Sermon 36: 1 Samuel 10:22-27

22. Therefore they sought him, and he was not found. And they consulted the Lord after this: Whether he would come there? And the Lord answered: Behold, he is hidden at home. 23. So they ran and brought him from there; and he stood in the midst of the people, and he was taller than all the people from the shoulder and upward. 24. And Samuel said to all the people: Surely you see whom the Lord has chosen, for there is none like him in all the people. And all the people shouted and said: Long live the king! 25. Then Samuel spoke to the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up before the Lord, and Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own house. 26. And Saul also went to his own house in Gibeah; and there went with him a part of the army whose hearts God had touched. 27. But the sons of Belial said: Can this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no gifts; but he pretended not to hear.

Yesterday it was said why God, although Saul had already been designated as king, nevertheless wished lots to be drawn and the kingdom to be confirmed to him by this means — namely, so that his authority among the people would be greater. Since he would have been subject to various contradictions if he had been designated king only by Samuel's mouth, it was therefore necessary that he be shown by unmistakable signs to have been called by God to the royal dignity. But when it became clear that he was designated by God, then all murmuring ought to have ceased, or if any arose, to have been immediately quieted. Therefore although Saul had not yet been expressly named by Samuel, and the outcome of the lots was in God's hand, who had already ratified in heaven what was afterward confirmed by the event, nevertheless the people sufficiently perceived that these things were administered by God's will and providence. So we see the apostles, about to appoint someone else in the place of Judas — since it was not a matter of human judgment and arrangement to ordain apostles, but they were to be called immediately by God — had recourse to lots. Not otherwise does Samuel in this place accomplish this whole matter by lot, so that the people would be persuaded that God truly presided there and that all things were done according to his will, and therefore that Saul's election was advanced not by human counsels but by God's will alone. Moreover, Saul is even said to have hidden himself among the baggage, so far was he from seeking that dignity or seizing the reins of government.

However, we cannot affirm whether he hid by God's will and Samuel's command and authority, or rather out of fear of so great a burden, as though, well aware of his own insignificance, he shrank from governing so great a commonwealth. But it is likely that God did not want him to appear at that time, lest perhaps it be objected that he had been seen by the people and had won their favor, from which it came about that the lot fell upon him. But lest any such thing should happen, God himself managed the whole affair in such a way that everyone was persuaded nothing had happened by human design; and therefore Saul was not made conspicuous in that assembly, but yet in such a way that he was found when God pointed him out, lest by ambition or stubbornness he resist God who was calling him, by whom he was being raised to so great a dignity — as we heard above that he had been prepared by God and adorned with gifts necessary for that office.

Now nothing hinders men more and makes them unfit for public duties than arrogance, since God takes away his Spirit from those who seem most industrious to themselves and are proudly puffed up. Since therefore God was destining Saul for the kingdom, he also clothed him with a spirit of humility and modesty, so that, well aware of his own insignificance and weakness, he would promise nothing of himself in the administration of so great a commonwealth. And this was the reason why he hid among the baggage.

Next it follows that the people ran and found him in hiding. From which it appears that he was again brought forth by God's will. The lot indeed was a sufficiently clear declaration of the divine will and calling, without any human counsels; but after the lot was cast, Saul was not found, and it was unknown whether he was present in the assembly or would come later. And this should be carefully observed, so that we attend to the pattern of God's works, who sometimes introduces such delays that men see nothing but the utmost confusion and disorder of all things, so that they seem about to be cut off from their hope. But God brings his work to its appointed end in such a way that those delays make his power more known, and his admirable providence in accomplishing his works. For if everything always succeeded in a happy course without difficulty, we would attribute it to fortune or nature. But when those obstacles arise, by which the utmost confusion and despair seems to be brought about, which God scatters in a moment and restores to order, then God's power becomes most conspicuous. Hence arose that astonishment of the people, since that casting of lots could seem vain and useless when Saul did not appear; but when God confirmed it again and brought Saul out of hiding, it became so manifest a revelation and demonstration of divine ordination that if any wished to resist thereafter, they were rightly made guilty of shameful rebellion and stubbornness, because they refused to submit themselves to God, and to reason and equity. Indeed shortly after we shall see that some resisted, but accomplished nothing by stirring up sedition.

God therefore met all those difficulties when he brought Saul out of hiding, as if drawn from a deep pit, and as it were by his own hand raised him to the royal tribunal.

It follows that Samuel again addressed the people and said: Surely you see whom the Lord has chosen, for there is none like him in all the people. In which we should again observe Samuel's modesty, voluntarily abdicating the dignity he had previously held, and not resenting submitting himself to another's rule, when before he had held dominion over the people, and becoming one of the body's members, he who had formerly been the head. This change, I say, was a weighty one. For here he greatly commends the king and wishes him to be honored by all, and indeed teaches that God willed him to be distinguished by certain marks, so that he would be held in greater esteem by his subjects. He bids them observe that God did not give him his form, appearance, and stature suited for the dignity without purpose, but had already disposed him for this dignity from his birth. For he towered above all by a full head and shoulders. Samuel therefore openly declares that he has no concern for himself, nor does he envy the one whom God had honored with this position and who was being appointed in his place.

Let us strive to imitate such a pattern of modesty — namely, that when God removes us from some high rank, we bear that change moderately and patiently; and though lowly and humble, we nevertheless always walk in his fear; and being firmly persuaded of his love toward us, and that we are counted among the number of his children, we rest content in that. And therefore if he has cast us down and reduced us to some lowly condition, let us know that this is done for our good; and this will be the case if we retain the modesty that is fitting, even though a sufficiently ample occasion of magnifying ourselves before men presents itself, and if we do not seek vain glory. Let the example of this humility be David, who sincerely committed himself entirely to God. For when, an exile, a fugitive from his country and home, he was treated with great insults by his son and was exposed to everyone's mockery and abuse, patiently bearing it he said: If I shall find favor in the eyes of the Lord, he will surely bring me back and let me see both him and his dwelling place. But if he says thus: I take no delight in you — behold, here I am; let him do to me as seems good in his eyes. For he is the Lord, and has power over all things created by him. Indeed David, had he not first been taught humility and devoted himself entirely to God's worship, would not have burst forth in these words, nor thought so lowly and humbly of himself.

