,transcribed from the #ahaf ,r4 ,thomas 
edition by ,david ,price1 email         
ccx#jgdpglaf4org                        
,picture3 ,public domain book cover     
,a                                 ,,few
 ,,remarks                              
,,on ,,the                              
,scripture ,history                     
,,of                                    
,,saul1                                 
,,and                            ,,the  
,,witch ,,of ,,endor1                   
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,by ,j4 ,,church1                      
,,surry ,,tabernacle4                   
99 99 99 99 99                  ,,try   
,,the ,,spirits ,,whether ,,they ,,be   
,,of ,,god4--,john4           ,,for     
,,satan ,,transformeth ,,himself ,,into 
,,an ,,angel ,,of ,,light4--,paul4      
,,what ,,will ,,ye ,,do ,,in ,,the ,,day
 ,,of ,,your ,,visitation1 ,,where      
,,will ,,ye                             
,,flee ,,for ,,help4--,isaiah4          
99 99 99 99 99                          

,sold in the ,vestry4                   
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,southwark2               ,,printed    
,,by ,r4 ,,thomas1 ,,red ,,lion         
,,street1 ,,borough4                    
#ahaf4                                  
99 99 99 99 99          ,,remarks  ,,on 
,,the ,,scripture ,,history ,,of        
,,saul1 c4                8,,woe ,,also 
,,to ,,them ,,when ,i ,,depart ,,from   
,,them40  ,hosea ix1 #ab4               
8,,god ,,is ,,departed ,,from ,,me1     
,,and ,,answereth ,,me ,,not40          
#a ,sam4 xxviii4 #ae4           ,to all 
those who love the ,lord ,jesus ,christ 
in ,sincerity4    ,,beloved1    ,,it is 
your mercy the divine ,spirit is the    
glorifier of ,jesus2 that he has  set   
him forth in his word as the ,christ of 
,god2 what he is1 what he has  done1 and
 what he has graciously said to his     
people4  ,this is the work of  our      
faith1 to receive as we need1 these     
things1 all the way to heaven4    ,the  
person of ,jesus is the delight of the  

,father1 the glory of heaven1  and the  
foundation of the ,church1 considered as
 ,god-man ,mediator4--,the  glories of  
his person is revealed in the word1 but 
we must die to see  them in full        
perfection1 and no doubt that will be an
 heaven worth dying  for3 but blessed be
 ,god we are not wholly in the dark     
about these  excellencies1 so runs the  
promise1 ,they shall all know me1 from  
the  least to the greatest4--,his person
 is truly blessed2 his love is          
immutable2 his work is honorable and    
glorious1 exactly suited to all the     
necessities1 of his people4  ,his       
covenant engagements1 his precious      
offices1 his sweet titles and           
characters1 the ,father's gracious      
acceptance of the work he accomplished1 
and to which he had called and          
appointed him4  ,these1 and a thousand  
more interesting points1 are set  forth 
as matters of our faith1 and the food of
 our souls4  ,his  everlasting          
righteousness is our justification1 his 

precious  blood-shedding is our         
atonement1 and his prevalent            
intercession at the  ,father's          
right-hand1 is the basis of our hope1   
and the ground of our  acceptance4--,i  
say again1 my dear friends in ,jesus1   
what a mercy6  ,this is  our refuge1 our
 remedy1 our joy1 our triumph1 our      
present and eternal  all3 and that we   
have the most important evidence of     
interest in these  capital blessings1 by
 being led from every other refuge2 and 
under a  sense1 a daily view of our     
need1 we are enabled to fly for a       
refuge1 to  lay hold on this hope2 nor  
can we have a pain1 a sorrow1 a cross1 a
  misery of any kind1 from sin1 ,satan  
or the world1 but the holy ,spirit      
designs thereby really to endear the    
,lord ,jesus to us1 as he is revealed   
in the word4  ,there is another most    
blessed consideration for our faith1    
viz4 ,what ,jesus has graciously said to
 his people1 in all the precious        
declarations of the ,father's love2 the 

