Sermon 40: 1 Samuel 12:1-5

1. And Samuel said to all Israel: Behold, I have heard your voice in all that you have spoken to me, and I have set a king over you. 2. And now the king walks before you; but I am old and gray, and behold my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my youth to this day, behold I am here. 3. Speak of me before the Lord and before his anointed, whether I have taken anyone's ox, or anyone's ass, if I have calumniated anyone, if I have oppressed anyone, if I have received a gift from anyone's hand, and despise it today, and I will restore it to you. 4. And they said, You have not calumniated us, nor oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from anyone's hand. 5. And he said to them: The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand. And they said: Witness.

If, with the people demanding a king, Samuel had pleaded his own cause, he would have seemed to wish to retain dominion over them, and to study his own private advantages, and seek private utility, neglecting the public, and accordingly no place would have been left for his own most equitable admonitions and rebukes, however just. But when he had placidly and spontaneously yielded his dignity, and after he had submitted himself to the king, he could afterwards defend his innocence among them. For he could not be accused as if he were studying his own conveniences, who was sufficient to convict the people before God of ingratitude, who, unmindful of the benefits received from Samuel, had cast him down from the rank to which he had been called by God. Therefore in this passage in particular he is said to have used such a preface: Behold I have heard your voice in all that you have spoken to me, and I have set a king over you. And now the king walks before you, but I am old and gray, as if to say:

None of you can complain about me as if I had done anything for my private utility and conveniences! For all things have been done according to your will: I abdicated my dignity, I set a king over you, to whom I myself have submitted, and who, by God's doing, will reign over you.

From which words a notable doctrine is to be drawn, namely, when we wish to gain attention and to make what we are about to say acceptable, we must take diligent care not to seem to be seeking ourselves. For it is certain that as long as the opinion sticks in the minds of hearers, that we are about to make words in vain. Thus a magistrate, about to discharge his office, ought to separate from the public polity and utility those things which concern his person and conveniences, that he profess himself led by no ambition or other depraved affection, but turn his eyes from all those things by which he could be drawn from his office. Thus the minister of the divine word, zealous for the edification of the flock committed to him, must prudently take heed not to seem to seek his own conveniences, and diligently beware lest he offer any occasion of such suspicion. For although someone excels in the highest virtues, so that he may seem most similar to an angel, and have the highest experience and knowledge of things, so that nothing may be desired; if yet he seems to look at and compose himself to his own utility and ambition, he will have closed the ears of his hearers, and will pour out words in vain, which are to be hooted off with laughter. And although he announces God's Word purely and simply, yet on account of his vice it will come into contempt. Therefore if we wish God's Word to be admitted by the hearers with the reverence which is fitting, we must take the greatest care that we do not seem to commend ourselves, and to have done anything for our own utility or dignity; for otherwise our preaching will be empty and without fruit. And to this Samuel's speech aimed, when he expounded before the people that he had spontaneously yielded, and had not studied to retain longer the authority, although granted him by God, which he had held many years, but had spontaneously abdicated from it, nor had on that account brought a suit against anyone, but rather had constituted a king over them, that he might not seem to be led by any ambition or any desire for ruling, or to fear some disgrace from the abdicated dignity, which received from God he had held many years.

Meanwhile we shall see hereafter that Samuel had as his purpose to gravely reprehend by this oration the contumacy, rebellion, and ungrateful mind of the people. For although he promises that they shall obtain God's mercy, yet he did not think it to be spared, but to detect and rebuke their vices. For indeed, with God willing to have mercy on us, we shall never open access nor become fit for receiving his grace, unless we are first seriously touched by the sense of our sins. For he who indulges himself and his vices is unworthy that God's grace save him; since, as I said, by his hardness he closes the way to God's grace.

Therefore it is necessary that repentance be joined with faith, that we may receive God's grace. Therefore Samuel, about to give the people some hope of a better condition and to promise God's mercy, joins what is bound by an indivisible bond, namely a serious admonition by which he leads the people to recognition of sins, that they may know themselves to have deserved gravest penalties, which they cannot escape unless God in his immense mercy pardon them. And accordingly the people had to be admonished of their sins, so that, if God pardons them, he might be glorified by them; and from this they might take occasion to turn themselves to God, to subject themselves to his rule and to compose themselves to his obedience, and to have zeal for desisting from the iniquities and offenses by which God's wrath is provoked. So much for these things.

There follows: Behold I am here, speak of me before the Lord and before his anointed; and above he had said: And now the king walks before you, by which words he wished to indicate that Saul had now been put in possession of the kingdom. Although that phrase, walks before you, embraces not only honor and dignity but also burden and solicitude; just as when God says he will rule and govern his people, he uses these formulae of speech: I will walk before him; by which he indicates his care and solicitude for that people, that he may be to him as a shield to repel blows, with which the people, relying, suffers no harm without God himself first repelling it. Furthermore, this authority and dignity is given to all kings and magistrates who sit at the helm of affairs, that they walk before others — that is, not so to surpass others in dignity that they are idle and lazy like idols, but rather that they should know that in that rank an honorable servitude is contained, and that they are bound to study the common utility and conveniences of the commonwealth. And since they occupy the chief place and are as it were heads, let them think that the whole body has been entrusted to them to be ruled, and accordingly the care of all things has been committed to them, and they ought to be an example to the rest, so that the others composing themselves to their example may carry on all things in order.

