the antiquities of the jews-1-第76节

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appeared　he　would　not　change　his　mind；　at　break　of　day　Samuel
came　to　Saul　at　Gilgal。　When　the　king　saw　him；　he　ran　to　him；　and
embraced　him；　and　said；　〃I　return　thanks　to　God；　who　hath　given
me　the　victory；　for　I　have　performed　every　thing　that　he　hath
commanded　me。〃　To　which　Samuel　replied；　〃How　is　it　then　that　I
hear　the　bleating　of　the　sheep　and　the　lowing　of　the　greater
cattle　in　the　camp？〃　Saul　made　answer；　That　the　people　had
reserved　them　for　sacrifices；　but　that；　as　to　the　nation　of　the
Amalekites；　it　was　entirely　destroyed；　as　he　had　received　it　in
command　to　see　done；　and　that　no　one　man　was　left；　but　that　he
had　saved　alive　the　king　alone；　and　brought　him　to　him；
concerning　whom；　he　said；　they　would　advise　together　what　should
be　done　with　him。〃　But　the　prophet　said；　〃God　is　not　delighted
with　sacrifices；　but　with　good　and　with　righteous　men；　who　are
such　as　follow　his　will　and　his　laws；　and　never　think　that　any
thing　is　well　done　by　them　but　when　they　do　it　as　God　had
commanded　them；　that　he　then　looks　upon　himself　as　affronted；　not
when　any　one　does　not　sacrifice；　but　when　any　one　appears　to　be
disobedient　to　him。　But　that　from　those　who　do　not　obey　him；　nor
pay　him　that　duty　which　is　the　alone　true　and　acceptable　worship；
he　will　not　kindly　accept　their　oblations；　be　those　they　offer
ever　so　many　and　so　fat；　and　be　the　presents　they　make　him　ever
so　ornamental；　nay；　though　they　were　made　of　gold　and　silver
themselves；　but　he　will　reject　them；　and　esteem　them　instances　of
wickedness；　and　not　of　piety。　And　that　he　is　delighted　with　those
that　still　bear　in　mind　this　one　thing；　and　this　only；　how　to　do
that；　whatsoever　it　be；　which　God　pronounces　or　commands　for　them
to　do；　and　to　choose　rather　to　die　than　to　transgress　any　of
those　commands；　nor　does　he　require　so　much　as　a　sacrifice　from
them。　And　when　these　do　sacrifice；　though　it　be　a　mean　oblation；
he　better　accepts　of　it　as　the　honor　of　poverty；　than　such
oblations　as　come　from　the　richest　men　that　offer　them　to　him。
Wherefore　take　notice；　that　thou　art　under　the　wrath　of　God；　for
thou　hast　despised　and　neglected　what　he　commanded　thee。　How　dost
thou　then　suppose　that　he　will　respect　a　sacrifice　out　of　such
things　as　he　hath　doomed　to　destruction？　unless　perhaps　thou　dost
imagine　that　it　is　almost　all　one　to　offer　it　in　sacrifice　to　God
as　to　destroy　it。　Do　thou　therefore　expect　that　thy　kingdom　will
be　taken　from　thee；　and　that　authority　which　thou　hast　abused　by
such　insolent　behavior；　as　to　neglect　that　God　who　bestowed　it
upon　thee。〃　Then　did　Saul　confess　that　he　had　acted　unjustly；　and
did　not　deny　that　he　had　sinned；　because　he　had　transgressed　the
injunctions　of　the　prophet；　but　he　said　that　it　was　out　of　a
dread　and　fear　of　the　soldiers；　that　he　did　not　prohibit　and
restrain　them　when　they　seized　on　the　prey。　〃But　forgive　me；〃
said　he；　〃and　be　merciful　to　me；　for　I　will　be　cautious　how　I
offend　for　the　time　to　come。〃　He　also　entreated　the　prophet　to　go
back　with　him；　that　he　might　offer　his　thank…offerings　to　God；
but　Samuel　went　home；　because　he　saw　that　God　would　not　be
reconciled　to　him。

