kingdom, whereof Samuel ſpake, he told him nor f. f Partly in obedience to Samuel, who obliged him to ſecrecy : partly, from an bumble Modeſty which appeared in him, v. 22. . . and partly, in Prudence, leſt by an unſcaſonable publiſhing of 1t, " he ſhould raiſe Envy in ſome, Dis»elief and Contempt in others, &c 4 +17 © And Samuel called the people together unto the : LORD g to Mizpeh 6. | '# Toappear before the Lord. So ke ſpeaks, either, 1. Becauſe the Ark was carried thither upon this occaſion, Org 2+ Becauſe God is preſent in all the Aſſemblies of his people, whereof this was in eminent one: See 2 Chron 19. 6. Pſal. 82. 1. Or, 3. Becauſe they did in a manner ere@ a Tribunal for God; and intreated, and conſequently obtained his Preſence there to ſuperviſe and dirett the whole buſineſs by his Sentence, which allo he did, v. 19, &c. See of this Phraſe Judg. 11. 11. and 20. 1. hþ A City of Binjamimn Joſh. 13. 26. where all 1facl had met before upon a publick and ſolemn occaſion, 1 Sam. 7e 5.
18 And {aid unto the children of Iſrael, Thus ſaith the LORD God of Iſrael, I brought up Iſrael out of E- gypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyp- tians, and out of the hand of all kingdoms z, and of them that oppreſſed you. |
' 5 To wit, the neighbouring Kingdoms, which moleſted you from time to times
19 And ye have this day rejected your God &, who himſelf ſaved you 1 out of all your adverſities, and your tribulations : ,and ye have ſaid unto him 2, Nay, but ſer a king over us. Now therefore preſent your ſelves before the LORD by your tribes, and by your thou-
ſands ». : k You this day declares That you perſiſt in your former a& of
rejeting Gods Government: See on chap. 8.7. I Who by his own ſpecial Providence took Care to raiſe up Judges and Saviours for you, and to deliver you at all times, when you needed his help, and did not by your Sins obſtru& ir. » 1. e. Unto me his Propher and Ambaſſador ; and roam, 1 9rd unto the Lord whom I repre. ſented, and in whoſe Name I ſpake and ated. » For each Tribe was divided into Thouſands, Numb. 10. 36+ Derit, 33. 17. Foſhs 22, 14421 Micah 5. 2+ AS in England, Counries are into Hundreds,
20 And when Samuel had cauſed all the tribes of |
LS 4 M OD E IL.
ſon of Kiſhy ?' * is Saul |
i
Iſrael to come near o, the * tribe of Benjamin was taken |]. 75 14: 16,
o Uaro the place appointed for the caſting of Lots. | Which Tribe was now preferred before Judah, becauſe the Kingdom was freely promiſed by God to Judah, and was to be given to him in love; wg Fg wn; wasSin a manner foiced from Ged, and given to them in apger, Hoſ. I3. 11e and theref ; ren HI ger, 3+ Ile an erefore conferred Upon
21 When he had cauſed the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was raken, and Saul the ſon of Kiſh was taken : and when they fought him, he could not be found. |
22 Therefore they enquired of the LORD ?, fur. ther, if the man ſhould yer come thither s and the LORD anſwered, Behold, he hath hid himſelf among the ſtuft q. |
Þ Either by Urim or Thummim, which was the uſual way of en. quiry, Numb. 27. 21. 1 Sam. 23.9. and 28. 6. Or by Samuel, who by his prayer procured an anſwer. q Among the Carriages or Bag- gage of the people there aſſembled.. This he mighr do, becauſe he either had,or at leaſt would be thought to have a modeſt ſenſe of his own opting which was a likely way to commend him to the people.
23 And they ran and fetched him thence, and when he ſhood among the people, he was higher than any of the people, from his ſhoulders and upward.
24 And Samuel faid to all the people, See ye him rv the patrons hath choſen, that there is none like
1m among all the people »? and all the people ſhout- ed, and ſaid, + God fave the king s. hors
r As to the height of his Bodily Stature which was in it ſelf Lin A | commendabie in a king, and ſome kind of indication of great En. I dow:n.ents of Mind. s Heb. Ler the king live ; to wit, long and pre. REAL for - OO Life is repured a kind of Death, and is ofr 10 cel'ed. Hereby they accept and own hi ir Ki promile SubjeCtion to bis. 4 ONION WOT and
25 Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom #, and wrote ;tin a book, and laid it up be- tore the LORD «, and Samuel ſent all the people away every man to his houſe. :
; N-t the manner of rhe King, of which he had ſpoken before. | 8. 11, &c. bur of the Kingdom ; to wit, the Laws and Rules Go wkik the Kingly Government was to be managed ; agreeable to thoſe mentioned Deut. 17. 16, &c. which peradventure Samuel did ex. pou':d, and apply to their particuler Caſe. » Before the Ark, or 1n the SanCtuary, where it was kept ſafe from depravation.
26 © And Saul alſo went home to Gibeah x, and there went with him y a band of men, whoſe hearts God had touched z.
x Not being aQtually inaugurated into his Kingdom, he thoughr fir to retire to his former Habitation, and to live privately till he had an occeſicn to ſhew himſelf in a more publick and Illuftrious ; manner, which he ſpeedily obtained, y To give him ſafe and honou- rable Condu& to his Houle, shcuzh not to abide with him there, which did nor ſuit with his preſent Circumſtances. z i, e. Either r- Diſpoicd or inclined to this work. Or, 2. AffeCted or renewed by his Grace anc good Spirit, working upon their kearts ; thoſe thar | teared God, ana made cenſcience of their Duty : for they are op- | poſed to rhe children of Belial in the next Verſe. Theſe, though they | did not deſire aKing, as the generality of the people did ; yet when God had given them a King, they were moſt forward to pay him that Reverence and Obedience which they owed him : both which proceeded from the ſame Principle, that they were in both caſes
prac by _ bas which was, _ they ſhould not deſire a
ng In their Circumſtances; and yet, they ſhould obey him, v God had ſer a King over them. 3G COT wm |
27 Bur the children of Belial ſaid, How ſhall thisman | a fave us? and they deſpiſed him, andbrought him no |
preſents b : bur || he held his peace c. || Or,be
4 SO mean a perſon, and of rhe weakeſt of all the Tribes, 6 As was # Subjetts in rhole times and places uſed to do to their King : See though i 1 King. IO. 25. 2 Chron. 17, 5. Maith. 2.11. and as Sauls mean Con- had ia ditions wherewith they upbraided him, required. «c Thereby ma- deafe nifeſting his Prudence ad Clemency, which was of great uſe in the b:ginning of his Government.
XI.
C A FP.