[01~templation!. Lr s.XIII. 1 A rhe rejefJion of s A U L, .tnJtht choyct of D AVln. whenS•ulhadabandoncd God in difobedicncc, he would not for- I goe Samrul, yea though he reproved him; when hehad forfakcn the , fubftancc, yet he would maintain the formality; Ifhe cannot hold the j man,he will keep the pledge ofhis garment, fuch was the viol<nce of Sa111I ddirc, that he will rather rend Sam,.efr coat, then patt with his rerfon. Little did Saul think, that he had in his hand the pawne ofhis ownere•.B JcClion, that this aClofkindc importunity fhould carry in it a prefage of his judgcinenr,ycr fo itdid:This very rending ofthe coarowas a real! prophdie,and did bode no ldfc then the rending of the Kingdome from him, and his pofteriry: Wicked men,whilcs they think by carnal! meanes ro makerhcir peace, plun~e rhemfc!vcs deeper into mifery. ' Any ftandcr bywould have faid,what a good King is rhis~how dear is Gods Prophet unto him~ how happy is Ifrad in fuch aPrince,as rhus loves rtJ, mclfengers of God~ Samutl,that fawthc bottome ofhis hollow affection,rejclls him,whomGod h•d rcjected;hewas raughr ro look upon Saul, not as a King, bur as an offc:nder,and therefore rcfufu with no lelfe vehemcncy, rhen Saul inrrearcd: It was one rhing, what hemight doe, asafubject,anorherwhar he muftdoe as a Prophet: Now he C knowes nor Saul any otherwife, rhen as fo much the ~rearcr rrefpaffer as his place was higher ; and therefore he doth no more fp•re hts grearnelfe, then rhe God again£1: whom helinned ; Neither doihhe countenance that man with hisprcfcncc, on whom he fees God to frowne. · There needs no other CharaCler ofhypocrifie, then Saul, in the cariage of this one bu(inelfe with Agag and Samuel: Fir£1: he obeyes God where t\lcre is no gain in difobedience; then he ferves God by halves, and difobeyes, where rhe obedience might belolfe: He gives God ofthe wor£1: ; he dorh that in a colour, which might feeme,.nfworable to the charge ofGod :He refpects perfons in the execution ; He gives good words,when hisdeeds wereevi!l ; He prorefts his obedience again£1: his confciC1lce1 He faces out his proreftation again£1: a reproofe;When hef~es no teme- D dy,hcacknowledges the fact,denies the fin,yea tJ, juftifics the act by aprofitable intention; When he canno longer maintain bis innocence, h~cafts the blame from himfe!fe upon the people 1 f.le confelfeth not, till the finne be wrung from his mouth; He feekcs his peace out of himfelfe, and relies more upon anorhers vertue, then his owne pcnirency ; He would cloake his guiltinelfc with the ho1indfe ofanorhers prefcnce; He is more tormented with the danger •nd damage ofhis finne, then with the offence; He cares to holdin with men, in what remiCS fo;~er he ftands with God; He falhionably ferves that God, whom he hachnot dlellrorecoocileby hisrepentance:No m'!rvellif(iod ca£1: him of,whofe be£1: was diflimulation. · Old Samuel is forced to doe a double execution, and that upon no lelfe then two E Kings: Theone upon Saul, in dividing the Kingdomefrom him, who had divided hinifdffrom God; The otherupon A gag, in dividing him in pieces, whom Sa•l ;(hould have divided. Thofe holy hands were not ufed to fuch facrifices, yetdld he never fpil!bloudmore acceptably: If Sar~lhadbeene truly penitent, he had in a delire offatisfaClion prevented the hand of Samud in this lbughter ; Now be coldly ftands ftill, and fuffers the weak hands ofan aged Prophet tb be imbrued with that bloud,which he was commanded to fhed. If Saul might not facrificeio tl>: obfeoce of SamNtl,yer Samuel might kill inrheprefcncc of Saul: He was yera Judge oflfrael, although he fufpended the execution: In S•ulr neglect, this chargereverted to him; God loves ju£1: executions fo wdl,rhat he will hardly rake them ill at any hand. I do not /ind,rhatrbe fiaughter of Agagtroub!edS•mutl; thatothcraClofhis fe. vent
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