The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 66

God does not do thiR, If He did, many of us would ignorantly ask for foolish things. We do not know what we shall be doing or wanting even to-morrow. If you were going abroad and did not know for what country you were des- tined, nor even whether H we.a hot or cold, civilized or uncivilized, it would not be wfae to provide things on the chance they might be useful. You might get wee.pons of defence for a country where they would not be wanted, and have to wear in the tropics clothing only suited to the polar seas. It would not be really kind for your father to say, "Now go into that shop, and get whatever you like." You would say," No, thank you; as you know where I am going, and I don't, I would rather tmst you ; though if you think it would be good, I should like this, or that." So we are taught to pray to our Heavenly Father. Give examples. Some- times God does give us what we foolishly choose, as the father did to the prodigal, and then sorrow teaches us the folly of our self-will. The freedom to ask anything can only be given safely to those who are like Solomon. He bad just given himself up to God as a living sacrifice, and had asked God to accept him e.nd uae him for His service ; for it was this which he expressed by his offering of a thousand burnt sacrifices. (Romans xii. 1.) If you can say in your heart, "Lord, I want to become like Jesus Christ, and always to be obedient to Thy will; I long to be earnest and humble, and pure, and loving, and to live altogether for Thee ; '' then He says, of all that will keep you toward that, "Ask and ye shall receive, and your joy shall be full." Show the necessity of prayer to children; point out their special temptations to neglect it; and close by the story of Esther going into the king's presence with trembling, only to see the golden sceptre extended, and to hear the gracious encouragement, "What is thy petition, and what is thy request? and it shall be done unto thee I" " When thou saidst, 'Seek ye my face,' my heart said unto Thee, 'Thy face, Lord, will I seek.' "-A. R. Vers. 6, 7.-'J'he reverent prayer of a Toyal petit·ioner. Solomon had a more peaceful 1'0ign and greater outwo.rd glory than David. Yet much is said in Scripture about the father, and little about the son. This revelation of God's truth about men and things is less concerned with splendid surroundings than with secret struggles. Few, if any, are made great by splendour. Hence a few verses suffice to tell of Solomon's ships and palaces, and gold and ivory; but many chapters are devoted to accounts of David's temptations, deliverances, and prayers. \Ve have God's estimate of Solomon's magnificence in the memorable words of Christ, " Consider the lilies of the field how they grow ; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these." From these words we infer that human greatness does not clairQ God's regard, but that He cares for lilies as well o.s for kings; so that from none of us, however lowly our lot, is the privilege of prayer, granted to Solomon, withheld. The prayer before us was characterized by the following excellences:- I. GRATITUDE. (Ver. 6.) Solomon thanked Goel for who.this father had been. David was far from being a sinless man, but his son loyally veiled his faults, and praised God for what he had been to himself and others. What reasons for grati- tude many have in this respect. Loving care during the feebleness of infancy; provision for education, &c., often the result of habitual self-denial; protect.ion of the home not only from physico.l, but from morl)l evils, in the sha1>e of bad litero.- ture, compn,nionR, &c. These are the ordinary blessings from parenthood, lmt often there are more than these, e.g., the moro.l heritage of wholesome tendencies; the good name, to be chosen rather than great riches; the repression of evil, and en- couragement of good he.bits of thought and action ; the counsels and warnings to the inexperienced ; the Christian truth revealed in the holy life, proclaimed by the loving lips. Few blessings are greater than these; but few are less thankfully re- cognized. Gratitude should reveal itself in tender consideration, in graceful courtesies, in prompt obedience, &c., in the home, a.nd shoulcl express itself in praise to the Giver of a.ll good f:iifts. [This is but an exo.mplo of subjectR for grati- tude: othe1·s may be auggested.j  00 THE FtRST BOOK OF KINGS. [ Cil, III. 1-13.