Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 16
Doct. 16. Sacrifice pleaſeth not God without obedience.
This being thus ſaid, which was neceſſary, let Samuells words [hath the Lord as great pleaſure in ſacrifice, as that his voice ſhould be obeyed?) teach vsus, that the moſt religious actions that God requireth (ſuch as ſacrifices were) as prayer, hearing the word, the vſe of the Sacraments, &c. are in no account with God, if he that vſe them be not obedient in his life to the cōmandements of God and a repentant Chriſtian. A wonderfull and fearefull doctrine (yet moſt true, for this our age, wherein ſo few are, or thinke it meete they ſhould be obedient to the truth in particular, which is taught them, and hauehave nothing to commend them vntounto God, vnleſſe it bee the ceremonious worſhipping of God, in the manner I hauehave mencioned, a ſeruice not better then the offring of ſacrifice, which (we ſee) without obedience was nothing worth. Indeed the Apoſtle Iohn ſaith,Reuel. 1. 3. bleſſed is he that heareth and readeth, and keepeth the contents of that booke, but not he that heareth and readeth only, but that keepeth it alſo. So then, this obedience to Gods will, is not to be compared with ſacrifices, but to be preferred farre before them: ſacrifices were offrings to God which were commanded, but ſo as they offred them in faith and repentance alſo: but obedience is the fruite of both, therefore to bee preferred; The Lord tels the Iſraelites, I required no ſacrifices of your fathers, after that I brought them out of Egypt (meaning after that in Sinai) but that they ſhould obey my voyce,Deut. 4. 6. and that is our wiſdome,Rom. 2. 28. ſo he is not a Iew which is one outwardly. Therfore our outward worſhip is nothing, if the heart goe not with it: whatſoeuer men anſwere in their defence, if they obey not, prayer is nothing cap. 13.13 we hold the generall, but the particular, we looke not vntounto, for then our hearts ſhould be taken vp wholy in one dutie after another, which now is ſcarcely done in any, to purpoſe. And it is called obedience of faith, ſeeing we muſt beleeue that God requireth a thing of vsus, before we can, or will do it. But men deale with God, as one with another, for they cogge and deceiue, and time muſt waſh it away, and then good fellowſhip againe, ſo they diſobey God, and after they would be friends again with him.The doctrine more fully opened.
Out of the prophets words in this verſe and the next, namely the 23. wee may learne in what deteſtable account all diſobedience is to the commandement and reuealed will of God, and withall, how we ſhould cenſure ſuch diſobedience, and thinke of it in our ſelues. In what deteſtation mens ſinne is with God, howſoeuer they couer it, and whatſoeuer colours or pretences they ſet vponupon it, the words (I ſay) ſhew ſufficiently, when the prophet ſaith, hath the Lord as great pleaſure in burnt offrings, as that his voyce ſhould bee obeyed? againe, where he compareth his diſobedience to rebellion and witchcraft. The prophet Eſay doth in the firſt chapter, in moſt odious manner reprooue the people though they offred to the Lord ſacrifice, ſeeing they were diſobedient.Eſay 1. Doe you offer to mee the multitude of your ſacrifices? I am full of your burnt offrings ſaith the Lord: I hauehave no pleaſure in the blood of your lambes and goates; and that ye come to appeare before mee, who required this at your hands? with many like ſpeaches: and yet wee know as hath bene ſaid, that God commanded all ſuch things. But why then doth he thus refuſe them at their hands? and ſay he will ſhut his eyes when they ſtretch out their hands vntounto him, and when they poure out many prayers vntounto him, he will not heare them? This he ſaith vntounto them, not ſimply, becauſe hee did diſlike the things themſelues, but for that their workes were euil who offred theſe things, and they did not obey the Lord in other things, which he commanded them: and therfore he ſaith, waſh you, make you cleane, take away the euill of your workes from before mine eyes, and ceaſe to doe euill, or elſe offer me none of your prayers nor ſacrifice: ſuch a thing it is to diſobey the commandements of God, that they which doe ſo, although they ſhould offer to God their prayers and praiſes, and partake the word and Sacraments,Ioh. 9. yet he will not accept them at their hands, but caſt them backe in their faces, as dunge, as not heere only, but in many other places he bewrayeth his vtter deteſtation of ſuch kinde of worſhipping him: but behold now he goeth further in diſgracing diſobedience, for he ſaith, it is as witchcraft and Idolatrie:Pſal. 50. 16 ſo in Pſal. 50. he maketh it odious ſaying, what haſt thou to do to take my name into thy mouth, and hateſt to be reformed? And in the Prouerbs,Prou. 28. 7. he that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law, euen his prayer is an abhominacion vntounto the Lord. With which, agreeth that of the Apoſtle to the Romans, he is not a Iewe, which hath the outward circumciſion in the fleſh, but inward,Rom 2 28. in the heart. Out of all which it is cleere and euident, that if a man be not vnfainedly reſolued to bee ſubiect vntounto God, and obedient to his will, in vaine doth he make a ſhew and profeſſion therof. Now to bee obedient in ſome things, and in other to be vndutifull (wee know) is no obedience, but contempt of God, for which cauſe Saint Iames ſaith,Iam. 2. 10. he that keepeth the whole Law, and breaketh any one point of it is guilty of all: for he that will be vnconſcionable in one, declareth that he dare prouoke God, and ſet light by his authoritie in other points, who gaue him his Law: and if he dare tranſgreſſe in one, and take libertie therein to himſelfe, who doubteth but hee will do the ſame in another? ſo that he, that is not affraid to offend in one thing, euen the leaſt, knowing it to be eeuil, may wel be ſaid to hauehave no feare to offend in any of all, no not the greateſt.
