History of the Old Testament Volume 5, Part 4
Saul and the Witch of Endor.
EVEN the worſt men may ſomtimes make head againſt ſome ſinnes. Saul hath expelled the Sorcerers out of the land of Iſrael; and hath forbidden magicke vponupon paine of death. He that had no care to expell Satan out of his owne heart, yet will ſeeme to driue him out of his kingdome. That wee ſee wicked men oppoſe themſelues to ſome ſinnes, there is neither maruell, nor comfort in it: No doubt Satan made ſport at this edict of Saul; what cares he to be baniſhed in ſorcery, whiles he is entertained in malice? He knew and found Saul his; whiles he reſiſted; and ſmiled to yeeld thus farre vntounto his vaſſall: if wee quit not all ſinnes, he will be content wee ſhould, either abandon or perſecute ſome.
Where is▪ no place for holy feare, there will be place for the ſeruile; The graceleſſe heart of Saul was aſtonied at the Philiſtims; yet was neuer moued at the frowns of that God, whoſe anger ſent them, nor of thoſe ſinnes of his, which procured them. Thoſe that cannot feare for louelove, ſhall tremble for feare: and how much better is awe then terror? preuention then confuſion? There is nothing more lamentable to ſee a man laugh when hee ſhould feare; God ſhall laugh when ſuch a ones feare commeth:
Extremiry of diſtreſſe, will ſend euen the prophaneſt man to God; like as the drowning man, reacheth out his hand to that bow, which he contemned whiles hee ſtood ſafe on the banke; Saul now asketh counſell of the Lord; whoſe Prophet he hated, whoſe prieſts he ſlue, whoſe anoynted he perſecutes; Had Saul conſulted with God when he ſhould, this euill had not beene; but now, if this euill had not beene; he had conſulted with God; The thanke of this act is due, not him, but to his affection; A forced piety is thankeleſſe, and vnprofitable; God will not anſwere him neither by dreames, nor by vrim, nor by Prophets. Why ſhould God anſwer, that man by dreames, who had reſiſted him waking? Why ſhould he anſwer him by vrim, that had ſlaine his Prieſts? Why ſhould he anſwer him by Prophets, who hated the Father of the Prophets, rebelled againſt the word of the Prophets?
It is an vnreaſonable vnequality to hope to finde God at our command, when wee would not be at his; To looke that God ſhould regard our voyce in trouble, when wee would not regard his, in peace.
VntoUnto what mad ſhiftes are men driuen by deſpaire? If God will not anſwer, Satan ſhall; (Saul ſaid to his ſeruants, ſeeke me a woman that hath a familiar ſpirit) If Saul had not known this courſe Diueliſh, why did he decree to baniſh it, to mulct it with death? yet now againſt the ſtreame of his conſcience, he will ſeeke to thoſe whom he had condemned; There needs no other iudge of Sauls act then himſelfe; had hee not before oppoſed this ſinne, he had not ſo haynouſly ſinned in committing it; There cannot bee a more fearefull ſigne of an heart giuen vp to a reprobate ſence, then to caſt it ſelfe wilfully into thoſe ſinnes, which it hath proclaimed to deteſt. The declinations to euill are many times inſenſible, but when it breakes forth into ſuch apparant effects, euen others eies may diſcerne it; What was Saul the better to fore-know the iſſue of his approaching battaile? If this conſultation could hauehave ſtrengthned him againſt his enemies, or promoted his victory, there might hauehave bene ſome colour for ſo foule an act; Now, what could hee gaine, but the ſatiſfying of his bootleſſe curioſity; in fore-ſeeing that, which hee ſhould not be able to auoyd?
Fooliſh men giuegive a way their ſoules for nothing; The itch of impertinent and vnprofitable knowledge, hath beene the heriditary diſtroyer of the ſonnes of Adam and Eue; How many hauehave periſhed to know that which hath procured their periſhing? How ambitious ſhould wee bee to know thoſe things, the knowledge wherof is eternall life.
Many a leud office are they put to; which ſerue wicked maſters; one while Sauls ſeruants are ſet to kill innocent Dauid; another while, to ſhed the blood of Gods Prieſts; and now they muſt goe ſeeke for a Witch: It is no ſmall happineſſe to attend them, from whom we may receiue precepts and examples of vertue.
