Sermon 106: 1 Samuel 31:1-6

1. The Philistines were fighting against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from the face of the Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2. And the Philistines rushed upon Saul and upon his sons, and they struck Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua the sons of Saul. 3. And the whole weight of the battle was turned upon Saul, and the archer men pursued him, and he was severely wounded by the archers. 4. And Saul said to his armor-bearer: Draw your sword and strike me, lest perhaps these uncircumcised come and kill me, mocking me. But his armor-bearer was unwilling, for he had been struck with too great a terror; therefore Saul seized the sword and fell upon it. 5. When his armor-bearer saw this, namely that Saul was dead, he himself also fell upon his own sword and died with him. 6. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men together on that day.

God had patiently borne with Saul for a long time, but at last by divine judgment it was necessary that he pay the deserved penalties, although he seemed to himself to promise impunity for his iniquities on account of God's long-suffering, while David was being exercised by various afflictions, and God himself seemed to have forgotten him. But by the very deed God revealed that his patience does not take away punishments, which are only deferred, and afterwards more grievously compensated. So the condemnation of Saul was the more grievous, the longer God's patience had been; and David at last, after long testing, came to the promised kingdom, and his hope did not deceive him; and his glory was the more notable, the greater the temptation had been. But before we proceed further, it must be observed that the order of the history must here not entirely be preserved, which among the Hebrews is customary -- to recount in a later place things which happened earlier, and the contrary. Thus we have seen Saul, when he had consulted that witch about the outcome of the war, received an answer that on the next day he would die; then mention was made of David, how he had been dismissed by the king of the Philistines, and how, having returned, he found the city Ziklag in which he had dwelt burned by fire, and his wives and those of his men carried off with their possessions: which surely all did not happen in one day. Therefore it must be noted that the things which are narrated about David shortly before Saul's death were inserted into the narrative which nevertheless preceded that deed of Saul when he consulted the Pythoness in his desperate affairs. The narrative therefore would have been straightforward, if the Philistines were said to have invaded the land of Israel, and Saul to summon the army to repel the enemies; then, when he was approaching the place where the battle was to be, that the Philistines, moved by envy against David, wished him to be dismissed by the king before he engaged more closely with the enemies; and that king Achish, obeying their commands and murmurings, dismissed David; who, having returned, caught the Amalekites who had laid waste the city by fire and rapines; and pursuing them, slew them and recovered the booty. At last truly we must return to Saul, who, when he was being pressed by the enemies and finding no remedy for his evils, came to that Pythoness to inquire about the outcome of the war, from whom he learned that death was hanging over him. And these things must be observed, lest anyone wonder that Saul's death is narrated while David has gone forth against the Amalekites. For otherwise someone might rightly ask, how does Saul die so suddenly, and meanwhile that change of circumstances takes place which was not of one day or two, but of far more? Which would seem contrary and self-contradictory, unless we say that there is a certain hysteron proteron in this narrative.

Let us therefore pass to the narrative of the history, in which it is said that the Philistines fought against the Israelites, and put them to flight and the sons of Saul, indeed even pursued Saul himself. By which words no slight slaughter received is narrated, although by flight many sought safety for themselves. But when the enemies reached the king himself, and killed his sons, it is a sufficiently clear sign that a great slaughter had been wrought by the enemies. But had not God taken the Israelite people to himself as a peculiar possession? Had not on the contrary the Philistines been a wicked uncircumcised nation, hateful and accursed to God? How therefore does God allow them to triumph over the Israelites, whom he had promised to receive into his protection and clientship? But here it must be observed what occurs more often in the sacred writings, namely that God's judgment begins from his own house. For just as a good father of the family observes those of his household, and turns his attention upon his own sons rather than upon his neighbors, so it is fitting that God also chastise those whom he has approached more closely and chosen as his own peculiar possession, and correct them when they fall. Therefore the Israelite people, since God had chosen them as his own people, for that reason as a kind father he turned his attention upon their sins. For God does not really adopt us as sons on the condition that he allow loose reins, and that, as unbridled horses, we be subjected to no chastisements. For what, I ask, would happen to us, what to divine justice? Would it not expose itself and its justice to the laughter of all? Therefore God, when he calls us to himself, must so cover us with his mercy that he nevertheless investigates sins, leads back the wandering into the way, and calls them to repentance, chastising our sins as he knows to be expedient. Nor however on this account are unbelievers, and those who are alienated from God, in a better place and condition: for otherwise we would envy them their happiness when we hear that God chastises his own. And many wishing to escape punishments would desire to be far from him: but Scripture testifies everywhere that the wicked do not escape divine punishments in their time. So the prophet says that God, when he has finished his work in Zion, will then rush upon his enemies and upon those who are alienated from him. The work of God the prophet Isaiah calls those corrections by which he chastises his church; and therefore he says that he will make a beginning from his own people, on account of the fatherly care which he bears for them, even punishing their sins. But in the meantime there is no reason for the enemies to hope for impunity, although for a time he has tolerated them, but at last he will punish them, and indeed with strokes by which they are not called back to better fruit, but which are deadly; just as elsewhere God threatens through the prophet in these very words: 'My people I have not spared: but you who commit iniquity, do you hope to bear it with impunity? I have given my own to drink the waters of distress, but you shall drink the dregs of my wrath.' Truly the Lord compares to a drink the straits and afflictions by which he avenges men's sins -- a drink, I say, bitter and harsh -- which while the impious do not feel, they make delights for themselves and promise themselves impunity; but the Lord threatens that, when he has chastised his own, the condition of the enemies will be far more bitter and harsh, in that they shall drink to the dregs of the divine wrath. Let us therefore, when God afflicts us, recognize that this is done on account of our sins; and although meanwhile we see the contemners of God and of his word unpunished rejoicing while we weep, let us patiently bear it, until they themselves at last experience the divine vengeance; and instead of fatherly chastisements sent upon us for our advantage and salvation, let them feel those deadly and incurable strokes. This therefore is the doctrine to be gathered from this history, in which we see the Israelites, with God permitting, struck down by the Philistines, and indeed afflicted with a huge plague, with the king himself with his sons slaughtered by the enemies. Which things indeed happened on account of Saul's stubborn obstinacy: but in such a way that the rest of the Israelites also were guilty before God, because in order to gratify Saul they had waged war against an innocent man. For David had served them faithfully, and for a long time had been as it were the bulwark of the region: but meanwhile they pursued him, and afflicted him with unjust hatreds for the sake of the king, who tyrannically persecuted David, and undeservedly hated him worse than a dog or a snake. Since therefore they had pursued the wretched and afflicted man, whom they ought to have defended and protected, and to have abominated Saul's cruelty, and had sought him to death, not once or twice, but at repeated turns, and had drawn up battle lines against him, and hurled their arrows, did not God deservedly take them away from the midst, and permit them to the enemies? For if David had been only one of the common people, and had affected them neither with evil nor with good*), Saul's malice would still have been intolerable. But indeed when God himself had designated David king, and this had been made known to all, and

