Sermon 27: 1 Samuel 8:1-6 continued

Whenever, therefore, God's blessings are momentary, it is clear from this that we are unworthy of them and have not known how to use them peacefully, tranquilly, and for a long time. The profane will say that Fortune is the mistress of human affairs, and that variability is her nature. But we must acknowledge and confess that our condition would be tranquil and quiet if we ourselves were not fickle and changeable — so that the gifts God has bestowed on us today he is compelled to take away the day after tomorrow.

A remarkable example of this is presented to us here in Samuel's sons, whom Scripture says did not walk in the ways of their father. Nor indeed was the fault with the teacher, since it is likely that Samuel, God's prophet among the entire people, put forth no small effort in instructing his children well. But they themselves were corrupted and depraved by their own fault. And there is no doubt that God wished to humble Samuel in this way, and at the same time also to chastise the people.

But here a certain question arises: did Samuel observe proper bounds when he set his sons over the people and appointed them judges over Israel? For the people had been restored to liberty, and therefore the power of choosing judges belonged to them. Samuel, however, seems to want to transmit his entrusted office to his posterity as a hereditary right, and therefore to have been too attentive to his own gain and the aggrandizement of his house. But we should by no means think that Samuel set his sons over the Israelites and appointed them judges in the way that modern kings are accustomed to install successors for their peoples. Rather, he governed the people in such a way that his sons were like his deputies who would dispense justice to the people, so that there would be no interruption of governance. And he is said to have chosen his sons not by his own private authority, but with the consent of the people, showing it to be for the advantage and benefit of all that certain judges be established throughout the region to dispense justice to each person, so that they would not labor in seeking a distant magistrate to dispense justice.

Therefore, why should we accuse Samuel, whom Scripture does not mark with ambition? For below we shall hear him affirming before God and the people with an oath that he had no regard for his own profit, but devoted himself only to justice and equity in order to discharge his office. And so it is likely that he was devoted to the people's interests; and therefore, knowing them to be inclined toward idolatry and superstitions, he appointed his sons to keep the people in their duty throughout the region and to set a good example. If this is so, we shall find that he was devoted neither to his own interests nor to those of his posterity, but only wished that the benefits God had bestowed upon the people might flow in an unbroken course.

But we see that his hope was disappointed, as his sons did not walk rightly or simply, but perverted judgment to satisfy their greed. Nor are they said to have been given to plundering, thievery, or such vices before they were elevated to this dignity, but after they obtained those honors. And this occasion most often exposes men's previously hidden vices. For one often sees many who, as long as they lead a private life, are humble and modest, admirably concealing their hidden faults. But if they happen to be promoted to honors and raised up as if on a stage to be seen, they suddenly reveal their nature and expose their hidden hypocrisy — so that only repentance joined with the greatest shame remains for those by whom they were elevated to that dignity.

The same thing happened to Samuel's sons. They are therefore accused here on two counts: first, that they judged in Beersheba; second, that they turned aside after greed, accepted bribes, and perverted judgment. Their father Samuel indeed spent the greatest part of the year in his city of Ramah and dispensed justice there to the people who came to him as to the supreme head. Nevertheless, he annually traveled through the towns of the region — namely Bethel and the rest — lest the people be burdened with having to come to him at Ramah. Coming to the very places, he greatly relieved the poor and needy, who otherwise would have had to make a journey of several days to seek justice. And making himself accessible to all, he set the best example for his sons. But they, far unlike their father, remain at Beersheba — that is, they do not move a foot to perform their duty. They stay at home perpetually and put public interests behind their own. Therefore, if they are compared with their father, who never spared himself or any labor in order to perform his duty, they are found to have sinned far more seriously in their office; and the less excuse they have, the more they deserve blame. For they were strong in age and vigor, and yet did not move from one place, devoted solely to greed and ambition.

Indeed, they ought to have reflected that they had been educated far differently by their father Samuel, so that this thought might serve as a spur to rouse them from their laziness and negligence. But they think nothing of all this and consider themselves to have fulfilled their duty if they have answered those who consult them and administered justice, and that people are greatly indebted to them for this. From this we learn that the condition of this world always degenerates. For if you inquire about the good, you will rarely see those who are distinguished for some virtue persevere constantly in it if they have fallen upon corrupt times, and seek God's glory, and strive with all care and effort to make his worship flourish more and more. But on the contrary, regarding evil, not only are they inclined toward it from an early age, but they rush into it with all their might.

But what, I ask, will meanwhile become of those divine promises, in which God pledges that he will be merciful even to the thousandth generation of those who love him and observe his commandments? Good heavens! How obstinate and hardened men are in evil, so that they seem to provoke God to wrath with a thousand blasphemous words and vie with one another in mocking him! But it is certain that God stands by his promises. For although ...we often see the contrary happen, we must nevertheless know that God is obligated to no one, but always acts freely, and reserves for himself whomever he pleases. For this reason we often read in the history of the patriarchs that from good parents rebellious and obstinate children were born — yet God did not make his promise void. For his mercy is evident in that he always has mercy on some, but not always indiscriminately. Therefore this freedom must be left to him, to choose whomever he pleases — unless we wish to accuse God of injustice, which we cannot do without blasphemy. Moreover, the Lord testifies this about himself to Moses in these words: 'I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be merciful to whom it pleases me' — as if to say that no one can impose a law upon him, but it is within his own power to choose whomever he wills and to bestow his mercy upon him from his free goodness, and on the contrary to reprobate by his just judgment whomever he wills.

From this let parents learn to pray to God with greater care and solicitude, and to incite their children more diligently and carefully to holiness of life with earnest admonitions. I freely acknowledge that good children are a singular gift of God, and the faithful ought to hope that God will grant them this grace — that his mercy will always extend to those who show themselves teachable and rely on him alone. Yet they should not therefore be more negligent in correcting their children, as though they held God bound to them. Rather, they should entreat God with ardent prayers to govern by his Holy Spirit the children he has given them, and as he communicated his mercy to the fathers, to pour it out also upon the children, and grant them the gift of perseverance and constancy, and always provide fresh cause for rejoicing in him. In this manner, then, parents ought to commit their children to God, and firmly persuade themselves that their hope will not be in vain — but that, doing their duty toward their children, they will also experience that God's promise is not empty and void.

