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condition on which alone the special privileges of being a 

 peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation 

 could be enjoyed ; yet, at the same time, He claimed the 

 right to the whole earth. Thus from the mouth of the Lord 

 himself we learn our responsibility to Him and our obligation 

 to do His will. 



This act of legislation was one, by it the nationality of the 

 Israelites was secured, and only the details of social law and 

 the administration of the law remained to be secured. These 

 did not fail, and in them that full revelation of divine per- 

 fection, which the name Jehovah promised, was accomplished. 

 But this economy which secured such abundant good to Israel, 

 was brought about by the establishment of most perfect and 

 direct responsibility to the Lord, who was not only their God, 

 but their King. And, although by His permission they at length 

 had a human monarch, that monarch was merely the divine 

 vicegerent. They were, therefore, commanded, while yet in 

 the wilderness, that at the time they should say, " I will set 

 a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me ; 

 thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee whom the Lord 

 thy God shall choose." This was actually done in the case of 

 Saul and David, and these kings and their successors were 

 simply intrusted with the administration of divine law. 

 Their legislative authority extended only to proclamations of 

 an individual and peculiar character, which adjusted the 

 general provisions of the Mosaic Law to special cases. But 

 not one clause of the original Law could they abrogate or 

 amend. In accordance with this economy, the king was con- 

 secrated to his office by an anointing, which was the outward 

 symbol of the gift of the Spirit of God, as the qualification 

 for the efficient fulfilment of the duties of His office, and, 

 when both king and people departed from the law, God 

 Himself inflicted the punishment due to their transgression, 

 as He was their deliverer and helper in all times of their 

 obedience. 



In this continued exercise of direct rule over Israel we 

 have repeated proofs of the presence of the Creator and 

 Upholder of all things. When they had grievously departed 

 from the law, and had, contrary to express prohibition, intro- 

 duced the idolatry of the Sidonians into Samaria, and wor- 

 shipped Baal instead of the Lord, He withheld rain from them 

 for three years and six months, so that famine was sorely 

 felt in Samaria and the whole country ; nor was the infliction 

 removed until the people again declared the Lord to be God, 

 and the 450 prophets of Baal were slain. The means also by 

 which this reformation was effected could only have been used 



