Samuel in Sackcloth: OR, A SERMON Assaying to restrain Our Bitter Animosities, And commending a Spirit of MODERATION, and a Right Constitution of SOUL and Behaviour towards Our BRETHREN. Upon 1 SAMUEL 15. 35. By S. S. If ye will not hear, my soul shall weep in secret places for your Pride, Jeremiah 13. 17. Harken unto me (you men of England) that God may hearken, unto you, Judges 9 7. LONDON, Printed by R. I. for Henry Mortlock at the Phoenix in St. Paul's Churchyard, near the Little North-door. 1660. HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE royal blazon flanked by the English lion and Tudor rose on one side and the Scottish unicorn and thistle on the other TO THE WORSHIPFUL, AND HIS Honoured Friend, John Swynfen, of Swynfen in the COUNTY of STAFFORD, Esq The Author wisheth all Grace and Peace. SIR, WHen I had long seen, and sighed for that bitter and violent spirit which hath acted the body of our Nation, and the several Members thereof (according as their interest was advanced) it pleased God to direct me to the sight of gracious Samuel, whose holy and sober spirit (acting upon the greatest disadvantages) did much affect me; And I could not but express to my Congregation how much: And when I saw the whole Nation as much need healing, as my own poor flock, I did command my more timorous disposition, to adventure my conceptions to the view of all that shall have leisure to peruse them; knowing that the healing of one Ulcer in the heart of any man, would abundantly recompense the wounds that I may probably have procured to my own Name: not caring myself to undergo any censure, if I might possibly cure the distemper of censoriousness in any. Standing upon this bold resolution, to offer this unworthy mite to the world, your undeserved love to, and care of me; your known worth shining out to all, in the rays of piety, prudence, and learning; and above all, that singular sobriety, moderation, and good composedness of soul, which I have always admired in you, challenged the Patronage of it. I profess without the least mixture of flattery or falsehood, that I know not any man, whose name might more justly be prefixed to a Sermon of this nature. And, as I pray you to accept of this poor oblation, so I hearty pray God to give us more such spirits as yours, who may be able, not to comprise men and manners, persons and opinions, in one and the same detestation. Sir, I humbly beg your pardon, not daring further, save to profess myself Your most affectionate and obliged Servant, S. S. Jan. 9 1659. TO THE Christian Reader. Reader, I Have oft, and sadly observed the strange fires, and extravagant heats which have raged in this our Nation, to the mutual incensing, I had almost said consuming, of one another: Men are become Men-eaters, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. Gal. 5. 15. if I may be allowed to speak after the Apostles rate. Is there any man of so few eyes, any eyes of so little sight, that have not observed that our many strange changes, have been attended with as strange behaviours? He that is above, thinking it the just prerogative of his place, to trample upon him that is under; and the other, when he gets up, thinking it but a piece of justice, to do the like by him. For my own part, I do not wonder, that God keeps our affairs from settling long to the contentment of any one interest, when a man, nay, any man (much more then, he that sees much more than all men) sees the barbarous insultings, unbounded animosities, and unchristian behaviours, which those that lay as great claim to civility, manners, moderation, sobriety, as any, have been found guilty of. Even those that pretend highly to an healing spirit, themselves appear to have much of distempered affections in them; and instead of mollifying, have inflamed the wounds of their brethren. Those that preach, and pray for moderation, when their interest gins to smart, will not stick to revile them that have lanced it; and when it gins to be their turn, will not boggle to magnify their mouths as wide as Edom. Obad. v. 12. Now if the most upright be thus sharp, thus censorious, supercilious, bitter, immoderate, insolent, actum est de spiritu verè Evangelico, where shall we hope to find Christian Moderation? If these heats proceed from the green Trees, what fires may we expect from the dry? Can God no sooner have set us on horse back, but we must ride over all that is in our way? no sooner have raised us out of the dirt, but we must throw our brethren into it, and make stepping-stones of our fellow-creatures? O Barbarism, which there is not in the nature of a Lion to parallel! Is it enough to make a man Corpora magnanimo satis est prostrasse leoni. guilty, that nature hath stopped his mouth, so that he cannot prove the contrary? Enough to prove a tenant erroneous, because he that holds it hath lost his best Argument? Is that come to pass which Bathsheba feared; that not to be great must be interpreted to be an Offender? 