Therefore from these things it is clear that parents ought never to lay aside the care and solicitude of praying to God for their children, but should be all the more impelled to prayers by which they intercede with him for the propagation and continuation of God's grace and mercy upon their posterity. And indeed, whenever we receive corrupt and depraved children, there is no doubt that it should be attributed to our own ingratitude and the multitude of our sins. Yet we should by no means be amazed at this, but acquiesce in God's will and submit our neck to his yoke. For if it happened to so holy a man and eminent a prophet to have such corrupt and depraved children, what will happen to those who are far removed from his perfection? Nor indeed was he alone unfortunate in this matter. For what, I ask, were the children of those good kings Hezekiah and Josiah like — how corrupt and depraved? For Hezekiah's zeal and fervor in restoring God's worship is well known — all his effort and all his plans were directed toward restoring true religion to its purity and integrity. But on the contrary, what was his son like, whose one aim and effort seemed to be to abolish the divine law, adulterate it, introduce idolatry and superstitions, shed innocent blood, and persecute God's faithful servants with the utmost cruelty — to such a degree that streams of blood flooded the royal city of Jerusalem, which was sacrosanct and dedicated to the Lord, and given as an inheritance to the Israelites as an earthly paradise.

When therefore such examples are set before our eyes, let us learn to walk in the fear of God. And especially let those to whom God has given children reflect that so great a treasure has been given them by God on the condition that they hold it dear and guard it with the utmost care, and let them anxiously await the day of reckoning, so that when it seems good to the Lord to demand an account of their stewardship, they may be ready to render their accounts. And let them not be puffed up by so great a blessing, but let them humbly acknowledge that they would labor in vain unless God himself lends his hand and blesses their toil and solicitude. For this is what God himself claims as his own: to make children walk in the footsteps of their parents, when the parents have led the way by the example of a holy life.

Let us pass on to the following words, in which Samuel's sons are said not to have walked in the ways of their father, but corrupted by gifts and bribes to have perverted judgment. Below we shall see Samuel professing this about himself: that as long as he dispensed justice to the people, he accepted not the slightest thing, and abstained from bribes, so that no one could rightly accuse him of seeking his own profit, or gain, or of neglecting his duty. But his sons are carried away to greed, which is plainly evident, because corrupted by bribes they pervert judgment. These two things are bound by an inseparable connection. For it cannot be that those inflamed with desire for riches are not carried away by greed, and that all kinds of crimes do not burst forth from greed and ambition. Indeed, one may even see many carried along by eagerness for profit, which they so indulge that they say they are free to pursue gain and yet render to each his own and perform their duty. But those men seem to want to impute a falsehood to God. Therefore it must be carefully noted what is said here: that Samuel's sons, devoted to greed, perverted judgment. If someone objects that there is no one who does not desire good things, and indeed that it is considered no small virtue if someone earns a living and does not languish in idleness — the response is easy and ready at hand: namely, that all who desire to serve God purely and sincerely and to walk in his fear should live content with what God has given, whether much or little, and should carefully watch lest they perish unwarily, carried away either by ambition or by excessive eagerness for gain — because there is no duty so sacred and solemn that greed does not tend to diminish and violate. And so it is certain that all God's faithful servants ...are all certain to be devoted to the interests of their neighbors and to want to promote God's glory with all their might, employing the doctrine of the holy apostle Paul, who admonishes Christians to learn to be both rich and poor. And if they happen to be rich, let them not be puffed up in spirit, nor set their hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God; let them abstain from greed and ambition, and finally fulfill their duty in all things. But if they happen to be poor, let them flee to God, expecting a good outcome of their poverty. And how great, I ask, is the corruption of morals? What mortal observes these precepts? For such is usually the greed of men inflamed with desire for riches that they are driven to robberies, plundering, and fraud, and they corrupt judgment, and with all order violated they pervert all equity — so that they are finally carried without discrimination to every crime. This is most conspicuous in those who have been elevated to the highest honors; but it also pertains to all people of every rank whatever, as experience itself testifies. For those who are driven by greed always covet the property of others, and therefore always lay snares by which they may entangle the unwary and invade their goods. But greed is most dangerous in those who hold authority, because it cannot be that they do not pervert all right and equity. For God himself through Moses pronounced this judgment in these words: 'You shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and perverts the words of the righteous' — as if to say that greed so blinds men, however skilled and intelligent, and distinguished for outstanding virtues, that it strips them of all knowledge of equity and justice. Indeed, no one is so holy and so zealous in performing his duty — even if he aspires to angelic perfection — whom greed will not corrupt once it has taken hold of his mind.

Therefore Paul's teaching must be more deeply impressed upon our minds: that greed is the root of all evils. Not indeed as though there are no other sins in the world, but because all sins burst forth from it. For by fraud the property of others is seized, and justice and equity are of the least concern. From this hatreds arise, from this quarrels, from this murders, frauds, plundering, robberies, and every kind of injury. In short, if anyone carefully considers all these things, he will find that the one laboring under this vice is, as it were, a slave of Satan, by whom he is driven to whatever vices at will. For this reason Paul teaches in the same epistle that those who desire to become rich fall into the greatest pains. For they did not foresee Satan's snares; and greed is without doubt the vice by which men are most deceived. For the fornicator will not boast of his disgrace, since he would be condemned by all. Nor will the drunkard, nor anyone else given to such vices. But the greedy man will even praise himself and proclaim it a virtue not to squander his money recklessly, and that it is a mark of excellent and sound judgment to provide for his domestic affairs and look after them with the utmost care and solicitude.

Behold by what reasoning that plague of mortals will even be decorated with the honor of virtue! Therefore all the more carefully must we be on our guard, when God has given us goods, possessions, or properties, lest we be circumvented by the devil's deceit and deceived by this appearance of virtue — namely, of looking after our own affairs. For we see here that Samuel's sons are marked by the Holy Spirit and condemned for greed, which so invaded their hearts that they perverted judgment by accepting bribes here and there. It should also be noted that all judges who pursue their own profit and gain will easily pervert judgment and depart from what is just and right; and although they may display gravity and constancy, and even the highest integrity and self-restraint, they will nonetheless most easily turn aside from what is just and right at the first opportunity that presents itself. Therefore they trust in vain in their own strength; in vain they boast of self-restraint; in vain they boast of constancy — unless they want to make God a liar, who, as we have taught above from Moses, declared that the contrary must necessarily happen. Therefore this doctrine is directed especially at those who sit at the helms of commonwealths and are about to administer justice to peoples. Nevertheless, we must know that it is common to all of us, and we must establish that we cannot escape the devil's snares — since he drives us toward all injustice and iniquity — unless it is deeply fixed and embedded in our minds that the desire for riches must be cast away from us, and we must become accustomed to being content with little, knowing that if we become wealthier, unless we are exceedingly careful, we will be inclined toward plundering and robbery, and that riches accumulated with many labors will ultimately vanish into smoke and bring irreparable harm and ruin upon us and our posterity.

