that this change in the constitution of Israel was pleasing to God : but Samuel, by divine command, declared the contrary, and condemned the people with great severity. This is related in the words of our text ; from whence we shall be led to notice,
I. The sin committed —
The Israelites desired to change the form of their government, and to have a king appointed over them —
[For this desire they had many specious reasons. Samuel was now old, and incapable of supporting the fatigues of govern- ment : he had therefore delegated a large portion of his autho- rity to his sons, who, alas! were far from walking in his steps, or executing aright the trust reposed in them. This was as- signed as one reason for their requesf^. But though this would have justified a request for Samuel's interposition to reprove, or even to depose, them, it was by no means a sufficient reason for them to seek an extinction of that form of government which God himself had appointed, and a substitution of another in its stead.
They were now also alarmed with the menaces of Nahash, king of the Ammonites, who was preparing to invade them'': and they wished to have the power of their government vested in the hands of one who should be able to protect them. But they needed not an arm of flesh, whilst they had Jehovah for their king: and if Jehovah had not delivered them according to their desire, it was owing to themselves, who by their sins had forfeited his protection. They therefore should have made this an occasion of humiliation and of tui'ning unto God, and not an occasion of desiring another king in the place of God.
Besides, they wished to be in this respect like the nations around them", forgetting that a Theocracy was their highest honour, and most distinguished privilege.]
This desire of theirs was exceeding sinful —
[It was, in the first place, an act of great folly ; for they enjoyed all the benefits of kingly government, without any of
its expenses or of the evils generally arising out of it''
In the next place, it was a mark of base ingratitude towards Samuel, who had spent his whole life in their service : and in this view Samuel could not but feel it, and complain of it. Yet so heavenly was his mind, that instead of resenting it, he committed it to God in prayer ; and never complained of it till
a 1 Sam. viii. 1 — 5. i> 1 Sam. xii. 12.
c 1 Sam. viii. 19, 20. ^ i gam. viii. 9—18.