Sermon 88: 1 Samuel 24:21-25:1

21. And now, because I know that you will most certainly reign, and will have the kingdom of Israel in your hand, 22. swear to me in the Lord that you will not destroy my seed after me, nor take away my name from the house of my father. 23. And David swore to Saul. Saul therefore went away to his house, and David and his men went up to safer places.

1. Now Samuel died, and all Israel was gathered together, and they mourned him, and buried him in his house at Ramah.

Above we taught by what reasoning we may carry off victory over enemies — namely, by repaying evil with good. For the Lord praises this victory, and pronounces it pleasing to him, and accordingly threatens that those who seek a different victory will at last be overwhelmed in confusion. Furthermore, we taught that we must flee to God, and patiently await his counsel, and the time and opportunity in which he may show himself the supreme God and judge of all things, and on the contrary that we must beware lest we ourselves shut the door by our rashness and excessive haste. For although the malice of our enemies may be obstinate, nevertheless the outcome of our afflictions will always be good, since the Lord has a thousand reasons by which to defend his own against any enemies whatever. And the example of Saul in this passage is striking, from whom God extorted this confession, that David was more just than he. For which reason we see that God can bring those who persecute us to such a point that, even unwilling, they must to their utter shame confess their iniquity, and our innocence, though for a time as it were buried, becomes openly known.

We must now pass on to those words of Saul by which he binds David by an oath, that when he had attained royal dignity, he would not destroy his seed nor take away his name from his father's house, but allow them to live their life peacefully like the rest of the subjects. Truly remarkable and astonishing it is that Saul bound David by this oath — the very man whom he could not bear to live, even leading his life in the deserts, an exile from his country, a fugitive, a wanderer, suffering from hunger and thirst, heat and cold, and hated by all men. For how do these two things agree with each other — that Saul persecutes David, and yet extorts this oath from him? From this example it appears by what waves wicked men and unbelievers are tossed, so that they can nowhere rest, and never have anything firm. And this is the reward God promised in his law to the despisers of his divine majesty: namely, that they would tremble at their own shadow, and nowhere be secure, and lead a life as if hanging by a slender thread, and seethe as in waves and storms; an example of which is here set before us in Saul.

[Column 2] In the first place he says he knows well that David will reign; why therefore do you resist him? For that knowledge of which he speaks does not proceed from men in any way. Not that David had grasped after popular favor or ambitiously sought the kingdom. He is not driven to this for that reason, nor did he in any way deal with the people about his own election; nor did the illustrious family of his ancestors solicit him to it, but only because he had been anointed by God, as God testifies through his prophet in plain words, when he says that he had chosen David as king. From no other source therefore was Saul taught that David would reign except from the decree of God Most High. But if he held it as a certainty that David had been chosen king by God, why does he resist? What will come of it? Could his obstinacy overcome that invincible power of God Most High? It is most certain that Saul, agitated by furies and rage, disturbed by the devil, nevertheless shrank from such blasphemies as that he could carry off the victory over God, that he could revoke that immutable decree concerning the kingdom of David -- a thing horrible to utter. Even though he had confessed it a thousand times, that God had established this as ratified and fixed, that God's counsel can in no way be changed, nevertheless he was striving to bring it about, and was as it were trying of his own accord to butt against God with his horns. By this example we are taught how great is the rage of those men whom the devil possesses, whom he drives to rise up against God, and to fight against him to their own ruin and destruction. For what other outcome can be hoped for than ultimate destruction for those who rise up against God and against his elect? We are therefore taught to walk in trembling before God, to such a degree indeed that when his will becomes known to us we should strive utterly to obey him, and whatever has come forth from him should be to us not only more precious than gold and silver, but also sweeter than honey, as the prophet beautifully teaches us in Psalm 19. But to perceive this teaching better, and to bring it into use, we must observe that there are various degrees both of wicked men and of the faithful. For unbelievers grasp nothing of those things that are said in general. For if we call them wretched blind men, if rash men who cannot discern good from evil, who are guided neither by reason nor by judgment, because they are destitute of the holy Spirit of God, the author of all understanding and light, so that unbelief is mere blindness and brings nothing with it but confusion -- nevertheless God sometimes compels unbelievers to acknowledge themselves, and to apprehend God and the truth and his power, and to be astonished at the knowledge of him, so that with full mouth they must confess that God is faithful and that whatever he has uttered with his mouth is irrevocable. But this apprehension of divine power is nevertheless not the true knowledge to which they spontaneously come and submit themselves. For if it could be done they would suffocate this knowledge, and suppress God's power which they can in no way overcome by the sword, but they gnash and as it were grind their teeth against the truth of God. Just as those whose eyes are weak cannot bear the splendor of the sun, by whose rays they are pricked and stung as if by needles. The same is the case with all unbelievers, whose conscience is suffocated by corruption and rottenness, with the devil also blinding them within, so that if at any time they are rebuked, and as it were stung to the quick by a little flame thrown in, nevertheless they are not affected. For this reason all wicked men and despisers of the divine majesty flee the knowledge of the truth -- which nevertheless even unwilling they must know and recognize. But I ask, what kind of knowledge is this? Truly, such as the prophet Isaiah describes, that knowing they do not know, and seeing they see nothing.

Such was that knowledge of Saul and that science of which he speaks, who, after he had tried by all means to weaken and extinguish the divine promise made to David through Samuel, is nevertheless pressed and convinced by the judgment of God, so that even unwilling he must attribute truth to God and the power of fulfilling his promises, when he says that he knows that David will most certainly reign. Indeed God's will constrained him, and his pride and venom were overcome by the goads of his conscience, so that he gave testimony of the truth to God. From which it appears that the profane and unbelievers, after they have known the truth of the divine will, are urged by certain goads, and afflicted with a certain sadness; but they do not rest in it, but on the contrary try with all their strength to flee it and suffocate it. And accordingly, although they may for a time be moved by the meditation of divine truth and power, nevertheless they do not persevere in it, but uncertain are always borne here and there, and are tossed by every wind, for they have not laid sufficiently firm foundations, nor sent down living roots.

But as concerns the faithful, they do not know with that perfection those things which are necessary to their salvation but that they are always agitated by many doubts and scruples; yet so, that in the midst of those waves God shows them the right path to the harbor of salvation. And accordingly, although they may be tossed by many difficulties and doubts, nevertheless they have as much knowledge of divine truth as is needful for them to obtain salvation, in which therefore they rest, and to which they are more and more conformed, whatever temptations may finally assail them, so that step by step they approach to God, and daily make progress in the knowledge of his will, and willingly subject themselves to the recognized truth of God, and confess the equity and truth of the divine promises. To all the above is added invincible constancy, which breaks any insults and tortures of enemies, so that, armed with the holy Spirit of God, they remain unconquered against any temptations whatever, even though many occasions of despair offer themselves. For although insults of this kind are most grievous and almost intolerable, nevertheless they are persuaded that God's decree is not illusory but irrevocable, since he says that he will be faithful to those who hope in him; and accordingly if through human weakness they have sinned in such struggles, they are the first to pass sentence against themselves, and acknowledging the weakness of human nature, they persevere in the certainty of the divine word, and never allow that certainty about God's will to be torn from them.

