L 1 a. XI V. SA u Land the ,Witch ofEndor. 1 lo77 A , to fecond thdr ill beginnings,with worfc proceedings. It is a dangerous and miler>- blcthing,to cafl our fel'ves into thofe actions,which dmv with them a necefliry,either ofoffending,or mifcarriage. SA u L and the Witch ofEndor• ..,_,~n,.,. ' ' '"the worl'l: men may fometimesmake head againfl fome finnes.S"' ' ~'~~!~:': hath expelled the Sqrcerersoutofthe Land oflfrael;and lmh forbidden Magick t~pon pain of death. He that had no care to expel! Satan B out of his own heart, yet will feem to drive him out ofhis Kingdome. That wo fee wicked moo oppofe themfelves to fome linnes, there is neither marvel! nor comfert in it.No doubt Satan m>de fport at this Edit! of Sar~l; what cares he to be banifhed in Sorcery, whiles he is entertained in malice ~ He knewand found Saul his, whiles he refifled; and fmiled to yedd thus far unto hi& Vaffall: Ifwe quit not all fins,he will be content we fhould either abandon or perfecutefome. Where is no place for holy feare, there will be place forthe fervile; The grace. ldfe heart ofS•ulwas alionied at the Phili!lims;yet was never moved at the frowns ofthat God whofe anger fent them, nor ofthofe linsofhis which procured them. Thofe t!m cannot fi:are forlove, flull tremble for feare : and how much betteris C awe then terror~ prevention then confulion? There is nothing more lamentable then to fee a man laugh when he fhouldfeare ; God Dull laugh, when fuch an ones' feare commeth. Extremity of diflreffe, will fend even the prophanell man to God; like as the drowning man, reacheth ol1t his hand to that bough, which he contemned whiles he lioodlafe on the bank : Saul now asketl1 counfellofthe Lord ; whofe Prophet he h;tted,whofe Pridh he flew,whofe Anointed he perfecmes; Had Sa.•l confulted with God when he fl10uld,this evil! had not been1bt:t now,ifthis evill had not been, he had not confulted wirh God, The thank of this Act is due, not ro him, bur to his affliction; A forced piety is thankleffe, unprofitable; God will not anlwer him neither by Dreames,nor by Urim,nor by Prophets. Why fl10uld God anfwer D that man by Dreames, who had refifled him waking ~ Why fl1ould he anlwer him by Urim, that had Oaine his Pridls? Why fl10uld he anfwer him by Prophets, who hated the Farhetofthe Prophets, rebelled againfl the word ofthe Prophets~ It is an unreafonable unequality to hope to finde God at ourcommand;when we would not beat his; To look that Godfhould regard our voyce in trouble, when wewould not regard his in peace. Unto what mad fl1iftsare men driven by defpJire ~ IfGod will nor anfwer, Satan fhall ; (Sdu/ faid to his fervanrs, Seek me a man that hath a familiar fpirit.) If S'flll had not known this courfe Devilifl1, why did hedecree to banifh it, to mulcr ll with death~ yet riow againflthc flreame ofhis confcience, he will feekrothofe E whom he had condemned; There needs noOther judge of Satds act thenhimfelfel had he not before oppofedthis fin, he had not fo hainoutly finned in committing it; Therecannot be a more fearful! figne ofan heart given up to a reprobatefenfe, then to cafl it felfwilfullyinto thofe fins, which it hath procbimed rodetefl. The declinations to evill are many times infenfible, but when it breaks forth into fuch apparent effects,even others eyes may difcerne it; What was Sattl the better ro fore-know the iffue of his approaching battle~ If rhis confulrarion could have firengthned him again et his enemies, or prOmoted his viCtory, there might h::zvc· been fame colourforfo foul~ an act; NO\v, what could he gain, butthe fatisfying of his bootlelfe curiofiry, in fore-feeing' that, which he fhould not be able to· avoid! Foolifh men give away their fouls for nothing : The itcltofimp•tt1nenr and unptofir.bk
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