1. SAM. 8. Vers. 6, 7. But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a King, &c. 
AFter the death of Ioshua, the government which God appointed to be exercised over his people of Israel, was to be governed by Judges, but the sins of the people abounding, Gods wrath was increased against them: for they thirsted after another kind of government then God had ordained, and would prefer their own opinion before his wisdom, 1 Sam. 8. 5. and therfore when Samuel waxed old, and had substituted the government to his sons, 1 Sam. 8. 1. the Elders of Israel gathered themselves, and came to Samuel, and said unto him, 1 Sam. 8. 5 Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways, make us now a King to judge us like other nations: and because they were not content with the order that God had appointed, but would be governed as were the Gentiles, 1 Sam. 8. 7. The Lord said unto Samuel, hear the voice of the people in all that they shall say unto thee, for they have not cast thee away, bu● they have cast me away, that I should not reign over them: and when that Samuel  told the people( to prove if they would forsake their wicked purpose) what manner of King they should have, saying, that he would take their sons, and appoint them to chariots, &c. that he would take their daughters, and make them Apothecaries ▪ and Cooks, and Bakers; and take their seed and their olive trees and give them to his servants, with the tenth of all their sheep; and that they should at that day cry out because of their King, and the Lord would not hear them, 1 Sam. 8. 13, 14, 15. yet the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, but said nay: but there shall be a King over us: Not that Kings are more naturally prove to wickedness then other men, or that they have this power and authority by their office, but that when God will punish the sins of the people by the sins of the Rulers, Deut. 17. 20. they will usurp this over their brethren, contrary to the Law. For although Saul was given to the people in wrath, yet all Kings are not so, for that office is ordained by God himself, 1 King. 10. 9. and a King by judgement maintaineth his Realm, Prov. 29. 4. and many good Kings have been a great blessing to their whole kingdoms, and are commended in Gods word: as namely, good King Iosia, who was an instrument of abolishing much idolatry in the land, and David, who was the next King that succeeded S●●l, was a man after Gods own heart, also Hezeki●h, Asa, and jehosaphat feared the Lord, 1 Sam. 31. therefore we are commanded to honour the King, and to submit ourselves to his Ordinances, 1 Pet. 2. 13, 17. and pray for all that are in authority; for there is no power, but is ordained of God, which was the reason that David himself, though he knew that he was at that time chosen and appointed to reign after Saul, and being persecuted by him, having Saul twice in his power, 1 Sam. 14. 4. & Chap. 16. 7. viz. once in the cave, and another time in the wilderness, where he might have slain him, he refused to lay violent hands upon Saul his anointed sovereign, but prayed for his welfare: by which it is apparent, that no subject ought to lay violent hands upon the Prince, be he never so wicked: for we find eleven notorious vices which Saul ●an into.  
1 He took upon him the Priests office, which was unlawful for him to do, 1 Sam. 13. 6.  
2 He disobeyed Gods express commandement, in not putting to death Agag King of the Amalekites, 1 Sam. 15. 3.  
3 When the Prophet reproved him for his fault, he became obstinate, and justified to the Prophet, that he had not offended, 1 Sam. 15. 20.  
4 He was overcome with envy, grudging and repining at the virtues and good success of others, 1 Sam. 18. 9.  
5 Ingratitude, for he would have slain David that very time which he delivered him by his music from the torment of the wicked spirit, 1 Sam. 18.  
6 He was very unconstant in his word, for he faithfully vowed and promised, that David should have his daughter Merab in marriage, 1 Sam. 16. 19. and after gave her away to another, and he falsified his oath made to the Gibeonites, 2 Sam. 21. 2.  
7 He was of a treacherous mind, and would have betrayed David to the Philistines, 1 Sam. 18. 21.  
8 He was of a murderous mind, he would have killed David in his bed, had not his wife preserved him, 1 Sam. 19. 12.  
9 He would have killed his own son jonathan, for excusing David, 1 Sam. 20. 23.  
10 He slay the Lords Priests, 1 Sam. 22. 18.  
11 Lastly, he consulted with sorcerers and witches, 1 Sam. 28. 8. yet we red, that David would not so much as touch a hair of his head( onely cut off the lap of his garment) much less take away his life.  
Object. But here it may be objected, how we may understand that Saul was given to be King over Israel, in anger, or wrath?  
Answ. For the better clearing of this point, we must take notice, that God may be said to give in wrath several ways.  