Moreover, there is no doubt that Samuel wished to indicate that the kingdom was quiet and confirmed in Saul's hand, and accordingly that he was no longer pleading his own cause, as if he wished an account to be had of himself and were studying his own conveniences; that he was thinking of nothing less than seeking private utility. Therefore he commands them to testify before God and his anointed concerning him; and so he offers himself to them to render account of his administration, and wishes that, if any have occasion to complain of him with right, they should set themselves up against him in judgment. And accordingly he openly testifies that he sincerely and not in pretense wishes inquiry to be made into his life and judgment to be passed. For if, as long as he held dominion, he had used these voices, they could have replied that it was not free for them to open the mouth against him to accuse, who held the supreme power. But when as a private man, having abdicated authority and dominion, he sets himself to judgment, it is sufficiently apparent that nothing is here done by him fictitiously or in pretense, but that he wishes inquiry to be made into his life and into the deeds of his administration, from where it may appear whether he has rightly or otherwise discharged his office.

Far different indeed today is the way of many princes, who, calling together the estates of their dominion and sitting before their tribunals, speak many things about themselves, commend their zeal with which they embrace the populace, testify that it is grievous and burdensome to them that the wretched populace is pressed by so many burdens; that they have made no end of seeking ways by which it may be relieved and may dwell in tranquility; that they have never rested but in all ways have promoted its conveniences. Finally they preach many lies so well concocted, of which yet there will be no other conclusion than that an account of money raising is begun, and the wretched populace, deceived by that appearance of words, is entangled in snares.

Others also, as long as they are strong in authority and grace, will preach their own praises and recount their good deeds and highest integrity; but as long as no one through fear of their dignity dares even open his mouth. Therefore it is not the time to preach one's own praises when one is strong in authority and grace, since there is no liberty of contradicting. Therefore we see Samuel saying here by name: Behold me, when he had abdicated authority and power, as if to say: I set myself to your judgment, expecting the accusation of any, if I have in any matter been injurious or insulting to anyone. For I am now in the king's power. But especially he says he is before Jehovah, that he may show that he is not satisfied, although he be absolved by the king and all men, and acquitted of all votes; but that he wishes his cause to be conducted before the Lord himself, and to experience him as judge.

It befits us to imitate this example, that all our defense and excuse may be before God. For what, I beseech you, will we have advanced if, having gained our case before men, we are nevertheless condemned by the voice of God and the angels? Therefore if we wish our integrity and innocence to be brought into the open and made manifest, we must indeed begin from this, namely from the very throne and judgment of God; and our consciences are to be examined whether we are guilty of some hidden crime, of which yet we fear no witness on earth. Thus the faithful are accustomed to examine themselves wholly to the very last point. On the contrary, the sons of this world, as they are ambitious, only seek the applause of men, and desire to be adorned with their testimony, although their conscience tells them otherwise — which they strive in every way to placate. Therefore so much greater caution must be applied by us, the more proclive the fall, that if it concerns defending our integrity and innocence before men, we should give the first parts to God. But how shall this be done? Namely, if each man explores and judges himself. For he who seeks praise from men alone is nonetheless always constricted in himself, so that even though the whole world acquits them, they themselves are forced to bring sentence against themselves. And this reward is carried away by all those who here only seek to be praised by men and to be adorned with some testimony, and desire to maintain their authority by the applause of men alone: for their consciences must at last be stirred up by God, by whose verdict they will be condemned, although they may be absolved by the world's judgments. Indeed I confess that wicked and criminal men flee God's tribunal as best they can and impose silence on their consciences, but in vain.

We on the contrary, let us diligently interrogate ourselves, that we may not depend on the praises of these or those concerning us, but may hear the sentence of the inner judge. And let us use the saying of the apostle Peter admonishing us to interrogate our consciences. Although Peter takes the word interrogate for responding, when he says baptism is not the outer washing for cleansing the filth of the body, but is rather the good response of conscience, by which relying we do not fear to appear before God. But he uses the word interrogating to show that we never know who we are, unless we interrogate ourselves without pretense or hypocrisy, as experience will make us more certain — but we should inquire into ourselves more severely. For although a judge holds bound in chains some criminal in fetters, and although he is most shameful, he can escape punishment, unless his crimes and wickedness be diligently inquired into. So when God affects us with this honor that we be judges of ourselves, we must not act more negligently, nor close our eyes to sins, nor stop our ears, but rather weigh each of our deeds to the very last point. For we shall have a good conscience when each one has been a diligent inquirer of his own life, desiring to serve God not with mouth alone but with the whole soul and heart; and this will be a kind of interrogation in God's sight.

Moreover, since many abuse God's name even in oaths, therefore Samuel joins the judgment of men with the knowledge of God. For experience teaches that those who are most shameful nevertheless commonly come to such impudence that they dare to call God as witness. So that perjurers, in order to make themselves believed, always have God's name in their mouth. If anyone is accused of some slight fault, and to be admonished about it and brought back into the way of salvation, immediately he flees to God's name as to a sanctuary, and calls upon him as witness, little solicitous about the profanation of the divine name. Finally you see the most guilty become commonly bolder and more impudent in swearing, profaning God's name, and rashly invoking his presence and counting it as little. For this reason Samuel, that he might not seem to invoke God's name rashly, asserts himself ready to plead his cause even before the king and the entire people.

