CHAP. IV.
Let the Reader observe when KingSaulasked the Witch ofEndor,What Form the Gods was of, she had seen ascend out of the Earth; The Woman answered and said,An old Man with a Mantle, &c.ButSaulsaw nothing but as the Woman told him, andSaulbelieved her Words, and bowed himself to the Ground.——Now mind the 15th Verse, Samuelsaid toSaul,why hast thou disquieted me to bring me up; the Meaning is this, now the Witch had full Power overSaul, so that he did really believe the Witch, that she had indeed raised upSamuel, though he saw nothing——yet the Fear of being destroyed by thePhilistines, and the Belief of the Woman's Words,Samuelbegan to speak inSaul's Conscience; there came intoSaul's Mind the Words whichSamuelhad told him in his Life-time.——So that these was no speaking toSaulbySamuel, but the Reasonings ofSaul's own Heart; and these Voices thatSamuelspake toSaul, they were motional Voices that did arise inSaul's own Heart.——For an accusing Conscience will speak dreadful Voices in the Conscience; as the Blood ofAbelcried for Vengeance inCain's Conscience, and the Saints that were slain under the Altar; cried for Vengeance upon those that shed their Blood; so that a sinful Conscience will have Voices enough to torment him, though God himself, nor Prophet without him, doth never speak unto him. A guilty Conscience will speak with a motional Voice their great Terror and Torment, which is greater than can be born, as it was withCain,Saul, andJudas. Yea, it was Fear, and the Remembrance ofSaul's Disobedience toSamuel's Words in his Life-time, this did arise afresh inSaul's Mind, and spake with motional Voices inSaul's Conscience, accusing him for his Disobedience toSamuel's Words.
For the Remembrance ofSamuel's Words, may be said to disquietSamuel; forSamuel's Words were buried inSaul's Conscience.
But now, by his going to enquire of a Witch,Samuelis revived again inSaul's Mind, and thereSamuelspeaks Fear, Wrath, andTerror; forSamuel's Words spake inSaul's Conscience one motional Voice, and the Guilt ofSaul's Disobedience spake Fear and Horror inSaul's Conscience, this was a motional Voice inSaul's Conscience also; for the Voice of Truth will speak, or the Voice of Obedience, and the Voice of Sin and Disobedience will speak in Man's Conscience, as if they were two distinct Spirits.
This many guilty Consciences can witness, as we may read byCainthat killed his Brother, andJudasthat betrayed his Lord, and many others who hath been guilty of the like Crimes.
So that the Witch did raise noSamuel, nor Spirit, but a meer Shadow it was the Witch saw, which she could raise by her Art; neither was there anySamuelor Spirit not at all that did speak toSaul, but that motional Voice inSaul's Conscience as aforesaid.
And in this SenseSamuelmay be said to be disquieted; for ifSaulhad never gone to the Witch to enquire of her,Samuel's Words had been quiet inSaul; neither wouldSaulhave had such Reasonings in himself, nor have been so sensible of the Worm of his Conscience.
So that there was no Voice ofSamuelspoke untoSaul, but a motional Voice inSaul's own Mind or Conscience; his Fear and his Disobedience, and whatSamuelhad told him before, these all speaking with Voices in his wounded Conscience.Samuel's Words spake one Voice, and his own Disobedience spake another; so that the Witch ofEndordid neither raiseSamuel, but only made the King believe she did, neither didSamuelspeak to the King but as aforesaid.
For the Kingdom being rent out of his Hands, his Sons being destroyed, and all other Threatnings ofSamuel, they came intoSaul's Mind afresh with strong Motions, so that they became as Voices inSaul's Heart, as ifSamuelhad spake to the hearing of the Ear: For there was noSamuelraised, nor noSamuelspake, but what was motional in the Mind ofSaul, and what did visionally appear unto the Witch, which was a meer Shadow which she could produce by her Witchcraft-Art, to all those that were more ignorant than her self, or had Faith in her Power.