1 God may sand those things in wrath which are simply hurtful to the wicked, yet good in themselves.  
2 Gods wrath may be sent or executed upon a people by that which is simply evil in itself.  
3 Gods wrath may come upon a people for that which is evil, though the manner of his executing that wrath be in itself a blessing, and so enjoyed by others, to whom God gives the same thing, but differently used.  
For the first: the wrath of God is taken for the punishment of sin, Eph ▪ 5. 6. 1 T●●s. 5. 9. and although punishment be an evil, in respect of those on whom it is 〈…〉 ●cted, as it it is, Am●s 3. 6. where it is said, Is there any evil in the Ci●●, and I have not done it? which is meant the evil of punishment, yet is not God the author of evil, but the punisher of evil: but this punishment is not simply evil in itself, for all the works of the Lord are exceeding good, Gen. 1. 31. also sometimes the sending of Gods wrath may be taken for a restraint of his restraining grace, as where it is said, that he hardened Phar●●●s h●a●t, that he should not let Israel go: and in this sense in some measure we may take this Text of Scripture, God gave them a King in his wrath, not onely for the sins of Saul, but chief●y for the sins of the people, and therefore a●though God in mercy towards his people, that they should not be destroyed utterly by his and their enemies, gave him abilities and external virtues fit for a King, 1 Sam. 10. 9. yet his restraining grace was so far withholden from him, which suffered him to run into so many great and grievous sins, as before is related, that those which belonged to the election of grace seeing th●se troubles and calamities which befell that people under his government, might repent of their f●rmer sins.  
For the second, God sometimes executes his wrath by that which is simply evil in itself, as when God permits Satan his utter enemy to prevail so with men, as they are drawn from God, as Saul was, to consult with witches, ●. Sam. 28. 8. Then Saul changed himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night; I pray thee conjecture unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring him me up, whom I shall n●me unto thee: Likewise when sin is punished with another, and so men treasure up wrath against the day of wrath: but in regard this is not the thing which I intend to insist upon, I shall proceed to the third thing.  
3 Gods wrath may come upon a people for that which is evil, though the manner of executing that wrath be in itself a blessing: for the outward comforts of this life, riches, honour, &c. are in themselves, as they come from God, a bl●ssing, but being abused they are turned to a curse unto such abusers of them, though unto them which make a sanctified use thereof, they are a ●lessing: for we are but stewards of those things which God bestows upon us in this life, and are to give an account of our stewardships; and if when God doth bestow abundance of outward blessings we wax careless, and are puffed up with pride, God may justly complain of us as he did of Iesherum, which when he waxed f●t, kicked against the pricks, and it fare with us as it did with the fool in the Gosp●ll, that when he thought he had riches in store laid up for many years, the same night had his soul taken from him: and as riches are the blessing of God, so likewise are Kings and Rulers; and when the Israelites had no Kings or Magistrate, every man did what he listed, judge. 17. 6. and a change of kingdoms is a work of God for sin, job 34. 24. Pro. 8. 28. 2. and God hath promised that the King and people doing well shall be preserved, but if they do evil, they shall perish. 1 Sam. 12. 14, 15, 21.  
So that from that which hath been already shewed, it doth plainly appear, that sin is the cause of all the miseries which befall either a King or people: for sin was the cause of Sauls tyrannicall governments, sin was the cause that moved good King David to number the people, whereupon he lost seventy thousand of his subjects. It was sin that was the cause that thrust Saul out of his kingdom, and if the sin of one man may bring much calamity upon a kingdom, as in the case of Achan, what may we expect who are guilty of many national sins; and indeed we never red of any fatal destruction which hath been brought upon a Nation or People, but it was for one or both these sins, Idolatry, and the breach of the sabbath, and yet general calamity may befall a People or Nation for the sins of their Rulers and Governours, as we may plainly red, 2 Sam. 21. 1. where it is said, that when there was a famine three years together, David asked counsel of the Lord what was the cause thereof, and the Lord answered, It is for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slay the Gib●●nites ▪  
Ob. But here may be a Quaere, why the whole people of Israel( Saul being dead almost forty years before) should be punished and afflicted for the sin of Saul.  
Sol. For the better clearing of this point, we must take notice, that God sometimes punisheth a people for their own sins in general.  
