Saul promised to do what he was commanded; and supposing that his obedience to God would be shewn not only in making war against the Amalekites, but more fully in the readiness and quickness of his proceedings; he immediately gathered together all his forces. And when he had numbered them in Gilgal, he found them to be about four hundred thousand of the Israelites; besides the tribe of Judah; for that tribe contained by itself thirty thousand. Accordingly Saul made an irruption into the country of the Amalekites; and set many men and several parties in ambush at the river; that so he might not only do them a mischief by open fighting; but might fall upon them unexpectedly in the ways, and might thereby surround, and kill them. And when he had joined battle with the enemy, he beat them, and pursuing them as they fled, he destroyed them all. And when that undertaking had succeeded, according as God had foretold; he besieged the cities of the Amalekites, and took them by force; partly by warlike machines, partly by mines dug under ground, and partly by building walls on the outsides. Some they starved out by famine, and some they gained by other methods; and after all he betook himself to slay the women and the children, and thought he did not act therein either barbarously or inhumanly: first, because they were enemies whom they thus treated; and in the next place, because it was done by the command of God; whom it was dangerous not to obey. He also took Agag, the enemies' king, captive. The beauty and tallness of whose body he admired so much, that he thought him worthy of preservation. Yet was not this done according to the will of God; but by giving way to human passions, and suffering himself to be moved with an unseasonable commisseration, in a point where it was not safe to indulge it. For God hated the nation of the Amalekites, to such a degree, that he commanded Saul to have no pity even on those infants which we by nature chiefly compassionate. Saul, however, preserved the king from the miseries which the Hebrews brought on the people; as if he preferred the fine appearance of the enemy to the memory of what God had sent him about. The multitude were also guilty, together with Saul; for they spared the herds and the flocks, and took them for a prey; when God had commanded they should not spare them. They also carried off the rest of

their wealth and riches; but if there were any thing that was not worthy of regard, that they destroyed.*

When Saul had conquered all these Amalekites that reached from Pelusium of Egypt, to the Red Sea; he laid waste all the rest of the enemies country; but for the nation of the† Sichemites, he did not touch them, although they dwelt in the very middle of the country of Midian. For before the battle, Saul had sent to them, and charged them to depart thence, lest they should be partakers of the miseries of the Amalekites. For he had a just occasion for saving them, since they were of the kindred of Raguel, Moses's father-in-law.

Hereupon Saul returned home with joy for the glorious things he had done, and for the conquest of his enemies; as though he had not neglected any thing which the prophet had enjoined him to do when he was going to make war with the Amalekites; and as though he had exactly observed all that he ought to have done. But God was grieved that the king of the Amalekites was preserved alive; and that the multitude had seized on the cattle for a prey; because these things were done without his permission. For he thought it an intolerable thing that they should conquer their enemies by that power which he gave them; and then that he himself should be so grossly despised and disobeyed, that a mere man that was a king would not bear it. He therefore told Samuel, he repented that he had made Saul king; while he did nothing that he had commanded him, but indulged his own inclinations. When Samuel heard that, he was in confusion, and began to beseech God all that night to be reconciled to Saul, and not to be angry with him. But he did not grant that forgiveness which the prophet solicited; as not deeming it a fit thing to grant forgiveness of such sins at his entreaties; since injuries do not otherwise grow so great, as by the easy tempers of those that are injured. For while they seek after the glory of being thought gentle and good-natured, before they are aware, they produce other sins. As soon therefore as God had rejected the intercession of the prophet, and it plainly appeared he would

* 1 Sam. xv. 9.

Kenites, 1 Sam. xv. 6.