Let us then proceed to the remaining words, which read as follows: Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. And they said to him: Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint for us a king to judge us, as all the nations have. The plan indeed, at first glance, does not seem evil or blameworthy. For where there is something wrong, a remedy must also be sought and applied. Since therefore the elders of the people saw such great corruption in the courts — that plunderers and robbers sat at the helm — they had to seek a remedy for these evils, and in this respect they are praiseworthy. But in seeking that remedy they were far too hasty, for which reason the Lord was also rightly moved to anger. For they ought to have simply laid the whole matter before Samuel and complained to him about his sons and the corruption of the courts, and rendered him the honor and obedience due to him. But they go further. For they did not first complain to him about his sons, but suddenly came to the conclusion that a king ought to be chosen. First, it must be observed in all public and civil consultations and deliberations that all things should be done with moderation, as the prophet Isaiah teaches; and the Lord must be asked to preside over our counsels by his Holy Spirit, lest we enter into many rash plans whose outcome is either futile or mournful. Then care must be taken that, even if we undertake something with good intention and are persuaded that the end we hope for is good, we nevertheless enter into all our counsels in such a way that we do nothing against God's glory and his will, or against the benefit of our neighbor; for if this is observed, our counsels can only be sound and right. We therefore see the elders of the Israelites as worthy of praise, since when the judges were corrupt they came together to deliberate on what needed to be done, lest the wretched people be exposed any longer to the plundering and pillaging of those men. Worthy, I say, of the highest praise was the counsel of the elders on behalf of the afflicted people, in which there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit governed them. Yet what was the outcome of that counsel? Unfortunate indeed, because they did not exercise moderation in it. From this we learn that, even though the end of our counsels may be good — namely, God's glory and the benefit of our neighbors — we can nevertheless stray from the intended goal unless we are governed by the power of the Holy Spirit and kept in obedience to the divine word. And daily experience everywhere supplies many examples of this. For if some rather disturbed condition of a city, or region, or any order should arise, a remedy for it is rightly sought; but one will stray far from the purpose if, out of hatred for persons, the fear of God is cast aside and all legitimate order and discipline is overturned. For example, if it should happen that ministers of God's word, as often occurs, do not rightly discharge their office, should the word of God therefore be rejected, so that it no longer has any weight or authority for showing the people the way of salvation? Surely it is certain that commonwealths are thus torn up from their very foundations. Yet how many today will you find who seize upon the faults of certain church ministers as an occasion for abolishing divine law and overturning every order instituted by God? Let the same be said of magistrates and all those to whom the governance of commonwealths has been entrusted. For the examples of all ages confirm, and both sacred and profane records testify, that when magistrates arrogated more to themselves than was proper to their office and abused their granted power, people rushed to seditions and rebellions as to their ultimate refuge. From this arose plans for revolution. By all means let a remedy be sought, but one that removes the evil. Therefore let the guilty be punished, so that a fitting remedy may be applied. But most often we see that the things belonging to God are rejected by men and, as it were, trampled underfoot. Indeed, such people seem similar to those who, when a sick person complains of stomach pains, would say that the heart must be torn from the open chest; or when someone complains about a leg, would say it must be cut off. For who would not condemn them as cruel and say rather that suitable medicines must be sought for soothing and removing the pains? The same principle applies to commonwealths in which vices arise, and in which the devil has made such progress that those who should have led others by example have themselves become corrupt and have introduced confusion into the church of God — where we must take care lest we seek a remedy worse than the disease itself. For if we wish to heal that evil while neglecting divine commandments, we introduce greater confusion and heal that evil even less. This passage is therefore worthy of note, since the elders of the Israelites are said to have assembled and to have adopted the opinion that a king should be established to govern the people, in imitation of other nations that approve of royal rule. But rather they ought to have inclined to the contrary opinion, and either restrained the avarice of Samuel's sons or removed the insubordinate ones from office, and, after hearing the case, passed sentence against them. But when they had uncovered the evil, they entered into and decided upon the plan of choosing a king, and they repudiated the liberty which, as they say, is not well sold for all the gold in the world — the very liberty God had given them up to that point.

