Sermon 73: 1 Samuel 19:22-20:3

22. 'He himself also went to Ramah, and came as far as the great cistern which is in Sechu, and inquired and said: Where are Samuel and David? And it was told him: Behold, they are in Naioth in Ramah. 23. And he went to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came also upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24. And he himself also stripped off his garments and prophesied with the others before Samuel; and he fell down naked all that day and night. From which the proverb arose: Is Saul also among the prophets?' CHAPTER XX.

1. 'David fled from Naioth which is in Ramah, and coming spoke before Jonathan: What have I done? what is my iniquity, and what is my sin against your father, that he seeks my life? 2. And he said to him: Far be it, you shall not die; for my father will do nothing great or small without first revealing it to me; has my father then concealed this matter from me? It shall not be so. 3. And David swore again, and he said: Your father certainly knows that I have found grace in your eyes, and will say: Let Jonathan not know this, lest he be saddened. Indeed, as the Lord lives and your soul lives, there is but one step (so to speak) between me and death.'

How God has broken Saul's fury and cruelty we have heard up to this point — which indeed was not so broken that he did not always seek to harm David, but yet so that, as if restrained by God's hand, he could not rage at his pleasure. As we heard in the previous sermon, the soldiers sent by Saul to capture David prophesied by divine inspiration, and their efforts were rendered futile. The same has now happened to Saul, who, when he himself wished to come to Naioth, before he reached the place itself, also began to prophesy. Yet God did not therefore put into him the sense to acknowledge his sin, nor to understand the prophecy so that it might profit him. But as we taught yesterday, he felt the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but without knowledge; and just as God once made Balaam's ass speak, so he now wished Saul to prophesy. Indeed Paul the apostle teaches that it often happens that many in the church excel in many gifts and have the faculty of teaching, and finally are esteemed like angels, who nonetheless are despisers of God, who labor under ambition and desire for honors, avarice and other such vices, so that they are not governed by the Spirit of God, nor exercise their calling under his guidance, nor persevere in it with sincere affection, nor burn with zeal for God's glory. Therefore there is no reason why we should marvel if we hear that Saul prophesied, and yet was affected by no sense of divine glory and honor, but as a stupid man and beside himself — though previously he had been adorned with the gift of true prophecy by the Holy Spirit. From this we are admonished that special gifts by which we win grace and authority among men profit us nothing, unless we above all give effort to be new creatures in Christ, as Paul says elsewhere; and he admonishes the faithful to flee from the external appearance in which many vainly glory, content with some little glory and popular acclaim. Therefore Paul shows that all these things are light and empty. Let each one therefore who wishes to be considered a member of Jesus Christ become a new creature.

And thus much concerning Saul prophesying. As to the fact that after God's decree about taking the kingdom from him had been announced to Saul, Samuel never saw him again — for how is this consistent with what is now said, that Saul prophesied in the presence of Samuel? Many labor in seeking subtle solutions; for some say that Samuel did not see Saul anymore in royal pomp and magnificence; others, that he indeed saw him, but as another man, since he was inspired by the Spirit of God and utterly transformed, so that it was not Saul himself who appeared but another. But these subtleties rest on no foundation. Therefore it should be observed that when we earlier heard that Saul was no longer seen by Samuel, this is said according to common usage of speaking, just as we are accustomed to say of one who is rarely seen: 'You are never seen.' Which is understood not only of seeing but of conversation and familiarity. Thus then those words can be explained: that Samuel did not see Saul anymore from that time, so that we may judge that he was no longer familiar with him, nor returned to him to honor him as he was accustomed, and did not honor him as king, nor protect his authority — though he might still be able to see him sometimes, but without conversation or any testimony of familiarity. Therefore although he now prophesied before Samuel, he did not for that reason reconcile himself to him by familiar conversation, nor did he address him, but treated him as a foreigner and unknown person, from whom God had taken away his mind on account of ingratitude. From this we gather that God wished to mark Saul with ignominy and to afflict him with disgrace, who in a kind of furious mind pursuing David was compelled, against his counsel and will, to leave him untouched and return home.

Saul therefore was indeed in the company of the prophets, but only for a time, as if seized by some whirlwind, which God drives crosswise as a stupid man devoid of sense — in whom the Spirit of God acted, not for the sake of honor but of disgrace and ignominy. Saul therefore appears devoid of all sense and counsel, since although he was among the prophets he recognized neither Samuel nor others who were in that assembly, but was set forth before all as a spectacle of divine judgment, and so left that assembly that he made himself a laughingstock to all. And this seems to be the most simple sense of this passage. As to what is said, that he stripped himself of his garments and was naked all that day and night, the question arises whether it was the custom of the prophets to strip themselves of their garments, for this does not seem consistent with reason. Some therefore understand that Saul stripped himself of his royal garments and put on others, just as we see that the prophets had certain proper garments. But it is specifically said that he was naked, not as if he were entirely naked, but because, having been stripped of his garments, God wished to cast him down so as to make his disgrace known to all. The prophets indeed had certain garments — not at all such as the stoles and vestments of today's mass-priests, but yet such by which they were distinguished from the common people. And this can be gathered specifically from Zechariah, in whom it is said that when God shall purge his church of all corruption, idolatry, and superstition, the false prophets who administered the Lord's vineyard, and were in price and authority, will cast off their prophetic mantles and live a private life. And if anyone asks them what has become of their dignity, they will reply that they are neither prophets nor sons of prophets, and they have renounced all those things. Which is just as if today monks, illuminated by God, would acknowledge that they had been false prophets, despisers of God and men, and had mocked the wretched people with various superstitions and idol-manias, and would cast away their cowls, ropes, and other such mysteries, and openly testify that they renounced those superstitions, and would no longer mock God and men, since they recognize that those mysteries were diabolical illusions. So in Zechariah those false prophets are said to be about to cast off their prophetic mantles. But here is a peculiar reckoning of Saul, whom God so punished that, with his garments stripped off, he lay on the ground for an entire night and day. Therefore he was stripped of his garments not only on account of prophecy, but God branded him with a peculiar mark of divine vengeance, lest he be in price and honor, and lest by prophesying he seem to be restored to his pristine dignity. God therefore marked him with disgrace and ignominy, so that, agitated as if by a whirlwind, he was cast down in a moment, and stripped of his garments openly displayed a sign of his fear. This passage therefore in no way proves that the prophets were accustomed to strip off their garments, and we saw before that they were accustomed to visit various places and to sing certain songs in honor of God; but Saul's deed has something different and separate from the practice of the prophets — God himself casting him down and throwing him to the ground and humbling him, not indeed so that he might be led from his heart to repentance — for he persisted always like himself in malice — but so that he might be punished by God with much ignominy, and rendered contemptible to the whole people, and his fury and wickedness divulged, who, though he was carried by furious impulse and most greedily thirsted for blood, dared nothing nevertheless, but rather was restrained by the divine hand as a wild beast by bars. Thus God offers Saul to be laughed at and marks him with ignominy, so that, stripped of his garments and naked before God and men, he might beg pardon for his fury; and thus God makes it manifest that Saul was unworthy of human company, whom he wished to lie naked without garments on the ground with disgrace — not indeed entirely naked, but yet stripped of his garments so that he might be enveloped in some disgrace of ours. From this let us learn what garments it is fitting for us to be adorned with before God; for as long as we appear before him clothed in ourselves, in our own nature, thoughts, and affections, things go far worse with us than if we were entirely naked. Hence in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ we are everywhere commanded to put off our filth and all carnal desires, because they are nothing else than foul pollutions by which we are rejected by God as profane and detestable. Therefore they must be cast off from us, and we should know that whatever splendor of virtues appears before men is nothing but imperfection and vice before God — to such a degree that we cannot appear before God or before his angels until we have stripped off what is naturally proper to us. But if we are naked, great poverty and need will follow, and frightful confusion such as invaded Saul; therefore we ought to be stripped of all vices and corruptions and clothed with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore let us learn so to be stripped of our filth that we may put on Christ and be conformed to the Son of God, and accordingly approach him to be clothed in his garments. For he alone can reconcile us to God the Father and make us pleasing. We are therefore stripped with some disgrace of ours, but not however like Saul — since God himself will clothe us with the righteousness, holiness, and perfection of his only Son.

