Works of Joseph Hall, Part 6
SAVL and AGAG.
GOd holds it no derogation from his mercy to beare a quarrell long, where hee hates: Hee, whoſe anger to the veſſels of wrath is euerlaſting, euen in temporall iudgement reuengeth late: The ſinnes of his owne children are no ſooner done, and repented of, then forgotten; but the malicious ſinnes of his enemies ſticke faſt in an infinite diſpleaſure. (I remember what Amalek did to Iſrael, how they laid wait for them by the way, as they came vp from Aegypt:) Alas, Lord (might Amalek ſay) they were our forefathers, wee neuer knew their faces, no not their names, the fact was ſo farre from our conſent, that it is almoſt paſt the memory of our hiſtories. It is not in the power of time to raze out any of the arerages of God: we may lay vp wrath for our poſteritie: Happy is that childe, whoſe progenitors are in heauen, hee is left an inheritor of bleſſing together with eſtate, whereas wicked anceſtors loſe the thanke of a rich patrimonie, by the curſe that attends it: He that thinkes, becauſe puniſhment is deferd, that God hath forgiuen, or forgot his offence, is vnacquainted with iuſtice, and knowes not, that time makes no difference in eternity.
The Amalekites were wicked Idolaters, and therefore could not want many preſent ſinnes, which deſerued their extirpation. That God, which had taken notice of all their offences, picks out this one noted ſinne of their forefathers, for reuenge: Amongſt all their indignities, this ſhall beare the name of their iudgement: As in legall proceedings with malefactors, one inditement found, giues the ſtile of their condemnation. In the liues of thoſe, which are notoriouſly wicked, God cannot looke beſides a ſinne, yet when he drawes to an execution, he faſtens his ſentence vponupon one euill as principall, others as acceſſaries, ſo as at the laſt, one ſinne which perhaps wee make no account of, ſhall pay for all.
The paganiſh Idolatries of the Amalekites could not but bee greater ſinnes to God, then their hard meaſure to Iſrael, yet God ſets this vponupon the file, whiles the reſt are not recorded; Their ſuperſtitions might bee of ignorance, this ſinne was of malice: Malicious wickedneſſes of all other, as they are in greateſt oppoſition to the goodneſſe and mercy of God, ſhall be ſure of the paiment of greateſt vengeance. The deteſtation of God may be meaſured by his reuenge, (ſlay both man, and woman, both infant, and ſuckling, both Oxe, and Sheepe, Camell, and Aſſe) not themſelues onelyonly, but eueryevery thing that drew life either from them, or for their vſe, muſt dye: When the God of mercy ſpeakes ſuch bloody words, the prouocation muſt needs be vehement: ſinnes of infirmitie doe but mutter; ſpightfull ſinnes cry loud for iudgement in the cares of God: Prepenſed malice in courts of humane iuſtice aggrauates the murther, and ſharpens the ſentence of death.
What then was this ſinne of Amalek, that is called vntounto this late reckoning? What? but their enuious and vnprouoked onſets vponupon the backe of Iſrael, this was it, that God tooke ſo to heart, as that hee not onelyonly remembers it now by Samuel, but hee bids Iſrael euer to remember it, by Moſes: Remember how Amalek met thee by the way, and ſmote the hindmoſt of you, all that were feeble behinde thee, when thou waſt faint and weary. Beſides this, did Amalek meet Iſrael in a pitcht battell openly, in Rephidim, for that God payed them in the preſent: The hand of Moſes lifted vp on the Hill, ſlew them in the Valley: He therefore repeats not that quarrell, but the cowardly, and cruell attempts vponupon an impotent enemy, ſticke ſtill in the ſtomacke of the Almighty: Oppreſſion and wrong vponupon euen termes, are not ſo hainous vntounto God, as thoſe, that are vponupon manifeſt diſaduantage: In the one, there is an hazard of returne: In the other, there is euer a tyrannous inſultation: God takes ſtill the weaker part, and will be ſure therefore to plague them, which ſeeke to put iniuries on the vnable to reſiſt.
This ſinne of Amalek ſlept all the time of the Iudges, thoſe gouernors were onelyonly for reſcue, and defence; now ſo ſoone as Iſrael hath a King, and that King is ſetled in peace, God giues charge to call them to account: It was that, which God had both threatned and ſworne, and now he chooſes out a fit ſeaſon for the execution; As wee vſe to ſay of winter, the iudgements of God doe neuer rot in the skie, but ſhall fall (if late, yet) ſurely, yet ſeaſonably: There is ſmall comfort in the delay of vengeance, whiles we are ſure it ſhall loſe nothing in the way, by length of protraction.
The Kenites were the off-ſprings of Hobad, or Iethro, father in law to Moſes; the affinitie of him, to whom Iſrael owed their deliuerance, and being, was worthy of reſpect; but it was the mercy of that good and wiſe Midianite ſhewed vntounto Iſrael in the wilderneſſe, by his graue aduice, cheerefull gratulation, and aide, which wonne this gratefull forbearance of his poſterity: He that is not leſſe in mercy, then in iuſtice, as hee challenged Amaleks ſinne of their ſucceeding generations, ſo he deriues the recompence of Iethro's kindneſſe, vntounto his far deſcended iſſue: Thoſe, that were vnborne many ages after Iethro's death, receiue life from his duſt, and fauour from his hoſpitalitie; The name of their dead grandfather ſaues them from the common deſtruction of their neighbours. The ſeruices of our louelove to Gods children are neuer thankleſſe; when we are dead and rotten, they ſhall liue, and procure bleſſings to thoſe, which neuer knew perhaps, not heard of their progenitors: If we ſow good workes, ſucceſſion ſhall reape them, and we ſhall be happy in making them ſo.
