The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 100

unworthily. 3. Under the Christian dispensation, all believers are ministers and priests, daily serving in God's spiritual temple, and offering, through the Divine Mediator and Intercessor, spiritual and acceptable sacrifices. Every family and every individual has an appointed office and ministration.-'!'. Ver. 57.-The city of 1·~fu_r1e. Hebron was one of the six cities of refuge, which were pronded to shelter the manslayer from the wrath of the avenger of blood, and thus to chec~ the savage lawlessness of a warlike people in a primitive state of society. They are, m one passage of the New Testament, regarded as emblematical of the provision made in Christ for the security of the penitent and returning sinner. There is suggested- !. A CASE OF :t-'EED AND DANGER. The cause of the peril and alarm is sin. And the righteous Law and retributive go\·ernment of God render the case of the sinner one serious in itself and its issues. 'l'his appears from the gospel admonitions to repentance. . IL A PROVISION OF MERCY AND WISDOM. As the city of refuge was appointed for the mnocent manslayer's escape from vengeance and death, so the guilty sinner is the object of the Divine compassion which has provided in Christ a safe and eternal shelter. In the Divine Redeemer is refuge from sin and condemnation, is the favour and life of God. III. AN ACTION OF FAITH AND ENERGY. The city was of no use except the imperilled Israelite fled unto it for safety. So with Christ, whose almighty sufficiency avails for those, and those only, who accept him and shelter themselves in bis tiven side. 'l'hey are saved who have " fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel." IV. A DIVTh'ELY PLEDGED SECURITY FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHRIST. The ,Jewish Law assured of safety those who made use of the provision for refuge. And the Divine word and faithfulness are pledged to those who confide in Christ, that they shall never lJerish, but shall have eternal life. V. A TRUE GOSPEL. It is the office of the Church of the Redeemer both to warn sinners of the danger to which they are exposed and to point them to the one only Refuge provided by Divine wisdom for their security and peace. It is a refuge accessible to all and sufficient for all, and there is no reason in the heart of God why any poor :sinner should remain outside this refuge and spiritually perish.-T. Vers. 1-30.-Lessonsfrom lists; or, a sermon in names. Here is e. number of names; they belong to men of varied characters and different careers, though all of them were children of privilege, most of them in a high degree. We learn- I. 'l'HAT THERE IB A VAST DIFFERENCE IN THE LIFE AND CHARACTER OF PRIVI- LEGED MEN. We might suppose that men who have come under the same class of influences would be much like one another in spirit and behaviour. But such a suppo- sition would be a great mistake. It is true that there is much of human nature in us all, and that the best men have their failings while the worst have their redeeming points; but it remains true that between man and man, having the same advantages, there is often a great gulf found. In the same list of names of the sons of Levi we have Moses and Samuel, who were holy among the holy, and also the sons of Samuel, who accepted bribes and perverted judgment (vers. 3, 28). It is painful to think that, whi\e among the children of privilege may be found some that ar.i like God himself in their spirit and their life, there are others in whose heart the basest passions dwell, and whose lives are pestilent and shameful. It is sadly possible for those that are "exalted to heaven" in privilege to be "cast down to hell" in guilt and condemnation. !I. '!'HAT THERE IS A CLOS!!: INTERMINGLING 01' GOOD AND BAD UPON THE EARTH, This is a list of men belonging to different generations, but we are reminded by contrast of the truth that good and bad are contemporaneous and closely intermingled. Hero the wheat and the tares grow together. Dwelling beneath the same roof, sitting down to the same hearth and table, working in the same shop, writing at the same desk, walking the same street, are the holy and the profane, the pure and the unclean, the generous and the selfish, the wise and the foolish. 1. What a reason for watchfulness and prayer I 2. What opportunity for usefulness! en. VI, 1-81.] THE FITIST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. !ll