Had Saul bene good, he had needed no diſguiſe; Honeſt actions neuer ſhame the doers; Now that hee goeth about a ſinfull buſineſſe, hee changeth himſelfe; he ſeekes the ſhelter of the night, he takes but two followers with him; It is true, that if Saul had comne in the port of a King, the Witch had as much diſſembled her condition, as now he diſſembleth his; yet it was not only deſire to ſpeed, but guiltineſſe that thus altred his habit; ſuch is the power of conſcience, that euen thoſe who are moſt affected to euill, yet are aſhamed to bee thought ſuch as they deſire to be.
Saul needed another face to fit that tongue, which ſhould ſay (Coniecture to me by the familiar ſpirit, and bring me vp whom I ſhall name vntounto thee;) An obdurate heart can giuegive way to any thing:
Notwithſtanding, the peremptory edict of Saul, there are ſtill Witches in Iſrael: Neither good lawes nor carefull executions, can purge the Church from Malefactors; There will ſtill be ſome that will ieopard their heads vponupon the groſſeſt ſins; No garden can bee ſo curiouſly tended, that there ſhould not be one weed left in it. Yet ſo farre can good ſtatutes, and due inflictions of puniſhment vponupon offenders, preuaile that miſcheeuous perſons are glad to pull in their heads; and dare not doe ill, but in diſguiſe and darkneſſe. It is no ſmall aduantage of Iuſtice, that it affrights ſin, if it cannot be expelled; As contrarily, wofull is the condition of that place, where is a publique profeſſion of wickedneſſe.
This Witch was no leſſe crafty then wicked; ſhe had before (as is like) bribed Officers to eſcape inditement, lurke in ſecrecy; and now ſhee will not worke her feats without ſecurity; her ſuſpition proiects the worſt; (Wherefore ſeekeſt thou to take me in a ſnare, to cauſe me to dye?) Oh vaine Sorcereſſe, that could bee wary to auoyd the puniſhment of Saul, careleſſe to auoyd the judgement of God; Could wee fore-thinke what our ſinne would coſt vsus, we durſt not, but bee innocent: This is a good and ſeaſonable anſwer for vsus, to make vntounto Satan, when he ſollicites vsus to euill (Wherefore ſeekeſt thou to take me in a ſnare, to cauſe me to dye?) Nothing is more ſure then this intention in the tempter, then this euent in the iſſue; Oh that we could but ſo much feare the eternall paines, as wee doe the temporary, and bee but ſo carefull to ſaue our ſoules from torment, as our bodies.
No ſooner hath Saul ſworne her ſafety, then ſhee addreſſeth her to her ſorcery; Hope of impunity drawes on ſinne with boldneſſe; were it not for the deluſions of falſe promiſes, Satan ſhould hauehave no Clients. Could Saul be ſo ignorant, as to thinke that Magick had power ouer Gods deceaſed Saints, to raiſe them vp; yea, to call them downe from their reſt? Time was, when Saul was among the Prophets. And yet now, that he is in the impure lodg of Diuels, how ſenceleſſe he is, to ſay, Bring me vp Samuel? It is no rare thing, to loſe euen our wit and judgement together with graces; How juſtly are they giuen ouer to ſottiſhneſſe, that hauehave giuen themſelues ouer to ſin?
The Sorcereſſe (it ſeemes) exerciſing her coniurations in a roome apart, is informed by her Familiar, who it was that ſet her on worke; ſhee can therefore finde time, in the midſt of her exorciſmes, to binde the aſſurance of her owne ſafety, by expoſtulation, Shee cryed with a loud voyce, Why haſt thou deceiued mee, for thou art Saul,) The very name of Saul was an accuſation; Yet is hee ſo far from ſtriking his breſt, that doubting leſt this feare of the Witch, ſhould interrupt the deſired worke, hee encourages her, whom he ſhould hauehave condemned; (Be not afraid;) He that had more cauſe to feare, for his owne ſake, in an expectation of juſt judgement, cheeres vp her, that feared▪ nothing but himſelfe: How ill doth it become vsus, to giuegive that counſell to others, whereof wee hauehave more need and vſe in our owne perſons?
