consuming of their substance the wasting of their health trouble and vnquietnesse in their owne house shame and confusion abroade the losse of spirituall graces in this life and the losse of life eternall in the worlde to come What fruite doth the couetous miser reape by his abundance of welth when hee doth not possesse his goods but is possessed of them when hee hath them and cannot finde in his heart to vse them when hee hath no hope to haue them blessed to the third generation and especially what will it profit him if hee shoulde winne all the worlde and in the meane time loose his owne soule As liuing in the obedience of Gods worde in goodnesse of life is called by the Apostle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greate gaine and profit so disobeying the Lord by riotousnes of life doth heape vpon man all plagues and miseries The people which here vnder Saul doe against the commaundement of GOD keepe some cattell to make a will-wil-worship of their owne do reserue the best fattest of the sheepe and Oxen wherein wee may further obserue how forwarde and zealous men are to set forth maintaine those things which they haue hatched in their owne braine against the direct rule of Gods word For I can account no better of their sacrifices when they will make them as seales of their disobedience against God The people of Israell to erect a golden Calfe would part with their Earings euen the best Iewels they had but in the true worshippe of God euery thing went hard with them they were continually murmuring grudging against Moses and Aaron When Elias could finde little succour amongst the Israelits their successours Iezabel to maintaine the Idolatry of Baal kept fower hundred Chaplaines as it is saide in the Scriptures there were fower hundred Priests of the groues that did eate at Iezabels table Wee see in our daies many monuments and remnants of superstition which do sufficiently lay open to vs how forward they were in times past to maintaine their wilworshippe and we see also on the other side more is the pittie by too lamentable experience how colde and backwarde we are to vpholde and resorte vnto the true seruice of God framed according to his worde Manie now are like vnto childreÌ„ who if they be coÌ„maunded any thing by their parents they are eyther by and by hungry wearie or straight way oppressed with heat or colde but if they runne headlong vpon any deuise of their owne braine they continue in their trauell a long time without feeling hunger or colde a whole day will scarce suffice for their vaine inuentions Euen so it is with many men which though they be growne in stature yet are children in vnderstanding and knowledge what pleaseth their owne humors and affections y t they are forwarde with greate charges to sustaine But if any thing be coÌ„maunded by godly lawes of Christian Princes agreeable to the worde of God of that they make little or small account So likewise it falleth out in the performance of the duetyes of the second Table If there be any thing that shall disobey the commaundement of GOD any riotousnes of life any pride any vncleane lustes any excesse and surfeting how forward are we nay how prodigall to compasse and accomplish such dissolute affections But if any thing be to be done in obedience of the word any poore to be releeued any vertuous acte to bee performed alas how colde are we then how sparing yea rather how froward how obstinate Rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and stubborne resisting as superstition and Idolatry Of the second part of this text to wit of the iudgement of God denouÌ„ced against Saul for this his rebellion I shall godwilling intreat at some other conuenient time In y e meane while as the Lacedemonians by shewing to their children the lothsome sight of dronkards would therby withdraw their youth from that lewde and beastly vice So let this viewe and beholding of the horrour of rebellion effect and worke in our hearts a perfect hatred of all disobedience Let vs earnestly endeuour to be that flock of Christ which heare his voice and follow him that so we may be certainly assured that he will giue vnto vs eternall life and that nothing shall bee able to plucke vs out of his hands Let vs shewe forth the fruite of our faith by humble obedience as did faithfull Abraham y t walking after y e spirite we may be fully certified that we liue by the spirite Let vs order our conuersation duetifully in the feare of God as becommeth obedient children in sacrificing mortifying our owne wills and affections y t so being sonnes and daughters yea kings and priests to God the father in this life we may raigne with him for euer in his eternall kingdome in the world to come whereunto he speedily bring vs all that mercifully dyed for vs all our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one true and euerliuing God bee all honour glory thanksgiuing praise now and for euer Amen Errata In the first Sermon for strong r. stong for portinus r. protinus In the second sermon fol. 3. b. r. moshegnim fol. 5. b.r. effecting of some fol. 18. a. r. Longins fol. 14. a. actions that can be In the third for honoradi r. honorandi The often sudden changing of the Character was the Printers conceipt in the absence of the Author Esay 37.9 2 Reg. 16.7 Esay 57.9 Esay 58. Esay 56.1 Eze. 8.9 Ver. 3. ver 4. Rom. 3.15 Psal 7.15 Deut. 32.33 Prop. lib. 3. Eph. 4.19 Berâ— lib. 1. de coÌ„sider Eph. 5.14 Psal 58.5 Iob. 21.14 Act. 7.51 Rom. 3.13 Eph. 4 29. Gal. de theâ—i ac cap. 8 Math 20.15 Pro. 22.6 Hiero. in Esa 30 c. in 59. Math. 13.28 Sap. 2. v. vlt. Eph. 4.26 Hiero. in Esa 59. 