not change his mind; at break of day Samuel came to Saul to Gilgal. When the king saw him, he ran to him, and embraced him, and said, "I return thanks to God, who hath given me the victory; for I have performed every thing that he hath commanded." Samuel replied: "How is it then that I hear the bleating of the sheep, and the lowing of the greater cattle in the camp?"* Saul made answer, that the people had reserved them for sacrifices; but that, as to the nation of the Amalekites, it was entirely destroyed; as he had received it in command to see done, and that no one man was left; but that he had saved alive the king alone, and brought him to him; concerning whom he said they would advise together what should be done with him. But the prophet said, "God is not delighted with sacrifices; but with good and righteous men, who are such as follow his will and his laws; and never think that any thing is well done by them, but when they do it as God commanded them; that he then looks upon himself as affronted; not when any one does not sacrifice, but when any one appears disobedient to him. But that from those that do not obey him, nor pay him that duty which is the true and acceptable worship, he will not kindly accept their oblations; be those they offer never so many and so fat, and be the presents they make him never so ornamental; nay, though they were made of gold and silver themselves. But he will reject them, and esteem them instances of wickedness, and not of piety. And that he is delighted with those that still bear in mind this one thing, how to do that, whatsoever it be, which God pronounces or commands for them to do; and to choose rather to die, than to transgress any of those commands. Nor does he require so much as a sacrifice from them; and when these sacrifice, though it be a mean oblation, he better accepts of it, as the honour of poverty; than such oblations as come from the richest men that offer them to him. Wherefore take notice, that thou art under the wrath of God; for thou hast despised and neglected what he commanded thee. How dost thou then suppose he will respect a sacrifice out of such things as he has doomed to destruction? unless perhaps thou dost imagine

that it is almost all one to offer it in sacrifice to God, as to destroy it. Do thou therefore expect that thy kingdom will be taken from thee, and that authority which thou hast abused by such insolent behaviour, as to neglect that God who bestowed it upon thee." Then did Saul confess that he had acted unjustly, and did not deny that he had sinned; because he had transgressed the injunctions of the prophet; but he said, that it was out of dread and fear of the soldiers, that he did not restrain them, when they seized on the prey. "But forgive me," said he, "and be merciful to me; for I will be cautious how I offend for the time to come." He also intreated the prophet to go back with him, that he might offer his thank-offerings to God. But Samuel went home, because he saw that God would not be reconciled to him.

But Saul was so desirous to retain Samuel, that he took hold of his cloak; and because the vehemence of Samuel's departure made the motion to be violent, the cloak was rent. Upon which the prophet said, that after the same manner should the kingdom be rent from him; and that a good and a just man should take it; that God persevered in what he had decreed about him; that to be mutable and changeable in what is determined, is agreeable to human passions only; but it is not agreeable to the divine power. Hereupon Saul said that he had been wicked; but that what was done could not be undone. He therefore desired him to honour him so far, that the multitude might see that he would accompany him in worshipping God. So Samuel granted him that favour; and went with him and worshipped God. Agag also, the king of the Amalekites, was brought to him; and when the king asked, how bitter death was? Samuel said, As thou hast made many of the Hebrew mothers to lament and bewail their children; so shalt thou by thy death cause thy mother to lament thee also.* Accordingly be gave orders to slay him immediately at Gilgal; and then went away to the city Ramah.

1 Sam. xv. 33.

CHAP. VIII.

OF THE APPOINTMENT OF DAVID TO THE REGAL AUTHORITY, BY THE DIVINE COMMAND, AND IN CONSEQUENCE OF SAUL'S TRANSGRESSION.

SAUL being sensible of the miserable condition he had brought himself into, and that he had made God to be his enemy, went up to his royal palace at Gibeah, which name denotes a hill; and after that day he came no more into the presence of the prophet. And when Samuel mourned for him, God bade him leave off his concern for him, and to take the holy oil, and go to Bethlehem, to Jesse, the son of Obed, and to anoint such of his sons as he should shew him, for their future king. But Samuel said, he was afraid lest Saul, when he came to know of it, should kill him, either by some private method, or even openly. But upon God's suggesting to him a safe way of going thither, he came to Bethlehem. And when they all saluted him, and asked, what was the occasion of his coming? he told them, he came to sacrifice to God. When, therefore, he had prepared the sacrifice, he called Jesse and his sons to partake. And when he saw his eldest son to be a tall and handsome man, he guessed by his comeliness, that he was the person who was to be their future king. But he was mistaken in judging about God's providence; for when Samuel inquired of God, whether he should anoint this youth, whom he so much admired, and esteemed worthy of the kingdom? God said, " Men do not see as God seeth. Thou indeed hast respect to the fine appearance of this youth, and thence esteemed him worthy of the kingdom; while I propose the kingdom as a reward, not out of the beauty of bodies, but of the virtue of souls; and I inquire after one that is perfectly comely in that respect; I mean one who is beautiful in piety, righteousness, fortitude, and obedience; for