in that his blind zeale hee was a blasphemer and a persecuter vntill he had obtained mercy for that which hee committed ignorantly If the intent of the heart might serue for a sufficient warrant then any Turke or heathen should be holden excused for they thinke they worshippe a true God yea the bloodie tormenters of Christians might then chalenge a full discharge and freedome for their tyranny because as our Sauiour doth witnesse when they kill the Saints of GOD they thinke they do God good seruice But thoughts intents can no longer awarrant vs than they themselues be awarranted by the worde of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle doth call it will-worshippe be it neuer so deuout and zealous in outwarde shewe yet if it be against the will and worde of God it is nothing but a blinde zeale of a diuelish superstition The second pretence which Saul doth vse to cloake and couer his rebellion is the feare of man I feared saith hee the people and therefore I obeyed their voice This feare of man to permit or to commit wickednesse for feare of displeasing man is a crime to be condemned euen in the priuate persons of the inferiour people because all are commaunded one to exhort another and one to edyfie another and our Sauiour saith generally to all feare not them that can only kill the bodie and haue no more that that they can doe but feare him which hath power to kill both bodie and soule and to cast both into hell fire But it is much more to bee condemned if it bee found in them which haue any charge of a publicke function For of Ministers may be saide that which the Apostle Paul speaketh of himselfe If I should please men I were not the seruant of Christ And all magistrates ought to approue themselues to be such as Iethro doth describe them to wit men of courage fearing God dealing truely and hating couetousnesse But especially this crime of fearing man is most intollerable in them whome it pleaseth GOD to call as hee did heere Saul to the dignitie and Maiestie of supreeme gouernours and to possesse as it were the room of GOD vpon earth When GOD had placed Iosua chiefe gouernour ouer his people hee gaue him in charge two especiall deuties First that hee should neuer let the booke of the Lawe depart out of his mouth but so meditate in the same day and night that hee shoulde obserue and doe according to the thinges contained therein and secondly that he should bee strong and of a good courage not to feare neither to bee faint hearted for saith God I will bee with thee at hande which way soeuer thou goest Whatsoeuer Saule doth pretende of the intent of Sacrifice and of his fearing the people yet Samuel sheweth him what was indeed the true cause of his wilfull rebellion in sparing the cattell of the Amalekites Thou hast saith hee turned thy selfe to the prey and doone wickedly in the sight of GOD. To receiue the spoyles of enemies is a thing of it selfe not vnlawfull in those which are authorised and armed with the sworde of Iustice for sundrye times did Dauid carie away spoyles euen from the Amalekites and sent part thereof for presents to the elders of Iuda Ramath and Bethel But the pray which Saul doth turne vnto was commaunded by the voice of GOD vtterly to bee destroyed and no portion thereof to bee saued or reserued Againe though it be permitted in lawfull warre to cary away the spoyles of such enemies as the Lord shall deliuer into our hands yet is it not lawfull to set our heart vpon the spoyle to make that as it were the principal drift of our labours and endeuours as heere it is said of Saul that hee turned himselfe to the prey as setting his heart especially vpon it Which if he did of a couetous affection then did hee make Mammon his Idoll If he did it for his owne feeding and refreshing then did hee make his belly his God and his glory to his shame If he did it to please man then was it also spirituall whordome and Idolatrie As Saint Iames saith O ye adulterers and adulteresses know ye not the friendship of the world is enmitie against God If any man will be a friende of the world he maketh himselfe the enemie of God So that euery way this rebellion of Saul against the commaundement of God may bee fitly compared with the sinne of Idolatrie The fourth thing wherein rebellion may well be compared with witchcraft and Idolatrie is in sundry effects which they do equally worke in the hearts estates of men as first they do harden and make obstinate the heart of man In witches what one amongst a thousand hath in many years bene seene to returne to the Lord by vnfained repentance Of Idolatours that may well be spoken which Ieremy saith of the Idolatrous people thou hast had a whorish face and wouldest not be ashamed and that which Dauid saith of the Idols themselues they haue eyes and see not eares and heare not they that make them are like vnto them and so are all such as put their trust in them The custome of rebellion in Saul for hee had wilfully broken another commaundement of God before in refusing to tary for Samuel for which disobedience he was first denounced to be reiected of God This custome I say of opposing himselfe against the will of GOD doth so harden the heart of Saul that with a whorish countenance as Ieremy speaketh of Idolatours he doth now impudently defende that he hath done nothing amisse but perfectly fulfilled the