[Column 2] We have this confirmed today by experience itself in those various altercations and disputes with the adversaries of the gospel, who try to attack the purity which we profess, who see that our cause is just, and that we do not introduce any doctrine recently devised by men, but drawn from the sacred writings, and borne witness to by their own conscience. But not for that reason do they recognize and understand the truth of the doctrine, who are blinded by great darkness, and so bewitched by the devil, that they plead their cause without reason and judgment. Just as we often see fanatic men sometimes use some reason and have a well-composed mind, but only for a moment, because their understanding being disturbed, their fury and madness are immediately uncovered, and so they return to their former state, who for a time seemed to conduct everything with reason and wisdom. So, I say, the despisers of God will seem to have some knowledge of God's truth, but without foundation, because they do not rest in it, but always uncertain fluctuate, and now to this side, now to that, are carried. Yet, that they may be rendered inexcusable before God's judgment, God brings it about that even unwilling they recognize that the doctrine which we follow is the pure truth of God, although they are unwilling to adhere to that recognized truth, but on the contrary, driven by fury, are carried against it. Nevertheless they must, even unwilling, confess the goodness of our cause, although they rage against the same and willingly resist it. Meanwhile, however, so far are they from being brought to revere it, that on the contrary they are carried away by every wind, so that at intervals they incline now to this side, now to that, and now praise the truth, now return to unbelief; the devil especially so bewitching them, that at his slightest signal they celebrate triumphs before victory, and think that by their own power and arrogance they will most easily oppress sacred Scripture and pure religion -- all of which daily experience too much confirms. But let us on the contrary learn day by day to make progress in true knowledge, that we may strike down such deep roots in God's will that we may never be torn up by any storms. Nor indeed (I confess) can our faith be such that it attains angelic perfection, and strikes down such roots that it no longer needs divine help to strengthen it. For on the contrary it must be confessed that our weakness is so great that unless we are sustained by his power we constantly stumble, and waver as if at the point of death. But nevertheless we must come to that knowledge of the divine will by which we may be strengthened and persevere to the end of life. To this knowledge is added trust in God, whom we know will be our defender and protector in adversities, and in whom we rest and willingly subject ourselves and embrace his will revealed to us. And so much for that knowledge.

Let us now further weigh Saul's speech, in which, although he professes to have knowledge of the divine promises that God will make through Saul's ministry to David, he nevertheless lays bare his unbelief, or rather his arrogance, in that he wishes to bargain with God as it were in David's person. For he says: I know that you will reign. Therefore he is not indignant nor, as is his custom, does he flare up into anger, but shows that he wishes to make a deal with David, that he may henceforth be persuaded that David, after his death, will spare his seed. From which it appears in what opinion he held David -- namely, that he would undertake nothing against him nor stir up new plans. A truly marvelous change, that he who before with such fury was pursuing David to death, and afflicting him with whatever injuries he could, now shows himself so easy and kind. But since he knew David would reign, why did he not voluntarily abdicate the royal dignity and hand it over to David? Why, when he was certain of God's will, does he not voluntarily yield? For who extorted this confession from him, except his own conscience, by which he was inwardly pressed and burned, and tortured as it were by a perpetual executioner, with God also as supreme judge stirring him up?

Therefore let us learn to subject ourselves voluntarily to the recognized will of God, and to undertake nothing against it, but voluntarily to subject all our thoughts and actions to him, and to be intent upon it with feet, hands, eyes -- in short, with all our senses. For faith in God and in his truth, and true obedience in all things in which God has been pleased to exercise us, are joined together with an indivisible bond. Furthermore, it must be observed that the wicked indeed wish to bargain with God, but cannot however obtain peace. For the peace which the faithful ought to desire is this: that we approach to him, and strive to be joined and united to him, and willingly desire to be joined to him who is alone perfection and the supreme good of all. For this reason the divine Paul expressly teaches that we obtain peace through faith. And accordingly the unbelievers imagine some peace for themselves -- but in such a way that they turn their back on God, and become more and more hardened and stupefied so that there is no longer any room for remedy, just as Paul teaches that there no longer remains in them any sense of the evils by which they are pressed. Therefore to obtain true peace from God, God must not be sought by long roundabout ways, nor must it ever be put off, but the calling God must be obeyed and his will heeded, that we may attain true and permanent peace.

[Column 2] What therefore did Saul accomplish by wishing to bargain with David? He seems indeed to have looked out for his leisure and tranquility, and as it were having made a truce, to have been waiting for an opportune time to fulfill the malice he was hiding within. And in his breast he nursed sadness, or rather the fury with which he was burning against David. In short, he was willing to relax nothing of his obstinacy. But let us, on the contrary, by his example, learn to put off all affections and disturbances of mind, lest anything hinder us from approaching God and persevering in the knowledge of his truth and fatherly goodness, that we may attain spiritual tranquility, which alone is the supreme good, and may experience in fact that God is our defender and protector, and the sole goal at which we ought to aim. Meanwhile when we hear that Saul wished to bargain with David and look out for his own affairs, let us contemplate in him as in a mirror the counsels and reasonings of unbelievers. For we will find them, struck with fear and dread, seeking reasons by which to look out for themselves and their security, who tremble with no one pursuing them, and demand that some truces be granted them. But since they are adversaries and sworn enemies of God, who is the God of peace, how will they seek peace? Let us therefore by their example on the contrary learn that it is an inestimable good to have peace with God and to rest in him, and let us from the heart detest and abhor the iniquity of unbelievers which separates them from God, and most diligently beware of becoming like them. And indeed we see many who dare nothing openly against God and are restrained by his fear in some private deeds, but not for that reason do they rest on the foundation of his word, nor have true roots in the fear of God under whose guidance they may order their life to his obedience. But there is only some movement and empty impulse which immediately vanishes. Since this is so, it behooves us so much the more to be incited to seek God in truth and purity, lest we fluctuate now to this side, now to that, but persevere constantly in our purpose, and be moved by no temptations from our duty.