Next follows the proverb commonly current for this reason: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' In which words there also seems to be some inconsistency. For when mention was made above of Saul's inauguration, when Samuel had been commanded to anoint him among the Israelites, it is said that he received the gift of prophecy, and when he had fallen in among the company of prophets who were going from one place to another, he prophesied in their midst; and from this the proverb arose, on account of the unusual nature of the thing — since a rustic and rural man had been adorned with such an excellent gift, and indeed in a moment. Therefore when mention was made of someone who had become from a dull and stupid man into a learned and sharp-witted man, that proverb was customarily used: 'Saul is also among the prophets,' that some marvelous change might be noted — just as Saul, before being raised to royal dignity, was seen to be a rustic and crude man among the prophets. But since Saul afterward became fanatical and as it were furious and insane, so that he could not associate with men, he gave a new occasion for this proverb to be renewed: that when someone had previously led a flagitious and deplorable life and had returned to a good mind and better fruit, it was said of him: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' As if it were said: This wicked man, this flagitious one, this man of deplorable salvation, has converted and returned to fruit, and is wise like an angel, and is held in the number of God's children? So Saul first gave occasion to that proverb, because a rustic and rural man, born of an ignoble place, had been inspired by the divine spirit in the company of prophets when he was designated king of the Israelites. Then again when, cast into a reprobate mind, although vexed by an evil spirit of the Lord, yet by God's will for the moment he prophesied with the prophets — not without a miracle, since he lacked sense and understanding. Finally, that proverb was in use among the people, to magnify and proclaim God's grace, especially when conspicuous in someone of whom there was no hope at all of becoming useful, or when someone previously of a deplorable and lost life returned to the right way. And surely God's power is illustrious in these two things. First, when God uses for some function someone who previously seemed entirely unsuitable and unfit. And this often happens, that many seem stupid and lazy who, called to public functions, conduct themselves far otherwise than was hoped — which surely should be considered by us with the greatest diligence and attention, so that God's grace may be the more recognized and proclaimed; and we should be persuaded that, since we depend on him, we will also receive necessary gifts as it pleases him, even though we are by nature unfit and unsuitable. Then, when he calls back into his flock flagitious men, reprobates, and those rejected from God's church, and brings them back to the way of salvation. In which God's goodness and power are to be acknowledged and proclaimed at the same time. Let us therefore learn so to admire God's works as unusual, and not mock them but proclaim them with honor. For you may see many who, because they do not comprehend with their senses the divine works since they are unusual, reject them and as it were stop their ears so as not to understand. We see this happened to those from whom that proverb arose: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' when he first began to prophesy — for that saying appears to have been spoken by them with some indignation. Since indeed, led by the judgment of their own reason and senses alone, they judge that it is impossible for Saul to prophesy — whom rather they ought to have looked up to God's power, and acknowledged his power in his gifts to be conferred on those whom he himself sees fit. From which it appears that the manner of God's gifts seems so unusual to some that, since it surpasses their grasp, they reject and despise it. But let us on the contrary learn to admire God's works and turn them to our use, and to adore God's goodness, far surpassing our senses. Behold what is the use of this proverb, 'Saul among the prophets.' Therefore if today we see in the church some who have obtained the faculty of speaking, who seemed unfit for public function, and have been made suitable by God, that great and unexpected change will indeed seem marvelous, which we do not grasp with our senses; but such an admirable change ought to stir us to admiration of divine mercy and goodness, which has its created things in its power, and rules and administers them according to its will. Then if flagitious men who have led a deplorable life, and previously gave themselves the reins to every flagitious deed, are recalled to better fruit and the fear of God — as if someone previously an adulterer or a drunkard is changed by the inwardly working power and efficacy of the divine word, and from a fornicator or adulterer becomes chaste, from a drunkard becomes sober: he who was insulting and injurious abstains from all injury; the blasphemer detests the filth of his former life; finally, all those revere God's name, and each one sanctifies it with all his might — shall we not then rightly say: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' — not only admiring the divine work, but also proclaiming his goodness in recalling to fruit men most alienated from him, and praising it with worthy praises?

