amid all the glory and prosperity that ,god has given him1 he thoughtlessly multiplies the evil that was to spread havoc and desolation in his house4 ,we proceed1 therefore1 to what occupies the remainder of this chapter--the narrative of his wars with the ,philistines4 ,two campaigns against these inveterate enemies of ,israel are recorded1 and the decisive encounter in both cases took place in the neighbourhood of ,jerusalem4 ,the narrative is so brief that we have difficulty in apprehending all the circumstances4 ,the first invasion of the ,philistines took place soon after ,david was anointed king over all ,israel4 ,it is not said whether this occurred before ,david possessed himself of ,mount ,zion1 nor1 considering the structure common in ,hebrew narrative1 does the circumstance that in the history it follows that event prove that it was subsequent to it in the order of time4 ,on the contrary1 there is an expression that seems hardly consistent with this idea4 ,we read 7ver4 #ag7 that when ,david heard of the invasion he went down into the hold4 ,now1 this expression could not be used of the stronghold of ,zion1 for that hill is on the height of the central plateau1 and invariably the ,scriptures speak of going up to ,zion4 ,if he had possession of ,mount ,zion1 he would surely have gone to it when the ,philistines took possession of the plain of ,rephaim4 ,the hold to which he went down must have been in a lower position2 indeed1 the hold is the expression used of the place or places of protection to which ,david resorted when he was pursued by ,saul 7see #a ,sam4 xxii4 #d74 ,further1 when we turn to the twenty-third chapter of this book1 which records some memorable incidents of the war with the ,philistines1 we find 7vers4 #ac1 #ad7 that when the ,philistines pitched in the valley of ,rephaim ,david was in a hold near the cave of ,adullam4 ,the valley of ,rephaim1 or the giants1 is an extensive plain to the south-west of ,jerusalem1 forming a great natural entrance to the city4 ,when we duly consider the import of these facts1 we see that the campaign was very serious1 and ,david's difficulties very great4 ,the ,philistines were encamped in force on the summit of the plateau near the natural metropolis of the country4 ,david was encamped in a hold in the low country in the south-west1 making use of that very cave of ,adullam where he had taken refuge in his conflicts with ,saul4 ,this was far from a hopeful state of matters4 ,to the eye of man1 his position may have appeared very desperate4 ,such an emergency was a fit time for a solemn application to ,god for direction4 ,david inquired of the ,lord1 saying1 ,shall ,i go up to the ,philistines8 ,wilt ,thou deliver them into mine hand8 ,and the ,lord said unto ,david1 ,go up1 for ,i will doubtless deliver the ,philistines into thine hand4 ,up1 accordingly1 ,david went1 attacked the ,philistines and smote them at a place called ,baal-perazim1 somewhere most likely between ,adullam and ,jerusalem4 ,the expression ,the ,lord hath broken forth on mine enemies before me1 as the breach of waters1 seems to imply that ,he broke the ,philistine host into two1 like flooded water breaking an embankment1 preventing them from uniting and rallying1 and sending them in two detachments into flight and confusion4 ,considering the superior position of the ,philistines1 and the great advantage they seem to have had over ,david in numbers also1 this was a signal victory1 even though it did not reduce the foe to helplessness4 ,for when the ,philistines had got time to recover1 they again came up1 pitched again in the plain of ,rephaim1 and appeared to render unavailing the signal achievement of ,david at ,baal-perazim4 ,again ,david inquired what he should do4 ,the reply was somewhat different from before4 ,david was not to go straight up to face the enemy1 as he had done before4 ,he was to fetch a compass behind them1 that is1 as we understand it1 to make a circuit1 so as to get in the enemy's rear over against a grove of mulberry trees4 ,that tree has not yet disappeared from the neighbourhood of ,jerusalem2 a mulberry tree still marks the spot in the valley of ,jehoshaphat where1 according to tradition1 ,isaiah was sawn asunder 7,stanley's ,sinai and ,palestine74 ,when he should hear the sound of a going 7,revised ,version1 the sound of a march7 in the tops of the mulberry trees1 then he was to bestir himself4 ,it is difficult to conceive any natural cause that should give rise to a sound like that of a march in the tops of the mulberry trees2 but if not a natural1 it must have been a supernatural indication of some sound that would alarm the ,philistines and make the moment favourable for an attack4 ,it is probable that the presence of ,david and his troop in the rear of the ,philistines was not suspected1 the mulberry trees forming a screen between them4 ,when ,david got his opportunity1 he availed himself of it to great advantage2 he inflicted a thorough defeat on the ,philistines1 and smiting them from ,geba to ,gazer1 he appears to have all but annihilated their force4 ,in this way1 he gave the coup de grce to his former allies4 ,we have said that it appears to have been during these campaigns against the ,philistines that the incidents took place which are recorded fully in the twenty-third chapter of this book4 ,it does not seem possible that these incidents occurred at or about the time when ,david was flying from ,saul1 at which time the cave of ,adullam was one of his resorts4 ,neither is it likely that they occurred during the early years of ,david's reign1 while he was yet at strife with the house of ,saul4 ,at least1 it is more natural to refer them to the time when the ,philistines1 having heard that ,david had been anointed king over ,israel1 came up to seek ,david1 although we do not consider it impossible that they occurred in the earlier period of his reign4 ,the record shows how wonderfully the spirit of ,david had passed into his men1 and what splendid deeds of courage were performed by them1 often in the face of tremendous odds4 ,we get a fine glimpse here of one of the great sources of ,david's popularity--his extraordinary pluck as we now call it1 and readiness for the most daring adventures1 often crowned with all but miraculous success4 ,in all ages1 men of this type have been marvellous favourites with their comrades4 ,the annals of the ,british army1 and still more the ,british navy1 contain many such records4 ,and even when we go down to pirates and freebooters1 we find the odium of their mode of life in many cases remarkably softened by the splendour of their valour1 by their running unheard-of risks1 and sometimes by sheer daring and bravery obtaining signal advantages over the greatest odds4 ,the achievements of ,david's three mighties1 as well as of his thirty1 formed a splendid instance of this kind of warfare4 ,all that we know of them is comprised within a few lines1 but when we call to mind the enthusiasm that used to be awakened all over our own country by the achievements of ,nelson and his officers1 or more recently by ,general ,gordon1 of ,china and ,egypt1 we can easily understand the thrilling effect which these wonderful tales of valour would have throughout all the tribes of ,israel4 ,the personal affection for ,david and his heroes which would thus be formed must have been very warm1 nay1 even enthusiastic4 ,in the case of ,david1 whatever may have been true of the others1 all the influence thus acquired was employed for the welfare of the nation and the glory of ,god4 ,the supreme desire of his heart was that the people might give all the glory to ,jehovah1 and derive from these brilliant successes fresh assurances how faithful ,god was to ,his promises to ,israel4 ,alike as a man of piety and a man of patriotism1 he made this his aim4 ,knowing as he did what was due to ,god1 and animated by a profound desire to render to ,god ,his due1 he would have been horrified had he intercepted in his own person aught of the honour and glory which were ,his4 ,but for the people's sake also1 as a man of patriotism1 his desire was equally strong that ,god should have all the glory4 ,what were military successes however brilliant to the nation1 or a reputation however eminent1 compared to their enjoying the favour and friendship of ,god8 ,success--how ephemeral it was2 reputation--as transient as the glow of a cloud beside the setting sun2 but ,god's favour and gracious presence with the nation was a perpetual treasure1 enlivening1 healing1 strengthening1 guiding for evermore4 ,happy is that people that is in such a case2 yea1 happy is that people whose ,god is the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,ark ,,brought ,,up ,,to ,,jerusalem4 #b ,,samuel vi4 ,the first care of ,david when settled on the throne had been to obtain possession of the stronghold of ,zion1 on which and on the city which was to surround it he fixed as the capital of the kingdom and the dwelling-place of the ,god of ,israel4 ,this being done1 he next set about bringing up the ark of the testimony from ,kirjath-jearim1 where it had been left after being restored by the ,philistines in the early days of ,samuel4 ,david's first attempt to place the ark on ,mount ,zion failed through want of due reverence on the part of those who were transporting it2 but after an interval of three months the attempt was renewed1 and the sacred symbol was duly installed on ,mount ,zion1 in the midst of the tabernacle prepared by ,david for its reception4 ,in bringing up the ark to ,jerusalem1 the king showed a commendable desire to interest the whole nation1 as far as possible1 in the solemn service4 ,he gathered together the chosen men of ,israel1 thirty thousand1 and went with them to bring up the ark from ,baale of ,judah1 which must be another name for ,kirjath-jearim1 distant from ,jerusalem about ten miles4 ,the people1 numerous as they were1 grudged neither the time1 the trouble1 nor the expense4 ,a handful might have sufficed for all the actual labour that was required2 but thousands of the chief people were summoned to be present1 and that on the principle both of rendering due honour to ,god1 and of conferring a benefit on the people4 ,it is not a handful of professional men only that should be called to take a part in the service of religion2 ,christian people generally should have an interest in the ark of ,god2 and other things being equal1 that ,church which interests the greatest number of people and attracts them to active work will not only do most for advancing ,god's kingdom1 but will enjoy most of inward life and prosperity4 ,the joyful spirit in which this service was performed by ,david and his people is another interesting feature of the transaction4 ,evidently it was not looked on as a toilsome service1 but as a blessed festival1 adapted to cheer the heart and raise the spirits4 ,what was the precise nature of the service8 ,it was to bring into the heart of the nation1 into the new capital of the kingdom1 the ark of the covenant1 that piece of sacred furniture which had been constructed nearly five hundred years before in the wilderness of ,sinai1 the memorial of ,god's holy covenant with the people1 and the symbol of ,his gracious presence among them4 ,in spirit it was bringing ,god into the very midst of the nation1 and on the choicest and most prominent pedestal the country now supplied setting up a constant memento of the presence of the ,holy ,one4 ,rightly understood1 the service could bring joy only to spiritual hearts2 it could give pleasure to none who had reason to dread the presence of ,god4 ,to those who knew ,him as their reconciled ,father and the covenant ,god of the nation1 it was most attractive4 ,it was as if the sun were again shining on them after a long eclipse1 or as if the father of a loved and loving family had returned after a weary absence4 ,god enthroned on ,zion1 ,god in the midst of ,jerusalem--what happier or more thrilling thought was it possible to cherish8 ,god1 the sun and shield of the nation1 occupying for ,his residence the one fitting place in all the land1 and sending over ,jerusalem and over all the country emanations of love and grace1 full of blessing for all that feared ,his name6 ,the happiness with which this service was entered on by ,david and his people is surely the type of the spirit in which all service to ,god should be rendered by those whose sins ,he has blotted out1 and on whom ,he has bestowed the privileges of ,his children4 ,but the best of services may be gone about in a faulty way4 ,there may be some criminal neglect of ,god's will that1 like the dead fly in the apothecary's pot of ointment1 causes the perfume to send forth a stinking savour4 ,and so it was on this occasion4 ,god had expressly directed that when the ark was moved from place to place it should be borne on poles on the shoulders of the ,levites1 and never carried in a cart1 like a common piece of furniture4 ,but in the removal of the ark from ,kirjath-jearim1 this direction was entirely overlooked4 ,instead of following the directions given to ,moses1 the example of the ,philistines was copied when they sent the ark back to ,bethshemesh4 ,the ,philistines had placed it in a new cart1 and the men of ,israel now did the same4 ,what induced them to follow the example of the ,philistines rather than the directions of ,moses1 we do not know1 and can hardly conjecture4 ,it does not appear to have been a mere oversight4 ,it had something of a deliberate plan about it1 as if the law given in the wilderness were now obsolete1 and in so small a matter any method might be chosen that the people liked4 ,it was substituting a heathen example for a ,divine rule in the worship of ,god4 ,we cannot suppose that ,david was guilty of deliberately setting aside the authority of ,god4 ,on his part1 it may have been an error of inadvertence4 ,but that somewhere there was a serious offence is evident from the punishment with which it was visited 7#a ,chron4 xv4 #ac74 ,the jagged bridlepaths of those parts are not at all adapted for wheeled conveyances1 and when the oxen stumbled1 and the ark was shaken1 ,uzzah1 who was driving the cart1 put forth his hand to steady it4 ,the anger of ,god1 we are told1 was kindled against ,uzzah2 and ,god smote him there for his error2 and there he died by the ark of ,god4 ,his effort to steady the ark must have been made in a presumptuous way1 without reverence for the sacred vessel4 ,only a ,levite was authorized to touch it1 and ,uzzah was apparently a man of ,judah4 ,the punishment may seem to us hard for an offence which was ceremonial rather than moral2 but in that economy1 moral truth was taught through ceremonial observances1 and neglect of the one was treated as involving neglect of the other4 ,the punishment was like the punishment of ,nadab and ,abihu1 the sons of ,aaron1 for offering strange fire in their censers4 ,it may be that both in their case1 and in the case of ,uzzah1 there were unrecorded circumstances1 unknown to us1 making it clear that the ceremonial offence was not a mere accident1 but that it was associated with evil personal qualities well fitted to provoke the judgment of ,god4 ,the great lesson for all time is to beware of following our own devices in the worship of ,god when we have clear instructions in ,his word how we are to worship ,him4 ,this lamentable event put a sudden end to the joyful service4 ,it was like the bursting of a thunderstorm on an excursion party that rapidly sends every one to flight4 ,and it is doubtful whether the spirit shown by ,david was altogether right4 ,he was displeased because the ,lord had made a breach upon ,uzzah1 and he called the name of the place ,perez-uzzah to this day4 ,and ,david was afraid of the ,lord that day and said1 ,how shall the ark of the ,lord come to me8 ,so ,david would not remove the ark of the ,lord into the city of ,david2 but ,david carried it aside into the house of ,obed-edom the ,gittite4 ,the narrative reads as if ,david resented the judgment which ,god had inflicted1 and in a somewhat petulant spirit abandoned the enterprise because he found ,god too hard to please4 ,that some such feeling should have fluttered about his heart was not to be wondered at2 but surely it was a feeling to which he ought not to have given entertainment1 as it certainly was one on which he ought not to have acted4 ,if ,god was offended1 ,david surely knew that ,he must have had good ground for being so4 ,it became him and the people1 therefore1 to accept ,god's judgment1 humble themselves before ,him1 and seek forgiveness for the negligent manner in which they had addressed themselves to this very solemn service4 ,instead of this ,david throws up the matter in a fit of sullen temper1 as if it were impossible to please ,god in it1 and the enterprise must therefore be abandoned4 ,he leaves the ark in the house of ,obed-edom the ,gittite1 returning to ,jerusalem crestfallen and displeased1 altogether in a spirit most opposite to that in which he had set out4 ,it may happen to you that some ,christian undertaking on which you have entered with great zeal and ardour1 and without any surmise that you are not doing right1 is not blessed1 but meets with some rough shock1 that places you in a very painful position4 ,in the most disinterested spirit1 you have tried perhaps to set up in some neglected district a school or a mission1 and you expect all encouragement and approbation from those who are most interested in the welfare of the district4 ,instead of receiving approval1 you find that you are regarded as an enemy and an intruder4 ,you are attacked with unexampled rudeness1 sinister aims are laid to your charge1 and the purpose of your undertaking is declared to be to hurt and discourage those whom you were bound to aid4 ,the shock is so violent and so rude that for a time you cannot understand it4 ,on the part of man it admits of no reasonable justification whatever4 ,but when you go into your closet1 and think of the matter as permitted by ,god1 you wonder still more why ,god should thwart you in your endeavour to do good4 ,rebellious feelings hover about your heart that if ,god is to treat you in this way1 it were better to abandon ,his service altogether4 ,but surely no such feeling is ever to find a settled place in your heart4 ,you may be sure that the rebuff which ,god has permitted you to encounter is meant as a trial of your faith and humility2 and if you wait on ,god for further light and humbly ask a true view of ,god's will2 if1 above all1 you beware of retiring in sullen silence from ,god's active service1 good may come out of the apparent evil1 and you may yet find cause to bless ,god even for the shock that made you so uncomfortable at the time4 ,the ,lord does not forsake ,his people1 nor leave them for ever under a cloud4 ,it was not long before the downcast heart of ,david was reassured4 ,when the ark had been left at the house of ,obed-edom1 ,obed-edom was not afraid to take it in4 ,its presence in other places had hitherto been the signal for disaster and death4 ,among the ,philistines1 in city after city1 at ,bethshemesh1 and now at ,perez-uzzah1 it had spread death on every side4 ,obed-edom was no sufferer4 ,probably he was a ,god-fearing man1 conscious of no purpose but that of honouring ,god4 ,a manifest blessing rested on his house4 ,the ,god of heaven1 says ,bishop ,hall1 pays liberally for ,his lodging4 ,it is not so much ,god's ark in our time and country that needs a lodging1 but ,god's servants1 ,god's poor1 sometimes persecuted fugitives flying from an oppressor1 very often pious men in foreign countries labouring under infinite discouragements to serve ,god4 ,the ,obed-edom who takes them in will not suffer4 ,even should he be put to loss or inconvenience1 the day of recompense draweth nigh4 ,i was a stranger1 and ye took ,me in4 ,again1 then1 ,king ,david1 encouraged by the experience of ,obed-edom1 goes forth in royal state to bring up the ark to ,jerusalem4 ,the error that had proved so fatal was now rectified4 ,david said1 ,none ought to carry the ark of ,god but the ,levites1 for them hath the ,lord chosen to carry the ark of ,god and to minister unto ,him for ever 7#a ,chron4 xv4 #b74 ,in token of his humility and his conviction that every service that man renders to ,god is tainted and needs forgiveness1 oxen and fatlings were sacrificed ere the bearers of the ark had well begun to move4 ,the spirit of enthusiastic joy again swayed the multitude1 brightened probably by the assurance that no judgment need now be dreaded1 but that they might confidently look for the smile of an approving ,god4 ,the feelings of the king himself were wonderfully wrought up1 and he gave free expression to the joy of his heart4 ,there are occasions of great rejoicing when all ceremony is forgotten1 and no forms or appearances are suffered to stem the tide of enthusiasm as it gushes right from the heart4 ,it was an occasion of this kind to ,david4 ,the check he had sustained three months before had only dammed up his feelings1 and they rolled out now with all the greater volume4 ,his soul was stirred by the thought that the symbol of ,godhead was now to be placed in his own city1 close to his own dwelling2 that it was to find an abiding place of rest in the heart of the kingdom1 on the heights where ,melchizedek had reigned1 close to where he had blessed ,abraham1 and which ,god had destined as ,his own dwelling from the foundations of the world4 ,glorious memories of the past1 mingling with bright anticipations of the future1 recollections of the grace revealed to the fathers1 and visions of the same grace streaming forth to distant ages1 as generation after generation of the faithful came up here to attend the holy festivals1 might well excite that tumult of emotion in ,david's breast before which the ordinary restraints of royalty were utterly flung aside4 ,he sacrificed1 he played1 he sang1 he leapt and danced before the ,lord1 with all his might2 he made a display of enthusiasm which the cold-hearted ,michal1 as she could not understand it nor sympathise with it1 had the folly to despise and the cruelty to ridicule4 ,the ordinary temper of the sexes was reversed--the man was enthusiastic2 the woman was cold4 ,little did she know of the springs of true enthusiasm in the service of ,god6 ,to her faithless eye1 the ark was little more than a chest of gold1 and where it was kept was of little consequence2 her carnal heart could not appreciate the glory that excelleth2 her blind eye could see none of the visions that had overpowered the soul of her husband4 ,a few other circumstances are briefly noticed in connection with the close of the service1 when the ark had been solemnly enshrined within the tabernacle that ,david had reared for it on ,mount ,zion4 ,the first is that ,david offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings before the ,lord4 ,the burnt-offering was a fresh memorial of sin1 and therefore a fresh confession that even in connection with that very holy service there were sins to be confessed1 atoned for1 and forgiven4 ,for there is this great difference between the service of the formalist and the service of the earnest worshipper3 that while the one can see nothing faulty in his performance1 the other sees a multitude of imperfections in his4 ,clearer light and a clearer eye1 even the light thrown by the glory of ,god's purity on the best works of man1 reveal a host of blemishes1 unseen in ordinary light and by the carnal eye4 ,our very prayers need to be purged1 our tears to be wept over1 our repentances repented of4 ,little could the best services ever done by him avail the spiritual worshipper if it were not for the ,high-priest over the house of ,god who ever liveth to make intercession for him4 ,again1 we find ,david after the offering of the burnt-offerings and the peace-offerings blessing the people in the name of the ,lord of hosts4 ,this was something more than merely expressing a wish or offering a prayer for their welfare4 ,it was like the benediction with which we close our public services4 ,the benediction is more than a prayer4 ,the servant of the ,lord appears in the attitude of dropping on the heads of the people the blessing which he invokes4 ,not that he or any man can convey heavenly blessings to a people that do not by faith appropriate them and rejoice in them4 ,but the act of benediction implies this3 ,these blessings are yours if you will only have them4 ,they are provided1 they are made over to you1 if you will only accept them4 ,the last act of public worship is a great encouragement to faith4 ,when the peace of ,god that passeth all understanding1 or the blessing of ,god the ,father1 ,son and ,holy ,ghost1 or the grace of the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 and the love of ,god1 and the communion of the ,holy ,ghost are invoked over your heads1 it is to assure you that if you will but accept of them through ,jesus ,christ1 these great blessings are actually yours4 ,true1 there is no part of our service more frequently spoiled by formality2 but there is none richer with true blessing to faith4 ,so when ,david blessed the people1 it was an assurance to them that ,god's blessing was within their reach2 it was theirs if they would only take it4 ,how strange that any hearts should be callous under such an announcement2 that any should fail to leap to it1 as it were1 and rejoice in it1 as glad tidings of great joy6 ,the third thing ,david did was to deal to every one of ,israel1 both man and woman1 a loaf of bread1 and a good piece of flesh1 and a flagon of wine4 ,it was a characteristic act1 worthy of a bountiful and generous nature like ,david's4 ,it may be that associating bodily gratifications with ,divine service is liable to abuse1 that the taste which it gratifies is not a high one1 and that it tempts some men to attend religious services for the same reason as some followed ,jesus--for the loaves and fishes4 ,yet ,jesus did not abstain on some rare occasions from feeding the multitude1 though the act was liable to abuse4 ,the example both of ,david and of ,jesus may show us that though not habitually1 yet occasionally1 it is both right and fitting that religious service should be associated with a simple repast4 ,there is nothing in ,scripture to warrant the practice1 adopted in some missions in very poor districts1 of feeding the people habitually when they come up for religious service1 and there is much in the argument that such a practice degrades religion and obscures the glory of the blessings which ,divine service is designed to bring to the poor4 ,but occasionally the rigid rule may be somewhat relaxed1 and thus a sort of symbolical proof afforded that godliness is profitable unto all things1 having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come4 ,the last thing recorded of ,david is1 that he returned to bless his house4 ,the cares of the ,state and the public duties of the day were not allowed to interfere with his domestic duty4 ,whatever may have been his ordinary practice1 on this occasion at least he was specially concerned for his household1 and desirous that in a special sense they should share the blessing4 ,it is plain from this that1 amid all the imperfections of his motley household1 he could not allow his children to grow up ignorant of ,god1 thus dealing a rebuke to all who1 outdoing the very heathen in heathenism1 have houses without an altar and without a ,god4 ,it is painful to find that the spirit of the king was not shared by every member of his family4 ,it was when he was returning to this duty that ,michal met him and addressed to him these insulting words3 ,how glorious was the king of ,israel to-day1 who uncovered himself to-day in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants1 as one of the vain fellows shamefully uncovers himself4 ,on the mind of ,david himself1 this ebullition had no effect but to confirm him in his feeling1 and reiterate his conviction that his enthusiasm reflected on him not shame but glory4 ,but a woman of ,michal's character could not but act like an icicle on the spiritual life of the household4 ,she belonged to a class that cannot tolerate enthusiasm in religion4 ,in any other cause1 enthusiasm may be excused1 perhaps extolled and admired3 in the painter1 the musician1 the traveller1 even the child of pleasure2 the only persons whose enthusiasm is unbearable are those who are enthusiastic in their regard for their ,saviour1 and in the answer they give to the question1 ,what shall ,i render to the ,lord for all ,his benefits toward me8 ,there are1 doubtless1 times to be calm1 and times to be enthusiastic2 but can it be right to give all our coldness to ,christ and all our enthusiasm to the world8 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,,proposal ,,to ,,build ,a ,,temple4 #b ,,samuel vii4 ,the spirit of ,david was essentially active and fond of work4 ,he was one of those who are ever pressing on1 not content to keep things as they are1 moving personally towards improvement1 and urging others to do the same4 ,even in ,eastern countries1 with their proverbial stillness and conservatism1 such men are sometimes found1 but they are far more common elsewhere4 ,great undertakings do not frighten them2 they have spirit enough for a lifetime of effort1 they never seem weary of pushing on4 ,when they look on the disorders of the world they are not content with the languid utterance1 ,something must be done2 they consider what it is possible for them to do1 and gird themselves to the doing of it4 ,for some time ,david seems to have found ample scope for his active energies in subduing the ,philistines and other hostile tribes that were yet mingled with the ,israelites1 and that had long given them much annoyance4 ,his friendship with ,hiram of ,tyre probably gave a new impulse to his mind1 and led him to project many improvements in ,jerusalem and elsewhere4 ,when all his enemies were quieted1 and he sat in his house1 he began to consider to what work of internal improvement he would now give his attention4 ,having recently removed the ,ark1 and placed it in a tabernacle on ,mount ,zion1 constructed probably in accordance with the instructions given to ,moses in the wilderness1 he did not at first contemplate the erection of any other kind of building for the service of ,god4 ,it was while he sat in his new and elegant house that the idea came into his mind that it was not seemly that he should be lodged in so substantial a home1 while the ,ark of ,god dwelt between curtains4 ,curtains might have been suitable1 nay1 necessary1 in the wilderness1 where the ,ark had constantly to be moved about2 and even in the land of ,israel1 while the nation was comparatively unsettled1 curtains might still have been best2 but now that a permanent resting-place had been found for the ,ark1 was it right that there should be such a contrast between the dwelling-place of ,david and the dwelling-place of ,god8 ,it was the very argument that was afterwards used by ,haggai and ,zechariah after the return from captivity1 to rouse the languid zeal of their countrymen for the re-erection of the house of ,god4 ,is it time for you1 ,o ye1 to dwell in your ceiled houses and this house lie waste8 ,a generous heart1 even though it be a godless one1 is uncomfortable when surrounded by elegance and luxury1 while starvation and misery prevail in its neighbourhood4 ,we see in our day the working of this feeling in those cases1 unhappily too few1 where men and women born to gold and grandeur feel wretched unless they are doing something to equalise the conditions of life by helping those who are born to rags and wretchedness4 ,to the feelings of the godly a disreputable place of worship1 contrasting meanly with the taste and elegance of the hall1 or even the villa1 is a pain and a reproach4 ,there is not much need at the present day for urging the unseemliness of such a contrast1 for the tendency of our time is toward handsome church buildings1 and in many cases towards extravagance in the way of embellishment4 ,what we have more need to look at is the disproportion of the sums paid by rich men1 and even by men who can hardly be called rich1 in gratifying their own tastes and in extending the kingdom of ,christ4 ,we are far from blaming those who1 having great wealth1 spend large sums from year to year on yachts1 on equipages1 on picture galleries1 on jewellery and costly furnishings4 ,wealth which remunerates honest and wholesome labour is not all selfishly thrown away4 ,but it is somewhat strange that we hear so seldom of rich ,christian men devoting their superfluous wealth to maintaining a mission station with a whole staff of labourers1 or to the rearing of colleges1 or hospitals1 or ,christian institutions1 which might provide on a large scale for ,christian activity in ways that might be wonderfully useful4 ,it is in this direction that there is most need to press the example of ,david4 ,when shall this new enlargement of ,christian activity take place8 ,or when shall men learn that the pleasure of spreading the blessings of the ,gospel by the equipment and maintenance of a foreign missionary or mission station far exceeds anything to be derived from refinements and luxuries of which they themselves are the object and the centre8 ,when the thought of building a temple occurred to ,david1 he conferred on the subject with the prophet ,nathan4 ,the ,scripture narrative is so brief that it gives us no information about ,nathan1 except in connection with two or three events in which he had a share4 ,apparently he was a prophet of ,jerusalem1 on intimate terms with ,david1 and perhaps attached to his court4 ,when first consulted on the subject by the king1 he gave him a most encouraging answer1 but without having taken any special steps to ascertain the mind of ,god4 ,he presumed that as the undertaking was itself so good1 and as ,david generally was so manifestly under ,divine guidance1 nothing was to be said but that he should go on4 ,nathan said to the king1 ,go1 do all that is in thine heart1 for the ,lord is with thee4 ,that same night1 however1 a message came to ,nathan that gave a new complexion to the proposal4 ,he was instructed to remind ,david1 first1 that ,god had never complained of ,his tabernacle-dwelling from the day when ,he brought up the children of ,israel to that hour1 and had never given a hint that ,he desired a house of cedar4 ,further1 he was commissioned to convey to ,david the assurance of ,god's continued interest and favour towards him--of that interest which began by taking him from the sheepfold to make him king over ,israel1 and which had been shown continuously in the success which had been given him in all his enterprises1 and the great name he had acquired1 entitling him to rank with the great men of the earth4 ,towards the nation of ,israel1 too1 ,god was actuated by the same feeling of affectionate interest2 they would be planted1 set firm in a place of their own1 delivered from the thraldom of enemies1 and allowed to prosper and expand in peace and comfort4 ,still further--and this was a very special blessing--,nathan was to inform ,david that1 unlike ,saul1 he was not to be the only one of his race to occupy the throne2 his son would reign after he was gathered to his fathers1 the kingdom would be established in his hands1 and the throne of his kingdom would be established for ever4 ,to this favoured son of his would be entrusted the honour of building the temple1 ,god would be his ,father1 and he would be ,god's son4 ,if he should fall into sin1 he would be chastised for his sin1 but not destroyed4 ,the ,divine mercy would not depart from him as it had departed from ,saul4 ,the kernel of the message was in these gracious concluding words--,thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee2 thy throne shall be established for ever4 ,here1 certainly1 was a very remarkable message1 containing both elements of refusal and elements of encouragement4 ,the proposal which ,david had made to build a temple was declined4 ,the time for a change1 though drawing near1 had not yet arrived4 ,the curtain-canopied tabernacle had been designed by ,god to wean ,his people from those sensuous ideas of worship to which the magnificent temples of ,egypt had accustomed them1 and to give them the true idea of a spiritual service1 though not without the visible emblem of a present ,god4 ,the time had not yet arrived for changing this simple arrangement4 ,god could impart ,his blessing in the humble tent as well as in the stately temple4 ,as long as it was ,god's pleasure to dwell in the tabernacle1 so long might ,david expect that ,his grace would be imparted there4 ,so we may say1 that so long as it is manifestly ,god's pleasure that a body of ,his worshippers shall occupy a humble tabernacle1 so long may they expect that ,he will shine forth there1 imparting that fulness of grace and blessing which is the true and only glory of any place of worship4 ,but the message through ,nathan contained also elements of encouragement1 chiefly with reference to ,david's offspring1 and to the stability and permanence of his throne4 ,to appreciate the value of this promise for the future1 we must bear in mind the great insecurity of new dynasties in ,eastern countries1 and the fearful tragedies that were often perpetrated to get rid of the old king's family1 and prepare the way for some ambitious and unscrupulous usurper4 ,we hardly need to recall the tragic end of ,saul1 the base murder of ,ishbosheth1 or the painful deaths of ,asahel and ,abner4 ,we have but to think of what happened in the sister kingdom of the ten tribes1 from the death of the son of its first king1 ,jeroboam1 on to its final extinction4 ,what an awful record the history of that kingdom presents of conspiracies1 murders1 and massacres6 ,how miserable a distinction it was to be of the seed royal in those days6 ,it only made one the more conspicuous a mark for the poisoned cup or the assassin's dagger4 ,it associated with the highest families of the realm horrors and butcheries of which the poorest had no cause even to dream4 ,any one who had been raised to a throne could not but sicken at the thought of the atrocities which his very elevation might one day bring upon his children4 ,a new king could hardly enjoy his dignity but by steeling his heart against every feeling of parental love4 ,and1 moreover1 these constant changes of the royal family were very hurtful to the kingdom at large4 ,they divided it into sections that raged against each other with terrible fury4 ,for of all wars civil wars are the worst for the fierceness of the passions they evoke1 and the horrors which they inflict4 ,scotland and ,england too have had too much experience of these conflicts in other days4 ,many generations have elapsed since they were ended1 but we have many memorials still of the desolation which they spread1 while our progress and prosperity1 ever since they passed away1 show us clearly of what a multitude of mercies they robbed the land4 ,to ,david1 therefore1 it was an unspeakable comfort to be assured that his dynasty would be a stable dynasty2 that his son would reign after him2 that a succession of princes would follow with unquestioned right to the throne2 and that if his son1 or his son's son1 should commit sins deserving of chastisement1 that chastisement would not be withheld1 but it would not be fatal1 it would bring the needed correction1 and thus the throne would be secure for ever4 ,a father naturally desires peace and prosperity for his children1 and if he extends his view down the generations1 the desire is strong that it may be well with them and with their seed for ever4 ,but no father1 in ordinary circumstances1 can flatter himself that his posterity shall escape their share of the current troubles and calamities of life4 ,david1 but for this assurance1 must have looked forward to his posterity encountering their share of those nameless horrors to which royal children were often born4 ,it was an unspeakable privilege to learn1 as he did now1 that his dynasty would be alike permanent and secure2 that1 as a rule1 his children would not be exposed to the atrocities of ,oriental successions2 that they would be under the special care and protection of ,god2 that their faults would be corrected without their being destroyed2 and that this state of blessing would continue for ages and ages to come4 ,the emotions roused in ,david by this communication were alike delightful and exuberant4 ,he takes no notice of the disappointment--of his not being permitted to build the temple4 ,any regret that this might occasion is swallowed up by his delight in the store of blessing actually promised4 ,and here we may see a remarkable instance of ,god's way of dealing with ,his people's prayers4 ,virtually1 if not formally1 ,david had asked of ,god to permit him to build a temple to ,his name4 ,that petition1 bearing though it did very directly on ,god's glory1 is not vouchsafed4 ,god does not accord that privilege to ,david4 ,but in refusing him that request1 ,he makes over to him mercies of far higher reach and importance4 ,he refuses his immediate request only to grant to him far above all that he was able to ask or think4 ,and how often does ,god do so6 ,how often1 when ,his people are worrying and perplexing themselves about their prayers not being answered1 is ,god answering them in a far richer way6 ,glimpses of this we see occasionally1 but the full revelation of it remains for the future4 ,you pray to the degree of agony for the preservation of a beloved life2 it is not granted2 ,god appears deaf to your cry2 a year or two after1 things happen that would have broken your friend's heart or driven reason from its throne2 you understand now why ,god did not fulfil your petition4 ,oh for the spirit of trust that shall never charge ,god foolishly6 ,oh for the faith that does not make haste1 but waits patiently for the ,lord1--waits for the explanation that shall come in the end1 at the revelation of ,jesus ,christ6 ,it is a striking scene that is presented to us when ,david went in1 and sat before the ,lord4 ,it is the only instance in ,scripture in which any one is said to have taken the attitude of sitting while pouring his heart out to ,god4 ,yet the nature of the communion was in keeping with the attitude4 ,david was like a child sitting down beside his father1 to think over some wonderfully kind expression of his intentions to him1 and pour out his full heart into his ear4 ,we may observe in the address of ,david how pervaded it is by the tone of wonder4 ,this1 indeed1 is its great characteristic4 ,he expresses wonder at the past1 at ,god's selecting one obscure in family and obscure in person2 he wonders at the present3 ,how is it ,thou hast brought me thus far8 and still more he wonders at the future1 the provision made for the stability of his house in all time coming4 ,and is this the manner of man1 ,o ,lord ,god8#c ,all true religious feeling is pervaded by an element of wonder2 it is this element that warms and elevates it4 ,in ,david's case it kindles intense adoration and gratitude1 with reference both to ,god's dealings with himself and ,his dealings with ,israel4 ,what one nation in the earth is like ,thy people1 even like ,israel1 whom ,god went to redeem for a people to ,himself1 and to make ,him a name1 and to do for you great things and terrible1 for ,thy land1 before ,thy people1 which ,thou redeemedst to ,thee from ,egypt1 from the nations and their gods8 ,this wonder at past goodness1 moreover1 begets great confidence for the future4 ,and ,david warmly and gratefully expresses this confidence1 and looks forward with exulting feelings to the blessings reserved for him and his house4 ,and finally he falls into the attitude of supplication1 and prays that it may all come to pass4 ,not that he doubts ,god's word2 the tone of the whole prayer is the tone of gratitude for the past and confidence in the future4 ,but he feels it right to take up the attitude of a suppliant1 to show1 as we believe1 that it must all come of ,god's free and infinite mercy2 that not one of all the good things which ,god had promised could be claimed as a right1 for the least and the greatest were due alike to the rich grace of a sovereign ,god4 ,therefore now let it please ,thee to bless the house of ,thy servant1 that it may continue for ever before ,thee2 for ,thou1 ,o ,lord ,god1 hast spoken it1 and with ,thy blessing let the house of ,thy servant be blessed for ever4 ,appropriate ending for a remarkable prayer6 appropriate1 too1 not for ,david only1 but for every ,christian praying for his country1 and for every ,christian father praying for his family6 ,with ,thy blessing1 bestowed alike in mercy and in chastisement1 in what ,thou givest and in what ,thou withholdest1 but making all things work together for eternal good--,with ,thy blessing let the house of ,thy servant be blessed for ever4 ,we seem to see in this prayer the very best of ,david--much intensity of feeling1 great humility1 wondering gratitude1 holy intimacy and trust1 and supreme satisfaction in the blessing of ,god4 ,we see him walking in the very light of ,god's countenance1 and supremely happy4 ,we see ,jacob's ladder between earth and heaven1 and the angels of ,god ascending and descending on it4 ,moreover1 we see the infinite privilege which is involved in having ,god for our ,father1 and in being able to realise that ,he is full of most fatherly feelings to us4 ,the joy of ,david in this act of fellowship with ,god was the purest of which human beings are capable4 ,it was indeed a joy unspeakable and full of glory4 ,oh that men would but acquaint themselves with ,god and be at peace6 ,let it be our aim to cherish as warm sentiments of trust in ,god1 and to look forward to the future with equal satisfaction and delight4 ,a very important question arises in connection with this chapter1 to which we have not yet adverted1 but which we cannot pass by4 ,in that promise of ,god respecting the stability of ,david's throne and the perpetual duration of his dynasty1 was there any reference to the ,messiah1 any reference to the spiritual kingdom of which alone it could be said with truth that it was to last for ever8 ,the answer to this question is very plain1 because some of the words addressed by ,god to ,david are quoted in the ,new ,testament as having a ,messianic reference4 ,to which of the angels said ,he at any time1 ,i will be to him a ,father1 and he shall be to ,me a son8 7,heb4 i4 #e74 ,if we consider1 too1 how ,david's dynasty really came to an end as a reigning family some five hundred years after1 we see that the language addressed to him was not exhausted by the fortunes of his family4 ,in the ,divine mind the prophecy reached forward to the time of ,christ1 and only in ,christ was it fully verified4 ,and it seems plain from some words of ,st4 ,peter on the day of ,pentecost that ,david understood this4 ,he knew that ,god had sworn to him that of the fruit of his loins1 according to the flesh1 ,he would raise up ,christ to sit on ,his throne 7,acts ii4 #cj74 ,from the very exalted emotions which the promise raised in his breast1 and the enthusiasm with which he poured forth his thanksgivings for it1 we infer that ,david saw in it far more than a promise that for generations to come his house would enjoy a royal dignity4 ,he must have concluded that the great hope of ,israel was to be fulfilled in connection with his race4 ,god's words implied1 that it was in ,his line the promise to ,abraham was to be fulfilled--,in thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed4 ,he saw ,christ's day afar off and was glad4 ,to us who look back on that day the reasons for gladness and gratitude are far stronger than they were even to him4 ,then let us prize the glorious fact that the ,son of ,david has come1 even the ,son of ,god1 who hath given us understanding that we may know ,him that is true4 ,and while we prize the truth1 let us embrace the privilege2 let us become one with ,him in whom we too become sons of ,god1 and with whom we may cherish the hope of reigning for ever as kings and priests1 when ,he comes to gather ,his redeemed that they may sit with ,him on the throne of ,his glory4 ,,footnote3 #c ,the expression is very obscure1 whether we take the affirmative form of the ,revised ,version or the interrogative form of the ,authorised ,version4 ,and this1 too1 after the manner of men1 ,o ,lord ,god6 7,r4,v47 ,we must choose between these opposite meanings4 ,we prefer the interrogative form of the ,a4,v4 ,david's wonder being the more excited that ,god's ways were here so much above man's4 ,,chapter ,x4 ,,foreign ,,wars4 #b ,,samuel viii4 #a-ad4 ,the transitions of the ,bible1 like those of actual life1 are often singularly abrupt2 that which now hurries us from the scene of elevated communion with ,god to the confused noise and deadly struggles of the battle-field is peculiarly startling4 ,we are called to contemplate ,david in a remarkable light1 as a professional warrior1 a man of the sword1 a man of blood2 wielding the weapons of destruction with all the decision and effect of the most daring commanders4 ,that the sweet singer of ,israel1 from whose tender heart those blessed words poured out to which the troubled soul turns for composure and peace1 should have been so familiar with the horrors of the battle-field1 is indeed a surprise4 ,we can only say that he was led to regard all this rough work as indispensable to the very existence of his kingdom1 and to the fulfilment of the great ends for which ,israel had been called4 ,painful and miserable though it was in itself1 it was necessary for the accomplishment of greater good4 ,the bloodthirsty spirit of these hostile nations would have swallowed up the kingdom of ,israel1 and left no trace of it remaining4 ,the promise to ,abraham1 ,in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed1 would have ceased to have any basis for its fulfilment4 ,painful though it was to deal death and destruction on every side1 it would have been worse to see the nation of ,israel destroyed1 and the foundation of the world's greatest blessings swept for ever away4 ,the rest from all his enemies round about1 referred to in the first verse of the seventh chapter1 seems to refer to the nearer enemies of the kingdom1 while the wars mentioned in the present chapter were mostly with enemies more remote4 ,the most important of the wars now to be considered was directed against the occupants of that large territory lying between ,palestine and the ,euphrates which ,god had promised to ,abraham1 although no command had been given to dispossess the inhabitants1 and therefore it could be held only in tributary subjection4 ,in some respects1 ,david was the successor of ,joshua as well as of ,moses4 ,he had to continue ,joshua's work of conquest1 as well as ,moses' work of political arrangement and administration4 ,the nations against whom he had now to go forth were most of them warlike and powerful2 some of them were banded together in leagues against him1 rendering his enterprise very perilous1 and such as could have been undertaken by no one who had not an immovable trust in ,god4 ,the twentieth ,psalm seems to express the feelings with which the godly part of the nation would regard him as he went forth to these distant and perilous enterprises3-- ,the ,lord answer thee in the day of trouble2 ,the name of the ,god of ,jacob set thee up on high2 ,send thee help from the sanctuary1 ,and strengthen thee out of ,zion2 ,remember all thy offerings1 ,and accept thy burnt-sacrifice2 ,selah ,grant thee thy heart's desire1 ,and fulfil all thy counsel4 ,we will triumph in thy salvation1 ,and in the name of our ,god we will set up our banners3 ,the ,lord fulfil all thy petitions4 ,now know ,i that the ,lord saveth ,his anointed2 ,he will answer him from ,his holy heaven ,with the saving strength of ,his right hand4 ,some trust in chariots1 and some in horses1 ,but we will make mention of the name of the ,lord our ,god4 ,they are bowed down and fallen2 ,but we are risen1 and stand upright4 ,save1 ,lord2 ,let the ,king answer us when we call4 ,it is an instructive fact that the history of these wars is given so shortly4 ,a single verse is all that is given to most of the campaigns4 ,this brevity shows very clearly that another spirit than that which moulded ordinary histories guided the composition of this book4 ,it would be beyond human nature to resist the temptation to describe great battles1 the story of which is usually read with such breathless interest1 and which gratify the pride of the people and reflect glory on the nation4 ,it is not the object of ,divine revelation to furnish either brief annals or full details of wars and other national events1 except in so far as they have a spiritual bearing--a bearing on the relation between ,god and the people4 ,from first to last the purpose of the ,bible is simply to unfold the dispensation of grace1--,god's progress in revelation of ,his method of making an end of sin1 and bringing in everlasting righteousness4 ,we shall briefly notice what is said regarding the different undertakings4 #a4 ,the first campaign was against the ,philistines4 ,not even their disastrous discomfiture near the plain of ,rephaim had taught submission to that restless people4 ,on this occasion ,david carried the war into their own country1 and took some of their towns1 establishing garrisons there1 as the ,philistines had done formerly in the land of ,israel4 ,there is some obscurity in the words which describe one of his conquests4 ,according to the ,authorised ,version1 ,he took ,metheg-ammah out of the hand of the ,philistines4 ,the ,revised ,version renders1 ,he took the bridle of the mother city out of the hand of the ,philistines4 ,the parallel passage in #a ,chron4 xviii4 #a has it1 ,he took ,gath and her towns out of the hand of the ,philistines4 ,this last rendering is quite plain2 the other passage must be explained in its light4 ,gath1 the city of ,king ,achish1 to which ,david had fled twice for refuge1 now fell into his hands4 ,the loss of ,gath must have been a great humiliation to the ,philistines2 not even ,samson had ever inflicted on them such a blow4 ,and the policy that led ,david 7it could hardly have been without painful feelings7 to possess himself of ,gath turned out successful2 the aggressive spirit of the ,philistines was now fairly subdued1 and ,israel finally delivered from the attacks of a neighbour that had kept them for many generations in constant discomfort4 #b4 ,his next campaign was against ,moab4 ,as ,david himself had at one time taken refuge in ,gath1 so he had committed his father and mother to the custody of the king of ,moab 7#a ,sam4 xxii4 #c1 #d74 ,jewish writers have a tradition that after a time the king put his parents to death1 and that this was the origin of the war which he carried on against them4 ,that ,david had received from them some strong provocation1 and deemed it necessary to inflict a crushing blow for the security of that part of his kingdom1 it seems hardly possible to doubt4 ,ingratitude was none of his failings1 nor would he who was so grateful to the men of ,jabesh-gilead for burying ,saul and his sons have been severe on ,moab if ,moab had acted the part of a true friend in caring for his father and mother4 ,when we read of the severity practised on the army of ,moab1 we are shocked4 ,and yet it is recorded rather as a token of forbearance than a mark of severity4 ,how came it that the ,moabite army was so completely in ,david's power8 ,usually1 as we have seen1 when an army was defeated it was pursued by the victors1 and in the course of the flight a terrible slaughter ensued4 ,but the ,moabite army had come into ,david's power comparatively whole4 ,this could only have been through some successful piece of generalship1 by which ,david had shut them up in a position where resistance was impossible4 ,many an ,eastern conqueror would have put the whole army to the sword2 ,david with a measuring line measured two-thirds for destruction and a full third for preservation4 ,thus the ,moabites in the south-east were subdued as thoroughly as the ,philistines in the south-west1 and brought tribute to the conqueror1 in token of their subjection4 ,the explanation of some commentators that it was not the army1 but the fortresses1 of ,moab that ,david dealt with is too strained to be for a moment entertained4 ,it proceeds on a desire to make ,david superior to his age1 on unwillingness to believe1 what1 however1 lies on the very surface of the story1 that in the main features of his warlike policy he fell in with the maxims and spirit of the time4 #c4 ,the third of his campaigns was against ,hadadezer1 the son of ,rehob1 king of ,zobah4 ,it is said in the chapter before us that the encounter with this prince took place as he went to recover his border at the river ,euphrates2 in the parallel passage of #a ,chronicles it is as he went to establish his dominion by the river ,euphrates4 ,the natural interpretation is1 that ,david was on his way to establish his dominion by the river ,euphrates1 when this ,hadadezer came out to oppose him4 ,the terms of the covenant of ,god with ,abraham assigned to him the land from the river of ,egypt to the great river1 the river ,euphrates 7,gen4 xv4 #ah71 and when the territory was again defined to ,joshua1 its boundary was from the wilderness and this ,lebanon even unto the great river1 the river ,euphrates4 ,under the provisions of this covenant1 as made by ,him whose is the earth and the fulness thereof1 ,david held himself entitled to fix the boundary of his dominion by the banks of the river4 ,in what particular form he designed to do this1 we are not informed2 but whatever may have been his purpose1 ,hadadezer set himself to defeat it4 ,the encounter with ,hadadezer could not but have been serious to ,david1 for his enemy had a great force of military chariots and horsemen against whom he could oppose no force of the same kind4 ,nevertheless1 ,david's victory was complete2 and in dealing with that very force in which he himself was utterly deficient1 he was quite triumphant2 for he took from his opponent a thousand and seven hundred horsemen1 as well as twenty thousand footmen4 ,there must have been some remarkable stroke of genius in this achievement1 for nothing is more apt to embarrass and baffle a commonplace general than the presence of an opposing force to which his army affords no counterpart4 #d4 ,but though ,david had defeated ,hadadezer1 not far1 as we suppose1 from the base of ,mount ,hermon1 his path to the ,euphrates was by no means clear4 ,another body of ,syrians1 the ,syrians of ,damascus1 having come from that city to help ,hadadezer1 seem to have been too late for this purpose1 and to have encountered ,david alone4 ,this1 too1 was a very serious enterprise for ,david2 for though we are not informed whether1 like ,hadadezer1 they had arms which the king of ,israel could not match1 it is certain that the army of so rich and civilized a state as ,syria of ,damascus would possess all the advantages that wealth and experience could bestow4 ,but in his battle with them1 ,david was again completely victorious4 ,the slaughter was very great--two-and-twenty thousand men4 ,this immense figure illustrates our remark a little while ago3 that the slaughter of defeated and retreating armies was usually prodigious4 ,so entire was the humiliation of this proud and ancient kingdom1 that the ,syrians became servants to ,david1 and brought presents1 thus acknowledging his suzerainty over them4 ,between the precious things that were thus offered to ,king ,david and the spoil which he took from captured cities1 he brought to ,jerusalem an untold mass of wealth1 which he afterwards dedicated for the building of the ,temple4 #e4 ,in one case1 the campaign was a peaceful one4 ,when ,toi1 king of ,hamath1 heard that ,david had smitten all the host of ,hadadezer1 then ,toi sent ,joram his son unto ,king ,david to salute him and to bless him1 because he had fought against ,hadadezer and had smitten him1 for ,hadadezer had wars with ,toi4 ,the kingdom of ,toi lay in the valley between the two parallel ranges of ,lebanon and anti-,lebanon1 and it too was within the promised boundary1 which extended to the entering in of ,hamath4 ,accordingly1 the son of ,toi brought with him vessels of silver1 and vessels of gold1 and vessels of brass2 these also did ,king ,david dedicate to the ,lord4 ,the fame of ,david as a warrior was now such1 at least in these northern regions1 that further resistance seemed out of the question4 ,submission was the only course when the conqueror was evidently supported by the might of ,heaven4 #f4 ,in the south1 however1 there seems to have been more of a spirit of opposition4 ,no particulars of the campaign against the ,edomites are given2 but it is stated that ,david put garrisons in ,edom2 throughout all ,edom put he garrisons1 and all the ,edomites became servants to ,david4 ,the placing of garrisons through all their country shows how obstinate these ,edomites were1 and how certain to have returned to fresh acts of hostility had they not been held in restraint by these garrisons4 ,from the introduction to ,psalm lx4 it would appear that the insurrection of ,edom took place while ,david was in the north contending with the two bodies of ,syrians that opposed him--the ,syrians of ,zobah and those of ,damascus4 ,it would appear that ,joab was detached from the army in ,syria in order that he might deal with the ,edomites4 ,in the introduction to the ,psalm1 twelve thousand of the ,edomites are said to have fallen in the ,valley of ,salt4 ,in the passage now before us1 it is said that eighteen thousand ,syrians fell in that valley4 ,the ,valley of ,salt is in the territory of ,edom4 ,it may be that a detachment of ,syrian troops was sent to aid the ,edomites1 and that both sustained a terrible slaughter4 ,or it may be that1 as in ,hebrew the words for ,syria and ,edom are very similar 7 and 71 the one word may by accident have been substituted for the other4 #g4 ,mention is also made of the ,ammonites1 the ,amalekites1 and the ,philistines as having been subdued by ,david4 ,probably in the case of the ,philistines and the ,amalekites the reference is to the previous campaign already recorded1 while the ,ammonite campaign may be the one of which we have the record afterwards4 ,but the reference to these campaigns is accompanied with no particulars4 ,twice in the course of this chapter we read that the ,lord gave ,david victory whithersoever he went4 ,it does not appear1 however1 that the victory was always purchased with ease1 or the situation of ,david and his armies free from serious dangers4 ,the sixtieth ,psalm1 the title of which ascribes it to this period1 makes very plain allusion to a time of extraordinary trouble and disaster in connection with one of these campaigns4 ,o ,god1 ,thou hast cast us off2 ,thou hast scattered us2 ,thou hast been displeased3 oh turn ,thyself to us again4 ,it is probable that when ,david first encountered the ,syrians he was put to great straits1 his difficulty being aggravated by his distance from home and the want of suitable supplies4 ,if the ,edomites1 taking advantage of his difficulty1 chose the time to make an attack on the southern border of the kingdom1 and if the king was obliged to diminish his own force by sending ,joab against ,edom1 with part of his men1 his position must have been trying indeed4 ,but ,david did not let go his trust in ,god2 courage and confidence came to him by prayer1 and he was able to say1 ,through ,god we shall do valiantly2 for ,he it is that shall tread down all our enemies4 ,the effect of these victories must have been very striking4 ,in the ,song of the ,bow1 ,david had celebrated the public services of ,saul1 who had clothed the daughters of ,israel in scarlet1 with other delights1 who had put on ornaments of gold on their apparel2 but all that ,saul had done for the kingdom was now thrown into the shade by the achievements of ,david4 ,with all his bravery1 ,saul had never been able to subdue his enemies1 far less to extend the limits of the kingdom4 ,david accomplished both2 and it is the secret of the difference that is expressed in the words1 ,the ,lord gave victory to ,david whithersoever he went4 ,it is one of the great lessons of the ,old ,testament that the godly man can and does perform his duty better than any other man1 because the ,lord is with him3 that whether he be steward of a house1 or keeper of a prison1 or ruler of a kingdom1 like ,joseph2 or a judge and lawgiver1 like ,moses2 or a warrior1 like ,samson1 or ,gideon1 or ,jephthah2 or a king1 like ,david1 or ,jehoshaphat1 or ,josiah2 or a prime minister1 like ,daniel1 his godliness helps him to do his duty as no other man can do his4 ,this is especially a prominent lesson in the book of ,psalms2 it is inscribed on its very portals2 for the godly man1 as the very first ,psalm tells us1 shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water1 that bringeth forth his fruit in his season2 his leaf also shall not wither1 and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper4 ,in these warlike expeditions1 ,king ,david foreshadowed the spiritual conquests of the ,son of ,david1 who went forth conquering and to conquer1 staggered for a moment1 as in ,gethsemane1 by the rude shock of confederate enemies1 but through prayer regaining his confidence in ,god1 and triumphing in the hour and power of darkness4 ,that noble effusion of fire and feeling1 the sixty-eighth ,psalm1 seems to have been written in connection with these wars4 ,the soul of the ,psalmist is stirred to its depths2 the majestic goings of ,jehovah1 recently witnessed by the nation1 have roused his most earnest feelings1 and he strains every nerve to produce a like feeling in the people4 ,the recent exploits of the king are ranked with ,his doings when ,he marched before ,his people through the wilderness1 and ,mount ,sinai shook before ,him4 ,great delight is expressed in ,god's having taken up ,his abode on ,his holy hill1 in the exaltation of ,his people in connection with that step1 and likewise in looking forward to the future and anticipating the peaceful triumphs when princes should come out of ,egypt1 and ,ethiopia stretch forth her arms to ,god4 ,benevolent and missionary longings mingle with the emotions of the conqueror and the feelings of the patriot4 ,sing unto the ,lord1 ye kingdoms of the earth2 ,oh1 sing praises unto the ,lord1 ,to ,him that rideth upon the heaven of heavens that are of old4 ,lo1 ,he uttereth ,his voice1 and that a mighty voice4 ,it is interesting to see how in this extension of his influence among heathen nations1 the ,psalmist began to cherish and express these missionary longings1 and to call on the nations to sing praises unto