JI. THE STRUCTURE OJ' DAVID'S REGAL MAGNIFICENCE AND WARLIKE STRATEGY, Probably before this time it was nothing but a primitive fortress, strongly placed upon rocky heights. But David" built the city round about," and" Joab repaired the rest of the city." Henceforth "Jerusalem was a city compact together." III. THE SCENE OF DAVID'S REIGN. Hebron wa,i too far south to be a suitable capital for the united kingdom. Nature made Jerusalem for a metropolis. Here the king lived and ruled, prospered, sinned, suffered, and died. IV. THE SE:\T OF DAvm's LINE. His son Solomon and the successive occupants of the throne of Judah held sway in this city, and some of them added to its splendour and its strength. Amidst its varying fortunes, its sieges, its dismantlements, its rebuildings, its festivities, Jerusalem retained the imperishable interest conferred by its association with the great founder of the Hebrew monarchy and dynasty. It was itself a memorial of its founder's name and life. V. THE SCENE OJ' THE MINISTRY AND OF THE SEPULTURE OF DA vm's SoN AND LoRD. Many of our Saviour's miracles were performed, many of Christ's discourses were delivered, in Jerusalem. It was over this city that Jesus wept; it was this city that Jesus entered in his lowly triumph; it was in this city that he died, for" it could not be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem;" and alter our Lord's ascension, when bis apostles preached his gospel, they were instructed to do so," beginning at Jerusalem." VJ. IN ITS DESOLATION AND DESTRUCTION IT FURNISHED AN EXA:IIPLE OF RETRI- BUTIVE JUSTICE EXECUTED ON DAVID'S POSTERITY. David's nation rejected Davi,l's Lord, and, according to his own prediction, their unbelief involved their llletropulis in ruin. "It moves me, Romane I It confounds the counsel of my firm philosophy, That ruin's merciless ploughshare should pasa o'er And barren salt be sown on yon proud city I " T, Ver. 9.-David's greatness. From the time that the king began to reign over all the tribes of Israel his fortunes began to improve. Dark days had he gone through before; now the sun of prosperity blazed upon his path. I. THE ELEMENTS OF DA vrn's GRF.ATNESS. It consisted: 1. In warlike achieve- ments. He was a man of war from his youth, and hi8 manhood was occupied with the defence of his kingdom and the defeat of his foes. 2. In the valour of his captains. "Mighty men of valour" gathered around him, and contributed to his power and his fame. 3, In the prosperity of his people. That David's reign was an era of material prosperity is evident enough. If nothing else proved it, it would be established by the munificent offerings which the princes and the people presented at the close of David's reign towards the temple fund. 4. In the prevalence of religion. This appears from the establishment upon a grander scale of the Levitical and priestly orders, with the services, sacrifices, and festivals connected with the house of God. David's own psalms, sung as they were by the Levitical choirs, at once evidenced anJ furthered the prosperity of true religion. II. THE GROWTH OF DAvm's GREATNESS. He "waxed greater and greater." His cnreer was one of continually advancing prosperity. As with most men favourably circumstanced, so in his case, success and prosperity were the ea.use of their own increase. " He went growing and growing." III. THE EXPLANATION OF DAvm's GREATNESS. "The Lord of hosts was with him." Oui adha!fl'es, prreest ! the Lord God may better sa.y than any earthly prince, He to whom I attach myself, he shall prosper. "The Lord of hosts was with David:" 1. To give him regal qualities. 2. To surround him with prudent counsellors, devoted friends, and faithful servants. 3. To give him favour with the people. 4. To reveal himself to his heart, as the Subject of praise, the Law of righteousness, the Lord of lire. LESSONS. 1. It is within the power of all Christians, by the use of the means of grace, to grow constantly in true excellence, 2. Only by the presence and aitl of the Most High can we be justified in looking for progress aud true prosperity.-T.
Ver. 11.-Mighty men. Great epochs and great leaders call forth great men, In 158 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [oH, XI. 1-47,
most nntions' bi~tories _there. are periods when greatness seems to Apring forth sponta- neously, and to display itself m all the departments of human activity. David had the power-distinctive of tru~ leadershiP-:--°f evoking, as. it were, capable, valiant, and devoted followers. In his day and m the early periods of many nations warlike quali~ies were needed, and the recommendatio~s of physical strength and cou;age were the highest of all. In more settled states of society and more civilized communities gifts of mind are more prized than those of body. The qualities that are developed a:Uon<> nations are for the most part those which are demanded by the necessities of the time~ I. EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS OF BODY AND OF MIND ARE ALL FROM Goo. This is indeed true of all gifts. " \Ve are his offspring." " In him we live, and move and have our being." Yet how often is this truth forgotten in the presence of splendid endow- ments of strength aud skill, genius and influence I Men take the praisA to themselves for the powers which God has conferred, for the achievements which he has enabled them to accomplish. But it should ever be remembered that all human miaht 0 is but a. slight and evanescent gli!nmer of his glory. II. EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS SHOULD BE EMPLOYED IN GoD's SERVICE. There is a. notion that h!gh station_a~d great genius absolve men from allegiance to the ordinary laws of morality and relig10n. What 1s regarded as proper for the multitude is some- times deemed iuapplicable to the exalted few. There can be no greater error. Great men have great power for good or for evil, and in their case it is pre-eminently of impor- tance that the" five talents" should be employed in the service of the Divine Lord, who has a rightful claim to their consecration. "Spirits are not finely touched but to fine issues." III. EXTRAORDINARY GIFTS MUST BE ACCO'(JNTED FOB TO THEIR GIVER. There is nothing in the fact of their unusual number or magnitude that absolves from that responsibility which characterizes all moral and accountable natures. 'l'he Divine Judge will doubtless require a strict account at last. There is no principle more pro- minent in Christian teaching than this : " To whom much is given, of them much will be required." CoNcLUSION. 1. Let those amply endowed with natural gifts beware of pride. There is nothing so unreasonable, nothing so spiritually disastrous, as is this sin. 2. Let such "great ones" remember to render to Heaven grateful acknowledgments, for to Heaven such acknowledgments are assuredly due. "What hast thou that thou didst not receive? Who bath made thee to differ? "-T.