777 They serve God well who serve His needy creatures.—Norton. We are rich only through what we give away.— Swetchine. Alas for the rarity of Chris tian charity under the sun.— Hood. v. 8. He bowed himself. A grateful mind is a great mind.— Seeker. Grati tude is something no one can be ex cused from because it is always at our own disposal.— Charron. Gratitude is the virtue most defined and most desert ed. It is the ornament of rhetoric and the libel of practical life.-—-Forney. Such a dead dog. When we see ourselves in the light of God’s infinite grace, we too will see that we are no better than dead dogs in ourselves, but by the grace of God we become children of God (Jn. 1:12).— Torrey. Self abasement is ever the result of grace shown.— Bullinger. As I am. So the sinner is concerned about what he is rather than what he has done. v. 10. Till the land for him. It is useless to set lame men to work on an estate even if they get a gift of it. How many most charitable impulses have been so unwisely worked out that they have injured their objects and disap pointed their subjects, Maclaren. Mephibosheth shall eat at my table. Grace comes to the helpless and invites us to the place of peace and satisfaction, feasts us at God’s table and keeps our lame feet out of sight.— Sum. Bible. Has reference to the right to a seat at David’s table at all public and solemn repasts, not of the daily ordinary meal. Hence, though Mephibosheth was to eat at all public times at the king’s table, yet he would want the produce of his land for food at other times, which it was necessary for Ziba to understand.— Chardin. v. 11. As one of the king's sons. Surely the kindness of God is here made fully known. He is lifted from his low place of shame to take a place at the king’s table as one of the king’s sons. God takes us out of our shame and makes us His sons.^—Anno. Bible. v. 13. Did eat continually at the king’s table. It might be thought by some that such an incident as this was hardly worthy of a place in the sacred record but the truth is that David sel dom showed more of the true spirit of God than he did on this occasion.— Blaikie.
THE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S only be discovered through our inquiry. — Sum. Bible. Mephibosheth fell and became lame, a helpless cripple (4 :4 ). It reminds us of the fall of man and the helpless condition into which sin has put man. He had to be carried into the king’s presence. The sinner cannot come of himself to the Savior. He has to seek him out.— Gaebelein. v. 6. Mephibosheth. A fitting type of the sinner. He was lame on his feet and so is the sinner unable to walk up rightly, constantly stumbling and fall ing. He lived in Lodebar which means “ no pasture” and the sinner is without pasture, starving. He was in the house of Machir which means “ sold” (Rom. 7:14). David sent for him to fetch him out of the house and away from the land of no pasture. Our David not merely sends for us but comes for us (Luke 19:10) and when He finds us, rejoices over us and brings us safely home (Lk. 15:5-7). As Mephibosheth was full of fear in spite of the purpose of love, so the sinner is full of fear when he draws nigh to God. David said, “ I will show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father’s sake.” So God shows us kindness for His Son’s sake. (Rom. 8: 32; Jn. 14:13, 14; 2 Cor. 5:21).— Tor- rey. He fell on his face. This poor crip ple never supposed that David would show him favor. Did he not belong to the rejected house of Saul? What could he expect from one whom his grand father had hunted like a partridge on the mountains? Besides, his lameness made him unfft for court life. We like him are the children of an apostate race. We have neither beauty nor worth to commend us.—Meyer. And did rever ence. David had thus made his honors to Mephibosheth’s father when he was next to the throne (1 Sam. 20:41). He bowed himself three times. Those who when they are in inferior relation, show respect, shall, when they come to be ad vanced, have respect shown to them.— Henry. v. 7. Show thee kindness for Jona than's sake. So with God’s grace to us, not for the sake of the lost one.— Comp. Bible. Nothing in the course of events could alter the sacred word- that David had sworn to his departed friend. Our own case is similar. We were chosen in Christ before the world began, ■predes tined to be sons, included in- the coven ant between the father and our surety. Let us join with Paul in Eph. 1:3.— Devo. Com. Will restore thee the land.
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