to a truth; either she will deny the fact, or the fault, or the measure. And now in this case they might seem to have some fair pretences; for though Samuel was righteous, yet his sons were corrupt. To cut off all excuses therefore, Samuel appeals to God, the highest judge, for his sentence of their sin, and dares trust to a miraculous conviction. It was now their wheat-harvest: the hot and dry air of that climate did not wont to afford in that season so much moist vapour as might raise a cloud, either for rain or thunder. He, that knew-God could and would do both these without the help of second causes, puts the trial upon this issue. Had not Samuel before consulted with his Maker, and received warrant for his act, it had been presumption and tempting of God, which was now a noble improvement of faith. than Israel shall go clear away with a sin, God will accuse and arraign them from heaven. No sooner hath Samuel's voice ceased, than God's voice begins: every crack of thunder spake judgment against the rebellious Israelites, and every drop of rain was a witness of their sin; and now they found they had displeased him, which ruleth in the heaven, by rejecting the man, that ruled for him on earth. The thundering voice of God, that had lately in their sight confounded the Philistines, they now understood to speak fearful things against them. No marvel, if now they fell upon their knees, not to Saul whom they had chosen, but to Samuel; who, being thus cast off by them, is thus countenanced in heaven.

Rather

CONTEMPLATION VII.-SAUL'S SACRIFICE.

1 SAMUEL XIII.

GOD never meant the kingdom should either stay long in the tribe of Benjamin, or remove suddenly from the person of Saul. Many years did Saul reign over Israel, yet God computes him but two years a king. That is not accounted of God to be done, which is not lawfully done. When God which chose Saul rejected him, he was no more a king, but a tyrant. Israel obeyed him still, but God makes no reckoning of him as his deputy, but

as an usurper.

Saul was of good years, when he was advanced to the kingdom. His son Jonathan, the first year of his father's reign, could lead a thousand Israelites into the field, and give a foil to the Philistines. And now Israel could not think themselves less happy in their prince, than in their king: Jonathan is the heir of his father's victory, as well as of his valour and his estate. The Philistines were quiet after those first thunder-claps, all the time. of Samuel's government; now they begin to stir under Saul. How utterly is Israel disappointed in their hopes! That secu

rity and protection, which they promised themselves in the name of a king, they found in a prophet, failed of in a warrior. They were more safe under the mantle, than under arms. Both enmity and safeguard are from heaven. Goodness hath been ever a stronger guard than valour. It is the surest policy, always to have peace with God.

We find by the spoils, that the Philistines had some battles with Israel which are not recorded. After the thunder had scared them into a peace, and restitution of all the bordering cities, from Ekron to Gath, they had taken new heart, and so beslaved Israel, that they had neither weapon nor smith left amongst them; yet even in this miserable nakedness of Israel, have they both fought and overcome. Now might you have seen the unarmed Israelites, marching with their slings, and ploughstaves, and hooks, and forks, and other instruments of their husbandry, against a mighty and well-furnished enemy, and returning laden both with arms and victory. No armour is of proof against the Almighty; neither is he unweaponed, that carries the revenge of God. There is the same disadvantage in our spiritual conflicts: we are turned naked to principalities and powers : whilst we go under the conduct of the Prince of our peace, we cannot but be bold and victorious.

Vain men think to overpower God with munition and multitude. The Philistines are not any way more strong, than in conceit thirty thousand chariots, six thousand horsemen, footmen like the sand for number, make them scorn Israel no less, than Israel fears them. When I see the miraculous success, which had blessed the Israelites, in all their late conflicts with these very Philistines, with the Ammonites, I cannot but wonder how they could fear. They, which in the time of their sin found God to raise such trophies over their enemies, run now into caves, and rocks, and pits, to hide them from the faces of men, when they found God reconciled, and themselves penitent. No Israelite but hath some cowardly blood in him: if we had no fear, faith would have no mastery; yet these fearful Israelites shall cut the throats of those confident Philistines. Doubt and resolution are not meet measures of our success: a presumptuous confidence goes commonly bleeding home, when an humble fear returns in triumph.

Fear drives those Israelites, which dare shew their heads, out of the caves unto Saul, and makes them cling unto their new king. How troublesome were the beginnings of Saul's honour! Surely, if that man had not exceeded Israel no less in courage than in stature, he had now hid himself in a cave, which before hid himself among the stuff; but now, though the Israelites ran away from him, yet he ran not away from them.

It was not any doubt of Saul's valour, that put his people to their heels; it was the absence of Samuel. If the prophet had

come up, Israel would never have run away from their king. While they had a Samuel alone, they were never well till they had a Saul; now they have a Saul, they are as far from contentment, because they want a Samuel: unless both join together, they think there can be no safety. Where the temporal and spiritual state combine not together, there can follow nothing but distraction in the people. The prophets receive and deliver the will of God; kings execute it: the prophets are directed by God; the people are directed by their kings. Where men do not see God before them in his ordinances, their hearts cannot but fail them, both in their respects to their superiors, and their courage in themselves. Piety is the mother of perfect subjection. As all authority is derived from heaven, so it is thence established: those governors, that would command the hearts of men, must shew them God in their faces.

No Israelite can think himself safe without a prophet. Saul had given them good proof of his fortitude, in his late victory over the Ammonites; but then proclamation was made before the fight through all the country, that every man should come up after Saul and Samuel. If Samuel had not been with Saul, they would rather have ventured the loss of their oxen, than the hazard of themselves. How much less should we presume of any safety in our spiritual combats, when we have not a prophet to lead us! It is all one, saving that it savours of more contempt, not to have God's seers, and not to use them. He can be no true Israelite, that is not distressed with the want of a Samuel.