will of God and afterward as hauing eyes and not seeing and eares and not hearing doth run headelong in the race of wilfulnesse euen vnto the ende of his miserable daies Samuel when hee exhorteth the people to auoide all Idolatrie and all setting their owne wils against the will of GOD doth vse this reason because saith hee they cannot profite nor deliuer you for they are but vanitie So that in this also these sinnes are resembled one to another for that they are vtterly vnprofitable for the estate of mans life That may well bee spoken of all the contemners of God which Osea saith of Idolaters they sow in the ayre and reape the winde their bud bringeth forth no meale their fruite is like blasted graine Wee see it most euident in the common course of mans life that as godlinesse is a great gaine and vertue is profitable to all things so the seruice of sinne is vtterly vnprofitable what fruite saith the Apostle had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed What fruite haue contentious men by their suites and debaits but as one doth bite another so one in the ende to deuour another What fruite receiue they which liue a dissolute life in whordome and dronkennesse but onely the
concerning The fruites of our repentaunce towardes God wherein Dauid Psal 1. doth place The chiefest blessednesse and felicitie of man I haue thought good to adde thereunto this Sermon which I made at the same Church where you and others Iustices Gentlemen were assembled on the ninth of Iuly last past vpon a part of the first Lesson by the order of our Church appoynted for that Sabboth as concerning that duetifull contentment of minde which as good subiects we owe all to our Prince and Countrey that as in the first we are put in remembrance of our duetie towards the Lord of Lords and Prince of Princes so in this other as well we which vttered and heard it as others into whose handes it shall come to be read may be admonished of those loyall affections which we ought continually to beare to our moâ— gracious Soueraigne and our established Common-wealth As I am well assureâ— that these affections are and haue alwayâ— bin throughly setled in your faythful hartes so I doubt not but ye are also a fully desirous that by this slender labour and by all meanes possible others may be allured drawen to the like disposition Thus hoping that you will as louingâ— accept the reading and publishyng as you haue already done the hearing I commit this my short Discourse to your Worshippes and you and it to the blessing of the Almightie From Tondridge this .xij. of Iuly 1598. Your Worships assured in the Lord Simon Harward 1. Sam. 12.19 VVe haue added a vvickednesse to all our other sinnes in asking vs a King WHen Nachash the King of the Ammonites Right Worshipfull and beloued in Christ had now brought the inhabitantes of Iabesh Gilead into so greate distresse that onely vpon seauen dayes respite they were to yeelde vp their Citie into the enemies handes vpon a very hard condition which was that euery one of the Citizens should haue his right eye plucked out The people of Israel partly because they saw Samuel their Iudge to be olde and feeble and partly because they perceiâ—ed the sonnes of Samuel Ioel and Abiah though ruling in the place and stead of their Father yet not walking in the wayes and â—teps of their Father as dispayring to haue any ayde or deliuerance by their Iudges in which state of gouernment God had foâ— many yeeres so happily preserued themâ— They come with one consent to theâ— Iudge and desire that they may haue King Samuel when he had vsed maâ— meanes and many forcible argumentes 〈◊〉 disswade them from this their malcontentâ— and dispayring minde and seeing euidently that no perswasions could take any plaâ—n their wilfull hartes doth now at the laâ— call vpon the Lord in the time of Wheat haruest for a sodaine and miraculous thuâ—der and storme of raine that thereby as were by an other voyce of God the peoâ— might be further certified both how greuously they had offended and how for thâ— offence the Lorde was highly displeasâ— with them When the Israelites saw â—parantly that Samuel had no sooner call vnto the Lord for that thunder and rainâ— but that presently his request was heaâ— and that in terrible manner in the sight aâ— hearing of the whole people they were aâ—nished and being wonderfully striken wâ— sodaine feare They desire Samuel to pâ— to the Lord for them that they die nâ— adding these wordes which now I haue read as a reason of their petition and a confession of their desart For say they we haue sinned besides all our other sinnes in asking vs a King What this offence was which the Prophet doth seeke so many wayes to lay open vnto them it shall the better appeare if we consider these two especiall obseruations First the mightie prouidence and infinite goodnesse of God extended towardes that people so many yeeres together during the tyme of the gouernment of the Iudges And secondly how small weake the occasions were for the which they desire to shake off that blessed gouernment as also on the other side what great and waighty causes they had to haue bin contented with that estate wherein God had so long and so miraculously protected them How long the people had liued deliuered defended and gouerned by Iudges S. Augustine doth record it in his 18. booke de