Ver. 11.-Loyalty to God in the time of success. It is noted that the best of the spoils of David's wars he loyally "dedicated unto the Lord," thus proving himself as faithful in the time of prosperity and success as he bad proved himself in the time of failure and trouble. The testing power of adversity is often considered, and is, indeed, one of the familiar topics of public teaching; but the testing power of prosperity is not worthily estimated or efficiently treated. Yet God works by both, and the second provides the more searching and severe forms of testing. Many a man's root- weakness of character bas been discovered by success. It is harder work to go up in life, keeping hold of God's hand, than it is to go down. And it says much for David, and little for Solomon, that under God's temporal blessings David held fast his integrity, and Solomon virtually forsook the God of his fathers. In the instance now before us, David had e. grand present from Tou, the King of Hamath. Such a present would seem to be his own exclusive property, and no man could have blamed him if he had added it to his private estate. But, in pious loyalty to God, he looked upon it as a part of the success with which God had attended his labours, so he dedicated it to the honour and service of God, e.nd gained a far richer blessing out of the gift the.n if he had kept it for himself. I. SucCEBB IN LIFE MAY SEPARATE us FROM Goo. It may, by filling our life with fresh interests, and crowding out God. It may, by nourishing pride, and destroying the con- ditions on which alone God can dwell with us. It may, by making the real god of our worship to be self, and so dethroning the living God. It may, by declaring our unfaith- fulness as we use the success for self, and not for God, and so bring ow·selves under Divine judgments. Or it may, by nourishing carnal security, and bringing us into e. spiritual condition that must grieve and quench the Holy Spirit. II. SUCCESS IN LIFE MA y BIND UB CLOSELY TO Goo. It will, if we fully recognize tho Source whence all success comes. It will, if we are watchful over our spiritual culture, throucrh the means of grace, while the success is growing. It will, if we are fully resolv~ to consecrate to God's use any success we may gain. It will, if we carefully reproportion our gifts, to God's house and service, as our success advances. Compare Jacob's early vow at Bethel (Gen. xxviii. 22), "Of all that thou shalt give rno, I will surely give a tenth to thee.'' And illustr~te David's sacrifices for the tabernacle and temple during his reign, culminating in hi,; splendid gift out of his "own proper good," his own private property, just at the clo110 of Jiis career (eh. x.xix. 3-5). We may be orr. xvm.1-17.J THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 307
directly helped in 1;11aintaining the right spi_rit, under advancing prosperities, by the devotement of port10us of our success to pious uses. Makina the o-ift of portions testify that we hold the whole as God's, and only entrusted to ~ar ste°wardship in tho mystery of the Divine grace. "What have we that we have not received ? " Offer what we may to God's service, of it we mW!& say but this, "Of thine own have we given thee.'-R. T.