1 King. 1. 21. I know we have almost undone ourselves by mutual wars, and that those wars have been fomented (if not created) by mutual heats, and burn: And I fear we shall never solder together kindly, unless the conqueror and the conquered agree mutually, the one to lay aside his pride and petulancy, and the other his malice and malignity; which I wish they may do, before fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem, and from the men of Shechem, and devour Abimelech. Whilst I meditated, to my great grief, of these extravagancies, providence put into my hands the Chronicle, (I might say the Miracle) of samuel's Moderation; which, finding it to contain an excellent precedent, I preached to them, amongst whom I earnestly desire to propagate such a spirit: And being pressed with the sense of the great want of it elsewhere (every where) I have emboldened myself to adventure what I preached, to public view, assuring myself to meet with that censoriousness about it, which in it I have laboured to meet with. Whether it may please any that read it, or be put in practice by any that are pleased with it, I know not. The former I am not solicitous about, not much caring though that do displease some, which was not studied to please any; and wherein I have not alluded to any one interest, which I sought to humour above other. The latter I humbly commit to God, whose honour I humbly desire mainly to design, praying him to work a spirit like unto that, which was in Christ Jesus, in thee, and me, and to give us fewer saul's that shall need to be mourned for, and more samuel's to mourn for those that we have in this our Israel. Jan. 9 1659. Samuel in Sackcloth; OR, A Sermon assaying to restrain our bitter Animosities, and commending a spirit of Moderation, and a right constitution of soul, and behaviour towards our Brethren. 1 SAMUEL 15. 35. And Samuel came no more to see Saul till the day of his death: nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul: and the Lord repent that he had made Saul King over Israel. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul.— THis Chapter presents us with the lively draught of a good Subject, and a faithful Minister, appearing both with an excellent lustre, in one Samuel; concerning whom I cannot but note, and commend one thing by the way; And that is his remarkable, and indeed admirable humility, in letting go the Sceptre out of his hands, and standing still whilst God stripped him of the Political Government; and afterwards he behaved himself with as much quietness and faithfulness, as though he had lost nothing, or did not at all resent his loss. It appears that he sat not in the Throne of Israel, to keep himself warm, to please his own ambitious spirit, but to do the work of God, and serve the necessities of the people: for when God had provided himself otherways, he willingly resigned, and became as though he had never sitten there. In the Chapter, we have this Samuel the Prophet and Servant of the Lord sending Saul his anointed King of an Errand. 2 Saul going upon this Errand; but failing in the execution of it; in sparing what God had determined to the sword. 3 Samuel reproving and threatening Saul for his disobedience. 4 Saul repenting and worshipping God. 5 Samuel executing what Saul had left undone. 6 Samuel and Saul parting, in the two last verses. Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul. And Samuel came no more to see Saul, until the day of his death: Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; And the Lord repent that he had made Saul King over Israel. Samuel went no more to visit Saul, until the day of his death; i. e. he went no more on purpose to instruct him, counsel him, or advise him (for he afterwards saw him accidentally at Naioth in Ramah, chap. 19 24.) whilst he lived. Until the day of his death, i, e. never, the day of his death being reckoned into the number of his days. Note. I might here observe by the way, That God's Ministers may prudentially absent themselves from the houses of wicked and disobedient persons, discountenance them, and show strangeness towards them, that they may be ashamed of their evil ways, and repent, and return to God. Thus the Apostle exhorts the godly Thessalenians to estrange themselves from the disobedient, that they might be ashamed, 2 Thes. 3. 