Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 13 – Doctrine 14
Doct. 13. The hypocrite pleads excuſe from all blame vnderunder pretence of any good.
Now followes the ſecond note of an hypocrite, no leſſe needfull to be marked and regarded then the former, and that is this. If they doe any thing that is to be allowed, vnderunder the colour of that, all that they doe muſt be allowed alſo, and borne out by that; and whatſoeuer they cannot iuſtifie, but that it muſt needs be found fault with, that they lay vponupon others.And deriues that vponupon others which hee cannot ſhift off himſelfe. This is moſt apparantly to be ſeene in Saul, for he ſaith he ſlue the Amalakites, therefore he had walked in the way, in which the Lord commanded him: ſo that ſeeing hee had done ſomething that God commāded, therfore by & by he had done all that he ought: but he ſaid, ſeeing it could not but be granted that ſome part of Gods will was left vndone by him, namely, the beſt of the cattle was ſaued aliue contrary to Gods commandement. therefore beholde that he layes vponupon the people.
The firſt branch.
Concerning the firſt branch of theſe two: how common is it, though it bee moſt palpable and groſſe, that the goodnes which men doe,One inſtance in the worſt ſort. ſhall be ſpoken of by them, and ſet forth to the eyes of the world, as if none were like to them therein: neither might any thing be layd to their charge, how faulty ſoeuer they be otherwiſe. Now if any alleadge, that for all their boaſting of their goodnes, many abhominations are in their liues, they turne all ſuch accuſations behinde them, with him who being full of great ſins, healed vp all with theſe ſpeaches, I am no adulterer, I faſt twice in the weeke, I giuegive almes, &c. ſo theſe becauſe they hauehave ſomwhat to boaſt of, therefore all their filthines muſt be forgotten, though the ſtinch of it annoy all places about them▪ as is to be ſeene in that anſwere of Abner, who being accuſed by poor… Iſhboſheth for defiling his fathers Concubine, anſwered:2 Sam. 3. 8. am I a dogges head which againſt Iuda ſhew merciemercy to the houſe of Saul, &c? all his ſinne muſt be couered with the good ſeruice he had done to Iſhboſheth. Which, yet take it at the beſt, was in him none of the beſt, as his owne words after declare, in the 9. verſe. But to returne, the like practiſe is at this day to be ſeene in Popery, who vnderunder a vizoured colour of holines, commit all kinde of wickednes: painted ſepulchres they are, full of dead mens bones: particular inſtances are innumerable, therefore I ſay no more, for it is but loſt labour.
And I would to God,A ſecond inſtance in common Proteſtāts. this euill reſted in them; but (with griefe I ſpeake it) euen in the land of the righteous, where God is knowne,Eſay. 26. 10 and his word preached this iniquitie is committed, that vnderunder a cerimonious and hollow ſeruing of God, (which yet is but with lips, and from teeth outward,) all loathſome ſins are ſheltred.Math. 15. For what care or conſcience of dutie is there in the moſt, whatſoeuer they are occupied about, in their ſpeach or actions, ſaue that they be of our religion, and come to Church on the ſabbath, as others doe? Inſomuch, as the Prophet Ieremy who found out this ſinne in his time, cryed out of ſuch, that they made the temple of God,Ierem. 7. 7. a denne of theeues, and yet they were ſafe (in their owne imaginacion) for all their adulteries, ſwearing, &c. as long as they (after the committing of them) came into the Temple to pray. This is ranke hypocriſie, [though in ſome more groſſe, becauſe they hauehave more knowledge then others,] when they leape thus out of a wicked and vnreformed life, to boaſt of aſſurance of ſaluation, and all becauſe they hauehave ſomewhat to glory of, as that they pray, or giuegive to the poore, or doe no man wrong, as they ſay; when they, who are the children of God indeed, doe take ſo ſmall comfort in this that they doe ſome duties rightly, that they can finde no peace, nor walke cheerefully, whiles they ſuffer any one ſinne to hauehave dominion ouer them, or to remaine quiet or vnpurſued in them: And is it any marueile? ſeeing they hauehave learned, that God will be reuenged on the breach of eueryevery commandement.Pſal. 119. They beleeue this, and feare to doe againſt it, that ſo they may declare by their practiſe, that they deſire to beſeeme the goſpell in all things,Phil. 1. 27. and that they are according to Gods owne heart and liking,Deut. 5. 29. who ſaith, oh that there were ſuch an heart in them, that they did feare mee and keepe all my commandements alwayes, that it might go well with them.