the ,lord4 ,it has been remarked that1 in the ordinary course of ,providence1 the ,bible follows the sword1 that the seed of the ,gospel falls into furrows that have been prepared by war4 ,of this missionary spirit we find many evidences in the ,psalms4 ,it was delightful to the ,psalmist to think of the spiritual blessings that were to spread even beyond the limits of the great empire that now owned the sway of the king of ,israel4 ,mount ,zion was to become the birth-place of the nations2 from ,egypt and ,babylonia1 from ,philistia1 ,tyre1 and ,ethiopia1 additions were to be made to her citizens 7,ps4 lxxxvii474 ,the people shall be gathered together1 and the nations1 to serve the ,lord 7,ps4 cii4 #bb74 ,all the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the ,lord1 and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before ,him 7,ps4 xxii4 #bg74 ,all nations whom ,thou hast made shall come and worship before ,thee1 ,o ,lord2 and they shall glorify ,thy name 7,ps4 lxxxvi4 #i74 ,make a joyful noise unto the ,lord1 all ye lands4 ,enter into ,his gates with thanksgiving1 and into ,his courts with praise 7,ps4 c4 #a1 #d74 ,alas1 the era of wars has not yet passed away4 ,even ,christian nations have been woefully slow to apply the ,christian precept1 ,inasmuch as lieth in you1 live peaceably with all men4 ,but let us at least make an earnest endeavour that if there must be war1 its course may be followed up by the heralds of mercy1 and that wherever there may occur the battle of the warrior1 and garments rolled in blood1 there also it may speedily be proclaimed1 ,unto us a ,child is born1 unto us a ,son is given1 and the government is on ,his shoulders3 and ,his name is called ,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 ,mighty ,god1 the ,everlasting ,father1 ,prince of ,peace 7,isa4 ix4 #f74 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,,administration ,,of ,,the ,,kingdom4 #b ,,samuel viii4 #ae-ah4 ,if the records of ,david's warlike expeditions are brief1 still more so are the notices of his work of peace4 ,how he fulfilled his royal functions when there was no war to draw him from home1 and to engross the attention both of the king and his officers of state1 is told us here in the very briefest terms1 barely affording even the outline of a picture4 ,yet it is certain that the activity of ,david's character1 his profound interest in the welfare of his people1 and his remarkable talent for administration1 led in this department to very conspicuous and remarkable results4 ,some of the ,psalms afford glimpses both of the principles on which he acted1 and the results at which he aimed1 that are fitted to be of much use in filling up the bare skeleton now before us4 ,in this point of view1 the subject may become interesting and instructive1 as undoubtedly it is highly important4 ,for we must remember that it was with reference to the spirit in which he was to rule that ,david was called the man after ,god's heart1 and that he formed such a contrast to his predecessor4 ,and further we are to bear in mind that in respect of the moral and spiritual qualities of his reign ,david had for his ,successor the ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,the ,lord ,god will give unto ,him the throne of ,his servant ,david1 said the angel ,gabriel to ,mary1 and ,he shall reign over the house of ,judah for ever1 and of ,his kingdom there shall be no end4 ,it becomes us to make the most of what is told us of the peaceful administration of ,david's kingdom1 in order to understand the grounds on which our ,lord is said to have occupied ,his throne4 ,the first statement in the verses before us is comprehensive and suggestive3 ,and ,david reigned over all ,israel2 and ,david executed judgment and justice unto all his people4 ,the first thing pointed out to us here is the catholicity of his kingly government1 embracing all ,israel1 all people4 ,he did not bestow his attention on one favoured section of the people1 to the neglect or careless oversight of the rest4 ,he did not1 for example1 seek the prosperity of his own tribe1 ,judah1 to the neglect of the other eleven4 ,in a word1 there was no favouritism in his reign4 ,this is not to say that he did not like some of his subjects better than the rest4 ,there is every reason to believe that he liked the tribe of ,judah best4 ,but whatever preferences of this kind he may have had--and he would not have been man if he had had none--they did not limit or restrict his royal interest2 they did not prevent him from seeking the welfare of every portion of the land1 of every section of the people4 ,just as1 in the days when he was a shepherd1 there were probably some of his sheep and lambs for which he had a special affection1 yet that did not prevent him from studying the welfare of the whole flock and of every animal in it with most conscientious care2 so was it with his people4 ,the least interesting of them were sacred in his eyes4 ,they were part of his charge1 and they were to be studied and cared for in the same manner as the rest4 ,in this he reflected that universality of ,god's care on which we find the ,psalmist dwelling with such complacency3 ,the ,lord is good to all2 and ,his tender mercies are over all ,his works4 ,the eyes of all wait upon ,thee2 and ,thou givest them their meat in due season4 ,thou openest ,thine hand1 and satisfiest the desire of every living thing4 ,and may we not add that this quality of ,david's rule foreshadowed the catholicity of ,christ's kingdom and ,his glorious readiness to bestow blessing on every side8 ,come unto ,me1 all ye that labour and are heavy-laden1 and ,i will give you rest4 ,on the last1 that great day of the feast1 ,jesus stood and cried1 ,if any man thirst1 let him come unto ,me and drink4 ,where there is neither ,jew nor ,greek1 circumcision nor uncircumcision1 bond nor free2 but ,christ is all and in all4 ,ye are all one in ,christ ,jesus4 ,in the next place1 we have much to learn from the statement that the most prominent thing that ,david did was to execute judgment and justice to the people4 ,that was the solid foundation on which all his benefits rested4 ,and these words are not words of form or words of course4 ,for it is never said that ,saul did anything of the kind4 ,there is nothing to show that ,saul was really interested in the welfare of the people1 or that he took any pains to secure that just and orderly administration on which the prosperity of his kingdom depended4 ,and most certainly they are not words that could have been used of the ordinary government of ,oriental kings4 ,tyranny1 injustice1 oppression1 robbery of the poor by the rich1 government by favourites more cruel and unprincipled than their masters1 imprisonments1 fines1 conspiracies1 and assassinations1 were the usual features of ,eastern government4 ,and to a great extent they are features of the government of ,syria and other ,eastern countries even at the present day4 ,it is in vivid contrast to all these things that it is said1 ,david executed judgment and justice4 ,perhaps there is no need for assigning a separate meaning to each of these words2 they may be regarded as just a forcible combination to denote the all-pervading justice which was the foundation of the whole government4 ,he was just in the laws which he laid down1 and just in the decisions which he gave4 ,he was inaccessible to bribes1 proof against the influence of the rich and powerful1 and deaf in such matters to every plea of expediency2 he regarded nothing but the scales of justice4 ,what confidence and comfort an administration of this kind brought may in some measure be inferred from the extraordinary satisfaction of many an ,eastern people at this day when the administration of justice is committed even to foreigners1 if their one aim will be to deal justly with all4 ,on this foundation1 as on solid rock1 a ruler may go on to devise many things for the welfare of his people4 ,but apart from this any scheme of general improvement which may be devised is sure to be a failure1 and all the money and wisdom and practical ability that may be expended upon it will only share the fate of the numberless cart-loads of solid material in the ,pilgrim's ,progress that were cast into the ,slough of ,despond4 ,this idea of equal justice to all1 and especially to those who had no helper1 was a very beautiful one in ,david's eyes4 ,it gathered round it those bright and happy features which in the seventy-second ,psalm are associated with the administration of another ,king4 ,give the king ,thy judgments1 ,o ,god1 and ,thy righteousness to the king's son4 ,he shall judge ,thy people with righteousness1 and ,thy poor with judgment4 ,the beauty of a just government is seen most clearly in its treatment of the poor4 ,it is the poor who suffer most from unrighteous rulers4 ,their feebleness makes them easier victims4 ,their poverty prevents them from dealing in golden bribes4 ,if they have little individually wherewith to enrich the oppressor1 their numbers make up for the small share of each4 ,very beautiful1 therefore1 is the government of the king who shall judge the poor of the people1 who shall save the children of the needy1 and shall break in pieces the oppressor4 ,the thought is one on which the ,psalmist dwells with great delight4 ,he shall deliver the needy when he crieth1 the poor also1 and him that hath no helper4 ,he shall spare the poor and needy1 and shall save the souls of the needy4 ,he shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence1 and precious shall their blood be in his sight4 ,so far from need and poverty repelling him1 they rather attract him4 ,his interest and his sympathy are moved by the cry of the destitute4 ,he would fain lighten the burdens that weigh them down so heavily1 and give them a better chance in the struggle of life4 ,he would do something to elevate their life above the level of mere hewers of wood and drawers of water4 ,he recognises fully the brotherhood of man4 ,and in all this we find the features of that higher government of ,david's ,son which shows so richly ,his most gracious nature4 ,the cry of sorrow and need1 as it rose from this dark world1 did not repel1 but rather attracted1 ,him4 ,though the woes of man sprang from his own misdeeds1 ,he gave ,himself to bear them and carry their guilt away4 ,all were in the lowest depths of spiritual poverty1 but for that reason ,his hand was the more freely offered for their help4 ,the one condition on which that help was given was1 that they should own their poverty1 and acknowledge ,him as their ,benefactor1 and accept all as a free gift at ,his hands4 ,but more than that1 the condition of the poor in the natural sense was very interesting to ,jesus4 ,it was with that class ,he threw in ,his lot4 ,it was among them ,he lived2 it was their sorrows and trials ,he knew by personal experience2 it was their welfare for which ,he laboured most4 ,always accessible to every class1 most respectful to the rich1 and ever ready to bestow ,his blessings wherever they were prized1 yet it was true of ,christ that ,he spared the poor and needy and saved the souls of the needy4 ,and in a temporal point of view1 one of the most striking effects of ,christ's religion is1 that it has so benefited1 and tends still more to benefit1 the poor4 ,slavery and tyranny are among its most detested things4 ,regard for man as man is one of its highest principles4 ,it detects the spark of ,divinity in every human soul1 grievously overlaid with the scum and filth of the world2 and it seeks to cleanse and brighten it1 till it shine forth in clear and heavenly lustre4 ,it is a most ,christian thought that the gems in the kingdom of ,god are not to be found merely where respectability and culture disguise the true spiritual condition of humanity1 but even among those who outwardly are lost and disreputable4 ,not the least honourable of the reproachful terms applied to ,jesus was--the ,friend of publicans and sinners4 ,we are not to think of ,david1 however1 as being satisfied if he merely secured justice to the poor and succeeded in lightening their yoke4 ,his ulterior aim was to fill his kingdom with active1 useful1 honourable citizens4 ,this is plain from the beautiful language of some of the ,psalms4 ,both for old and young1 he had a beautiful ideal4 ,the righteous shall flourish as the palm tree2 he shall grow like a cedar in ,lebanon4 ,those that be planted in the house of the ,lord shall flourish in the courts of our ,god4 ,they shall still bring forth fruit in old age2 they shall be fat and flourishing 7,ps4 xcii4 #ab-ad74 ,and so for the young his desire was--,that our sons may be as plants1 grown up in their youth2 that our daughters may be as corner-stones1 polished after the similitude of a palace4 ,moral beauty1 and especially the beauty of active and useful lives1 was the great object of his desire4 ,can anything be better or more enlightened as a royal policy than that which we thus see to have been ,david's--in the first place1 a policy of universal justice2 in the second place1 of special regard for those who on the one hand are most liable to oppression and on the other are most in need of help and encouragement2 and in the third place1 a policy whose aim is to promote excellence of character1 and to foster in the young those graces and virtues which wear longest1 which preserve the freshness and enjoyment of life to the end1 and which crown their possessors1 even in old age1 with the respect and the affection of all8 ,the remaining notices of ,david's administration in the passage before us are simply to the effect that the government consisted of various departments1 and that each department had an officer at its head4 #a4 ,there was the military department1 at the head of which was ,joab1 or rather he was over the host--the great muster of the people for military purposes4 ,a more select body1 the ,cherethites and the ,pelethites1 seems to have formed a bodyguard for the king1 or a band of household troops1 and was under a separate commander4 ,the troops forming the host were divided into twelve courses of twenty-four thousand each1 regularly officered1 and for one month of the year the officers of one of the courses1 and probably the people1 or some of them1 attended on the king at ,jerusalem 7#a ,chron4 xxvii4 #a74 ,of the most distinguished of his soldiers who excelled in feats of personal valour1 ,david seems to have formed a legion of honour1 conspicuous among whom were the thirty honourable1 and the three who excelled in honour 7#b ,sam4 xxiii4 #bh74 ,it is certain that whatever extra power could be given by careful organization to the fighting force of the country1 the army of ,israel under ,david possessed it in the fullest degree4 #b4 ,there was the civil department1 at the head of which were ,jehoshaphat the recorder and ,seraiah the scribe or secretary4 ,while these were in attendance on ,david at ,jerusalem1 they did not supersede the ordinary home rule of the tribes of ,israel4 ,each tribe had still its prince or ruler1 and continued1 under a general superintendence from the king1 to conduct its local affairs 7#a ,chron4 xxvii4 #af-bb74 ,the supreme council of the nation continued to assemble on occasions of great national importance 7#a ,chron4 xxviii4 #a71 and though its influence could not have been so great as it was before the institution of royalty1 it continued an integral element of the constitution1 and in the time of ,rehoboam1 through its influence and organization 7#a ,kings xii4 #c1 #af71 the kingdom of the ten tribes was set up1 almost without a struggle 7#a ,chron4 xxiii4 #d74 ,this home-rule system1 besides interesting the people greatly in the prosperity of the country1 was a great check against the abuse of the royal authority2 and it is a proof that the confidence of ,rehoboam in the stability of his government1 confirmed perhaps by a superstitious view of that promise to ,david1 must have been an absolute infatuation1 the product of utter inexperience on his part1 and of the most foolish counsel ever tendered by professional advisers4 #c4 ,ecclesiastical administration4 ,the capture of ,jerusalem and its erection into the capital of the kingdom made a great change in ecclesiastical arrangements4 ,for some time before it would have been hard to tell where the ecclesiastical capital was to be found4 ,shiloh had been stripped of its glory when ,ichabod received his name1 and the ,philistine armies destroyed the place4 ,nob had shared a similar fate at the hands of ,saul4 ,the old tabernacle erected by ,moses in the wilderness was at ,gibeon 7#a ,chron4 xxi4 #bi71 and remained there even after the removal of the ark to ,zion 7#a ,kings iii4 #d74 ,at ,hebron1 too1 there must have been a shrine while ,david reigned there4 ,but from the time when ,david brought up the ark to ,jerusalem1 that city became the greatest centre of the national worship4 ,there the services enjoined by the law of ,moses were celebrated2 it became the scene of the great festivals of ,passover1 ,pentecost1 and ,tabernacles4 ,we are told that the heads of the ecclesiastical department were ,zadok the son of ,ahitub and ,ahimelech the son of ,abiathar4 ,these represented the elder and the younger branches of the priesthood4 ,zadok was the lineal descendant of ,eleazar1 ,aaron's son 7#a ,chron4 vi4 #ab71 and was therefore the constitutional successor to the high-priesthood4 ,ahimelech the son of ,abiathar represented the family of ,eli1 who seems to have been raised to the high-priesthood out of order1 perhaps in consequence of the illness or incompetence of the legitimate high-priest4 ,it is of some interest to note the fact that under ,david two men were at the head of the priesthood1 much as it was in the days of our ,lord1 when ,annas and ,caiaphas are each called the high-priest4 ,the ordinary priests were divided into four-and-twenty courses1 and each course served in its turn for a limited period1 an arrangement which still prevailed in the days of ,zacharias1 the father of ,john the ,baptist4 ,a systematic arrangement of the ,levites was likewise made2 some were allocated to the service of the ,temple1 some were porters1 some were singers1 and some were officers and judges4 ,of the six thousand who filled the last-named office1 chief fathers as they were called1 nearly a half were allocated among the tribes east of the ,jordan1 as being far from the centre1 and more in need of oversight4 ,it is probable that this large body of ,levites were not limited to strictly judicial duties1 but that they performed important functions in other respects1 perhaps as teachers1 physicians1 and registrars4 ,it is not said that ,samuel's schools of the prophets received any special attention1 but the deep interest that ,david must have taken in ,samuel's work1 and his early acquaintance with its effects1 leave little room to doubt that these institutions were carefully fostered1 and owed to ,david some share of the vitality which they continued to exhibit in the days of ,elijah and ,elisha4 ,it is very probable that the prophets ,gad and ,nathan were connected with these institutions4 ,it is scarcely possible to say how far these careful ecclesiastical arrangements were instrumental in fostering the spirit of genuine piety4 ,but there is too much reason to fear that even in ,david's time that element was very deficient4 ,the bursts of religious enthusiasm that occasionally rolled over the country were no sure indications of piety in a people easily roused to temporary gushes of feeling1 but deficient in stability4 ,there often breathes in ,david's psalms a sense of loneliness1 a feeling of his being a stranger on the earth1 that seems to show that he wanted congenial company1 that the atmosphere was not of the godly quality he must have wished4 ,the bloody ,joab was his chief general1 and at a subsequent period the godless ,ahithophel was his chief counsellor4 ,it is even probable that the intense piety of ,david brought him many secret enemies4 ,the world has no favour for men1 be they kings or priests1 that repudiate all compromise in religion1 and insist on ,god being regarded with supreme and absolute honour4 ,where religion interferes with their natural inclinations and lays them under inviolable obligations to have regard to the will of ,god1 they rebel in their hearts against it1 and they hate those who consistently uphold its claims4 ,the nation of ,israel appears to have been pervaded by an undercurrent of dislike to the eminent holiness of ,david1 which1 though kept in check by his distinguished services and successes1 at last burst out with terrific violence in the rebellion of ,absalom4 ,that villainous movement would not have had the vast support it received1 especially in ,jerusalem1 if even the people of ,judah had been saturated with the spirit of genuine piety4 ,we cannot think much of the piety of a people that rose up against the sweet singer of ,israel and the great benefactor of the nation1 and that seemed to anticipate the cry1 ,not this man1 but ,barabbas4 ,the systematic administration of his kingdom by ,king ,david was the fruit of a remarkable faculty of orderly arrangement that belonged to most of the great men of ,israel4 ,we see it in ,abraham1 in his prompt and successful marshalling of his servants to pursue and attack the kings of the ,east when they carried off ,lot2 we see it in ,joseph1 first collecting and then distributing the stores of food in ,egypt2 in ,moses1 conducting that marvellous host in order and safety through the wilderness2 and1 in later times1 in ,ezra and ,nehemiah1 reducing the chaos which they found at ,jerusalem to a state of order and prosperity which seemed to verify the vision of the dry bones4 ,we see it in the ,son of ,david1 in the orderly way in which all ,his arrangements were made3 the sending forth of the twelve ,apostles and the seventy disciples1 the arranging of the multitude when ,he fed the five thousand1 and the careful gathering up of the fragments that nothing be lost4 ,in the spiritual kingdom1 a corresponding order is demanded1 and times of peace and rest in the ,church are times when this development is specially to be studied4 ,spiritual order1 spiritual harmony3 ,god in ,his own place1 and self1 with all its powers and interests1 as well as our brethren1 our neighbours1 and the world1 all in their's--this is the great requisite in the individual heart4 ,the development of this holy order in the individual soul2 the development of family graces1 the due ,christian ordering of homes2 the development of public graces--patriotism1 freedom1 godliness1 in the ,state1 and in the ,church of the spirit that seeks the instruction of the ignorant1 the recovery of the erring1 the comforting of the wretched1 and the advancement everywhere of the cause of ,christ--in a word1 the increase of spiritual wealth--these very specially are objects to which in all times1 but especially in quiet times1 all hearts and energies should be turned4 ,what can be more honourable1 what can be more blessed1 than to help in advancing these8 ,more life1 more grace1 more prayer1 more progress1 more missionary ardour1 more self-denying love1 more spiritual beauty--what higher objects can the ,christian minister aim at8 ,and how better can the ,christian king or the ,christian statesman fulfil and honour his office than by using his influence1 so far as he legitimately may1 in furthering the virtues and habits characteristic of men that fear ,god while they honour the king8 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,,david ,,and ,,mephibosheth4 #b ,,samuel ix4 ,the busy life which ,king ,david was now leading did not prevent memory from occasionally running back to his early days and bringing before him the friends of his youth4 ,among these remembrances of the past1 his friendship and his covenant with ,jonathan were sure to hold a conspicuous place4 ,on one of these occasions the thought occurred to him that possibly some descendant of ,jonathan might still be living4 ,he had been so completely severed from his friend during the last years of his life1 and the unfortunate attempt on the part of ,ishbosheth had made personal intercourse so much more difficult1 that he seems not to have been aware of the exact state of ,jonathan's family4 ,it is evident that the survival of any descendant of his friend was not publicly known1 and probably the friends of the youth who was discovered had thought it best to keep his existence quiet1 being of those who would give ,david no credit for higher principles than were current between rival dynasties4 ,even ,michal1 ,jonathan's sister1 does not seem to have known that a son of his survived4 ,it became necessary1 therefore1 to make a public inquiry of his officers and attendants4 ,is there yet any that is left of the house of ,saul1 that ,i may show him kindness for ,jonathan's sake8 ,it was not essential that he should be a child of ,jonathan's2 any descendant of ,saul's would have been taken for ,jonathan's sake4 ,it is a proof that the bloody wars in which he had been engaged had not destroyed the tenderness of his heart1 that the very chapter which follows the account of his battles opens with a yearning of affection--a longing for an outlet to feelings of kindness4 ,it is instructive1 too1 to find the proof of love to his neighbour succeeding the remarkable evidence of supreme regard to the honour of ,god recently given in the proposal to build a temple4 ,this period of ,david's life was its golden era1 and it is difficult to understand how the man that was so remarkable at this time for his regard for ,god and his interest in his neighbour should soon afterwards have been betrayed into a course of conduct that showed him most grievously forgetful of both4 ,this proceeding of ,david's in making inquiry for a fit object of beneficence may afford us a lesson as to the true course of enlightened kindness4 ,doubtless ,david had numberless persons applying for a share of his bounty2 yet he makes inquiry for a new channel in which it may flow4 ,the most clamorous persons are seldom the most deserving1 and if a bountiful man simply recognises1 however generously1 even the best of the cases that press themselves on his notice1 he will not be satisfied with the result2 he will feel that his bounty has rather been frittered away on miscellaneous undertakings1 than that it has achieved any solid and satisfying result4 ,it is easy for a rich man to fling a pittance to some wretched-looking creature that whines out a tale of horror in his ear2 but this may be done only to relieve his own feelings1 and harm instead of good may be the result4 ,enlightened benevolence aims at something higher than the mere relief of passing distress4 ,benevolent men ought not to lie at the mercy either of the poor who ask their charity1 or of the philanthropic ,christians who appeal for support to their schemes4 ,pains must be taken to find out the deserving1 to find out those who have the strongest claim4 ,even the open-handed1 whose purse is always at hand1 and who are ready for every good work1 may be neglecting some case or class of cases which have far stronger claims on them than those which are so assiduously pressed on their notice4 ,and hence we may see that it is right and fitting1 especially in those to whom ,providence has given much1 to cast over in their minds1 from time to time1 the state of their obligations1 and think whether among old friends1 or poor relations1 or faithful but needy servants of ,god1 there may not be some who have a claim on their bounty4 ,there are other debts besides money debts it becomes you to look after4 ,in youth1 perhaps1 you received much kindness from friends and relatives which at the time you could not repay2 but now the tables are turned2 you are prosperous1 they or their families are needy4 ,and these cases are apt to slip out of mind4 ,it is not always hard-heartedness that makes the prosperous forget the less fortunate2 it is often utter thoughtlessness4 ,it is the neglect of that rule which has such a powerful though silent effect when it is carried out--,put yourself in their place4 ,imagine how you would feel1 strained and worried to sleeplessness through narrow means1 and seeing old friends rolling in wealth1 who might1 with little or no inconvenience1 lighten the burden that is crushing you so painfully4 ,it is a strange thing that this counsel should be more needed by the rich than by the poor4 ,thoughtlessness regarding his neighbours is not a poor man's vice4 ,the empty house is remembered1 even though it costs a sacrifice to send it a little of his own scanty supplies4 ,few men are so hardened as not to feel the obligation to show kindness when that obligation is brought before them4 ,what we urge is1 that no one should lie at the mercy of others for bringing his obligations before him4 ,let him think for himself2 and especially let him cast his eye round his own horizon1 and consider whether there be not some representatives of old friends or old relations to whom kindness ought to be shown4 ,to return to the narrative4 ,the history of ,mephibosheth1 ,jonathan's son1 had been a sad one4 ,when ,israel was defeated by the ,philistines on ,mount ,gilboa1 and ,saul and ,jonathan were slain1 he was but an infant2 and his nurse1 terror-stricken at the news of the disaster1 in her haste to escape had let him fall1 and caused an injury which made him lame for life4 ,what the manner of his upbringing was1 we are not told4 ,when ,david found him1 he was living with ,machir1 the son of ,ammiel1 of ,lo-debar1 on the other side of the ,jordan1 in the same region where his uncle ,ishbosheth had tried to set up his kingdom4 ,mephibosheth became known to ,david through ,ziba1 a servant of ,saul's1 a man of more substance than principle1 as his conduct showed at a later period of his life4 ,ziba1 we are told1 had fifteen sons and twenty servants4 ,he seems to have contrived to make himself comfortable notwithstanding the wreck of his master's fortunes1 more comfortable than ,mephibosheth1 who was living in another man's house4 ,there seems to have been a surmise among ,david's people that this ,ziba could tell something of ,jonathan's family2 but evidently he was not very ready to do so2 for it was only to ,david himself that when sent for he gave the information1 and that after ,david had emphatically stated his motive--not to do harm1 but to show kindness for ,jonathan's sake4 ,the existence of ,mephibosheth being thus made known1 he is sent for and brought into ,david's presence4 ,and we cannot but be sorry for him when we mark his abject bearing in the presence of the king4 ,when he was come unto ,david1 he fell on his face and did reverence4 ,and when ,david explained his intentions1 he bowed himself and said1 ,what is thy servant1 that thou shouldest look on such a dead dog as ,i am8 ,naturally of a timid nature1 and weakened in nerve by the accident of his infancy1 he must have grown up under great disadvantages4 ,his lameness excluded him from sharing in any youthful game or manly exercise1 and therefore threw him into the company of the women who1 like him1 tarried at home4 ,what he had heard of ,david had not come through a friendly channel1 had come through the partisans of ,saul1 and was not likely to be very favourable4 ,he was too young to remember the generous conduct of ,david in reference to his father and grandfather2 and those who were about him probably did not care to say much about it4 ,accustomed to think that his wisest course was to conceal from ,david his very existence1 and looking on him with the dread with which the family of former kings regarded the reigning monarch1 he must have come into his presence with a strange mixture of feeling4 ,he had a profound sense of the greatness which ,david had achieved and the honour implied in his countenance and fellowship4 ,but there was no need for his humbling himself so low4 ,there was no need for his calling himself a dog1 a dead dog1--the most humiliating image it was possible to find4 ,we should have thought him more worthy of his father if1 recognizing the high position which ,david had attained by the grace of ,god1 he had gracefully thanked him for the regard shown to his father's memory1 and shown more of the self-respect which was due to ,jonathan's son4 ,in his subsequent conduct1 in the days of ,david's calamity1 ,mephibosheth gave evidence of the same disinterested spirit which had shone so beautifully in ,jonathan1 but his noble qualities were like a light twinkling among ruins or a jewel glistening in a wreck4 ,this shattered condition both of mind and body1 however1 commended him all the more to the friendly regard of ,david4 ,had he shown himself a high-minded1 ambitious youth1 ,david might have been embarrassed how to act towards him4 ,finding him modest and respectful1 he had no difficulty in the case4 ,the kindness which he showed him was twofold4 ,in the first place1 he restored to him all the land that had belonged to his grandfather2 and in the second place1 he made him an inmate of his own house1 with a place at his table1 the same as if he had been one of his own sons4 ,and that he might not be embarrassed with having the land to care for1 he committed the charge of it to ,ziba1 who was to bring to ,mephibosheth the produce or its value4 ,every arrangement was thus made that could conduce to his comfort ,his being a cripple did not deprive him of the honour of a place at the royal table1 little though he could contribute to the lustre of the palace4 ,for ,david bestowed his favours not on the principle of trying to reflect lustre on himself or his house1 but on the principle of doing good to those who had a claim on his consideration4 ,the lameness and consequent awkwardness1 that would have made many a king ashamed of such an inmate of his palace only recommended him the more to ,david4 ,regard for outward appearances was swallowed up by a higher regard--regard for what was right and true4 ,it might be thought by some that such an incident as this was hardly worthy of a place in the sacred record2 but the truth is1 that ,david seldom showed more of the true spirit of ,god than he did on this occasion4 ,the feeling that led him to seek out any stray member of the house in order to show kindness to him was the counterpart of that feeling that has led ,god from the very beginning to seek the children of men1 and that led ,jesus to seek and to save that which was lost4 ,for that is truly the attitude in which ,god has ever placed ,himself towards our fallen race4 ,the sight to be seen in this world has not been that of men seeking after ,god1 but that of ,god seeking after men4 ,all day long ,he has been stretching forth ,his hands1 and inviting the children of men to taste and see that ,he is gracious4 ,if we ask for the principle that unifies all parts of the ,bible1 it is this gracious attitude of ,god towards those who have forfeited ,his favour4 ,the ,bible presents to us the sight of ,god's ,spirit striving with men1 persevering in the thankless work long after ,he has been resisted1 and ceasing only when all hope of success through further pleading is gone4 ,there were times when this process was prosecuted with more than common ardour2 and at last there came a time when the ,divine pleadings reached a climax1 and ,god1 who at sundry times and in divers manners spake to the fathers by the prophets1 spake to them at last by ,his own ,son4 ,and what was the life of ,jesus ,christ but a constant appeal to men1 in ,god's name1 to accept the kindness which ,god was eager to show them8 ,was not ,his invitation to all that laboured and were heavy laden1 ,come unto ,me1 and ,i will give you rest8 ,did ,he not represent the ,father as a householder1 making a marriage feast for his son1 sending forth his servants to bid the guests to the wedding1 and when the natural guests refused1 bidding them go to the highways and the hedges1 and fetch the lame and the blind and any outcast they could find1 because he longed to see guests of some kind enjoying the good things he had provided8 ,the great crime of the ancient ,jews was rejecting ,him who had come in the name of the ,lord to bless them4 ,their crowning condemnation was1 not that they had failed to keep the ,ten ,commandments1 though that was true2 not that they had spent their lives in pleasing themselves instead of pleasing ,god1 though that also was true2 but that they had rejected ,god's unspeakable gift1 and requited the ,eternal ,son1 when ,he came from heaven to bless them1 with the cursed death of the cross4 ,but even after they had committed that act of unprecedented wickedness1 ,god's face would not be wholly turned away from them4 ,the very attitude in which ,jesus died1 with ,his hands outstretched on the tree1 would still represent the attitude of the ,divine heart towards the very murderers of ,his ,son4 ,i1 if ,i be lifted up1 will draw all men toward ,me4 ,unto you first1 ,god1 having raised up ,his ,son ,jesus1 hath sent ,him to bless you1 in turning away every one of you from his iniquities4 ,repent ye1 therefore1 and be converted1 that your sins may be blotted out4 ,here1 my friends1 is the most glorious feature of the ,christian religion4 ,happy those of you who have apprehended this attitude of your most gracious ,father1 who have believed in ,his love1 and who have accepted ,his grace6 ,for not only has ,god received you back into ,his family1 and given you a name and a place in ,his temple better than that of sons and daughters1 but ,he has restored to you your lost inheritance4 ,if children1 then heirs1 heirs of ,god and joint heirs with ,jesus ,christ4 ,nay1 more1 ,he has not only restored to you your lost inheritance1 but ,he has conferred on you an inheritance more glorious than that of which sin deprived you4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who according to ,his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope through the resurrection of ,jesus ,christ from the dead1 to an inheritance incorruptible1 and undefiled1 and that fadeth not away1 reserved in heaven for you1 who are kept by the power of ,god through faith unto salvation1 ready to be revealed in the last day4 ,but if the grace of ,god in thus stretching out ,his hands to sinful men and offering them all the blessings of salvation is very wonderful1 it makes the case of those all the more terrible1 all the more hopeless1 who treat ,his invitations with indifference1 and turn their backs on an inheritance the glory of which they do not see4 ,how men should be so infatuated as to do this it were hard to understand1 if we had not ample evidence of it in the godless tendencies of our natural hearts4 ,still more mysterious is it to understand how ,god should fail to carry ,his point in the case of those to whom ,he stretches out ,his hands4 ,but of all considerations there is none more fitted to astonish and alarm the careless than that they are capable of refusing all the appeals of ,divine love1 and rejecting all the bounty of ,divine grace4 ,if this be persevered in1 what a rude awakening you will have in the world to come1 when in all the bitterness of remorse you will think on the glories that were once within your reach1 but with which you trifled when you had the chance6 ,how foolish would ,mephibosheth have been if he had disbelieved in ,david's kindness and rejected his offer6 ,but ,david was sincere1 and ,mephibosheth believed in his sincerity4 ,may we not1 must we not1 believe that ,god is sincere8 ,if a purpose of kindness could arise in a human heart1 how much more in the ,divine heart1 how much more in the heart of ,him the very essence of whose nature is conveyed to us in the words of the beloved disciple--,god is love6 ,there is yet another application to be made of this passage in ,david's history4 ,we have seen how it exemplifies the duty incumbent on us all to consider whether kindness is not due from us to the friends or the relatives of those who have been helpful to ourselves4 ,this remark is not applicable merely to temporal obligations1 but also1 and indeed emphatically1 to spiritual4 ,we should consider ourselves in debt to those who have conferred spiritual benefits upon us4 ,should a descendant of ,luther or ,calvin1 of ,latimer or ,cranmer or ,knox1 appear among us in need of kindness1 what true ,protestant would not feel that for what he owed to the fathers it was his duty to show kindness to the children8 ,but farther back even than this was a race of men to whom the ,christian world lies under still deeper obligations4 ,it was the race of ,david himself1 to which had belonged ,moses and ,aaron among ,his priests1 ,samuel with them that called on ,his name1 and1 in after-times1 ,isaiah and ,jeremiah1 ,ezekiel and ,daniel2 ,peter1 and ,james1 and ,john1 and ,paul2 and1 outshining them all1 like the sun of heaven1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,saviour of men4 ,with what models of lofty piety has that race furnished every succeeding generation6 ,from the study of their holy lives1 their soaring faith1 their burning zeal1 what blessing has been derived in the past1 and what an impulse will yet go forth to the very end of time6 ,no wonder though the ,apostle had great sorrow and continual heaviness in his heart when he thought of the faithless state of the people1 to whom pertaineth the adoption1 and the glory1 and the covenants1 and the giving of the law1 and the service of ,god6 ,yet none are more in need of your friendly remembrance at this day than the descendants of these men4 ,it becomes you to ask1 ,is there yet any that is left of their house to whom we may show kindness for ,jesus' sake8 ,for ,god has not finally cast them off1 and ,jesus has not ceased to care for those who were ,his brethren according to the flesh4 ,if there were no other motive to induce us to seek the good of the ,jews1 this consideration should surely prevail4 ,ill did the world requite its obligation during the long ages when all manner of contumely and injustice was heaped upon the ,hebrew race1 as if ,jesus had never prayed1 ,father1 forgive them2 they know not what they do4 ,their treatment by the ,gentiles has been so harsh that1 even when better feelings prevail1 they are slow1 like ,mephibosheth1--to believe that we mean them well4 ,they may have done much to repel our kindness1 and they may appear to be hopelessly encrusted with unbelief in ,him whom we present as the ,saviour4 ,but charity never faileth2 and in reference to them as to other objects of philanthropic effort1 the exhortation holds good1 ,let us not be weary in well-doing2 for in due season we shall reap if we faint not4 ,such kindness to those who are in need is not only a duty of religion1 but tends greatly to commend it4 ,neglect of those who have claims on us1 while objects more directly religious are eagerly prosecuted1 is not pleasing to ,god1 whether the neglect take place in our lives or in the destination of our substance at death4 ,give1 and it shall be given unto you3 good measure1 pressed down and shaken together and running over1 shall men give into your bosom4 ,for with the same measure that ye mete withal1 it shall be measured to you again4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,,david ,,and ,,hanun4 #b ,,samuel x4 ,powerful though ,david had proved himself in every direction in the art of war1 his heart was inclined to peace4 ,a king who had been victorious over so many foes had no occasion to be afraid of a people like the ,ammonites4 ,it could not have been from fear therefore that1 when ,nahash the king of the ,ammonites died1 ,david resolved to send a friendly message to his son4 ,not the least doubt can be thrown on the statement of the history that what moved him to do this was a grateful remembrance of the kindness which he had at one time received from the late king4 ,the position which he had gained as a warrior would naturally have made ,hanun more afraid of ,david than ,david could be of ,hanun4 ,the king of ,israel could not have failed to know this1 and it might naturally occur to him that it would be a kindly act to the young king of ,ammon to send him a message that showed that he might thoroughly rely on his friendly intentions4 ,the message to ,hanun was another emanation of a kindly heart4 ,if there was anything of policy in it1 it was the policy of one who felt that so many things are continually occurring to set nations against one another as to make it most desirable to improve every opportunity of drawing them closer together4 ,it is a happy thing for any country when its rulers and men of influence are ever on the watch for opportunities to strengthen the spirit of friendship4 ,it is a happy thing in the ,church when the leaders of different sections are more disposed to measures that conciliate and heal than to measures that alienate and divide4 ,in family life1 and wherever men of different views and different tempers meet1 this peace-loving spirit is of great price4 ,men that like fighting1 and that are ever disposed to taunt1 to irritate1 to divide1 are the nuisances of society4 ,men that deal in the soft answer1 in the message of kindness1 and in the prayer of love1 deserve the respect and gratitude of all4 ,it is a remarkable thing that1 of all the nations that were settled in the neighbourhood of the ,israelites1 the only one that seemed desirous to live on friendly terms with them was that of ,tyre4 ,even those who were related to them by blood1--,edomites1 ,midianites1 ,moabites1 ,ammonites1--were never cordial1 and often at open hostility4 ,though their rights had been carefully respected by the ,israelites on their march from ,sinai to ,palestine1 no feeling of cordial friendship was established with any of them4 ,none of them were impressed even so much as ,balaam had been1 when in language so beautiful he blessed the people whom ,god had blessed4 ,none of them threw in their lot with ,israel1 in recognition of their exalted spiritual privileges1 as ,hobab and his people had done near ,mount ,sinai4 ,individuals1 like ,ruth the ,moabitess1 had learned to recognise the claims of ,israel's ,god and the privileges of the covenant1 but no entire nation had ever shown even an inclination to such a course4 ,these neighbouring nations continued therefore to be fitting symbols of that world-power which has so generally been found in antagonism to the people of ,god4 ,israel while they continued faithful to ,god were like the lily among thorns2 and ,israel's king1 like ,him whom he typified1 was called to rule in the midst of his enemies4 ,the friendship of the surrounding world cannot be the ordinary lot of the faithful servant1 otherwise the ,apostle would not have struck such a loud note of warning4 ,ye adulterers and adulteresses1 know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with ,god8 ,whosoever1 therefore1 would be the friend of the world is the enemy of ,god4 ,between the ,ammonites and the ,israelites collisions had occurred on two former occasions1 on both of which the ,ammonites appear to have been the aggressors4 ,the former of these was in the days of ,jephthah4 ,the defeat of the ,ammonites at that time was very thorough1 and probably unexpected1 and1 like other defeats of the same kind1 it no doubt left feelings of bitter hatred rankling in the breasts of the defeated party4 ,the second was the collision at ,jabesh-gilead at the beginning of the reign of ,saul4 ,the king of the ,ammonites showed great ferocity and cruelty on that occasion4 ,when the men of ,jabesh1 brought to bay1 begged terms of peace1 the bitter answer was returned that it would be granted only on condition that every man's right eye should be put out4 ,it was then that ,saul showed such courage and promptitude4 ,in the briefest space he was at ,jabesh-gilead in defence of his people1 and by his successful tactics inflicted on the ,ammonites a terrible defeat1 killing a great multitude and scattering the remainder1 so that not any two of them were left together4 ,men do not like to have a prize plucked from their hands when they are on the eve of enjoying it4 ,after such a defeat1 ,nahash could not have very friendly feelings to ,saul4 ,and when ,saul proclaimed ,david his enemy1 ,nahash would naturally incline to ,david's side4 ,there is no record of the occasion on which he showed kindness to him1 but in all likelihood it was at the time when he was in the wilderness1 hiding from ,saul4 ,if1 when ,david was near the head of the ,dead ,sea1 and therefore not very far from the land of the ,ammonites1 or from places where they had influence1 ,nahash sent him any supplies for his men1 the gift would be very opportune1 and there could be no reason why ,david should not accept of it4 ,anyhow1 the act of kindness1 whatever it was1 made a strong impression on his heart4 ,it was long1 long ago when it happened1 but love has a long memory1 and the remembrance of it was still pleasant to ,david4 ,and now the king of ,israel purposes to repay to the son the debt he had incurred to the father4 ,up to this point it is a pretty picture2 and it is a great disappointment when we find the transaction miscarry1 and a negotiation which began in all the warmth and sincerity of friendship terminate in the wild work of war4 ,the fault of this miscarriage1 however1 was glaringly on the other side4 ,hanun was a young king1 and it would only have been in accordance with the frank and unsuspecting spirit of youth had he received ,david's communication with cordial pleasure1 and returned to it an answer in the same spirit in which it was sent4 ,but his counsellors were of another mind4 ,they persuaded their master that the pretext of comforting him on the death of his father was a hollow one1 and that ,david desired nothing but to spy out the city and the country1 with a view to bring them under his dominion4 ,it is hard to suppose that they really believed this4 ,it was they1 not ,david1 that wished a pretext for going to war4 ,and having got something that by evil ingenuity might be perverted to this purpose1 they determined to treat it so that it should be impossible for ,david to avoid the conflict4 ,hanun appears to have been a weak prince1 and to have yielded to their counsels4 ,our difficulty is to understand how sane men could have acted in such a way4 ,the determination to provoke war1 and the insolence of their way of doing it1 appear so like the freaks of a madman1 that we cannot comprehend how reasonable men should in cold blood have even dreamt of such proceedings4 ,perhaps at this early period they had an understanding with those ,syrians that afterwards came to their aid1 and thought that on the strength of this they could afford to be insolent4 ,the combined force which they could bring into the field would be such as to make even ,david tremble4 ,it is hardly necessary to say a word to bring out the outrageous character of their conduct4 ,first1 there was the repulse of ,david's kindness4 ,it was not even declined with civility2 it was repelled with scorn4 ,it is always a serious thing to reject overtures of kindness4 ,even the friendly salutations of dumb animals are entitled to a friendly return1 and the man that returns the caresses of his dog with a kick and a curse is a greater brute than the animal that he treats so unworthily4 ,kindness is too rare a gem to be trampled under foot4 ,even though it should be mistaken kindness1 though the form it takes should prove an embarrassment rather than a help1 a good man will appreciate the motive that prompted it1 and will be careful not to hurt the feelings of those who1 though they have blundered1 meant him well4 ,none are more liable to make mistakes than young children in their little efforts to please2 meaning to be kind1 they sometimes only give trouble4 ,the parent that gives way to irritation1 and meets this with a volley of scolding1 deals cruelly with the best and tenderest part of the child's nature4 ,there are few things more deserving to be attended to through life than the habit not only of appreciating little kindnesses1 but showing that you appreciate them4 ,how much more sweetly might the current run in social life if this were universally attended to6 ,but ,hanun not only repelled ,david's kindness1 but charged him with meanness1 and virtually flung in his face a challenge to war4 ,to represent his apparent kindness as a mean cover of a hostile purpose was an act which ,hanun might think little of1 but which was fitted to wound ,david to the quick4 ,unscrupulous natures have a great advantage over others in the charges they may bring4 ,in a street collision a man in dirty clothing is much more powerful for mischief than one in clean raiment4 ,rough1 unscrupulous men are restrained by no delicacy from bringing atrocious charges against those to whom these charges are supremely odious4 ,they have little sense of the sin of them1 and they toss them about without scruple4 ,such poisoned arrows inflict great pain1 not because the charges are just1 but because it is horrible to refined natures even to hear them4 ,there are two things that make some men very sensitive--the refinement of grace1 and the refinement of the spirit of courtesy4 ,the refinement of grace makes all sin odious1 and makes a charge of gross sin very serious4 ,the refinement of courtesy creates great regard to the feelings of others1 and a strong desire not to wound them unnecessarily4 ,in circles where real courtesy prevails1 accusations against others are commonly couched in very gentle language4 ,rough natures ridicule this spirit1 and pride themselves on their honesty in calling a spade a spade4 ,evidently ,hanun belonged to the rough1 unscrupulous school4 ,either he did not know how it would make ,david writhe to be accused of the alleged meanness1 or1 if he did know1 he enjoyed the spectacle4 ,it gratified his insolent nature to see the pious king of ,israel posing before all the people of ,ammon as a sneak and a liar1 and to hear the laugh of scorn and hatred resounding on every side4 ,to these offences ,hanun added yet another--scornful treatment of ,david's ambassadors4 ,in the eyes of all civilized nations the persons of ambassadors were held sacred1 and any affront or injury to them was counted an odious crime4 ,very often men of eminent position1 venerable age1 and unblemished character were chosen for this function1 and it is quite likely that ,david's ambassadors to ,hanun were of this class4 ,when therefore these men were treated with contumely--half their beards1 which were in a manner sacred1 shorn away1 their garments mutilated1 and their persons exposed--no grosser insult could have been inflicted4 ,when the king and his princes were the authors of this treatment1 it must have been greatly enjoyed by the mass of the people1 whose coarse glee over the dishonoured ambassadors of the great ,king ,david one can easily imagine4 ,it is a painful moment when true worth and nobility lie at the mercy of insolence and coarseness1 and have to bear their bitter revilings4 ,such things may happen in public controversy in a country where the utmost liberty of speech is allowed1 and when men of ruffian mould find contumely and insult their handiest weapons4 ,in times of religious persecution the most frightful charges have been hurled at the heads of godly men and women1 whose real crime is to have striven to the utmost to obey ,god4 ,oh1 how much need there is of patience to bear insult as well as injury6 ,and insult will sometimes rouse the temper that injury does not ruffle4 ,oh for the spirit of ,christ1 who1 when ,he was reviled1 reviled not again6 ,the ,ammonites did not wait for a formal declaration of war by ,david4 ,nor did they flatter themselves1 when they came to their senses1 that against one who had gained such renown as a warrior they could stand alone4 ,their insult to ,king ,david turned out a costly affair4 ,to get assistance they had to give gold4 ,the parallel passage in ,chronicles gives a thousand talents of silver as the cost of the first bargain with the ,syrians4 ,these ,syrian mercenaries came from various districts--,beth-rehob1 ,zoba1 ,beth-maacah1 and ,tob4 ,some of these had already been subdued by ,david2 in other cases there was apparently no previous collision4 ,but all of them no doubt smarted under the defeats which ,david had inflicted either on them or on their neighbours1 and when a large subsidy was allotted to them to begin with1 in addition to whatever booty might fall to their share if ,david should be subdued1 it is no great wonder that an immense addition was made to the forces of the ,ammonites4 ,it became in fact a very formidable opposition2 all the more that they were very abundantly supplied with chariots and horsemen1 of which arm ,david had scarcely any4 ,he met them first by sending out ,joab and all the host of the mighty men4 ,the whole resources of his army were forwarded4 ,and when ,joab came to the spot1 he found that he had a double enemy to face4 ,the ,ammonite army came out from the city to encounter him1 while the ,syrian army were encamped in the country1 ready to place him between two fires when the battle began4 ,to guard against this1 ,joab divided his force into two4 ,the ,syrian host was the more formidable body2 therefore ,joab went in person against it1 at the head of a select body of troops chosen from the general army4 ,the command of the remainder was given to his brother ,abishai1 who was left to deal with the ,ammonites4 ,if either section found its opponent too much for it1 aid was to be given by the other4 ,no fault can be found either with the arrangements made by ,joab for the encounter or the spirit in which he entered on the fight4 ,be of good courage1 he said to his men1 and let us play the men for our people1 and for the cities of our ,god2 and the ,lord do that which seemeth to ,him good4 ,it was just such an exhortation as ,david himself might have given4 ,some were trusting in chariots and some in horses1 but they were remembering the name of the ,lord their ,god4 ,the first movement was made by ,joab and his part of the army against the ,syrians2 it was completely successful2 the ,syrians fled before him1 chariots and horsemen and all4 ,when the ,ammonite army saw the fate of the ,syrians they did not even hazard a conflict1 but wheeled about and made for the city4 ,thus ended their first proud effort to sustain and complete the humiliation of ,king ,david4 ,the hired troops on which they had leaned so much turned out utterly untrustworthy2 and the wretched ,ammonites found themselves minus their thousand talents1 without victory1 and without honour4 ,but their allies the ,syrians were not disposed to yield without another conflict4 ,determined to do his utmost1 ,hadarezer1 king of the ,syrians of ,zobah1 sent across the ,euphrates1 and prevailed on their neighbours there to join them in the effort to crush the power of ,david4 ,that a very large number of these ,mesopotamian ,syrians responded to the invitation of ,hadarezer is apparent from the number of the slain 7ver4 #ah74 ,the matter assumed so serious an aspect that ,david himself was now constrained to take the field1 at the head of all ,israel4 ,the ,syrian troops were commanded by ,shobach1 who appears to have been a distinguished general4 ,it must have been a death-struggle between the ,syrian power and the power of ,david4 ,but again the victory was with the ,israelites1 and among the slain were the men of seven hundred chariots1 and forty thousand horsemen 7#a ,chron4 xix4 #ah1 footmen71 along with ,shobach1 captain of the ,syrian host4 ,it must have been a most decisive victory1 for after it took place all the states that had been tributary to ,hadarezer transferred their allegiance to ,david4 ,the ,syrian power was completely broken2 all help was withdrawn from the ,ammonites1 who were now left to bear the brunt of their quarrel alone4 ,single-handed1 they had to look for the onset of the army which had so remarkably prevailed against all the power of ,syria1 and to answer to ,king ,david for the outrage they had perpetrated on his ambassadors4 ,very different must their feelings have been now from the time when they began to negotiate with ,syria1 and when1 doubtless1 they looked forward so confidently to the coming defeat and humiliation of ,king ,david4 ,it requires but a very little consideration to see that the wars which are so briefly recorded in this chapter must have been most serious and perilous undertakings4 ,the record of them is so short1 so unimpassioned1 so simple1 that many readers are disposed to think very little of them4 ,but when we pause to think what it was for the king of ,israel to meet1 on foreign soil1 confederates so numerous1 so powerful1 and so familiar with warfare1 we cannot but see that these were tremendous wars4 ,they were fitted to try the faith as well as the courage of ,david and his people to the very utmost4 ,in seeking dates for those psalms that picture a multitude of foes closing on the writer1 and that record the exercises of his heart1 from the insinuations of fear at the beginning to the triumph of trust and peace at the end1 we commonly think only of two events in ,david's life1--the persecution of ,saul and the insurrection of ,absalom4 ,but the ,psalmist himself could probably have enumerated a dozen occasions when his danger and his need were as great as they were then4 ,he must have passed through the same experience on these occasions as on the other two2 and the language of the ,psalms may often have as direct reference to the former as to the latter4 ,we may understand1 too1 how the destruction of enemies became so prominent a petition in his prayers4 ,what can a general desire and pray for1 when he sees a hostile army1 like a great engine of destruction1 ready to dash against all that he holds dear1 but that the engine may be shivered1 deprived of all power of doing mischief--in other words1 that the army may be destroyed8 ,the imprecations in the ,book of ,psalms against his enemies must be viewed in this light4 ,the military habit of the ,psalmist's mind made him think only of the destruction of those who1 in opposing him1 opposed the cause of ,god4 ,it ought not to be imputed as a crime to ,david that he did not rise high above a soldier's feelings2 that he did not view things from the point of view of ,christianity2 that he was not a thousand years in advance of his age4 ,the one outlet from the frightful danger which these ,syrian hordes brought to him and his people was that they should be destroyed4 ,our blessed ,lord gave men another view when ,he said1 ,the ,son of man is come not to destroy men's lives1 but to save them4 ,he familiarised us with other modes of conquest4 ,when ,he appeared to ,saul on the way to ,damascus1 and turned the persecutor into the chief of apostles1 ,he showed that there are other ways than that of destruction for delivering ,his ,church from its enemies4 ,i send thee to open their eyes1 and to turn them from darkness to light1 and from the power of ,satan unto ,god4 ,this commission to ,saul gives us reason for praying1 with reference to the most clever and destructive of the enemies of ,his ,church1 that by ,his ,spirit ,he would meet them too1 and turn them into other men4 ,and not until this line of petition has been exhausted can we fall back in prayer on ,david's method4 ,only when their repentance and conversion have become hopeless are we entitled to pray ,god to destroy the grievous wolves that work such havoc in ,his flock4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,,david ,,and ,,uriah4 #b ,,samuel xi4 ,how ardently would most1 if not all readers1 of the life of ,david have wished that it had ended before this chapter6 ,its golden era has passed away1 and what remains is little else than a chequered tale of crime and punishment4 ,on former occasions1 under the influence of strong and long-continued temptations1 we have seen his faith give way and a spirit of dissimulation appear2 but these were like spots on the sun1 not greatly obscuring his general radiance4 ,what we now encounter is not like a spot1 but a horrid eclipse2 it is not like a mere swelling of the face1 but a bloated tumour that distorts the countenance and drains the body of its life-blood4 ,to human wisdom it would have seemed far better had ,david's life ended now1 so that no cause might have been given for the everlasting current of jeer and joke with which his fall has supplied the infidel4 ,often1 when a great and good man is cut off in the midst of his days and of his usefulness1 we are disposed to question the wisdom of the dispensation2 but when we find ourselves disposed to wonder whether this might not have been better in the case of ,david1 we may surely acquiesce in the ways of ,god4 ,if the composition of the ,bible had been in human hands it would never have contained such a chapter as this4 ,there is something quite remarkable in the fearless way in which it unveils the guilt of ,david2 it is set forth in its nakedness1 without the slightest attempt either to palliate or to excuse it2 and the only statement in the whole record designed to characterise it is the quiet but terrible words with which the chapter ends--,but the thing that ,david had done displeased the ,lord4 ,in the fearless march of providence we see many a proof of the courage of ,god4 ,it is ,god alone that could have the fortitude to place in the ,holy ,book this foul story of sin and shame4 ,he only could deliberately encounter the scorn which it has drawn down from every generation of ungodly men1 the only wise ,god1 who sees the end from the beginning1 who can rise high above all the fears and objections of short-sighted men1 and who can quiet every feeling of uneasiness on the part of ,his children with the sublime words1 ,be still1 and know that ,i am ,god4 ,the truth is1 that though ,david's reputation would have been brighter had he died at this point of his career1 the moral of his life1 so to speak1 would have been less complete4 ,there was evidently a sensual element in his nature1 as there is in so many men of warm1 emotional temperament2 and he does not appear to have been alive to the danger involved in it4 ,it led him the more readily to avail himself of the toleration of polygamy1 and to increase from time to time the number of his wives4 ,thus provision was made for the gratification of a disorderly lust1 which1 if he had lived like ,abraham or ,isaac1 would have been kept back from all lawless excesses4 ,and when evil desire has large scope for its exercise1 instead of being satisfied it becomes more greedy and more lawless4 ,now1 this painful chapter of ,david's history is designed to show us what the final effect of this was in his case--what came ultimately of this habit of pampering the lust of the flesh4 ,and verily1 if any have ever been inclined to envy ,david's liberty1 and think it hard