Parochial and Plain Sermons

E are all on our trial.:Every one who lires is on his trial, whether he will serve God or not. And we read in Scripture of many instances of the trials upon which Almighty God purs us His creatures. In the beginning, Adam, xvhen he was first created, was put upon his trial, tIe was placed in a beautiful garden, he had every thing giveu him for his pleasure and comfort; he xvas created innocent aud upright, aud he had the great gift of the Holy Spirit given him fo enable him fo 1)lease God, and to attain to heaven. One thing- alone he was forbidden—to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; this was his trial. If he did hot eat of the fruit, he was to live; if he did, he was to die. Alas, he did eat of the fruit, and he did die. He was tried and round wantiag; he fell; such was the end of ]is trial. [vi] »

J4 7"/e 7"@1 of Saztl. Nmy other trials, besides Adam's, are reeoMed in Seripture, and that for out warning and instruetion ha we may be reminded flmg we too are on grial, tha we may be eneourged by gle examples of flmse who bave sgood their al well and nog Nllen, and may be sobered and pug on out uard by the instances of others who have Nllen under their rial. Of these latter enses, Saul is one. Sul, of whom we have been reading in tire course of his sergiee , is an instance of  nmn whom God blessed and proved, as Adam before him, whom He pug on his trl, and who, like Adam, was Nnnd wantin. Now the history, I say, of this melaneholy and awful Nll is eontained in the ehapter whieh we bave been reMing, and from whieh tire tex is taken; and I will nov attelnpt to explain fo you ifs eireumstanees. Saul was not born a king, or the son of a great fami]y; he was a man of humble Nrth and eireumsnees, and he was raised by God's free graee tobe the ruler and king of His pple Israel. Samuel, God's prophet, revealed this to him, anointed him with oil, and after he beeame king, instrueted him in his dut.y: and, moreover, put him on his trial. Now his trial was this. God's people, the Israelites, over whom Saul was appointed to reign, had been very mueh oppressed and harassed by their enemies round about; heathen nations, who hand fle true God and His worship, rose and  Fouh Sunday after Trinity.

fought agaànst them; and of these nations the Philistines were the chier,t that time. ïhey overran the country, and brought the IsraeliIes into eapfivity. They tvrannized over them, a.nd o make sure tht they should never be free, they even took avay ri'oto them the me,ns of forging weapons fo fight with. "There vas no smith round through all the land of Israel," s:ys Ihe chapter, "for Ihe Philisfines said, Lest the tlebrews (i. e. the Israclies) make Ihem swords or spears. But all the Israelites went doxxq to the Philisfines, to shŒErpe every man his share, and his eoulter, and his ax,,nd his mattock." Saul was raised ttp to throw off this heavy yoke, and to destroy tlae cruel oppressors of his people. He "chose him three thousand men, and with  third of them Jou,than, his son, smote the garrison of the Philistines which vas iu Geba." Upon this, as was naturally to be sttpposed, these powerful enemies the Philistines became highly iucensed, and,ssembled together  great army to ehastise Ihe insurgent people, their subjects as they would call theln, who were making head against them. They had "thioEy thousand chariots, and six thous,nd horsemen,,nd people as tlae sand which is on the sea-shore in multitude. » On the other hand, Saul on his part, "blev the trmnpet through all the land,",nd summoned,11 Israelites to him. They e,me together to him at Gilgal. And the Philistines came with their great host, and pitehed over against him. Thus the two armies remained in

3 6 Thc 7-'r[a! of sig of eaeh other, and then i was tha Saul's trial bean.:Before Saul weut fo battle, if was uecessasy to off"er a burut sacrifice fo the Lord, and to beg of IIim a blessin ou the arms of Isracl. He could bave no hope of victory, uulcss this act of reliious worsldp was performed. Now priests ouly and prophcts were God's mildstcrs, and they alone could offer sacrifice. Khgs could hot, unless they were spccial]y commandcd to do so by Ahn],hty God. Saul had no ]eave to offer s,crifice; yet a sacrifice must be off"cred beforc ho could fight; what must he do? He must wait for Samuel, who had said *hat he would corne fo him for that purpose. "Thou shalt go down belote me fo Gilgal," says Samucl to him, "and behold, I will corne down unto thce, fo offer brnt offeriugs, and fo sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerins; seven days shalt thou tarry till I corne unto thee, and show thee what thou shalt do .'" Saul, you see, was told fo wait seven days till Samuel came; but meanwhi|e this great trial came upon him. The people he had gathcred toether fo fight against the Philistiues were far inferior to them in military qunlities. They were hot cven soldiers; they were couutry-people brought together, rising agaiust a powerfid euemy, who was used fo rule, as they werc used fo subjection. And, as I bave already observed, they had no regular arms: "If came to pass," says Scripture, "in the day of battle,  1 Sain. x. 8.

