this time remember and revenge a Crime committed by this Mans Anceſtors 400 years ago, yet he did not puniſh” an Innccent Son for his Fathers Crimes, but one that allowed and perſiſted in the ſame evil Courſes. { This he did by divine Inſtin&, and in purſa- ance of Gods expreſs and particular Comma':d, above, v. 3. which being ſinfully neglefted by Saul, is now executed by Samuel. See the like Example, 1 Kings 18; 40- But theſe are no Precedents for pri- vate Perſons to t:ke the Sword of Juſtice into their hands. For we muſt live by the Laws of God, and not by extraordinary Exam- ples. # Either, before the Ark, which, it ſeems, Saul carried with him in this, as he did, in his former Expedition, Chap: 14: 18. or, before Gods Altar : or in the publick Afembly. 34 4 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his houſe to * Gibeah of Saul. *Chanrr.g 35 And Samuel came no more to ſee Saul « until the day of his death : nevertheleſs, Samuel mourned for Saul x: and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Iſrael. | % 1. &« To vifit him, either in token of Reſpe& or Friendſhip 2 or to ſeek Counſel from God for him, or to give Counſel to him» Seeing 1s put for Y:ſiting here, and 2 Kings 8: 29. Otherwiſe he did ſee h:m afterwards, Chap? 19: 24. Though indeed it was nor Samuel thar came thither with deſign to ſee Sauly which is implied in the Phraſe here ; but Saul went hither ro ſee Samuel. and taat acciden= | tally. » Partly for Suls fake, whoſe ſad condition he lamented :? "| and partly for Jſraels ſake,whoſe Eſtate he feared might by this means be doubrful and dangerous. _ CHA ÞP, XVI. Samuel is (ent by God ; who, under pretente of a Sacrifice for fear of Saul, cometh to Bethlehem : ſantifieth Feſſe and his ſons, 1 -——— 5, His humane Judgement in chooſing El:ab the eldeſt ſon is reprovea, 6, 7. God had choſen David the youngeſt to be King in Sauls place, 8 12» Samuel anoint:th himy and the ſpirit of God cometh upon him 3 But de= parteth from Saul: And an evil ſpirit cometh upon him, 13, 14. He Jends for David to quiet it : His Praiſe : Saul loweth him, and maketh him his Armour-Bearer 3 He playeth before Saul when the evil ſpirit diſe quieted him, 15 —_ Nd che LORD faid unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul «, ſeing I have rejeted him from reigning over lfrael b ? Fill thine horn with . oylc, and go, I will ſend chee to Jeile the Bethiche- mite : for I have provided me + a King 4 among his fHeb- ſons. lhanen s And pray for his Reſtitution, which the following words im- ply thar he did. 6 The manifeſtation of my peremprory wi'lſhould make thee ſubmit ro my pleaſure. c Which was uſcd in the Liau- guration of Kings, as Chap: 10: 1» and 1 Kings 1; 39. But bers it is uſed in rhe Deſignation of a King, though David was not aQtua'ly made King by it, bur ſtill remained a Subje&, as is evident from Chap: 24: 6. And the reafon of this Anticipation was, partly the comfort of Samuel, and other good Men, againſt their great fears in caſe of Sauls Death, of which they expetted every day to hear : and partly the aſſurance of Davids Title, which othe: wiſe would have been very doubtful. For the prevention of which dcubrs, it was very meet, that the ſame Perſon and Prophet w ho had Ano:n= red Saul, might now upon Gods rejeftion cf Saul, Anoiut David te ſucceed him upon his Death 3; and becauſe Samuel! was now nor far frum his Death, and was to die before Saul, it was fi: that Davids Anointing itould be haſtned and done before irs proper time. d This Phraſe is very Emphatical, and implies the difference bet een ti:is and the former King. Saul was a King of the Peoples providine,- * he was the produRt of their inordinate and ſinful deſices; rhey deſired him for themſelves, and for their own glory and ſafety, as they ſap= poſed : bur this is a King of my own providing, one that I have ſpied out, one of that Tribe to which I have allotted the Kingdomy Gen: 49: 10. A King for me; not one to gratifie the Peoples ceſires, but to fulfil all my Will, as is ſaid, Affs 13; 22. and to ſerve my Glory. Or, my King 3 the Hebr.w Phraſe, #0 me, or for me, beitig commonly uſed for the word mine.
2 And Samuel faid, How canT go e ? if Saul hear zr, he will kill me. And the LORD faid, Take an heifer
+ with thee, and ſay, I am come to ſacrifice ts the LORD f. |
e To wit, Safely ? A Queſtion which ſeems to ſavour of Hu- man frailty ; for he ſhould have ſtrongly believed that God who had ſet him upon the Work,would carry him through ir. f Which he uſed ofc to do, ſometimes in one place, and ſometimes in a« nother, that ſo he might encourage and keep up the Worſhip of God in all of them. This was one cauſe, though not the only cauſe of his coming : nor was he obliged to declare all the cauſes of
+ Heb. is thine hand.
it. ;
2 And call Jeſſe to the ſacrifice g, and I will ſhew thee what thou ſhalt do: and thou ſhalt anoint unco me 4im whom I name & unto thee. |
g i. e Invite him to the Feaſt, which after the manner, was made of the Fleſh of the Sacrifice: and it belonged to Samuel, as the Ofs
ferer of the Sacrifice, to invite whom he pleaſed. þ i. e. Whom 1 {hal deſcribe, as it were by name.
4 And Samuel did that which the LORD ſpake,and came to Bethlehem : and the elders of the town trem-
bled at his F coming 3, and faid, Comeſt thou peace- ably k ?
5 Partly, becauſe it was ſtrange and unexpeRed to them, this being but an obſcure Town, Mic ak 5« 2. and remote from Samuel, and therefore they juſtly thought there was ſome extraordinary rea- ſon for it ; and their guilty Conſciences made them fear that he came to denounce ſome dreadful and particular Judgment of God - upon them : and partly, leſt Saul, whoſe heart was eſtranged from, and incenſed againſt Samuel, ſhould upon this occafion conceive a
tHeb. *
iealouſie of chem, and a diſpleaſure againſt chem. k Heb- inor | 2 4A with
ES
| Chap he | t to thy ſelf. Comeſt th luntarily, or | WH! virh peace; either firſt, tot elf. Comeſt thou vo , ; "ih bonne _ Rave of Soul? Or, Secondly to us. m__ _ Bt. with no Evil Tidings ro us, either from God, er from Sau ” < WH Hebrew Phraſe, comef? thou in Peace, being as much as to ſay ( in our | [48 Phraſe) « al well ? | lj And he faid, Peaceably {1408 unto the LORD : fſand&ifie your ſelves }, and come Wl with me to the ſacrifice »: and he ſanctified Jeſſe and
his ſons, and called them to the facrifice ».