---

How may we discriminate between a merely seeming repentance and genuine penitence? There is hardly a passage of Scripture which could render us mere decided assistance than that portion of Saul's history which here claims attention.

I. WE SEE THAT THOUGH THERE WAS CONFESSION, IT WAS NOT MADE UNTIL SAUL WAS ACTUALLY COMPELLED TO MAKE IT, BECAUSE THE EVIDENCE OF HIS SIN WAS INCONTROVERTIBLY CLEAR. We see that the confession is wrung from him inch by inch, end if, only comes at last when, as far as the facts were concerned, it made no difference whether be confessed or not, for he was proved to be guilty. We discover at once, in this circumstance, the opposite of that state of mind which feels the weight of personal sin, and which longs to unburden itself; and, as we compare it with that scripture (Proverbs 28:13) we are compelled to regard Saul's action rather as a bungling attempt to cover his sin — an attempt which, after all, did not succeed — than as that unburdening of conscious guilt which is alone consistent with true penitence.

II. A SECOND PROOF AGAINST SAUL'S REAL PENITENCE IS HIS ATTEMPT TO PALLIATE THE CRIME WHICH HE HAD CONFESSED, BY THROWING THE BLAME ON OTHER PERSONS — "The people took of the spoil." According to his own view, he was more to be pitied than blamed — "I feared the people, and obeyed their voice."

III. A THIRD PROOF AGAINST SAUL WAS HIS GREATER ANXIETY TO HAVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SAMUEL THAN TO RECEIVE THE PARDON OF GOD — the prominent place he gave to the one above the other consideration. "Now, therefore. I pray thee, pardon my sin. and turn again with me. that I may worship the Lord." What argued that postponement of God's pardon till he was reconciled to man — what but that he treated it as a matter which did not press immediately, which could be arranged subsequently? Could any real mourner for sin have felt thus? with such a penitent, is not the thought of God the One exciting, all-pervading idea in his contrition? How strange the contrast presented by the case before us, to that view of sincere repentance of which the Psalmist was the subject! There was fervour, indeed, in Saul, but fervour in the wrong direction. He would press his point with the prophet, and gain forgiveness if he could, but Samuel "turned about to go away."

IV. A FOURTH CIRCUMSTANCE WHICH THROWS SUSPICION ON THE PENITENCE OF SAUL — THE MANNER IN WHICH HE SHOWED THAT ALL HIS DESIRE WAS TO STAND WELL IN PUBLIC ESTIMATION. He had evidently forfeited his claim on the good opinion of those around him. It was to be expected that, having lost the favour of God, he would lose the regard of those around him. That must be an evil state of things which would enable a wrong-doer to obtain from public opinion an award in his favour; and what must have become of the cause of integrity — of honour — of justice — of all that is excellent, where, by reason of the low state of moral feeling, the voice of society is no longer heard to pronounce its verdict, distinctly and emphatically, against evil-doers and in praise of those who do well. In this respect, every community incurs a deep responsibility. To a rightly-constituted mind, even the favourable verdict of public opinion would be of little worth, except as it, echoed the verdict of the court of heaven. This is the highest acquisition, "favour with God and man;" but the latter always in subordination to the former, never as a substitute for it. Saul reckoned that the people would think the better of him if he still ranked among the worshippers of God; he knew that to have given this up would have told effectually against him. There was something even beyond this. He knew that very much of the success of any effort which he might make to keep his place in the good opinion of the community would depend upon the way in which he was treated by Samuel. We blame not Saul for being anxious about, public esteem, but we do blame him for being more solicitous about this than about God's judgment.

(J. A. Miller.)

---

---

KJV: Then he said, I have sinned: yet honour me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God.

WEB: Then he said, "I have sinned: yet please honor me now before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and come back with me, that I may worship Yahweh your God."