that such a law of restraint binds them while he was permitted to do as he pleased1 let them study in the latter part of his history the effects of this unhallowed indulgence2 let them see his home robbed of its peace and joy1 his heart lacerated by the misconduct of his children1 his throne seized by his son1 while he has to fly from his own ,jerusalem2 let them see him obliged to take the field against ,absalom1 and hear the air rent by his cries of anguish when ,absalom is slain2 let them think how even his deathbed was disturbed by the noise of revolt1 and how legacies of blood had to be bequeathed to his successor almost with his dying breath1--and surely it will be seen that the license which bore such wretched fruits is not to be envied1 and that1 after all1 the way even of royal transgressors is hard4 ,but a fall so violent as that of ,david does not occur all at once4 ,it is generally preceded by a period of spiritual declension1 and in all likelihood there was such an experience on his part4 ,nor is it very difficult to find the cause4 ,for many years back ,david had enjoyed a most remarkable run of prosperity4 ,his army had been victorious in every encounter2 his power was recognized by many neighbouring states2 immense riches flowed from every quarter to his capital2 it seemed as if nothing could go wrong with him4 ,when everything prospers to a man's hand1 it is a short step to the conclusion that he can do nothing wrong4 ,how many great men in the world have been spoiled by success1 and by unlimited1 or even very great power6 ,in how many hearts has the fallacy obtained a footing1 that ordinary laws were not made for them1 and that they did not need to regard them6 ,david was no exception2 he came to think of his will as the great directing force within his kingdom1 the earthly consideration that should regulate all4 ,then there was the absence of that very powerful stimulus1 the pressure of distress around him1 which had driven him formerly so close to ,god4 ,his enemies had been defeated in every quarter1 with the single exception of the ,ammonites1 a foe that could give him no anxiety2 and he ceased to have a vivid sense of his reliance on ,god as his ,shield4 ,the pressure of trouble and anxiety that had made his prayers so earnest was now removed1 and probably he had become somewhat remiss and formal in prayer4 ,we little know how much influence our surroundings have on our spiritual life till some great change takes place in them2 and then1 perhaps1 we come to see that the atmosphere of trial and difficulty which oppressed us so greatly was really the occasion to us of our highest strength and our greatest blessings4 ,and further1 there was the fact that ,david was idle1 at least without active occupation4 ,though it was the time for kings to go forth to battle1 and though his presence with his army at ,rabbah would have been a great help and encouragement to his soldiers1 he was not there4 ,he seems to have thought it not worth his while4 ,now that the ,syrians had been defeated1 there could be no difficulty with the ,ammonites4 ,at evening-tide he arose from off his bed and walked on the roof of his house4 ,he was in that idle1 listless mood in which one is most readily attracted by temptation1 and in which the lust of the flesh has its greatest power4 ,and1 as it has been remarked1 oft the sight of means to do ill makes ill deeds done4 ,if any scruples arose in his conscience they were not regarded4 ,to brush aside objections to anything on which he had set his heart was a process to which1 in his great undertakings1 he had been well accustomed2 unhappily1 he applies this rule when it is not applicable1 and with the whole force of his nature rushes into temptation4 ,never was there a case which showed more emphatically the dreadful chain of guilt to which a first act1 apparently insignificant1 may give rise4 ,his first sin was allowing himself to be arrested to sinful intents by the beauty of ,bathsheba4 ,had he1 like ,job1 made a covenant with his eyes2 had he resolved that when the idea of sin sought entrance into the imagination it should be sternly refused admission2 had he1 in a word1 nipped the temptation in the bud1 he would have been saved a world of agony and sin4 ,but instead of repelling the idea he cherishes it4 ,he makes inquiry concerning the woman4 ,he brings her to his house4 ,he uses his royal position and influence to break down the objections which she would have raised4 ,he forgets what is due to the faithful soldier1 who1 employed in his service1 is unable to guard the purity of his home4 ,he forgets the solemn testimony of the law1 which denounces death to both parties as the penalty of the sin4 ,this is the first act of the tragedy4 ,then follow his vain endeavours to conceal his crime1 frustrated by the high self-control of ,uriah4 ,yes1 though ,david gets him intoxicated he cannot make a tool of him4 ,strange that this ,hittite1 this member of one of the seven nations of ,canaan1 whose inheritance was not a blessing but a curse1 shows himself a paragon in that self-command1 the utter absence of which1 in the favoured king of ,israel1 has plunged him so deeply in the mire4 ,thus ends the second act of the tragedy4 ,but the next is far the most awful4 ,uriah must be got rid of1 not1 however1 openly1 but by a cunning stratagem that shall make it seem as if his death were the result of the ordinary fortune of war4 ,and to compass this ,david must take ,joab into his confidence4 ,to ,joab1 therefore1 he writes a letter1 indicating what is to be done to get rid of ,uriah4 ,could ,david have descended to a lower depth8 ,it was bad enough to compass the death of ,uriah2 it was mean enough to make him the bearer of the letter that gave directions for his death2 but surely the climax of meanness and guilt was the writing of that letter4 ,do you remember1 ,david1 how shocked you were when ,joab slew ,abner8 ,do you remember your consternation at the thought that you might be held to approve of the murder8 ,do you remember how often you have wished that ,joab were not so rough a man1 that he had more gentleness1 more piety1 more concern for bloodshedding8 ,and here are you making this ,joab your confidant in sin1 and your partner in murder1 justifying all the wild work his sword has ever done1 and causing him to believe that1 in spite of all his holy pretensions ,david is just such a man as himself4 ,surely it was a horrible sin--aggravated1 too1 in many ways4 ,it was committed by the head of the nation1 who was bound not only to discountenance sin in every form1 but especially to protect the families and preserve the rights of the brave men who were exposing their lives in his service4 ,and that head of the nation had been signally favoured by ,god1 and had been exalted in room of one whose selfishness and godlessness had caused him to be deposed from his dignity4 ,then there was the profession made by ,david of zeal for ,god's service and ,his law1 his great enthusiasm in bringing up the ark to ,jerusalem1 his desire to build a temple1 the character he had gained as a writer of sacred songs1 and indeed as the great champion of religion in the nation4 ,further1 there was the mature age at which he had now arrived1 a period of life at which sobriety in the indulgence of the appetites is so justly and reasonably expected4 ,and finally1 there was the excellent character and the faithful services of ,uriah1 entitling him to the high rewards of his sovereign1 rather than the cruel fate which ,david measured out to him--his home rifled and his life taken away4 ,how then1 it may be asked1 can the conduct of ,david be accounted for8 ,the answer is simple enough--on the ground of original sin4 ,like the rest of us1 he was born with proclivities to evil--to irregular desires craving unlawful indulgence4 ,when divine grace takes possession of the heart it does not annihilate sinful tendencies1 but overcomes them4 ,it brings considerations to bear on the understanding1 the conscience1 and the heart1 that incline and enable one to resist the solicitations of evil1 and to yield one's self to the law of ,god4 ,it turns this into a habit of the life4 ,it gives one a sense of great peace and happiness in resisting the motions of sin1 and doing the will of ,god4 ,it makes it the deliberate purpose and desire of one's heart to be holy2 it inspires one with the prayer1 ,oh that my ways were directed to keep ,thy statutes6 ,then shall ,i not be ashamed1 when ,i have respect unto all ,thy commandments4 ,but1 meanwhile1 the cravings of the old nature are not wholly destroyed4 ,the flesh lusteth against the spirit1 and the spirit lusteth against the flesh4 ,it is as if two armies were in collision4 ,the ,christian who naturally has a tendency to sensuality may feel the craving for sinful gratification even when the general bent of his nature is in favour of full compliance with the will of ,god4 ,in some natures1 especially strong natures1 both the old man and the new possess unusual vehemence2 the rebellious energisings of the old are held in check by the still more resolute vigour of the new2 but if it so happen that the opposition of the new man to the old is relaxed or abated1 then the outbreak of corruption will probably be on a fearful scale4 ,thus it was in ,david's nature4 ,the sensual craving1 the law of sin in his members1 was strong2 but the law of grace1 inclining him to give himself up to the will of ,god1 was stronger1 and usually kept him right4 ,there was an extraordinary activity and energy of character about him2 he never did things slowly1 tremblingly1 timidly2 the wellsprings of life were full1 and gushed out in copious currents2 in whatever direction they might flow1 they were sure to flow with power4 ,but at this time the energy of the new nature was suffering a sad abatement2 the considerations that should have led him to conform to ,god's law had lost much of their usual power4 ,fellowship with the ,fountain of life was interrupted2 the old nature found itself free from its habitual restraint1 and its stream came out with the vehemence of a liberated torrent4 ,it would be quite unfair to judge ,david on this occasion as if he had been one of those feeble creatures who1 as they seldom rise to the heights of excellence1 seldom sink to the depths of daring sin4 ,we make these remarks simply to account for a fact1 and by no means to excuse a crime4 ,men are liable to ask1 when they read of such sins done by good men1 ,were they really good men8 ,can that be genuine goodness which leaves a man liable to do such deeds of wickedness8 ,if so1 wherein are your so-called good men better than other men8 ,we reply1 ,they are better than other men in this1--and ,david was better than other men in this1--that the deepest and most deliberate desire of their hearts is to do as ,god requires1 and to be holy as ,god is holy4 ,this is their habitual aim and desire2 and in this they are in the main successful4 ,if this be not one's habitual aim1 and if in this he do not habitually succeed1 he can have no real claim to be counted a good man4 ,such is the doctrine of the ,apostle in the seventh chapter of the ,romans4 ,any one who reads that chapter in connection with the narrative of ,david's fall can have little doubt that it is the experience of the new man that the ,apostle is describing4 ,the habitual attitude of the heart is given in the striking words1 ,i delight in the law of ,god after the inward man4 ,i see how good ,god's law is2 how excellent is the stringent restraint it lays on all that is loose and irregular1 how beautiful the life which is cast in its mould4 ,but for all that1 ,i feel in me the motions of desire for unlawful gratifications1 ,i feel a craving for the pleasures of sin4 ,i see another law in my members1 warring against the law of my mind1 and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members4 ,but how does the ,apostle treat this feeling8 ,does he say1 ,i am a human creature1 and1 having these desires1 ,i may and ,i must gratify them8 ,far from it6 ,he deplores the fact1 and he cries for deliverance4 ,o wretched man that ,i am1 who shall deliver me from the body of this death8 ,and his only hope of deliverance is in ,him whom he calls his ,saviour4 ,i thank ,god through ,jesus ,christ our ,lord4 ,in the case of ,david1 the law of sin in his members prevailed for the time over the new law1 the law of his mind1 and it plunged him into a state which might well have led him too to say1 ,o wretched man that ,i am6 who shall deliver me8 ,and now we begin to understand why this supremely horrible transaction should be given in the ,bible1 and given at such length4 ,it bears the character of a beacon1 warning the mariner against some of the most deceitful and perilous rocks that are to be found in all the sea of life4 ,first of all1 it shows the danger of interrupting1 however briefly1 the duty of watching and praying1 lest you enter into temptation4 ,it is at your peril to discontinue earnest daily communion with ,god1 especially when the evils are removed that first drove you to seek ,his aid4 ,an hour's sleep may leave ,samson at the mercy of ,delilah1 and when he awakes his strength is gone4 ,further1 it affords a sad proof of the danger of dallying with sin even in thought4 ,admit sin within the precincts of the imagination1 and there is the utmost danger of its ultimately mastering the soul4 ,the outposts of the spiritual garrison should be so placed as to protect even the thoughts1 and the moment the enemy is discovered there the alarm should be given and the fight begun4 ,it is a serious moment when the young man admits a polluted thought to his heart1 and pursues it even in reverie4 ,the door is opened to a dangerous brood4 ,and everything that excites sensual feeling1 be it songs1 jests1 pictures1 books of a lascivious character1 all tends to enslave and pollute the soul1 till at length it is saturated with impurity1 and cannot escape the wretched thraldom4 ,and further1 this narrative shows us what moral havoc and ruin may be wrought by the toleration and gratification of a single sinful desire4 ,you may contend vigorously against ninety-and-nine forms of sin1 but if you yield to the hundredth the consequences will be deadly4 ,you may fling away a whole box of matches1 but if you retain one it is quite sufficient to set fire to your house4 ,a single soldier finding his way into a garrison may open the gates to the whole besieging army4 ,one sin leads on to another and another1 especially if the first be a sin which it is desirable to conceal4 ,falsehood and cunning1 and even treachery1 are employed to promote concealment2 unprincipled accomplices are called in2 the failure of one contrivance leads to other contrivances more sinful and more desperate4 ,if there is a being on earth more to be pitied than another it is the man who has got into this labyrinth4 ,what a contrast his perplexed feverish agitation to the calm peace of the straightforward ,christian6 ,he that walketh uprightly walketh surely2 but he that perverteth his way shall be known4 ,never let any one read this chapter of #b ,samuel without paying the profoundest regard to its closing words--,but the thing that ,david had done displeased the ,lord4 ,in that but lies a whole world of meaning4 ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,,david ,,and ,,nathan4 #b ,,samuel xii4 #a-ab2 #bf-ca4 ,it is often the method of the writers of ,scripture1 when the stream of public history has been broken by a private or personal incident1 to complete at once the incident1 and then go back to the principal history1 resuming it at the point at which it was interrupted4 ,in this way it sometimes happens 7as we have already seen7 that earlier events are recorded at a later part of the narrative than the natural order would imply4 ,in the course of the narrative of ,david's war with ,ammon1 the incident of his sin with ,bathsheba presents itself4 ,in accordance with the method referred to1 that incident is recorded straight on to its very close1 including the birth of ,bathsheba's second son1 which must have occurred at least two years later4 ,that being concluded1 the history of the war with ,ammon is resumed at the point at which it was broken off4 ,we are not to suppose1 as many have done1 that the events recorded in the concluding verses of this chapter 7vv4 #bf-ca7 happened later than those recorded immediately before4 ,this would imply that the siege of ,rabbah lasted for two or three years--a supposition hardly to be entertained2 for ,joab was besieging it when ,david first saw ,bathsheba1 and there is no reason to suppose that a people like the ,ammonites would be able to hold the mere outworks of the city for two or three whole years against such an army as ,david's and such a commander as ,joab4 ,it seems far more likely that ,joab's first success against ,rabbah was gained soon after the death of ,uriah1 and that his message to ,david to come and take the citadel in person was sent not long after the message that announced ,uriah's death4 ,in that case the order of events would be as follows3 ,after the death of ,uriah1 ,joab prepares for an assault on ,rabbah4 ,meanwhile1 at ,jerusalem1 ,bathsheba goes through the form of mourning for her husband1 and when the usual days of mourning are over ,david hastily sends for her and makes her his wife4 ,next comes a message from ,joab that he has succeeded in taking the city of waters1 and that only the citadel remains to be taken1 for which purpose he urges ,david to come himself with additional forces1 and thereby gain the honour of conquering the place4 ,it rather surprises one to find ,joab declining an honour for himself1 as it also surprises us to find ,david going to reap what another had sowed4 ,david1 however1 goes with all the people1 and is successful1 and after disposing of the ,ammonites he returns to ,jerusalem4 ,soon after ,bathsheba's child is born2 then ,nathan goes to ,david and gives him the message that lays him in the dust4 ,this is not only the most natural order for the events1 but it agrees best with the spirit of the narrative4 ,the cruelties practised by ,david on the ,ammonites send a thrill of horror through us as we read them4 ,no doubt they deserved a severe chastisement2 the original offence was an outrage on every right feeling1 an outrage on the law of nations1 a gratuitous and contemptuous insult2 and in bringing these vast ,syrian armies into the field they had subjected even the victorious ,israelites to grievous suffering and loss1 in toil1 in money1 and in lives4 ,attempts have been made to explain away the severities inflicted on the ,ammonites1 but it is impossible to explain away a plain historical narrative4 ,it was the manner of victorious warriors in those countries to steel their hearts against all compassion toward captive foes1 and ,david1 kind-hearted though he was1 did the same4 ,and if it be said that surely his religion1 if it were religion of the right kind1 ought to have made him more compassionate1 we reply that at this period his religion was in a state of collapse4 ,when his religion was in a healthy and active state1 it showed itself in the first place by his regard for the honour of ,god1 for whose ark he provided a resting-place1 and in whose honour he proposed to build a temple4 ,love to ,god was accompanied by love to man1 exhibited in his efforts to show kindness to the house of ,saul for the sake of ,jonathan1 and to ,hanun for the sake of ,nahash4 ,but now the picture is reversed2 he falls into a cold state of heart toward ,god1 and in connection with that declension we mark a more than usually severe punishment inflicted on his enemies4 ,just as the leaves first become yellow and finally drop from the tree in autumn1 when the juices that fed them begin to fail1 so the kindly actions that had marked the better periods of his life first fail1 then turn to deeds of cruelty when that ,holy ,spirit1 who is the fountain of all goodness1 being resisted and grieved by him1 withholds ,his living power4 ,in the whole transaction at ,rabbah ,david shows poorly4 ,it is not like him to be roused to an enterprise by an appeal to his love of fame2 he might have left ,joab to complete the conquest and enjoy the honour which his sword had substantially won4 ,it is not like him to go through the ceremony of being crowned with the crown of the king of ,ammon1 as if it were a great thing to have so precious a diadem on his head4 ,above all1 it is not like him to show so terrible a spirit in disposing of his prisoners of war4 ,but all this is quite likely to have happened if he had not yet come to repentance for his sin4 ,when a man's conscience is ill at ease1 his temper is commonly irritable4 ,unhappy in his inmost soul1 he is in the temper that most easily becomes savage when provoked4 ,no one can imagine that ,david's conscience was at rest4 ,he must have had that restless feeling which every good man experiences after doing a wrong act1 before coming to a clear apprehension of it2 he must have been eager to escape from himself1 and ,joab's request to him to come to ,rabbah and end the war must have been very opportune4 ,in the excitement of war he would escape for a time the pursuit of his conscience2 but he would be restless and irritable1 and disposed to drive out of his way1 in the most unceremonious manner1 whoever or whatever should cross his path4 ,we now return with him to ,jerusalem4 ,he had added another to his long list of illustrious victories1 and he had carried to the capital another vast store of spoil4 ,the public attention would be thoroughly occupied with these brilliant events2 and a king entering his capital at the head of his victorious troops1 and followed by waggons laden with public treasure1 need not fear a harsh construction on his private actions4 ,the fate of ,uriah might excite little notice2 the affair of ,bathsheba would soon blow over4 ,the brilliant victory that had terminated the war seemed at the same time to have extricated the king from a personal scandal4 ,david might flatter himself that all would now be peace and quiet1 and that the waters of oblivion would gather over that ugly business of ,uriah4 ,but the thing that ,david had done displeased the ,lord4 ,and the ,lord sent ,nathan unto ,david4 ,slowly1 sadly1 silently the prophet bends his steps to the palace4 ,anxiously and painfully he prepares himself for the most distressing task a prophet of the ,lord ever had to go through4 ,he has to convey ,god's reproof to the king2 he has to reprove one from whom1 doubtless1 he has received many an impulse towards all that is high and holy4 ,very happily he clothes his message in the ,eastern garb of parable4 ,he puts his parable in such life-like form that the king has no suspicion of its real character4 ,the rich robber that spared his own flocks and herds to feed the traveller1 and stole the poor man's ewe lamb1 is a real flesh-and-blood criminal to him4 ,and the deed is so dastardly1 its heartlessness is so atrocious1 that it is not enough to enforce against such a wretch the ordinary law of fourfold restitution2 in the exercise of his high prerogative the king pronounces a sentence of death upon the ruffian1 and confirms it with the solemnity of an oath--,the man that hath done this thing shall surely die4 ,the flash of indignation is yet in his eye1 the flush of resentment is still on his brow1 when the prophet with calm voice and piercing eye utters the solemn words1 ,thou art the man6 ,thou1 great king of ,israel1 art the robber1 the ruffian1 condemned by thine own voice to the death of the worst malefactor6 ,thus saith the ,lord ,god of ,israel1 ,i anointed thee king over ,israel1 and ,i delivered thee out of the hand of ,saul2 and ,i gave thee thy master's house1 and thy master's wives into thy bosom1 and gave thee the house of ,israel and of ,judah2 and if that had been too little ,i would moreover have given thee such and such things4 ,wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the ,lord1 to do evil in ,his sight8 ,thou hast killed ,uriah the ,hittite with the sword1 and hast slain him with the sword of the children of ,ammon4 ,it is not difficult to fancy the look of the king as the prophet delivered his message--how at first when he said1 ,thou art the man1 he would gaze at him eagerly and wistfully1 like one at a loss to divine his meaning2 and then1 as the prophet proceeded to apply his parable1 how1 conscience-stricken1 his expression would change to one of horror and agony2 how the deeds of the last twelve months would glare in all their infamous baseness upon him1 and outraged ,justice1 with a hundred glittering swords1 would seem all impatient to devour him4 ,it is no mere imagination that1 in a moment1 the mind may be so quickened as to embrace the actions of a long period2 and that with equal suddenness the moral aspect of them may be completely changed4 ,there are moments when the powers of the mind as well as those of the body are so stimulated as to become capable of exertions undreamt of before4 ,the dumb prince1 in ancient history1 who all his life had never spoken a word1 but found the power of speech when he saw a sword raised to cut down his father1 showed how danger could stimulate the organs of the body4 ,the sudden change in ,david's feeling now1 like the sudden change in ,saul's on the way to ,damascus1 showed what electric rapidity may be communicated to the operations of the soul4 ,it showed too what unseen and irresistible agencies of conviction and condemnation the great ,judge can bring into play when it is ,his will to do so4 ,as the steam hammer may be so adjusted as either to break a nutshell without injuring the kernel1 or crush a block of quartz to powder1 so the ,spirit of ,god can range1 in ,his effects on the conscience1 between the mildest feeling of uneasiness and the bitterest agony of remorse4 ,when ,he is come1 said our blessed ,lord1 ,he shall reprove the world of sin4 ,how helpless men are under ,his operation6 ,how utterly was ,david prostrated6 ,how were the multitudes brought down on the day of ,pentecost6 ,is there any petition we more need to press than that the ,spirit be poured out to convince of sin1 whether as it regards ourselves or the world8 ,is it not true that the great want of the ,church the want of is a sense of sin1 so that confession and humiliation are become rare1 and our very theology is emasculated1 because1 where there is little sense of sin1 there can be little appreciation of redemption8 ,and is not a sense of sin that which would bring a careless world to itself1 and make it deal earnestly with ,god's gracious offers8 ,how striking is the effect ascribed by the prophet ,zechariah to that pouring of the spirit of grace and supplication upon the house of ,david and the inhabitants of ,jerusalem1 when they shall look on ,him whom they have pierced1 and shall mourn for ,him as one mourneth for an only son1 and shall be in bitterness for ,him as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn4 ,would that our whole hearts went out in those invocations of the ,spirit which we often sing1 but alas6 so very tamely-- ,come1 ,holy ,spirit1 come1 ,let ,thy bright beams arise2 ,dispel the darkness from our minds1 ,and open all our eyes4 ,convince us of our sin1 ,lead us to ,jesus' blood1 ,and kindle in our breast the flame ,of never-dying love4 ,we cannot pass from this aspect of ,david's case without marking the terrible power of self-deception4 ,nothing blinds men so much to the real character of a sin as the fact that it is their own4 ,let it be presented to them in the light of another man's sin1 and they are shocked4 ,it is easy for one's self-love to weave a veil of fair embroidery1 and cast it over those deeds about which one is somewhat uncomfortable4 ,it is easy to devise for ourselves this excuse and that1 and lay stress on one excuse and another that may lessen the appearance of criminality4 ,but nothing is more to be deprecated1 nothing more to be deplored1 than success in that very process4 ,happy for you if a ,nathan is sent to you in time to tear to rags your elaborate embroidery1 and lay bare the essential vileness of your deed6 ,happy for you if your conscience is made to assert its authority1 and cry to you1 with its awful voice1 ,thou art the man6 ,for if you live and die in your fool's paradise1 excusing every sin1 and saying peace1 peace1 when there is no peace1 there is nothing for you but the rude awakening of the day of judgment1 when the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies6 ,after ,nathan had exposed the sin of ,david he proceeded to declare his sentence4 ,it was not a sentence of death1 in the ordinary sense of the term1 but it was a sentence of death in a sense even more difficult to bear4 ,it consisted of three things--first1 the sword should never depart from his house2 second1 out of his own house evil should be raised against him1 and a dishonoured harem should show the nature and extent of the humiliation that would come upon him2 and thirdly1 a public exposure should thus be made of his sin1 so that he would stand in the pillory of ,divine rebuke1 and in the shame which it entailed1 before all ,israel1 and before the sun4 ,when ,david confessed his sin1 ,nathan told him that the ,lord had graciously forgiven it1 but at the same time a special chastisement was to mark how concerned ,god was for the fact that by his sin he had caused the enemy to blaspheme--the child born of ,bathsheba was to die4 ,reserving this last part of the sentence and ,david's bearing in connection with it for future consideration1 let us give attention to the first portion of his retribution4 ,the sword shall never depart from thy house4 ,here we find a great principle in the moral government of ,god1--correspondence between an offence and its retribution4 ,of this many instances occur in the ,old ,testament4 ,jacob deceived his father2 he was deceived by his own sons4 ,lot made a worldly choice2 in the world's ruin he was overwhelmed4 ,so ,david having slain ,uriah with the sword1 the sword was never to depart from him4 ,he had robbed ,uriah of his wife2 his neighbours would in like manner rob and dishonour him4 ,he had disturbed the purity of the family relation2 his own house was to become a den of pollution4 ,he had mingled deceit and treachery with his actions2 deceit and treachery would be practised towards him4 ,what a sad and ominous prospect6 ,men naturally look for peace in old age2 the evening of life is expected to be calm4 ,but for him there was to be no calm2 and his trial was to fall on the tenderest part of his nature4 ,he had a strong affection for his children2 in that very feeling he was to be wounded1 and that1 too1 all his life long4 ,oh let not any suppose that1 because ,god's children are saved by ,his mercy from eternal punishment1 it is a light thing for them to despise the commandments of the ,lord6 ,thine own wickedness shall correct thee1 and thy backslidings shall reprove thee2 know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the ,lord thy ,god1 and that thy fear is not in ,me1 saith the ,lord of hosts4 ,pre-eminent in its bitterness was that part of ,david's retribution which made his own house the source from which his bitterest trials and humiliations should arise4 ,for the most part1 it is in extreme cases only that parents have to encounter this trial4 ,it is only in the wickedest households1 and in households for the most part where the passions are roused to madness by drink1 that the hand of the child is raised against his father to wound and dishonour him4 ,it was a terrible humiliation to the king of ,israel to have to bear this doom1 and especially to that king of ,israel who in many ways bore so close a resemblance to the promised ,seed1 who was indeed to be the progenitor of that ,seed1 so that when ,messiah came ,he should be called the ,son of ,david4 ,alas6 the glory of this distinction was to be sadly tarnished4 ,son of ,david was to be a very equivocal title1 according to the character of the individual who should bear it4 ,in one case it would denote the very climax of honour2 in another1 the depth of humiliation4 ,yes1 that household of ,david's would reek with foul lusts and unnatural crimes4 ,from the bosom of that home where1 under other circumstances1 it would have been so natural to look for model children1 pure1 affectionate1 and dutiful1 there would come forth monsters of lust and monsters of ambition1 whose deeds of infamy would hardly find a parallel in the annals of the nation6 ,in the breasts of some of these royal children the devil would find a seat where he might plan and execute the most unnatural crimes4 ,and that city of ,jerusalem1 which he had rescued from the ,jebusites1 consecrated as ,god's dwelling-place1 and built and adorned with the spoils which the king had taken in many a well-fought field1 would turn against him in his old age1 and force him to fly wherever a refuge could be found as homeless1 and nearly as destitute1 as in the days of his youth when he fled from ,saul6 ,and lastly1 his retribution was to be public4 ,he had done his part secretly1 but ,god would do ,his part openly4 ,there was not a man or woman in all ,israel but would see these judgments coming on a king who had outraged his royal position and his royal prerogatives4 ,how could he ever go in and out happily among them again8 ,how could he be sure1 when he met any of them1 that they were not thinking of his crime1 and condemning him in their hearts8 ,how could he meet the hardly suppressed scowl of every ,hittite1 that would recall his treatment of their faithful kinsman8 ,what a burden would he carry ever after1 he that used to wear such a frank and honest and kindly look1 that was so affable to all that sought his counsel1 and so tender-hearted to all that were in trouble6 ,and what outlet could he find out of all this misery8 ,there was but one he could think of4 ,if only ,god would forgive him2 if ,he1 whose mercy was in the heavens1 would but receive him again of ,his infinite condescension into ,his fellowship1 and vouchsafe to him that grace which was not the fruit of man's deserving1 but1 as its very name implied1 of ,god's unbounded goodness1 then might his soul return again to its quiet rest1 though life could never be to him what it was before4 ,and this1 as we shall presently see1 is what he set himself very earnestly to seek1 and what of ,god's mercy he was permitted to find4 ,o sinner1 if thou hast strayed like a lost sheep1 and plunged into the very depths of sin1 know that all is not lost with thee6 ,there is one way yet open to peace1 if not to joy4 ,amid the ten thousand times ten thousand voices that condemn thee1 there is one voice of love that comes from heaven and says1 ,return unto ,me1 and ,i will return unto you1 saith the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,,penitence ,,and ,,chastisement4 #b ,,samuel xii4 #ac-be4 ,when ,nathan ended his message1 plainly and strongly though he had spoken1 ,david indicated no irritation1 made no complaint against the prophet1 but simply and humbly confessed--,i have sinned4 ,it is so common for men to be offended when a servant of ,god remonstrates with them1 and to impute their interference to an unworthy motive1 and to the desire of some one to hurt and humiliate them1 that it is refreshing to find a great king receiving the rebuke of the ,lord's servant in a spirit of profound humility and frank confession4 ,very different was the experience of ,john the ,baptist when he remonstrated with ,herod4 ,very different was the experience of the famous ,chrysostom when he rebuked the emperor and empress for conduct unworthy of ,christians4 ,very different has been the experience of many a faithful minister in a humbler sphere1 when1 constrained by a sense of duty1 he has gone to some man of influence in his flock1 and spoken seriously to him of sins which bring a reproach on the name of ,christ4 ,often it has cost the faithful man days and nights of pain2 girding himself for the duty has been like preparing for martyrdom2 and it has been really martyrdom when he has had to bear the long malignant enmity of the man whom he rebuked4 ,however vile the conduct of ,david may have been1 it is one thing in his favour that he receives his rebuke with perfect humility and submission2 he makes no attempt to palliate his conduct either before ,god or man2 but sums up his whole feeling in these expressive words1 ,i have sinned against the ,lord4 ,to this frank acknowledgment ,nathan replied that the ,lord had put away his sin1 so that he would not undergo the punishment of death4 ,it was his own judgment that the miscreant who had stolen the ewe lamb should die1 and as that proved to be himself1 it indicated the punishment that was due to him4 ,that punishment1 however1 the ,lord1 in the exercise of ,his clemency1 had been pleased to remit4 ,but a palpable proof of ,his displeasure was to be given in another way--the child of ,bathsheba was to die4 ,it was to become1 as it were1 the scapegoat for its father4 ,in those times father and child were counted so much one that the offence of the one was often visited on both4 ,when ,achan stole the spoil at ,jericho1 not only he himself1 but his whole family1 shared his sentence of death4 ,in this case of ,david the father was to escape1 but the child was to die4 ,it may seem hard1 and barely just4 ,but death to the child1 though in form a punishment1 might prove to be great gain4 ,it might mean transference to a higher and brighter state of existence4 ,it might mean escape from a life full of sorrows and perils to the world where there is no more pain1 nor sorrow1 nor death1 because the former things are passed away4 ,we cannot pass from the consideration of ,david's great penitence for his sin without dwelling a little more on some of its features4 ,it is in the fifty-first ,psalm that the working of his soul is best unfolded to us4 ,no doubt it has been strongly urged by certain modern critics that that psalm is not ,david's at all2 that it belongs to some other period1 as the last verse but one indicates1 when the walls of ,jerusalem were in ruins2--most likely the period of the ,captivity4 ,but even if we should have to say of the last two verses that they must have been added at another time1 we cannot but hold the psalm to be the outpouring of ,david's soul1 and not the expression of the penitence of the nation at large4 ,if ever psalm was the expression of the feelings of an individual it is this one4 ,and if ever psalm was appropriate to ,king ,david it is this one4 ,for the one thing which is uppermost in the soul of the writer is his personal relation to ,god4 ,the one thing that he values1 and for which all other things are counted but dung1 is friendly intercourse with ,god4 ,this sin no doubt has had many other atrocious effects1 but the terrible thing is that it has broken the link that bound him to ,god1 it has cut off all the blessed things that come by that channel1 it has made him an outcast from ,him whose lovingkindness is better than life4 ,without ,god's favour life is but misery4 ,he can do no good to man2 he can do no service to ,god4 ,it is a rare thing even for good men to have such a profound sense of the blessedness of ,god's favour4 ,david was one of those who had it in the profoundest degree2 and as the fifty-first ,psalm is full of it1 as it forms the very soul of its pleadings1 we cannot doubt that it was a psalm of ,david4 ,the humiliation of the ,psalmist before ,god is very profound1 very thorough4 ,his case is one for simple mercy2 he has not the shadow of a plea in self-defence4 ,his sin is in every aspect atrocious4 ,it is the product of one so vile that he may be said to have been shapen in iniquity and conceived in sin4 ,the aspect of it as sin against ,god is so overwhelming that it absorbs the other aspect--the sin against man4 ,not but that he has sinned against man too1 but it is the sin against ,god that is so awful1 so overwhelming4 ,yet1 if his sin abounds1 the ,psalmist feels that ,god's grace abounds much more4 ,he has the highest sense of the excellence and the multitude of ,god's lovingkindnesses4 ,man can never make himself so odious as to be beyond the ,divine compassion4 ,he can never become so guilty as to be beyond the ,divine forgiveness4 ,blot out my transgressions1 sobs ,david1 knowing that it can be done4 ,purge me with hyssop1 he cries1 and ,i shall be clean2 wash me1 and ,i shall be whiter than the snow4 ,create in me a clean heart1 and renew a right spirit within me4 ,but this is not all2 it is far from all4 ,he pleads most plaintively for the restoration of ,god's friendship4 ,cast me not away from ,thy presence1 and take not ,thy ,holy ,spirit from me1--for that would be hell2 ,restore unto me the joy of ,thy salvation1 and uphold me with ,thy free ,spirit1--for that is heaven4 ,and1 with the renewed sense of ,god's love and grace1 there would come a renewed power to serve ,god and be useful to men4 ,then will ,i teach transgressors ,thy ways2 and sinners shall be converted unto ,thee4 ,o ,lord1 open ,thou my lips2 and my mouth shall show forth ,thy praise4 ,deprive me not for ever of ,thy friendship1 for then life would be but darkness and anguish2 depose me not for ever from ,thy ministry1 continue to me yet the honour and the privilege of converting sinners unto ,thee4 ,of the sacrifices of the law it was needless to think1 as if they were adequate to purge away so overwhelming a sin4 ,thou desirest not sacrifice1 else ,i would give it3 ,thou delightest not in burnt-offering4 ,the sacrifices of ,god are a broken spirit3 a broken and a contrite heart1 ,o ,god1 ,thou wilt not despise4 ,with all his consciousness of sin1 ,david has yet a profound faith in ,god's mercy1 and he is forgiven4 ,but as we have seen1 the ,divine displeasure against him is to be openly manifested in another form1 because1 in addition to his personal sin1 he has given occasion to the enemies of the ,lord to blaspheme4 ,this is an aggravation of guilt which only ,god's children can commit4 ,and it is an aggravation of a most distressing kind1 enough surely to warn off every ,christian from vile self-indulgence4 ,the blasphemy to which ,david had given occasion was that which denies the reality of ,god's work in the souls of ,his people4 ,it denies that they are better than others4 ,they only make more pretence1 but that pretence is hollow1 if not hypocritical4 ,there is no such thing as a special work of the ,holy ,ghost in them1 and therefore there is no reason why any one should seek to be converted1 or why he should implore the special grace of the ,spirit of ,god4 ,alas6 how true it is that when any one who occupies a conspicuous place in the ,church of ,god breaks down1 such sneers are sure to be discharged on every side6 ,what a keen eye the world has for the inconsistencies of ,christians6 ,with what remorseless severity does it come down on them when they fall into these inconsistencies6 ,sins that would hardly be thought of if committed by others1--what a serious aspect they assume when committed by them6 ,had it been ,nebuchadnezzar1 for example1 that treated ,uriah as ,david did1 who would have thought of it a second time8 ,what else could you expect of ,nebuchadnezzar8 ,let a ,christian society or any other ,christian body be guilty of a scandal1 how do the worldly newspapers fasten on it like treasure-trove1 and exult over their humbled victim1 like ,red ,indians dancing their war dances and flourishing their tomahawks over some miserable prisoner4 ,the scorn is very bitter1 and sometimes it is very unjust2 yet perhaps it has on the whole a wholesome effect1 just because it stimulates vigilance and carefulness on the part of the ,church4 ,but the worst of the case is1 that on the part of unbelievers it stimulates that blasphemy which is alike dishonouring to ,god and pernicious to man4 ,virtually this blasphemy denies the whole work of the ,holy ,spirit in the hearts of men4 ,it denies the reality of any supernatural agency of the ,spirit in one more than in all4 ,and denying the work of the ,spirit1 it makes men careless about the ,spirit2 it neutralises the solemn words of ,christ1 ,ye must be born again4 ,it throws back the kingdom of ,god1 and it turns back many a pilgrim who had been thinking seriously of beginning the journey to the heavenly city1 because he is now uncertain whether such a city exists at all4 ,hardly has ,nathan left the king's house when the child begins to sicken1 and the sickness becomes very great4 ,we should have expected that ,david would be concerned and distressed1 but hardly to the degree which his distress attained4 ,in the intensity of his anxiety and grief there is something remarkable4 ,a new-born infant could scarcely have taken that mysterious hold on a father's heart which a little time is commonly required to develop1 but which1 once it is there1 makes the loss even of a little child a grievous blow1 and leaves the heart sick and sore for many a day4 ,but there is something in an infant's agony which unmans the strongest heart1 especially when it comes in convulsive fits that no skill can allay4 ,and should one1 in addition1 be tortured with the conviction that the child was suffering on one's own account1 one's distress might well be overpowering4 ,and this was ,david's feeling4 ,his sin was ever before him4 ,as he saw that suffering infant he must have felt as if the stripes that should have fallen on him were tearing the poor babe's tender frame1 and crushing him with undeserved suffering4 ,even in ordinary cases1 it is a mysterious thing to see an infant in mortal agony4 ,it is solemnizing to think that the one member of the family who has committed no actual sin should be the first to reap the deadly wages of sin4 ,it leads us to think of mankind as one tree of many branches2 and when the wintry frost begins to prevail it is the youngest and tenderest branchlets that first droop and die4 ,oh6 how careful should those in mature years be1 and especially parents1 lest by their sins they bring down a retribution which shall fall first on their children1 and perhaps the youngest and most innocent of all6 ,yet how often do we see the children suffering for the sins of their parents1 and suffering in a way which1 in this life at least1 admits of no right remedy6 ,in that bitter cry of outcast ,london1 which fell some years ago on the ears of the country1 by far the most distressing note was the cry of infants abandoned by drunken parents before they could well walk1 or living with them in hovels where blows and curses came in place of food and clothing and kindness--children brought up without aught of the sunshine of love1 every tender feeling nipped and shrivelled in the very bud by the frost of bitter1 brutal cruelty4 ,and if in ordinary families children are not made to suffer so palpably for their parents' sins1 yet suffer they do in many ways sufficiently serious4 ,wherever there is a bad example1 wherever there is a laxity of principle1 wherever ,god is dishonoured1 the sin reacts upon the children4 ,their moral texture is relaxed2 they learn to trifle with sin1 and1 trifling with sin1 to disbelieve in the retribution for sin4 ,and where conscience has not been altogether destroyed in the parent1 and remorse for sin begins to prevail1 and retribution to come1 it is not what he has to suffer in his own person that he feels most deeply1 but what has to be borne and suffered by his children4 ,does any one ask why ,god has constituted society so that the innocent are thus implicated in the sin of the guilty8 ,the answer is1 that this arises not from ,god's constitution1 but from man's perversion of it4 ,why1 we may ask1 do men subvert ,god's moral order8 ,why do they break down ,his fences and embankments1 and1 contrary to the ,divine plan1 let ruinous streams pour their destructive waters into their homes and enclosures8 ,if the human race had preserved from the beginning the constitution which ,god gave them1 obeyed ,his law both individually and as a social body1 such things would not have been4 ,but reckless man1 in his eagerness to have his own way1 disregards the ,divine arrangement1 and plunges himself and his family into the depths of woe4 ,there is something even beyond this1 however1 that arrests our notice in the behaviour of ,david4 ,though ,nathan had said that the child would die1 he set himself most earnestly1 by prayer and fasting1 to get ,god to spare him4 ,was this not a strange proceeding8 ,it could be justified only on the supposition that the ,divine judgment was modified by an unexpressed condition that1 if ,david should humble himself in true repentance1 it would not have to be inflicted4 ,anyhow1 we see him throwing his whole soul into these exercises3 engaging in them so earnestly that he took no regular food1 and in place of the royal bed he was content to lie upon the earth4 ,his earnestness in this was well fitted to show the difference between a religious service gone through with becoming reverence1 because it is the proper thing to do1 and the service of one who has a definite end in view1 who seeks a definite blessing1 and who wrestles with ,god to obtain it4 ,but ,david had no valid ground for expecting that1 even if he should repent1 ,god would avert the judgment from the child2 indeed1 the reason assigned for it showed the contrary--because he had given occasion to the enemies of the ,lord to blaspheme4 ,and so1 after a very weary and dismal week1 the child died4 ,but instead of abandoning himself to a tumult of distress when this event took place1 he altogether changed his demeanour4 ,his spirit became calm1 he arose from the earth1 and washed1 and anointed himself1 and changed his apparel1 and he came into the house of the ,lord and worshipped2 then he came to his own house1 and when he required1 they set bread before him1 and he did eat4 ,it seemed to his servants a strange proceeding4 ,the answer of ,david showed that there was a rational purpose in it4 ,so long as he thought it possible that the child's life might be spared1 he not only continued to pray to that effect1 but he did everything to prevent his attention from being turned to anything else1 he did everything to concentrate his soul on that one object1 and to let it appear to ,god how thoroughly it occupied his mind4 ,the death of the child showed that it was not ,god's will to grant his petition1 notwithstanding his deep repentance and earnest prayer and fasting4 ,all suspense was now at an end1 and1 therefore1 all reason for continuing to fast and pray4 ,for ,david to abandon himself to the wailings of aggravated grief at this moment would have been highly wrong4 ,it would have been to quarrel with the will of ,god4 ,it would have been to challenge ,god's right to view the child as one with its father1 and treat it accordingly4 ,and there was yet another reason4 ,if his heart still yearned on the child1 the re-union was not impossible1 though it could not take place in this life4 ,i shall go to him1 but he shall not return unto me4 ,the glimpse of the future expressed in these words is touching and beautiful4 ,the relation between ,david and that little child is not ended4 ,though the mortal remains shall soon crumble1 father and child are not yet done with one another4 ,but their meeting is not to be in this world4 ,meet again they certainly shall1 but ,i shall go to him1 and he shall not return to me4 ,and this glimpse of the future relation of parent and child1 separated here by the hand of death1 has ever proved most comforting to bereaved ,christian hearts4 ,very touching and very comforting it is to light on this bright view of the future at so early a period of ,old ,testament history4 ,words cannot express the desolation of heart which such bereavements cause4 ,when ,rachel is weeping for her children she cannot be comforted if she thinks they are not4 ,but a new light breaks on her desolate heart when she is assured that she may go to them1 though they shall not return to her4 ,blessed1 truly1 are the dead who die in the ,lord1 and1 however painful the stroke that removed them1 blessed are their surviving friends4 ,ye shall go to them1 though they shall not return to you4 ,how you are to recognise them1 how you are to commune with them1 in what place they shall be1 in what condition of consciousness1 you cannot tell2 but you shall go to them2 the separation shall be but temporary1 and who can conceive the joy of re-union1 re-union never to be broken by separation for evermore8 ,one other fact we must notice ere passing from the record of ,david's confession and chastisement1--the moral courage which he showed in delivering the fifty-first ,psalm to the chief musician1 and thus helping to keep alive in his own generation and for all time coming the memory of his trespass4 ,most men would have thought how the ugly transaction might most effectually be buried1 and would have tried to put their best face on it before their people4 ,not so ,david4 ,he was willing that his people and all posterity should see him the atrocious transgressor he was--let them think of him as they pleased4 ,he saw that this everlasting exposure of his vileness was essential towards extracting from the miserable transaction such salutary lessons as it might be capable of yielding4 ,with a wonderful effort of magnanimity1 he resolved to place himself in the pillory of public shame1 to expose his memory to all the foul treatment which the scoffers and libertines of every after-age might think fit to heap on it4 ,it is unjust to ,david1 when unbelievers rail against him for his sin in the matter of ,uriah1 to overlook the fact that the first public record of the transaction came from his own pen1 and was delivered to the chief musician1 for public use4 ,infidels may scoff1 but this narrative will be a standing proof that the foolishness of ,god is wiser than men4 ,the view given to ,god's servants of the weakness and deceitfulness of their hearts2 the warning against dallying with the first movements of sin2 the sight of the misery which follows in its wake2 the encouragement which the convicted sinner has to humble himself before ,god2 the impulse given to penitential feeling2 the hope of mercy awakened in the breasts of the despairing2 the softer1 humbler1 holier walk when pardon has been got and peace restored1--such lessons as these1 afforded in every age by this narrative1 will render it to thoughtful hearts a constant ground for magnifying ,god4 ,o the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of ,god6 how unsearchable are ,his judgments1 and ,his ways past finding out6 ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,,absalom ,,and ,,amnon4 #b ,,samuel xiii4 #a-cg4 ,a living sorrow1 says the proverb1 is worse than a dead4 ,the dead sorrow had been very grievous to ,david2 what the living sorrow1 of which this chapter tells us1 must have been1 we cannot conceive4 ,it is his own disorderly lusts1 reappearing in his sons1 that are the source of this new tragedy4 ,it is often useful for parents to ask whether they would like to see their children doing what they allow in themselves2 and in many cases the answer is an emphatic ,no4 ,david is now doomed to see his children following his own evil example1 only with added circumstances of atrocity4 ,adultery and murder had been introduced by him into the palace2 when he is done with them they remain to be handled by his sons4 ,it is a very repulsive picture of sensuality that this chapter presents4 ,one would suppose that ,amnon and ,absalom had been accustomed to the wild orgies of pagan idolatry4 ,nathan had rebuked ,david because he had given occasion to the enemies of the ,lord to blaspheme4 ,he had afforded them a pretext for denying the work of the ,holy ,spirit in regeneration and sanctification1 and for affirming that so-called holy men were just like the rest of mankind4 ,this in ,god's eyes was a grievous offence4 ,amnon and ,absalom are now guilty of the same offence in another form1 because they afford a pretext for ungodly men to say that the families of holy men are no better--perhaps that they are worse--than other families4 ,but as ,david himself in the matter of ,uriah is an exception to the ordinary lives of godly men1 so his home is an exception to the ordinary tone and spirit of religious households4 ,happily we are met with a very different ideal when we look behind the scenes into the better class of ,christian homes1 whether high or low4 ,it is a beautiful picture of the ,christian home1 according to the ,christian ideal1 we find1 for example1 in ,milton's ,comus--pure brothers1 admiring a dear sister's purity1 and jealous lest1 alone in the world1 she should fall in the way of any of those bloated monsters that would drag an angel into their filthy sty4 ,commend us to those homes where brothers and sisters1 sharing many a game1 and with still greater intimacy pouring into each other's ears their inner thoughts and feelings1 never utter a jest1 or word1 or allusion with the slightest taint of indelicacy1 and love and honour each other with all the higher affection that none of them has ever been near the haunts of pollution4 ,it is easy to ridicule innocence1 to scoff at young men who flee youthful lusts2 yet who will say that the youth who is steeped in fashionable sensuality is worthy to be the brother and companion of pure-minded maidens1 or that his breath will not contaminate the atmosphere of their home8 ,what easy victories ,belial gains over many6 ,how easily he persuades them that vice is manly1 that impurity is grand1 that the pig's sty is a delightful place to lie down in6 ,how easily he induces them to lay snares for female chastity1 and put the devil's mask on woman's soul6 ,but ,god is not mocked2 whatsoever a man soweth1 that shall he also reap2 for he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption1 while he that soweth to the ,spirit shall of the ,spirit reap life everlasting4 ,in ,scripture some men have very short biographies2 ,amnon is one of these4 ,and1 like ,cain1 all that is recorded of him has the mark of infamy4 ,we can easily understand that it was a great disaster to him to be a king's son4 ,to have his position in life determined and all his wants supplied without an effort on his part2 to be surrounded by such plenty that the wholesome necessity of denying himself was unknown1 and whatever he fancied was at once obtained2 to be so accustomed to indulge his legitimate feelings that when illegitimate desires rose up it seemed but natural that they too should be gratified2 thus to be led on in the evil ways of sensual pleasure till his appetite became at once bloated and irrepressible2 to be surrounded by parasites and flatterers1 that would make a point of never crossing him nor uttering a disagreeable word1 but constantly encouraging his tastes1--all this was extremely dangerous4 ,and when his father had set him the example1 it was hardly possible he would avoid the snare4 ,there is every reason to believe that before he is presented to us in this chapter he was already steeped in sensuality4 ,it was his misfortune to have a friend1 ,jonadab1 the son of ,shimeah1 ,david's brother1 a very subtil man1 who at heart must have been as great a profligate as himself4 ,for if ,jonadab had been anything but a profligate1 ,amnon would never have confided to him his odious desire with reference to his half-sister1 and ,jonadab would never have given him the advice that he did4 ,what a blessing to ,amnon1 at this stage of the tragedy1 would have been the faithful advice of an honest friend--one who would have had the courage to declare the infamy of his proposal1 and who would have so placed it in the light of truth that it would have shocked and horrified even ,amnon himself6 ,in reality1 the friend was more guilty than the culprit4 ,the one was blinded by passion2 the other was self-possessed and cool4 ,the cool man encourages the heated2 the sober man urges on the intoxicated4 ,o ye sons of wealth and profligacy1 it is sad enough that you are often so tempted by the lusts that rise up in your own bosoms1 but it is worse to be exposed to the friendship of wretches who never study your real good1 but encourage you to indulge the vilest of your appetites1 and smooth for you the way to hell6 ,the plan which ,jonadab proposes for ,amnon to obtain the object of his desire is founded on a stratagem which he is to practise on his father4 ,he is to pretend sickness1 and under this pretext to get matters arranged by his father as he would like4 ,to practise deceit on a father was a thing not unknown even among the founders of the nation2 ,jacob and ,jacob's sons had resorted to it alike4 ,but it had been handed down with the mark of disgrace attached to it by ,god ,himself4 ,in spite of this it was counted both by ,jonadab and ,amnon a suitable weapon for their purpose4 ,and so1 as every one knows1 it is counted not only a suitable1 but a smart and laughable1 device1 in stage plays without number1 and by the class of persons whose morality is reflected by the popular stage4 ,who so suitable a person to be made a fool of as the governor8 ,who so little to be pitied when he becomes the dupe of his children's cunning8 ,honour thy father and thy mother1 was once proclaimed in thunder from ,sinai1 and not only men's hearts trembled1 but the very earth shook at the voice4 ,but these were old times and old-fashioned people4 ,treat your father and mother as useful and convenient tools1 inasmuch as they have control of the purse1 of which you are often in want4 ,but as they are not likely to approve of the objects for which you would spend their money2 as they are sure1 on the other hand1 to disapprove of them strongly1 exercise your ingenuity in hoodwinking them as to your doings1 and if your stratagem succeed1 enjoy your chuckle at the blindness and simplicity of the poor old fools6 ,if this be the course that commends itself to any son or daughter1 it indicates a heart so perverted that it would be most difficult to bring it to any sense of sin4 ,all we would say is1 ,see what kind of comrades you have in this policy of deceiving parents4 ,see this royal blackguard1 ,amnon1 and his villainous adviser ,jonadab1 resorting to the very same method for hoodwinking ,king ,david2 see them making use of this piece of machinery to compass an act of the grossest villainy that ever was heard of2 and say whether you hold the device to be commended by their example1 and whether you feel honoured in treading a course that has been marked before you by such footprints4 ,if anything more was needed to show the accomplished villainy of ,amnon1 it is his treatment of ,tamar after he has violently compassed her ruin4 ,it is the story so often repeated even at this day1--the ruined victim flung aside in dishonour1 and left unpitied to her shame4 ,there is no trace of any compunction on the part of ,amnon at the moral murder he has committed1 at the life he has ruined2 no pity for the once blithe and happy maiden whom he has doomed to humiliation and woe4 ,she has served his purpose1 king's daughter though she is2 let her crawl into the earth like a poor worm to live or to die1 in want or in misery2 it is nothing to him4 ,the only thing about her that he cares for is1 that she may never again trouble him with her existence1 or disturb the easy flow of his life4 ,we think of those men of the olden time as utter barbarians who confined their foes in dismal dungeons1 making their lives a continual torture1 and denying them the slightest solace to the miseries of captivity4 ,but what shall we say of those1 high-born and wealthy men1 it may be1 who doom their cast-off victims to an existence of wretchedness and degradation which has no gleam of enjoyment1 compared with which the silence and loneliness of a prison would be a luxury8 ,can the selfishness of sin exhibit itself anywhere or anyhow more terribly8 ,what kind of heart can be left to the seducer1 so hardened as to smother the faintest touch of pity for the woman he has made wretched for ever2 so savage as to drive from him with the roughest execrations the poor confiding creature without whom he used to vow1 in the days of her unsuspecting innocence1 that he knew not how to live6 ,in a single word1 our attention is now turned to the father of both ,amnon and ,tamar4 ,when ,king ,david heard of all these things1 he was very wroth4 ,little wonder6 ,but was this all8 ,was no punishment found for ,amnon8 ,was he allowed to remain in the palace1 the oldest son of the king1 with nothing to mark his father's displeasure1 nothing to neutralise his influence with the other royal children1 nothing to prevent the repetition of his wickedness8 ,tamar1 of course1 was a woman4 ,was it for this reason that nothing was done to punish her destroyer8 ,it does not appear that his position was in any way changed4 ,we cannot but be indignant at the inactivity of ,david4 ,yet when we think of the past1 we need not be surprised4 ,david was too much implicated in the same sins to be able to inflict suitable punishment for them4 ,it is those whose hands are clean that can rebuke the offender4 ,let others try to administer reproof--their own hearts condemn them1 and they shrink from the task4 ,even the king of ,israel must wink at the offences of his son4 ,but if ,david winked1 ,absalom did nothing of the kind4 ,such treatment of his full sister1 if the king chose to let it alone1 could not be let alone by the proud1 indignant brother4 ,he nursed his wrath1 and watched for his opportunity4 ,nothing short of the death of ,amnon would suffice him4 ,and that death must be compassed not in open fight but by assassination4 ,at last1 after two full years1 his opportunity came4 ,a sheepshearing at ,baal-hazor gave occasion for a feast1 to which the king and all his sons should be asked4 ,his father excused himself on the ground of the expense4 ,absalom was most unwilling to receive the excuse1 reckoning probably that the king's presence would more completely ward off any suspicion of his purpose1 and utterly heedless of the anguish his father would have felt when he found that1 while asked professedly to a feast1 it was really to the murder of his eldest son4 ,david1 however1 refuses firmly1 but he gives ,absalom his blessing4 ,whether this was meant in the sense in which ,isaac blessed ,jacob1 or whether it was merely an ordinary occasion of commending ,absalom to the grace of ,god1 it was a touching act1 and it might have arrested the arm that was preparing to deal such a fatal blow to ,amnon4 ,on the contrary1 ,absalom only availed himself of his father's expression of kindly feeling to beg that he would allow ,amnon to be present4 ,and he succeeded so well that permission was given1 not to ,amnon only1 but to all the king's sons4 ,to ,absalom's farm at ,baal-hazor accordingly they