Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 21
Doct. 21. An hypocrite makes no conſcience of lying.
Concerning the firſt; of the foulneſſe of his ſin; in that hee had ſo oft iuſtified himſelfe (as much as in him lay) about the accuſations which the Prophet brought againſt him, who doth not ſee how odious it was in him? And who would not hauehave beene perſwaded, that he ſpake the truth, being ſo great a perſon as he was, and ſo boldly and reſolutely affirming it, when he ſayd, hee had fulfilled the commandement of the Lord, when yet Samuel charged him from God, that he had broken it? And whom (almoſt) may a man beleeue, if hee might not bee reſted in, and giuen credit vntounto? This is therefore to teach vsus, that it is a moſt ſhameful and greeuous offence, when men hyd their ſinne, and deny that they are guilty, when yet they ſhall after confeſſe it freely, and bee contrary to themſelues, and ſo lay out their ſhame to them that liue with them, when they ſhall affirm boldly, that they are innocent; yea, with oath and proteſtation, that it is ſo, inaſmuch as hee that heareth them ſhall ſay; Doubtleſſe, they ſpeake the truth. And yet afterward, they themſelues ſhall deny that, which they ſo vehemently affirmed. Oh how fearefull a thing it is?
Examples and inſtances. A notable example wee hauehave of this, in the old Prophet of Bethel: who, when hee had for his owne vaine credit, drawne the man of God, who came from luda (contrary to the expreſſe commandement of God) to eat in that place;1 King. 13. yet, to his owne great ſhame, hee was forced to confeſſe, that hee had made a lye, in ſaying; that an Angell appeared to him, and bad him doe ſo.
It is the common practice of men,2. to ſay and vnſay, to affirme and deny the ſame thing, though it hath beene affirmed with oath and proteſtation. So that a man ſhall hauehave peaceable and faire words of his neighbor, and yet falſhood in his dealings:2 Sam. 3. 27 as Ioab ſaluted Abner friendly, and yet ſmote him ſo, that he died.
This ſinne is ſo bred in nature, and confirmed by cuſtome, that Gods deare ſeruants are not free; but are ſometime ouercome of it, as we ſee in Peter; who, as well as hee loued his Maſter, and profeſſed himſelfe to be his Diſciple; yet, by a ſmall occaſion, was brought to deny that hee knew him, by oath and proteſtatiou. And if it bee thus with men, in ſinnes committed in the ſight of men, as this of Saul was, how much more doe men deale with God in their ſecret ſins? to hide, excuſe, and extenuate them, as if they were none, & asif none were wholer and ſounder then they, when yet afterward, when the Lord ſeeth good to vnskirt them, they be forced to cry out as the Prophet did; but in a far better caſe, when hee had ſeene the Lord of glory:Eſay 6. Woe is mee, I am vndone.
Such was the caſe of Ionas, when the Lord gaue him his charge, to goe and to crie againſt Nineueh, hee fled from his preſence, and went another way to Tarſhiſh. And leaſt hee ſhould hauehave beene brought backe againe (ſo little was he troubled for his ſinne) hee made all poſſible haſt to bee gone, and paid for his carriage before hand, and went downe into the ſhip, & ſlept ſoundly: ſo that the fierce wind & ſore tempeſt, that made the Mariners afraid, could not awake him. Then the ſhip maſter rouſed him vp, ſo that he ſaw the great danger that he, with the reſt, was in; for all that, hee bewayled not, neither cried out of his ſinne: and vntill he was ſingled out by lot, wee read no word of any remorſe that he had for it; but for all his concealing of it ſo long, then hee was loden with the burthen of it and repented. But oh how long firſt? and how gladly would he hauehave ſhifted it off? And thus we would doe all, through our corrupt nature, when wee hauehave offended againſt his Maieſty, euen flie from his preſence if wee could, as Adam did, and ſhake off all thought, and goe from all deſire of confeſſing it to God. But that ſhall bee with the greater ſhame to vsus, when God ſhall plucke vsus out of our dens and corners, wherein we had hid our ſelues.
And thus Dauid, who had not accuſed himſelfe for his foule and groſſe adultery and murther, till Nathan the Prophet, from God, had challenged him for it; yet after that, cryed out of his imborne corruption, and affirmed that to bee the cauſe of the other, ſaying, I was borne in ſinne, and by that, was carried to ſinne againſt thee in ſecret, and ſo tell to ſhamefull and open ſinne in the fight of men.
The vſe of this doctrin is,Vſe. that we ſhould bee wary againſt willing offendings, and if yet through frailty we be ouertaken any way, to eſpy it ſpeedily and expell it, and in no ſort to ſet a bold face vponupon it, as though nothing were amiſſe, which if wee doe, may bee the beginning of wee know not what trouble. But ſeeing the further vſes of this, are ſet downe in the next poynt, I referre the Reader thither. And this be ſayd of the firſt of the foure things, about Sauls confeſſion, and what a ſhame it was to him to bee brought to it, after many bold denyals of his fault.