Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 19
Doct. 19. Our ſinnes depriue vsus of our deareſt iewels.
But another thing is added, heere by the Prophet, which followeth vponupon the former, to wit, ſeeing he had iuſtly reprooued him for caſting off the Lord, and therfore had ſhewed him that all his excuſes were in vaine, for this cauſe he muſt heare that which hee would not; that the Lord had caſt him off from being King: as if hee ſhould ſay, whether thy ſinne be ſo light a matter as thou makeſt it, iudge thou by the puniſhment which God threatneth that is, that thou muſt looſe thy kingdome for it. And ſo it came to paſſe afterward; both another was anoynted King, and alſo that none of his poſteritie ſucceeded him.
And from hence wee learne, that howſoeuer wee pleaſe our ſelues in our ſins, and will not ſee them, they ſhall coſt vsus deare, and depriue vsus of our beſt commodities and pleaſures, as they did Saul of his kingdome. For what had hee of greater account then it? and yet this his ſinne tooke it from him, and made him goe without it.
The like is ſaid in the Lamentations of Ieremy, Lam. 3 6. 7. Proofes.that the ſinnes of the people, hauehave ſpoyled them of all their pleaſant things which were moſt to bee deſired. And were it not that men were giuen to ſeek and hauehave their will, ſome one way, and ſome another, (though we are taught to pray thy will be done and not ours,) and to ſerue their owne luſts rebelliouſly, they ſhould and might enioy all good things which they pray for, or better in their roome: but therefore they obtaine not when they aske, Iam. 4. 4ſaith St. Iames, becauſe they aske amiſſe, euen that they may beſtowe them on their laſts. But otherwiſe as Moſes ſaith in Exodus, If yee will heare my voyce indeed, Exod. 19. 5.and keepe my couenant, then ſhall yee be my chiefe treaſure aboue all people, though all the earth be mine: If we be his chiefe treaſure, thinke wee that hee will not delight in vsus, nor care for vsus? if he doe, can we want any thing that is good for vsus? as it is in the Pſalme,Pſal. 23. 1. The Lord being my ſheapheard, I ſhall want no good thing: yea verily, nothing ſhould be thought too good for vsus, but bleſſed ſhould we be in the houſe, and bleſſed in the field, and bleſſed in all that we ſet our hand vntounto: Deut. 28. 6of particulars, read furthe… in Deuteronomy. And therefore hee ſaith in another place; Oh, that there were ſuch an hart in them, C…p. 5. 29.that they did feare me, and keepe all my commandements alwayes, that it might goe well with them! theſe promiſes,1 Tim. 4 8. though they ſhall fully and perfectly bee performed heereafter; yet are they alſo found verefied in the children of God, in this preſent life: as ſaint Paul writeth to Timothie, ſaying; godlines hath the promiſes of this life, and of the life to come: & whatſoeuer might be ſpoken to the like purpoſe, (as the ſcriptures are moſt copious in this point) all theſe benefites doe our ſinnes hold from vsus (that I ſay nothing of the horrible and fearefull puniſhments they bring vponupon vsus) and ſtrippe vsus out of them, as out of our garments:Note. ſo that if a theefe bee odious that ſpoyleth vsus of our goods, how odious (in another kinde) ought our ſinnes to be vntounto vsus? which (as haile in harueſt beates downe the corne) ſo doe our euill qualities and filthy corruptions, make hauocke of all our beſt and precious things, as health, peace, friendes, credit, yea, euen that which paſſeth vnderſtanding, as wel as our goods, euen as it was no other thing then ſinne, which firſt ſpoyled our firſt parents Adam and Eue, of all good things which God had giuen them to enioy in the time of their innocency. And as diſobedience tooke from Saul his kingdome, ſo from the rich men in Luke, Luk. 12. 20. & 16. 25.that tooke their pleaſure and goods:1. Cor. 11 30 from the Corinthians, health and life: from the Miniſters in Malachie their honour and places:Mal. 2. 9. from the women in Eſay, Eſay. 3. 25.their beauty, which they ſo much pleaſured in, and turned it into baldnes; and ſo doth the like ſinne at this day, take from all workes of iniquitie, ſound ioy and gladnes: we ſee this ſufficiently verefied dayly among vsus; for what meane theſe many complaints among vsus, that men enioy not good dayes, as they deſire and looke for, but are croſſed and wearie of their liues, they hauehave ſo ill ſucceſſe, & though they are blinde and ſee not the cauſe of this, yet indeed it is nothing elſe but their ſinne? euen ſundry particulars, as in another verſe of Lamentacions, we may read that Ieruſalem had grieuouſly ſinned, therefore ſhe was in reproach, who yet had beene honoured, and then remembred all her pleaſant things, as her ſabathes and other liberties, and plentie which ſhee had enioyed: and although this bee not fulfilled in all eueryevery day, yet doe vnbeleeuers hold their good things in danger and feare, till the time come that God will plucke them out of their hands, which iudgement is hanging ouer their heads alwayes, as a ſword ouer a mans head by a twine thread, with the point downeward.
And therefore they are wiſe,Vſe. who beware of offending of God, for ſo do they prouide in eueryevery ſtate of life to liue well and happily: as it is ſaid by our Sauiour bleſſed are the meek, for they ſhall inherit the earth, &c. But if the wicked flouriſh to day as the greene bay tree, yet full ſoone ſhall it come to paſſe, that no ſigne thereof ſhall remaine.
The vſe of this, is to teach vsus to acknowledge, that in eueryevery particular, as when wee be depriued of inward comfort, outward peace, health wealth, or any other thing, appertaining either to the ſoule or body, to checke our hearts if they hauehave led vsus too farre any way, and to waine our ſelues from any alluring baytes, which hauehave faſtned too much vponupon vsus, and finally to raine them in, when they hauehave in falſhood or folly, wandred and departed from dutie: And thus I conclude that wee hauehave great cauſe to beware of all vndutifull walking with God, and prouoking him, as in many other reſpects, which in this text are not mencioned; ſo eſpecially if wee hauehave any care of our welfare heere in this life, that I ſay no more, becauſe that vnrulines and wilfulnes, doe depriue vsus of our beſt good things, eating away the beautie of them, as a moth disfigureth the moſt ſeemely garments.