Therefore let those imitate this example who wish to be believed when they preach their own praises, that they set themselves to the judgment of all and wait for what experience teaches. For what madness, I beseech you, would it be that God should be invoked as witness by someone, when yet among men he can be manifestly convicted and refuted of some crime? What dementia is this, if someone notorious for his crimes, as it were exiled from the society of men, nevertheless brings forward God as witness for himself? — so that he not only does not accuse himself and acknowledge himself conscious, but does not wish judgment to be given concerning him: which those voices indicate, by which he appeals to God's knowledge, who seems to wish to persuade the contrary of those things which have been proved by experience. Therefore so much the more diligently must this be noted, that if we wish to give credit to our innocence, we should not bring forward only some good intention or pretext some innocence, but should rather wish inquiry to be made into the very cause itself, and judgment passed from it. Finally, if we desire to be acquitted by all sentences, it is necessary that with God being witness of our integrity, even the deeds themselves be weighed before all, and judgment passed about them as the matter shall have been found, that we may be held to be such as experience will have made us. So much for this passage.

Moreover, Samuel defends his innocence with these words: Testify against me, for I am ready to render an account, before Jehovah and his anointed, whether I have been grievous to anyone by rapines and vexations and plunderings; whose ox I have taken, or whose ass; whom I have defrauded, or whom I have shaken down, or from whose hand I have received a price of redemption: that I should hide my eyes on account of it, and similar things. Nor here does he enumerate all the duties of a good and lawful governor, but by the naming of some sufficiently shows himself to have discharged his office, so that if anyone wishes to accuse him of anything, it is easy for him to repel the charge and to defend his innocence.

Moreover, at first sight Samuel here would seem more desirous of retaining praise among men, when he commands them to testify of him: for he provokes, so to speak, all his adversaries, and sets himself to the judgment of all, as if intrepid and secure. But it must be observed that Samuel was driven by necessity to undergo this examination, lest many here rashly wish to imitate Samuel like apes, with no urgent occasion: while they discharge their office in such a way that they are not satisfied unless they are praised with full cheeks, and their praises openly proclaimed. But it is not enough to imitate Samuel's voice unless the same Spirit that ruled Samuel rules them. Since they act with the people with no other end than to make their authority larger. But Samuel wished, when he had abdicated his dignity, all suspicion of bad administration to be removed, lest there should remain some mark by which his governance should become infamous. Therefore not without cause or rashly did Samuel strive that his innocence should be recognized in the assembly of all the Israelites; but in order that all might be made more certain about his zeal in promoting God's worship and his integrity in administering affairs. Therefore he teaches that he, placed by God in this rank of dignity, took pains that he might faithfully execute the things commanded to him, in order that hereafter he might be by his example of integrity and fidelity to those who shall sit at the helm of the commonwealth; and that the doctrine which he proposed might be retained after his death, as proceeding from God himself. For we know that he was famous and notable for the gift of prophecy, if any other prophet was ever, just as we taught at the beginning of this history. But if he had been deprived of his dignity without testimony of integrity and sincerity, some suspicion in the future would have stuck in the minds of men. Therefore his dignity would have been abrogated, and accordingly his doctrine called into doubt, and faith withdrawn from it, and accordingly God's grace would have lain as it were buried.

Therefore his innocence had to be confirmed by the testimony of all, that in Samuel's times God might be known to have had mercy on his people, and that he might be heaped with divine benefits, conspicuous to all. Then Samuel's example had to be transmitted to his successors, that they might be instructed by it, and the kings themselves might learn from Samuel's faithfulness what their office should be, just as we also see him threaten that the kingdom would perish unless the kings composed themselves to his example.

Therefore those who commend themselves not by innocence or integrity, but by mere boasting, have nothing in common with Samuel except the appearance of speech: which by itself is nothing; for the end of the counsels of such men is to be looked at, and their mind to be considered. St. Paul indeed shows that Samuel deserved to be excused, and his protestation was necessary and useful. For Paul boasts that he had fought a good fight, and indeed for so long a time, that he had been three times stoned, that he had been often in various dangers of death, and had never failed. Furthermore he also boasts of the excellence of the gifts of the Spirit, in the abundance of which he yields to no one, not even the apostles themselves, so that he makes the rank of apostleship granted to him by God equal with theirs. When the apostle preaches many things about himself, he might seem to be led by empty boasting. And indeed he himself says he is foolish, while he so preaches his praises. But that statement must be received by way of concession, as if he were saying: Even if I am foolish, and speak foolishly to you, yet you Corinthians compel me to speak so foolishly. Why so? Because they had given their ears to certain talkative and garrulous men, who however were by no means concerned about the edification of the church and had no fear of God, but with the brilliance of certain words won favor for themselves and brought no small damage to the church.

Paul therefore, observing that gospel simplicity was coming into contempt through the arrogance of these men, and that the Corinthians, having delicate ears, were disgusted with the true fear of God, and gave attentive ears to teachers who thrust upon them their speculations dyed with rhetorical colors and pigments, says that he is forced by them to speak foolishly about himself and to preach his own praises. The same is the reason for Samuel, whom we see willing that testimony be borne about him, and openly testified about his innocence, when he saw that the office which, received from the Lord, he had borne for so many years, could come into some suspicion, and some shameful mark might be branded on it, and just so much God's glory and grace would be obscured, which once known might profit future ages. This consideration drove Samuel, who otherwise certainly would not have been about to labor much over men's judgments concerning himself, provided he were certainly persuaded that God stood on his side. But both public utility and the king's instruction and the authority of the doctrine which Samuel had taught demanded that testimony of his innocence be openly given to Samuel by all, that all men of every dignity and age might understand it.