Now let us consider on the other hand the humanity of David, who by an oath binds himself to Saul at his request. For he indeed could have bound Saul by many conditions, nor is there any doubt, if such had been God's will, that he would have wished to live a private life in quiet at home, and in the slender food and clothing of a shepherd to await God's will. But whatever it be, God willed him to wander, and to dwell in the mountains, and as before to lie hidden in caves. Nevertheless he binds himself to Saul by an oath. From which we shall learn that he brings into practice what is said in Psalm 34: Peace must be sought, and pursued, even if it seems to flee from us, and although enemies pursue us, nevertheless the opportune time of liberation must be patiently awaited, and as far as possible peace must be made with God our God. Which doctrine David confirmed by his own example, whose modesty we ought so to consider, that we may try to imitate the same, that it may not stand in our way that we should be reconciled with our enemies and that their shamefulness and fury be put to sleep, just as it is certain that our patience is the readiest remedy to extinguish the furies of our most hostile enemies. When therefore we see that our enemies thirst for nothing but our blood, and pursue us with sword and flames with the utmost cruelty, let us not add oil to the furnace, but rather apply the remedy of patience, and extinguish their furies.

An example of this is set before us in the following words, when we hear that Saul returned home with things now pacified, and David with his soldiers returned to his own stronghold. Saul's condition therefore seems to have been by far the better, and more desirable than David's. For the latter with a few needy soldiers scarcely defends himself in a stronghold, while the former, with things pacified, is honored by his soldiers and held in highest honor as king; he enjoys leisure and tranquility, and uses prosperous things. Yet what do we think the condition was of him whom God by his judgment was pursuing and whom, as if with a hook thrust in his nostrils, he was drawing back from his purpose, and reserving for destruction without changing his mind for the better? Thus God is wont to break the attempts of wicked men, and unless he breaks their fury and changes them to a milder mind, with hooks thrust in their nostrils to restrain them and against their will to drag them elsewhere. Thus the Lord's hand was laid upon Saul that he could not rage against David, and he was forced to return home with the greatest confusion. But to David on the contrary, whose condition seemed worse, God made leisure, and granted some breathing space, lest he should be overwhelmed by perpetual temptations and afflictions. For although he placated Saul for a time, nevertheless he was forced to return to his stronghold, which truly was not some fortified castle furnished with necessaries, but as before seems to be a cave in the desert, a refuge of deer and chamois, into which David retreated as if to live with wild beasts in the caverns of the rocks, or rather as if in a tomb.

Which condition of life was certainly most miserable, but in which nevertheless he did not cease to experience God's goodness, because he granted him a truce of some days. Therefore let us, although we do not always enjoy prosperous things, nor have everything happen to us according to the desire of the soul, but in this life wrestle with many difficulties, and are oppressed by many injuries and slanders, and are vexed by hunger, thirst, heat, cold, and suffer ignominy and disgrace from men, and our life is mixed with many other inconveniences of this kind, never let us lose heart, nor afterwards lose the sense and taste of mercy, which in all difficulties and straits can bring present help and raise up the falling.

[Column 2] But if God has made leisure for us, let us attentively consider his benefits, and apply them to ourselves, that we may overcome with spiritual joy all sadness and affliction by which we are pressed, always retaining in our mind that firm foundation, that God who has received us into his protection will never desert us, and his goodness toward us is such that we ought to rest in it, and bravely overcome the world and all temptations.

There follows next that David not only returned to his own stronghold but also went down again to the desert of Paran, which was farther from Judea, and from the sanctuary in which God testified his presence. For it was between Egypt and Arabia, which it is most certain was grievous to David, because in this way he seemed cut off from the Jewish people, and was forced to be exiled from the land which God had given to the descendants of Abraham to possess and inhabit, and had assigned. Moreover, all the promises made by God to the Israelites looked to our Lord Jesus Christ, who is their fulfillment, of whom David was a figure; therefore, since the lowest of the people enjoyed so great a benefit -- that they dwelt in the land which God had given them and which represented the spiritual kingdom -- but David, the head and figure of the promised king, was exiled from the same, and indeed not for some moment of time but for a long span of time, so that all hope of return seemed taken from him, it was truly a horrible temptation, by which it is likely that David was no little disturbed, when he was so grievously exercised by God. But David did not however succumb to this temptation, but overcame it by faith. For which reason in Psalm 11, insulting his very enemies, he says: In the Lord I trust, how do you say to my soul, Flee to the mountain like a sparrow. Indeed God's enemies harass his servants with many cavils and pursue them to death with hostile mind, and seem to wish to mix heaven itself with the earth, and to tear up the earth from its foundations. But our eyes must be cast upon God, who in a moment can scatter the counsels of his enemies and break their attempts; and therefore David consoles and lifts himself up by this meditation. The Lord, he says, is in his holy temple, in heaven is his throne, his eyes look upon the poor, his eyelids question the sons of men. Not without reason therefore did he say that he trusted in the Lord, whom he opposes as a shield to receive all the blows of enemies. And indeed the devil hurls fiery darts at us, as Paul warns, and has a thousand arts of harming us, by which we would be overwhelmed at every moment, unless we were covered and fortified by the power and might of God. But David teaches us the way by which we can be fortified with these arms: namely, that we take up the shield of faith, which rests on God's promises. For if we are protected by this shield, we shall most easily insult our enemy, and overcome all temptations. And although the world itself conspire against us and nowhere safe rest appear, but we be driven now to this side, now to that, nevertheless undismayed we shall retain that confidence, and shall insult all enemies, taking up that voice of David: In the Lord I trust, what can you do against me? Fortified therefore by this shield we shall overcome all troubles, and shall despise all the contumelies and blasphemous voices of wicked men, and shall fearlessly persevere in our simplicity, because, placing our trust in God, no force of men can hurt us. For although many inconveniences and grave temptations will rush upon our eyes and arise, nevertheless by faith all will be overcome, just as we see David complaining that sinners had bent their bow, and prepared their arrows on the string against him, by which however he says he cannot be wounded. Indeed he says that even the very foundations of the world are shaken -- not as if the sun or moon or order of nature were confused, but he speaks with respect to that miserable condition into which he had been cast in men's opinion.

But to this temptation he opposes the shield of his trust in God, and says that God has his throne in the heavens, and that the wicked must stand at his tribunal and pay deserved penalties. Therefore David, although he was lying hidden in that cave as in a tomb, and from it had been forced to flee into another desert, and could find safe refuge nowhere, and seemed already to have one foot in the grave, and not for a moment of time enjoy any leisure, nevertheless lifted his eyes to God and placed his hope in his providence, because he has his throne in heaven and explores the deeds of men. Indeed many say that God is in the heavens, but that he has no care of these weak things below, whereas God from heaven cherishes and preserves his work, and explores each of men's deeds. Moreover, when the Lord is said to have his seat in heaven, this is not to be understood crassly as if God had a throne, as earthly kings and princes are accustomed to have. For God is not corporeal, nor does he need any aids by which to commend his majesty -- to whom his own glory suffices. But when David speaks of God's seat, he wants him to be acknowledged in heaven as the judge and governor of all, by whose providence all things are so ruled and administered on these earths, that nothing is borne rashly or by chance, but all things are administered by his right counsel. Therefore when he afflicts his own for a time and exercises them with various calamities, it turns to their advantage and salvation, and he declares that he is their shield and stronghold. But on the contrary, whenever the wicked and unbelievers grow wanton, and vomit forth (as it is said) whatever comes into their mouth, and are so obstinate that they can in no way be brought to good fruit, it is most certain that God has his seat in the heavens at which they must stand to give an account of all things.