evidence he has given of this in  the   
gift of the dear ,son1 to obey1 suffer1 
and die--the declarative  evidence of   
his own love1 in his willingness to     
accomplish the work of  redemption2 and 
blessing his people with the gift of the
 holy ,spirit1 as  the principal        
evidence of interest in his love and    
work4  ,his precious  invitations to    
poor1 needy1 helpless1 lost1 wandering1 
undone sinners1  who being in the least 
imaginable degree convinced of their    
state1 they  are invited to him1 with   
the most comfortable assurance of       
salvation2  which assurance of1 and to  
faith1 will1 in due time1 produce the   
comfortable assurance of sense4  ,his   
promises are exceeding  glorious--hence 
the ,church declared1 after a beautiful1
 tho' enigmatical  description of her   
,beloved1 ,his mouth is most sweet4     
,the promises are  very precious1 yea1  
the ,apostle calls them exceeding       
precious--they are  exactly adapted to  
our cases1 let them be what they may3 if

 thirsting for  the consolations of the 
,spirit1 ,jesus says1 ,i will pour water
 on him1  and floods on the dry ground4 
,if ready to give up all1 having waited 
long to little purpose1 he says1 ,the   
vision is for an appointed time1  at the
 end it will speak4  ,if a soul is      
groaning under guilt1 he says1  ,i will 
he merciful to your unrighteousness1 and
 your sins and  iniquities ,i will      
remember no more4  ,if we feel our sins 
too strong for  us1 he promises he will 
subdue them4  ,if we are made sensible  
of our  backsliding1 he says1 ,i will   
heal your backslidings4  ,if in great   
difficulties1 and we know not which way 
to get out of them1 he says1 ,i  will   
bring the blind by a way they know not3 
,i will guide thee with  mine eye4  ,if 
harrassed by the ,devil1 he promises to 
bruise him under  our feet shortly4  ,if
 complaining of hardness of heart1 he   
says1 ,i will  give you a new one--and  
if full of fears1 he declares he will be
 an  hiding place in every storm2 and if

 we feel as if we were forsaken of      
,god2 and are actually forsaken of      
friends1 relatives1 acquaintance1 and   
both professor and possessor shun us2   
and suppose every ray of sensible       
comfort gone1 yet1 he cannot1 will not  
leave or forsake you2 for he hath  said1
 ,i will never1 never1 leave you3 ,i    
will never1 no1  never1 no never1       
forsake you6 for so the learned say it  
is in the  original1 not less than five 
times mentioned4  ,how sweet the        
thought6--so  that we may confidently   
sing--        ,the soul that on ,jesus  
bath lean'd for repose1      ,he can    
not1 he will not forsake to his foes2   
,that soul though all ,hell should      
endeavor to shake1      ,he'll never1 no
 never1 no never1 forsake6    ,and he is
 not a man that he should lie1 nor the  
son of man1 that he  should repent4     
,let our faith plead these things1 and  
may we rejoice in  him who is the       
faithful ,god--he never can leave or    
forsake his dear  ,children1 his ,bride1

 his jewels1 his crown1 his honour1 his 
glory1 his  own flesh and blood4  ,this 
is our security and our triumph4  ,his  
love  cannot change2 his nature is      
immutable2 his purposes cannot be       
broken2  the bond of union cannot be    
dissolved2 he is one with them1 he is in
  them1 and they are engraven on his    
heart1 on his arms1 and on the palms  of
 his hands2 and he has sworn1 ,because1 
or ,as ,i live you shall live  also4    
,yet there may be some apparent         
forsakings1 these are chiefly           
imaginary2 yet they have caused these   
sad complaints--,why hidest thou thy    
face1 ,o ,lord8  ,zion said1 ,the ,lord 
hath forsaken me--my ,god hath          
forgotten me6  ,the ,lord may depart    
from his people1 in the suspensions  of 
his keeping hand2 and the light of his  
countenance1 the sense of his  favour1  
and the divine comforts of his          
spirit--this may be seen in the sad     
tale of the fall1 of the children of    
,god1 especially in the history of      

