For the noise of the trumpets with the mightie crie made by the men and the breaking of the pitchers with the light appearing did not onely astonish them but likewise so troubled them they being scarcely awaked out of their sleepe that they could not conceiue what it should meane but thought that many and great hoasts were rushing into their campe as the Aramites did into whose camp the lepers came And the Lord with all this striking them with a kinde of madnesse they tooke their owne fellow souldiers for their enemies and so most miserably slew one another the Ammonites and Moabites stood vp against them of mount Seir to destroy them though they were their fellow souldiers as we see also in the campe of the Aramites into which the lepers came This kinde of astonishing the enemies by Gedeon who was directed by God therein is worthie to be noted of vs to teach vs what kindes of terrors and vexings of a rebellious people the Lord hath in a readines to feare them yea and that when men thinke themselues best fensed against them out of feare of them and furthest off from falling into them Zimri and Cosbi were slaine suddenly and fearefully Chorah and his companie were swallowed vp of the earth when no likelihood could be seene thereof till it came The men of Ziklag wallowing like beasts on the ground drunken were slaine by Dauid when they looked not for it Abimilek by a piece of a milstone receiued his deadly wound and Absolon hanged by the haire of his head on an oke Thus I might goe on infinitly God hath many waies to scourge his enemies as he hath to deliuer and comfort his people There is no peace to the vngodly saith God Oh then how fearefull is it to be a wicked man for if Gods anger be kindled but a little how happie are all they that feare him for if he haue a controuersie with men and be against them oh what terrors are euery while like to fall on them till they be confounded of them Some will obiect that for all this many wicked persons walke securely and are as merrie and void of feares as the best of them all I answer first although God meetes them not with such bodily feares as here he amazed these heathens withall yet there is that within them commonly which euen in the middest of their merriments causeth their hearts to be heauie and presage no good vnto them at length This I say of such as are not hardned And who can expresse the bitter sorrowes and checks and feares which they feele who carrie an ill conscience about them which pursues them both sleeping and waking and not at Church onely but euen in their callings companies feastings pleasures when others thinke full little of it and themselues wish they could make truce for the while therewith that it might then be furthest off So that a poore Christian would not willingly change states with them to haue their greatest glorie except he might bee free from their troubled conscience which is like to the hand-writing vpon the wall of that wofull Belshazzar And this is their portion euen tempest fire snares as the Psalmist saith euen a sauour of hell before they come there As for those that haue learned how to strangle their conscience and smother it or who are waxen hardned let them know that there is no peace belonging to them though they stop their eare from hearing of terror And when God shall quicken and rouze vp their conscience woe be to them for it shall roare vpon them as a lion and yet God is greater Therefore if any such shall seeke how to be freed from this horror let them make their peace with God and so their conscience shall turne to be their friend but the rest may heare this doctrine as Nabal heard Abigails newes to their confusion It further appeareth by the effect what these fearefull meanes wrought which the holy storie setteth downe in this verse that the whole campe was astonished feared cried out and fled In which case let no man thinke that these meanes alone and apart from Gods work had any great force to feare especially to hurt the enemies for what was there in the blowing of the trumpets the breaking of the pitches or in their lampes to the getting of the victorie But the Lord put to his hand and helpe whereby the enemies were daunted and set beside themselues or else all that was done had been but ridiculous And he that made Goliahs head to be cut off with his owne sword he wil still blesse the vnlikely meanes as the world accounteth them yea and foolish also of our prayers sinceritie patience hope and the like to bring great things to passe yea and faith to ouercome the world without the which what are all other things whatsoeuer Still I say therefore as I said before blessed is the people whose God is the Lord Iehouah But of this occasion hath been offered to speake almost in euery Chapter In the 20. verse in that the people of Israel in their crie and noise that they made vttered these words The sword of the Lord and of Gedeon therein they testifie that God was the chiefe cause and Gedeon as the instrument appointed to bring that worke to passe Not as if they would deuide the victory betwixt God and him betweene whom there was no comparison but to signifie that as God was the chiefe and principall worker so it pleased him to vse Gedeon as his instrument to effect it The same it behooueth vs to do ascribe we to God the glory of all the good we doe yea and of our saluation especially which we seeke but know we that as Gods instruments we are to worke it on in feare and trembling and to giue all our diligence as the Apostle exhorteth to make our calling and election sure And so in all duties of faith that we performe acknowledge we that we receiue all gifts and abilitie to thinke and to doe that which is good and our selues to be Gods workemen and labourers vnworthy to be imployed by him euen as we see it to bee an honour to be in a Kings seruice And further by this let all captious cauillers take their answer who say that the people who depend vpon their Ministers make them their God Be it knowne to all such that as they detest such blasphemy so yet to the shame of all such scorners they honour them vnder God as the instruments of their saluation and acknowledge them as here Gedeons souldiers do him to be the hand which God putteth the sword of his spirit into for the conquering not of mens bodies but their soules and the bringing into subiection the thoughts of their hearts yea the whole powers of soule and body to the obedience of Christ In which respect Salomon praies that Gods Priests may bee clothed with saluation And Paul
thereof fit for the people and that out of the bad as well as the good euen as well as out of other Scripture which all haue not learned to doe neither haue attained vnto and therefore doe oft times offer violence to the Scriptures by making allegories of them and so wresting them to another sense then the holy Ghost hath made of them without which manner of handling them they can draw none or little matter out of the most examples in the stories of them and so beside that their doctrine is not soundly gathered so they giue too fearefull suspition to the ignorant that such parts of the Scripture are barraine and drie while they doe by such shifts and yet indirect so hardly draw matter and doctrine out of them when yet it is certaine and cleere that they are full of sound instruction But to come to my purpose I will now set downe some generall things before I enter into the text which may giue some light to the better vnderstanding of the whole book such as I gather partly by obseruing laying together that which I read in it comparing one thing with another and partly out of that learned and reuerend Father Master Peter Martyr whose workes neither the most priuate men can vnderstand nor many Ministers though they may vnderstand them can come by neither if they can shall they finde there that which shall be much for their simpler hearers benefit And first let the reader marke how this booke agreeth with all the former from Genesis to the end of Ioshua and what is the summe of them and this Concerning the booke of Genesis after mention is made in the beginning of it of the creation of the world and the generations to the flood it doth afterward shew how God chose his people out of Abraham and his posteritie and how they were sent into Egypt to auoid the famine In Exodus these things are the principall how the people of God multiplied and increased in the land of Egypt till there rose a King who cruelly oppressed and vexed them sore and how they were deliuered out of the bondage which they were in there by Moses and how they had lawes giuen them to gouerne them And this last point is the summe of Leuiticus also The booke of Numbers declareth their diuers resting places in the desert and their goings forward toward the land of Canaan In Deuteronomy Moses being to depart out of this world and to leaue the people doth most faithfully repeate the law to the generation which came after the former and which then liued I meane to the posteritie of Abraham Then came Ioshua and led the people into the promised land and diuided the land of the Amorites and Canaanites which partly was subdued and gotten out of their hands and partly remained to be conquered he I say diuided it amongst the twelue tribes according to the commandement of God after he had brought them ouer Iordan slaine many of the Kings of Canaan and possessed their cities and grounds in that countrey This is the summe and contents of the booke of Ioshua After his death to come to our purpose the Lord gouerned his people the Hebrewes being placed in that land by Iudges whom to that end he indued with excellent gifts and by them deliuered and kept the people out of the hands of their enemies who as yet did all the daies of the Iudges remaine in great numbers to vex them But to vnderstand better the meaning of the word Iudges a materiall point in this booke to be vnderstood though to iudge signifie to know the cases of such as contend and be at variance and to giue sentence of iudgement betwixt men yet these Iudges mentioned in this booke had not that office neither were called Iudges in that respect But as the word signifieth also to reuenge and to redeeme out of bondage thus did those Iudges deliuer and redeeme the people as in this booke is at large declared I speakâ— not of Samuel who is said after to iudge them also by deciding controuersies and ciuill causes But these Iudges had that office assigned them of God to deliuer the people as I haue said out of their enemies hands and so to iudge them and therefore were called by that name of Iudges and this booke that intreateth of them and their acts throughout is called The booke of Iudges And briefly to lay out the state and condition that these people the Hebrewes then liued in whereby the office of the Iudges may the better be vnderstood they hauing not yet conquered the land were occupied as at their first entrance into it and after Ioshuas death a while in subduing it and their enemies but afterward they suffered them to remaine and become tributaries to them and were thereby as God saw it meete and as need required in great perill and miserie by them and then because they were his people lest they should haue been vtterly destroyed these Iudges were raised vp by him without the election of men to rescue and deliuer them But afterward when they were at rest and peace God gouerned them not by those Iudges therefore Iphtah when he was desired would not raigne ouer them neither had they authoritie ouer them but he vsed the help of someother excellent persons fit by their vertues and gifts for that purpose and they ruled the people but the Iudges as I said were stirred vp by the Lord in great dangers brought vpon them by their enemies to be helpers and deliuerers vnto them and to keepe them in peace afterward while they lined So that these Iudges were not chosen by succession as Kings neither by the voyces of the people but were raised vp by God as wee haue heard indifferently as well out of one tribe as another and how meane and vnfit soeuer they were before for that purpose God did furnish them by and by after he had stirred them vp with most excellent gifts for that end to the which he appointed them And it went farre better with the people while they were vnder them then it did afterward when they would needs haue a King to raigne ouer them For they did alwaies deliuer the people of Israel out of the calamitie with which they were oppressed whereas their Kings did sometimes waste them and bring them into captiuitie and were the most part of them Idolaters And although vnder the Iudges the people were somtimes oppressed grieuously by strangers and especially vnder Samson by the Philistims for why we must know their horrible sinnes deserued it and prouoked God to deale with them in that manner yet they were neuer led into captiuitie while they liued with them Againe there were few of the Kings good men in Israel not one the Iudges for the most part were all such A good testimonie whereof we haue in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where we thus reade of the commendation of them The time would be too short
his owne head Hereof it is that if we thus tell them which is the very truth that their sinne hath found them out they haue no eares to heare vs and if we waroe the like offenders before their punishment commeth that God wil after the same manner be auenged of them yet they will not beleeue vs till hee visit them in some such heauie manner indeed and then with Iosephs brethren they begin to say We remember our sinne this day that euen as other haue done to vs so wee haue done to other before and as this cruell King Adonibezek sayd here Seuentie Kings thumbs haue I cut off c as I haue done so God hath rewarded me And this men shall come to either in Gods fauour to their amendment or in his displeasure to their hardning and confusion And therfore it were wisedome to confesse it in time while wee may bee taught and told of it for all mens consciences will crie out to them that it is true that they haue by word or deed iniuried other before they haue receiued such measure themselues but if they had not in that kind and particular manner offended yet they are sure they haue done it some other way so that they haue iust cause if they wel waigh it and looke to Gods hand therein to beare all such indignities as they count them as are offered them both with meekenesse and contentedly And were it not that God dealt thus with men they would neuer acknowledge nor dislike the sinne which they are guiltie of but suffer it to lie secret in them and worke them a mischiefe Whereas yet it being ferreted out by such iudgements of God they cannot but confesse it especially when they bee in any great feare and danger of death And for vs who are now warned if wee haue had our part in this sin that with the common sort wee haue smitten others with our tongue or wronged or intended euill any way against them learne wee with great regard to put a speedy end thereto by repentance lest God awake and preuent vs by some such like iudgement againe as we haue caused to other and to this end put wee these two lessons in practise neither in heart word or deed offer we any hard or vnequall measure to any man and if any offer it to vs if it be possible that it may be without our great hurt let vs quietly and meekely passe by it and make no great matter of it for the time shall come wherein we shall wish wee had done so and not haue laid that so neere our heart which might more easily haue been passed by of vs. But in saying God hath rewarded him it is to be noted that he an heathen Idolater could see so farre as to ascribe to God his affliction Whereby we may see that very bad men doe acknowledge God to be the striker and punisher of them But where should he learne it for though it did him no good to acknowledge it yet it is that which many who haue been baptized doe not come to but curse and ban rage and fret in their afflictions crying out of their ill fortune as they call it so farre are they from resting in the iustice of God and to say hee hath done righteously Also as they ascribe to chance and fortune their calamities so doe they runne for helpe to Witches and Sorcerers when they be oppressed with them which is greatly to the conuicting of them For why should not they much more see the hand of God when they are visited if Heathens haue seene so farre as to ascribe to God their troubles and to confesse their sinne as this Adonibezek did here This not onely checketh such as I haue mentioned but laieth hard to their charge also that make some shew of goodnesse who yet doe harden their hearts vnder their afflictions and will not know Gods waies though they see well enough that they suffer for their euill deeds neither will relent nor feare his iudgements though they cannot deny that they are due to them for their deierts More particularly such as this Heathen King was shall rise in iudgement against such professors as will not see their crueltie vnmercifulnesse their vncleannesse which they nourish in themselues their oppressions also and iniuries they doe to their neighbours though they bee most clearely laid before them When yet Pharaoh and other such haue especially when Gods hand was heauie vpon them acknowledged that the Lord had done it For euen the wickedest mans owne conscience sometimes accuseth him that hee doth euil and ought not these much more we haue farre greater light to tremble when they haue so grossely offended say Against thee against thee O Lord we haue done this euill And especially when they know what danger they be in thereby and what heauie plagues hang ouer their heads for the same Although such must goe further then so euen to tell it to themselues that God will not be at one with them vnlesse they acknowledge their faults also and submit themselues to him as his word teacheth howsoeuer it shall please him to correct them and withall to resolue in all conditions of their liues whatsoeuer to indeuour and be readie to obey him Also this should teach vs when we receiue indignities at mens hands yet to looke to God who set them a work against vs as Dauid said of Shemei and not as the dog doth to catch the stone and leaue the smiter And though they haue wronged vs willingly yet if wee considered that the Lord did it we should the lesse be mooued or offended with the instrument whereas we on the other side beate our braines and straine our selues al that we can to pursue them and seeke to be reuenged on them whom yet the Lord will sufficiently punish for the wrong they haue done For example wee are so out of quiet for a word spoken against vs as if it were treason when in the meane while we doe not once thinke how we haue prouoked the Lord to stirre vp such ill persons against vs. Adonibezek we see here would not asscribe it to the Israelites but saith it was God that did thus vnto him Furthermore here by this that we heare his crueltie thus laid out by his owne mouth that he had played the tyrant against many and those no meaner persons then Kings to cut off the thumbs of their hands and feete and not to some few of them but euen seuentie persons wee see what a raging furie this vice of crueltie is and to what depth of euil it carrieth men that do not wisely consider the foulenesse and shamefulnesse of it For whereas one man should be sociable with another yea with strangers if occasion be offered seeing euery one is our neighbour this crueltie cutteth of all fellowship nay all libertie of inioying such benefits of peace goods or the like So that the cruel man is farre