Let us pass to the twentieth chapter, in which it is said that David fled from Naioth and came to Jonathan and complained about his father's injuries, who pursued him to death. From which it appears that God indeed broke that attack of Saul and turned his fury away from David, but did not yet wish to give David rest; rather he rescued him from present danger and death, but to be exercised longer with various trials, by which it was probable that David could have succumbed and come into despair, unless he had been supported by more than human strength. Therefore David would seem little relieved by human judgment, when he escaped this danger that threatened him. For how could one rejoice who, from the danger of death, falls into many others, and as the saying goes, from Scylla into Charybdis. For Saul rages against him with greater fury than before, and he does not lack arms and the means to satisfy his bloodthirsty mind, unless David goes far enough away that Saul cannot suspect where in the world he is — since one whom the king pursues with hatred must necessarily have all men as his enemies. Therefore the benefit which David then received from God would not seem greatly desirable: it would have seemed better for him to die bravely once than so often to be in danger of life. But in this we ought to behold the providence of God exercising his own, whose life he shows that he protects in such a way that meanwhile he leads them through a thousand mortal dangers, and stirs up many occasions of fear on every side, so that they may become more ardent in calling upon him, and their zeal in fleeing to him may be increased, and they may not be wearied in bearing new temptations one after another. For God by these means trying their patience and obedience teaches them to be pilgrims in this world, and that their life depends on him alone, and that the slavery they suffer in this body is momentary — that they may learn to seek true freedom and spiritual rest in him alone, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Truly that condition seems hard to our nature and human senses, to be exercised by perpetual difficulties and distresses; but to which we must voluntarily submit ourselves, awaiting at last the reward of this struggle. These things therefore are set before us in David to be considered and meditated, that in him as in a mirror we may contemplate that we should not pamper ourselves, even if we enjoy prosperity, nor place our trust in such things — since this is our condition, that the highest joy is changed into the deepest sadness, and the pleasant face of things into the sad face of death. Then we are taught to flee to God in all distresses and difficulties, imitating the example of David, whose patience and prayers to God we shall see hereafter. I admit indeed that David was adorned with the gifts and graces of God, and had come to that perfection which can fall to a mortal, so much so that he can rightly be said to have excelled in angelic virtues. But nevertheless it was necessary and useful for him to be tested in this way, exercised by various calamities, and to enjoy neither leisure nor tranquility, but to dwell in a thousand mortal dangers — just as he himself in Psalm 30 confesses that in his tranquility he had said that he would not be moved forever; and that being intoxicated by excessive presumption from the success of his affairs, he overstepped the bounds of moderation, when he resolved within himself that he would not be moved forever, as if he had fixed for himself a home above the clouds, no longer subject to the human condition and exempt from the many miseries with which human weakness wrestles. Although exercised by so many trials and tested in various ways, he confesses nonetheless that he would have been forgetful of himself, unless God had purged him and refined in the furnace of afflictions that arrogance which men generally use in prosperity. Since these things are so, we ought to think seriously about ourselves, since they are set before us for our instruction. For when David acknowledges his weakness, each one of us is admonished to take care for himself; and when God grants us leisure and the success of our affairs, to expect whatever trials by which it may seem good to him to test us. And furthermore we are taught not to lose heart even though heavy afflictions press in on every side, but to hope in his goodness, which will never fail those who invoke him without disguise and pretense, and detest their sins and acknowledge and confess them sincerely — just as we saw David in Psalm 30 cited above, candidly confessing his ingratitude when he was enjoying prosperity. For when he had been raised by God to royal dignity and placed on Mount Zion as in a strong fortress to reign peacefully, he did not acknowledge as he ought that the prosperous success of his affairs flowed from God's goodness; though he ought to have remembered that he was that David whom God had miraculously delivered, snatched from the jaws of the grave. Therefore he ought to have called to memory so great a benefit of God, by whose hand he had been lifted up so as not to perish utterly. Therefore when we see David miraculously delivered by God's hand from imminent danger, yet not exempt from the persecutions of Saul, but reserved for various afflictions so that his patience might be exercised — let us recognize that, when God delivers us from some danger, perpetual leisure and tranquility is not promised to us; but if we have moved one step from the grave, the pit is yet present in our eyes always; or if we have been delivered entirely from one danger, another suddenly arises beyond all expectation. This ought not to seem new or unusual, since we see that David, who was an example of patience and constancy, was so sharply tried by various temptations — that from him we may learn with what care God cherishes his own and protects them against any assaults of enemies.

Moreover, how great Saul's fury was in pursuing David is sufficiently apparent, since he did not blush to wish to resist God himself. For he did not sin out of ignorance, since though he was insane, yet when he felt God's hand cast upon him, and stripped of his garments, he confesses guilt — though only because God forced him — and prophesying in the company of prophets does not recognize David, but as one beside himself does not know what he is doing. Did it not behoove him to recognize God's judgment in himself, by which he was admonished to acknowledge his fault and beg pardon, and abandoning all delay be reconciled to the innocent man whom he unjustly hated? But he was utterly alien from this thought, and returned to inveterate hatred and his own plans. By which deed do we not plainly see that he was insane and furious, when he did not perceive with what singular favor God embraced his servant David? And indeed, struck by God in such a way as to make himself plainly Saul's adversary, is it not monstrous that he nonetheless persists in pursuing the wretched David, and seeking him to death, even wishing to declare war on God himself, and willingly to fight against God? From this it becomes conspicuous that the devil, having once invaded men, so drives them crosswise that they dare voluntarily to rise up against God and fight him. For although we do not willingly wage war against God, yet our malice and ingratitude bring it about that even unwittingly we are carried against God, and as it were stirred by fury we rise up. And just as raging men try now to strangle or tear apart this person, now that, not from deliberate malice, but from fury and madness; so all who are given over to the devil do not fear to rise up against God himself.

Furthermore, when we see Saul, previously raised to royal dignity by the Lord, now placed in such a wretched and deplorable state, vexed in this world, and made similar to the devils, who from being good angels created by God fell from their origin — we ought to call to mind the exhortation of Paul and profit by it, when he says: 'Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.' Truly we cannot sustain ourselves, but we can seek a remedy against our weakness if we pray to God with ardent prayers and with all humility, that he may continue his gifts in us. And let us know that we depend on him, lest we be like unbridled horses, lest we be carried away by some vain glory and arrogance when we have been adorned with God's grace and excellent gifts; but let us know that the one from whom we have received them can take them away in a moment. Therefore let us render to him the glory due, and ascribe the gifts received to him alone. Let us not arrogantly think about our own prudence, nor negligently perform our duty, but always humble with fear and solicitude let us work out our salvation, and let us never cease to invoke God. And these things must be fixed in our minds, and that terrible vengeance of God is to be feared, lest, having been stripped of his gifts, he hand us over to Satan so that we may be dragged like his slaves with ignominy and disgrace wherever it pleases him. And for this reason Christ admonishes us to watch, threatening that if the devil leaves some place, he will return to the same, not alone but accompanied by many other spirits to invade his dominion and hold it with great force. And this reward is owed to all those who, having received excellent gifts from God, become more sluggish in invoking him so that he might continue them in them, lest they fall into the power of Satan. For we know that Satan is the prince of this world; and therefore when we are inspired by God's Holy Spirit, we are freed from that gulf of iniquity and the tyranny of the devil by which we were oppressed. Therefore if we reject God's spirit by our malice, it is necessary that we come into the power of the devil, and be vexed by him in such horrible ways that we come into the detestation of all. Such a horrible judgment is therefore to be feared, of which an example is set before us in Saul as in a living image — namely, that those who have turned away from God and despised his gifts will fall into a horrendous transformation, since being unable to bear God's command, they are compelled to bear the tyranny of the devil.