,sampson1 of whom it is written1 that he
 went out to shake himself1 as at  other
 times1 and he wist not that the ,lord  
was departed from him3 the  ,lord may   
seem as if he had forsaken his people   
when he delays answering  prayer2 when  
the soul is shut up for a season2 when  
sin prevails2 when no  power is felt    
under the word2 when providences are    
dark2 when temptations  are strong2 when
 the ,church is under long persecution2 
and when distress  abound4  ,thus we may
 be partially forsaken2 but faith can   
still triumph  in this--,what shall     
separate us from the love of ,christ8   
,david still  loved his ,absalom1 though
 he refused him the sight of his face4  
,the loss  of the light of ,god's       
countenance1 loudly proclaims the       
direful effects  of the believer's sin1 
sloth1 and unbelief--,o6 for grace to   
fly from sin  as from the face of a     
,serpent--,o6 for grace to cleave to    
,jesus  continually4  ,but the ,lord may
 be said to leave a man1 when he        

withdraws  his sustaining1 creative1    
providential hand1 as in the case of    
some who  are lunatic2 of others who    
push into dreadful crimes1 and suffer   
for  them2 and of others1 who are left  
to their own pride and despair1 and who 
rush headlong1 by their own hands1 into 
an awful eternity4  ,it is a mercy  for 
a natural man to be kept by the almighty
 power of ,god1 even as the  ,god of    
nature4  ,the ,lord may be said to leave
 a people1 when they have  slighted the 
,gospel1 rejected his servants1 despised
 his ordinances1 and  wholly cast out   
his messages of love to his people4     
,this we all know was  the case with the
 ,jews1 which is to be seen to this day3
 ,god has given  them up to their own   
blindness1 pride1 prejudice1 and enmity2
 and no  doubt they will remain so till 
the fulness of the ,gentiles be come in4
  ,hence he has said1 ,i will drive them
 out of my house4  ,yea1 woe is  to them
 when ,i depart from them4  ,your sin   
remaineth4  ,behold your  house is left 

unto you desolate1 until ye shall say1  
blessed is he  that cometh in the name  
of the ,lord4  ,but finally2 the ,lord  
has left  some individuals to           
themselves1 who have come into a        
profession1 and who  have1 uncalled1    
claimed the ,lord as theirs2 who have   
been awfully proud1  arrogant1 lovers of
 themselves1 heady1 high minded1 and    
cruelly envious  of others2 whose hearts
 were never truly humbled2 whose enmity 
was never  slain2 whose secret prejudice
 was never subdued2 nor were such taught
 out  of either the ,law1 the ,gospel1  
or affliction3 such may have wonderful  
talents1 but no love of ,god1 of        
,christ1 or the ,spirit2 no real love to
  the word of ,god1 the house of ,god1  
the people of ,god1 or the operations   
of the grace of ,god4  ,such may make a 
fair shew in the flesh1 for a  season2  
may be useful in some external things to
 others1 as the  scaffolding to a       
building1 which will be taken away when 
the building is  compleat2 and if not   

immediately by death1 yet will1 sooner  
or later1  take offence and stumble at  
the word1 leave their profession1 find  
their  gifts wither2 hide that talent in
 a napkin2 mount the scorner's chair2 go
  from bad to worse2 stab religion in   
its vitals1 and are by and by1 given  up
 to a fearful looking for of judgment   
and fiery indignation4  ,such  awful    
characters there have been1 and it would
 be well if the world did  not groan    
with many at the present time4  ,such   
cannot be said to fall  from grace      
received1 alas1 they had none--but only 
from a presumptuous  confidence1 a      
feigned faith1 a false zeal1 and an     
hypocritical hope2 and  surely nobody in
 their right mind1 can call these things
 ,grace1 however  ,god makes use of them
 for a season1 and then leaves them to  
their own  heart's pride and cruelty2   
and the awful source of such things is1 
in  general1 black despair4  ,this was  
partly the sad case of ,,saul1 which ,i 
now present to my friends1 that the     

affecting story may excite fear1 and    
self-examination2 gratitude and praise  
for distinguishing grace and  mercy4    
,doubtless much has been and may be     
said1 in commendation of some  actions  
in ,saul's life1 but the review of his  
religious character is  truly sad1 nor  
can any one suppose1 for a single       
moment1 he ever  possessed the grace of 
,god in truth2 for surely that grace    
saves a soul  from the curse of the     
,law1 the guilt of sin1 the damnation of
 hell1 and  the power of ,satan3        
converting grace saves us from the      
world1 self1 and a  form of godliness2  
the grace of faith saves from damning   
unbelief2 the  grace of hope from       
wretched despair2 and the grace of love 
from the  carnal enmity of the heart2   
leads us to love ,god1 ,christ1 and the 
,holy  ,spirit2 teaches us to love his  
word and ways1 and to love all that love
  ,jesus1 who bear his image1 and serve 
him in godly sincerity4  ,but none of   
these marks of the elect were found in  

