rather a feast after the offering than a sacrifice, at which the people met to rejoice before the Lord, and to praise him for his blessing, Gen. xxxi. 54. 1 Kings xix. 21.

"In the high place."]-For in those times they made choice of high and eminent places for their public feasts, and also for religious service; which continued till the building of the temple, 1 Kings iii. 2. and afterwards were declared to be unlawful, and were therefore to be taken away.

Ver. 15. "Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came."]-The Hebrew phrase is, 'he uncovered the ears of Samuel;' which may be figurative of the method the Lord takes in manifesting himself in a way of grace to us, that he not only speaks to us by his word and Spirit, but uncovers our ears to hear his voice; for by nature we are deaf, Isaiah xxv. 5. and the Lord speaks once and again, and we perceive it not, Job xxxiii. 14. But when the Lord Christ saith, Ephphatha, that is, be opened, then the deaf hear the voice of the Son of God and live, Isaiab xxv. 5, 6. Mark vii. 34.

Ver. 27. "But stand thou still awhile, that I may shew thee the word of God."]-That is, that Saul might bear with reverence and humility the mind of God, and his call to the office of being king, and that Samuel might, as a prophet, shew his faithfulness in making known to him how God had appointed him to be king over Israel.

CHAPTER X.

We left Samnel and Saul walking together, probably some private way over the fields, down from Ramalı, perhaps in the paths of the vineyards, and Saul expecting to hear from Samuel the word of God. Now here we have, 1. The anointing of Saul, ver. 1. The signs Samuel gave him, ver. 2-6. And instructions, ver. 7, 8. 2. The accomplishment of those signs to the satisfaction of Saul, ver. 9-13. 3. His return to his father's house, ver. 14—16. 4. His public election by lot, and solemn inauguration, ver. 17-25. 5. His return again to his own city, ver. 26, 27. It is a great work that is here a doing, the setting up not only of a mouarch, but monarchy itself in Israel; and therefore, in all the advances towards it, much of God is seen.

VER. 1. "Is it not because the Lord hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?"]-That is, the anointing of Saul by Samuel, the prophet, was still a farther proof, or rather a confirming seal and testimony that his

call to the kingdom was of the Lord; and the anointing was likewise an emblem that the Lord would give him gifts and kingly qualifications to rule over his inheritance, ver. 6. In which respect this anointing was figurative of the true MESSIAH, which signifies anointed, and is therefore emphatically called the anointing, Isaiah x. 27. because of the fulness of divine anointings which were poured out upon him without measure, as the head of his church, and king over his spiritual Israel, who are the Lord's inheritance.

Ver. 5. "After that, thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the philistines."]-Which is sup posed to be near Gibeah, his own city; for there was the philis. tines' garrison, chap. xiii. 3. Perhaps it was one of the articles of Samuel's agreement with them, that they should have a garrison there, or rather, after they were subdued in the beginning of his time they got ground again, so far as to force this garrison into that place, and thence God raised up the man that should chastise them. There was a place that was called the "hill of God," because of one of the schools of the prophets built upon it; and such respect did even philistines themselves pay to religion, that a garrison of their soldiers suffered a school of God's prophets to live peaceably by them, and did not only not dislodge them, but not restrain or disturb the public exercises of their devotion. Upon which occasion he should meet "a company of prophets with music before them, prophecying," and with them he should join himself. These prophets were not (as it should seem) divinely inspired to foretel things to come, nor did God reveal himself to them by dreams and visions, but they employed themselves in the study of the law, in instructing their neighbours, and in the acts of piety, especially in praising God, wherein they were wonderfully assisted and enlarged by the Spirit of God. It was happy for Israel that they had not only prophets, but companies of prophets, who gave them good instructions, and set them good examples, and helped very much to keep up religion among them. Now the word of the Lord was not precious, as it had been when Samuel was first raised up, who had been instrumental in founding these colleges, or religious houses, whence it is probable, the synagogues took their rise. What pity was it that Israel should be weary of the government of such a man, who, though he had not, as a man of war, expelled the philistines, yet (which was a greater kindness to Israel) had as a man of God, settled the schools of the prophets.

Ver. 6. "And shalt be turned into another man."] -But whether into a new man, or created anew, is to be questioned the meaning may rather be, that he was turned into a new man, for government and authority, to rule as a king over Israel.

Ver. 27. "But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us?"]-That is, the children of wickedness, or of the devil, as the word Belial signifies, 2 Cor. vi. 15. Upon which words Mr. Henry observes, 'Thus differently are the minds of men affected to our exalted Redeemer. God hath set him King upon the holy hill of Zion; there is a remnant that submit to him, rejoice in him, bring him presents of faith and love, and follow him whithersoever he goes, and they are such "whose hearts God has touched, whom he has made willing in the day of his power:" but there are others who despise him, and say, "How shall this man save us?" Such shall perish, Psalm ii. 12.'

CHAPTER XI.

