Samuels Encounter with Saul, Title page – Table of contents
Samuels ENCOVNTER WITH Saul.
1 Sam. Chap. 15. from ver. 13. to ver. 30.
Preached and penned, by that worthy ſeruant of God, Mr. RICHARD ROGERS, late Preacher of WETHERFIELD in ESSEX.
And publiſhed word for word, according to his owne coppy, finiſhed before his Death.
LONDON, Printed by Edw. Griffin, for Samuel Man, dwelling in Pauls Church-yard at the ſigne of the Swan, 1620.
To the Chriſtian Reader.
THe condition of eueryevery true ſeruant of God in this world, is fitly compared to a warfare,Iob. 7. 1. and his life to the life of a ſouldier,Eſa. 40. 2. in reſpect of the many,Num. 4. 43. the mighty,1. Tim. 2. 4. the malicious and ſubtle enemies hee is to deale withall.Iam. 4. 2. This is true, eſpecially of ſuch as ſerue God in the worke of the miniſterie, who hauehave not ſlite to wraſtle againſt principalities and againſt powers, that is, againſt wicked ſpirits, euen the diuell and his Angels, and againſt their owne luſts, which fight in their members (which too are common, with them and all other Chriſtians) but alſo (and that in a ſpeciall manner) Againſt vnreaſonable and euill men.2 Theſ 3. 2.
Hereof the holy men of God hauehave had experience in all ages in the world.Inde 14, 15 Enock the ſeauenth from Adam, wraſtled with ſuch, as may appeare by his holy propheſie, of the ſecond cōming of Ieſus Chriſt, whereby he doth comfort himſelf and others againſt them. Noah al ſo, who liued likewiſe before the floud, did contend & ſtriue with ſuch, (as a man that goeth to law with another) 120. yeares together, as Moſes ſheweth in the 6. of Gen.Gen. 6. 3.
Who knoweth not the manifold and continuall Combats that Moſes that great Prophet,Pſa. 95. 10. and meek ſeruant of God,Exo. 14. 11. 12. & 15. 24. (an alſo his brother Aaron) had with a mutinous & vnthankfull people 40.Num. 11. & 14. & 16. & 20. &. 21. yeares long in the wilderneſſe? This ſtory is ſo clearely recorded, ſo plainely and plentifull ſet down in the bookes of Exod. and Numb. and ſo well knowne to eueryevery Chriſtian, that I ſhall not neede to quote any places for the proofe hereof.
Eſay (as the Lords Meſſenger) complaineth,Rom. 10. 21. ſaying, All the day long hauehave I ſtretched out my hand, to a diſobedient and gaineſaying people. And Ieremie cryeth mainely out:Ier. 15. 10. Woe is me my mother, that thou haſt borne mee a contentious man, and a man that ſtriueth with the whole land. Doth not the ſpeech of the Lord to the Prophet Ezechiel teach vsus the ſame thing, where he ſaith;Ezech. 2. 3. 6 Sonne of man, I ſend thee to the children of Iſrael, a rebellious houſe. And a little after, he telleth him, that Rebels and thornes ſhall bee with him, and that hee ſhall remaine among ſcorpions. What ſhall I ſay more? For this Epiſtle would be ouer long, if I ſhould ſpeake of our Sauiour Chriſt, who in the daies of his fleſh, and after,Luc 2 34. was,Math. 22. & 23. a ſigne that was ſpoken againſt, Act. …61 …2. & 19 28 & 21. 28.as the manifold oppoſitions and combats, which hee had with the Iewiſh Prieſts do ſhew; or of his Apoſtles, who (as Paul ſpeaketh of himſelfe) fought with men, as mad and furious as any wilde beaſtes.
Wherefore to omit other teſtimonies and examples that might be alledged for proofe of this point, let vsus only inſiſt a little vponupon that example, which is ſet before vsus in this preſent text of Scripture, wherin we hauehave (as it were) a Monomachie, or ſingle combat betwixt the Prophet Samuel, and Saul a King, whom hee himſelfe (by the commandement of God) had anoynted.
Now, whereas vnreaſonable and euill men are of two ſorts, ſome fierce and cruell, as Dogs & Lyons, that will turne again, & rent ſuch as reproue them, as the Sodomites,Gen. 19. 9. and Ieroboam: 1 Kin. 13. 4.others, ſubtill and crafty, as Serpents and Foxes, full of ſhifts and faire pretences. Samuel in this place, hath to deale with the latter. For hee hath to deale with Saul, who hauing (for the time) layd aſide his Lyon-like diſpoſition, wherewith hee rored againſt his eldeſt ſon Ionathan, 1 Sam. 20. 30, 31▪doth now fall (like his father, the firſt Adam) to ſly and ſhameles ſhifting,Gen. 3. with Samuel the faithfull ſeruant of God.
For firſt of all (putting on a brow of braſſe,Verſ. 13. 10. 12. and a fore-head of iron) hee telleth Samuel, by way of preuention, and againſt the light of his owne conſcience,Verſ. 15. that he had fulfilled the commandement of the Lord. Secondly, being put from that ſtarting hole, and plainely conuinced of a flat vntruth, hee ſhifteth it off from himſelfe to the people; whom yet hee iuſtfieth, in reſpect of their end and good intent, which was (as he ſaith) to do ſacrifice to the Lord their God.Verſ. 20. 21. Thirdly, being further conuinced of his ſin, and the root of it (that is, greedy auarice) being layd open, hee hardneth his heart yet more, and with an impudent face doth iuſtifie, both himſelfe and the people, as thinking it great pity, to kill ſuch a goodly Prince as Agag was, and to ſpoyle and caſt away ſuch fat cattle, and make them a prey for the fowles and wilde beaſts, which might ſerue for better purpoſes; thus ſecretly taxing the commandement of the Lord, of too much rigor and ſeuerity, & making himſelfe more wiſe & merciful then God.Verſ. 24. 25. Fourthly, being driuen from this hold, and ſo manifeſtly conuinced, that he could not deny it to be a ſin; yet he ſeeketh to extenuate and excuſe it, as a ſin of infirmity, which hee committed not in contempt of God;Exod. 32. 32. but for feare of the people, which thing alſo mooued Aaron to make the molten Calfe.Verſe 30. Laſtly, being brought by maine force, to acknowledge that his ſin could not bee cloked, nor excuſed, hee doth not goe about to ſeeke reconciliation, & make his peace with God; but all his care is, to maintaine his honor, and to keep his credit with the people.