Ciuitate Dei where he affirmeth that at that time wherein Rome was buylt which was by Romulus in the time of Iosias king of Iuda the Hebrewes had bin seauen hundred and eighteene yeeres in the land of Canaan whereof sayth he seauen twentie appertaine to Iosua three hundred twentie and nine to the Iudges and three hundred sixtie and two to the Kinges where he maketh three seuerall estates of Gouernment vnder which it pleased God that his people Israel should liue The first was vnder Dukes as in the dayes of Moses and Iosua The second was by Iudges which differed from Iosua for he was appoynted a gouernour in the time of prosperitie when Sehon the King of the Amorits and Ogge the King of Basan were ouerthrowne and vanquished but the Iudges were first inaugurated and inuested into their callinges in some great distresses by the affecting of some notable deliuerance Neither were they like the Dictators aduaunced amongst the Heathen for they were chosen by the voyces of men but these by the voyce of God him selfe They were chosen out of men of greatest accompt and best furnished for the vndergoing of such a charge but these were raysed vp miraculously out of the inferiour sort and lowest degrees of people and inabled extraordinarily by the gyftes and presence of the Almightie as it is sayd in the second Chapter of the Iudges The Lord raysed vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the handes of their oppressours And when the Lord did raise vp any Iudges the Lord as it is sayd there was with that Iudge and did deliuer the people out of the handes of the enemies all the dayes of that Iudges life There were also many differences betwixt them and the Kinges which folowed In the Kinges succession of blood tooke â—lace in the Iudges it tooke no place The Kings had a greater authoritie in ruâ—ing and commaunding then the Iudges would chalenge The affayres hauing good successe against the Madianites the people offered to Gedeon that he should Reigne â—s king ouer them But Gedeon answeâ—ed Neither will I reigne ouer you neyâ—her shall my childe reigne ouer you but â—he Lord shall still raigne ouer you The Kinges were some of them holy and some picked the Iudges were all the faythfull â—eruantes of God though some times erâ—ng yet alwayes rysing againe by repenâ—nce The Kinges did some of them saue the people from inuasions and some noâ— but the Iudges did euer deliuer them froâ— the hands of their oppressours And theâ—fore they haue the Hebrewe name Mosâ— grim Sauiours giuen vnto them as in 〈◊〉 thirde Chapter of the Iudges it is sayd Othoniel that the Lord did stirre vpâ— Sauiour
Appius let vs make a Dictator from whom it shall not be lawfull for any man to appeale Tantus erat Dictatoris terror apud hostes vt eo creato statim à moenibus discesserint So great was the terrour of the Dictator euen amongst the enemies that as sone as he was created they raised their siege and departed Wherby appeareth playnely that the ancient Romains as wel in warre as in peace founde this as a sure anchor holde against all seditions and dangers to enioy one such a Magistrate as from whom there should be no appeale and whose authoritie should possesse as it were the roome of God vpon the earth The Carians were once a wealthy and flourishing people but by seditions which came by the hauing of many heads gouernours they were brought to ruine and vtter desolation wherevpon there arose a prouerbe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multi duces disperdidere Cariam Too many Guydes vndid the countey Caria When many Souldiers were mutinous prudent Vlysses did represse them with these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multos imperitare malum est rex vnicus esto T is not good too many to rule let onely be one King Which verse as Aemilius Probus doth testifie Dion did also vse when Heraclides began his faction Thirdly the gouernement of one Monarch doth seeme to resemble most liuely the image of Gods power maiestie For as in the firmament the Sunne Moone and Starres do as it were represent some image of the glory of the Eternall So the rule of Monarches in their seuerall kingdomes vpon earth doth call to our considerations the gouernment and high maiestie of the omnipotent God And most certainly ac this time of the alteration of the estate of the Iewish common-wealth the wil and purpose of God is in his seruant king Dauid to erect an Image type of the kingdome of Christ But here may some say If the will of God were now in Dauid and his posteritie to set foorth a figure of the kingdom of Christ how can the Israelites be said to sinne so great a sinne in asking a king when they asked onely that which was determined in the purpose of God Why doeth the Lorde so punish their request in sending them so wicked a king as was Saul who besides his often and wilfull disobedience against the cōmandement of God did most cruelly murder the priests of God causing to bee slaine at one time fourescore and fiue which ware the linnen Ephod if in desiring a king their will did concurre with the will of God Yee are heere to obserue that the Israelites had no respect to the purpose of God but onely they shewed foorth the fruites of despairing and malcontented affections In the spoile of the goods of Iob the Caldeans and Sabeans had no regarde to the will and purpose of