Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 4
Doct. 4. Gods Miniſter muſt conuict his hearers of the truth he vtters.
VERS. 14.
And Samuel ſaid, What meaneth then this bleating of the ſheepe in mine eares, and the louing of the oxen which I heare?
IT followeth; Though Samuel came to tell Saul, how God was diſpleaſed with him for his ſinne before mentioned, yet when he ſaw how hee iuſtified himſelfe, affirming that hee had obeyed him, he ſtayed for a better opportunity afterwards, and now anſwered his vntrue, bold, and vnſeaſonable commending of his act done to the Amalakites: and therefore as hee offered him fit occaſion, ſo he tooke it, and conuicted him, and proued by cleere euidence againſt him, that he groſly deceiued himſelfe. Thus: If thou haſt obeyed the commandement of the Lord, ſaying, Why haſt thou not then deſtroyed all, both men and cattell? But haſt reſerued ſome of them: For I heare the lowing of the oxen and the bleating of the ſheepe, which thou haſt brought away with thee from thence for a pray. Therefore thou haſt not obeyed the commandement of the Lord. Thus he proued, that hee was guilty, wherein hee boaſted of his great obedience. Now this wiſe kinde of dealing, and carefull, the miniſters of God muſt vſe, for the diſcouering and bewraying of the peoples duplicate page faults and ſinnes vntounto them, that they may hauehave no excuſe for their lying ſtill in them.Reaſons why. For the people being blinde, and full of ſelfe-louelove, do readily flatter themſelues in their ſinnes, and are ſlow to come to the examination of them: and therefore if they bee not rouſed vp and made to ſee them as farre as they hauehave giuen cauſe, by prouing to their conſciences, and conuincing them that they are guilty, they accuſe not themſelues, but goe forward in their ſinnes. And therefore Saint Paul, among all his graue and waighty exhortations to Timothie about preaching, chargeth him to conuince the offenders,2. Tim. 4. that they bee not able to gainſay him: as being priuy in themſelues, that they are iuſtly found fault with. And that is moſt likely, if any outward meanes will doe good, namely to controle the conſcience, and to cauſe thoſe who are guiltie, to ſee and acknowledge their ſins: The which effect eueryevery reproofe is not like to worke. Therefore our Sauiour hearing many reproofes by the Pharaſies, but all of them vniuſt, asketh them which of them is able to conuince him of ſinne? Io. 8. 46.as if he ſhould ſay, if ye can conuict me, I hauehave nothing to defend my ſelfe by. And their manner of teaching and priuate ſpeaking did he himſelfe vſe: for which cauſe alſo it is ſaid, that he taught them with authoritie, which they could not reſiſt, Math. 7.and with power, vrging their conſciences, and not coldly and deadly as the Scribes:Act. 7. So did Stephen alſo conuict the rebellious Iewes, with ſuch power as they could not reſiſt. And this manner of dealing with the people, ſhall through Gods bleſſing, preuaile with many and doe much good: but otherwiſe, if they be taught but generally (though I would to God there were that done ſoundly and in plainnes) they will eaſily winde out, from ſeeing any great matter amiſſe in themſelues, and ſo lying ſtill in their ſinnes, they ſhall the leſſe ſee what they are indebted to God, and not hauehave the ſcriptures in that reuerence and account, that otherwiſe they ſhould.
Obiect. And as for that ſome obiect, doth this manner of dealing preuaile with all?
Anſw. I anſwere it is moſt likely, of all other to doe good, ſeeing it is that, which the ſcripture requireth to be vſed and if it doth not cut and wound the hearts of the bad to humiliation, yet ſhall it bee a great witnes againſt them to their deſtruction, and in time perhaps force them to confeſſe (as we ſee in Pharoh himſelfe being but a heathen) againſt themſelues, and to giuegive glory to God, though they be not brought to true repentance: For hee, who thought there had beene no King aboue himſelfe, and therefore ſaid to Moſes, who is the Lord that I ſhould ſerue him? Yet when Moſes by his doctrine and miracles had proued, that there was one aboue him, he profited ſo well thereby, that when hee was violently holden in the waters, purſuing Gods people, and ſaw them deliuered, hee could ſay then, the Lord ſighteth for them againſt vsus.