At last he tempted them to reject the Theocracy of their Maker, and call
upon _Samuel_ to make them a King; and most of those Kings he made
Plagues and Sorrows to them in their time, as you shall hear in their
Order.

Thus he plagued the whole Body of the People continually, making them
sin against God, and bring Judgments upon themselves, to the consuming
some Millions of them, first and last, by the Vengeance of their Maker.

As he did with the whole Congregation, so he did with their Rulers, and
several of the Judges, who were made Instruments to deliver the People,
yet were drawn into snares by this _subtil Serpent_, to ruin themselves
or the People they had delivered.

He tempted _Gideon_ to make an _Ephod_, contrary to the Law of the
Tabernacle, and made the Children of _Israel_ go a whoring (that is, a
worshiping) after it.

He tempted _Sampson_ to debauch himself with a Harlot, and betray his
own happy Secret to a Whore, at the Expence of both his Eyes, and at
last of his Life.

He tempted _Eli_'s Sons to lie with the Women, in the very Doors of the
Tabernacle, when they came to bring their Offerings to the Priest; and
he tempted poor _Eli_ to connive at them, or not sufficiently reprove
them.

He tempted the People to carry the Ark of God into the Camp, that it
might fall into the Hands of the _Philistines_. And

He tempted _Uzzi_ to reach out his Hand to hold it up; as if he that had
preserved it in the House of _Dagon_ the Idol of the _Philistines_,
could not keep it from falling out of the Cart.

When the People had gotten a King, he immediately set to work in diverse
Ways to bring that King to load them with Plagues and Calamities not a
few.

He tempted _Saul_ to spare the King of _Amaliek_, contrary to God's
express Command.

He not tempted _Saul_ only, but possessed him with an evil Spirit, by
which he was left to wayward Dispositions, and was forced to have it
fiddl'd out of him with a Minstrel.

He tempted _Saul_ with a Spirit of Discontent, and with a Spirit of Envy
at poor _David_, to hunt him like a Partridge upon the Mountains.

He tempted _Saul_ with a Spirit of Divination, and sent him to a Witch
to enquire of _Samuel_ for him; as if God would help him when he was
dead, that had forsaken him when he was alive.

After that, he tempted him to kill himself, on a Pretence that he might
not fall into the Hands of the Uncircumcised; as if _Self-Murther_ was
not half so bad, either fo