The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 105

more distinctnese the che.ra.cter of the kingdom which God WM then establishing by means of Dav_id, and eo, incidentally, it forms one of the Jinks in the.t singular chain ol events by which at last the Christ found a we.y prepared for him to dwell among men. There is a base passion in some men for this kind of notoriety. Some criminals have glorif'!d in it, and have seemed to derive some satisfaction from the thought that, at all e~ents, they have created a senBRtion, and will for a time, and perhaps for ever, figure in history. Miserable oonsolations of sin I The utter delusiveness of sinful ree.soning I The charm and delight could only be for 11. few days; the anguish and shame would come when the eye _81\W the world ~o more and the ~ar cee.8ed to listen to the hum of the people, e.nd then abide for ever. 'I he curse of the nghteous rests on the notoriety, e.nd so it becomes ~ very ooce.sion of deep and recurring disgrace. In modem times incalculable injury ,~ done by 11. low literature that feeds this morbid love of notoriety of evil, and in the education of youth too much care cannot be given to secure them from tho infection. lII. IMPLICIT ASPERSION OF CHARAOTEB. When these sons of Rimmon went to David with the head of Ishbosheth, no doubt openly and even boastincr before they reached his presence, they by that act implicitly cast on his character th";, foulest and most painful aspersions. It was in act a declaration to men that David was a man of blood, that he looked on the son of Saul as a foe to be got rid of by any means, and that if only supremacy could be obtained over all the people, he cared not particularly as to the means. To David this was the interpretation of the act, and the people about him could not but regard it in that light. Character may be aspersed by deeds in various forms, and by people who do not see that there is aspersion in their conduct. 'l'he fiatt.eries of some men are virtually reflections on purity of life. The requests of some men for a certain line of action are founded sometimes on a supposition of cha- racter that would be repudiated and scorned. IV. RIGHTEOUS INDIGNATION. David at once saw the varied bearings of the conJ.uct of these sons of Rimm.on; its base treachery, its cold cruelty, its political treason, its disregard of the claims of misfortune, its foolish policy, and, not least, its false and wicked misrepresentations of his own character. 'l'o the man called of God, who had in all his adversities trusted in God, whose mission was to establish a rule more wise and just than that of Saul, and to raise the ideas of the people to a higher level and prepare them to pe1form a part in opening the way for the great Messiah, this insult must have been agonizing. His quick spiritual sensibilities were at once stirred, and yet his indignation was the more strong and impressive in that he selected words wherewith to show to them the enormity of their guilt, and then delivered them to the execution they deserved. Apart from his natural aversion to" bloody men," and his regard for the sacredness of human life even in the case of those who injured him, he could not but dwell in his own private reBeotioIIB on the shameful insult offered to himself in the supposition that he could glory in such a deed. A fire burned in his soul. .All good men, who regard purity and righteousness of life as above all things, will fully Bympathize with David. Have we not here a clue to the Saviour's anguish when evil men supposed that he performed miracles by means of the power of Beelzebub? .And was not this, perhape, the deadly sin against the Holy Ghost (Matt. xii. 24--32)? V. GEi-EBOBITY TO m'l"OBTUNATE MEN. David was a man rich in noble feelings. His proud indignation 11.t the insult paid to him was accompanied with immediate regard for the unfortunate king whose life had been brought to so untimely an end. For him he cherished true pity. He regarded him as the son of Saul the anointed of the Lord, a man forced probably into a position of danger by stronger wills, and at least mistaken in his views as to what was best for the tribes on the death of his father; and hence, with the generosity so characteristic of him, he had hie few remains buried with all honour in the sepulchre of his distinguished captain. Here comes out the unworldli- ness of David's character. Success in life and rise to a high position too often render men iudifferent to those on whom fortune has not smiled. '!'here are many like Ishbo- sheth-men wbo have been pushed into positions for which they were unfitted, or.have Leen swayed by feeble reasons of their own into a course of life not useful, or have striven in vain against great social obHtacles, and eo have come to disappointment and grief. .As our Lord was compassionate and considerate of the lowly, so all who cherish his spirit will find out means of showing kindness to the unfortunate, even though they may have been in the position of opponents. llll, IV, 1-12.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 105