a For fear of her life, Saul himſelf being Witneſs of her Crime. o This ſhe knew, either by ſome geſture of Reverence,which this ſuppoſed Samael might thew to Saul as to the King : or, by infor- marion from this Ghoſt, or from the Spirit by whoſe help ſhe had raiſed him.
13 And the king ſaid unto her, Be not afraid : for what ſaweſt thou? And the woman ſaid unto Saul, I {aw || gods c aſcending out of rhe earth 4.
c i»e. A god, a divine Perſon, glorious, and full of majeſty and ſplendor, exceeding not only mortal Men, but common Ghoſts. She uſeth the Plural Number, gods, either after the manner of the Hebrew Language,which commonly uſeth that word of one Perſon: or, after the Language and Cuſtom of the Heathens, Bur the whole Coherence ſhows that it was but one. For Saul deſired bur one, v. 11. and he enquires, and the Woman anſwers only of one, V. 14. d As it it came from the place of the dead.
14 And he faid unto her, F What form 3s he of ? f Heb.
what is his
And ſhe ſaid, An old man cometh up, and he is cover- ed with a mantle e. And Saul perceived that it as Sa- muel f, and he ſtooped with his face to the ground,and bowed himfelf, | e The uſual Habir of Prophets, 2 Kings 2-8, rz. Zech; 13: 4: and particularly of Samuel, 1 Sam, 15. 27, f The Woman pretended, and Saul upon her Suggeſtion believed that ir was Sarmnel indeed; and fo many Popiſh, and fome other Writers conceived, Bur thar it was not Samuel, but the Devil repreſenting Samuel, is ſufficient- ly evident. For, Firſt, It is moſt incredible, that God, who had juſt now refuſed to an{wer Saul by the means which himſelf ap- pointed, and uſed in that cafe, would anſwer him, or ſuffer Same! ro anſwer him in that way,and upon th2 ufe of thoſe mcans which God dereſted and contemned : which would have given grear countenance and encouragement to Saul aud the Witch, and, all Profeilors and Conſulters of thoſe Devilliſth Arts. Secondly, There are divers paſſages in this Relation which plainly diſcover that this was no gcod, but an evil Spirit : As firft, That he receives that Worſhip trom $24/, v. 14 which good Spirits wou!d nor ſuffer, Revel. 19: 10. and 22, 8, 9. Secondly, Thar amongſt his other fins. for which he condemneth him, he omitreth this of askmg Counſel of one that had a ſamil:ar Spirit, ro enquire of it ; for which tranſereſſion, with others, he is exprefly faid ro have ded 1 Chron. 10. 13. Which the true Samuzl, who was ſo zealous for God's Honour, and ſo faithtul a Reprover, would never have negleQed, eſpecially now, when he takcs S2ul in the very Fat. Thirdly, Thar he pre- rends himſelf ro be diſquieted, and brought up, w. 15. by Saul's In- {rigation, and the Witches Art ; which is moſt falte, and impious, and abſurd ro imagine, concerning thoſe blefled Souls who are re- turned to their God, Eccleſ. 12. 7: and entred into peace and reſt, 1/a. 57. 2. and lodged in Abraham's bolom, Luk: 16. 22+ and reſt from their labours, Revel. 14. 13. The only Argument of any colour to the contrary, is only this, That the Devil could not lo particularly and punEtually diſcover S's future Events, as this Samuel doth, V, 19. But this alſo hath lictle weight in it; it being confeſſed and notoriouſly known, that evil Spirits both in the Oracles of the Hea- then, and otherwiſe, have oft-times foretold furure contingencies; God being pleafed to Reveal ſuch things to them, and to permir them to be the Inſtruments ofRevealing them to Men,for the trial of ſome, and for the terror and puniſhment of others. Beſides, the Devil might foreſee this by ſtrong conjeQures, as by the nu- merouſneſs, ttrength, courage, and reſoluteneſs of the Philiſtine Hoſt, and the quite contrary condition of the Iſraelites,and by di-
vers other ſymproms far above the reach of mortal Men,bur ſuch as |
he by his great Sagaciry could eaſily diſcern. And for that expreſs determination of the time, to merrow, wv. 19. that word may be un- derſtood nor of the very next day, bur indefinitely of ſome ſhort time after this, as it is taken, Exod. 13. 14. Deut. 6. 20. Joſ.q 6,21. And then it was eafie to gather from the preſent poſture of the rwoa Armies, that the Fight and the Ruine of the Iſ-aelites was very near. And that it was nor the very next day, bur ſome days after this, is evident from the courſe of the Story, and hath been proved by a late Learned Writer. See my Latin S;nopſ; on this place.
i5 T And Samuel faid to Saui, Why haſt thou dif- quieted me to bring meupg ? And Saul anſwered, I am {ore diſtreſſed ; for the Phiiiſtines make war a- gainſt me, and God is departed from me, and anſwer- eth me no more,neither + by prophets,nor by dreams4: therefore I have called the, that thou my cft make known unto me what 1 jtall do.
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Chap. XXV1illil
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xI% 1 $4 g As the Devil appeared in Samnel's Shape and Garb, ſo alſo he
ſpeaketh in his Perſon, that he might enſnare Saul, and encourage. others to ſeek to him in this wicked way. And God permirs him to do ſo for Saul's greater condemnation and puniſhment; þ He omitteth the Urim here, becauſe he neither did nor could enquire
by thar, becauſe Abiathar had carried it away ro David, and ſo he.
expe&ed no anſwer that way. | 16 Then ſaid Samuei, Wherefore then doſt thou ask
of me, ſeing the LORD is departed from thee, and
is become thine enemy ?
17 And the LORD hath done || to him 3, * as he
Tpake by + me & : for the LORD hath rent the kingdom
out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, ever
to David : ;
7 i. e. To David, as it is explained in the following words. The Pronoun Relative put before the Noun to which it belongs, as 15 uſual in the Hebrew Text, as Pſal, 87. 1. and 105+ 19. Prov. 7. 7, 8+ Jer. 40: 5. Otherwiſe, to him, is put for zo thee; ſuch changes of Perſons being frequent among the Hebrews, Orhe: wile, for himſelf, 7. e. for the accompliſhment of his Counſel, and Predi@tion. and Oath, and for the Glory of his Juſtice 2nd holineſs. k Still he nou- riſheth this perſwaſion in Saul, that it was the truc S27zue! that ipake to him. |
18 * Becauſe thou obeyedſt not the voice of the