The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Kings — Section 176

could not really" behold his glory." They "saw through s. glass "-a. cloud- " darkly." The "dispensation of the Spirit," though it did not remove fleshly restrictions, brought in that blessed condition of things in which the soul has such a thrilling sense of Divine communion as scarcely to need any material help to the apprehension of it, and almost to forget the intervening veil. The one manifesta- tion was local and exclusive, con.fined to the central shrine of Jewish worship, dis- tinguishing the Jewish people from all the world besides; "to them belonged the glory." The grace of the Spirit is God's free gift to all mankind, " shed on us abundantly" (Joel ii. 28; Acts x. 45; Titus iii. 5). The Spirit is the exclusive possession of none of the churches, owns no human creed, or ritual, or ecclesi- astical boundary rather than another, dwells wiLh all who call upon the same redeeming Lord. The one manifestation was transitory, served a temporary Pill'• pose. The "glory" soon dep3,rted again, and returned to the hen.ven from whence it came. The other is an enduring reality. The Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, " abides with us for ever," the spring of an imperishable life, the pledge and pro- phecy of the unfading glory of God's unveiled presence.-W. Vers. 17-19.-The Unfulfilled Purposes of Life. Men often take credit to themselves for the designs of others. .AIJ. inventor is forgotten, having died in obscurity, while others make fortunes from that secret which he won by the sacri- fices of ease, strength, and time. rGive other examples of the non-recognition by men of purposes and schemes which were unfulfilled by their originators.] Solomon showed himself to be truthful and magnanimous when, in the presence of his people, he ascribed to his father the inception of the building which now stood before them in its splendour. How much more ready is God, who knows the hearts of all men, to recoguize and reward the unfulfilled longings of men to serve Him I Briefly indicate the reasons which made it unsuitable that David should personally do this special service (compn,re 2 Sam. vii. with 1 Chron. xxii. B). He stood not alone in his disappointment, therefore the following thoughts which arise from considering it may help others to bear the unfulfilled purposes of their lives. I. DAVID PROPOSED TO DO SOME GREAT THING FOR BIS Gon. We too often seek to effect great things for ourselves, or for our chilili·en, rather than for God. David wished to erect the temple. It was to be (1) an expression of hie own gratitude for hia election, protection, and exaltation. (2) A memorial to the people of the Divine goodness which had so wondrously constituted them as a nation. (3) A recognition that God was the centre of the nationality, as His temple was of the city. A.53 to it all the tribes should repair, so to Him should all their hea,rts be turned. Suggest some of the tendencies which hinder men from indulging and accomplishing great purposes for God ; e.g., the love of money, self-indulgence, materialism, scepticism. II. DAVID BAD IT IN HIS HEART TO DO MUCH FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHERS. He lived for his people. He shrunk neither from the perils of war nor the anxieties of rule that they might become a strong and noble nation. He did not wish to builcl the temple for himself, but for them and their children. Hacl he been allowed to begin it (when alone he was able to do so) in extreme old age, he would probably never have seen its completion; but he was content that generations yet to come should have that as their place of worship. Rebuke the tenclency of men to ignore their responsibility to posterity. Sometimes in national finance, in ecclesiastical an-angements, &c., the fact that the benefit would only lie in the future and not in the present, is enough to check effort and sacrifice. \V110 has not heard the ques~ion,. "What has posterity done for us?" Show the fallacy of this reasoning, and its smfulness, because of the selfishness and ingratitude it reve:ils. Indicate some of the blessings we enjoy as o. nation, o.nd o.s churches, from the labours uncl sacrifices of our predecessors who did not count even life dear to them. III. DAVID WAS PREVENTED BY CIRCUMSTANCES FROM FULFILLING ms PURPOSE. Ware, unsettlement, infirmities of age, &c., were some of these. They were beyond his control, but not beyond God's. Still the purpose wus, as we have said, a right one. Give examples from modern life : e.g., (1) The young man who longs to be- pome u. minister of God's truth, but is compelled to labour for the support of himself  176 THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS. [os. vm.1-66,