went1 and we may be sure that nothing would be spared to make the banquet worthy of a royal family4 ,and now1 while the wine is flowing freely1 and the buzz of jovial talk fills the apartment1 and all power of action on the part of ,amnon is arrested by the stupefying influence of wine1 the signal is given for his murder4 ,see how closely ,absalom treads in the footsteps of his father when he summons intoxicating drink to his aid1 as ,david did to ,uriah1 when trying to make a screen of him for his own guilt4 ,yes1 from the beginning1 drink1 or some other stupefying agent1 has been the ready ally of the worst criminals1 either preparing the victim for the slaughter or maddening the murderer for the deed4 ,but wherever it has been present it has only made the tragedy more awful and the aspect of the crime more hideous4 ,give a wide berth1 ye servants of ,god1 to an agent with which the devil has ever placed himself in such close and deadly alliance6 ,it is not easy to paint the blackness of the crime of ,absalom4 ,we have nothing to say for ,amnon1 who seems to have been a man singularly vile2 but there is something very appalling in his being murdered by the order of his brother1 something very cold-blooded in ,absalom's appeal to the assassins not to flinch from their task1 something very revolting in the flagrant violation of the laws of hospitality1 and something not less daring in the deed being done in the midst of the feast1 and in the presence of the guests4 ,when ,shakespeare would paint the murder of a royal guest1 the deed is done in the dead of night1 with no living eye to witness it1 with no living arm at hand capable of arresting the murderous weapon4 ,but here is a murderer of his guest who does not scruple to have the deed done in broad daylight in presence of all his guests1 in presence of all the brothers of his victim1 while the walls resound to the voice of mirth1 and each face is radiant with festive excitement4 ,out from some place of concealment rush the assassins with their deadly weapons2 next moment the life-blood of ,amnon spurts on the table1 and his lifeless body falls heavily to the ground4 ,before the excitement and horror of the assembled guests has subsided ,absalom has made his escape1 and before any step can be taken to pursue him he is beyond reach in ,geshur in ,syria4 ,meanwhile an exaggerated report of the tragedy reaches ,king ,david's ears1--,absalom has slain all the king's sons1 and there is not one of them left4 ,evil1 at the bottom of his heart1 must have been ,david's opinion of him when he believed the story1 even in this exaggerated form4 ,the king arose and rent his clothes1 and lay on the earth2 and all his servants stood round with their clothes rent4 ,nor was it till ,jonadab1 his cousin1 assured him that only ,amnon could be dead1 that the terrible impression of a wholesale massacre was removed from his mind4 ,but who can fancy what the circumstances must have been1 when it became a relief to ,david to know that ,absalom had murdered but one of his brothers8 ,jonadab evidently thought that ,david did not need to be much surprised1 inasmuch as this murder was a foregone conclusion with ,absalom2 it had been determined on ever since the day when ,amnon forced ,tamar4 ,here is a new light on the character of ,jonadab4 ,he knew that ,absalom had determined that ,amnon should die4 ,it was no surprise to him to hear that this purpose was carried out with effect4 ,why did he not warn ,amnon8 ,could it be that he had been bribed over to the side of ,absalom8 ,he knew the real state of the case before the king's sons arrived4 ,for when they did appear he appealed to ,david whether his statement1 previously given1 was not correct4 ,and now the first part of the retribution denounced by ,nathan begins to be fulfilled1 and fulfilled very fearfully1--the sword shall never depart from thy house4 ,ancient history abounds in frightful stories1 stories of murder1 incest1 and revenge1 the materials1 real or fabulous1 from which were formed the tragedies of the great ,greek dramatists4 ,but nothing in their dramas is more tragic than the crime of ,amnon1 the incest of ,tamar1 and the revenge of ,absalom4 ,what ,david's feelings must have been we can hardly conceive4 ,what must he have felt as he thought of the death of ,amnon1 slain by his brother's command1 in his brother's house1 at his brother's table1 and hurried to ,god's judgment while his brain was reeling with intoxication6 ,what a pang must have been shot by the recollection how ,david had once tried1 for his own base ends1 to intoxicate ,uriah as ,absalom had intoxicated ,amnon6 ,it does not appear that ,david's grief over ,amnon was of the passionate kind that he showed afterwards when ,absalom was slain2 but1 though quieter1 it must have been very bitter4 ,how could he but be filled with anguish when he thought of his son1 hurried1 while drunk1 by his brother's act1 into the presence of ,god1 to answer for the worse than murder of his sister1 and for all the crimes and sins of an ill-spent life6 ,what hope could he entertain for the welfare of his soul8 ,what balm could he find for such a wound8 ,and it was not ,amnon only he had to think of4 ,these three of his children1 ,amnon1 ,tamar1 ,absalom1 in one sense or another1 were now total wrecks4 ,from these three branches of his family tree no fruit could ever come4 ,nor could the dead now bury its dead4 ,neither the remembrance nor the effect of the past could ever be wiped out4 ,it baffles us to think how ,david was able to carry such grief4 ,david mourned for his son every day4 ,it was only the lapse of time that could blunt the edge of his distress4 ,but surely there must have been terrible faults in ,david's upbringing of his family before such results as these could come4 ,undoubtedly there were4 ,first of all1 there was the number of his wives4 ,this could not fail to be a source of much jealousy and discord among them and their children1 especially when he himself was absent1 as he must often have been1 for long periods at a time4 ,then there was his own example1 so unguarded1 so unhallowed1 at a point where the utmost care and vigilance had need to be shown4 ,thirdly1 there seems to have been an excessive tenderness of feeling towards his children1 and towards some of them in particular4 ,he could not bear to disappoint2 his feelings got the better of his judgment2 when the child insisted the father weakly gave way4 ,he wanted the firmness and the faithfulness of ,abraham1 of whom ,god had said1 ,i know him that he will command his children and his household after him1 and they shall keep the way of the ,lord to do justice and judgment4 ,perhaps1 too1 busy and often much pressed as he was with affairs of state1 occupied with foreign wars1 with internal improvements1 and the daily administration of justice1 he looked on his house as a place of simple relaxation and enjoyment1 and forgot that there1 too1 he had a solemn charge and most important duty4 ,thus it was that ,david failed in his domestic management4 ,it is easy to spy out his defects1 and easy to condemn him4 ,but let each of you who have a family to bring up look to himself4 ,you have not all ,david's difficulties1 but you may have some of them4 ,the precept and the promise is1 ,train up a child in the way he should go1 and when he is old he will not depart from it4 ,it is not difficult to know the way he should go--the difficulty lies in the words1 ,train up4 ,to train up is not to force1 nor is it merely to lay down the law1 or to enforce the law4 ,it is to get the whole nature of the child to move freely in the direction wished4 ,to do this needs on the part of the parent a combination of firmness and love1 of patience and decision1 of consistent example and sympathetic encouragement4 ,but it needs also1 on the part of ,god1 and therefore to be asked in earnest1 believing prayer1 that wondrous power which touches the springs of the heart1 and draws it to ,him and to ,his ways4 ,only by this combination of parental faithfulness and ,divine grace can we look for the blessed result1 when he is old he will not depart from it4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,,absalom ,,banished ,,and ,,brought ,,back4 #b ,,samuel xiii4 #ch1 #ci2 xiv4 ,geshur1 to which ,absalom fled after the murder of ,amnon1 accompanied in all likelihood by the men who had slain him1 was a small kingdom in ,syria1 lying between ,mount ,hermon and ,damascus4 ,maacah1 ,absalom's mother1 was the daughter of ,talmai1 king of ,geshur1 so that ,absalom was there among his own relations4 ,there is no reason to believe that ,talmai and his people had renounced the idolatrous worship that prevailed in ,syria4 ,for ,david to ally himself in marriage with an idolatrous people was not in accordance with the law4 ,in law1 ,absalom must have been a ,hebrew1 circumcised the eighth day2 but in spirit he would probably have no little sympathy with his mother's religion4 ,his utter alienation in heart from his father2 the unconcern with which he sought to drive from the throne the man who had been so solemnly called to it by ,god2 the vow which he pretended to have taken1 when away in ,syria1 that if he were invited back to ,jerusalem he would serve the ,lord1 all point to a man infected in no small degree with the spirit1 if not addicted to the practice1 of idolatry4 ,and the tenor of his life1 so full of cold-blooded wickedness1 exemplified well the influence of idolatry1 which bred neither fear of ,god nor love of man4 ,we have seen that ,amnon had not that profound hold on ,david's heart which ,absalom had2 and therefore it is little wonder that when time had subdued the keen sensation of horror1 the king was comforted concerning ,amnon1 seeing he was dead4 ,there was no great blank left in his heart1 no irrepressible craving of the soul for the return of the departed4 ,but it was otherwise in the case of ,absalom1--the king's heart was towards him4 ,david was in a painful dilemma1 placed between two opposite impulses1 the judicial and the paternal2 the judicial calling for the punishment of ,absalom1 the paternal craving his restoration4 ,absalom in the most flagrant way had broken a law older even than the ,sinai legislation1 for it had been given to ,noah after the flood--,whoso sheddeth man's blood1 by man shall his blood be shed4 ,but the deep affection of ,david for ,absalom not only caused him to shrink from executing that law1 but made him most desirous to have him near him again1 pardoned1 penitent as he no doubt hoped1 and enjoying all the rights and privileges of the king's son4 ,the first part of the chapter now before us records the manner in which ,david1 in great weakness1 sacrificed the judicial to the paternal1 sacrificed his judgment to his feelings1 and the welfare of the kingdom for the gratification of his affection4 ,for it was too evident that ,absalom was not a fit man to succeed ,david on the throne4 ,if ,saul was unfit to rule over ,god's people1 and as ,god's vicegerent1 much more was ,absalom4 ,not only was he not the right kind of man1 but1 as his actions had showed1 he was the very opposite4 ,by his own wicked deed he was now an outlaw and an exile2 he was out of sight and likely to pass out of mind2 and it was most undesirable that any step should be taken to bring him back among the people1 and give him every chance of the succession4 ,yet in spite of all this the king in his secret heart desired to get ,absalom back4 ,and ,joab1 not studying the welfare of the kingdom1 but having regard only to the strong wishes of the king and of the heir-apparent1 devised a scheme for fulfilling their desire4 ,that collision of the paternal and the judicial1 which ,david removed by sacrificing the judicial1 brings to our mind a discord of the same kind on a much greater scale1 which received a solution of a very different kind4 ,the sin of man created the same difficulty in the government of ,god4 ,the judicial spirit1 demanding man's punishment1 came into collision with the paternal1 desiring his happiness4 ,how were they to be reconciled8 ,this is the great question on which the priests of the world1 when unacquainted with ,divine revelation1 have perplexed themselves since the world began4 ,when we study the world's religions1 we see very clearly that it has never been held satisfactory to solve the problem as ,david solved his difficulty1 by simply sacrificing the judicial4 ,the human conscience refuses to accept of such a settlement4 ,it demands that some satisfaction shall be made to that law of which the ,divine ,judge is the administrator4 ,it cannot bear to see ,god abandoning ,his judgment-seat in order that ,he may show indiscriminate mercy4 ,fantastic and foolish in the last degree1 grim and repulsive too1 in many cases1 have been the devices by which it has been sought to supply the necessary satisfaction4 ,the awful sacrifices of ,moloch1 the mutilations of ,juggernaut1 the penances of popery1 are most repulsive solutions1 while they all testify to the intuitive conviction of mankind that something in the form of atonement is indispensable4 ,but if these solutions repel us1 not less satisfactory is the opposite view1 now so current1 that nothing in the shape of sin-offering is necessary1 that no consideration needs to be taken of the judicial1 that the infinite clemency of ,god is adequate to deal with the case1 and that a true belief in ,his most loving fatherhood is all that is required for the forgiveness and acceptance of ,his erring children4 ,in reality this is no solution at all2 it is just ,david's method of sacrificing the judicial2 it satisfies no healthy conscience1 it brings solid peace to no troubled soul4 ,the true and only solution1 by which due regard is shown both to the judicial and the paternal1 is that which is so fully unfolded and enforced in the ,epistles of ,st4 ,paul4 ,god was in ,christ reconciling the world unto ,himself1 not imputing unto men their trespasses4444 ,for ,he hath made ,him to be sin for us1 who knew no sin1 that we might be made the righteousness of ,god in ,him4 ,returning to the narrative1 we have next to examine the stratagem of ,joab1 designed to commit the king unwittingly to the recall of ,absalom4 ,the idea of the method may quite possibly have been derived from ,nathan's parable of the ewe lamb4 ,the design was to get the king to give judgment in an imaginary case1 and thus commit him to a similar judgment in the case of ,absalom4 ,but there was a world-wide difference between the purpose of the parable of ,nathan and that of the wise woman of ,tekoah4 ,nathan's parable was designed to rouse the king's conscience as against his feelings2 the woman of ,tekoah's1 as prompted by ,joab1 to rouse his feelings as against his conscience4 ,joab found a fitting tool for his purpose in a wise woman of ,tekoah1 a small town in the south of ,judah4 ,she was evidently an accommodating and unscrupulous person2 but there is no reason to compare her to the woman of ,endor1 whose services ,saul had resorted to4 ,she seems to have been a woman of dramatic faculty1 clever at personating another1 and at acting a part4 ,her skill in this way becoming known to ,joab1 he arranged with her to go to the king with a fictitious story1 and induce him now to bring back ,absalom4 ,her story bore that she was a widow who had been left with two sons1 one of whom in a quarrel killed his brother in the field4 ,all the family were risen against her to constrain her to give up the murderer to death1 but if she did so her remaining coal would be quenched1 and neither name nor remainder left to her husband on the face of the earth4 ,on hearing the case1 the king seems to have been impressed in the woman's favour1 and promised to give an order accordingly4 ,further conversation obtained clearer assurances from him that he would protect her from the avenger of blood4 ,then1 dropping so far her disguise1 she ventured to remonstrate with the king1 inasmuch as he had not dealt with his own son as he was prepared to deal with hers4 ,wherefore then hast thou devised such a thing against the people of ,god8 for in speaking this word1 the king is as one that is guilty1 in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished one4 ,for we must needs die1 and are as water spilt upon the ground which cannot be gathered up again2 neither doth ,god take away life1 but deviseth means that he that is banished be not an outcast from ,him4 ,we cannot but be struck1 though not favourably1 with the pious tone which the woman here assumed to ,david4 ,she represents that the continued banishment of ,absalom is against the people of ,god1--it is not for the nation's interest that the heir-apparent should be for ever banished4 ,it is against the example of ,god1 who1 in administering ,his providence1 does not launch ,his arrows at once against the destroyer of life1 but rather shows him mercy1 and allows him to return to his former condition4 ,clemency is a divine-like attribute4 ,the king who can disentangle difficulties1 and give such prominence to mercy1 is like an angel of ,god4 ,it is a divine-like work he undertakes when he recalls his banished4 ,she can pray1 when he is about to undertake such a business1 ,the ,lord thy ,god be with thee 7,r4,v474 ,she knew that any difficulties the king might have in recalling his son would arise from his fears that he would be acting against ,god's will4 ,the clever woman fills his eye with considerations on one side--the mercy and forbearance of ,god1 the pathos of human life1 the duty of not making things worse than they necessarily are4 ,she knew he would be startled when she named ,absalom4 ,she knew that though he had given judgment on the general principle as involved in the imaginary case she had put before him1 he might demur to the application of that principle to the case of ,absalom4 ,her instructions from ,joab were to get the king to sanction ,absalom's return4 ,the king has a surmise that the hand of ,joab is in the whole transaction1 and the woman acknowledges that it is so4 ,after the interview with the woman1 ,david sends for ,joab1 and gives him leave to fetch back ,absalom4 ,joab goes to ,geshur and brings ,absalom to ,jerusalem4 ,but ,david's treatment of ,absalom when he returns does not bear out the character for unerring wisdom which the woman had given him4 ,the king refuses to see his son1 and for two years ,absalom lives in his own house1 without enjoying any of the privileges of the king's son4 ,by this means ,david took away all the grace of the transaction1 and irritated ,absalom4 ,he was afraid to exercise his royal prerogative in pardoning him out-and-out4 ,his conscience told him it ought not to be done4 ,to restore at once one who had sinned so flagrantly to all his dignity and power was against the grain4 ,though therefore he had given his consent to ,absalom returning to ,jerusalem1 for all practical purposes he might as well have been at ,geshur4 ,and ,absalom was not the man to bear this quietly4 ,how would his proud spirit like to hear of royal festivals at which all were present but he8 ,how would he like to hear of distinguished visitors to the king from the surrounding countries1 and he alone excluded from their society8 ,his spirit would be chafed like that of a wild beast in its cage4 ,now it was1 we cannot doubt1 that he felt a new estrangement from his father1 and conceived the project of seizing upon his throne4 ,now too it probably was that he began to gather around him the party that ultimately gave him his short-lived triumph4 ,there would be sympathy for him in some quarters as an ill-used man2 while there would rally to him all who were discontented with ,david's government1 whether on personal or on public grounds4 ,the enemies of his godliness1 emboldened by his conduct towards ,uriah1 finding there what ,daniel's enemies in a future age tried in vain to find in his conduct1 would begin to think seriously of the possibility of a change4 ,probably ,joab began to apprehend the coming danger when he refused once and again to speak to ,absalom4 ,it seemed to be the impression both of ,david and of ,joab that there would be danger to the state in his complete restoration4 ,two years of this state of things had passed1 and the patience of ,absalom was exhausted4 ,he sent for ,joab to negotiate for a change of arrangements4 ,but ,joab would not see him4 ,a second time he sent1 and a second time ,joab declined4 ,joab was really in a great difficulty4 ,he seems to have seen that he had made a mistake in bringing ,absalom to ,jerusalem1 but it was a mistake out of which he could not extricate himself4 ,he was unwilling to go back1 and he was afraid to go forward4 ,he had not courage to undo the mistake he had made in inviting ,absalom to return by banishing him again4 ,if he should meet ,absalom he knew he would be unable to meet the arguments by which he would press him to complete what he had begun when he invited him back4 ,therefore he studiously avoided him4 ,but ,absalom was not to be outdone in this way4 ,he fell on a rude stratagem for bringing ,joab to his presence4 ,their fields being adjacent to each other1 ,absalom sent his servants to set ,joab's barley on fire4 ,the irritation of such an unprovoked injury overcame ,joab's unwillingness to meet ,absalom2 he went to him in a rage and demanded why this had been done4 ,the matter of the barley would be easy to arrange2 but now that he had met ,joab he showed him that there were just two modes of treatment open to ,david1--either really to pardon1 or really to punish him4 ,this probably was just what ,joab felt4 ,there was no good1 but much harm in the half-and-half policy which the king was pursuing4 ,if ,absalom was pardoned1 let him be on friendly terms with the king4 ,if he was not pardoned1 let him be put to death for the crime he had committed4 ,joab was unable to refute ,absalom's reasoning4 ,and when he went to the king he would press that view on him likewise4 ,and now1 after two years of a half-and-half measure1 the king sees no alternative but to yield4 ,when he had called for ,absalom1 he came to the king1 and bowed himself to his face on the ground before the king2 and the king kissed ,absalom4 ,this was the token of reconciliation and friendship4 ,but it would not be with a clear conscience or an easy mind that ,david saw the murderer of his brother in full possession of the honours of the king's son4 ,in all this conduct of ,king ,david we can trace only the infatuation of one left to the guidance of his own mind4 ,it is blunder after blunder4 ,like many good but mistaken men1 he erred both in inflicting punishments and in bestowing favours4 ,much that ought to be punished such persons pass over2 what they do select for punishment is probably something trivial2 and when they punish it is in a way so injudicious as to defeat its ends4 ,and some1 like ,david1 keep oscillating between punishment and favour so as at once to destroy the effect of the one and the grace of the other4 ,his example may well show all of you who have to do with such things the need of great carefulness in this important matter4 ,penalties1 to be effectual1 should be for marked offences1 but when incurred should be firmly maintained4 ,only when the purpose of the punishment is attained ought reconciliation to take place1 and when that comes it should be full-hearted and complete1 restoring the offender to the full benefit of his place and privilege1 both in the home and in the hearts of his parents4 ,so ,david lets ,absalom loose1 as it were1 on the people of ,jerusalem4 ,he is a young man of fine appearance and fascinating manners4 ,in all ,israel there was none to be so much praised as ,absalom for his beauty2 from the sole of the foot even to the crown of the head there was no blemish in him4 ,and when he polled his head 7for it was at every year's end that he polled it2 because his hair was heavy on him1 therefore he polled it7 the weight of the hair of his head was two hundred shekels after the king's weight4 ,no doubt this had something to do with ,david's great liking for him4 ,he could not but look on him with pride1 and think with pleasure how much he was admired by others4 ,the affection which owed so much to a cause of this sort was not likely to be of the highest or purest quality4 ,what then are we to say of ,david's fondness for ,absalom8 ,was it wrong for a father to be attached to his child8 ,was it wrong for him to love even a wicked child8 ,no one can for a moment think so who remembers that ,god commended ,his love towards us1 in that while we were yet sinners ,christ died for us4 ,there is a sense in which loving emotions may warrantably be more powerfully excited in the breast of a godly parent toward an erring child than toward a wise and good one4 ,the very thought that a child is in the thraldom of sin creates a feeling of almost infinite pathos with reference to his condition4 ,the loving desire for his good and his happiness becomes more intense from the very sense of the disorder and misery in which he lies4 ,the sheep that has strayed from the fold is the object of a more profound emotion than the ninety-and-nine that are safe within it4 ,in this sense a parent cannot love his child1 even his sinful and erring child1 too well4 ,the love that seeks another's highest good can never be too intense1 for it is the very counterpart and image of ,god's love for sinful men4 ,but1 as far as we can gather1 ,david's love for ,absalom was not exclusively of this kind4 ,it was a fondness that led him to wink at his faults even when they became flagrant1 and that desired to see him occupying a place of honour and responsibility for which he certainly was far from qualified4 ,this was more than the love of benevolence4 ,the love of benevolence has1 in the ,christian bosom1 an unlimited sphere4 ,it may be given to the most unworthy4 ,but the love of complacency1 of delight in any one1 of desire for his company1 desire for close relations with him1 confidence in him1 as one to whom our own interests and the interests of others may be safely entrusted1 is a quite different feeling4 ,this kind of love must ever be regulated by the degree of true excellence1 of genuine worth1 possessed by the person loved4 ,the fault in ,david's love to ,absalom was not that he was too benevolent1 not that he wished his son too well4 ,it was that he had too much complacency or delight in him1 delight resting on very superficial ground1 and that he was too willing to have him entrusted with the most vital interests of the nation4 ,this fondness for ,absalom was a sort of infatuation1 to which ,david never could have yielded if he had remembered the hundred and first ,psalm1 and if he had thought of the kind of men whom alone when he wrote that psalm he determined to promote to influence in the kingdom4 ,and on this we found a general lesson of no small importance4 ,young persons1 let us say emphatically young women1 and perhaps ,christian young women1 are apt to be captivated by superficial qualities1 qualities like those of ,absalom1 and in some cases are not only ready but eager to marry those who possess them4 ,in their blindness they are willing to commit not only their own interests but the interests of their children1 if they should have any1 to men who are not ,christians1 perhaps barely moral1 and who are therefore not worthy of their trust4 ,here it is that affection should be watched and restrained4 ,christians should never allow their affections to be engaged by any whom1 on ,christian grounds1 they do not thoroughly esteem4 ,all honour to those who1 at great sacrifice1 have honoured this rule6 ,all honour to ,christian parents who bring up their children to feel that1 if they are ,christians themselves1 they can marry only in the ,lord6 ,alas for those who deem accidental and superficial qualities sufficient grounds for a union which involves the deepest interests of souls for time and for eternity6 ,in ,david's ill-founded complacency in ,absalom1 and the woeful disasters which flowed from it1 let them see a beacon to warn them against any union which has not mutual esteem for its foundation1 and does not recognise those higher interests in reference to which the memorable words were spoken by our ,lord1 ,what is a man profited if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul8 ,,chapter ,,xix4 ,,absalom',s ,,revolt4 #b ,,samuel xv4 #a-ab4 ,when ,absalom obtained from his father the position he had so eagerly desired at ,jerusalem1 he did not allow the grass to grow under his feet4 ,the terms on which he was now with the king evidently gave him a command of money to a very ample degree4 ,by this means he was able to set up an equipage such as had not previously been seen at ,jerusalem4 ,he prepared him a chariot and horses1 and fifty men to run before him4 ,to multiply horses to himself was one of the things forbidden by the law of ,moses to the king that should be chosen 7,deut4 xvii4 #af71 mainly1 we suppose1 because it was a prominent feature of the royal state of the kings of ,egypt1 and because it would have indicated a tendency to place the glory of the kingdom in magnificent surroundings rather than in the protection and blessing of the heavenly ,king4 ,the style of ,david's living appears to have been quiet and unpretending1 notwithstanding the vast treasures he had amassed2 for the love of pomp or display was none of his failings4 ,anything in the shape of elaborate arrangement that he devised seems to have been in connection with the public service of ,god--for instance1 his choir of singers and players 7#a ,chron4 xxiii4 #e72 his own personal tastes appear to have been simple and inexpensive4 ,and this style undoubtedly befitted a royalty which rested on a basis so peculiar as that of the nation of ,israel1 when the king1 though he used that title1 was only the viceroy of the true ,king of the nation1 and where it was the will of ,god that a different spirit should prevail from that prevalent among the surrounding nations4 ,a modest establishment was evidently suited to one who recognised his true position as a subordinate lieutenant1 not an absolute ruler4 ,but ,absalom's tastes were widely different1 and he was not the man to be restrained from gratifying them by any considerations of that sort4 ,the moment he had the power1 though he was not even king1 he set up his imposing equipage1 and became the observed of all observers in ,jerusalem4 ,and no doubt there were many of the people who sympathised with him1 and regarded it as right and proper that1 now that ,israel was so renowned and prosperous a kingdom1 its court should shine forth in corresponding splendour4 ,the plain equipage of ,david would seem to them paltry and unimposing1 in no way fitted to gratify the pride or elevate the dignity of the kingdom4 ,absalom's1 on the other hand1 would seem to supply all that ,david's wanted4 ,the prancing steeds1 with their gay caparisons1 the troop of outrunners in glittering uniform1 the handsome face and figure of the prince1 would create a sensation wherever he went2 ,there1 men would say emphatically1 is the proper state and bearing of a king2 had we such a monarch as that1 surrounding nations would everywhere acknowledge our superiority1 and feel that we were entitled to the first place among the kingdoms of the ,east4 ,but ,absalom was far too shrewd a man to base his popularity merely on outward show4 ,for the daring game which he was about to play it was necessary to have much firmer support than that4 ,he understood the remarkable power of personal interest and sympathy in winning the hearts of men1 and drawing them to one's side4 ,he rose up early1 and stood beside the way of the gate1 where in ,eastern cities judgment was usually administered1 but where1 for some unknown reason1 little seems to have been done by the king or the king's servants at that time4 ,to all who came to the gate he addressed himself with winsome affability1 and to those who had a suit that should come to the king for judgment 7,r4,v47 he was especially encouraging4 ,well did he know that when a man has a lawsuit it usually engrosses his whole attention1 and that he is very impatient of delays and hindrances in the way of his case4 ,very adroitly did he take advantage of this feeling1--sympathising with the litigant1 agreeing with him of course that he had right on his side1 but much concerned that there was no one appointed of the king to attend to his business1 and devoutly and fervently wishing that he were made judge in the land1 that every one that had any suit or cause might come to him1 and he would do him justice4 ,and with regard to others1 when they came to do him homage he seemed unwilling to recognise this token of superiority1 but1 as if they were just brothers1 he put forth his hand1 took hold of them1 and kissed them4 ,if it were not for what we know now of the hollowness of it1 this would be a pretty picture--an ear so ready to listen to the tale of wrong1 a heart so full of sympathy1 an active temperament that in the early hours of the morning sent him forth to meet the people and exchange kindly greetings with them2 a form and figure that graced the finest procession2 a manner that could be alike dignified when dignity was becoming1 and humility itself when it was right to be humble4 ,but alas for the hollow-heartedness of the picture6 ,it is like the fabled apples of ,sodom1 outside all fair and attractive1 but dust within4 ,but hollow though it was1 the policy succeeded--he became exceedingly popular2 he secured the affections of the people4 ,it is a remarkable expression that is used to denote this result--,he stole the hearts of the men of ,israel4 ,it was not an honest transaction4 ,it was swindling in high life4 ,he was appropriating valuable property on false pretences4 ,to constitute a man a thief or a swindler it is not necessary that he forge a rich man's name1 or that he put his hand into the pocket of his neighbour4 ,to gain a heart by hypocritical means1 to secure the confidence of another by lying promises1 is equally low and wicked2 nay1 in ,god's sight is a greater crime4 ,it may be that man's law has difficulty in reaching it1 and in many cases cannot reach it at all4 ,but it cannot be supposed that those who are guilty of it will in the end escape ,god's righteous judgment4 ,and if the punishments of the future life are fitted to indicate the due character of the sins for which they are sent1 we can think of nothing more appropriate than that those who have stolen hearts in this way1 high in this world's rank though they have often been1 should be made to rank with the thieves and thimbleriggers and other knaves who are the habitus of our prisons1 and are scorned universally as the meanest of mankind4 ,with all his fine face and figure and manner1 his chariot and horses1 his outrunners and other attendants1 ,absalom after all was but a black-hearted thief4 ,all this crooked and cunning policy of his ,absalom carried on with unwearied vigour till his plot was ripe4 ,there is reason to apprehend an error of some kind in the text when it is said 7ver4 #g7 that it was at the end of forty years that ,absalom struck the final blow4 ,the reading of some manuscripts is more likely to be correct1--at the end of four years1 that is1 four years after he was allowed to assume the position of prince4 ,during that space of time much might be quietly done by one who had such an advantage of manner1 and was so resolutely devoted to his work4 ,for he seems to have laboured at his task without interruption all that time4 ,the dissembling which he had to practise1 to impress the people with the idea of his kindly interest in them1 must have required a very considerable strain4 ,but he was sustained in it by the belief that in the end he would succeed1 and success was worth an infinity of labour4 ,what a power of persistence is often shown by the children of this world1 and how much wiser are they in their generation than the children of light as to the means that will achieve their ends6 ,with what wonderful application and perseverance do many men labour to build up a business1 to accumulate a fortune1 to gain a distinction6 ,i have heard of a young man who1 being informed that an advertisement had appeared in a newspaper to the effect that if his family would apply to some one they would hear of something to their advantage1 set himself to discover that advertisement1 went over the advertisements for several years1 column by column1 first of one paper1 then of another and another1 till he became so absorbed in the task that he lost first his reason and then his life4 ,thank ,god1 there are instances not a few of very noble application and perseverance in the spiritual field2 but is it not true that the mass even of good men are sadly remiss in the efforts they make for spiritual ends8 ,does not the energy of the racer who ran for the corruptible crown often put to shame the languor of those who seek for an incorruptible8 ,and does not the manifold secular activity of which we see so much in the world around us sound a loud summons in the ears of all who are at ease in ,zion--,now it is high time to awake out of sleep8 ,the copestone which ,absalom put on his plot when all was ripe for execution was of a piece with the whole undertaking4 ,it was an act of religious hypocrisy amounting to profanity4 ,it shows how well he must have succeeded in deceiving his father when he could venture on such a finishing stroke4 ,hypocrite though he was himself1 he well knew the depth and sincerity of his father's religion4 ,he knew too that nothing could gratify him more than to find in his son the evidence of a similar state of heart4 ,it is difficult to comprehend the villainy that could frame such a statement as this3--,i pray thee1 let me go and pay my vow1 which ,i have vowed unto the ,lord1 in ,hebron4 ,for thy servant vowed a vow1 while ,i abode at ,geshur in ,syria1 saying1 ,if the ,lord shall indeed bring me again to ,jerusalem1 then ,i will serve 7marg4 ,r4,v41 worship7 the ,lord4 ,we have already remarked that it is not very clear from this whether up to this time ,absalom had been a worshipper of the ,god of ,israel4 ,the purport of his pretended vow 7that is1 what he wished his father to believe7 must have been either that1 renouncing the idolatry of ,geshur1 he would now become a worshipper of ,israel's ,god1 or 7what seems more likely7 that in token of his purpose for the future he would present a special offering to the ,god of ,israel4 ,this vow he now wished to redeem by making his offerings to the ,lord1 and for this purpose he desired to go to ,hebron4 ,but why go to ,hebron8 ,might he not have redeemed it at ,jerusalem8 ,it was the custom1 however1 when a vow was taken1 to specify the place where it was to be fulfilled1 and in this instance ,hebron was alleged to be the place4 ,but what are we to think of the effrontery and wickedness of this pretence8 ,to drag sacred things into a scheme of villainy1 to pretend to have a desire to do honour to ,god simply for the purpose of carrying out deception and gaining a worldly end1 is a frightful prostitution of all that ought to be held most sacred4 ,it seems to indicate one who had no belief in ,god or in anything holy1 to whom truth and falsehood1 right and wrong1 honour and shame1 were all essentially alike1 although1 when it suited him1 he might pretend to have a profound regard to the honour of ,god and a cordial purpose to render that honour4 ,we are reminded of ,charles ,,ii4 taking the ,covenant to please the ,scots1 and get their help towards obtaining the crown4 ,but indeed the same great sin is involved in every act of religious hypocrisy1 in every instance in which pretended reverence is paid to ,god in order to secure a selfish end4 ,the place was cunningly selected4 ,it enjoyed a sanctity which had been gathering round it for centuries2 whereas ,jerusalem1 as the capital of the nation1 was but of yesterday4 ,hebron was the place where ,david himself had begun his reign1 and while it was far enough from ,jerusalem to allow ,absalom to work unobserved by ,david1 it was near enough to allow him to carry out the schemes which had been set on foot there4 ,so little suspicion had the old king of what was brewing that1 when ,absalom asked leave to go to ,hebron1 he dismissed him with a blessing--,go in peace4 ,what ,joab was thinking of all this we have no means of knowing4 ,that a man who looked after his own interests so well as ,joab did1 should have stuck to ,david when his fortunes appeared to be desperate1 is somewhat surprising4 ,but the truth seems to be that ,absalom never felt very cordial towards ,joab after his refusal to meet him on his return from ,geshur4 ,it does not appear that ,joab was much impressed by regard to ,god's will in the matter of the succession2 his being engaged afterwards in the insurrection in favour of ,adonijah when ,solomon was divinely marked out for the succession shows that he was not4 ,his adherence to ,david on this occasion was probably the result of necessity rather than choice4 ,but what are we to say of his want of vigilance in allowing ,absalom's conspiracy to advance as it did either without suspecting its existence1 or at least without making provision for defending the king's cause8 ,either he was very blind or he was very careless4 ,as for the king himself1 we have seen what cause he had1 after his great trespass1 for courting solitude and avoiding contact with the people4 ,that he should be ignorant of all that was going on need not surprise us4 ,and moreover1 from allusions in some of the ,psalms 7xxxviii41 xxxix41 xli47 to a loathsome and all but fatal illness of ,david's1 and to treachery practised on him when ill1 some have supposed that this was the time chosen by ,absalom for consummating his plot4 ,when ,absalom said to the men applying for justice1 whom he met at the gate of the city1 ,there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee1 his words implied that there was something hindering the king from being there in person1 and for some reason he had not appointed a deputy4 ,a protracted illness1 unfitting ,david for his personal duties and for superintending the machinery of government1 might have furnished ,absalom with the pretext for his lamentation over this want4 ,it gives us a harder impression of his villainy and hardness of heart if he chose a time when his father was enfeebled by disease to inflict a crushing blow on his government and a crowning humiliation on himself4 ,three other steps were taken by ,absalom before bringing the revolt to a crisis4 ,first1 he sent spies or secret emissaries to all the tribes1 calling them1 on hearing the sound of a trumpet1 to acknowledge him as king at ,hebron4 ,evidently he had all the talent for administration that was so conspicuous in his nation and in his house1--if only it had been put to a better use4 ,secondly1 he took with him to ,hebron a band of two hundred men1 of whom it is said they went in their simplicity1 and they knew not anything--so admirably was the secret kept4 ,thirdly1 ,absalom sent for ,ahithophel the ,gilonite1 ,david's counsellor1 from his city1 having reason to believe that ,ahithophel was on his side1 and knowing that his counsel would be valuable to him in the present emergency4 ,and every arrangement seemed to succeed admirably4 ,the tide ran strongly in his favour--the conspiracy was strong1 for the people increased continually with ,absalom4 ,everything seemed to fall out precisely as he wished2 it looked as if the revolt would not only succeed1 but that it would succeed without serious opposition4 ,absalom must have been full of expectation that in a few days or weeks he would be reigning unopposed at ,jerusalem4 ,this extraordinary success is difficult to understand4 ,for what could have made ,david so unpopular8 ,in his earliest years he had been singularly popular2 his victories brought him unbounded clat2 and when ,ishbosheth died it was the remembrance of these early services that disposed the people to call him to the throne4 ,since that time he had increased his services in an eminent degree4 ,he had freed his country from all the surrounding tribes that were constantly attacking it2 he had conquered those distant but powerful enemies the ,syrians2 and he had brought to the country a great accumulation of wealth4 ,add to this that he was fond of music and a poet1 and had written many of the very finest of their sacred songs4 ,why should not such a king be popular8 ,the answer to this question will embrace a variety of reasons4 ,in the first place1 a generation was growing up who had not been alive at the time of his early services1 and on whom therefore they would make a very slender impression4 ,for service done to the public is very soon forgotten unless it be constantly repeated in other forms1 unless1 in fact1 there be a perpetual round of it4 ,so it is found by many a minister of the gospel4 ,though he may have built up his congregation from the very beginning1 ministered among them with unceasing assiduity1 and taken the lead in many important and permanent undertakings1 yet in a few years after he goes away all is forgotten1 and his very name comes to be unknown to many4 ,in the second place1 ,david was turning old1 and old men are prone to adhere to their old ways2 his government had become old-fashioned1 and he showed no longer the life and vigour of former days4 ,a new1 fresh1 lively administration was eagerly desired by the younger spirits of the nation4 ,further1 there can be no doubt that ,david's fervent piety was disliked by many1 and his puritan methods of governing the kingdom4 ,the spirit of the world is sure to be found in every community1 and it is always offended by the government of holy men4 ,finally1 his fall in the matter of ,uriah had greatly impaired the respect and affection even of the better part of the community4 ,if to all this there was added a period of feeble health1 during which many departments of government were neglected1 we shall have1 beyond doubt1 the principal grounds of the king's unpopularity4 ,the ardent lovers of godliness were no doubt a minority1 and thus even ,david1 who had done so much for ,israel1 was ready to be sacrificed in the time of old age4 ,but had he not something better to fall back on8 ,was he not promised the protection and the aid of the ,most ,high8 ,might he not cast himself on ,him who had been his refuge and his strength in every time of need1 and of whom he had sung so serenely that ,he is near to them that call on ,him in sincerity and in truth8 ,undoubtedly he might1 and undoubtedly he did4 ,and the final result of ,absalom's rebellion1 the wonderful way in which its back was broken and ,david rescued and restored1 showed that though cast down he was not forsaken4 ,but now1 we must remember1 the second element of the chastisement of which ,nathan testified1 had come upon him4 ,behold1 ,i will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house4 ,that chastisement was now falling1 and while it lasted the joy and comfort of ,god's gracious presence must have been interrupted4 ,but all the same ,god was still with him1 even though ,he was carrying him through the valley of the shadow of death4 ,like the ,apostle ,peter1 he was brought to the very verge of destruction2 but at the critical moment an unseen hand was stretched out to save him1 and in after-years he was able to sing1 ,he brought me up also out of a fearful pit1 and out of the miry clay2 and ,he set my feet upon a rock and established my goings2 and ,he hath put a new song in my mouth1 even praise unto our ,god2 many shall see it and shall fear1 and shall trust in the ,lord4 ,,chapter ,,xx4 ,,david',s ,,flight ,,from ,,jerusalem4 #b ,,samuel xv4 #ac4 ,the trumpet which was to be the signal that ,absalom reigned in ,hebron had been sounded1 the flow of people in response to it had begun1 when a messenger came to ,david saying1 ,the hearts of the men of ,israel are after ,absalom4 ,the narrative is so concise that we can hardly tell whether or not this was the first announcement to ,david of the real intentions of ,absalom4 ,but it is very certain that the king was utterly unprepared to meet the sudden revolt4 ,the first news of it all but overwhelmed him4 ,and little wonder4 ,there came on him three calamities in one4 ,first1 there was the calamity that the great bulk of the people had revolted against him1 and were now hastening to drive him from the throne1 and very probably to put him to death4 ,second1 there was the appalling discovery of the villainy1 hypocrisy1 and heartless cruelty of his favourite and popular son1--the most crushing thing that can be thought of to a tender heart4 ,and third1 there was the discovery that the hearts of the people were with ,absalom2 ,david had lost what he most prized and desired to possess2 the intense affection he had for his people now met with no response2 their love and confidence were given to a usurper4 ,fancy an old man1 perhaps in infirm health1 suddenly confronted with this threefold calamity2 who can wonder for the time that he is paralysed1 and bends before the storm8 ,flight from ,jerusalem seemed the only feasible course4 ,both policy and humanity seemed to dictate it4 ,he considered himself unable to defend the city with any hope of success against an attack by such a force as ,absalom could muster1 and he was unwilling to expose the people to be smitten with the sword4 ,whether he was really as helpless as he thought we can hardly say4 ,we should be disposed to think that his first duty was to stay where he was1 and defend his capital4 ,he was there as ,god's viceroy1 and would not ,god be with him1 defending the place where ,he had set ,his name1 and the tabernacle in which ,he was pleased to dwell8 ,it is not possible for us1 ignorant as we are of the circumstances1 to decide whether the flight from ,jerusalem was the enlightened result of an overwhelming necessity1 or the fruit of sudden panic1 of a heart so paralysed that it could not gird itself for action4 ,his servants had no other advice to offer4 ,any course that recommended itself to him they were ready to take4 ,if this did not help to throw light on his difficulties1 it must at least have soothed his heart4 ,his friends were not all forsaking him4 ,amid the faithless a few were found faithful4 ,friends in such need were friends indeed4 ,and the sight of their honest though perplexed countenances1 and the sound of their friendly though trembling voices1 would be most soothing to his feelings1 and serve to rally the energy that had almost left him4 ,when the world forsakes us1 the few friends that remain are of priceless value4 ,on leaving ,jerusalem ,david at once turned eastward1 into the wilderness region between ,jerusalem and ,jericho1 with the view1 if possible1 of crossing the ,jordan1 so as to have that river1 with its deep valley1 between him and the rebels4 ,the first halt1 or rather the rendezvous for his followers1 though called in the ,a4,v4 a place that was far off1 is more suitably rendered in the ,r4,v4 ,bethmerhak1 and the margin the far house4 ,probably it was the last house on this side the brook ,kidron4 ,here1 outside the walls of the city1 some hasty arrangements were made before the flight was begun in earnest4 ,first1 we read that he was accompanied by all his household1 with the exception of ten concubines who were left to keep the house4 ,fain would we have avoided contact at such a moment with that feature of his house from which so much mischief had come2 but to the end of the day ,david never deviated in that respect from the barbarous policy of all ,eastern kings4 ,the mention of his household shows how embarrassed he must have been with so many helpless appendages1 and how slow his flight4 ,and his household were not the only women and children of the company2 the little ones of the ,gittites are mentioned in ver4 #bb2 we may conceive how the unconcealed terror and excitement of these helpless beings must have distressed him1 as their feeble powers of walking must have held back the fighting part of his attendants4 ,when one thinks of this1 one sees more clearly the excellence of the advice afterwards given by ,ahithophel to pursue him without loss of time with twelve thousand men1 to destroy his person at once2 in that case1 ,absalom must have overtaken him long before he reached the ,jordan1 and found him quite unable to withstand his ardent troops4 ,next1 we find mention of the forces that remained faithful to the king in the crisis of his misfortunes4 ,the ,pelethites1 the ,cherethites1 and the ,gittites were the chief of these4 ,the ,pelethites and the ,cherethites are supposed to have been the representatives of the band of followers that ,david commanded when hiding from ,saul in the wilderness2 the ,gittites appear to have been a body of refugees from ,gath1 driven away by the tyranny of the ,philistines1 who had thrown themselves on the protection of ,david and had been well treated by him4 ,the interview between ,david and ,ittai was most creditable to the feelings of the fugitive king4 ,ittai was a stranger who had but lately come to ,jerusalem1 and as he was not attached to ,david personally1 it would be safer for him to return to the city and offer to the reigning king the services which ,david could no longer reward4 ,but the generous proposal of ,david was rejected with equal nobility on the part of ,ittai4 ,he had probably been received with kindness by ,david when he first came to ,jerusalem1 the king remembering well when he himself was in the like predicament1 and thinking1 like the ,african princess to neas1 ,haud ignara mali1 miseris succurrere disco--,having had experience of adversity myself1 ,i know how to succour the miserable4 ,ittai's heart was won to ,david then2 and he had made up his mind1 like ,ruth the ,moabitess with reference to ,naomi1 that wherever ,david was1 in life or in death1 there also he should be4 ,how affecting must it have been to ,david to receive such an assurance from a stranger6 ,his own son1 whom he had loaded with undeserved kindness1 was conspiring against him1 while this stranger1 who owed him nothing in comparison1 was risking everything in his cause4 ,there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother4 ,next in ,david's train presented themselves ,zadok and ,abiathar1 the priests1 carrying the ark of ,god4 ,the presence of this sacred symbol would have invested the cause of ,david with a manifestly sacred character in the eyes of all good men2 its absence from ,absalom would have equally suggested the absence of ,israel's ,god4 ,but ,david probably remembered how ill it had fared with ,israel in the days of ,eli and his sons1 when the ark was carried into battle4 ,moreover1 when the ark had been placed on ,mount ,zion1 ,god had said1 ,this is ,my rest2 here will ,i dwell2 and even in this extraordinary emergency1 ,david would not disturb that arrangement4 ,he said to ,zadok1 ,carry back the ark of ,god into the city3 if ,i shall find favour in the eyes of the ,lord1 ,he shall bring me again1 and show me both it and ,his habitation3 but if ,he thus say1 ,i have no delight in thee1 behold1 here am ,i2 let ,him do to me what seemeth good unto ,him4 ,these words show how much ,god was in ,david's mind in connection with the events of that humiliating day4 ,they show1 too1 that he did not regard his case as desperate4 ,but everything turned on the will of ,god4 ,it might be that1 in ,his great mercy1 ,he would bring him back to ,jerusalem4 ,his former promises led him to think of this as a possible1 perhaps probable1 termination of the insurrection4 ,but it might also be that the ,lord had no more delight in him4 ,the chastening with which ,he was now visiting him for his sin might involve the success of ,absalom4 ,in that case1 all that ,david would say was that he was at ,god's disposal1 and would offer no resistance to ,his holy will4 ,if he was to be restored1 he would be restored without the aid of the ark2 if he was to be destroyed1 the ark could not save him4 ,zadok and his ,levites must carry it back into the city4 ,the distance was a very short one1 and they would be able to have everything placed in order before ,absalom could be there4 ,another thought occurred to ,david1 who was now evidently recovering his calmness and power of making arrangements4 ,zadok was a seer1 and able to use that method of obtaining light from ,god which in great emergencies ,god was pleased to give when the ruler of the nation required it4 ,but the marginal reading of the ,r4,v41 ,seest thou8 instead of ,thou art a seer1 makes it doubtful whether ,david referred to this mystic privilege1 which ,zadok does not appear to have used2 the meaning may be simply1 that as he was an observant man1 he could be of use to ,david in the city1 by noticing how things were going and sending him word4 ,in this way he could be of more use to him in ,jerusalem than in the field4 ,considering how he was embarrassed with the women and children1 it was better for ,david not to be encumbered with another defenceless body like the ,levites4 ,the sons of the priests1 ,ahimaaz and ,jonathan1 would be of great service in bringing him information4 ,even if he succeeded in reaching the plains 7or fords1 marg4 ,r4,v47 of the wilderness1 they could easily overtake him1 and tell him what plan of operations it would be wisest for him to follow4 ,these hasty arrangements being made1 and the company placed in some sort of order1 the march towards the wilderness now began4 ,the first thing was to cross the brook ,kidron4 ,from its bed1 the road led up the slope of ,mount ,olivet4 ,to the spectators the sight was one of overwhelming sadness4 ,all the country wept with a loud voice1 and all the people passed over2 the king also himself passed over the brook ,kidron1 and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness4 ,after all1 there was a large number who sympathised with the king1 and to whom it was most affecting to see one who was now old and grey-headed driven from his throne and from his home by an unprincipled son1 aided and abetted by a graceless generation who had no consideration for the countless benefits which ,david had conferred on the nation4 ,it is when we find all the country expressing their sympathy that we cannot but doubt whether it was really necessary for ,david to fly4 ,perhaps the country here may be used in contrast to the city4 ,country people are less accessible to secret conspiracies1 and besides are less disposed to change their allegiance4 ,the event showed that in the more remote country districts ,david had still a numerous following4 ,time to gather these friends together was his great need4 ,if he had been fallen on that night1 weary and desolate and almost friendless1 as was proposed by ,ahithophel1 there can be no rational doubt what the issue would have been4 ,and the king himself gave way to distress1 like the people1 though for different reasons4 ,david went up by the ascent of ,mount ,olivet1 and wept as he went up1 and had his head covered2 and he went barefoot2 and all the people that was with him covered every man his head1 and they went up1 weeping as they went up4 ,the covered head and bare feet were tokens of humiliation4 ,they were a humble confession on the king's part that the affliction which had befallen him was well deserved by him4 ,the whole attitude and bearing of ,david is that of one stricken1 smitten1 and afflicted4 ,lofty looks and a proud bearing had never been among his weaknesses2 but on this occasion1 he is so meek and lowly that the poorest person in his kingdom could not have assumed a more humble bearing4 ,it is the feeling that had so wrung his heart in the fifty-first ,psalm come back on him again4 ,it is the feeling1 ,oh1 what a sinner ,i have been6 how forgetful of ,god ,i have often proved1 and how unworthily ,i have acted toward man6 ,no wonder that ,god rebukes me and visits me with these troubles6 ,and not me only1 but my people too4 ,these are my children1 for whom ,i should have provided a peaceful home1 driven into the shelterless wilderness with me6 ,these kind people who are compassionating me have been brought by me into this trouble1 which peradventure will cost them their lives4 ,have mercy upon me1 ,o ,god1 according to ,thy lovingkindness2 according unto the multitude of ,thy tender mercies1 blot out my transgressions6 ,it was at this time that some one brought word to ,david that ,ahithophel the ,gilonite was among the conspirators4 ,he seems to have been greatly distressed at the news4 ,for the counsel of ,ahithophel1 which he counselled in those days1 was as if a man had inquired of the oracle of ,god 7xvi4 #bc74 ,an ingenious writer has found a reason for this step4 ,by comparing #b ,sam4 xi4 #c with #b ,sam4 xxiii4 #cd1 in the former of which ,bathsheba is called the daughter of ,eliam1 and in the latter ,eliam is called the son of ,ahithophel1 it would appear--if it be the same ,eliam in both--that ,ahithophel was the grandfather of ,bathsheba4 ,from this it has been inferred that his forsaking of ,david at this time was due to his displeasure at ,david's treatment of ,bathsheba and ,uriah4 ,the idea is ingenious1 but after all it is hardly trustworthy4 ,for if ,ahithophel was a man of such singular shrewdness1 he would not be likely to let his personal feelings determine his public conduct4 ,there can be no reasonable doubt that1 judging calmly from the kind of considerations by which a worldly mind like his would be influenced1 he came to the deliberate conclusion that ,absalom was going to win4 ,and when ,david heard of his defection1 it must have given him a double pang2 first1 because he would lose so valuable a counsellor1 and ,absalom would gain what he would lose2 and second1 because ,ahithophel's choice showed the side that1 to his shrewd judgment1 was going to triumph4 ,david could but fall back on that higher ,counsellor on whose aid and countenance he was still able to rely1 and offer a short but expressive prayer1 ,o ,lord1 ,i pray ,thee1 turn the counsel of ,ahithophel into foolishness4 ,it was but a few minutes after this that another distinguished counsellor1 ,hushai the ,archite1 came to him1 with his clothes rent and dust on his head1 signifying his sense of the public calamity1 and his adherence to ,david4 ,him too1 as well as ,ittai and the priests1 ,david wished to send back4 ,and the reason assigned showed that his mind was now calm and clear1 and able to ponder the situation in all its bearings4 ,indeed1 he concocts quite a little scheme with ,hushai4 ,first1 he is to go to ,absalom and pretend to be on his side4 ,but his main business will be to oppose the counsel of ,ahithophel1 try to secure a little time to ,david1 and thus give him a chance of escape4 ,moreover1 he is to co-operate with the priests ,zadok and ,abiathar1 and through their sons send word to ,david of everything he hears4 ,hushai obeys ,david1 and as he returns to the city from the east1 ,absalom arrives from the south1 before ,david is more than three or four miles away4 ,but for the ,mount of ,olives intervening1 ,absalom might have seen the company that followed his father creeping slowly along the wilderness1 a company that could hardly be called an army1 and that1 humanly speaking1 might have been scattered like a puff of smoke4 ,thus ,absalom gets possession of ,jerusalem without a blow4 ,he goes to his father's house1 and takes possession of all that he finds there4 ,he cannot but feel the joy of gratified ambition1 the joy of the successful accomplishment of his elaborate and long-prosecuted scheme4 ,times are changed1 he would naturally reflect1 since ,i had to ask my father's leave for everything ,i did1 since ,i could not even go to ,hebron without begging him to allow me4 ,times are changed since ,i reared that monument in the vale for want of anything else to keep my name alive4 ,now that ,i am king1 my name will live without a monument4 ,the success of the revolution was so remarkable1 that if ,absalom had believed in ,god1 he might have imagined1 judging from the way in which everything had fallen out in his favour1 that ,providence was on his side4 ,but1 surely1 there must have been a hard constraint and pressure upon his feelings somewhere4 ,conscience could not be utterly inactive4 ,fresh efforts to silence it must have been needed from time to time4 ,amid all the excitement of success1 a vague horror must have stolen in on his soul4 ,a vision of outraged justice would haunt him4 ,he might scare away the hideous spectre for a time1 but he could not lay it in the grave4 ,there is no peace1 saith my ,god1 to the wicked4 ,but if ,absalom might well be haunted by a spectre because he had driven his father from his house1 and ,god's anointed from his throne1 there was a still more fearful reckoning standing against him1 in that he had enticed such multitudes from their allegiance1 and drawn them into the guilt of rebellion4 ,there was not one of the many thousands that were now shouting ,god save the king6 who had not been induced through him to do a great sin1 and bring himself under the special displeasure of ,god4 ,a rough nature like ,absalom's would make light of this result of his movement1 as rough natures have done since the world began4 ,but a very different judgment was passed by the great ,teacher on the effects of leading others into sin4 ,whosoever shall break one of these least commandments and teach men so1 he shall be called least in the kingdom of ,god4 ,whoso shall cause one of these little ones which believe in ,me to stumble1 it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast in the depth of the sea4 ,yet how common a thing this has been in all ages of the world1 and how common it is still6 ,to put pressure on others to do wrong2 to urge them to trifle with their consciences1 or knowingly to violate them2 to press them to give a vote against their convictions2--all such methods of disturbing conscience and drawing men into crooked ways1 what sin they involve6 ,and when a man of great influence employs it with hundreds and thousands of people in such ways1 twisting consciences1 disturbing self-respect1 bringing down ,divine displeasure1 how forcibly we are reminded of the proverb1 ,one sinner destroyeth much good6 ,most earnestly should every one who has influence over others dread being guilty of debauching conscience1 and discouraging obedience to its call4 ,on the other hand1 how blessed is it to use one's influence in the opposite direction4 ,think of the blessedness of a life spent in enlightening others as to truth and duty1 and encouraging loyalty to their high but often difficult claims4 ,what a contrast to the other6 ,what a noble aim to try to make men's eye single and their duty easy2 to try to raise them above selfish and carnal motives1 and inspire them