CHAPTER XIII.

They that desired a king, like all the nations, fancied that when they had one they should look very great aud considerable; but in this chapter we find it proved much otherwise. While Samuel was joined in commission with Saul, things went well, chap. xi. 7. But now Saul began to reign alone, all went to decay, and Samuel's words began to be fulfilled," ye shall be consumed, both you and your king;" for never was the state of Israel farther gone in a consumption than in this chapter. 1. Saul appears here a very silly prince ; (1.) Infatuated in his counsels, ver. 1—3. (2.) Invaded by his neighbours, ver. 4, 5. (3.) Deserted by his soldiers, ver. 6, 7. (4.) Disordered in his own spirit, and sacrificing in confusion, ver 8.-10. (5.) Chidden by Samuel, ver. 11 -13. 6. Rejected of God from being king, ver. 14. 2. The people appear here a very miserable people. (1.) Disheartened and dispersed, ver. 6, 7. (2.) Diminished, ver. 15, 16. (3.) Plundered, ver. 17, 18. (4.) Disarmed, ver. 19-23. This they got by casting off God's government, and making themselves like the nations, all their glory departed from them.

VER. 14. "Because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee."]-Here is, first, Saul's offence in offering sacrifice before Samuel came. Samuel, when he anointed him, had ordered him to tarry for him seven days in Gilgal, promising, that at the end of those days he would be sure to come to him, and both offer sacrifices for him, and direct him what he should do. This we had, chap. x. 8. Perhaps that order, though inserted there, was given him afterwards; or was given him as a general rule to be observed in every public congress at Gilgal; or, as is most probable, though not mentioned again, was lately repeated with reference to this particular occasion; for, it is plain, Saul himself understood it as obliging him from God now to stay till Samuel came, else he would not have made so many excuses as he did for not staying, ver. 11. This order Saul broke; he staid till the seventh day, yet had not patience to wait till the end of the seventh day; perhaps he began to reproach Samuel as false to his word, careless of his country, and disrespectful to his prince, and thought it more fit that Samuel should wait for him, than he for Samuel. However, first, he presumed to offer sacrifice without Sa muel, and nothing appears to the contrary, but that he did it himself, though he was neither priest nor prophet, as if, because he was a king, he might do any thing; a piece of presumption, which king Uzziah paid dear for, 2 Chron. xxvi. 16. 2. He determined to engage the philistines without Samuel's directions, though he had promised to

"shew him what he shonld do." So self-sufficient Saul was, that he thought it not worth while to stay for a prophet of the Lord, either to pray for him, or to advise him.

CHAPTER XIV.

We left the host of Israel in a very ill posture in the close of the foregoing chapter; we saw in them neither wisdom, nor strength, nor goodness, to give us ground to expect any other, but that they should all be cut off by the army of the philistines; yet here we find that infinite power which works without means, and that infinite goodness which gives without merit, glorified in a happy turn to their affairs, that still Samuel's words may be made good, "The Lord will not forsake his people for his great name's sake," chap. xii. 22. In this chapter we have, 1. The host of the philistines trampled upon, and triumphed over by the faith and courage of Jonathan, who, unknown to his father, ver. 1-3. with his armour-bearer only, made a brave attack upon them, encou raging himself in the Lord his God, ver. 4-7. Challenged them, ver. 8-12. and upon their acceptance of the challenge, charged them with such fury, or rather such faith, that he put them to flight, and set them one against another, ver. 13-16. which gave opportunity to Saul and his forces, with other Israelites, to pursue the blow, and gain a victory, ver. 16-23. 2. The host of Israel troubled and perplexed by the rashness and folly of Saul, who adjured the people to eat no food till night; which (1.) Brought Jonathan into a dilemma, ver. 24-30. (2.) Was a temptation to the people, when the time of their fast was expired, to eat with the blood, ver. 31-35. (3.) Jonathan's error, through ignorance, had like to have been his death, but the people rescued him, ver. 36-46. 3. In the close we have a general account of Saul's exploits, ver. 47, 48. and of his family, ver. 49–52.

VER. 6. "It may be that the Lord will work for us."] -Jonathan encouraged his armour-bearer, a young man that attended him, to go along with him in this daring enterprise, ver. 6. "Come and let us put our lives in our hands, and go over to the enemy's garrison," and try what we can do to put them into confusion. See whence he draws his encouragements. First, they are uncircumcised, and have not the seal of the covenant in their flesh, as we have. Fear not, we shall do well enough with them, for they are not as a nation under the protection of God's covenant as we are. If such as are enemies to us, are also strangers to God, we need not fear them. Secondly, God is able to make us two victorious over their unnumbered regiments. "There is no restraint to the Lord," no limitation to the Holy One of Israel, but it is all one to him, "to save by many or by few." This is a truth easily granted in general, that it is all alike to omnipotence, what the

instruments are by which it works; and yet, it is not so easy to apply it to a particular case; when we are but few and feeble, than to believe that God can not only save us, but save by us; this is an instance of faith, which, wherever it is, shall obtain a good report. Let this strengthen the weak, and hearten the heartless; let it be pleaded with God for the strengthening of our petitions, and with ourselves for the silencing of our fears. "It is nothing with God to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power," 2 Chron. xiv. 11. Thirdly, Who knows, but he that can use us for his glory, will do it? "It may be the Lord will work for us,' "work with us, work a sign or miracle for us. So the Chaldee. We may encourage ouselves with hope, that God will appear for us, though we have not ground on which to build an assurance. An active faith will venture far in God's cause.