[Column 2] For this cause therefore David adds, that God's eyes are intent upon every kind of men, and that at last he himself will send forth his fire upon sinners, but will preserve the poor and afflicted faithful. And in this his judgments are to be admired. Which must be carefully noted by us when we see that David was afflicted with so many calamities, and although he had a stronghold into which he received himself with his own, and defended himself against enemies, nevertheless was not so safe but that he was forced, although Saul did not for a time pursue him, nevertheless to withdraw farther from Judea. From this therefore let us learn that the mind must in no way be cast down, as often as we fall from affliction and temptation into a graver one, even so that we seem to be held captive in the hands of our enemies. But rather let us set this doctrine before our eyes, of which we greatly stand in need, and lift up our forehead, lest, while God exercises us in various ways, although he does not deal with us in supreme right, we still revolve various things in our mind. Therefore, when various combats press us, and frequent temptations to which we would most easily succumb, unless we were sustained by the memory of God's providence, let us look upon the example of David, who, exercised by many temptations -- although a man subject to the same passions as we are -- nevertheless bravely overcame them, relying on God's help. Let us therefore flee to the spirit of power, and pray him to relieve our weakness, and at an opportune time to bring help.

Let us go on to the rest, in which it is said that Samuel died and all Israel was gathered to mourn him: whom they buried in his house at Ramah. Here in the first place it must be observed that Samuel in extreme old age struggled with the greatest difficulties and horrible temptations. He was a prophet of God, he knew that the salvation of the people depended on David's reign, he had been ordered to give the people Saul as king, sprung from the tribe of Benjamin and not from the tribe of Judah, and he had seen the same dethroned and rejected by the Lord -- by all of which it could seem that he could be vehemently disturbed, when he saw so many changes, and especially when he was ordered by the Lord to anoint David, with Saul rejected, and to designate him king. For in David seemed reposed the hope of the people's salvation, and of royal dignity, indeed of eternal salvation to be confirmed if David enjoyed the kingdom and administered the commonwealth in leisure and tranquility. But when he observed the contrary, and that David had come into Saul's hatred on account of the anointing which Samuel had administered by God's command, and besides that Saul so pursued him that nowhere was a safe place for David, and that not only for some time had David struggled with these difficulties, but he saw no end of these labors, it is likely that he sustained the gravest temptations. For he was not stupid, nor insensible: but besides the prudence which he had received from God, and by long experience, for as long as he had administered the commonwealth, he also had the gift of prophecy; and we know that the prophets were called Seers, and not without reason, since God revealed to them what was hidden from others. Therefore Samuel, observing that with God's revelation the contrary of those things which he had seen was happening, seems to have been cast into great anxieties, and to have been in the greatest cares and distresses; but that he overcame these by faith we are not to doubt. For the faithful must sustain themselves on this foundation against temptations of this kind, when God does not permit us to see the state of the church such as we would wish, but as if trampled under the feet of enemies and reduced as it were to nothing -- patiently to await God's help.

But on the other hand we hear that David, after Samuel's death, fled into the wilderness of Paran, as if Saul were persecuting him more than before. Although indeed David's hope did not depend on a mortal man, nevertheless he had not put off all human affection, and accordingly there is no doubt that he was placed in great sadness at the prophet's death, by whose presence, as long as he lived, he was greatly aided, and his faith was much sustained. Truly our faith ought to rest on God alone, but yet if we have seen any servant of God faithfully discharging his office, and adorned with God's gifts, who has shown us the way of salvation, whose integrity and faith are well known, this is a great help by the gift of God himself for confirming our faith, and for stirring us up to the worship of God; and although our trust is not placed in him, yet we shall rightly judge it to be a singular benefit of God granted to us. And accordingly if God calls him from the earth to himself, we cannot but mourn and bear his death gravely and grievously. So therefore David, as long as Samuel lived, could console himself by his presence, but at his death was gravely affected and disturbed, as if the man had been taken away through whom God was making known his goodness and mercy to David. Nevertheless David never lost heart, nor failed in this contest, but constantly persevered in his calling, awaiting God's help -- which example ought to incite us, that if God calls his faithful servants from among the living, whose death we bear with grief, we may yet know that they were men and accordingly mortal, but that God's truth remains forever. For this reason Peter in his second epistle says that he is taking pains that the faithful may learn sound doctrine from him, which after he has departed from the living they may constantly retain and remain firm in. Therefore just as God's faithful servants ought to strive with all their strength that the truth of which they are witnesses and heralds may retain its power after their death and be received by men, so also the faithful hearers ought to know, when faithful pastors die who have rendered faithful service in teaching men, and whose faith has been well known,

that the truth does not therefore die with them, because it is subject to no vanity. And this is our victory, namely an unchangeable faith; indeed we ought to be more and more confirmed by the death of God's faithful servants, when we see that they have constantly retained the doctrine until death, and breathing out their soul have given the testimony of their faith, as it were the seal of the whole doctrine. Therefore the apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrews admonishes the faithful to remember those set over them who have spoken to them the word, to imitate their faith. For if anyone in this life has rendered faithful service in admonishing the brethren, and in leading them into the path of salvation, he has the testimony of his own integrity, and if dying he has constantly given account of his faith, he has the approval of his doctrine. Nor is there any doubt that David was greatly aided by Samuel's perseverance, when he withdrew into the wilderness of Paran, and was made more certain about God's promises, which he had received through Samuel's ministry, and the afflictions by which he was pressed were lightened.

