Remember, I pray you, not to be too confident of your own state : but, after the strictest search, adopt the modest diffi- dence of St. Paul, and say, " Though I know nothing by myself, yet am I not thereby justified: but He that judgeth me is the Lord p."]
2. To give yourselves unreservedly to God —
[This is the very improvement which David himself, in his dying counsels to Solomon, teaches us to make of this sub- ject : " Thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind : for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts'^.'''' God "requireth truth in the inward parts'':" nor will he accept any, who are not, like Nathanael, " Israelites indeed, and without guile ^." Re- member, a kmgdom is at stake ; and not an earthly kingdom, that shall soon pass away, but a kingdom that shall be pos- sessed for ever. Bear in mind, too, that whomsoever j^ou deceive, you cannot deceive God : and that, whatever you may judge respecting yourselves, or others may judge of you, " God's sentence, and that alone, will stand* :" for " not he that commendeth himself shall be approved ; but he whom the Lord commendeth^."]
P 1 Cor. iv. 4. 11 Chron. xxviii. 9. "^ Ps. 11. 6.
s John i. 47. * Jer. xliv. 29. " 2 Cor. x. 18.
David's vindication of himself.
1 Sam. xvii. 29. Jnd David said, What have I noio done?
Is there not a cause ?
IT is impossible for any man so to conduct him- self in this world, as to avoid censure : but it is de- sirable so to act, as not to deserve censure. The rule prescribed for us, in Scripture, is this : " Be ye blameless and harmless, the sons of God, v^ithout rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse na- tion, among whom ye shine as lights in the world''." Like our blessed Lord, we must expect to have our words and actions misconstrued by wicked men : but we should labour to be able to say, with him, " Which of you convinceth me of sin^?" The appeal which
a Phil. ii. 15. ^ John viii. 46.
301.] David's vindication of himself. 201
David makes to his indignant brother, in my text, is precisely that, which, when blamed by any one for an action that has offended him, we should be pre- pared to make : " What have I now done'" that was deserving of blame ? or what have I done, which was not called for by the circumstances in which I was placed ?
Let me,
I. Unfold to you David's vindication of himself —
Mark,
1. The blame imputed to him —
[He had been sent, by his father, to inquire after the welfare of his brethren; and he had executed his office with all practicable expedition •=. But, whilst David was conversing with his brethren, Goliath came in front of the Israelitish army, as he had done both morning and evening for forty succes- sive days, to challenge any individual to single combat. David heard his impious defiance, not of Israel only, but of Israel's God, and was filled with indignation against him: and, having heard what honours Saul had engaged to confer on any one who should encounter this giant, he expressed his willingness to undertake the task, and to risk his own life in defence of his king and country. Not that he conceived himself able to cope with this mighty man : but he knew that God was all- sufficient for those who should trust in him ; and he doubted not, but that God would give him the victory over this insult- ing foe.
For this his brother Eliab severely reproved him, imputing his professed zeal to pride and vanity, and a desire to see the battle, which was at that very instant about to commence. He reflected on him, too, as having deserted his proper post, and as neglecting his proper duty ; though he knew the end for which he had come thither, and by whom he had been sent.]