148 



deliver tlicni ; and that the great defeat of their armies whicli 

 took phice in the last j'ear of Eli, and occasioned the loss of 

 the ark, Avas the consummation of their punishment for pre- 

 suming to attempt to shake off the Philistine oppression, with- 

 out previous repentance and contrition.* We shall, from this 

 view of the question, derive the reason of the singularity both 

 in the statement of this revolt, and the application of it to the 

 house of Eli. The first is without any previous account of 

 transgression or of repentance, and the second is an instance 

 of divine justice at once uncomproniised and unimpeachable; 

 since the punishment of national guilt happily assimilates and 

 coincides with the ends of divine wisdom, in the manifestation 

 of its more particular providence: and it naturally happens, 

 both that Israel should attempt to take advantage of the at- 

 chievenients of Samson, esteeming, in the views of human 

 policy, the opportunity favourable to effect their deliverance, 

 and that their attempt should be punished by defeat, since it 

 was undertaken without previously conciliating the favour of 

 Heaven, by an earnest repentance, and by an humble acknow- 

 ledgment 



" We may here take notice of a strong argument for this interpretation, which has 

 been hitherto completely overlooked, thai when the historian records that Eli had asso- 

 tlatcd his sons in the government, they are represented as remaining with him in Shiloh, 

 (1 Saml. 2. 12. 17. 22.) and there exercising many acts of oppression and tyranny over the 

 people, it is not mentioned as in the case of Samuel and his sons, that they divided the 

 cares of government, and each attended to a particular district, (I Saml. 8. 2.) j which 

 certainly infers that their jurisdiction was confined to the tribe of Judah, and agrees 

 only with the time of Samson, when there was a peace between the Philistines and that 

 Jribe (Jud. xv. 10.) while they oppressed all the other tribes in their vicinity^ 