But indeed, a not insignificant question arises here: how are those said to have sinned who appear to have asked for a king according to God's plan? For God had once spoken through Moses in Deuteronomy 17: 'Only set over yourself a king whom the Lord your God shall choose,' etc. If God therefore wished them to set a king over themselves, they do not seem to have departed from God's word nor to have offended against the law, since that was God's will. We reply that they ought to have taken account of the times and of the condition that God had prescribed — namely, that eventually royal power would arise among the people. Therefore, although it had not yet been established, they ought to have patiently waited for the time appointed by God, and not given place to their own plans and reasonings contrary to God's will. They ought not therefore to have anticipated God's plan, but to have waited until the Lord himself should show by unmistakable signs that the appointed time had come, and should preside over their counsels. Moreover, although they acknowledged Samuel as a prophet, they not only did not inquire of him whether they would have a king or not, but they also wanted him to obey their will in carrying out this plan. It was surely a bad plan, which we shall see later at greater length was not approved by God, since the Lord established Saul only for a time, and the outcome also showed that he was not the legitimate king, nor the one of whom God had spoken through Moses. Let us observe here that we must not be hasty when we have received certain promises from God, lest by our impatience we overturn all order. And this teaching is very useful and necessary, for we see that most people generally throw all God's promises before them in the administration of their affairs; and if God does not satisfy them according to their judgment, they immediately complain. Therefore let us correct that rashness with humility and patience; and if God has promised anything, let us weigh his words more carefully and impress them more deeply upon our minds; and let us pray to him that he may bring about their fulfillment when it shall seem good to him; and let us not allow ourselves to be carried away by any passions that would hurl us headlong into ruin rather than into any advantage, but rather let us depend entirely upon his will. However, in this rashness they nevertheless retained something befitting virtue, namely that they resolved to do nothing without consulting Samuel. For they could indeed have chosen a king tumultuously and in a disorderly fashion according to their own will. For so it usually happens in rash counsels of this sort, that out of anger and blind fury of mind, worse options are chosen. For it is possible that even moderate and temperate men may enter into counsels whose outcome is not very happy and fortunate, and may be deceived in their deliberations. What then do we think would happen where reason and moderation do not prevail, but only the impulse of the mind and the fury by which people inflame one another? Yet although the counsels and deliberations of the elders of Israel did not rest on God's will, they did nothing immoderately or indecently. For approaching Samuel with honor, they asked that a king be given to them; and accordingly they did not arrogate to themselves the authority of choosing one, but inquired of Samuel about God's will and wished to be informed of it. And indeed they could have objected to Samuel about his old age, which would render him less fit for managing affairs, and about his sons' avarice and the corruption of justice; or they could have complained about the sons who were not following in his footsteps, and asked God to provide suitable men by whom they would be governed, and committed the whole matter to his will. If they had done this, there is no doubt they would have received from God a response both pleasing and advantageous to themselves. But they do not think about calling upon God; they demand that a king be given to them; they bring forward the customs and institutions of other nations. By which indication they reveal that they had profited little in God's word, and had consigned to oblivion what God had formerly warned. For since he knew well their weakness, he had often warned them to guard themselves against the customs and institutions of the pagans. And indeed experience has confirmed that those who associate with pagans and unbelievers recede more and more from the right way, and are defiled by their pollutions, until they are thoroughly infected with filth and corruption. The elders of the people therefore sinned greatly in this respect, looking to the institution of the nations and demanding a king. For God had embraced them with a special grace and privilege and had received them into his protection and guardianship; and he was their king. Hence the Lord addresses Moses thus: 'Indeed you shall be to me a special treasure above all other peoples, for the whole earth is mine. And you shall be to me a royal priesthood and a holy nation.' Therefore above all nations the Israelites were blessed, whom God had so separated from other nations that they perceived the hand and help of God by unmistakable signs, by which they were defended against each of their enemies. Therefore that grace of God was to be greatly valued, by which he had so separated them from other nations that they were the noblest above all. What kind and how great, then, was their rashness when they neglected and trampled underfoot so exceptional a benefit? For that liberty was an inestimable good. Truly this was to repudiate God's supreme authority and dignity. From this let us learn not to be rashly affected by the customs and institutions of unbelievers, lest, since we are all too inclined to fickleness, we even desire to become accustomed to them. So, for example, whoever travels through this or that region will see six hundred examples of every kind of wantonness, insolence, and corruption, which if he relates to his friends upon returning home — friends who will flock at the slightest whistle — he will instill in them all a desire to see them. What then? Truly upon seeing them, they become so ensnared that they become more corrupt than the pagans and unbelievers themselves. All the more, therefore, must we be vigilant in this matter, so that we observe the customs and institutions of the nations and unbelievers in such a way that we are not enticed by them, nor turn in any direction, recognizing that God has separated us from them as by certain barriers, lest, mingled with their corruptions, we fall into the same condemnation. And if any fire has been kindled in the world, let us flee it. And I ask, who does not perceive the flood of iniquity with which the world is inundated? Who does not see that spirit of error spreading everywhere, introducing into religion those rites by which it is adulterated and completely changed? Just as if good and fragrant wine were mixed with filth, and good and excellent foods were sprinkled with poison and set before the diners to eat or drink. And the experience of this age ought to make us more cautious in this regard: for how many have been carried away and turned from the right path, having looked too much upon the ways of men and been seduced by them? Therefore let us hold God's commandments as the rule and standard of our life, and let us learn to withdraw from all those things from which God has willed us to be far removed.

There follows: 'The matter was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel when they said: Give us a king.' By these words the Holy Spirit does not rebuke Samuel, but rather shows that he was led by no base emotion. For he was not offended by the accusation against his sons, namely that since they governed the commonwealth badly they ought to be removed from office. And Scripture specifically notes that Samuel did not take that accusation with an angry spirit, namely because he recognized his sons' impiety. This is indeed to be observed, since especially most often it usually happens that people take it badly when their family and clan are diminished, and when their sons' dignity is reduced; and they are greatly distressed if their sons do not obtain the ranks of honor they seek. But Samuel, on the contrary, was unwilling to bear his sons' injustice or to excuse the condemned before the people; rather, with the greatest peace of mind he acknowledged that, because they had not obeyed God as was right, they also deserved this punishment. Nor was he indignant at the people for rejecting them, so that they would not hold the reins of government, but he allowed them to be removed from office. Nothing of this sort moved Samuel, but Scripture says he was indignant because the elders had not observed moderation in requesting a king but had gravely offended God. And in this respect it is fitting for us to imitate Samuel: if anything has been done or said against God's glory, we should be moved and, as is right, be deeply affected; and less, on the contrary — which nevertheless happens — should we be irritated when it concerns our own affairs or those of our people. For if anything has been sinned in the church against God's glory and his worship, it is usually of little importance to people and easily passes by; indeed, every kind of impiety and wickedness is tolerated. Why so? Because it does not touch us. But if the slightest injury has been done to ourselves, or to friends, or to children, then we burn, and we do not cease to spew out the venom of bitterness, by our very actions testifying to our inner pain. And so we have the least concern for the contempt of God, while we pursue our own injuries with fire and fury. Hence hatreds, hence outcries, hence fights — some bellowing like bulls, others foaming like lions or boars, threatening dire things and making an elephant out of a gnat — while they desire to keep their own honor safe and sound, but easily allow God's glory and honor to be despised and trampled underfoot. And yet it is certain that such people will not bear this contempt unpunished, and the example they behold in Samuel will ultimately turn to their greater judgment — namely, that he did not complain about the contempt and removal of his sons, but was exasperated about a king being sought contrary to the order established by God, and thus about the stubbornness against God that the people demonstrated by this act. Let us therefore be seriously angry and burn with indignation when God's glory is injured; but let us bear private injuries calmly and peacefully. Furthermore, God, speaking to Samuel, specifically commands him to listen to the voice of the people in all things that they have declared, and yet will afterward nonetheless condemn the people for this very deed. From this we learn that God often assents to our petitions and hears our prayers, but in such a way that he is displeased with us. And often that readiness of God in hearing and acquiescing in our wishes is a sign not of love but rather of wrath. But the present time forbids pursuing these matters at greater length, so let it suffice from these things to have known that God ratified what we said about Samuel, and made known the love with which he regarded him, when, as though the injury done by the people in asking for a king had been done to himself, he afterward avenged it with severe punishments. Although God granted the requested king, according to the customs and institutions of the nations, not for their benefit but for their greater condemnation. From this we perceive that it is not always well with us when God assents to all our wishes and grants all our petitions. For by nature we are not only rash but also senseless; and accordingly we do not know what is beneficial; and if God assents to our wishes, there is no doubt that he does so in anger and punishes our intemperance and excessive desire for possession. Therefore it is by no means to be desired that God readily accommodate himself to all our petitions, but they must be committed to his will and judgment; and we ought to be firmly persuaded that God, even though he does not hear all our prayers — indeed, even though he may seem to postpone his promises for a long time — will nevertheless fulfill them in his own time, and will do what he knows to be for our benefit, when we commit ourselves wholly to him, so that he may lead us as blind people by his hand; otherwise we would demand things entirely contrary, as it were cold for hot. Yet often, I confess, God turns evil into good, but for the sake of those who strive to worship and revere him according to his will with all their might; as he often hears the prayers of unbelieving and impious men in his wrath and for their own punishment. Therefore, to conclude this passage: it would have been far better for the Israelites to have submitted themselves to God and depended on his providence than to have obtained a king by their prayers; for once the king was granted, God wished to avenge the injury done to himself in the person of Samuel.

