The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 4 · Section 167 – Section 168
SECT. CLXVII.
THE Lord now makes known to Samuel that all his mourning for Saul was but in vain, partly becauſe he continued ſtill obſtinate and impenitent, and partly becauſe the Lord had abſolutely determined to take the Kingdom from him. In which caſe though Samuel might bewail Saul's condition, yet he might not bewail it in that manner as might imply an unwillingneſs to ſubmit to the good pleaſure and determination of God therein. And though the Lord intended not that Saul ſhould preſently be depoſed from being King*See Ch. 24.6., yet he orders Samuel preſently to fill his horn with oyl, and to go to Jeſſe the Bethlemite, for he had choſen one of his Sons to be King over Iſrael, and he ſhould anoint him to that office whom he ſhould point out unto him, that as he had anointed Saul, ſo by anointing one of another family (by Gods appointment) to ſucceed him in the Throne, he might teſtifie that God had rejected Sauls poſterity. Indeed Saul was choſen by the Lord to be King of Iſrael, but it was upon the violent importunity of the people that would needs have it ſo, and would not be beaten off from it. So that Saul was the peoples King rather than Gods, and given to them in wrath; but David was meerly choſen of God, who did of his own free will, (no body thinking any thing of it) ſend Samuel to anoint him. And ſo he was a King of Gods own providing, the King in whoſe ſeed the Kingdom was to be eſtabliſhed, and one who would in his Government carefully perform the will of God. See Ch. 13.14. Samuel was ſomething afraid to go upon this enterprize, and therefore he ſaid, Lord how can I go? if Saul hear of it he will certainly kill me. The Lord inſtructs him how to avoid this danger, he bids him to go to Bethlem and to take an heifer, and ſay he came to offer a Sacrifice there, that is, a Sacrifice(d)Authoritas Prophetae facit ut Sacrificium ubicunque is adeſt & imperat, rite fiat; ſubſunt enim Prophetae imperio leges rituales faten…ibus Hebraeis. Samuel ex peculiari mandato hoc fecit. of Thanksgiving, or a Peace-offering, after which followed a Feaſt made of the remainders of the Sacrifice, ſee Ch. 9.12. He orders him to invite Jeſſe and his Sons to this Feaſt. Thus the Lord directed him to conceal the principal cauſe of his coming, and to pretend only that buſineſs which might be ſafely made known. Samuel accordingly goes to Bethlehem, the Elders of the City trembled when they ſaw him, fearing leſt ſome heinous ſin committed among them had drawn him thither, and that he came to deliver ſome ſad meſſage from the Lord againſt them; therefore they preſently asked him whether he came peaceably? he ſaid yes, for I come to ſacrifice unto the Lord, ſanctifie therefore your ſelves, and come with me to the Sacrifice, and particularly let Jeſſe and his Sons prepare and ſanctifie themſelves both legally and ſpiritually, that they may eat of the Sacrifice. 'Tis like Samuel had acquainted Jeſſe privately with the cauſe of his coming, and that thereupon Jeſſe brought in his Sons one by one into ſome private place, whether before they ſat down to eat of the Sacrifice they had retired themſelves for that purpoſe, that that perſon might be anointed whom God ſhould point out to Samuel. Accordingly Eliab, Jeſſe's eldeſt Son was firſt brought forth, when Samuel ſaw him, he thought within himſelf, ſurely this is the man; the comelineſs of his perſon made him think this was he whom God had choſen; but herein he was led and guided only by his own ſpirit, for the Lord preſently ſaid to him, Look not on his countenance, or the heighth of his ſtature, conſider the Lord ſeeth not as man ſeeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart. Then Jeſſe called Abinadab and made him appear before Samuel, and Samuel was admoniſhed by a ſecret voice of Gods Spirit that neither was this the man whom he had choſen. Then Shammah was called, he alſo was refuſed. Jeſſe then called four more of his Sons in order, and ſet them one after another before Samuel, but he told him never an one of theſe was the perſon whom the Lord had choſen. Jeſſe wondring at this, Samuel asked him whether theſe were all his Sons? DAVID choſen to be King and firſt anointed by Samuel.He told him he had one more, viz. the youngeſt whom he imployed in keeping his ſheep; he had omitted to bring him, as imagining it could not in any likelihood be he of all the reſt whom God would choſe; and this poſſibly was ſo ordered by Providence that it might more evidently appear that David was meerly choſen of God; Samuel orders that this youngeſt Son ſhould be immediately ſent for, for (ſays he) we will not ſit down till he come. At laſt David came, who was of a ruddy and beautiful *Solet pulcher animus etiam in vultu apparere, vide Platonis convivium. Erat in Davide forma non mollis ſed virilis, & militaris. Oculi ipſius bellicam quandam ferociam ſpirare videbantur. Unctus eſt non ut ſtatim regnaret, ſed ut Sauli morienti in regno