14. And Samuel here would not be familiar with him, from whom God had estranged himself; he refused to turn again with him to worship, vers. 26. he visited him no more, vers. ult. Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death— Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. In which words observe 1 An Action, Mourned. 2 The Agent, Samuel. 3 The Object, Saul. 4 The Modification of the Action, expressed in the word [Nevertheless] Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. Before I discourse particularly of the parts of the Text, I must necessarily answer a Question, upon the Answer to which the whole following discourse must depend, viz. Quest. Whether Samuel did well or ill in mourning for Saul? Answ. To which I answer, He did well in it. Argum. But then will some say, Why did God forbid him to do it, as we find he did? chap. 16. 1. And the Lord said to Samuel, how long wilt thou mourn for Saul? Will God forbid the doing of that which is well done? Answ. 1 It is unquestionably lawful to mourn for others; Nay, it is a duty so to do, Rom. 12. 15. Weep with them that weep. God would not have his people walk by the Rule of the Stoics, who condemned all kind of affection and sympathy: He who is a God of bowels, would not have his people to be without all bowels of compassion. Nay, it is lawful to mourn over the wicked, the enemies of God; as appears in the example of holy David, Psal. 35. 13, 14. As for me, when they were sick (meaning the wicked, as appears by the 11, and 12, verses) My clothing was sackcloth, I humbled my soul with fasting, I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his Mother. And the Learned Ravanellus (in voce Luctus) saying, that we ought to mourn for the miseries of others, commends this of Samuel for an example, who mourned for Saul, as it is in my Text: — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. Answ. 2 God doth not absolutely forbidden Samuel's mourning for Saul, but his immoderation, his excess; He doth not say, why dost thou mourn for Saul, but how long wilt thou mourn for him? It appears by this, that God had long suffered Samuel to mourn; but now he thought he had mourned enough, therefore he takes him off, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul? God would not indeed have us exceed in our mourning, so as thereby to make our spirits unfit for the duties of our callings. Especially Samuel must take heed of this excess, who was the Priest and Prophet of the Lord, and a public person, upon the right frame of whose spirit much did depend. And therefore (if we observe it) God seems to take him off from mourning, that he might be fit to go about his work, chap. 16. 1. Fill thine horn with Oil, go, I will send thee, etc. And happily this might be one reason, why God forbade the Priests, especially the High Priests, to make any mourning for the dead, as some Annotators do hint, upon Levit. 21. 1, 2, 3. Samuel is not forbidden here to mourn, but to mourn long: He went to his house, and mourned: But he must not make his house an house of mourning, he must not dwell in sorrow, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul? Answ. 3 God doth in some particular cases forbidden the doing of things that are otherwise lawful, the performance of things that are in themselves duties. He doth not only forbid many things which are in themselves indifferent, as 1 King. 13. 17. Act. 15. 29. But it is also his prerogative to dispense with his own commands, and to forbid (upon occasion) the performance of Moral duties. As for example, prayer is a duty, nay the Apostle exhorts, that prayer and intercession be made for all men, 1 Tim. 2. 1. And yet in a particular case God forbids the Prophet to pray for the people, Jer. 7. 16. 11. 14. & 14. 11. The like prohibition he gives Moses, Exod. 32. 10. To repay what is borrowed, is a moral duty, Rom. 13. 8. Own no man any thing, etc. And yet upon occasion God dispenses with this duty, and commands the Israelites to borrow Jewels of the Egyptians, and not to restore them, Exod. 3. 22. Not that we may dispense with our duties at our own pleasure, but God hath the prerogative to give dispensations. And therefore Jeremiah did pray for the people till God forbade him: The Israelites durst not to have spoiled the Egyptians, but that God bade them; And Samuel here mourned for Saul, till God discharged him, saying, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul? So that notwithstanding God did afterwards prohibit Samuel to mourn for Saul, yet we may safely conclude, that till then, he did well to mourn for him. Therefore in my discourse I shall look upon Samuel as performing a duty in so doing, and shall propound him as a pattern for us, that we may go and do likewise. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. 1 Let us consider the Agent, Samuel. And we may consider him under these notions. 1 Samuel, an holy, gracious man, a man full of the Spirit of God, mourned. Some new lights, men pretending to a great Gospel-Spirit, preach nothing but privileges, practise nothing but joy and spiritual rejoicing, saying, It is for low spirits, weak, puny Christians to lie mourning, and weeping, and filling their souls with heaviness. But holy Samuel here was either yet below their spirits (which I cannot think he was) or beside their mind; And so indeed he was, for he mourned for Saul. He was beside their mind, and I doubt they besides themselves: For I am sure our Saviour pronounces a blessing upon Gospel-mourners, Mat. 5. 4. And I also know, that the most gracious spirits, have been ever the most tender, and sympathising, and most mournful over the sins, and sufferings of others. Moses the familiar friend of God, who was faithful in all his house, though of a great and gracious spirit, mourned over the stiffnecked, hardhearted, and rebellious Israelites. Josiah was a man of singular piety, and yet of singular tenderness. Elijah was a man full of the Spirit of the Lord, and yet full of complaints for the Idolatry and backslidings of the people, 1 King. 19 10. David was a man after Gods own heart, and yet much in tears, Psal. 119. 28. 136, etc. Jeremiah was a man that found grace in the eyes of God, a man much of God's mind, and he was one of a mournful spirit: He wrings his hands, and fqueezes his eyes, nay, and drains his very soul too for tears, all up and down his Prophecy, especially, chap. 4. 19 9 1, 2. 13. 17. Nay, he mourns bitterly for the desolation of Moab, a rebellious, uncircumcised people, Jer. 48. 31, 32. Paul a man of a Gospel-spirit, and otherwise of a great and undaunted spirit, thinks, that mourning for the sinful and impenitent, was a duty suitable enough to his spirit, 2 Cor. 12. ult. We may learn from the example of holy Samuel mourning for Saul, that mourning is not an exercise unbecoming the most gracious spirits. 2 Samuel a man mighty in prayer, mourned for Saul. He was so mighty in prayer with God, that when God would express a man prevalent in prayer, he uses samuel's name, to signify him by, Jer. 15. 1. Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet could not my mind be towards this people. Yet Samuel did not improve his interest at the Throne of grace against Saul, did not implore God for his ruin, but betook himself to his tears; Samuel mourned for Saul. Note. It is observable, That the servants of God who have been most strong in prayer, have rarely improved their interest at the Throne of grace against any, no not their enemies. Moses, when he was slighted and set at nought by the people, and threatened also, yet did not pray for their ruin, but for their relief rather, Exod. 17. 4. Such a spirit was holy David of, as you may see in his behaviour upon occasion of Shimei's cursing, 2 Sam. 16. 10. This was the spirit of holy Stephen, who was so full of the Holy Ghost, Act. 7. 60. Instead of putting up imprecations of wrath against them, he deprecates the wrath that might justly have fallen upon them, saying, Lord lay not this sin to their charge. This spirit was in our blessed Saviour, Mat. 26. 53, 54. Luk. 23. 34. and 9 54, 55. And this spirit he commends to all his, Mat. 5. 44. True indeed, sometimes we find the servants of God ready to pray against their enemies, in Scripture; But than it was either out of weakness, as the two Disciples, Luk. 9 54. or being acted by an extraordinary, prophetical spirit, as Elijah, 2 King. 1. and David ofttimes in the Psalms; or in passion, as Jer. 20. 15, 16. But you shall never hear any such thing from them, unless they were besides themselves (in passion) and so they must not be imitated, or above themselves (extraordinarily▪ acted) and so we cannot imitate them. But alas, how few such spirits, how little such moderation is to be found amongst us! If many hot spirits had as much strength with God, and interest in the Throne of grace, as Samuel had, we should quickly have fire upon our heads; whereas Samuel, who was greater in power and might, improved not his might against Saul, but mourned for him. Nay, it is most sad of all, to hear God's people groaning in prayer one against another; Insomuch that if the wise God, were not merciful to them in denying their prayers sometimes, they would set the world on fire; whereas they ought rather to mourn for one another, as Samuel here, who was otherwise strong in prayer even to a Proverb. 