Works of Joseph Hall, Part 16
SAVL and the Witch of Endor.
EVen the worſt men may ſometimes make head againſt ſome ſinnes. Saul hath expelled the Sorcerers out of the Land of Iſrael; and hath forbidden Magick vponupon paine of death. Hee that had no care to expell Satan out of his owne heart, yet will ſeeme to driue him out of his Kingdome. That wee ſee wicked then oppoſe themſelues to ſome ſinnes, there is neither maruell, nor comfort in it: No doubt Satan made ſport at this Edict of Saul; what cares he to be baniſhed in Sorcery, whiles he is entertayned in malice? He knew and found Saul his, whiles he reſiſted; and ſmiled to yeeld thus farre vntounto his Vaſſall: If we quit not all ſinnes, hee will bee content wee ſhould either abandon or perſecute ſome.
Where is no place for holy feare, there will bee place for the ſeruile; The graceleſſe heart of Saul was aſtonied at the Philiſtims; yet was neuer moued at the frownes of that God whoſe anger ſent them, nor of thoſe ſinnes of his which procured them. Thoſe that cannot feare for louelove, ſhall tremble for feare: and how much better is awe than terror? preuention than confuſion? There is nothing more lamentable than to ſee a man laugh when he ſhould feare; God ſhall laugh when ſuch an ones feare commeth.
Extremitie of diſtreſſe, will ſend euen the prophaneſt man to God; like as the drowning man, reacheth out his hand to that bough, which he contemned whiles hee ſtood ſafe on the banke; Saul now asketh counſell of the Lord; whoſe Prophet hee hated, whoſe Prieſts hee ſlew, whoſe Annointed he perſecutes; Had Saul conſulted with God when hee ſhould, this euill had not beene; but how, if this euill had not beene; hee had conſulted with God; The thanke of this Act is due, not to him; but to his affection; A forced piety is thankleſſe, and vnprofitable; God will not anſwer him neither by Dreames, nor by Vrim, nor by Prophets. Why ſhould God anſwer that man by Dreames, who had reſiſted him waking? Why ſhould hee anſwer him by Vrim, that had ſlaine his Prieſts? Why ſhould he anſwer him by Prophets, who hated the Father of the Prophets, rebelled againſt the word of the Prophets?
It is an vnreaſonable vnequality to hope to finde God at our command, when wee would not be at his; To looke that God ſhould regard our voice in trouble, when wee would not regard his in peace.
VntoUnto what mad ſhifts are men driuen by deſpayre? If God will not anſwer, Satan ſhall; (Saul ſaid to his ſeruants, Seeke me a woman that hath a familiar ſpirit.) If Saul had not knowne this courſe Deuilliſh, why did he decree to baniſh it, to mulct it with death? yet now againſt the ſtreame of his conſcience, hee will ſeeke to thoſe whom he had condemned; There needes no other iudge of Sauls act than himſelfe; had he not before oppoſed this ſinne, he had not ſo hainouſly ſinned in committing it; There cannot bee a more fearefull ſigne of an heart giuen vp to a reprobate ſenſe, than to caſt it ſelfe wilfully into thoſe ſinnes, which it hath proclaimed to deteſt. The declinations to euill are many times inſenſible, but when it breakes forth into ſuch apparant effects, euen others eyes may diſcerne it; What was Saul the better to fore-know the iſſue of his approaching battell? If this conſultation could not hauehave ſtrengthened him againſt his enemies, or promoted his victory, there might hauehave beene ſome colour for ſo foule an act; Now, what could he gaine, but the ſatisfying of his bootleſſe curioſitie, in fore-ſeeing that, which hee ſhould not bee able to auoid?
Fooliſh men giuegive away their ſoules for nothing; The itch of impertinent and vnprofitable knowledge, hath beene the hereditary diſeaſe of the ſonnes of Adam, Eue; How many hauehave periſhed to know that which hath procured their periſhing? How ambitious ſhould wee bee to know thoſe things, the knowledge whereof is eternall Life!
Many a lewd Office are they put to which ſerue wicked Maſters; one while Sauls ſeruants are ſet to kill innocent Dauid; another while, to ſhed the bloud of Gods Prieſts; and now they muſt goe ſeeke for a Witch: It is no ſmall happineſſe to attend them, from whom we may receiue precepts and examples of vertue.