As for what is added, that all Israel was gathered together to mourn Samuel and bury him, there is no need at this time to pursue this at greater length. For since in Scripture such accurate mention is made of the burial of the fathers, it is enough for us to know that God wished to give this sign by which men might be confirmed in the hope of the resurrection: for if corpses were thrown out without care, men would cast away the hope of the future resurrection, and would as it were degenerate into beasts, as if the soul perished with the body. But when corpses are buried, they are committed to the earth as a kind of deposit, until the full time of restoration comes. And so burial has always furnished an occasion for thinking that there is another life after this. Although indeed not all have come to this knowledge, God nevertheless willed corpses to be buried for this end. Moreover, this narrative concerning Samuel's death and his burial seems to look toward this, that we may know that he was acknowledged in his very death as a prophet of the Lord. Therefore when all Israel is said to have been gathered, as if God were doing it and the trumpet were calling the people together to Samuel's burial, this thing was certainly done that honor might be given to the dead man, and a testimony of his faithfulness given, and weight added to his doctrine, and to God himself the due honor and glory rendered. But besides this, great consolation was brought to David by this deed, when he saw his own enemies, though unbelieving and stupid, gathered to confirm Samuel's doctrine by their testimony, and to attest that it had proceeded from God. Saul also must have been vehemently moved by this deed, and stung by the bites of conscience, and rebuked by this mourning of the people over Samuel's death. For he ought to have considered that the rank of royal dignity conferred on David through Samuel's ministry must be ratified and irre- vocable. And his fury also could appear to be increased, when he saw the people approving Samuel's doctrine. For that mourning of the whole people testified that men were being led with God as their author, and that authority was being procured for the dead Samuel. For you will scarcely find a people led with one consent by love of God's servants, and approving his doctrine, unless they are impelled from elsewhere. And yet Samuel's doctrine and prophetic gift cohered by an inseparable bond with the kingdom promised to David, of which he had been the witness and messenger, and which by the application of anointing he had confirmed as by a sacrament. It was therefore as if Saul were stripped of his rank in the presence of the whole people when, by such a great concourse of the people, Samuel's doctrine was confirmed. Thus God is accustomed to procure dignity and authority for his word for the confounding of the unbelievers and the instruction of the faithful. Although indeed divine truth in itself is sufficiently honorable and certain, God nevertheless, having regard for our weakness, by these means procures authority for it, and calls us to himself, and overwhelms unbelieving and wicked men with greater confusion.

Now then come, etc.

## HOMILIA LXXXIX.

21. And now, because I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand, 22. swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants after me, and that you will not destroy my name from my father's house. 23. David swore to Saul. Then Saul went home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1. Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered together and mourned for him, and they buried him at his home in Ramah.

We learned above the way to carry off victory over our enemies — namely, by repaying evil with good. The Lord commends this kind of victory and declares it pleasing to Him, and accordingly warns that those who seek a different kind of victory will in the end be overwhelmed in confusion. We also learned that we must flee to God, patiently wait for His timing and the moment in which He reveals Himself as the supreme God and Judge of all things — and that we must take care not to shut the door ourselves by our own recklessness and impatience. Although the malice of our enemies may be stubborn, the outcome of our afflictions will always be good, since the Lord has a thousand ways by which to defend His own against any enemy. The example of Saul in this passage is striking — God drew from him the confession that David was more righteous than he. This shows that God can bring those who persecute us to the point where, even against their will, they are forced to their utter shame to confess their own wickedness — and our innocence, though buried for a time, comes out into the open.

We must now move on to Saul's words by which he bound David with an oath: that when David attained the royal dignity, he would not destroy his descendants or wipe out his name from his father's house, but would allow them to live peacefully among the rest of the subjects. It is truly remarkable and astonishing that Saul bound David by this oath — the very man whose continued existence Saul could not bear, even though David was living in the wilderness as an exile, a fugitive, a wanderer, suffering from hunger and thirst, heat and cold, hated by all. How do these two things fit together: that Saul persecutes David, yet demands this oath from him? This example shows how badly wicked and unbelieving people are tossed about — they can find no rest and nothing is ever firm beneath their feet. And this is the very punishment God promised in His law to those who despise His divine majesty: that they would tremble at their own shadow, find no safety anywhere, live as if hanging by a thread, and be driven without rest through waves and storms — exactly as we see in Saul.

Saul says he knows well that David will reign — so why does he resist? That knowledge did not come from human sources. David had not reached for popular support or ambitiously pursued the kingdom. He had not campaigned among the people for his own election; no illustrious family lineage drove him to it — only the fact that God had anointed him, as God declared plainly through His prophet: He had chosen David as king. Saul knew that David would reign only because of the decree of God Most High. But if he was certain that God had chosen David as king, why did he keep resisting? What could come of it? Could his stubbornness overcome the invincible power of God? It is absolutely certain that Saul, stirred up by fury and rage, driven by the devil, still fell short of blaspheming outright — he never went so far as to claim he could overcome God, or revoke the immutable decree about David's kingdom. Such a thing would be horrible to even say. Yet even though he had confessed a thousand times that God had established this as fixed and settled, and that God's counsel cannot be changed, he still kept striving to prevent it — as if deliberately charging against God with his own horns. This example shows us how great is the rage of those whom the devil possesses, driving them to rise up against God and fight against Him to their own ruin and destruction. For what other outcome can be expected for those who rise up against God and against His chosen — other than final destruction? We are therefore taught to walk before God in trembling — in such a way that when His will is made known to us, we strive with everything in us to obey Him, and whatever proceeds from Him is to us not only more valuable than gold and silver but sweeter than honey, as the Psalmist beautifully teaches in Psalm 19. To understand this more clearly and apply it practically, we must notice that there are different degrees among both the wicked and the faithful. Unbelievers take nothing in from what is said to them in general terms. We could call them wretched blind people — reckless people who cannot tell good from evil, guided by neither reason nor judgment, because they lack the Holy Spirit of God who is the source of all understanding and light. Unbelief is pure blindness and brings nothing but confusion. And yet God sometimes compels unbelievers to acknowledge the truth — to grasp God's power and be struck by an awareness of Him, so that they are forced to confess with a full mouth that God is faithful and that whatever He has spoken cannot be undone. But this awareness of divine power is not the true knowledge to which they willingly come and to which they submit themselves. If they could, they would smother this knowledge and suppress God's power — which they cannot overcome by force, so they gnash their teeth against God's truth. It is like those with weak eyes who cannot bear the brightness of the sun — the rays sting them like needles. The same is true of all unbelievers, whose conscience is choked by corruption, with the devil also blinding them from within — so that even when they are rebuked and stung to the quick by a flash of light thrown in, they are not moved. This is why all wicked people and despisers of God's majesty flee the knowledge of truth — even though they are forced to know it and acknowledge it against their will. But what kind of knowledge is this? It is what Isaiah describes: they know without knowing, and see without seeing anything.

This was the knowledge and understanding Saul spoke of — a man who had tried every means to undermine and extinguish the divine promise made to David through Samuel, yet was pressed and convicted by God's judgment so that, against his will, he had to attribute truth to God and the power to fulfill His promises, when he said he knew that David would most certainly reign. God's will constrained him, and the goads of his conscience overcame his pride and venom, so that he was forced to testify to the truth of God. This shows that ungodly people and unbelievers, after they have come to know the truth of God's will, are driven by certain stings and afflicted with a certain distress — but they do not rest in it. On the contrary, they use all their strength to flee it and suppress it. So although they may be moved for a time by the weight of divine truth and power, they do not persist in it — they are always uncertain, driven here and there, tossed by every wind, because they have laid no firm foundation and sent no living roots down into the ground.