So truly hath our Sauiour giuen teſtimony to this ſaying,Luk. 16. 10. He that is faithfull in the leaſt, is faithfull alſo in much, and he that is vniuſt in the leaſt, is vniuſt in much. So neceſſarily hath God ioyned the obeying of one with the obeying of the reſt; and the renouncing of one ſinne with the renouncing of all other, (as he ſaith by ſaint Iames,Iam. 2.11. he that ſaid, thou ſhalt not commit adulterie, ſaid alſo, thou ſhalt not kill: now though thou doeſt none adulterie, yet if thou killeſt thou art a tranſgreſſor of the Law. This is not alleadged by the Apoſtle, nor mencioned by mee, as though we affirmed that any man can keepe the Law, or all the commandements except ſome one; but to teach, that there is no carefull obeying of one, in him who hath not care, and doth not endeauour to obey all: and ſo doe all other ſcriptures meane, when they require obedience, as well as this preſent text of ours, they require it in one part of the commandement as well as in another, and not generally, but particularly, neither in one, or ſome fewe, but in all.
For elſe we might endeauour to ſerue God in ſomethings, and diſobey him in others, which were an abuſing of the doctrine of the holy profeſſion of the goſpell: which if it be ſo, then it followeth, that all which worſhip God outwardly, and would be taken to be religious, and looke not to their particular wayes, are deceiued and lie ſtill in darknes, and God they pleaſe not, but ſhall be challenged of him, for workers of iniquitie: which the more I conſider, the more I marueile at it, becauſe the greateſt part take no knowledge of any ſuch thing: for they that draw themſelues from nothing that they luſt after, neither feare to offend before they do euill, nor tremble for it when they hauehave done, eueryevery one ſaying, what hauehave I done? If they quarrell, braule, reuenge, deceiue, ſlaunder, lie, maintaine ſinne in other, or doe any ſuch like ſinne, it is but their ordinarie and common courſe. It is rare with them to be pricked in conſcience, for any thing they doe amiſſe; and as for the outward ſeruice, the Lord is not pleaſed with it, when his voyce is not obeyed: as the prophet Micah ſaid vntounto them who bare great ſhews,Micah. 6. 6. yet they ſought to pleaſe God, enquiring thus; Wherwith ſhall wee appeare before the Lord, and bow our ſelues before the high God? ſhall we come before him with burnt offrings, will the Lord be pleaſed with thouſands of rammes, or with tenne thouſand riuers of oyle? ſhall wee giuegive our firſt borne for our tranſgreſſion, euen the fruite of our body, for the ſinne of our ſoule? The Prophet anſwereth, he hath ſhewed thee (O man) what the Lord requireth, and what is good, ſurely to doe iuſtly and to louelove mercy, and to humble thy ſelfe to walke with thy God.
Which plainely teacheth vsus,Vſe both of reproofe. that if men muſt bee ſo farre from committing wickednes, that it is required of all that will pleaſe God, to obey him in the duties of both tables, how farre are they out of fauour with him, who in ſtead of obeying in both, doe groſſely and wittingly diſobey in both? and repent of neither. And if they be not in fauour with God who offend thus as I hauehave ſaid, that is who regard not to pleaſe God in all things,Coloſ. 1. 10. euen one as another:1. Pet. 4. 4. where ſhall they appeare, who defend that they neede not doe ſo? yea, raile on ſuch as dare not goe ſo farre as they in ſinning; bayting them with the odious name of Puritane, ſeeing they make ſome conſcience of ſinne, and deſire to offer obedience to God, in one part of their life, as well as in another, and thinke their prayers, hearing and confeſſion of ſin, to be to ſmall purpoſe without it. How vnlike are ſuch to them, who hauing but ſome one ſinne, (as anger) to encounter ſpecially; yet cannot bee quiet for that one? And this is their wiſdom if they hauehave any, thus to walke, and not with the fooliſh virgins to hauehave their lamps, but no oile in them▪ and ſo are all taught of God by Moſes, Deut. 4.who ſaith: Behold, I hauehave taught you ordinances and lawes, which the Lord my God commanded me, that yee ſhould doe euen ſo, in the land whether yee goe to poſſeſſe it: keepe them therefore and doe them; for it is your wiſdome and your vnderſtanding in the ſight of the people, which ſhall heare all theſe ordinances, and ſhall ſay this people is wiſe, and of an vnderſtanding heart.
