Page:Common sense - addressed to the inhabitants of America.djvu/19

Heathens, is ſomething exceedingly unaccountable; but ſo it was, that laying hold of the miſconduct of Samuel's two ſons, who were entruſted with ſome ſecular concerns, they came in an abrupt and clamorous manner to Samuel, ſaying, "Behold thou art old, and thy ſons walk not in thy ways, now make us a King to judge us, like all the other nations." And here we cannot but obſerve that their motives were bad, viz. that they might be like unto other nations, i. e. the Heathens; whereas their true glory laid in being as much unlike them as poſſible. "But the thing diſpleaſed Samuel, when they ſaid give us a King to judge us; and Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord ſaid unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they ſay unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. According to all the works which they have done, ſince the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forſaken me, and ſerved other Gods; ſo do they alſo unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice; howbeit, proteſt ſolemnly unto them, and ſhew them the manner of the King that ſhall reign over them," i. e. not of any particular King, but the general manner of the Kings of the Earth, whom Iſrael was ſo eagerly copying after. And notwithſtanding the great diſtance of time, and difference of manners, the character is ſtill in faſhion. "And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people, that aſked of him a King. And he ſaid this ſhall be the manner of the King that ſhall reign over you: He will take your ſons, and appoint them for himſelf, for his chariots and to be his horſemen, and ſome ſhall run before his chariots." (This deſcription agrees with the preſent mode of impreſſing men.) "And he will appoint him captains over thouſands and captains over fifties, and will ſet them to ear his ground, and to reap his harveſt, and to make his inſtruments of war, and inſtruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectioneries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers." (This deſcribes the expence and luxury as well as the oppreſſion of Kings.) "And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the beſt of them, and give them to his ſervants. And he will take the tenth of your ſeed, and of your vineyards, and give them to his officers and to his ſervants." (By which we ſee that bribery, corruption, and favouritiſm, are the ſtanding vices of Kings.) "And he will take the tenth of your men ſervants, and your maid ſervants, and your goodlieſt young men, and your aſſes, and put them to his work: And he will take the tenth of your ſheep, and ye ſhall be his ſervants, and ye ſhall cry out in that day becauſe of your King which ye ſhall have choſen, and the Lord will not hear you in that day." (This accounts for the continuation of Monarchy; neither do the characters of a few good Kings, which have lived ſince, either ſanctify the title, or blot out the ſinfulneſs of the origin; the high encomium given of David takes no notice of him officially as a King, but only as a Man after God's own heart.) "Nevertheleſs

"the