Hawker's Poor man's commentary
1 Chronicles 17:1
CONTENTS
This is a most interesting chapter, in that it brings before us a gracious interview between the Lord and his servant David, at throne of grace. David felt his heart prompted to build an house for God. He is forbidden to do it, but is told that his son shall. The chapter closes with his prayer and thanksgivings.
Before I enter upon this chapter, I beg to premise to the Reader, that as the contents of it, almost literally, hath been commented upon before, in 2 Samuel 7:1; I shall not go over the same observations again as were there offered. I therefore refer the Reader to that part of our volume. But as the chapter is uncommonly beautiful, and as it opens to us a vast fund of the sweetest improvement, I beg to call the Reader's attention to several interesting considerations which arise out of it, over and above what are proposed there. This first verse, of what passed in David's mind, may serve to teach gracious souls how evident it is, that the Lord Jesus, by the sweet influences of his Spirit, is frequently suggesting to them divine thoughts. May not you and I, my brother, find such in our own experience? Hath the Lord brought me on my way as he had done to David? Hath he blessed me with various mercies around? And shall not I, while I sit in my house of God's providing, feel my soul drawn out at times to contemplate the mercy? Can any history be so sweet and interesting as a man's own history, when he is enabled to look back and trace goodness, mercy, and grace following him all the days of his life? And upon such occasions, what should following the result of a heart overflowing with a sense of mercies; a cup running over; what, but to feel like David, a desire that everything which may promote the glory of Jesus, may be accomplished? Do I really belong to Jesus, and shall I not take part in all that concerns Jesus? Shall I sit in my house with composure, and see the house of my God lie waste? Shall I be more solicitous that my house, and my family, and my children, may be great, than to see the house of Jesus prosper, and his hungry ones filled with bread! Reader! what saith your heart to these questions? Shall I tell you what I feel? If I blush as I write these lines, it is to think what mercies of my bountiful God I have recompensed with in gratitude? How little I have done for him and his dear ones, who hath done so much for me and mine. And if my eyes overflow, (as they do indeed while my pen moves on) it is in the recollection of Jesus's love, and my coldness.