Next follow these words of David, complaining about Saul to Jonathan, which must be examined: 'What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin against your father, that he seeks my life?' These words deserve observation, from which it appears with what reasoning David implored Jonathan's help and aid — namely, that his innocence might come forth in public. And by this method we ought in uncertain matters to await help, and to take care lest at any time by our stubbornness and arrogance we provide badly for ourselves. For we see most men come to such impudence that, although they have sinned a hundred thousand times, they still wish to be immediately pardoned; and friendships are generally sought for this use. For if anyone is held guilty of some flagitious deed, he indeed feigns by countenance to be a good man, but yet in his mind seeks the violation of justice, that he may be freed from the punishment of his crime. Therefore he will say that the cause should not be inquired into so severely; and lest no sin be said at all, he will indeed confess some — but not such that it should be punished so severely and rigidly. And so those generally do who as it were sit on two stools, who are led by no zeal for God's glory, and in whom there is no candor and integrity. Finally, as I said before, many cultivate friendships more zealous for the safety of wicked and flagitious men than for the glory of God and the innocence of their neighbors; and they seem to themselves to have fairly fulfilled their duty if they have hidden the disgrace of their friends. But David here teaches us something far different: for he asks no help from Jonathan except on the proposed condition that his innocence and integrity be made known. Therefore even with Jonathan as judge he defends his cause when he says: 'What is my sin, and what is my iniquity?' For he was prepared to give an account of his deeds and words. I admit indeed that often the most wicked profess their innocence with full mouths, and impudently put forth their innocence so that they may be found just. But far different is the reasoning of David, who does nothing except candidly and sincerely. Therefore he neither impudently justifies himself nor defends himself with feigned words, as most are accustomed to do, even denying themselves under oath though guilty. Not so David: but he himself offers himself to Jonathan, prepared to give an account of his actions; and therefore he asks that his sin be brought forward — prepared to bear the punishment, if he has committed any evil. This example we ought to imitate, that we may keep a good conscience before God and men, so that whatever afflictions and crosses God sends, we may bear them with even and patient mind. And this same thing the apostle Peter teaches us, admonishing the faithful that they should not allow themselves to be afflicted by men as thieves, robbers, or flagitious men; but if by God's will they suffer persecution, that they may be able to testify their good conscience before God and men, so that it may openly appear that they are afflicted unjustly by men: with all our life bearing testimony for us, and witnessing to our integrity and candor.

Furthermore, from Jonathan's response it appears that Saul had now begun to distrust him and had not communicated his plans to him; and indeed, in order to crush David more easily, he was unwilling to make plain what he was hiding in his mind — since previously he had advanced nothing when he had revealed his plan to Jonathan. Therefore he procured David's death without Jonathan's knowledge — just as it is probable that David had detected Saul's frauds, who, although he had promised on oath to Jonathan that he would no longer seek David's death, nevertheless without Jonathan's knowing it procured it more and more. There is no doubt therefore that David had detected Saul's malice, though Saul had promised by oath that he would desist from his undertaking. But Jonathan could not perceive this, as is clear from his reply: 'My father,' he says, 'does nothing great or small without first revealing it to me; has my father then concealed this matter from me alone? It shall not be so.' And so we see that Jonathan was so blinded that he could not grasp his father's malice unless David himself revealed it to him. From this it becomes clear that Saul was so demented that he was obstinate in malice and stubbornly pursued David to death; and indeed without revealing his plan to Jonathan, for whom he was procuring the succession to the crown. For he did not wish to be hindered by him, but to take David out of the living once and for all, so that by his ignominious death the entire family of the father might also be marked with perpetual disgrace and ignominy. For this reason David clears himself before Jonathan by oath of every sin against his father — which oath was certainly not about nothing. For it concerned David's own life, and the kingdom promised to him, of which Jonathan needed to be informed, from whom David also expected aid and help. Therefore this oath should not be considered light or empty, as men generally are rash in swearing; but it is certain that David swore compelled by necessity. For first it concerned his life, which he ought to have held in esteem, since he was a figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then there was added Jonathan's blindness, who, deceived by a false opinion, could not perceive his father's malice, but on the contrary was persuaded that he had laid aside his evil disposition toward David, and so unwarily was bringing destruction on David. Therefore David had to confirm and ratify his complaint by oath in order to rouse Jonathan's torpor. Nevertheless, in the form of this oath a certain expression should not be admitted into use. For sacred Scripture teaches us to use only God's name in oaths; but God tolerated David's weakness in this respect, when he says: 'The Lord lives, and your soul lives.' We have said that only God's name should be used in oaths; therefore if anyone mixes in another creature, he gives God an associate, which is too horrible to say. Therefore we see that God in the law specifically commanded concerning oaths that one should swear by his name alone, as the prophet Isaiah teaches: 'And he who swears in the land shall swear by the God of Amen.' This therefore is the rule of oaths: that God's name be assumed with honor and reverence, since he alone searches the hearts and reins of men, he alone can defend the truth. And for this reason men wishing to settle their disputes by oath swear by one greater than themselves — namely by the very name of God — that he may be acknowledged the judge and avenger of all. David therefore could seem to have departed from this rule which sacred Scripture prescribes. Indeed it must be confessed that there is some defect in this oath, but it should not be thought that David wished to detract anything from God's authority, and that he did not swear by the living God by the soul of Jonathan in order to make the latter equal to God, but to attest the supreme friendship with which he embraced him — as if he meant to say: 'The Lord lives, and your life is so dear to me, and I embrace you with such great love, that I would rather die a thousand deaths than sin in any way against our friendship; therefore by this oath I affirm that the matter is as I have said.' Therefore the oath is mixed with an adjuration drawn from the friendship that existed between Jonathan and David. Indeed such asseverations are frequent, that someone swears by his soul and life — which is not such an oath as makes oneself equal to God, but asserts that the matter is as certain as it is certain that he is alive. Nevertheless, the utmost sobriety must be employed in such oaths; and accordingly it is safest not to go beyond the limits which God's word has prescribed. For whoever swears by creatures is an idolater. So the papists, who are manifestly idolaters in everything, swearing by St. Peter, Paul, holy Barbara, and other such, set up just so many idols in God's place — which the sacred Scripture everywhere very severely condemns. What then must be done here? Namely, those who swear should call God alone as witness and judge. For if the name of creatures is mixed in, an associate is given to God, and just so much is detracted from his authority. The best remedy therefore is to remain within the fixed limits set in the gospel.

