A Complete History and Mystery of the Old and New Testament, Biblical tract · Volume 2 · Commentary on 1 Samuel · Chapter 12
1 Samuel, CHAP. XII.
CHapter the Twelfth ſheweth how Old Samuel Abdicates himſelf from the Office and Magiſtracy of Judge in that Publick Convention held at Gilgal, where Saul had now his Solemn Enthronization. Intrat Rex, exit Judex.
N. B. Saul comes in as a King, and Samuel goes out as a Judge: Samuel declares his own Abdication in a moſt excellent Oration. Remarks upon it are,
Firſt, The Apologetical part of it: He begins his enſuing Apology with Arguments to move their Attention, that as He had hearkened unto them in confirming a King over them, ſo now they ought to Hearken unto him in this his Farewell Sermon, the Prologue whereof conſiſts of three Arguments to make them attentive.
N. B. The firſt is drawn from his own Merits towards the Common-Wealth; appealing to their own Conſciences concerning his Integrity and the Juſtice of all his Adminiſtrations, v. 1, 2, 3. to which the People gave an Ingenious and Publick Acquittance, v. 4.
N. B. The ſecond, Is drawn from the Imbecility of his Age, v. 2. I am now unable to bear the burden of Government, therefore have I freely reſigned it up into Saul's Hands; I now feel my ſelf at much more eaſe, when that burden which ſo much pinched my Shoulders, is now removed to the Shoulders of Saul, whom you ſo impetuouſly preſſed upon me to make your King.
N. B. The third Argument is drawn from the Private Capacities of his Sons, v. 2. intimating, as he had made himſelf a private perſon by the reſignation of his Power in ſo voluntary a manner, and was not Depoſed by the People for any Male-Adminiſtration: So my Sons are much more now Private Perſons, and ſubject to the Laſh of the Law; wherein they have been wrongful to any. Deal with them as they have deſerved, I will not intercede for them.
The Second Remark, is, The Reprehenſory part of his Oration or Propoſition, telling them, that notwithſtanding their Peace-Offerings to God at the Inauguration of their King, Chap. 11.15. Yet God was not at peace with them, but had a juſt quarrel againſt them, ſaith he, for your violent voices in asking a King; your ſinning hath been greater than yet you are aware of, and your ſorrowing muſt be greater than yet ye have attained to: There muſt be a better proportion betwixt theſe two: Manaſſeh ſinned greatly, and he humbled greatly, 2 Chron. 33.12. otherwiſe (ſaith Samuel) your ſin will find you out, if you do not find it out, Numb. 32.23. You ſhall pine away in your Iniquity, Lev. 26.39. But if you Repent, Your ſin ſhall not be your ruine, nor the ruine of your King, Ezek. 18.30. This is the ſcope of v. 7. to v. 19.
This in General only, now more Particularly. Samuel confirms his convincing them of the greatneſs of their Sin.
Firſt, By oppoſing their former Experience of Gods Government of them, both under Moſes and Aaron's Conduct, v. 8. and under the Judges, v. 9, 10. Unto their preſent Ingratitude in asking a King, when the former (Being Alſufficient) might have contented them, v. 12. wherein Samuel argueth moſt accurately.
N. B. (1ſt.) By reminding them of the great things God had done for them, when Jacob (the Syrian, ready to periſh, Deut. 26.5.) came with a few into Egypt, and being bleſt by God into a great Nation there, he was then cruelly oppreſſed, and then did the Lord raiſe up Moſes to deliver them, and as a Captain to conduct them through the Wilderneſs, and ſeated ſome of them in thoſe Conquered Lands beyond Jordan, yea and ſubſtituted Joſhua to ſeat all the other Tribes in Conquered Canaan on this ſide of Jordan, &c. Thus in few words he includes a long ſeries of Gods Providence towards Iſrael after they became a Nation, mentioning nothing of the Patriarchs before that came to paſs. And
N. B. (2ly.) By reminding them of later Deliverances the Lord had wrought for them under all their Judges, when they had revolted from God, for which they had oft been ſold into their Enemies hands, and as oft (upon their Repentance for their revolts) were delivered: And in the cloſe of the Judges he nameth himſelf, not out of any Vain Oſtentation, but for a juſt Vindication of himſelf, and for a neceſſary Juſtification of his following Reproof of their groſs Ingratitude towards himſelf (as well as toward God) by whom God had ſo lately delivered them out of the hands of the Philiſtines, Chap. 7.10, 11. All which might clearly them, that it was not any neceſſary Want, but meer Wantonneſs and Wilfulneſs, which prompted them ſo to a deſire of an alteration of Government; and hereupon he lays a great ſtreſs upon their peremptory Word [Nay,] v. 12. But we will have a King, whatever it coſt us, as if God were grown Impotent and Unfaithful to them.