Let us therefore learn modesty from this example of Samuel, by whom we see Saul commended to the people — the one whom he was raising to his own position of dignity — because he had been promoted to this rank of honor not by human means or counsel but by God's will alone. And therefore when God elevates us, let us not conduct ourselves insolently; and conversely when he brings us low, let us not lose heart, nor be troubled as by something strange, but let us patiently bear whatever condition he has imposed. Let us not possess the honors he has conferred upon us as if they were our inheritance; but since he has all power and authority over us, let us willingly submit to him, and gladly accept from his hand whatever seems good to him, and let us know that it is in his power to bring low even those who have been raised to great honors.

As for Samuel saying that there is none like Saul in all the people, he commends him not only for his bodily form and stature, which is very often deceptive. (For Scripture also teaches throughout that the judgment of those who look at persons — that is, at outward appearance — cannot be right.) But nothing prevents God from having made Saul distinguished in this way, consulting the rudeness of that people, so that it might appear by unmistakable signs that he was called by the Lord to the dignity of the kingdom. Samuel therefore does not dwell solely on this bodily stature by which he towers above all the rest, but nevertheless counts that gift among the others, since he perceived that he was dealing with a rude people. It is therefore as if he addressed the people thus: From the very outward appearance of this man you will see that he is not some common man, but one destined by God for some singular and outstanding work, whom he willed to tower above all even in stature itself. If he excelled you all in this alone, you ought still to be commended to him and brought to render him obedience, recognizing that he was so prepared by God in order to confirm his grace in him. Nor does Samuel rely on this single argument drawn from stature;

but he nevertheless indicates that it carries some weight in moving the people.

Next it is said that Samuel spoke to the people the law of the kingdom, and wrote it in a certain book, which he placed before the Lord. There is no doubt that this law of the kingdom was taken from Deuteronomy chapters 16 and 17 — something far different indeed from what we heard mentioned in chapter eight, and which should rightly be called tyranny rather than the law of the kingdom. By this God had diminished the power of future kings, when he said: This shall be the right of the king who shall reign over you: that he shall seize your goods, take your sons, and carry off your property, servants, and maidservants at will; and exercise such dominion over you that you would be compelled to show yourselves obedient to him in all things; and finally that from free men you would become slaves, and in order to satisfy one man's desire, you would suffer the loss of your property, goods, and possessions, and your houses would be emptied, and you would lose your liberty. Which plundering and seizures Samuel by no means taught were lawful for kings, as if approving them; but in order to dissuade the people from their plan of demanding a king and to keep them in their former condition, in which they had previously had God alone as their defender.

But here the law of the kingdom is mentioned in reference to the mutual obligation between king and people, and conversely. From this passage therefore we should observe that after the election was made, over which God himself presided, Samuel sets forth to Saul the sum and duty of his calling, and how he must exercise his rule — for maintaining and promoting the worship of God, and for securing the advantage and welfare of all the people. And conversely, he declares to the people their duty toward the king — namely, obedience to the king, so that if the king conscripts soldiers, if he levies a tax, and similar things, they know they owe the king obedience in all these matters.

From this we learn that every legitimate administration of the commonwealth rests upon laws, and therefore it is not sufficient if there are many men of primary authority, but it is especially necessary that certain laws be established by which, as by a kind of bridle, each person is kept in his duty; and lest those who sit at the helm of the commonwealth think everything is permitted to them, and therefore allow themselves to go beyond their limits. And conversely, that the people may be kept in their duty and know that they must not rashly undertake anything, nor rise up against their superiors, but be governed by laws and statutes, and each person do his duty in his own calling. This therefore should be observed here above all: that every commonwealth be constituted by laws and institutions. I confess indeed that a single man could be the equivalent of all laws, if only he had attained evangelical perfection; but no one is unaware how much men forget themselves and become insolent, especially those who have the most favor and authority and abound in riches; for then especially they seem to themselves not to be subject to any laws, but to have the power to do whatever they wish according to the will of their own judgment. For this reason we see that commonwealths must be governed by laws and institutions, whether a king rules or other magistrates administer the commonwealth, lest anything be done according to anyone's whim, but each person learn from the laws what his duty is and be subject to them and obey them; and let them be, as it were, the armor of the peoples.

Meanwhile, Samuel is said to have written this law and established it before the Lord. By these words we are taught that it is necessary for each person to know well what his duty is. For if any commonwealth has enacted many good laws, but they immediately slip from memory, or are retained only in memory, that will be of little weight, since everything will be uncertain unless they are fixed and inscribed on tablets from which each person may learn his duty. And daily experience testifies that this is true: for if something is enacted today, it slips away tomorrow; and what is far worse, even written laws are immediately buried and rendered useless by the negligence or wickedness of men. Therefore this must be observed all the more carefully — what we say about the necessity of men being taught, and laws being fixed on tablets, and each person having the account of his duty recalled to memory from them, lest anyone plead ignorance or forgetfulness, or change anything at his own discretion. This therefore is the use that Scripture provides; and it is not without reason that it is specifically said here that Samuel, after declaring what the royal law was and the mutual obligation of head and members, recorded it in a document, so that that law might be preserved, and when difficulties arose thereafter, the solution would not be sought from afar or remain in doubt, but recourse would be had to the written law, from which any difficulty that arose might be resolved. This therefore should be especially noted and followed here.

Next it follows that the book in which that law was written was placed before the Lord — namely, in the sanctuary — which was as if God were called as witness to the things that had been said and done. For it is well known how generally fickle and inconstant men are, and how fond of change and eager for new things, so that by their inconstancy they overturn what is fair and right. And so if this book had been entrusted to some private individual and committed to his care, and a copy distributed to each tribe, it would not have carried as much weight or authority with them as when God himself was called as witness and that royal law was entrusted, as it were, to his keeping; so that whenever the royal law was in question, they would have recourse, as it were, to the Lord himself. It was therefore like the consecration of a public instrument. So those who are about to establish certain laws invoke God's name, openly declaring that they are not undertaking something merely human, but something divine, since it depends upon the authority of one God alone, as the sole legislator.

Not otherwise was that public instrument of royal law placed in the sanctuary before the Lord, as if God himself were called as witness to all the things that had been done and enacted; and therefore whoever transgressed against it would be judged as injurious and insulting to God, as if they wished to break his yoke and no longer be subject to him.