that there was neither sxvord nor spear round in the hand of any of the peoplc that were with Saul and Jonathan." No woudcr, undcr these circnmsta.nces, that manv did not colne fo Saul's army at ail; manv hid themselves; many fled out of the country; and of those who joined him,.'ll were in a state of alarm, and numbers began fo dcscrt. " Whcn the mcu oF Isracl," says Scripture, "saw that they were in a strait, then the people did hidc thcmselves in caves, and in thickcts, and in rocks, and in hig'h places, and in pifs. And some of the IIebrcws went over Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead; as for Saul, he was yet in Gilg'al, and all the peoplc followed him trembling. And he tarried scven days, according to the set rime that Samuel had appointed; but Samucl came hot to Gilgal, and the people were scattered ri'oto him." Vhat a great trial this must bave been! Here was a king who had been ruade king for the express l»Url)ose of destroying the Philistines; he is in presence of his powerfill enemy; he is anxious fo fulfil his commission; he fears to ri61; his reputation is at stake; he has at best a most diflïcult task, as his soldiers are very bad ones, and are all afi'aid ol  the enemy. IIis only chance, humanly spe:king, is to strike a blow; iF he delays, he ean expect nothing but total defcat; the longer he dclays, the more frightened his men will become. Yet he is told to wait seven days; seven long davs must he watt; he does wait through theln; and to his great mortification

3 8 T/e Trial of çauL and despair, his soldiers begin fo deserL; dny açter day more and more leave him: whaL will be file end oç flfis? YeL does he govern his feelins so r, as o waiL a]l through the seven d:tys. So çar he acquits himsclf well in the trial; he was told simply fo wait seven days, md in spire of the risk, he does wait.. Though he secs his army crumbling avay, and the enemy ready fo attack him, he obeys God; he obeys His prophet; he does nothing; he looks out for Samuel's coming. At lcngth the seven days are goue and over; those weary wearing days, that long trial of a week, through every hour of whieh he was tempted fo advauee against. the enemy, yet evew hour had to restrain his tierce and impatient spirit. Now then is the rime for Samuel to corne; he said he would corne at the end of seven days, and the days are ended. Now aS length is the rime for Saul tobe relieved. For seven days the Philistines, for some cause or other, bave hot attaeked him; a wonderfui chance itis; he may breathe fredy; every hour, evel T minute he expees fo hear that Samuel has joined the camp. But now, when his trial seemed over, behohl a second trialSamucl cornes not. The prophet of Goal sdd he would corne; the prophet of God does not corne as he said. Why Salnuel did not corne, we are not informed; exeept that we sec it was God's will to try Saul still flrther; however, he did hot corne, and now let us observe vhat was Saul's conduct.

T Trial ai" çaiL 3 9 Hitherto he had aeqnitted himself well; he had obeyed to the letter the command of Goal by His prophet, tle had waited in faith though in fear; he t[,ared the Philistines, but had fa.it.h in God. Oh that he had continued in lais faith! but lais faith gave way when his trial was prolonged. When Samuel did hot corne, there was no one of course fo olTcr sacrifice; what was fo be donc? Sa.,fl ought fo bave wùted still longer, till Samuel did corne. He had had [hitl in God hithcrto, he should bave lml thith still. IIe had hitherto trusted that God would save him from the enemy, though lais army was scat.- tered, in God's own way. God fights hot with sword a.nd bow; IIe can give vietory fo whom He will, and when He Will; "with His own right hand, and His holy arm," can He aceomplish His purposes. Saul was God's servant, and therefore he might securely trust in God. He lmd trusted for seven days; he miglt go on trustig for eight, nine, or ten. And let it be observed, that this fi'esh trial was hardly a greater trial than before, for this reason—that his faith hitherto had met with its reward. Though t.le Philistines were in lais ri'ont, and lais own men were deserting, yet, strange to say, the Philistines had hot atta.cked hiln. Thus he h;d had proof that God could defend him from them. He who had kept him so safely for seven days, whv should He hot also on the eighth? however, he did hot feel this, and so le took a very rash and fatd step.