Now it remains for us to weigh his words: and first he testifies that he can be accused neither of rapines nor of any vexation, when he says he has taken no one's ox or ass, comprising under those two species every kind of rapine by which men of first dignity vex their subjects, when they either dare not or cannot resist. Moreover, we know that those who hold the highest ranks of honors think everything is permitted to themselves, and grant themselves license to plunder their people, while they spare their own private resources. Samuel on the contrary teaches that he is immune and pure from these shake-downs, because he was unwilling to do injury to anyone. Furthermore, when he mentions rapines or plundering, he embraces all means by which subjects are accustomed to be vexed by their superiors. For often they will not plunder them of their substance, but will take for themselves things necessary and useful without any regard for them. By way of example, if a prince should take pleasure in making delights for himself by riding, no horses of private men will be spared, but they shall be driven here and there, so that the wretched often labor over recovering the horses and beasts by which they sought sustenance for themselves and their family; and yet they will excuse themselves from the rapines.

But whatever they pretend, there is no excuse for these things, neither before God nor before men. But Samuel, in order to show himself pure from this accusation and violence, says that he has not taken his neighbor's beast of burden, as if to say that he has done no harm or detriment or injury to anyone. Furthermore he teaches that he has defrauded no one, nor shaken down. Although the previous word "defrauded" can also be understood of calumny, that is, that he has laid no traps to oppress him... ...he gives that he has laid no ambushes against anyone for the purpose of oppressing him, so that there may be some distinction between injury and affliction, so that he may denote the frauds and evil arts by which unwary wretched men are oppressed, and indeed in such a way that those men appear before men as deserving punishments. But Samuel denies that he has employed any arts of this sort, by which he might overwhelm the unwary; and moreover he denies that he has been unjust to anyone, or has done anything by force. Finally, by these words he lays open his innocence, and shows that he has been burdensome to no one, and that, neither corrupted by gifts or bribes, has he done injury, nor brought anyone into danger by false accusations or charges, nor, finally, has he lusted after their possessions. For there are a thousand frauds, a thousand arts of doing harm, by which wretched men are accustomed to be ensnared. And indeed it will seem that matters are being conducted justly with them, because in a trial the defense of himself is permitted to them, which nevertheless is vain on account of the arts by which they are weighed down before judgment. Therefore a magistrate who wishes to discharge his office from the heart must consider that he must abstain not only from avarice, but also from every fraud and rapine, and from all the depraved arts by which wretched and unwary men are ensnared and overwhelmed with calumnies. Here, however, the discussion concerns that avarice and cupidity by which superiors gape after the goods of their subjects. For often they are like lions, having their jaws open, by which they devour the wretched people; and tenacious claws by which they tear the wretched. For who would oppose them, armed with power and authority, by which they are safe against the complaints of all? Therefore pains must be taken by magistrates and by men of the highest authority that, having laid aside avarice and all depraved arts, they abstain also from all violence by which those are wont to be oppressed who have no power to resist or to litigate and to plead their cause.

Continuing, Samuel says that he has not accepted a gift from anyone's hand: by which words he indicates that, corrupted by no gifts or bribes, he defended the right of the one being oppressed. Which is worthy of observation. For it is not enough that by the judge's sentence the one who has right on his side not be condemned to the acquittal of the wicked man, but the judge ought to protect the right of the other out of zeal for God's glory, and out of love of affection for his neighbor. Indeed, many judges often seek glory by empty boasting, because they have judged rightly, and by their sentence the one who had a just cause has prevailed. But I ask, by what right do they boast? For was not he who had the just cause compelled, a suppliant, to demand justice from a corrupt judge, while you have sold justice and plundered the wretched man? Therefore Samuel here expressly professes that he has accepted from no one any price of redemption, but always pursued equity and judged on behalf of the good cause, so that no one can reproach him that a price was given by anyone for the redemption of his case.

But what follows can be expounded in two ways. For he says: "Nor have I hidden my eyes from him." For some understand these things about the bribes by which judges are corrupted, so that in judgments they go blind, and do not see justice, but connive at evil, so that it may be left unpunished. Samuel professes that he was most estranged from this corruption. But since in sacred writings to close the eyes is often referred to negligence, for that reason others seek another sense, namely that Samuel did not close his eyes to those to whom he was going to bring help by virtue of his office: by which words Samuel purges himself from negligence in discharging his office, and administering justice, and giving to each his own. For we should not call a judge one who has performed his office if he is not infamous for avarice, not for plundering goods and possessions, not for rapines, nor for tyrannical license in oppressing the wretched, unless he has also succored the wretched and defended their right against the frauds and oppressions of the wicked. For just as by God they have been raised to a lofty rank of dignity, so also they ought to have the greater care of their subjects. And indeed, although no one complains, nevertheless the reason of their own office demands that they ward off injury from the good, and protect them against the wicked, when they have come to know their innocence and patience, namely that they neither rise up with brawls nor with clamors against the wicked, but rather patiently bear any insults and injuries whatever. Therefore it must be observed that judges zealous for right and equity ought in the first place not to be led by any greed of gain, nor by zeal for acquiring wealth; then not to gape after the goods of others; then not to employ evil arts by which they may scrape together the resources of the wretched. Finally, let them not put on the nature of a lion, tiger, bear, or some other wild beast for tearing and mangling the afflicted and wretched, and let them not have justice for sale, but retain equity and render to each his own. And since they act as God's ambassadors on earth, let them earnestly keep watch lest their subjects take any harm; lest they dissimulate and connive at the complaints of the afflicted and oppressed; lest they neglect the injuries inflicted on the wretched, and as it were go blind to them; but wherever they perceive some evil, let them immediately punish, nor let them suffer themselves to be drawn by the clamors of the wretched to exact vengeance on the wicked, but out of love of God and neighbor let them bring a speedy remedy; and let them take pains that, by the restraint of evils, the people may be kept in peace and tranquility, and that the wicked, terrified by the stirring up of punishments, may no longer slacken the reins to any and every crime. Hence therefore let magistrates, and those who are set over the administration of law, learn to compose themselves according to the example of Samuel, and to contemplate in him as in a mirror what the parts of their office are, if they desire to worship God in their calling.