yet were not so and all Diuines almost grant that Marie the mother of our Sauiour had no more children then Christ only and therfore they expound those places Mat. 13. 12. of his kinsmen and kinswomen And that this the Hebrew word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth a naturall brother is put as vsually for a kinseman also and the posteritie of brethren the Scripture is cleare and plentifull in shewing it Reade for Example Leuit. 25. where the word brethren signifieth the children of brethren Ouer your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule one ouer another with crueltie And numb 32. shall your brethren the children of Israel goe to warre and ye tarrie here In both places by brethren the Scripture meaneth the posteritie and children of the 12. sonnes of Iacob and so many other Scriptures doe And so to returne if this Othniel and Achsah had been within the degrees forbidden that he might not haue married her but it had been against the commandement of God who doubteth but that hee would haue been better aduised and that hee meant not in offering her to doe any thing that should offend God I say therefore if either Othniel or any other winning the citie could not lawfully haue married her Caleb would haue supplied his offer some other way to the contentment of the partie And vpon the answer to the question I say much like as vpon the answer of the former question as the matter requireth and giueth occasion Let none gather from this speech of Caleb that it is lawfull to marrie within degrees forbidden as though Caleb had made such a marriage for his daughter And although he were called his kinsman yet seeing it is not said he was his brothers or sisters sonne therefore I haue no necessarie occasion offered to answere the question whether Cosin Germans may marrie together but yet seeing I haue thus spoken of it I therefore signifie my iudgement agreeing with such as I haue read and conferred with and that is this that although the word of God doe not expressely forbid it yet seeing it prohibiteth those degrees that be further off it is of great probabilitie that Christishould more then in a common manner consider and examine for what weightie and speciall causes they doe imbrace and not abstaine from such marriages And me thinkes he hath giuen some watchword thereof vnto vs in this that the life of many couples so marrying together hath been found tedious and accompanied with mutual dislikes betwixt the parties when no reason could be seene thereof beside that and for proofe hereof it hath been acknowledged that to haue been the cause thereof For my part when the question hath been propounded to mee about such marriages I haue as I know the practise of many my betters to haue been I haue I say disswaded from them for inconueniences not as vnlawfull and so I leaue this point But to returne to Caleb although he had maried his daughter within degrees forbidden yet it had giuen no libertie to vs to doe so neither to doe any thing else that is vnlawfull or forbidden by the word of God forasmuch as we haue our direction there what we may do either in matters of marriage or in any thing else whatsoeuer And therefore wee ought little to regard examples that leade any other way And thus these obiections being answered I will proceed in th story And first that it is said here that Othniel being a valiant man took the citie Debir notwithstanding that the difficulties to win it were very great by this wee see that besides this verifieth the prouerb which is heere spoken of him that a mans gift preferreth him as the like may be said of Ioseph Daniel and others and that all men should seeke for the gifts of God which they may attaine to honour the giuer who preferreth them thereby I say besides that we may learne that Othniel being religious and his prayers being most faithfully made to God as we reade in the Chronacles so that God heard them and yet he tooke incouragement by the offer of Caleb to set vpon that great worke we may I say learne that euen godly men may take and vse the benefit of such incouragements as are lawfully offered them to the going about any worke that God commandeth them It is true indeed that euen his bare word alone ought to put life into vs and quicken vs to our duties and much more because there is a promise of blessing annexed to the obeying of euery commandement of his yea a great promise of reward but yet seeing we are weake because of the flesh that striueth against the spirit in vs therefore we haue need of all helpes and furtherance that may whet vs on And therefore though it was the dutie of Othniel to set against the enemies of God as the rest of the Israelites were bound to doe yet there is no doubt but he was much more earnestly set on by this incouragement So it is the dutie of euery faithfull minister of God to preach the Gospel diligently and willingly euen for the commandement of Christ If thou louest mee feede my lambes and my sheepe yet if the Lord blesse his labours plentifully and the people minister to him readily so that hee bee sufficiently prouided for no man doubteth but that hee shall doe his dutie much better as seeing thereby that hee is as good reason why hee should so bee highly and well regarded So a Christian man that laboureth with his hands in the calling God hath set him ought to bee occupied therein willingly and for conscience sake but if God blesse him with good successe he shall goe about the duties of it farre more chearefully and in better sort In all things we find it thus If the Gospell be soundly and diligently preached all ought to be ready to heare it but if magistrates themselues bee forward that way and cause others by their authoritie to doe the same so that they see the Gospel be had in good account shall it not thinke we quicken euen the best much more then they should otherwise be not that these meaner incouragemēts should most preuaile with men but the Lords commandement yet that shall the better doe it when these also be added to helpe our weakenes But to looke to these principally while the chiefe is neglected that is a thing meerely preposterous and the next way to pul downe al right maner of going about our duties what shewes thereof soeuer men wil make and how commonly so euer the the greatest part offend this way And yet God seeing the infirmitie of his people and their vnto wardnesse to godly duties and how hardly they are brought to the well discharging of them by his bare commandement hath drawne them on by fit rewards promises and incouragements For who doubteth that the deare seruants of God are much heartned and helped
faith hope ioy in the holy Ghost feare of offending and such like that they lie dead in them as if they had no part in them and they hauing no vse of them to strengthen them to any good doing although they be in themselues profitable to all holy vses whereas in the meane while who would lose his sweet communion with God if he bee wise enough to consider what I say though it should neuer be brought against them no though it were but for an houre or a day with the comforts belonging thereto which yet these whom I haue spoken of when they haue sinned against their knowledge doe depriue themselues of whole moneths and yeeres And why doe they thus If they sustained all this as from their triall from God their patience were commendable or if it were possible to honour him thereby it were some commendation to them but when it is for the hauing of their owne will amisse and for the enioying the pleasures of sinne for a short season oh how lamentable is it to thinke So that this wisedome shall well beseeme the seruants of God to giue all diligence to keepe well while they are well and in no wise to haue their teeth set on edge with the deceiueable baites of sinne which the world so greedily runneth after forasmuch as they shall see how deare it shall cost them and yet let them know this that such shall not bee onely void of the forementioned graces but they shall also smart through many punishments And now if it be so hard for them to come to repentance when they haue fallen who yet before had enioyed that gift soundly how much further off are they who neuer haue part in it at all neither are like to haue euen as wee see by daily experience how fearefull an estate is that to liue in vnlesse they wait on God diligently in the ordinance of preaching to attaine it Now wee haue heard how God was faine to prouoke them to repentance before they could set themselues toward it It followeth to see by what reason he vrged them to it after I haue said a little of the places heere mentioned Gilgal was a citie in the plain of Iordan not farre from Iericho from this Gilgal the messenger is said to haue come And Bochim is a place neare adioyning to it in which this message was done to the people of Israel who had by their sins caused it It was not called Bochim before but had the name giuen by occasion of that which fell out there that is the weeping of the people when their sinnes were brought to their remembrance for so the word Bochim signifieth namely weeping At this place therefore to returne to the purpose the Lord told them of their disobedience and beginneth to make it odious to them by rehearsing his benefits great and many as if hee should say what cause haue I giuen you to deale thus vnthankefully and disobediently with me Hath my kindnesse been thus requited of you that you returne me euill for my good will Heere as in sundry other places wee may see what effects the benefits of God doe commonly worke in men and that is forgetfulnesse of them and vnthankfulnesse for them and a meane account making of them also boldnesse in seeking of carnall liberty thereby vnto the which we are so readily caried and to prouoke God much more then if they had neuer enioyed them little remembring that the Lord giues them a watchword that they should rather looke in all things to be thankefull Iustly therefore was this people heere chalenged for their vnthankefulnesse This was the cause why they were warned before that they should take heed when they were come into the land of promise and should there possesse great and goodly cities which they builded not and houses full of all manner of goods which they filled not and wels which they digged not vineyards and Oliue trees which they planted not and when they had eaten and should be full they were warned I say that they should beware they forgot not the Lord which brought them out of the land of Egypt c. signifying vnto them that wealth and ease would goe nigh to make them to forget Gods mercies by which they were deliuered out of their miseries By which wee see the peruersenesse of our depraued nature which turnes the wholesomest food into poyson as the corrupt stomacke doth the daintiest meates We abhorre him who hauing receiued freely good turnes and benefits forgetteth his benefactor when hee is promoted c. yet it is certaine that men are the worse for Gods benefits and are more bold in sinning against him by the abundance of his earthly and common blessings So Dauid confesseth that before he was afflicted hee went astray so that his benefits wee see did him not so much good as his chasetisements And so Ieremy said that he was as an vntamed calfe till God corrected him Wofull experience teacheth how rare the man is who may truly say otherwise to wit that benefits knit his heart neerely to God before he bee taught it by affliction And yet we must know that neither that of it owne nature draweth men to loue and obey God any more then his benefits but as God worketh that grace of his especiall fauour without which our whole life is meere disobedience I say further then his grace guideth vs and keepeth vs within compasse in both estates Common blessings and generall we thinke and say belong to others as well as to vs and as for speciall and priuate while we reape and feele them we say Blessed be God but wee are not for the most part knit to him in dutie euer the more The tenne leapets being cleansed returned not to giue thankes saue one And hee to whom tenne thousand talents were remitted shewes this fruit of his thankefulnesse that he caught his fellow by the throat who owed him an hundred pence bidding him pay that he owed And why this For the heart of man naturally is puffed vp with prosperity and vaine estimation of himselfe and hee prideth in that which will be his ouerthrow and waxeth hardened and is so far off from humility and meane thinking of himselfe that all may perceiue who can rightly iudge that it maketh him prouder and more scornefull yea vtterly vnlike him he should be and disguised and yet to become great and get much in this vale of misery while things of greatest price are not asked after how eagerly doe men runne after it as fish follow the baite with greedinesse nay they laugh all such to scorne that find fault with them for so doing and who doe not follow them in that excesse and let better things passe by them as little worth yea and yet this doe they who lawfully come by wealth and promotion and to whom the Lord giueth prosperity without any indirect or vnlawfull meanes euen such I say doe offend in the like
wealth and commodities yet neuer bethinke themselues to be freed from the danger of Gods wrath which often wasteth them to nothing Know we therfore that if we decay in our goods by barrennesse of the ground or vnseasonablenesse of the weather by debt suretiship or by any other such like and especially by mispending them know we I say we haue a warning thereby sent vs of God for some ill parts of life as it is said in Deuteronomie If thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God then the fruit of thy land and all thy labour shall a people that thou knowest not eate and the heauen that is ouer thee shall be brasse and the earth vnder thee iron And againe A nation that is of a fierce countenance shall eate the fruit of thy cattell and he shall leaue thee neither wheate wine nor oyle neither shalt thou prosper in thy waies By all which and this which is in the text that they heere were spoiled of their goods as it should make vs carefull to preuent euen his iudgement among many other by vpright walking with God and harmelesse liuing among men how foolish and precise soeuer that course of life seeme to many so when wee haue gone out of the good way and fallen from that obedience which we haue couenanted to yeeld vnto God and sustaine such losse thereby aboue all things let vs seeke to finde out the cause thereof and that speedily as Ieremy requireth and beare our losse because we haue sinned and sinne no more lest a worse thing befall vs. And let vs not count it our hard fortune as foolish men tearme it for there is none when wee are so wasted in our goods neither please wee our selues in condemning and charging the second cause thereof whereby we are 〈…〉 of them for whatsoeuer be the instrument of our losse or vndoing sure it is that the Lord is the effecter and worker of it And therof 〈…〉 Deuteronomie of this and all other his fearfull iudgements after that 〈…〉 sent them when it shall be demanded wherefore hath the Lord done this how fierce is his great wrath they shall answere because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lord God of their fathers therfore hath the Lords wrath waxed hot against this people to bring vpon it euery curse that is written in this booke And the same doctrine that I haue taught of the spoiling of mens goods that it is a fruit of the wrath of God for their sin this being excepted that the Lord may impouerish his people who feare him in fauour and mercy The same I may as fitly and truly say of the bringing or them into seruitude and bondage vnto vile and cruell persons but let the one bee vnderstood by the other seeing I speake of this in another place But I will further obserue another thing heere that seeing it is said that they were led into bondage after they were spoiled of their goods and so smarted by both we may note how God so dealeth with the disobedient out times euen as hee did heere with these that as their sins go not alone so neither doe their punishments So that God dealeth with such as offend him not one way but many as he did puinsh Achan both with shame and with paine so Pharaoh was visited with terrours and with bodily plagues also euen so now many are pursued with crosses in their goods reproch in their name and in their body with paine and diseases And this he doth that men may know they shall pay deare for their stolne pleasures how sweet soeuer they bee to them in their fond account and that so both together may hold them backe from prouoking him For as Esay saith one iudgement shall not serue the turne if men struggle and fight against it and stand out with God when hee smiteth gently his hand will bee stretcht out still and looke what the former hath not done the latter shall make good As wee reade in Ioel that fruit which one plague consumed not another did till an vtter riddance follow of all But men bite vpon the bridle and curse their lucke but look not into themselues so when God strippeth men of their goods and then casteth them into bondage as hee did deale with them heere or when hee doth the like to vs that one iudgement come in the necke of another to vs I thinke it may bee said truly without respect of damnation that wee haue paid deare for stolne pleasures and our bold taking of our liberties amisse And seeing I haue not spoken particularly of going into seruitude and our nation hath not knowne what it meaneth nor how sharpe a scourge it is yet seeing many fall into it by Turke and Spanyard who haue little feared it therefore I wish them to reade of it in Deuteronomie secondly to consider of it by the estate of the people of Israel in Egypt and lastly to lay it out and set a view of it before their eyes by the Popish and cruell tyrannizing ouer our soules heere in our owne land in the daies of Queene Mary when we could enioy no liberty of the word and Sacraments but our brethren who refused their Idoll-seruice and false worship were tortured and tormented by the bloody persecutors and what may men looke for then at the hands of strangers And this to be said of bondage Now further in that it is added in generall in the text that they could not stand before their enemies for being so weakened by them in goods number and strength what maruell Let this be obserued that God vseth his and our enemies against vs his children when we prouoke him by our sins as hee vsed Nabuchadnezzar against Ierusalem and Senacherib and others Not that God putteth new poison and malice into them who had nothing else in them before but that hee iustly suffereth and letteth them alone without any bridling or restraining them to vomit vp their venome and their cankered hatred and letteth them loose to Satan Whereby this among many other things may bee learned how vncertaine the comfort is that some take in this that the Papists they hope shall neuer preuaile against the Protestants nor Popery euer yoke them any more Yes if God be displeased with them he may plague them that way by raising them vp as enemies against them as easily as hee did heere the Canaanites against Israel and if they were without feare that way hee may and can meet with them after sundry other sorts little to their comfort as they may see daily if their sinnes be not remoued out of his sight so that as the Prophet speaketh it shall be with them as if though they escape the Lion a Beare should meet them or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bite him By this which wee haue heard of the punishment of this people