2. Cor. 11.1 Apoc. 12.9 Gen. 3.1 2. Cor. 4.4 2. Sa. 11.2 Math. 13.25 Lib 1. de hist animal Ca. 6 Psal 49.1 Eccle. 37.30 Zach. 5.4 Gal. 5.21 Lib. 2â— de hist animal cap. 33. 2. Sam. 11. 1. Sam. 15. Act. 6.10 1. Ioh. 3.12 Ver. 3. ver 7. 1. Iohn 3.15 Gen. 27.41 Act. 7.52 5.30 Deut. 14 13. Deut. 22.6 Leuit. 19.14 Iud. 1. Iud. 9.5 Iud. 9. v. 53 1. Reg. 21.19 2. Reg. 9. Hest 9.14 Psal 69.27 Chrisost in Mat. 15. Basilia ps 14. Eccle. 34.22 Ambr. vt si Gratian dist 86. Amos 8 5 1. Thes 4 6 Ier. 12 13. 17. Gen. 4.10 Iob 31 38 Ecc. 34 26 Psal 52 2. 55 22. Laer lib 6 Cap. 1. Greg. super Ezech. Aug. super Ioh. tract 42. Psal 55. ver vlt 2. Chr. 20.15 2. Sam. 23.16 2 Sam 16 2 Sam. 16 Psa 55. ver vlt. 2. Sam. 18 7. Sam. 17 23 Tom 3. lib 15 pag. 439. Pag. 421. Mart. fox Tom. 2. Homer â— Sa. 24.14 Pro. 4.23 1. Reg. 21. Gen.
bade them take him and iudge him after their owne lawe they answered That it was not lawfull for them to put any man to death Chrysostome doeth one way expound it that it may well bee meant of that kinde of death which to aggrauate the shame they sought especially to haue executed on Christ For otherwise they had authoritie to stone to death as it may seeme that Steuen was condemned by them because as the lawe was that the witnesses should cast the first stone so the witnesses in the stoning of Stephen doe orderly lay downe their clothes at the feete of Saul In the Chapter following their power doth extend to draw out men women and children and to thrust them into prison which authoritie Saul could put in execution at Damascus much more at the citie Hierusalem Tertullus their Oratour doeth acknowledge this before the gouernor Faelix when he sayth of Paul We tooke him would haue iudged him according to our law but that the chiefe captaine Lysias came vpon vs and with great violence tooke him out of our handes The ensamples of those which are chiefe gouernors in Aristocratie ought not to be drawen vnto them which are subiects vnder a Monarchie There is in euery dominion a supreame power which the Greeks do cal call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines Maiestatem the Italians Signoria and we in England do name it by the French word Soueraintie Wheresoeuer that chiefe authoritie doth remayne whether it be in one or in many from thence must be deriued the ordering of all thinges both in Church and Common-wealth These Israelites here desire that they might haue a King to goe before them to fight their battayles Their request had not displeased God had there not been before an other forme of gouernment established amongst them for otherwise of a Monarchie that may well be sayd which S. Augustine doth write against Faustus the Manichee Ordo ille naturalis mortalium paci accommodatus hoc poscit vt suscipiendi belli auctoritas atque consilium sit penes principem exequondi autem iussa bellica ministerium milites debeant paci salutique communi The naturall order most fit for the peace of mankind doth require this that the authoritie and counsell of taking Warre in hand be in the power of the Prince and the dutie of executing the commaundementes of Warre is a thing that the Souldiers doe owe for the maynteinance of the peace of the Common-wealth And a litle after Vir iustus si forte sub rege etiam sacrilego militet rectè possit illo iubente bellare ciuicae pacis ordinem seruans oui quod iubetur vel non esse contra dei praeceptum certum est vel vtrum sit certum non est ita vt fortasse reum regem faciat iniquitas imperandi innocentem autem militem ostendat ordo seruiendi A iust man if he be a Souldier vnder his King being wicked may at his commandement fight keeping the order of ciuill peace with his fellow subiectes when that which is commaunded is not directly against the word of God or whether it be or no it is not certainely knowne so that perhappes a sinne in commaunding may make the king guyltie and yet the order of obeying may declare the Souldier innocent When God ruled his people by Moses and Iosua they as Dukes and Magistrates disposed all thinges both in warre and peace in ordering both Church Common-wealth in causing the people to be circumcised in buylding Aulters and euery way gouerning the charge committed to them When afterwarde he raysed vp Iudges he endued them not onely with warlike vertue but