And as theſe doe highly pleaſe God, ſo are they on the contrary moſt odious, which tie God to his ſtint, and performe ſome ſlender taske to him, as to pray in ceremonie, or heare ſometime, and to confeſſe with their mouthes, that we muſt liue Godly, but are voyd of the power of godlines in hart and deed: Such [mark it who will] ſet not themſelues to obſerue what is amiſſe in themſelues, if they be able to alleadge ſomething in their owne commendations; and that they be not ſo offenſiue and diſobedient, as many others; And yet as apparantly as this kinde of people is abhominable to God, Vſe 1 and branded with the marke of foule hypocriſie, yet [which is no leſſe lamentable] how is this courſe of liuing iuſtified in the world of the greateſt part, whereby it is ſo farre of from being diſgraced and repented of, that the commonnes of it, doth bolſter and maintaine it, and is not onelyonly checke-mate with ſinceritie it ſelfe,Note. but croweth ouer it, and for want of outward helpe to authoriſe and grace this ſynceritie and true godlynes, thruſteth it to the wall. Vſe 2 But God that taketh part with his owne ordinance, which is the endeauouring to ſerue him in all things, and hath commanded it in Moſes, Numb. 12.Iob, Iob. 1. 2.Samuell and others;1 Sam. 12. 16. and alſo hath condemned the contrarie in the whole packe and rabble of hypocrites,Pſal. 50. 16 will both bleſſe and be a father to thoſe which walke after this rule,1 Pet. 1. 17. and giuegive them their portion with the workes of iniquitie, who hauehave beene both practiſers, and thereby maintainers of this halfe and counterfeite ſeruing of God, as farre as they thinke good: thus deuiding thoſe things moſt groſſely which God hath ioyned together; for that ſuch (I ſpeake of the greateſt number) doe know that they doe wickedly in thus liuing, heereby it is manifeſt, when they are conuinced by ſtrong arguments, that their halfe ſeruing of God is an abhomination to him, they hauehave no better euaſion then this, who can liue thus? and that it is impoſſible: which anſwere denyeth not, but that God requireth ſuch a courſe and ſuch a manner of liuing, but they finde it to croſſe their will, and rebellious hart, and to cut them off from many of their vnlawfull liberties, which they will not part from; and therefore they hold on in their cuſtome and old manner ſtill, wittingly and willingly reſiſting God; come of it what will.
The ſecōd branch of the doctrine.
Another thing there is in this anſwere of Saul, well worth the marking: and that is a neere companion with the former,The hypocrite deriues his ſinne vponupon others. and an other true worke of an hypocrite: that in ſuch acts as had bene done of him, contrary to the charge that God gaue him, and the Prophet did euidently conuince him of diſobedience theretoo, ſo as he could not denie it: there he waſhed his hands, though he was deepeſt in the fault, and layd it vponupon others: ſaying, the people did it, as though they would hauehave done that without him: and beſides the Prophet did charge him perſonally, with the very ſame thing, ſaying, why haſt thou diſobeyed the voyce of the Lord, and turned to the ſpoyle? ſo that it was hee, howſoeuer the people agreed to him which doth bewray another dangerous thing in mens liues, who are yet members of the viſible Church of God. that as they care not how negligent and ſlacke they bee in obeying God, nor how ſmall and meane ſeruice they giuegive him, ſo yet if they be ſo vrged with ſome of their doings, that they cannot defend them to be good, yet how many excuſes will they hauehave to free themſelues by from blame? and to make a foule fault ſeeme ſmall or none at all, to cleere themſelues, though neither cleanly nor truly:1 Sam. 19. 17. and all, that they may not be charged, vponupon whomſoeuer it light: In which kinde of dealing, as they are neuer the more diſcharged before God (no nor for the moſt part before the world] yet thus they louelove to deceiue themſelues, & ſuffer the deuill to blindfold them heereby, and ſo make a cuſtome of ſinning, till it be moſt hard to draw them out of it: Farre are ſuch of, we ſee, from accuſing themſelues: and therefore farre from the eſtate of righteous men, ſeeing the righteous is his owne firſt accuſer. And although no man ought to accuſe himſelfe when hee is innocent, no more then he is bound to offer himſelfe to the croſſe and affliction, which God doth not lay vponupon him; yet when a man knoweth himſelfe to be guilty and faulty, and will not ſee but hideth page missing commeth, weariſome and tedious to you, while you liue merrily? for in affliction, how many of you hold your confidence in Chriſt, which at other times commonly ye bragge of? nay, doe you not then feare he loueth you not, but is angry with you? and why? euen for that you cannot but remember, that in time paſt you hauehave hidden your ſinne, and by excuſes made it ſeem no fault or ſin, leaſt it ſhould hauehave troubled you, and hauehave cauſed you to leaue and forſake it, which was as ſugar vnderunder your tongue: euen this excuſing of faults is the bane of the ſoule; for that emboldneth men to ſinne, which otherwiſe durſt not: for did men ſee that others knew how bad their liues are, would they not be aſhamed, and couer their faces; who now are bold to doe whatſoeuer euill liketh them, becauſe they thinke they are not ſeene of men; and therefore when God plucketh all maskes from their eies, and arreſteth them on their bedds or otherwiſe, woundeth and pierceth them with deepe ſorrowes, then they finde it to be with them, (as this Saul did oft, and namely in cap. 18.) to wit, they are almoſt in deſperation. Therefore let us feare to flie to ſuch deceiuable ſhiftes, and when we lay the blame on others men, which is due to vsus, know we, that we ſhall be cleared before God, no better, nor otherwiſe then Adam was, when he anſwered, the woman which thou gaueſt me, ſhe cauſed me to eate.
