sccrot of all acceptable Christian zeal. We are right in feeling and purpose only in so fair ne our entire life is one with ChrisL's. Human life rieee to its highest level only when it causes nil its strength to flow in with the great stream of spiritual force which one day is to cover the earth. It is not patronage of institutions, study or critici~rn of Christian forms of thought and action, friendly feeling towards workers in mission fiolds, but personal identi6cation with the interests of Christ's kingdom as the most vital ond precious of all interests. Thie is a. practical illustration of the phrase, " We have the mind of Christ." II. THERE IS A WHOLESOME FEAR LEST PRIVATE AND BEOULAR PROSPERITY SHOULD GENERATE BELFIBHNEBB, David was blessed with great prosperity in home and in state. In clearer, more reflective moods, he saw that thie was connected with the furtherance of the great purpose of God in the world; but amidst the hurry of life and inevitable weaknesses of the moral nature, it was liable to produce a feeling of selfish content with his own condition. The dangers of prosperity are proverbial. His words to Nathan, contra.sting his own permanent dwelling with the slender covering of the ark, revealed the thoughts and feelings of a man sensible of a grave spiritual danger, and anxious not to fall into it. It is sometimes, in the course of doing God's work, or what may be called secular work in a Christly spirit, that Providence grants men secular prosperity. Then comes the testing-time of the religious life. Many fall under the spell, and undue absorption in temporal J>llrBOnal comfort robs the kingdom of Christ of much thought and energy it otherwise would have received. The pleasures of the "house of cedar" shut out the condition of the spiritual kingdom. But where zeal is sound, watchfulness is maintained, and spiritual growth keeps pace with worldly prosperity, there will be cherished a wholesome dread lest the blessings which come from God should in any measure wean the heart from him and the supreme interests of his kingdom. III. THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF THE TEMPORARY CHARACTER OF EXISTING RELI• GIOUS APPLIANOEB. Spiritual instinct led David to feel that the tent was not suited as the abode in perpetuity of the eternal, unchangeable God. There was an incongruity between the nature of the occupant and the frailty and transitoriness of the dwelling- place. .Apart, then, from the contrast with his own" cedar house," he saw that the arrangement1which had received Divine sanction through many generations was not to be consiaered as perfect and unalterable. This was confirmed by the faith he cherished that the presence of God among his people was in pursuance of the great historic promise made to .Abraham (Gen. xxii. 17, 18), and preparatory to some further unfolding of the plan which embraced within its scope all the nations of the earth. So far his zeal in seeking a permanent abode for the ark was enlightened. .And this is a characteristic of all true zeal. It does not merely proceed from impulse and strong feeling; it. has respect to the nature of the kingdom of Christ and the variability of its outward appliances according to the stages of its development. The visible forms and arrangements· adapted to one state of society may need revision and change more or less radical to render the deposit of truth more effective in its influence on a different state of society. A mere love of change is not identical with co=end- able zeal; a bare feeling that simple variation in outward forms will stre11gthen the power of religion is no sure guide; but a distinction between the perma~nt truth centring in Christ, and the transitoriness of the setting of that truth, will lead to a. desire, when occasion offers, to make such modifications in the circumsta&tials of religion as may best accord with the nature of the truth on the one side and the ,development of human society on the other. IV, 'l'HE IMPERFECTION OF THE ZEAL MAY LIE IN THE ERROR AS TO SEASONABLE- NESS. In this case all seemed right and sound, in accordance with the purest love and devotion, both to David and to Nathan. Subsequent light from God himself showed that here feeling was right and thouaht also up to a given point, but that the zeal was inappropriate by reason of a defectiv; knowledge of the specific purposes of God. There were reasons in the Divine mind why David, at this juncture, should oot build a house for the Lord. Probably his work of consolidation was not sufficiently advanced, and either then or later on he was reminded that a man of peace was alone suited for suck\ work (1 Chron. xxii. 8; xxviii. 3). The defectiveness of the judgment even of good men is cause of much mistake in altering the institutions and visible agencies of the 100 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL. [CH, VH. 1-20,
Church. 'fhere are times when neither David nor Nathan nu,y depend on their ,,resent foolingi; and knowledge, but more light must be sought from the Hea.d of the Church. However sound the principle that forms e.nd circumstantials do not posRese the permanence belonging to the central truth they cover, still a busy llleal eager to introduce 1SOmething new as more suited to a le.ter development, even though shown by the most sincere of men, must'be regarded with distrust unle88 Providence, by some means as good to us M was Nathan's vision to David, makes it quite clear that the time he.s come when the old should give place to the new. Holy desire, even when conjoined with knowledge of a limited experience, may not be fitly realized because God'g time is not quite come. GEKERAL LESSONS. 1. Where there is sincere piety there will be jealouRy lest the cause of God should not receive its due consideration. 2. It will be a mark of prosperous piety amidst prosperous circumstances when men deliberately study how they may more worthily serve God and give him the honour due to his Name, 3. We should always anticipate that, as time advances, there will be fresh opportunities for manifesting our devotion, even though our specific methods be not wisest. 4. It is a noble ambition to seek to render the house of God as perfect as human means can make it, and in this often we see contrasts in character (vers. 1-3; cf. Hag. i. 2, 5). A good man's life's work attains completion in so far as he combines, with advancing secular prosperity, regard for the prosperity of religion.