Now indeed there remains, etc.

Whenever God's blessings are short-lived, it is clear from this that we are unworthy of them and have not known how to hold them peacefully and for long. The irreligious will say that Fortune is the mistress of human affairs and that change is her nature. But we must acknowledge and confess that our condition would be tranquil and stable if we ourselves were not fickle and changeable — so that the gifts God bestows on us today He is compelled to take away the day after tomorrow.

A striking example of this is set before us here in Samuel's sons, whom Scripture says did not walk in their father's ways. The fault was not with their teacher. It is likely that Samuel, who was God's prophet to the entire people, put no small effort into instructing his children well. But they were corrupted and morally ruined by their own fault. There is no doubt that God wished to humble Samuel in this way, and at the same time to chastise the people as well.

Here a question arises: did Samuel observe proper limits when he set his sons over the people and appointed them as judges over Israel? The people had been restored to freedom, and therefore the power of choosing judges belonged to them. Samuel seems to want to pass his entrusted office on to his descendants as a hereditary right — suggesting he was too focused on his own gain and the advancement of his family. But we should by no means think Samuel installed his sons as judges in the way modern kings appoint successors for their kingdoms. Rather, he governed the people in such a way that his sons served as his deputies — dispensing justice so that governance would continue without interruption. He is said to have appointed his sons not by his own private authority but with the consent of the people, demonstrating that it would serve the common good to have judges stationed throughout the region to dispense justice — so that people would not have to travel far to find a magistrate.

Why then should we accuse Samuel, when Scripture itself does not charge him with ambition? Below we will hear him swearing before God and the people that he had no regard for personal profit, but devoted himself only to justice and equity in the discharge of his office. It is therefore likely that he was devoted to the people's interests — knowing them to be inclined toward idolatry and superstition, he appointed his sons to keep the people in their duty throughout the region and to set a good example. If this is so, we will find that he was devoted neither to his own interests nor to his family's, but wished only that the blessings God had bestowed on the people might continue in an unbroken flow.

But we see that his hope was disappointed: his sons did not walk rightly or honestly, but perverted justice to feed their greed. Nor had they been noted for plundering, theft, or such vices before they rose to this position — it was after they obtained these honors that their corruption emerged. This is how public office so often exposes what was previously hidden in men. One frequently sees people who, as long as they lead private lives, appear humble and restrained — admirably concealing their hidden faults. But if they happen to be promoted to positions of honor and placed, as it were, on a stage for all to see, they suddenly reveal their true character and expose the hypocrisy they had concealed — leaving those who elevated them with nothing but regret and shame.

The same thing happened to Samuel's sons. They are charged here on two counts: first, that they took up residence in Beersheba and administered justice only from there; second, that they turned aside after dishonest gain, accepted bribes, and perverted justice. Their father Samuel spent the greater part of each year at Ramah and dispensed justice there to those who came to him as the supreme authority. Yet he also traveled annually through the towns of the region — Bethel and the rest — so that the people would not be burdened by having to travel to him at Ramah. By going to the very places where they lived, he greatly relieved the poor and needy, who would otherwise have faced a journey of several days just to seek justice. In making himself accessible to all, he set the finest possible example for his sons. But they, nothing like their father, stayed in Beersheba — they did not lift a foot to fulfill their duty. They remained at home constantly, placing their private interests ahead of public obligations. Compared to their father, who never spared himself or any effort in performing his duty, they are found to have sinned far more gravely in their office. The less excuse they had, the more they deserved blame. They were young and vigorous, yet they would not move from one spot — devoted entirely to greed and ambition.

They should have reflected that they had been educated very differently by their father Samuel, and let that thought serve as a spur to rouse them from their laziness and negligence. But they gave no thought to any of this. They considered themselves to have done their duty simply by answering legal inquiries and rendering judgment — and that people should have been grateful to them for even that much. From this we learn that things in this world always tend to deteriorate. If you look for the good, you will rarely see people who have been distinguished for some virtue persevere steadily in it — especially in corrupt times — or who seek God's glory and strive with all care and effort to make His worship flourish more and more. But when it comes to evil, people not only incline toward it from an early age — they rush into it with full force.

But what, I ask, will become of those divine promises in which God pledges to show mercy to the thousandth generation of those who love Him and keep His commandments? How obstinate and hardened men are in evil! They seem to provoke God to wrath with a thousand blasphemous words and to compete with one another in mocking Him. Yet it is certain that God stands by His promises. Although we often see things appear to go contrary, we must know that God is bound to no one, always acts freely, and reserves for Himself whomever He pleases. This is why we often read in the history of the patriarchs that good parents produced rebellious and stubborn children — and yet God did not make His promise void. His mercy is seen in this: He always shows mercy on some, but not always indiscriminately. This freedom must be left to Him — to choose whomever He pleases — unless we wish to charge God with injustice, which we cannot do without blasphemy. The Lord Himself testifies this to Moses: 'I will have mercy on whom I will, and I will be merciful to whom it pleases Me' — as if to say that no one can lay down the law for Him, but it is within His own power to choose whomever He wills and to bestow His mercy freely, and conversely to pass over by His just judgment whomever He wills.

From this let parents learn to pray to God with greater care and earnestness, and to urge their children more diligently and seriously toward a holy life. I freely grant that good children are a singular gift of God, and the faithful ought to hope that God will grant them this grace — that His mercy will always reach those who show themselves teachable and rely on Him alone. Yet they should not therefore be more careless in correcting their children, as though they had God bound to them. Rather, they should earnestly pray that God govern by His Holy Spirit the children He has given them — and as He extended His mercy to the parents, to pour it out also on the children, granting them the gift of perseverance and constancy, and always giving fresh cause for rejoicing in Him. In this way parents ought to commit their children to God, firmly persuaded that their hope will not be in vain — that as they do their duty toward their children, they will also find that God's promise is not empty and void.