In this chapter we have the first-fruits of Saul's government, in the glorious rescue of Jabesh-gilead out of the hands of the Ammonites, Let not Israel thence infer, that therefore they did well to ask a king; God could and would have saved them without one; but let them admire God's goodness, that he did not reject them when they rejected him, and acknowledge his wisdom in the choice of the person, whom, if he did not find fit, yet he made fit, for the great trust be called him to, and enabled, in some measure, to merit the crown by his public ser vices, before it is fixed on his head by the public approbation. Here is, 1. The great extremity to which the city of Jabesh-gilead was reduced on the other side Jordan, by the Ammonites, ver. 1-3. 2. Saul's great readiness to come to their relief, whereby he signalized himself, ver. 4-10. S. The good success of his attempt, by which God signalized him, ver. 11. 4. Saul's tenderness, notwithstanding this, towards those that had opposed him, ver. 12, 13. 5. The public confirmation and recognition of his election to the government, ver, 14, 15.

VER. 13. "For to-day the Lord hath wrought salva, tion in Israel."]-The salvation which the Lord so frequently wrought for the deliverance of his people was figurative of the great salvation which Christ has obtained by his own life, death, and sacrifice; which saves his spiritual Israel from the wrath to come, Heb. ix. 12. And as temporal salvation to Israel was matter of great rejoicing, ver. 15.

so the great salvation by the Lord Jesus affords "joy unspeakable, and full of glory;" a "rejoicing in hope of the glory of God," Rom. v. 2.

CHAPTER XII.

We left the general assembly of the states together, in the close of the foregoing chapter; in this chapter we have Samuel's speech to them, when he resigned the government into the hand of Saul. In which, 1. He clears himself from all suspicion or imputation of mismanagement, while the administration was in his hands, ver. 1-5. 2. He minds them of the great things God had done for them, and for their fathers, ver. 6-13. 3. He sets before them good and evil, the blessing and the curse, ver. 14, 15. 4. He awakens them to regard what he said to them, by calling to God for thunder, ver. 16-19. 5. He encourageth them with hopes that all should be well, ver. 20-25. This is his farewel sermon to that august assembly, and Saul's coronation

sermon.

VER. 7. "Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you, and to your fathers."]Samuel having sufficiently secured his own reputation, instead of upbraiding the people upon it with their unkind. ness to him, sets himself to instruct them, and keep them in the way of their duty, and then the change of the govern ment would be the less damage to them.

He minds them of the great goodness of God to them and to their fathers, and gives them an abstract of the history of their nation, that, by the consideration of the great things God had done for them, they might be for ever engaged to love him and serve him. Come, saith he, stand still, that is, in token of reverence, when God is speaking to you, stand still in token of attention and composedness of mind, and give me leave to reason with you. Religion has reason on its side, Isaiah i. 18. The work of ministers is to reason with people; not only to exhort and direct, but to persuade, to convince men's judgments, and so to gain their wills and affections. He reasons of the righteous acts of the Lord, that is, both the benefits he hath bestowed upon them in performance of his promises, and the punishments he bas inflicted on them for their sins. His favours are called "his righteous acts," Judg. v. 11. because in them he is just to his own honour. He not only puts them in mind of what God had done for them in their days, but of what he had

done of old in the days of their fathers, because the present age had the benefit of God's former favours. We may suppose his discourse was much larger than is here related.

Ver. 22. "For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name's sake."]-That is, because his great name in all bis promises, perfections, and glories, is engaged never to leave his people; for they are embraced in his arms, dwell in his bosom, are "loved with an everlasting love," and his love is so unmeasurable, great, glorious, and unchangeable, that they can never be forsaken by him; for the honour of his word and covenant stands always engaged for them. His loving-kindness he will not remove from them, because it was his pleasure to make them his people, that is, by electing, as well as by regenerating grace.

Ver. 23. "God forbid that I should sin against the Lord, by ceasing to pray for you."]-Which shews, first, that a sin of omission, especially the omission of prayer, is great. Secondly, that the prosperity of Israel should lie near the heart of every true minister. Thirdly, that idleness in their duty and station should be had in abhorrence.

"But I will teach you the good and the right way."]Which shewed Samuel's heart-union to the people; and by the "good and the right way," we may understand the sacrifices and service of the temple, which was a good way, as they were figurative of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is not only the way of grace and glory, and the only way, but he is the good way; that is, he is the good way of pardon, peace, life, and salvation, the only way to enjoy all good that is contained in the covenant, revealed in his word, and promised by Jehovah. Likewise He is a right way, as no soul was ever lost in this way, or fell short of salvation; we have heard of thousands and thousands, yea, a "number that no man can number," being saved this way, Rev. vii. 9.

Ver. 24. "For consider how great things he hath done for you."]-That is, in the deliverances which the Lord had wrought for them, in his promises to them, and the immutability of his love to them, as his peculiar people. Hence observe, that by a sense of redeeming love and manifested favours, the christian lies under the greatest obligations of love and obedience to God.