with a sense of the nobility of walking uprightly1 and working righteousness1 and speaking the truth in their hearts6 ,what a privilege to be able to induce our fellows to walk in some degree even as ,he walked who did no sin1 neither was guile found in ,his mouth2 and who1 in ways so high above our ways1 was ever influencing the children of men to do justly1 and to love mercy1 and to walk humbly with their ,god6 ,,chapter ,,xxi4 ,,from ,,jerusalem ,,to ,,mahanaim4 #b ,,samuel xvi4 #a-ad2 xvii4 #ae-bb and #bd-bf4 ,as ,david proceeds on his painful journey1 there flows from his heart a gentle current of humble1 contrite1 gracious feeling4 ,if recent events have thrown any doubt on the reality of his goodness1 this fragrant narrative will restore the balance4 ,many a man would have been beside himself with rage at the treatment he had undergone4 ,many another man would have been restless with terror1 looking behind him every other moment to see if the usurper's army was not hastening in pursuit of him4 ,it is touching to see ,david1 mild1 self-possessed1 thoroughly humble1 and most considerate of others4 ,adversity is the element in which he shines2 it is in prosperity he falls2 in adversity he rises beautifully4 ,after the humbling events in his life to which our attention has been lately called1 it is a relief to witness the noble bearing of the venerable saint amid the pelting of this most pitiless storm4 ,it was when ,david was a little past the summit of ,mount ,olivet1 and soon after he had sent back ,hushai1 that ,ziba came after him1--that servant of ,saul that had told him of ,mephibosheth the son of ,jonathan1 and whom he had appointed to take charge of the property that had belonged to ,saul1 now made over to ,mephibosheth4 ,the young man himself was to be as one of the king's sons1 and was to eat at the royal table4 ,ziba's account of him was1 that when he heard of the insurrection he remained at ,jerusalem1 in the expectation that on that very day the kingdom of his father would be restored to him4 ,it can hardly be imagined that ,mephibosheth was so silly as to think or say anything of the kind4 ,either ,ziba must have been slandering him now1 or ,mephibosheth must have slandered ,ziba when ,david returned 7see #b ,sam4 xix4 #bd-cj74 ,with that remarkable impartiality which distinguishes the history1 the facts and the statements of the parties are recorded as they occurred1 but we are left to form our own judgment regarding them4 ,all things considered1 it is likely that ,ziba was the slanderer and ,mephibosheth the injured man4 ,mephibosheth was too feeble a man1 both in mind and in body1 to be forming bold schemes by which he might benefit from the insurrection4 ,we prefer to believe that the son of ,jonathan had so much of his father's nobility as to cling to ,david in the hour of his trial1 and be desirous of throwing in his lot with him4 ,if1 however1 ,ziba was a slanderer and a liar1 the strange thing about him is that he should have taken this opportunity to give effect to his villainy4 ,it is strange that1 with a soul full of treachery1 he should have taken the trouble to come after ,david at all1 and still more that he should have made a contribution to his scanty stores4 ,we should have expected such a man to remain with ,absalom1 and look to him for the reward of unrighteousness4 ,he brought with him for ,david's use a couple of asses saddled1 and two hundred loaves of bread1 and an hundred clusters of raisins1 and an hundred of summer fruits1 and a bottle of wine4 ,we get a vivid idea of the extreme haste with which ,david and his company must have left ,jerusalem1 and their destitution of the very necessaries of life as they fled1 from this catalogue of ,ziba's contributions4 ,not even were there beasts of burden for the king's household--even ,bathsheba and ,solomon may have been going on foot4 ,david was evidently impressed by the gift1 and his opinion of ,mephibosheth was not so high as to prevent him from believing that he was capable of the course ascribed to him4 ,yet we cannot but think there was undue haste in his at once transferring to ,ziba the whole of ,mephibosheth's property4 ,we can only say1 in vindication of ,david1 that his confidence even in those who had been most indebted to him had received so rude a shock in the conduct of ,absalom1 that he was ready to say in his haste1 ,all men are liars2 he was ready to suspect every man of deserting him1 except those that gave palpable evidence that they were on his side4 ,in this number it seemed at the moment that ,ziba was1 while ,mephibosheth was not2 and trusting to his first impression1 and acting with the promptitude necessary in war1 he made the transfer4 ,it is true that afterwards he discovered his mistake2 and some may think that when he did he did not make a sufficient rectification4 ,he directed ,ziba and ,mephibosheth to divide the property between them2 but in explanation it has been suggested that this was equivalent to the old arrangement1 by which ,ziba was to cultivate the land1 and ,mephibosheth to receive the fruits2 and if half the produce went to the proprietor1 and the other half to the cultivator1 the arrangement may have been a just and satisfactory one after all4 ,but if ,ziba sinned in the way of smooth treachery1 ,shimei1 the next person with whom ,david came in contact1 sinned not less in the opposite fashion1 by his outrageous insolence and invective4 ,it is said of this man that he was of the family of the house of ,saul1 and that fact goes far to account for his atrocious behaviour4 ,we get a glimpse of that inveterate jealousy of ,david which during the long period of his reign slept in the bosom of the family of ,saul1 and which seemed now1 like a volcano1 to burst out all the more fiercely for its long suppression4 ,when the throne passed from the family of ,saul1 ,shimei would of course experience a great social fall4 ,to be no longer connected with the royal family would be a great mortification to one who was vain of such distinctions4 ,outwardly1 he was obliged to bear his fall with resignation1 but inwardly the spirit of disappointment and jealousy raged in his breast4 ,when the opportunity of revenge against ,david came1 the rage and venom of his spirit poured out in a filthy torrent4 ,there is no mistaking the mean nature of the man to take such an opportunity of venting his malignity on ,david4 ,to trample on the fallen1 to press a man when his back is at the wall1 to pierce with fresh wounds the body of a stricken warrior1 is the mean resource of ungenerous cowardice4 ,but it is too much the way of the world4 ,if there be any quarrels1 any exceptions1 says ,bishop ,hall1 against a man1 let him look to have them laid in his dish when he fares the hardest4 ,this practice have wicked men learned of their master1 to take the utmost advantage of their afflictions4 ,if ,shimei had contented himself with denouncing the policy of ,david1 the forbearance of his victim would not have been so remarkable4 ,but ,shimei was guilty of every form of offensive and provoking assault4 ,he threw stones1 he called abusive names1 he hurled wicked charges against ,david2 he declared that ,god was fighting against him1 and fighting justly against such a man of blood1 such a man of ,belial4 ,and1 as if this were not enough1 he stung him in the most sensitive part of his nature1 reproaching him with the fact that it was his son that now reigned instead of him1 because the ,lord had delivered the kingdom into his hand4 ,but even all this accumulation of coarse and shameful abuse failed to ruffle ,david's equanimity4 ,abishai1 ,joab's brother1 was enraged at the presumption of a fellow who had no right to take such an attitude1 and whose insolence deserved a prompt and sharp castigation4 ,but ,david never thirsted for the blood of foes4 ,even while the rocks were echoing ,shimei's charges1 ,david gave very remarkable evidence of the spirit of a chastened child of ,god4 ,he showed the same forbearance that he had shown twice on former occasions in sparing the life of ,saul4 ,why1 asked ,abishai1 should this dead dog curse my lord the king8 ,let me go1 ,i pray thee1 and take off his head4 ,so let him curse1 was ,david's answer1 because the ,lord hath said unto him1 ,curse ,david4 ,it was but partially true that the ,lord had told him to do so4 ,the ,lord had only permitted him to do it2 ,he had only placed ,david in circumstances which allowed ,shimei to pour out his insolence4 ,this use of the expression1 ,the ,lord hath said unto him1 may be a useful guide to its true meaning in some passages of ,scripture where it has seemed at first as if ,god gave very strange directions4 ,the pretext that ,providence had afforded to ,shimei was this1 ,behold1 my son1 which came out of my bowels1 seeketh my life2 how much more then may this ,benjamite do it8 ,let him alone1 and let him curse1 for the ,lord hath bidden him4 ,it may be that the ,lord will requite me good for his cursing this day4 ,it is touching to remark how keenly ,david felt this dreadful trial as coming from his own son4 ,so the struck eagle stretched upon the plain1 ,no more through rolling clouds to soar again1 ,viewed his own feather on the fatal dart ,that winged the shaft that quivered in his heart2 ,keen were his pangs1 but keener far to feel ,he nursed the pinion which impelled the steel2 ,while the same plumage that had warmed his nest ,drank the last lifedrop of his bleeding breast4 ,but even the fact that it was his own son that was the author of all his present calamities would not have made ,david so meek under the outrage of ,shimei if he had not felt that ,god was using such men as instruments to chastise him for his sins4 ,for though ,god had never said to ,shimei1 ,curse ,david1 ,he had let him become an instrument of chastisement and humiliation against him4 ,it was the fact of his being such an instrument in ,god's hands that made the ,king so unwilling to interfere with him4 ,david's reverence for ,god's appointment was like that which afterwards led our ,lord to say1 ,the cup which ,my ,father hath given ,me1 shall ,i not drink of it8 ,unlike though ,david and ,jesus were in the cause of their sufferings1 yet there is a remarkable resemblance in their bearing under them4 ,the meek resignation of ,david as he went out from the holy city had a strong resemblance to the meek resignation of ,jesus as ,he was being led from the same city to ,calvary4 ,the gentle consideration of ,david for the welfare of his people as he toiled up ,mount ,olivet was parallel to the same feeling of ,jesus expressed to the daughters of ,jerusalem as ,he toiled up to ,calvary4 ,the forbearance of ,david to ,shimei was like the spirit of the prayer--,father1 forgive them3 for they know not what they do4 ,the overawing sense that ,god had ordained their sufferings was similar in both4 ,david owed his sufferings solely to himself2 ,jesus owed ,his solely to the relation in which ,he had placed ,himself to sinners as the ,sin-bearer4 ,it is beautiful to see ,david so meek and lowly under the sense of his sins--breathing the spirit of the prophet's words1 ,i will stand upon my watch1 and set me upon the tower1 and will watch to see what he will say unto me1 and what ,i shall answer when ,i am reproved4 ,there was another thought in ,david's mind that helped him to bear his sufferings with meek submission4 ,it is this that is expressed in the words1 ,it may be that the ,lord will requite me good for his cursing this day4 ,he felt that1 as coming from the hand of ,god1 all that he had suffered was just and righteous4 ,he had done wickedly1 and he deserved to be humbled and chastened by ,god1 and by such instruments as ,god might appoint4 ,but the particular words and acts of these instruments might be highly unjust to him3 though ,shimei was ,god's instrument for humiliating him1 yet the curses of ,shimei were alike unrighteous and outrageous2 the charge that he had shed the blood of ,saul's house1 and seized ,saul's kingdom by violence1 was outrageously false2 but it was better to bear the wrong1 and leave the rectifying of it in ,god's hands2 for ,god detests unfair dealing1 and when ,his servants receive it ,he will look to it and redress it in ,his own time and way4 ,and this is a very important and valuable consideration for those servants of ,god who are exposed to abusive language and treatment from scurrilous opponents1 or1 what is too common in our day1 scurrilous newspapers4 ,if injustice is done them1 let them1 like ,david1 trust to ,god to redress the wrong2 ,god is a ,god of justice1 and ,god will not see them treated unjustly4 ,and hence that remarkable statement which forms a sort of appendix to the seven beatitudes--,blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you1 and speak all manner of evil against you falsely for ,my name's sake4 ,rejoice and be exceeding glad1 for great is your reward in heaven2 for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you4 ,ere we return to ,jerusalem to witness the progress of events in ,absalom's camp and cabinet1 let us accompany ,david to his resting-place beyond the ,jordan4 ,through the counsel of ,hushai1 afterwards to be considered1 he had reached the plains of ,jordan in safety2 had accomplished the passage of the river1 and traversed the path on the other side as far as ,mahanaim1 somewhere to the south of the ,lake of ,gennesareth1 the place where ,ishbosheth had held his court4 ,it was a singular mercy that he was able to accomplish this journey1 which in the condition of his followers must have occupied several days1 without opposition in front or molestation in his rear4 ,tokens of the ,lord's loving care were not wanting to encourage him on the way4 ,it must have been a great relief to him to learn that ,ahithophel's proposal of an immediate pursuit had been arrested through the counsel of ,hushai4 ,it was a further token for good1 that the lives of the priests' sons1 ,jonathan and ,ahimaaz1 which had been endangered as they bore tidings for him1 had been mercifully preserved4 ,after learning the result of ,hushai's counsel1 they proceeded1 incautiously perhaps1 to reach ,david1 and were observed and pursued4 ,but a friendly woman concealed them in a well1 as ,rahab the harlot had hid the spies in the roof of her house2 and though they ran a great risk1 they contrived to reach ,david's camp in peace4 ,and when ,david reached ,mahanaim1 where he halted to await the course of events1 ,shobi1 the son of ,nahash1 king of ,ammon1 and ,machir1 the son of ,ammiel of ,lo-debar1 and ,barzillai the ,gileadite of ,rogelim1 brought beds1 and basons1 and earthen vessels1 and wheat1 and barley1 and flour1 and parched corn1 and beans1 and lentiles1 and parched pulse1 and honey1 and butter1 and sheep1 and cheese of kine1 for ,david and for the people that were with him to eat2 for they said1 ,the people is hungry1 and weary1 and thirsty in the wilderness4 ,some of those who thus befriended him were only requiting former favours4 ,shobi may be supposed to have been ashamed of his father's insulting conduct when ,david sent messengers to comfort him on his father's death4 ,machir1 the son of ,ammiel of ,lo-debar1 was the friend who had cared for ,mephibosheth1 and was doubtless thankful for ,david's generosity to him4 ,of ,barzillai we know nothing more than is told us here4 ,but ,david could not have reckoned on the friendship of these men1 nor on its taking so useful and practical a turn4 ,the ,lord's hand was manifest in the turning of the hearts of these people to him4 ,how hard bestead he and his followers were is but too apparent from the fact that these supplies were most welcome in their condition4 ,and ,david must have derived no small measure of encouragement even from these trifling matters2 they showed that ,god had not forgotten him1 and they raised the expectation that further tokens of ,his love and care would not be withheld4 ,the district where ,david now was1 the other side of ,jordan1 lay far apart from ,jerusalem and the more frequented places in the country1 and1 in all probability1 it was but little affected by the arts of ,absalom4 ,the inhabitants lay under strong obligations to ,david2 in former times they had suffered most from their neighbours1 ,moab1 ,ammon1 and especially ,syria2 and now they enjoyed a very different lot1 owing to the fact that those powerful nations had been brought under ,david's rule4 ,it was a fertile district1 abounding in all kinds of farm and garden produce1 and therefore well adapted to support an army that had no regular means of supply4 ,the people of this district seem to have been friendly to ,david's cause4 ,the little force that had followed him from ,jerusalem would now be largely recruited2 and1 even to the outward sense1 he would be in a far better condition to receive the assault of ,absalom than on the day when he left the city4 ,the third ,psalm1 according to the superscription--and in this case there seems no cause to dispute it--was composed when ,david fled from ,absalom his son4 ,it is a psalm of wonderful serenity and perfect trust4 ,it begins with a touching reference to the multitude of the insurgents1 and the rapidity with which they increased4 ,everything confirms the statement that the conspiracy was strong1 and that the people increased continually with ,absalom4 ,we seem to understand better why ,david fled from ,jerusalem2 even there the great bulk of the people were with the usurper4 ,we see1 too1 how godless and unbelieving the conspirators were--,many there be which say of my soul1 ,there is no help for him in ,god4 ,god was cast out of their reckoning as of no consideration in the case2 it was all moonshine1 his pretended trust in ,him4 ,material forces were the only real power2 the idea of ,god's favour was only cant1 or at best but a devout imagination4 ,but the foundation of his trust was too firm to be shaken either by the multitude of the insurgents or the bitterness of their sneers4 ,thou1 ,lord1 art a shield unto me--ever protecting me1 my glory1--ever honouring me1 and the lifter up of mine head1--ever setting me on high because ,i have known ,thy name4 ,no doubt he had felt some tumult of soul when the insurrection began4 ,but prayer brought him tranquillity4 ,i cried unto ,god with my voice1 and ,he heard me out of ,his holy hill4 ,how real the communion must have been that brought tranquillity to him amid such a sea of trouble6 ,even in the midst of his agitation he can lie down and sleep1 and awake refreshed in mind and body4 ,i will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people that have set themselves against me round about4 ,faith already sees his enemies defeated and receiving the doom of ungodly men4 ,arise1 ,o ,lord2 save me1 ,o my ,god2 for ,thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone2 ,thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly4 ,and he closes as confidently and serenely as if victory had already come--,salvation belongeth unto the ,lord2 ,thy blessing is upon ,thy people4 ,if1 in this solemn crisis of his history1 ,david is a pattern to us of meek submission1 not less is he a pattern of perfect trust4 ,he is strong in faith1 giving glory to ,god1 and feeling assured that what ,he has promised ,he is able also to perform4 ,deeply conscious of his own sin1 he at the same time most cordially believes in the word and promise of ,god4 ,he knows that1 though chastened1 he is not forsaken4 ,he bows his head in meek acknowledgment of the righteousness of the chastisement2 but he lays hold with unwavering trust on the mercy of ,god4 ,this union of submission and trust1 is one of priceless value1 and much to be sought by every good man4 ,under the deepest sense of sin and unworthiness1 you may rejoice and you ought to rejoice1 in the provision of grace4 ,and while rejoicing most cordially in the provision of grace1 you ought to be contrite and humble for your sin4 ,you are grievously defective if you want either of these elements4 ,if the sense of sin weighs on you with unbroken pressure1 if it keeps you from believing in forgiving mercy1 if it hinders you from looking to the cross1 to ,him who taketh away the sin of the world1 there is a grievous defect4 ,if your joy in forgiving mercy has no element of contrition1 no chastened sense of unworthiness1 there is no less grievous a defect in the opposite direction4 ,let us try at once to feel our unworthiness1 and to rejoice in the mercy that freely pardons and accepts4 ,let us look to the rock whence we are hewn1 and to the hole of the pit whence we are digged2 feeling that we are great sinners1 but that the ,lord ,jesus ,christ is a great ,saviour2 and finding our joy in that faithful saying1 ever worthy of all acceptation1 that ,jesus ,christ came into the world to save sinners1 even the chief4 ,,chapter ,,xxii4 ,,absalom ,,in ,,council4 #b ,,samuel xvi4 #ae-bc2 xvii4 #a-ad1 and ver4 #bc4 ,we must now return to ,jerusalem1 and trace the course of events there on that memorable day when ,david left it1 to flee toward the wilderness1 just a few hours before ,absalom entered it from ,hebron4 ,when ,absalom came to the city1 there was no trace of an enemy to oppose him4 ,his supporters in ,jerusalem would no doubt go out to meet him1 and conduct him to the palace with great demonstrations of delight4 ,eastern nations are so easily roused to enthusiasm that we can easily believe that1 even for ,absalom1 there would be an overpowering demonstration of loyalty4 ,once within the palace1 he would receive the adherence and congratulations of his friends4 ,among these1 ,hushai the ,archite presents himself1 having returned to ,jerusalem at ,david's request1 and it is to ,hushai's honour that ,absalom was surprised to see him4 ,he knew him to be too good a man1 too congenial with ,david his friend1 to be likely to follow such a standard as his4 ,there is much to be read between the lines here4 ,hushai was not only a counsellor1 but a friend1 of ,david's4 ,they were probably of kindred feeling in religious matters1 earnest in serving ,god4 ,a man of this sort did not seem to be in his own place among the supporters of ,absalom4 ,it was a silent confession by ,absalom that his supporters were a godless crew1 among whom a man of godliness must be out of his element4 ,the sight of ,hushai impressed ,absalom as the sight of an earnest ,christian in a gambling saloon or on a racecourse would impress the greater part of worldly men4 ,for even the world has a certain faith in godliness1--to this extent1 at least1 that it ought to be consistent4 ,you may stretch a point here and there in order to gain favour with worldly men2 you may accommodate yourselves to their ways1 go to this and to that place of amusement1 adopt their tone of conversation1 join with them in ridiculing the excesses of this or that godly man or woman2 but you are not to expect that by such approaches you will rise in their esteem4 ,on the contrary1 you may expect that in their secret hearts they will despise you4 ,a man that acts according to his convictions and in the spirit of what he professes they may very cordially hate1 but they are constrained to respect4 ,a man that does violence to the spirit of his religion1 in his desire to be on friendly terms with the world and further his interests1 and that does many things to please them1 they may not hate so strongly1 but they will not respect4 ,there is a fitness of things to which the world is sometimes more alive than ,christians themselves4 ,jehoshaphat is not in his own place making a league with ,ahab1 and going up with him against ,ramoth-gilead2 he lays himself open to the rebuke of the seer--,shouldest thou help the ungodly1 and love them that hate the ,lord8 therefore is wrath upon thee from before the ,lord4 ,there is no ,new ,testament precept needing to be more pondered than this--,be ye not unequally yoked with unbelievers2 for what communion hath light with darkness8 or what fellowship hath ,christ with ,belial8 or what communion hath he that believeth with an infidel8 ,but ,hushai was not content with putting in a silent appearance for ,absalom4 ,when his consistency is challenged1 he must repudiate the idea that he has any preference for ,david2 he is a loyal man in this sense1 that he attaches himself to the reigning monarch1 and as ,absalom has received overwhelming tokens in his favour from every quarter1 ,hushai is resolved to stand by him4 ,but can we justify these professions of ,hushai8 ,it is plain enough he went on the principle of fighting ,absalom with his own weapons1 of paying him with his own coin2 ,absalom had dissembled so profoundly1 he had made treachery1 so to speak1 so much the current coin of the kingdom1 that ,hushai determined to use it for his own purposes4 ,yet1 even in these circumstances1 the deliberate dissembling of ,hushai grates against every tender conscience1 and more especially his introduction of the name of ,jehovah--,nay1 but whom the ,lord1 and this people1 and all the men of ,israel choose1 his will ,i be1 and with him will ,i abide4 ,was not this taking the name of the ,lord his ,god in vain8 ,the stratagem had been suggested by ,david2 it was not condemned by the voice of the age2 and we are not prepared to say that stratagem is always to be condemned2 but surely1 in our time1 the claims of truth and fair dealing would stamp it as a disreputable device1 not sanctified by the end for which it was resorted to1 and not worthy the followers of ,him who did no sin1 neither was guile found in ,his mouth4 ,having established himself in the confidence of ,absalom1 ,hushai gained a right to be consulted in the deliberations of the day4 ,he enters the room where the new king's counsellors are met1 but he finds it a godless assemblage4 ,in planning the most awful wickedness1 a cool deliberation prevails that shows how familiar the counsellors are with the ways of sin4 ,give counsel among you1 says the royal president1 what we shall do4 ,how different from ,david's way of opening the business--,bring hither the ephod1 and enquire of the ,lord4 ,in ,absalom's council help of that kind is neither asked nor desired4 ,the first to propose a course is ,ahithophel1 and there is something so revolting in the first scheme which he proposed that we wonder much that such a man should ever have been a counsellor of ,david4 ,his first piece of advice1 that ,absalom should publicly take possession of his father's concubines1 was designed to put an end to any wavering among the people2 it was1 according to ,eastern ideas1 the grossest insult that could be offered to a king1 and that king a father1 and it would prove that the breach between ,david and ,absalom was irreparable1 that it was vain to hope for any reconciliation4 ,they must all make up their minds to take a side1 and as ,absalom's cause was so popular1 it was far the most likely they would side with him4 ,without hesitation ,absalom complied with the advice4 ,it is a proof how hard his heart had become1 that he did not hesitate to mock his father by an act which was as disgusting as it was insulting4 ,and what a picture we get of the position of women even in the court of ,king ,david6 ,they were slaves in the worst sense of the term1 with no right even to guard their virtue1 or to protect their persons from the very worst of men2 for the custom of the country1 when it gave him the throne1 gave him likewise the bodies and souls of the women of the harem to do with as he pleased6 ,the next piece of ,ahithophel's counsel was a masterpiece alike of sagacity and of wickedness4 ,he proposed to take a select body of twelve thousand out of the troops that had already flocked to ,absalom's standard1 and follow the fugitive king4 ,that very night he would set out2 and in a few hours they would overtake the king and his handful of defenders2 they would destroy no life but the king's only2 and thus1 by an almost bloodless revolution1 they would place ,absalom peacefully on the throne4 ,the advantages of the plan were obvious4 ,it was prompt1 it seemed certain of success1 and it would avoid an unpopular slaughter4 ,so strongly was ,ahithophel impressed with the advantages that it seemed impossible that it could be opposed1 far less rejected4 ,one element only he left out of his reckoning--that as the mountains are round about ,jerusalem1 so the ,lord ,god is round about ,his people from henceforth even for ever4 ,he forgot how many methods of protecting ,david ,god had already employed4 ,from the lion and the bear ,he had delivered him in his youth1 by giving strength to his arm and courage to his heart2 from the uncircumcised ,philistine ,he had delivered him by guiding the stone projected from his sling to the forehead of the giant2 from ,saul1 at one time through ,michal letting him down from a window2 at another1 through ,jonathan taking his side2 at a third1 by an invasion of the ,philistines calling ,saul away2 and now ,he was preparing to deliver him from ,absalom by a still different method3 by causing the shallow proposal of ,hushai to find more favour than the sagacious counsel of ,ahithophel4 ,it must have been a moment of great anxiety to ,hushai when the man whose counsel was as the oracle of ,god sat down amid universal approval1 after having propounded the very advice of which he was most afraid4 ,but he shows great coolness and skill in recommending his own course1 and in trying to make the worse appear the better reason4 ,he opens with an implied compliment to ,ahithophel--his counsel is not good at this time4 ,it may have been excellent on all other occasions1 but the present is an exception4 ,then he dwells on the warlike character of ,david and his men1 and on the exasperated state of mind in which they might be supposed to be2 probably they were at that moment in some cave1 where no idea of their numbers could be got1 and from which they might make a sudden sally on ,absalom's troops2 and if1 on occasion of an encounter between the two armies1 some of ,absalom's were to fall1 people would take it as a defeat2 a panic might seize the army1 and his followers might disperse as quickly as they had assembled4 ,but the concluding stroke was the masterpiece4 ,he knew that vanity was ,absalom's besetting sin4 ,the young man that had prepared chariots and horses1 and fifty men to run before him1 that had been accustomed to poll his head from year to year and weigh it with so much care1 and whose praise was throughout all ,israel for beauty1 must be flattered by a picture of the whole host of ,israel marshalled around him1 and going forth in proud array1 with him at its head4 ,therefore ,i counsel that all ,israel be generally gathered unto thee1 from ,dan even to ,beersheba1 as the sand that is by the sea for multitude1 and that thou go to battle in thine own person4 ,so shall we come upon him in some place where he may be found1 and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground2 and of him and of all the men that are with him there shall not be left so much as one4 ,moreover1 if he be gotten into a city1 then shall all ,israel bring ropes to that city1 and we will draw it into the river until there shall not be one small stone left there4 ,it is with counsel as with many other things3 what pleases best is thought best2 solid merit gives way to superficial plausibility4 ,the counsel of ,hushai pleased better than that of ,ahithophel1 and so it was preferred4 ,satan had outwitted himself4 ,he had nursed in ,absalom an overweening vanity1 intending by its means to overturn the throne of ,david2 and now that very vanity becomes the means of defeating the scheme1 and laying the foundation of ,absalom's ruin4 ,the turning-point in ,absalom's mind seems to have been the magnificent spectacle of the whole of ,israel mustered for battle1 and ,absalom at their head4 ,he was fascinated by the brilliant imagination4 ,how easily may ,god1 when ,he pleases1 defeat the most able schemes of ,his enemies6 ,he does not need to create weapons to oppose them2 ,he has only to turn their own weapons against themselves4 ,what an encouragement to faith even when the fortunes of the ,church are at their lowest ebb6 ,the kings of the earth set themselves1 and the rulers take counsel together against the ,lord1 and against ,his anointed1 saying1 ,let us break their bonds asunder1 and cast away their cords from us4 ,he that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh2 the ,lord shall have them in derision4 ,then shall ,he speak to them in wrath1 and vex them in ,his sore displeasure4 ,yet have ,i set my king upon my holy hill of ,zion4 ,the council is over2 ,hushai1 unspeakably relieved1 hastens to communicate with the priests1 and through them send messengers to ,david2 ,absalom withdraws to delight himself with the thought of the great military muster that is to flock to his standard2 while ,ahithophel1 in high dudgeon1 retires to his house4 ,the character of ,ahithophel was a singular combination4 ,to deep natural sagacity he united great spiritual blindness and lack of true manliness4 ,he saw at once the danger to the cause of ,absalom in the plan that had been preferred to his own2 but it was not that consideration1 it was the gross affront to himself that preyed on him1 and drove him to commit suicide4 ,when ,ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed1 he saddled his ass and arose and gat him home to his house1 to his city1 and put his household in order1 and hanged himself and died1 and was buried in the sepulchre of his father4 ,in his own way he was as much the victim of vanity as ,absalom4 ,the one was vain of his person1 the other of his wisdom4 ,in each case it was the man's vanity that was the cause of his death4 ,what a contrast ,ahithophel was to ,david in his power of bearing disgrace6--,david1 though with bowed head1 bearing up so bravely1 and even restraining his followers from chastising some of those who were so vehemently affronting him2 ,ahithophel unable to endure life because for once another man's counsel had been preferred to his4 ,men of the richest gifts have often shown themselves babes in self-control4 ,ahithophel is the ,judas of the ,new ,testament1 lays plans for the destruction of his master1 and1 like ,judas1 falls almost immediately1 by his own hand4 ,what a mixture1 says ,bishop ,hall1 do we find here of wisdom and madness6 ,ahithophel will needs hang himself1 there is madness2 he will yet set his house in order1 there is wisdom4 ,and could it be possible that he that was so wise as to set his house in order was so mad as to hang himself8 that he should be so careful to order his house who had no care to order his unruly passions8 that he should care for his house who cared not for his body or his soul8 ,how vain is it for man to be wise if he is not wise in ,god4 ,how preposterous are the cares of idle worldlings1 that prefer all other things to themselves1 and while they look at what they have in their coffers forget what they have in their breasts4 ,this council-chamber of ,absalom is full of material for profitable reflection4 ,the manner in which he was turned aside from the way of wisdom and safety is a remarkable illustration of our ,lord's principle--,if thine eye be single1 thy whole body shall be full of light4 ,we are accustomed to view this principle chiefly in its relation to moral and spiritual life2 but it is applicable likewise even to worldly affairs4 ,absalom's eye was not single4 ,success1 no doubt1 was the chief object at which he aimed1 but another object was the gratification of his vanity4 ,this inferior object was allowed to come in and disturb his judgment4 ,if ,absalom had had a single eye1 even in a worldly sense1 he would have felt profoundly that the one thing to be considered was1 how to get rid of ,david and establish himself firmly on the throne4 ,but instead of studying this one thing with firm and immovable purpose1 he allowed the vision of a great muster of troops commanded by himself to come in1 and so to distract his judgment that he gave his decision for the latter course4 ,no doubt he thought that his position was so secure that he could afford the few days' delay which this scheme involved4 ,all the same1 it was this disturbing element of personal vanity that gave a twist to his vision1 and led him to the conclusion which lost him everything4 ,for even in worldly things1 singleness of eye is a great help towards a sound conclusion4 ,to the upright there ariseth light in the darkness4 ,and if this rule hold true in the worldly sphere1 much more in the moral and spiritual4 ,it is when you have the profoundest desire to do what is right that you are in the best way to know what is wise4 ,in the service of ,god you are grievously liable to be distracted by private feelings and interests of your own4 ,it is when these private interests assert themselves that you are most liable to lose the clear line of duty and of wisdom4 ,you wish to do ,god's will1 but at the same time you are very unwilling to sacrifice this interest1 or expose yourself to that trouble4 ,thus your own feeling becomes a screen that dims your vision1 and prevents you from seeing the path of duty and wisdom alike4 ,you have not a clear sight of the right path4 ,you live in an atmosphere of perplexity2 whereas men of more single purpose1 and more regardless of their own interests1 see clearly and act wisely4 ,was there anything more remarkable in the ,apostle ,paul than the clearness of his vision1 the decisive yet admirable way in which he solved perplexing questions1 and the high practical wisdom that guided him throughout8 ,and is not this to be connected with his singleness of eye1 his utter disregard of personal interests in his public life--his entire devotion to the will and to the service of his ,master8 ,from that memorable hour on the way to ,damascus1 when he put the question1 ,lord1 what wilt ,thou have me to do8 onward to the day when he laid his head on the block in imperial ,rome1 the one interest of his heart1 the one thought of his mind1 was to do the will of ,christ4 ,never was an eye more single1 and never was a body more full of light4 ,but again1 from that council-chamber of ,absalom and its results we learn how all projects founded on godlessness and selfishness carry in their bosom the elements of dissolution4 ,they have no true principle of coherence1 no firm1 binding element1 to secure them against disturbing influences arising from further manifestations of selfishness on the part of those engaged in them4 ,men may be united by selfish interest in some undertaking up to a certain point1 but1 like a rocket in the air1 selfishness is liable to burst up in a thousand different directions1 and then the bond of union is destroyed4 ,the only bond of union that can resist distracting tendencies is an immovable regard to the will of ,god1 and1 in subordination thereto1 to the welfare of men4 ,in our fallen world it is seldom--rather1 it is never--that any great enterprise is undertaken and carried forward on grounds where selfishness has no place whatever4 ,but we may say this very confidently1 that the more an undertaking is based on regard to ,god's will and the good of men1 the more stability and true prosperity will it enjoy2 whereas every element of selfishness or self-seeking that may be introduced into it is an element of weakness1 and tends to its dissolution4 ,the remark is true of ,churches and religious societies1 of religious movements and political movements too4 ,men that are not overawed1 as it were1 by a supreme regard to the will of ,god2 men to whom the consideration of that will is not strong enough at once to smite down every selfish feeling that may arise in their minds1 will always be liable to desire some object of their own rather than the good of the whole4 ,they will begin to complain if they are not sufficiently considered and honoured4 ,they will allow jealousies and suspicions towards those who have most influence to arise in their hearts4 ,they will get into caves to air their discontent with those like-minded4 ,all this tends to weakness and dissolution4 ,selfishness is the serpent that comes crawling into many a hopeful garden1 and brings with it division and desolation4 ,in private life1 it should be watched and thwarted as the grievous foe of all that is good and right4 ,the same course should be taken with regard to it in all the associations of ,christians4 ,and it is ,christian men only that are capable of uniting on grounds so high and pure as to give some hope that this evil spirit will not succeed in disuniting them--that is to say1 men who feel and act on the obligations under which the ,lord ,jesus ,christ has placed them2 men that feel that their own redemption1 and every blessing they have or hope to have1 come through the wonderful self-denial of the ,son of ,god1 and that if they have the faintest right to ,his holy name they must not shrink from the like self-denial4 ,it is a happy thing to be able to adopt as our rule--,none of us liveth to himself2 for whether we live1 we live unto the ,lord1 or whether we die1 we die unto the ,lord2 whether we live therefore or die1 we are the ,lord's4 ,the more this rule prevails in ,churches and ,christian societies1 the more will there be of union and stability too2 but with its neglect1 all kinds of evil and trouble will come in1 and very probably1 disruption and dissolution in the end4 ,,chapter ,,xxiii4 #b ,,samuel xviii4 #a-ah4 ,,absalom',s ,,defeat ,,and ,,death4 ,whatever fears of defeat and destruction might occasionally flit across ,david's soul between his flight from ,jerusalem and the battle in the wood of ,ephraim1 it is plain both from his actions and from his songs that his habitual frame was one of serenity and trust4 ,the number of psalms ascribed to this period of his life may be in excess of the truth2 but that his heart was in near communion with ,god all the time we cannot doubt4 ,situated as his present refuge was not far from ,peniel1 where ,jacob had wrestled with the angel1 we may believe that there were wrestlings again in the neighbourhood not unworthy to be classed with that from which ,peniel derived its memorable name4 ,in the present emergency the answer to prayer consisted1 first1 in the breathing-time secured by the success of ,hushai's counsel2 second1 in the countenance and support of the friends raised up to ,david near ,mahanaim2 and last1 not least1 in the spirit of wisdom and harmony with which all the arrangements were made for the inevitable encounter4 ,every step was taken with prudence1 while every movement of his opponents seems to have been a blunder4 ,it was wise in ,david1 as we have already seen1 to cross the ,jordan and retire into ,gilead2 it was wise in him to make ,mahanaim his headquarters2 it was wise to divide his army into three parts1 for a reason that will presently be seen2 and it was wise to have a wood in the neighbourhood of the battlefield1 though it could not have been foreseen how this was to bear on the individual on whose behalf the insurrection had taken place4 ,by this time the followers of ,david had grown to the dimensions of an army4 ,we are furnished with no means of knowing its actual number4 ,josephus puts it at four thousand1 but1 judging from some casual expressions 7,david set captains of hundreds and captains of thousands over them1 ver4 #a2 ,now thou art worth ten thousand of us1 ver4 #c2 ,the people came by thousands1 ver4 #d71 we should infer that ,david's force amounted to a good many thousands4 ,the division of the army into three parts1 however1 reminding us1 as it does1 of ,gideon's division of his little force into three1 would seem to imply that ,david's force was far inferior in number to ,absalom's4 ,the insurrectionary army must have been very large1 and stretching over a great breadth of country1 would have presented far too wide a line to be effectually dealt with by a single body of troops1 comparatively small4 ,gideon had divided his handful into three that he might make a simultaneous impression on three different parts of the ,midianite host1 and thus contribute the better to the defeat of the whole4 ,so ,david divided his army into three1 that1 meeting ,absalom's at three different points1 he might prevent a concentration of the enemy that would have swallowed up his whole force4 ,david had the advantage of choosing his ground1 and his military instinct and long experience would doubtless enable him to do this with great effect4 ,his three generals were able and valuable leaders4 ,the aged king was prepared to take part in the battle1 believing that his presence would be helpful to his men2 but the people would not allow him to run the risk4 ,aged and somewhat infirm as he seems to have been1 wearied with his flight1 and weakened with the anxieties of so distressing an occasion1 the excitement of the battle might have proved too much for him1 even if he had escaped the enemy's sword4 ,besides1 everything depended on him2 if his place were discovered by the enemy1 their hottest assault would be directed to it2 and if he should fall1 there would be left no cause to fight for4 ,it is better1 they said to him1 that thou succour us out of the city4 ,what kind of succour could he render there8 ,only the succour that ,moses and his two attendants rendered to ,israel in the fight with ,amalek in the wilderness1 when ,moses held up his hands1 and ,aaron and ,hur propped them up4 ,he might pray for them2 he could do no more4 ,by this time ,absalom had probably obtained the great object of his ambition2 he had mustered ,israel from ,dan to ,beersheba1 and found himself at the head of an array very magnificent in appearance1 but1 like most ,oriental gatherings of the kind1 somewhat unwieldy and unworkable4 ,this great conglomeration was now in the immediate neighbourhood of ,mahanaim1 and must have seemed as if by sheer weight of material it would crush any force that could be brought against it4 ,we read that the battle took place in the wood of ,ephraim4 ,this could not be a wood in the tribe of ,ephraim1 for that was on the other side of ,jordan1 but a wood in ,gilead1 that for some reason unknown to us had been called by that name4 ,the whole region is still richly wooded1 and among its prominent trees is one called the prickly oak4 ,a dense wood would obviously be unsuitable for battle1 but a wooded district1 with clumps here and there1 especially on the hill-sides1 and occasional trees and brushwood scattered over the plains1 would present many advantages to a smaller force opposing the onset of a larger4 ,in the ,american war of #agee some of the best troops of ,england were nearly annihilated in a wood near ,pittsburg in ,pennsylvania1 the ,indians levelling their rifles unseen from behind the trees1 and discharging them with yells that were even more terrible than their weapons4 ,we may fancy the three battalions of ,david making a vigorous onslaught on ,absalom's troops as they advanced into the wooded country1 and when they began to retreat through the woods1 and got entangled in brushwood1 or jammed together by thickset trees1 discharging arrows at them1 or falling on them with the sword1 with most disastrous effect4 ,there was a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men4 ,for the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country1 and the wood devoured more people that day than the sword devoured4 ,many of ,david's men were probably natives of the country1 and in their many encounters with the neighbouring nations had become familiar with the warfare of the bush4 ,here was one benefit of the choice of ,mahanaim by ,david as his rallying-ground4 ,the people that joined him from that quarter knew the ground1 and knew how to adapt it to fighting purposes2 the most of ,absalom's forces had been accustomed to the bare wadies and limestone rocks of ,western ,palestine1 and1 when caught in the thickets1 could neither use their weapons nor save themselves by flight4 ,very touching1 if not very business-like1 had been ,david's instructions to his generals about ,absalom3 ,the king commanded ,joab and ,abishai and ,ittai saying1 ,deal gently for my sake with the young man1 even with ,absalom4 ,and all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning ,absalom4 ,it is interesting to observe that ,david fully expects to win4 ,there is no hint of any alternative1 as if ,absalom would not fall into their hands4 ,david knows that he is going to conquer1 as well as he knew it when he went against the giant4 ,the confidence which is breathed in the third ,psalm is apparent here4 ,faith saw his enemies already defeated4 ,thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone2 ,thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly4 ,salvation belongeth unto the ,lord2 ,thy blessing is upon ,thy people4 ,in a pitched battle1 ,god could not give success to a godless crew1 whose whole enterprise was undertaken to drive ,god's anointed one from his throne4 ,temporary and partial successes they might have1 but final success it was morally impossible for ,god to accord4 ,it was not the spirit of his own troops1 nor the undisciplined condition of the opposing host1 that inspired this confidence1 but the knowledge that there was a ,god in ,israel1 who would not suffer ,his anointed to perish1 nor the impious usurper to triumph over him4 ,we cannot tell whether ,absalom was visited with any misgivings as to the result before the battle began4 ,very probably he was not4 ,having no faith in ,god1 he would make no account whatever of what ,david regarded as the ,divine palladium of his cause4 ,but if he entered on the battle confident of success1 his anguish is not to be conceived when he saw his troops yield to panic1 and1 in wild disorder1 try to dash through the wood4 ,dreadful miseries must have overwhelmed him4 ,he does not appear to have made any attempt to rally his troops4 ,riding on a mule1 in his haste to escape1 he probably plunged into some thick part of the wood1 where his head came in contact with a mass of prickly oak2 struggling to make a way through it1 he only entangled his hair more hopelessly in the thicket2 then1 raising himself in the saddle to attack it with his hands1 his mule went from under him1 and left him hanging between heaven and earth1 maddened by pain1 enraged at the absurdity of his plight1 and storming against his attendants1 none of whom was near him in his time of need4 ,nor was this the worst of it4 ,absalom was probably among the foremost of the fugitives1 and we can hardly suppose but that many of his own people fled that way after him4 ,could it be that all of them were so eager to escape that not one of them would stop to help their king8 ,what a contrast the condition of ,absalom when fortune turned against him to that of his father6 ,dark though ,david's trials had been1 and seemingly desperate his position1 he had not been left alone in its sudden horrors2 the devotion of strangers1 as well as the fidelity of a few attached friends1 had cheered him1 and had the worst disaster befallen him1 had his troops been routed and his cause ruined1 there were warm and bold hearts that would not have deserted him in his extremity1 that would have formed a wall around him1 and with their lives defended his grey hairs4 ,but when the hour of calamity came to ,absalom it found him alone4 ,even ,saul had his armour-bearer at his side when he fled over ,gilboa2 but neither armour-bearer nor friend attended ,absalom as he fled from the battle of the wood of ,ephraim4 ,it would have been well for him if he had really gained a few of the many hearts he stole4 ,much though moralists tell us of the heartlessness of the world in the hour of adversity1 we should not have expected to light on so extreme a case of it4 ,we can hardly withhold a tear at the sight of the unhappy youth1 an hour ago with thousands eager to obey him1 and a throne before him1 apparently secure from danger2 now hanging helpless between earth and heaven1 with no companion but an evil conscience1 and no prospect but the judgment of an offended ,god4 ,a recent writer1 in his ,history of the ,english ,people 7,green71 when narrating the fall of ,cardinal ,wolsey1 powerfully describes the way of ,providence in suffering a career of unexampled wickedness and ambition to go on from one degree of prosperity to another1 till the moment of doom arrives1 when all is shattered by a single blow4 ,there was long delay1 but the hour of reckoning at length arrived4 ,slowly the hand had crawled along the dial-plate1 slowly as if the event would never come2 and wrong was heaped on wrong1 and oppression cried1 and it seemed as if no ear had heard its voice1 till the measure of the wickedness was at length fulfilled4 ,the finger touched the hour2 and as the strokes of the great hammer rang out above the nation1 in an instant the whole fabric of iniquity was shivered to ruins4 ,this hour had now come to ,absalom4 ,he had often been reproved1 but had hardened his heart1 and was now to be destroyed1 and that without remedy4 ,in the person of ,joab1 ,god found a fitting instrument for carrying ,his purpose into effect4 ,the character of ,joab is something of a riddle4 ,we cannot say that he was altogether a bad man1 or altogether without the fear of ,god4 ,though ,david bitterly complained of him in some things1 he must have valued him on the whole1 for during the whole of his reign ,joab had been his principal general4 ,that he wanted all tenderness of heart seems very plain4 ,that he was subject to vehement and uncontrollable impulses1 in the heat of which fearful deeds of blood were done by him1 but done in what seemed to him the interest of the public1 is also clear4 ,there is no evidence that he was habitually savage or grossly selfish4 ,when ,david charged him and the other generals to deal tenderly with the young man ,absalom1 it is quite possible that he was minded to do so4 ,but in the excitement of the battle1 that uncontrollable impulse seized him which urged him to the slaughter of ,amasa and ,abner4 ,the chance of executing judgment on the arch-rebel who had caused all this misery1 and been guilty of crimes never before heard of in ,israel1 and thus ending for ever an insurrection that might have dragged its slow length along for harassing years to come1 was too much for him4 ,how could you see ,absalom hanging in an oak and not put an end to his mischievous life8 he asks the man that tells him he had seen him in that plight4 ,and he has no patience with the man's elaborate apology4 ,seizing three darts1 he rushes to the place1 and thrusts them through ,absalom's heart4 ,and his ten armour-bearers finish the business with their swords4 ,we need not suppose that he was altogether indifferent to the feelings of ,david2 but he may have been seized by an overwhelming conviction that ,absalom's death was the only effectual way of ending this most guilty and pernicious insurrection1 and so preserving the country from ruin4 ,absalom living1 whether banished or imprisoned1 would be a constant and fearful danger4 ,absalom dead1 great though the king's distress for the time might be1 would be the very salvation of the country4 ,under the influence of this conviction he thrust the three darts through his heart1 and he allowed his attendants to hew that comely body to pieces1 till the fair form that all had admired so much became a mere mass of hacked and bleeding flesh4 ,but whatever may have been the process by which ,joab found himself constrained to disregard the king's order respecting ,absalom1 it is plain that to his dying day ,david never forgave him4 ,the mode of ,absalom's death1 and also the mode of his burial1 were very significant4 ,it had probably never happened to any warrior1 or to any prince1 to die from a similar cause4 ,and but for the vanity that made him think so much of his bodily appearance1 and especially of his hair1 death would never have come to him in such a form4 ,vanity of one's personal appearance is indeed a weakness rather than a crime4 ,it would be somewhat hard to punish it directly1 but it is just the right way of treating it1 to make it punish itself4 ,and so it was in the case of ,absalom4 ,his bitterest enemy could have desired nothing more ludicrously tragical than to see those beautiful locks fastening him as with a chain of gold to the arm of the scaffold1 and leaving him dangling there like the most abject malefactor4 ,and what of the beautiful face and handsome figure that often1 doubtless1 led his admirers to pronounce him every inch a king8 ,so slashed and mutilated under the swords of ,joab's ten men1 that no one could have told that it was ,absalom that lay there4 ,this was ,god's judgment on the young man's vanity4 ,the mode of his burial is particularly specified4 ,they took ,absalom and cast him into a great pit in the wood1 and laid a very great heap of stones upon him2 and all ,israel fled every one to his tent4 ,the purpose of this seems to have been to show that ,absalom was deemed worthy of the punishment of the rebellious son1 as appointed by ,moses2 and a more significant expression of opinion could not have been given4 ,the punishment for the son who remained incorrigibly rebellious was to be taken beyond the walls of the city1 and stoned to death4 ,it is said by ,jewish writers that this punishment was never actually inflicted1 but the mode of ,absalom's burial was fitted to show that he at least was counted as deserving of it4 ,the ignominious treatment of that graceful body1 which he adorned and set off with such care1 did not cease even after it was gashed by the weapons of the young men2 no place was found for it in the venerable cave of ,machpelah2 it was not even laid in the family sepulchre at ,jerusalem1 but cast ignominiously into a pit in the wood2 it was bruised and pounded by stones1 and left to rot there1 like the memory of its possessor1 and entail eternal infamy on the place4 ,what a lesson to all who disown the authority of parents6 ,what a warning to all who cast away the cords of self-restraint6 ,it is said by ,jewish writers that every by-passer was accustomed to throw a stone on the heap that covered the remains of ,absalom1 and as he threw it to say1 ,cursed be the memory of rebellious ,absalom2 and cursed for ever be all wicked children that rise up in rebellion against their parents6 ,and here it may be well to say a word to children4 ,you all see the lesson that is taught by the doom of ,absalom1 and you all feel that in that doom1 terrible though it was1 he just reaped what he had sowed4 ,you see the seed of his offence1 disobedience to parents1 bringing forth the most hideous fruit1 and receiving in ,god's providence a most frightful punishment4 ,you see it without excuse and without palliation2 for ,david had been a kind father1 and had treated ,absalom better than he deserved4 ,mark1 then1 that this is the final fruit of that spirit of disobedience to parents which often begins with very little offences4 ,these little offences are big enough to show that you prefer your own will to the will of your parents4 ,if you had a just and true respect for their authority1 you would guard against little transgressions--you would make conscience of obeying in all things great and small4 ,then remember that every evil habit must have a beginning1 and very often it is a small beginning4 ,by imperceptible stages it may grow and grow1 till it becomes a hideous vice1 like this rebellion of ,absalom4 ,nip it in the bud2 if you don't1 who can tell whether it may not grow to something terrible1 and at last brand you with the brand of ,absalom8 ,if this be the lesson to children from the doom of ,absalom1 the lesson to parents is not less manifest from the case of ,david4 ,the early battle between the child's will and the parent's is often very difficult and trying2 but ,god is on the parent's side1 and will give him the victory if he seeks it aright4 ,it certainly needs great vigilance1 wisdom1 patience1 firmness1 and affection4 ,if you are careless and unwatchful1 the child's will will speedily assert itself4 ,if you are foolish1 and carry discipline too far1 if you thwart the child at every point1 instead of insisting on one thing1 or perhaps a few things1 at a time1 you will weary him and weary yourself without success4 ,if you are fitful1 insisting at one time and taking no heed at another1 you will convey the impression of a very elastic law1 not entitled to much respect4 ,if you lose your temper1 and speak unadvisedly1 instead of mildly and lovingly1 you will most effectually set the child's temper up against the very thing you wish him to do4 ,if you forget that you are not independent agents1 but have got the care of your beloved child from ,god1 and ought to bring him up as in ,god's stead1 and in the most humble and careful dependence on ,god's grace1 you may look for blunder upon blunder in sad succession1 with results in the end that will greatly disappoint you4 ,how close every ,christian needs to lie to ,god in the exercise of this sacred trust6 ,and how much1 when conscious of weakness and fearing the consequences1 ought he to prize the promise--,my grace is sufficient for thee6 ,,chapter ,,xxiv4 ,,david',s ,,grief ,,for ,,absalom4 #b ,,samuel xviii4 #ai-cc2 xix4 #a-d4 ,next to the calamity of losing a battle1 a great general used to say1 is that of gaining a victory4 ,the battle in the wood of ,ephraim left twenty thousand of ,king ,david's subjects dead or dying on the field4 ,it is remarkable how little is made of this dismal fact4 ,men's lives count for little in time of war1 and death1 even with its worst horrors1 is just the common fate of warriors4 ,yet surely ,david and his friends could not think lightly of a calamity that cut down more of the sons of ,israel than any battle since the fatal day of ,mount ,gilboa4 ,nor could they form a light estimate of the guilt of the man whose inordinate vanity and ambition had cost the nation such a fearful loss4 ,but all thoughts of this kind were for the moment brushed aside by the crowning fact that ,absalom himself was dead4 ,and this fact1 as well as the tidings of the victory1 must at once be carried to ,david4 ,mahanaim1 where ,david was1 was probably but a little distance from the field of battle4 ,a friend offered to ,joab to carry the news--,ahimaaz1 the son of ,zadok the priest4 ,he had formerly been engaged in the same way1 for he was one of those that had brought word to ,david of the result of ,absalom's council1 and of other things that were going on in ,jerusalem4 ,but ,joab did not wish that ,ahimaaz should be the bearer of the news4 ,he would not deprive him of the character of king's messenger1 but he would employ him as such another time4 ,meanwhile the matter was entrusted to another man1 called in the ,authorized ,version ,cushi1 but in the ,revised ,version the ,cushite4 ,whoever this may have been1 he was a simple official1 not like ,ahimaaz1 a personal friend of ,david4 ,and this seems to have been ,joab's reason for employing him4 ,it is evident that physically he was not better adapted to the task than ,ahimaaz1 for when the latter at last got leave to go he overran the ,cushite4 ,but ,joab appears to have felt that it would be better that ,david should receive his first news from a mere official than from a personal friend4 ,the personal friend would be likely to enter into details that the other would not give4 ,it is clear that ,joab was ill at ease in reference to his own share in the death of ,absalom4 ,he would fain keep that back from ,david1 at least for a time2 it would be enough for him at the first to know that the battle had been gained1 and that ,absalom was dead4 ,but ,ahimaaz was persistent1 and after the ,cushite had been despatched he carried his point1 and was allowed to go4 ,very graphic is the description of the running of the two men and of their arrival at ,mahanaim4 ,the king had taken his place at the gate of the city1 and stationed a watchman on the wall above to look out eagerly lest any one should come bringing news of the battle4 ,in those primitive times there was no more rapid way of despatching important news than by a swift well-trained runner on foot4 ,in the clear atmosphere of the ,east first one man1 then another1 was seen running alone4 ,by-and-bye1 the watchman surmised that the foremost of the two was ,ahimaaz2 and when the king heard it1 remembering his former message1 he concluded that such a man must be the bearer of good tidings4 ,as soon as he came within hearing of the king1 he shouted out1 ,all is well4 ,coming close1 he fell on his face and blessed ,god for delivering the rebels into ,david's hands4 ,before thanking him or thanking ,god1 the king showed what was uppermost in his heart by asking1 ,is the young man ,absalom safe8 ,and here the moral courage of ,ahimaaz failed him1 and he gave an evasive answer3 ,when ,joab sent the king's servant1 and me thy servant1 ,i saw a great tumult1 but ,i knew not what it was4 ,when he heard this the king bade him stand aside1 till he should hear what the other messenger had to say4 ,and the official messenger was more frank than the personal friend4 ,for when the king repeated the question about ,absalom1 the answer was1 ,the enemies of my lord the king1 and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt1 be as that young man is4 ,the answer was couched in skilful words4 ,it suggested the enormity of ,absalom's guilt1 and of the danger to the king and the state which he had plotted1 and the magnitude of the deliverance1 seeing that he was now beyond the power of doing further evil4 ,but such soothing expressions were lost upon the king4 ,the worst fears of his heart were realized--,absalom was dead4 ,gone from earth for ever1 beyond reach of the yearnings of his heart2 gone to answer for crimes that were revolting in the sight of ,god and man4 ,the king was much moved2 and he went up to the chamber over the gate and wept2 and as he went1 thus he said1 ,o my son ,absalom6 my son1 my son ,absalom6 ,would ,god ,i had died for thee1 ,o ,absalom1 my son1 my son6 ,he had been a man of war1 a man of the sword2 he had been familiar with death1 and had seen it once and again in his own family2 but the tidings of ,absalom's death fell upon him with all the force of a first bereavement4 ,not more piercing is the wail of the young widow when suddenly the corpse of her beloved is borne into the house1 not more overwhelming is her sensation1 as if the solid earth were giving way beneath her1 than the emotion that now prostrated ,king ,david4 ,grief for the dead is always sacred2 and however unworthy we may regard the object of it1 we cannot but respect it in ,king ,david4 ,viewed simply as an expression of his unquenched affection for his son1 and separated from its bearing on the interests of the kingdom1 and from the air of repining it seemed to carry against the dispensation of ,god1 it showed a marvellously tender and