Had Saul beene good, hee had needed no diſguiſe; Honeſt actions neuer ſhame the doers; Now that hee goeth about a ſinfull buſineſſe, hee changeth himſelfe; hee ſeekes the ſhelter of the night, hee takes but two followers with him; It is true, that if Saul had come in the port of a King, the Witch had as much diſſembled her condition, as now hee diſſembleth his; yet it was not onelyonly deſire to ſpeed, but guiltineſſe that thus altered his habit; ſuch is the power of conſcience, that euen thoſe who are moſt affected to euill, yet are aſhamed to be thought ſuch as they deſire to be.
Saul needed another face to fit that tongue, which ſhould ſay (Coniecture to me by the familiar ſpirit, and bring me vp whom I ſhall name vntounto thee;) An obdurate heart can giuegive way to any thing:
NOTVVITHSTANDING the peremptory edict of Saul, there are ſtill Witches in Iſrael; Neither good Lawes, nor carefull executions, can purge the Church from Malefactors; There will ſtill bee ſome that will ieopard their heads vponupon the groſſeſt ſinnes; No Garden can be ſo curiouſly tended, that there ſhould not bee one Weed left in it. Yet ſo farre can good Statutes, and due inflictions of puniſhment vponupon offenders, preuaile, that miſchieuous perſons are glad to pull in their heads, and dare not doe ill, but in diſguiſe and darkneſſe. It is no ſmall aduantage of Iuſtice, that it affrights ſinne, if it cannot be expelled, As contrarily, wofull is the condition of that place, where is a publike profeſſion of wickedneſſe.
This Witch was no leſſe crafty than wicked; ſhee had before (as is like) bribed Officers to eſcape inditement, lurke in ſecrecy; and now ſhee will not worke her feares without ſecuritie; her ſuſpition proiects the worſt; (Wherefore ſeekeſt thou to take wee in a ſnare, to cauſe mee to dye?) Oh vaine Sorcereſſe, that could bee wary us auoid the puniſhment of Saul, careleſſe to auoid the iudgment of God; Could wee fore-thinke what our ſinne would coſt vsus, wee durſt not, but be innocent: This is a good and ſeaſonable anſwer for vsus, to make vntounto Satan, when hee ſollicites vsus to euill (wherefore ſeekeſt thou to take mee in a ſnare, to cauſe mee to dye?) Nothing is more ſure than this intention in the tempter, than this euent in the iſſue; Oh that wee could but ſo much feare the eternall paines, as wee doe the temporary, and bee but ſo carefull to ſaue our ſoules from torment, as our bodies.
No ſooner hath Saul ſworne her ſafetie, than ſhee addreſſeth her to her Sorcery; Hope of impunitie drawes on ſinne with boldneſſe; were it not for the deluſions of falſe promiſes, Satan ſhould hauehave no Clients. Could Saul be ſo ignorant, as to thinke that Magick had power ouer Gods deceaſed Saints to rayſe them vp; yea, to call them downe from their reſt? Time was, when Saul was among the Prophets. And yet now, that he is in the impure lodge of Deuils, how ſenſeleſſe hee is, to ſay, Bring me vp Samuel? It is no rare thing, to loſe euen our wit and iudgement together with graces; How iuſtly are they giuen ouer to fottiſhneſſe, that hauehave giuen themſelue ouer to ſinne?
The Sorcereſſe (it ſeemes) exerciſing her coniurations in a roome apart, is informed by her Familiar, who it was that ſet her on worke; ſhee can therefore finde time, in the midſt of her Exorciſmes, to binde the aſſurance of her owne ſafetie, by expoſtulation, (She cryed with a loud voyce, why haſt thou deceiued mee, for thou art Saul,) The very name of Saul was an accuſation; Yet is he ſo farre from ſtriking his breſt, that doubting leſt this feare of the Witch, ſhould interrupt the deſired worke, hee encourages her, whom hee ſhould hauehave condemned; (Be not afraid;) Hee that had more cauſe to feare, for his owne ſake, in an expectation of iuſt iudgment, cheeres vp her, that feared nothing but himſelfe: How ill doth it become vsus to giuegive that counſell to others, whereof wee hauehave more neede and vſe in our owne perſons!