But above all those words of Samuel must be observed, that he walked continuously before them from his boyhood to that day. Truly praiseworthy is Samuel's constancy. For you may see many for a time exceedingly diligent in discharging their office, so that...

1. Samuel said to all Israel: 'I have listened to you in everything you said to me and have set a king over you. 2. Now the king leads you. As for me, I am old and gray. My sons are here with you. I have led you from my youth to this day. 3. Here I stand. Testify against me before the Lord and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated or oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to look the other way? If I have done any of these, I will make it right.' 4. They answered: 'You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone's hand.' 5. Samuel said to them: 'The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that you have found nothing in my hand.' They said: 'He is witness.'

If Samuel had pleaded his own case while the people were demanding a king, he would have appeared to be clinging to power for personal benefit — as if he were putting his own advantage ahead of the public good. In that case, even his most legitimate rebukes and warnings would have carried no weight. But because he had quietly and willingly stepped aside from his position of dignity and submitted himself to the king, he was now in a position to defend his innocence before the people. No one could accuse him of acting in self-interest. He was fully capable of convicting the people before God of ingratitude — for they had forgotten the benefits Samuel had given them and had removed him from the rank to which God had called him. It is for this reason that he begins with this preface: 'I have listened to you in everything you said to me and have set a king over you. Now the king leads you, but I am old and gray.' The implication is clear:

No one can accuse me of acting for my own advantage! Everything was done according to your will: I stepped down from my position, I set a king over you, I submitted myself to him — and by God's doing, he will reign over you.

A valuable lesson is to be drawn from these words: when we want people to listen to us and accept what we are about to say, we must be very careful not to appear to be serving our own interests. As long as that suspicion lingers in the minds of hearers, everything we say will fall on deaf ears. A magistrate discharging his office must therefore separate his personal interests from public service and public good — he must show that he is not driven by ambition or any corrupt motive, and turn his eyes away from everything that could pull him away from his duty. Likewise, a minister of God's Word who is zealous for the growth of his flock must be careful not to appear to be seeking his own comfort, and must guard against giving any occasion for that suspicion. For even if someone excels in every virtue, appears nearly angelic, and possesses the deepest knowledge of things — if he still seems to be looking out for his own interest and advancement, he will close the ears of his hearers and pour his words into the air, to be met with ridicule. Even if he proclaims God's Word purely and plainly, his personal failing will bring it into contempt. Therefore if we want God's Word to be received by hearers with appropriate reverence, we must take the greatest care not to appear to promote ourselves or to have acted for our own benefit or honor — otherwise our preaching will be empty and fruitless. This is precisely the purpose behind Samuel's speech. He laid before the people the fact that he had voluntarily surrendered — that he had not striven to hold onto the authority God had given him and that he had exercised for many years. He had stepped down willingly, brought no complaint against anyone, and had instead established a king over them. All of this was to show that he was not driven by ambition, any desire to keep ruling, or any fear of disgrace from the loss of his dignity.

We will see later that Samuel's purpose in this speech was to sharply rebuke the stubbornness, rebellion, and ingratitude of the people. Even though he was preparing to promise them that they would obtain God's mercy, he did not think it right to spare them — he intended to expose and rebuke their sins. For whenever God wills to show us mercy, we will never open the door to receive His grace — nor become fit to receive it — unless we are first genuinely struck by the weight of our sins. The person who indulges himself and his vices is unworthy to be saved by God's grace — because, as I said, his hardness closes the very path through which God's grace would reach him.

Repentance must therefore be joined to faith if we are to receive God's grace. So Samuel, preparing to offer the people some hope of a better condition and to announce God's mercy, also brings what is inseparably bound together with that mercy: a serious call to repentance, by which he leads the people to recognize their sins. They must know that they have deserved the severest penalties — and that they cannot escape those penalties except through God's immeasurable mercy. The people had to be confronted with their sins so that if God pardoned them, He would be glorified by them. And from this reckoning they might be moved to turn to God, submit to His rule, shape themselves to His obedience, and show real zeal for turning away from the iniquities by which they had provoked His wrath. So much for these things.