And enough of these matters. It follows that Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own house, and Saul also went to his own home, accompanied (as an honor) by those whose hearts God had touched. From this it appears that at that time there was far greater simplicity of manners than there was afterward in the world. For when Saul was designated and ordained as king, and allegiance was given to him — though in the open fields, as God willed, so that honor might be shown to him — a great multitude of citizens accompanied and attended him. And it is clear that God was the author of this honor, from those words which say that those accompanied Saul whose hearts God had touched. And so we see that it happened by God's decree that Saul was honored with a great retinue, so that he might have greater authority among his people, and so that thereafter he would be acknowledged as the head of the entire people, and lest on account of his former condition — namely, that he was born of humble station — he should fall into contempt.

Since therefore we see that God was the author of the honor paid to Saul, from this we easily gather that it is not to be wondered at if kings and princes are attended by a great retinue of guards, and honored by a multitude of counselors and leading men. For if anyone wished to inquire into such things, it is certain that an occasion for rebellion and defection would be offered; just as we see many fanatical men prying into the actions of kings in such a way that they criticize now this, now that, finding fault with everything and carping at it. But this one reason ought to suffice for all: that God wills that those whom he has set over others be honored by them; and therefore they ought to be venerated with some display and distinguished with a retinue, so that each of his subjects may be better kept in his duty.

Of this we have, as I touched on above, a most evident example in this place, where God is said to have touched the hearts of those who followed Saul; and that retinue was not of a few but of very many, so that it could have seemed a proper army. If therefore anyone objects: What is the purpose of this retinue? Was it not enough for the matter to have been known to all? Indeed God himself meets such objections and cuts off every excuse, since he wished to be acknowledged as the author of this retinue and the honor shown to Saul; and therefore it was done not out of vain foolishness or ambition, not out of any boasting, or from an immoderate desire to honor their king, or from zeal to transform him into an idol, but by God's own will and command, who had arranged these things in this way. From this a useful doctrine is to be drawn for us — namely, that we will never be fit for any good thing unless God disposes and impels us toward it. This event was not so remarkable and memorable — that many accompanied the designated king — yet we see it did not happen without divine instinct and impulse; from which we must conclude that we can neither think about God nor be stirred to any outstanding deed unless God goes before us and governs us by the power of his Holy Spirit. From this it is clear that whatever the papists babble about their free will are mere dreams and a foolish imagination, because they attempt to rise up against God and snatch from him the honor due to him. For if this is so, then they can be their own saviors — which plainly follows from their doctrine. For although they confess that they are incited toward good by God, they nevertheless say that God's grace is a kind of auxiliary aid by which they are sustained; but that men by their own impulse can dispose themselves to do good, and have free will by which they govern themselves, and judgment and reason by which they do what is good. And therefore that the grace which we receive from God does not arouse or lead us to God, but only assists our nature. So, if you please, they divide things between God and men, so that the greatest part of salvation is attributed to the mortal creature.

But from this passage we learn that in matters pertaining to this perishable life and the state of this world, our ways must be directed by God, and our heart must be touched, and strength and courage must be supplied for acting. What then do we think will happen when we come to obedience to the law, which far exceeds our powers? Moreover, the law is spiritual, but we are carnal, as Paul says and experience teaches, sold to be subjected to sin. I say therefore that our nature is utterly opposed and contrary to God's will, and that our thoughts and affections — in short, whatever is in us by nature — must be entirely condemned. How then would we turn to God of our own accord and be stirred to good, unless God first inspires and moves us?

Therefore we must carefully observe and fix in our minds what the whole of sacred Scripture everywhere teaches: that God gives us a heart of flesh and takes away the heart of stone — that is, he changes our will, which by nature resists God's will, and composes it to obedience to him. Let us therefore take home this doctrine today from those words in which God is said to have touched the hearts of those who had accompanied Saul.

However, let us observe that God indeed touches our hearts and moves them toward good — that is, gives us the power to follow his calling — yet he does not act in us as in stones and rocks or stumps, which is what the papists slanderously allege against sound doctrine in order to bring divine teaching into hatred. For they say: if we do not have free will, then men are stumps and stones, and without judgment, without reason, without will, they are rolled about here and there like a ball, or flow along like water. But sacred Scripture places a great distinction between human creatures and brute animals; yet in such a way that it teaches us to be ruled and governed by God, and that whatever good we do is to be credited to him alone, and indeed without any exception.

But when God is said to touch our hearts, we do not understand some confused motion, as if someone were to throw a stone at random, or as if some craftsman were to push an instrument. For God has implanted in man sense and power that cannot be separated from man's creation. And so when we are born into this world, we bring with us some will from our mother's womb; but one that is captive only to evil, so that we cannot of ourselves look up and gaze toward heaven unless God himself first impels us. Therefore he changes our will when he touches our hearts, so that we do not do whatever lust dictates, nor does he grant us whatever we demand and give us freedom to do all things according to the will of our own judgment; but touching and changing our hearts, he so disposes them that he makes us fit for doing good — since by our nature we are inclined only toward evil, until God works in us through his Spirit.

Therefore it is also not sufficient for us to be touched and moved by the Lord once for a single action, but it is necessary that he rule and govern us in all our actions. And meanwhile we see that God reserves for himself the honor of the gifts he bestows upon us, so that we credit to him alone whatever good we do; and we know that when we are composed to his obedience, worship, and honor, and to doing our duty, we owe it to God that he has inscribed his law in our hearts — since otherwise we would be, as the prophet himself says, far worse than wretched beasts.

And indeed, to say something about this matter, it is necessary for God to work in us when he wishes us to submit to someone, so that we bear that dominion patiently, and do not resent the authority and power given to the magistrate to command this or that. For we know how proud men are by nature, to such a degree indeed that each one desires to be eminent and seeks to have dominion over others, unless God compels them into order. And indeed a great occasion for despising Saul seemed to have been offered to the people up to this point, because he was of humble birth, and indeed from the tribe of Benjamin, which was then not numerous on account of that notable disaster that had nearly wiped out the entire tribe, as is narrated in the book of Judges; and then from an obscure family which had no authority and no influence among the other tribes. Therefore it was necessary ...the hearts of those who followed him to be inspired by a secret motion of God. Let us therefore learn that humility or modesty is a special gift of God, since pride holds the first place among the other vices by which still today men are vehemently afflicted. Hence is the first stain of human evil; hence that plunging into so great an abyss of divine malediction into which our first parent Adam cast us headlong. Therefore let us learn, whenever we are composed to humility and modesty and are not puffed up with any pride or any ambition, that we are ruled and governed by God touching our hearts. For, as I said, the highest good which we obtain from God after we have received from him the light of faith is humility and lowliness of mind, so that, stripped and despoiled of all ambition, we should by no means resist him, nor struggle against those whom he has set over us.

