o many and so
fat, and be the presents they make him ever so ornamental, nay, though
they were made of gold and silver themselves, but he will reject them,
and esteem them instances of wickedness, and not of piety. And that he
is delighted with those that still bear in mind this one thing, and this
only, how to do that, whatsoever it be, which God pronounces or commands
for them to do, and to choose rather to die than to transgress any of
those commands; nor does he require so much as a sacrifice from them.
And when these do sacrifice, though it be a mean oblation, he better
accepts of it as the honor of poverty, than such oblations as come from
the richest men that offer them to him. Wherefore take notice, that thou
art under the wrath of God, for thou hast despised and neglected what
he commanded thee. How dost thou then suppose that he will respect a
sacrifice out of such things as he hath doomed to destruction? unless
perhaps thou dost imagine that it is almost all one to offer it in
sacrifice to God as to destroy it. Do thou therefore expect that thy
kingdom will be taken from thee, and that authority which thou hast
abused by such insolent behavior, as to neglect that God who bestowed
it upon thee." Then did Saul confess that he had acted unjustly, and did
not deny that he had sinned, because he had transgressed the injunctions
of the prophet; but he said that it was out of a dread and fear of the
soldiers, that he did not prohibit and restrain them when they seized on
the prey. "But forgive me," said he, "and be merciful to me, for I will
be cautious how I offend for the time to come." He also entreated the
prophet to go back with him, that he might offer his thank-offerings
to God; but Samuel went home, because he saw that God would not be
reconciled to him.

5. But then Saul was so desirous to retain Samuel, that he took hold
of his cloak, and because the vehemence of Samuel's departure made the
motion to be violent, the cloak was rent. Upon which the prophet said,
that after the same manner should the kingdom be rent from him, and that
a good and a just man should take it; that God persevered in what he
had decreed about him; that to be mutable and changeable in what is
determined, is agreeable to human passions only, but is not agreeable to
the Divine Power. Hereupon Saul said that he had been wicked, but that
what was done could not be undone: he therefore desired him to honor
him so far, that the multitude