A further explication of the 2. branch.Now more particularly let vsus ſee by whome he excuſed himſelfe, and that was by the people, they (he ſaith) reſerued ſome of the cattle. But will any man thinke that the people were not ſubiect vntounto him, but he rather vntounto them? we ſee how he commanded the people in a ſmall thing,1 Sam. 14. and yet too ſtrictly and cruelly, when they were faint by purſuing their enemies, and for all that none durſt diſobey him, no namely, that they ſhould not ſo much as taſte of a little honey, when it would hauehave ſtrengthened and refreſhed them, and hauehave made them fitter to goe againſt their enemies, ſo great awe he had them in: And therefore ſmall likelyhood there was heere, notwithſtanding his charging them that they had reſerued of the cattle againſt his will: that was therefore a ſleight excuſe, and had little truth in it. And by this we may learne; that men to ſhunne blame and puniſhment for their, ſinne, care not vponupon whome they lay the fault, nor who ſmart, ſo as they may eſcape and goe free: though they deſerue no ſuch thing. A common fault in the world, that men can be content that other ſhall ſuffer for their offences, as many a one is ſeen to be hanged for the treſpaſſe, which another is guiltie of. This was farre from Dauid, when the peſtilence was on the people for his numbring of them.1 Sam. 14. The godly man beareth his owne burden. He ſaid vntounto the Lord, when he ſaw the Angell ſmite the people, behold, I hauehave ſinned and done wickedly, but theſe ſheepe, what hauehave they done? Let thine hand [I pray thee] be againſt mee and my fathers houſe. Euen ſo Paul wiſhed in his bonds, that all were as he; that is true chriſtians, but without his bands: he could willingly wiſh them the commoditie, that he himſelfe enioyed, but without the ſmart that he ſufteyned. And ſo an vpright hearted chriſtian, cannot finde in his heart to ſuffer another man to beare his burthen; nor to ſmart for his fault, neither hath any pleaſure to eaſe himſelfe by other mens paine; and ſorrow. Rather he beareth the burthens of others, then diſburthens himſelfe vponupon the innocent. So neither can he hurt, wrong, and oppreſſe another for his owne benefite, much leſſe then can, or dare he liue by the ſinnes of other men, as many doe; nor pill, oppreſſe, defraud the poore, with hard impoſitions, racked rents; hard penny worths, when he knoweth they cannot beare them, but muſt needes faint and ſhrinke vnderunder their burthens. Alas what comfort can a man take in the commoditie that hee wringeth from the poore! who ſhould relieue, and giuegive to him … ther; And yet behold, there is no difference betwixt poore and rich made, ſo as they who deale with them, may hauehave aduantage by them. Heerein men are like vntounto Saul, who falſely accuſed the people, of that which he himſelfe was guilty of, and made them tranſgreſſors, whereas himſelfe had faulted and deſerued the puniſhment. But let vsus beare our owne burden, and bee not ſo hard harted, as to hurt the innocent.
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Doct. 14. Hypocrites extenuate their ſinne. THE THIRD SERMON.
VERSE. 21.
But the people tooke of the ſpoile, ſheepe and oxen, the chiefe of the things which ſhould hauehave beene vtterly deſtroyed, to ſacrifice vntounto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
SAul knowing himſelfe faultie in that which he layed to the people: doth make light of it. It teacheth vsus, when the hypocrites conſcience is accuſed and found guilty, it doth what it can to extenuate the ſinne, and make it ſeeme nothing. The reaſon is, becauſe it is not repented of, but the offender purpoſeth to lye ſtill in it: and while it is ſo, he loueth not to heare it made odious, and to be aggrauated, whereas they, who turne to God in truth, aggrauate it to the vtmoſt that they can, and why ſo? ſurely becauſe they neuer purpoſe to commit, or to hauehave to doe with it any more, as we ſee in Dauid, Pſal. 51. 2.and in Paul. In all this,1. Tim. 1. 15 Saul knew hee ſpake vntruly: for the cattle was not reſerued to bee offred in ſacrifice, but as Samuell charged him, to his owne vſe; and yet when he ſawe no other way to make his part good, he did it by a lie, which he thought could not be knowne: It teacheth vsus that he who dareth doe euill and ſinne againſt his conſcience,And (if need be) hide it with a lie. will (if he be put to it) hide his ſinne with a lie. As we ſee it is bred in nature to doe ſo, for little children if they be charged with a fault, will make it away with a lye. But what lye made Saul? I ſay a cunning lye, that Samuell could not knowe, except God had reuealed it to him: For who knew what he meant to doe, but himſelfe? yet ſome lyes others know to be lyes, and are (as other fruites of the fleſh) manifeſt.Gal. 6.