The Kenites dwelt in the borders of Amalek, but in tents, (as did their iſſue the Rechabites) ſo as they might remoue with eaſe: They are warned to ſhift their habitations, leſt they ſhould periſh with ill neighbours: It is the manner of God, firſt to ſeparate, before he iudge, as a good husband weeds his come, ere it bee ripe for the ſickle, and goes to the fanne, ere he goe to the fire: When the Kenites packe vp their fardels, it is time to expect iudgement; Why ſhould not wee imitate God, and ſeparate our ſelues that we may not be iudged? ſeparate, not one Kenite from another, but eueryevery Kenite from among the Amalekites, elſe if we will needs liue with Amalek, we cannot thinke much to dye with him.
The Kenites are no ſooner remoued, then Saul fals vponupon the Amalekites: Hee deſtroyes all the people, but ſpares their King: The charge of God was vniuerſall, for man and beaſt: In the corruption of partialitie, lightly the greateſt eſcape: Couetouſneſſe, or miſ-affection are commonly guiltie of the impunitie of thoſe, which are at once moſt eminent in dignitie, and in offence: It is a ſhamefull hypocriſie to make our commoditie the meaſure and rule of our execution of Gods command, and vnderunder pretence of godlineſſe to pretend gaine: The vnprofitable vulgar muſt die; Agag may yeelda rich ranſome: The leane and feeble cattle, that would but ſpend ſtouer, and die alone, ſhall periſh by the ſword of Iſrael, the beſt may ſtocke the grounds, and furniſh the markets. O hypocrites, did God ſend you for gaine, or for reuenge? Went you to be purueyors, or executioners? If you plead, that all thoſe wealthy herds had been but loſt in a ſpeedy death, thinke yee that hee knew not this, which commanded it? Can that be loſt, which is deuoted to the will of the owner, and Creator? Or can ye thinke to gaine any thing by diſobedience? That man can neuer either do well, or farewell, which thinkes, there can be more profit in any thing, then in his obedience to his Maker: Becauſe Saul ſpared the beſt of the men, the people ſpared the beſt of the cattle, each is willing to fauour other in the ſinne. The ſinnes of the great command imitation, and doe as ſeldome goe without attendants as their perſons.
Saul knew well, how much he had done amiſſe, and yet dare meet Samuel, and can ſay, Bleſſed be thou of the Lord, I hauehave fulfilled the Commandement of the Lord: His heart knew, that his tongue was as falſe, as his hands had beene; and if his heart had not been more falſe then either of them, neither of them had beene ſo groſſe in their falſhood: If hypocriſie were not either fooliſh, or impudent, ſhee durſt not ſhew her head to a Seer of God. Could Saul thinke, that Samuel knew of the aſſes that were loſt, and did not know of the oxen and ſheepe, that were ſpared? Could hee foretell his thoughts, when it was, and now not know of his open actions? Much leſſe when we hauehave to doe with God himſelfe, would diſſimulation preſume either of ſafety or ſecrecie? Can the God that made the heart not know it? Can hee, that comprehends all things, be ſhut out of our cloſe corners? Saul was otherwiſe crafty enough, yet herein his ſimplicitie is palpable: Sinne can beſot euen the wiſeſt man, and there was neuer but folly in wickedneſſe.
No man brags ſo much of holineſſe, as hee that wants it: True obedience is ioyned euer with humilitie, and feare of vnknowne errours; Falſhood is bold, and can ſay, I hauehave fulfilled the Commandement of the Lord: If Saul had beene truely obſequious and holy, he had made no noiſe of it: A gracious heart is not a blab of his tongue, but reſts and reioyceth ſilently in the conſcience of a ſecret goodneſſe; thoſe veſſels yeeld moſt ſound, that hauehave the leaſt liquor: Samuel had reaſon to beleeue the ſheepe, and oxen aboue Saul; their bleating and lowing was a ſufficient conuiction of a denied and out faced diſobedience: God opened their mouths to accuſe Saul of their life, and his falſhood; but, as ſinne is craftie, and neuer wanted a cloake, wherewith both to hide and decke it ſelfe; euen this very rebellion is holy: Firſt the act, if it were euill, was not mine, but the peoples; and ſecondly, their intention makes it good; For theſe Flocks and Herds were preſerued, not for gaine, but for deuotion: What needs this quarrell? If any gaine by this act, it is the Lord thy God: His Altars ſhall ſmoake with theſe ſacrifices, yee, that ſerue at them, ſhall fare ſo much the better; this godly thriftineſſe lookes for thankes rather then cenſure. If Saul had beene in Samuels cloathes, perhaps this anſwer would hauehave ſatisfied him: Surely, himſelfe ſtands out in it, as that whereto hee dare truſt, and after hee heares of Gods angry reproofe; hee auowes, and doubles his hold of his innocency; as if the Commanders ſhould not anſwer for the knowne ſinnes of the people; as if our intentions could iuſtifie vsus to God, againſt God. How much adoe it is to bring ſinners vponupon their knees, and to make their tongues accuſe their hands? But it is no halting with the maker of the heart: He knew, it was couetouſneſſe, and not piety, which was acceſſary to this forbearance; and if it had beene as was pretended, bee knew it was an odious impietie to raiſe deuotion out of diſobedience: Saul ſhall heare and finde, that he hath dealt no leſſe wickedly in ſparing an Agag, then in killing an innocent Iſraelite; in ſparing theſe beaſts for ſacrifice, then in ſacrificing beaſts that had beene vncleane. Why was ſacrifice it ſelfe good, but becauſe it was commanded? What difference was there betwixt ſlaughter and ſacrifice, but obedience; To ſacrifice diſobediently, is wilfully to mocke God in honouring him.