3. He manifested no displeasure against his re- prover—
[Men in general, and great men in particular, are very apt to take offence, when told of their faults. They think themselves at liberty to insult God as much as they please : but no one must take the liberty to maintain the cause of God in opposition to them. Some indeed have been found, in dif- ferent ages, who have ventured to speak with faithfulness to monarchs : but they have always done it at the peril of their lives'^, and not unfrequently have paid the penalty of death for their presumption^. But in the present instance no displeasure at all was manifested: on the contrary, we have reason to think that Nathan was more endeared to David than ever by his fidelity, since David afterwards called one of his own chil- dren by the prophet's name'"; and shewed confidence in him to the latest hour of his life^. In this therefore we have a fur- ther evidence of the sincerity and depth of David's repentance.]
4. He was willing to take shame to himself even before men —
[There is nothing which men will not do in order to con- ceal their guilt from men : they \vill " add iniquity to iniquity," and perpetrate murder itself, in order to avoid the shame to which their crimes have exposed them. How keenly was Saul affected by Samuel's refusal to honour him before the people ! The dread of that public dishonour pained him more than all the denunciations of God's wrath '^. But the reproaches of men, however severe, were of no account in David's eyes : that which pained him was, that he had given occasion for those reproaches, and that God would be dishonoured by them : and
ft
c 1 Sam. XV. 15, 24.
^ See 1 Kings xiii. 4. and xxi. 20. and xxii. 8. and 2 Kings i. 9. and 2 Chron. xvi. 10.
e 2 Chron. xxiv. 21. and xxv. 16. and Matt. xiv. 3 — 5, 10. f 2 Sam. V. 14. s 1 Kings i. 24, 27, 32—34.
^ 1 Sam. XV. 25—30.