likewife in their Tempers and Difpofitions the most obftinate, ftiff-necked People under the Sun. Now we must be very fenfible upon the leaft Reflection, that few People can be perfuaded to forfake all at once, every darling Paffion that is repugnant to Piety and Virtue; a Task that too often exceeds even the Power and Dread of Punishment. This therefore must be attempted gradually; for it is only through long Habit and Custom, that Men are at laft induced to entertain a favourable Opinion of what is right. In a fimilar manuer do we proceed in our temporal Concerns. When we are young and our Reafon tender, our Parents are wont to look over our small Faults, which, as we grow up, and our Judgment ripens, they expect fhould be wholly laid afide, on Pain of their Displeafure and Correction, in cafe we do not. So God established the moral Law, with many Allowances to the weak and imperfect State Men were at that Time in, which, as they grew ftronger in the Habits of Virtue, and were more inured to Goodnefs, he thought proper to repeal, till at length he published one in every Degree perfect and fuitable to the Nature of Man. For in this Şenfe we may likewife apply St. Paul's Argument, Gal. iii. 24. Wherefore the Law was our Schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ. But to proceed.

The

The Almighty having established this Fence against Idolatry, which he had like wife guarded by Promises and Threatnings, he ordered the Ifraelites to engage the Canaanites, and affured them of Succefs, on Account of the great Wickedness and the abominable Impiety thofe Nations were guilty of. This Command of God Ifrael obeyed, and foon overcame and destroyed that unworthy People, and took Poffeffion of their Inheritance. Here they did not continue long in their Obedience, but foon became as unworthy as the former Inhabi tants had been; for they learned theirWorks, and forfook the God who had done so great Things for them: They moreover polluted themselves with all their Abominations, and caused their Children to pass through the Fire to Moloch; in fine, they facrificed unto Devils, and not to God. Thus did they fulfil that Prophecy of Mofes, that when Jefburun was waxed fat, he kicked. This their Ingratitude and Rebellion provoked the Wrath of God against them; He therefore, who had hitherto been the Rock of their Salvation, now turned his Face away from them, raised up Enemies against them, and delivered them into the Hands of those that hated them. As nothing recals People to a Senfe of their Duty, and reminds them of their Tranfgreffions they have committed, fo much as Affliction; there

fore

fore when these People found themselves in Diftrefs, they then laid afide their Abominations, and turned themselves unto God. As God terribly demonftrates the Infinity of his Juftice towards the Incorrigible and Impenitent, fo does he difplay his infinite Mercies towards thofe who are grieved for their Sins, and forfake them. He therefore pitied this People, when their Calamity came upon them, and they acknowledged him for their God; he accordingly raised up a Deliverer for them, who fhould refcue them from their Enemies, and put them again in a peaceable Poffeffion of their for mer Country. To the Government of this Perfon, as a grateful Acknowledgment for the Services he had done them, did they fubmit themselves, and gave him the Name of Judge; which Office was not hereditary, but ceafed with the Death of the Perfon upon whom it was conferred, and was not again renewed, till they were in the like calamitous Circumftances. Under this Form of Government they continued till the Days of Samuel, when, because his Sons did not walk with the fame Uprightness and Integrity that he had done, but turned afide after Lucre, and took Bribes and perverted Judgment, they demanded of him to fet a King over them, to judge them like other Nations. This was only a plaufible Pretence they made ufe of to colour over the

Impiety

1

Impiety they were guilty of, in thus rejecting God from being their King; because, from the Cafe of the Sons of Eli, which had happened not long before, they could not but be certain, that the Almighty would not permit fuch evil Judges long to opprefs them unpunished. The fad Effects of this their Diloyalty they foon after experienced.

The great Age and Infirmities of Samuel, and the evil Difpofition of his Sons having furnished, we fee, the Ifraelites with a Pretext for requesting a King, that they might, in this Particular at least, resemble their Neighbours; though really this their Requeft proceeded rather from their being infenfible of the Honour they enjoyed above the rest of Mankind, in being under the peculiar Government of God himself; and foolishly, nay impioufly imagining, that their being fo often conquered by their Neighbours, was chiefly, if not wholly, owing to that particular Mode of Government they lived under; but never once reflecting that their own Crimes were the Caufe of the others Succefs. This Ingratitude of theirs was highly difpleafing to the Almighty; upon the Prophet's therefore addreffing himself to God in this unpleafing Conjuncture, he received the following Anfwer; Hearken unto the Voice of the People in all that they fay unto thee; for they

have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them* but at the fame time was ordered to lay before them the many Difadvantages at tending that regal Power they fo earneftly requested. Samuel therefore, in Obedience to the divine Command, reprefented to them the many Grievances and Hardthips they would be obliged to fuftain from the arbi trary Power of the Monarch, whom they fo impatiently defired to have over them. Now it is natural to imagine, that the pa thetic Defcription Samuel gave them of the Nature of the imperious Government of the Eaftern Monarchs, would have made fuch an Impreffion on them, as to have wholly deterred them from profecuting their de figned Intention; efpecially when he, at the fame time, acquainted them, how highly difpleafing to the divine Majefty the Propofal was they had made, viz. To have another King befides Himfelf, whom they had ever found both willing and able to protect them, as long as they continued obedient, against their most powerful Enemies, and who had upon their Repentance and Amendment always delivered them out of their Diftreffes; but now, fince they were become fo rebellious and difloyal, he affured them, they thould be convinced of the Dif ference; for whenever they thould groan 1 Sam. vin. 7.

under