Next follows that certain men of Belial were indignant and were unwilling to show honor to Saul, nor offer gifts, but even with contempt detracted from his fame, saying: How shall this man save us? A statement worthy of careful observation, from which we first learn that those who have no true fear of God always have something to carp at in any matter; and that there can be no measure in dealing with them, because they are incorrigible. For this reason these men are specifically said to have been men of Belial and worthless. The word Belial is taken in two senses: for it can be expounded and taken for hard and intractable men who cannot bear the yoke imposed on them, and who deride and mock the duty entrusted to them, and are always borne to the contrary. But another exposition seems more proper and fitting: that they are called idle and slothful men, as appears from many other passages of Scripture, who are usually wicked and mockers. For it can indeed happen that some wicked men have nevertheless some virtue, but when slothful men are also wicked, then the matter seems to have come to the height of all impiety. Therefore when Sacred Scripture wishes to denote a wicked and perverse nature, it calls a man Belial. Thus the Holy Spirit calls those who rebelled against Saul and rose up petulantly, that he may teach us, as I have already warned, that those who cannot submit themselves to God nor be composed to his obedience are so wicked and impure that they turn all things to evil, and however God acts with them, they always grumble and are never quiet, but always rush headlong into worse, and when admonished by God strive to the contrary; and finally they are never satisfied, but always have something to bite. For it is certain that wicked and malignant men always betray their own disposition and rashness.

For if we were such as we ought to be, the memory of God's benefits towards us would have weight enough to keep men in their duty, and to stir up sorrow in us for our sins, into which we are too prone, because by them we have offended him and provoked his wrath against us. But ingratitude has such force in us, and so hardens us, that prejudiced by hatred of him we have not even a drop of feeling for divine goodness and justice, and thus we corrupt all God's benefits. Just as if some sick person has so weak a stomach that he can digest nothing, the labors expended in seeking the means by which he may be refreshed by food and drink are in vain, and he derives no nourishment from them, since the undigested stomach turns the foods into corruption rather than into substance, so also wicked and slothful men turn whatever you offer them into evil. From these things they are easily recognized who are devoid of all good and have no spark in themselves of any good or just thing.

But if we should daily encounter such examples, we ought not be astonished as at something new and unusual, since we see from this passage that similar things have happened from every age. Rather, we ought to approve and praise the offered good, and embrace it with all reverence and fear. Therefore, although sometimes there is not such perfection in those whom God has set over us in the highest ranks of honor as ought to be, and there are many things we could reprehend in them and in their condition, nevertheless such moderation and prudence must be employed by us that in those defects we observe the good, that from this we may learn to glorify God and approve what is good in itself, even though we see something impure mixed with it. I confess we must labor strenuously to purge all vices, and this above all is to be sought, and to be done in every way possible. But nothing prevents us from tasting the offered good, and being led from its taste to this moderation, that if there are defects, we tolerate them and embrace the proposed good. Moreover it must be observed that God, although he had not approved the voice of the people demanding a king, nevertheless, having given them a king, counts in the number of wicked and worthless men those who resisted Saul, because they did not obey God's decree as they should have. Therefore they ought not to look at the former state and condition of Saul, which God wished to cease, when he had raised one born in a humble and abject station to such a height of dignity. Therefore they ought simply to yield and acquiesce in God's decree. And it is likely that these factious men were not among the last of those who had asked for a king, but when God gave them Saul beyond expectation, they were indignant and rejected what was offered, even though by the Lord. And this is the moroseness of all men who give the reins to their desires: that God never satisfies them. Therefore they become similar...

...similar to those sick persons to whom, if you do what they desire and compose yourself to their nod, they nevertheless become more fierce and gnash their teeth when reproved, and are never quiet, and the more they are indulged, the greater the frenzy into which they fall. The same is the case with those who give the reins to their affections and indulge themselves too much. For whatever comes into their mind they ask of God, and if they receive it, they by no means complain of being satisfied, but rage all the more and rush into worse. Therefore, whenever we do not govern our appetites by reason, we are as if in the midst of waves and tempests; and our affections are like waves dashing one against another. Therefore this must be diligently observed, from the fact that Scripture says men of Belial worthless resisted Saul's ordination. Furthermore, they are specifically noted because they did not bring him a gift. From this it appears that the doctrine of St. Paul is confirmed by the Holy Spirit, admonishing the faithful in these words: Render to all what you owe: to whom tribute, tribute; to whom tax, tax; to whom fear, fear; to whom honor, honor; and: Therefore it is necessary to be subject, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience' sake. For since those who rule over others bear many burdens, therefore it is necessary for each of the subjects to bear part of the burden, and not to think that injustice is done to them when tributes are exacted. For here we see that those who were unwilling to show honor to Saul and refused to offer tribute or gift are noted by the Holy Spirit and called sons of Belial, that is, worthless and wicked and rascals. For under the name of gift in Sacred Scripture is understood the honor due to the king, what they call homage, and the duty of subjects toward their lords. Since therefore the Spirit of God here condemns those who would not offer gifts to the king, it sufficiently appears that the exaction of tributes and taxes is approved, provided however that kings do not degenerate into tyrants and insatiable gulfs, but exact tributes and taxes moderately for the bearing of necessary public burdens; it is certain that this is approved by God, and is not lawful for any subject to contradict.

Finally Saul is said indeed to have heard the words of these factious men, but to have dissimulated. Here a question arises: whether that dissimulation and patience should be placed in virtue or in vice. But the answer is easy. Saul was forced to dissimulate, because the supreme state of affairs was still in confusion, and no order yet established. In which matter we see how necessary and how desirable it is that peoples learn obedience: for things are best managed when all are bound to observe the established order. On the contrary, the greatest confusion must reign where there are no laws, no discipline, but all permit themselves to live by the choice of their own lust. For then the magistrates themselves must yield, like sailors to a tempest, because they cannot bring a remedy to such great confusion of affairs.

