The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Samuel — Section 466

Pee bow this action of oonecienoe is verified in the case of many who hRve rejected Christ, the Lord's Anointed. Once let them know that he is coming into hie kingdom and unell.llinees will appee.r. ' _IV. 'l'HE INFL~o~ IN LIFE OF DOMINATING IDEAS. The son of Zeruie.h (ver. 21) wished to slay Shurnn at once, e.nd, hl\d he done so, many would have said that the wicked m11n reaped the desert of his crimes. The anointed of the Lord desired that the men should not die, and ml\ny doubtless thought thl\t the clemency wlkl ill-judged, But the reason of the totl\lly diverse desires and judgments was that the two men were 0!3 that de.y governed b.v tote.Uy diverse ideas. Abishai was the hard, stern soldier ruled in t~is instance by the sentimen_t of rigid discipline, and acting in all thing~ under the idea of power; whereas David was the wise, generous king, ruled by the sentiment of love for his peopl~, and acting in this instance under the idea of kin~ly grace. The one saw no reason 10 the event _of the day for sparing an unworthy life; the other saw that kingly grace found befitting exercise when prosperity and joy were returning to all. 'l'be ideas that ruled the one life left no room for variation ; those that ruled the other required variation. It is an important inquiry to what extent men's lives are ruled by a few leading ideas, and what is the relation of these ideas to the impulses and dispositions that seem to lie next to the will. 'l'be Christian man has certain clear and definite conceptions concerning God, Christ, himself, the relation of the present to the future, which mark him off from the non-Christian man, and these form the intellectual elements that determine all his conduct toward God and man. Men of diverse e.ges differ much in the general conceptions they entertain on the details of life, and hence we get differences in the degree of conformity of conduct to an absolute standard of morality. In so far as we can procure unity of perception and unity of disposition, so far do we lay the basis for harmony of conduct and the welfare of civil society. Hence the radical and yet progressive work of true Christianity: it will bring " eye to eye " end heart to heart, and so establish peace for evermore. Hence also the importance of instilling in young and old such views as shall, by their range and controlling influence over the mind, practically determine conduct along the Christian line. V. Tu PATIENT WAITING 01" THE DECEIVED AND OPPRESSED. The personal appearance of Mephibosheth when be came to welcome David to Jerusalem was indi- cative of trouble and sorrow arising from neglect and poverty, and possibly real grief, experienced during the time of the rebellion. The conduct of Ziba and the loss of David's table (eh. ix. 9-13; xvi. 1-4) account for his poverty, and it is not likely that such a man as Absalom would make ample provision for one of the house of Saul. There is no traee of Mephibosheth having by treasonous means done wrong to David, though it is possible that, in real Oriental manner, he, like the sons of Ze.dok, may have assumed an outward prudential appearance of fidelity to the cause of Absalom. He was a helpless man, deceived end oppressed, and placed, by reason of his physical infirmity, in such a position as not to be able to extricate himself from trouble. His only chance was to we.it and cherish hope that the generous king, who had so bounti- fully befriended him for his father's sake, would return to power. A fair illustration is this of the patient waiting of men snffering from craft and wrong. The African race in slavery, deceived end robbed of their patrimony by men more strong and crafty, waited and hoped almost age.inst hope for the day of freedom. Their only hope was in the rise of the beneficent kingly power of the Lord's Anointed, and it did come. Others such as the Waldenses and Malagasy, wronged and oppressed, waited for the comin; of the better day, and it did come. Many a soul, deceived by the cunning craft of the father of lies, and robbed of moral and material wealth, has known the pain~ of poverty of spirit, and waited for the king's gracious restoration. 'fhe Apostle Paul Lelis us, too, of the "whole creation," afflicted with the ills consequent on the great rebellion against God, travailing in pain, and waiting for a better time (Rom. viii. lS--22). It is the joy of the preacher to be able to announce " the acceptable year of the Lord" to all who mourn. They shall not wait in vain (Isa. lxi. 1--4). VL A PRACTICAL VIEW OF THE ANOMALIES oF LIFE. The position in which David foUDd himself when, on hearing the story of Mephibosheth and observing his distressed circUIDHta.nces, he he.d to decide with respect to the property at stake, was one of extrema oelicacy and difficulty. In all good faith he bad handed over the property to Ziba, and CD, XIX, 1-43.] THE SECOND DOOK OF SAMUEL. 477