Ver. 45. "And the people said unto Saul, Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel?"] -This great salvation which God wrought for his people, was figurative of the glorious Messiah, who is his great salvation to the ends of the earth; and Jonathan being the Lord's instrument therein, the people rescued Jonathan out of his father's hands. Hitherto they had expressed themselves very observant of Saul; what seemed good to him they acquiesced in, ver. 36-40. but when Jonathan is in danger, Saul's word is no longer a law to them, but with the utmost zeal they oppose the execution of his sentence, "Shall Jonathan die?" that blessing, that darling of his country? Shall that life be sacrificed to a punctilio of law and honour which was so bravely exposed for the public service, and to which we owe our lives and triumphs? No, we will never stand by and see him thus treated whom God delights to honour. It is good to see Israelites zealous for the protection of those whom God had made instruments of public good. Saul had sworn that Jonathan should die, but they oppose their oath to his, and swear he shall not die; "As the Lord liveth, there shall not (only not his head, but not) a hair of his head fall to the ground;" they did not rescue him by violence, but by reason and resolution; and Josephus saith, they made their prayer to God, that he might be loosed from the curse. They plead for him, that he hath wrought with God this day;" that is, he has owned God's cause, and God has owned his endea vours, and therefore his life is too precious to be thrown away. We may suppose, Saul had not so perfectly forgot

the relation of a father, but that he was willing enough to have Jonathan rescued, and well pleased to have that done, which yet he would not do himself; and he that knows the heart of a father, knows not how to blame him.

CHAPTER XV.

In this chapter we have the final rejection of Saul from being king, for his disobedience to God's command, in not utterly destroying the Amalekites. By his wars and victories he hoped to magnify and perpetuate his own name and honour, but, by his mismanagement of them, he ruined himself, and laid his honour in the dust. Here is, 1. The commission God gave him to destroy the Amalekites, with a command to do it utterly, ver. 1-3. 2. Saul's preparation for this expedition, ver. 4-6. 3. His success, and partial execution of this commission, ver. 7-9. 4. His examination before Samuel, and sentence passed upon him, notwithstanding the many frivolous pleas he made to excuse himself, ver. 10--31. 5. The slaying of Agag, ver. 32, 33. 6. Sa muel's final farewel to Saul, ver. 34, 35.

VER. 6.." And, Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, de part," &c.]-Hence observe, that Saul gave friendly advice to the Kenites, to separate themselves from the Amalekites, among whom they dwelt. Herein he did prudently and piously, and it is probable, according to the direction Samuel gave him. The Kenites were of the family and kindred of Jethro, Moses's father-in-law, a people that dwelt in tents, which made it easy to them upon every occasion to remove to other lands; many of them at this time dwelt among the Amalekites, where, though they dwelt in tents, they were fortified by nature, for "they put their nest in a rock," Numb. xxiv. 21. being a hardy people that could live any where. Here, Saul acknowledgeth the kindness of their ancestors to Israel, when they came out of Egypt. Jethro and his family had been very helpful and serviceable to them in their passage through the wilderness, had been to them instead of eyes, and this is remembered to their posterity many ages after. Thus a good man leaves the blessing of providence for an inheritance to his children's children. God is not unrighteous, to forget the kindnesses shewn to his people, but they shall be remembered another day, at farthest in the great day, and recompensed in the resurrection of the just "I was an bungred and ye gave me meat." God's remembering the kindness of the Kenites'

ancestors, in favour to them, at the same time when he was punishing the injuries done to the ancestors of the Amalekites, helped to clear the righteousness of God in that dispensation. If he entail favours, why may he not entail frowns? He espouseth his people's cause, so as to "bless those that bless them ;" and therefore so as to " curse those that curse them, Numb. xxiv. 9. Gen. xii. 3.

Ver. 11. "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king."-Repentance in God is not as it is in us, a change of his mind, but a change of his method, or dispensation. He doth not alter his will, but wills an alteration. The change was in Saul," he is turned back from following me:" this construction God put upon the partiality of his obedience, and the prevalency of his covetousness. And hereby he did himself make God his enemy. God repented that he had given Saul the kingdom, and the honour and power that belonged to it; but he never repented that he had given any man his grace, fear, and love; those gifts and callings are without repentance.

Ver. 22. "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."]Though Saul was not a man of any great acquaintance with religion, yet he could not but know this, namely, That nothing is so pleasing to God as obedience, no, not sacrifice and offering, and the fat of rams. See here what we should aim at and endeavour in all the exercises of religion, even acceptance with God through Christ, that he may delight in what we do. If God be well pleased with us and our services, we are happy. Here we are plainly told, that humble, sincere, and conscientious obedience to the will of God, is more pleasing and acceptable to him than “all burnt-offering and sacrifices;" and that nothing is so provoking to God as disobedience, setting up our wills in competition with his. This is here called rebellion and stubbornness, and is said to be as bad as witchcraft and idolatry, ver. 23. It is as bad to set up other gods, as to live in disobedience to the true God. They that are governed by their own corrupt inclinations in opposition to the command of God, do, in effect consult the teraphim, as the word here is for idolatry. It was disobedience that made us all sinners, Rom. v. 19. 66 By one man's disobedience many were made sinners.'

Ver. 29. "And also the strength of Israel will not lie."]-Some read it the victory or the eternity of Israel; the Arabic reads it the Holy One;' the Syriac the most Noble One' bishop Patrick reads it the triumphant King.'