From all of this it is clear that parents must never lay aside the care and earnestness of praying to God for their children. They should be driven all the more to intercede with Him for the continuation and spread of God's grace and mercy upon their descendants. And indeed, whenever we receive corrupt and morally ruined children, there is no doubt this ought to be attributed in part to our own ingratitude and the multitude of our sins. Yet we should not be overwhelmed by this, but should submit to God's will and bow our necks to His yoke. If it happened to so holy a man and eminent a prophet as Samuel to have such corrupt and depraved children, what will happen to those who fall far short of his excellence? Nor was Samuel alone in this experience. What kind of children did the good kings Hezekiah and Josiah have — how corrupt and depraved? Hezekiah's zeal and passion for restoring God's worship is well known — all his effort and plans were directed toward restoring true religion to its purity and integrity. But what of his son, whose one aim and purpose seemed to be to abolish the divine law, corrupt it, introduce idolatry and superstitions, shed innocent blood, and persecute God's faithful servants with the utmost cruelty — to the point that streams of blood flooded the royal city of Jerusalem, which was sacred and dedicated to the Lord, and given to the Israelites as an earthly inheritance.

When such examples are placed before our eyes, let us learn to walk in the fear of God. Especially let those to whom God has given children reflect that so great a treasure has been given them by God on the condition that they hold it dear and guard it with the utmost care. Let them soberly await the day of reckoning, so that when the Lord sees fit to demand an account of their stewardship, they may be ready to give it. Let them not be puffed up by so great a blessing, but humbly acknowledge that they would labor in vain unless God Himself lends His hand and blesses their efforts and concern. For this is what God Himself claims as His own work: making children follow in the footsteps of their parents, when the parents have shown the way by the example of a holy life.

Let us move to the words that follow, where Samuel's sons are said not to have walked in their father's ways, but to have corrupted judgment by accepting gifts and bribes. Below we will hear Samuel testify before the people that throughout his time dispensing justice, he accepted nothing from anyone and held himself free from bribes — so that no one could rightly accuse him of seeking his own profit or neglecting his duty. But his sons were overtaken by greed, as is plain from the fact that, corrupted by bribes, they perverted justice. These two things are bound together inseparably. Those who are inflamed with desire for riches cannot help being driven by greed, and every kind of crime bursts forth from greed and ambition. Indeed, one may see many who are swept along by eagerness for profit — yet they convince themselves they can pursue gain and still render to each person what is due and fulfill their duty. But such men seem to want to call God a liar. It must therefore be carefully noted what is said here: that Samuel's sons, devoted to greed, perverted justice. If someone objects that there is no one who does not desire good things, and that earning a living is even considered a virtue — the answer is straightforward: all who desire to serve God purely and walk in His fear should be content with what God has given, whether much or little. They must watch carefully lest they be carried away unawares by ambition or by excessive hunger for gain — because there is no duty so sacred and solemn that greed does not tend to diminish and violate it. It is therefore certain that all of God's faithful servants ought to be devoted to their neighbors' interests and to promoting God's glory with all their strength. They should follow the teaching of the apostle Paul, who exhorts Christians to learn contentment in both wealth and poverty. If they happen to be rich, let them not be puffed up in spirit or set their hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God. Let them keep themselves free from greed and ambition, and fulfill their duty in all things. If they happen to be poor, let them flee to God, expecting a good outcome from their poverty. But how great, I ask, is the corruption of morals? What mortal actually follows these principles? Men inflamed with desire for wealth are driven to robbery, plunder, and fraud — they corrupt judgment, overturn all order, and pervert all equity, until at last they rush headlong into every crime without distinction. This is most conspicuous in those elevated to the highest honors, but it applies to people of every rank, as experience itself testifies. Those driven by greed always covet what belongs to others, and so they always lay traps to ensnare the unwary and seize their goods. Greed is most dangerous in those who hold authority, because they cannot avoid overturning all right and equity. God Himself through Moses pronounced this judgment: 'You shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and perverts the words of the righteous' — as if to say that greed so blinds men, however skilled and intelligent, however distinguished for outstanding virtues, that it strips them of all sense of equity and justice. Indeed, no one is so holy and so zealous in performing his duty — even if he aspires to angelic perfection — whom greed will not corrupt once it has taken hold of his mind.

Paul's teaching must therefore be pressed more deeply into our minds: that greed is the root of all evils. Not as though there are no other sins in the world, but because all sins spring from it. By it the property of others is seized through fraud, and justice and equity are trampled underfoot. From it come hatreds, quarrels, murders, frauds, plundering, robberies, and every kind of injury. In short, whoever carefully examines the matter will find that the person laboring under this vice is, as it were, a slave of Satan — driven at Satan's pleasure into whatever vices he chooses. This is why Paul teaches in the same letter that those who desire to become rich fall into the greatest pain. They did not see Satan's traps, and greed is without doubt the vice by which men are most easily deceived. The fornicator will not boast of his disgrace — he knows everyone would condemn him. The drunkard will not either, nor anyone else given to such obvious vices. But the greedy man will even praise himself, calling it a virtue not to squander money recklessly — proclaiming it a mark of excellent and sound judgment to manage his domestic affairs with the utmost care and diligence.

See how that plague of mortals will even be dressed up with the honor of virtue! We must therefore be all the more carefully on our guard — when God has given us goods, property, or possessions — lest we be taken in by the devil's deception and fooled by the appearance of virtue, namely that of looking after our own affairs. For we see here that Samuel's sons are marked and condemned by the Holy Spirit for greed, which so invaded their hearts that they perverted justice by accepting bribes from all sides. It should also be noted that all judges who pursue their own profit and gain will easily pervert justice and depart from what is right — even if they display gravity, consistency, the highest integrity, and self-restraint. They will nonetheless turn aside from what is just at the first opportunity that presents itself. Therefore they trust in vain in their own strength; they boast in vain of self-restraint; they boast in vain of consistency — unless they want to make God a liar, who, as we showed above from Moses, declared that the opposite must necessarily happen. This teaching is aimed especially at those who sit at the helm of governments and are about to administer justice to peoples. Nevertheless, we must know that it applies to all of us. We must be firmly convinced that we cannot escape the devil's snares — since he drives us toward all injustice and iniquity — unless it is deeply fixed in our minds that the desire for riches must be cast away from us. We must learn to be content with little, knowing that if we grow wealthier, unless we are exceedingly careful, we will slide toward plundering and dishonest gain — and that wealth accumulated through many labors will in the end vanish like smoke and bring irreparable harm and ruin upon us and our descendants.