That step was as follows: since Samuel had not corne, he determined to offer the burnt sacrifice instead of him; he determined fo do wbat he could not do without a great sin; riz. intrude into a sacred office fo which he was hot called; nay, to do what he really could not do af all; for he might call it a sacrifice, but if would uot be really such, unless a priest or prophet offered if. You kaow how great a crime it is for persons now fo become teachers and preachers, or fo baptize or administcr thc Lord's Supper wiflaout authority; this was Saul's crilne, he determiued on sacrificing, vithout being an appointed minister of God. This is a crime offert denounced in Scripture, as in the case of Korah, and Jeroboam, and Uzziah. Korah was swallowed up by/he earth on account of if; Jcroboanl had his hand withered, and was punished in lais family; and Uzziah was smitten with leprosy. Yet this was - Saul's sin. "And Saul said," in the words of the text, " Bring" hither a burnt offêring fo me, and peace offerings; and he olTered the burnt offering." Now observe what happened immediately afterwards. "And if came o pass, that as soon as he had ruade an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came, and Saul went out fo meet him, that he might salure him.'" You sec, if he had waited but one hour lnOre, he would have been saved this sin; in other -ords, he would have succeeded in his trial instead of fifiling. ]3ut he failed, and the eonsequenee vas, he lost God's favour, and forfeited his kingdom. Let us observe what Samuel said fo him, and what he answered; '"And Samuel said, ,Vhal hast thou &me? And Saul said, 13eeauoe I saw that the people were seattered ri'mn me, and that thou emnest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together fo Iiehmash; therefore, said I, ïhe Philist.ines vill eome clown now upon me fo Gilgal, and I have not ruade supplication unto the Lord: I foreed myselt; {herefore, and offered a burnt ottbring." Sueh was his excuse; and now hear what Salnuel thought of it: "And Salnuel said o Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou has lm kept the eommandlnent of the Lord God, whieh IIe eommanded thee: for now would the Lord have established t.hy kingdom ni»on Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought Ilim,n man after His own heart., and the Lord hath eolnmanded him fo be eaptain over Ilis people, beeause thou hast hot kept that whieh the Lord eommanded thee." Sueh was the end of Saul's trial: he fell; he was not obedient; and in eonsequenee he forfeited God's fa.vour. How mueh is there in this lnelaneholy history whieh applies fo us, my brethren, af this day, though if happened some thousand years ago! [an is the saine in every age, and God Almighty is the saine; and thus what happened fo Saul, the king of Israel, is, nlas! daily fulfilled in us, fo our great shame, lYe ail, as SauI, have been raised by God fo great honour and glory; hot, indeed, gIo W of this world, but unseen spiritual glo:v. We were born in sin, and fle children of wrath; and He has caused us tobe baptized with water and the Spirit in the Naine of Fther, Son, and IIoly Ghost; and as Saul, by being anointcd with oil by Samuel, was made l<ing of Israel, so we, by baptism, arc ruade kings, hot kings of this wofld, but lings and princes in the heaven]y kingdom of Christ. Ho is out hcad, and we are His brcthren; He has sat clown on IIis throne on hig'h, and has been crowncd by His Eternal Father as Lord and Christ; and we, too, 1)y being ruade tIis brethren, partake Itis unseen, His heaveuly glory. Though we be poor in this world, yet, when we were 1)aptized, we, like Saul, were ruade strong in the Lord, powerfid princes, with Angels to wait upon us, and with a pla.ce on Christ's throne in prospect. Hence, I say, we are, like Saul, favoured by God's free grace; and in consequence we are put on our trial like Saul—we are all tried in one way or another; and now consider how many there are who iïdl like Saul. 1. How many are there who, when in distress of any kind, in want of means, or of necessaries, forger, like Saul, that their distress, whatever itis, coraes ri'oto God; that God brings it on them, and that God will remove it in His own way, if they trust in Him: but