The faithful, on the other hand, do not know the things necessary for their salvation with complete perfection — they are still troubled by many doubts and uncertainties. Yet in the midst of those waves, God shows them the right path to the harbor of salvation. Even though they are tossed by many difficulties and doubts, they still have as much knowledge of divine truth as is necessary for their salvation — and they rest in it, and are increasingly conformed to it, whatever temptations assail them. Step by step they draw nearer to God, making daily progress in the knowledge of His will, willingly submitting to the truth of God as they come to know it, and openly confessing the justice and truth of His promises. To all of this is added an unconquerable steadiness, which withstands any insult or torture from enemies — armed with God's Holy Spirit, they remain unconquered against every temptation, even when many occasions for despair present themselves. For although such insults are severe and almost unbearable, they are persuaded that God's decree is not a pretense but irrevocable — He has said He will be faithful to those who hope in Him. And so if through human weakness they have stumbled in these struggles, they are the first to pass judgment against themselves, and acknowledging the weakness of human nature, they persevere in the certainty of God's Word — they never allow that certainty about God's will to be torn from them.

We see this confirmed by experience in the ongoing disputes with the opponents of the Gospel, who attack the purity of doctrine we profess — and who can see that our cause is just, that we are presenting no recently invented teaching of men but doctrine drawn from the sacred Scriptures, attested by their own conscience. Yet for all that, they do not truly recognize or understand the truth of the doctrine — they are blinded by deep darkness and so bewitched by the devil that they argue their case without reason or sound judgment. We often see people like this who for a brief moment seem to reason carefully and compose themselves — but only for a moment, because their understanding quickly unravels and their fury and madness break out again, so that they return to what they were before, after having briefly appeared to act with reason and wisdom. In the same way, despisers of God may seem to have some knowledge of God's truth — but without foundation, because they do not rest in it. They are always uncertain, driven back and forth, first one way, then another. Yet, so that they may be left without excuse at God's judgment, God brings it about that even against their will they recognize that the doctrine we follow is the pure truth of God — even though they are unwilling to cling to that recognized truth and are instead driven by fury against it. They are forced to confess the rightness of our cause — even while they rage against it and willfully resist it. Yet they are far from being brought to reverence it. Instead they are tossed about by every wind, now inclining this way, now that — now praising the truth, now reverting to unbelief. The devil so bewitches them that at his slightest signal they celebrate victory before the battle is won and imagine that by their own power and arrogance they will easily crush Scripture and pure religion — something daily experience confirms all too well. But let us learn to make daily progress in true knowledge, driving roots so deep into God's will that no storm can ever tear us loose. I confess that our faith cannot reach angelic perfection, cannot drive roots so deep that it no longer needs God's help to strengthen it. On the contrary, we must confess that our weakness is so great that unless He sustains us by His power we constantly stumble and waver as though at the point of death. But we must nevertheless come to that knowledge of God's will by which we may be strengthened and persevere to the end of life. To that knowledge is joined trust in God — knowing that He will be our defender and protector in adversity — and resting in Him, willingly submitting to Him and embracing His will as He reveals it. Enough on that subject.

Let us now weigh Saul's words further. Although he claims to know the divine promises — that God, through Samuel's ministry, designated David as king — he nevertheless reveals his unbelief, or rather his arrogance, in that he wishes to negotiate with God, as it were through David. He says: 'I know that you will reign.' He does not flare up in anger as is his habit, but reveals that he wants to make a deal with David, hoping to be assured that David will spare his descendants after Saul's death. This shows what opinion he held of David — that David would undertake nothing against him and would stir up no new plans. What a remarkable change: the man who had been pursuing David to the death with such fury, heaping on him every injury he could, now appears so accommodating and gracious. But since he knew David would reign, why did he not voluntarily lay down the royal dignity and hand it over to David? Why, when he was certain of God's will, did he not willingly yield? What drew this confession from him, if not his own conscience — which pressed and burned him inwardly, tormenting him like a perpetual executioner, with God the supreme Judge stirring it up within him?

So let us learn to submit ourselves willingly to God's will as it becomes known to us — to undertake nothing against it, but to bring all our thoughts and actions under its authority, and to be intent on it with every part of our being. For faith in God and in His truth, and true obedience in all things in which God chooses to exercise us, are bound together with an unbreakable bond. It must also be observed that the wicked want to strike a deal with God — but they cannot obtain peace by doing so. The peace the faithful must seek is this: to draw near to God, to strive to be joined and united to Him, and willingly to desire union with the one who alone is perfection and the highest good of all. This is why Paul expressly teaches that we obtain peace through faith. Unbelievers imagine for themselves a peace of their own — but they do so by turning their backs on God and growing more and more hardened and numb, until there is no longer any room for a remedy, just as Paul says that they have lost all sense of the evils that press upon them. To obtain true peace from God, we must not look for Him by long detours, and we must not keep putting it off — we must obey God's call and heed His will, so that we may attain true and lasting peace.

What did Saul accomplish, then, by trying to bargain with David? He seems to have been looking out for his own peace and security — making a kind of truce while waiting for the right opportunity to carry out the malice he was still hiding within. In his heart he nursed his sadness — or rather the fury with which he was still burning against David. He was willing to relax nothing of his stubbornness. Let us learn from his example to put away all disordered passions and mental turmoil, so that nothing prevents us from drawing near to God and persevering in the knowledge of His truth and fatherly goodness — that we may attain spiritual peace, which is the supreme good, and experience in practice that God is our defender and protector, the one goal at which we must always aim. When we hear that Saul was trying to negotiate with David for his own security, let us see in him a mirror of how unbelievers think. We find them struck with fear and dread, grasping for any assurance of safety — trembling when no one is even pursuing them, demanding some kind of truce. But since they are enemies and sworn opponents of God, who is the God of peace, how will they ever find peace? Let us therefore learn from their example to value the inestimable good of having peace with God and resting in Him — and let us from the heart detest the wickedness of unbelievers that separates them from God, and take the greatest care not to become like them. We see many who dare nothing openly against God and are restrained by some fear of Him in their private conduct — yet they do not rest on the foundation of His Word, and have no true roots in the fear of God to guide their lives in obedience to Him. There is only some momentary impulse in them that immediately vanishes. This is all the more reason for us to press forward in seeking God in truth and purity — not wavering back and forth, but persevering constantly in our purpose and being moved by no temptation from our duty.