3 Samuel a man as much hating Saul's manners, as any man, yet mourned for his condition. It is a hard thing to be displeased at a man's manners, and yet nor to hate his person, nor to rejoice in the evil that befalls him. Commonly when we are displeased with a man's actings, we are proportionably pleased with his sufferings. To distinguish between a man's conditions, and his condition, so as to abbor the one, and yet to commiserate the other, is a great art; and such a one as David may seem sometimes not to have very well learned, when he rejoiced in the death of churlish Nabal, 1 Sam. 25. 39 Unless we choose rather to say, that David rejoiced, not that Nabal was dead, but that he did not kill him, which yet doth not seem to be all. However at any other time he shows himself an artist in this art to the life, as may appear to him that reads, Psal. 35. 11, 12, 13, 14. Oh admirable soul! oh wonderful selfdenying frame of spirit! ready to die for thine enemy that is sick? go in sackcloth for the affliction of an unkind adversary? Oh blessed soul! every one will admire thee, but who can imitate thee? oh labour we all to be ashamed of ourselves, that one and the same hatred is so apt to comprehend the man with the manners; and for the future to imitate holy David, who although he was offended at a persecuting Saul, yet lamented a dying Saul; and good Samuel, who although he rejected 2 Sam. 1. 17. a sinning Saul, vers. 26. yet mourned for a rejected Saul, vers. 35. — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. So much for the Agent, Samuel, and what may be gathered from him. 2 The Action, Mourned, Samuel mourned for Saul. 1 We may observe that he did not rejoice in saul's rejection, much less in his sin, but mourned for him. It is the unkind and sinful property of many men to make themselves merry with others misery, to rejoice in their ruin, and to be made lightsome by their heaviness; whereby they add weight to their burden, affliction to their bonds, and bitterness to their wormwood. This David is studious to prevent, 2 Sam. 1. 20. Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. Thus did not holy Samuel, this did not compassionate David, as you saw in Psal. 35. 13, 14. Thus do not you; Rejoice not in the evil that befalls any: Although you are offended with his sinful life, yet rejoice not at his sad death; although you like him not standing, yet pity him falling, mourn for his fall: Although you be troubled at his manners, yet delight not in his troubles. But this I touched upon before. Therefore 2 Samuel did not insult ever Saul, but mourned for him. It is the manner of many ignoble, unchristian, and impotent spirits, to trample upon a man when God hath him down, to tread upon him whom providence hath laid low: Thus did the Philistines insult over captive Samson, Judg. 16. 25. Call for Samson, and let him make us sport. Thus did Edom to Jacob in the day of Jerusalem's visitation, Psal. 137. 7. Obad. vers. 12. Thus God knew that the enemies of Israel would do, if he should scatter his people into corners, Deut. 32. 27. But thus did not Samuel here: He looked not on the day of Saul, he behaved not himself proudly, he magnified not his mouth against him; But Samuel mourned for Saul. Hath God made our enemies to stoop to us? let us not tread upon them; hath he conquered them? let not us triumph imperiously, and insult over them: But rather, the more God humbles a man by afflicting him, the more let us humble ourselves for his affliction, as David did, Psal. 35. 13. and as Samuel did here, Samuel mourned for Saul. He did not insult over him, he did not taunt and reproach him, as the most malicious Jews did our blessed Saviour, hanging upon the cross, (Mat. 27. 41, etc.) who fed their greedy eyes with his sufferings, and their revengeful natures with his blood, but he mourned for Saul. Go we and do likewise. 3 He did not blaze and divulge his miscarriages, but bewailed them. Oh gracious spirit, and far different from that of cursed Ham, who saw his Father's nakedness, and went and told his two brethren without, Gen. 9 22. But Samuel when he saw that God had stripped Saul of his royal Robes, and made him naked, took another way; He went home to his house, and mourned for him. It is much the sin of this generation, even censoriousness, and that constant proneness, which we see in all men almost, to proclaim, divulge, and depredicate the infirmities, and blaze the failings of others, especially Ministers, and men of public place. Instead of relieving a brother that is overtaken with a fault (according to the Apostles counsel, Gal. 6. 