selfeloue in the like trials for that we doe not without special grace and heed taking auoid the like falles And therfore we must hope that they may yea and shal no doubt through Gods helpe arise and grow in good sort out of them againe And yet I doe not speake this as though I would iustifie such offences in the liues of Gods people or as though I went about to salue them vp with gentle words for I know that where such breaches are suffered to passe in the liues of them who are otherwise religious they doe much hurt to other by example and to themselues by quenching the spirit in them specially if they be defended and continued long in vnconfessed and renounced that they may be forgiuen them but yet we that behold them must wisely shun extremities in iudging of them on the one side as well as on the other as I haue said and no more condemne the persons then we allow the sins And as for the common professors who when they see such frailties appeare in the forwarder sort of Christians begin to please themselues therein and to condemne all other good parts in them I say to them if they stumble thereat and they themselues walke on in their grossenes they shall in time see themselues guiltie of farre greater and more horrible sinnes or if they still goe forward in condemning and insulting ouer them they shall doe it to their owne confusion And this by occasion of Baraks distrust More particularly also let Baraks answere in clinging so to Debora teach Gods people this wisdome not ouer-much to giue place to their affections euen in things lawful but to submit themselues to the will of God and pray for strength to rest therein It seemed a very equall and commendable request in Barak to desire the companie aduice and direction of Debora and so it was in the generall but when hee saw it was Gods will hee should depend immediatly vpon him for successe he saw againe that it was his weaknes so much to depend vpon her presence And although it is so commendable a thing for men to cleaue to the Ministery and assistance of their faithfull guides while they continue among them yet if any espieth his owne weakenes and childishnes in this that he cleaueth too neere vnto them as thinking that without them hee shall miscarrie and cannot bee vpholden without them let him checke himselfe and labour for such strength of knowledge and faith as may inable him to go vpon his owne feete and liue by his owne faith depending directly vpon Gods promise of vholding and preseruing him in the middest of his discouragements feares and weaknes without such meanes if he may not enioy them But while some with Barak ascribe too much to the Minister of God it is too true that many despising and nothing regarding the ministerie of men grow shiftles and shameles being as farre from hope of happinesse as they are voide of grace and goodnesse Now followeth the speech of Debora to Barak when he made the forementioned answere vnto her to wit that he would not goe vnlesse she went with him And this she said I will go with thee but it shall not be for thine honour Wherein she findeth fault with him and tels him that hee should suffer the punishment of his infidelitie while the glorie which he might otherwise haue had thereby should be giuen to a woman meaning Iael and not in the least part to her selfe whereby somewhat may be noted both generally and particularly For the first we may learne that which may do vs much good to wit that God will punish vs some way for our vnbeliefe For wee see that God doth not put vp at mens hands this and such other sinnes as I named in the former verse especially when they come more of knowledge then of frailtie and when we see that we doe amisse and yet through blind selfeloue we will not finde fault with our selues for the same but extenuate or hide our sinne God therefore spared not Zacharias for his vnbeliefe though otherwise a righteous man but made him dumbe for a season And he telleth vs all as much in the Psalme where he saith If mine owne children breake my statutes and keepe not my commandements I will visite their transgression with the rod and their iniquitie with strokes although I will not take my louing kindnesse from them The like is to be seene in Moses who because he distrusted the Lord in smiting the rocke bare the scarre thereof to his death being denied entrance into the land of Canaan So Ioash for distrusting Elishas message and smiting the earth but thrice was rebuked by the Prophet who would not haue found fault with him if he had not bidden him smite it oftner Thou shouldest saith he haue smitten fiue or sixe times and so thou shouldest vtterly haue destroyed Aram but now thou shalt soile them but thrice and so they shall get strength againe to reuenge themselues And euen so doe such both feele and finde who regard not what the Lord saith vnto them neither giue credit to his word and much more all such as giue the bridle more grossely to their vnruly passions And this should a man would thinke both cause vs all to shunne such boldnes with God as will prouoke him to make vs smart for the same and also it should make vs beare the more with the infirmities of our brethren for as much as wee see God correcteth them for the same and shall wee also adde sorrow to their sorrow when wee ought rather to haue compassion on them and pitie them This be noted in generall Now more particularly seeing Barak was punished with losing the glorie which he should haue had but for his vnbeliefe this teacheth vs that glorie and good name report is reckoned among the good things that a godly person may desire and be glad to enioy nay it is that which hee should ensue because it is a token of Gods approbation if his people report well of vs seeing they are taught by the same spirit to discerne who are like them Therefore Iohn by a probable argument proueth Demetrius to be a good man because of his good report It is to bee lamented that all they whom God alloweth doe not desire this also and deserue it by the fruites of their loue toward his Church For it is the note of an arrogant and dissolute person to scorne the good opinion that his brethren conceiue of him Euen as precious oyntments are knowne by their smell so is a godlie Christian by the sauour of his good name especially in the place where he dwelleth as being best knowne there Indeed the principall care should be to giue the Lord his due praise for else we beguile and deceiue men in causing them to thinke well of vs and much more we doe dangerously deceiue our selues but that being well regarded and looked
answere that though Barak had been hindred before by vnbeleefe yet afterward hee recouered himselfe as wee see heere and that was when God had giuen him better consideration of the charge enioyned him and promise made vnto him So if we haue failed in beleeuing through the difficulty that wee see or by rashnesse yet let vs weigh Gods promise more duly and so beleeue more hartily and be better stayed by good consideration And to that end let none sit downe like a tyred person and giue ouer his hold and hope saying I see this is too good and precious for mee to enioy for I should neuer be able to beleeue it c. Not so but then let thy want encrease thy thirst as Dauids did Psal 51. and desire to bee enlarged and pray Lord helpe my vnbeleefe And remember that weakenesse may be forgiuen where there is striuing against it but wilfulnesse or preposterous and inuincible vnbeleefe is damnable for God lookes to bee credited vpon his word promise and oath besides the many experiments which we haue if not of our selues yet of other men who of weake became strong And as God bare with Baraks infirmity heere in yeelding to him that Debora should goe with him so he will tender and helpe our weake faith and that many more waies then we can see and all to encourage vs. Thus much be said of this THE TWENTIE SEAVEN SERMON ON THE FOVRTH CHAPTER OF THE booke of IVDGES NOw further let vs note in this verse by the ioynt agreement of all these heere mentioned I meane Debora Barak and the ten thousand of Zebulun and Nephtali especially it being so needful that they should so consent together how good and worthie a thing it is for the seruants of God to ioyne and bee like minded in good things though it doe not directly tend to their owne profit and earthly benefit or not so much as to the common good behoofe of al the people or many as here it did but to a town or family the commendation of this gift of free consent together in many good people is clearely to be seene in the Apostles and those that kept company with them of whom it is said that they were altogether of one mind which caused Saint Paul to make so earnest a request to the Philippians to remoue from them contention and pride whereby this consent and agreement is easily broken For wee know it is no easie matter for many to ioyne and agree together and that by reason of so much contrariety as is in mens minds and for that one is so ready to crosse and withstand an other especially in good things through Satan by his subtill and malitious policy working therewith who gaineth much by their distraction and disagreement as in Paul and Barnabas may be seene It is therfore to be sought laboured for alwaies by the loue and wisedome of godly teachers who by their doctrine perswasions and good example doe much helpe heereto Thus had Debora and Barak preuailed with these ten thousand that they drew them to this worke ioyntly as if they had been but two persons Oh agreement in good things what is like it either in beauty or delight as the Psalmist speaketh Behold how good and pleasant a thing it is for men to dwell together in godly vnity And experience teacheth the same For there many vniting their force of couroge and wisdome in one they doe easily resist the common enemy and which is harder their owne corrupt passions and rebellious nature the which to what euill and mischiefe it carryeth them the infinite broyles sutes quarrels and controuersies of almost all places do too truly testifie Such are they who in louing and kind agreement betwixt themselues doe submit themselues to the word of God whereby they become meeke and humble and so they easily consent to that which is good The want of this godly agreement and the contrary readinesse in men to breake out one against another hath oft caused mee to bewaile for who seeth not great cause so to do the boysterous and fierce contentions of many and those not onely of the common sort who are for the most part rude and ignorant but of them also who are to be counted brethren and yet doe so readily let loose their hearts to bitter contentions and rash iudgings of their brethren if they doe not worse and yet which is greater madnesse this is for a smail cause as if they doe but dissent in opinion and iudgement one from another in things indifferent wherein both follow the light of their knowledge whereby they giue too great testimony that they little know themselues aright and that they haue full slightly searched into themselues to see their many ranke corruptions of selfe loue priuie pride frowardnesse impatience vncharitablenesse and such like that swarme and beare sway in them and that they bestow small cost vpon themselues nor time to find fault with their owne doings to wit how farre they are off from the rule of charity that so they may become humble and peaceably minded toward others Nay which is worse they hold their vnchristian conceits and iudgings of their brethren so strongly and wilfully that they verifie the prouerbe making their bitter contentions with them like the bars of a palace that cannot bee broken and like cities strong and well fenced that cannot easily bee beaten downe This is farre from godly agreement and consequently from that harty louing together which should bee like a threefold cord that is not easily broken which our Sauiour saith is a sure token that they in whom it is are his very Disciples indeed As for agreement in euill such as theirs was in the Psalme it is as hurtfull and odious as it is common but though hand ioyne in hand the wicked shall not escape vnpunished and so I leaue them adding this where there is no agreement in euill there lesse is committed And therefore wee had need to pray the Lord to send a spirit of diuision among such as that was betwixt the Pharisies and Sadduces that so much mischiefe may be preuented rather then stablished And this of the preparation of that Debora and Barak made Now followeth before I come to Sisera a short story of Heber the husband of Iael put in by the way to wit that he being of the posterity of Hobab Moses father in law who remoued from his kindred and brethren as we saw in cap. 1. vers 16. was come to this Kedesh to dwell where Barak assembled his men of warre To the which place God by his prouidence directing him sent him as appeares afterward in vers 17. that thereby hee might as he did by Iael Hebers wife cut off this great enemie Sisera By which we may learne a right profitable lesson That while we goe on heere in our simplicity in this earthly dwelling to serue Gods prouidence as his word leadeth vs
wealthie and heads in societies that they ought to be the first in giuing good example both of praising God and in other commendable parts of Christian dutie For why The greatest haue a greater portion in Gods blessing and deliuerance then the meaner haue I meane they enioy much and haue much to lose and therefore they owe much while they enioy all in peace And secondly it is a goodly sight to behold Captaines in warre and Gouernours and Magistrates in peace and more particularly to descend lower and to come neerer the Commons Headboroughs in townes and the fathers of families to be lights in religion and holy practise to the rest and examples in the seruice of God and the inferiours to follow euen as the flocke followeth the bell-weather for they are both soone discouraged by their backwardnes and haue need of setting forward as by incouragement and good example they are easily brought to be Therefore the Lord in giuing charge to all by their families that they should remember to keepe holy the Sabbath beginneth with the gouernour thereof saying first thou shalt doe it then hee goeth forward to the sonne daughter and seruant Euen so on the contrary and much more when the greatest persons goe before the rest in ill example we see how readily they follow So wee reade that the Priests Leuites and guides of the people were the chiefe and first in taking to them and their sonnes strange wiues of the Amorites and Canaanites against the commandement of God and then many of the people followed them therein when they were returned out of the captiuitie Euen so wee might see it throughout if I should alleage many examples And so God be thanked in some sort wee see that where the chiefe men in any societie be forward in seeking knowledge and be zealous in flying euill and resisting it as their places will giue leaue and in following a good course their care and labour is not in vaine but to good purpose but where the guides of other as their Ministers masters of families and chiefe in townes are prophane lewd ill company keepers idle gamesters make-bates contentious and slanderers there yee may bee sure to finde them that are led by them and that depend vpon them to be sutable But otherwise if they see that the winde blowes against them then they hang downe the head and are nipt in the blossome and containe themselues And here see a note of difference betwixt the godly and the lewd The one with Ioshua vndertaketh for himselfe and his they will serue the Lord. The other like those Pharisies are not onely ill disposed themselues but doe also pull backe and pluck downe with them as many as they can from the best orders and companies And while men must liue with such rare is he who in such a case is a law to himselfe and can keepe his resolution rather to serue God alone then to giue ouer for want of companie But if any be better disposed then other among them they must fetch their light from other places for the most part or else bee in danger in the companie they come into to lose that little they haue and to be led into darknesse Now Debora hauing spoken of the chiefe doth by that occasion descend to name and mention the meaner sort of the armie to wit the two tribes of Naphtali and Zabulon who were willing to take that worke in hand against the Canaanites and were easily drawne to put to their helpe as appeareth chapt 4. 10. They therefore being so forward in so good a cause and thereby reaping so happie a fruite of their labour that is victorie ouer their enemies euen they I say lose not their due commendation but are brought in here by Debora as the woman in the Gospell who powred ointment on our Sauiour of whom he said this Wheresoeuer the Gospell should be preached that which she had done to him should be spoken of So the people that honoured God in this worke are praised by her which was also to their comfort Dauid saith of seafaring men that they could best speake of Gods wonders in the deepe so these being eye witnesses nay instruments and helpers forward of this deliuerance might best by experience speake of the goodnes of God therein and so no doubt did honour him for it and therfore God would honour them by regestring their memorie euen so there is nothing lost that we doe at Gods commandement and for his sake he is a plentifull paimaster and rewarder But in that both chiefe and meane were to praise God for the victorie she calleth thē to a renouncing of their owne strength or boasting of their owne arme which possibly they might haue done and to ascribe all to God as indeed she might well for what were a few of two of the meanest tribes of Zabulon and Naphtali able to doe against the entire forces and mightie armie of Iabin euen so they that are forward in Gods businesse vnlesse they grossely forget themselues they are readie to honour and praise him which cannot be without their owne comfort For these two agree well together that where there is readinesse to obey God there is the like in praising him and abasing of our selues and that also accompanied with ioy of heart And as it was heere with Debora so she sought to haue it with them and the same we see in Dauid when hee being aduised by Ahigail not to shed innocent blood he being easily perswaded by her counsell to forbeare did so and after it praised God highly and arrogated naught to himselfe for following her aduice when she had so wisely and in so good season ministred it vnto him and that wee may be sure was not without his owne reioycing Oh it well becommeth vs to bee forward in Gods matters and yet not to be proud for our so doing and there can come no worse end thereof then thankes to God who hath vsed vs as his instruments and comfort to our selues as wee may truly say who doe more thankfully and ioyfully partake the Word and Sacraments then they who haue with most profit receiued the Gospell and are most zealous welwillers to religion whereas the slothfull and they who are vntoward thereto neither finde any tast or sauour therein but are most diligent to promote ill causes they shall in stead of the prerogatiues of the other haue as they iustly deserue reproch vexation and other punishments of God euen in this life Therefore let all in humility bee carefull and ready to bee imployed in Gods busines and seruice and not to arrogate ought to themselues for that is the onely sweet life and to be desired and herein is our heauenly father glorified if we being forth much fruit In this verse she speakes vnto the rich and wealthy who for honour sake and the rule they had ouer the people did ride on costly beasts as we reade in chapter 10. 4.