Let us therefore learn from this to pray to God earnestly that, when such factious and seditious men arise, they may immediately be exposed to punishment: that if anyone goes beyond the bounds of modesty, he may at once be corrected, so that the law may preserve its authority. For when the pride of the wicked ceases, there will be place for peace and tranquility. Let this therefore be in the place of an amulet and counter-poison against all confusion, that excessive liberty be not granted to any. If this prevails, then superiors and men of first rank can most easily perform their duty without impediment; just as on the contrary, if there is room for confusion, scarcely any room will remain for any remedy. For just as a violent disease, by which the sick man is cast down and prostrated, does not permit the necessary medicine to be applied, because of the depression of strength, the medicine which should have been administered at first; so also these men of Belial were carried away with such great audacity that they could not be restrained at first. But yet at length they had to be restrained, for although at the beginning of Saul's reign they showed obstinate audacity, so as to seem indomitable, yet they had to obey Saul and submit to him, even unwilling, after he attained the royal dignity.

But now come, etc.

22. They looked for him, but he was not found. Then they inquired of the Lord: 'Has the man come here?' The Lord answered: 'Yes, he is hiding among the baggage.' 23. So they ran and brought him from there. He stood in the midst of the people, and he was taller than all the people from the shoulders upward. 24. Samuel said to all the people: 'Do you see him whom the Lord has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.' And all the people shouted: 'Long live the king!' 25. Then Samuel explained to the people the rights and duties of the kingdom, wrote them in a book, and laid it up before the Lord. Then Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home. 26. Saul also went to his home in Gibeah, and with him went a group of men whose hearts God had touched. 27. But certain worthless men said: 'How can this man save us?' They despised him and brought him no gifts. But Saul said nothing.

Yesterday we saw why God — even though Saul had already been designated as king — still wished lots to be drawn and the kingdom confirmed to him in this way: so that his authority among the people would be stronger. If Saul had been declared king only on Samuel's word, he would have been subject to all kinds of objections. It was therefore necessary for unmistakable signs to show that God had called him to royal dignity. Once it became clear that God had designated him, all murmuring should have ceased — or if any arose, should have been immediately silenced. Even before Saul's name was explicitly declared, and while the outcome of the lots still lay in God's hand, the people could perceive sufficiently that everything was being administered by God's will and providence. We see the same pattern with the apostles: when they were about to choose someone to take the place of Judas, since appointing apostles was not a matter of human judgment but of God's direct call, they resorted to lots. Samuel here accomplishes the entire matter by lot in exactly the same way — so that the people would be persuaded that God truly presided over the assembly and that everything was done according to His will, and therefore that Saul's election proceeded not from human planning but from God's will alone. Furthermore, Saul is even said to have hidden himself among the baggage — so far was he from seeking that dignity or grasping at the reins of power.

We cannot say for certain whether he hid by God's will and Samuel's instruction, or rather out of genuine fear at so great a burden — fully aware of his own inadequacy and shrinking from governing so large a commonwealth. It is likely that God did not want him to appear at that moment, lest anyone argue that he had made himself visible to the crowd and won their favor, and that the lot fell on him as a result. To prevent any such suspicion, God managed the whole affair in such a way that everyone was persuaded nothing had happened by human design. Saul therefore kept out of sight — yet in such a way that when God pointed him out, he was found. This also meant that through stubbornness or ambition he would not resist the God who was calling him, by whom he was being raised to so great a dignity — as we heard earlier, prepared and equipped by God with the gifts needed for the office.

Nothing disqualifies people from public duties more thoroughly than arrogance — for God withdraws His Spirit from those who think most highly of themselves and are puffed up with pride. Since God was destining Saul for the kingdom, He also clothed him with a spirit of humility and modesty — so that, fully aware of his own inadequacy and weakness, he would make no bold promises about governing so great a commonwealth. This is the reason he hid among the baggage.

The text then tells us that the people ran and found Saul in hiding. This too shows that he was brought forward again by God's will. The casting of lots had been a sufficiently clear declaration of the divine will and calling, without any human arrangement involved — but after the lot was cast, Saul could not be found, and it was unknown whether he was present in the assembly or would come later. This should be carefully noted: we must pay attention to the pattern in God's works. Sometimes He introduces such delays that people see nothing but confusion and disorder, as if all hope were about to be cut off. But God brings His work to its appointed end in such a way that those delays make His power and His admirable providence all the more evident. If everything always went smoothly without difficulty, we would attribute it to fortune or to nature. But when those obstacles arise — obstacles that seem to bring the greatest confusion and despair — and God sweeps them away in a moment and restores order, His power becomes most visible. Hence the amazement of the people: the casting of lots could have seemed pointless and empty when Saul did not appear. But when God confirmed it again and brought Saul out of hiding, it became so unmistakably a revelation of divine ordination that those who tried to resist afterward were rightly judged guilty of shameful rebellion and stubbornness — for refusing to submit to God, to reason, and to fairness. We will indeed shortly see that some resisted — but their attempts at stirring up sedition accomplished nothing.

God therefore swept aside all those difficulties when He brought Saul out of hiding — drawing him out as from a deep pit — and raised him by His own hand, as it were, to the royal seat.

Samuel again addressed the people and said: 'Do you see whom the Lord has chosen? There is none like him in all the people.' Here again we should observe Samuel's modesty: he voluntarily stepped down from the authority he had previously held, without resentment, and submitted himself to another's rule. He who had been the head became a member of the body. This was no small change. Here he warmly commends the king and desires him to be honored by all — indeed, he teaches that God chose to mark Saul with certain outward distinctions so that he would be held in greater esteem by his subjects. Samuel points out that God did not give Saul his impressive form, appearance, and stature without purpose — He had been preparing him for this dignity from birth. Saul stood a head and shoulders above everyone else. Samuel therefore openly declares that he has no self-interest in this matter, and no envy of the one God has honored with this position — the one appointed in Samuel's own place.

