Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 2
Doct. 2. No mans way is euil in his own eyes.
We may further gather here by this, that Saul could make an euill matter, ſeeme ſo good as hee made his ſeeme to be, that if eueryevery man may be allowed to tell his owne tale, the worſt perſon will ſeeme honeſt, and the baddeſt caſe appeare to be good. For why? men can ſo paint and diſguiſe themſelues, that they wil nothing ſhew themſelues to be ſuch as indeed they are, but farre better and more gracious. For when God himſelfe bewrayeth and ſetteth out here Saul to Samuell, to be ſo euill that he repented that he had made him king … yet doth he at the firſt greeting and meeting of Samuell, ſo commends, and magnifies his owne doings vntounto him, that he freed himſelfe from all blame: ſo that no man, vnleſſe taught of God, would once hauehave thought, that he had beene faultie and worthie to be reproued, to the which end yet Samuell came vntounto him: like Gehazai, who when he had by ſhameleſſe lying inriched himſelfe, and deſerued no more to remain in his place; yet appeared before his maſter boldly, as if he had done no ſuch thing, & being asked from whence he came (which might ſecretly hauehave made him appaled, knowing himſelfe guitie) yet bluſhed not a whit, but anſwered,2 Kin. 5. 25 ſaying, thy ſeruant hath beene no where: euen as the Harlot, who when ſhee hath done wickedly,Pro. 30 20. wipeth her mouth, and ſaith, what euill hauehave I done?
Talke with an hundreth men who hauehave ſuites and controuerſies with others;Inſtances of this. I. ſcarcely ſhall yee finde one, who hath told his tale ſimply and according to truth, as it will appeare when they come face to face with their aduerſaries: ſo great cauſe ſaw the wiſe man to giuegive a charge to all,Pro. 18. 17. vponupon ſo good proofe as he had, that a man ſhould heare both parties: and that, who ſo giueth ſentence in a matter when hee hath heard but the one, it ſhall be a ſhame vntounto him when the other ſhall come forth to be heard.
Nay, to come to matters which doe more nearly concerne the Lord; how many of thoſe that profeſſe the Goſpell, will ſeeme to others to be a reproach to it, but will ſay we muſt be obedient to it, yea, and woe be to the workers of iniquitie; but yet ſhall theſe ſayings be found verified, euen among the moſt of them: with their words they confeſſe God, but with their deedes they denie him. …. …. …6.Tit. 1. Hauing a ſhew of godlineſſe, but denying the power of it. 2. Tim. 3. 5.2. Tim. 3. 5. and that other ſaying of the Lord: this people hath ſaid well all that they hauehave ſaid, but oh that there were an heart in them that they would feare me! Deut. 5. 29.Deut. 5. 29.
All which and the like in men,The cauſe of this euill. do ariſe from the looſneſſe of the heart, when they obſerue not, neither ponder their thoughts and wayes; and from falſhood and an euill conſcience, when they do not reſolue to keepe ſimplicity in their whole courſe: & from pride and ſelfe louelove, that they like,Note. & would hauehave others allow all that they do. Which cauſeth that complaint in Prou. 20.Pro. 20. 6. The greateſt part will boaſt eueryevery one of his owne goodneſſe, but where ſhall one find a faithfull man? I graunt that ſuch euill men are found out and diſcerned of the godly, where they liue, and to ſuch they can do the leſſe harme by their ill example, ſeeing they be contrary minded vntounto them: as Salomon ſayth of one kinde of ſuch, The rich man is wiſe in his owne conceite, but the poore that hath vnderſtanding, can finde him out. But great offence theſe giuegive to ſuch as are ſtrangers to them, who, when they heare them ſpeak well, and after vnderſtand that their deedes are contrary, doe cauſe them to crie out againſt ſuch: and ſeeing they perceiue them to bee profeſſors of the Goſpell, they are ſet much further off from embracing it: but on the other ſide, they honour both God and Goſpell who are faithfull, and men of their word.
Vſe.
The vſes of this doctrine be many. Firſt, that we bee not partiall in our owne matters. Secondly, that wee be not to haſty to commend and allow of all ſuch as can giuegive a good ſhew of godlineſſe and honeſtie, but as we ſhall hauehave better proofe thereof. Thirdly, that our owne ſpeeches bee few, but as they come from an vpright and a well ordered heart: for, in many words there is much ſinne, Pro. 25.and only a word in ſeaſon is like apples of gold, and pictures of ſiluer. Fourthly, that wee make much of ſuch, of whoſe faithfulneſſe wee hauehave good proofes there being ſo few of them. And fiftly, be we helpers to them, in whom wee ſee good ſignes of well meaning, and of whom we hauehave good hope.