that they might better also reforme abuses in the Church he gaue sometimes to the Women as vnto Debora sometimes to Men as vnto Samuel the spirit of prophecying When after he established Kinges the Scriptures do plentifully declare vnto vs what supremacie was graunted to them ouer all persons and in all causes as well ecclesiasticall as ciuill Dauid armed his people with the authoritie of the sworde against all their publike enemies he caused the Arke to be remooued from a priuate mans house he placed the orders of the Priestes and Leuites and had a principall care to finde out a seate for the Lordes seruice an habitation for the mightie God of Iacob Salomon deposed the wicked Priest Abiathar and placed Sadoc a better in his roome He established the orders of the Leuites and other officers and least any man shoulde thinke that Salomon did herein more then he might it is said by expresse wordes that this his charge of the Church was the commaundement of Dauid the man of God Asia armed his people against the enemies of Gods Church he made a decree that they should be slaine which would not seek and worship the Lord God of Israel hee deposed Maacha from her regencie because of her idolatrie Iehosaphat ordered the warres of the house of Iuda he sent foorth Elisham and Iehoram Priests to instruct the people he placed in authority the Priests and chiefe nobles for the iudgement of the cause of the Lord. Ezechias by lawfull warre withstood Sennacheribs vnlawfull oppressions He repayred the temple rooted out idolatrie and appointed the courses of the Priests and Leuites Iosias tooke order for the pulling downe of idolatrie and the execution of the priests of Baal Afterward when the Romanes had conquered Iurie for as much as there is no power but of God S. Peter doth also to them attribute this supremacie calling the king a chiefe and supreme gouernour and shewing also what manner of supremacie he hath to wit such a chiefe power as doeth extend it selfe generally to the punishment of euill doers and to the praise of them that doe well As largely then as goeth good or euill that is through the obseruation and breach of euery commaundement of either of the two tables throughout all nations that can bee either in the Church or common wealth so farre goeth the supremacie of Princes in their dominions to shewe foorth their iustice in punishing their mercie in fauouring and theâ— loue in rewarding Saint Paul speakeâ— as well of the Romane Emperours of hâ— time as also of all other higher power which are to ensue in any other age 〈◊〉 place that they beare not the sworde fâ— nought but are the ministers of God take vengeance of euill doers The second cause why these people desire to shake off the gouernment of Samuel was because his sonnes ruling in his steeâ— did receiue bribes and peruert iudgement Samuel doeth in this twelfth Chapter eâ— postulate this matter at large with them is cleared sufficiently in the conscience testimonie of them all The iniquitiâ— which his sonnes committed were not bâ—cause he did not prescribe good wayes vnâ— them but because they did not walke in tâ— wayes and
O that we were not become so drunkeÌ„ with this our prosperitie as to forget that good Lord which hath giuen this good Land vnto vs O that we were not like Ieshurun spoken of in Deutronomie like the Horse which being fat and well fedde fedde doth spurne and flinge against his keeper nourisher O that we were not lyke the vntamed Heyfar by reason of our long running in plentifull pastures to forget to cary the sweete yoke of obedience O that we coulde make true vse of all the benefites and blessinges of our heauenly Father that the louing kindnesse of God might leade vs to repentance that we could as Samuel speaketh heere to the Israelites Feare the Lord and serue him â—n trueth with all our hartes and consider what great thinges he hath done for vs that we coulde Prayse the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the woonders which he dayly doth for this realme of Englande Then shoulde the blessing of God still remayne vppon vs both vpon Prince and people Then should the Lord continue his mercies in going in and out with our Armies Then should the Lord eyther make our enemies become our â—riendes or throughly turne his hande against our aduersaries Then should there â—e amongst vs euery soule duetifully subâ—ect to the higher powers Then should we 〈◊〉 all distresses with contented mindes cast all our care on God for he careth for vs. Then should we in hart conceiue that assured confidence trust in the goodnesse of God that we should faythfully say with Dauid If the Lord be on our side we neede not care what man can doe vnto vs. Then should the Lord long prosper and euen for euer preserue that happie Monarchie vnder which we are here so peaceably gouerned and graunt vs a Kingdome of euerlastyng peace in the worlde to come Which giftes graces the Lord of Lords and King of all Kinges vouchsafe