Now then, etc.

22. Saul himself also went to Ramah. He came as far as the great cistern at Sechu and asked, 'Where are Samuel and David?' He was told, 'They are in Naioth in Ramah.' 23. He went to Naioth in Ramah, and the Spirit of God came upon him also. He walked along prophesying until he reached Naioth in Ramah. 24. He stripped off his garments and prophesied before Samuel with the others. He lay down naked all that day and all night. This gave rise to the saying: Is Saul also among the prophets? Chapter 20.

1. David fled from Naioth in Ramah, came to Jonathan, and said, 'What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin against your father, that he seeks my life?' 2. Jonathan said to him, 'Far from it — you shall not die. My father does nothing great or small without first telling me. Why would my father hide this from me? It cannot be.' 3. But David swore again and said, 'Your father knows very well that I have found favor in your eyes, and he says to himself, Let Jonathan not know this, or he will be grieved. But truly, as the Lord lives and as you live, there is but one step between me and death.'

We have heard how God checked Saul's fury and cruelty — though not so completely that Saul stopped seeking to harm David, but enough that, held back by God's hand, he could not rage freely. As we heard in the previous sermon, the soldiers Saul sent to capture David prophesied by divine impulse, and their mission came to nothing. The same thing has now happened to Saul himself. When he came to Naioth, before he even reached the place, he also began to prophesy. Yet God did not therefore give him the understanding to acknowledge his sin, or any genuine comprehension of the prophecy so that it might benefit him. As we explained yesterday, he felt the impulse of the Holy Spirit, but without understanding — just as God once made Balaam's donkey speak, He now caused Saul to prophesy. The apostle Paul teaches that it often happens in the church that people excel in many gifts, have the faculty of teaching, and are regarded almost like angels — and yet they are despisers of God, driven by ambition, hunger for honor, greed, and similar vices. They are not governed by the Spirit of God, do not exercise their calling under His guidance, do not persevere in it with sincere devotion, and do not burn with zeal for God's glory. There is therefore no reason to be surprised that Saul prophesied and yet felt no sense of God's glory or honor — acting like a man without his senses — even though he had previously been adorned with the gift of true prophecy by the Holy Spirit. This warns us that special gifts, through which we gain standing and authority among people, profit us nothing, unless above all we are new creatures in Christ, as Paul says elsewhere. Paul urges the faithful to flee from the outward appearance in which many vainly take pride, content with a little human recognition and popularity. Paul shows that all such things are shallow and empty. Therefore, whoever wishes to be counted a member of Jesus Christ must become a new creature.

So much for Saul prophesying. There is a difficulty worth addressing: after God's decree removing the kingdom from Saul was announced, we read that Samuel never saw Saul again — but how is that consistent with the present account, where Saul prophesies in Samuel's presence? Various interpretations have been offered. Some say Samuel never saw Saul again in royal pomp and splendor; others say that though Samuel saw him, Saul appeared as a different man because the Spirit of God had so transformed him that it was not really Saul at all. But these are inventive explanations without any solid foundation. The simpler reading is this: when we earlier heard that Samuel saw Saul no more, the statement follows common usage — just as we say of someone rarely seen, 'You are never seen.' This refers not only to physical sight but to conversation and close relationship. So those earlier words can be understood to mean that Samuel no longer sought Saul out, no longer treated him with the familiarity he once had, no longer honored him as king, or upheld his authority — even if he might occasionally see him, but without conversation or any sign of friendship. Therefore, although Saul now prophesied before Samuel, this did not mean they were reconciled or that Samuel spoke with him. Samuel treated him as a stranger — someone from whom God had taken away his senses because of his ingratitude. From this we see that God wished to mark Saul with shame and disgrace. Saul, driven by a kind of furious madness in pursuing David, was compelled against his own intention and will to leave David untouched and return home.

