What then shall a King do to us? (or, for us?)

Suppose we had him, now he is gone, but if we had him, what good would he bring to us if we had him? As if they should say, we speak much concerning our King, but now we have not the King with us as he was, but if he were with us again, what should he do for us? What would our condition be better than it is? And indeed, what good had their Kings done for them? The people of Israel they were very desirous of a King, they must needs have a King, God granted to their desires in giving them Saul, then afterwards they must have a King again, so they had Jeroboam, and he must be the King of the ten Tribes. Their first King they had, it was in God's wrath, and every one of the Kings of Israel was a plague to them, what had they done for them? All the time they had Judges they were in a better case; Israel was in a far better case when they were rul'd by the government of God. And Peter Martyr in his Preface to the Book of Judges, observes three things wherein Israel was better when they were under Judges, than Kings.

For first, (says he) All the time they had Judges, they were not let captive out of their own country so as afterwards.

Secondly, Whenever they were oppressed and God raised them up a Judge, he did always prevail so as to deliver them from their oppression, before he had done he delivered them from their oppression; that's to be observed in the story of the Judges: but their Kings did not so.

And thirdly, We find not any one of their Judges are charged or condemn'd by God for evil, that they were evil Judges among them, as the Kings are; such a one did evil in the sight of the Lord, and such a one did evil, and every one of the Kings of Israel did so. God does not charge the Judges so; it was otherwise therefore with them after they had Kings. And the truth is, that Christ has been but little beholding to (I may say) almost to most of our Kings; yes, little beholding to most of the Kings that have lived upon the earth, and he has taken as little care of the greater part of them. As they have taken little care of his honor, so he has taken little care of the greater part of them, of all the Roman Emperors that were declared by the Senate in number sixty three, Historians agree that there was but six of all them that had such protection from God as to die a natural death, but six of three score and three; there were twenty nine of the Emperors that did not reign above twenty five years and odd months; yes there were twelve of them that did reign but three years and odd months. See what havock was made of them: they regarded not the honor of Jesus Christ, but were enemies to him, and he regarded as little their safety.