*) Perhaps to be read: either Saul or them. ...nevertheless they provoked him, intending not merely to inflict some damage but to take his life from him, were held no less guilty before God than if they had actually taken his life, which they so obstinately sought. Since therefore they fought against God himself and against his election, what punishments do we judge they deserved? Therefore it is no wonder if God permitted them to fall to the Philistines — those whom he had chosen as his peculiar people, who bore before them the sign of circumcision and the testimony of being sons of God. For not all who have the outward sign and profess themselves to be the church of God are in fact such. As the prophet says in Psalms 15 and 24, that many come into the church and offer sacrifices to God with the faithful, who nevertheless will not abide in God's house. But, he says, those who shall have clean hands and a clean heart. By these words he indicates that hypocrites, although sometimes they bluster and occupy the first place in the church, will not on that account have a fixed seat and dwelling in the house of God, but will at last be cast out and cut off from it. Therefore, although the Israelites were circumcised, they were not on that account any less wicked and malicious. How so? Surely they gloried only in the name and in the empty title of the people of Israel.

Moreover, it often happens that God chastises his own, and indeed restrains by various afflictions those whom he holds in the number of sons — in which afflictions even death itself is included — and yet is merciful toward them, which we see has happened to this people. For there is no doubt that in so great an army there were many who retained in themselves the seed of the fear of God, who nevertheless were not exempted from death. Let Jonathan himself be a witness, whose faith and integrity toward David we have seen, whose modesty we have observed, when he voluntarily yielded to David the royal dignity which by hereditary right he seemed able to retain; and who, even at the peril of his own life, pleaded David's cause before his father — David, who in the opinion of men could seem a worthless and abject little fellow, and whom Saul vehemently hated, but whose election he valued far more than any earthly kingdoms whatever. And yet he dies with the rest of the people without any distinction. Was Jonathan thus to be slain — he who had entered into a covenant with David and had ceded the crown to him at the time when his father Saul held the kingdom, who had submitted himself to a fugitive and wretched man, who had made a covenant with David, hoping that he would be humanely and kindly treated by him after he obtained the royal dignity, and was awaiting the fruit of his obedience alone? Was he thus to be cheated of his hope? These things truly seem to be at variance with the divine promises; but, as we said before, although the Lord by a just judgment wills his own to die, nevertheless he shows himself merciful toward them. For God has wherewith to compensate those who have placed their hope in him, even if he snatches them out of this world. Indeed, if the highest good of man consisted in these perishable things, death would take away an end from all things; and consequently God would frustrate the hope of the dead, to whom he had promised that he would do them good. We therefore, seeing all the best men die, let us know that God reserves for them in the heavens and in eternal life that felicity which they cannot enjoy on earth nor receive from God. Indeed, I am not unaware that profane men are offended at these things and are vehemently indignant, and as it were quarrel with God in these words: Does then the innocent Jonathan die, though the reason of the divine judgments be unknown to us? For what is left to one already dead?

But we ought wholeheartedly to abhor such words of profane men, and not only not be offended at Jonathan's death, but rather receive from it the most certain confirmation of eternal life; and when we are taught to place our hope in God, to turn our eyes elsewhere than to this world. How so indeed? Is Jonathan's death a testimony to us of a better life? Yes, because God is not unjust, that he should break faith and consign to oblivion the patience of his own, as the apostle teaches. And accordingly it must be settled with certainty that Jonathan in no way wasted his labor when he was a faithful friend to David. For his reward indeed is in no way visible to the eyes, but is placed in God's hand. Therefore although in the opinion of men we lead the most wretched life on earth, and death itself seems to tread upon our heels, and the Lord himself seems to have deserted us, let us nevertheless not doubt that he will in fact reveal his help at the opportune time, and that we have not in vain been adopted as sons, and that he has promised to have a fatherly care of us. Finally, those by whom he willed to chastise Israel — let us know that these things are always right and full of equity; and let us pass the same judgment about Jonathan's slaying. Surely the greatest part of the Israelites were guilty of slaying before God, because they had persecuted the innocent David, and therefore God justly willed them to be punished by the hand of the uncircumcised. But Jonathan and others like him were not for that reason in a worse condition, because God received them into his rest, just as the prophet Isaiah speaks, saying: Enter into the house of God, and dwell in it. For although the prophet, or the Lord himself through the prophet, speaks of the faithful who are kept in a certain hidden refuge while God afflicts his church, nevertheless he shows that their death is not destruction and perdition, but is like a kind of hiding place, until the affliction and wrath of God has passed. Furthermore, when we see Jonathan so harshly treated by God, let us not wonder that all the best often suffer many things in the world and are exercised by God with grievous punishments. For if the green wood burns, what do we judge will become of the dry? It is beyond doubt that Jonathan was, in respect to others, as it were an angel; since he despised this world out of love and desire for the eternal kingdom... ...he despised this world out of love and desire for the eternal kingdom; and yet without distinction he is slain by the uncircumcised together with the rest of the people, and his corpse is ignominiously dragged about, and, as will be seen a little later, is deprived of the honor of burial. And accordingly you might say that God had forgotten him. So indeed it happened, but his hope did not on that account fail him: for he had voluntarily ceded the earthly kingdom which was owed to him by hereditary right, in order to comply with God. Therefore he looked further than into the present world, and accordingly God called him from earth into his rest. And let this be the fruit, this the usefulness, which we shall gather from the narration of this history.