Next comes: 'Here I stand — testify against me before the Lord and before His anointed.' He had said earlier: 'The king walks before you,' meaning Saul had now been placed in full possession of the kingdom. The phrase 'walks before you' carries more than the idea of honor and dignity — it includes burden and responsibility. When God says He will rule and govern His people, He uses similar language: 'I will walk before him.' By this He indicates His care and watchfulness over them — He goes before as a shield, so that no blow reaches the people without passing through Him first. This same responsibility belongs to all kings and magistrates who hold positions of authority: to walk before others. This means not merely to outrank them in dignity while remaining idle like a carved idol — but to recognize that their position carries an honorable form of service, obligating them to work for the common good and the welfare of the whole community. Since they hold the chief position and are, as it were, the head, they must understand that the whole body has been entrusted to their governance. The care of all things has been committed to them, and they must be an example to all, so that others, following their lead, may conduct themselves in an orderly way.

There is no doubt that Samuel intended to show that the kingdom was now securely settled in Saul's hands — and that he himself was no longer acting in self-interest or maneuvering for his own benefit. He had nothing of his own left to protect. He therefore called on them to testify before God and His anointed about his conduct. He offered himself to render full account of his administration, and he invited anyone with a genuine complaint to come forward and press their case against him in judgment. By this he openly testified that he sincerely — not in pretense — desired an inquiry to be made into his life and conduct. For if he had said all this while still in power, people might have replied that they were not free to open their mouths and accuse the one who held supreme authority. But by stepping down first and presenting himself as a private citizen — placing himself before the judgment of the people — it is entirely clear that there was nothing fictitious or self-protective in his offer. He genuinely wanted his life and administration examined, so it could be seen whether he had faithfully discharged his office.

How very different are the ways of many rulers today. They summon the great men of their realm, seat themselves on their thrones, and speak at length about themselves — commending their concern for the people, declaring how burdened they feel that the poor are pressed down by so many hardships, claiming they have never stopped searching for ways to relieve and comfort them. In the end, all these beautifully crafted lies lead to nothing more than a new round of tax collection, and the poor people, deceived by fine words, find themselves trapped in new snares.

Others will proclaim their own praises and boast of their integrity and good deeds — but only as long as they still hold power and prestige, and no one dares contradict them for fear of their authority. It is no great act of virtue to praise yourself when you are still in a position that silences all opposition. We see what Samuel does here instead: he says 'Here I stand' — after having already stepped down from authority and power. He is saying: I submit myself to your judgment. Let any who have grounds to accuse me come forward — if I have wronged or insulted anyone. 'I am now under the king's authority.' And above all he says he is standing before God — showing that he would not be satisfied with acquittal by the king and all the people, or by a unanimous verdict of approval. He wanted his case to be conducted before the Lord Himself, and to have God as his judge.

We should imitate this example — making God the primary judge before whom we defend and excuse ourselves. What have we gained if we win our case before people, but are nonetheless condemned by the voice of God and the angels? Therefore if we want our integrity and innocence to be genuinely established and made clear, we must begin at the right place — before the very throne and judgment of God. We must examine our consciences to see whether we are guilty of hidden crimes for which no human witness exists. This is how the faithful examine themselves — thoroughly, down to the last detail. The children of this world, by contrast, driven by ambition, seek only the applause of people. They want to be decorated with human approval, even when their conscience tells them otherwise — and they work in every possible way to quiet that conscience. We must therefore apply all the more care, the more easily we can fall: if it comes to defending our integrity and innocence before people, we must give God the first place. But how is this done? Each person must examine and judge himself. The one who only seeks praise from others is always bound and convicted within himself — even if the whole world acquits him, he is forced to pass sentence against himself. This is the reward that awaits all who seek only human praise and want to uphold their reputation through the applause of others: their consciences will ultimately be roused by God, by whose verdict they will be condemned, even though the world's judgment acquitted them. I freely acknowledge that wicked men try their best to avoid God's tribunal and silence their consciences — but in vain.

Let us, by contrast, diligently examine ourselves — not depending on the praises others give us, but listening for the verdict of the inner judge. Let us make use of the apostle Peter's admonition to interrogate our own consciences. Peter uses the word 'interrogate' in the sense of responding — when he says that baptism is not the outer washing that removes bodily filth, but rather the good response of conscience, in which we stand confident and unafraid before God. But the language of interrogation shows that we never truly know ourselves unless we examine ourselves without pretense or hypocrisy — and the more honestly we inquire, the more we will learn. Think of a criminal held in chains: even the most guilty can escape punishment if his crimes are not diligently investigated. In the same way, when God honors us by making us judges of ourselves, we must not be careless — we must not shut our eyes to our sins or stop our ears. We must weigh each of our deeds carefully to the last detail. We will have a good conscience when each person has been a diligent examiner of his own life, desiring to serve God not with the mouth alone but with the whole soul and heart — and this examination before God will itself be a kind of hearing.

Moreover, since many people abuse God's name even in taking oaths, Samuel joined the testimony of human witnesses with the knowledge of God. Experience teaches that even the most shameless people will commonly reach such boldness that they dare to call God as their witness. Perjurers always have God's name on their lips in order to make themselves believed. If someone is accused of a minor fault and needs to be corrected and brought back to the right way, they immediately fly to God's name as if to a safe refuge — invoking Him as witness with no concern for profaning His holy name. Indeed, you will notice that the most guilty people are generally the boldest and most brazen in swearing oaths, treating God's name with careless contempt. For this reason, Samuel — so that he would not seem to invoke God's name carelessly — first declared himself willing to plead his cause even before the king and the whole people.

