me », thar I ſhould not reign over them 0. _ 1 God grants their deſire in anger, and for their puniſhment, as is atfimed, Hoſes 13. 11. Compare Numb: 22. 13, 20. Deut. 1. 22. P|al: 77:20. m 1.e, Net thee only, nor principally. Compare Gen. 32+ 28, Exod: 16: 7. Heſ: 6: 6. Matth; 10: 20 n This injury and cuntumely, refletts cniefly upon me and my Government. o To wit, by my immediate and peculiar Government, which was the great honour, fafery, and happineſs of this People, if they had had wit to know it, or hearts ro prize it. And all the Infelicities of 7/- rael, under this kind of Government, did not proceed from the Narure of the Government, bur from the ungovernableneſs and wickednels of the People, which, they might be ſure, would pro- wuce the ſame or greater CaJamities under their Kingly Govern- ment. Queſt. Firſt, Did not God Reign over them when they had Kings? Anſw. Yes, in a general way, but not in ſuch a peculiar manner as he did by the Judges, who were generally raiſed and cal. led by Gods particular appointment, endowed and fantified by his Spirir, dire&ted and affiſted by his ſpecial providence upon all Emer- geacies ; whereas all things were for the moſt part contrary in their Kings. Queſt. Secondly, Was it ſimply unlawful for the Peo- ple ro defire a King ? Anſw. No, as appears from Deur. 17, 14. but herein was their fin, That they deſired it upon ſinful grounds, of which ſee on v. 7+ and in an impertuous manner, and at an unſeaſon= able time, and without asking leave or advice from God ; which in - weighty and difficulta Caſe rhey could nor negle& without great in.
8 According to all the works which they have done ſince the day that I brought them up out of Egypr,even unto this day, wherewith they have forſaken me, and
ſerved other gods: ſo do they alſo unto thee p. Þ Thou fareſt no worſe than my ſelf. This he ſpeaks for Sam's Comfort and Vindication,
9 Now thers fore || hearken unto their voice s |
beit, yer proteſt ſolemnly unto them 9, and ſhew |. _ T them the manner of the king r that ſhal reign over 3! _—_ them. hs hat
in Scripture, as we ſhal ſee.
io 4 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people, that asked of him a king.
11 And he ſaid, This will be * the manner of the,
1] Os 19,
how- || Or, 4;
q That, if it be poſſible, thou mayeſt yet prevent their ſin and ſolemnly
iſery. 7 1. e. Of the Kings which they defire like the Kings of procefted other Nations. He ſpeaks nor of the juſt Authority, or the Right ganſt tis of their Kings, but of their PraCtice, as is evident from divers of the then thu | following particularss which areexpreſly forbidden aud condemned ſhalt bon, |
&C&
Chap! |
king that ſhal reign over you : he * will cake your 14 5»
{ons /, and appoint them for himſelf, for his chariots, and zo be his horſemen ft, and ſome ſhal run before his chariots»
JS To wir, Injurioufly and by Violence, as this 1:brew word is off uſed, as Ger. 20. 3- and 27. 36. Job.5-5. and fo it mult be here; becaule otherwiſe the King would have no more priviledge than any
O
-
Foes wb
Il
9Þ IO, 13.21,
eb. ws n the of $1
th
Jr, obj "Nr, 2
thſlaws |
7, wht 1/4 ha omnly otefted © ; uſ £18, en this
C
, Chap- IX.
4
;
alt (bi, |
I.
1 jeQs ; | might take a Son with his own or —lanas.or _ for Fn Horſes, for ſo the Hebrew word Paraſh, ſomerimes ſignifies, as 1/a: 21+ 7» 9+ and 28; 28, to ride his Horſes. :
i2 And he will appoint him « captains over thou- fands, and captains over fifties, and will ſer 1hem to ear his ground, and to reap his harveſt x, and to
make his inſtruments of war, and inſtruments of his chariots 7. ; ;
Heb: To, or for himſelf ; Emphatically, 1. e. for his own fancy, or glory, or conveniencys or evil deſign, and not only when the ne- ceſſities of the Kingdom or Common-wealth require it, as the Judges did. And though this might ſeem to be no incumbrance, AS it js here repreſented, but an honour and advantage to the Per- ſons ſo advanced, yet even in them that Honour was accompanied with great Dangers, and pernicious ſnares of many kinds, which thoſe faint ſhadows of Glory could not recompence ; and as to the publick, their Pomp and Power proved very Burthenſome and Op- preflive to the People, whoſe Lands and Fruits were taken from them, and beſtowed upon theſe, for the ſupport of their State, as it follows below, wv. 14, 15- x Ar his own pleaſure, and without their conſent, when poſſib!y their own Fields required all their time and pains» y He will preis them fer all forts of his work, and that upon his own terms» ;
12 And he will take your daughters & 7o be confecti-
oners, and ts be cooks, and to be bakers.
z Which would be more grievous to their Parents, and more dangerous to themſelves, becauſe of the tenderneſs of that Sex, and liableneſs to many injuries. ;
14 And * he will take your fields 4, and your vine- yards, and your oliveyards, ever the belt of :hem, and give them tO his ſervants 6. |
a To wit, by fraud or force, as 4446 did from Naboth, b He will not only tak= tae Fruits of your Lands for his own uſe, but wil] take away your Poſſeſſions to give to his ſervants. .
i5 And he will take the tenth c of your ſeed, and of your vinevards, and give to his f officers 4, and to his ſervants. ' |
c B:ſides the ſeveral Tenths which God hath reſerved for his ſer- vice and ſervants, he will, when he pleaſeth, impoſe another Tenth upon you. d Heb? to his Eunuchs, which may be properly under- ſtood, and may imply a further injury, that he ſhould againſt the command of God, make ſome of his People Eunuchs ; and take thoſe inro his Court and Favour, which God would have caſt out of the Congregation.
16 And he will take your men-ſervants, and your maid-ſervants, and your goodlicſt young men, and your aſſes, and pur them to his work e.
e By conſtraint, and without ſufficient recompence.
17 He will rake the tench of your ſheep, and ye ſhal be his ſervants f.
f i. e. He ſhal uſe you like Slaves, and deprive you of that Liber- ty which you now enjoy. .
18 And ye ſhal cry out in that day g, becauſe of the king which ye ſhal have choſen you : and the LORD will nor hear ycu in. that day þ.
g Ye ſhal bitterly mourn for the ſad Effe&s of this inordinate de- ſire of a King. hþ Becauſe you will not hear bim,nor obey his Coun- ſel in this day, Cempare Prov: 1: 24, &c« Zech:. 7; 13.
15 4 Nevertheleſs, the people refuſed co obey the voice of Samuel : and they'faid, Nay 3, but there ſhall be a king over us & :