God which was most iust and holy to examine sharply one of his seruants and to make him a schoolemaster of patience to all posteritie their desire was onely iniuriously to enrich themselues with the spoyle of Iob. In the death of our sauiour Christ the high Priestes Scribes Pharises had no respect to the will of God which was most mercifull and iust by that all sufficient raunsome for sinne to saue all beleeuers their intent was onely to bee reuenged of him whom they hated with deadly malice Euen so these Israelites haue no desire here to obey the secret decree of God in the kingdome of Dauid and of his ofspring to set out a resemblance of the kingdome of Christ but onely their purpose is with a desperat discontentment to shake off the gouernment of their good iudge Samuel contrary to the reuealed wil of God which had before decreed that Whosoeuer was approued to be raised vp of God for their deliuerer he should afterward iudge Israel all the dayes of his life And therefore they worthily receiue a punishment of their obstinate disobedience against the expresse commandement of God And yet notwithstanding this historie doeth shew vs that the appointment of God was performed in Samuel who is said To haue iudged Israel all the dayes of his life Seuen and twentie yeeres and seuen moneths hee had iudged when Saul beganne to reigne Two yeeres was Saul king for although he liued aboue twelue yeeres after that hee was elected king yet forasmuch as in the second yeere hee was denounced to bee reiected of God his kingdome is named to be but of two yeres in continuance And during that time also y e authoritie of Samuel is not abolished for euen in these affaires against Nachash the Ammonite a punishment was in a publique Proclamation threatened against euery one which would not followe Saul and Samuel although in the Actes of the Apostles because the kingdome is the more excellent state of gouernment the whole fourtie yeeres be attributed to Saul as the greater power and maiestie swallowing vp the lesse As concerning the miraculous prouidence of God extended towardes the Israelites during the time that Samuel was their Iudge there neede no further testimonies but that onely place in the seuenth chapter of this booke wher it is sayd That the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the dayes of Samuel The Philistines were the deadliest and fiercest enemies that euer molested the Israelits Seeing then that God ouerthrew their cruellest mightiest enemies that not once or twice but euen al the dayes of Samuel what a wretched ingratitude was this that because a few aduersaries had gotten aduantage against one of their Cities they should therfor vnthankfully shake off that happie gouernment vnder which God had graunted them so many triumphant victories But what were the causes of this their vnkind froward desire of alteration First they would be like to other nations rounde about them as they say Make vs a King to gouerne vs like all other nations And afterward againe We will be like all other Countries a King shall iudge vs and goe out before vs and fight our battayles Forraine gouernementes although they be in them selues most excellent as no doubt those were which were established vnder kings are not to be drawen as ensamples to other nations wherein another estate of gouernment hath alreadie taken place Wee cannot affirme that because this or that is nowe done in the common wealth of Geneua or because this or that was once done in the Elderships and Councels of the Iewes therefore the same ought to bee done in other seniories and assemblies where there is not that Ius gladij that ciuill authoritie power which we see plainly was in them Their Synagogues had the ordering of ciuill punishments to condemne to bee scourged those whom they iudged to offend they could send out officers with swords and staues to apprehend Christ they could examine witnesses against him and binde him and deliuer him to Pilate And whereas when Pilate
an order for thou shalt die and not liue haue included in them a secret condition to wit vnlesse they should truly repent For so in Genesis God saide to Abimelech for his keeping of Abrahams wife beholde thou art as a deade man thou shalt surely die yet there followeth afterward restore the wife to hir husband for he is the Prophet of the Lord he wil pray for thee and thou shalt liue As the threatnings of GOD doe conteine in them a hidden condition of repentance so the promises of aduancement in his temporall elections do cōprehend in them a secret condition of continuance in such duties as their function requireth In which because now Saule doth not abide but falleth to manifest rebellion against the word of God he is therefore most iustly cast off and reiected Samuel before hee did denounce this iudgement of God in reiecting Saul did first as it is saide in the xi verse of this Chapter cry all night vnto the Lord Where a doubt may arise how Samuel could pray in faith seeing that his prayer may seeme to be against the decree of GOD. The like may be saide of Abraham praying for the Sodomits and of Ieremie praying against the captiuitie of Ierusalem Saint Augustine doth verie well answere this question Quomodo side orant sancti vt petant à Deo contra quà m decreuit nempe quia secundum voluntatem eius orant non illā absconditā incōmutabi