1.) we are apt to report his faults, and tell our brethren without, to make him vile, to story out his infirmities, instead of restoring him. As for Ministers, you are not ignorant how precious the ointment of their good names ought to be, and of what concernment it is that their credits should be preserved entire and spotless; you cannot be ignorant, how tender the Apostle commands men to be of the same, charging Timothy not to receive an accusation against an Elder, but before two or three witnesses, 1 Tim. 5. 19 which tenderness it appears that Constantine was largely endued withal, who would have thrown his own royal Robe over an adulterous Bishop, if he had seen him in the evil act. And as for Magistrates, and men of secular dignity, Solomon charges to use them with a singular tenderness, Eccles. 10. 20. Curse not the King, no not in thy conscience: And the Apostle Peter, in that he makes this a character of the most desperate presumption, to speak evil of dignities, 2 Pet. 2. 10. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignities. But alas, the impudence of this generation, and their presumption, is such, that if a brother be overtaken in a fault, all the world must know it: Men do not only receive, but even raise and report accusations against Elders; and speak most virulently, and ignominiously of the Rulers of the people. To this evil and impudent generation, I only say, that the Lord will certainly execute judgement upon them; and even cause them to eat those hard speeches, which they speak against him. For they that speak reproachfully of God's Vicegerents, and Ambassadors, do reproach God himself, whose representative they are. Learn we all to have a singular tenderness towards all men; tell not their faults abroad with Ham, but go home and mourn over them with holy Samuel.— Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. 4 He did not stir up sedition, nor raise an insurrection against Saul, but mourned for him. Although he carried himself sinfully, and managed his people foolishly, yet discontented Samuel stirred not up his own spleen, nor the people's rage against him, but went home and mourned for him. Of such a King, saith learned Cartwright, are those words, Eccles. 10. 20. to be understood, as though one should say (in allusion to the Apostle, 1 Pet. 2. 18.) not only of the good and gentle, but also of the froward, and foolish. Note. This is also to be considered, that Samuel at this time knew that God had in his decree rejected Saul from being King; and also that Samuel was a man of mighty power and interest in the Israelitish hearts; And upon these accounts he had a great advantage to have made an insurrection, and a fair pretence at hand, wherewithal to cover and excuse it, when he had done: Yet a David sometimes spared him, so Samuel here pitied him, Samuel mourned for Saul. This may at least teach us to use a singular tenderness to the persons, and powers of constituted Magistrates, and to take heed how we vilify the one, or weaken the other, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, lest happily we be found to fight against God, as Gamaliel said in another case; but rather to mourn over them with Samuel— Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. So much for the Action, and the considerables in it. 3 The Object of this mourning. Who was it that this Samuel thus mourned for? he mourned for Saul, Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. Now we may consider Saul under these notions amongst others. 1 Saul a King, Samuel mourned for King Saul. Saul was the anointed of God, the rightful King of Israel, chosen by God's appointment and direction. And although Samuel was at first against the office of a King, yet when God had appointed a King over them, and settled him amongst them, he was a loyal subject, a faithful counsellor, so as no man more, nor indeed like him. The best men are the best for any purpose; the best in every relation; the best Kings, the best subjects, the best Masters, the best servants, the best every thing. Note. It is worth observing, that as God hath been ever careful to give commands concerning his Magistrates and Vicegerents, so the best men have been always most careful to observe those commands, have carried it most tenderly, reverently, and obsequiously towards them. Samuel here had still a secret respect for Gods anointed, — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. Consider what was said under the last particular. 