,saul3 not faith1 because he  daily     
manifested his intention to destroy the 
promised ,messiah1 who was  ,david's    
offspring1 as well as ,david's ,lord2   
nor hope1 for he died in  awful despair3
 nor love1 for his soul was filled with 
carnal entity  against the love of ,god2
 nor access to ,god2 nor a spirit of    
supplication2  nor the grace of         
patience2 nor humility2 nor resignation 
to the will of  ,god2 and being         
destitute of those things1 his end was  
according to his  works4  ,he was a     
slave to his sin1 but ,god's children   
are set at liberty  from these things1  
that they should not serve sin2 and can 
there be  greater sin in the sight of   
,god than envy1 hatred1 and malice in   
the  heart against the children of ,god8
 impossible6    ,this poor unhappy man  
was the son of ,kish1 a ,benjamite4     
,the children of  ,israel1 to be like   
the nations around them1 loudly called  
out for a ,king1  which ,god gave in his
 anger and took away in his wrath4      

,samuel was  appointed to anoint ,saul2 
he then assembled the ,hebrews to       
receive their  new king2 the people     
shouted1 and wished him joy4  ,a spirit 
of prophecy  fell on him at times1 which
 astonished many1 but it does not appear
 to  have been in a covenant way1 so    
that no one appears to have reaped any  
benefit from his talent4  ,coming to the
 kingdom1 ,god furnished him with       
natural abilities for the government of 
the people4  ,hence it is said1  ,god   
gave him another heart--not the new     
heart and the right spirit he  has      
promised his people1 but a mind capable 
of managing the affairs of a  kingdom4  
,soon after this advancement1 ,saul     
distinguished himself in some  very     
great exploits1 but fell an awful victim
 to his pride1 which was  manifested in 
his envying ,david1 whose fame began to 
spread among his  people4  ,who can     
stand before envy8  ,after ,god had so  
particularly  honoured ,david1 ,saul's  
sun set at noon day1 while light was    

rising on  ,david1 never to go dawn4    
,the enmity of ,saul was great indeed1  
which set  him upon the awful act of    
murder2 this infernal intention he      
prosecuted  till the last stage of his  
life1 and finding ,david had taken      
shelter  among the ,philistines1 he gave
 over thoughts of getting him destroyed4
  ,about the year of the world three    
thousand and forty nine1 the            
,philistines invaded his kingdom1 and   
encamped in the very heart of it1       
perhaps at the very time he was         
troubling the afflicted ,david4  ,saul  
now  fell into the deepest distress of  
mind2 his measure was now1 nearly       
filled up1 and a righteous ,god was now 
about to take vengeance on him for  his 
disobedience in the matter of the       
,amalekites2 his horrid cruelty in  the 
murder of the priests and their         
families2 and his enmity to ,david1 of  
course to ,david's ,god4  ,despair      
seizing his soul and preying on his     
spirits1 he first calls on ,god1 but    

most probably not in the appointed  way2
 nor did he wait ,god's answer1 but fled
 from him in the pride of his  heart1   
and applied to the devil and his        
daughter1 the ,witch of ,endor1 for     
relief to his mind4  ,sad refuge1       
miserable comforters indeed6  ,he wanted
  to see and speak with ,samuel the     
,prophet1 whom he had neglected and     
disobeyed in his life time1 and         
therefore as ,god was departed from him1
  nor would answer him1 he was          
determined1 in defiance of ,jehovah1 to 
seek  redress1 from the ,devil4  ,the   
,witch1 no doubt1 retiring to another   
apartment than that in which ,saul was1 
used her spells and enchantments1  to   
bring up the pretended ,samuel1 who     
first told her who her client was1      
which made her cry out1 ,thou art ,saul1
 come to me in disguise4  ,after  ,saul 
had assured her no harm should come to  
her1 of course she had  nothing to fear 
from man1 and no doubt much conversation
 took place1  which is not recorded1    