lem sed quā illis inspirat vt eos exaudiat alio modo How doe the Saints pray in faith when they require a thinge of GOD against that which hee hath decreed Truely because they pray according to his will not his secret and vnchangeable purpose but according to that will which hee doth so inspire into them that hee heareth them some other way hee heareth them if not that way which they desire yet vndoubtedly that way which hee knoweth to be most expedient for them And in the meane time their charitable affection obeying the generall commaundement of GOD cannot but be agreeable to the grounde of faith We reade of Narses that noble Captaine of Italy who subdued the Goths vanquished the Bactrians and receiued by dedition all the Cities of Tuscia that he neuer gaue his enemies the battaile but hee wept in the Temple the night before Such was the humaine and louing affection heere in Samuel who before hee commeth to be a minister of the iudgements of GOD against Saul doth first mourne and lament all the night before and earnestly solicite the Lord by humble praier Afterwarde hee doth faithfully discharge that which the Lord had giuen him in commission concerning Saul of his wilfull rebellion against GOD in reseruing the fattest of the Cattle of the Amalekites whereas GOD had commaunded their whole substance to bee vtterlye destroyed And also of his wretched ingratitude in contemning that good God by whom he was of in a manner nothing annointed to be the king and heade of the Tribes of Israell Saule being reprooued and manifestly found guiltie doth as is the part of notable hypocrits first giue glorious words to the Prophet and stand vpon iustifying of himselfe Blessed art thou of the Lord I haue fulfilled the commandement of the Lord. Secondly he posteth off the fault to others accusing y e people that they had spared the best fattest of the cattell to offer them in sacrifice vnto God And last of all hee continueth obstinate in defending of himselfe thinking that the accusing of others might be for him a sufficient excuse and alleaging the feare of the people as a cloake to couer his casting awaie of their feare of God I feared saide he the people and therefore I obeied their voice But Samuel sheweth him what were indeed the true causes of his sparing of Agag and of his carying away the fattest of y e sheep Oxen of the Amalekites to wit first his setting his heart vpon the prey thou hast saith he turned thy selfe to the prey and done wickedly in the sight of God and secondly a stubberne disobedience against the worde of God which he doth at large describe in this verse which now especially is offered to our considerations Wherein we haue two especial things to obserue First the nature and effects of rebellion which are here set out by comparing it with witchcraft and Idolatrie Secondly the iudgement of God against Saul being found guiltie of this detestable offence Because thou hast cast awaie the worde of the Lord therfore the Lord hath cast awaie thee from being King Rebellion may well be resembled to witchcraft and Idolatrie in fower especiall respects first in regard of the originall in that they all proceede of one fountaine all fruites of infidelitie all manifest workes of the flesh all proceede of yeelding to the suggestions of Satan and renouncing to be gouerned by the spirit of God Gregory Nazianzene saith verie well of witchcraft 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there can be no good vse of witcheries sorceries by which the Deuill doth enter and take possession of man So of Idolatry the Apostle speaketh that those things which the Gentiles sacrificed to Idols they sacrificed vnto deuils not to God The like may be saide of wilfull disobedience For as faith is notably approued and declared by obeying the will of God so a stubberne rebelling against y e commaundement of GOD is an euidēt token of an vnfaithfull renouncing of God If any of vs being sieke shoulde haue two seuerall persons come vnto vs whereif th one should bring a soueraigne medecine to cure our maladie and the other should bring a box of most deadly poyson how shall it appeare in which of these two we place our greatest confidence Surely the embracing of the parties counsaile and the taking of his receipt will manifestly declare of whether of them we haue conceiued the better thoughts and whether we do more rely vpon though we speake well of the one and neuer so much commend his excellent knowledge yet if we follow the aduise of the other he is the man whome our heart doth most preferre Euen so it falleth out in matters which do concerne our feeble and diseased soules Whosoeuer they are that do refuse the soueraigne salue of repentance offered vnto them by the heauenly Phisition Iesus Christ and do receiue the deadly poyson of rebellion ministred vnto them by Sathan their owne deedes do beare apparant witnesse against them that howsoeuer in word they cal Christ their Lord and Sauiour yet in the hearte the suggestions of Sathan haue found the chiefest harbour Secondly rebellion may well be compared to these sins of witchcraft superstition Idolatry in regard of y e nature qualitie of y e offence because they are all most odious detestable in y e sight of God How abominable these trāsgressiōs are is sufficiently made manifest vnto vs by those punishments which God