Now let us consider on the other hand David's gracious spirit — he binds himself to Saul by oath at Saul's request. He could have made all kinds of demands on Saul in return. And if such had been God's will, David would no doubt have preferred to live quietly at home as a private citizen and wait on God's timing in the modest life of a shepherd. But whatever his preference, God willed him to keep wandering, dwelling in the mountains and hiding in caves as before. Still, he bound himself to Saul by oath. From this we see him putting into practice what is said in Psalm 34: peace must be sought and pursued, even when it seems to flee from us — and although enemies pursue us, we must patiently await the right time of deliverance and make peace with our neighbors as much as it depends on us. David confirmed this teaching by his own example, and we should consider his humility carefully so that we may try to imitate it — not letting anything stand in the way of our being reconciled with our enemies and quieting their fury. It is certain that our patience is the most effective remedy for extinguishing the rage of even our bitterest enemies. So when we see our enemies thirsting for our blood and pursuing us with sword and fire with the utmost cruelty, let us not pour oil on the fire — let us apply the remedy of patience and put out their fury.

An example of this outcome is shown in what follows: Saul returned home with matters now calm, and David and his soldiers returned to his stronghold. Saul's condition looks by far the better and more desirable of the two. David was barely defending himself in a stronghold with a few desperate soldiers, while Saul — with peace restored — was honored by his men and held in the highest esteem as king, enjoying rest and prosperity. But what do we think was the true condition of the man whom God was pursuing with His judgment — restraining him as if with a hook through his nostrils, turning him back from his purpose, and reserving him for destruction without his heart being changed for the better? This is how God breaks the attempts of wicked people — if He does not change their fury into a milder spirit, He holds them back with a hook in their nostrils and against their will drags them away from their purpose. So the Lord's hand was laid on Saul to prevent him from raging against David — and he was forced to go home in deep confusion. But for David, whose condition appeared worse, God provided a breathing space and granted him some relief, so that he would not be overwhelmed by one unrelenting trial after another. Although he had calmed Saul for a time, he still had to return to his stronghold — which was not some fortified castle supplied with necessities, but as before seems to have been a cave in the desert, a refuge of deer and wild goats. David retreated there as if to live with wild animals in the caverns of the rocks, or rather as if in a tomb.

This was a most wretched way to live — and yet even in it David never stopped experiencing God's goodness, since God granted him a few days of truce. So let us, even when we do not enjoy prosperity and things do not go as we wish, when we wrestle with many difficulties and are pressed by injuries and slander, troubled by hunger, thirst, heat, and cold, suffering disgrace and contempt from people, with our life mixed with many such inconveniences — let us never lose heart, and never lose our sense and taste of God's mercy, which in all difficulties and difficulties can bring immediate help and lift up the falling.

But when God does give us a period of rest, let us pay close attention to His blessings and take them to heart — so that we may overcome with spiritual joy all the sadness and affliction pressing in on us, always holding firmly to this foundation: that God, who has taken us into His protection, will never abandon us, and His goodness toward us is such that we should rest in it and bravely overcome the world and every temptation.

What follows is that David not only returned to his stronghold but also went down again to the desert of Paran, which was farther from Judah and from the sanctuary where God declared His presence. Paran lay between Egypt and Arabia — and it is certain this was deeply painful to David, since it meant being cut off from the Jewish people and driven out of the very land God had given to Abraham's descendants to possess and inhabit. And since all the promises God made to Israel pointed to our Lord Jesus Christ — of whom David was a figure and in whom all those promises are fulfilled — the fact that David, the head and image of the promised King, was exiled from that land, and not briefly but for a long stretch of time with all hope of return seemingly cut off, was truly a horrible trial. It is likely that David was no little shaken by it. But David did not give in to this temptation — he overcame it by faith. For this reason in Psalm 11, defying his very enemies, he says: 'In the Lord I take refuge. How can you say to my soul, flee like a bird to your mountain?' God's enemies harass His servants with constant provocations and pursue them relentlessly, seeming ready to mix heaven itself with earth and tear the world from its foundations. But our eyes must be fixed on God, who in a moment can scatter the plans of His enemies and shatter their attempts — and this is how David consoles and lifts himself up. The Lord, he says, is in His holy temple. His throne is in heaven. His eyes see the poor; His gaze tests the sons of men. It is not without reason that he says he trusts in the Lord — he sets the Lord as a shield to absorb every blow from his enemies. Indeed the devil hurls his fiery darts at us, as Paul warns, and has a thousand methods of causing harm, by which we would be overwhelmed at every moment unless we were covered and fortified by the power and strength of God. But David shows us the way to put on this armor: we take up the shield of faith, which rests on God's promises. Covered by this shield, we can defy our enemy most confidently and overcome every temptation. Even if the whole world conspires against us and no safe place remains anywhere, and we are driven first one way and then another — we will hold fast to that confidence without dismay, and defy all our enemies, taking up David's voice: 'In the Lord I trust — what can you do against me?' Fortified by this shield we will overcome all troubles, dismiss all the insults and blasphemous speech of wicked people, and fearlessly continue in simplicity — because putting our trust in God, no human force can harm us. Many inconveniences and severe temptations will arise before our eyes, but all will be overcome by faith — as we see David complaining that sinners had bent their bow and aimed their arrows at him, yet saying that they cannot wound him. He says even the very foundations of the world are shaken — not as if the sun or moon or the order of nature were in confusion, but speaking of that wretched condition into which he had been cast in the eyes of the world.

But against this temptation he sets the shield of his trust in God, saying that God has His throne in the heavens and that the wicked must stand at His tribunal and pay the penalty they deserve. So David, though lying hidden in that cave as in a tomb and driven from there into another desert, finding safe shelter nowhere, seeming already to have one foot in the grave with no moment of rest — still lifted his eyes to God and placed his hope in His providence, because God has His throne in heaven and observes all that people do. Many say that God is in heaven but has no concern for the small things of this earth — whereas in reality God from heaven tends and preserves His creation and examines the deeds of every person. Moreover, when the Lord is said to have His seat in heaven, this must not be understood crudely, as if God had a throne like earthly kings and princes. God is not a physical being, nor does He need any outward symbols to display His majesty — His own glory is sufficient. When David speaks of God's seat in heaven, he means that God should be acknowledged as the Judge and Governor of all — by whose providence all things on earth are so ruled and administered that nothing happens randomly or by chance, but all things are directed by His right counsel. So when He afflicts His own for a time and exercises them with various calamities, it works for their benefit and salvation — He declares Himself to be their shield and stronghold. On the other side, whenever the wicked and unbelievers throw off all restraint and pour out whatever comes into their mouths, so obstinate they cannot be brought to any good fruit, it is absolutely certain that God has His seat in heaven before which they must one day stand and give an account for everything.