Moreover, the slaughter of the Israelites was not so great that God was not always mindful of his promises, as we shall afterwards see the state of the people restored by David — although for a time God seemed to have withdrawn his help and beneficent hand and to have cast off care for the people whom he had received under his protection. Let us therefore by this example learn that times can occur, and storms in which it may seem to be all over with the church; but that God by an incomprehensible reasoning will bring a remedy, and indeed will raise up for its protection those who seemed to be dead. For this reason the prophet says in the Psalms that the people that shall be created will praise God. But of these things more elsewhere. At present, looking at so horrendous an example of divine vengeance, permitting his people to fall to the uncircumcised Philistines — who, triumphing over the people of God, were tearing his name with blasphemous voices — let us learn not to wonder beyond measure, but rather let us look up to the judgments of God who so afflicts his own that he not only heals their wounds but also snatches them from the very jaws of the sepulchre, or makes them emerge from the very abysses.

Let us pass on now to the kind of death by which Saul perished: for it is said that the archers, having pursued him, wounded him. Although the Hebrew word is variously rendered: for some translate it that he greatly feared because of the archers, and in Chronicles where these same words are repeated it is said that he was wounded by them, from where a certain difficulty arises. But it is not of great moment, for it matters little whether you say that he was wounded by the archers, or that he came into great straits because of the archers pursuing him. It does not however seem likely that he was wounded by them in some part of the body, but that he was grievously afflicted, and as it were his heart was pierced through by the arrows of grief, by the archers pursuing him. Reduced therefore to such great straits, he is said to have ordered his armor-bearer (for it was the custom of those times, which still obtains, that they had attendants who carried their arms) to draw his sword and strike him, lest perhaps, he says, these uncircumcised come and kill me, mocking me. But when the armor-bearer refused this, Saul, seizing the sword, fell upon it. When his armor-bearer saw this, he too fell upon his own sword, and died with him.

Perhaps this deed in the opinion of men might seem something, but before God it is nevertheless a horrible and detestable crime. For almost all the heathen extolled with great praises those who laid hands upon themselves when there was no longer any hope they could escape from the hands of the enemy. For they said that they had not feared death and had had brave spirits, valuing life little; that they had preferred honor and dignity to all things, and had escaped the ignominy and disgrace into which they would have fallen by coming into the power of the enemy, by an illustrious death. Therefore many also who had incautiously fallen into the power of the enemy are praised by them because they preferred to take their own lives rather than be cast down before their enemies; and that what they could not do with arms they tried in any other way they could. Thus we read of certain ones who, when they could not die from their wounds because diligent care was taken of them, tore open their bellies and disemboweled themselves. A signal virtue indeed in the opinion of men is the highest greatness of soul; for which reason also those teaching that the brave man can escape disgrace and ignominy said that he has his life in his power, carrying a sword or dagger in his hand; and when these are lacking, however many rivers there are, however many wells, that there are just as many supports for fleeing disgrace and ignominy. These were the counsels of those who were considered the wisest philosophers and most loving of virtue, by which praises they judged that those should be honored and proclaimed with eternal praise, who, lest by coming into the power of the enemy they should undergo disgrace and infamy, did not shrink from laying hands upon themselves and taking their own lives.

According to their opinion Saul ought to be called magnanimous and brave; who nevertheless before God was made guilty of a horrible crime. For the virtue and constancy of Christian men is not to be measured by the opinion and judgment of profane men. For they are vehemently mistaken who consider invincible constancy to be desperation of mind and impatience, which makes someone, gnawing the bridle, throw himself headlong into fire or water. But God judges of human deeds far otherwise, and weighs them on another scale. Let us therefore on the contrary learn to be ready at every moment for death at God's command, but meanwhile let us await that he who placed us as supreme commander in this world should call us out of it. For, I beseech you, who would praise that soldier who, ordered by his commander to remain on watch, made an attack upon the enemy in order to gain the praise of bravery? Surely he will be accused of rashness, whose due punishment let it gape for. So God wills us, placed in this world, to remain in it, and not to depart from the station in which he set us, until he himself orders. Therefore in this... ...we ought, set in this guard-post as if on watch, to be vigilant, and always ready for departure when the commander gives the order. This is the virtue of Christians, this their fortitude and constancy.

To this is added that earthly and worldly men, ignorant of the heavenly life, die uncertain of salvation and of the future condition after this life; but the faithful, placing their hope in God, resting in him and awaiting his help with a calm and tranquil mind, remain meanwhile in this station until at the opportune time they are called away. Therefore the death of unbelievers, which in the opinion of men is joined with virtue, God not without cause condemns and holds as the greatest crime. For the highest and chief virtue, on which as on a foundation the others ought to lean, is faith, to which is joined hope, which humility very closely follows -- to which virtues human nature is greatly contrary. For from where comes that violent death which they inflict on themselves, except from impatience and arrogance? Of which the very words of Saul give proof, when he says, lest these uncircumcised mock me. From impatience therefore and arrogance unbelieving and profane men inflict death on themselves, because they cannot bear disgrace and ignominy, and accordingly we see they are most abominable before God. How so indeed? Surely God wills that we, submitting to his will, should not shrink from walking through ignominy and infamy, and whatever insults and disgraces are cast upon us, let us learn to bear them patiently -- which Paul himself teaches us by his own example. Finally, humility is the salt and seasoning of all the other virtues; if it is lacking, the rest of the virtues become foul before God and come to nothing. If therefore any faithful person sees some danger of death imminent, he will calmly await the will of God; and although the testing be more prolonged, he will nevertheless patiently endure it -- which is a singular testimony of obedience that he is prepared to render to God. On the contrary, the unbelieving immediately flare up and come to despair, and try to break off life -- which the faithful, having received it from God the creator, dedicate to him, so that by whose authority and power they received it, by his command also they may lay it down. Hence it comes that they are not moved by the various objects which precipitate the unbelieving into despair -- such as disgrace, ignominy, and other things of this kind -- which they commit to the providence of God; setting any ignominy and disgrace before men below that glory which they hope for from the sight of God and the presence of angels. Therefore, they say, if God wills me to be punished in this manner for sins, if to be dragged in mud, if to be overwhelmed with a thousand insults, nevertheless I will patiently bear all things and rest in God's judgments. And this very thing Paul teaches when speaking of persecution or affliction, namely that not only torments but also ignominy must be borne. How so indeed? Surely because many do not refuse to bear death with a brave and present spirit, provided that they do not suffer disgrace or ignominy; nor is death so dreadful to them. But Paul requires something more, namely that the faithful be ready not only to bear death but also to suffer any kind whatever of infamy and disgrace. And this was the fortitude of the holy martyrs, this their unconquered patience: in whose footsteps it becomes us to walk when we are exercised by God with various temptations of this kind. From these things therefore it is clear that we are not to judge from the opinion of men what is good or bad, nor are virtues to be weighed on the scale of human judgment, but God is to be called as judge, and we must acquiesce in his judgment and decree -- which is plain from Saul's very death.