bauds to adulterers and to spend that day leaud and vnseemely meetings and match-makings stage-playes and other reuell rout and all vnder the honest colour of exchanging commodities and maintaining their charge So that in stead thereof men and women set to sale their good name chastity sobriety and whatsoeuer else should bee pretious to the godly Now vnto these before mentioned of greater wealth and place whereas some thinke that in the next words shee speaketh to men of meaner state such as is said here dwelt by Middin a place they say where they met more vsually for a Mart or exchange of their wares which place being before intercepted by the enemies and now free for all to haue recourse to it and passe too and fro by the high waies shee exhorts them that repaired thither to praise the Lord. This opinion of theirs is gainsaid by the purest translations and beside one thing should bee vnderstood in both places to wit of traâ—â—ique and merchandise if it were so But the word Middin is not to be taken heere for the proper name of a place where wares were sold but the words dwelling by Middin are to bee translated thus sitting in iudgement As if she should say let men of authority and rich lawyers who may now sit in iudgement about ciuill causes let such praise the Lord because they may now doe it safely It is the honour credit peace and benefit of Magistrates and learned counsellors as also the welfare of the people that places of iudgement and iustice be frequented and vpholden as we see heere in England in our Terme times at Westminster and out of Terme in other places where equity and right are maintained and wrong and iniurie punished Oh it is a time full of desolation when through famine plague or any inâ—ection such places must lie vnoccupied in the times when they should be frequented and set a worke in deciding causes helping the innocent to his right and weeding out of euill doers Whereby we may gather how heauy times those were when iudgement ceased and the open places where iustice was ministred were laid wast and left voide And therfore we reade in the former chapter that the people could not enioy that liberty of publike iudgement seates but they were driuen to go priuately to Debora for iudgement not dwelling sumptuously in palace or castle famous in that respect or honourable but obscure vnder a Palme tree Now therfore as they when they might againe boldly and freely sit in iudgement are heere called to praise God for it So such persons with vs enioying such priuiledges ought to call themselues duely and daily to zealous thankesgiuing with such other duties as accompany the same yea their whole life should sauour thereof And they shall haue much to answere to God who do otherwise As for the people what duty they owe for enioying this benefit I will shew by a fitter occasion in the next verse But to let these goe of whom I haue spoke in this verse because Debora heere speaketh also to all such as went and walked by the way this should cause all such as goe to and fro about their businesse pleasure or other necessarie vses as trauellers to praise God highly for such liberties seâ—ing a little before that the high waies lay vnoccupied and to speake of the benefit thereof one to another to his praise and not to trauell to and fro in rude prophane and loose manner gabling like wild geese in vnciuill and rude sort as though they enioyed such liberties to offend God by them And much more ought their behauiour and communication to bee sober and Christian like when they goe to the house of God to bee edified by the word prayer and Sacraments and also when they returne home againe and in a word to walke harmelesse in all places which behauiour is much out of vse in this land and yet God bee thanked not altogether in some places But heere an end for this time THE THIRTIE TWO SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to proceed with the rest that I haue begun withall heree Debora speaketh to the seruants that in going forth to draw water for their necessary vse were not free from the archers who shot at them and put them to much paine trouble and danger or feare at least thereby Where we see that as they who are in the meanest places of seruice are not to bee suffered to enioy their liberty to liue idly but to be imployed and occupied as Dauid when he was young kept his fathers sheep and set to worke that they may be maintained thereby and such ought to be thankfull when they may goe to it in peace so they are to bee admitted also and taken into the number of them that worship God in the assembly and therefore ought duly to bee brought thither by their gouernours and taught there to know him Euen such as cut wood and draw water the very droyles in houses as they are called who doe the most seruile workes and therefore in some countries such as keepe swine sheepe and cattell which is more base then to serue them onely euen these I say being of them who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ as well as other should be taught to honour God aright and to liue vnder his gouernment and therefore not suffered to liue brutishly as in some places they doe but be brought forth by their parents or rulers into the congregation of the faithfull to learne those things that concerne their happinesse and peace this being presupposed that there they shall be taught Which I speake to the shame of such masters and gouernours as neuer regard any such matter neither consider that they owe that education to them for the seruice they doe them and the vse they make of them and most of all that they owe it them by the band with which they are tyed to it by Gods commandement whereas the life of such is as miserable for their soule as they vnder the Turkes gallies for their bodies yea euen as asses who spend the day in toyle and then are thrust at night into emptie stables so are they sent after their tedious and brutish seruice vnto their wofull home and at last to hell as a heauie recompence of their labour Fie therefore vpon such tyrants And yet if some masters in conscience of the commandement doe for some it may be doe giue them more libertie to goe to the assemblie to worship God yet oft times another euill is in the way that when they come there they haue nothing taught them so that by one meanes or other all that list may see they die miserably of which sort oh that the number were not too great Thus much of these The next sort spoken to in this verse are they who dwelling in villages and vnwalled townes were left desolate and driuen from their habitations and they
man is commanded to walke in his particular calling and the duties therof For so saith the Apostle in the first epistle to the Corinthians Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein hee was called But it followeth in the text Vers 12. Vp Debora vp arise and sing a song arise Barak and leade thy captiuity captiue thou sonne of Abinoam 13. For they that remaine haue dominion ouer the mighty of the people the Lord hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong NOw that Debora hath called all the people of Israel to thankesgiuing for the victorie in the three former verses shee stirreth vp her selfe in this twelfth verse by an elegant figure that other might bee whetted on by her example to doe the same And she calleth Barak to triumph and with a certaine pompe to make a shew of his enemies captiuity and conquest which was to the great honor of God when all might vnderstand that the Canaanites were for the most part slaine and they that remained aliue were prisoners to the Hebrues who were most like a little before to be chopped to pieces of them other of Gods enemies In the 13. verse she amplifieth the victorie by another comparison of the conquerers with those who were conquered these hauing been valiant wise and well prouided but that they ouercame them namely the Israelites were but as a remnant and yet base and contemptible This is the summe of these two verses Out of her prouoking of her selfe to praise God as if shee had been much behinde in that dutie when yet she had been commendable therein as wee haue heard and had also vrged other thereto wee may see that this hath been the manner and course of Gods people to thinke they could neuer do enough in praising God when they haue entred seriously into consideration of his goodnesse but euer thought themselues cold and backward in respect of that they ought to haue been Doubtlesse the due weighing of the cause made her stil to see more and more into Gods admirable kindnes till she was ashamed of her vnthankfulnesse But some will say all cannot be as Debora was it is well if we can be thankfull when we be prouoked by others they say and by good meanes as by the word c. To which I answere It is cleare indeed wee come behinde her in the duty but is there not enough to moue vs to be equall to her yea to excell her therein Shee is thus thankfull for the victorie wee haue no need nor cause to fight shee praiseth God for peace recouered with the hazard and danger of ten thousand men we enioy ours without putting it into question shee for bodily blessing we haue infinite to the maintenance of health and welfare then the which what could shee haue more for this present life besides many that are spirituall to season the other and yet wee come short of her in thankfulnesse neuerthelesse And that which I haue said of Debora the same we may see in Dauid Anna and others Hee in the Psalme hauing none equall to him in the performing of that duty affirming that hee would doe it three times nay seuen times a day and that hee would doe it openly in the congregation and priuately by himselfe yet as though hee had much forgot himselfe and had waxen dull and been behind other therein hee quickeneth vp himselfe to it saying O my soule praise thou the Lord and al that is within me praise his holy name Hee stirreth vp himselfe wee see to bee feruenter when yet he was very forward before Which I speake not as if both he and other Gods best seruants and most feruent did not feele oftentimes a kind of sleepy deadnesse in them to good duties and remissenesse of spirit creeping vpon them as it is certaine they doe seeing they carry that corruption about them which will oft cause a wearinesse in them of well doing for the time but they hauing a greater power of grace working in them to subdue it they gather vp and stirre themselues againe by such occasion to more earnestnesse and so finde themselues refreshed by a new meditation of their slacknesse with double courage to set vpon their duties And to that end they helpe and sharpen on themselues as Dauid and Debora did and sometime are supported by other as we see Moses his weake hands were faine to be holden vp by Aaron and Hur against Amalek By this we see a manifest difference betwixt them and the wicked who though as they say they like well of prayer and hearing and of thankesgiuing yet they professe they cannot endure nor away with such continuall seruice affirming where that is vrged that men shall neuer haue done For as they who beleeue how greatly they are beholding to God for his goodnesse do charge themselues with their vnthankfulnesse euen when they are forwarder then the most considering they are then but vnprofitable seruants so the other are ready to post it off to others as testifying thereby that they be more beholding to God then they hold themselues to be and thinke euery little to bee enough that they are to doe to God yea and that a word and away may serue the turne euen very froth it is that they offer to him a mocking no sacrifice the heart neuer enclining for it cannot to any such thing Another thing in this verse is concerning Barak and that is that hee should in a shew and with solemne pomp set out the conquest and victorie which God had giuen them ouer their enemies Which though after the victory in warre it was vsed to bee done by the Heathens ouer such as they conquered to the priding of themselues and the vttermost disgrace of them that were subdued yet this was we see spoken by the Prophetesse to the end that God might haue honour therby for one end she propounded both of his act and of her owne and that was the giuing of honour to the Lord. For the seeking of a mans owne glory is no glory but a taking it from God and a prouoking of him thereby Nay where men would thinke that it as a due desert to them yet euen there let them beware that they take it not but let vs all acknowledge Gods goodnesse with thankfulnesse for that he will vse our seruice to the honouring of his name But to flesh and pride our selues in the yoking and subduing of our enemies this were no better then the act of Adonibezek who most cruelly cut off the thumbs of the hands and feet of seuenty Kings and made them as dogs to eat bread vnder his table that hee might glorie in their extreme reproch and shame This act of triumph was common to the people of God with the Heathen but not done in so prophane and common a manner And as it hath been in war so the like in some sort we see at this day in the time of peace that tehre
we once enioyed Another thing in these verses is to be marked that we bring double vexation vpon our selues by sinning against the Lord and by seeking to haue our will against the word of God The one is this the affliction that is sent vpon vs for sinne as here the stirring vp of the Midianites against the people of Israel for their transgression or any other as losse of their goods diseases ieopardie of their liues c. The other vexation is that which proceedeth from the former and that is of many sorts as may be liuely seene in this present storie and namely in these verses For what toile time and cost beside the disquietnes that went therewith were they driuen to bestow that I may include much in few words to defend or to saue themselues from the vtmost hurt and danger which was wrought and intended against them what shifts were they faine to make to preserue their liues and saue their goods out of their enemies hands which yet when they had done what they could they were not able to doe If they had been only hurt by them in their cattell corne and other commodities and had sustained that onely for their punishment it had been a deare paying for their pleasure that they took in their sinne but when they were in this bondage that they could doe nothing else but watch and ward for their liues and to build and botch digge and delue and beate their braines to deuise how to hide their commodities from them what sorrow vpon sorrow and one vnquietnes vpon another did they heape vpon their heads till they lost all the welfare of their liues in a manner and made them more wearisome and vnwelcome then death it selfe Is this the fruite of sinne and the good that it bringeth to the committers thereof And yet if I should lay out the fruit of the sinne of Cain Esau Absolon and other who could not be staied from the committing of it what better thing could I say of it or what better fruite could I proue it yeeldeth to the committers of it So that as the baite is pleasant which the poore fish biteth at but it being caught by the hooke bringeth paine torture and wearying of it selfe to saue the life so is it with him that will needes taste of the pleasure of sinne as I haue said And if this be the great good that it intendeth against such as follow one kinde or other of it with tooth and naile who also lie sucking to draw pleasure out of it as a childe doth by the breast then let them all be taken and condemned for fooles who are masters in that profession and are vpholders of that trade and occupation Yea let them bee reckoned in the number of them of whom the prouerbe speaketh The foole beleeueth euery thing And againe O ye fooles how long will ye loue foolishnesse For why they haue chosen a way that seemeth pleasant but the issues thereof are the way of death They doe most certainly take more paine to goe to hell then the righteous doth to heauen And as their reuolting brought vpon them this miserie so let all those who haue falsified their promise and broken their solemne couenant to God of seeking more zeale greater fruitfulnes watchfulnes and care let them I say also feare that their euill conscience wil draw vpon them one accusation and trouble after another and that the further they decline the greater sorrow they bring vpon themselues Some haue been brought to that point that they haue made question whether they might lay violent hands vpon themselues to auoid the terror of minde Further also obserue here what shifts they chuse to make rather then they would seeke to God by humiliation and repentance for release They loue their freedome well who hauing their citie besieged by the enemie till extreame famine compell them to eate dogges cats and such vermine as is noisome to nature yet chuse to endure such difficulties rather then yeeld And so doubtlesse they loue their lusts well who suffer themselues to bee made such slaues and drudges to them as these here were rather then they would abandon them and returne to the Lord with vnfained renouncing of them Alas they must leaue them with shame and double repentance at length when they haue wearied themselues as these did but till their owne rod hath made them smart who may tell them of the vnfruitfulnes of their toilesome trade Toilesome I may truly say both considering with what great adoe they bring their sinne to ripenes and perfection and then what shifts they vndergo to winde themselues out of the woe and miserie which in stead of fruite their sinne brings vpon them It is a good piece of the life of an adulterer first to compasse and fulfill his vncleane lusts and when he hath done to couer and keepe himselfe from shame and to make faire weather of it againe And so the thriftlesse spend-good what adoe makes he to scrape together somwhat to maintaine his riotous humour and when he is brought to beggerie then he must cast about him afresh how hee may defray that and auoid the gallowes or a base and wretched life In a word it is true which Salomon saith in Ecclesiastes To the sinner God giueth paine he giues him sowre sauce to his sweete meate painfull seruice to his sweet lusts And yet without Gods speciall goodnesse neither of these shall preuaile with a lewd person to pull him from the loue and liking of them though they cost him so deare and though he beare and bring foorth with paine and the sweate of his face There will be found an Hiel to build Iericho though hee knew it will cost him and his neuer so dearly Therefore they are happie whom God hath entertained into his house and holds them vnder his gouernment because neither is his word tedious to them nor his commandements grieuous while they are doing them and as for any trouble which can befall them after for their so doing first know that it can not sting them being borne for a good cause and they shall goe vnder it without disquiet be vpholden in it by grace and after count it great ioy in that they suffered The people of Israel we haue heard in the former verses did kindly shew in their doings the nature and disposition of sinful and wicked persons who little trust to God in their troubles they forgot him and did flie for succour and refuge to earthly helpes and staies as towers dennes and other munition and defence forsaking him but the holy storie sheweth in this verse that none of them all preuailed neither did they preserue them And although by their shifting they saued their liues and got and saued that foode which with much adoe kept them from staruing yet who seeth not the miserie which for all that they indured in extreame pouertie bondage and feare Euen so wee must know
