Paul's solemn words to Timothy : "Take heed to thyself, and to the doctrine• continue in them: for in so doing thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear th'ee." 'fhe soul must be watched and kept, and then the doctrine will be sound. If we seek the Lord he will ever be found ; but if we tum our backs on him, then we shall experience that spiritual darkness and misery within that will be practically thouah to one saved in the Lord may never be ;'udicially, a casting off from God. 'l,'hough" a. true believer may never fall from God, be may fall from the grace of God • a.nd this tbongh not judicial, is yet pmctical and experiment.al exclusion from God. David enjoins Solomon to " take heed " l,ecause he is " chosen." It is the dignity conferred that demands the responsibility and gives the power to rule. Is it not so with men put into high places over our land ? Before men get into office, what do they not say? and how do they not act? But when they are in office the dignity controls and directs, and gives wisdom and judgmrnt. So is it in the Divine life. God's grace chooses a me.n, makes him one of his children, puts upon him the highest dignity, and thus he posses.ses a motive power for holiness which nothing else can give him. David's final words to Solomon at the close of this chapter are equally solemn and suggestive. " Be strong and of good courage, and do it : fear not, nor be dismayed." What a. strin"' of holy exhortations! On what are they built? On God's presence with his people"= " lor the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsak; thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord." God's presence is the believer's joy; it is also bis strength and power for work. The expression " my God " reminds us again of Paul : '' My God shall supply a.ll your need." It was the personal and experimental acquaintance with God's unchanging love and faithfulness, and that alone, which gave to David and Paul such confidence, and made them speak thus. But Solomon might have said, as many others often say," These are precious promises and encouragements, and I am but 'young and tender,' and the work is so great; how shall I get the means, and who will help me, and how shall I know they will be ready and willing?" These and a thousand other questions rise up in the soul when God sets a clear path before us, or a plain duty. How often we stand, we hesitate! We are already taking one step back. God comes in again to strengthen our faltering faith. "The priests and Levites shall be with thee, . . . and there shall be with thee every willing and skilful man, . . . the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy commandment." What a promise-" All things are yours"! So it is always. Having the Lord with us, we shall have everything else: "life and death, things present and things to come," yea, "all things are ours." How completely every <J.Uestion of the soul is met from the unchanging faithfulness and love of our God !-W.
Vers. 11-19.-David's transfer of the patterns to Solomon. After the solemn charge to the congregation and to Solomon, David handed over to Solomon the patterns of the temple, the enumeration beginning from outside to inside, and from thence to the courts and buildings and the vessels, and they include the minutest details of all per- taining to it. Let us mark the spiritual truths con~ected with this portion of God's Word, and they are many. We refer only to a few. First, as to the patterns themselves. How did David get them? They came from "the Lord'' (see ver. 19). Secondly, they came by a "writing." Thirdly, they came "through the Spirit," or by Divine inspiration. Fourthly, they came through God's "hand upon him." These are all important points in the narrative. This great temple of old we.s a type of the great spiritual temple now-the_ kin);!dom of God in this world. In _a _seconda~f senRe it may be taken as the believer himself: "Ye are the temple of the hvmg God. Mark, then, first, everything of a Divine character comes from the Lord himself. 'l'he Lord himself is the Architect of his own house, whether it be in a. man's soul (lr the Church of Christ. Secondly, the Divine pattern of everything spiritual come& through the" writing," the Word of God written. Thirdly, the Holy Spirit is the Divine Communicator of this Word. He speaks through that Word, which is the breath of God. And, lastly, it is through the "hand" of the Lord laid upon us that the Word becomes effectunl and operative. As David handed the patterns to Solomon, so should these be the patterns handed down now, through the Word and the Spirit, and applied wit~ ~ower by the "hand" of the Lord. Solomon could not lay a single stone, nor make a Gmgle beam, nor deviate one hair's breadth from thia pattern thus handed to him. No more may we. ea. xxvm. 1-21.] THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. 431