The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Samuel — Section 360

hostility of Saul on the one side, and the open services of Jonathan's friendship on the other. Father and son are at croRs purposes concerning the life of one who in the providence of God is to supplant both. Each performs his part with perfect natural- ness; and in the progress of the conflict between enmity and friendship there is a revelation not only of the individual characteristics of the men, but also of principles in constant operation. We have here an instance of- I. THE INEVITABLE GROWTH OF SECRET SIN. Except in occasional seasons of moodiness, Saul's conduct towards David had not found formal expression. His servants probably set down his violence (eh. xviii. 11) to irritability, and we have seen how cleverly Saul had striven to throw on Providence the slaying of David while he was doing him honour (eh. xviii. 17-30). The frustration of these secret J;1chemes brought out the fact that the sin so long cherished in the heart, and for very shame concealed, had, by that very nurture, gained such power over the entire man as to force its way into open day, regardless of all considerations of prudence and self-respect. The murder in intent became murder avowed. The ruling passion of the inner life now became the acknowledged master, and a public avowal of servitude fa>. it is ·therefore voluntarily made. Saul's experience is but an instance of tli~ experience of multitudes. Progress in wickedness is from within outwards. Lust, wlien it hath conceived, brings forth sin (James i. 15). Every deliberate murder, theft, dee.cl of adultery, fraud, and rebellion against Christ's authority was at first germinal in the heart. Each stage of internal growta lessened the power of the will over its progress, till.at last it revealed its evil na_ture in open acts. This psycho- logical genesis of sin is an awful fact, and may well cause those to tremble whose dalliance with secret evil becomes habitual. Truly he who committeth si!::i is "the setvant of sin," and every consideration of duty and interest should urge us to cry daily for a ". clean heart," and that sin· may have "no more dominion" over us (Pe. cxxxix. 23; Rom. vi. 14). II. THE :-TUPIDITY CONSEQUENT ON THE DOMINION OF SIN. Facts prove that all sin is a species of madness. Adatn and Eve imagined that a thicket would hide thein from God. Saul's.clearness of intellect suffered by his first public disobedience; ari~ now that the evil passi9n had gained ascendancy, extreme stupidity appears in his soliciting the aid, in the execution of his cruel purpose, of Jonathan, David's bosom friend (eh. xviii. 1-4; xix. 1). If he knew nothing of their friendship, wbich is very improbable, he ought to have known enough of so good and devout a son as to be sure that he would be no party to a base and villanous deed. If he imagined that Jonathan was likely to be actuated by jealousy of a rival, he per- formed the stupid act, common to base men, of thinking that reasons which have force with themselves have force with others. In proportion to the power of sin over the will is the effect of it on the intellect. Even the most clever sinners, when seeking to cover their sin from m.an, manifest some infatuation or folly which affords the clue to their crime. But it is especially in relation to God and the future issues of sin that this. stupefying effect appears. It is only this blinded spirit that explains !h~ ease with w_~ich men read of the coming "terrors of the Lord" (2 Cor. v. 10, 11 ; 1v. 3, 4 ; Heh. 11. 3). III. THE DOMESTIC SORUOWS CREATED BY SIN. It was with a sad, heavy heart that Jonathan had witnessed the gradual decay of his father's character, but the saddest blow was when the father sought to make the son partaker in his sin. The grief of the son would be proportionate to his piety. To be tempted by a father, to h_av·e filial obecUen.ce tested in deeds of evil, to seo the utter ruin of a parent's moral character, wp.s."a hitter trial; and, os a trne son, Jonathan could not but bear these sorrows as.a. fearf_ul secret. In how many families are there sorrows of this kind I How many a cl1ild has to watch the decay of a•father's reputation, to bear induce- ments to sin, and to hide deeds and intentions of evil I A parent is far gone when children are proqipted to wrong. A child is indeed a II child of sorrow" when corn- •pelled to carry on a pure heart the secrets of a sinful home. IV. THE TRIUMPH OF RELIGIOUS FRIENDSHIP. It is scarcely likely that Saul would speak to Jonathan about killing David without pointing out how dangerous a rival he was to both father and son. It raised in Jonathan's mind the conflict of worldly interest and fidelity to a friend. Not a few have yielded to such temptations. But  36! THE FIRST nooK OF SAMUEL. [en. XIX. t-2,.