5。　But　then　Saul　was　so　desirous　to　retain　Samuel；　that　he　took
hold　of　his　cloak；　and　because　the　vehemence　of　Samuel's
departure　made　the　motion　to　be　violent；　the　cloak　was　rent。　Upon
which　the　prophet　said；　that　after　the　same　manner　should　the
kingdom　be　rent　from　him；　and　that　a　good　and　a　just　man　should
take　it；　that　God　persevered　in　what　he　had　decreed　about　him；
that　to　be　mutable　and　changeable　in　what　is　determined；　is
agreeable　to　human　passions　only；　but　is　not　agreeable　to　the
Divine　Power。　Hereupon　Saul　said　that　he　had　been　wicked；　but
that　what　was　done　could　not　be　undone：　he　therefore　desired　him
to　honor　him　so　far；　that　the　multitude　might　see　that　he　would
accompany　him　in　worshipping　God。　So　Samuel　granted　him　that
favor；　and　went　with　him　and　worshipped　God。　Agag　also；　the　king
of　the　Amalekites；　was　brought　to　him；　and　when　the　king　asked；
How　bitter　death　was？　Samuel　said；　〃As　thou　hast　made　many　of　the
Hebrew　mothers　to　lament　and　bewail　the　loss　of　their　children；
so　shalt　thou；　by　thy　death；　cause　thy　mother　to　lament　thee
also。〃　Accordingly；　he　gave　order　to　slay　him　immediately　at
Gilgal；　and　then　went　away　to　the　city　Ramah。

CHAPTER　8。

How；　Upon　Saul's　Transgression　Of　The　Prophet's　Commands；　Samuel
Ordained　Another　Person　To　Be　King　Privately；　Whose　Name　Was
David；　As　God　Commanded　Him。