2 He sometimes sends calamities upon a land or people for the sins of their Rulers.  
First, for the sins of the people God oftentimes hath sent great calamities amongst them, as famine, pestilence, the sword, and the like, and in Hoseah it is said, because of oaths the land mourns: so that national sins do usually so provoke Gods wrath, that he sends national punishments, 2 Sam. 24. 1. And the wrath of the Lord was again kindled against Israel, and he moved David against them, in that he said, Go number Israel and judah. It was as well the sins of the people, as the sin of David, which was the cause that three evils were put to David, that he should choose one of them, and seventy thousand were destroyed by the pestilence, 2 Sam. 24. 15. for the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel before David numbered the people, 2 Sam. 24. 1. although good King David took it upon himself, saying, For these silly sheep what have they done?  
Secondly, God sometimes punisheth a Nation for the sins of the Rulers, 2. Sam. 21. 1. when Saul was dead, and David established in the kingdom, and a Famine of three yeares came upon the Land, David asked counsel of the Lord,( id est) he besought the Lord to know the cause from whence this evil came, and the Lord answered, It is for Saul, and his bloody House, because he slay the Gibeonites: and the Egyptians underwent many g●ievous plagues because pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go, Exod. 91. 2. 3. 4.  
Object. Here may arise an objection, whether it may not seem to be injustice in God to puni●● a People or Nation for the sins of their Rulers, as in this case of Saul, who was dead near 40. yeares before, and yet the ●amine upon the Land is for Saul and for his bloody house, because he slay the Gib●●nites ▪  
Ans. Saul was a public Person, so that the sin of Saul was in some nature the sin of the People, they being involved in the same offence, in passing it over negligently, without taking notice thereof, and humbling themselves, so that they being generally guilty either of that sin in particular, or of other sins which deserved that punishment, it can be no injustice with God to punish the Sin of Saul upon the People long after his death. And as I have already proved, God may justly for the sins of the People themselves punish them, by sending many miseries and calamities upon them, by the sins of their Rulers, as in the case of David 2. Sam. 21. 1. the sins of the People was the cause that God afflicted them by the sin of David, in numbering the People.  
So that the order of Gods punishments runs thus, he punisheth the People for their sins, and that punishment is oftentimes executed on them by the sins of the Rulers: the sins of the People may be the fall of a King, and the fall of the King the destruction of the People, so near an union is there between the King and the People, that when for sin God sends his Judgements upon a land, both Rulers and People do share therein.  
Now since I have shewed in general, that the sins of the People are the cause of the calamities and miseries that fall upon a Nation, and it being the sin of the People to ask a King, they had a Tyrant to reign over them.  
It fals out in the next place, that something should be said to show how wee may know the particular sin for which Gods wrath is kindled against a Nation or kingdom, for the punishing whereof he hath sent grievous calamities and punishments among them, for although sin in general be the cause of this, yet wee see by that place before mentioned 2. Sam. 21. 1. that for the particular sin of Saul, and his bloody House, in killing the Gibeonites, a common calamity did fall upon all Jsrael, and tha● long after Sauls death.  
For the better understanding of Gods proceedings in this kind, we must know that it is Gods prerogative, and at his own will and pleasure, whether he will punish for all sins in general or for some particular sin in special, as being most capital and odious in the sight of God, for there is not that national sin committed, but every man and Woman are( at the least) by their natural corruption, and original sin guilty thereof, by which we deserve the same punishments, which are sent for that particular sin, though it be death itself: for by nature as soon as ever wee are born ▪ we owe a death unto God though we never commit any actual transgression, and it is his sovereignty to take his debt which way he will, and at what time and place it pleaseth him, without any wrong or injustice to the creature; But most commonly national punishments are for national sins, as it was a national sin of the People to grow into a dislike of that Government which God had set over them, and to desire a King to rule over them( as I have already shewed) this general calamity came upon the israelites for one particular sin of Saul, and so we may find that for the sin of one private man, the whole People have been troubled, as in the case of Achan, josh. 7. 1. and in the three last Chapters of the book of Judges, for the wicked usage and cruel murder of an Harlot, committed by a few wicked and deboist men of Gibeah, the same being made known to the Israelites, they assembled themselves together to consult what was fit to be done therein, seeing that such an abomination was committed amongst them: And in Judges 20. 8. wee shall find what was agreed upon by that great counsel concerning this business.  