Saul was therefore among the prophets — but only for a time, as if seized by a kind of whirlwind. God drove him around like a man without his senses. The Spirit of God at work in him was not for his honor but for his disgrace and shame. Saul appeared stripped of all sense and judgment. Though he was among the prophets, he recognized neither Samuel nor anyone else in that assembly — he was held up before everyone as a spectacle of divine judgment. He left that assembly having made himself a laughingstock to all. This seems to be the most straightforward reading of the passage. As for the statement that Saul stripped off his garments and lay naked all that day and night — the question naturally arises whether it was the custom of the prophets to remove their garments, since this does not seem to make sense. Some suggest that Saul removed his royal robes and put on the ordinary garments worn by prophets, since we know prophets had distinctive clothing. But the text specifically says he was naked — not completely unclothed, but stripped of his robes. God wanted to lay him low and expose his shame to everyone. The prophets did have distinctive clothing — nothing like the elaborate vestments of today's clergy, but garments that distinguished them from ordinary people. This can be seen in Zechariah, where it is said that when God purges His church of all corruption, idolatry, and superstition, the false prophets who had served in the Lord's vineyard and had been held in honor and authority will cast off their prophetic mantles and return to private life. If anyone asks them what happened to their dignity, they will say they were never prophets, never sons of prophets, and they have renounced all of it. It would be as if today, monks enlightened by God were to acknowledge that they had been false prophets, despisers of God and men, who had deceived the poor people with various superstitions and idol-worship — and then cast away their cowls, cords, and other such trappings, openly declaring that they renounced those superstitions and would no longer mock God and men, since they recognized those things were diabolical illusions. That is how the false prophets in Zechariah are described — they will cast off their prophetic mantles. But what happened to Saul is unique. God punished him by causing him to lie stripped of his garments on the ground for an entire night and day. He was not merely stripped as prophets sometimes were. God marked him with a distinct sign of divine judgment — so that he would not be held in honor or respect, and so that his prophesying would not appear to restore him to his former dignity. God branded him with disgrace and shame. Shaken as by a whirlwind, he was thrown down in an instant. Stripped of his garments, he was publicly displayed as a sign of his own humiliation. This passage therefore in no way proves that prophets regularly stripped off their garments. We noted before that prophets would visit various places and sing songs in praise of God. But what happened to Saul was entirely different — God Himself threw him down and humbled him, not to lead him to true repentance in his heart — for he always persisted in his wickedness — but to punish him with great shame, make him contemptible in the eyes of all the people, and expose his fury and wickedness. For though he was driven by furious impulse and thirsted most eagerly for David's blood, he dared nothing — he was held back by the divine hand like a wild beast behind bars. So God exposed Saul to ridicule and marked him with shame. Stripped of his garments and naked before God and men, he lay on the ground — not completely unclothed, but enough stripped of his clothing to be wrapped in disgrace. God made clear that Saul was unworthy of human company. From this let us learn what kind of clothing it is fitting to wear before God. As long as we appear before Him clothed in ourselves — in our own nature, thoughts, and desires — things go far worse for us than if we were completely naked. This is why the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ everywhere commands us to put off our filth and all fleshly desires, because they are nothing but foul corruption by which we are rejected by God as profane and detestable. They must be stripped from us. And we should know that whatever appearance of virtue shines before people amounts to nothing but imperfection and vice before God — so much so that we cannot appear before God or before His angels until we have stripped off what is naturally ours. But if we are left simply naked, great poverty and distress follow, along with the kind of terrible confusion that invaded Saul. Therefore we must be stripped of all vice and corruption and clothed with the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us therefore learn to be stripped of our filth in order to put on Christ — to be conformed to the Son of God and draw near to Him to be clothed in His righteousness. He alone can reconcile us to God the Father and make us acceptable. We are indeed stripped of something shameful in ourselves — but not like Saul. For God Himself will clothe us with the righteousness, holiness, and perfection of His only Son.

Next comes the proverb that arose from this incident: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' These words may seem to create some difficulty. When Saul was first anointed by Samuel's command, it is recorded that he received the gift of prophecy. When he fell in with a company of prophets traveling from one place to another, he prophesied among them. From that incident the proverb first arose — because it was remarkable that a rough, rural man had been given such an outstanding gift, and in an instant. So when people described someone who had gone from dull and ignorant to learned and sharp, they would say, 'Saul is also among the prophets' — pointing to the remarkable change, just as Saul before his rise to royal dignity had been seen as a rough and unrefined man who ended up among the prophets. But because Saul later became fanatical — nearly crazed and out of his mind, unable to associate normally with people — he gave the proverb a new application. When someone who had previously led a corrupt and shameful life had turned to a better mind and better fruit, people would say, 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' As if to say: This wicked man, this corrupt one, this man whose salvation seemed hopeless — he has turned around and is bearing fruit. He is wise, and numbered among God's children? Saul first gave rise to the proverb because a rough, rural man from an undistinguished place had been inspired by the divine Spirit among the prophets at the moment he was designated king of Israel. Then again, when he was cast into a reprobate mind — though afflicted by an evil spirit from the Lord — he prophesied among the prophets for a moment, by God's will, not without something miraculous, since he entirely lacked sense and understanding. Finally the proverb came to be used among the people to magnify and celebrate God's grace — especially when it was conspicuously shown in someone from whom no one had any hope of anything useful, or when someone formerly living a corrupt and ruined life returned to the right way. God's power is genuinely remarkable in two ways. First, when He uses for some function a person who previously seemed entirely unsuitable and unfit. This often happens — many who seem slow and incapable, when called to public responsibilities, carry them out far better than anyone expected. This should cause us to take careful notice of God's grace and proclaim it all the more. And it should persuade us that, since we depend on Him, we will receive the gifts we need as He sees fit — even though by nature we are unfit and unprepared. Second, when He calls back into His flock those who have led wicked lives — people cast off and excluded from God's church — and brings them back to the way of salvation. In this, both God's goodness and His power are to be acknowledged and proclaimed together. Let us therefore learn to receive God's works as remarkable — not to mock them, but to celebrate them with honor. Many people, because they cannot grasp divine works through their own senses since those works surpass their understanding, simply reject them and stop their ears so as not to understand. We see this in those from whom the proverb arose: 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' when he first began to prophesy — for that saying was clearly spoken with some contempt. Led by their own reason and senses alone, they judged that it was impossible for Saul to prophesy. Instead, they should have looked to God's power and acknowledged His right to bestow His gifts on whomever He sees fit. This shows that the manner of God's gifts strikes some people as so extraordinary that, because it surpasses their grasp, they reject and despise it. Let us on the contrary learn to receive God's works with wonder, turn them to our benefit, and adore His goodness — which far surpasses our understanding. That is the significance of the proverb 'Saul among the prophets.' So if today we see in the church people who have been given the ability to speak and teach — people who had seemed unfit for any public role — and God has made them capable, that great and unexpected change will indeed seem remarkable. Our senses cannot fully grasp it. But such an admirable change ought to move us to wonder at God's mercy and goodness, which holds all created things in His power and rules and directs them according to His will. And if corrupt men who have lived shameful lives — who had previously given themselves over freely to every kind of wickedness — are recalled to better fruit and the fear of God: if someone formerly an adulterer or a drunkard is changed by the inward working power of God's Word, and from a fornicator or adulterer becomes chaste, from a drunkard becomes sober; if someone who was insulting and harmful to others stops all of it; if a blasphemer comes to detest the filth of his former life; if people who previously despised God's name now revere it and seek to honor it with all their strength — shall we not then rightly say, 'Is Saul also among the prophets?' — not only marveling at what God has done, but also proclaiming His goodness in recalling to fruitfulness those who had been most alienated from Him, and praising Him as He deserves?

