The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 74

gratitude should have been violated by the young monarch. ThuB men, p111'Bning a colll'l!e which they know to be contrary to the will of God, become, when personal and family matte!'B are involved, zealous, ea.eh in his own fashion, for what iB right and proper. Truly, man is a strange compound of mor11.l light and darkness. The psycho- logical explanation is a study. It is the habituation to the wrong whioh renders men so dull to appeals, BO insensible to the real demerit of their actions, and it is the latent force of conscience which saves them from being parties to a course on which they have not taken the initial step. Hence our Lord's reference to the "gnat" and the "camel." The prevalence of this state of moral confusion is very wide even in Christian society. In the same individual may be found great sensitiveness and great obtuseness. The holding of slaves and gain by the sale of them has coexisted with a profound regard for religious worship. Licentious men have had a dread of dishonesty. Multitudes who rob God of the love and obedience due to him are indignant if an ordinary business debt is not paid. The Pharisees could conspire to kill Jesus Christ, and yet feel very unhappy if they omitted any of the ceremonials of religion. It is a common thing for men and women to indulge in envy, jealousy, and ill will, while extremely careful to keep up an external conduct conformable to the requirements of the Decalogue. There is much scope for searching of heart on this subject; and in dealing with it the preacher needs to exercise great discrimination and- delicacy of reference. Abner must be made to see himself as lsh bosheth sees him, and 11i.ce versa. " Man, know thyself," is a maxim of immense importance to every one. VI. PASSING EVID.'TS MAY SERVE TO UNVEIL THE WORKINGS OF CONBCIENOE, Viewed from a distance by the people, Abner seemed to be a man who all along was conscien- tiously and faithfully subordinating bis life to the maintenance of a just cause. So far as we can see from the narrative, he had been reticent concerning the mental processes of which he was daily conscious. But the incident of lshbosheth's accusation of immorality was as the removing of a veil whereby the actual thoughts of Abner stood revealed. " So do God to Abner, and more also, except, as the Lord hatb sworn to David. even so I do to him." Thus Abner had known all alon,i; that it was God's will to give the kingdom to David. The ideas and compunctions connected with this central fact had evidently been covered up and suppressed. 'l'he real inner life of struggle against right and God was now exposed by bis own act. In the case of every man there is always an inner life necessarily hidden by himself from ordinary view. It is a necessity of social existence that each man should be more unknown than known to bis fellows. Only where there is perfect holiness would perfect knowledge of others be helpful to love and confidence. But in the case of men pursuing a deliberate course which seems to others to be conscientious, but is known to themselves to be contrary to right, there is a rigid and designed concealment of their self-condemnation. They gain the reputation of being upright, though perhaps misguided, men, while their own conscience gives the lie to this public ju~crment. An incidental reference, an unguarded hasty admission of fact, an effort to justify an action, may be as a sudden rent in the covering of the real life within. exposing to the view of others a guilty violation of truth, a perpetual conflict against the well-ascertained will of God. This frequent concealment of an inner guilty life and its possible unveiling by incidental events should be a guide in forming an estimate of conduct, and a warning to evil-doers. The tielf-exposure, also, however incidental, is to be ta.ken as a preintimation of the final exposure when God shall bring bidden thiDgs into judgment. Vere. 12-21.-The facts are: 1. Abner, disgusted with Ishbollheth's conduct, opens negotiation with David for the transfer of the kingdom to him. 2. David consents to discuss the question on condition that Abner first of all undertakes to restore unto him :Micha.I Saul's daughter. 3. Concurrent with Abner's efforts to bring this to pass, David makes~ demand on lshbosheth for the restoration of Micha.I. 4. Abner, taking charge of Michal on her return to David, effecti; the final separation from her wee.ping husband, 5. Reminding Israel and Benjamin of their former preference of David, Abner seeks to bring them over to his cause. 6. Charged with instructions from the people, he pro- ceed. to Hebron u a legate to arrange the business with David. 7. As a result of the interview, it was left to Abner to complete the formal submission of all the people to the authority of David 1111. Ill. 1-80.) THE SECOND BOOK OF SAM1JEL.