And if they be wiſe who obey them (the Lord himſelf being judge) let them,1. Cor. 1. 18 who ſo taunt the godly, lead ſuch with the name of fooles, till God bewray themſelues to be rank fooles, becauſe they cannot become ſuch fooles alſo, that they may be wiſe. And let vsus beare reproach at their hands,And of encouragement. ſeeing God calleth vsus wiſe, and let not vsus faint in our courſe, for their ſpeaking againſt vsus; for ſurely, no ſuch (nay I may ſay, few of all the greateſt number of profeſſors) do in any other manner then generally and in words only, hold that we ſhould offer to the Lord obedience, but as for the obſeruing of our wayes particularly to ſee that they pleaſe God,Prou. 4. 18 or the keeping of our hearts with all diligence, that our liues may be ſutable (as the wiſe man ſpeaketh) they hold it as a thing meerely ridiculous: for then ſhould they ſee cauſe (as others doe whom they count fooles,) to looke to the particulars, and to one part of their liues as to another, and to be taken vp in their conſultacions and thoughts, how in one duty as well as in another they might pleaſe God; whereas now they ſhew, that al is too little to pleaſe themſelues. But ſuch deale with God, as i… neighbours deale one with another; for they cogge, miſuſe, and deceiue one another, till they breake out into debate and contention, & hard thinking one of another, and then time & a little abſcence, muſt waſh away diſpleaſure: and ſo they winde in together againe, and are good fellowes and friends: So men deale with God: for if the hardeſt fall out with them as they count it, that by the light of preaching they muſt needes ſee, that they are ſhamefully out of the way, (which they will not bee brought to acknowledge for their common faults & ſins) but yet if they muſt needes ſee their liues foulely out of order, and that thereby God is ſore diſpleaſed with them, at the hardeſt, if they come to Church, and there doe as others; they thinke they ought to be receiued into fauour with God, and their ſins muſt be forgiuen them, and all muſt take them for good Chriſtians, or elſe they doe them great wrong. But if God will accept the ſacrifice of ſuch (in reuerence be it ſpoken of his Maieſtie) hee did Saul vtter wrong, (which were blaſphemie to ſay) who did (certainly) many more good actions, both towards Gods worſhip and in his calling, as ye may read cap. 14. then the moſt of theſe of whom I ſpeak. And yet ſeeing it is cleare that he was reiected of the Lord, I do conclude, that ſuch kinde of obedience as I hauehave here ſpoken of, (that I repeate it not againe) is no other then diſobedience, and that they which offer it to God, (dying as they liued, and iuſtifying their life to bee good) if they be ſaued, it muſt be by vertue & authority of ſome new word of God, for by the iudgement of the cannonical ſcripture, they are condemned already, though for a very little time it be deferred.
VERSE 23.
For rebellion is as the ſinne of witch-craft, and ſtubbornneſſe is as iniquity and idolatry: becauſe thou haſt reiected the Word of the LORD hee hath alſo reiected thee from being King.
WEe hauehave heard how Samuel ſhewed the weakneſſe,The ſenſe. yea the badneſſe, of one part of Sauls anſwer, namely, in that hee excuſed his ſin thus, That the people ſaued the beſt of the Amalekites cattle aliue, that they might offer them vntounto the Lord for ſacrifice: and what inſtruction we ſhould learne thereby, we hauehave heard.
Now followes Samuels reproofe, to another part of Sauls anſwer; namely, his diſobedience and halfe-ſeruice, that hee had not deſtroyed all. This, I ſay, Samuel here reproueth, as if he ſhould ſay, I hauehave proued that thou haſt done againſt the commandement of the Lord, which thou wilt not ſee to bee any offence, but perſwadeſt thy ſelfe that it is ſmall, light, and not worth the ſpeaking of: Heare therfore what the Lord ſaith vntounto thee, euen that which thou counteſt little, or no ſinne: I tell thee from God (ſaith hee) that it is before him, and in his account, no better then witch-craft and idolatry, which are as odious to him, as any other; ſo is thine, euen this thy tranſgreſſion, and ſo is all witting and wilfull diſobedience. And although I nor this place maintaine, that all ſins are equall; yet might Samuel truely tell him, that in his tranſgreſſion and diſobedience, God was as iuſtly prouoked to wrath (ſeeing hee knew hee caſt his commandement behinde his backe) as of them, who commit witch-craft or idolatry: and therefore although many at this day, are as blinde in ſeeing their ſinne as Saul was, and as bold to iuſtifie their bad doings; yet are they in neuer the better eſtate, for all that: but in the iudgement of God and all wiſe Chriſtians, bewitched and deceiued by the Deuill moſt palpably, & therefore miſerable & accurſed.