forgiving heart4 ,in the midst of an odious and disgusting rebellion1 and with the one object of seeking out his father and putting him to death1 the heartless youth had been arrested and had met his deserved fate4 ,yet so far from showing satisfaction that the arm that had been raised to crush him was laid low in death1 ,david could express no feelings but those of love and longing4 ,was it not a very wonderful love1 coming very near to the feeling of ,him who prayed1 ,father1 forgive them1 for they know not what they do1 like that love ,divine1 all love excelling1 that follows the sinner through all his wanderings1 and clings to him amid all his rebellions2 the love of ,him that not merely wished in a moment of excitement that ,he could die for ,his guilty children but did die for them1 and in dying bore their guilt and took it away1 and of which the brief but matchless record is that having once loved ,his own that were with ,him in the world1 ,he loved them even unto the end8 ,the elements of ,david's intense agony1 when he heard of ,absalom's death1 were mainly three4 ,in the first place1 there was the loss of his son1 of whom he could say that1 with all his faults1 he loved him still4 ,a dear object had been plucked from his heart1 and left it sick1 vacant1 desolate4 ,a face he had often gazed on with delight lay cold in death4 ,he had not been a good son1 he had been very wicked2 but affection has always its visions of a better future1 and is ready to forgive unto seventy times seven4 ,and then death is so dreadful when it fastens on the young4 ,it seems so cruel to fell to the ground a bright young form2 to extinguish by one blow his every joy1 every hope1 every dream2 to reduce him to nothingness1 so far as this life is concerned4 ,an infinite pathos1 in a father's experience1 surrounds a young man's death4 ,the regret1 the longing1 the conflict with the inevitable1 seem to drain him of all energy1 and leave him helpless in his sorrow4 ,secondly1 there was the terrible fact that ,absalom had died in rebellion1 without expressing one word of regret1 without one request for forgiveness1 without one act or word that it would be pleasant to recall in time to come1 as a foil to the bitterness caused by his unnatural rebellion4 ,oh1 if he had had but an hour to think of his position1 to realise the lesson of his defeat1 to ask his father's forgiveness1 to curse the infatuation of the last few years6 ,how would one such word have softened the sting of his rebellion in his father's breast6 ,what a change it would have given to the aspect of his evil life6 ,but not even the faint vestige of such a thing was ever shown2 the unmitigated glare of that evil life must haunt his father evermore6 ,thirdly1 there was the fact that in this rebellious condition he had passed to the judgment of ,god4 ,what hope could there be for such a man1 living and dying as he had done8 ,where could he be now8 ,was not the great pit in the wood1 into which his unhonoured carcase had been flung1 a type of another pit1 the receptacle of his soul8 ,what agony to the ,christian heart is like that of thinking of the misery of dear ones who have died impenitent and unpardoned8 ,to these and similar elements of grief ,david appears to have abandoned himself without a struggle4 ,but was this right8 ,ought he not to have made some acknowledgment of the ,divine hand in his trial1 as he did when ,bathsheba's child died8 ,ought he not to have acted as he did on another occasion1 when he said1 ,i was dumb with silence1 ,i opened not my mouth1 because ,thou didst it8 ,we have seen that in domestic matters he was not accustomed to place himself so thoroughly under the control of the ,divine will as in the more public business of his life2 and now we see that1 when his parental feelings are crushed1 he is left without the steadying influence of submission to the will of ,god4 ,and in the agony of his private grief he forgets the public welfare of the nation4 ,noble and generous though the wish be1 ,would ,god ,i had died for thee1 it was on public grounds out of the question4 ,let us imagine for one moment the wish realized4 ,david has fallen and ,absalom survives4 ,what sort of kingdom would it have been8 ,what would have been the fate of the gallant men who had defended ,david8 ,what would have been the condition of ,god's servants throughout the kingdom8 ,what would have been the influence of so godless a monarch upon the interests of truth and the cause of ,god8 ,it was a rash and unadvised utterance of affection4 ,but for the rough faithfulness of ,joab1 the consequences would have been disastrous4 ,the victory that day was turned into mourning1 for the people heard say that day how the king was grieved for his son4 ,every one was discouraged4 ,the man for whom they had risked their lives had not a word of thanks to any of them1 and could think of no one but that vile son of his1 who was now dead4 ,in the evening ,joab came to him1 and in his blunt way swore to him that if he was not more affable to the people they would not remain a night longer in his service4 ,roused by the reproaches and threatenings of his general1 the king did now present himself among them4 ,the people responded and came before him1 and the effort he made to show himself agreeable kept them to their allegiance1 and led on to the steps for his restoration that soon took place4 ,but it must have been an effort to abstract his attention from ,absalom1 and fix it on the brighter results of the battle4 ,and not only that night1 in the silence of his chamber1 but for many a night1 and perhaps many a day1 during the rest of his life1 the thought of that battle and its crowning catastrophe must have haunted ,david like an ugly dream4 ,we seem to see him in some still hour of reverie recalling early days2--happy scenes rise around him2 lovely children gambol at his side2 he hears again the merry laugh of little ,tamar1 and smiles as he recalls some childish saying of ,absalom2 he is beginning1 as of old1 to forecast the future and shape out for them careers of honour and happiness2 when1 horror of horrors6 the spell breaks2 the bright vision gives way to dismal realities--,tamar's dishonour1 ,amnon's murder1 ,absalom's insurrection1 and1 last not least1 ,absalom's death1 glare in the field of memory6 ,who will venture to say that ,david did not smart for his sins8 ,who that reflects would be willing to take the cup of sinful indulgence from his hands1 sweet though it was in his mouth1 when he sees it so bitter in the belly8 ,two remarks may appropriately conclude this chapter1 one with reference to grief from bereavements in general1 the other with reference to the grief that may arise to ,christians in connection with the spiritual condition of departed children4 #a4 ,with reference to grief from bereavements in general1 it is to be observed that they will prove either a blessing or an evil according to the use to which they are turned4 ,all grief in itself is a weakening thing--weakening both to the body and the mind1 and it were a great error to suppose that it must do good in the end4 ,there are some who seem to think that to resign themselves to overwhelming grief is a token of regard to the memory of the departed1 and they take no pains to counteract the depressing influence4 ,it is a painful thing to say1 yet it is true1 that a long-continued manifestation of overwhelming grief1 instead of exciting sympathy1 is more apt to cause annoyance4 ,not only does it depress the mourner himself1 and unfit him for his duties to the living1 but it depresses those that come in contact with him1 and makes them think of him with a measure of impatience4 ,and this suggests another remark4 ,it is not right to obtrude our grief overmuch on others1 especially if we are in a public position4 ,let us take example in this respect from our blessed ,lord4 ,was any sorrow like unto ,his sorrow8 ,yet how little did ,he obtrude it even on the notice of ,his disciples6 ,it was towards the end of ,his ministry before ,he even began to tell them of the dark scenes through which ,he was to pass2 and even when ,he did tell them how ,he was to be betrayed and crucified1 it was not to court their sympathy1 but to prepare them for their part of the trial4 ,and when the overwhelming agony of ,gethsemane drew on1 it was only three of the twelve that were permitted to be with ,him4 ,all such considerations show that it is a more ,christian thing to conceal our griefs than to make others uncomfortable by obtruding them upon their notice4 ,david was on the very eve of losing the affections of those who had risked everything for him1 by abandoning himself to anguish for his private loss1 and letting his distress for the dead interfere with his duty to the living4 ,and how many things are there to a ,christian mind fitted to abate the first sharpness even of a great bereavement4 ,is it not the doing of a ,father1 infinitely kind8 ,is it not the doing of ,him who spared not ,his own ,son1 but delivered ,him up for us all8 ,you say you can see no light through it1--it is dark1 all dark1 fearfully dark4 ,then you ought to fall back on the inscrutability of ,god4 ,hear ,him saying1 ,what ,i do1 thou knowest not now1 but thou shalt know hereafter4 ,resign yourself patiently to ,his hands1 till ,he make the needed revelation1 and rest assured that when it is made it will be worthy of ,god4 ,ye have heard of the patience of ,job1 and have seen the end of the ,lord1 that the ,lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy4 ,meanwhile1 be impressed with the vanity of this life1 and the infinite need of a higher portion4 ,set your affection on things above1 and not on the things on the earth4 ,for ye are dead1 and your life is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,when ,christ1 who is your ,life1 shall appear1 then shall ye also appear with ,him in glory4 #b4 ,the other remark that falls to be made here concerns the grief that may arise to ,christians in connection with the spiritual condition of departed children4 ,when the parent is either in doubt as to the happiness of a beloved one1 or has cause to apprehend that the portion of that child is with the unbelievers1 the pang which he experiences is one of the most acute which the human heart can know4 ,now here is a species of suffering which1 if not peculiar to believers1 falls on them far the most heavily1 and is1 in many cases1 a haunting spectre of misery4 ,the question naturally arises1 ,is it not strange that their very beliefs1 as ,christians1 subject them to such acute sufferings8 ,if one were a careless1 unbelieving man1 and one's child died without evidence of grace1 one would probably think nothing of it1 because the things that are unseen and eternal are never in one's thoughts4 ,but just because one believes the testimony of ,god on this great subject1 one becomes liable to a peculiar agony4 ,is this not strange indeed8 ,yes1 there is a mystery in it which we cannot wholly solve4 ,but we must remember that it is in thorough accordance with a great law of ,providence1 the operation of which1 in other matters1 we cannot overlook4 ,that law is1 that the cultivation and refinement of any organ or faculty1 while it greatly increases your capacity of enjoyment1 increases at the same time your capacity1 and it may be your occasions1 of suffering4 ,let us take1 for example1 the habit of cleanliness4 ,where this habit prevails1 there is much more enjoyment in life2 but let a person of great cleanliness be surrounded by filth1 his suffering is infinitely greater4 ,or take the cultivation of taste1 and let us say of musical taste4 ,it adds to life an immense capacity of enjoyment1 but also a great capacity and often much occasion of suffering1 because bad music or tasteless music1 such as one may often have to endure1 creates a misery unknown to the man of no musical culture4 ,to a man of classical taste1 bad writing or bad speaking1 such as is met with every day1 is likewise a source of irritation and suffering4 ,if we advance to a moral and spiritual region1 we may see that the cultivation of one's ordinary affections1 apart from religion1 while on the whole it increases enjoyment1 does also increase sorrow4 ,if ,i lived and felt as a ,stoic1 ,i should enjoy family life much less than if ,i were tender-hearted and affectionate2 but when ,i suffered a family bereavement ,i should suffer much less4 ,these are simply illustrations of the great law of ,providence that culture1 while it increases happiness1 increases suffering too4 ,it is a higher application of the same law1 that gracious culture1 the culture of our spiritual affections under the power of the ,spirit of ,god1 in increasing our enjoyment does also increase our capacity of suffering4 ,in reference to that great problem of natural religion1 ,why should a ,god of infinite benevolence have created creatures capable of suffering8 one answer that has often been given is1 that if they had not been capable of suffering they might not have been capable of enjoyment4 ,but in pursuing these inquiries we get into an obscure region1 in reference to which it is surely our duty patiently to wait for that increase of light which is promised to us in the second stage of our existence4 ,yet still it remains to be asked1 ,what comfort can there possibly be for ,christian parents in such a case as ,david's8 ,what possible consideration can ever reconcile them to the thought that their beloved ones have gone to the world of woe8 ,are not their children parts of themselves1 and how is it possible for them to be completely saved if those who are so identified with them are lost8 ,how can they ever be happy in a future life if eternally separated from those who were their nearest and dearest on earth8 ,on such matters it has pleased ,god to allow a great cloud to rest which our eyes cannot pierce4 ,we cannot solve this problem4 ,we cannot reconcile perfect personal happiness1 even in heaven1 with the knowledge that beloved ones are lost4 ,but ,god must have some way1 worthy of ,himself1 of solving the problem4 ,and we must just wait for ,his time of revelation4 ,god is ,his own interpreter1 and ,he will make it plain4 ,the ,judge of all the earth must act justly4 ,and the song which will express the deepest feelings of the redeemed1 when from the sea of glass1 mingled with fire1 they look back on the ways of ,providence toward them1 will be this3 ,great and marvellous are ,thy works1 ,lord ,god ,almighty2 just and true are all ,thy ways1 ,thou ,king of saints4 ,who would not fear ,thee and glorify ,thy name1 for ,thou only art holy8 ,,chapter ,,xxv4 ,,the ,,restoration4 #b ,,samuel xix4 #e-cj4 ,to rouse one's self from the prostration of grief1 and grapple anew with the cares of life1 is hard indeed4 ,among the poorer classes of society1 it is hardly possible to let grief have its swing2 amid suppressed and struggling emotions the poor man must return to his daily toil4 ,the warrior1 too1 in the heat of conflict has hardly time to drop a tear over the tomb of his comrade or his brother4 ,but where leisure is possible1 the bereaved heart does crave a time of silence and solitude2 and it seems reasonable1 in order that its fever may subside a little1 before the burden of daily work is resumed4 ,it was somewhat hard upon ,david1 then1 that his grief could not get a single evening to flow undisturbed4 ,a rough voice called him to rouse himself1 and speak comfortably to his people1 otherwise they would disband before morning1 and all that he had gained would be lost to him again4 ,in the main1 ,joab was no doubt right2 but in his manner there was a sad lack of consideration for the feelings of the king4 ,he might have remembered that1 though he had gained a battle ,david had lost a son1 and that1 too1 under circumstances peculiarly heart-breaking4 ,faithful in the main and shrewd as ,joab was1 he was no doubt a useful officer2 but his harshness and want of feeling went far to neutralise the benefit of his services4 ,it ought surely to be one of the benefits of civilisation and culture that1 where painful duties have to be done1 they should be done with much consideration and tenderness4 ,for the real business of life is not so much to get right things done in any way1 as to diffuse a right spirit among men1 and get them to do things well4 ,men of enlightened goodness will always aim at purifying the springs of conduct1 at increasing virtue1 and deepening faith and holiness4 ,the call to the royal bridegroom in the forty-fifth ,psalm is to gird his sword on his thigh1 and ride forth prosperously1 because of truth1 and meekness1 and righteousness4 ,to increase these three things is to increase the true wealth of nations and advance the true prosperity of kingdoms4 ,in his eagerness to get a certain thing done1 ,joab showed little or no regard for those higher interests to which outward acts should ever be subordinate4 ,but ,david felt the call of duty--,he arose and sat in the gate4 ,and they told unto all the people saying1 ,behold1 the king doth sit in the gate4 ,and all the people came before the king3 for ,israel had fled every man to his tent4 ,and very touching it must have been to look on the sad1 pale1 wasted face of the king1 and mark his humble1 chastened bearing1 and yet to receive from him words of winning kindness that showed him still caring for them and loving them1 as a shepherd among his sheep2 in no wise exasperated by the insurrection1 not breathing forth threatenings and slaughter on those who had taken part against him2 but concerned as ever for the welfare of the whole kingdom1 and praying for ,jerusalem1 for his brethren and companions' sakes1 ,peace be within thee4 ,it was now open to him to follow either of two courses3 either to march to ,jerusalem at the head of his victorious army1 take military possession of the capital1 and deal with the remains of the insurrection in the stern fashion common among kings2 or to wait till he should be invited back to the throne from which he had been driven1 and then magnanimously proclaim an amnesty to all the rebels4 ,we are not surprised that he preferred the latter alternative4 ,it is more agreeable to any man to be offered what is justly due to him by those who have deprived him of it than to have to claim it as his right4 ,it was far more like him to return in peace than in that vengeful spirit that must have hecatombs of rebels slain to satisfy it4 ,the people knew that ,david was in no bloodthirsty mood4 ,and it was natural for him to expect that an advance would be made to him1 after the frightful wrong which he had suffered from the people4 ,he was therefore in no haste to leave his quarters at ,mahanaim4 ,the movement that he looked for did take place1 but it did not originate with those who might have been expected to take the lead4 ,it was among the ten tribes of ,israel that the proposal to bring him back was first discussed1 and his own tribe1 the tribe of ,judah1 held back after the rest were astir4 ,he was much chagrined at this backwardness on the part of ,judah4 ,it was hard that his own tribe should be the last to stir1 that those who might have been expected to head the movement should lag behind4 ,but in this ,david was only experiencing the same thing as the ,son of ,david a thousand years after1 when the people of ,nazareth1 ,his own city1 not only refused to listen to ,him1 but were about to hurl ,him over the edge of a precipice1 ,so important1 however1 did he see it to be for the general welfare that ,judah should share the movement1 that he sent ,zadok and ,abiathar the priests to stir them up to their duty4 ,he would not have taken this step but for his jealousy for the honour of ,judah2 it was the fact that the movement was now going on in some places and not in all that induced him to interfere4 ,he dreaded disunion in any case1 especially a disunion between ,judah and ,israel4 ,for the jealousy between these two sections of the people that afterwards broke the kingdom into two under ,jeroboam was now beginning to show itself1 and1 indeed1 led soon after to the revolt of ,sheba4 ,another step was taken by ,david1 of very doubtful expediency1 in order to secure the more cordial support of the rebels4 ,he superseded ,joab1 and gave the command of his army to ,amasa1 who had been general of the rebels4 ,in more ways than one this was a strong measure4 ,to supersede ,joab was to make for himself a very powerful enemy1 to rouse a man whose passions1 when thoroughly excited1 were capable of any crime4 ,but on the other hand1 ,david could not but be highly offended with ,joab for his conduct to ,absalom1 and he must have looked on him as a very unsuitable coadjutor to himself in that policy of clemency that he had determined to pursue4 ,this was significantly brought out by the appointment of ,amasa in room of ,joab4 ,both were ,david's nephews1 and both were of the tribe of ,judah2 but ,amasa had been at the head of the insurgents1 and therefore in close alliance with the insurgents of ,judah4 ,most probably the reason why the men of ,judah hung back was that they were afraid lest1 if ,david were restored to ,jerusalem1 he would make an example of them2 for it was at ,hebron1 in the tribe of ,judah1 that ,absalom had been first proclaimed2 and the people of ,jerusalem who had favoured him were mostly of that tribe4 ,but when it became known that the leader of the rebel forces was not only not to be punished1 but actually promoted to the highest office in the king's service1 all fears of that sort were completely scattered4 ,it was an act of wonderful clemency4 ,it was such a contrast to the usual treatment of rebels6 ,but this king was not like other kings2 he gave gifts even to the rebellious4 ,there was no limit to his generosity4 ,where sin abounded grace did much more abound4 ,accordingly a new sense of the goodness and generosity of their ill-treated but noble king took possession of the people4 ,he bowed the heart of the men of ,judah1 even as the heart of one man1 so that they sent this word unto the king1 ,return thou1 and all thy servants4 ,from the extreme of backwardness they started to the extreme of forwardness2 the last to speak for ,david1 they were the first to act for him2 and such was their vehemence in his cause that the evil of national disunion which ,david dreaded from their indifference actually sprang from their over-impetuous zeal4 ,thus at length ,david bade farewell to ,mahanaim1 and began his journey to ,jerusalem4 ,his route in returning was the reverse of that followed in his flight4 ,first he descends the eastern bank of the ,jordan as far as opposite ,gilgal2 then he strikes up through the wilderness the steep ascent to ,jerusalem4 ,at ,gilgal several events of interest took place4 ,the first of these was the meeting with the representatives of ,judah1 who came to conduct the king over ,jordan1 and to offer him their congratulations and loyal assurances4 ,this step was taken by the men of ,judah alone1 and without consultation or co-operation with the other tribes4 ,a ferry-boat to convey the king's household over the river1 and whatever else might be required to make the passage comfortable1 these men of ,judah provided4 ,some have blamed the king for accepting these attentions from ,judah1 instead of inviting the attendance of all the tribes4 ,but surely1 as the king had to pass the ,jordan1 and found the means of transit provided for him1 he was right to accept what was offered4 ,nevertheless1 this act of ,judah and its acceptance by ,david gave serious offence1 as we shall presently see1 to the other tribes4 ,neither ,judah nor ,israel comes out well in this little incident4 ,we get an instructive glimpse of the hot-headedness of the tribes1 and the childishness of their quarrels4 ,it is members of the same nation a thousand years afterwards that on the very eve of the ,crucifixion we see disputing among themselves which of them should be the greatest4 ,men never appear in a dignified attitude when they are contending that on some occasion or other they have been treated with too little consideration4 ,and yet how many of the quarrels of the world1 both public and private1 have arisen from this1 that some one did not receive the attention which he deserved6 ,pride lies at the bottom of it all4 ,and quarrels of this kind will sometimes1 nay often1 be found even among men calling themselves the followers of ,christ4 ,if the blessed ,lord ,himself had acted on this principle1 what a different life ,he would have led6 ,if ,he had taken offence at every want of etiquette1 at every want of the honour due to the ,son of ,god1 when would our redemption ever have been accomplished8 ,was ,his mother treated with due consideration when forced into the stable1 because there was no room for her in the inn8 ,was ,jesus ,himself treated with due honour when the people of ,nazareth took ,him to the brow of the hill1 or when the foxes had holes1 and the birds of the air had nests1 but the ,son of ,man had not where to lay ,his head8 ,what if ,he had resented the denial of ,peter1 the treachery of ,judas1 and the forsaking of ,him by all the apostles8 ,how admirable was the humility that made ,himself of no reputation1 so that when ,he was reviled ,he reviled not again1 when ,he suffered ,he threatened not1 but committed ,himself to ,him that judgeth righteously6 ,yet how utterly opposite is the bearing of many1 who are ever ready to take offence if anything is omitted to which they have a claim--standing upon their rights1 claiming precedence over this one and the other1 maintaining that it would never do to allow themselves to be trampled on1 thinking it spirited to contend for their honours6 ,it is because this tendency is so deeply seated in human nature that you need to be so watchful against it4 ,it breaks out at the most unseasonable times4 ,could any time have been more unsuitable for it on the part of the men of ,israel and ,judah than when the king was giving them such a memorable example of humility1 pardoning every one1 great and small1 that had offended him1 even though their offence was as deadly as could be conceived8 ,or could any time have been more unsuitable for it on the part of the disciples of our ,lord than when ,he was about to surrender ,his very life1 and submit to the most shameful form of death that could be devised8 ,why do men not see that the servant is not above his lord1 nor the disciple above his master8 ,is not the heart deceitful above all things and desperately wicked8 ,let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall4 ,the next incident at ,gilgal was the cringing entreaty of ,shimei1 the ,benjamite1 to be pardoned the insult which he had offered the king when he left ,jerusalem4 ,the conduct of ,shimei had been such an outrage on all decency that we wonder how he could have dared to present himself at all before ,david2 even though1 as a sort of screen1 he was accompanied by a thousand ,benjamites4 ,his prostration of himself on the ground before ,david1 his confession of his sin and abject deprecation of the king's anger1 are not fitted to raise him in our estimation2 they were the fruits of a base nature that can insult the fallen1 but lick the dust off the feet of men in power4 ,it was not till ,david had made it known that his policy was to be one of clemency that ,shimei took this course2 and even then he must have a thousand ,benjamites at his back before he could trust himself to his mercy4 ,abishai1 ,joab's brother1 would have had him slain2 but his proposal was rejected by ,david with warmth and even indignation4 ,he knew that his restoration was an accomplished fact1 and he would not spoil a policy of forgiveness by shedding the blood of this wicked man4 ,not content with passing his word to ,shimei1 he sware unto him4 ,but he afterwards found that he had carried clemency too far1 and in his dying charge to ,solomon he had to warn him against this dangerous enemy1 and instruct him to bring down his hoar head with blood4 ,but this needs not to make us undervalue the singular quality of heart which led ,david to show such forbearance to one utterly unworthy4 ,it was a strange thing in the annals of ,eastern kingdoms1 where all rebellion was usually punished with the most fearful severity4 ,it brings to mind the gentle clemency of the great ,son of ,david in ,his dealings1 a thousand years after1 with another ,benjamite as he was travelling1 on that very route1 on the way to ,damascus1 breathing out threatenings and slaughter against ,his disciples4 ,was there ever such clemency as that which met the persecutor with the words1 ,saul1 ,saul1 why persecutest thou ,me8 ,only in this case the clemency accomplished its object2 in ,shimei's case it did not4 ,in the one case the persecutor became the chief of ,apostles2 in the other he acted more like the evil spirit in the parable1 whose last end was worse than the first4 ,the next incident in the king's return was his meeting with ,mephibosheth4 ,he came down to meet the king1 and had neither dressed his feet1 nor trimmed his beard1 nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed unto the day when he came again in peace4 ,naturally1 the king's first question was an inquiry why he had not left ,jerusalem with him4 ,and ,mephibosheth's reply was simply1 that he had wished to do so1 but1 owing to his lameness1 had not been able4 ,and1 moreover1 ,ziba had slandered him to the king when he said that ,mephibosheth hoped to receive back the kingdom of his grandfather4 ,the words of this poor man had all the appearance of an honest narrative4 ,the ass which he intended to saddle for his own use was probably one of those which ,ziba took away to present to ,david1 so that ,mephibosheth was left helpless in ,jerusalem4 ,if the narrative commends itself by its transparent truthfulness1 it shows also how utterly improbable was the story of ,ziba1 that he had expectations of being made king4 ,for he seems to have been as feeble in mind as he was frail in body1 and he undoubtedly carried his compliments to ,david to a ridiculous pitch when he said1 ,all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king4 ,was that a fit way to speak of his father ,jonathan8 ,we cannot greatly admire one who would depreciate his family to such a degree because he desired to obtain ,david's favour4 ,and for some reason ,david was somewhat sharp to him4 ,no man is perfect1 and we cannot but wonder that the king who was so gentle to ,shimei should have been so sharp to ,mephibosheth4 ,why speakest thou any more of thy matters8 ,i have said1 ,thou and ,ziba divide the land4 ,david appears to have been irritated at discovering his mistake in believing ,ziba1 and hastily transferring ,mephibosheth's property to him4 ,nothing is more common than such irritation1 when men discover that through false information they have made a blunder1 and gone into some arrangement that must be undone4 ,but why did not the king restore all his property to ,mephibosheth8 ,why say that he and ,ziba were to divide it8 ,some have supposed 7as we remarked before7 that this meant simply that the old arrangement was to be continued--,ziba to till the ground1 and ,mephibosheth to receive as his share half the produce4 ,but in that case ,mephibosheth would not have added1 ,yea1 let him take all1 forasmuch as my lord the king is come again in peace unto his own house4 ,our verdict would have been the very opposite1--,let ,mephibosheth take all4 ,but ,david was in a difficulty4 ,the temper of the ,benjamites was very irritable2 they had never been very cordial to ,david1 and ,ziba was an important man among them4 ,there he was1 with his fifteen sons and twenty servants1 a man not to be hastily set aside4 ,for once the king appeared to prefer the rule of expediency to that of justice4 ,to make some amends for his wrong to ,mephibosheth1 and at the same time not to turn ,ziba into a foe1 he resorted to this rough-and-ready method of dividing the land between them4 ,but surely it was an unworthy arrangement4 ,mephibosheth had been loyal1 and should never have lost his land4 ,he had been slandered by ,ziba1 and therefore deserved some solace for his wrong4 ,david restores but half his land1 and has no soothing word for the wrong he has done him4 ,strange that when so keenly sensible of the wrong done to himself when he lost his kingdom unrighteously1 he should not have seen the wrong he had done to ,mephibosheth4 ,and strange that when his whole kingdom had been restored to himself1 he should have given back but half to ,jonathan's son4 ,the incident connected with the meeting with ,barzillai we reserve for separate consideration4 ,amid the greatest possible diversity of circumstance1 we are constantly finding parallels in the life of ,david to that of ,him who was his ,son according to the flesh4 ,our ,lord can hardly be said to have ever been driven from ,his kingdom4 ,the hosannahs of to-day were indeed very speedily exchanged into the ,away with ,him6 away with ,him6 ,crucify ,him6 crucify ,him6 of to-morrow4 ,but what we may remark of our ,lord is rather that ,he has been kept out of ,his kingdom than driven from it4 ,he who came to redeem the world1 and of whom the ,father said1 ,yet have ,i set ,my ,king upon ,my holy hill of ,zion1 has never been suffered to exercise ,his sovereignty1 at least in a conspicuous manner and on a universal scale4 ,here is a truth that ought to be a constant source of humiliation and sorrow to every ,christian4 ,are you to be content that the rightful ,sovereign should be kept in the background1 and the great ruling forces of the world should be selfishness1 and mammon1 and pleasure1 the lust of the flesh1 and the lust of the eye1 and the pride of life8 ,why speak ye not of bringing the ,king back to ,his house8 ,you say you can do so little4 ,but every subject of ,king ,david might have said the same4 ,the question is1 not whether you are doing much or little1 but whether you are doing what you can4 ,is the exaltation of ,jesus ,christ to the supreme rule of the world an object dear to you8 ,is it matter of humiliation and concern to you that ,he does not occupy that place8 ,do you humbly try to give it to ,him in your own heart and life8 ,do you try to give it to ,him in the ,church1 in the ,state1 in the world8 ,the supremacy of ,jesus ,christ must be the great rallying cry of the members of the ,christian ,church1 whatever their denomination4 ,it is a point on which surely all ought to be agreed1 and agreement there might bring about agreement in other things4 ,let us give our minds and hearts to realise in our spheres that glorious plan of which we read in the first chapter of ,ephesians3 ,that1 in the dispensation of the fulness of time1 ,god might gather together in one all things in ,christ1 both which are in heaven1 and which are on earth1 even in ,him1 in whom also we have obtained an inheritance1 being predestinated according to the purpose of ,him who worketh all things according to the counsel of ,his own will1 that we should be to the praise of ,his glory1 who first trusted in ,christ4 ,,chapter ,,xxvi4 ,,david ,,and ,,barzillai4 #b ,,samuel xix4 #ca-dj4 ,it is very refreshing to fall in with a man like ,barzillai in a record which is so full of wickedness1 and without many features of a redeeming character4 ,he is a sample of humanity at its best--one of those men who diffuse radiance and happiness wherever their influence extends4 ,long before ,st4 ,peter wrote his epistle1 he had been taught by the one ,master to put away all wickedness1 and all guile1 and hypocrisies1 and envies1 and evil-speakings2 and he had adopted ,st4 ,paul's rule for rich men1 that they do good1 that they be rich in good works1 that they be ready to distribute1 willing to communicate4 ,we cannot well conceive a greater contrast than that between ,barzillai and another rich farmer with whom ,david came in contact at an earlier period of his life--,nabal of ,carmel3 the one niggardly1 beggarly1 and bitter1 not able even to acknowledge an obligation1 far less to devise anything liberal1 adding insult to injury when ,david modestly stated his claim1 humiliating him before his messengers1 and meeting his request with a flat refusal of everything great or small2 the other hastening from his home when he heard of ,david's distress1 carrying with him whatever he could give for the use of the king and his followers1 continuing to send supplies while he was at ,mahanaim1 and now returning to meet him on his way to ,jerusalem1 conduct him over ,jordan1 and show his loyalty and goodwill in every available way4 ,while we grieve that there are still so many ,nabals let us bless ,god that there are ,barzillais too4 ,of ,barzillai's previous history we know nothing4 ,we do not even know where ,rogelim1 his place of abode1 was1 except that it was among the mountains of ,gilead4 ,the facts stated regarding him are few1 but suggestive4 #a4 ,he was a very great man4 ,the expression seems to imply that he was both rich and influential4 ,dwelling among the hills of ,gilead1 his only occupation1 and main way of becoming rich1 must have been as a farmer4 ,the two and a half tribes that settled on the east of the ,jordan1 while they had a smaller share of national and spiritual privileges1 were probably better provided in a temporal sense4 ,that part of the country was richer in pasturage1 and therefore better adapted for cattle4 ,it is probable1 too1 that the allotments were much larger4 ,the kingdoms of ,sihon and ,og1 especially the latter1 were of wide extent4 ,if the two and a half tribes had been able thoroughly to subdue the original inhabitants1 they would have had possessions of great extent and value4 ,barzillai's ancestors had probably received a valuable and extensive allotment1 and had been strong enough and courageous enough to keep it for themselves4 ,consequently1 when their flocks and herds multiplied1 they were not restrained within narrow dimensions1 but could spread over the mountains round about4 ,but however his riches may have been acquired1 ,barzillai was evidently a man of very large means4 ,he was rich apparently both in flocks and servants1 a kind of chief or sheikh1 not only with a large establishment of his own1 but enjoying the respect1 and in some degree able to command the services1 of many of the humble people around him4 #b4 ,his generosity was equal to his wealth4 ,the catalogue of the articles which he and another friend of ,david's brought him in his extremity 7#b ,sam4 xvii4 #bh1 #bi7 is instructive from its minuteness and its length4 ,like all men liberal in heart1 he devised liberal things4 ,he did not ask to see a subscription list1 or inquire what other people were giving4 ,he did not consider what was the smallest amount that he could give without appearing to be shabby4 ,his only thought seems to have been1 what there was he had to give that could be of use to the king4 ,it is this large inborn generosity manifested to ,david that gives one the assurance that he was a kind1 generous helper wherever there was a case deserving and needing his aid4 ,we class him with the patriarch of ,uz1 with whom no doubt he could have said1 ,when the eye saw me1 then it blessed me1 and when the ear heard me1 it bare witness unto me2 the blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me1 and ,i made the widow's heart to leap for joy4 #c4 ,his loyalty was not less thorough than his generosity4 ,when he heard of the king's troubles1 he seems never to have hesitated one instant as to throwing in his lot with him4 ,it mattered not that the king was in great trouble1 and apparently in a desperate case4 ,neighbours1 or even members of his own family1 might have whispered to him that it would be better not to commit himself1 seeing the rebellion was so strong4 ,he was living in a sequestered part of the country2 there was no call on him to declare himself at that particular moment2 and if ,absalom got the upper hand1 he would be sure to punish severely those who had been active on his father's side4 ,but none of these things moved him4 ,barzillai was no sunshine courtier1 willing to enjoy the good things of the court in days of prosperity1 but ready in darker days to run off and leave his friends in the midst of danger4 ,he was one of those true men that are ready to risk their all in the cause of loyalty when persuaded that it is the cause of truth and right4 ,we cannot but ask1 ,what could have given him a feeling so strong8 ,we are not expressly told that he was a man deeply moved by the fear of ,god1 but we have every reason to believe it4 ,if so1 the consideration that would move him most forcibly in favour of ,david must have been that he was ,god's anointed4 ,god had called him to the throne1 and had never declared1 as in the case of ,saul1 that he had forfeited it2 the attempt to drive him from it was of the devil1 and therefore to be resisted to the last farthing of his property1 and if he had been a younger man1 to the last drop of his blood4 ,risk8 ,can you frighten a man like this by telling him of the risk he runs by supporting ,david in the hour of adversity8 ,why1 he is ready not only to risk all1 but to lose all1 if necessary1 in a cause which appears so obviously to be ,divine1 all the more because he sees so well what a blessing ,david has been to the country4 ,why1 he has actually made the kingdom4 ,not only has he expelled all its internal foes1 but he has cowed those troublesome neighbours that were constantly pouncing upon the tribes1 and especially the tribes situated in ,gilead and ,bashan4 ,moreover1 he has given unity and stability to all the internal arrangements of the kingdom4 ,see what a grand capital he has made for it at ,jerusalem4 ,look how he has planted the ark on the strongest citadel of the country1 safe from every invading foe4 ,consider how he has perfected the arrangements for the service of the ,levites1 what a delightful service of song he has instituted1 and what beautiful songs he has composed for the use of the sanctuary4 ,doubtless it was considerations of this kind that roused ,barzillai to such a pitch of loyalty4 ,and is not a country happy that has such citizens1 men who place their personal interest far below the public weal1 and are ready to make any sacrifice1 of person or of property1 when the highest interests of their country are concerned8 ,we do not plead for the kind of loyalty that clings to a monarch simply because he is king1 apart from all considerations1 personal and public1 bearing on his worthiness or unworthiness of the office4 ,we plead rather for the spirit that makes duty to country stand first1 and personal or family interest a long way below4 ,we deprecate the spirit that sneers at the very idea of putting one's self to loss or trouble of any kind for the sake of public interests4 ,we long for a generation of men and women that1 like many in this country in former days1 are willing to give all for the ,church and a little less for the ,state4 ,and surely in these days1 when no deadly risk is incurred1 the demand is not so very severe4 ,let ,christian men lay it on their consciences to pay regard to the claims under which they lie to serve their country4 ,whether it be in the way of serving on some public board1 or fighting against some national vice1 or advancing some great public interest1 let it be considered even by busy men that their country1 and must add1 their ,church1 have true claims upon them4 ,even heathens and unbelievers have said1 ,it is sweet and glorious to die for one's country4 ,it is a poor state of things when in a ,christian community men are so sunk in indolence and selfishness that they will not stir a finger on its behalf4 #d4 ,barzillai was evidently a man of attractive personal qualities4 ,the king was so attracted by him1 that he wished him to come with him to ,jerusalem1 and promised to sustain him at court4 ,the heart of ,king ,david was not too old to form new attachments4 ,and towards ,barzillai he was evidently drawn4 ,we can hardly suppose but that there were deeper qualities to attract the king than even his loyalty and generosity4 ,it looks as if ,david perceived a spiritual congeniality that would make ,barzillai1 not only a pleasant inmate1 but a profitable friend4 ,for indeed in many ways ,barzillai and ,david seem to have been like one another4 ,god had given them both a warm1 sunny nature4 ,he had prospered them in the world4 ,he had given them a deep regard for ,himself and delight in ,his fellowship4 ,david must have found in ,barzillai a friend whose views on the deepest subjects were similar to his own4 ,at ,jerusalem the men who were of his mind were by no means too many4 ,to have ,barzillai beside him1 refreshing him with his experiences of ,god's ways and joining with him in songs of praise and thanksgiving1 would be delightful4 ,behold1 how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity6 ,but however pleasant the prospect may have been to ,david1 it was not one destined to be realized4 #e4 ,for ,barzillai was not dazzled even by the highest offers of the king1 because he felt that the proposal was unsuitable for his years4 ,he was already eighty1 and every day was adding to his burden1 and bringing him sensibly nearer the grave4 ,even though he might be enjoying a hale old age1 he could not be sure that he would not break down suddenly1 and thus become an utter burden to the king4 ,david had made the offer as a compliment to ,barzillai1 although it might also be a favour to himself1 and as a compliment the aged ,gileadite was entitled to view it4 ,and viewing it in that light1 he respectfully declined it4 ,he was a home-loving man1 his habits had been formed for a quiet domestic sphere1 and it was too late to change them4 ,his faculties were losing their sharpness2 his taste had become dulled1 his ear blunted1 so that both savoury dishes and elaborate music would be comparatively thrown away on him4 ,the substance of his answer was1 ,i am an old man1 and it would be unsuitable in me to begin a courtier's life4 ,in a word1 he understood what was suitable for old age4 ,many a man and woman too1 perhaps1 even of ,barzillai's years1 would have jumped at ,king ,david's offer1 and rejoiced to share the dazzling honours of a court1 and would have affected youthful feelings and habits in order to enjoy the exhilaration and the excitement of a courtier's life4 ,in ,barzillai's choice1 we see the predominance of a sanctified common sense1 alive to the proprieties of things1 and able to see how the enjoyment most suitable to an advanced period of life might best be had4 ,it was not by aping youth or grasping pleasures for which the relish had gone4 ,some may think this a painful view of old age4 ,is it so that as years multiply the taste for youthful enjoyments passes away1 and one must resign one's self to the thought that life itself is near its end8 ,undoubtedly it is4 ,but even a heathen could show that this is by no means an evil4 ,the purpose of ,cicero's beautiful treatise on old age1 written when he was sixty-two1 but regarded as spoken by ,cato at the age of eighty-four1 was to show that the objections commonly brought against old age were not really valid4 ,these objections were--that old age unfits men for active business1 that it renders the body feeble1 that it deprives them of the enjoyment of almost all pleasures1 and that it heralds the approach of death4 ,let it be granted1 is the substance of ,cicero's argument2 nevertheless1 old age brings enjoyments of a new order that compensate for those which it withdraws4 ,if we have wisdom to adapt ourselves to our position1 and to lay ourselves out for those compensatory pleasures1 we shall find old age not a burden1 but a joy4 ,now1 if even a heathen could argue in that way1 how much more a ,christian6 ,if he cannot personally be so lively as before1 he may enjoy the young life of his children and grandchildren or other young friends1 and delight to see them enjoying what he cannot now engage in4 ,if active pleasures are not to be had1 there are passive enjoyments--the conversation of friends1 reading1 meditation1 and the like--of which all the more should be made4 ,if one world is gliding from him1 another is moving towards him4 ,as the outward man perisheth1 let the inward man be renewed day by day4 ,there are few more jarring scenes in ,english history than the last days of ,queen ,elizabeth4 ,as life was passing away1 a historian of ,england says1 she clung to it with a fierce tenacity4 ,she hunted1 she danced1 she jested with her young favourites1 she coquetted1 and frolicked1 and scolded at sixty-seven as she had done at thirty4 ,the ,queen1 wrote a courtier1 a few months before her death was never so gallant these many years1 nor so set upon jollity4 ,she persisted1 in spite of opposition1 in her gorgeous progresses from country house to country house4 ,she clung to business as of old1 and rated in her usual fashion one who minded not to giving up some matter of account4 ,and then a strange melancholy settled on her4 ,her mind gave way1 and food and rest became alike distasteful4 ,clever woman1 yet very foolish in not discerning how vain it was to attempt to carry the brisk habits of youth into old age1 and most profoundly foolish in not having taken pains to provide for old age the enjoyments appropriate to itself6 ,how differently it has fared with those who have been wise in time and made the best provision for old age6 ,i have waited for ,thy salvation1 ,o my ,god1 says the dying ,jacob1 relieved and happy to think that the object for which he had waited had come at last4 ,i am now ready to be offered1 says ,st4 ,paul1 and the time of my departure is at hand4 ,i have fought the good fight2 ,i have finished my course2 ,i have kept the faith3 henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness1 which the ,lord1 the righteous ,judge1 will give me at that day1 and not to me only1 but unto all them also that love ,his appearing4 ,which is the better portion--he whose old age is spent in bitter lamentation over the departed joys and brightness of his youth8 or he whose sun goes down with the sweetness and serenity of an autumn sunset1 but only to rise in a brighter world1 and shine forth in the glory of immortal youth8 #f4 ,holding such views of old age1 it was quite natural and suitable for ,barzillai to ask for his son ,chimham what he respectfully declined for himself4 ,for his declinature was not a rude rejection of an honour deemed essentially false and vain4 ,barzillai did not tell the king that he had lived to see the folly and the sin of those pleasures which in the days of youth and inexperience men are so greedy to enjoy4 ,that would have been an affront to ,david1 especially as he was now getting to be an old man himself4 ,he recognised that a livelier mode of life than befitted the old was suitable for the young4 ,the advantages of residence at the court of ,david were not to be thought little of by one beginning life1 especially where the head of the court was such a man as ,david1 himself so affectionate and attractive1 and so deeply imbued with the fear and love of ,god4 ,the narrative is so short that not a word is added as to how it fared with ,chimham when he came to ,jerusalem4 ,only one thing is known of him3 it is said that1 after the destruction of ,jerusalem by ,nebuchadnezzar1 when ,johanan conducted to ,egypt a remnant of ,jews that he had saved from the murderous hand of ,ishmael1 they departed and dwelt in the habitation of ,chimham1 which is by ,bethlehem1 to go into ,egypt4 ,we infer that ,david bestowed on ,chimham some part of his paternal inheritance at ,bethlehem4 ,the vast riches which he had amassed would enable him to make ample provision for his sons2 but we might naturally have expected that the whole of the paternal inheritance would have remained in the family4 ,for some reason unknown to us1 ,chimham seems to have got a part of it4 ,we cannot but believe that ,david would desire to have a good man there1 and it is much in favour of ,chimham that he should have got a settlement at ,bethlehem4 ,and there is another circumstance that tells in his favour3 during the five centuries that elapsed between ,david's time and the ,captivity1 the name of ,chimham remained in connection with that property1 and even so late as the time of ,jeremiah it was called ,chimham's habitation4 ,men do not thus keep alive dishonoured names1 and the fact that ,chimham's was thus preserved would seem to indicate that he was one of those of whom it is said1 ,the memory of the just is blessed4 ,plans for life were speedily formed in those countries2 and as ,rebekah wished no delay in accompanying ,abraham's servant to be the wife of ,isaac1 nor ,ruth in going forth with ,naomi to the land of ,judah1 so ,chimham at once went with the king4 ,the interview between ,david and ,barzillai was ended in the way that in those countries was the most expressive sign of regard and affection3 ,david kissed ,barzillai1 but ,chimham went on with him4 ,the meeting with ,barzillai and the finding of a new son in ,chimham must have been looked back on by ,david with highly pleasant feelings4 ,in every sense of the term1 he had lost a son in ,absalom2 he seems now to find one in ,chimham4 ,we dare not say that the one was compensation for the other4 ,such a blank as the death of ,absalom left in the heart of ,david could never be filled up from any earthly source whatever4 ,blanks of that nature can be filled only when ,god gives a larger measure of ,his own presence and ,his own love4 ,but besides feeling very keenly the blank of ,absalom's death1 ,david must have felt distressed at the loss as it seemed1 of power1 to secure the affections of the younger generation of his people1 many of whom1 there is every reason to believe1 had followed ,absalom4 ,the ready way in which ,chimham accepted of the proposal in regard to him would therefore be a pleasant incident in his experience2 and the remembrance of his father's fast attachment and most useful friendship would ever be in ,david's memory like an oasis in the desert4 ,we return for a moment to the great lesson of this passage4 ,aged men1 it is a lesson for you4 ,titus was instructed to exhort the aged men of ,crete to be sober1 grave1 temperate1 sound in faith1 in charity1 in patience4 ,it is a grievous thing to see grey hairs dishonoured4 ,it is a humiliating sight when ,noah excites either the shame or the derision of his sons4 ,but the hoary head is a crown of glory if it is found in the way of uprightness4 ,and the crown is described in the six particulars of the exhortation to ,titus4 ,it is a crown of six jewels4 ,jewel the first is sobriety1 meaning here self-command1 self-control1 ability to stand erect before temptation1 and calmness under provocation and trial4 ,jewel the second is gravity1 not sternness1 nor sullenness1 nor censoriousness1 but the bearing of one who knows that life is real1 life is earnest1 in opposition to the frivolous tone of those who act as if there were no life to come4 ,jewel the third is temperance1 especially in respect of bodily indulgence1 keeping under the body1 never letting it be master1 but in all respects a servant4 ,jewel the fourth1 soundness in faith1 holding the true doctrine of eternal life1 and looking forward with hope and expectation to the inheritance of the future4 ,jewel the fifth1 soundness in charity1 the charity of the thirteenth chapter of #a ,corinthians1 itself a coruscation of the brightest gem in the ,christian cabinet4 ,jewel the sixth1 soundness in patience1 that grace so needful1 but so often neglected1 that grace that gives an air of serenity to one's character1 that allies it to heaven1 that gives it sublimity1 that bears the unbearable1 and hopes and rejoices on the very edge of despair4 ,onward1 then1 ye aged men1 in this glorious path6 ,by ,god's grace1 gather round your head these incorruptible jewels1 which shine with the lustre of ,god's holiness1 and which are the priceless gems of heaven4 ,happy are ye1 if indeed you have these jewels for your crown2 and happy is your ,church where the aged men are crowned with glory like the four-and-twenty elders before the throne6 ,but what of those who dishonour ,god1 and their own grey hairs1 and the ,church of ,christ by stormy tempers1 profane tongues1 drunken orgies1 and disorderly lives8 ,o my soul1 come not thou into their secret6 ,to their assembly1 mine honour1 be not thou united6 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,,the ,,insurrection ,,of ,,sheba4 #b ,,samuel xix4 #da-dc2 xx4 ,david was now virtually restored to his kingdom2 but he had not even left ,gilgal when fresh troubles began4 ,the jealousy between ,judah and ,israel broke out in spite of him4 ,the cause of complaint was on the part of the ten tribes2 they were offended at not having been waited for to take part in escorting the king to ,jerusalem4 ,first1 the men of ,israel1 in harsh language1 accused the men of ,judah of having stolen the king away1 because they had transported him over the ,jordan4 ,to this the men of ,judah replied that the king was of their kin2 therefore they had taken the lead1 but they had received no special reward or honour in consequence4 ,the men of ,israel1 however1 had an argument in reply to this3 they were ten tribes1 and therefore had so much more right to the king2 and ,judah had treated them with contempt in not consulting or co-operating with them in bringing him back4 ,it is added that the words of the men of ,judah were fiercer than the words of the men of ,israel4 ,it is in a poor and paltry light that both sides appear in this inglorious dispute4 ,there was no solid grievance whatever1 nothing that might not have been easily settled if the soft answer that turneth away wrath had been resorted to instead of fierce and exasperating words4 ,alas6 that miserable tendency of our nature to take offence when we think we have been overlooked1--what mischief and misery has it bred in the world6 ,the men of ,israel were foolish to take offence2 but the men of ,judah were neither magnanimous nor forbearing in dealing with their unreasonable humour4 ,the noble spirit of clemency that ,david had shown awakened but little permanent response4 ,the men of ,judah2 who were foremost in ,absalom's rebellion1 were like the man in the parable that had been forgiven ten thousand talents1 but had not the generosity to forgive the trifling offence committed against them1 as they thought1 by their brethren of ,israel4 ,so they seized their fellow-servant by the throat and demanded that he should pay them the uttermost farthing4 ,judah played false to his national character2 for he was not he whom his brethren should praise4 ,what was the result8 ,any one acquainted with human nature might have foretold it with tolerable certainty4 ,given on one side a proneness to take offence1 a readiness to think that one has been overlooked1 and on the other a want of forbearance1 a readiness to retaliate1--it is easy to see that the result will be a serious breach4 ,it is just what we witness so often in children4 ,one is apt to be dissatisfied1 and complains of ill-treatment2 another has no forbearance1 and retorts angrily3 the result is a quarrel1 with this difference1 that while the quarrels of children pass quickly away1 the quarrels of nations or of factions last miserably long4 ,much inflammable material being thus provided1 a casual spark speedily set it on fire4 ,sheba1 an artful ,benjamite1 raised the standard of revolt against ,david1 and the excited ten tribes1 smarting with the fierce words of the men of ,judah1 flocked to his standard4 ,most miserable proceeding6 ,the quarrel had begun about a mere point of etiquette1 and now they cast off ,god's anointed king1 and that1 too1 after the most signal token of ,god's anger had fallen on ,absalom and his rebellious crew4 ,there are many wretched enough slaveries in this world1 but the slavery of pride is perhaps the most mischievous and humiliating of all4 ,and here it cannot be amiss to call attention to the very great neglect of the rules and spirit of ,christianity that is apt1 even at the present day1 to show itself among professing ,christians in connection with their disputes4 ,this is so very apparent that one is apt to think that the settlement of quarrels is the very last matter to which ,christ's followers learn to apply the example and instructions of their ,master4 ,when men begin in earnest to follow ,christ1 they usually pay considerable attention to certain of ,his precepts2 they turn away from scandalous sins1 they observe prayer1 they show some interest in ,christian objects1 and they abandon some of the more frivolous ways of the world4 ,but alas6 when they fall into differences1 they are prone in dealing with them to leave all ,christ's precepts behind them4 ,see in what an unlovely and unloving spirit the controversies of ,christians have usually been conducted2 how much of bitterness and personal animosity they show1 how little forbearance and generosity2 how readily they seem to abandon themselves to the impulses of their own hearts4 ,controversy rouses temper1 and temper creates a tempest through which you cannot see clearly4 ,and how many are the quarrels in ,churches or congregations that are carried on with all the heat and bitterness of unsanctified men6 ,how much offence is taken at trifling neglects or mistakes6 ,who remembers1 even in its spirit1 the precept in the ,sermon on the ,mount1 ,if any man smite thee on the right cheek1 turn to him the other also8 ,who remembers the beatitude1 ,blessed are the peacemakers1 for they shall be called the children of ,god8 ,who bears in mind the ,apostle's horror at the unseemly spectacle of saints carrying their quarrels to heathen tribunals1 instead of settling them as ,christians quietly among themselves8 ,who weighs the earnest counsel1 ,endeavour to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace8 ,who prizes our gracious ,lord's most blessed legacy1 ,peace ,i leave with you1 ,my peace ,i give unto you2 not as the world giveth give ,i unto you8 ,do not all such texts show that it is incumbent on ,christians to be most careful and watchful1 when any difference arises1 to guard against carnal feeling of every kind1 and strive to the very utmost to manifest the spirit of ,christ8 ,yet is it not at such times that they are most apt to leave all their ,christianity behind them1 and engage in unseemly wrangles with one another8 ,does not the devil very often get it all his own way1 whoever may be in the right1 and whoever in the wrong8 ,and is not frequent occasion given thereby to the enemy to blaspheme1 and1 in the very circumstances that should bring out in clear and strong light the true spirit of ,christianity1 is there not often1 in place of that1 an exhibition of rudeness and bitterness that makes the world ask1 ,what better are ,christians than other men8 ,but let us return to ,king ,david and his people4 ,the author of the insurrection was a man of ,belial1 whose name was ,sheba4 ,he is called the son of ,bichri1 a ,benjamite4 ,benjamin had a son whose name was ,becher1 and the adjective formed from that would be ,bichrite2 some have thought that ,bichri denotes not his father1 but his family4 ,saul appears to have been of the same family 7see ,speaker's ,commentary in loco74 ,it is thus quite possible that ,sheba was a relation of ,saul1 and that he had always cherished a grudge against ,david for taking the throne which he had filled4 ,here1 we may remark in passing1 would have been a real temptation to ,mephibosheth to join an insurrection1 for if this had succeeded he was the man who would naturally have become king4 ,but there is no reason to believe that ,mephibosheth favoured ,sheba1 and therefore no reason to doubt the truth of the account he gave of himself to ,david4 ,the war-cry of ,sheba was an artful one--,we have no part in ,david1 neither have we inheritance in the son of ,jesse4 ,it was a scornful and exaggerated mockery of the claim that ,judah had asserted as being of the same tribe with the king1 whereas the other tribes stood in no such relation to him4 ,very well1 was virtually the cry of ,sheba--if we have no part in ,david1 neither any inheritance in the son of ,jesse1 let us get home as fast as possible1 and leave his friends1 the tribe of ,judah1 to make of him what they can4 ,it was not so much a setting up of a new rebellion as a scornful repudiation of all interest in the existing king4 ,instead of going with ,david from ,gilgal to ,jerusalem1 they went up every man to his tent or to his home4 ,it is not said that they intended actively to oppose ,david1 and from this part of the narrative we should suppose that all that they intended was to make a public protest against the unworthy treatment which they held that they had received4 ,it must have greatly disturbed the pleasure of ,david's return to ,jerusalem that this unseemly secession occurred by the way4 ,a chill must have fallen upon his heart just as it was beginning to recover its elasticity4 ,and much anxiety must have haunted him as to the issue--whether or not the movement would go on to another insurrection like ,absalom's2 or whether1 having discharged their dissatisfied feeling1 the people of ,israel would return sullenly to their allegiance4 ,nor could the feelings of ,king ,david be much soothed when he re-entered his home4 ,the greater part of his family had been with him in his exile1 and when he returned his house was occupied by the ten women whom he had left to keep it1 and with whom ,absalom had behaved dishonourably4 ,and here was another trouble resulting from the rebellion that could not be adjusted in a satisfactory way4 ,the only way of disposing of them was to put them in ward1 to shut them up in confinement1 to wear out the rest of their lives in a dreary1 joyless widowhood4 ,all joy and brightness was thus taken out of their lives1 and personal freedom was denied them4 ,they were doomed1 for no fault of theirs1 to the weary lot of captives1 cursing the day1 probably1 when their beauty had brought them to the palace1 and wishing that they could exchange lots with the humblest of their sisters that breathed the air of freedom4 ,strange that1 with all his spiritual instincts1 ,david could not see that a system which led to such miserable results must lie under the curse of ,god6 ,as events proceeded1 it appeared that active mischief was likely to arise from ,sheba's movement4 ,he was accompanied by a body of followers1 and the king was afraid lest he should get into some fenced city1 and escape the correction which his wickedness deserved4 ,he accordingly sent ,amasa to assemble the men of ,judah1 and return within three days4 ,this was ,amasa's first commission after his being appointed general of the troops4 ,whether he found the people unwilling to go out again immediately to war1 or whether they were