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| as he might vaivly imagine, becauſe he had ſaved them from their
} Heb, of gag the king | of the Amalekites: and Agag came unto Anal him delicately o.
| * Numb, 14, 45,
fore many Princes have uſed * for this very reaſon. But, faith hey God needs no ſuch Artifices ; he can do whatſoever he pleaſeth by his Abſolute Power, and harn no need to uſe lyes to accompliſh his
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yr pe have broken forth into a Mutiny or Rebellion, had 1 done otherwiſe. Burt how little he feared the people, may be ſeen by 1 Sam: 11:7. and 14: 24+ But this was a falſe Cauſe © nor doth he acknowedge the true Cauſe, which was his Covetoulneſs, and be- cauſe he did not fear God.
25 Now therefore, T pray thee, pardon my ſin bt
and turn again with me 4, that I may worſhip the
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I thy great Intereſt with God to obtain the pardon of my lin. Or, do thou pardon my fin againſt thee : -for he had ſinned not | only againſt God, but againſt Samuel alſo, as Gods prophet 3 and therefore needed a pardon beth from God and man. «d To Gilgal, | whence Saul was gone forth to meet Samuel ; and Samuel is here faid to turn again to Gilgal : not properly, for he had not now been there 2 bur by way of Concomitancy, becauſe he accompanied Saul, who was come thence, and returned thicher : See the like Expreſſi- on, Ruth 1: 10, 22. and 2:6. e That I may offer further Sacrifices to God ; partly, to praiſe him for the paſt Vittory; and partly, ro implore his Mercy, and the t-king off of my ſinand puniſhment, This was 2 politick device of Sauls ; ThatSamuel might at leaſt ſeem to countenance his Deſign, in reſerving the Catrel for ſacrifice: which Samuzsl ſeeing, refuled to do ite Heb: and 1 will worſhip the Lord, i. e. I will ſeek his Pardon and Favour.
26 And Samuel ſaid unto Saul,I will not return with thee f-: for thou haſt reje&ted the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath reje&ed thee from being king over Iſrael.
f This was no lye, though he afrerwards returned, becauſe he ſpoke what he meant ; lis words and intentions agreed together, though afterwards he ſaw reaſon to change his Intentions Com- pare Gen? 19: 24 3- Which may relieve many perplexcd Corſciences, who think themſelves obliged to do,whar they have ſaid they would do, though they ſee juit cauſe to change their minds. ;
27 And as Samuel turned about to go away, * he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.
28 And Samuel faid unto him, * The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Iſrael from thee g this day,and hath given it to a neighbour of thine þb, that js better than
thou.
g Samuel makes uſe of the emergent occaſion, as a ſign, to figni- fie and confirm his former Predition. þ Either, another Man : or another 1/raelite: for the word Neighbour is uſed both ways; or rather, one of the Neighbouring Tribe, even Judah, whoſe Inheri- tance did oot only joyn to that of Benjamin, but was partly mixed with 1t- ;
29 And alſo the || ſtrength of Iſrael 5 * will not lie k, nor repent /: for he 5s not a man that he ſhould repent. |
: So he calls God here; partly, to ſhew the reaſon why God nei- ther will nor can lye; becauſe lying is a weakneſs,and proceeds from the ſence of a Mans weakneſs, becauſe he cannot many times ac- compliſh bis Deſign wichour Lying and Diſſfimulation ; which there-
Will « partly, to ſhew that Iſrael ſhould be no loſer by Sauls Toſs,
Enemics on every ſide, Chap: 14: 47. For nor Saul, but God, was the Strength and Prote&or of 1ſrae/, and he would continue to ſave them when Saul was loſt and gone; and partly, to aſſure Saul that
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4 Who, as thou knoweſt, are ſet upon miſchief, and vindication of Gods juſtice, and to ſhew, that although God did at
God would execute this Threatning,becaute he wanted not ſtrength to doit, and none could hinder him in it. 1 1.e. Nor change his Counſel; which alſo is an effe(t of weakneſs and imperfeGion, ei- ther of Wiſdom or Power. 30 Then he faid,T have ſinned ; yet honour. me now, T pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Iſrael »», and turn again with me, that I may worſhip the LORD thy God. | m Here he plainly diſcovers his Hypocriſie, and the thue motive of this and his former Confeſſion ; he was not ſolicitous for the Fa- your of God, but for his Honour and Power with 1rael. x So Samuel turned again after Saul », and Saul worſhipped the LORD. n Not to Worſhip the Lord with him, for that he did not ; and therefore it is here mentioned that Saul only MWorſbipped the Lord ; but . for two other reaſons ; Firſt, That the People might not upon pre- tence of this Sentence of Rejection, immediately withdraw all Re- ſpe& and Obedience tro their Sovereignz whereby they would both have ſinned againſt God, and have been as Sheep without a Shep- herd. Secondly, That he might reftific Sauls Errour, and execute Gods Judgement upon gag.
32 I Then ſaid Samuel, Bring ye hither to me' A-
And Agag ſaid p, Surely the bitter- neſs of death is paſt 9.
o Or, in Delights ; or, in his Ornaments ; 1. e. He came not like an Offender, expeCting the Senrence of Death ; but in that Garb and Geſture which became his Quality. p Or, for Agag ſaid: This be- ing the reaſon why he came ſo» q I who have eſcaped Death from the hands of a Warlike Prince in the fury of Battel, ſhal certainly never ſuffer Death from an old Prophet in time of Peace.
33 And Samuel faid, * As thy ſword hath made women childleſs r, ſo ſhal thy mother be childleſs a- mong women. And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces / be- fore the LORD * in Gilgal.
y Whereby it appears ; that he was a cruel Tyrant, and guilty ghir
be not related elſewhere» And this ſeems to be added for the fuller
of many bloody Actions, and that towards Gods peeple, thou
Chap. XVI. |