The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 299

Lord, art God"- there is bis rest. It is mucb t.o have received a gracious promise, but it is much more to have, and to trust, a "faithful Promiser." Tbe promises help and comfort us; but we want to rise above even the promises, and find the" eternal life," and deep "heart-rest" of knowing God, and being able to say to him, "Now, Lord, thou art God." • I. THE VALUE OF A PROMISE DEPENDS UPON THE PROMISE-MAKER. This may be efficiently illustrated from our ordinary life-associations. Some men's promises w11 nev~r beed, never depend upon, because we know them, and know tb&t they promioo hastily or thoughtlessly; or they have formed the habit of getting out of seeming difficulties by a promise which puts off the evil day. (This tradesmen too often do.) Other men's promises we implicitly trust, because we know them, and know that they count promises to he sacred, and only fail to keep them by some unexpected disabilities, or some physical impossibilities. It may be shown that the value of a promise does not depend on its svl:Jject or on its form; it would be no surer if confirmed with the most terrible oaths. It depends on the character first, and then on the ability, of him who makes it; and we inquire concerning him both can he perform and will he perform it? Our confidence or otherwise is in him; and it may be shown that the con- fidence rests very much more upon his character, which is the essential thing, than upon his mere ability, which is the accidental thing. We never really trouble over promises whose fulfilment circumstances may prevent. We feel the bitterness of broken promises when the failure reveals the weak will, or the unsound character of those in whom we have trusted. " Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help." II. GoD'S PROMISES GAIN THE Th71NITE VALUE OF BEING FROM THE DIVINE PROMISE- MAKER. This is David's point of assurance," Thou art God," and thou "hast promised,'' therefore in thy promise I put absolute and perfect confidence. And what is gathered up in this simple but most comprehensive expression, "Thou art God" I 1. "Thou art God" who hast been faithful. So the saints of all the ages testify. So David himself could both feel and say. 2. "Thou art God," and as God thou must be faithful. Show what is necessarily included in the very idea of God, and that faithfulness is absolutely essential. If we could show one broken Divine promise, we would dethrone God and make him take rank with fallible man. "Rath he spoken, and shall he not do it?'' 2. We may advance to a higher region, and say, "Thou art God " who, in giving Christ, hast so kept the great promise as to assure all other promises. St. Paul forcibly argues, "He that spared not hie own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. viii. 32). Then we may set forth how God's promises cover and hallow all our earthly life, coming into precise adaptation to all our infinitely varying circumstances and needs. And so we may walk and work in the light and cheerful joy of this confidence-all are trustworthy; all will gain wise and gracious fulfilment, since "he is faithful that promised," and he speaks calmly over our life's tumult, saying, "Be still, and know that I am God."-R. 'l'. Ver. 27.-The blessedness of God's blessings. David puts his desire and prayer into the one expressive word "bless,'' and that because he has such a full apprehension of what God's blessing is to hie people. "For thou blessest, 0 Lord, and it shall be blessed for ever." Men ask for the summum bonum. David finds it in the enrichment and the satisfying of the Divine goodness. "The blessing of the Lord maketh rich." As the verse on which we are dwelling reads in 2 Sam. vii. 29, "With thy blessin~ let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever." The word "bless" is used with great frequency in the Old Testament, and evidently with a variety of mea~in~s. It is difficult to fix upon a definition of the term which will express the essentml idea that underlies the diversity of its forms. A distinction, however, is made in Ps. cxlv. 10, "All thy works Hhall praise thee, 0 Lord; and thy saint~ shall b~ess thee." ~rom. this choice of different terms we may learn that "bless " carries the idea of the intelligent agent who knows and loves the object with which he deals, and seeks for gracious adaptations to feeling as well as to need. If saints bless God, it means that they intelli- gently aud lovingly apprehend the goodness of his dealings, and express their feelings of thankful love. 1f God blesses saints, it means that he int.iliigently considers their con- ell. xvm.1-17.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 297