1。　Now　Saul　being　sensible　of　the　miserable　condition　he　had
brought　himself　into；　and　that　he　had　made　God　to　be　his　enemy；
he　went　up　to　his　royal　palace　at　Gibeah；　which　name　denotes　a
hill；　and　after　that　day　he　came　no　more　into　the　presence　of　the
prophet。　And　when　Samuel　mourned　for　him；　God　bid　him　leave　off
his　concern　for　him；　and　to　take　the　holy　oil；　and　go　to
Bethlehem；　to　Jesse　the　son　of　Obed；　and　to　anoint　such　of　his
sons　as　he　should　show　him　for　their　future　king。　But　Samuel
said；　he　was　afraid　lest　Saul；　when　he　came　to　know　of　it；　should
kill　him；　either　by　some　private　method　or　even　openly。　But　upon
God's　suggesting　to　him　a　safe　way　of　going　thither；　he　came　to
the　forementioned　city；　and　when　they　all　saluted　him；　and　asked
what　was　the　occasion　of　his　coming；　he　told　them　he　came　to
sacrifice　to　God。　When；　therefore；　he　had　gotten　the　sacrifice
ready；　he　called　Jesse　and　his　sons　to　partake　of　those
sacrifices；　and　when　he　saw　his　eldest　son　to　be　a　tall　and
handsome　man；　he　guessed　by　his　comeliness　that　he　was　the　person
who　was　to　be　their　future　king。　But　he　was　mistaken　in　judging
about　God's　providence；　for　when　Samuel　inquired　of　God　whether
he　should　anoint　this　youth；　whom　he　so　admired；　and　esteemed
worthy　of　the　kingdom；　God　said；　〃Men　do　not　see　as　God　seeth。
Thou　indeed　hast　respect　to　the　fine　appearance　of　this　youth；
and　thence　esteemest　him　worthy　of　the　kingdom；　while　I　propose
the　kingdom　as　a　reward；　not　of　the　beauty　of　bodies；　but　of　the
virtue　of　souls；　and　I　inquire　after　one　that　is　perfectly　comely
in　that　respect；　I　mean　one　who　is　beautiful　in　piety；　and
righteousness；　and　fortitude；　and　obedience；　for　in　them　consists
the　comeliness　of　the　soul。〃　When　God　had　said　this；　Samuel　bade
Jesse　to　show　him　all　his　sons。　So　he　made　five　others　of　his
sons　to　come　to　him；　of　all　of　whom　Eliab　was　the　eldest；
Aminadab　the　second；　Shammall　the　third；　Nathaniel　the　fourth；
Rael　the　fifth；　and　Asam　the　sixth。　And　when　the　prophet　saw　that
these　were　no　way　inferior　to　the　eldest　in　their　countenances；
he　inquired　of　God　which　of　them　it　was　whom　he　chose　for　their
king。　And　when　God　said　it　was　none　of　them；　he　asked　Jesse
whether　he　had　not　some　other　sons　besides　these；　and　when　he
said　that　he　had　one　more；　named　David；　but　that　he　was　a
shepherd；　and　took　care　of　the　flocks；　Samuel　bade　them　call　him
immediately；　for　that　till　he　was　come　they　could　not　possibly
sit　down　to　the　feast。　Now；　as　soon　as　his　father　had　sent　for
David；　and　he　was　come；　he　appeared　to　be　of　a　yellow　complexion；
of　a　sharp　sight；　and　a　comely　person　in　other　respects　also。
This　is　he；　said　Samuel　privately　to　himself；　whom　it　pleases　God
to　make　our　king。　So　he　sat　down　to　the　feast；　and　placed　the
youth　under　him；　and　Jesse　also；　with　his　other　sons；　after　which
he　took　oil　in　the　presence　of　David；　and　anointed　him；　and
whispered　him　in　the　ear；　and　acquainted　him　that　God　chose　him
to　be　their　king；　and　exhorted　him　to　be　righteous；　and　obedient
to　his　commands；　for　that　by　this　means　his　kingdom　would
continue　for　a　long　time；　and　that　his　house　should　be　of　great
splendor；　and　celebrated　in　the　world；　that　he　should　overthrow
the　Philistines；　and　that　against　what　nations　soever　he　should
make　war；　he　should　be　the　conqueror；　and　survive　the　fight；　and
that　while　he　lived　he　should　enjoy　a　glorious　name；　and　leave
such　a　name　to　his　posterity　also。

2。　So　Samuel；　when　he　had　given　him　these　admonitions；　went　away。
But　the　Divine　Power　departed　from　Saul；　and　removed　to　David；
who；　upon　this　removal　of　the　Divine　Spirit　to　him；　began　to
prophesy。　But　as　for　Saul；　some　strange　and　demoniacal　disorders
came　upon　him；　and　brought　upon　him　such　suffocations　as　were
ready　to　choke　him；　for　which　the　physicians　could　find　no　other
remedy　but　this；　That　if　any　person　could　charm　those　passions　by
singing；　and　playing　upon　the　harp；　they　advised　them　to　inquire
for　such　a　one；　and　to　observe　when　these　demons　came　upon　him
and　disturbed　him；　and　to　take　care　that　such　a　person　might
stand　over　him；　and　play　upon　the　harp；　and　recite　hymns　to　him。
（16）　Accordingly　Saul　did　not　delay；　but　commanded　them　to　seek
out　such　a　man。　And　when　a　certain　stander…by　said　that　he　had
seen　in　the　city　of　Bethlehem　a　son　of　Jesse；　who　was　yet　no　more
than　a　child　in　age；　but　comely　and　beautiful；　and　in　other
respects　one　that　was　deserving　of　great　regard；　who　was　skillful
in　playing　on　the　harp；　and　in　singing　of　hymns；　＇and　an
excellent　soldier　in　war；＇　he　sent　to　Jesse；　and　desired　him　to
take　David　away　from　the　flocks；　and　send　him　to　him；　for　he　had
a　mind　to　see　him；　as　having　heard　an　advantageo