14. Up to this point, because the divine word has spoken about Saul as chosen and good, as was said above, it seemed reasonable that what was said about him should be taken in a good sense, both historically and morally. But now, because we have come to the place of his transgression, it is certainly necessary that we also see in him the things that are to be avoided. But what ought ever to have seemed more carefully to be avoided by all the elect than the evil of pride and disobedience? For this cast down the sublimity of the first angel; this laid low the glory of the lost spirits. This took away happiness from the first man; this brought on the perpetual miseries of human captivity. And behold, to the first angel and the first man, the first king of the chosen people is joined through disobedience, so that while the great fall, the least may be raised up. For we are rightly raised up if we both observe their falls and avoid them. Therefore, where Saul fell must be carefully considered. For Samuel had said to him above: "You shall go down before me to Gilgal. I indeed will come down to you, so that you may offer a holocaust and an oblation, and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you, and I will show you what you are to do" (1 Kings 10:20). He fell through disobedience, therefore, because he did not wait the full seven days, as he had been commanded. For in the same place it is immediately added: (Verse 10.) "And when he had finished offering the holocaust, behold, Samuel was arriving."
15. In this passage it must be considered with a trembling heart how, by neglecting to wait for the briefest time, he was rejected. "When he had completed the burnt offering," it says, "behold, Samuel was coming." If therefore he had waited for him only for the very briefest interval of time during which he offered the burnt offering, he could have securely obtained the strength of his kingdom. And so if the punishment is so great when a prophet is despised, what do we think is incurred from that ocean of divine judgment when the divine precepts themselves are disregarded? And because the delight of the flesh passes in a moment, and every commission of sins, and indeed the hour of transgression is brief, yet the punishment for the crime is not brief; because while we raise up the kingdom of sin in ourselves for a moment, we lose those kingdoms of all ages. For immediately after sin the prophetic word comes to rebuke — which would have been present, had we not sinned, to strengthen us in good. Indeed a polluted conscience now has the divine word against it; which, if it had avoided being polluted, aided by it and upheld, would have stood firm by its own strength. For what else does it spiritually signify to us when it is said: "And when he had completed offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel was coming"? Even if he had not offered the burnt offering, Samuel would have come nonetheless. So indeed when we are tempted, divine grace is near to help those who endure; near also is divine justice to condemn those who fail. Whence Sacred Scripture, exhorting us to wait, says: "If the spirit of one having power rises against you, do not quickly abandon your place" (Eccles. 10:4). Hence the prophet, testifying, says: "The Lord is my helper, and therefore I am not confounded" (Isa. 50:7). Hence the Psalmist, looking to those same nearby aids, says: "I set the Lord always in my sight, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be moved" (Ps. 15:8).
15. In this passage it must be considered with a trembling heart how, by neglecting to wait for the briefest time, he was rejected. "When he had completed the burnt offering," it says, "behold, Samuel was coming." If therefore he had waited for him only for the very briefest interval of time during which he offered the burnt offering, he could have securely obtained the strength of his kingdom. And so if the punishment is so great when a prophet is despised, what do we think is incurred from that ocean of divine judgment when the divine precepts themselves are disregarded? And because the delight of the flesh passes in a moment, and every commission of sins, and indeed the hour of transgression is brief, yet the punishment for the crime is not brief; because while we raise up the kingdom of sin in ourselves for a moment, we lose those kingdoms of all ages. For immediately after sin the prophetic word comes to rebuke — which would have been present, had we not sinned, to strengthen us in good. Indeed a polluted conscience now has the divine word against it; which, if it had avoided being polluted, aided by it and upheld, would have stood firm by its own strength. For what else does it spiritually signify to us when it is said: "And when he had completed offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel was coming"? Even if he had not offered the burnt offering, Samuel would have come nonetheless. So indeed when we are tempted, divine grace is near to help those who endure; near also is divine justice to condemn those who fail. Whence Sacred Scripture, exhorting us to wait, says: "If the spirit of one having power rises against you, do not quickly abandon your place" (Eccles. 10:4). Hence the prophet, testifying, says: "The Lord is my helper, and therefore I am not confounded" (Isa. 50:7). Hence the Psalmist, looking to those same nearby aids, says: "I set the Lord always in my sight, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be moved" (Ps. 15:8).