them idols, but they are such if they attract and draw awo.y from God, 01· push him out of bis rightful place-first in heart and lip and life. I. MAN ll!AY NOT INTERFERE WITH HIS NEIGHBOUR'S RELIGION. That is, not in any physical way. He may by moral forces-by argument, by persuasion, but not by force, in either private spheres of social life or public spheres of law and magistracy. And yet it has taken all the Christian ages to get this truth taught to men, and it is only half learned yet. A modern preacher says, " What a blunder persecution for religious convictions is I Has th_ere ever been a disability put upon religious belief, has there ever been a persecution short of absolute extermination, that bas not strengthened the faith it was meant to discourage? Persecution drives men in upon their convictions-makes them hold more firmly by their principles." Yet we must as clearly see that we are held responsible for our neighbour's religion, so far as the use of moral forces is concerned. The sense of this responsibility is the impulse of all missionary labour. We must preach Christ's kingdom, and with all moral suasion "compel them to come in." II. MAN ll!A y KEEP ms NEIGHllOUR's RELIGION FROlll INTERFERING WITJI HIS. And in resisting be may find it necessary to use physical forces. David would not have been justified in going to Philistia and burning other people's idols. Had he done so he would have been very properly resisted. But when these idols were left behind, a; the spoil of the victors, he was quite justified in destroying them, and so preventin"0 them from becoming a snare to bis people. Apply to the agencies of moral and religious mischief in our day, such as evil literature, self-indulgent pleasures, infidel maxims, etc. We are bound in our loyalty to God to keep these away-to take them and burn them, if need be, and so keep them away from our children and our servants. We should realize that, if th!l day of idolatrous images is passed, things-artistic things, symbolic things, literary things- may and often do become the most fascinating and degrading idol-forces.---'R. T. Ver. 15.-Signs and sounds of the Divine presence. The circumstances connected with the second enterprise of the Philistines arc more fully detailed; and it seems the design of the chronicler to remind us that, in answer to prayer and dependence, God may not only give a general approval, but also minute and careful directions, and such as may involve waiting on him and watching for the right situation and the right moment. In some manifest and impressive way the Divine presence would be declared, and the Divine will made known. Often God finds it necessary to teach his people that be most be waited/or as well as waited on. A sound as of marching or stepping would presently be beard; it would be a rustling of the leaves of the baca trees, as if a wind were passing through them; and this would be the sign that the heavenly host had come to assure the victory; and immediately upon hearing this sign, David was to act with vigour; be was to "bestir himself," or be sharp. "The sound of a going in the tops of the trees'' bad a double significance. It was the sound of the viewless march of "the Lord going out before him to smite the host of the Philistines." It was the sound of God going forth to smite their gods, even as be smote the gods of Egypt (comp. Ps. xxix. 4). I. THE DIVINE PRESENCE RESPONDS TO MAN'S DEPENDENCE AND PRAYER. To his dependence, which is the appropriate state of mind and feeling. To his prayer, which is the appropriate mode of expressing the right feeling. '!'hat which shuts a man's door against God is self-confidence. If a man feels that be can "go the warfare at his own charges," be does not need God, and God can but leave him alone to learn the l?sson of his own sel,f-impotence. 'l'be assurance on which the dependent man may rest 1s this: "To that man will I look, and with him will I dwell, who is bumble, and contrite of heart, and trembleth at my word." If we but win and maintain this right attitude, then we may have perfect confidence that God is with us, although the confidence may be more a matter of faith than of feeUng. God was really with David, though the sensible sign of his presence did not come until, when the wind was still, there was that suggestive "sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees." lI. 'fHE DIVINE PRESENCE ll!AY BE RECOGNIZED ONLY IN RESULTS, It sometimes seems right to God to make us go quite through our working-time only holding the faith or his presence and help, and not in any way aided by sensible signs. Dut such OH, xv. 1-29.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 231
faith is a pracUcal inspiration and strength. It is" the substance of things hoped for tho evidence of things not seen," Sometimes the issues and results plainly show that God was with us; and the final issues of life will have this for the conviction they seal: "It was a good way wherein the Lord our God led us." Ill. THE DIVINE PRESENCE MAY BE RECOGNIZED IN CONSCIOUS STRENGTH FOR DUTY, This truth is effectively illustrated in St. Paul (2 Cor. xii. 7-9). He was taught to see God with him just in this, that "strength was made perfect in his weakness." In view of the practical character of our life, it is a more important thing to have st.rength for doing than, without strength, mere comfort of feeling. And yet men yearn most for sensible signs, and undervalue the inward strengthenings. IV. THE DIVINE PRESENCE MAY BE INDICATED BY GRACIOUS SIGNS. As in the case of our Lord at his baptism and at his transfiguration. .Also in his great a"ony in Gethsemane, there appeared an" angel from heaven, strengthening him." On °several occasions of St. Paul's life he was favoured with special visions. With the pious servant of God we may say, "The best of all is that God is with us;" but we may also ask for the comforting sense of that presence through the aid of gracious signs. And God will grant these, both for our own sakes and for the sake of others who may be blessed through us. While watchful against extravagance and superst.ition, we ou"ht not to deny the truth of visions and signs and Divine communications granted no~a- days to God's people. There might well be a fuller expectancy of direct dealings with dependent and prayerful men, manifest Divine leading by inward impulse, and providential direction, and signs plain enough to sensitive soula.-R. T.
EXPOSITION.