unwilling to accept him as their general1 we are not told1 but certainly he tarried longer than the time appointed4 ,thereupon the king1 who was evidently alarmed at the serious dimensions which the insurrection of ,sheba was assuming1 sent for ,abishai1 ,joab's brother1 and ordered him to take what troops were ready and start immediately to punish ,sheba4 ,abishai took ,joab's men1 and the ,cherethites and the ,pelethites1 and all the mighty men4 ,with these he went out from ,jerusalem to pursue after ,sheba4 ,how ,joab conducted himself on this occasion is a strange but characteristic chapter of his history4 ,it does not appear that he had any dealings with ,david1 or that ,david had any dealings with him4 ,he simply went out with his brother1 and1 being a man of the strongest will and greatest daring1 he seems to have resolved on some fit occasion to resume his command in spite of all the king's arrangements4 ,they had not gone farther from ,jerusalem than the ,pool of ,gibeon when they were overtaken by ,amasa1 followed doubtless by his troops4 ,when ,joab and ,amasa met1 ,joab1 actuated by jealousy towards him as having superseded him in the command of the army1 treacherously slew him1 leaving his dead body on the ground1 and1 along with ,abishai1 prepared to give pursuit after ,sheba4 ,an officer of ,joab's was stationed beside ,amasa's dead body1 to call on the soldiers1 when they saw that their chief was dead1 to follow ,joab as the friend of ,david4 ,but the sight of the dead body of ,amasa only made them stand still--horrified1 most probably1 at the crime of ,joab1 and unwilling to place themselves under one who had been guilty of such a crime4 ,the body of ,amasa was accordingly removed from the highway into the field1 and his soldiers were then ready enough to follow ,joab4 ,joab was now in undisturbed command of the whole force1 having set aside all ,david's arrangements as completely as if they had never been made4 ,little did ,david thus gain by superseding ,joab and appointing ,amasa in his room4 ,the son of ,zeruiah proved himself again too strong for him4 ,the hideous crime by which he got rid of his rival was nothing to him4 ,how he could reconcile all this with his duty to his king we are unable to see4 ,no doubt he trusted to the principle that success succeeds1 and believed firmly that if he were able entirely to suppress ,sheba's insurrection and return to ,jerusalem with the news that every trace of the movement was obliterated1 ,david would say nothing of the past1 and silently restore the general who1 with all his faults1 did so well in the field4 ,sheba was quite unable to offer opposition to the force that was thus led against him4 ,he retreated northwards from station to station1 passing in succession through the different tribes1 until he came to the extreme northern border of the land4 ,there1 in a town called ,abel-beth-,maachah1 he took refuge1 till ,joab and his forces1 accompanied by the ,berites1 a people of whom we know nothing1 having overtaken him at ,abel1 besieged the town4 ,works were raised for the purpose of capturing ,abel1 and an assault was made on the wall for the purpose of throwing it down4 ,then a woman1 gifted with the wisdom for which the place was proverbial1 came to ,joab to remonstrate against the siege4 ,the ground of her remonstrance was that the people of ,abel had done nothing on account of which their city should be destroyed4 ,joab1 she said1 was trying to destroy a city and a mother in ,israel1 and thereby to swallow up the inheritance of the ,lord4 ,in what sense was ,joab seeking to destroy a mother in ,israel8 ,the word seems to be used to denote a mother-city or district capital1 on which other places were depending4 ,what you are trying to destroy is not a mere city of ,israel1 but a city which has its family of dependent villages1 all of which must share in the ruin if we are destroyed4 ,but ,joab assured the woman that he had no such desire4 ,all that he wished was to get at ,sheba1 who had taken refuge within the city4 ,if that be all1 said the woman1 ,i will engage to throw his head to thee over the wall4 ,it was the interest of the people of the city to get rid of the man who was bringing them into so serious a danger4 ,it was not difficult for them to get ,sheba decapitated1 and to throw his head over the wall to ,joab4 ,by this means the conspiracy was ended4 ,as in ,absalom's case1 the death of the leader was the ruin of the cause4 ,no further stand was made by any one4 ,indeed1 it is probable that the great body of ,sheba's followers had fallen away from him in the course of his northern flight1 and that only a handful were with him in ,abel4 ,so ,joab blew a trumpet1 and they retired from the city1 every man to his tent4 ,and ,joab returned unto ,jerusalem1 to the king4 ,thus1 once again1 the land had rest from war4 ,at the close of the chapter we have a list of the chief officers of the kingdom1 similar to that given in ch4 viii4 at the close of ,david's foreign wars4 ,it would appear that1 peace being again restored1 pains were taken by the king to improve and perfect the arrangements for the administration of the kingdom4 ,the changes on the former list are not very numerous4 ,joab was again at the head of the army2 ,benaiah1 as before1 commanded the ,cherethites and the ,pelethites2 ,jehoshaphat was still recorder2 ,sheva 7same as ,seraiah7 was scribe2 and ,zadok and ,abiathar were priests4 ,in two cases there was a change4 ,a new office had been instituted--,adoram was over the tribute2 the subjugation of so many foreign states which had to pay a yearly tribute to ,david called for this change4 ,in the earlier list it is said that the king's sons were chief rulers4 ,no mention is made of king's sons now2 the chief ruler is ,ira the ,jairite4 ,on the whole1 there was little change2 at the close of this war the kingdom was administered in the same manner and almost by the same men as before4 ,there is nothing to indicate that the kingdom was weakened in its external relations by the two insurrections that had taken place against ,david4 ,it is to be observed that both of them were of very short duration4 ,between ,absalom's proclamation of himself at ,hebron and his death in the wood of ,ephraim there must have been a very short interval1 not more than a fortnight4 ,the insurrection of ,sheba was probably all over in a week4 ,foreign powers could scarcely have heard of the beginning of the revolts before they heard of the close of them4 ,there would be nothing therefore to give them any encouragement to rebel against ,david1 and they do not appear to have made any such attempt4 ,but in another and higher sense these revolts left painful consequences behind them4 ,the chastening to which ,david was exposed in connection with them was very humbling4 ,his glory as king was seriously impaired4 ,it was humiliating that he should have had to fly from before his own son4 ,it was hardly less humiliating that he was seen to lie so much at the mercy of ,joab4 ,he is unable to depose ,joab1 and when he tries to do so1 ,joab not only kills his successor1 but takes possession by his own authority of the vacant place4 ,and ,david can say nothing4 ,in this relation of ,david to ,joab we have a sample of the trials of kings4 ,nominally supreme1 they are often the servants of their ministers and officers4 ,certainly ,david was not always his own master4 ,joab was really above him2 frustrated1 doubtless1 some excellent plans2 did great service by his rough patriotism and ready valour1 but injured the good name of ,david and the reputation of his government by his daring crimes4 ,the retrospect of this period of his reign could have given little satisfaction to the king1 since he had to trace it1 with all its calamities and sorrows1 to his own evil conduct4 ,and yet what ,david suffered1 and what the nation suffered1 was not1 strictly speaking1 the punishment of his sin4 ,god had forgiven him his sin4 ,david had sung1 ,blessed is the man whose iniquity is forgiven1 whose sin is covered4 ,what he now suffered was not the visitation of ,god's wrath1 but a fatherly chastening1 designed to deepen his contrition and quicken his vigilance4 ,and surely we may say1 ,if the fatherly chastening was so severe1 what would the ,divine retribution have been8 ,if these things were done in the green tree1 what would have been done in the dry8 ,if ,david1 even though forgiven1 could not but shudder at all the terrible results of that course of sin which began with his allowing himself to lust after ,bathsheba1 what must be the feeling of many a lost soul1 in the world of woe1 recalling its first step in open rebellion against ,god1 and thinking of all the woes1 innumerable and unutterable1 that have sprung therefrom8 ,oh1 sin1 how terrible a curse thou bringest6 ,what serpents spring up from the dragon's teeth6 ,and how awful the fate of those who awake all too late to a sense of what thou art6 ,grant1 ,o ,god1 of ,thine infinite mercy1 that we all may be wise in time2 that we may ponder the solemn truth1 that the wages of sin is death2 and that1 without a day's delay1 we may flee for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us1 and find peace in believing on ,him who came to take sin away by the sacrifice of ,himself6 ,,chapter ,,xxviii4 ,,the ,,famine4 #b ,,samuel xxi4 #a-ad4 ,we now enter on the concluding part of the reign of ,david4 ,some of the matters in which he was most occupied during this period are recorded only in ,chronicles4 ,among these1 the chief was his preparations for the building of the temple1 which great work was to be undertaken by his son4 ,in the concluding part of ,samuel the principal things recorded are two national judgments1 a famine and a pestilence1 that occurred in ,david's reign1 the one springing from a transaction in the days of ,saul1 the other from one in the days of ,david4 ,then we have two very remarkable lyrical pieces1 one a general song of thanksgiving1 forming a retrospect of his whole career2 the other a prophetic vision of the great ,ruler that was to spring from him1 and the effects of ,his reign4 ,in addition to these1 there is also a notice of certain wars of ,david's1 not previously recorded1 and a fuller statement respecting his great men than we have elsewhere4 ,the whole of this section has more the appearance of a collection of pieces than a chronological narrative4 ,it is by no means certain that they are all recorded in the order of their occurrence4 ,the most characteristic of the pieces are the two songs or psalms--the one looking back1 the other looking forward2 the one commemorating the goodness and mercy that had followed him all the days of his life1 the other picturing goodness still greater and mercy more abundant1 yet to be vouchsafed under ,david's ,son4 ,the conjunction then at the beginning of the chapter is replaced in the ,revised ,version by and4 ,it does not denote that what is recorded here took place immediately after what goes before4 ,on the contrary1 the note of time is found in the general expression1 in the days of ,david1 that is1 some time in ,david's reign4 ,on obvious grounds1 most recent commentators are disposed to place this occurrence comparatively early4 ,it is likely to have happened while the crime of ,saul was yet fresh in the public recollection4 ,by the close of ,david's reign a new generation had come to maturity1 and the transactions of ,saul's reign must have been comparatively forgotten4 ,it is clear from ,david's excepting ,mephibosheth1 that the transaction occurred after he had been discovered and cared for4 ,possibly the narrative of the discovery of ,mephibosheth may also be out of chronological order1 and that event may have occurred earlier than is commonly thought4 ,it will remove some of the difficulties of this difficult chapter if we are entitled to place the occurrence at a time not very far remote from the death of ,saul4 ,it was altogether a singular occurrence1 this famine in the land of ,israel4 ,the calamity was remarkable1 the cause was remarkable1 the cure most remarkable of all4 ,the whole narrative is painful and perplexing2 it places ,david in a strange light1--it seems to place even ,god ,himself in a strange light2 and the only way in which we can explain it1 in consistency with a righteous government1 is by laying great stress on a principle accepted without hesitation in those ,eastern countries1 which made the father and his children one concern1 and held the children liable for the misdeeds of the father4 #a4 ,as to the calamity4 ,it was a famine that continued three successive years1 causing necessarily an increase of misery year after year4 ,there is a presumption that it occurred in the earlier part of ,david's reign1 because1 if it had been after the great enlargement of the kingdom which followed his foreign wars1 the resources of some parts of it would probably have availed to supply the deficiency4 ,at first it does not appear that the king held that there was any special significance in the famine1--that it came as a reproof for any particular sin4 ,but when the famine extended to a third year1 he was persuaded that it must have a special cause4 ,did he not in this just act as we all are disposed to do8 ,a little trial we deem to be nothing2 it does not seem to have any significance or to be connected with any lesson4 ,it is only when the little trial swells into a large one1 or the brief trouble into a long-continued affliction1 that we begin to inquire why it was sent4 ,if small trials were more regarded1 heavy trials would be less needed4 ,the horse that springs forward at the slightest touch of the whip or prick of the spur needs no heavy lash2 it is only when the lighter stimulus fails that the heavier has to be applied4 ,man's tendency1 even under ,god's chastenings1 has ever been to ignore the source of them1--when ,god poured upon him the fury of ,his anger and the strength of battle1 and it set him on fire round about1 yet he knew not2 and it burned him1 yet he laid it not to heart 7,isa4 xlii4 #be74 ,trials would neither be so long nor so severe if more regard were had to them in an earlier stage2 if they were accepted more as ,god's message--,thus saith the ,lord of hosts1 ,consider your ways4 #b4 ,the cause of the calamity was made known when ,david inquired of the ,lord--,it is for ,saul and his bloody house1 because he slew the ,gibeonites4 ,the history of the crime for which this famine was sent can be gathered only from incidental notices4 ,it appears from the narrative before us that ,saul consumed the ,gibeonites1 and devised against them that they should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of ,israel4 ,the ,gibeonites1 as is well known1 were a ,canaanite people1 who1 through a cunning stratagem1 obtained leave from ,joshua to dwell in their old settlements1 and being protected by a solemn national oath1 were not disturbed even when it was found out that they had been practising a fraud4 ,they possessed cities1 situated principally in the tribe of ,benjamin2 the chief of them1 ,gibeon1 was a great city1 one of the royal cities1 greater than ,ai4 ,in the time of ,saul they were a quiet1 inoffensive people2 yet he seems to have fallen on them with a determination to sweep them from all the coasts of ,israel4 ,death or banishment was the only alternative he offered4 ,his desire to exterminate them evidently failed1 otherwise ,david would have found none of them to consult2 but the savage attack which he made on them affords an incidental proof that it was no feeling of humanity that led him to spare the ,amalekites when he was ordered to destroy them4 ,we are not told of any offence that the ,gibeonites had committed2 and perhaps covetousness lay at the root of ,saul's policy4 ,there is reason to believe that when he saw his popularity declining and ,david's advancing1 he had recourse to unscrupulous methods of increasing his own4 ,addressing his servants1 before the slaughter of ,abimelech and the priests1 he asked1 ,hear now1 ye ,benjamites2 will the son of ,jesse give you fields and vineyards1 that all of you have conspired against me8 ,evidently he had rewarded his favourites1 especially those of his own tribe1 with fields and vineyards4 ,but how had he got these to bestow8 ,very probably by dispossessing the ,gibeonites4 ,their cities1 as we have seen1 were in the tribe of ,benjamin4 ,but to prevent jealousy1 others1 both of ,judah and of ,israel1 would get a share of the spoil4 ,for he is said to have sought to slay the ,gibeonites in his zeal for the children of ,israel and ,judah4 ,if this was the way in which the slaughter of the ,gibeonites was compassed1 it was fair that the nation should suffer for it4 ,if the nation profited by the unholy transaction1 and was thus induced to wink at the violation of the national faith and the massacre of an inoffensive people1 it shared in ,saul's guilt1 and became liable to chastisement4 ,even ,david himself was not free from blame4 ,when he came to the throne he should have seen justice done to this injured people4 ,but probably he was afraid4 ,he felt his own authority not very secure1 and probably he shrank from raising up enemies in those whom justice would have required him to dispossess4 ,prince and people therefore were both at fault1 and both were suffering for the wrongdoing of the nation4 ,perhaps ,solomon had this case in view when he wrote3 ,rob not the poor because he is poor1 neither oppress the afflicted in the gate2 for the ,lord will plead their cause1 and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them4 ,but whatever may have been ,saul's motive1 it is certain that by his attempt to massacre and banish the ,gibeonites a great national sin was committed1 and that for this sin the nation had never humbled itself1 and never made reparation4 #c4 ,what1 then1 was now to be done8 ,the king left it to the ,gibeonites themselves to prescribe the satisfaction which they claimed for this wrong4 ,this was in accordance with the spirit of the law that gave a murdered man's nearest of kin a right to exact justice of the murderer4 ,in their answer the ,gibeonites disclaimed all desire for compensation in money2 and very probably this was a surprise to the people4 ,to surrender lands might have been much harder than to give up lives4 ,what the ,gibeonites asked had a grim look of justice2 it showed a burning desire to bring home the punishment as near as possible to the offender3 ,the man that consumed us1 and that devised against us that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the coasts of ,israel1 let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us1 and we will hang them up unto the ,lord in ,gibeah of ,saul1 whom the ,lord did choose4 ,seven was a perfect number1 and therefore the victims should be seven4 ,their punishment was1 to be hanged or crucified1 but in inflicting this punishment the ,jews were more merciful than the ,romans2 the criminals were first put to death1 then their dead bodies were exposed to open shame4 ,they were to be hanged unto the ,lord1 as a satisfaction to expiate ,his just displeasure4 ,they were to be hanged in ,gibeah of ,saul1 to bring home the offence visibly to him1 so that the expiation should be at the same place as the crime4 ,and when mention is made of ,saul1 the ,gibeonites add1 ,whom the ,lord did choose4 ,for ,jehovah was intimately connected with ,saul's call to the throne2 ,he was in some sense publicly identified with him2 and unless something were done to disconnect ,him with this crime1 the reproach of it would1 in measure1 rest upon ,him4 ,such was the demand of the ,gibeonites2 and ,david deemed it right to comply with it1 stipulating only that the descendants of ,jonathan should not be surrendered4 ,the sons or descendants of ,saul that were given up for this execution were the two sons of ,rizpah1 ,saul's concubine1 and along with them five sons of ,michal1 or1 as it is in the margin1 of ,merab1 the elder daughter of ,saul1 whom she bare 7,r4 ,v4--not brought up1 ,a4 ,v47 to ,adriel the ,meholathite4 ,these seven men were put to death accordingly1 and their bodies exposed in the hill near ,gibeah4 ,the transaction has a very hard look to us1 though it had nothing of the kind to the people of those days4 ,why should these unfortunate men be punished so terribly for the sin of their father8 ,how was it possible for ,david1 in cold blood1 to give them up to an ignominious death8 ,how could he steel his heart against the supplications of their friends8 ,with regard to this latter aspect of the case1 it is ridiculous to cast reproach on ,david4 ,as we have remarked again and again1 if he had acted like other ,eastern kings1 he would have consigned every son of ,saul to destruction when he came to the throne1 and left not one remaining1 for no other offence than being the children of their father4 ,on the score of clemency to ,saul's family the character of ,david is abundantly vindicated4 ,the question of justice remains4 ,is it not a law of nature1 it may be asked1 and a law of the ,bible too1 that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father1 but that the soul that sinneth it shall die8 ,it is undoubtedly the rule both of nature and the ,bible that the son is not to be substituted for the father when the father is there to bear the penalty4 ,but it is neither the rule of the one nor of the other that the son is never to suffer with the father for the sins which the father has committed4 ,on the contrary1 it is what we see taking place1 in many forms1 every day4 ,it is an arrangement of ,providence that almost baffles the philanthropist1 who sees that children often inherit from their parents a physical frame disposing them to their parents' vices1 and who sees1 moreover1 that1 when brought up by vicious parents1 children are deprived of their natural rights1 and are initiated into a life of vice4 ,but the law that identified children and parents in ,old ,testament times was carried out to consequences which would not be tolerated now4 ,not only were children often punished because of their physical connection with their fathers1 but they were regarded as judicially one with them1 and so liable to share in their punishment4 ,the ,old ,testament 7as ,canon ,mozley has so powerfully shown#d7 was in some respects an imperfect economy2 the rights of the individual were not so clearly acknowledged as they are under the ,new2 the family was a sort of moral unit1 and the father was the responsible agent for the whole4 ,when ,achan sinned1 his whole household shared his punishment4 ,the solidarity of the family was such that all were involved in the sin of the father4 ,however strange it may seem to us1 it did not appear at all strange in ,david's time that this rule should be applied in the case of ,saul4 ,on the contrary1 it would probably be thought that it showed considerable moderation of feeling not to demand the death of the whole living posterity of ,saul1 but to limit the demand to the number of seven4 ,doubtless the ,gibeonites had suffered to an enormous extent4 ,thousands upon thousands of them had probably been slain4 ,people might be sorry for the seven young men that had to die1 but that there was anything essentially unjust or even harsh in the transaction is a view of the case that would occur to no one4 ,justice is often hard2 executions are always grim2 but here was a nation that had already experienced three years of famine for the sin of ,saul1 and that would experience yet far more if no public expiation should take place2 and seven men were not very many to die for a nation4 ,the grimness of the mode of punishment was softened by an incident of great moral beauty1 which cannot but touch the heart of every man of sensibility4 ,rizpah1 the concubine of ,saul1 and mother of two of the victims1 combining the tenderness of a mother and the courage of a hero1 took her position beside the gibbet2 and1 undeterred by the sight of the rotting bodies and the stench of the air1 she suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night4 ,the poor woman must have looked for a very different destiny when she became the concubine of ,saul4 ,no doubt she expected to share in the glory of his royal state4 ,but her lord perished in battle1 and the splendour of royalty passed for ever from him and his house4 ,then came the famine2 its cause was declared from heaven1 its cure was announced by the ,gibeonites4 ,her two sons were among the slain4 ,probably they were but lads1 not yet beyond the age which rouses a mother's sensibilities to the full4 7,this consideration likewise points to an early date47 ,we cannot attempt to picture her feelings4 ,the last consolation that remained for her was to guard their remains from the vulture and the tiger4 ,unburied corpses were counted to be disgraced1 and this1 in some degree1 because they were liable to be devoured by birds and beasts of prey4 ,rizpah could not prevent the exposure1 but she could try to prevent the wild animals from devouring them4 ,the courage and self-denial needed for this work were great1 for the risk of violence from wild beasts was very serious4 ,all honour to this woman and her noble heart6 ,david appears to have been deeply impressed by her heroism4 ,when he heard of it he went and collected the bones of ,jonathan and his sons1 which had been buried under a tree at ,jabesh-gilead1 and likewise the bones of the men that had been hanged2 and he buried the bones of ,saul and ,jonathan in ,zelah1 in the sepulchre of ,kish1 ,saul's father4 ,and after that ,god was entreated for the land4 ,we offer a concluding remark1 founded on the tone of this narrative4 ,it is marked1 as every one must perceive1 by a subdued1 solemn tone4 ,whatever may be the opinion of our time as to the need of apologizing for it1 it is evident that no apology was deemed necessary for the transaction at the time this record was written4 ,the feeling of all parties evidently was1 that it was indispensable that things should take the course they did4 ,no one expressed wonder when the famine was accounted for by the crime of ,saul4 ,no one objected when the question of expiation was referred to the ,gibeonites4 ,the house of ,saul made no protest when seven of his sons were demanded for death4 ,the men themselves1 when they knew what was coming1 seem to have been restrained from attempting to save themselves by flight4 ,it seemed as if ,god were speaking1 and the part of man was simply to obey4 ,when unbelievers object to passages in the ,bible like this1 or like the sacrifice of ,isaac1 or the death of ,achan1 they are accustomed to say that they exemplify the worst passions of the human heart consecrated under the name of religion4 ,we affirm that in this chapter there is no sign of any outburst of passion whatever2 everything is done with gravity1 with composure and solemnity4 ,and1 what is more1 the graceful piety of ,rizpah is recorded1 with simplicity1 indeed1 but in a tone that indicates appreciation of her tender motherly soul4 ,savages thirsting for blood are not in the habit of appreciating such touching marks of affection4 ,and further1 we are made to feel that it was a pleasure to ,david to pay that mark of respect for ,rizpah's feelings in having the men buried4 ,he did not desire to lacerate the feelings of the unhappy mother2 he was glad to soothe them as far as he could4 ,to him1 as to his ,lord1 judgment was a strange work1 but he delighted in mercy4 ,and he was glad to be able to mingle a slight streak of mercy with the dark colours of a picture of ,god's judgment on sin4 ,to all right minds it is painful to punish1 and when punishment has to be inflicted it is felt that it ought to be done with great solemnity and gravity1 and with an entire absence of passion and excitement4 ,in a sinful world ,god too must inflict punishment4 ,and the future punishment of the wicked is the darkest thing in all the scheme of ,god's government4 ,but it must take place4 ,and when it does take place it will be done deliberately1 solemnly1 sadly4 ,there will be no exasperation1 no excitement4 ,there will be no disregard of the feelings of the unhappy victims of the ,divine retribution4 ,what they are able to bear will be well considered4 ,what condition they shall be placed in when the punishment comes1 will be calmly weighed4 ,but may we not see what a distressing thing it will be 7if we may use such an expression with reference to ,god7 to consign ,his creatures to punishment8 ,how different ,his feelings when ,he welcomes them to eternal glory6 ,how different the feelings of ,his angels when that change takes place by which punishment ceases to hang over men1 and glory takes its place6 ,there is joy in the presence of the angels of ,god over one sinner that repenteth4 ,is it not blessed to think that this is the feeling of ,god1 and of all ,godlike spirits8 ,will you not all believe this1--believe in the mercy of ,god1 and accept the provision of ,his grace8 ,for ,god so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only-begotten ,son1 that whosoever believeth on ,him should not perish1 but should have eternal life4 ,,footnote3 #d ,lectures on the ,old ,testament4 ,lecture ,v43 ,visitation of ,sins of ,fathers on ,children4 ,,chapter ,,xxix4 ,,last ,,battles ,,and ,,the ,,mighty ,,men4 #b ,,samuel xxi4 #ae-bb2 xxiii4 #h-ci4 ,in entering on the consideration of these two portions of the history of ,david1 we must first observe that the events recorded do not appear to belong to the concluding portion of his reign4 ,it is impossible for us to assign a precise date to them1 or at least to most of them1 but the displays of physical activity and courage which they record would lead us to ascribe them to a much earlier period4 ,originally1 they seem to have formed parts of a record of ,david's wars1 and to have been transferred to the ,books of ,samuel and ,chronicles in order to give a measure of completeness to the narrative4 ,the narrative in ,chronicles is substantially the same as that in ,samuel1 but the text is purer4 ,from notes of time in ,chronicles it is seen that some at least of the encounters took place after the war with the children of ,ammon4 ,why have these passages been inserted in the history of the reign of ,david8 ,apparently for two chief purposes4 ,in the first place1 to give us some idea of the dangers to which he was exposed in his military life1 dangers manifold and sometimes overwhelming1 and all but fatal2 and thus enable us to see how wonderful were the deliverances he experienced1 and prepare us for entering into the song of thanksgiving which forms the twenty-second chapter1 and of which these deliverances form the burden4 ,in the second place1 to enable us to understand the human instrumentality by which he achieved so brilliant a success1 the kind of men by whom he was helped1 the kind of spirit by which they were animated1 and their intense personal devotion to ,david himself4 ,the former purpose is that which is chiefly in view in the end of the twenty-first chapter1 the latter in the twenty-third4 ,the exploits themselves occur in encounters with the ,philistines1 and may therefore be referred partly to the time after the slaughter of ,goliath1 when he first distinguished himself in warfare1 and the daughters of ,israel began to sing1 ,saul hath slain his thousands1 but ,david his tens of thousands2 partly to the time in his early reign when he was engaged driving them out of ,israel1 and putting a bridle on them to restrain their inroads2 and partly to a still later period4 ,it is to be observed that nothing more is sought than to give a sample of ,david's military adventures1 and for this purpose his wars with the ,philistines alone are examined4 ,if the like method had been taken with all his other campaigns1--against ,edom1 ,moab1 and ,ammon2 against the ,syrians of ,rehob1 and ,maacah1 and ,damascus1 and the ,syrians beyond the river1--we might borrow the language of the ,evangelist1 and say that the world itself would not have been able to contain the books that should be written4 ,four exploits are recorded in the closing verses of the twenty-first chapter1 all with sons of the giant1 or1 as it is in the margin1 of ,rapha4 ,the first was with a man who is called ,ishbi-benob1 but there is reason to suspect that the text is corrupt here1 and in ,chronicles this incident is not mentioned4 ,the language applied to ,david1 ,david and his servants went down1 would lead us to believe that the incident happened at an early period1 when the ,philistines were very powerful in ,israel1 and it was a mark of great courage to go down to their plains1 and attack them in their own country4 ,to do this implied a long journey1 over steep and rough roads1 and it is no wonder if between the journey and the fighting ,david waxed faint4 ,then it was that the son of the giant1 whose spear or spearhead weighed three hundred shekels of brass1 or about eight pounds1 fell upon him with a new sword1 and thought to have slain him4 ,there is no noun in the original for sword2 all that is said is1 that the giant fell on ,david with something new1 and our translators have made it a sword4 ,the ,revised ,version in the margin gives new armour4 ,the point is evidently this1 that the newness of the thing made it more formidable4 ,this could hardly be said of a common sword1 which would be really more formidable after it had ceased to be quite new1 since1 by having used it1 the owner would know it better and wield it more perfectly4 ,it seems better to take the marginal reading new armour1 that is1 new defensive armour1 against which the weary ,david would direct his blows in vain4 ,evidently he was in the utmost peril of his life1 but was rescued by his nephew ,abishai1 who killed the giant4 ,the risk to which he was exposed was such that his people vowed they would not let him go out with them to battle any more1 lest the light of ,israel should be quenched4 ,during the rest of that campaign the vow seems to have been respected1 for the other three giants were not slain by ,david personally1 but by others4 ,as to other campaigns1 ,david usually took his old place as leader of the army1 until the battle against ,absalom1 when his people prevailed on him to remain in the city4 ,three of the four duels recorded here took place at ,gob1--a place not now known1 but most probably in the neighbourhood of ,gath4 ,in fact1 all the encounters probably took place near that city4 ,one of the giants slain is said in ,samuel1 by a manifest error1 to have been ,goliath the ,gittite2 but the error is corrected in ,chronicles1 where he is called the brother of ,goliath4 ,the very same expression is used of his spear as in the case of ,goliath3 the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam4 ,of the fourth giant it is said that he defied ,israel1 as ,goliath had done4 ,of the whole four it is said that they were born to the giant in ,gath4 ,this does not necessarily imply that they were all sons of the same father1 the giant being used generically to denote the race rather than the individual4 ,but the tenor of the narrative and many of its expressions carry us back to the early days of ,david4 ,there seems to have been a nest at ,gath of men of gigantic stature1 brothers or near relations of ,goliath4 ,against these he was sent1 perhaps in one of the expeditions when ,saul secretly desired that he should fall by the hand of the ,philistines4 ,if it was in this way that he came to encounter the first of the four1 ,saul had calculated well1 and was very nearly carrying his point4 ,but though man proposes1 ,god disposes4 ,the example of ,david in his encounter with ,goliath1 even at this early period1 had inspired several young men of the ,hebrews1 and even when ,david was interdicted from going himself into battle1 others were raised up to take his place4 ,every one of the giants found a match either in ,david or among his men4 ,it was indeed highly perilous work2 but ,david was encompassed by a ,divine ,protector1 and being destined for high service in the kingdom of ,god1 he was immortal till his work was done4 ,we have said that these were but samples of ,david's trials1 and that they were probably repeated again and again in the course of the many wars in which he was engaged4 ,one can see that the danger was often very imminent1 making him feel that his only possible deliverance must come from ,god4 ,such dangers1 therefore1 were wonderfully fitted to exercise and discipline the spirit of trust4 ,not once or twice1 but hundreds of times1 in his early experience he would find himself constrained to cry to the ,lord4 ,and protected as he was1 delivered as he was1 the conviction would become stronger and stronger that ,god cared for him and would deliver him to the end4 ,we see from all this how unnecessary it is to ascribe all the psalms where ,david is pressed by enemies either to the time of ,saul or to the time of ,absalom4 ,there were hundreds of other times in his life when he had the same experience1 when he was reduced to similar straits1 and his appeal lay to the ,god of his life4 ,and this was in truth the healthiest period of his spiritual life4 ,it was amid these perilous but bracing experiences that his soul prospered most4 ,the north wind of danger and difficulty braced him to spiritual self-denial and endurance2 the south wind of prosperity and luxurious enjoyment was what nearly destroyed him4 ,let us not become impatient when anxieties multiply around us1 and we are beset by troubles1 and labours1 and difficulties4 ,do not be tempted to contrast your miserable lot with that of others1 who have health while you are sick1 riches while you are poor1 honour while you are despised1 ease and enjoyment while you have care and sorrow4 ,by all these things ,god desires to draw you to ,himself1 to discipline your soul1 to lead you away from the broken cisterns that can hold no water to the fountain of living waters4 ,guard earnestly against the unbelief that at such times would make your hands hang down and your heart despond2 rally your sinking spirit4 ,why art thou cast down1 ,o my soul1 and why art thou disquieted within me8 ,remember the promise1 ,i will never leave you nor forsake you2 and one day you shall have cause to look back on this as the most useful1 the most profitable1 the most healthful1 period of your spiritual life4 ,we pass to the twenty-third chapter1 which tells us of ,david's mighty men4 ,the narrative1 at some points1 is not very clear2 but we gather from it that ,david had an order of thirty men distinguished for their valour2 that besides these there were three of supereminent merit1 and another three1 who were also eminent1 but who did not attain to the distinction of the first three4 ,of the first three1 the first was ,jashobeam the ,hachmonite 7see #a ,chron4 xi4 #aa71 the second ,eleazar1 and the third ,shammah4 ,of the second three1 who were not quite equal to the first1 only two are mentioned1 ,abishai and ,benaiah2 thereafter we have the names of the thirty4 ,it is remarkable that ,joab's name does not occur in the list1 but as he was captain of the host1 he probably held a higher position than any4 ,certainly ,joab was not wanting in valour1 and must have held the highest rank in a legion of honour4 ,of the three mighties of the first rank1 and the two of the second1 characteristic exploits of remarkable courage and success are recorded4 ,the first of the first rank1 whom the ,chronicles call ,jashobeam1 lifted up his spear against three hundred slain at one time4 7,in ,samuel the number is eight hundred47 ,the exploit was worthy to be ranked with the famous achievement of ,jonathan and his armour-bearer at the pass of ,michmash4 ,the second1 ,eleazar1 defied the ,philistines when they were gathered to battle1 and when the men of ,israel had gone away he smote the ,philistines till his hand was weary4 ,the third1 ,shammah1 kept the ,philistines at bay on a piece of ground covered with lentils1 after the people had fled1 and slew the ,philistines1 gaining a great victory4 ,next we have a description of the exploit of three of the mighty men when the ,philistines were in possession of ,bethlehem1 and ,david in a hold near the cave of ,adullam 7see #b ,sam4 v4 #ae-ba74 ,the occasion of their exploit was an interesting one4 ,contemplating the situation1 and grieved to think that his native town should be in the enemy's hands1 ,david gave expression to a wish--,oh that some one would give me water to drink of the well of ,bethlehem which is before the gate6 ,it was probably meant for little more than the expression of an earnest wish that the enemy were dislodged from their position--that there were no obstruction between him and the well1 that access to it were as free as in the days of his youth4 ,but the three mighty men took him at his word1 and breaking through the host of the ,philistines1 brought the water to ,david4 ,it was a singular proof of his great personal influence2 he was so loved and honoured that to gratify his wish these three men took their lives in their hands to obtain the water4 ,water got at such a cost was sacred in his eyes2 it was a thing too holy for man to turn to his use1 so he poured it out before the ,lord4 ,next we have a statement bearing on two of the second three4 ,abishai1 ,david's nephew1 who was one of them1 lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them4 ,benaiah1 son of ,jehoiada1 slew two lion-like men of ,moab 7the two sons of ,ariel of ,moab1 ,r4,v472 also1 in time of snow1 he slew a lion in a pit2 and finally he slew an ,egyptian1 a powerful man1 attacking him when he had only a staff in his hand1 wrenching his spear from him1 and killing him with his own spear4 ,the third of this trio has not been mentioned2 some conjecture that he was ,amasa 7chief of the captains--the thirty1 ,r4,v41 #a ,chron4 xii4 #ah71 and that his name was not recorded because he deserted ,david to side with ,absalom4 ,among the other thirty1 we cannot but be struck with two names--,eliam the son of ,ahithophel the ,gilonite1 and apparently the father of ,bathsheba2 and ,uriah the ,hittite4 ,the sin of ,david was all the greater if it involved the dishonour of men who had served him so bravely as to be enrolled in his legion of honour4 ,with regard to the kind of exploits ascribed to some of these men1 a remark is necessary4 ,there is an appearance of exaggeration in statements that ascribe to a single warrior the routing and killing of hundreds through his single sword or spear4 ,in the eyes of some such statements give the narrative an unreliable look1 as if the object of the writer had been more to give clat to the warriors than to record the simple truth4 ,but this impression arises from our tendency to ascribe the conditions of modern warfare to the warfare of these times4 ,in ,eastern history1 cases of a single warrior putting a large number to flight1 and even killing them1 are not uncommon4 ,for though the strength of the whole number was far more than a match for his1 the strength of each individual was far inferior2 and if the mass of them were scarcely armed1 and the few who had arms were far inferior to him1 the result would be that after some had fallen the rest would take to flight2 and the destruction of life in a retreat was always enormous4 ,the incident recorded of ,eleazar is very graphic and truth-like4 ,he smote the ,philistines until his hand was weary1 and his hand clave unto his sword4 ,a ,highland sergeant at ,waterloo had done such execution with his basket-handled sword1 and so much blood had coagulated round his hand1 that it had to be released by a blacksmith1 so firmly were they glued together4 ,the style of ,eastern warfare was highly favourable to deeds of great courage being done by individuals1 and in the terrific panic which followed their first successes prodigious slaughter often ensued4 ,under present conditions of fighting such things cannot be done4 ,the glimpse which these little notices give us of ,king ,david and his knights is extremely interesting4 ,the story of ,arthur and his ,knights of the ,round ,table bears a resemblance to it4 ,we see the remarkable personal influence of ,david1 drawing to himself so many men of spirit and energy1 firing them by his own example1 securing their warm personal attachment1 and engaging them in enterprises equal to his own4 ,how far they shared his devotional spirit we have no means of judging4 ,if the historian reflects the general sentiment in recording their victories when he says1 once and again1 ,the ,lord wrought a great victory that day 7xxiii4 #aj1 #ab71 we should say that trust in ,god must have been the general sentiment4 ,if it had not been the ,lord that was on our side1 444 they had swallowed us up quick1 when their wrath was kindled against us4 ,it is no wonder that ,david soon gained a great military renown4 ,such a king1 surrounded by such a class of lieutenants1 might well spread alarm among all his enemies4 ,one who1 besides having such a body of helpers1 could claim the assistance of the ,lord of hosts1 and could enter battle with the shout1 ,let ,god arise2 and let ,his enemies be scattered2 and let them also that hate ,him flee before ,him1 might well look for universal victory4 ,trustworthy generals1 we are told1 double the value of the troops2 and the soldiers that were led by such leaders1 trusting in the ,lord of hosts1 could hardly fail of triumph4 ,and thus1 too1 we may see how ,david came to be thoroughly under the influence of the military spirit1 and of some of the less favourable features of that spirit4 ,accustomed to such scenes of bloodshed1 he would come to think lightly of the lives of his enemies4 ,a hostile army he would be prone to regard as a kind of infernal machine1 an instrument of evil only1 and therefore to be destroyed4 ,hence the complacency he expresses in the destruction of his enemies4 ,hence the judgment he calls down on those who thwarted and opposed him4 ,if1 in the songs of ,david1 this feeling sometimes disappears1 and the expressed desire of his heart is that the nations may be glad and sing for joy1 that the people may praise ,god1 that all the people may praise ,him1 this seems to be in the later period of his life1 when all his enemies had been subdued1 and he had rest on every side4 ,even in earnest and spiritually-minded men1 religion is often coloured by their worldly calling2 and in no case more so1 sometimes for better and sometimes for worse1 than in those who follow the profession of arms4 ,but in all this military career and influence of ,david1 may we not trace a type of character which was realised in a far higher sphere1 and to far grander purpose1 in the career of ,jesus1 ,david's ,son8 ,david on an earthly level is ,jesus on a higher4 ,every noble quality of ,david1 his courage1 his activity1 his affection1 his obedience and trust toward ,god1 his devotion to the welfare of others1 reappears purer and higher in ,jesus4 ,if ,david is surrounded by his thirty mighties and his two threes1 so is ,jesus by ,his twelve apostles1 ,his seventy disciples1 and pre-eminently the three apostles who went with ,him into the innermost scenes4 ,if ,david's men are roused by his example to deeds of daring like his own1 so the apostles and disciples go into the world to teach1 to fight1 to heal1 and to bless1 as ,christ had done before them4 ,looking back from the present moment to ,david's time1 what young man of spirit but feels that it would have been a great joy to belong to his company1 much better than to be among those who were always carping and criticising1 and laughing at the men who shared his danger and sacrifices8 ,and does any one think that1 when another cycle of ages has gone past1 he will have occasion to congratulate himself that while he lived on earth he had nothing to do with ,christ and earnest ,christians1 that he bore no part in any ,christian battle1 that he kept well away from ,christ and ,his staff1 that he preferred the service and pleasure of the world8 ,surely no4 ,shall any of us1 then1 deliberately do to-day what we know we shall repent to-morrow8 ,is it not certain that ,jesus ,christ is an unrivalled ,commander1 pure and noble above all ,his fellows1 that ,his life was the most glorious ever led on earth1 and that ,his service is by far the most honourable8 ,we do not dwell at this moment on the great fact that only in ,his faith and fellowship can any of us escape the wrath to come1 or gain the favour of ,god4 ,we ask you to say in what company you can spend your lives to most profit1 under whose influence you may receive the highest impulses1 and be made to do the best service for ,god and man8 ,it must have been interesting in ,david's time to see his people willing in the day of his power1 to see young men flocking to his standard in the beauties of holiness1 like dewdrops from the womb of the morning4 ,and still more glorious is the sight when young men1 even the highest born and the highest gifted1 having had grace to see who and what ,jesus ,christ is1 find no manner of life worthy to be compared in essential dignity and usefulness with ,his service1 and1 in spite of the world1 give themselves to ,him4 ,oh that we could see many such rallying to ,his standard1 contrasting1 as ,st4 ,paul did1 the two services1 and counting all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of ,christ ,jesus their ,lord6 ,,chapter ,,xxx4 ,,the ,,song ,,of ,,thanksgiving4 #b ,,samuel xxii4 ,some of ,david's actions are very characteristic of himself2 there are other actions quite out of harmony with his character4 ,this psalm of thanksgiving belongs to the former order4 ,it is quite like ,david1 at the conclusion of his military enterprises1 to cast his eye gratefully over the whole1 and acknowledge the goodness and mercy that had followed him all along4 ,unlike many1 he was as careful to thank ,god for mercies past and present as to entreat ,him for mercies to come4 ,the whole ,book of ,psalms resounds with halleluiahs1 especially the closing part4 ,in the song before us we have something like a grand halleluiah1 in which thanks are given for all the deliverances and mercies of the past1 and unbounded confidence expressed in ,god's mercy and goodness for the time to come4 ,the date of this song is not to be determined by the place which it occupies in the history4 ,we have already seen that the last few chapters of ,samuel consist of supplementary narratives1 not introduced at their regular places1 but needful to give completeness to the history4 ,it is likely that this psalm was written considerably before the end of ,david's reign4 ,two considerations make it all but certain that its date is earlier than ,absalom's rebellion4 ,in the first place1 the mention of the name of ,saul in the first verse--in the day when ,god delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies and out of the hand of ,saul--would seem to imply that the deliverance from ,saul was somewhat recent1 certainly not so remote as it would have been at the end of ,david's reign4 ,and secondly1 while the affirmation of ,david's sincerity and honesty in serving ,god might doubtless have been made at any period of his life1 yet some of his expressions would not have been likely to be used after his deplorable fall4 ,it is not likely that after that1 he would have spoken1 for example1 of the cleanness of his hands1 stained as they had been by wickedness that could hardly have been surpassed4 ,on the whole1 it seems most likely that the psalm was written about the time referred to in #b ,sam4 vii4 #a--when the ,lord had given him rest from all his enemies round about4 ,this was the time when it was in his heart to build the temple1 and we know from that and other circumstances that he was then in a state of overflowing thankfulness4 ,besides the introduction1 the song consists of three leading parts not very definitely separated from each other1 but sufficiently marked to form a convenient division1 as follows3-- ,i4 ,introduction3 the leading thought of the song1 an adoring acknowledgment of what ,god had been and was to ,david 7vv4 #b-d74 ,,ii4 ,a narrative of the ,divine interpositions on his behalf1 embracing his dangers1 his prayers1 and the ,divine deliverances in reply 7vv4 #e-ai74 ,,iii4 ,the grounds of his protection and success 7vv4 #bj-cj74 ,,iv4 ,references to particular acts of ,god's goodness in various parts of his life1 interspersed with reflections on the ,divine character1 from all which the assurance is drawn that that goodness would be continued to him and his successors1 and would secure through coming ages the welfare and extension of the kingdom4 ,and here we observe what is so common in the ,psalms3 a gradual rising above the idea of a mere earthly kingdom2 the type passes into the antitype2 the kingdom of ,david melts1 as in a dissolving view1 into the kingdom of the ,messiah2 thus a more elevated tone is given to the song1 and the assurance is conveyed to every believer that as ,god protected ,david and his kingdom1 so shall ,he protect and glorify the kingdom of ,his ,son for ever4 ,i4 ,in the burst of adoring gratitude with which the psalm opens as its leading thought1 we mark ,david's recognition of ,jehovah as the source of all the protection1 deliverance1 and success he had ever enjoyed1 along with a special assertion of closest relationship to ,him1 in the frequent use of the word my1 and a very ardent acknowledgment of the claim to his gratitude thus arising--,god1 who is worthy to be praised4 ,the feeling that recognised ,god as the ,author of all his deliverances was intensely strong1 for every expression that can denote it is heaped together3 ,my rock1 my portion1 my deliverer2 the ,god of my rock1 my shield2 the horn of my salvation1 my high tower1 my refuge1 my ,saviour4 ,he takes no credit to himself2 he gives no glory to his captains2 the glory is all the ,lord's4 ,he sees ,god so supremely the ,author of his deliverance that the human instruments that helped him are for the moment quite out of view4 ,he who1 in the depths of his penitence1 sees but one supremely injured ,being1 and says1 ,against ,thee1 ,thee only1 have ,i sinned1 at the height of his prosperity sees but one gracious ,being1 and adores ,him1 who only is his rock and his salvation4 ,in an age when all the stress is apt to be laid on the human instruments1 and ,god left out of view1 this habit of mind is instructive and refreshing4 ,it was a touching incident in ,english history when1 after the battle of ,agincourt1 ,henry ,v4 of ,england directed the hundred and fifteenth ,psalm to be sung2 prostrating himself on the ground1 and causing his whole army to do the same1 when the words were sounded out1 ,not unto us1 ,o ,lord1 not unto us1 but to ,thy name give glory4 ,the emphatic use of the pronoun my by the ,psalmist is very instructive4 ,it is so easy to speak in general terms of what ,god is1 and what ,god does2 but it is quite another thing to be able to appropriate ,him as ours1 and rejoice in that relation4 ,luther said of the twenty-third ,psalm that the word my in the first verse was the very hinge of the whole4 ,there is a whole world of difference between the two expressions1 ,the ,lord is a ,shepherd and ,the ,lord is my ,shepherd4 ,the use of the my indicates a personal transaction1 a covenant relation into which the parties have solemnly entered4 ,no man is entitled to use this expression who has merely a reverential feeling towards ,god1 and respect for ,his will4 ,you must have come to ,god as a sinner1 owning and feeling your unworthiness1 and casting yourself on ,his grace4 ,you must have transacted with ,god in the spirit of ,his exhortation1 ,come out from among them1 and be ye separate1 and touch not the unclean thing2 and ,i will be a ,father unto you2 and ye shall be ,my sons and daughters1 saith the ,lord ,almighty4 ,one other point has to be noticed in this introduction--when ,david comes to express his dependence on ,god1 he very specially sets ,him before his mind as worthy to be praised4 ,he calls to mind the gracious character of ,god1--not an austere ,god1 reaping where ,he has not sown1 and gathering where ,he has not strawed1 but the ,lord1 the ,lord ,god merciful and gracious1 long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth4 ,this doctrine1 says ,luther1 is in tribulation the most ennobling and truly golden4 ,one cannot imagine what assistance such praise of ,god is in pressing danger4 ,for as soon as you begin to praise ,god the sense of the evil will also begin to abate1 the comfort of your heart will grow2 and then ,god will be called on with confidence4 ,there are some who cry to the ,lord and are not heard4 ,why is this8 ,because they do not praise the ,lord when they cry to ,him1 but go to ,him with reluctance2 they have not represented to themselves how sweet the ,lord is1 but have looked only to their own bitterness4 ,but no one gets deliverance from evil by looking simply upon his evil and becoming alarmed at it2 he can get deliverance only by rising above his evil1 hanging it on ,god1 and having respect to ,his goodness4 ,oh1 hard counsel1 doubtless1 and a rare thing truly1 in the midst of trouble to conceive of ,god as sweet1 and worthy to be praised2 and when ,he has removed ,himself from us and is incomprehensible1 even then to regard ,him more intensely than we regard our misfortune that keeps us from ,him6 ,only let one try it1 and make the endeavour to praise ,god1 though in little heart for it he will soon experience an enlightenment4 ,,ii4 ,we pass on to the part of the song where the ,psalmist describes his trials and ,god's deliverances in his times of danger 7vv4 #e-bj74 ,the description is eminently poetical4 ,first1 there is a vivid picture of his troubles4 ,the waves of death compassed me1 and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid2 the sorrows of hell compassed me2 the snares of death prevented me 7,the cords of death compassed me1 and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid2 the cords of sheol were round about me2 the snares of death came upon me1 ,r4,v474 ,it is no overcharged picture4 ,with ,saul's javelins flying at his head in the palace1 or his best troops scouring the wilderness in search of him2 with ,syrian hosts bearing down on him like the waves of the sea1 and a confederacy of nations conspiring to swallow him up1 he might well speak of the waves of death and the cords of ,hades4 ,he evidently desires to describe the extremest peril and distress that can be conceived1 a situation where the help of man is vain indeed4 ,then1 after a brief account of his calling upon ,god1 comes a most animated description of ,god coming to his help4 ,the description is ideal1 but it gives a vivid view how the ,divine energy is roused when any of ,god's children are in distress4 ,it is in heaven as in an earthly home when an alarm is given that one of the little children is in danger1 has wandered away into a thicket where he has lost his way3 every servant is summoned1 every passer-by is called to the rescue1 the whole neighbourhood is roused to the most strenuous efforts2 so when the cry reached heaven that ,david was in trouble1 the earthquake and the lightning and all the other messengers of heaven were sent out to his aid2 nay1 these were not enough2 ,god ,himself flew1 riding on a cherub1 yea1 ,he did fly upon the wings of the wind4 ,faith saw ,god bestirring ,himself for his deliverance1 as if every agency of nature had been set in motion on his behalf4 ,and this being done1 his deliverance was conspicuous and complete4 ,he saw ,god's hand stretched out with remarkable distinctness4 ,there could be no more doubt that it was ,god that rescued him from ,saul than that it was ,he that snatched ,israel from ,pharaoh when literally the channels of the sea appeared1 the foundations of the world were discovered1 at the rebuking of the ,lord1 at the blast of the breath of ,his nostrils4 ,there could be no more doubt that it was ,god who protected ,david when men rose to swallow him up than that it was ,he who drew ,moses from the ,nile--,he sent from above1 ,he took me1 ,he drew me out of many waters4 ,no miracles had been wrought on ,david's behalf2 unlike ,moses and ,joshua before him1 and unlike ,elijah and ,elisha after him1 he had not had the laws of nature suspended for his protection2 yet he could see the hand of ,god stretched out for him as clearly as if a miracle had been wrought at every turn4 ,does this not show that ordinary ,christians1 if they are but careful to watch1 and humble enough to watch in a chastened spirit1 may find in their history1 however quietly it may have glided by1 many a token of the interest and care of their ,father in heaven8 ,and what a blessed thing to have accumulated through life a store of such providences--to have ,ebenezers reared along the whole line of one's history6 ,what courage after looking over such a past might one feel in looking forward to the future6 ,,iii4 ,the next section of the song sets forth the grounds on which the ,divine protection was thus enjoyed by ,david4 ,substantially these grounds were the uprightness and faithfulness with which he had served ,god4 ,the expressions are strong1 and at first sight they have a flavour of self-righteousness4 ,the ,lord rewarded me according to my righteousness2 according to the cleanness of my hands hath ,he recompensed me4 ,for ,i have kept the ways of the ,lord1 and have not wickedly departed from my ,god4 ,for all ,his judgments were before me1 and ,i put not away ,his statutes from me4 ,i was also perfect with ,him1 and ,i kept myself from mine iniquity4 ,but it is impossible to read this ,psalm without feeling that it is not pervaded by the spirit of the self-righteous man4 ,it is pervaded by a profound sense of dependence on ,god1 and of obligation to ,his mercy and love4 ,now that is the very opposite of the self-righteous spirit4 ,we may surely find another way of accounting for such expressions used by ,david here4 ,we may surely believe that all that was meant by him was to express the unswerving sincerity and earnestness with which he had endeavoured to serve ,god1 with which he had resisted every temptation to conscious unfaithfulness1 with which he had resisted every allurement to idolatry on the one hand or to the neglect of the welfare of ,god's nation on the other4 ,what he here celebrates is1 not any personal righteousness that might enable him as an individual to claim the favour and reward of ,god1 but the ground on which he1 as the public champion of ,god's cause before the world1 enjoyed ,god's countenance and obtained ,his protection4 ,there would be no self-righteousness in an inferior officer of the navy or the army who had been sent on some expedition saying1 ,i obeyed your instructions in every particular2 ,i never deviated from the course you prescribed4 ,there would have been no self-righteousness in such a man as ,luther saying1 ,i constantly maintained the principles of the ,bible2 ,i never once abandoned ,protestant ground4 ,such affirmations would never be held to imply a claim of personal sinlessness during the whole course of their lives4 ,substantially all that is asserted is1 that in their public capacity they proved faithful to the cause entrusted to them2 they never consciously betrayed their public charge4 ,now it is this precisely that ,david affirms of himself4 ,unlike ,saul1 who abandoned the law of the kingdom1 ,david uniformly endeavoured to carry it into effect4 ,the success which followed he does not claim as any credit to himself1 but as due to his having followed the instructions of his heavenly ,lord4 ,it is the very opposite of a self-righteous spirit4 ,he would have us understand that if ever he had abandoned the guidance of ,god1 if ever he had relied on his own wisdom and followed the counsels of his own heart1 everything would have gone wrong with him2 the fact that he had been successful was due altogether to the ,divine wisdom that guided and the ,divine strength that upheld him4 ,even with this explanation1 some of the expressions may seem too strong4 ,how could he speak of the cleanness of his hands1 and of his not having wickedly departed from his ,god8 ,granting that the song was written before his sin in the case of ,uriah1 yet remembering how he had lied at ,nob and equivocated at ,gath1 might he not have used less sweeping words8 ,but it is not the way of burning1 enthusiastic minds to be for ever weighing their words1 and guarding against misunderstandings4 ,enthusiasm sweeps along in a rapid current4 ,and ,david correctly describes the prevailing features of his public endeavours4 ,his public life was unquestionably marked by a sincere and commonly successful endeavour to follow the will of ,god4 ,in contrast with ,saul and ,ishbosheth1 side by side with ,absalom or ,sheba2 his career was purity itself1 and bore out the rule of the ,divine government1 ,with the merciful ,thou wilt show ,thyself merciful1 and with the upright man ,thou wilt show ,thyself upright4 ,with the pure ,thou wilt show ,thyself pure1 and with the froward ,thou wilt show ,thyself unsavoury4 ,if ,god is to prosper us1 there must be an inner harmony between us and ,him4 ,if the habit of our life be opposed to ,god1 the result can only be collision and rebuke4 ,david was conscious of the inner harmony1 and therefore he was able to rely on being supported and blessed4 ,,iv4 ,in the wide survey of his life and of his providential mercies1 the eye of the ,psalmist is particularly fixed on some of his deliverances1 in the remembrance of which he specially praises ,god4 ,one of the earliest appears to be recalled in the words1 ,by my ,god have ,i leaped over a wall1--the wall1 it may be supposed1 of ,gibeah1 down which ,michal let him when ,saul sent to take him in his house4 ,still further back1 perhaps1 in his life is the allusion in another expression--,thy gentleness hath made me great4 ,he seems to go back to his shepherd life1 and in the gentleness with which he dealt with the feeble lamb that might have perished in rougher hands to find an emblem of ,god's method with himself4 ,if ,god had not dealt gently with him1 he never would have become what he was4 ,the ,divine gentleness had made paths easy that rougher treatment would have made intolerable4 ,and who of us that looks back but must own our obligations to the gentleness of ,god1 the tender1 forbearing1 nay loving1 treatment ,he has bestowed on us1 even in the midst of provocations that would have justified far harsher treatment8 ,but what8 ,can ,david praise ,god's gentleness and in the next words utter such terrible words against his foes8 ,how can he extol ,god's gentleness to him and immediately dwell on his tremendous severity to them8 ,i have consumed them and wounded them that they could not arise2 yea1 they are fallen under my feet4444 ,then did ,i beat them as small as the dust of