Moreover, in Saul there appears a memorable example of those who have been cruel. For Saul's savagery against David could never be satisfied, until he had fled into the region of the Philistines. Now therefore he pays the penalty of his cruelty, and is forced to lay hands upon himself. Nor is there any doubt that by this deed God willed it to be testified, and to be set forth as in a mirror to be contemplated, that those who have persecuted the innocent and have done injury to them shall not bear it unpunished. Indeed I confess not all perish by a violent death such as Saul's, but nevertheless from this example a general axiom is to be gathered: that God registers the cruel deeds of impious men in his books, and at last, in whatever way it may happen, exacts deserved punishments from them. For God is always just, even if he does not measure his judgments to each by the same measure -- far unlike earthly judges, who punish some, exempt others from punishment though guilty of the same crime; cast some into chains, leave others unpunished. But God, by nature most just and most equitable, punishes all evil deeds, although not always with the same kind of punishment.

Furthermore, at first sight you might say that Saul was not entirely forgetful of God, when he gives a testimony of his religion -- when he fears lest the uncircumcised mock him when dead -- which is just the same as if today we were to say the same about the Turks and pagans. For circumcision was once to the Jews what baptism today is to us. For the unbelievers alienated from God were called uncircumcised through contempt, as if you should call them polluted and unclean. Saul therefore, abominating the uncircumcised, seems to have called to mind what he had been taught in the law of the Lord, and to have recognized that he was of the posterity of Abraham and a member of the church; for which cause many strive to excuse his deed. Indeed, his death is not to be inquired into too scrupulously, but Saul is to be left to God as judge. Nevertheless the judgment of God which is set before us in his death is to be contemplated, and what God willed to be hidden is to be left, lest we be accused of too much presumption; but we are to grow wise by the example of those whom we see suffer punishments worthy of their curiosity, which pries into things which are of no... ...edification. Therefore we ought to be content with those things which are revealed to us by the word of God, and yet not be blind to those judgments which he makes plain in the same word. Just as in Saul's death God displays the just condemnation of his cruelty, and Saul's despair joined with arrogance and obstinate rebellion -- which, since God himself sets them before our eyes, we cannot and ought not lightly to pass over. Saul therefore in dying receives the just reward of his cruelty in persecuting the innocent David; and falling into despair, he shows that he could not be cast down before God, whose just judgment he ought to have acknowledged, and confessed himself worthy to be punished by the hands of the uncircumcised, and so with silence and patience to undergo the justice of divine vengeance. But like a savage and ferocious beast he could not rise up to God in such great straits, nor recall to memory that it is unlawful for a pious man to lay violent hands upon himself, and that he must patiently await the outcome which God himself would give.

While these things are clear in Saul, what was done after death with his soul we nevertheless do not know, and to inquire further is unlawful: although he seems to have been more deserted by God, because he had consulted that sorceress in his straits -- God often punishing one sin by another in this way. And this Paul teaches us, namely that those who have not rendered to God the honor due to him, and have unjustly defrauded him of his glory, are cast into a reprobate sense, so that they no longer establish a distinction of good and evil, and casting away all shame, are carried like brutes into any crime whatever. They receive this reward from God: which by Saul's example is made plain to us. For he added this to his former crimes as a kind of crowning, that fleeing to the sorceress he gave himself over to the devil, and accordingly already was deservedly stupefied by the divine judgment, nor did he consider by whom he had been placed in the world, and by whose command he must depart from it; but as one stupid he lost the light of reason, and mingled fury with stupor.

From this let us learn, as the apostle warns, to walk carefully, and to ask God with assiduous prayers that, as long as he wills us to be on this earth, he may rule us by his Spirit and bestow grace, that we may always with unstumbling foot run to the felicity set before us. And if perhaps we fall into the same straits and difficulties as Saul, let us consult God and learn from him what needs to be done, and ask him to open the way and reveal an exit for us. Meanwhile let us so cast ourselves down and humble ourselves before his majesty, that by whatever kind of death he may will to exercise or punish us, we may be ready to undergo it. Let us set before ourselves as an example the prophets and apostles, whose afflictions are known, and with what disgrace and infamy they were affected by wicked men is plain: how some were cast into chains, others beheaded, others stoned, others sawn asunder, others suffered mockings, others flayed, others ill-treated in other ways -- they have thereby become more noble, and their patience ennobled, which are true ensigns of God by which he willed to be glorified in them, and far more notable than any kingly scepters and crowns whatever, as Paul himself beautifully teaches us. For, I beseech you, when the prophets were slain or sawn asunder or affected with a thousand mockings by kings or tyrants, which of them were of greater value before God: those who were slain and afflicted for his name, or those who were afterwards punished for their crimes? A faithful expositor of these things is Paul, when he glories that his chains have been ennobled. Therefore if God shall will us to be exercised in various ways for his name, and to be dragged to punishments like thieves or robbers, let us nevertheless know that our death is precious to him, as we are taught in the Psalms.