between the ,witch and ,saul4  ,but he  
being in  haste1 asked her what she saw 
when she had used her spells4  ,she     
answered  and said1 ,i saw gods         
ascending out of the earth3 the learned 
say it is  not a plural1 but ought to be
 rendered a god--,angels1 and           
,magistrates used  to be so called4     
,this idea of the singular number is    
supported by the  question1 ,what form  
is he of8  ,and the ,witch said1 ,an old
 man with a  mantle4  ,she did not say  
she saw ,samuel1 nor did the ,ghost say 
it was2  and it is queried whether ,saul
 saw the spectre at all2 but he bowed   
himself to the ground2 perhaps to hear  
what the spectre had to say1 as  their  
speech was called muttering2 or if ,saul
 saw the figure1 then the  conversation 
that passed is recorded1 at least part  
of it4  ,the spectre  pretends he was   
,samuel in a glorified state2 and that  
,saul had disquieted  him4  ,he told him
 that ,saul and his sons should be with 
him the next day4  ,he then brought up  

some of his sins1 and charged them home 
to his  conscience1 in order to drive   
him into desperation3 this made ,saul   
faint  in the house of the ,witch1 and  
he could scarcely be prevailed on to    
take  any refreshment4  ,he then        
travelled all night to his troops4      
,when the  battle was fought1 the       
,hebrews were routed1 but they          
maintained a running  fight till they   
came to ,gilboa1 where the enemy        
overpowered them2 three  of ,saul's sons
 were slain2 ,saul being pressed by the 
enemy be begged his  ,armour-,bearer to 
run him through with his sword1 which he
 refusing1 ,saul  took his owe sword and
 fell upon it1 and went to his place4   
,the subject  of enquiry is the         
,circumstance of his application to a   
,witch to raise up  ,samuel4  ,many have
 been1 and still are of opinion1 that it
 was really  ,samuel the ,prophet1 the  
man of ,god2 the principal reason why   
even some  good men are of this opinion 
is1 simply1 on account of the prophecy4 

,the  question with them is1 how could  
,satan foretel what would happen to     
,saul8  ,i shall therefore shew the very
 important reasons why ,i think the     
appearance was not the true ,samuel4    
#bndly1 shew the possibility of ,satan  
knowing what would shortly befal ,saul4 
#crdly1 produce the testimony of  some  
of the best writers on this subject4    
,the whole circumstance we find recorded
 in the first book of ,samuel1 #bhth    
chap4 which ,i humbly conceive1 if      
attentively read1 and well weighed in   
the mind1 it will appear evident that   
the spectre which appeared to ,saul1    
could not be the true ,samuel4  ,i state
 my reason to those friends of  mine who
 are not clear in their judgments on    
this subject1 and request  their        
attention to the following observations3
    ,first1 that it is believed that the
 woman at ,endor was really a ,witch2   
this is not doubted by any2 and surely  
every person who is conversant  with    
their ,bible1 must remember that        

,jehovah forbid1 on pain of ,death1  the
 practice of ,witchcraft1 ,divination1  
,necromancy1 or consulting the  dead4   
,hence the command1 ,thou shalt not     
suffer a ,witch to live4  ,as  they     
rejected the ,most ,high1 and sought to 
devils1 the sworn foes of ,god  and his 
,saints2 therefore it is absurd to      
suppose that ,god would  countenance    
such a practice in ,saul's              
case4--,second1 ,it is evident ,god  has
 absolutely refused to answer ,saul1 and
 if he got any answer from the  other   
world at all1 ,god did not send it2 then
 ,satan must either send  it1 or come   
himself4--,third1 ,it is declared ,god  
would not answer him by  ,prophets2 and 
we all know ,samuel was a ,prophet2 then
 it could be no true  prophet of        
,god4--,fourth1 ,the scriptures declare 
that ,saul died for his  transgressions1
 which he committed against the ,lord2  
and also for asking  counsel of one that
 hath a familiar spirit1 to enquire of  
it1 and  enquired not of the ,lord1     

therefore he slew him4--#ast ,chron4    
#ajth  chapter4  ,let this divine       
testimony suffice that he did not       
enquire of  the ,lord--then he must have
 enquired of the ,devil4--,fifth1 ,we   
have no  authority to believe that it   
ever was in the power of the ,devil1 or 
his  ,daughter1 a ,witch1 to disturb a  
,saint in heaven2 or to raise up a body 
from the grave4--,sixth1 ,to take them  
out of the hands of ,christ1 or the     
bosom of his felicity4--,seventh1 ,had  
it been the true ,samuel1 he would  not 
have said he came up from the earth1 but
 rather that he came from               
above4--,eighth1 ,no ,believer can for a
 single moment1 admit that a  glorified 
saint could be subject to hellish       
enchantment4--,ninth1 ,nor is  it       
reasonable to suppose that ,god would   
answer ,saul by a dead prophet1  when he
 refused to answer him by a living one2 
or that ,god would send a  ,prophet from
 heaven upon such an errand as this at  
the motion of a  ,witch4--,tenth1 ,nor  

