The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 369

longer a true son. No man could have entered on such " scheme and hRvo devised 1mch meRns unless he hRd lost all true natural affection. 'l'o find fl\11lt with a fothce11 mlministration, to expose" fRther to ri<licule, to seek to alienate men from attaobment to a f11ther, and, in short, crush" father's hopes an<l life's work, could only proceed from a henrt utterly alienated. And such a f,Lberl Weak and erring as David in a notnblo instance bad been, he was the most ge11erous, and ma~nanimous of men, and hnd lm,u;::ht peace and plenty and honour to Israel. A b~alom's crime WRB one or tho basest ever recor,1ed. And all alienation from a true father's bout is utterly base nnd dc~erving the i<trongcst detestation. 'l'hcre is hope for sons when they still cherish love and reverence for parents; none when these are gone. Every feeling, and act, and com- panionship, and habit which tend towards this awful separation of heart, should be shunned 11s men shun the roR-<l to dcR.th. And yet this is the real state of the human heart in relation to God. The gulf is awfnl; and nothing but a new creation will lead to a reconciliation (John iii. 5; Rom. viii. 7). VI. PSEUDO-PATRIOTISM AN ASSUMED VIRTUE. Patriotism is strong in men whose country has been associated in memory with great deeds. To care for one's la.nd and people, to be more concerned for the maintenance of justice and adjustment of the claims of the poor than for the form and :person'Tl& of government,-this is always commend- able; and so much is this virtue esteemed that it is assumed by Absalom for his own purposes. ,ve cannot believe in the patriotism of any man who shuts his heart against a good father. Civil virtues cannot make amends for the absence of the domestic and primary virtues. It is easy to prate about justice and the oppressed, and to speak smoothly to the populace; to keep the heart pure, lovin~, true toward man and God, is not so easy. There is much pseudo-patriotism in political life. Men claim virtues they do not possess, and use the claim for gaining an in.fiuence that else would be unattainable. VII. RELIGION A CLOAK FOB EVIL Dl!:SIGNS. Absalom knew bis father to be a pious man, and therefore seeks to accomplish his purpose by a profession of piety. , 1'he heart- lt:Ss son finds no difficulty in taking the holy name of God in vain, and concocting a tissue of lies. To the populace he can be a critic of the government; to the pious king he can be a devout man, intent on keeping sacred vows. No clearer proof of a Satanic spirit than when men dare to la.y hold of the most sacred things and use them for vile and selfish purposes. Highteous, indeed, was the indignation of Christ a.gn.inst such "hypocrites." "Woe" from the lips of love came upon them. Manifold are the forms and degrees in which this evil appears. To worship in order to be respectable, to profess religion for the sake of trade, to utter pious phrases in order to win popular applause, are but the less repulsive forms of the very crime of Absalom. How abominable ruch persons must appear in the sight of the all-searching God I VIII. TAKING Ul.'DUE ADVANTAGE OF ANOTHER'S DIFFICULTY. In consequence of tbe immense work thrown on an absolute monarch, the fl:I"OWing complications of a :tiourishine; state, and the incompetence of subordinates, there would necessarily arise many difficulties in the administration of the affairs of the kingdom. In all land.~ people have to wait for justice when others are being served. But the evil heart of Ab::ia.lom showed itself in using whatever incidental delays arose as an occasion of pro- moting its own wicked schemes. There is too much of this in the world. The rich have often taken advantage of the ignorance and helplessness of the poor to secure ends otlierwise unattainable. In political life it is a maxim to seize the hour of weakness for a party triumph. It is the devil's opportunity with feeble souls to render more surn their destruction. Trouble in 11tate, Church, or family affords opportunity for testing the qualities of men. Love or hate, sympathy or antagonism, will thereby be revealed. Buw different to others the blessed Saviour in presence of human infirmity I IX. POPULARITY ON AN UNSTABLE AND HOLLOW BASIS. The people's hearts were won to Absalom. It seems a great triumph to win the hearts of multitudes; it is an indication of great power on the part of the conqueror or of fickleness on the part of the conquered. But in this, as in many instances, the conquest was a revelation of i;Lallow thinking on the one side and basest cunning on the other. '!'here is in most mcn 11. soil for receiving the seeds of discontent from the band of a deft sower. People are 1:w;ily caught by flatteries and personal attentions. A visible p~ra.do of spl_end?ur dazzles and pleasc6 the crowd, who think modest, quiet bearing a sign of mediocrity, 'JLc dash and cartless promists of a young and handsome man excite the imagination. en. xv. 1-31.J Tll~ StWONb nooK OF SAMUET,. 37,j