their king and governor; and therefore it is faid particularly, ver. 18. of the laft-cited paffage, that the Amalekites "feared not God." Is there any thing abfurd or unfuitable to the majefty of the King of kings, in his declaring he would have war with fuch a people from generation to gene. ration, and at laft deftroy them, as he certainly foreknew that they would not grow better, but worfe and worse?

Let us not omit to obferve the long-fuffering and patience of God. It was not till fome hundreds of years afterwards, that orders were iffued out to put the fentence in execution againft that people, when they had filled up the measure of their iniquities, and were ripe for judgement. This appears evidently from the hints of their character given in the chapter where the text lies. They are called, ver. 18. "the finners the Amalekites," by way of emphafis, to fhew, that they were eminently wicked above all other people. It is no lefs evident, that their king that ruled over them was a bloody cruel man, from the words of Samuel to him, ver. 33. "As thy fword hath made

women childless, fo fhall thy mother be child"lefs among women." These circumstances make it highly probable, that this prince and his people were commonly employed in the trade of war, in plundering and murdering fuch of their neighbours as they were able to fubdue. Now, how groundless are all the tragical outcries of unbelievers against this part of the hi

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ftory of the Bible! Is not God the fupreme difpofer of every event? Is not the fate of 'nations decided by his righteous will? Is he not known by the exercife of this his holy prero gative, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay?" It is inconteftable, from many undoubted facts in the hiftory of Providence, that " verily there is "a God that judgeth in the earth." Oh! that this were confidered in time by many who are bold enough to impeach the conduct of their Maker, to whom one part of the character of the Amalekites feems very applicable, "They fear "not God."

It will perhaps be expected, that I should take particular notice of that part of the command given to Saul to destroy the “infants and "fucklings," together with those who were come to age. On this you may observe, that it was no more than the exercife of that abso. lute right which God hath to the lives of all his creatures. He gave them at his pleasure, and he may recall them whenever he will. Those who offer this objection against the fcripture hiftory, do not feem to consider, that it militates equally against the daily and visible course of Providence. How many infants do we see daily car. ried off by the diseases incident to that state? Do not the half of mankind die before they grow up to the years of reafon? Does this happen without the foreknowledge and providence of God? or dare any charge him with being unjuft in this part of his will ? If we dare not prefume to go fo far, then, the commanding the

children

children to be cut off by the hand of man, is a mere circumftance, that cannot alter the nature of the decree. The fovereignty of God ap pears in the clearest manner from the whole of his written word, and from what happens every day before our eyes. Inftead, therefore, of raising presumptuous objections against such inftances as this referred to in the text, it would be far more juft, as well as dutiful, to infer from them, that we are "conceived in fin, and "brought forth in iniquity;" that we lie under an univerfal forfeiture of life, and therefore a righteous God may execute it upon us at whatever time, and in whatever manner, it seems good unto himself.

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I might also observe, that if we confider the circumftances in which thefe Amalekite children were, from the character of their parents, we fhall fee, in the conduct of God towards them, a mixture of mercy with judgement. I have already obferved, from the facred history, what wicked perfons the Amalekites were. Now, fuppofing their children left to be trained up by their parents, the prefumption is, that they would have been formed by their pernicious example, to murder and rapine, and all forts of wickedness; and, in particular, to a hatred of the people and God of Ifrael. This would have rendered their condition infinitely more miferable than we can poffibly fuppofe it by their being cut off in infancy, before the commiffion of actual guilt. Have we not every day before our eyes examples of perfons living and dying in VOL. I.

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fin,

fin, to whom it would have been a great mercy if their eyes, as foon as ever they faw the light, had been clofed up in everlafting darkness? Up. on the whole, we have reafon to be fully fatisfied on every fuch queftion as this, by refolving it into the fovereignty of God; but I have shortly mentioned this particular, to show how incapable we are of forming a proper judgement of the procedure of Divine Providence; and that the order to destroy "both man and woman, in"fant and fuckling," when given by the Lord of nature, hath nothing in it either unjust or unmerciful.

This awful command was given to Saul, the king of Ifrael; which he, being fully fatisfied of its coming from God, prepared himself to execute. But he and the people, from a principle of covetoufness, reserved what was most valuable of the effects of the Amalekites for their own use, in direct contradiction to the command of God, who had ordered the cattle and substance of that people also to be destroyed. This was probably done to show, that their punishment was an act of pure juftice, without any intention to enrich his inheritance by it. When the prophet Samuel challenged Saul for his disobedience, he endeavours to cover his conduci by a pretext of religion, ver. 15. "And Saul faid, "people fpared the best of the sheep, and of the " oxen, to facrifice unto the Lord thy God; "and the rest we have utterly destroyed." To this my text is the answer, made by Samuel, in the name of the Lord: "And Samuel said,

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"Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt-offer❝ings and facrifices, as in obeying the voice of "the Lord? Behold, to obey, is better than fa"crifice; and to hearken, than the fat of rams.”

Before I proceed to the fecond general head, I will make a few obfervations on this piece of hiftory, for your inftruction.

1. How eзfily are people mifled into difobedience by their prefent intereft, or carnal inclinations! how ready are thefe to mix themselves in all our actions, and to turn what was intended as an inftance of obedience, into an act of impiety and tranfgreffion! The children of If. rael would not deftroy the goodly fubftance of the Amalekites, according to the express command of God, that they might have it to themfelves; though it is remarkable, that they do not appear from the hiftory to have made any dif ficulty in executing what was by far the hardest part of the command, viz. the flaying of man and woman, infant and fuckling, that fell into their hands. Agag indeed, and him only, they excepted, perhaps to grace their triumph, or from fome other selfish motive. Intereft fcems to have prevailed here; but there are other paffions alfo which too often mix themfelves with our religion. Malice and anger, for example, and a defire of revenge, are often seen to intermingle themselves with our zeal for the glory of God, and convert one of the most amiable virtues into a deteftable crime.

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2. You may observe how natural it is for ple, when challenged for any fault, to lay the