For this reason David adds that God's eyes are fixed on every kind of person — and that in the end He will send His fire upon sinners but preserve the poor and afflicted faithful. In this His judgments are to be admired. We must note this carefully when we see that David was afflicted with so many calamities — and although he had a stronghold where he sheltered himself and his men and defended against enemies, he was still not safe enough. Even when Saul was not actively pursuing him, David was forced to withdraw farther from Judah. From this let us learn that our minds must in no way be cast down whenever we fall from one affliction and temptation into a more severe one — even when we seem to be in the hands of our enemies. Instead, let us set before our eyes the teaching we so greatly need, and hold our heads up — so that even when God trains us in various ways and does not treat us as we might think we deserve, we still do not give ourselves over to endless troubled thoughts. When various struggles press in on us and frequent temptations that we would easily succumb to without the steadying memory of God's providence — let us look at David's example. Tested by many temptations, a man subject to the same passions we are, he still bravely overcame them by relying on God's help. Let us therefore flee to the Spirit of power, and pray that He would relieve our weakness and bring help at the right time.

Let us move on to the account of Samuel's death, where it says that all Israel gathered to mourn him and buried him in his house at Ramah. First, we must observe that Samuel in extreme old age struggled with the greatest difficulties and terrible temptations. He was a prophet of God. He knew that the people's salvation depended on David's reign. He had been commanded to give Saul — a man from the tribe of Benjamin rather than Judah — to the people as king, and he had then seen Saul dethroned and rejected by God. All of this could have deeply disturbed him, especially when he was ordered by God to anoint David as king in Saul's place. In David rested the hope of the people's salvation — and of the royal dignity and indeed of eternal salvation, if David could rule the kingdom in peace and tranquility. But Samuel saw the opposite happening: David had come under Saul's hatred because of the very anointing Samuel had administered at God's command, Saul was hunting David so relentlessly that no safe place remained for him, and there seemed to be no end in sight. It is likely that Samuel bore the most severe temptations. He was not dull or unfeeling. Besides the wisdom he had gained from God and from long experience in governing the people, he had the gift of prophecy — and we know that the prophets were called Seers, not without reason, since God revealed to them what was hidden from others. Samuel, seeing that the actual events were going against everything God had revealed, must have been thrown into deep anxiety and great distress — but we have no reason to doubt that he overcame it by faith. For the faithful must stand firm on this foundation against such temptations: when God does not allow us to see the church in the condition we long for, but allows it to be trampled underfoot by enemies and reduced as it were to nothing — we must patiently await God's help.

On the other side, we hear that after Samuel's death David fled into the wilderness of Paran, as if Saul were now pursuing him more aggressively than before. Even though David's hope did not depend on a mortal man, he had not put off all human feeling — and so there is no doubt that he was deeply saddened by the prophet's death. Samuel's presence had been a great support to David while he lived, and a great strengthening of his faith. Our faith must rest on God alone — and yet if we have known any servant of God who faithfully discharged his calling, who was adorned with God's gifts, who showed us the way of salvation, and whose integrity and faith were evident — this is itself a great gift from God for confirming our faith and stirring us up to worship God. Even if our trust is not placed in such a person, we will rightly recognize it as a singular blessing from God. And if God then calls that person from the earth to Himself, we cannot help but mourn and feel his loss deeply. So David, as long as Samuel lived, could console himself by Samuel's presence — but at Samuel's death he was deeply affected and distressed, as though the man through whom God had been making His goodness and mercy known to David had been taken away. And yet David never gave up or failed in this contest, but persevered steadily in his calling, awaiting God's help. This example should urge us: when God calls His faithful servants away from among the living and we grieve their loss, we must still recognize that they were human beings and therefore mortal, while God's truth remains forever. This is why Peter in his second letter says he is taking care that the faithful may learn sound doctrine from him — doctrine they are to hold firmly and stand firm in even after he has left them. So just as God's faithful servants should strive with all their strength to ensure that the truth they witness and proclaim retains its power after their death and is received by people — so also those who hear them must recognize, when faithful pastors die who have faithfully taught and whose faith has been well known,

That the truth does not die with them, because truth is subject to no vanity. And this is our victory: an unchangeable faith. In fact we should be more and more strengthened by the deaths of God's faithful servants when we see that they held the doctrine to the very end, and in breathing out their last breath gave the testimony of their faith — the seal, as it were, of the whole teaching. For this reason the author of Hebrews urges the faithful to remember those who led them and spoke to them the Word of God, and to imitate their faith. For if anyone in this life has faithfully served by warning and guiding others along the path of salvation, he has the testimony of his own integrity — and if he has steadfastly accounted for his faith as he dies, he has the approval of his doctrine. There is no doubt that David was greatly strengthened by Samuel's perseverance when he withdrew into the wilderness of Paran — made more certain of God's promises, which he had received through Samuel's ministry, and his afflictions were made lighter.

As for the statement that all Israel gathered to mourn Samuel and bury him, there is no need to dwell on it at great length. Since Scripture makes such careful mention of the burial of the fathers, it is enough to know that God wished to give by this practice a sign by which people would be confirmed in the hope of resurrection. If bodies were simply thrown out without care, people would give up the hope of a future resurrection and sink to the level of animals, as if the soul perished with the body. But when bodies are buried, they are committed to the earth as a kind of deposit, held there until the time of full restoration comes. Burial has therefore always provided an occasion for believing in a life after this one. Not everyone has arrived at this understanding, but God still willed burial to serve this purpose. Furthermore, this account of Samuel's death and burial seems intended to make clear that he was acknowledged even in death as a true prophet of the Lord. When all Israel is said to have gathered — as if God were sounding a trumpet to call the people together for Samuel's burial — it was clearly done to honor the dead man, testify to his faithfulness, add weight to his doctrine, and give to God Himself the honor and glory He deserves. Besides this, David received great consolation from this event — seeing his own enemies, even though they were unbelieving and spiritually dull, gathered to confirm Samuel's doctrine by their presence and to attest that it had come from God. Saul too must have been powerfully struck by this gathering and stung by his conscience, rebuked by the people's mourning for Samuel. He should have recognized that the royal dignity conferred on David through Samuel's ministry was fixed and irrevocable. His fury could only have grown when he saw the people confirming Samuel's doctrine by their attendance. For that mourning of the whole people testified that they were being led by God's own hand, and that authority was being given to the dead Samuel. You will scarcely find a whole people moved in unison by love of God's servants and approval of his doctrine, unless there is a power driving them from beyond. And Samuel's doctrine and prophetic gift were inseparably linked to the kingdom promised to David, of which Samuel had been witness and messenger — and which he had confirmed as by a sacrament through the act of anointing. It was therefore as if Saul were being publicly stripped of his dignity in the presence of the whole people, when by that great gathering Samuel's doctrine was confirmed. This is how God gives authority and dignity to His Word — to confound unbelievers and instruct the faithful. Although divine truth is in itself perfectly honorable and certain, God nevertheless, having regard for our weakness, uses such means to give it authority, draw us to Himself, and overwhelm unbelieving and wicked people with greater confusion.

Now then come, etc.

## HOMILIA LXXXIX.