would ,samuel1 the true ,prophet1 have  
admitted such  worship and homage to be 
paid to him as the ,devil               
did4--,eleventh1 ,if it  had been the   
true ,prophet1 he would have reproved   
him for the sin of  asking counsel of a 
,witch1 as well as other sins he accused
 him  of4--,twelfth1 ,had it been the   
true ,samuel he would have advised him  
to  go by humble confession to the      
,lord1 and wait on him for pardoning    
mercy4    ,from these observations1 ,i  
think1 it cannot be reasonably supposed 
to be  ,samuel1 the true ,prophet of    
,god4  ,that there have been appearances
 of  spectres ,i doubt not1 but ,i      
cannot suppose for a moment1 that they  
are  the real souls of the departed1 but
 either their guardian angels or        
infernal spirits1 sent on errands we    
know nothing of in this lower world2    
but this ,i leave1 and only remark that 
in this case of the wretched1           
despairing ,saul1 that ,satan1 with whom
 the ,witch of ,endor was very          

familiar1 could easily transform himself
 into a grave old man1 with a  mantle1  
when the scriptures declare he can      
transform himself into an  ,angel of    
,light1 which must be a greater work4   
,it is evident he is now1  and has been 
for many years1 worshipped by ,heathens1
 in many forms1  witness the idols which
 are made and adored abroad1 in which   
form1 no  doubt1 ,satan has often       
appeared to his familiars4  ,as to his  
being called  ,samuel1 many who have    
been possessed of the devil are called  
prophets1 as  well as many who are      
destitute of grace have been called     
christians2 but  what appears to stagger
 some of my friends the most is1 how    
,satan could  know future events1 and   
predict them to ,saul4  ,but surely     
there was no  such a great mystery in   
this1 when it was well known the evil   
spirits1 in  the oracles of the heathen1
 and in others1 have told future events4
  ,besides1 ,satan well knew the numbers
 and strength of the enemies that  came 

up against ,saul's army4  ,no doubt     
,satan has much to do in a field of     
,battle4  ,likewise ,satan well knew    
that ,god had left ,saul1 and could then
  easily tell that it must go bad with  
him and his armies4  ,there wanted no   
conjurer to tell that1 nor need ,samuel 
come from heaven to predict it4         
,balaam1 the wizard1 who went several   
times to consult the devil about        
cursing the children of ,israel1 was    
obliged to turn ,prophet1 and foretold  
the coming of ,christ1 and the glories  
of his kingdom2 the destruction of  the 
enemies of the ,church1 and his own     
awful end1 ,i shall see him1 but  not   
now--7that is1 when he comes to         
judgment47  ,i shall behold him1  but   
not nigh--7when he lifted up his eyes in
 hell74  ,besides1 ,god often  permits  
,satan1 as the ,prince of the ,power of 
the ,air1 to foresee the ruin  of men1  
as in the case of ,ahab4  ,see #ast4    
,kings1 #bbnd ,chap4 xx1 xxii  verses2  
and ,satan1 in a man1 may predict his   

own ruin1 or the ruin of  others4  ,this
 may be seen in the case of ,haman1 in  
the book of ,esther1  #fth ,chap4 xiii1 
xiv verses4  ,but what was the          
prediction of the ,devil in  ,samuel's  
appearance8  ,thou and thy sons shall be
 with me to-morrow4  ,if  this was the  
,soul of the true ,samuel1 he never     
could have said this1 for  ,saul could  
not associate with the ,lord's children 
in heaven1 seeing he  lived and died a  
murderer2 nor could his son1 ,jonathan  
have been with him  in heaven1 seeing he
 was a lover of the truth1 and a servant
 of the ,lord2  and though they both    
died in the same field1 they could not  
go to the  same place4  ,so that this   
spectre's prediction was wrong2 and if  
it was  supposed to be ,samuel's body   
brought up from the grave1 and the      
,prophecy  was1 he should be in the     
grave to-morrow2 neither was this true1 
for the  battle was not fought for some 
days after1 and it was a considerable   
time  before ,saul was buried in the    