Let those who want to be believed when they proclaim their own innocence imitate this example: submit to the judgment of all and wait for what the facts themselves demonstrate. What madness would it be for someone to call God as witness when he can be plainly convicted and refuted of a crime before human eyes? What confusion of mind is it when someone notorious for his crimes — shunned by decent society — nevertheless calls on God to testify on his behalf? He not only refuses to confess his guilt, but resists all judgment against him — appealing to God's knowledge as if to contradict what experience has already made clear. We must therefore note carefully: if we want our innocence to be believed, we should not merely assert good intentions or claim innocence in general terms. We should invite examination of the actual matter and be willing to have judgment passed based on it. If we want to be acquitted by all, we must be willing to have our deeds themselves weighed before everyone — with God as witness of our integrity — and to have judgment rendered according to what the evidence shows. We should be known as what experience has proven us to be. So much for this passage.

Samuel defends his innocence with these words: 'Testify against me — I am ready to give account — before the Lord and His anointed: Have I seized anyone's ox or donkey? Have I wronged anyone, oppressed anyone, or taken a bribe to look the other way?' He does not here enumerate every responsibility of a good and lawful governor — but by naming these specific things he shows sufficiently that he has discharged his office. If anyone wishes to accuse him of wrongdoing, he is in a position to easily repel the charge and defend his innocence.

At first glance Samuel might appear to be seeking praise from people — inviting all his adversaries to come forward, standing before the judgment of all, as if fearless and fully confident. But we must observe that Samuel was driven by necessity to submit to this examination. Many people rashly imitate Samuel without any urgent cause — discharging their office in such a way that they are not satisfied unless they are praised lavishly, with their virtues proclaimed openly. But it is not enough to imitate Samuel's words unless the same Spirit that governed Samuel governs them. Those who imitate only the outward form do so with no other aim than to enlarge their own authority. Samuel, however, had a different purpose: having stepped down from his position, he wanted all suspicion of misconduct to be removed, so that nothing disgraceful could cling to his reputation as a governor. Samuel therefore did not strive rashly or without good cause to have his innocence recognized before the whole assembly of Israel. He did it so that all would be made more certain of his zeal in promoting God's worship and his integrity in administering public affairs. By doing so, he showed that he had taken pains to faithfully execute everything entrusted to him by God — so that his example of integrity and faithfulness might remain as a model for those who would later hold positions of authority, and so that the teaching he had proclaimed might be honored after his death as coming from God Himself. For Samuel was renowned for the gift of prophecy as much as any prophet, as we observed at the beginning of this history. But if he had been removed from his position under a cloud of suspicion — without a clear testimony of his integrity — doubts would have followed him in the minds of the people. His authority would have been undermined, his teaching called into question, faith in it withdrawn — and God's grace would have been, as it were, buried.

Samuel's innocence therefore had to be publicly confirmed by the testimony of all — so that in Samuel's time God would be known to have shown mercy on His people, and so that God's blessings, heaped visibly on them, might be clear to everyone. Beyond that, Samuel's example needed to be handed down to those who came after him — so that they might learn from it, and so that the kings themselves might be instructed by Samuel's faithfulness in what their own office demanded. We will in fact see him warn that the kingdom would perish unless the kings shaped themselves to his example.

Therefore those who commend themselves not through genuine integrity but through sheer boasting have nothing in common with Samuel except the outward form of his words — which in itself counts for nothing. We must look at the intentions behind such men's actions and examine their motives. The apostle Paul, in fact, provides a parallel that helps justify Samuel's approach. Paul boasts that he has fought a good fight — that he was stoned three times, that he repeatedly faced mortal danger, and that he never gave up. He also boasts of the excellence of the gifts of the Spirit given to him — gifts so abundant that he yields to no one, not even the other apostles, and considers the rank of apostleship God gave him equal to theirs. When Paul speaks so much about himself, he might seem to be driven by empty boasting. Indeed, he himself calls it foolishness — admitting that he is speaking like a fool. But this statement must be understood as a concession: he is saying, in effect, 'Even if this is foolish, you Corinthians have compelled me to speak this way.' Why? Because they had been lending their ears to certain talkative men who had no real concern for the growth of the church and no fear of God — men who won themselves a following through the brilliance of their words while doing the church real harm.

Paul, seeing that Gospel simplicity was being despised because of these men's arrogance — and that the Corinthians, with their taste for refined rhetoric, had grown tired of the plain fear of God and were giving eager attention to teachers who dressed up speculations in rhetorical colors — says that they have forced him to speak foolishly and to proclaim his own accomplishments. Samuel's situation is the same. He wanted testimony to be given about him and openly declared his own innocence — because he saw that the office he had faithfully carried for so many years, received from the Lord, was at risk of falling under suspicion. If a shameful mark were branded on it, God's glory and grace — which, once known, had been of great benefit and could still profit future generations — would be obscured. This was the consideration that drove Samuel. He would not otherwise have cared much about people's judgments of him, so long as he was certain that God stood on his side. But the public good, the instruction of the king, and the authority of the teaching Samuel had proclaimed all demanded that a clear, public testimony of his innocence be given — one that every person, of every rank and age, could understand.

It remains to weigh his actual words. First, he testifies that he cannot be charged with robbery or any form of exploitation — saying he has taken no one's ox or donkey. Under these two examples he covers every kind of plunder by which powerful men oppress their subjects, who dare not or cannot resist. We know that those who hold the highest positions tend to think everything is permitted to them, and they grant themselves license to plunder their people freely while carefully preserving their own private wealth. Samuel, by contrast, declares himself entirely free of such exploitation — because he was unwilling to wrong anyone. When he speaks of robbery and plunder, he includes all the ways in which subjects are typically oppressed by those above them. Often rulers will not directly seize people's property, but they will take whatever they find necessary or useful without any consideration for those it belongs to. For example, if a ruler takes pleasure in riding, he will commandeer every private horse he wants — driving them here and there until the poor owners struggle to get their animals back, the very animals they depended on for their livelihood. And yet the ruler will insist he has not committed robbery.