Moreover, let those who suffer deserved punishments for their misdeeds also learn from this to be cast down before God and to be humbled. For it is certain that, if they bear the correction with the patience they ought, God will wipe away their disgrace before his angels, and their death, although joined with some ignominy, will nevertheless be honorable; and if they confess their sins, not imitating Saul in his obstinacy, they will find grace with God in place of the eternal confusion and punishments which they deserved, and will obtain mercy.

From this therefore let us learn to commend ourselves more and more to God, and to walk with greater solicitude, and to examine ourselves more cautiously, when we see that it has happened even to many incautious ones that, not indeed out of despair laying hands on themselves, but caught in dangers, they have so conducted themselves that it is not easy to judge whether they have done well or ill. Thus it has often happened that in towns taken by force very many women and virgins have thrown themselves headlong from walls or windows, uncertain of life or death, but in order to escape violation and the mark of disgrace and to protect their chastity, they cast themselves into the peril of death. Since we are subject to such dangers, let us know that we must take refuge under the protection of God's wings, and importune him with continual prayers that he may himself perpetually restrain our affections, so that we may never undertake anything against his will, but may always voluntarily submit ourselves to him.

Now then come, etc.

## HOMILIA CVII.

1. Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. 2. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. 3. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer: Draw your sword and run me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and mistreat me. But his armor-bearer would not, for he was very much afraid. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.

God had patiently borne with Saul for a long time. But at last by divine judgment it was necessary that he pay the deserved penalties — even though he had seemed to promise himself impunity for his iniquities, relying on God's patience, while David was being tried by various afflictions and God seemed to have forgotten him. But by the very event God showed that His patience does not cancel punishment — it only defers it, and the longer the deferral, the more severe the reckoning. So Saul's condemnation was all the more severe for how long God had been patient. And David at last, after long testing, entered the promised kingdom — his hope did not deceive him, and his glory was all the more remarkable for the greatness of the temptation he had endured. Before we go further, it must be noted that the order of the narrative here does not follow strict chronological sequence — which is a common Hebrew practice, recording events in a later section that actually happened earlier, and vice versa. We saw Saul consult the medium about the outcome of the war and receive the answer that he would die the next day. Then the narrative shifted to David — how he was dismissed by the Philistine king, returned home, found Ziklag burned by the Amalekites, and discovered his wives and his men's possessions carried off. All of this did not happen on a single day. Therefore it must be understood that the things narrated about David shortly before Saul's death were inserted into the narrative — and they actually preceded the account of Saul consulting the medium in his desperate situation. A straightforward chronological account would have gone like this: the Philistines invaded Israel and Saul mustered his army to repel them. As he approached the battlefield, the Philistine commanders — jealous of David — urged the king to send him away before the battle was joined more closely. King Achish, yielding to their demands, dismissed David. David returned, caught the Amalekites who had plundered and burned the city, pursued them, slew them, and recovered the plunder. Then, finally, the narrative returns to Saul — pressed hard by the enemies and finding no remedy, he went to the medium to inquire about the outcome of the war and learned that death was waiting for him. This must be understood, so that no one is puzzled that Saul's death is narrated while the account of David's pursuit of the Amalekites is still fresh in mind. Otherwise one might reasonably ask how Saul could die so suddenly while all those events with David had taken place — which certainly required more than a day or two. This would seem contradictory, unless we recognize that there is a reversal of chronological order in this narrative.

Let us turn to the narrative itself, which tells us that the Philistines fought against the Israelites, routed them, and indeed pursued Saul himself. This is no minor defeat — many sought safety in flight, but when the enemies reached the king himself and killed his sons, it is clear enough that a great slaughter had been inflicted. But had God not taken the Israelite people as His own special possession? Were not the Philistines on the other hand a wicked, uncircumcised nation, hateful and accursed before God? How then does God permit them to triumph over the Israelites, whom He had promised to receive under His protection? Here we must observe what appears more often in Scripture: that God's judgment begins at His own house. Just as a good father pays attention to his own household and directs his concern toward his own children rather than toward his neighbors — so it is fitting that God also discipline those He has drawn near to and chosen as His own special possession, correcting them when they fall. Therefore God — because He had chosen Israel as His own people — turned His fatherly attention precisely toward their sins. For God does not adopt us as His children on the condition that He gives us loose reins and, like unbridled horses, allows us to face no discipline. What would happen to divine justice, I ask, if He did? Would it not make itself and its justice the laughingstock of all? Therefore, when God calls us to Himself, He must cover us with His mercy in such a way that He still examines sins, leads the wandering back to the right path, calls them to repentance, and disciplines their sins as He knows to be good for them. But this does not mean that unbelievers and those alienated from God are in a better or safer position. Otherwise, when we hear that God disciplines His own, we might envy the happiness of the ungodly. Many, wanting to avoid punishment, might prefer to be far from God — but Scripture everywhere testifies that the wicked do not escape God's punishments in their time. The prophet says that when God has finished His work in Zion, He will then rush upon His enemies and all who are alienated from Him. The prophet Isaiah calls these corrections God's 'work' — the means by which He disciplines His church. He therefore begins with His own people, out of the fatherly care He has for them, even punishing their sins. But meanwhile enemies have no reason to hope for permanent impunity. Though God may tolerate them for a season, He will ultimately punish them — and with strokes not meant to bring them back to better ways but to destroy them. As God says elsewhere through the prophet: 'My own people I have not spared — but you who commit iniquity, do you think you will bear it without consequence? I have made My own drink the waters of distress, but you shall drink the dregs of My wrath.' The Lord compares to a drink the difficulties and afflictions by which He punishes people's sins — a drink bitter and harsh. While the ungodly feel nothing of this, making merry and promising themselves impunity, the Lord warns that when He has finished disciplining His own, the enemies' condition will be far more bitter — they will drink the dregs of His wrath to the bottom. Therefore, when God afflicts us, let us recognize that this is on account of our sins. And even when we see those who despise God and His Word living without punishment, rejoicing while we weep — let us bear it with patience until they at last experience divine vengeance. Instead of the fatherly discipline sent on us for our benefit and salvation, let them feel those deadly and incurable blows. This therefore is the lesson to draw from this history — in which we see the Israelites, by God's permission, struck down by the Philistines, and afflicted with a terrible calamity: the king himself and his sons slaughtered by the enemies. All this happened because of Saul's stubborn obstinacy — but in such a way that the rest of the Israelites were also guilty before God. In order to please Saul, they had waged war against an innocent man. David had faithfully served them and had long been the bulwark of the land. Yet all the while they had pursued him and afflicted him with unjust hatred for the sake of a king who tyrannically persecuted David and hated him without cause — worse than a dog or a snake. Since they had pursued this wretched and afflicted man — whom they ought to have defended and protected, hating Saul's cruelty instead — and had hunted him to the death not once or twice but repeatedly, drawing up battle lines against him and shooting at him — did God not rightly remove them and allow the enemies to have them? If David had been only an ordinary person and had done them neither good nor harm, Saul's malice alone would still have been intolerable. But in fact God Himself had designated David as king, this had been made known to all, and...