grave1 as you will find in the close of 
the  #cast ,chap4  ,besides1 ,samuel was
 buried at ,ramah1 and ,saul was buried 
at  ,jabesh4  ,thus the prediction of   
the ,devil was not true2 nor did all    
,saul's sons die together1 for some     
lived along time after his death4    ,i 
shall now produce the testimony of some 
learned and pious men1 whose  opinions  
appear to be truly scriptural4          
,bishop ,hall remarks on this subject3  
8,why should ,god answer that man by    
dreams1 who had resisted him waking8    
,why should he answer him by ,urim1     
that had slain his ,priests8  ,why      
should he answer him by ,prophets1 who  
hated the ,father of ,prophets8  ,unto  
what mad spirit are men driven by       
despair6--if you will not answer ,satan 
shall4  ,could ,saul be so ignorant  as 
to think that magic had power over      
,god's deceased saints1 either to  raise
 them up1 or call them down from their  
rest80    ,dr4 ,smith1 who published his
 comment on the ,bible in #agce1        

observes1  8,many controversies have    
been about ,samuel's apparition1 but ,i 
am  entirely of opinion that it was     
neither in the ,devil's1 or the ,witch's
  power to raise up the true ,samuel1 to
 make him appear there2 it was  nothing 
but mere deceit and collusion of the    
,devil1 whom ,god sometimes  permits to 
do strange actions1 for the ruin and    
destruction of those who  give credit   
thereto40    ,the truly learned ,mr4    
,poole1 in his works remarks on the     
#acth verse of  the chapter--8,and the  
king said unto her1 ,be not afraid1 for 
what sawest  thou8  ,and the woman said 
unto ,saul1 ,i saw gods ascending out of
 the  earth--or a god1 a divine person1 
glorious1 and full of majesty1 exceeding
  not only mortal men1 but common       
ghosts4  ,she useth the plural number1  
either after the manner of the ,hebrew  
language1 which commonly useth that     
word of one person1 or after the        
language and custom of the heathens2 but
  the whole coherence shews that it was 

but one1 for ,saul desired but one2  and
 he enquires for1 and the woman answers 
only of one1 as if it came  from the    
place of the dead4  ,the woman          
pretended1 and ,saul1 upon her          
suggestion believed indeed1 that it was 
,samuel1 and so many ,popish and  other 
writers conceived2 but that it was not  
,samuel1 is sufficiently  evident40     
,the argument of this good man ,i have  
interspersed in a  foregoing page4      
,mr4 ,matthew ,henry's opinion may be   
ascertained from the few remarks        
extracted from his notes on this        
chapter4--8,since ,saul can discern no  
comfort1 neither in heaven or earth1 he 
resolves to knock at the gates of  hell1
 and see if any there will befriend him 
and give him advice4  ,saul  7who we may
 suppose was kept at a distance in the  
next room7 bid her not  to be afraid of 
him1 but go on with the operation1 and  
enquired1 ,what she  saw8  ,o1 saith the
 woman1 ,i saw gods ascending out of the
 earth2 i4e4  a spirit--angels were     

called gods1 because they were spiritual
 beings4  ,poor gods that ascend out of 
the earth4  ,but she speaks the language
 of  the ,heathen1 who had their        
infernal deities1 and had them in       
veneration4  ,saul came in disguise to  
,satan1 and ,satan knew him well4       
,satan came in  disguise to ,saul1 but  
,saul could not discern him4--,it was   
cold comfort  this evil spirit gave to  
,saul1 and is manifestly intended to    
drive him to  despair and self murder4  
,he upbraided him with three things1    
tho' he had  been the seducer2 and then 
he foretold his approaching ruin1 which 
any  body could have done as well as    
,satan40    ,bishop ,patrick observes1  
8,it is not in the power of witches1 to 
disturb  the rest of good men1 or bring 
them back into the world when they      
please2  nor would the true ,samuel have
 acknowledged such a power in magical   
hearts1 but to ,saul this was a proper  
device of ,satan1 to draw veneration    
from him1 to possess him with an opinion

