Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 8
Doct. 8. God will not be ſerued by halfes.
What the Lord inioyned Saul, we hauehave heard, that is, that he ſhould vtterly dſtroy the Amalakites, and what Saul did we hauehave alſo heard, that is, that in part, he did as God had commanded him: but how ſuch obeying pleaſed God, is ſhewed heere, where he calls it wickednes, all that he had done, and a not obeying: for thus hee ſaith, why haſt thou not obeyed the voyce of the Lord, but haſt done wickedly? So that when he ſerued the Lord but in part, and (as we ſay) by halfe ſeruice, God vtterly abhorres it. To teach vsus, that he will not be ſerued of vsus by halfes, as that wee ſhould do ſome thing which he requireth, and to leaue others vndone, which hee commands: and that we would leaue and chuſe at our owne pleaſure, and ſo to patch vp his ſeruice as we thinke good, and not to giuegive ouer our ſelues, in full purpoſe to endeauour to pleaſe him in all things, God will not beare, nor put it vp at our hands.
And great reaſon,Reaſons. we may ſee of this: For ſeeing hee doth require (as moſt iuſtly he may) to be ſerued withall our heart, as we reade in the Prouerbes, giuegive me thine heart my ſonne:Prou. 23. And agine, delight thou in my waies continually,Peo. 23. 26. And ſeeing we are commanded, whatſoeuer we doe, whether we eate or drink, to do all to his honour.1 Cor. 10. 32 Who doth not ſee but that halfe ſeruice,Coloſ. 1. 10. and abridging him of his due, is abhominable: and that to obey him, when, where, and how we thinke good, although in many things we doe that which he commands, is to ſerue him negligently, and therefore to bee no better then in a curſed eſtate, as it is written. Curſed is he that ſerueth God negligently.Iere. 48. 10
And yet ſuch is the moſt mens ſeruing of God at this day, euen as Saul did heere, not with an honeſt and vpright heart, from dutie to dutie, and in one part of their life, as in another: oh! that were too ſtrickt and preciſe, to tie vp our rebellions and vnruly luſts ſo ſhort, but to part ſtakes with the Lord, that the moſt part of our life be giuen to our ſelues, to ſerue the luſts of the fleſh, and to follow the ſuggeſtions of Sathan, and the deceiuable allurements of the world, and the reſt if any remaine, (as he that is wiſe, will eaſile geſſe how ſmall that will be) the reſt (I ſay) ſhall bee giuen vntounto God. This is the moſt mens ſeruing and obeying of God as I ſaid: euen as the common and better ſort of ciuill men, doe declare in their owne words, who if they be asked what they thinke the obeying and ſeruing of God to be, they affirme ſimply to goe to Church on the Sabbathes, and if farther it be asked, what then is to bee done, they make no queſtion if it be once done, but that eueryevery man may doe, what he thinketh good, eithe worke or play or be idle, as appeareth by thoſe that are buſie, and goe about lazily, and lie at ſhop windowes, and there prate, and be talking of one body or other, of this worldly matter or that, which doe nothing belong to them, and thus paſſe away the time. I ſpeake not now of the ſcum and of ſcourings of townes, who yet goe as farre beyond theſe in diſobeying of God, and in wicked life, as theſe herein goe beyond honeſt and true chriſtians. And ſo ſhall ye finde it in all eſtates and conditions of people.