To conclude, I conſider in this Treatiſe two things: whereof the firſt is the matter & ſubject thereof; the ſecond, the ſpeech and manner of handling. In regard of the former, it may bee called, The vncaſing, or diſcouering of an Hypocrite: In regard of the latter, it may be called (according to the phraſe of the Apoſtle.2. Tim. 1. 13) A true type and patterne of wholſome ſpeeches or words. The firſt is a fit ſubiect for eueryevery faithfull Miniſter of Gods holy Word, to labour often in: and the other, a liuely example of diuiding the Word of God a right, 2. Tim. 2. 15opening and applying of it with that wiſdome, plainneſſe, ſimplicity, and power, which will preuaile more with thoſe that truely feare God, then all the painted eloquence and oſtentation of human wiſdom, that the wit of man can poſſibly ſhew. To ſuch, I commend the reading and hearing of theſe godly Sermons, beſeeching God to adde his gracious bleſſing thereunto, euen for Chriſt Ieſus ſake, In whom I reſt,
Thy louing friend, S. Egerton.
A TABLE OF the cheefe heads or Doctrine, contained in this booke: and ſpecially the marks of hypocriſie.
THe Preface to the diſcourſe, ſhewing the Authors ſcope and purpoſe. pag. 1:
The generall vnfolding of the whole context, from verſe 13, to 30. pag. 3.
Doct. 1. Little place for reproofe among Chriſtans. pag. 14.
Doct. 2. EueryEvery mans way ſeemes good in his owne eyes. pag. 21.
Doct. 3. The worſt ſomtime will reuerence Gods Miniſters. p. 28.
Doct. 4. The Miniſter muſt conuict the hearer of that he teacheth. p. 34.
Doct. 5. 1 Marke of an hypocriie. When hee is conuicted, he fals to ſhifting, p. 40. Whereto adde a ſecond marke. Hardneſſe of heart and boldneſſe bewray hypocriſie, p. 50.
Doct. 6. Whiles we are yet in meane eſtate, each benefit is thank-worthy. p. 55.
Doct. 7. The greater Gods bleſsings be, the greater ſhall be our accompt. p. 68.
Doct. 8. 3 Marke. The hypocrite ferueth God by halfes. pag. 79.
Doct. 9. 4 Marke. Hypocriſie accompanied with corrupt luſts, as couetouſneſſe, which is the root of all euill. pag. 98.
Doct. 10. Sin ne…er goeth without company. pag. 105.
Doct. 11. Sin lyeth cloſe and bid, till the Word diſcouer it. p. 107.
Doct. 12. 5 Marke. Iuſtifying of himſelfe, a marke of an hypocrite. p. 116.
Doct. 13. Hath two branches, containing a ſixth and a ſeuenth marke. Hypocrites, vnderunder colour of ſome good actions, would be excuſed from all blame. p. 122. When they cannot, then they lay the fault vponupon others. pag. 123.
Doct. 14. The 8 Marke. Hypocrites extenuate their ſin. pag. 145.
Doct. 15. The multitude conſenteth to euill, without ſcruple. pag. 147.
Doct. 16. Sacrifice pleaſeth not God without obedience. pag. 170.
Doct. 17. Men are farre wide in their accompt of ſinne. pag. 193.
Doct. 18. Our ſhiftes will not ſerue our turne, when God comes to reckon. pag. 204.
Doct. 19. Our ſinnes bereaue vsus of our beſt iewells. pag. 214.
Doct. 20. Gods meſſage muſt be done to all ſorts indifferently. pag. 224.
Doct. 21. A ninth marke. Hypocrites make little conſcience of lying. pag. 230.
Doct. 22. Few to be found, who may bee beleeued vponupon their word. pag. 238. So that God muſt force their conſcience, ere they will bewray the truth. pag. 243. A queſtion, Whether Sauls confesſion went with Repentance? pa. 262
Doct. 23. Tenth marke. The hypocrite is like himſelfe, at his beſt. pag. 273.
Doct. 24. The moſt careleſſe hearers, ſhall one day condemne themſelues. pag. 294.
Doct. 25. Eleuenth marke. An hypocrite hardens his heart againſt confesſion, and repentance, through hope of ſecrefie. pag. 297.
Doct. 26. Gods fauour is pretious to the worſt, at one time or other. pag. 302.
A queſtion reſolued: viz. How farre forth wee may conuerſe with ſuch as are offenſiue pag. 310.
Doct. 27. A Chriſtian ought to doe nothing, whereof hee cannot yeeld good reaſon pag. 322.
Doct. 28. Nothing ſhould hurt vsus if we caſt not off Gods yoke. pag. 325.
Doct. 29. Twelfth marke, Hypocrites may aſcribe much to the meanes, though they profit little thereby. pag. 331.
Doct. 30. More will frequent good company, then make good vſe of it. pag. 335.
Doct. 31. Hypocrites may alway looke for ill tydings. pag. 344.
The end of the Table.