Let us proceed to the remaining words: 'Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him: You have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Appoint for us a king to judge us, as all the nations have.' At first glance, this plan does not seem evil or blameworthy. When something is going wrong, a remedy must be sought and applied. The elders of the people saw such great corruption in the courts — plunderers and robbers sitting at the helm — and they needed to seek a remedy. In that respect, they are praiseworthy. But in seeking the remedy, they were far too hasty — which is also why the Lord was rightly moved to anger. They ought to have simply laid the whole matter before Samuel, complained to him about his sons and the corruption of the courts, and rendered him the honor and obedience due to him. But they went further. They did not first bring the complaint about his sons to Samuel himself, but jumped straight to the conclusion that a king ought to be chosen. First, in all public deliberations and consultations, everything must be done with moderation, as the prophet Isaiah teaches. We must ask the Lord to preside over our counsels by His Holy Spirit, lest we enter into rash plans whose outcome is either futile or sorrowful. Second, care must be taken that even if we undertake something with good intentions and are persuaded that the goal we seek is good, we must not do anything against God's glory and His will, or against the good of our neighbor. If this is observed, our plans can only be sound and right. We therefore see the elders of the Israelites as praiseworthy — when the judges were corrupt, they came together to deliberate on what needed to be done, so that the wretched people would no longer be exposed to the plundering of those men. Indeed, their counsel on behalf of the afflicted people was worthy of the highest praise — there is no doubt the Holy Spirit was at work in moving them. Yet what was the outcome of that counsel? It was unfortunate, because they failed to exercise moderation. From this we learn that even when the goal of our plans is good — God's glory and the benefit of our neighbors — we can still stray far from that goal unless we are governed by the power of the Holy Spirit and kept in obedience to God's Word. Daily experience supplies many examples of this everywhere. If some disorder arises in a city, a region, or any institution, it is right to seek a remedy. But one will stray far from the purpose if, out of hatred for certain persons, the fear of God is set aside and all legitimate order and discipline is overturned. For example, if ministers of God's Word fail to rightly discharge their office — as often happens — should God's Word itself therefore be rejected, so that it carries no weight or authority for showing the people the way of salvation? Surely, commonwealths are undermined to their very foundations in that way. Yet how many today seize on the faults of certain church ministers as grounds for abolishing divine law and overturning every order God has instituted? The same can be said of magistrates and all those entrusted with governing commonwealths. The examples of every age confirm — and both sacred and secular records testify — that when magistrates claimed more authority than properly belonged to their office and abused their granted power, people rushed to sedition and rebellion as their ultimate refuge, and from this arose schemes for revolution. By all means, let a remedy be sought — but one that actually removes the evil. Let the guilty be punished, so that a proper remedy may be applied. But most often what we see instead is that things belonging to God are rejected and trampled underfoot by men. Such people are like those who, when a sick person complains of stomach pain, would say the heart must be torn from the chest — or when someone complains about a leg, say it must be cut off. Who would not call such people cruel, and say that suitable medicines should be found for soothing and removing the pain? The same principle applies to commonwealths where vices arise — where the devil has made such progress that those who should have led others by example have themselves become corrupt and brought confusion into the church of God. In such cases we must take care not to seek a remedy worse than the disease itself. If we try to heal the evil while neglecting God's commandments, we introduce greater confusion and the evil is not healed at all. This passage is therefore worthy of careful attention: the elders of the Israelites assembled and adopted the view that a king should be established to govern the people, in imitation of other nations that approve of royal rule. But they should have taken the opposite course — either restraining the greed of Samuel's sons, or removing them from office after hearing the case and pronouncing judgment against them. Instead, once they had exposed the evil, they jumped to the plan of choosing a king — and in doing so they threw away the very liberty God had given them, the liberty that, as they say, cannot rightly be sold for all the gold in the world.

