The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 20

HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.-The chamber of sickness. This opening chaptel' of 1 Kings intro- d1;1ces lls int.o the 11~·fracy of a sick room. Stretched upon a couch, covered with _m~ny folds of nch Eastern drapery, we see a feeble, decrepit, attenuated man. ~t his s1~e stands a fair young girl, assiduously ministering to his wants. From ~une to _tune the door opens, and prophet, priest, and warrior enter to receive his mstrnctions; for happily the mind is not a wreck like the body. Its vigour is hardly abated, though the bodily strength is well-nigh exhausted. He has but reached the appointed threescore years and ten, and yet-such have been the hard- ships of his life-the vital force is spent. They cover him with clothes, but he gets no heat. The flame of life is slowly but surely expiring. But we see at once that this is no ordinary roo~; that this is no common patient. The gorgeous · apparel, ~~e p~le 11:nd fi~e linen, the " attenda1;1ce_ ot: ministers, the standing of servants, proclarm 1t a lnng's court. And the ms1gnia, the pomp, the profound homage proclaim that this sick man is a king. Yes, it is David, second king of Israel, bot second to none in goodness and trne greatness, who lies here. His chequered life, so full of romance, of chivalry, of piety, is drawing near its close. But the hour of death is preceded by a period of feebleness and decay. For sick- ness_ is no respecter of persons. It, too, like death, "thunders at the palace gates of kmgs and the dwellings of the poor.'' There is no release in that war, 11 Sceptre and crown must tumble down, And in the dust be equal made With the poor common scythe and spade." The sickness of David, then, may fittingly suggest some thoughts as to sickness in general What, let us ask, is its purpose, what its uses ? Why is it that, as a rule, a period of gradual decay precedes death ? For it is worthy of remark that man alc,ne, of all the animals, dies of disease. Among all the myriad forms of life, that is, he alone dies gradually. The lower animals, as a rule, prey upon each other. Beasts, birds, fishes, insects, all die a violent death. No sooner is one of them attacked by sickness, or enfeebled by old age, than it is dispatched and devoured by its fellows. It is thus the balance of the species is preserved. But in the case of men, sudden death is the exception. For them there rewains, as a rule, a dis- cipline of pain prior to dissolution. It is well to ask why this is. The general answer is, of course, obvious. It is because of that other life, that future reckoning which awaits men after death. Let us consider, however, in what ways sickness and pain are a preparation for the life and the judgment to come. I. SICKNESS Is Goo's NOTICE TO QUIT. We should think it hard to be ejected from our home and turned into the street without due notice. We want 11, little time to make preparations. Especially is this the case when we are leaving our earthly tabernacle-leaving not a home, but a world. Now God has given us abundant and repeated notice in the various accidents and occurrences of life. Too often, however, both the lessons of Providence and the warnings of the preacher are unheeded. So the Lover of souls will give men a final warning, and one that they cannot mistake, cannot well disregard. They shall/eel it in their own persons. Sickness shall bid them set their house in order and prepare to meet their God. A German fable tells us that once upon a time Death promised a young man that he wou!J not summon him until he had first sent several messengers to apprize him of his coming. So the youth took his fill of pleasure, and wasted health and strength in riotous living. Presently, a fever laid him low. But as no messenger had appeared, he had no apprehensions; and when h0 recovered, he returned fortuwith to his former sins. He then fell a prey to other maladies, but, remem- bering his covenant with Death, made light of them. " I am not going to die," he cried; "the first messenger has not yet come." But one day some one tapped him on the shoulder. He turned, and saw Death standing at his elbow. "Follow me." OH, I. 1-58.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. 13