 of the divination1 and so to  rivet him
 in the ,devil's interests40    ,dr4    
,haweis also remarks--8,it is incredible
 that the ,devil should have  any power 
over the souls of the righteous2 nor can
 we conceive ,god would1  to countenance
 such an abomination1 suffer the holy   
,prophet to appear3  the soul which was 
in heaven could not come up out of the  
earth1 nor the  glorified spirit be     
troubled as this apparition pretended1  
much less  could ,samuel say1 ,saul     
should be with him to-morrow1 whose     
impenitent  end1 gives no hope of his   
happiness40    ,mr4 ,mason1 a very      
spiritual writer1 expresses himself thus
 concerning  ,saul's conduct2 8,see how 
a sin-hardened soul acts--not like      
,david1 who  goes to the ,lord with an  
humbled heart1 a broken spirit1 a       
sorrowful cry1  ,o ,lord pardon mine    
iniquity1 for it is great6--,but like   
,saul1 who  applied to the ,devil for   
relief1 for the ,lord was departed from 
him40    ,mr4 ,brown1 in his            

,self-interpreting ,bible1 says1 8,and  
when the woman  saw ,samuel1 that is1   
the ,devil in his likeness4  ,satan hath
 no power over  the souls of glorified  
saints4  ,god would never give him any  
to  countenance consulting of ,devils4  
,samuel's soul had not to come out of   
the earth1 nor would he have said that  
,saul should be with him to-morrow1  for
 it is not probable the battle was      
fought on that day04    ,the able and   
learned ,dr4 ,gill observes1 on the     
#aeth verse1 8,and ,samuel  said to     
,saul1 ,why hast thou disquieted me to  
bring me up8  ,this makes it  a clear   
case that this was not the true         
,samuel--his soul was at rest in        
,abraham's bosom1 and it was not in the 
power of men or devils to disquiet      
it--nor would he have talked of his     
being brought up1 but rather of his     
coming down1 had it been really he1 much
 less would he have acknowledged  that  
he was brought up by ,saul1 by means of 
a ,witch1 and the help of the  ,devil40 

,the late truly deep-taught scriptorian1
 ,mr4 ,w4 ,huntington1 in his  ,epistles
 of ,faith1 acknowledges this history   
had once puzzled him1 as  many          
professors had told him it was really   
,samuel the ,prophet1 that the  ,witch  
of ,endor raised2 but adds1 ,for my part
 ,i cannot believe it1 for ,god  has    
promised that his people shall be       
gathered in peace1 and that their       
bodies shall rest in their beds2 and ,i 
cannot think that it is in the  power of
 the ,devil to break the promise of     
,god2 for the wicked cease  from        
troubling1 and in that state1 the weary 
are at rest4  ,if ,satan can  bring a   
soul out of ,paradise1 who departed in  
the faith1 and raise a body  out of the 
grave1 who was once a temple of the     
,holy ,ghost1 he is not only  the ,god  
of this world1 but a rifler of the next4
  ,however1 ,jesus ,christ  is the      
resurrection and the life1 and he is too
 jealous of his honour to  give it to an
 enemy4  ,the woman cried out1 ,i see   

gods ascending1 when  she saw the ,devil
 come up1 as an angel of light--and ,i  
do not wonder at  it1 for ,i dare say   
she had never seen her sweet-heart in   
the rays of an  angel1 or with the      
gravity of a ,prophet before4  ,be not  
offended at the  word sweet-heart1 ,god 
says they sacrificed to devils1 and went
 a whoring  after devils4  ,see #cgth   
,deut4 and #agth ,levit4    ,one of our 
best and most evangelical preachers and 
writers1 7,i mean the  excellent ,dr4   
,hawker7 in his notes on this chapter1  
remarks1 8,the great  enemy of souls    
might be permitted to personate the     
departed ,prophet1 as  such he appears  
to ,saul's view like ,samuel4  ,that it 
could not be ,samuel  himself1 is ,i    
think1 evident from other               
considerations4  ,neither ,satan  nor   
his instruments can have power over     
glorified saints2 neither could  the    
soul of ,samuel be said to come up out  
of the earth1 when we know that  the    
spirits of just men made perfect1 are   

with the ,lord4  ,neither1 had it  been 
,samuel1 would he have told him of the  
awful event about to take  place1       
without following it up with advice to  
repent1 instead of driving  him to      
despair1 and thereby forming a          
temptation to self-murder40             
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,thomas1 ,printer1 ,red ,lion ,street1  
,boro