ſuccederet.countenance, and comely to look on, and (as it is probable) about twenty two years of age. The Lord now by a ſecret voice of his Spirit ſaid unto Samuel, This is the man, ariſe and anoint him; then Samuel took the horn of oyl and anointed him in the midſt of his Brethren, whereby he incurred their envy, [ſee Ch. 17.28.] no leſs than Joſeph did of his Brethren. And from the very day of his anointing the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, namely the Spirit of Wiſdom, Courage and Fortitude, ſo that he was moved and led on by the Spirit of God to undertake great and noble enterprizes, ſuch as was that of killing a Lion and a Bear. For it ſeems as he was keeping his fathers ſheep there came a Lion at one time, and a Bear at another, and took a Kid out of his flock, and he purſued after them, and when the Lion turned upon him, he took him by the beard and ſlew him, and took the prey from him which he had ſelzed upon, and ſo he ſerved the Bear alſo, ſee Ch. 17.35, 36. and other famous and valourous exploits, it ſeems he atchieved ſoon after he was anointed, whereby he became famous even among Saul's Courtiers, ſee v. 18. and probably from that time forward he had an extraordinary meaſure of the gifts and graces of the Spirit, poured forth upon him, and particularly the Spirit of Propheſie, and the gift of Poetry, and compoſing Divine Pſalms, and Hymns, together with the gift of Muſick, wherein afterwards he became very eminent, inſomuch that he was called the ſweet Singer of Iſrael; and has left ſuch Divine Pſalms and Hymns as may ſerve to inſtruct the people of God to the end of the world. Samuel having thus anointed David, he returned to his own houſe at Ramah.
1 Sam. Ch. 16. from v. 1, to 14.
SECT. CLXVIII.
SAƲL now was bereaved of thoſe Heroical gifts that God had before beſtowed upon him, and Satan (by Gods permiſſion) taking advantage of his extream melancholy and diſcontent (for the loſs of Gods favour, and his Kingdom) filled him with frights and fears with diſquietneſs of mind, and grief of heart, which ſo diſtempered and diſtracted him, that he fell into fits of Phrenſie, and ſometimes grew outragious, and ready to kill any body that came in his way, and was (for a time) as one poſſeſſed with a Devil. He had preferred his own reaſon before Gods directions in the buſineſs of the Amalekites, (and ſo made an Idol of it) and now God juſtly deprives him of the uſe of it. His Phyſicians tell him that an evil ſpirit ſent of the Lord (to execute his righteous judgment) troubled him, and therefore adviſe him to ſeek out a man that was skilful to play on the Harp, who by his Muſick might chear and revive his ſpirits, and allay his melancholy paſſions, and thereby he would be leſs ſubject to the Devils operations. One of Saul's ſervants (that ſtood by) ſaid he had ſeen a Son of Jeſſe that was very skilful in playing on the Harp, and was alſo a man of war, and prudent in matters (e)Ego exiſtimo ex quo David cum unctione alia quo que dona accepit plane rara, eum vicini… fuiſſe notiſſimum, nam & eximia erant illa dona, & inopinata at que nova. Sanct., and a comely perſon, and the Lord was with him, and aſſiſted him in all his deſigns, and proſpered him in all his enterprizes. Saul hearing this, ſent meſſengers to Jeſſe to deſire him to ſend that Son of his that kept his ſheep(f)Hereby we ſee that tho' David was choſen by God and anointed King, yet in humility of ſpirit he returned unto his former employment of keeping his fathers ſheep, waiting upon God till it ſhould be his good pleaſure in his own way to raiſe him to the Kingly dignity. unto him. Jeſſe ſent his Son David to him, with a ſmall preſent (g)Such a Preſent Jacob ſent to Joſeph under the notion of the Lord of all Egypt, that his Sons might find favour with him, Gen. 43.11., namely an Aſſe laden with bread, and a bottle of wine, and a Kid; for great perſons do many times kindly accept of ſmall preſents from their inferiours, ſeeing they are ſigns that they do reſpect and honour them. But Jeſſe knowing that God had anointed his Son David to ſucceed Saul in the Kingdom, might well have been afraid to put him into Saul's hands, had not his faith overcome his fear. David now came and attended upon Saul, who was much pleaſed with him, and loved him greatly, and appointed him to be one of thoſe that ſhould carry his Shield before him; Saul alſo liking him very well(h)This great love of Saul to David quickly turned into mortal hatred. ſent to his Father that he might ſtay with him, and continue in his ſervice. And when the evil ſpirit was at any time upon Saul, David played on his Harp before him, and ſo he was for the time freed from his melancholy, God working with David's Muſick, and giving Saul eaſe thereby, that he might make way for David's advancement. Yet the Muſick wrought no perfect cure on him, but only an abatement of his fits. He ſhould have uſed the right means if he intended to be cur'd, viz. Repentance, Faith, Faſting and Prayer.
1 Sam. Ch. 16. from 14, to the end.