Let us strive to imitate such an example of modesty: when God removes us from some high rank, let us bear that change quietly and patiently. Even in a humble position, let us still walk in His fear. Firmly persuaded of His love toward us, and that we are counted among His children, let us rest content in that. Therefore if God has brought us low and reduced us to some humble condition, let us know this is done for our good. This will be the case if we maintain the modesty that befits us — even when ample opportunity to make much of ourselves before others arises — and do not pursue empty glory. Let David be our example of such humility — a man who genuinely committed himself entirely to God. When he was driven into exile, a fugitive from his home and country, treated with great contempt by his own son and exposed to everyone's mockery and insults, he bore it patiently and said: 'If I find favor in the eyes of the Lord, He will surely bring me back and let me see both Him and His dwelling place. But if He says, I take no delight in you — then here I am; let Him do to me as seems good in His eyes. For He is the Lord, and has authority over all that He has made.' David could never have spoken such words, nor thought so humbly of himself, if he had not first been taught humility and devoted himself entirely to God's worship.

Let us learn modesty from Samuel's example — a man who commended to the people the very person he was elevating to his own position of honor, because that person had been raised not by human means or planning but by God's will alone. When God elevates us, let us not become arrogant. When He brings us low, let us not lose heart or be troubled as though something strange has happened — but patiently accept whatever condition He has placed us in. Let us not cling to the honors He has given us as though they were our permanent possession. Since He holds all power and authority over us, let us willingly submit to Him, gladly receive from His hand whatever He sees fit to give, and recognize that it is in His power to bring low even those raised to the greatest heights.

When Samuel says there is no one like Saul in all the people, he is not merely commending his physical appearance and stature — which is very often misleading. Scripture consistently teaches that judging by outward appearance cannot yield right judgment. But nothing prevents God from having made Saul stand out in this way, accommodating the immaturity of that people, so that it would be evident by unmistakable signs that he had been called by the Lord to the royal dignity. Samuel therefore does not dwell solely on Saul's physical stature — how he towers above all the rest — but he counts that gift among the others, recognizing that he was dealing with a people who needed visible, tangible evidence. It is as if Samuel were saying to the people: From the very outward appearance of this man, you can see he is no ordinary person — he is one whom God has destined for a singular and outstanding work, making him tower above everyone even in stature. If this one thing were all — that he excelled you in height — that alone should move you to honor him and give him obedience, recognizing that God prepared him this way to confirm His grace upon him. But Samuel does not rest his whole argument on stature alone —

— yet he makes clear that it carries some weight in moving the people.

Next the text says that Samuel explained to the people the law of the kingdom and wrote it in a book, which he placed before the Lord. There is no doubt that this law of the kingdom was drawn from Deuteronomy chapters 16 and 17 — something entirely different from what we heard in chapter eight, which should rightly be called tyranny rather than the law of the kingdom. In chapter eight, God was diminishing the enthusiasm for kings by warning what future kings would do: they would seize their subjects' goods, conscript their sons, and take their property, servants, and maidservants at will, exercising such dominion that the people would be forced to comply with everything — and free people would become slaves. To satisfy one man's desires, their property, possessions, and goods would be stripped away, their homes emptied, and their liberty lost. Samuel was not teaching in chapter eight that such plundering and seizures were lawful for kings or that he approved of them. He was warning the people to dissuade them from their plan of demanding a king and to keep them in their former condition, in which they had God alone as their protector.

Here the law of the kingdom concerns the mutual obligations between king and people. From this passage we should observe that after the election was made — with God Himself presiding — Samuel sets before Saul the substance and duty of his calling: how he must exercise his rule for the promotion of God's worship and for the welfare and benefit of all the people. Conversely, he declares to the people their duty toward the king — namely, obedience. If the king conscripts soldiers, levies taxes, or makes similar demands, the people must know they owe him obedience in all such matters.

From this we learn that every legitimate governance of a community rests on laws. It is not enough to have capable men in positions of authority — it is especially necessary that certain laws be established to serve as a kind of bridle keeping each person in his proper place, so that those at the helm of government do not think everything is permitted to them and therefore overstep their limits. Conversely, the people must be held to their duty as well — knowing they must not rashly take matters into their own hands or rise up against their leaders, but be governed by laws and statutes, each person doing his duty in his own calling. This above all should be noted: every community must be constituted by laws and institutions. I grant that a single person could be the equivalent of all laws if he had attained true moral perfection — but no one is ignorant of how quickly people forget themselves and become arrogant, especially those with the most influence, authority, and wealth. Those people are especially prone to feeling above all laws, free to do whatever they wish according to their own judgment. For this reason communities must be governed by laws and institutions — whether under a king or other rulers — so that nothing is done by anyone's mere whim, but each person learns from the laws what his duty is, submits to them, and obeys them. Laws must be, as it were, the armor of a people.

Samuel is also said to have written this law and established it before the Lord. By these words we are taught that each person must know clearly what his duty is. If a community enacts many good laws but they immediately slip from memory or are kept only in people's heads, that will carry little weight — everything will remain uncertain unless the laws are fixed in writing, from which each person can learn his duty. Daily experience confirms this: what is enacted today is forgotten tomorrow. And what is far worse, even written laws are quickly buried and made useless by the negligence or wickedness of people. This must therefore be carefully noted: the necessity of having people instructed, having laws recorded in writing, and having each person's duties recalled to memory from them — so that no one can plead ignorance or forgetfulness, or alter anything at his own discretion. This is what Scripture's written record provides. It is not without reason that this passage specifically says that Samuel, after declaring the law of the kingdom and the mutual obligations of head and members, wrote it down so it would be preserved — and that when difficulties arose, the solution would not be sought from a distance or left in doubt, but recourse would be had to the written record, from which any dispute could be resolved. This is especially worth noting and following.

The book in which that law was written was then placed before the Lord — that is, in the sanctuary — which was as though God were called as witness to everything that had been said and done. Everyone knows how fickle and inconstant people are in general, how fond they are of change and novelty, so that by their fickleness they overturn what is fair and right. If the book had been entrusted to some private individual and copies distributed to each tribe, it would not have carried nearly the same weight or authority as when God Himself was called as witness and the royal law was entrusted, as it were, to His keeping — so that whenever the royal law was questioned, they would refer back, as it were, to the Lord Himself. It was therefore like the formal ratification of a public document. In the same way, those who are about to establish certain laws invoke God's name, openly declaring that what they are doing is not merely human, but divine — since it rests on the authority of God alone, the one true Lawgiver.

In the same way, that public document of the royal law was placed in the sanctuary before the Lord — as though God Himself were called as witness to everything done and enacted. Therefore whoever transgressed against it would be judged as insulting and injurious to God, as if they wished to break His yoke and refuse to be subject to Him.