Now,Such come ſhort of Saul. if they thinke and hold this for their opinion, that the ſeruing and obeying of God, conſiſts in ſuch a ſleight keeping of the ſabboath (as by the ſpeach and practiſe of too many may eaſily bee gathered) I in comparing them with Saul, and making them like to him, aſcribe more to them then is their due. For the ſtorie both in this and ſome other chapters before, doth clearely and largely ſhewe, how he beſides the publique ſeruing of God, did many worthy and religious actions and commendable, and did ſee that God was in perticular actions and partes of his life, obeyed of him; wherein he went before the common ſort of ſuch as be called Proteſtants, who are not troubled from morning to night, nor from the beginning of the weeke to the end, how they obey or diſobey the lawes of God in the courſe of their liues, or how they liue: but hold this in their iudgement, that they neede not ſtretch their care, nor take any thought that way. And yet Saul, who did goe before them ſo farre (as may apparantly be ſeene,) becauſe hee did not duely looke vntounto, and carefully diſcharge ſuch duties as hee tooke in hand, and in part alſo did performe, wee ſee how God ſetteth him as it were vponupon the ſtage, as a gazing ſtocke to be looked vponupon, and for not obeying him ſendeth a heauie meſſage vntounto him, how he was diſpleaſed with him, and pronounced this fearefull ſentence vponupon him, to wit, it repenteth me that I hauehave made him King.
And therefore what iuſt cauſe hauehave the common ſort of this people,Application of the point. 1. To the péople of the worſer ſort. to lament, and bewaile their eſtate and condition, who in this long time wherein the goſpell hath brought light among them, hauehave not [I dare bee bold to ſay and hauehave prooued it] ſo much knowledge and care as he had; nor occupie themſelues ſo much in many duties doing to God in their particular actions,2. To Miniſters. as he did: Yea, and if this were well conſidered, what care and diligence ſhould it ſtirre vp in the miniſters, to pitty this miſerable condicion of the people, and with all earneſtnes and louelove, to make the ſame known vntounto them, and to diſſwade them from it, as much as in them lyeth? For if God might iuſtly challenge Saul, for this ſeruing him by halfes and ſlightly, what ſhall he hauehave againſt them, who (a fewe things excepted, and thoſe yet to ſmall purpoſe) ſerue him not at all in their common actions and courſe of life? And yet that this may be no defence for them, that they goe with others to the publique place to worſhip God, it may be truely ſaid, that many of them doe that more for louelove then for conſcience: and yet many heere thinke, that for that very action, they are to be taken for right good Chriſtians.
But now that I hauehave proued that the moſt part come behind Saul for the practiſe of religion,3. To hollow profeſſors. and obedience to God, giuegive me leaue to go a little further, and by this occaſion of Sauls ſinne, to ſhewe them their face as it were in a glaſſe, who can in no wiſe proue themſelues better then he was. Of this ſecond ſort therefore a little. For I would be loath, whiles I am ſpeaking againſt the ſeruing of God by halfes, to be iuſtly charged in this ſo weightie a matter, to do my dutie but by halſes, by ſpeaking but of the one halfe of them, whome the text concerneth. To paſſe therefore from this ſort of men, to another, which more nearely reſembleth Saul, and in outward apparance goeth farre beyond the former in religious duties: I make no doubt but that the greateſt part, who hauehave any vprightnes of iudgement and gift to diſcerne, will readily agree with mee in that I hauehave ſaid of the former kinde. There will be greater queſtion, about this latter. Not for that it is ſo doubtfull, but for that many are ſo blinde in particular cauſes, and ſo partiall in iudgement. For otherwiſe euen this may determine the queſtion, if in this time of clearer light, men can hauehave no greater proofe of their godlines, and ſyncerity, then Saul had in a time of groſſer and deeper darknes. I hope none will denie, but that they are as deepe in the puniſhment, and are as guiltie of it, and ſo continuing, ſhall as certainly goe vnderunder it as he did. And to bewray thoſe two ſorts of men, I did as I ſaide in the beginning, vnfold this ſcripture.