Note: Perhaps to be read: either Saul or them. ...and yet they provoked him, intending not merely to do him some harm but to take his life — they were no less guilty before God than if they had actually killed him, since they had sought his death so stubbornly. Since they were fighting against God Himself and against His election, what punishment do we think they deserved? It is no wonder, then, that God permitted those who had been chosen as His special people — who carried the sign of circumcision and bore the title of God's sons — to fall to the Philistines. For not all who carry the outward sign and call themselves the church of God are truly such. As the psalmist says in Psalms 15 and 24, many come into the church and offer sacrifices with the faithful who will nevertheless not remain in God's house. He says that those who will abide are those with clean hands and a pure heart. By these words he shows that hypocrites — though they sometimes push themselves forward and occupy the front seats in the church — will not on that account have a permanent place in God's house, but will ultimately be cast out and cut off from it. Therefore, even though the Israelites were circumcised, this did not make them any less wicked and malicious. How so? Simply because they gloried only in the name and empty title of the people of Israel.

It often happens that God disciplines His own — and indeed restrains through various afflictions those He holds among His children, including death itself — while still being merciful toward them. We see this in this very people. There is no doubt that in so large an army there were many who still carried within them the seed of the fear of God — and yet they were not spared from death. Let Jonathan himself bear witness: we have seen his faith and integrity toward David, and his humility in voluntarily yielding to David the royal dignity that he could by hereditary right have claimed. He had even pleaded David's cause before his father at the risk of his own life — David, who in the eyes of many might have seemed a worthless outcast, but whom Saul intensely hated, and yet whose election Jonathan valued above any earthly kingdom. And yet Jonathan died along with the rest of the people, without distinction. Was Jonathan to die in this way — he who had entered into a covenant with David, who had ceded the crown to him while his father Saul still reigned, who had submitted himself to a fugitive and wretched man, who had made a covenant with David hoping to be treated with kindness and humanity once David obtained the kingdom — and was now simply waiting for the fruit of his obedience? Was he to be cheated of that hope? These things seem to conflict with God's promises. But, as we said before, even when the Lord by a just judgment wills His own to die, He nevertheless shows Himself merciful toward them. For God has what it takes to compensate those who placed their hope in Him — even when He takes them out of this world. If the highest good of humanity consisted in these perishing things, death would end everything. God would therefore be frustrating the hope of the dead to whom He had promised to do good. So when we see the best people die, let us understand that God is reserving for them in heaven and in eternal life the happiness they could not enjoy on earth or receive from God in this life. I am well aware that ungodly people take great offense at such things, growing furious and quarreling with God: Does the innocent Jonathan die, even though the reason for God's judgments is unknown to us? For what is left to a person who is already dead?

We should wholeheartedly reject the words of those godless thinkers, and not only refuse to be troubled by Jonathan's death, but actually draw from it the most certain confirmation of eternal life. When we are taught to place our hope in God, we must lift our eyes above this world. Is Jonathan's death really a testimony to us of a better life? Yes — because God is not unjust. He does not break faith and forget the patient endurance of His people, as the apostle teaches. We can therefore be fully confident that Jonathan did not waste his effort when he was a faithful friend to David. His reward is not visible to human eyes — it is held in God's hand. So even when, in the world's estimation, we seem to be living the most miserable of lives — when death seems to be treading on our heels and the Lord Himself seems to have abandoned us — let us not doubt that He will reveal His help at the right time, that our adoption as His children was not in vain, and that He has promised to care for us as a Father. And as for those by whom He chose to punish Israel — let us know that all of this is right and full of justice, and let us make the same judgment about Jonathan's death. The great majority of the Israelites were guilty before God of persecuting the innocent David, and so God rightly willed that they be punished at the hands of the uncircumcised. But Jonathan and others like him were not in a worse condition because of this — God simply received them into His rest, just as the prophet Isaiah speaks: 'Enter into the house of God, and dwell in it.' Even though the prophet — or rather the Lord speaking through the prophet — is addressing the faithful who are kept in a hidden refuge while God afflicts His church, he nonetheless shows that their death is not destruction and ruin, but a kind of shelter, until God's affliction and wrath has passed. When we see how harshly God dealt with Jonathan, let us not be surprised that the best of people often suffer greatly in this world and are put through severe trials. If the green wood burns, what will become of the dry? Jonathan was, compared to others, like an angel — he despised the things of this world out of love and longing for the eternal kingdom. And yet without distinction he was killed by the uncircumcised along with the rest of the people. His body was dragged about shamefully and, as we will see shortly, was denied the honor of burial. You might say that God had forgotten him. And in outward appearance, so it seemed. But his hope did not fail, because he had willingly given up the earthly kingdom that was rightfully his by inheritance, in order to obey God. He looked beyond the present world, and so God called him from earth into His rest. Let this be the fruit — the practical lesson — that we take from this part of the story.

