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ANNOTATIONS AND REFLECTIONS.

The Amalekites were a people who originally descended from Amalek the son of Eliphaz, Esau's firstborn; they had, it seems, been driven out from the land of Edom, and suddenly sprang up into a great and powerful nation. Though the true religion must have been known amongst them, they gradually lost it, and became abominable idolaters.

We read in a former section, that when the children of Israel were advanced a little way on their journey towards the land of Canaan, the Amalekites attacked them in their rear, without any provocation, whilst they were feeble, faint, and weary; and that this action proceeded from defiance of God, and was so heinous a sin, that the LORD commanded Moses to record in a book, and rehearse in the ears of the people, that Joshua had defeated them by the aid of the LORD; who would have war with Amalek from generation to generation, and utterly destroy them*. The LORD knew what the Amalekites would do in future; that the whole race of them would be addicted to the same crimes, and deserve the like punishment; and that all the wonders he should work would have no effect on them, but that they would still continue to defy his power, and resist his will; and that they would be objects of Divine justice, and not of mercy, he therefore passed condemnation upon them in the beginning, but delayed the threatened judgment till they had committed the sins he foreknew they would be guilty of. There are several instances of the Amalekites endeavouring to defeat the Divine designs in favour of Israel; particularly in the days of Ehud, Gideon, and Jephthah; for they feared

*Exod. xvii. 14, 16.

not

not GOD, but their hand was lifted up against the throne, (or authority) of the LORD.

The time was now arrived which the LORD had appointed for the destruction of the Amalekites, and Saul was chosen as the instrument of Divine vengeance upon them. He received particular directions from the prophet of the LORD to extirpate them entirely; and as Captain of the LORD's inheritance, it was his duty to pay implicit obedience to the divine command; but we find he did not, and when Samuel reproached him, he pretended that he reserved the best of the spoil out of a principle of devotion. Saul's sin was as great as witchcraft, (for endeavouring to procure the assistance of evil spirits), because it implied disbelief, and defiance of GOD. And as he had presumed to rebel against the LORD, and set the LORD's people so bad an example, he was unworthy to govern them.

Saul professed to be very penitent; but there is reason to suppose his repentance was not sincere: for he attributed what he had done to fear of the people; when it is evident, from the preceding part of his his tory, that he ruled them with the most arbitrary sway : and it appears, that he was more solicitous to maintain his own dignity, and to be treated with respect by Samuel, than to obtain the pardon of GoD: in short, we may be sure that he was not heartily sorry for his fault, and disposed to amend it, or he would not have been treated with so much rigour.

It is said that Samuel hewed Agag in pieces BEFORE THE LORD. This action of the prophet appears very inconsistent with the mildness of his character; in order to reconcile it, we must consider the difference between God's people and idolaters. The former, in acknowledgment that their lives were forfeited by their sins, offered the sacrifices appointed by the LORD, which

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were accepted, and on account of their repentance, faith, and willingness to obey, GOD was reconciled to them. The people of the idolatrous nations repeatedly committed presumptuous sins: so far from wishing to be reconciled to GOD, they despised His power, resisted His will, and scorned His mercy, and no ATONEMENT could be made for them for want of that repentance and faith which gave efficacy to ALL SACRIFICES; and GOD had an undoubted right to require their lives by any means that seemed proper to His infinite wisdom. His pecu. liar people the Israelites, were appointed to extirpate these sinners, and whenever they did so, they might be said to slay them BEFORE THE LORD, (or, out of regard to the will of the LORD, not on their own account.) So we see that Samuel, if he had even killed Agag with his own hands, only did that in GILGAL which Saul ought to have done in the field of battle; and had he permitted Agag to live, he would have been an accomplice with Saul in his disobedience. Learned authors suppose, from the evident meaning of similar passages, that Samuel only commanded Agag to be slain.

We learn from Samuel's reproof to Saul, that a careful conformity to the divine commandments will recommend us more to GOD than any ceremonial observances; at the same time we are not to omit the latter, for they are the appointed means for testifying our faith and obedience.

It has been repeatedly observed, that when the inspired writers make use of the expression, GoD repented, it is not to be understood as implying a change in GOD, but only in His dispensations; and the prophet Samuel confirms this idea; for he positively declares, that the LORD does not change His purposes like men. We are not however to infer, from the invariableness of the SUPREME BEING that prayer and repentance have no

efficacy;

efficacy: on the contrary we find, from many passages of Scripture, that as it is by those we honour Gon, sọ they are the appointed means for obtaining mercy and averting evil.

SECTION LXXVII.

DAVID ANOINTED BY SAMUEL-SAUL SENDETH FOR HIM TO QUIET THE EVIL SPIRIT.

From 1 Samuel, Chap. xv, xvi.

AND Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death: nevertheless, Samuel mourned for Saul : and the LORD repented that he had made Saul king over Israel.

And the LORD said unto Samuel how long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Beth-lehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.

And Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me. And the LORD said, Take an heifer with thee, and say, I am come to sacrifice to the LORD; and call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will shew thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto me him whom I name unto thee.

And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Beth-lehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably? and he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his. sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

And it came to pass when they were come, that he looked on Eliab, and said, Surely the LORD's anointed is before him.

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But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him. For the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, Neither hath the LORD chosen this.

Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, the LORD hath not chosen these.

And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.

And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him for this is he.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren, and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.

But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

And Saul's servants said unto him, Behold now an evil spirit from GoD troubleth thee.

Let our lord command now thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man who is a cunning player on a harp and it shall come to pass when the evil spirit from GOD is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.

And

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