and the manner brutish They want and would haue to defray the hard world or to bestow vpon their lusts and to maintaine themselues in pride of life but neither worke they because they thinke it is a sin to be idle nor because they looke for any other fruite of their labour saue the bringing in of the peny They see not whose commandement it is that they should labour Genes 3. therefore they goe through it with vexation discontentment distrust endlesse carking and tying God to their girdle to giue what successe they desire which if they get they take it for granted that he loueth them if not they storme To the impure all things are impure and so are their callings they doe the workes of them commonly not to shunne noysome lusts temptation and the fruites of sloth nor to serue Gods prouidence neither to sharpen and fit themselues thereby to religious exercises and to good duties nor to auoide offensiue burthening of others nor to doe good and relieue them that want c. and so to obey God in all nay to speake the truth when they are in their shops at markets in their fields they are far from setting God before their eyes much lesse doe they beleeue that God is with them there to blesse them in their worke as well as when they are occupied in duties meerely religious Sinister ends and causes doe compell the most to yeeld some obedience to Gods commandement but doubtlesse if all were now men of worth and might liue of themselues we should haue few workers As we see by their words saying Oh such a man is happie Why because he need not worke nor toyle as we doe but liue easily and enioy the world at will And by this they bewray that they could bee content to doe so too if necessitie vrged them not to doe otherwise Therefore their labour is as displeasing to God as their idlenesse in a manner as they vse it A wofull thing ans not without the curse of God vpon such as will not learne a better direction that whereas some goe about their worke in faith beleeuing that because they are Gods beloued therefore God will giue them rest blessing and successe others rise earely sit vp late drudge and droile eate the bread of care and drinke the water of affliction yet either they thriue not or at least they are as much to seeke of soule-prouision I meane grace and hope of saluation at the end of their wearisome life as at the beginning whereas it shoud haue been their first work after they came to yeeres of discretion Which should teach vs wisedome and not to giue God a short and formal pittance of seruice when we be at Church on the Sabbath but seeing that great worke is to seeke with the most therefore to giue all their diligence thereto that is to make their saluation sure that all the sixe daies we may wholly giue vp our selues to other affaires without so much as minding God or godlinesse For the Lord will haue vs serue him religiously as well in actions ciuill not religious of their owne nature as holy and this is the scope of his third Commandement which tieth the seruice of God to euery part of our liues in our common course of liuing as well as the second doth to religious duties and therefore must be extended to our particuler callings as being the greatest part of our time and wherein our liues are most taken vp But I will proceede in the next Sermon and here an end Now to proceed where I left THE THIRTIE EIGHT SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES WHile Gedeon was thus hard at worke and labouring the Angell came and spake comfortably vnto him as if he had bin praying or in the like exercise and not to terrifie him To teach vs that our businesse and works of our callings are no lets to vs frō hauing cōmunion and fellowship with God neither doe hinder his presence and comfortable being with vs. And the same may be said of our callings themselues ordained by him bee they meane and base or waightie Therefore the Lord was with Iacob in his iourney and in the way when hee was going from his brother Esaus wrath and rage And so hee made the Gospell effectuall in Lydia by Pauls preaching she being then a seller of purple and rich and not yet truly conuerted to God And the Lord blessed the two tribes in their calling and habitation saying Reioyce Zebulon in thy goings out that is in thy prosperous voiages on the seas and thou Ishachar in thy dwelling in tents meaning in thy quiet keeping at home about thy traffique and businesse And by this which I haue said let vs marke that if it be not long of our selues our lawfull callings and businesse are no hindrances of vs from the seruing of God holily and religiously as some thinke they be but that from them we may goe to prayer or the like exercise in good manner euen as wee may from these to them Although I may truly say this that for not well learning it few can ioyne these wisely and rightly together because their affections and delights are set too egerly towards that which sauers of the earth and of gaine which is the cause that measure is not commonly kept therin Dauid saying that he had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the tents of the vngodly which he would not haue said if mens attendance vpon the basest worke in their lawful callings had been an hindrance to them from Gods seruice may by his words stay and comfort many weake Christians who thinke that they are much letted from the duties of godlinesse euen by the very vsing of their callings because they be not spirituall as prayer and the like exercises are But to end this let the vse of that which hath been said be thus much vnto vs that wee euer labour to be so innocent well gouerned in al our earthly businesse and workes of our calling that we may not driue the Lord from vs but haue him alwaies with vs by the spirit of truth direction and comfort as we haue heard he hath been with other and was here with Gedeon in their earthly affaires for that is the vsing of them aright and in their kinde The next thing in this verse is this that though the Lord sent his Angell to Gedeon for his owne reliefe and comfort and also the peoples yet wee see this was not done till they were brought neere to extremitie all helpe of man was past and they had no other refuge vnder God but to prouide for themselues by flying from their dwellings to saue their liues As for example Gedeon whose father was in some authoritie and therefore none of the poorest yet was at this point euen thrashing a little corne by the aide and nourishment wherof he and his might flie from the
to know that the triall of our faith is much more precious then the gold that perisheth and therefore sendeth vs many trials as he did to him that although there seeme to be no great matter in them yet indeede to him that weigheth it aright it is found to be farre otherwise For both we see thereby our weaknesse which we should not otherwise thinke to be such as it is and by little and little wee grow out of it and gather experience and hope against it which in time are greatly to our comfort And surely if Gedeon had so many trials in one duty doing let not vs plead for exemption from many though we haue alreadie endured some and although wee can say others are free or haue but few in comparison of vs. But to proceed to another point It is happie for vs that the Lord who diets vs with this ordinarie vndertakes as well to bring vs safely through our trials ministring as much grace as affliction as hee did here to Gedeon so that wee rather should say Since thou giuest shoulders Lord lay on what burthen thou pleasest thy will bee done Rather I say then to compare the irksomnes of the trouble with the pleasure and ease of the contrary which will make vs wearie of trials and like the Israelites in the wildernesse to long and linger after daintines and Quailes We see the couetous man is neuer satisfied with gold but triall serues to bring in a commoditie of greater price as I said before Gold can serue but to feede and apparell vs except wee abuse it to the pride of life to make vs thinke our selues in a fooles paradise by enioying it but this serueth to encrease our spirituall treasure if we be wise to vse it in kind both to purge the drosse away which cleaueth to our faith meeknes and patience and to adde to the measure of it also so that whatsoeuer good thing we enioy we should neither haue it in the kinde nor in abundance and store but through much triall Therefore rather let vs learne to count it great ioy as S. Iames saith when many trials fall vpon vs then snuffe against God as if we cared not how little grace we had so we might haue ease therewith as the sluggard in Ecclesiastes who saith A morsell with idlenesse is better then plentie with labour I confesse indeed this is an high degree to ioy in affliction which is so grieuous in it selfe and not ioyous a greater matter then to ioy I say not in health riches and prosperitie which euery foole can doe but euen in hearing the word or obeying it in many particular duties thereof Howbeit we want not examples of such as haue found ioy in their trials I say in them for he that lookes for ioy after them must also finde some in them I meane by hope as Paul by name who professeth no lesse of himselfe and Dauid with many others Yea and wee also must learne to say Lord thou teachest me an hard lesson to account affliction matter of great ioy but seeing thou saist there is sweetnes to be gotten out of this bitternes as hony out of the carrion of a lion therfore I will striue to beleeue it and that I am as precious in thine eyes and as deare to thee euen in affliction as in peace freedom and that I shall gaine more by it then by all my iollitie and ease in which I should haue lien stinking if by trials thou hadst not kept my faith occupied liuely For though faith wāts not matter enough to work vpon euen when we are at the best and freest from trials yet such is our sottishnes that promises seeme not sweete or sauourie to vs except we be driuen to seek after them by trials troubles but then oh how welcom Th◠sending him to the campe of the Midianites so nakedly and vnfurnished what could it promise in likelihood and outward shew but deadly danger But heare the rest of Gods words to him Thou shalt saith hee heare what they say and thou shalt be confirmed thereby and after thou shalt goe into the hoast of the Midianites and feare and dismay them till they be vanquished By this wee see that wee haue great cause to beware that we take not some part of Gods word and leaue the other lest wee depriue our selues vtterly of the whole and all benefit thereof as Gedeon we see had done if he had taken one part of Gods speech to him and left the other And this thing is too commonly offended in not only by subtill Sophisters whose sinne is the greater because they sinne of knowledge but also by weake Christians who through feare and want of experience doe draw against themselues the threats and commandements to wound them but the promises of God which by his owne appointment are set downe to their comfort properly those they say belong not to them So what a corrasiue were it to a Christian if hearing this that All who will liue holily in Christ Iesus must suffer affliction c. he should goe away as hee in the Gospell heauie and sad saying This is an hard saying who then shall be saued But God be thanked if the promises be added to the charge the heart will be well eased and the burthen in great partalaied And doubtlesse the diuell himselfe would wish a Christian no greater mischiefe then he causeth to himselfe by this separating of those things which God hath ioyned together But of this point reade more in the former chapter in Gedeons reply to the Angell And there is as great cause that we take heed of separating the word of iudgement and punishment from the word of precept and commandement as the promise for as this causeth men to stumble where they need not and plungeth them into feare and deadly despaire so the other strengthens them as much in their boldnesse to offend As wee see Eue by disioyning the punishment threatned vpon her eating the fruite was the more prouoked to attempt the sinne Genes 3. More particularly we may here see that God doth so order things according to his owne good pleasure and purpose that hee maketh his to finde matter of ioy where in sense and reason sorrow onely and terror can bee found He fetcheth light out of darknesse sweetnes out of bitternes and out of trouble peace For what might Gedeon looke for by going to the campe of his enemies so nakedly but discomfort and hazard of his life at least if he had not been slaine also and cut in a thousand pieces Yet God intended and so brought to passe that he and all the people should liue and be comforted by hearing there that which did cause it For example what might Abraham haue looked for when the Lord bad him goe from his friends and countrey to a place that he knew not neither had any thing in it but was a
labour is not in vaine in the Lord. But as for men they oft times disgrace that which is well done of vs and reuile yea and hate vs for it as Eliab did Dauid for shewing himselfe forward against Gods enemies the Philistims and by name their great champion Goliah for the which hee ought to haue been encouraged rather and highly commended of him So Ioseph who had preserued the land of Egypt both for the time of the famine and long afterwards yet of that King Pharaoh who rose vp in the land some yeeres after of him I say Ioseph was not knowne nor regarded for so the text saith There came another Pharaoh who knew not Ioseph though his welfare arose by and from him vnder God as wel as his predecessors that liued before him did But especially this was verified in our Sauiour Christ who being the light of the Gentiles and the glory of his people Israel was for the vnthankfulnesse of the people and their spitefull dealing against him was faine I say to answere them thus Many good workes haue I done among you for which of them doe you stone me In Heathen stories we reade of the strange ingratitude of people to their victorious gouernours especially Grecian and Romane one of whom being dead had this vpbraiding epitaph engrauen O vnthankfull countrey thou shalt not so much as haue the honour of my bones But that men liuing in the Church should shew such brutish ingratitude who should beleeue it that sees it not Moses the conducter of the people out of Egypt was neuer quiet from the conspiracy and murmurings of them against him The Prophets and Apostles for their painfull prophesyings and trauels in preaching what reward found they So these Ephramites how recompenced they Gedeon for his labour and paines And the other Israelites also looke in the end of his story And so if the worthy seruants of Christ in the magistracy and ministery find the like greetings courtesie thankfulnesse at their hands who should be their best fauourers and encouragers against their aduersaries yea if they find the people whom they gouerne and teach and vpon whom they bestow their liues and strength as the candle that giueth light till it die and goe out to requite them with small reuerence lesse countenance or maintenance and least of all with any fruit in true piety of their godly care and labour in season and out of season bestowed among them what vse shall they make hereof Shall they desist from their good beginnings and giue them ouer to such as may bee like to teach them by fearing them who would not learne it by loue to make more account of them No but first let them looke vp to God and acknowledge his iustice in so trying them and punishing some sinne in them and then answere themselues as the Prophet Esay I haue laboured in vaine to manward but my reward is with God and therfore I must not forsake my standing nor leaue my calling but hold out with courage and constancie vnto the end but more fully of this in the story of Iephta Now then the vse of this is and so let vs take it that we bee not discouraged from conscience and constancy in the seruice of God for the discourtesies and ill dealing of men for of God we are to looke for our reward And yet I must say that without especiall grace it is hard to doe thus and to rest contented with this that God is a plentifull rewarder of all that seeke and come to him and withall to beare the indignities that are offered vs of men Secondly seeing the world dealeth thus vnkindly with Gods seruants let their brethren that feare God bee encouragers and comforters of them that they may hold on in their good course for they are but men and therfore they haue need of encouragement and their weakenesse requireth that they should bee so dealt with And let all such as liue in their places of Ministers or professors with any freedome this way much more with a good liking and mutuall consent or encouragement bee highly thankfull to God for such vnwonted fauours and friendly dealings of men with them as knowing that it is not the portion which the most in the world find or enioy but a peculiar indulgence and fauour from God which ought to stirre vp in them astonishment at Gods kindnesse to them therein and not pride and insolencie And for the sin I now speake of let vs count this vnthankfulnesse and the taking in ill part the good actions of Gods people let vs I say count it for a bitter fruit of a naughty proud and cancred heart wheresoeuer wee meete with it or behold it and thereafter let them thinke of themselues who shew and offer it Now further note another of the faults of these Ephramites against Gedeon and that is that they enuied him for the honour he got by the victory Whereby though they sustained no hurt neither were the worse but the better yet they could not beare it that Gedeon should haue the glory of it where we may see a foule property of enuie and what it is It is a greefe and sadnesse for the prosperity of other and namely of such as bee our equals For the poore man enuieth not the King hee may bee grieued that he himselfe wanteth such good things as the King hath but that is not enuie And by this we may note the difference betweene hatred and malice on the one side and this enuie on the other to this end as wee haue heard of the one so we may in a word of the other Hatred therefore is a greefe conceiued against one for some cause at least as we thinke as Ahab hated Micaiah because hee did not prophesie good to him but euill as he tooke it and the same appeareth also by the contrary out of these words in holy Scripture They hated me without a cause And when I say enuie is a greefe at our equals for any eminency or prosperity that they haue aboue vs I meane such as are in kindred estate yeeres dignity or in gifts like vs. And the cause of this enuie is not for that wee are troubled as though any hurt or danger were comming towards vs from them whom we enuie for that is another affection to wit feare but for that through a cankred stomacke we cannot beare it that such an one as is no better then our selues should bee lifted vp so high and commended so farre aboue vs. And is not this a cursed mind in vs that wee cannot bee willing that another should fare well we being neuer the worse and that wee should haue an euill eye at that for the which we should reioyce for so Mary and Elizabeth did mutually reioyce one for the welfare and blessing of God to the other And so much the more detestable is this affection that whereas some other being
shal be a bargaine and they will be readie to challenge and make claime of it how slightly soeuer the couenant was made but if it fall out ill and against them then they picke a quarrell and say they meant not so as the other taketh it And therefore such will not make their bargaines plaine nor their couenants sure and certaine but slightly conclude as though they agreed in one and depart one from another breaking off with such like words we shall agree vpon which vncertaine termes let no man that loueth his peace buy sell or deale as this world goeth except hee be willing to stand to the hardest and to take all measure that shall be offered him willingly In partnership also there are many secret and subtill deceiuings one of another when yet all good shewes of equitie shall be seene and it selfe to the full pretended Like vnto these are all such as promise great friendship to a man but if they perceiue their betters brooke not the person but frowne vpon them that shew any kindnesse to him then they must in a dishonest manner finde some fault with him also and alleage that they cannot therefore shew him the kindnes nor doe that for him that they had promised Is this to prouide things honest before men Is not such dealing apparent dishonestie So in aduersitie and disgrace right good men shall be iustled to the wall who yet if they be againe restored to their former estate and accounted of and in fauour with their betters they shall be sought vnto and regarded as Iphta was In all these and the like there is this dissembling to be seene which was in these Ephramites a manner of dealing contrarie to simplicitie and plainnesse and from good Christians as a maine blemish nay as a staine vtterly to be remoued and abandoned And this is bad enough euen in ciuill dealings but when it appeares in matter of religion farre worse and by infinite degrees to be detested whether it be shewed toward God or men I meane when as in a subtill politique manner not of feare and frailtie for then it is not so grosse though euill men will abstaine and conceale their affection to the Gospell till they see whether the time bee like to fauour or frowne vpon them in the meane while carrying such a darke and ambiguous countenance that no man can tell what to make of them And yet he that cannot carrie the matter thus but plainly bewray his opinion and iudgement is counted a foole and shiftlesse person as indeed hee is to the world-ward if there were nothing else to be regarded It is as possible to make a true cognizance for these temporizers as a coate for the Moone for they serue their belly their ambition their purse and as these leade them so they follow God they serue none for their religion is onely a stalking horse for them to play their part the more cunningly till their turne be serued The same I say of the committing this sin toward men what is more odious in a man then when he shall promise and pretend all loue and faithfulnes to his neighbour and yet meane and intend no such thing but practise the contrarie Now Gedeons milde answere followes to be considered which he maketh to this quarrell and expostulating of the Ephramites with him who if hee had answered their foolishnes with the like and had giuen them as good as they brought what a broile thinke we would there haue been betweene them But in that hee did not defend his doing by answering that hee was strong enough of himselfe and had no neede of their helpe which had been like to prouoke them the more against him neither commended his owne labour care and industrie which they could not willingly haue heard neither yet did vnuizer them by telling them that they quarrelled without a cause against him who had sought their helpe nor any way exasperated them but contrariwise yeelded as much to them as with truth and good conscience hee might neither did hee interpret their contentious words to come of bitter enuie as they gaue him cause but rather hee hath left a most commendable example of a meeke and patient seruant of God and respects all these of honest and lawfull emulation it teacheth right worthie matter and doctrine vnto vs. Namely how wee should deale with such as are insolent contentious fierie and such as thinke though neuer so vntruly that they haue wrong at our hands And that is that in such cases we must be well staied see that we giue men their ful due to wit not to crosse prouoke and exasperate thē but rather to seeme not to see the roote of bitternes that breaketh out of them but to containe our selues till a fitter time seeing they are not then in case to be told of it and we are to make the best of euery thing asswaging them with gentle answers especially if we be but their equals or inferiours and in one word not to answere a foole according to his foolishnes that is to giue as ill measure as he bringeth lest wee be like him but to remember that which we are taught in another place of the Prouerbs namely that it is a mans glorie to cease from strife and to consider and alwaies bearing this in minde that he is better that can rule his owne heart then he that subdueth a citie For except we thus giue place to such many euils are like to follow and fall out against vs in Church and Common-wealth in familie and in the course of our life which yet hereby may and will no doubt for the most part bee auoided or at least wise bee smaller and fewer Therefore let the yonger sort herein learne to yeeld to their elders and the inferiours to their betters though they deale not with them as they ought and should seeing wee see here that Gedeon and afterward Iphta being superiours did forbeare to deale with their inferiours as they might haue done and were iustly prouoked to doe Yea and let one learne and take out this lesson toward another after the manner that I haue set downe as husbands wiues masters seruants and other that peace with holinesse may be preserued among them And yet who is he that sheweth foorth this meeknesse and wisedome But as is to bee seene in the common iarrings and quarrels of men the most count it their glorie and boast of it afterward when their words bee fierce and more stinging then their fellowes and come out of a furnace seuen times hotter then his What saith he did he thinke I would turne my face for him or be put downe with words No I trow I gaue him the full measure that hee brought yea tenne for one I spared him not a whit Loe how fooles some out the froth of their owne shame Whereas Salomon shewes them their faces in a glasse who doe so when he saith An angrie man