Now therefore this I ſay, if God could beare Saul no longer, but giuegive him ouer to be vexed with an euill ſpirit, as appeareth he did in the next chapter, and that for his halting and obeying God by halfes, and for that hee did it not in ſynceritie and faithfully, what hope hauehave they to God-ward, which doe the like? Therefore, if many now among vsus, not only worſhippe God publiquely, but alſo priuately take his word into their mouthes, ſo that outwardly and openly, they ſhewe themſelues to bee good Chriſtians, yea, if in many things they doe after the doctrine which they learne out of the word, yet if they do it but in ſome things, and endeauour not in all,Note well. what vprightnes can be in them? According to that of ſaint lames, Jam. 2.he that keepeth all the commandements, and breaketh ſome one of them, is guiltie of all: meaning, that he that will not be ſubiect to God in one thing as well as in another, ſhall ſhew his contempt of Gods maieſtie, who is the law giuer, euen as he doth who ſhall declare it in many things: which ſaying of the Apoſtle, agreeth with that of the Prophet Ezechiell: Ezek. 18.If a man be a theefe or a ſhedder of blood, or hath defiled his neighbours wife, or if he doe any one of theſe things, though he doe not all of them, but hath oppreſſed the poore, or hath giuen forth vponupon vſurie, hee ſhall die the death, and his blood ſhall be vponupon him, What can bee more plaine then this,Ezek 18. 10. which the Prophet ſpeaketh to proue, that though a man be free from many defilements, and yet …ainted with ſome one; or if contrarily hee will bee forward in many duties, and yet will not be ſubiect to the will of God in other, which he knoweth to be required as well as in them, what is plainer (I ſay) then this, that God will not accept of him, but take him for one which ſerues him by halfes? And who can gather, that Saul was for any other cauſe reiected of the Lord?
Then we muſt come from this cōmon ſeruing of God,What ſuch ſhould do. (which yet is farre before the former) and yet alike reiected of God as it is: and conſequently all ſuch as deſire that God may accept of their ſeruice, and take them that offer it for his beloued, in whome he delighteth, muſt bring themſelues into a narrow compaſſe, and ſtretch their care further; that is to ſay, they muſt reſolue and couenant to take heede to their wayes, and courſe of life more particularly, and labour faithfully in one thing as in another, to pleaſe God according to the meaſure of their knowledge. And I dare boldly affirme by the authority of theſe forenamed ſcriptures, that he which dyeth with leſſe then this, and hath not repented for it, nor obtayned pardon of it, dyeth in the diſpleaſure of God and cannot be ſaued.
And this is moſt fearefull if we conſider,Further vſe of this doctrine. that if any beleeuing this, doe addreſſe themſelues to this care and practiſe, they are by and by ſcorned and ſcoffed at,1. In reproofe of ſcorning. and reproachfully taunted, and tawed with odious and reproachfull names of hypocrites, and ſuch like: as if they would boldly contend with, and ſet themſelues againſt God in their ſo doing: when he ſaith on the one ſide to men, except they liue thus they are indeede hypocrites, and cannot be ſaued, and they directly contrary anſwere and ſay, if they doe liue thus, they are diſſemblers, fooles and troubleſome, in which eſtate they cannot be ſaued: For let him that thinketh himſelfe wiſeſt of theſe contemners and diſcouragers of their brethren, ſpeake. Is it for any other cauſe that they diſgrace and crie out of them then this? that their deedes are good, and their owne euill? For if they could bee content to ſerue God looſely and to halfes as they doe, there ſhould be no riſing of heart againſt them: no verily: but euen therefore they are their ſongs and matter to talke of. But if for all this they will iuſtifie their halfe ſeruing of God to be ſufficient to commend them to him, and that in ſo doing none doe liue better then themſelues, I leaue them to a deeper conſideration of it. I hauehave ſhewed what ſeruice God requireth, euen ſuch as they that offer it, ſhould take heede that there be not at any time in any of them an euill heart; and that they ſhould endeauour whether they eate or drinke, or whatſoeuer they doe, that all ſhould be to the praiſe of God: and by watching and prayer, they ſhould keepe from the temptations that others are ouercome of.2. Comfort to the vpright. And as for the infirmities that cleaue to them in this courſe, they ſhall be forgiuen them, and ſhall not hinder them from true and ſound reioycing, which is a perpetuall companion to ſynceritie: as it is written in the Pſalme, Reioyce ye righteous, and be glad all ye that are vpright in heart. And this ſhall ſerue for this point.