the earth1 ,i did stamp them as the mire of the street1 and did spread them abroad4 ,it is the military spirit which we have so often observed1 looking on his enemies in one light only1 as identified with everything evil and enemies of all that was good4 ,to show mercy to them would be like showing mercy to destructive wild beasts1 raging bears1 venomous serpents1 and rapacious vultures4 ,mercy to them would be cruelty to all ,god's servants2 it would be ruin to ,god's cause4 ,no6 for them the only fit doom was destruction1 and that destruction he had dealt to them with no unsparing hand4 ,but while we perceive his spirit1 and harmonise it with his general character1 we cannot but regard it as the spirit of one who was imperfectly enlightened4 ,we tremble when we think what fearful wickedness persecutors and inquisitors have committed1 under the idea that the same course was to be followed against those whom they deemed enemies of the cause of ,god4 ,we rejoice in the ,christian spirit that teaches us to regard even public enemies as our brothers1 for whom individually kindly and brotherly feelings are to be cherished4 ,and we remember the new aspect in which our relations to such have been placed by our ,lord3 ,love your enemies1 bless them that curse you1 do good to them that hate you1 and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you4 ,in the closing verses of the ,psalm1 the views of the ,psalmist seem to sweep beyond the limits of an earthly kingdom4 ,his eye seems to embrace the wide-spreading dominion of ,messiah2 at all events1 he dwells on those features of his own kingdom that were typical of the all-embracing kingdom of the ,gospel3 ,thou hast made me the head of the nations2 a people whom ,i have not known shall serve me4 ,as soon as they hear of me they shall obey me2 the strangers shall submit themselves unto me4 ,the forty-ninth verse is quoted by ,st4 ,paul 7,rom4 xv4 #i7 as a proof that in the purpose of ,god the salvation of ,christ was designed for ,gentiles as well as ,jews4 ,it is beyond doubt1 says ,luther1 that the wars and victories of ,david prefigured the passion and resurrection of ,christ4 ,at the same time1 he admits that it is very doubtful how far the ,psalm applies to ,christ1 and how far to ,david1 and he declines to press the type to particulars4 ,but we may surely apply the concluding words to ,david's ,son3 ,he showeth loving-kindness to his anointed1 to ,david and to his seed for evermore4 ,it is interesting to mark the military aspect of the kingdom gliding into the missionary4 ,other psalms bring out more clearly this missionary element1 exhibit ,david rejoicing in the widening limits of his kingdom1 in the wider diffusion of the knowledge of the true ,god1 and in the greater happiness and prosperity accruing to men4 ,and yet1 perhaps1 his views on the subject were comparatively dim2 he may have been disposed to identify the conquests of the sword and the conquests of the truth instead of regarding the one as but typical of the other4 ,the visions and revelations of his later years seem to have thrown new light on this glorious subject1 and though not immediately1 yet ultimately1 to have convinced him that truth1 righteousness1 and meekness were to be the conquering weapons of ,messiah's reign4 ,,chapter ,,xxxi4 ,,the ,,last ,,words ,,of ,,david4 #b ,,samuel xxiii4 #a-g4 7,see ,revised ,version and margin47 ,of these the last words of ,david1 we need not understand that they were the last words he ever spoke1 but his last song or psalm1 his latest vision1 and therefore the subject that was most in his mind in the last period of his life4 ,the ,psalm recorded in the preceding chapter was an earlier song1 and its main drift was of the past4 ,of this latest ,psalm the main drift is of the future4 ,the colours of this vision are brighter than those of any other4 ,aged though the seer was1 there is a glory in this his latest vision unsurpassed in any that went before4 ,the setting sun spreads a lustre around as he sinks under the horizon unequalled by any he diffused even when he rode in the height of the heavens4 ,the song falls into four parts4 ,first1 there is an elaborate introduction1 descriptive of the singer and the inspiration which gave birth to his song2 secondly1 the main subject of the prophecy1 a ,ruler among men1 of wonderful brightness and glory2 thirdly1 a reference to the ,psalmist's own house and the covenant ,god had made with him2 and finally1 in the way of contrast to the preceding1 a prediction of the doom of the ungodly4 ,i4 ,in the introduction1 we cannot but be struck with the formality and solemnity of the affirmation respecting the singer and the inspiration under which he sang4 ,david1 the son of ,jesse1 saith1 ,and the man who was raised on high saith1 ,the anointed of the ,god of ,jacob1 ,and the sweet psalmist of ,israel3 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord spake by me1 ,and ,his word was upon my tongue2 ,the ,god of ,israel said1 ,the ,rock of ,israel spake to me 7,r4,v474 ,the first four clauses represent ,david as the speaker2 the second four represent ,god's ,spirit as inspiring his words4 ,the introduction to ,balaam's prophecies is the only passage where we find a similar structure1 nor is this the only point of resemblance between the two songs4 ,balaam1 the son of ,beor1 saith1 ,and the man whose eye was closed saith2 ,he saith which heareth the words of ,god1 ,and knoweth the knowledge of the ,most ,high2 ,which seeth the vision of the ,almighty1 ,falling down1 and having his eyes open 7,num4 xxiv4 #ae1 #af1 ,r4,v474 ,in both prophecies1 the word translated saith is peculiar4 ,while occurring between two and three hundred times in the formula ,thus saith the ,lord1 it is used by a human speaker only in these two places and in ,prov4 xxx4 #a4 ,both ,balaam and ,david begin by giving their own name and that of their father1 thereby indicating their native insignificance1 and disclaiming any right to speak on subjects so lofty through any wisdom or insight of their own4 ,immediately after1 they claim to speak the words of ,god4 ,all the grounds on which ,david should be listened to fall under this head4 ,was he not raised up on high8 ,was he not the anointed of the ,god of ,jacob8 ,was he not the sweet ,psalmist of ,israel8 ,having been raised up on high1 ,david had established the kingdom of ,israel on a firm and lasting basis1 he had destroyed all its enemies1 and he had established a comely order and prosperity throughout all its borders2 as the sweet singer of ,israel1 or1 as it has been otherwise rendered1 the lovely one in ,israel's songs of praise--that is1 the man who had been specially gifted to compose songs of praise in honour of ,israel's ,god--it was fitting that he should be made the organ of this very remarkable and glorious communication4 ,it is interesting to observe how ,david must have been attracted by ,balaam's vision4 ,the dark wall of the ,moabite mountains was a familiar object to him1 and must often have recalled the strange but unworthy prophet who spoke of the ,star that was to shine so gloriously1 and the ,sceptre that was to have such a wonderful rule4 ,often during his life we may believe that ,david devoutly desired to know something more of that mysterious ,star and ,sceptre2 and now that desire is fulfilled2 the ,star is as the light of the morning star2 the ,sceptre is that of a blessed ruler1 one that ruleth over men righteously1 that ruleth in the fear of ,god4 ,the second part of the introduction stamps the prophecy with a fourfold mark of inspiration4 #a4 ,the ,spirit of the ,lord spake by me4 ,for the prophecy came not of old time by the will of man2 but holy men of ,god spake as they were moved by the ,holy ,ghost4 #b4 ,his word was in my tongue4 ,for in high visions like this1 of which no wisdom of man can create even a shadow1 it is not enough that the ,spirit should merely guide the writer2 this is one of the utterances where verbal inspiration must have been enjoyed4 #c4 ,the ,god of ,israel said1 ,he who entered into covenant with ,israel1 and promised him great and peculiar mercies4 #d4 ,the ,rock of ,israel spake to me1 the faithful ,one1 whose words are stable as a rock1 and who provides for ,israel a foundation-stone1 elect and precious1 immovable as the everlasting hills4 ,so remarkable an introduction must be followed by no ordinary prophecy4 ,if the prophecy should bear on nothing more remarkable than some earthly successor of ,david1 all this preliminary glorification would be singularly out of place4 ,it would be like a great procession of heralds and flourishing of trumpets in an earthly kingdom to announce some event of the most ordinary kind1 the repeal of a tax or the appointment of an officer4 ,,ii4 ,we come then to the great subject of the prophecy--a ,ruler over men4 ,the rendering of the ,authorized ,version is somewhat lame and obscure1 ,he that ruleth over men must be just1 there being nothing whatever in the original corresponding to must be4 ,the ,revised ,version is at once more literal and more expressive3-- ,one that ruleth over men righteously1 ,ruling in the fear of ,god1 ,he shall be as the light of the morning4 ,it is a vision of a remarkable ,ruler1 not a ,ruler over the kingdom of ,israel merely1 but a ,ruler over men4 ,the ,ruler seen is ,one whose government knows no earthly limits1 but prevails wherever there are men4 ,solomon could not be the ruler seen1 for1 wide though his empire was1 he was king of ,israel only1 not king of men4 ,it was but a speck of the habitable globe1 but a morsel of that part of it that was inhabited even then1 over which ,solomon reigned4 ,if the term ,one that ruleth over men could have been appropriated by any monarch1 it would have been ,ahasuerus1 with his hundred and twenty-seven provinces1 or ,alexander the ,great1 or some other universal monarch1 that would have had the right to claim it4 ,but every such application is out of the question4 ,the ,ruler over men of this vision must have been identified by ,david with ,him in whom all the nations of the earth were to be blessed4 ,it is worthy of very special remark that the first characteristic of this ,ruler is righteousness4 ,there is no grander or more majestic word in the language of men4 ,not even love or mercy can be preferred to righteousness4 ,and this is no casual expression1 happening in ,david's vision1 for it is common to the whole class of prophecies that predict the ,messiah4 ,behold1 a ,king shall reign in righteousness1 and princes shall rule in judgment4 ,there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of ,jesse1 and the spirit of the fear of the ,lord 444 shall rest on ,him1 444 and righteousness shall be the girdle of ,his loins4 ,there is no lack in the ,new ,testament of passages to magnify the love and mercy of the ,lord ,jesus1 yet it is made very plain that righteousness was the foundation of all ,his work4 ,thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness1 were the words with which ,he removed the objections of ,john to ,his baptism1 and they were words that described the business of ,his whole life3 to fulfil all righteousness for ,his people and in ,his people--for them1 to satisfy the demands of the righteous law and bear the righteous penalty of transgression2 in them to infuse ,his own righteous spirit and mould them into the likeness of ,his righteous example1 to sum up the whole law of righteousness in the law of love1 and by ,his grace instil that law into their hearts4 ,such essentially was the work of ,christ4 ,no man can say of the religious life that ,christ expounded that it was a life of loose1 feverish emotion or sentimental spirituality that left the ,decalogue far out of view4 ,nothing could have been further from the mind of ,him that said1 ,except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and ,pharisees1 ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven4 ,nothing could have been more unlike the spirit of ,him who was not content with maintaining the letter of the ,decalogue1 but with ,his again1 ,i say unto you1 drove its precepts so much further as into the very joints and marrow of men's souls4 ,it is the grand characteristic of ,christ's salvation in theory that it is through righteousness2 it is not less its effect in practice to promote righteousness4 ,to any who would dream1 under colour of free grace1 of breaking down the law of righteousness1 the words of the ,holy ,one and the ,just stand out as an eternal rebuke1 ,think not that ,i am come to destroy the law and the prophets2 ,i am not come to destroy1 but to fulfil4 ,and as ,christ's work was founded on righteousness1 so it was constantly done in the fear of ,god1--with the highest possible regard for ,his will1 and reverence for ,his law4 ,wist ye not that ,i must be about ,my ,father's business8 is the first word we hear from ,christ's lips2 and among the last is1 ,not ,my will1 but ,thine1 be done4 ,no motto could have been more appropriate for ,his whole life than this3 ,i delight to do ,thy will1 ,o ,my ,god4 ,having shown the character of the ,ruler1 the vision next pictures the effects of ,his rule3-- ,he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth1 ,a morning without clouds1 ,when the tender grass springeth out of the earth ,through clear shining after rain4 ,but why introduce the future shall be in the translation when it is not in the original8 ,may we not conceive the ,psalmist reading off a vision--a scene unfolding itself in all its beauty before his mind's eye8 ,a beautiful influence seems to come over the earth as the ,divine ,ruler makes ,his appearance1 like the rising of the sun on a cloudless morning1 like the appearance of the grass when the sun shines out clearly after rain4 ,no imagery could be more delightful1 or more fitly applied to ,christ4 ,the image of the morning sun presents ,christ in ,his gladdening influences1 bringing pardon to the guilty1 health to the diseased1 hope to the despairing2 ,he is indeed like the morning sun1 lighting up the sky with splendour and the earth with beauty1 giving brightness to the languid eye1 and colour to the faded cheek1 and health and hope to the sorrowing heart4 ,the chief idea under the other emblem1 the grass shining clearly after rain1 is that of renewed beauty and growth4 ,the heavy rain batters the grass1 as heavy trials batter the soul1 but when the morning sun shines out clearly1 the grass recovers1 it sparkles with a fresher lustre1 and grows with intenser activity4 ,so when ,christ shines on the heart after trial1 a new beauty and a new growth and prosperity come to it4 ,when this ,sun of righteousness shines forth thus1 in the case of individuals the understanding becomes more clear1 the conscience more vigorous1 the will more firm1 the habits more holy1 the temper more serene1 the affections more pure1 the desires more heavenly4 ,in communities1 conversions are multiplied1 and souls advanced steadily in holy beauties2 intelligence spreads1 love triumphs over selfishness1 and the spirit of ,christ modifies the spirit of strife and the spirit of mammon4 ,it is with the happiest skill that ,solomon1 appropriating part of his father's imagery1 draws the picture of the bride1 with the radiance of the bridegroom falling on her3 ,who is she that looketh forth as the morning1 fair as the moon1 clear as the sun1 and terrible as an army with banners8 ,,iii4 ,next comes ,david's allusion to his own house4 ,in our translation1 and in the text of the ,revised ,version1 this comes in to indicate a sad contrast between the bright vision just described and the ,psalmist's own family4 ,it indicates that his house or family did not correspond to the picture of the prophecy1 and would not realize the emblems of the rising sun and the growing grass2 but as ,god had made with himself an everlasting covenant1 ordered in all things and sure1 that satisfied him2 it was all his salvation and all his desire1 although his house was not to grow4 ,but in the margin of the ,revised ,version we have another translation1 which reverses all this3-- ,for is not my house so with ,god8 ,for ,he hath made with me an everlasting covenant1 ,ordered in all things and sure3 ,for all my salvation and all my desire1 ,will ,he not make it to grow8 ,corresponding as this does with the translation of many scholars 7e4g41 ,boothroyd1 ,hengstenberg1 ,fairbairn71 it must be regarded as admissible on the strength of outward evidence4 ,and if so1 certainly it is very strongly recommended by internal evidence4 ,for what reason could ,david have for introducing his family at all after the glorious vision if only to say that they were excluded from it8 ,and can it be thought that ,david1 whose nature was so intensely sympathetic1 would be so pleased because he was personally provided for1 though not his family8 ,and still further1 why should he go on in the next verses 7#f1 #g7 to describe the doom of the ungodly by way of contrast to what precedes if the doom of ungodly persons is the matter already introduced in the fifth verse8 ,the passage becomes highly involved and unnatural in the light of the older translation4 ,the key to the passage will be found1 if we mistake not1 in the expression my house4 ,we are liable to think of this as the domestic circle1 whereas it ought to be thought of as the reigning dynasty4 ,what is denoted by the house of ,hapsburg1 the house of ,hanover1 the house of ,savoy1 is quite different from the personal family of any of the kings4 ,so when ,david speaks of his house1 he means his dynasty4 ,in this sense his house had been made the subject of the most gracious promise4 ,moreover1 the ,lord telleth thee that ,he will make thee an house4444 ,and thine house and thy kingdom shall be made sure for ever before thee4444 ,then ,david said1 444 ,what is my house1 that ,thou hast brought me thus far8444 ,thou hast spoken also of ,thy servant's house for a great while to come4 ,the king felt profoundly on that occasion that his house was even more prominently the subject of ,divine promise than himself4 ,what roused his gratitude to its utmost height was the gracious provision for his house4 ,surely the covenant referred to in the passage now before us1 ordered in all things and sure1 was this very covenant announced to him by the prophet ,nathan1 the covenant that made this provision for his house4 ,it is impossible to think of him recalling this covenant and yet saying1 ,verily my house is not so with ,god 7,r4,v474 ,but take the marginal reading--,is not my house so with ,god8 ,is not my dynasty embraced in the scope of this promise8 ,hath ,he not made with me an everlasting covenant1 ordered in all things and sure8 ,and will ,he not make this promise1 which is all my salvation and all my desire1 to grow1 to fructify8 ,it is infinitely more natural to represent ,david on this joyous occasion congratulating himself on the promise of long continuance and prosperity made to his dynasty1 than dwelling on the unhappy condition of the members of his family circle4 ,and the facts of the future correspond to this explanation4 ,was not the government of ,david's house or dynasty in the main righteous1 at least for many a reign1 conducted in the fear of ,god1 and followed by great prosperity and blessing8 ,david himself1 ,solomon1 ,asa1 ,jehoshaphat1 ,hezekiah1 ,josiah--what other nation had ever so many ,christlike kings8 ,what a contrast was presented to this in the main by the apostate kingdom of the ten tribes1 idolatrous1 ,god-dishonouring1 throughout6 ,and as to the growth or continued vitality of his house1 its clear shining after rain1 had not ,god promised that ,he would bless it1 and that it would continue for ever before ,him8 ,he knew that1 spiritually dormant at times1 his house would survive1 till a living root came from the stem of ,jesse1 till the ,prince of life should be born from it1 and once that plant of renown was raised up1 there was no fear but the house would be preserved for ever4 ,from this point it would start on a new career of glory2 nay1 this was the very ,ruler of whom he had been prophesying1 at once ,david's ,son and ,david's ,lord2 this was the root and the offspring of ,david1 the bright and the morning star4 ,conducted to this stage in the future experience of his house1 he needed no further assurance1 he cherished no further desire4 ,the covenant that rested on ,him and that promised ,him was ordered in all things and sure4 ,the glorious prospect exhausted his every wish4 ,this is all my salvation and all my desire4 ,,iv4 ,the last part of the prophecy1 in the way of contrast to the leading vision1 is a prediction of the doom of the ungodly4 ,the revised translation is much the clearer3-- ,but the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away1 ,for they cannot be taken with the hand1 ,but the man that toucheth them ,must be armed with iron and the staff and spear1 ,and they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place4 ,while some would fain think of ,christ's sceptre as one of mercy only1 the uniform representation of the ,bible is different4 ,in this1 as in most predictions of ,christ's kingly office1 there is an instructive combination of mercy and judgment4 ,in the bosom of one of ,isaiah's sweetest predictions1 he introduces the ,messiah as anointed by the ,spirit of ,god to proclaim the day of vengeance of our ,god4 ,in a subsequent vision1 ,messiah appears marching triumphantly with dyed garments from ,bozrah1 after treading the people in ,his anger and trampling them in ,his fury4 ,malachi proclaimed ,him the ,sun of righteousness1 with healing under ,his wings1 while ,his day was to burn as an oven and consume the proud and the wicked like stubble4 ,john the ,baptist saw ,him with ,his fan in ,his hand1 throughly purging ,his floor1 gathering the wheat into ,his garner1 while the chaff should be burnt with unquenchable fire4 ,in ,his own words1 the ,son of man shall gather out of ,his kingdom all things that offend1 and them that do iniquity1 and cast them into a furnace of fire2 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth4 ,and in the ,apocalypse1 when the ,king of kings and the ,lord of lords is to be married to ,his bride1 ,he appears clothed with a garment dipped in blood1 and out of ,his mouth goeth a sharp sword1 that ,he should smite the nations1 and ,he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of ,almighty ,god4 ,nor could it be otherwise4 ,the union of mercy and judgment is the inevitable result of the righteousness which is the foundation of ,his government4 ,sin is the abominable thing which ,he hates4 ,to separate men from sin is the grand purpose of ,his government4 ,for this end1 ,he draws ,his people into union with ,himself1 thereby for ever removing their guilt1 and providing for the ultimate removal of all sin from their hearts and the complete assimilation of their natures to ,his holy nature4 ,blessed are they who enter into this relation2 but alas for those who1 for all that ,he has done1 prefer their sins to ,him6 ,the ungodly shall be all of them as thorns to be thrust away4 ,oh1 let us not be satisfied with admiring beautiful images of ,christ6 ,let us not deem it enough to think with pleasure of ,him as the light of the morning1 a morning without clouds1 brightening the earth1 and making it sparkle with the lustre of the sunshine on the grass after rain6 ,let us not satisfy ourselves with knowing that ,jesus ,christ came to earth on a beneficent mission1 and with thinking that surely we shall one day share in the blessed effects of ,his work6 ,nothing of that kind can avail us if we are not personally united to ,christ4 ,we must come as sinners individually to ,him1 cast ourselves on ,his free1 unmerited grace1 and deliberately accept ,his righteousness as our clothing4 ,then1 but only then1 shall we be able to sing3 ,i will greatly rejoice in the ,lord2 my soul shall be joyful in my ,god2 for ,he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation1 ,he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness1 as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments1 and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels4 ,,chapter ,,xxxii4 ,,the ,,numbering ,,of ,,israel4 #b ,,samuel xxiv4 ,though ,david's life was now drawing to its close1 neither his sins nor his chastisements were yet exhausted4 ,one of his chief offences was committed when he was old and grey-headed4 ,there can be little doubt that what is recorded in this chapter took place toward the close of his life2 the word again at the beginning indicates that it was later in time than the event which gave rise to the last expression of ,god's displeasure to the nation4 ,surely there can be little ground for the doctrine of perfectionism1 otherwise ,david1 whose religion was so earnest and so deep1 would have been nearer it now than this chapter shows that he was4 ,the offence consisted in taking a census of the people4 ,at first it is difficult to see what there was in this that was so sinful2 yet highly sinful it was in the judgment of ,god1 in the judgment of ,joab1 and at last in the judgment of ,david too2 it will be necessary1 therefore1 to examine the subject very carefully if we would understand clearly what constituted the great sin of ,david4 ,the origin of the proceeding was remarkable4 ,it may be said to have had a double1 or rather a triple1 origin3 ,god1 ,david1 and ,satan1 or1 as some propose to render in place of ,satan1 an enemy4 ,in ,samuel we read that the ,lord's anger was again kindled against ,israel4 ,the nation required a chastisement4 ,it needed a smart stroke of the rod to make it pause and think how it was offending ,god4 ,we do not require to know very specially what it was that displeased ,god in a nation that had been so ready to side with ,absalom and drive ,god's anointed from the throne4 ,they were far from steadfast in their allegiance to ,god1 easily drawn from the path of duty2 and all that it is important for us to know is simply that at this particular time they were farther astray than usual1 and more in need of chastisement4 ,the cup of sin had filled up so far that ,god behoved to interpose4 ,for this end the ,lord moved ,david against them to say1 ,go1 number ,israel and ,judah4 ,the action of ,god in the matter1 like ,his action in sinful matters generally1 was1 that ,he permitted it to take place4 ,he allowed ,david's sinful feeling to come as a factor into ,his scheme with a view to the chastising of the people4 ,we have seen many times in this history how ,god is represented as doing things and saying things which ,he does not do nor say directly1 but which ,he takes up into ,his plan1 with a view to the working out of some great end in the future4 ,but in ,chronicles it is said that ,satan stood up against ,israel and provoked ,david to number ,israel4 ,according to some commentators1 the ,hebrew word is not to be translated ,satan1 because it has no article1 but an adversary1 as in parallel passages3 ,the ,lord stirred up an adversary unto ,solomon1 ,hadad the ,edomite 7#a ,kings xi4 #ad72 ,god stirred up another adversary to ,israel1 ,razon1 the son of ,eliadib 7#a ,kings xi4 #bc74 ,perhaps it was some one in the garb of a friend1 but with the spirit of an enemy1 that moved ,david in this matter4 ,if we suppose ,satan to have been the active mover1 then ,bishop ,hall's words will indicate the relation between the three parties3 ,both ,god and ,satan had then a hand in the work--,god by permission1 ,satan by suggestion2 ,god as a ,judge1 ,satan as an enemy2 ,god as in a just punishment for sin1 ,satan as in an act of sin2 ,god in a wise ordination of it for good1 ,satan in a malicious intent of confusion4 ,thus at once ,god moved and ,satan moved1 neither is it any excuse to ,satan or to ,david that ,god moved1 neither is it any blemish to ,god that ,satan moved4 ,the ruler's sin is a punishment to a wicked people2 if ,god were not angry with a people1 ,he would not give up their governors to evils that provoke ,his vengeance2 justly are we charged to make prayers and supplications as for all men1 so especially for rulers4 ,but what constituted ,david's great offence in numbering the people8 ,every civilised ,state is now accustomed to number its people periodically1 and for many good purposes it is a most useful step4 ,josephus represents that ,david omitted to levy the atonement money which was to be raised1 according to ,exod4 xxx4 #ab1 etc41 from all who were numbered1 but surely1 if this had been his offence1 it would have been easy for ,joab1 when he remonstrated1 to remind him of it1 instead of trying to dissuade him from the scheme altogether4 ,the more common view of the transaction has been that it was objectionable1 not in itself1 but in the spirit by which it was dictated4 ,that spirit seems to have been a self-glorifying spirit4 ,it seems to have been like the spirit which led ,hezekiah to show his treasures to the ambassadors of the king of ,babylon4 ,perhaps it was designed to show1 that in the number of his forces ,david was quite a match for the great empires on the banks of the ,nile and the ,euphrates4 ,if their fighting men could be counted by the hundred thousand or the thousand thousand1 so could his4 ,in the fighting resources of his kingdom1 he was able to hold his head as high as any of them4 ,surely such a spirit was the very opposite of what was becoming in such a king as ,david4 ,was this not measuring the strength of a spiritual power with the measure of a carnal8 ,did it not leave ,god most sinfully out of reckoning8 ,nay1 did it not substitute a carnal for a spiritual defence8 ,was it not in the very teeth of the ,psalm1 ,there is no king saved by the multitude of an host2 a mighty man is not delivered by much strength4 ,an horse is a vain thing for safety2 neither shall he deliver any by his great strength4 ,behold1 the eye of the ,lord is upon them that ear ,him1 upon them that hope in ,his mercy1 to deliver their soul from death1 and to keep them alive in famine8 ,that ,david's project was very deeply seated in his heart is evident from the fact that he was unmoved by the remonstrance of ,joab4 ,in ordinary circumstances it must have startled him to find that even he was strongly opposed to his project4 ,it is indeed strange that ,joab should have had scruples where ,david had none4 ,we have been accustomed to find ,joab so seldom in the right that it is hard to believe that he was in the right now4 ,but perhaps we do ,joab injustice4 ,he was a man that could be profoundly stirred when his own interests were at stake1 or his passions roused1 and that seemed equally regardless of ,god and man in what he did on such occasions4 ,but otherwise ,joab commonly acted with prudence and moderation4 ,he consulted for the good of the nation4 ,he was not habitually reckless or habitually cruel1 and he seems to have had a certain amount of regard to the will of ,god and the theocratic constitution of the kingdom1 for he was loyal to ,david from the very beginning1 up to the contest between ,solomon and ,adonijah4 ,it is evident that ,joab felt strongly that in the step which he proposed to take ,david would be acting a part unworthy of himself and of the constitution of the kingdom1 and by displeasing ,god would expose himself to evils far beyond any advantage he might hope to gain by ascertaining the number of the people4 ,for once--and this time1 unhappily--,david was too strong for the son of ,zeruiah4 ,the enumerators of the people were despatched1 no doubt with great regularity1 to take the census4 ,the boundaries named were not beyond the territory as divided by ,joshua among the ,israelites1 save that ,tyre and ,zidon were included2 not that they had been annexed by ,david1 but probably because there was an understanding that in all his military arrangements they were to be associated with him4 ,nine months and twenty days were occupied in the business4 ,at the end of it1 it was ascertained that the fighting men of ,israel were eight hundred thousand1 and those of ,judah five hundred thousand2 or1 if we take the figures in ,chronicles1 eleven hundred thousand of ,israel and four hundred and seventy thousand of ,judah4 ,the discrepancy is not easily accounted for2 but probably in ,chronicles in the number for ,israel certain bodies of troops were included which were not included in ,samuel1 and vice vers in the case of ,judah4 ,just as in the case of his sin in the matter of ,uriah1 ,david was long of coming to a sense of it4 ,how his view came to change we are not told1 but when the change did occur1 it seems1 as in the other case1 to have come with extraordinary force4 ,david's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people4 ,and ,david said unto the ,lord1 ,i have sinned greatly in that which ,i have done2 and now1 ,i beseech ,thee1 ,o ,lord1 take away the iniquity of ,thy servant1 for ,i have done very foolishly4 ,once alive to his sin1 his humiliation is very profound4 ,his confession is frank1 hearty1 complete4 ,he shows no proud desire to remain on good terms with himself1 seeks nothing to break his fall or to make his humiliation less before ,joab and before the people4 ,he says1 ,i will confess my transgression to the ,lord2 and his plea is one with which he is familiar from of old--,for ,thy name's sake1 ,o ,lord1 pardon mine iniquity1 for it is great4 ,he is never greater than when acknowledging his sin4 ,next comes the chastisement4 ,the moment for sending it is very seasonable4 ,it did not come while his conscience was yet slumbering1 but after he had come to feel his sin4 ,his confessions and relentings were proofs that he was now fit for chastisement2 the chastisement1 as in the other case1 was solemnly announced by a prophet2 and1 as in the other case too1 it fell on one of the tenderest spots of his heart4 ,then the first blow fell on his infant child2 now it falls upon his sheep4 ,his affections were divided between his children and his people1 and in both cases the blow must have been very severe4 ,it was1 as far as we can judge1 after a night of very profound humiliation that the prophet ,gad was sent to him4 ,gad had first come to him when he was hiding from ,saul1 and had therefore been his friend all his kingly life4 ,sad that so old and so good a friend should be the bearer to the aged king of a bitter message6 ,seven years of famine 7in #a ,chron4 xxi4 #ab1 three years71 three months of unsuccessful war1 or three days of pestilence1--the choice lies between these three4 ,all of them were well fitted to rebuke that pride in human resources which had been the occasion of his sin4 ,well might he say1 ,i am in a great strait4 ,oh the bitterness of the harvest when you sow to the flesh6 ,between these three horrors even ,god's anointed king has to choose4 ,what a delusion it is that ,god will not be very careful in the case of the wicked to inflict the due retribution of sin6 ,if these things were done in the green tree1 what shall be done in the dry8 ,david chose the three days of pestilence4 ,it was the shortest1 no doubt1 but what recommended it1 especially above the three months of unsuccessful war1 was that it would come more directly from the hand of ,god4 ,let me fall now into the hand of the ,lord1 for ,his mercies are great1 and let me not fall into the hand of man4 ,what a frightful time it must have been6 ,seventy thousand died of the plague4 ,from ,dan to ,beersheba nothing would be heard but a bitter cry1 like that of the ,egyptians when the angel slew the first-born4 ,what days and nights of agony these must have been to ,david6 ,how slowly would they drag on6 ,what cries in the morning1 ,would ,god it were evening6 and in the evening1 ,would ,god it were morning6 ,the pestilence1 wherever it originated1 seems to have advanced from every side like a besieging army1 till it was ready to close upon ,jerusalem4 ,the destroying angel hovered over ,mount ,moriah1 and1 like ,abraham on the same spot a thousand years before1 was brandishing his sword for the work of destruction4 ,it was a spot that had already been memorable for one display of ,divine forbearance1 and now it became the scene of another4 ,like the hand of ,abraham when ready to plunge the knife into the bosom of his son1 the hand of the angel was stayed when about to fall on ,jerusalem4 ,for ,abraham a ram had been provided to offer in the room of ,isaac2 and now ,david is commanded to offer a burnt-offering in acknowledgment of his guilt and of his need of expiation4 ,thus the ,lord stayed ,his rough wind in the day of ,his east wind4 ,in sparing ,jerusalem1 on the very eve of destruction1 ,he caused ,his mercy to rejoice over judgment4 ,no one but must admire the spirit of ,david when the angel appeared on ,mount ,moriah4 ,owning frankly his own great sin1 and especially his sin as a shepherd1 he bared his own bosom to the sword1 and entreated ,god to let the punishment fall on him and on his father's house4 ,why should the sheep suffer for the sin of the shepherd8 ,the plea was more beautiful than correct4 ,the sheep had been certainly not less guilty than the shepherd1 though in a different way4 ,we have seen how the anger of the ,lord had been kindled against ,israel when ,david was induced to go and number the people4 ,and as both had been guilty1 so both had been punished4 ,the sheep had been punished in their own bodies1 the shepherd in the tenderest feelings of his heart4 ,it is a rare sight to find a man prepared to take on himself more than his own share of the blame4 ,it was not so in paradise1 when the man threw the blame on the woman and the woman on the serpent4 ,we see that1 with all his faults1 ,david had another spirit from that of the vulgar world4 ,after all1 there is much of the ,divine nature in this poor1 blundering1 sinning child of clay4 ,on the day when the angel appeared over ,jerusalem1 ,gad was sent back to ,david with a more auspicious message4 ,he is required to build an altar to the ,lord on the spot where the angel stood4 ,this was the fitting counterpart to ,abraham's act when1 in place of ,isaac1 he offered the ram which ,jehovah-jireh had provided for the sacrifice4 ,the circumstances connected with the rearing of the altar and the offering of the burnt-offering were very peculiar1 and seem to have borne a deep typical meaning4 ,the place where the angel's arm was arrested was by the threshing-floor of ,araunah the ,jebusite4 ,it was there that ,david was commanded to rear his altar and offer his burnt-offering4 ,when ,araunah saw the king approaching1 he bowed before him and respectfully asked the purpose of his visit4 ,it was to buy the threshing-floor and build an altar1 that the plague might be stayed4 ,but if the threshing-floor was needed for that purpose1 ,araunah would give it freely2 and offer it as a free gift he did1 with royal munificence1 along with the oxen for a burnt-offering and their implements also as wood for the sacrifice4 ,david1 acknowledging his goodness1 would not be outdone in generosity1 and insisted on making payment4 ,the floor was bought1 the altar was built1 the sacrifice was offered1 and the plague was stayed4 ,as we read in ,chronicles1 fire from heaven attested ,god's acceptance of the offering4 ,and ,david said1 ,this is the house of the ,lord ,god1 and this is the altar of the burnt-offering for ,israel4 ,that is to say1 the threshing-floor was appointed to be the site of the temple which ,solomon was to build2 and the spot where ,david had hastily reared his altar was to be the place where1 for hundreds of years1 day after day1 morning and evening1 the blood of the burnt-offering was to flow1 and the fumes of incense to ascend before ,god4 ,no doubt it was to save time in so pressing an emergency that ,araunah gave for sacrifice the oxen with which he was working1 and the implements connected with his labour4 ,but in the purpose of ,god1 a great truth lay under these symbolical arrangements4 ,the oxen that had been labouring for man were sacrificed for man2 both their life and their death were given for man1 just as afterwards the ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 after living and labouring for the good of many1 at last gave ,his life a ransom4 ,the wood of the altar on which they suffered was1 part of it at all events1 borne on their own necks1 the threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen1 just as ,isaac had borne the wood and as ,jesus was to bear the cross on which1 respectively1 they were stretched4 ,the sacrifice was a sacrifice of blood1 for only blood could remove the guilt that had to be pardoned4 ,the analogy is clear enough4 ,isaac had escaped2 the ram suffered in his room4 ,jerusalem escaped now2 the oxen were sacrificed in its room4 ,sinners of mankind were to escape2 the ,lamb of ,god was to die1 the just for the unjust1 to bring them to ,god4 ,there were other circumstances1 however1 not without significance1 connected with the purchase of the temple site4 ,the man to whom the ground had belonged1 and whose oxen had been slain as the burnt-offering1 was a ,jebusite2 and from the way in which he designated ,david's ,lord1 the ,lord thy ,god1 it is not certain whether he was even a proselyte4 ,some think that he had formerly been king of ,jerusalem1 or rather of the stronghold of ,zion1 but that when ,zion was taken he had been permitted to retire to ,mount ,moriah1 which was separated from ,zion only by a deep ravine4 ,josephus calls him a great friend of ,david's4 ,he could not have shown a more friendly spirit of a more princely liberality4 ,the striking way in which the heart of this ,jebusite was moved to co-operate with ,king ,david in preparing for the temple was fitted to remind ,david of the missionary character which the temple was to sustain4 ,my house shall be called an house of prayer for all nations4 ,in the words of the sixty-eighth ,psalm1 ,because of thy temple at ,jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto thee4 ,as ,araunah's oxen had been accepted1 so the time would come when the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the ,lord1 to serve ,him and to love the name of the ,lord1 even them will ,i bring to ,my holy mountain1 and make them joyful in ,my house of prayer2 their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon ,mine altar4 ,what a wonderful thing is sanctified affliction6 ,while its root lies in the very corruption of our nature1 its fruit consists of the best blessings of ,heaven4 ,the root of ,david's affliction was carnal pride2 but under ,god's sanctifying grace1 it was followed by the erection of a temple associated with heavenly blessing1 not to one nation only1 but to all4 ,when affliction1 duly sanctified1 is thus capable of bringing such blessings1 it makes the fact all the more lamentable that affliction is so often unsanctified4 ,it is vain to imagine that everything of the nature of affliction is sure to turn to good4 ,it can turn to good on one condition only--when your heart is humbled under the rod1 and in the same humble1 chastened spirit as ,david you say1 and feel as well as say1 ,i have sinned4 ,one other lesson we gather from this chapter of ,david's history4 ,when he declined to accept the generous offer of ,araunah1 it was on the ground that he would not serve the ,lord with that which cost him nothing4 ,the thought needs only to be put in words to commend itself to every conscience4 ,god's service is neither a form nor a sham2 it is a great reality4 ,if we desire to show our honour for ,him1 it must be in a way suited to the occasion4 ,the poorest mechanic that would offer a gift to his sovereign tries to make it the product of his best labour1 the fruit of his highest skill4 ,to pluck a weed from the roadside and present it to one's sovereign would be no better than an insult4 ,yet how often is ,god served with that which costs men nothing6 ,men that will lavish hundreds and thousands to gratify their own fancy1--what miserable driblets they often give to the cause of ,god6 ,the smallest of coins is good enough for ,his treasury4 ,and as for other forms of serving ,god1 what a tendency there is in our time to make everything easy and pleasant1--to forget the very meaning of self-denial6 ,it is high time that that word of ,david were brought forth and put before every conscience1 and made to rebuke ever so many professed worshippers of ,god1 whose rule of worship is to serve ,god with what does cost them nothing4 ,the very heathen reprove you4 ,little though there has been to stimulate their love1 their sacrifices are often most costly--far from sacrifices that have cost them nothing4 ,oh1 let us who call ourselves ,christians beware lest we be found the meanest1 paltriest1 shabbiest of worshippers6 ,let souls that have been blessed as ,christians have devise liberal things4 ,let your question and the answer be3 ,what shall ,i render to the ,lord for all ,his benefits toward me8 ,i will take the cup of salvation and call on the name of the ,lord4 ,i will pay my vows unto the ,lord1 now in the presence of ,his people4 ,,chapter ,,xxxiii4 ,,the ,,two ,,books ,,of ,,samuel4 ,having now surveyed the events of the history of ,israel1 one by one1 during the whole of that memorable period which is embraced in the books of ,samuel1 it will be profitable1 before we close1 to cast a glance over the way by which we have traveled1 and endeavour to gather up the leading lessons and impressions of the whole4 ,let us bear in mind all along that the great object of these books1 as of the other historical books of ,scripture1 is peculiar3 it is not to trace the history of a nation1 in the ordinary sense1 but to trace the course of ,divine revelation1 to illustrate ,god's manner of dealing with the nation whom ,he chose that ,he might instruct and train them in ,his ways1 that ,he might train them to that righteousness which alone exalteth a people1 and that ,he might lay a foundation for the work of ,christ in future times1 in whom all the families of the earth were to be blessed4 ,the history delineated is not that of the kingdom of ,israel1 but that of the kingdom of ,god4 ,the history falls into four divisions1 like the acts of a drama4 ,i4 ,it opens with ,eli as high-priest1 when the state of the nation is far from satisfactory1 and ,god's holy purpose regarding it appears a failure4 ,,ii4 ,with ,samuel as the ,lord's prophet1 we see a remarkable revival of the spirit of ,god's nation4 ,,iii4 ,with ,saul a king1 the fair promise under ,samuel is darkened1 and an evil spirit is again ascendant4 ,,iv4 ,but with ,david1 the conditions are again reversed2 ,god's purpose regarding the people is greatly advanced1 but in the later part of his reign the sky again becomes overcast1 through his infirmities and the people's perversity1 and the great forces of good and evil are left still contending1 though not in the same proportion as before4 ,i4 ,the opening scene1 under the high-priesthood of ,eli1 is sad and painful4 ,it is the sanctuary itself1 the priestly establishment at ,shiloh1 that which ought to be the very centre and heart of the spiritual life of the nation1 that is photographed for us2 and it is a deplorable picture4 ,the soul of religion has died out2 little but the carcase is left4 ,formality and superstition are the chief forces at work1 and a wretched business they make of it4 ,men still attend to religious service1 for conscience and the force of habit have a wonderful tenacity2 but what is the use8 ,religion does not even help morality4 ,the acting priests are unblushing profligates1 defiling the very precincts of ,god's house with abominable wickedness4 ,and what better could you expect of the people when their very spiritual guides set them such an example8 ,men abhor the offering of the ,lord4 ,no wonder6 ,it irritates them in the last degree to have to give their wealth ostensibly for religion1 but really to feed the lusts of scoundrels4 ,people feel that instead of getting help from religious services for anything good1 it strains all that is best in them to endure contact with such things4 ,how can belief in a living ,god prevail when the very priests show themselves practical atheists8 ,the very idea of a personal ,god is blotted out of the people's mind1 and superstition takes its place4 ,men come to think that certain words1 or things1 or places have in some way a power to do them good4 ,the object of religion is not to please ,god1 but to get the mysterious good out of the words1 or things1 or places that have it in them4 ,when they are going to war1 they do not think how they may get the living ,god to be on their side1 but they take hold of the dead ark1 believing that there is some spell in it to frighten their enemies4 ,israelites who believe such things are no better than their pagan neighbours4 ,the whole purpose of ,god to make them an enlightened1 orderly1 sanctified people seems grievously frustrated4 ,even good men become comparatively useless under such a system4 ,the very high-priest is a kind of nonentity4 ,if ,eli had asserted ,god's claims with any vigour1 ,hophni and ,phinehas would not have dared to live as they did4 ,it is a mournful state of things when good men get reconciled to the evil that prevails1 or content themselves with very feebly protesting against it4 ,no doubt ,eli most sincerely bewailed it4 ,but the very atmosphere was drowsy1 inviting to rest and quiet4 ,there was no stir1 no movement anywhere4 ,where all death lived1 life died4 ,and yet1 as in the days of ,elijah1 ,god had ,his faithful ones in the land4 ,there were still men and women that believed in a living ,god1 and in their closets prayed to their ,father that seeth in secret4 ,and ,god has wonderful ways of reviving ,his cause when it seems extinct4 ,when all flesh had corrupted their way1 there was yet one man left who was righteous and godly2 and through ,noah ,god peopled the world4 ,when the new generation had become idolatrous1 ,he chose one man1 ,abraham1 and by him alone ,he built up a holy ,church1 and a consecrated nation4 ,and now1 when all ,israel seems to be hopelessly corrupt1 ,god finds in an obscure cottage a humble woman1 through whose seed it is ,his purpose that ,his ,church be revived1 and the nation saved4 ,take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones4 ,be thankful for every man and woman1 however insignificant1 in whose heart there is a living faith in a living ,god4 ,no one can tell what use ,god may not make of the poorest saint4 ,for ,god's power is unlimited4 ,one man1 one woman1 one child1 may be ,his instrument for arresting the decline of ages1 and introducing a new era of spiritual revival and holy triumph4 ,,ii4 ,for it was no less a change than this that was effected through ,samuel1 ,hannah's child4 ,from his infancy ,samuel was a consecrated person4 ,brought up as a child to reverence the sanctuary and all its worship1 he learned betimes the true meaning of it all2 and the reverence that he had been taught to give to ,his outward service1 he learned to associate with the person of the living ,god4 ,and ,samuel had the courage of his convictions1 and told the people of their sins1 and of ,god's claims4 ,it was his function to revive belief in the spiritual ,god1 and in ,his relation to the people of ,israel2 and to summon the nation to honour and serve ,him4 ,what ,samuel did in this way1 he did mainly through his high personal character and intense convictions4 ,in office he was neither priest nor king1 though he had much of the influence of both4 ,no doubt he judged ,israel2 but that function came to him not by formal appointment1 but rather as the fruit of his high character and commanding influence4 ,the whole position of ,samuel and the influence which he wielded were due not to temporal but spiritual considerations4 ,he manifestly walked with ,god2 he was conspicuous for his fellowship with ,jehovah1 ,israel's ,lord2 and his life1 and his character1 and his words1 all combined to exalt ,him whose servant he evidently was4 ,and that was the work to which ,samuel was appointed4 ,it was to revive the faith of an unbelieving people in the reality of ,god's existence in the first place1 and in the second in the reality of ,his covenant relation to ,israel4 ,it was to rivet on their minds the truth that the supreme and only ,god was the ,god of their nation1 and to get them to have regard to ,him and to honour ,him as such4 ,he was to impress on them the great principle of national prosperity1 to teach them that the one unfailing source of blessing was the active favour of ,god4 ,it was their sin and their misery alike that they not only did not take the right means to secure ,god's favour1 but1 on the contrary1 provoked ,him to anger by their sins4 ,now there were two things about ,god that ,samuel was most earnest in pressing4 ,the one was ,his holiness1 the other ,his spirituality4 ,the righteous ,lord loved righteousness4 ,no amount of ritual service could compensate the want of moral obedience4 ,behold1 to obey is better than sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat of rams4 ,if they would enjoy ,his favour1 they must search out their sins1 and humble themselves for them before this holy ,god4 ,the other earnest lesson was ,god's spirituality4 ,not only was all idolatry and image-worship most obnoxious to ,him1 but no service was acceptable which did not come from the heart4 ,hence the great value of prayer4 ,it was ,samuel's privilege to show the people what prayer could do4 ,he showed them prayer1 when it arose from a humble1 penitent spirit1 moving the ,hand that moved the universe4 ,he endeavoured to inspire them with heartfelt regard to ,god as their ,king1 and with supreme honour for ,him in all the transactions both of public and private life4 ,that was the groove in which he tried to move the nation1 for in that course alone he was persuaded that their true interest lay4 ,to a large extent1 ,samuel was successful in this endeavour4 ,his spirit was very different from the languid timidity of ,eli4 ,he spoke with a voice that evoked an echo4 ,he raised the nation to a higher moral and spiritual platform1 and brought them nearer to their heavenly ,king4 ,seldom has such proof been given of the almost unbounded moral power attainable by one man1 if he but be of single eye and immovable will4 ,but1 as we have said1 ,samuel was neither priest nor king2 his conquests were the conquests of character alone4 ,the people clamoured for a king1 certainly from inferior motives1 and ,samuel yielded to their clamour4 ,it would have been a splendid thing for the nation to have got an ideal king1 a king adapted for such a kingdom1 as deeply impressed as ,samuel was with his obligation to honour ,god1 and ruling over them with the same regard for the law and covenant of ,israel4 ,but such was not to be their first king4 ,some correction was due to them for having been impatient of ,god's arrangements1 and so eager to have their own wishes complied with4 ,saul was to be as much an instrument of humiliation as a source of blessing4 ,,iii4 ,and this brings us to the third act of the drama4 ,saul the son of ,kish begins well1 but he turns aside soon4 ,he has ability1 he has activity1 he has abundant opportunity to make the necessary external arrangements for the welfare of the nation2 but he has no heart for the primary condition of blessing4 ,at first he feels constrained to honour ,god2 he accepts from ,samuel the law of the kingdom and tries to govern accordingly4 ,he could not well have done otherwise4 ,he could not decently have accepted the office of king at the hands of ,samuel without promising and without trying to have regard to the mode of ruling which the king-maker so earnestly pressed on him4 ,but ,saul's efforts to honour ,god shared the fate of all similar efforts when the force that impels to them is pressure from without1 not heartiness within4 ,like a rower pulling against wind and tide1 he soon tired4 ,and when he tired of trying to rule as ,god would have him1 and fell back on his own way of it1 he seemed all the more wilful for the very fact that he had tried at first to repress his own will4 ,externally he was active and for a time successful1 but internally he went from bad to worse4 ,under ,saul1 the process of training ,israel to fear and honour ,god made no progress whatever4 ,the whole force of the governing power was in the opposite direction4 ,one thing is to be said in favour of ,saul--he was no idolater4 ,he did not encourage any outward departure from the worship of ,god4 ,neither ,baal nor ,ashtaroth1 ,moloch nor ,chemosh1 received any countenance at his hands4 ,the ,second ,commandment was at least outwardly observed4 ,but for all that1 ,saul was the active1 inveterate1 and bitter persecutor of what we may call ,god's interest in the kingdom4 ,there was no real sympathy between him and ,samuel2 but as ,samuel did not cross his path1 he left him comparatively alone4 ,it was very different in the case of ,david4 ,in ,saul's relation to ,david we see the old antagonism--the antagonism of nature and grace1 of the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman1 of those born after the flesh and those born after the ,spirit4 ,here is the most painful feature of ,saul's administration4 ,knowing1 as he did1 that ,david enjoyed ,god's favour in a very special degree1 he ought to have respected him the more4 ,in reality he hated him the more4 ,jealousy is a blind and stupid passion4 ,it mattered nothing to ,saul that ,david was a man after ,god's own heart1 except that it made him more fierce against him4 ,how could a theocratic kingdom prosper when the head of it raged against ,god's anointed one1 and strained every nerve to destroy him8 ,the whole policy of ,saul was a fatal blunder4 ,under him1 the nation1 instead of being trained to serve ,god better1 and realise the end of their selection more faithfully1 were carried in the opposite direction4 ,and ,saul lived to see into what confusion and misery he had dragged them by his wilful and godless rule4 ,no man ever led himself into a more humiliating maze1 and no man ever died in circumstances that proclaimed more clearly that his life had been both a failure and a crime4 ,,iv4 ,the fourth act of the drama is a great contrast to the third4 ,it opens at ,hebron1 that place of venerable memories1 where a young king1 inheriting ,abraham's faith1 sets himself1 heart and soul1 to make the nation of ,israel what ,god would have it to be4 ,trained in the school of adversity1 his feet had sometimes slipped2 but on the whole he had profited by his teacher2 he had learned a great lesson of trust1 and knowing something of the treachery of his own heart1 he had committed himself to ,god1 and his whole desire and ambition was to be ,god's servant4 ,for a long time he is occupied in getting rid of enemies1 and securing the tranquillity of the kingdom4 ,when that object is gained1 he sets himself to the great business of his life4 ,he places the symbol of ,god's presence and covenant in the securest spot in the kingdom1 and where it is at once most central and most conspicuous4 ,he proposes1 after his wars are over1 and when he has not only become a great king1 but amassed great treasure1 to employ this treasure in building a stately temple for ,god's worship1 although he is not allowed to carry out that purpose4 ,he remodels the economy of priests and ,levites1 making arrangements for the more orderly and effective celebration of all the service in the capital and throughout the kingdom for which they were designed4 ,he places the whole administration of the kingdom under distinct departments1 putting at the head of each the officer that is best fitted for the effective discharge of its duties4 ,in all these arrangements1 and in other arrangements more directly adapted to the end1 he sought to promote throughout his kingdom the spirit that fears and honours ,god4 ,and more especially did he labour for this in that most interesting field for which he was so well adapted--the writing of songs fitted for ,god's public service1 and accompanied by the instruments of music in which he so greatly delighted4 ,need we say how his whole soul was thrown into this service8 ,need we say how wonderfully he succeeded in it1 not only in the songs which he wrote personally1 but in the school of like-minded men which he originated1 whose songs were worthy to rank with his own8 ,the whole collection1 for well-nigh three thousand years1 has been by far the best aid to devotion the ,church of ,god has ever known1 and the best means of promoting that fellowship with ,god of which his own life and experience furnished the finest sample4 ,no words can tell the effect of this step in guiding the nation to a due reverence for ,god1 and stimulating them to the faithful discharge of the high ends for which they had been chosen4 ,beautiful and most promising was the state of the nation at one period of his life4 ,unbounded prosperity had flowed into the country4 ,every enemy had been subdued4 ,there was no division in the kingdom1 and no one likely to cause any4 ,the king was greatly honoured by his people1 and highly popular4 ,the arrangements which he had made1 both for the civil and spiritual administration of the kingdom1 were working beautifully1 and producing their natural fruits4 ,all things seemed to be advancing the great purpose of ,god in connection with ,israel4 ,let this state of things but last1 and surely the consummation will be reached4 ,the promise to ,abraham and ,isaac and ,jacob will be fulfilled1 and the promised ,seed will come very speedily to diffuse ,his blessing over all the families of the earth4 ,but into this fair paradise the serpent contrived to creep1 and the consequence was another fall4 ,never did the cause of ,god seem so strong as it was in ,israel under ,david1 and never did it seem more secure from harm4 ,david was an absolute king1 without an opponent1 without a rival2 his whole soul was on the side of the good cause2 his influence was paramount2 whence could danger come8 ,alas1 it could come and it did come from ,david himself4 ,his sin in the matter of ,uriah was fraught with the most fatal consequences4 ,it brought down the displeasure of ,god2 it lowered the king in the eyes of his subjects2 it caused the enemy to blaspheme2 it made rebellion less difficult2 it made the success of rebellion possible4 ,it threw back the cause of ,god1 we cannot tell for how long4 ,disaster followed disaster in the latter part of ,david's reign2 and though he bequeathed to his son a splendid and a peaceful empire1 the seeds of division had been sown in it2 the germ of disruption was at work2 and when the disruption came1 in the days of ,david's grandson1 no fewer than ten tribes broke away from their allegiance1 and of the new kingdom which they founded idolatry was the established religion1 and the worship of calves was set up by royal warrant from ,bethel even to ,dan4 ,it is sad indeed to dwell on the reverse which befel the cause of ,god in the latter part of the reign of ,david4 ,but this event has been matched1 over and over again1 in the chequered history of religious movements4 ,the story of ,sisyphus has often been realized1 rolling his stone up the hill1 but finding it1 near the top1 slip from his hands and go thundering to the bottom4 ,or rather1 to take a more ,biblical similitude1 the burden of the watchman of ,dumah has time after time come true3 ,the morning cometh1 and also the night4 ,strange and trying is often the order of ,providence4 ,the conflict between good and evil seems to go on for ever1 and just when the good appears to be on the eve of triumph something occurs to throw it back1 and restore the balance4 ,was it not so after the ,reformation8 ,did not the ,catholic cause1 by diplomacy and cruelty in too many cases1 regain much of what ,luther had taken from it8 ,and have we not from time to time had revivals of the ,church at home that have speedily been followed by counteracting forces that have thrown us back to where we were8 ,what encouragement is there to labour for truth and righteousness when1 even if we are apparently successful1 we are sure to be overtaken by some counter-current that will sweep us back to our former position8 ,but let us not be too hasty or too summary in our inferences4 ,when we examine carefully the history of ,david1 we find that the evil that came in the end of his reign did not counteract all the good at the beginning4 ,who does not see that1 after all1 there was a clear balance of gain8 ,the cause of ,god was stronger in ,israel1 its foundation firmer1 its defences surer1 than it had ever been before4 ,why1 even if nothing had remained but those immortal psalms that ever led the struggling ,church to her refuge and her strength1 the gain would have been remarkable4 ,and so it will be found that the ,romish reaction did not swallow up all the good of the ,reformation1 and that the free-thinking reaction of our day has not neutralized the evangelical revival of the nineteenth century4 ,a decided gain remains1 and for that gain let us ever be thankful4 ,and if the gain be less decided and less full than once it promised1 and if ,amalek gains upon ,israel1 and recovers part of the ground he had lost1 let us mark well the lesson which ,god designs to teach us4 ,in the first place1 let us learn the lesson of vigilance4 ,let us watch against the decline of spiritual strength1 and against the decline of that fellowship with ,god from which all spiritual strength is derived4 ,let those who are prominent in the ,church watch their personal conduct let them be intensely careful against those inconsistencies and indulgences by which1 when they take place1 such irreparable injury is done to the cause4 ,and in the second place1 let us learn the lesson of patient waiting and patient working4 ,as the early ,church had to wait for the promise of the ,father1 so let the ,church wait in every age4 ,as the early ,church continued with one accord in prayer and supplication1 so let each successive age ply with renewed earnestness its applications to the throne of grace4 ,and let us be encouraged by the assurance that long though the tide has ebbed and flowed1 and flowed and ebbed1 it will not be so for ever4 ,to them that look for ,him1 the great ,captain shall appear the second time without sin unto salvation4 ,the ,redeemer shall come to ,zion1 and unto them that turn from transgression in ,jacob1 saith the ,lord4 ,as for ,me1 this is ,my covenant with them1 saith the ,lord2 ,my spirit that is upon thee1 and ,my words which ,i have put in thy mouth1 shall not depart out of thy mouth1 nor out of the mouth of thy seed1 nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed1 saith the ,lord1 from henceforth and for ever 7,isa4 lix4 #bj1 #ba74 ,transcriber's ,notes ,obvious punctuation and spelling errors fixed throughout4 ,inconsistent hyphenation left as in the original text4