St. Augustine, Of the citie of God vvith the learned comments of Io. Lod. Viues. Englished by I.H.

The Kingdome of Israell, rent: prefiguring the perpetuall diui∣sion betweene the spirituall and carnall Israell. CHAP. 7.

SAul fell againe by (a) disobedience, and Samuell told him againe from God, Thou hast cast off the Lord and the Lord hath cast off thee, that thou shalt no more bee King of Israell. Now Saul confessing this sinne, and praying for pardon, and that * 1.1 Samuell would go with him to intreat the Lord. Not I (saith Samuell) thou hast cast off the Lord, &c. And Samuell turned him-selfe to depart, and Saul held him by the lappe of his coate, and it rent. Then, quoth Samuell, the Lord hath rent the Kingdome of Israell from thee this day, and hath giuen it vnto thy neighbor which is better then thee: and Israell shall bee parted into two, and shall no more bee vnited, nor hee is not a man that hee should repent, &c. Now hee vnto whome these words were said, ruled Israell fourty yeares, euen as long as Dauid, and yet was told this in the beginning of his Kingdome; to shew vs that none of his race should reigne after him, and to turne our eyes vppon the line of Dauid, whence Christ our mediator tooke his humanity. Now the originall read not this place as the Latines doe: The Lord shall rend the Kingdome of Israell from thee this day, but, the Lord hath rent, &c. from thee, that is from Israell, so that this man was a type of Israell, that was to loose the Kingdome as soone as Christ came with the New Testament, to rule spiritually, not carnally. Of whome these wordes, and hath giuen it vnto thy neighbour, sheweth the consanguinity with Israell in the flesh, and so with Saul: and that following, who is better then thee, implyeth not any good in Saul, or Israell, but that which the Psalme saith: vntill I make thine enemies thy footstoole, whereof Israell the persecutor (whence Christ rent the Kingdome) was * 1.2 one. Although there were Israell the wheat amongst Israell the chaffe also: for the Apostles were thence, and Stephen with a many Martyrs besides, and from their seed grew up so many Churches as Saint Paul reckoneth, all glory fiing God in his conuersion. And that which followeth, Israell shall bee parted into two, con∣cerning this point assuredly, namely, into Israell Christs friend, and Israell Christs foe: into Israell the free woman and Israell the slaue. For these two were first vnited, Abraham accompanying with his maid vntill his wiues barrennesse being fruitfull, she cryed out, Cast out the bondwoman & her sonne. Indeed because of Salo∣mons sin, we know that in his sonne Roboams time Israell diuided it selfe into two parts, and either had a King, vntill the Chaldeans came & subdued and ren-versed all. But what was this vnto Saul? Such an euen was rather to be threatned vnto Dauid, Salomons father: And now in these times, the Hebrews are not diuided, but dispersed all ouer the world, continuing on still in their errour. But that diui∣sion that God threatned vnto Saul, who was a figure of this people, was a pre∣monstration of the eternall irreuocable separation, because presently it follow∣eth: And shall no more bee vnited, nor repent of it, for it is no man, that it should re∣pent: Mans threatnings are transitory: but what God once resolueth is irremoue∣able. For where wee read that God repented, it portends an alteration of things out of his eternall prescience. And likewise where hee did not, it portends a fixing of things as they are. So here wee see the diuision of Israell, perpetuall and irre∣uocable, * 1.3 grounded vppon this prophecy. For they that come from thence to Christ, or contrary, were to doe so by Gods prouidence, though humaine conc•…•… cannot apprehend it: and their separation is in the spirit also, not in the flesh. And those Israelites that shall stand in Christ vnto the end, shall neuer per•…•…

with those that stayed with his enemies vnto the end, but be (as it is here said) 〈◊〉〈◊〉 seperate. For the Old Testament of Sina, begetting in bondage, shall doe * 1.4 them no good, nor any other, further then confirmeth the New. Otherwise; as long as Moses is read, (d) the vaile is drawne ouer their hearts: and when they 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to Christ, then is remooued. For the thoughts of those that passe from 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to him, are changed, and bettered in their passe: and thence, their felicitie 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 is spirituall, no more carnall. Wherefore the great Prophet Samuel 〈◊〉〈◊〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 had annointed Saul, when hee cryed to the Lord for Israel, and hee •…•…d him: and when hee offered the burnt offering, (the Philistins comming against Israell, and the Lord thundred vpon them and scattered them, so that they fell before Israell): tooke (e) a stone, and placed it betweene the (f) two * 1.5 Maspha's, the Old and the New, and named the place Eben Ezer, that is, the stone of 〈◊〉〈◊〉: saying, Hetherto the L•…•… hath helped vs: that stone, is the mediation of our 〈◊〉〈◊〉, by which wee come from the Old Maspha to the New, from the thought of a carnall kingdome in all felicitie, vnto the expectation of a crowne of spiri∣•…•… glory, (as the New Testamen•…•… teacheth vs,) and seeing that that is the sum •…•…ope of all, euen •…•…itherto hath God helped vs.

L. VIVES.

B•…•…) disobedience] For being commanded by Samuel from God, to kill all the Amalechites 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and beast, hee tooke Agag the King aliue, and droue away a multitude of Cattle. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lappe of his coate] Diplois is any double garment. (c) The Lord hath rent] Shall rend, * 1.6 •…•…us: But, hath rent, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, it is in the LXX. (d) The vaile] The vaile that Moi∣•…•… •…•…ed his face, was a tipe of that where-with the Iewes couer their hearts, vntill they bee 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. Corinth. 3. (e) Astone] Iosephus saith, that hee placed it, at Charron, and called 〈◊〉〈◊〉. lib. 6. (f) The two Maspha's] Maspha the Old stood betweene the tribes of Gad * 1.7 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ Hier. de loc. Hebraic. There is another in the tribe of Iuda, as you goe North-ward 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…lia, in the confines of Eleutheropolis. Maspha is, contemplation, or speculation. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 write it, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1. Sam. 15.
• * 1.2

  Psa. 110. 2.
• * 1.3

  Gods re∣pentance, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• * 1.4

  Gal. 4. 1. Cor. 3.
• * 1.5

  1. Sam 7.
• * 1.6

  Diplois.
• * 1.7

  Maspha.