2 Saul an enemy. In probability Saul was by this time become samuel's enemy. There is a passage in the fourth verse of the 26th. chapter, that may seem to strengthen this conjecture. When Samuel came to Bethlehem, it is said, that the Elders of the Town trembled at his coming, and said, comest thou peaceably? whereupon the Dutch Annotations suppose, that the Bethlehemites heard that Saul was provoked against Samuel, because he had pronounced him a man rejected of God, and therefore thought that Samuel had fled from Saul. It seems to appear also that Samuel suspected him, that he had no great confidence in his friendship, by the second verse of the same chapter. And indeed, if we consider the carnal ambitious, revengeful frame of Saul's spirit, we may justly conclude, that it was almost impossible that he should be any other than an enemy to Samuel. Yet Samuel mourned for this Saul, this enemy. And so did David for them that persecuted and spoiled him, Psa. 35. Our blessed Saviour, who wept over persecuting Jerusalem, and bewailed it with ingeminations, doth set us a copy to write after; that we also should pray for them that persecute us, bewail the sins and sufferings of. them that hate us; Their sins we must bewail, because they entrench upon the honour of God, and endanger their own souls, which ought to be dear unto us: Their sufferings we must bewail out of Christian and brotherly compassion, as Samuel did here. — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. 3 Saul a wicked man, a disobedient man: Samuel mourned for this Saul; nay, because Saul was this, therefore he mourned for him. Do ye see a wicked, profane, and sinful wretch? some will be ready to laugh at him, others to neglect him, some perhaps in an overhot zeal to curse him. Oh but do you admonish him, labour to reform him, pray for him: If all this prove ineffectual, yet pity him, mourn over him. Is the Name of the great God dishonoured, his commandments broken, his ways despised? is the precious soul of thy brother endangered, and he ready to go to Hell headlong? Oh who can choose but mourn, who would not be a Samuel here? A wicked man is the greatest, the fittest object of pity in the world, and that upon the account of his wickedness. The profaneness of beggars had more need of pity, than their wants; their Ignorance and Atheism cries louder for our prayers and tears, than their poverty for our alms. When Jeremiah thought of the afflictions of the Jews, he calls to his eyes, Jer. 9 1. But when he thought of their obstinacy, and perverseness, he calls to his soul for tears, Jer. 13. 17. When he speaks of their captivity, his eye ran down with tears: But when he thought of their impiety, his soul wept in secret, as you may see him, as it were purposely, varying the phrase in that place. But when sin and misery meet together in a man, then let the eyes and the soul conspire together to bewail him. When Saul hath rejected the Commandments of God, and God hath rejected Saul too, then Samuel goes home, and mews up himself in mourning, — Samuel mourned for Saul. To this I might add also, that Samuel mourned for Saul, who succeeded him in the Government of the Nation, even his own eyes looking on. Men are usually apt to be glad of the rejection of a competitor, of one that stands between them and preferment, of one whose election was their exclusion: But so did not Samuel here; which also commends in him, and commends to us a selfdenying, humble, gracious disposition of mind. Thus much for the Object, Saul, and what may be considered in him. Lastly, Let us consider the Modification of the Action, expressed in the word [Nevertheless] which doth necessarily suppose something: For being a Conjunction Redditive, it must have one Adversative or more. 1 Although Samuel and his Counsel was rejected of Saul, Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. Samuel had been at much pains with Saul, to instruct him in his duty, to counsel him in his affairs, to reprove him for his faults, and behaved himself in all things as though he had been his guardian; And yet found no success of his pains; his instructions were not followed, his counsel was disobeyed, his reproofs despised, and all his endeavours made unsuccesseful. And yet this Samuel thus rejected, mourned for Saul, which doth commend in him an excellent spirit of patience and lenity, and reproves the impatience and spleenishness of the most in the world, who think if they