Let us move to chapter 20, where David fled from Naioth and came to Jonathan to complain about his father's murderous pursuit. This shows that God had indeed broken that wave of Saul's attack and turned his fury away from David — but did not yet intend to give David rest. He rescued him from immediate danger and death, but reserved him for a longer exercise in various trials. These were trials under which David could easily have collapsed into despair, had he not been sustained by more than human strength. By human judgment, David would seem to have gained little by escaping that particular danger. How can a person rejoice when, escaping one threat, he falls into many others — out of the frying pan and into the fire, as the saying goes? Saul was raging against David with greater fury than ever, and he had no shortage of weapons or means to satisfy his bloodthirsty ambition. David had to stay far enough away that Saul could not guess his whereabouts — since a man the king pursues with hatred will naturally find all other men his enemies as well. The benefit David received from God at that moment would not have seemed greatly desirable by human reckoning. It might have seemed better to die bravely once than to face the danger of death again and again. But in all of this we should see God's providence at work in His people. God shows that He protects their lives, but He does so by leading them through a thousand mortal dangers, stirring up occasions of fear on every side — so that they will call on Him with greater intensity, so that their eagerness to flee to Him will grow, and so that they will not grow weary bearing one new trial after another. By these means God tests their patience and obedience and teaches them to be pilgrims in this world — to see that their life depends on Him alone, and that the bondage they endure in this body is temporary — so they may learn to seek true freedom and spiritual rest in Him alone, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our nature and human senses find this a hard condition — to be pressed by constant difficulties and distresses. But we must willingly submit to it, waiting in the end for the reward of the struggle. All of this is set before us in David for our contemplation and meditation — so that in him as in a mirror we may see that we should not pamper ourselves even in times of prosperity, nor place our trust in such things. This is our condition: the highest joy can turn into the deepest sorrow, and what looks pleasant can suddenly take on the face of death. We are also taught to flee to God in all distresses and difficulties, following David's example — his patience and prayers to God we will see more of as we continue. I grant that David was adorned with gifts and graces from God, and had reached the level of spiritual maturity that a mortal can reach — so much so that he could rightly be said to have excelled in the virtues of an angel. And yet it was necessary and beneficial for him to be tested in this way — exercised by various calamities, enjoying neither rest nor tranquility, but surrounded by a thousand mortal dangers. This is just as he himself confesses in Psalm 30: in his time of ease he had said he would never be shaken. Intoxicated by the success of his affairs and excessive confidence, he had exceeded the bounds of moderation, telling himself he would never be moved — as if he had built himself a home above the clouds, no longer subject to the human condition, exempt from the many sufferings with which human weakness wrestles. Yet even after being exercised by so many trials and tested in so many ways, he confesses that he would have remained forgetful of himself unless God had purged him — refining in the furnace of affliction the arrogance that men so easily fall into in times of prosperity. Since these things are so, we should think seriously about ourselves — for they are written for our instruction. When David acknowledges his own weakness, each of us is warned to pay attention to ourselves. When God grants us ease and success in our affairs, we should expect whatever trials He sees fit to send. And further, we are taught not to lose heart when heavy afflictions press in on every side, but to hope in His goodness — which will never fail those who call on Him without pretense, who detest their sins and acknowledge and confess them sincerely. We see this in David in Psalm 30: he candidly admits his ingratitude during his time of prosperity. When God had raised David to royal dignity and placed him on Mount Zion as in a strong fortress to reign in peace, David had not properly acknowledged that his success flowed from God's goodness — even though he should have remembered that he was the very David God had miraculously delivered, snatched from the jaws of the grave. He should have kept that great benefit of God in mind — remembering that it was God's hand that had lifted him up so that he did not perish. Therefore, when we see David miraculously delivered by God's hand from immediate danger — yet not freed from Saul's persecution, but reserved for various afflictions so that his patience could be tested — let us recognize that when God delivers us from some danger, He is not promising us permanent ease and tranquility. If we have moved one step back from the grave, the pit is still in sight. If we have been completely delivered from one danger, another arises unexpectedly. This should not seem strange or unusual to us, since we see that David — a great example of patience and constancy — was tested so sharply by various trials. From him we may learn with what care God cherishes His own and protects them against every assault of the enemy.

How intense Saul's fury was in pursuing David is obvious from the fact that he was not ashamed to resist God Himself. He was not acting out of ignorance. Even in his madness, when he felt God's hand come upon him and was stripped of his garments, he was forced to acknowledge his guilt — though only because God compelled it. While prophesying in the company of the prophets, he did not recognize David, being like a man beside himself, not knowing what he was doing. Should he not have recognized God's judgment at work on himself — a warning to acknowledge his fault, ask for forgiveness, and without delay be reconciled to the innocent man he was unjustly hating? But he was completely closed to such a thought, and returned to his deep-seated hatred and his original plans. Does this not show plainly that he was insane and driven by fury — that he could not perceive with what singular favor God embraced His servant David? And struck by God in such a way that God was making Himself plainly Saul's adversary — is it not monstrous that he still persisted in hunting the wretched David and seeking his death, even willing to declare war on God Himself and fight against Him? This makes plain that when the devil has once invaded a person, he drives him to such extremes that he dares willingly to rise up against God and fight Him. For even when we do not consciously wage war against God, our malice and ingratitude can carry us against Him without our realizing it — driven by a kind of fury, we rise up against Him. Just as a raging person will try to strangle or tear apart whoever is in his way — not from deliberate planning but from fury and madness — so all those given over to the devil do not fear to rise up against God Himself.

When we see Saul — previously raised to royal dignity by the Lord — now reduced to such a wretched and pitiable state, tormented in this world and made like the devils who fell from their original glory as God's good angels — we ought to take Paul's warning to heart: 'Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.' We cannot sustain ourselves. But we can find a remedy against our weakness if we pray to God with fervent prayer and complete humility, asking Him to continue His gifts in us. Let us know that we depend on Him — so that we are not like unbridled horses, carried away by vain pride and arrogance because we have been adorned with God's grace and excellent gifts. Let us remember that the One who gave those gifts can take them away in an instant. Therefore let us give Him the glory He deserves and attribute whatever we have received entirely to Him. Let us not think proudly about our own wisdom or carry out our duty carelessly. Instead, let us always work out our salvation in fear and watchfulness, and never stop calling on God. These things must be fixed in our minds, and we must fear that terrible divine vengeance — lest God, having stripped us of His gifts, hand us over to Satan to be dragged like slaves in shame and disgrace wherever it pleases him. Christ warns us about this very thing, threatening that if the devil leaves a place, he will return to the same — not alone but with many other spirits — to retake what he considers his domain and hold it with greater force. This is the outcome that awaits all those who, having received excellent gifts from God, grow lazy in calling on Him to sustain those gifts — and so fall into the power of Satan. We know that Satan is the prince of this world. When we are moved by God's Holy Spirit, we are freed from that pit of wickedness and the devil's tyranny under which we were oppressed. But if we reject God's Spirit through our own malice, we will inevitably come under the devil's power and be tormented by him in ways so horrible that we become an object of revulsion to all. This terrible judgment is therefore to be feared. Saul stands before us as a vivid example of it: those who turn away from God and despise His gifts will undergo a horrifying transformation — unable to bear God's rule, they are compelled instead to bear the tyranny of the devil.