companions are least pitied of men when the Lord entrappeth them in their owne snare Sooner would a man let loose a Lion if he durst out of the pit or the danger wherein it is then the Foxe because besides the hurtfulnesse it hath so many shifts to conueigh it selfe from danger and is so hardly catcht Who pitieth these men of Succoth and Penuel because they in seeking by subteltie to preserue their liues iustly were beaten with their owne rodde and lost them Whereas he who falles into danger either in a good quarrell or in his simplicitie is either saued by God or pitied in his ruine by men And is not this a double miserie when men are in distresse to heare others say of them they are well serued Heathens haue obserued this cowardly subteltie for who is more subtill then hee that is most fearefull to be euer vnprosperous and seldome euen in forren dissentions of Kings and States haue they sped well who haue held off and plaid the spectators of other mens successe For whosoeuer hath got the vpper hand they haue smarted if they whom they denied to succour they are made the prey of them whom they forsooke if the other yet they smart also in that they did onely forbeare for their sakes and not actually helpe So vnnaturall is it counted in a common calamitie to betray one enemie to another or not to helpe when we are able Which I speake not to excite men to parts taking alway in other mens iarres but to shew how iustly these were handled for their craftinesse in denying helpe not to strangers but their owne captaine And euen so how odious doth God make Newters and Temporisers in religion they are hated of Papist and Protestant and are as cursed as he that is hanged betwixt heauen and earth Touching the vse of this and how to abhorre this sinne reade before in the 2. doct of the 6. verse And these with like punishments for the like iniquities doe not light vpon other that are plaine vpright mercifull and in a word religiously circumspect in their carriage and who make conscience of their waies I doe not deny but that the best doe oft meete with sharpe persecutions but they are for good causes or else their troubles be but fatherly trials and corrections for their good so S. Peter saith If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake blessed are yee And againe If the will of God be that ye suffer it is better that ye suffer for wel-doing then for euill So that we see such haue to beare off the sharpenes and painefulnesse of their sufferings by their reioycing in the Lord and by the blessed estate that they are in whereas the other haue their punishments as forerunners of greater euen here before hand as the Apostle saith Indeed full often I confesse they shelter themselues to men-ward by their greatnesse and shift well inough when meane persons go to wracke According to the prouerbe Great men dote and poore men smart But when God who is higher then they as Salomon saith calleth thē to account as being their only competent Iudge when they haue broken through other iudgements by fauor feare or bribes as great flies breake through cop-webbes then they meete with their match As alas who seeth not what waies there are to bring this about As displeasure of prince factions and partakings treacheries challenges and highnesse of spirits As our owne English Chronicles for these 2. or 300 yeeres plentifully witnesse Now if the Lord spare not great ones let all fawning flatterers who seeke to such and willingly offer themselues as instruments of oppression cruelty and wrong because they looke to be safe vnder their wings from punishment as Ziba and such like let such feare I say for their patrons shall not shelter themselues howsoeuer they no doubt thinke otherwise And this be said of this point for the fuller handling of that which I noted vpon the 9. verse to the same purpose And here we may more particularly marke by the executing of punishment vpon these chiefe men of the citie rather then vpon the common citizens that as the greatest in place and authoritie haue many priuiledges aboue the meaner persons both in credit wealth estimation and commanding others so the Lord brings them foorth to the terrour of inferiours and they lie open to greater danger hurt and losse thereby then others doe and in time it breaketh out and appeareth if they doe ill behaue themselues in their places This is a great cause why men who are aboue other should carrie themselues humbly and not proudly as too many of them doe and also looke well to themselues in euery part of their dutie for a time will come when they shall pay for all and when their estate shall be such as the meanest vnder them would be full loth to be in their roome And to such I say as Dauid in Psalm 2. Be wise now therefore serue the Lord in feare and kisse the sonne yee mightie ones lest he crush you in peeces Happie then are all they that trust in him if his wrath be kindled Also the inferiors should here learne not to murmure against them because they are so farre aboue them for they sometime goe vnder more sore and heauy punishments then they themselues doe yea and though they behaue themselues commendably in their places yet God oft correcteth them more then some others lest they should kick vp their heele against him by meanes of their wealth and greatnesse as it is too common a thing for such to do So that as God hath his number among all estates both high and low so he nurtureth them all by afflictions according to his heauenly wisdome that they may safely in their appointed time be gathered to their fathers But here being a fit place to make an end I will stay for this time THE FIFTY THREE SERMON ON THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 18. Then said he to Zeba and Zalmunna What manner of men were they whom ye slew as Tabor And they answered As thou art so were they euery one was like the children of a King 19. And he said They were my brethren euen my mothers children As the Lord liueth if ye had saued their liues I would not slay you 20. Then he said to Iether his first borne sonne Vp and slay them but the boy drew not his sword for he feared because he was yet but young 21. Then Zeba and Zalmunna said Rise thou and fall vpon vs for as the man is so is his strength And Gedeon arose and slew Zeba and Zalmunna and tooke away the ornaments that were on their Camels necks NOw after all this was done it followeth according to the diuision of the Chapter in the beginning of it how Gedeon executed punishment vpon the two Kings of Midian whom after hee had shewed them to the Princes of Succoth and Penuel hee purposed to punish And first seeing
indeed vrge them about it as he had cause a question may arise how they could offer this to Iphtah to be their Iudge and how he could take it with a good conscience First seeing they had no authoritie to offer it Secondly seeing he and they both had this blocke in their way that a Bastard might not enter into the Congregation of the Lord to beare any office The answer is to both questions one that the Lord directed them thus to doe who is bound to no law and that he guided them herein the whole story through the Chapter testifieth The Lord excludeth such in Deuteronomy from bearing publike office and that to terrifie men from begetting Bastards who are in this world reprochfull and lie open to much miserie And yet how this forbidding that sinne preuaileth with men this the commonnesse of the sinne and this prophane practise of adulterers too too much bewraieth who thinke that by this meanes of bringing Bastards into the world that is the pitie they take of them they shall shunne the wearisome company of the wise and tediousnesse of children with the vnwelcome annoiances that they count to accompany both But oh monsters doe they thinke by auoiding the burden of the lawfull wife and children to escape the blot of vnlawfull libertie euen reprochfull whoredomes Doth not God set a brand both vpon them and their cursed fruit For it is prooued by experience that besides the discouragement which bastards are oppressed with as of scorne and opprobrie in the world which of it selfe is enough to hold them vnder the Lord denieth them commonly good education so that they prooue vagabonds curseth them with a more then common indisposition and aukenesse of nature to retaine instruction and gouernment And lastly there are few of them who are not tainted with vile and odious qualities such as they deriue from their vitious and vncleane parents And therefore the greater is their sinne who for all this his prohibition most wickedly fil the world with them cause them to be brought into so great calamitie Yet as the innocents cannot doe with it so God bee thanked they are not shouldred out from the hope of saluation for there is no respect of persons with God if they feare him But if they were cast off by the Lord yet such is the vnconscionable beastlinesse of those gracelesse persons that for their owne filthy lust they would thus endanger them as the loathsome practise of those vncleane Locustes the Popish Monkes and Friers both in this land and elsewhere hath abundantly witnessed to the world in former ages See more in the first verse of this Chapter Iphtah hauing found ill dealing at their hands before as we haue heard for that they were not lead by conscience and the feare of God when they cast him out but by partialitie vsed crueltie against him he did not therfore trust them vpon their word but requireth an oath of God at their mouthes as may be gathered by their making God a witnesse of the promise which they made vnto him and so tieth them to a sure couenanting with him For it had not otherwise been wisely prouided for by him and therefore when he went with the messengers to Mizpeh he rehearsed these things there before the Lord that so the promise which they made might stand sure God being desired to be the beholder and witnesse And here let vs learne that when men haue dealt vnfaithfully and dishonestly they haue no wrong offered them if they bee not credited as before no although they bee bound by bond whereas their bare word was taken while they went for honest men for they haue giuen iust cause to other to suspect their credit And by this which I say may be noted that one cause why men are in lesse credit now adaies is their vnfaithfull dealing And whereas some cannot be trusted nor borrow vpon their word or bond but for want of credit doe goe without that which would stand them in exceeding great stead for their vpholding and maintenance it is the fruit of their owne doings and that which they haue sought by their owne vntrustinesse and breaking of their promise whereby they haue lost their credit together with their honesty For in these daies many care not to deceiue yea and vndoe others and therefore come to nought themselues also for the most part whereas some other being faithful and conscionable vpon their bare credit liue and maintaine their charge by borrowing and by other mens forbearing them And whereas it is obiected on the behalfe of these vnthrifts and deceiuers that they must be borne withall though they cannot pay that which they haue borrowed I answer Some of them see no likelihood that they can repay so much as they will seeke to borrow and take into their hands of other mens goods which argueth little honesty and therefore are well content to wind it from them cunningly and craftily whereby also they impouerish some others will not diminish their occupying in the least manner though they goe aboue their reach nor detract from their belly and pastime to pay the owner therby shewing that they care not how he come by his due and right or whether he euer haue it againe or no. Now while these things are thus we may note that the beautie of religion is such if it be planted in men soundly and indeed as that it winnes credit to him that hath it for contrary dealing and maketh him to be approoued for his faithfulnesse conscionablenesse and honesty whereas he that is void of them liueth in vtter discredit and iust reproch And whereas ye will say some of them that make shew of religion doe yet deceiue and deale vntrustily with their creditors I answer it is not the shew of religion but the practise of it that carrieth the beauty with it that I speake of and if any that be taken to be religious offend this way know wee that it is not their religion that imboldneth them to such dealing but that they haue so little of it And so it is true also that some that haue credit deseruedly doe for the sweetnesse of the gaine if they take not heed hold their due from the owners sometimes though they may little reioyce in it And let them know that their sinne is the greater but yet all this notwithstanding there are some who dare not neither will by any meanes be brought to doe so And if ye aske me Why then doe men take bonds of such as are of approoued honesty and haue not broken nor lost their credit as if they were no better trusted then other common men I answer Not because they be distrusted but first seeing all are mortal and so men might lose their goods if they had no securitie for them by those in whose hands they are and secondlie that contention may not arise betwixt the posteritie of both parties that shal come after And againe
seeing there are such deceiuers in the world as would prouoke euen the honest to contention if they can see any hole open or espie any aduantage And this rule holdeth also firme and good in religious actions before God For as it is the honour of a Christian to continue constant in his loue to the truth and the Church of God the fruit whereof is a sound and good report so if a man begin to warpe and bewray his hollownesse or treachery in either his staine is not easily washt out neither can he looke for that currant estimation or reuerēce which before he had nor scarce obtain so much afterward as to be credited for all his profession Although men will be trust their vessels with oyle or wine while they be sound whole yet if they begin to leake and run they will not commit any thing vnto them which is in danger of losing Our Sauiour asked Peter but once Whom sayest thou that I am and tooke his word when he deserued no other whereas afterward hee was not satisfied with one nor two professions of his affection Simon louest thou me good reason he had made a great cracke in his credit and therefore he that had forsworne Christ deserued not vpon his owne bare word and answere to be beleeued And those who haue deceiued the opinion of the Church touching their religion by falling into error and schisme or their pietie and honesty by grosse offences may thanke themselues if euer afterward the people of God haue them in a iealousic As we reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie that when once the baptized partie reuolted either from his religion or good conscience as Miriam by her arrogancie the Church admitted him not without serious repentance and confession of his fault But if he slipt the second time they practised greater seueritie towards them enioyning them not repentance only but for a space of time to remaine out of the Church as in famous Yea some euen of the reuerendest Fathers of those times as Cyprian and others grew to this erronious opinion that such were not to be admitted without rebaptization as if their former seale had been quite puld off by their sin I meane the seale of forgiuenesse Therefore let all Christians looke to their standing the didiuell if it be possible will quite ouerthrow them but if he cannot hee will foile them and take away the crowne of their reioycing which is their faithfulnesse and constancie And he is an impudent person who hauing foully dishonored God and his profession wil hold vp his head boldly and claime his old priuiledge Doe we not see that among men one periured or a forger is disabled from euer bearing any witnesse against or for any in publike court And haue not all men such a one in suspition Doth not treason taint euen the blood of the traitor so that euen when he is loyall he goeth for no better and hee who hath got a patent of restitution or pardon for his fellonie doth he not forfeit it by a second offence in the like kind But of this enough Another thing worth the marking is this that in as much as Iphtah went so easily from his iust quarrell that hee had against them of Gilead and had so soone done when he had wisely told them that which concerned them to heare and when they had assured him of that which he demanded by this I say we are taught not to hold in our harts an iniurie against vs by any but soone to remit an offence for it is an honour to passe by it He mentioneth the matter but once to them and once requireth security but goeth no further And who seeth it not to be a great grace in any man to doe so for therein he doth after the example of the Lord himselfe who doth not follow things against vs hotly but sheweth great lenitie and kindnesse And as we should not be rigorous and cruell in our dealings to prouoke men with our bitternes to wrath so should we make an end of controuersies as soone and in as few words as may be as for other causes so not in the least respect for this seeing in many words commonly there is much sinne Of this somewhat was said before in vers 4. but especially looke backe into Chap. 8. verse 2. And further learne what hath been the religiousnesse of an oath in times past to wit such that if it were once offered and taken there was no more question but the controuersie was ended As we see Rahab hauing it granted her by oath of the spies that she and her fathers house should bee saued aliue at the destruction of Ierrico rested satisfied Therefore men must looke to what they sweare seeing an oath is not to bee violated vnlesse it were made for the accomplishment of euill in which case the keeping of it were double sinne as Heroas was and the least euill therein is great And as heed must be taken how men sweare so must they who offer the oath to other that it be so done that they to whom it is ministred may be free from snare so that they may doe it as the Prophet speaketh in truth righteousnesse and iudgement Therefore such as draw men by oath to fulfill their desire and to doe things against conscience haue the more to answer for Men then must not be drawne and forced thereto to which they cannot yeeld nor of themselues rashly sweare to doe that which they approoue not but abhorre Iphtah doubted no more after the oath but goeth after the army But an oath is not strong enough now adaies to hold a man fast neither can wee safely rest in it for the deciding of controuersies although the Lord hath taught vs otherwise Now for the further ratifying of the couenant betwixt them it is rehearsed before the Lord in Mizpeh by them for thus the men of Gilead say We couenant with thee before the Lord to doe as we say and that he may punish vs if we breake it Therefore such as are common swearers are not to be admitted to this solemne oath either in accusation or decission of controuersies For as I said they haue lost their credit they haue often falsified their oathes for how should a common swearer auoid common periury and therefore that which another man vseth reuerently and with conscience such rush vpon commonly and carelesly through a prophane habit being herein worse then Heathens who counted not such worthie of societie but intestabiles as they called them that is such as were not to be admitted as witnesse And commonly such they are who prostitute themselues for gaine to sweare falsely before the Magistrate of whom there are many and some the Lord shoaleth out from among their fellowes as notorious monsters branding some with in famie and misery and terrifying the consciences of other with hellish feares if not with despaire And a step to