Secondly, When Samuel had aggravated their preſent Ingratitude by oppoſing it to; their former experience, then, like a Pious Prophet, and a Prudent Preacher, he dips his Divine Nail in Oyl, that it might drive the Deeper in allaying the Tartneſs of his Reproof, with the Sweetneſs of his Counſel and Comfort; well knowing that Sowre and Sweet make the beſ Sawce. Therefore he then (as it were) corrects himſelf, ſaying, [Although you have grievouſly ſinned in asking a King, through your incredulty and diſtruſt in God, who hitherto hath been your King and Saviour; ſo faithfully preſerving you in all former Ages, that he never gave you any juſt cauſe to caſt off his Government:] Yet ſeeing it is no wicked thing of it ſelf, and in its own Nature to Ask a King; and ſeeing God hath now given you a King at your Asking: If for the time to come ye will Walk before the Lord unto all pleaſing, and worthineſs of his preſence, Col. 1.10. then the Lord will not forſake you, but will vouchſafe both to direct and to protect both you and your King, v. 13, 14. But if ye will not fear the Lord, but Rebel againſt him, then will he pour forth his Plagues upon you, as he did upon that Race of Rebels (your Predeceſſors) and upon your King whom you have choſen, who ſhall not be able to ſecure you from Gods diſpleaſure, v. 15.
Thirdly and Laſtly, Samuel drives his Nail of Reproof and Conviction to the very Head by a marvellous Thundring, Lightning and Tempeſtuous Rain in the very throng of Wheat Harveſt, v. 16, 17, 18. 'Tis certain that in Judea they had only the former and the latter Rains, their Harveſt ſeaſons being more certain, and the Weather more temperate than it commonly is found in our Northern-Iſlands: Therefore ſuch an unſeaſonable Storm to hinder Harveſt (which God had promiſed ſhould not ceaſe, Gen. 8.21. and Rain rately obſtructed it, Prov. 26.1. Amos 4.7.) this made it the more Amazing a Miracle. Therefore as Samuel had bid them before [Stand and Hear,] v. 7. ſo now he bids them [Stand and See,] v. 16. that they might take in Inſtruction by thoſe two Learned Senſes, (as Ariſtotle calls them) the Doors and Windows of the Soul, that even the Deaf might Hear, and the Blind might Behold, Iſa. 42.18. leſt God ſhould Deſert them, and leave them deſolate, Jer. 6.8.
N. B. Though Old Samuel could not Thunder and Lighten loud enough in his Elegant Oration to Iſrael to make them both Hear and See, yet ſure I am, the God of Samuel did it effectually: 'Tis ſaid, [All the People ſaw the Thundrings and the Lightnings and were affrighted at ſuch a dreadful Promulgation of the Law,] Exod. 20 18. As Moſes had God to Second him there, ſo Samuel had the ſame good Second here, to convince them of their Sin in asking a King, and caſting off God, who had ſuch a power as to ſlay them with Thunderbolts for their Sin.