Next come David's words to Jonathan — his complaint about Saul: 'What have I done? What is my iniquity, and what is my sin against your father, that he seeks my life?' These words deserve careful attention. They show how David appealed to Jonathan for help — not by seeking to be excused regardless of guilt, but by asking that his innocence be brought out into the open. This is the right approach in uncertain situations: to wait for help on that basis, and to take care never to make our situation worse through stubbornness and arrogance. Most people reach such a level of audacity that, even after having sinned a hundred times, they still expect to be pardoned immediately — and they generally cultivate friendships for exactly this purpose. If someone is caught in a shameful act, he puts on an innocent face outwardly, but inwardly he is working to escape justice and avoid punishment for his crime. He will say the matter should not be investigated so strictly. And to keep from admitting any sin at all, he may concede something small — but nothing that deserves real punishment. This is how people generally act who sit on the fence — driven by no zeal for God's glory, with no honesty or integrity in them. As I said before, many cultivate friendships more eagerly for the protection of wicked and corrupt men than for the glory of God and the innocence of their neighbors. And they think they have done their duty well enough if they have covered up their friends' disgrace. But David here teaches us something entirely different. He asks no help from Jonathan except on one condition: that his innocence and integrity be established openly. He defends his own cause before Jonathan as if before a judge, saying: 'What is my sin, and what is my iniquity?' He was prepared to give a full account of his words and actions. I admit that the most wicked people also claim their innocence loudly and boldly assert they are in the right. But David's approach is entirely different. He acts with complete openness and sincerity. He neither boldly justifies himself with empty assertions nor defends himself with deceptive words, as most people do — some even swearing false oaths to deny their guilt. Not David. He placed himself before Jonathan, ready to give account for everything he had done. He asked that any sin against Saul be named — willing to bear the consequences if he had indeed done anything wrong. We should imitate this example, keeping a clear conscience before God and men — so that whatever afflictions and hardships God sends, we can bear them with a calm and patient spirit. The apostle Peter teaches the same thing, urging the faithful not to allow themselves to be afflicted as thieves, robbers, or criminals. But if by God's will they suffer persecution, they should be able to bear witness to their good conscience before God and men — so that it will be plainly evident they are being treated unjustly, with their whole life testifying to their integrity and honesty.

Jonathan's response makes plain that Saul had begun to distrust him and was no longer sharing his plans. Saul wanted to crush David more easily and did not want to reveal what was in his mind — since in the past, when he had disclosed his intentions to Jonathan, nothing had come of them. So Saul was working to bring about David's death without Jonathan's knowledge. David, meanwhile, had likely detected Saul's deception — Saul had sworn by oath to Jonathan that he would no longer seek David's death, yet was pursuing it more aggressively than ever, without Jonathan's awareness. There is no doubt that David had uncovered Saul's malice, even though Saul had promised by oath to stop. But Jonathan could not see this, as his reply makes clear: 'My father does nothing great or small without first telling me. Would he then have hidden this from me? It cannot be.' So Jonathan was so blinded that he could not grasp his father's wickedness until David himself revealed it. This shows how completely demented Saul had become — stubbornly pursuing David to death, and hiding his plans even from Jonathan, the very son for whom he was supposedly securing the crown's succession. He did not want Jonathan interfering. He wanted to remove David from the living once and for all — so that through David's shameful death, his entire family would be permanently disgraced. This is why David cleared himself before Jonathan with an oath, swearing he had committed no sin against Saul. The oath was not a trivial thing. David's own life was at stake, and so was the kingdom that had been promised to him — things Jonathan needed to understand, since David was looking to him for help and support. This oath should not be treated as casual or reckless, as people generally are when they swear carelessly. David swore because necessity compelled him. First, his life was at stake — a life he had a duty to preserve, since he was a figure of our Lord Jesus Christ. Second, Jonathan's blindness made it necessary. Deceived by a false impression, Jonathan could not see his father's wickedness and was in fact convinced that Saul had set aside his hostility toward David. Without realizing it, Jonathan was contributing to David's destruction. David therefore had to confirm his complaint by oath to shake Jonathan out of his complacency. That said, one expression in the form of this oath cannot simply be accepted for general use. Scripture teaches us to use only God's name in oaths. God tolerated David's weakness here when David said, 'The Lord lives, and your soul lives.' Only God's name should be used in oaths. If anyone introduces the name of a creature alongside God's name, he gives God a companion — and to say that is already too much. We see that God specifically commanded in the law that oaths be sworn by His name alone, as the prophet Isaiah teaches: 'He who swears in the land shall swear by the God of truth.' This is the rule for oaths: God's name is to be invoked with honor and reverence, since He alone searches the hearts and minds of men, and He alone can defend the truth. This is why, when people wish to settle their disputes by oath, they swear by one greater than themselves — by the very name of God — so that He is acknowledged as judge and avenger of all. David therefore might seem to have departed from this rule that Scripture prescribes. We must acknowledge there is some fault in this oath — but we should not think David wished to take anything away from God's authority. He was not swearing by the living God and by Jonathan's soul in order to make Jonathan equal to God. Rather, he was expressing the deep friendship he had for Jonathan — as if to say: 'The Lord lives, and your life is so precious to me, and I embrace you with such love, that I would sooner die a thousand deaths than violate our friendship in any way. Therefore by this oath I confirm that what I have said is true.' The oath is therefore mixed with a declaration drawn from the friendship between Jonathan and David. Such expressions are common — swearing by one's own soul and life — which is not the same as making oneself equal to God, but simply asserting that the matter is as certain as one's own existence. Nevertheless, the greatest care must be exercised in such oaths. It is therefore safest not to go beyond the limits that God's Word has set. For whoever swears by created things is committing idolatry. The papists, who are clearly idolaters in everything, swear by Saint Peter, Paul, holy Barbara, and similar figures — setting up just so many idols in place of God, which Scripture everywhere condemns in the strongest terms. What should we do then? Those who swear should call on God alone as witness and judge. If the names of created things are introduced, God is given a companion and His authority is diminished accordingly. The best course therefore is to remain within the fixed boundaries that the gospel has established.

Now then, etc.