nto districts that should be under the
jurisdiction of each of them. Now these men afford us an evident example
and demonstration how some children are not of the like dispositions
with their parents; but sometimes perhaps good and moderate, though born
of wicked parents; and sometimes showing themselves to be wicked, though
born of good parents: for these men turning aside from their father's
good courses, and taking a course that was contrary to them, perverted
justice for the 'filthy lucre of gifts and bribes, and made their
determinations not according to truth, but according to bribery, and
turned aside to luxury, and a costly way of living; so that as, in the
first place, they practiced what was contrary to the will of God, so did
they, in the second place, what was contrary to the will of the prophet
their father, who had taken a great deal of care, and made a very
careful provision that the multitude should be righteous.

3. But the people, upon these injuries offered to their former
constitution and government by the prophet's sons, were very uneasy at
their actions, and came running to the prophet, who then lived at the
city Ramah, and informed him of the transgressions of his sons; and
said, That as he was himself old already, and too infirm by that age of
his to oversee their affairs in the manner he used to do, so they begged
of him, and entreated him, to appoint some person to be king over them,
who might rule over the nation, and avenge them of the Philistines, who
ought to be punished for their former oppressions. These words greatly
afflicted Samuel, on account of his innate love of justice, and his
hatred to kingly government, for he was very fond of an aristocracy, as
what made the men that used it of a divine and happy disposition; nor
could he either think of eating or sleeping, out of his concern and
torment of mind at what they had said, but all the night long did he
continue awake and revolved these notions in his mind.

4. While he was thus disposed, God appeared to him, and comforted him,
saying, That he ought not to be uneasy at what the multitude desired,
because it was not he, but Himself whom they so insolently despised,
and would not have to be alone their king; that they had been contriving
these things from the very day that they came out of Egypt; that
however in no long time they would sorely repent of what they did, which
repentance yet could not undo what was thus done for futurity;