But a significant question arises here: how can those be said to have sinned who appear to have asked for a king in accordance with God's own plan? For God had spoken through Moses in Deuteronomy 17: 'You shall set over yourself a king whom the Lord your God shall choose,' etc. If God therefore wanted them to have a king, they do not seem to have departed from His Word or offended against the law — since that was God's will. The answer is that they should have taken into account both the times and the condition God had prescribed — namely, that royal rule would eventually arise among the people. Although it had not yet been established, they should have patiently waited for the time appointed by God, not giving way to their own plans and reasoning contrary to His will. They should not have gotten ahead of God's plan, but waited until the Lord Himself showed by unmistakable signs that the appointed time had come, and presided over their deliberations. Moreover, even though they acknowledged Samuel as a prophet, they did not inquire of him whether God wanted them to have a king. Instead, they demanded that he comply with their plan. It was a flawed plan — as we will see in more detail later — and God did not approve of it, since the Lord established Saul only for a time, and the outcome also showed that he was not the legitimate king, nor the one of whom God had spoken through Moses. Let us observe here that we must not be hasty when we have received certain promises from God, lest by our impatience we overturn all order. This teaching is very useful and necessary, for we see that most people generally throw God's promises out before them in managing their affairs — and if God does not satisfy them according to their own timetable, they immediately complain. Let us therefore correct that rashness with humility and patience. If God has promised something, let us weigh His words more carefully and press them more deeply into our minds. Let us pray that He bring about their fulfillment in His own time. Let us not allow ourselves to be swept away by passions that hurl us headlong into ruin rather than into any good, but rather let us depend entirely on His will. Yet in this rashness they still retained something worthy of praise: they resolved to do nothing without consulting Samuel. They could have chosen a king in a disorderly tumult according to their own will. In rash counsels of this sort, it usually happens that out of anger and blind fury, worse options are chosen. Even moderate and temperate men can enter into deliberations whose outcome is not very happy, and can be deceived in their planning. What then would happen when reason and moderation play no role — when nothing rules but the impulse of the moment and the fury by which people inflame one another? Yet even though the counsels of the elders of Israel did not rest on God's will, they did nothing immoderate or indecent. Approaching Samuel with respect, they asked that a king be given to them. They did not arrogate to themselves the authority to choose one, but inquired of Samuel about God's will and wished to know it. They could have brought up Samuel's old age and his sons' dishonesty, and asked God to provide suitable men to govern them — committing the whole matter to His will. If they had done this, there is no doubt they would have received from God a response both pleasing and beneficial. But they gave no thought to calling upon God. They demanded a king and pointed to the customs and institutions of other nations. By this they revealed how little they had profited from God's Word and how completely they had forgotten what God had previously warned them about. Because He knew their weakness, He had often warned them to guard themselves against the customs and practices of the pagans. Experience has confirmed that those who associate with pagans and unbelievers drift more and more from the right way, are defiled by their corruptions, until they are thoroughly infected with moral filth. The elders of the people therefore sinned seriously in this: they looked to the practices of the nations and demanded a king. God had embraced them with a special grace and privilege, taken them into His protection and care — He was their King. Hence the Lord said to Moses: 'You shall be to Me a special treasure above all other peoples, for the whole earth is Mine. You shall be to Me a royal priesthood and a holy nation.' Above all nations the Israelites were blessed — separated by God from all others so that they perceived His hand and help by unmistakable signs, defended against each of their enemies. That grace of God deserved the highest esteem, for it set them apart from all nations as the most honored of all. How great and reckless, then, was their presumption in neglecting and trampling underfoot so exceptional a blessing? For that liberty was an inestimable good. To throw it away was to repudiate God's supreme authority and dignity. From this let us learn not to be rashly drawn toward the customs and institutions of unbelievers, lest — since we are all too prone to fickleness — we even come to desire and imitate them. A traveler passing through this or that region will see countless examples of every kind of wantonness, insolence, and corruption — and if he reports them to friends at home who come running at the slightest hint, he will plant in all of them a desire to see such things themselves. And what happens then? On seeing them, they become so ensnared that they grow more corrupt than the pagans and unbelievers themselves. All the more must we be vigilant in this matter — observing the customs and practices of the nations and unbelievers in such a way that we are not enticed by them and do not turn in any direction. We must recognize that God has separated us from them by certain barriers, lest — mixed together with their corruptions — we fall into the same condemnation. If any fire of this kind has been kindled in the world, let us flee from it. Who does not see the flood of iniquity with which the world is inundated? Who does not see the spirit of error spreading everywhere, introducing into religion those rites by which it is diluted and completely changed — as if good and fragrant wine were mixed with filth, or good and wholesome foods were sprinkled with poison and set before people to eat and drink? The experience of our own age ought to make us more cautious in this: for how many have been led astray and turned from the right path, simply by watching the ways of men and being seduced by them? Let us therefore hold God's commandments as the rule and standard of our lives, and learn to withdraw from all those things from which God has willed us to be far removed.

The text continues: 'The matter displeased Samuel when they said: Give us a king.' By these words the Holy Spirit is not rebuking Samuel. He is showing that Samuel was not driven by any base emotion. He was not offended by the accusation against his sons — the accusation that since they had governed badly they ought to be removed from office. Scripture specifically notes that Samuel did not receive that accusation with an angry spirit, because he recognized his sons' wrongdoing himself. This is worth observing, since it is very common for people to take it badly when their family and clan suffer diminishment — when their sons' dignity is reduced — and to be greatly upset if their sons do not obtain the positions of honor they seek. Samuel, by contrast, was unwilling to cover for his sons' injustice or defend the condemned before the people. With complete composure he acknowledged that, since they had not obeyed God as they should have, they deserved this punishment. He was not indignant at the people for rejecting his sons and refusing to let them keep the reins of government. He allowed them to be removed from office. None of this disturbed Samuel. What he found troubling, Scripture says, was that the elders had failed to exercise moderation in requesting a king and had thereby gravely offended God. In this we ought to imitate Samuel: if anything has been done or said against God's glory, we should be moved and rightly troubled by it. We should be far less troubled — though this is what usually happens — when it concerns our own affairs or those of our family. When something is sinned against God's glory and worship in the church, it usually matters little to people and passes easily by. Every kind of impiety and wickedness is tolerated. Why? Because it does not touch us personally. But if the slightest injury has been done to ourselves, our friends, or our children, then we burn — and we never stop spewing out the venom of bitterness, our very actions betraying our inner pain. We have the least concern for the contempt shown to God, while we pursue our own injuries with fire and fury. From this come hatreds, outcries, and fights — some bellowing like bulls, others foaming like lions or boars, threatening terrible things and making a mountain out of a molehill — all while they jealously guard their own honor but easily allow God's glory to be despised and trampled underfoot. It is certain that such people will not get away with this contempt unpunished, and the example they see in Samuel will ultimately turn to their greater judgment — he did not complain about the humiliation and removal of his sons, but was deeply grieved that a king was being sought against the order God had established, and thus about the defiance against God that the people showed by this act. Let us therefore burn with righteous indignation when God's glory is injured — and bear personal injuries calmly and quietly. Furthermore, God speaks to Samuel and commands him to listen to the people in everything they have said — yet He will afterward condemn the people for the very same action. From this we learn that God often grants our requests and hears our prayers, but in such a way that He is displeased with us. Often God's readiness to hear and accommodate our wishes is a sign not of love but of wrath. But the present time does not permit us to pursue these matters further. Let it suffice to note that God confirmed what we said about Samuel and made clear the love He had for him — for when the people did the Lord an injury by asking for a king, God afterward treated it as an injury done to Himself and avenged it with severe punishment. Although God granted the requested king, He did so in accordance with the customs and practices of the nations — not for their benefit, but for their greater condemnation. From this we see that things do not always go well for us when God agrees to all our wishes and grants all our requests. By nature we are not only rash but also foolish — we do not know what is truly beneficial. When God agrees to our wishes, He often does so in anger, punishing our impatience and excessive desire for more. It is therefore not something to be desired that God simply accommodate Himself to all our petitions. They must be submitted to His will and judgment. We must be firmly persuaded that God — even when He does not hear all our prayers, even when He seems to delay His promises for a long time — will nevertheless fulfill them in His own time, and will do what He knows to be for our benefit, when we commit ourselves entirely to Him and let Him lead us like blind people by His hand. Otherwise, left to ourselves, we would demand things entirely contrary to our good — as if demanding cold when we need heat. Yet often, I grant, God turns evil into good — but for the sake of those who strive to worship and revere Him according to His will with all their strength. Just as He often hears the prayers of unbelieving and ungodly men in His wrath, and to their own ruin. To conclude this passage: it would have been far better for the Israelites to have submitted themselves to God and depended on His providence than to have obtained a king through their prayers. For once the king was granted, God intended to avenge the injury done to Himself in the person of Samuel.

Now indeed there remains, etc.