WHY A KING WAS DESIRED.

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moted, not so much by the study of the frame in a state of soundness, as by careful investigation when it has come under the influence of disease; so in reference to our moral and spiritual health, to have the heart right with God, and to keep it right, is an end greatly promoted by watching how and where the hearts of others have come under a wrong influence. And he, who is willing to do this-willing carefully and extensively to dissect character-to anatomize conduct to watch the connexion between the external and the internal, and to discriminate between the two-cannot but be thankful for the opportunity which is given him of doing it all, by the preservation in the Scripture records of a remarkably full and complete memoir of the first king of Israel.

To the circumstances, however, under which Saul became king rather than to himself our attention must first be directed. These form a proper introduction to the whole case; and more-they have much to do with the knowledge of our own hearts, and they supply abundant material for thought and prayer.

Taking advantage of Samuel's age and of his sons' misconduct-for it is clear that though the wish was professedly founded upon those circumstances, they furnished no more than the ostensible reason for the course which was

SAMUEL'S SORROW.

adopted the elders of Israel assembled, and coming to Samuel said, "Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." We wonder not that such a request was painful to the venerable prophet, and that his burdened spirit found relief at the moment in turning from the ingratitude and waywardness of man to the tenderness and compassion of God, and in casting all its care upon Him, who alone is able effectually to sustain the sinking, suffering heart. How touching is the brief sentence which in the sacred narrative describes his act

"And Samuel prayed unto the Lord!" And he was comforted by that "God who comforteth those who are cast down." The answer of Jehovah might with truth be called a reply of condolence-" And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken me, and served other gods, so do they also unto thee." Then followed the command that Samuel should explain to the people the manner in which they were deceiving themselves in the supposition that it would be better

THE THOUGHTS OF GOD ON THE MATTER. 5

with them when they should have an earthly king than it had been heretofore. Nothing in truth was kept back from them which was calculated to impress them with a sense of their folly, and to lead them to a better mind. But all was in vain; "the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us." "And the Lord said to Samuel, Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king."

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Now, it is worthy of remark, that in a later portion of Scripture we find allusion made to this very incident, in tones of rebuke and of admonition; we find the Most High commenting upon it, and affording us the opportunity of forming acquaintance with the views which He held concerning it, and the principles upon which He acted in connexion with it. By the mouth of the prophet Hosea He sent this message "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thine help. I will be thy king: where is any other that may save thee in all thy cities? and thy judges of whom thou saidst, Give me a king and princes? I gave thee a king in mine anger, and took him away in my wrath."-Chap. xiii. 9-11. To a fact, then, which God thus marked out for particular notice in a later period, it cannot but be deemed important that we should give heed. It is eminently suggestive, and from among many topics

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PROGRESS OF DEGENERACY.

of instruction which it contains, we may select the following:

I. The request of the Israelites brings before us a melancholy view of the progress of degeneracy in a community. Looking at their history from the time of their entrance upon the actual possession of the land of Canaan, though now and then there breaks out to view a hopeful glimpse with regard to their moral and spiritual condition, yet on the whole the scene presented is that of successive generations rising up to depart farther and farther from God; and now we have the dismal consummation in their effort to destroy, as far as they were concerned, that peculiar and interesting link between themselves and God which existed in the fact-that besides being to them, as He is to all His creatures, their supreme Ruler, He condescended to act as such in a direct and immediate form-standing actually, and to all intents and purposes, in the same relation to them as that which an earthly sovereign sustains towards his subjects. It requires no effort to perceive in this desire of the Israelites the renewed manifestation of the discontented and rebellious disposition which prevailed in the camp at the Red Sea, and on subsequent occasions in the wilderness; but now it was marked by a greater fixedness of criminal resolve and of God-dishonouring pur

INFLUENCE OF ONE AGE ON THE NEXT. 7

pose. It was the sin of the fathers living over again, but with greater intensity, in the persons of the children. This view of the case is, in a high degree, admonitory. None of us, perhaps, think enough of the connexion between ourselves and the future; and yet when we do give our minds seriously to the matter, there is much that may well fill us with awe and solemnity. Among other reasons for the peculiar character of that plan which God has adopted in His holy word for our instructioneven the method of teaching us out of the history of one people presented to us through successive ages, in the various forms of responsibility arising out of their peculiar relation to Himself-among many reasons for the adoption of such a plan this may be one, the maintenance before our minds of this one idea, that each age exerts a very considerable influence on that which succeeds it, and that the men of any particular age are responsible to God in a very large and affecting measure for the characteristics of the period which may come after them.

It is not difficult to bring this matter home to our own feelings. Would it not be an embittering prospect, if as we, the people of the present day, looked forward to the next generation, we were compelled from what now meets