As one that had more care to ſatisfie his curioſity, then her ſuſpicion, he asks, What ſaweſt thou? Who would not hauehave looked, that Sauls haire ſhould hauehave ſtared on his head, to heare of a ſpirit raiſed? His ſinne hath ſo hardened him, that hee rather pleaſes himſelfe in it, which hath nothing in it but horror; So far is Satan content to deſcend to the ſeruice of his ſeruants, that he will approue his fained obedience to their very outward ſences; What forme is ſo glorious, that hee either cannot, or dare not vndertake? Here Gods aſcend out of the earth; Elſewhere Satan transformes him into an Angell of light; What wonder is it, that his wicked Inſtruments appeare like Saints in their hypocriticall diſſimulation? If wec will bee iudging by the appearance, we ſhall be ſure to erre: No eie could diſtinguiſh betwixt the true Samuel, and a falſe ſpirit. Saul, who was well worthy to bee deceiued, ſeeing thoſe gray haires, and that mantle, inclines himſelfe to the ground, and bowes himſelfe; Hee that would not worſhip God in Samuel aliue, now worſhips Samuel in Satan; and no meruel; Satan was now become his refuge in ſtead of God; his Vrim was darkneſſe, his Prophet a Ghoſt: EueryEvery one that conſults with Satan, worſhips him, though hee bow not, neither doth that euill ſpirit deſire any other reuerence, then to bee ſought to.
How cunningly doth Satan reſemble, not onelyonly the habit and geſture, but the language of Samuel, Wherefore haſt thou diſquieted me, and wherefore doeſt thou aske of mee, ſeeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemy? Nothin is more pleaſing to that euill one, then to be ſolicited, yet in the perſon of Samuel, hee can ſay, Why haſt thou diſquieted mee? Had not the Lord beene gone from Saul, he had neuer comne to the diuelliſh Oracle of Endor, and yet the counterfetting ſpirit can ſay, Why doſt thou aske of mee, ſeeing the Lord is gone from thee? Satan cares not how little he is knowne to bee himſelfe; hee loues to paſſe vnderunder any forme, rather then his owne.
The more holy the perſon is, the more carefully doth Satan act him, that by his ſtale he may enſnare vsus. In eueryevery motion it is good to try the ſpirits, whether they bee of God; Good words are no meanes, to diſtinguiſh a Prophet from a Deuill; Samuel himſelfe, whiles hee was aliue, could not hauehave ſpoken more grauely, more ſeuerely, more diuinely, then this euill Ghoſt, For the Lord will rent thy Kingdome out of thy hand, and giuegive it thy neighbour Dauid, becauſe thou obeyedst not the voyce of the Lord, nor executedſt his fierce wrath vponupon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this vntounto thee this day: When the Diuell himſelfe puts on grauity and religion, who can maruell at the hypocriſie of men? Well may lewd men bee good Preachers, when Satan himſelfe can play the Prophet; Where are thoſe Ignorants, that thinke charitably of charmes and ſpels, becauſe they finde nothing in them, but good words? What Prophet could ſpeake better words, then this Diuell in Samuels mantle? Neither is there at any time ſo much danger of that wicked ſpirit, as when hee ſpeakes beſt.
I could wonder to heare Satan preach thus prophetically, if I did not know, that as he was once a good Angell, ſo hee can ſtill act what hee was; Whiles Saul was in conſultation of ſparing Agag, we ſhall neuer finde that Satan would lay any block in his way; Yea, then he was a prompt Orator, to induce him into that ſin; now that it is paſt & gone; he can lade Saul with fearfull denunciations of judgment; Till wee hauehave ſinn'd, Satan is a Paraſite, when wee hauehave ſinn'd, hee is a Tyrant: What cares hee to flatter any more, when hee hath what hee would? Now his onelyonly worke is to terrifie, and confound, that hee may enioy what hee hath won; How much better is it ſeruing that Maſter, who when wee are moſt deiected with the conſcience of euill, heartens vsus with inward comfort, and ſpeakes peace to the ſoule, in the midſt of tumult?