Whatever pretexts such rulers offer, there is no excuse for this kind of behavior — neither before God nor before people. Samuel, to show himself free from this charge and from all forms of exploitation, says he has not taken his neighbor's animal — meaning he has done no harm, loss, or injury to anyone. He also declares that he has defrauded no one and oppressed no one. The word 'defrauded' can encompass slander and entrapment — meaning he has laid no traps to crush anyone. The point is to distinguish between direct injury and more subtle oppression — the kinds of fraud and scheming by which the helpless poor are brought down in ways that make them appear deserving of punishment in the eyes of others. Samuel denies that he has used any such tactics to overwhelm the defenseless — and he also denies having done injury to anyone by force. In these words he lays bare his innocence: he has been a burden to no one, has not done wrong under the corrupting influence of gifts or bribes, has brought no one into danger through false accusations, and has not coveted anyone's possessions. There are a thousand forms of fraud and a thousand ways of doing harm by which poor people are typically ensnared. Affairs may appear to be conducted fairly — defendants are formally permitted to defend themselves — but this defense is made meaningless by the scheming used to crush them before the verdict is even given. A magistrate who truly desires to discharge his office must therefore guard not only against greed, but against every form of fraud and exploitation — against all the corrupt tactics by which the helpless and unsuspecting are entrapped and destroyed by false charges. The present discussion focuses on the greed and appetite by which those in power devour the possessions of their subjects. Such officials are often like lions with open jaws — devouring the poor — and like predators with sharp claws — tearing them apart. Who would dare resist them? Armed with power and authority, they are safe from all complaint. Therefore magistrates and those of high authority must take great pains to lay aside greed and all corrupt practices, and to abstain from every form of violence directed against those who have no power to resist, to litigate, or to plead their own case.

Samuel goes on to say that he has accepted no gift from anyone's hand — by which he declares that he was never corrupted by bribes, but always defended the rights of those being oppressed. This deserves careful attention. It is not enough that a judge's verdict simply avoids convicting the innocent and acquitting the guilty. The judge must protect the rights of those who are wronged out of genuine zeal for God's glory and true love for his neighbor. Many judges seek praise by boasting that they have judged rightly — that the party with the just cause prevailed by their sentence. But I ask: what grounds do they have for boasting? Was the man with the just cause not forced to come to you as a suppliant begging for justice — to a corrupt judge who has sold justice and plundered the poor man in the process? Samuel therefore expressly declares here that he accepted no payment from anyone to secure their case. He always pursued equity and judged in favor of the righteous cause — so that no one can reproach him with having received a bribe to favor anyone.

The phrase that follows can be understood in two ways. He says: 'I have not hidden my eyes from anyone.' Some interpret this as referring to bribery — that judges accept gifts and as a result go blind in their verdicts, failing to see justice and turning a blind eye to evil so it goes unpunished. Samuel declares himself entirely free of this corruption. But since in Scripture 'closing one's eyes' often refers to negligence, others take it in a different sense — that Samuel never closed his eyes to those who needed his help by virtue of his office. On this reading, Samuel is clearing himself not only of corruption but of carelessness in administering justice and giving each person what they were owed. For a judge cannot truly be said to have performed his duty simply by avoiding the obvious offenses — not being infamous for greed, not plundering possessions, not extorting, not using tyrannical power to crush the poor. A judge must also have actively defended the helpless and protected their rights against the fraud and oppression of the wicked. Just as God has raised rulers to a high position of dignity, so He has given them a proportionally greater responsibility to care for their subjects. And even when no one comes forward to complain, the nature of their office itself requires that they ward off harm from the innocent and protect them against the wicked — especially those who endure oppression patiently and quietly, without raising a clamor or starting public disturbances. Therefore it must be observed that judges who are truly committed to justice and fairness must, first, not be driven by any desire for gain or the accumulation of wealth. Second, they must not lust after others' possessions. Third, they must not resort to corrupt schemes to squeeze the resources from the poor. They must not take on the nature of a lion, tiger, bear, or some other wild beast — tearing and mauling the afflicted. They must not sell justice, but maintain fairness and give each person what they are owed. And since they serve as God's representatives on earth, they must be earnestly watchful that their subjects suffer no harm. They must not turn a blind eye to the complaints of the oppressed. They must not ignore the injuries done to the helpless or pretend not to see them. Wherever they perceive evil, they must act swiftly to punish it — not because the cries of the poor pressure them into action, but out of love for God and neighbor. They must bring a prompt remedy, and by firmly restraining evil, keep the people in peace and tranquility, so that the wicked, deterred by punishment, no longer feel free to commit every crime without consequence. Let magistrates and those responsible for the administration of law therefore shape themselves after Samuel's example — and see in him, as in a mirror, what their office requires, if they desire to honor God in their calling.

Above all, we must take note of Samuel's words that he had walked before them continuously from his boyhood to that day. Samuel's consistency here is truly praiseworthy. You may see many people who are extremely diligent in their duties for a time — so much so that...