1 Chronicles 22:5

"Handfuls of Purpose,"

For All Gleaners

"David prepared abundantly before his death." 1 Chronicles 22:5 .

David wanted to do something more than prepare, he wanted actually to build the temple. God tells us where we must stop. He mortifies ambition, and yet gratifies it. He will not give us the highest honour of all, yet he will put upon us an honour which contributes to the success of other men. Some hearts would have been discouraged by what the Lord said unto David; and their discouragement might have expressed itself in some degree of resentment, for they would have said, If we cannot do all, we will do nothing; if we cannot build, we will not prepare; if we cannot have the honour of putting up the temple, we certainly will not assist any other man to erect it. This would have been peevishness, selfishness, the veriest meanness of soul. David, on the other hand, consented to the Lord's arrangement, and did all that lay in his power to facilitate the progress of his son. We should work up to the very moment of our death. Our last breath should, if possible, help some other man to pray better, or work more, or suffer with a firmer constancy. Let no man suppose that the world stands still because he dies. God has always a temple to build, and he will always raise up the builder of it, and yet it pleases him in his condescension to receive our assistance in preparation. Some men will only take an interest in what they can themselves enjoy; they care nothing for posterity, but rather speak mockingly of it; the prophetic soul does live in the future, does populate the earth with posterity, and does take an interest in the ages that are yet to dawn. We do things better to-day by casting our minds forward to the riper periods of civilisation; by foreseeing that the glory of the Lord shall make glad the whole earth, men can work to-day in the twilight with stronger courage and more ardent enthusiasm. Thus the future may be made to help the present; thus posterity may take part in the affairs of to-day.