As one that had learned to begin his rule in obedience, Saul stays seven days in Gilgal, according to the prophet's direction; and still he looks long for Samuel, which had promised his presence. Six days he expects, and part of the seventh, yet Samuel is not come. The Philistines draw near; the Israelites run away; Samuel comes not; they must fight; God must be supplicated what should Saul do? Rather than God should want a sacrifice, and the people satisfaction, Saul will command that, which he knew Samuel would, if he were present, both command and execute. "It is not possible," thinks he, "that God should be displeased with a sacrifice: he cannot but be displeased with indevotion. Why do the people run from me, but for want of means to make God sure? What should Samuel rather wish, than that we should be godly? The act shall be the same; the only difference shall be in the person. If Samuel be wanting to us, we will not be wanting to God. It is but a holy prevention, to be devout unbidden." Upon this conceit, he commands a sacrifice.

Saul's sins make no great shew, yet are they still heinously taken the impiety of them was more hidden, and inward from all eyes but God's. If Saul were among the prophets before,

will he now be among the priests? Can there be any devotion in disobedience? O vain man! What can it avail thee, to sacrifice to God, against God? Hypocrites rest only in formalities. If the outward act be done, it sufficeth them, though the ground be distrust, the manner irreverence, the carriage presumption.

What then should Saul have done? Upon the trust of God and Samuel he should have staid out the last hour, and have secretly sacrificed himself and his prayers, unto that God which loves obedience above sacrifice. Our faith is most commendable in the last act. It is no praise to hold out, until we be hard driven. Then, when we are forsaken of means, to live by faith in our God, is worthy of a crown. God will have no worship of our devising we may only do what he bids us; not bid what he commands not. Never did any true piety arise out of the corrupt puddle of man's brain: if it flow not from heaven, it is odious to heaven. What was it, that did thus taint the valour of Saul with this weakness, but distrust? He saw some Israelites go; he thought all would go: he saw the Philistines come; he saw Samuel came not: his diffidence was guilty of his misdevotion. There is no sin, that hath not its ground from unbelief: this, as it was the first infection of our pure nature, so is the true source of all corruption: man could not sin, if he distrusted not.

The sacrifice is no sooner ended, than Samuel is come: and why came he no sooner? He could not be a seer, and not know how much he was looked for, how troublesome and dangerous his absence must needs be. He, that could tell Saul that he should prophesy, could tell that he would sacrifice; yet he purposely forbears to come, for the trial of him that must be the champion of God. Samuel durst not have done thus, but by direction from his Master it is the ordinary course of God, to prove us by delays, and to drive us to exigents, that we may shew what we are. He, that anointed Saul, might lawfully from God control him. There must be discretion, there may not be partiality, in our censures of the greatest. God makes difference of sins; none, of persons: if we make difference of sins according to persons, we are unfaithful both to God and man.

Scarce is Saul warm in his kingdom, when he hath even lost it. Samuel's first words after the inauguration are of Saul's rejection, and the choice and establishment of his successor. It was ever God's purpose, to settle the kingdom in Judah. He, that took occasion by the people's sin to raise up Saul in Benjamin, takes occasion by Saul's sin to establish the crown upon David. In human probability, the kingdom was fixed upon Saul, and his more worthy son; in God's decree, it did but pass through the hands of Benjamin to Judah. Besides trouble, how fickle are these earthly glories! Saul, doubtless, looked upon Jonathan as the inheritor of his crown; and behold, ere his peaceable

possession, he hath lost it from himself. Our sins strip us, not of our hopes in heaven only, but of our earthly blessings. The way to entail a comfortable prosperity upon our seed after us, is our conscionable obedience unto God.

CONTEMPLATION VIII.-JONATHAN'S VICTORY AND SAUL'S OATH.

1 SAMUEL XIV.

It is no wonder, if Saul's courage were much cooled with the heavy news of his rejection. After this he stays under the pomegranate tree in Gibeah: he stirs not towards the garrison of the Philistines. As hope is the mother of fortitude, so nothing doth more breed cowardliness than despair. Every thing dismays that heart, which God hath put out of protection.

Worthy Jonathan, which sprung from Saul as some sweet imp grows out of a crabstock, is therefore full of valour, because full of faith. He well knew, that he should have nothing but discouragements from his father's fear; as rather choosing, therefore, to avoid all the blocks that might lie in the way than to leap over them, he departs secretly without the dismission of his father, or notice of the people: only God leads him, and his armour-bearer follows him. O admirable faith of Jonathan, whom neither the steepness of rocks, nor the multitude of enemies, can dissuade from so unlikely an assault! Is it possible, that two men, whereof one was weaponless, should dare to think of encountering so many thousands? O divine power of faith, that in all difficulties and attempts, makes a man more than men, and regards no more armies of men, than swarms of flies! There is no restraint to the Lord, saith he, to save with many, or by few. It was not so great news, that Saul should be amongst the prophets, as that such a word should come from the son of Saul.

If his father had had but so much divinity, he had not sacrificed. The strength of his God, is the ground of his strength in God. The question is not, what Jonathan can do, but what God can do ; whose power is not in the means, but in himself. That man's faith is well underlaid, that upholds itself by the omnipotency of God: thus the father of the faithful built his assurance upon the power of the Almighty.

But many things God can do, which he will not do. How knowest thou, Jonathan, that God will be as forward, as he is able, to give thee victory? "For this," saith he, "I have a watch-word from God, out of the mouths of the Philistines; If they say, Come up, we will go up; for God hath delivered them into our hands: If they say, Tarry till we come to you, we will