The slaughter of the Israelites was not so great that God ever forgot His promises. As we will see afterward, the condition of the people was restored under David — even though for a time God seemed to have withdrawn His helping hand and to have abandoned the people He had taken under His care. From this example, let us learn that times can come — storms in which it seems that the church is finished. But God will bring a remedy by means we cannot comprehend, and will raise up for the church's protection those who seemed to be dead. For this reason the prophet says in the Psalms that the people yet to be created will praise God. But more on these things elsewhere. For now, looking at this fearful example of divine judgment — God permitting His people to fall before the uncircumcised Philistines, who triumphed over God's people and blasphemed His name — let us learn not to be overwhelmed, but rather to look to God's judgments. He afflicts His own people in such a way that He not only heals their wounds but snatches them from the very jaws of the grave and raises them up from the deepest depths.

Now let us consider the manner of Saul's death. The text says that the archers pursued him and wounded him — though the Hebrew word is rendered in different ways. Some translate it as saying he was deeply terrified because of the archers, while in Chronicles, where the same event is recounted, it says he was wounded by them, which creates a certain difficulty. But this is not a major issue. It matters little whether you say he was wounded by the archers or that he was driven to extreme distress by their pursuit. In any case, it does not seem likely that he was actually struck in the body by their arrows — rather, it seems he was overwhelmed by anguish, as though his heart was pierced through by grief as the archers closed in on him. Driven into such desperate straits, Saul ordered his armor-bearer — it was the custom of those times, as it still is, that commanders had attendants to carry their weapons — to draw his sword and strike him, so that the uncircumcised would not come and kill him and mock him. When the armor-bearer refused, Saul seized his own sword and fell on it. When his armor-bearer saw this, he too fell on his sword and died alongside him.

This deed may seem praiseworthy in the eyes of the world, but before God it is a horrible and detestable crime. Nearly all the pagan philosophers lavished praise on those who took their own lives when there seemed to be no hope of escape from the enemy's hands. They said such people had shown no fear of death, had displayed courageous spirits, and had placed little value on mere life. They believed these individuals had put honor and dignity above everything, and had escaped the shame and disgrace of falling into enemy hands by choosing a noble death. Many who had recklessly fallen into the enemy's power were therefore praised for preferring to die by their own hand rather than be humiliated before their captors — and what they could not accomplish with weapons, they attempted by whatever other means they could. We read of some who, when their wounds were being carefully treated and they could not die from them, tore open their own bodies. In the opinion of the world, such an act was considered the highest sign of greatness of soul — a remarkable virtue. For this reason, those who taught that a brave man can escape shame and disgrace also argued that he has his life in his own hands, carrying a sword or dagger. And when those are lacking, there are rivers and wells enough to serve as means of escape from dishonor. These were the counsels of men regarded as the wisest philosophers and the greatest lovers of virtue. By such praise they judged that those who chose death over falling into the enemy's power and suffering shame deserved to be honored and celebrated with eternal glory.

By that standard, Saul should be called brave and magnanimous — yet before God he was guilty of a horrible crime. The virtue and constancy of Christian people cannot be measured by the opinions and standards of the ungodly. Those who confuse invincible constancy with desperate impatience — the kind that makes a man, biting against restraint, hurl himself into fire or water — are badly mistaken. God judges human deeds by an entirely different standard and weighs them on a different scale. Let us instead learn to be ready at any moment to meet death when God commands it, while waiting for the One who placed us as stewards in this world to call us out of it. Think of it this way: who would praise a soldier who, ordered by his commander to remain at his post, launched an attack on the enemy on his own initiative to gain a reputation for bravery? He would rightly be charged with recklessness and face the punishment that deserves. In the same way, God wills that we, placed in this world, remain here and not abandon the post where He stationed us — not until He Himself gives the order. Therefore in this... ...we ought, stationed at this post as if on watch, to stay alert and always ready to depart when our Commander gives the word. This is the true virtue of Christians — this is their courage and constancy.

To this must be added another contrast. Earthly, worldly people — those ignorant of the heavenly life — die uncertain of salvation and of what lies beyond this life. But the faithful, placing their hope in God, resting in Him, and awaiting His help with a calm and quiet mind, remain at their post until they are called away at the right time. Therefore when unbelievers choose a death that appears virtuous in human eyes, God condemns it with good reason and counts it as the greatest crime. The highest and most foundational virtue — the one on which all others must rest — is faith, to which hope is joined, and humility follows closely. Human nature strongly resists all three of these virtues. Where does that violent self-inflicted death come from, if not from impatience and arrogance? Saul's own words prove it: he said he feared the uncircumcised would mock him. It is out of impatience and arrogance, then, that unbelieving and ungodly people take their own lives — because they cannot bear shame and dishonor. This is why they are deeply abhorrent before God. Why? Because God wills that we submit to His will and not shrink from walking through shame and dishonor. Whatever insults and disgraces are heaped upon us, we must learn to bear them patiently — as Paul himself teaches us by his own example. Humility is the salt and seasoning of all the other virtues. Without it, the rest become foul before God and amount to nothing. If a faithful person sees death approaching, he will calmly await God's will. Even if the trial is prolonged, he will endure it patiently — and that patience is itself a singular testimony of obedience and readiness to serve God. The unbeliever, by contrast, immediately flares up, falls into despair, and tries to cut life short. But the faithful, having received life from God their Creator, dedicate it to Him — so that by the same authority and power by which they received it, they may lay it down only at His command. This is why the faithful are not driven to the actions that push the unbelieving into despair — things like disgrace, dishonor, and other such things. They commit all of these to God's providence, counting any earthly shame as nothing compared to the glory they hope for in God's presence and among His angels. So the faithful say: if God wills to punish me in this way for my sins — if He wills me to be dragged through the mud or crushed under a thousand insults — I will bear it all patiently and rest in God's judgments. Paul himself teaches this very thing when he speaks of persecution and affliction: not only torments but also disgrace and dishonor must be borne. Why? Because many people will face death bravely, provided they are spared shame and humiliation — death itself does not frighten them that much. But Paul requires something more: he requires that the faithful be ready not only to die but to endure any kind of infamy and disgrace. This was the courage of the holy martyrs, their unconquered patience. And it is in their footsteps that we must walk when God puts us through various trials of this kind. From all of this it is clear: we must not judge what is good or bad by human opinion, nor weigh virtues on the scale of human judgment. God must be called in as judge, and we must submit to His verdict and decree — as is evident from Saul's very death.