men that law be not attempted till all other meanes be first vsed and a great sinne it is among Christians to runne by and by to law and to the suing one of another as too many vse to doe hotly rashly and wilfully though themselues sustaine most hurt by it who doe so as being authors of the contention and suite Likewise the same may be said of offenders in other kindes who if they haue been lead away by leaud counsell or companie and yet relent for it afterward and take admonition against it willingly they are to be vsed more fauourably so farre as by the law they may be forborne euen as the stiffenecked and sawcie and bold defenders of their sinne are sharply to be dealt with lest they grow past recouerie and doe as the waters euen ouerflow all places where they come Some controuersies shall no doubt alwaies arise betweene man and man touching things the equitie whereof is vnknowne and vncertaine it shall be whose the right is But if contentions proceeding from manifest wrong or from vngrounded surmises were at the first taken vp and cut off in which commonly most rashnes heate and distemper is bewrayed yea if trifling quarrels were troden vnder foote then neither should men haue so many needlesse ianglings and those which are serious and could not bee auoided should more indifferently be handled and decided either priuatly or with peaceable consent of both parties by trauerse of law Yea I say if themselues could not hit vpon agreement they would yeeld to the discretion and loue of such as might compound their differences rather then multiplie one sinne vpon another as fiercenes of words to the gall of their stomacks and other actuall pursuite each of other to both the former shewing themselues vnappeaseable and inexorable It is the pride bitternes and enuie of the heart rather then the weightinesse of the cause which oft prouokes men to the heate and stomacke which they vtter and bewray all may see in their iarrings each against other And therefore they are so farre from Iphtah his practise that they reioyce they haue any pretence of debate and suite against their neighbour and follow it in such eager and odious manner that all may see they sue not because they haue cause but are glad they haue any occasion such a delight they haue therein that they might fall to suite The claime of a whole Tribes inheritance did not so stirre Iphtah to wrath against this vsurper as many of vs would bee stirred against him that would challenge a few acres of our possession what doe I say nay against him that contendeth about a twelue penny matter with vs and yet wee should exceed them that goe many degrees before Iphtah in the meanes of knowledge and acquaintance with Gods will in particuler duties if we did well consider it Let such doings be heard of among Heathens as for Christians if one partie will not heare of his dutie let the other giue him ouer and let him contend if he will needs with his owne shadow Doubtlesse in many contentions if either party were wise the others folly should soone appeare and the contention which growes past recouerie should cease and be at an end And further Iphtah by asking what wrong he had done him that he came to warre against him giueth all to vnderstand how absurd and odious a thing it is to doe wrong and deale hardly with them who haue done no iniurie to vs and therefore hee saith If I haue done wrong good reason it is that I should satisfie the challenge c. For if that be foolishnes when wee doe but meddle with a matter that belongeth not vnto vs and with the which we haue nothing to doe yea though wee meane no euill thereby if that I say be folly and as Salomon saith all one as if a man plucked a curst dogge by the eare then to hurt any willingly and to bee cruell and iniurious to him that would liue in peace by vs is an high degree of iniquitie And if we ought to sustaine a double iniurie rather then to offer to reuenge one how great a sinne is it to doe wrong or hurt any man wee not being prouoked by him It is abomination euen as it is to let the guiltie goe free and yet many make no conscience hereof But I haue spoken of this point in chap. 8. in Gedeons protestation to Zeba and Zalmunna and in other places The King of the Ammonites sends him word that Israel had taken away part of his land when they went out of Egypt toward the land of Canaan and therefore he made warre with them But how true this was ye may see in Deuteronomy where the Lord speaketh thus to the children of Israel when they should passe by them Thou shalt not lay siege against the children of Ammon neither make warre against them for I will not giue the land of the children of Ammon into thy hands And in the 37. verse Moses tels them they obeyed the Lord therein saying Vnto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not nor vnto any place of the riuer Iabbok vpon which it bounded So we see that whereas it is manifest that the Lord suffered not Israel to meddle with Ammon yet the King answers boldly they did This teacheth that such are to be found who neither meane well simply neither care what they say but as their hearts are full of falsehood and deceit so their mouthes are full of lying The Lord himselfe had said the people of Israel should not neither did they meddle with the Ammonites as the forementioned scripture testifieth yet their King boldly and vntruly auoucheth that they tooke his land and enioyed it as their owne The which who should not be ready to beleeue being so boldly auouched and that by a King Euen so many care not what lyes they coyne nor how shamelesly they lay claime to other mens goods and how boldly and impudently they set against the truth in many other dealings And this they doe either for their commoditie as this King did or for their credit and to set a colour on their doings as the old Prophet of Beth I did by lying and Gehazi also when hee had gotten the tallents of Naaman or for both respects together as Anantas and Saphira and Saul also See his answere 1. Sam. 15. Let the credit of such be with vs thereafter In stead of this dealing wee see the beautie of truth and faithfulnes without which how can men liue one with another Put away lying therefore as the Apostle willeth and speake the truth euery man to his neighbour In this vnreasonable and absurd answere of this King compared with Iphtah his wise and equall proceeding we see the contrarietie of mens dispositions there are some that striue by all possible meanes against contention and vnpeaceablenes there are others againe whose delight it is to
vexe their aduersarie one way they could doe it many waies and say that they haue greater and more causes to pursue them then that one which they alleage But all such speech is bragging and boasting without iust cause for if they had greater doth any man doubt but they would take their aduantage by vsing them when as they prosecute the smaller so hotly against them Vpon the forementioned reasons he concludeth that hee gaue him no cause to make warre with him as he had done but hee had been stirred vp vniustly against him And as Iphtah was bold to accuse him and auouch his owne innocencie hauing so good proofe for both so euery one that can proue the goodnesse of his cause shall bee able boldly to defend his owne innocencie against his aduersaries and accusers to their shame and iust reproch and their owne peace and comfort Whereas other must be driuen to vse shifts as lying dissembling boldnes heate multiplying of words and false witnesses as may be seene in the cause of the Priests and Pharisies accusing our Sauiour before Pilat The truth seeketh no corners See notes vpon verses 14. and 15. And so hee appealing to the most highest for his simplicitie in the matter to be iudge therein he endeth his message Thus must wee be able to doe I meane not to be afraid to make the Lord iudge in the cause that so though we be iustled to the walles by our vnequall Iudges vpon earth yet we may rest in Gods testimonie of and vnto vs and our cause and therefore not fearing man may be confident verifying the prouerbe The righteous is bold as a lion In the same kinde Iob speaketh saying Though mine aduersary should write a booke against me would not I take it vpon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne to me Meaning it should be to his commendation But seeing the men of the world see boldnes so much to preuaile in the defence of their bad causes therfore they face out matters themselues thereby Wherby this watch-word is needfull to bee giuen them that men looke not so much how boldly they stand in the defence of themselues and their doings as how truly for that which in a good cause is courage in an euill is impudence But though Iphtah had said enough and that also to good purpose yet we see that it moued the King of Ammon nothing at all but as he had taken a bad cause in hand so he meant to defend it vnto the death euen as men too commonly doe who hauing begun an ill matter doe purpose to goe forward So that we see wise and sound reasons and perswasions howsoeuer they be vsed both to purpose and in season so that they who can iudge would thinke they might be like to preuaile and moue especially not knowing the corruption of the heart which couers it selfe with shew of honestie yet with the wilfull they doe no good nor with any such as bewray themselues being put to it to be resolute to do wrong and of a preiudicate mind or possessed of strong passions Therfore it is that Salomon saith A word more entreth into the wise then an hundred stripes will auaile with the froward This humour possesseth many whom it would not easily be thought to be in and therefore being discouered so much the worse beseemeth them euen ciuill courteous persons still and sometimes religious because either they suspect not themselues and so are ouertaken by any occasion suddenly falling out or else they nourish this serpent in their bosome wilfully Naaman was taken with that tech and no marueile he being an Heathen when he heard the Prophets answere by what meanes he told him he should be healed But highly to be commended was Dauid who receiued the counsell of Abigail a woman so readily to turne him from a cruell and wicked resolution And euen so they who are obstinate as thinking it a discredit to them to desist shall meete with more shame by proceeding but happie are the meeke and tractable who receiue the wholesome words of exhortation and stop not their eares from good counsell but submit themselues without respect thereto such shall deliuer themselues from great euill And a man would thinke such behauiour doth better become professors of the Gospell then wilfulnes and obstinacie Concerning the vse whereof I haue spoke somewhat by the like occasion in the 21. and 22. verses let the reader ioyne them both together Vers 29. Then the spirit of the Lord came vpon Iphtah and hee passed ouer to Gilead and to Manasseh and came to Mizpeh in Gilead and from Mizpeh in Gilead he went vnto the children of Ammon 30. And Iphtah vowed a vow vnto Lord and said If thou shalt deliuer the children of Ammon into mine hands 31. Then that thing that commeth out of the doores of mine house to meete me when I come home in peace from the children of Ammon shall be the Lords and I will offer it for a burnt offering 32. And so Iphtah went vnto the children of Ammon to fight against them and the Lord deliuered them into his hands 33. And he smote them from Aroer vntill thou come to Minneth twentie Cities and so foorth to Abel of the vineyards with an exceeding great slaughter Thus the children of Ammon were humbled before the children of Israel The third part of the Chapter IN this third part it is shewed generally that Iphtah ouercame and subdued the Ammonites And in particular first how God gaue him the spirit of courage and fortitude to this end Secondly that before hee entred the battell hee made a vow to the Lord that if hee should get the victorie hee would offer that to him which should first come out of doores to meete him Thirdly how after this he went forward to Gilead and Manasseh and came to the place where the Ammonites were and so lastly how fighting with them the Lord deliuered them into his hands In this verse it is shewed how Iphtah came to the Ammonites from Mizpeh in Gilead for it is distinguished from that Mizpeh that is in the Tribe of Inda Before that the Lord had furnished him with gifts of his spirit fit for warre both valiantnes of mind and strength of body as was said before And by this it may appeare that the Lord had appointed before that hee should be their Iudge and deliuerer though it was vnknowne to the people when they sent to him to haue him to be their Captaine Now for our instruction and benefit heere wee may see that when the Lord appointeth any man to any speciall calling hee giues him gifts for the discharge of it When Moses was to be sent to Pharao hee alleaged his vnfitnes and vnsufficiencie to speak to a King the Lord prouided for that before he began to discharge it The Apostles likewise whom Christ left weake and vnfurnished for such a worke as they were to take in hand after his ascension
God in the maine Neither doe all parents make conscience what they vrge but require a strict obedience without controle And they that doe make conscience yet require their due often ignorantly and would be full loth to doe it if they knew it vnlawfull as Iphtah doubtlesse would Indeed I confesse this duty lieth streightliest vpon the parent to know what to demand but the child if hee neglect is bound to performe the same which might of the other be lawfully demanded And let none thinke that by this rule the inferiour is euer a whit priuiledged no doubtlesse hee obeyeth the parent and gouernour best and most who obeyeth in the Lord vpon knowledge And in that she saith Seeing thou art reuenged of thine enemies I am well content to dye it was a speech that might well haue become the experiencedst seruants of God though vttered by a young damsell Oh let such examples be our instruction for as Paul said the same words in a like case so the Lord instructeth vs to doe the same So that wee haue cause to say and thinke it that our liues should not bee deare to vs in respect of the welfare and peace of Gods Church and people for her prosperitie should bee our desire and ioy As wee are taught by the example of that rare noble man Nehemiah more famous for grace and godlinesse then for his greatnes and aduancement who being asked of the King why his countenance was cast downe and sad he answered Oh my Lord the King why should I not bee sad when the house and citie of the sepulchers of my fathers lieth waste and the gates thereof are deuoured with fire Commendable also was the answere of Mephibosheth to Dauid when hee was safely deliuered from the rebellion of Absalom and restored againe to be the vpholder and welfare of the Church thus he said What are all my goods and substance to mee seeing my Lord the King is come home in peace And Paul shewed by his words to the Romans Chap. 9. and 10. that so earnest was his desire and prayer to God for Israel that they might be saued that he would pledge his owne saluation to purchase theirs And hee telleth King Agrippa that so as he and all that heard him that day were added as true members to increase the Church hee was content to beare the bands and hardnesse himselfe alone hee I say could haue wished that hee might haue borne all the brunt to free them from it Such loue should wee beare and not pretend to the Church of God that a great part of our ioy should bee diminished vnlesse she might ioy with vs. But we may complaine with the prouerb Euery man for himselfe but they are happiest that weepe and reioyce with her For wherein standeth our happinesse and whence haue we our chiefe cause of reioycing Haue we it not from hence that we are members of that holy Catholike Church of Christ which being his body is knit and compacted by ioynts and sinewes together and draweth from him as her head life and grace And partake wee not euen here singular fruit from this communion of Saints not only by the sweet conuersing with them whom wee are next vnto and dwell among but by the prayers of such as wee are onely present with in spirit though in place farre distant Therefore next to our communion with our Lord Iesus himselfe what sweeter meditation haue we then of our fellowship with his bodie whereunto he hath granted such singular priuiledges and which hee hath beautified with so many admirable gifts and graces in all which wee haue our parts if we haue any part in her What thinke we Is Christ diuided Is his body subiect to dismembring Can any of vs draw from the head any influence of grace if wee will be singular by our selues or separate our selues from our brethren Doth not a great part of our felicitie hereafter consist in this that we shall haue fellowship with the Saints in light euen the light of Gods and the Lambs immediate presence For these reasons let vs bee perswaded to enlarge our selues and not to bee streightned within our selues as if we neither had any part in the sorrowes or prosperitie of others For as there is a duty required of vs toward the whole body to pray for the peace of it and mourne for the grieuances thereof so especially for that part thereof whose estate is best knowne to vs and with Dauid we must say If I forget thee O Ierusalem let my tongue cleane to the roofe of my mouth and my fingers forget to play And againe For Zions sake I will not hold my peace c. till her beautie breake forth as the light and till Ierusalem be set vp the glory of the earth And this affection should bee so strong that it should ouerflow the bankes of the Church and extend it selfe to the borders and confines thereof and be earnest with God for them that are yet strangers and aliants that they may be made members of this bodie and citizens of this Citie that the Kingdome of Christ may bee stretcht out from sea to sea and he may rule farre and wide throughout the world And it will become vs aswell to entreate the Lord to pitie the many thousands of them that sit in darknesse who cannot discerne betwixt the right hand and the left as the contrary ill beseemed Ionah who was checkt for his labour And further seeing the varietie of the necessities and estates both of diuers particular Churches members of each some of them knowne to vs is manifold we must thinke this duty not easily discharged without a great measure of loue and an heart dilated therewith and well purged of selfeloue There are many that pretend this office to the Church being indeed Schismatikes and Heretikes out of a preposterous loue of a communion out of vnion But let them know the Church acknowledgeth no such bastards neither hearkneth after those that would vnder the pretence of a new deuised communaltie of their owne draw her to either a separation from her head as Papists doe or from fellowship with the body of Christ as they who terme themselues of the separation doe When Iphtahs daughter had answered her father as he had giuen her occasion she made a request to him for her selfe as in this verse is shewed saying Giue me leaue to goe to the mountaines to bewaile my virginitie I and my fellowes For it was counted a reproch in those daies to die childlesse And a solitarie place as she asked was fit for that purpose Now that she would not without leaue doe euen that which was good she sheweth clearely and we may see that much lesse would she haue done as Dinah Iacobs daughter did to range and roue idlely needlessely and dangerously Which may teach our youth and particularly the maidens of our age to learne this point of obedience of her
world by whom God worketh and reuealeth his will and minde vnto that they may beleeue Which thing Paul knowing very well told Philemon that hee owed himselfe vnto him for the good he had receiued by his ministerie whereby hee was truly turned vnto God and what marueile Therefore such messengers of God deserue not checks and taunts as the wicked and vnthankfull world can doe no other then giue them for their so testifying their affection to them And they are iustly to be pitied who hauing heard the message of God at the mouthes of such yet haue their hearts no way inlarged to them whereby they giue testimonie that they haue taken no good by their preaching Will an earthly King endure his Ambassadour to be lowred vpon or abused thinke we Look vpon Dauid how he reuenged the indignitie which Hanun offered his seruants And what did the husbandman to those that farmed his vineyards and beate wounded and slew his messengers Hee that despiseth you saith Christ this husbandman Ioh. 15. despiseth me and him that sent me Next to the contempt of the message this despight of the messenger is most damnable For by Pastors and Teachers the Lord manifests his will touching our liuing peaceably heere and enioying life hereafter for euer which are treasures precious farre aboue those of Princes and therefore they are sauage people that lightly weigh them But they that haue found comfort by them yea their reconciliation as Iob. 33. speaketh they that haue tasted of the good gift of God by them and haue their soules bathed in this dew of heauenly knowledge esteeme them worthie of more honour then they can yeeld them and count them as a few men of a thousand and are neerlier knit to them then nature can knit them to their owne flesh And so is the Minister againe to them being as the crowne of his ministerie And yet to preuent a cauill I say not that they worship them as God neither for all that but indeed they make more of them then common men which little liketh them who would haue them thought of as men not worthie to haue place in the Church no nor on earth at all Therefore let all good hearers learne first to bee riuetted into their doctrine to get acquaintance with that first and then if their hearts can go against the messenger let them but that cannot be they must needs aduance themselues in ioy and affection to the instrument if once God and his ordinance haue got any honour and loue in their hearts As for senselesse blockes or cauilling controulers either of message or instrument who take vpon them to carpe at their doctrine or the manner of vttering or the persons that bring it as the trueth is the wofull people make no other vse of these things but to iangle and censure them they bewray themselues to be no children of wisdome as yet what they may be I say not but yet they be not bred nor begot by her for doubtlesse they would then pleade for and iustifie her I haue often thought it Gods mercy to keepe the knowledge of such discouragements from them that are to enter into this office lest they should bee deterred wholly from it till by experience they might be armed against it To conclude then if Manoah for a temporall benefit foretold him by the Angell and but once appearing to him yet because hee was the messenger of God shewed himselfe so kinde as hee did to him and as hee tooke him to bee a man so hee was carefull to entertaine him as it was meete such an one should be oh how much more ought the teacher and messenger of God and the people ouer whom he is set and to whom he is sent of God to guide them safely to his kingdome yea and to whom he declareth the whole secrets of God and that daily both in season and out of season as Paul speakes how much more ought they I say to be knit in true loue the one to the other Whereas there is scarcely outward peace and agreement betwixt the most of them vnlesse it bee in euill as in vaine iangling and prating drinking and gaming and such like spending their time together and this of Manoah The words of the Angell follow wherein first that he denieth not that he may be moued to stay with him if there were cause but not to eate if he should make prouision for him therein I say hee teacheth vs these two things the one that we may lawfully and willingly be perswaded vnlesse there be necessitie to the contrarie to stay together one neighbour with another in company after we haue done our earthly businesse if there be seene cause and namely if thereby we may doe good or take good one by the other as to conferre and vse good communication together for knowledge edification and their mutuall comfort and increase of loue betwixt our selues or for the good of each other In these respects I say neighbours may keepe company one with the other after their other affaires and businesse ended which though it be not in vse among neighbours where no religion is yet let not other lose that benefit But otherwise if they doe not so in tarrying together I meane instruct edifie and comfort one another and prouoke mutually to loue and good works it is much meeter for them to depart asunder each to his owne home and calling rather then to fall to idle needlesse or hurtfull iangling and spending the time in no good sort together This is somewhat like that which I haue been before occasioned to speake of in the womans wisdome shewed in departure from the Angell as soone as she had receiued his message There is a danger as well in mens too long staying together with men as with women and it is apparant that many haue held out company longer then was meete after their necessarie affaires were dispatched or their lawfull refreshings by the creatures enioyed because they fall from eating and drinking to drunkennesse to vngodly gaming 's to buy and sell their neighbours to plot mischiefe to wrangle quarrell and bee at daggers drawing each with other had it not bin wel these had not met at all or at least to haue bin parted in season But on the other side if time place and good occasion offered doe serue it is the dutie of a Christian to redeeme any seasons in company to doe good therein if it were but for this cause that they meete not commonly nor oft together And where there is willingnes and as it may be thought simplicitie and vprightnesse in them that desire it there ought to bee readinesse and forwardnesse in him that can yeelde it except other predominant reasons doe vrge the contrarie without any strangenes and austeritie and the rather because the most part of the world looke after no such matter in their meeting together And this wisdome we may learne by the Angels words