That is enough on those matters. The text continues: Samuel dismissed the people, each to his own home. Saul also went to his home, honored by the company of those whose hearts God had touched. From this it is clear that at that time there was far greater simplicity of character than came to exist in the world afterward. When Saul was designated and ordained as king and received the allegiance of the people — even in the open fields, as God willed — a great crowd of citizens accompanied and attended him to honor him. It is clear that God was the author of this honor, as stated in those words: that those who accompanied Saul were men whose hearts God had touched. So we see that it was by God's decree that Saul was honored with a large following — so that he would carry greater authority among his people, would be recognized as the head of the whole nation, and would not fall into contempt on account of his former humble station.

Since God was the author of the honor shown to Saul, we can easily conclude that there is nothing to wonder at when kings and princes are attended by large groups of guards and honored by counselors and leading men. If anyone starts scrutinizing and picking apart such things, an occasion for rebellion will inevitably arise. We see many fanatical people doing exactly this — examining the actions of kings in such a way that they criticize everything, finding fault with one thing and then another, carping constantly. But one reason should be sufficient for everyone: God wills that those He has placed over others should be honored by them. Those in authority should therefore be distinguished by appropriate dignity and retinue, so that each of their subjects may be better kept in their proper duty.

We have, as I mentioned, the clearest possible example of this in the present passage, where God is said to have touched the hearts of those who followed Saul — and this was not a small group but a very large one, amounting to something like a proper army. If anyone objects: What was the point of this retinue? Was it not enough for the matter to have been publicly known? God Himself meets such objections and cuts off every excuse: He wished to be acknowledged as the author of this retinue and of the honor shown to Saul. It was done not out of empty foolishness, ambition, boasting, immoderate admiration for their king, or zeal to turn him into an idol — but by God's own will and arrangement. A useful lesson must be drawn from this: we will never be ready for any good thing unless God prepares and moves us toward it. This event was not extraordinary in itself — that many people accompanied the newly designated king — yet we see it did not happen without a divine impulse. From this we must conclude that we can neither direct our thoughts toward God nor be stirred to any outstanding deed unless God goes before us and governs us by the power of His Holy Spirit. From this it is clear that what the papists say about free will is nothing but dreams and foolish imagination — a way of rising up against God and snatching from Him the honor due to Him. For if people have free will as the papists claim, then they can be their own saviors — which follows plainly from their teaching. Although they admit that God stirs people toward good, they insist that His grace is merely a supporting aid that sustains people, while human beings by their own initiative can dispose themselves toward good, and by free will govern themselves through judgment and reason. In this view, God's grace does not produce or lead us to God — it merely assists our nature. In this way they divide salvation between God and human beings so that the greater part is attributed to the mortal creature.

But from this passage we learn that even in matters of this perishable life and the state of the world, our ways must be directed by God, our hearts must be touched by Him, and strength and courage for acting must be supplied by Him. What then shall we say when we come to obedience to the law — which far exceeds our own powers? The law is spiritual, but we are carnal, as Paul says — and experience confirms it — sold as slaves to sin. Our nature is entirely opposed and contrary to God's will. Our thoughts and passions — in short, everything that is in us by nature — must be wholly condemned. How then would we turn to God on our own and be moved to do good, unless God first inspires and moves us?

We must carefully observe and fix in our minds what all of Scripture consistently teaches: that God gives us a heart of flesh and takes away the heart of stone — that is, He changes our will, which by nature resists God's will, and shapes it to obedience to Him. Let us therefore take home today from those words — in which God is said to have touched the hearts of those who accompanied Saul — this doctrine about His sovereign work in us.

Let us also observe, however, that when God touches our hearts and moves them toward good — giving us the capacity to follow His calling — He does not treat us as though we were stones, rocks, or wooden stumps. This is what the papists slanderously charge against sound doctrine in order to make it odious. They say: if people have no free will, then they are like stumps and stones — without judgment, without reason, without will, rolled about like a ball or flowing like water wherever any force directs. But Scripture draws a great distinction between human beings and brute animals — while still teaching that we are to be ruled and governed by God, and that whatever good we do must be credited entirely to Him, without any exception.

When God is said to touch our hearts, we do not mean some random or mechanical motion — as though someone were throwing a stone at random, or a craftsman pushing a tool. God has implanted in human beings sense and faculty that cannot be separated from what it means to be human. When we are born into this world, we bring with us a will from our mother's womb — but a will captive to evil alone, so that we cannot of ourselves look up toward heaven unless God Himself first moves us. Therefore when He touches our hearts, He changes our will — not so that we simply do whatever lust dictates, and not so that He gives us license to do everything according to our own judgment. Rather, He touches and reshapes our hearts, disposing them so that He makes us fit for doing good. For by our nature we are inclined only toward evil, until God works within us by His Spirit.

It is therefore not enough for God to touch and move us once for a single action — He must rule and govern us in all our actions. And all the while we see that God reserves for Himself the honor of the gifts He gives us, so that we credit to Him alone whatever good we do. We know that when we are shaped toward obedience, worship, and the honoring of Him — and toward doing our duty — we owe that entirely to God, who has written His law on our hearts. Without this, we would be, as the prophet himself says, far worse than miserable animals.

Indeed, to speak further about this: whenever God wishes us to submit to someone in authority, He must work in us so that we bear that authority patiently and do not resent the power given to the magistrate to command this or that. We know how proud human beings are by nature — each person desires to be prominent and to have dominion over others, unless God brings them into order. In Saul's case, the people had been given ample grounds for contempt up to this point: he was of humble birth, from the tribe of Benjamin — which was not numerous on account of that notorious disaster that had nearly wiped out the entire tribe, as narrated in the book of Judges — and from an obscure family with no authority or influence among the other tribes. It was therefore necessary for God to inspire by a hidden inward motion the hearts of those who followed Saul. Let us therefore learn that humility and modesty are a special gift of God — for pride holds the leading place among the vices that still today afflict people severely. It is the first stain of human evil; it is from pride that our first parent Adam plunged us headlong into so deep an abyss of God's curse. Therefore, whenever we find ourselves shaped toward humility and modesty — whenever we are not puffed up with pride or ambition — let us recognize that God is ruling and governing us by touching our hearts. For, as I said, the greatest gift we receive from God after He has given us the light of faith is this humility and lowliness of mind — so that, stripped of all ambition, we do not resist Him, and do not struggle against those He has placed over us.