Saul's story also provides a memorable example of the fate of the cruel. Saul's savagery toward David could never be satisfied — not until David had fled into Philistine territory. Now Saul pays the price for his cruelty and is forced to take his own life. There is no doubt that God intended this as a testimony, displayed before all eyes like a mirror, that those who persecute the innocent and do them harm will not escape unpunished. I grant that not everyone who acts cruelly perishes by violent death as Saul did. But from this example we can draw a general principle: God records the cruel deeds of wicked men in His books, and in due time — by whatever means He chooses — He exacts the punishment they deserve. God is always just, even when He does not measure out His judgments by the same standard for each person. This is entirely unlike earthly judges, who punish some while letting others go free for the same crime, throwing some into chains while leaving others unpunished. But God, who is by nature perfectly just and perfectly fair, punishes all evil deeds — though not always with the same kind of punishment.

At first glance, you might say that Saul had not entirely forgotten God, since he gives a testimony of his religious concern — he fears that the uncircumcised will mock him after his death. This is much like what we would mean today if we spoke of Turks or pagans in the same way. Circumcision was once to the Jews what baptism is to us today. Those alienated from God were called 'uncircumcised' as a term of contempt — as if to say they were polluted and unclean. So when Saul expresses his horror at being in the hands of the uncircumcised, he seems to be recalling what he had been taught in God's law and recognizing that he was of Abraham's lineage and a member of the covenant community. For this reason, many try to excuse what he did. His death is not something we should examine too scrupulously. Saul must be left to God as judge. Nevertheless, we are to contemplate the judgment of God displayed in his death — and what God has chosen to leave hidden, we must leave hidden, lest we be charged with too much presumption. But we must be made wise by the example of those who have suffered the consequences of prying into things that offer no... ...no benefit to the soul. We must be content with what God's Word reveals, while not closing our eyes to the judgments He makes plain in that same Word. In Saul's death, God displays the just condemnation of his cruelty, and of the despair joined with arrogance and obstinate rebellion — and since God Himself sets these before our eyes, we cannot and must not pass over them lightly. Saul dies receiving the just reward of his cruelty toward the innocent David. Falling into despair, he shows that he could not humble himself before God — whose just judgment he should have acknowledged, confessing that he deserved to be punished even at the hands of the uncircumcised, and bearing God's righteous vengeance in silence and patience. Instead, like a savage and ferocious beast, he could not rise up to God in that desperate moment. He could not bring back to mind that a godly person must not lay violent hands on himself, and that he must patiently await whatever outcome God Himself would provide.

While these things about Saul are clear, what happened to his soul after death we do not know, and to inquire further would be unlawful. He does seem to have been more fully abandoned by God, since in his crisis he had turned to the sorceress — and God often punishes one sin by allowing another to follow. Paul teaches us that those who have not given God the honor He deserves and have unjustly robbed Him of His glory are given over to a depraved mind, so that they no longer distinguish good from evil, and, casting aside all shame, are carried like animals into every kind of crime. This is the reward they receive from God — and Saul's example makes it plain. For to all his earlier crimes he added this as a kind of final act: fleeing to the sorceress, he gave himself over to the devil. By God's just judgment he was already rendered numb and senseless, no longer considering who had placed him in the world or by whose command he must leave it. Instead, like a man stupefied, he lost the light of reason — mingling fury with stupor.

From this let us learn, as the apostle urges, to walk carefully, and to ask God in earnest prayer that, for as long as He wills us to remain on this earth, He would govern us by His Spirit and grant us grace to run with steady feet toward the happiness set before us. And if we ever find ourselves in the same desperate straits as Saul, let us consult God, learn from Him what must be done, and ask Him to open a way and show us the exit. Meanwhile let us cast ourselves down and humble ourselves before His majesty, so that by whatever kind of death He may choose to test us or correct us, we are ready to endure it. Let us set before ourselves the example of the prophets and apostles, whose sufferings are well known. It is clear how much disgrace and humiliation the wicked inflicted on them: some were cast into prison, others beheaded, others stoned, others sawn in two, others mocked, others flayed, others mistreated in other ways. Yet through all this they became more noble, not less — and their patience was ennobled, which are the true marks of God by which He chose to be glorified in them. These marks are far more impressive than any kingly scepters and crowns, as Paul himself beautifully teaches. Consider: when prophets were killed, sawn in two, or subjected to a thousand mockeries by kings and tyrants — which of these men had greater worth before God: those who were killed and afflicted for His name, or those who were afterward punished for their own crimes? Paul himself is a faithful interpreter of this truth when he glories that his chains were ennobled. Therefore, if God wills that we be put through various trials for His name, and dragged to punishment like thieves or robbers, let us know that our death is precious to Him — as we are taught in the Psalms.

Those who suffer deserved punishment for their misdeeds must also learn from this to humble themselves before God. It is certain that if they bear God's correction with the patience they should, He will wipe away their disgrace before His angels. Their death, even if it carries some dishonor, will still be honorable before Him. If they confess their sins — not imitating Saul in his obstinacy — they will find grace with God in place of the eternal shame and punishment they deserved, and they will obtain mercy.

From this, then, let us learn to commit ourselves more fully to God, to walk with greater care, and to examine ourselves more honestly — especially when we see that even many careless people have found themselves in situations where it is hard to judge whether what they did was right or wrong. It has often happened, for instance, that when cities were taken by force, many women and young women threw themselves from walls or windows — uncertain whether they would live or die, but doing so to escape violation and protect their honor. Since we are all subject to such dangers, let us know that we must take refuge under the shelter of God's wings and press Him with continual prayers — that He Himself would constantly govern our impulses, so that we never act against His will, but always willingly submit to Him.

Now then come, etc.

## HOMILIA CVII.