As one that had more care to ſatisfie his curioſitie, than her ſuſpicion, hee askes, what ſaweſt thou?) Who would not hauehave looked, that Sauls haire ſhould hauehave ſtared, on his head, to heare of a ſpirit raiſed? His ſinne hath ſo hardened him, that hee rather pleaſes himſelfe in it, which hath nothing in it but horror; So farre is Satan content to deſcend to the ſeruice of his ſeruants, that hee will approue his fained obedience to their very outward ſences; What forme is ſo glorious, that hee either cannot or dare not vndertake? Here Gods aſcend out of the Earth; Elſe-where Satan transformes him into an Angell of light; What wonder is it, that his wicked Inſtruments appeare like Saints in their hypocriticall diſſimulation? if wee will bee iudging by the appearance, wee ſhall bee ſure to erre: No eye could diſtinguiſh betwixt the true Samuell, and a falſe ſpirit. Saul, who was well worthy to bee deceiued, ſeeing thoſe gray haires, and that Mantle, inclines himſelfe to the ground, and bowes himſelfe; He that would not worſhip God in Samuel aliue, now worſhips Samuel in Satan; and no maruell; Satan was now become his refuge in ſteed of God; his vrim was darkneſſe, his Prophet a Ghoſt: EueryEvery one that conſults with Satan, worſhips him, though hee bow not, neither doth that euill ſpirit deſire any other reuerence, than to be ſought to.
How cunningly doth Satan reſemble, not onelyonly the habit and geſture, but the language of Samuel, Wherefore haſt thou diſquieted me, and wherefore doſt thou aske of mee, ſeeing the Lord is gone from thee, and is thine enemy? Nothing … pleaſing to that euill one, than to be ſolicited, yet in the perſon of Samuel, hee can ſay; Why haſt thou diſquitted w…e? Had not the Lord beene gone from Saul; hee had neuer co…ne to the Deuilliſh Oracle of Endor, and yet the counterfetting ſpirit can ſay; Why doſt thou arke of …, ſeeing the Lord is gone from thee? Satan cares not how little hee is knowne to bee himſelfe; he loues to paſſe vnderunder any ſonne, rather than his owne.
The more holy the perſon is, the more carefully doth Satan act him, that by his ſtale hee may enſnare vsus. In eueryevery motion it is good to try the ſpirits, whether they be of God; Good words are no meanes, to diſtinguiſh a Prophet from a Deuill; Samuel himſelfe, whiles hee was aliue, could not hauehave ſpoken more grauely, more ſeuerely, more diuinely, than this euill ghoſt, For the Lord will rent thy Kingdome out of thy hand, and giuegive it to thy neighbour Dauid; becauſe thou obeyedſt not the voyce of the Lord not executedſt his fierce wrath vponupon the Amalekites, therefore hath the Lord done this vntounto thee this day: When the Deuill himſelfe puts on grauity and religion, who can maruell at the hypocriſie of men? Well may lewd men bee good Preachers, when Satan himſelfe can play the Prophet; Where are thoſe Ignorants, that thinke charitably of charmes and ſpells, becauſe they finde nothing in them, but good words? What Prophet could ſpeake better words, than this Deuill in Samuels Mantle? Neither is there at any time ſo much danger of that euill ſpirit, as when hee ſpeakes beſt.
I could wonder to heare Satan preach thus prophetically, if I did not know, that as hee was once a good Angell, ſo hee can ſtill act what hee was; Whiles Saul was in conſultation of ſparing Agag, wee ſhall neuer finde that Satan would lay any blocke in his way? Yea then hee was a prompt Orator, to induce him into that ſinne; now that it is paſt and gone, hee can lade Saul with fearefull denunciations of iudgement; Till wee hauehave ſinned, Satan is a paraſite; when wee hauehave ſinned, hee is a Tyrant: What cares hee to flatter any more, when hee hath what hee would? Now his onelyonly worke is to terrifie, and confound, that hee may enioy what he hath wonne; How much better is it ſeruing that Maſter, who when wee are moſt deiected with the conſcience of euill, heartens vsus with inward comfort, and ſpeakes peace to the ſoule in the midſt of tumult?