Next the text says that certain worthless men were indignant and refused to honor Saul or bring him gifts — indeed, with contempt they disparaged him, saying: 'How shall this man save us?' This is worth careful attention. First, it teaches us that those who have no true fear of God always find something to criticize in any situation — and there is no satisfying them, because they are incorrigible. For this reason these men are specifically called men of Belial and worthless. The word Belial carries two meanings. It can describe hard and intractable men who cannot bear any yoke placed on them, who mock and deride whatever duty is assigned to them, and who always push against everything. But another meaning seems more fitting: men who are idle and slothful — people who, as is evident from many other passages of Scripture, are typically wicked and scornful. It can happen that even wicked people have some virtue — but when a person is both idle and wicked, the situation has reached the full height of wickedness. Therefore when Scripture wishes to describe a wicked and perverse nature, it calls a man Belial. The Holy Spirit calls those who rebelled against Saul by this name to teach us — as I have already warned — that those who cannot submit to God or be shaped to His obedience are so wicked and corrupt that they turn everything to evil. However God deals with them, they always grumble and are never quiet. They always rush headlong toward worse things; when God admonishes them, they strive against Him; and they are never satisfied but always have something to bite at. Wicked and malicious people always betray their true disposition and rashness.

If we were what we ought to be, the memory of God's benefits toward us would carry enough weight to keep us in our duty and to stir in us genuine sorrow for our sins — sins into which we are too prone to fall, because by them we have offended God and provoked His wrath against us. But ingratitude has such force in us and hardens us so deeply that, poisoned by hostility toward God, we have not even a drop of feeling for His goodness and justice, and so we corrupt all His benefits. Consider a sick person whose stomach is so weak that he can digest nothing — the effort spent preparing food and drink to refresh him is entirely wasted, since his ruined stomach turns everything into harm rather than nourishment. In the same way, wicked and slothful people turn whatever you offer them into evil. From this such people are easily recognized — they are completely devoid of all good and carry within themselves not a single spark of anything good or just.

If we encounter such examples every day, we ought not be astonished as though they were something new and unusual — this passage shows us that similar things have happened in every age. Rather, we ought to appreciate the good that is offered and embrace it with reverence and respect. Therefore, even when those God has placed over us in positions of high authority lack the perfection they ought to have — even when there are many things in them and their conduct that we could criticize — we must still exercise such moderation and wisdom that we look for the good even in their defects, and from this learn to glorify God and approve what is genuinely good, even though we see something impure mixed with it. I grant that we must work vigorously to confront all vices, and this must be sought above all and pursued in every way possible. But nothing prevents us from receiving the good that is offered, and being led by our appreciation of it to this moderation: that if there are faults, we bear with them and embrace the good that is set before us. Furthermore, it must be noted that although God had not approved the people's demand for a king, once He had given them a king, He counted among the wicked and worthless those who resisted Saul — because they were not obeying God's decree as they should have. They were not to look back at Saul's former humble condition, which God had willed to end when He raised someone born in obscurity to such a height of dignity. They were simply to yield and accept God's decree. It is likely that these troublemakers were among those who had most loudly demanded a king in the first place — and when God gave them Saul beyond their expectations, they were indignant and rejected what was offered, even though it came from the Lord. This is the perverseness of all who give free rein to their desires: God can never satisfy them.

They become like sick people who, if you give them exactly what they ask for, still become more fierce and gnash their teeth when confronted — never quiet, growing more frantic the more they are indulged. The same is true of those who give free rein to their passions and indulge themselves without restraint. Whatever comes into their minds they demand from God — and if they receive it, they are not satisfied but rage all the more and rush into worse. Whenever we fail to govern our appetites by reason, we are like a ship in the middle of waves and storms, with our passions crashing into one another. This must therefore be carefully observed from the fact that Scripture calls those who resisted Saul's ordination men of Belial — worthless. They are specifically noted for not bringing him a gift. From this the teaching of Paul is confirmed by the Holy Spirit — his words to the faithful: 'Render to all what is owed them: to whom tribute, tribute; to whom taxes, taxes; to whom respect, respect; to whom honor, honor.' And: 'Therefore one must be subject, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.' Since those who rule over others carry many burdens, it is necessary for each subject to bear his part of the burden and not consider it an injustice when tributes are required. Here we see that those who refused to honor Saul and would not offer tribute or gift are marked by the Holy Spirit and called sons of Belial — worthless, wicked troublemakers. Under the term 'gift' in Scripture we understand the honor due to the king — what is called homage — and the duty of subjects toward their lords. Since the Spirit of God here condemns those who refused to bring gifts to the king, it is sufficiently clear that the levying of tributes and taxes is approved by God — provided that kings do not degenerate into tyrants and insatiable drains on their people, but levy taxes and tributes in moderation for necessary public burdens. When this is the case, God approves it, and no subject has the right to refuse.

Finally, Saul is said to have heard the words of these troublemakers but to have kept silent. A question arises: should this silence and patience be counted as a virtue or a vice? The answer is straightforward. Saul was forced to stay silent because the overall situation was still unsettled and no order had yet been firmly established. In this we see how necessary and desirable it is for people to learn obedience — for things go best when everyone is bound to observe an established order. By contrast, the greatest disorder must reign where there are no laws, no discipline, and everyone feels free to live by the impulse of their own desires. In such a state, even the authorities themselves must yield — like sailors yielding to a storm — because they cannot bring any remedy to such a thorough confusion of affairs.

Let us therefore learn from this to pray earnestly to God that when such troublemakers and rabble-rousers arise, they may be quickly exposed and brought to account — that whoever transgresses the bounds of proper conduct may be promptly corrected, so that law may retain its authority. When the pride of the wicked is restrained, peace and tranquility become possible. Let this serve as a remedy and safeguard against all disorder: that excessive license not be granted to anyone. When this is the case, those in authority can perform their duties most easily and without impediment. On the contrary, once disorder is given room, almost no remedy will remain. Just as a violent illness that throws the sick person down prevents the necessary medicine from being applied in time — because by the time medicine is attempted the strength is already gone — so these men of Belial were carried away with such audacity that they could not be restrained at first. Yet in the end they had to be restrained. Although at the beginning of Saul's reign they showed such stubborn boldness as to seem ungovernable, they had to obey Saul and submit to him even against their will, once he had established his royal authority.

But now come, etc.