The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 461

ABSORPTION IN TilE SORROWS OF' A RELIGIOUS P:XPERIENCE. David never felt anything like thi~. But the reason is plain. Never before did he see a connection between bis own pnst conduct and so awful an event. The special elements contributing to his self- absorbing misery were a vivid remembrance of his dreadful sin in the case of Bath- ehebl\ nnd Uriah; a spiritual appreciation of the awful issue of his son's life ; a deep conviction that that issue was, in the judgment of God, in some way connected with hi11 own sin; a contrast, inevitable in the association of ideas, of the end of Abaalom with the hopes once cherished concerning him; a reflection, which could not but occasionally force itself in (eh. xii. 13), that he only was forgiven and saved; a feeling that no one on earth could enter into his sorrows and afford him consolation. All these circumstances g-tined force by the fact that constitutionally he always felt strongly, and religiously his superior spiritual discernment rendered sin and its effects the more terrible. So in our own experience there will be, perhaps, specialities which may render our absorption much n:iore absolute than is that of others. The natural mental and moral texture of our nature, the conditions under which our sins were committed, the consequences which we can trace from our former sins,.the vividness with which an ideal past is con- trasted with present facts, the relative clearness of our spiritual perceptions and tender- ness of our susceptibilities, and degree of homage paid to the majesty of God's holy Law,-all these may qualify the self-surrender to the experience of the time. We can- "l.Ot expect cold and stoli.d men to bear the same troubles in the same way as do men of quick and highly developed spiritual sensibilities. IV. THE BORROWS OF SU0H ORISES CANNOT BE SHARED. A co=nnity of experience is necessary to the creation of'a sympathy coextensive with the depth of the sorrow. There were parents in Israel and Judah who had lost sons, and they would be able to enter into David's grief to that extent, and he could so far speak to them of his tronble. There were sinful men at ·Mahanaim who kuew what trouble of conscience was, and who might afford comfort to .their neighbours when mourning over their guilt; but there was no man in all the world who had sinned as David had, and no one in the world, perhaps, who now saw what an unutterably awful thing sin in general was, and espe- cially his sin. To no one except Nathan, who probably kept aloof from him, had the connection of David's sin with this judgment on it been known. Consequently, David felt shut up to his own anguish. "Of the people there was none with him.n 'rhe tran~action was between himself and God. He knew that the people did not under- stand him, and be could not explain himself to them. So is it with all our deepest experiences before God. We see our sins set in the light of bis countenance, and no one can share the experience involved therein. Reversing the picture, it may be said that there are also seasons of blessedness in the course of life when the "joy is unspeakable and full of glory," and which can never be fully told or even understood. GEJIEBAL LESSONS. 1. Let us remember that there are daily some persons passing through fearful crises in their religious life, and that it is possible to help all such by our prayers. 2. We should be very considerate of others who may appear to be unduly cast down, as there may be circumstances which, if known, would strengthen our pity. 3; It is very possible for us to misjudge others in the conduct they adopt, and make our own contracted experience e. ~tandard of judgment. 4. ',Ve may expect that those who are utterly broken down in spirit will be called out of their self- absorption by the voice of Providence. 5. It is a comfort to us all to know that God understands our real thoughts aI)d feelings, ·and that we have a High Priest who is touched with a feeling of our infirmities, he having entered into deeper depths of sorrow than we can ever know. The remoter consequences of sin. The narrative sets forth the action of Joab io arouse the king from bis self-absorption, and the changed attitude of the people towards him, as also the measures taken by David to bring about a reconciliation between himself and the entire nation. The great judgment on David's sin was now passed. Nathan's words bad been fearfully fulfilled, but in what followed we see also some of the remoter consequences of the sin. 'l'hus Joab's rough treatment and unbecoming familiarity in the discharge of an honest duty were connected with the fact that David had put himself in Joab's power by making him privy and accessory to the death of Uri~h. '!'ho people were now 11,lmost alienated because of the absorption of the king in sorrow.  472 THE SECOND BOOK OF SAMUEL, [OH, XIX, 1--43,