Samuels Encounter with Saul, Doctrine 5
Doct. 5. The hypocrite cōuicted, …
VERS. 15.
And Saul ſaid, they hauehave brought them from the Amalekites: for the people ſpared the beſt of the ſheepe, and of the oxen, to ſacrifice vntounto the Lord thy God, and the reſt we hauehave vtterly deſtroyed.
BVt now let vsus ſee how it wroght vpō Saul, when Samuel had ſo plainely conuinced him, that if he would hauehave dealt vprightly and anſwered him directly, he muſt needes, either hauehave accuſed himſelfe as guilty, or elſe he muſt hauehave cleered and iuſtified himſelfe: he did not the firſt, and the laſt he could not doe, being double hearted: and therefore fell to meere ſhifting and ſophiſtrie, as appeared by his words, which conteyne two points.The words opened. For that which was euill done of him and of the people, hee layeth it wholy to their charge, and yet he ſaith, if they were faulty in that which they did, it might be the better borne, ſeeing they did it to glorifie God by ſacrifice. This was the firſt point of his anſwere in theſe words, Theſe ſhepee and oxen which thou heareſt, they hauehave brought from the Amalakites, for the people ſpared the beſt of the cattle to ſacrifice to the Lord. The ſecond poynt of his anſwer was, that in the things that God was obeyed in, he had his hand in them, and was a doer of them among the reſt, in theſe words, the reſt we hauehave deſtroyed. But in this doing, had he, think we obeyed the commandment of the Lord? In no wiſe; nay; he hauing boldly and manifeſtly caſt it behinde his backe, did he relent for and bewaile his fault? oh nothing leſſe; then it is cleere as I ſaid, that he did but waſh off the Prophets reproofes, ſhameleſly by a ſhift. For he knew that he had done wickedly; and yet hee had doubled his ſin by a lye; for afterwards hee confeſſed it.
And this bewrayeth another ſin in hypocrites: that though in words they can make good their cauſe, and can iuſtifie themſelues to be as blameleſſe as any other, yet hee that will obſerue it, ſhall finde, that they will neuer bee brought to plaine dealing, nor be willing, what ſoeuer they ſay, to be iudged by the Word of God. The reaſon is, their conſcience tels them they are guilty. They would make a ſimple body beleeue, that none would more readily yeeld to hauehave their doings tried by the Scripture then they (as is to be ſeene in them who call for the day of the Lord) which if they would doe indeede, they ſhould proue themſelues to bee ſuch, as they would be taken for, that is good Chriſtians, and faithfull ſeruants of God: but alas it is nothing ſo with them, but they pleaſe themſelues in thinking, that their eſtate is good, ſeeing they do ſome things that are commanded: but in what manner, and with what affection, they do them, and to what end, or in how many things they offend, they will in no ſort be brought to examine, as may bee ſeene by the Phariſie in the Goſpel. Lord I thank thee I am not as other men. L k 18▪But if they be driuen by ſome occaſion to bee more nerely ſifted & examined, whether their liues be as innocent as they boaſt them to be, then ye ſhall ſee them bewray that they are poſſeſſed with Sauls ſpirit, that is, not to anſwere, …or cleere themſelues by the word: but ſeekes ſhiftes, by bringing in pretences of their good workes and prayers: and that they bee not (they hope) ſo bad as ſome, & that they would bee loath it ſhould be proued by them, meaning ſome open & groſſe offenders, or elſe thus they ſhift and ſay, doe not ſome profeſſors the ſame that wee doe, yet they are thought well of, and they would that none did worſe then themſelues, and though they hauehave not ſuch knowledge as ſome hauehave (they ſay) nor cannot make ſuch ſhewes as ſome doe, yet they truſt they hauehave as good hearts, and meant as well as the beſt. By theſe and ſuch like ſhiftings they defend themſelues; but what is all this to the purpoſe, to free themſelues from blame: Is this to go to worke plainely, and to ſticke to the Scripture to bee tryed by them? The which palpable and groſſe deceiuing of themſelues, when it is ſhewed them, doe they acknowledge and ſo repent of it? which yet if they were truely humbled, they would doe. Therefore let it be taken for a cleere note of rancke hypocriſie, when any being iuſtly charged and accuſed of manifeſt and great faultes, they ſhall neither cleere themſelues by the Scriptures, nor confeſſe their ſinnes, and bewaile their eſtate, but ſhift for themſelues diſhoneſtly, as hath beene ſhewed. This is plaine enough of them, which will vnderſtand, whether they bee ſound Chriſtians and true worſhippers of God, or whether they bee meere diſſemblers and hipocrites. And thus much of the firſt part, that is, of their communication betwixt them, before the meſſage of the Lord was done.
VERSE. 16.