be at pains to fore-warn, counsel, or reprove their brother, and he do not hearken to them, they have sufficiently discharged their duty, they need do no more. Of this mind was not holy Samuel; he though that after he had done this, and more than this, it was his duty to mourn for Saul. The good example of this good man, may exhort us all to do the like; especially it may teach God's Ministers their duty, after all discouragements, and contempts that they meet with in the world, from obstinate and unthankful persons. Are their people froward, dull, careless, ignorant, idle? Is their counsel scorned, their reproofs slighted, their words made wind of, all their importunate pains, and incessant prayers unsuccesseful? why yet something remains to be done, and that is all they can do, even to mourn for them. See the resolution of the tenderhearted Prophet Jeremiah, Jer. 13. 17. If ye will not hear; what then? will he curse them, revenge himself upon them? No. But will he not at least desist, leave them, cast off all further care of them? No. What then? why, My soul shall weep in secret places for your pride. Oh that men had betaken themselves to their eyes, to their preces and lachrymae, to the wring of their hands, when they betook themselves to the arming of their hands to revenge themselves upon their brethren; our intestine confusions had yet been to begin, whereas now they are not at an end, and God knows when they will be: If we had shed as much tears, as we have done blood, we had not had so much guilt abiding upon us, nor so much misery amongst us, and it had been a Sacrifice the more pleasing to God of the two. And as for Ministers, if they preach well, pray well, exhort well, reprove well, yet if they do not mourn well too, they have not discharged their duty well; not so well as Samuel did here, — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. 2 Although Saul and his authority was rejected of God, yet Samuel mourned for Saul. Many men when they see God hath cast a man down, are ready to cast him off too, and all care of him, all thoughts of him; persecute and take him, for God hath forsaken him. If a Viper do but stick upon a man's hand, if God shall banish him, impoverish him, or any way afflict him, they conclude him to be a murderer (with the Barbarians, Act. 28. 4.) or an hypocrite (with Job's friends, Job 4. 7. and 8. 6.) they pass sentence upon him presently, and never look more after him. But be it so, that God hath indeed rejected and cast off a person, or a people, yet the gracious soul cannot choose but be affected, afflicted with it, and pity them. A good man, a right Samuel, is so much a friend to God's justice, that he cannot but approve God's sentence passing upon man; and yet he is so full of bowels, that he cannot but lament the execution of it upon his brother, as Samuel did here, — Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. 3 Although Samuel went not to see Saul, yet Samuel mourned for Saul. Samuel out of prudence absented himself from Saul; But yet out of piety and pity he mourned for Saul. Discretion may sometimes persuade us to some discouraging strangeness towards wicked men, yet compassion will not suffer the godly man to estrange his bowels from them; Samuel mourned for Saul; Samuel would not bestow his eyes to see Saul, but he would employ them to weep over him. The like sweet mixture of these two eminent graces, discretion, and compassion, we may see in David not suffering Absolom to see him, 2 Sam. 13. and yet full of bowels towards him, as we see here in Samuel not going to see Saul, but yet lamenting him; the one seeming to imitate the other; oh that we could imitate either! All love doth not consist in frequent visits: For as I may be visited, and yet hated, so I may be neglected, and yet pitied. And they are better friends, that stay at home, and mourn for you, than they that visit you, to corrupt, and ensnare you. Every man will be prone enough to be a stranger to a man in anger, even malice itself will take the first part of the verse, will be a Samuel there: but withal he mourned for him, whom he had no more any reason to visit; Oh that we were all samuel's here! Thus you see the Modification of the action. Although God had rejected Saul, and Samuel had rejected Saul, and Saul had rejected both God and Samuel, Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul. Having all along mixed doctrine and application, (I pray God it may prove more successfully, than it is methodically) nothing remains further, but that (which I commit to God to work) we all go, and do likewise. FINIS.