THE K I N G ’ S B US I NE S S
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had died for him.” But God actually did die for his Absalom. I allow any thing to be said about the Fatherhood of God as long as you keep the Cross in it. Without that, at best it is an impo tent thing. But, with the Cross, it is omnipotent. Absalom was a handsome,, abandoned rascal. That is what human nature is. It is to God what Absalom was to his father— trying to drive him from his throne. But this is the glory of the Cross. God died for his Absalom. And how do we feel about it in these days, when good people,, church going people, are pulling down their brows at the Cross— because there is a stricken man there. And according to modern theories there should be no stroke and no smiting. David was angry and then he was frightened. Neither mood is right, but the second is better than the first. There is no use in getting angry. Naa- ‘man got angry, but he had to cool down again. It is easy to get angry and be come a highbrow and say, ‘‘Why. this Cross, and why should there be any smiting?” It is in the air today. Now, why did God not allow them to carry the ark in that way. Why did he make so much of this little thing, be cause they put it on a cart and drove it? Why should not God be glad to see them romping around Him— and as regards doctrine— “ Put a penny in the slot and take out anything you like?” This today and another thing tomorrow, as long as you put a flavor of piety in it? What is the difference? Well, if it were not for the Bible, where would we be? Where would the Cross be? , , And where are these people who have abandoned the Bible? Where have they arrived? -Echo answers Where? For I do not know of one of them who has arrived anywhere yet. They are always talking about con structive criticism, about reconstruc tion. I said to Marcus Dods, and I do not apologize, because he was such a
great man, that he could be so intimate with me, so utterly his inferior in so many directions. I said “ Doctor, do you know that as yet you have not con structed a single page?” And then he looked at me in his direct way and said, “ Well, yes, I think you are right.” You have not constructed a single page. You have taken the Shorter Catechism to pieces and you have nothing to put in its place. Just as soon as you leave the Bible, you are adrift. One just asks, where would Protestant authority have been but for those glorious men at the Re formation, who put things together, chapter and verse? We would have been wandering and lost. We would have been in a worse condition than Rome. David was afraid of God. His con science was beginning to work, and be ginning to say, “Why did God strike Uzza and miss me?” And that is the doctrine to preach, I do not care how skeptical the age may be. I do not care what the questions may be. Why did He smite Him, and why did he not smite me? He took my place by His stroke and I am passed over. I do not want to overlap this story with dogmatic and controversial theology; but if we take this passage to the com mentaries you will find that a great many of them pass it by. They carefully go past the point— God’s regard for his Word. No amount of cheap cheering and enthusiasm will dispense with “ chapter and verse.” When it was all over, they went back to the Bible, as you know. •“ And David said, None ought' to carry the ark of God but the Levites.” 1 Chron. 15:2. David had been reading the Bible, and if you dare say it, David wrote many of the Psalms. (And mind you, I don’t know if you dare, unless you are vqrjf daring. One of the critics said not long ago that perhaps the only psalm David wrote was the ninetieth, and that is the one headed, “ A Prayer of Moses.”
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