The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 303

HOMILETICS. Vers. 1-17.-The chapter that offers the sermons of facts with fewest words. The chapter which to indifferent reading might seem most bare of religious instruction will yield to careful attention the most forcible lessons. Facts bring the most impressive lessons to our lives. Facts teach the most impressive aspects of the Divine character to our present power of apprehending that character. For all we read and memory retains it, for all we hear and faith believes it, for all we think, and think we see it well and clearly, that which we feel and experience from the hard facts of life or the joyful facts of life performs a thousand times over the largest and most valuable part in our education. This chapter is a narration of facts-almost exclusively this and nothing else. But they were facts full of personal interest to David, and full of illustration of Divine goodness and faithfulness. The chapter tells indeed the simplest tale of events that made the joy of a human life, strengthened the faith of a Divine life, rewarded the endurance and preparation of years past of a suffering and painful life, and gives God the praise that was his due. To notice well such facts is to listen well to God's own sermons. Let us notice how they part here so very naturally into those which illustrate the gracious attributes of the Teacher God, and those which illustrate the better qualities of the learner David. We have here- ' I. THE GoD "FAITHFUL AND JUST" TO BRING ON THE TIME OF THE " RECOM• PENSE OF REWARD." That time is not always to be expected in the present world. There are sometimes manifest reasons why this cannot be, or why it should not be likely, or why it were even to be deprecated. It is also one of the chiefest distinctions, nay, even the differentire of the Christian temper and essential quality, "to seek for glory and honour and immortality by patient continuance in well-doing," with the eye fi:!::ed on one thing alone as the reward-" eternal life." Yet sometimes it is the case that a manifest, ample, revealed recompense of reward comes after trial and sorrow borne, and work earnestly done, even before the partial scene of this present bas passed. It is so now. Long bad been the discipline of David, frequent the strokes by which heart and life had been smitten, keen and agonizing the misconceptions from which he had suffered, and the misconstructions put upon his generous conduct, and sharply bad the iron of disappointment entered into his susceptible nature. But now, 'tis no longer the chapter of accidents; it is the chapter of victories. A series of joyful successes, of triumphs, of honours, came to him. And it was because God "remembered" him and "visited" him and blessed him-no longer with the more bidden mercies proper to the time of preparation and discipline, but with these manifest, published mercies proper to one who had " borne the yoke in his youth," and who had in his measure "seen affliction by the rod of his wrath." II. THE GoD WHO LENGTHENS OUT HIS PROVIDENTIAL PROTECTION OF ms SERVANT. How true it is that "the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" I He ho.s never forsaken David. He does not weary of him. He does not change for caprice' sake bis sen·aut, to use a younger, a fresher, a choicer. No, he keeps by him, and "preserves him whitbersoever he" goes. He is his Shield and Buckler and Defence. He guides him by day and guards him by night. He makes bis enemies either fall before him or flee before him. He counsels him and fiurrounds him with faithful coun- ~ellors, captains of his armies, priests of the Church. 'l'his is the time that, through the goodness of a faithful Providence, his corn and his wine, and his gold and silvor, art> iucreased, and a "table is spread before him, e'en in the presence of his enemies." Not a day just now but David feels what a glory it is to be the servant of God, and what safety tbne is with him. III. THE CONTINUED FAITHFUL DEVOTION ON THE PART OF THE SERVANT OF ms LIFE AND POWERS TO ms GIIEAT MASTEr:. H:s wars are against the enemies of God and the people of God, '!'here is no sign of personal rmd ambitious objects in what cu. xvm. 1-17.J THE FIRST DOOK OF THE CHTIONICLES. 301