Then all the People rose as one man, saying, there shall not a man of us go to his Tent, neither any turn into his House, but this is the thing we will do against Gibeah, wee will go up by lot against it, &c. And so all the men of Israel joined( as it were) in association, and went against the City of Gibeah as one man, &c. when they came to the City, they required these wicked men that had done this villainy to be delivered unto them to be put to death, and so to take evil out of the Land: But mark what followed, the children of Benjamin, Jud. 20. 25.( that is) the men of Gibeah, and the rest of that Tribe, gathered themselves together to come out and fight with the Children of Israel, and by rescuing those wicked persons from being punished, they declared themselves maintainers of them in their evil: and here arose a great war between the children of Benjamin and the children of Israel, in which war the Israelites did receive two great overthrows by the children of Benjamin, which God permitted because the Israelites partly trusted too much in their own strength, and partly by this means to punish their sins,; In which two overthrows the children of Israel lost, that were slain with the Sword, forty thousand men; yet the Lord commanded them to go up to the battle the third time, and in that day the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites three and forty thousand, Jud. 20. 13. and slay both man and Beast, and set on fire all the Cities they could come by, which belonged to the Benjamites, so that by this means that whole Tribe was utterly destroyed, and cut off, except six hundred which fled into the wilderness, and hide themselves in the rocks, judge. 20. 47.  
And thus having sufficiently shewed what is the true cause of any misery or calamity which doth befall a Land or People, which doth arise from sundry ways, yet all is the effect of sin, either from national sins in general, or the sins of the Rulers, or for the sins of some particular private persons.  
Ob. Me thinks I hear some demand to know what particular sin is cause of these present calamities, which are upon this Land, for as Saul was higher by the head and shoulders then other men, so was he higher in iniquity then the People, yet the People first offended, and caused Gods wrath to be kindled against them, 1. Sam. 8. 6. for which they were justly punished, 2. Sam. 20. 1. but as before I have declared, God doth chiefly and principally punish for some particular sins.  
Ans. For Answer hereunto, I shall onely say thus much, that although God doth not in the times of the gospel vocally and verbally use to reveal such things as he did to David, saying, It is for Saul and for his bloody House because he slay the Gibeonites: yet by observing the effects and manner of Gods punishments, we may gather so much as is necssary to be known in this point.  
Some think that these calamities which are fallen upon this kingdom ● this time, are in relation to the five yeares persecution of the Church, under the reign of Queen Mary, it being passed by without any public or, national humiliation, for the expiation of Gods wrath, for the innocent blo●● which was  shed; but to leave that, we have more cause to think that the ●vils and calamities which are come upon us in this Land, at this time, is f●● by passed sins, which not being repented of, and reformed, wee are guilty ●● them still, as Idolatry, which of late yeares hath in a great measure been to●lerated, and so hath spread exceedingly in this Land, the breach of the Sabbo●● which was tolerated by authority, Injustice, which hath made the whole land cry out for redress within these few yeares: and lastly unthankfulness, which is a sin that we are all guilty of, for indeed this Land may be called Terra ingrata, a Land of unthankfulness, to what People hath God given so many blessings as he hath unto us, and is any more unthankful, hath not God been always ready to hear and answer our prayers, even in the very thing which wee prayed for, yet what good hath it wrought upon us; have no the sins of the Land more and more abounded, and have not wee been like the nine Lepers which never returned to give God thanks? we desired a Parliament for the redressing of those evils which before that were fallen upon us for our sins, which they have with much earnestness, and indefatigable pains and care, joined with earnest prayer, used all means to effect, and tired their spirits, and spent a great part of their estates, to bring it to pass, and what shall wee think is the reason, that their faithful advice, and unwearied pains, should in so long a space, work no better effects: shall we grudge and repined at them, who patiently labour and wait all opportunities for a happsetling of the present distractions, when our sins are the cause of the many rubs and interruptions which they daily meet withall. It is a dangerous thing to speak evil of Gods servants, especially those which are in Authority, the children of Israel murmured against Moses, but God takes it as done to himself, and they are punished for it, therefore let us take heed, least in seeking to remove the present calamities of the kingdom, wee do not increase Gods wrath against us, but seek unto him in the way which he hath prescribed, and at last, let every one take that counsel which Daniel gave to Nabuchadnezzar, Dan. 4. 24. O King let my counsel be acceptable to thee, break off thy sins by righteousness, and thy iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, lo let there be a healing of thy error.  
FINIS.