to giue vnto vs for the merites of our sauiour Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Ghost one true and euerliuing God for all his inestimable benefites bestowed vpon vs be all honour glory thanksegeuing and prayse now for euer Amen FINIS A SERMON DESCRIBING THE NATVRE AND HORROVR OF STVBBERNE DISOBEDIENCE Preached at Tanridge in Surrey the xvi day of Iuly Anno domini 1598. And at the same time written to be added as a second part to the Danger of discontentment * ⎠* By Simon Harwarde LONDON ¶ Imprinted by RICHARD BRADOCKE for RICHARD IOHNS 1599. TO MY VERY good friende M. Michaell Murgatrod Steward in household to the most reuerend Father in God the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury his grace many ioyfull and happie yeares * ⎠* SIR the great kindnesse and courtesie heretofore by me receiued at your hands whensoeuer I came either to Lambeth or Croydon to do my humble dutie vnto your most honorable Lord maister my L. his grace of Canterbury hath many times and often iustly occasioned me to remember you and to bethinke my poore selfe how happily I might anyway if not requite you yet yeald at the least some acknow ledgement and plaine testimonie of my thankfulnesse in that behalfe vnto you Hereof it commeth that being now to publishe this little treatise of horrour of disobedience I haue presumed in hope of pardon to direct the same to you as to a speciall friende meriting a farre greater matter froÌ„ me But vntill such time as I may performe some thing of greater moment for you my trust is you will accept in good part this small â—oken of my greate loue towardes â—ou And withall still continewâ—our former well-wishing affection â—owards me The which I doe â—ore desire than any waies I am â—ble to deserue and yet purposeâ— by Gods grace further to reâ—mpence if euer either occasion â—all serue or power shall better â—able me thereunto Euen so withâ—anie thankes for your manifold â—auours I cease to bee further troublesome at this time vnto â—ou beseeching almightie God â—ll to blesse you with the honouâ—able countenance of him whom â—u serue and whom for his great â—ertues sake all good and honest men doe loue reuerence and entirelie honour From Tanridge this second of Ianuarie 1599. Yours euer assured to his power Simon Harward ⧠The preface of the Author to the Christian Reader AS in the former Sermon beloued in Christ there is laide open vnto thee the offence of the Israelites in desiring a king So in this the argument whereof was likewise takeÌ„ out of the first chapter by the order of our church appointed for the Sabaoth then next ensuing there doth follow some part of the punishment wherewith it pleased God to scourge the malcontented desires of that rebellious people In asking a king they did wilfully cast off the ordinance of God who had established anotherforme of gouernmeÌ„t amongst them therefore as this history doth euidently declare the Lord hath now giuen them a King in his wrath and as commonly he doth punish euery transgression in and by it selfe so to a rebellious wilfull people he hath sent a stubborne and obstinate gouernour The matter then of this latter Sermon depending so necessarily on the other going before I haue thought it not amisse here to ioyne them both togither with equall labour of peÌ„ning as before they required not much vnequall time in their vttering deliuering And being so vnited I do offer them here ioyntly to thy godly consideration praying thee in the same maner to accept them as they are now presented to thee that is with a single sincere and wel-willing affection Farewell in Christ From Tanridge this xviii of Iuly Anno 1598. 1. Sam. 15. Ver. 23. But rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft stubborne resisting is as superstition and Idolatrie because thou hast cast awaie the word of the Lord the Lord hath likewise cast awaie thee from being King THE Amalechits of whom Agag is now King whom GOD doth heere in this Chapter commaunde to be vtterly destroyed by Saule were as the Prouerbe is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 mali corui mala oua of a wicked race a cursed generation as descended of one Amalec who was a base sonne of Eliphas the sonne of Esau by a concubine named Timna They did with such bloudy hearts afflicte and assault the Israel â—s in Rephidim when they were comming out of Aegypt especially in following them and beating downe the hinmost of them killing such as they saw were faint and weary and not able to march with the rest that God did both assure his seruant Moses that he would destroy the remembrance of Amalec from vnder heauen and also by Moses commaund the Israelites that as soone as they had gotten victory of their enemies about them they should put in execution that decree of Gods vengeance denounced against those Amalekites For although the Lord doe suffer for a time the wicked to rage
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