The Third Remark is the effect of all: Namely, Iſrael's Repentance, v. 18, 19. This was a powerful Conviction to them upon many Accounts; as, (1.) That ſuch a Prodigious Storm ſhould ariſe in their Wheat Harveſt, when the parching Heat of the Sun doth Naturally dry up all Vapours and Exhalations. (2.) That it ſhould be a very Fair Day when Samuel foretold this, and no appearance of any Black Cloud Ariſing, Pſal. 147.8. (3) That the Storm ſhould fall ſo ſuddenly, as did that upon Sodom; The Sun ſhone upon Lot, when God Rained the Fire of Hell from Heaven upon that Wicked City, Gen. 19.23, 24. (4.) That it fell with ſuch Violence, (far beyond ordinary Storms) as they feared to be knock'd down Dead by it. (5.) That ſuch dreadful Flaſhes of Fire ſhould bolt forth out of the midſt of a Vaſt Confluence of Water, and that with ſuch confounding Cracks. (6) That this whole Prodigy ſhould be procured by the Prayer of Samuel only. All theſe things made them fear both the Lord and Samuel: The Lord, becauſe he moſt frightfully Thundred; and Samuel, becauſe he had not only Prayed, but alſo had Prevailed for thoſe frightful Thundrings: Now was the time of Reflecting ſeverely upon their mad folly; ſaying, what Fools are we to Caſt off from us, (1.) The Government of ſuch a God, at whoſe command are all things, both in Heaven and Earth, and hath ſuch terrible Tempeſts at his Beck, Call and Command? And, (2.) The Government of ſuch a Judge, as is ſo prevailent with this great God; and can open and ſhut Heaven by his Prayers: We have declared his Innocency, v 4. We have heard his Wiſdom in this excellent Oration: We have ſeen his Patience all the time of his Judgſhip; and now we cannot but admire his Power with God, yet could we not reſt ſatisfied with ſuch a Governour; tho' they ſaid not thus, they might well think thus; yet this they ſaid upon Record [Pray for thy Servants unto the Lord thy God that we die not, &c.] Ver. 19. Where Note, (1.) So conſcious were their Thunder-ſtruck Conſciences of their own guilt, that they had no confidence of praying for themſelves, but begs Samuel to ſave them from Death. (2.) They call themſelves Samuel's Servants, when they had deſerted his ſervice, and betaken themſelves to a New, and another Maſter, to wit, Saul. Mendoza therefore lookt upon it like the common Court-Complement of our Day [Your Servant, Sir] when indeed Men are too ſaucy to be ſo to whom they ſay ſo. (3.) They call the Lord, Samuel's God; they are both afraid and aſhamed to call him their God, becauſe they had ſo highly offended him, and knew God would not hear ſinners, Joh. 9.31. And (4.) They feared that this terrible Tempeſt would deſtroy both their Perſons and their Harveſt. (5.) By the occaſion of this later Sin, they came to a ſight and ſenſe of all their other former Sins. 6.) And when Samuel ſaw them truly humbled, he prayed down the Storm, as he had prayed it up, &c.
The 4th Remark is, The Epilogue of Samuel's Oration after all; ver. 20. to 25. wherein he gives them Caution, Counſel and Comfort. (1.) A word of Caution: [Beware of Vain Idols] turn not aſide to them, as ye oft have done heretofore; if ye do, at your peril; they will not only prove unprofitable, but moſt pernicious; both you and your King ſhall periſh thereby, ver. 20, 21, 25. (2.) A word of Counſel; [Cleave cloſe to God, and he will cleave as cloſe to you. Deus non deſerit niſi deſerentem. Auſtin. His own Honour is engaged, ver. 22. and he abhors to forfeit it, forſaking none, but ſuch as firſt for ſake him, 2 Chron. 15.2. (3.) A word of Comfort, bidding them firſt not to deſpair, fear not with a Deſponding fear, v. 20. Secondly, God hath made you his own peculiar People. Exod. 19.5. not from your Merit, but from his free Mercy, Deut. 7.7. and 9.5. He hath choſen you for his Love, and will ſtill love you for his Choice, and Reſt in his Love, Zeph 3.17. And here, ver. 23. Thirdly, He promiſeth them his Prayers, ver. 23. tho' they had diſobliged him, and made him now pray againſt them in procuring this Tempeſt (which tho' it might hinder their Harveſt, and did fill their hearts with fears, yet did it help to heal their Souls, and give them a ſight of their ſins;) ſaying, Nay, I will not only now pray for you, but I will alſo preach to you, as your Prophet, tho' not your Judge; but do you ſerve God both without diſſimulation, and without diminution of God's due, otherwiſe neither my praying for you, nor preaching to you can at all profit you. Be ye Dutiful to God, and God will be Merciful to you, &c.