And, y t nearer, the word Chariots, is manifeſtly pur, eirher for the Hort: belonging rothem; or rather, for the M-n that fought out of them, as 2 Sam 10: 18: where it is ſaid in the Hebrew, Thet David {1-w ſeven hundred Cha- riots ; that is, ſeven th: uſund Men, which fought in Chariors. as it 15 explained, 1 Chron. 19: 18; and 1 King. 20: 21: where Ahab is ſaid to {mite Horſes and Chariors ; and 1 Chron 18: 4. and Pſabns 76. 6. where the Charior and Horſe ( i. e. rbe Men that ride and fight in Chariots, or upon Horſes ) are ſaid to be cſt into # dead ſeep : and Exek. 39, 20. where it is ſaid, ye ſha! be filled at my Table with Horſes and Chatiets, ( i e. with Men beionging 10 the Crariots, for ſuce!y the Chariots of Tron had been v+ry improper Food ) with mighty Men, &c. And ler any caviiing Infidel produce a wife Rea- ſon, why it may not, andought nct to be 16 underſtood here alſo? Add to all this, that the Phil;fines were nor alone in this Expediti- on, but had the help of the Canaanites. and the Tyrians as 18 very credible, both from Eccleſiaſtes 46. 18. and from rhe Natvre of the thing. If it be further enquired, Why the Philzfines ſhould raiſe fa greatan Army at this time? The Anſwer is obvious ; That nor on« ly their Old and Formidable Enemy S4m9wel was yer alive. but a New Enemy was rifen, even king S#u/, who was /are'y confirmed in his Kingdom,and had been fluſh?d with his good Succeſs againlt the. 47-
monites, and was likely to grow more and more Potent, if not timely 2 X prevented ;
|
Heb. nble er hime
Chap. be- $;
Heb. leſs him
+ Heb. i#nireared
the face.
p. XIII.
prevented; and they thought that now the !/racl:tiſh Affairs were | 7
. . « bolt" , being put into the hands of a King ; an
cherefe + — voto once forall to put forth all their Srreogen
a fopperks the 17aelites, and to prevent that Ruine which otherwiſe
hem- : ny the men of Iſrael ſaw that they were 1n a
ſtrait 7: ( for the people were diſtreiſed »: ) then the eople did * hide themſelves in caves», andin thickets, in rocks, andin high places, and 1n pits. EC dion their former Preſum ptiony That if they _ a King, they ſhould be free fromallſuch ſtraits. And hereby Go intended to teach them the TRY of ”= pur | 7 onal pee ang: hey did not one jot leſs need the help and 1a ootqurac hey did before, __ « 6a. no King. » = a wa = not miſtaken in their apprehenſions of Danger, as m 16 wet eery Uy in great Danger, their Enemies Hoſt far ex ==. ut both in Number and Ocder, and Courage, and Arms. [/ Whereof there were divers 1n _ parts for this very uſe, as we hus, andin the Holy Scripture. ——_ ds of the Hebrews went over Jordan, to the land of Gad and Gilead : as for Saul, he was yet in Gilzal. and all the people o | followed him trembling. 0 wie, his whole Army, oppoled to the common people, ſe 6. : bs x * And he tarried ſeven days p, according the ſer time that Samuel bad appointed : but Samue came not to Gilgal, and the people were ſcattered from
him-
p Not ſeven compleat Days ; for that the laſt Day was not fint-
appcars from Samuels reproof, which had then been wt ard and he had faiſly charged Seul with 6 40m ing Gods Command thereing v. 13- And as Samuel _ —_ e ſeveath Day and that with intent to Sacrifice ; ſo doubt - 1e camein due time, for that work which was to be done 1-9 wag un- ſerting» Exod. 29. 38, 39+ So Saul waited only ſix cnn a5, and part of the ſeventh, which is here called ſeven Days: for _ werd Day is oft uſed for a part of the Day, as among 2p rp as alſo in Sacred Scripture, as Matth. 12. 40. where Chriſt is ſai a bs in the heert of the Earth three days and three nights 3 (1. e. ) one w ws day, and part of th- other two days: Moreover this place may - thus rendred: He tarried until the ſeventh day, ( as this ſame hom e is uſed, Gen. 7. 10. Heb. until the ſeventh of the aays ) as the Hebrew Lamed is of taken ) the ſet time that Samuel had appointed.
9 And Saul ſaid, bring hither a burnt-offering to me, and peace- offerings. And he oftered the burnt- otterin :
q Eirker hicaſelf - or rather by the Prieſt, fer, 1 King. 3. 4. Compare 1 Sam. I. 3»
a6 find & came to paſs, that as ſoon as he had made an end of cffering the burnt-offering, behold, Samuel came » ; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might ſalute him /. | | y LY WÞ.- ll Saul, Behold Samuel 1s coming. ſe 1. e- Cons gratulate his coming. This he did, partly out of Cuſtom ; and partly, thar by this Teſtimony of his Affettion and Reſpe&t to $S4- muel, he migar prevent that Rebuke which his guilry Conſcience ade bim expeQt. ws 11 < And Samuel ſaid, What haſt thou done # ? And Sau; ſaid, Becauſe I ſaw that the people were ſcat- tered from me, and zhat thou cameſt not within the days zppointed «, and that the Philiſtines gathered themfſcives together ro Michmaſh : _ 3 + He fuſpeRed that Saul had tranſgrefſed ; either by his deje&ed
as Solomon 15 ſaid to of
Countenance, os ſome words utcered by him, though not here ex-
prefſ-d . but h< asks him, that he might be more fully and certain- Iy -nformec, and thar Saul might be brought to an ingenuous Con- feſlion of his Sin, and true Repenrance for it. « 1, e. When the ſev-nth day was come, and a good part of it paſt, whence I con- cludes thou wouldſt not come that day, and that thou hadſt forgot- ten thy Appointment, or been hindred by ſome extrordinary Oc-
fon. . "TY : "12 Therefore ſaid I, The Philiſtines will come down now upon meta Gilgal, and I have not f made ſuppli- cation unto the LORD =; I forced my ſelf therefore and offered a burnt- offering y. Sl
x Hence it appears, that Sacrifices were accompanied with ſo- Jemn Prayers. y 1 did it againſt my own mind and Inclination, My Conſcience told me [I ſhould forbear it, and punftually obey Gods Command delivered to me by Samuel, but my neceſlity urged me to make hafte, : : 13 AndSamuelfaid to Saul, Thou haſt done fooliſh- ly z: thou haft not kept the commandment of the
LORD thy God a, which he commanded thee : for |
now would the LORD have eſtabliſhed thy kingdom