I. THAT GOD'S PROMISE DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE PROPRIETY OF OUR PETITION. "Thou hast told thy servant that thou wilt build him an house: therefore thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before thee" (ver. 25). The fact that God has promised to do anything for us is a reason why we should - not why we should mot - ask him to give it to us. He has promised to supply all who love him with all needful things (Matthew 6:32, 33; Philippians 4:19). But this does not countermand the injunction to pray for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11). There are many promises of the gift of the Holy Spirit; we are therefore to ask for his outpouring (Luke 11:13). We are assured that the kingdom of God shall be established in the earth; none the less, but all the more, are we to pray, "Thy kingdom come." God's promise is not to be the excuse for our silence, but the ground of our supplication.

II. THAT GOD'S PROMISE DOES NOT EXCLUDE THE NECESSITY FOR OUR HOLY OBEDIENCE. David affirms in ver. 26 that God has "promised this goodness unto thy servant;" but in ver. 27 his petition shows that he was conscious that something more was needed beyond the bare and simple promise, in order that it might be ultimately and fully realized. And he was right. Obedience was an essential and vital condition. If not expressed, it was always understood. The rending of the kingdom in twain under David's grandson proved only too surely and sadly that this was the case. All God's premises to us are conditional on our loyalty to him. If we are faithful unto death, we shall have his abiding love, his constant care, his gracious blessing, and finally his blissful presence. But we must not be so confident because of the promise that we are negligent of the understood conditions.

III. THAT GOD'S PROMISES ARE OFTEN FULFILLED IN OTHER AND BETTER WAYS THAN WE LOOK FOR. (Ver. 27.) David was assured that, if God blessed, there would be blessedness for ever. He was right; but the good thing in store for him was far different from that which he was presenting to his own mind at the time. Could he have foreseen the speedy rupture of the kingdom, and the captivity after a few generations had come and gone, he might have been sadly disappointed, and his faith might have received a serious shock. But could he have foreseen the way in which the Divine promise was fulfilled at length, could he have realized that One who was "the Son of David" would reign as Prince of peace and Lord of righteousness over all the human world, he would have rejoiced indeed. God's purpose was larger than his servant's thought. So with us. The hope of one period is ever found to be realized further on in another way, at first disappointing but afterwards most satisfying, from that which we expected. Youth is other, and really better, than childhood pictures it; and manhood than youth imagines; and the rest of declining days than laborious prime expects to find it. The promises of life are fulfilled, but in ways which God knows to be far better for us than those which our imagination fancies and our heart desires. And it may be that the heavenly world will prove to be something very different from that which piety has predicted or poetry has sung - different but better; something which will be more fitted for our faculties as they are at first unclothed and clothed upon, as death is first swallowed up of life. - C.

I. GROUNDED ON GOD'S PROMISE.

II. IT REGARDS GOD'S HONOUR SOLELY (ver. 24).

III. IT ASCRIBES ALL TO GOD'S FREE GRACE.

IV. IT APPEALS TO GOD'S FAITHFULNESS.

V. IT RECEIVES THE FULNESS OF GOD'S BLESSING.

(J. Wolfendale.)