The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 284

promise: "I will establish his throne for ever." Our calling, our circumstances, differ from those of Israel's king. Yet there is a certain appropriateness in this Ian.snrn"e, as applied to all the people of God, The blessings of spiritual strength, stability, am! peace, are assured by a gracious and covenant God to all his people. He is their "Sun and Shield." His compassion toward them shall not fail. They shall rejoice in hiR favour and his faithfulness. "They shall not be ashamed or confounded, world without end." CONCLUSION. 1. Let us diligently seek God's favour. It is in Christ that he has shown himself gracious. His favour is life, and it may be secured by every lowly, faithful applicant. 2. Let us show our sense of God's favour to us, by offering our devoted service to him. The wonder is even greater that God should suffer us to do aught for him, than that he should do so much for us, Let us respond to his summons, and "arise and build."-T. Ver. 13.-Father and son. These words are by the author of the Epistle to tho Hebrews applied to the Lord Jesus Christ, who was, in an especially and pre-eminent sense, the Son of God. Yet the context, and still more the parallel passage in the Second Book of Samuel, makes it evident that they were originally spoken with reference to Solomon. We are warranted, by the teaching of the New Testament, in applying them to all those who are children of God by faith in Christ Jesus, who have been adopted into the spiritual family, and made heirs of Divine promises. Of this glorious doctrine of the Divine Fatherhood, so clearly and powerfully reveale,l in the New Testament, there are intimations, such as the present, in various parts of the Old Testament Scriptures, I. IN WHAT Goo's FATHERHOOD CONSISTS, This is shown to some extent in the c9ntext, and in the narrative of Solomon's early life and reign. But generally speaking we may rejoice that the fatherhood of God is shown in: 1. His providential care. As e. Father, our Creator supplies the wants, both temporal and spiritual, of his dependent family, 2. His tender love. There is more than goodnesR, more than bounty, in God's treatment of his children. They have a moral nature able to appre- ciate kindness, forbearance, sympathy, and love, And, in his treatment of them, ho has adapted his communications and his conduct to their spiritual need. 3. His wise discipline. It is distinctive of a true father's sway, that it aims at the highest good of the children. God certainly appoints trials for his offspring, and he reveals to us the consolatory truth, "Whom he loveth he scourgeth, and chastonoth every child whom he receiveth." When we suffer ho is not insensible. "Like as a father pitioth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him," 4. Bis purposes for liis children's future, As e. father looks forward, and trains his son for the duties and responsibilities of after-life, so the great Father in heaven is maturing us for other scones, higher omployments, purer joys. II. WHAT HUMAN B0NSnll' INVOLVES. A true son is sensible of bis father's wntch- ful care, thoughtful kindness, tender affection, And he renders a filial return. In worship there is involved: 1. Gratitude. From God's spiritual family there goes up to heaven a daily song of thanksgiving and praise, for favour and forbenrnnce never failing. 2, Reverence and submission. The awful superiority of God must impress every just mind. The prayer offered will begin with the ascription, "Hnllowc,I ho thy Ne.me." 3, Love. For, though so high, God is yet e. Father, and" we love him, because he first loved us." 4. Obedience, '!'his is thti true test of filial reverence an,l of filial affection. '!'here is no unfailing proof of love's sincerity save this. 5. Likeness. For, born anew by God's Spirit, God's children are imitators of God, resembling him in the moral features of his holy and amiable character, Admire the glorious work of the Divine and gracious Spirit.-T. Ver. 16.-Humiliey. This chapter is one of peculiar beauty, as exhibiting at once the gracious intentions of the Lord towards one of his servants, and the grateful response of that servant to the condescension and loving-kindness with which he was treated. '!'ho spirit of self-abnegation and humility breathing in the lnngunge of the text awakens our admiration, and calls for our imitation. We are reminded by thc,o words of-  THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [oH, xvu.1-27