incident11 which hnd contributed to his deliverance, a.II rendered conspicuous the hand of C'TOd. To him, thorefore, he gRve the glory. Most of our lives will, if carefully roviewed, furnish similar proofs of the operation of the living God, not merely of matter and dead IRWS, and of friend11. And we 11hould gratefully recognize and confess his goodness. Hence will spring humility, continu:mce and increase of thankfulness, and also confi- dence and hope in respect to future adversities (see 2 Cor. i. 10; 2 Tim. iv. 17, 18). Il. lN VIEW 01" TIIE REDEMPTION FROM ALL EVIL EFFECTED FOR US BY OUR LORD Jp;sus CHRIST. The word "redeem" will in this case have the full signification of "mnsom by payment of a price." We have "redemption through his blood, tho forgiveness of sins." In redeeming us from our sins, he redeemed us from all kinds and degrees of evil. All who accept him as their Redoemer and Lord !\re thus assured of complete deliverl\nce from Rll that now distresses them, and from all in the future world that would have distressed them but for his redeeming work; and, in the certainty that the purposes of his death will be accomplished, may speak of their deliverance as already effected. Nor can they fail to remember with unutterable thankfulness and perpetual thanksgiving the redemption thus wrought for them. JII. BY THOSE WHO HA VE Eli:l'ERIENCED FINAL AND COMPLETE DELIVEBANOE FROM ALL THE EVILS OF THIS PRESENT WORLD. What a blessed thing it will be to look back on all the evils of this present state, including death itself, as actually past I and to look forward to an eternity of complete freedom from evil, of full enjoyment of good I No sin, no want, no sickness, no pain, no sorrow, no peril; but perfect peace, perfect service of God, perfect communion with him, "fulness of joy " and " pleasures for ever- more" (Ps. xvi 11; Rev. vii 14-17; xx.i. 4). .And evermore will the "redeemed from the earth" be mindful of their Deliverer, and unite in praise of God and the Lamb. In l'iew of this glorious and complete redemption : 1. Let Christians be patient and thankful while enduring the adl'ersities which belong to their condition on earth. 2. Take heed lest, redemption being effected, you fail to attain to its actual experience. To reject Christ is to reject deliverance from death and misery.-G. W.
EXPOSITION. was the result of long preparation o.nd CHAPTER V. e.rrangement. We have fuller details of it Ver. 1.-Then came all the tribes of in 1 Chron. xii. 23-40, where we learn Imi.el. As lshbosheth reigned only two that the people assembled in large numbers, years, and David's reign at Hebron lasted the total being computed in the • Speaker's for seven years and a helf, there is an in- Commentary' at 348,222; and it is remark- terval of more than five years to be aLle that of thi.s vast ,array only sixteen accounted for; and we have given reason thonsand nine hundred came from the for believing (see note on eh. ii 10) the.t it tribes of Judah, Simeon, and Benjamin, must be ple.ced after the death of Ishbosheth. which were situated in the neighbourhood The treacherous murder of Abner, and the of Hebron. On the other hand, the two tragic fate of Ishbosheth following upon it and a he.If tre.ns.Jordanic tribes sent no so rapidly, must have filled all Israel with leBB than a hundred and twenty thousand horror, and me.de them look npon David as men, and the three unimportant tribes of "a bloody man" (eh. xvi. 8). Bnt gradually Zebnlun, Asher, and No.phte.li mustered his inn~nce became clear to all except a hundred e.nd eighteen thousand; while invetemt.e partisans, and 11.s the prejudice Issachar was content to send only two against him passed away, the evident ad- hundred, who were all, however, "men that vantage of union under so able a ruler had understanding . . . and their brethren would forc.e itself npou their attention, were at their commandment." These words and their decision would be hastened by suggest the probable explanation of the dis- the advantage which the Philistines parity in the numbers, which to many seems would be mre to take of their anarchy. so strange that they think they must be How mnch they had profited by it we corrupt. Each tribe settled for itaelf in gather from the haste with which they what way it would be represented, and the cndee.vonred to crush David's kingdom. '1lore distant sent o. large proportion of their The enormous gathering at Hebron to men of military age on what would be an anoint David king proves not merely the t:njoyable holiday. As they spent three unanimity of the trihes, but that hi.selection days at Hebron, the expedition would OH, V, 1--25.] THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. 113