The Tria! of Saul. 43 who, insteM of waitin for His rime, take their own way, their own bad way, and impatiently hasten the rime, and thus bring on themselves judg'ment! Somerimes, telling an untruth will bring them out of their difflculties, and they ire tempted to do so. They make light of the sin  they s:ty they cannot help themselves, that they are forced to it, as Saul said to Samuel; they make excuses fo quict their conscience; and instead of bearing the trial well, enduring their poverty, or whatever thc trouble may be, they do hot shrink from a deliberate lie, whieh God hears. Or, azain, in like eireumstanees, they are tempted to steal; and they argue that thcy are in grea.ter want than the person they injure, or that he will never miss what they take; and that they would hot take it, were hot their distress so great. Thus they act like Saul, and thus they tempt God in turn fo deprive thenl of their heavenly inheritance. Or further, perhaps, they both steal and lie also; first steal, and then lie in order to hide their theft. . Again, how many are there who, when in unpleasant situations, are tempted fo do what is wrong in order to get out of them, instead of patiently waiting God's rime! They bave, perhaps, unkind parents, and they are so uncomfortable at home, that they take the first opportunity which presents itself of getting away. They marry irreligious persons, hot asking themselves the question whether they are irrelious, merely fi'om impatience to get out of tlleir present discomtbrt; "Any thing but this," they say. Vhat is this but to act like Saul? he had very little peacc or quiet all the time he remained in presence of the enelny, with his own people falling away ff'oto him; and he, too, took ail unlawfill llleals to get out of his dilficulty. And so, again, when persons bave harsh masters and employers, or troublesome neighbours, or are engaged in employments which they do nat like, they often fiwget that ail this is from God's providence, that fo Ilim they must look up, that He who imposed it tan take it away, ean take it away in His good time, and without their sin. But they, like Saul, are impatient, and will not watt. And, again, are not some or  us tempted to be impatient at the religious disadvantages we lie under; and instead of vaiting for God's time, and God's pmphet, take the matter into out own hand, leave the place where God has put us, and join some other eomnmnion, iii order (as we hope) t.o have elearer light and fuller privileges? 3. Again, how many are there who, though their hearts are hot right before God,)'et have some sort of religiousness, and by it deeeive themselves into an idea that they are religious! Observe, 8aul in his way was a religious man; I say, iii his way, but not in God's way; yet His very disobedienee he might eonsider an aet of religion. IIê offered sacrifice ratlter than go to battle without a sacrifice. Ail openly irreligions man wou]d have drawn up his army and fallen upon the

Philistines without any religious service at a.ll. Sa.ul did hOt do this; no, he xvished that an aet of worship and prayer should precede the batt]e; he desired fo have God's blessing upon him; and perversely, while he felt that blessing" to be necessary, he did hOt feel that t.he only wa.y of gaining" if was seeking if i, t]e ««:ay which God had appointed; that., whereas God had hot ruade him His minister, he eould hot possibly offer t.he burnt. offering aceeptably. Thus ho deccivcd himsclf; and thus many men deecive themselves now; hOt eastin.,o" off religion altogether, but ehoosing, their religion for themselves, as Saul did, and faneying they ean be religious wîthout being obedicnt. 4. Again, how many are ihere, who bear hall the trial God purs on them, but hOt the whole of if; who go on well for a rime, and then fall away! Saul bore on for seven days, and fainted hOt; on the eighth day his faith tailed him. Oh may we persevere fo the end! Many fall awav.:Let us vateh and pray.:Let us hOt ,'et secure.:Let us hOt think if enou.g'h fo have got through one temptation well; through out vhole lire we are on tria.l. When one temptation is over, another cornes; and, 10erhaps, our having got through one well, xvill be the occasion of our fidling" under the next, if we be hOt on our guard; beeause if may make us seeure and confident., as if we had already eonquered, and were 5. Once more, how many are fi,ere, who, in a narrow grudging cold-hearted way, go by the letter of God's commandments, while they neglect the spirit! Instead of considering what Christ wishes them fo do, they take His words one by one, and will only accept them in their bare necessa W meaning. They do hot throv their hearts upon Scripture, and ry to consider if as the voice of, Living and Kind Lord and Master speaking o them, but they take if to mean as little as it can. They a.re wanfing in love. Saul was told to wait seven dayshe did wait seven days; and then he thought he mi,ht do wha he chose. He, in effeet, said to 8amuel, "I have donc just what you told lne." Yes, he fulfilled Samuel's directions literally and rigidly, but hot in the spirit of love. Had he loved the XVord of God, he would hot have been so preeise and exact in his reekoning, but would have waited still longer. And, in like malmer, persons now-a-days, imitating him, too often say, when taxed with any olTenee, " Why is if wrong? Where is it so said in 8eripture? Show us the text:" ail whieh only shows that they obey earnally, in the lettêr, and not in the spirit. How will all excuses, whieh sinners now make to blind and deaden their consciences, rail them in the Last Day! 8aul had his excuses for disobedienee. He did hot eonfess he was wrong, but he argued; but 8amuel with a word reproved, and eonvieted, and sileneed, and senteneed him. And so in the Day of Judgment all our actions will be tried as by tire. The

All-knowing', All-holy Judge, our Saviour Jcsus Christ, will sit on His hrone, and with the breath of Ilis mouth IIe will scattcr away all idle excuses on which meu now dcpcnd; and the secrets of men's hearts will be rcvealcd. Then shall be seen who if is that serveth God, and who serveth Him hot; who serve Him with the lips, who with the hcart; who arc hypocrites, and who are true. God give us gracc to be in thc numbcr of those whosc faith and whose love is without hypocrisy or prctence; who obey out of a pure hcart and a good conscience; who sincerely wish to kuow God's will; and who do it as far as they knov it!