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

Rh Heathens, is omething exceedingly unaccountable; but o it was, that laying hold of the miconduct of Samuel's two ons, who were entruted with ome ecular concerns, they came in an abrupt and clamorous manner to Samuel, aying, "Behold thou art old, and thy ons walk not in thy ways, now make us a King to judge us, like all the other nations." And here we cannot but oberve 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 poible. "But the thing dipleaed Samuel, when they aid give us a King to judge us; and Samuel prayed unto the Lord, and the Lord aid unto Samuel, hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they ay unto thee, for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, . According to all the works which they have done, ince the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have foraken me, and erved other Gods; o do they alo unto thee. Now therefore hearken unto their voice; howbeit, protet olemnly unto them, and hew them the manner of the King that hall reign over them," i. e. not of any particular King, but the general manner of the Kings of the Earth, whom Irael was o eagerly copying after. And notwithtanding the great ditance of time, and difference of manners, the character is till in fahion. "And Samuel told all the words of the Lord unto the people, that aked of him a King. And he aid this hall be the manner of the King that hall reign over you: He will take your ons, and appoint them for himelf, for his chariots and to be his horemen, and ome hall run before his chariots." (This decription agrees with the preent mode of impreing men.) "And he will appoint him captains over thouands and captains over fifties, and will et them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvet, and to make his intruments of war, and intruments of his chariots. And he will take your daughters to be confectioneries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers." (This decribes the expence and luxury as well as the oppreion of Kings.) "And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your olive-yards, even the bet of them, and give them to his ervants. And he will take the tenth of your eed, and of your vineyards, and give them to his officers and to his ervants." (By which we ee that bribery, corruption, and favouritim, are the tanding vices of Kings.) "And he will take the tenth of your men ervants, and your maid ervants, and your goodliet young men, and your aes, and put them to his work: And he will take the tenth of your heep, and ye hall be his ervants, and ye hall cry out in that day becaue of your King which ye hall have choen, ." (This accounts for the continuation of Monarchy; neither do the characters of a few good Kings, which have lived ince, either anctify the title, or blot out the infulnes 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.) "Nevertheles "the