Then Samuel ſaid vntounto Saul, ſtay, and I will tell thee what the Lord hath ſaid to mee this night. And he ſaid unto him, ſay on.
NOw when Samuel ſaw how Saul ſhifted, and would not conſider wiſely of his reproofe, he thought hee ſhould moue him by telling him, how God was offended with him: & for better preparing him heereto, he offers, firſt to tell him what the Lord had ſaid to him that night. Out of the which words of Samuel this may firſt be ſaid, Oh how did he ſhew that hee loued him? and the like ſpirit ſtill poſſeſſing the godly it may be ſaid. Oh; the deſire the godly hauehave to doe them good, whoſe caſe they ſee to bee ſo bad, which is a moſt commendable thing as I am affraid for the wicked,Ezek. 9. and they vexed the ſoule of righteous Lot. Ierem. 9. 1.But in many where is this louelove become?Pſal. 11 9. it is waſhed away commonly, although what is a more beſeeming thing, then to mourne for the deſolation of the people? But to go forward, this might and ought worthily to hauehave ſhaken his heart with feare, when Samuel did but ſay, that God had that night ſpoken of him, and that alſo in finding great fault in him: for when hee hard that, hee might by and by hauehave thought of his ſinne (as Eli in the like cauſe feared, when the Lord had called Samuel) and that hee was like to heare of ſomething,1 Sam 3. 17 which ſhould be little welcom vntounto him: as he had before, chap. 13. 13. yet hee was nothing aſtoniſhed at that ſpeech, but bad him ſay on, and vtter his minde, which doth bewray the hardneſſe of his heart.
Whereby wee may note,Hardnes of heart & boldnes, are ſignes of hypocriſie. that when men ſee their faults, and yet will go about to hide and couer them, (as hee did here) they are moſt certainely hardned againſt all doctrine, or friendly inſtruction, which ſhall be offred vntounto them, and ſo incurre the danger that is oft ſpoken of in the Scripture: Hee that hardneth his heart, Prou. 28.ſhall ſurely come to euill. How true this is, as in Ionah appeareth, when hee fled to Tarſhiſh, ſo experience teacheth: and how fearfull a thing this hardening of the heart is, may be ſeene by this, that the hardened heart cannot repent, and by the contrary, melting and relenting of the heart, which is the companion of a meek & humble hart: which as it readily receiueth admonition and reproofe, ſo it auoydeth that ſting and diſquietnes, which otherwiſe would follow. But this fault of hardening the heart? though hee that committeth it groſſely doth moſt hardly eſpie and ſee in himſelfe, yet when it is ſeene of him, it is not ſo eaſily ſhaken off and forſaken. When it ſhall be but ſaid to a man, as heere, God hath ſpoken heauily againſt thee (though the fault bee not particularly mentioned) and as it is ſaid to the Church of the Epheſians by the Lord,Reu. 2. 4. I hauehave ſomwhat againſt thee: though it be not yet tolde expreſſely what, ought it not, thinke we, to ſhake and feare him? and cauſe him to ſay, what hauehave I done? that ſo he may by inquirie, and deeper ſearch into himſelfe, finde it out. And yet were this no more then became him: but comfortable to them who ſhould behold it, and profitable to him who would ſhew it.
But ſuch grace is far from them that will not ſee their ſinnes; no though they come to the light, where they; hauehave them made knowne vntounto them. So much the more woefull is the eſtate of this age, whoſe deedes being euill and their hearts naught, and they louing darkenes more then light, are with hardened foreheads, armed and ſetled to ſhake off all reproofes, and words of exhortation, as though God knew not their workes, who yet ſearcheth hearts, and to iuſtiſie their preſent eſtate, be it neuer ſo bad; and ſo pulling that wo vponupon them, which is ſpoken of by the Prophet:Eſa. 5. Woe to them which call euill good, and darkneſſe light. And left I ſhould be thought to ſpeake of the worſt ſort of theſe, I ſay, that euen the beſt ſort of them veriſie the words of another Prophet, where hee ſaith.Ezek. 33. Vſe. Thou ſonne of man, this people will ſit and heare thy voyce as muſike, but they will not doe thereafter. Therfore they, who deſire to profit by this, muſt reſolue with themſelues, to beware conſcionably of the ſmalleſt ſins, and that ſuch as cannot be auoyded, may not yet be nouriſhed nor retained, but with all poſſible ſpeede hunted out and purſued, leſt if they once begin to winke at any of them, and ſo giuegive them welcome, they after harden their hearts to maintaine them; and laſtly, beſide both, let them walke in a continuall ſuſpition of ſome one or other of their ſinnes, eſpecially ſuch as they are moſt prone to, and moſt in danger of. So ſhall they be free from this hardnes of heart, which is (with pride, whereto it is linked) a certaine fore-runner of deſtruction, euen as it is cleere note of an hypocrite.