their will who are thus doggishly pursued of them Touching such rage and madnes I haue said somewhat heretofore to discredit it and disswade men from it both by shewing the hideous face therof and the cursed fruites issuing therefrom As who beholding Lamech in his furie and outrage and hearing the terrour of his words would not abhorre him and his qualities And yet there remaine among vs men of no better disposition though they will not speake so plainly as Lamech did who could in their rancour eate the very heart of their enemie with garlicke as the saying is and yet nourish this serpent in their bosomes still and fight not against it with the sword of the Spirit nor confesse themselues to bee beasts for their yeelding so farre whereby their whole Christianitie is called into question But another thing in this verse is not to be omitted that whereas Samsons wife being threatned by her neighbours before that they would burne her except she told them the meaning of the riddle she as wee haue heard to auoid the danger did tell it them to the griefe and great hurt of her husband and yet now behold she could not auoide it but by the Philistims was burned for all that For by and for her telling the riddle to her people she was saued from burning but Samson went from her and for that her father gaue her to another to wife for that Samson spoyled the Philistims corne and commodities and for that cause they burned her and her father and so the riddle the declaring whereof saued her life the same was the occasion of losing it Euen so that which shee sought before by vnlawfull meanes and shifts to shunne I meane burning by the same vnlawfull shifts she procured it And so it was with Iosephs brethren when they sought to be rid of him because of his dreames of such honor that he should haue aboue them which he told them of and they in no wise could abide it and therefore they sold him into a farre countrey euen thereby they brought him to that honour cleane contrary to their mindes and liking as is cleere in the storie And what is more manifestly and manifoldly proued by experience among vs then this that whereas many seeing great troubles comming toward them doe seeke by euill practises as lying swearing forswearing and such like to winde out of them what may bee commonlier seene I say then this that thereby they bring farre greater and sorer if not the same troubles vpon themselues For while they seeke to auoid worldly sorrow for a while which had come by their trouble but much lesse they are plunged into a farre greater euen to torment their consciences with deadly stings of sorrow by their sinne which of a long time will not bee plucked out So the Iewes sought libertie by putting Christ to death yet when thereby he rose rose againe from death it cut their hearts deeplier and imbondaged them much more I speake of such as were not seared with an hot yron and so much the rather for that they haue thereby brought his blood vpon them and their children vnto this day I stand the rather vpon this because it is thought a foolish part for a man to beare a discommodity patiently rather then to shift it off by vnlawfull meanes and is counted a point of wisdome to fall rather into the hands of bad men though by yeeding to sinne then to commit his case to God with confidence in him for what account is made of that though it bee against a mans conscience As many Politikes censure Daniel for his vpright persisting in the seruice of God after the decree was made against him by the Princes What say men had he no shift nor euasion to deliuer himselfe and elude his aduersaries but he must wilfully fall into the snare Oh foole learne by this example the truth of that denunciation He that will saue his life that is giue skinne for skinne conscience and all to saue it he shall lose it that is either be disappointed for his shifts God not giuing him fauour in the eyes of his enemies who count him but an hypocrite for all his shifting or if he seeme to gaine somewhat thereby in one kinde yet he shall neuer enioy his penniworth with comfort but rather with a checking and vpbraiding conscience if he doe not at length with wearines renounce it and cast it away as Iudas did his wages of iniquitie But hee that loseth his life that is trusteth God with his most precious liberties rather then he will runne vpon the pikes to haue his will he shall finde it as Hester did by sauing ir or as the good Martyrs did by changing it for eternall life after the short enduring of trouble which their good and quiet spirit and the hope of reward shall make tolerable Oh that men would once learne to measure gaine not by the presentnes but by the cleerenes and worthinesse of it they should by this meanes auoid many a sinne with the shifts that attend vpon it besides preuenting of many after-reckonings of sorrow and punishment which an euill conscience makes vnsufferable especially if the same mischiefe light vpon them which with so deare a price they sought to auoid Very Heathens could say that vengeance would not suffer the guiltie to escape though they might shift for the present But the word of God teacheth vs the cause because the God of vengeance is the Lord of hoasts and hath a hundred souldiers armed to meete with his enemie though he haue escaped one It is as if a man hauing shunned a Beare should meete with a Lion he hath escaped the former but he is still in chace neuer at rest till he be destroyed and hee had been better to haue yeelded to the first The story of al Churches verifie this truth in the examples of abiuring hypocrites who met with worse measure when God took them in hand then they shunned at the hand of men For the wisedome of man is foolishnes with God Now in these two verses the other way is set downe whereby Samson hurt the Philistims and that was in their bodies which hee so lamed and pained with kicking them with his feete that he did beate life out of them And so wee are to vnderstand those words in the 8. verse hippe and thigh that is with a necessary supply added for making the sense runne the roundlier thus his foote put foorth to their thigh with a strong blow and had no other weapon to fight against them but his foote spurning them as sluggish persons not able to resist him This as the best exposition in my opinion leauing others to their own iudgement of these words he smote them hippe and thigh with a mightie plague I set downe not troubling the reader with other opinions about it Now by this extraordinarie strength that hee had thus to spurne and
that so the hearers may see themselues wound into better communication ere they are aware and secretly blush at their owne ignorance The particular that the Angell mentioned was to counsell him to offer a burnt offering to the Lord. The signification thereof was that thereby hee should consecrate himselfe body and soule with the powers and parts of both vnto the Lord and so he should honour the Lord as became him and shew that hee did thereby acknowledge himselfe willing and readie to obey him in all things And this is our true seruing of God to offer vp our selues wholly vnder his gouernment as the Apostle speaketh to the Romans And so on the contrary they doe nothing lesse who giue themselues to follow their owne lusts and the deuices and desires of their wicked hearts or who in some things wil yeeld him dutie and by halues as we reade that Saul did for which cause the Lord reiected him Let the reader looke more of this point in chap. 2. and in chap. 10. and elsewhere And further as Manoah for the kindnesse hee receiued of the Angell was bidden to offer to God that which he offered to him so we should not offend who are Gods Ministers if in the like case we doe the like As for example if for our trauaile by aduice and counsell to any brother either troubled in conscience or otherwise with some great and dangerous doubt he being satisfied and quieted to his good contentment by our counsell if I say he the partie so counselled by vs out of a thankfull minde should offer gratuitie to vs as many thinke it their dutie I say wee should not offend if we should desire him to giue it either wholly or a part thereof as freely to some very good vse if he be well able as to some godly poore as hee would haue done to vs seeing we thinke it vnmeete for vs to receiue it because we would in no wise bring a reproch to our ministerie orgiue occasion to any to thinke that we doe basely sell the gifts of God for money For if hee bee both able and willing as Naaman the Sirian in the like case was to shew thankfulnes which we thinke it vnmeete to receiue we shall doe a good dutie to helpe to benefit some other where there is need of it and so fit an occasion is offered by Gods prouidence to relieue him Too few such occasions are offered of doing good in that maner if they be yet they are not taken and yet it is well knowne how many there are to doe good vnto and how wee are commanded by God to take all occasions thereof as he offereth them And if ye aske why Elisha did not worke vpon Naaman in that manner I say hee was an heathen and a stranger newly conuerted and if he had requested any such kindnesse of him it must haue been put into his hands to dispose in all which respects hee refrained But of this I haue said somewhat before chap. 8. in Gedeon his refusing the kingdome and demanding the earings the lesse therefore shall serue Another thing I thinke good to stay about a little in this verse and that is by occasion of a word the Angell spake And that is this that hee called that bread which Manoah called flesh For when hee desired the Angell that hee might prepare for him a kid of the goates the other answered hee would not eate of his bread whereby who doubteth will some say but that both meant one particular thing Manoah that he would prepare some refreshing for him and the Angell that hee would not eate with him Here by the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth not bread onely but all food and so flesh particularly by this word I say the Papists who are faine to catch hold of euery thing that they thinke may serue for their purpose take occasion to maintaine their transubstantiation and they crie aloud that the bread in the Sacrament may signifie flesh as it doth in other places of the Scriptures Where it appeares that they are so hastie to alleage a proofe from hence for their purpose that in the meane while they take one thing for another For though the Hebrew word may signifie flesh as it doth bread yet they should remember that Paul wrote in the Greeke tongue where the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth bread is neuer taken for flesh And what gaine they by thus playing the Sophisters among the ignorant For they who are able to iudge do see that they abuse the reader grossely in saying bread may be taken for flesh because the Hebrew word sometime signifieth so when the Greeke word neuer signifieth so in which tongue yet all that concerneth the Lords Supper is written And so while they goe about with the dogge to get the flesh that shineth in the water they lose that which they seemed to haue in their mouth and so both And yet if the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 did signifie flesh as it doth bread how doth it follow that it should signifie so in the Sacrament against sense reason scripture and truth So wee see what substantiall proofes they bring to vphold and iustifie their absurd opinions and religion This I say vpon this supposition granted that the Angell and Manoah spake of the same indiciduall thing which yet no man will grant to bee a necessarie consequence For though Manoah meant flesh yet the Angell might meane bread both by a Synecdoche meaning a refreshing by bread and meate Manoah might offer him a kid and he might answere I will not eate of thy bread in this sense Prepare nothing for me I will not eate so much as any bread much lesse of thy flesh Who is so simple as to thinke otherwise except any should imagine that the meate was like to be set before the Angell without bread If bread were needfull also what necessitie is it that both their meanings must needs be about the same particular But I spare Thus much of Manoahs desiring him to eate the second thing followeth of asking him his name but of this in the next Sermon THE SEVENTY THREE SERMON ON THE XIII CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES THus he still seeing the man of God as he tooke him to be to shew such grace in his speech was the more knit to him and so desired to know his name and hee shewes him the reason to wit that when it should come to passe which he promised Manoah might honour him with some reward The Angell seeing it a needlesse thing that he asked did not answere to him in word but thought it fitter to make himselfe knowne to him in deedes then in words and thereby to confirme the former promise made to them And this to be the meaning of the verse the next words doe proue namely that hee did wonderfully for so are the words in the originall hee was marueilous or he did wonderfully
The Angel that resolued there should be no yeelding of gratuitie to him for which cause Manoah asked his name hee did not tell him and yet who can deny but Manoah asked it vpon good consideration namely that hee might shew himselfe thankfull to him as he thought himselfe bound to be Wherein he gaue cleere testimonie of his honest and single heart in desiring to take the opportunitie thereof vnto him afterwards for the kindnesse that was offered him Which is a necessarie duty though it be not regarded nor looked for of them to whom it is due But of this before Now that the Angell did shew as we see in this verse what hee was by deeds rather then by words he hath not onely left vs his example but also confirmed vs in that the Scripture teacheth both Minister and people concerning that matter And first of the former who being a publike messenger of God is called an Angel my meaning is not that the Minister is liable to euery ianglers censure for his allowance of him or for his sufficiencie But let him get this Seale of his Ministerie which here the Angell bringeth out to wit the efficacie of working I meane both a powerfull teaching and a powerfull example and these shall be his iudges By these they must iudge of him who are able to iudge and they who iudge by any other rule are ignorant or malicious and therefore disabled to iudge And the best Ministers that euer were neuer refused this Canon of doctrine and life to be examined by Neither our Sauiour nor the Apostle Paul euer arrogated to themselues such libertie as to be receiued the one for true Messiah the other for a true Apostle vpon their bare word It might haue opened a gap to euery seducing spirit to haue stood vpon his owne worth and like Antichrist at this day to compell mens consciences to acknowledge him a successor of the Apostle because he out of the abundance of his owne sense boasted himselfe so So that base testimonies are inartificiall arguments all meere men being lyars but to trie the spirits whether they be of God is a needfull dutie they that are so tried haue no wrong done them neither can complaine if their charter bee demanded I meane the power of teaching and the power of godlinesse These workes admit no appeale though they be no miraculous works as the Angels here yet they are demonstrations In the 11. of Matthew Iohn Baptist sends his disciples to Christ in policie to resolue them of the truth of his mediatorship our Sauiour when they had done their errand doth not scorne them or disdaine to giue account of his calling But what manner of euidence giueth hee Goe saith he tell Iohn what yee haue heard and seene The blinde see the lame goe the poore receiue the Gospell q. d. If these workes will not euince what I am take mee not for him that I goe for So he tels the Pharisies If I gaue witnesse onely to my selfe I could not claime credit thereto but the workes I doe they beare witnesse of me and further I desire not to be embraced So Paul tels the Corinths ye are my Epistle written in your hearts c. q. d. The spirit of God coworking with my Ministerie to the begetting of faith a new heart and life in you hath sealed also this truth vnto you That I am a true Apostle of Christ against all gainesayers And it is the dutie of all Gods Ministers to adde this commendation and allowance vnto the outward calling of the Church their letters commendatorie I meane and licenses And if hereupon wee may bee receiued let vs not complaine as for them who vpon this testimony from God will not admit vs either our persons as factious Separatists or the power of our Ministerie as all vnbeleeuers and vngodly ones woe be vnto them for in not receiuing vs they despise him that sent vs. As for their censures we may appeale from them with our Sauiour saying I receiue not praise or dispraise of men I haue another Iudge And with Paul It is a slight thing with me to be iudged of such I passe not for your iudgement And secondly let all priuat persons that receiue the message of God by the Minister know their dutie also which is to declare what they bee by the good actions of their liues rather then by their talke and to bee examples to other in their conuersation and not in their communication onely So our Sauiour taught when he came to giue his life for vs here on earth If ye abide in me and my word in you then are ye my very disciples indeed Agreeable hereunto are his words in another place Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Neither let any man desire to bee taken for better then he is but submit himselfe to this touchstone which will bewray what mettall he is made of and for as much as the inward duties of faith and pietie are vnknowne to others let the workes of each mans calling say for him what he is let a good magistrate be content to lose the credit of his profession if he cannot maintaine it by vprightnes courage in punishing offenders defending the innocent being free from couetousnes parcialitie or iniustice Let the husbandman approue his religion by walking as a man of vnderstanding before his wife and she hers by submission in the Lord and reuerence towards him and so the other parts of the familie in their seuerall places And otherwise let them hold their peace as guiltie persons Thirdly this doctrine is to settle the best Christians to bee so still notwithstanding the taunts and mockes of the vngodly who bayte them with the names of hypocrites and men of singularitie seeing they declare that out by their good liues which they imbrace with their hearts and generally let all such take warning by this as onely haue a name they liue but are dead and who speake well but haue not hearts to doe thereafter and as for such as reproach and scorne them who honour their profession with a life answerable their iudgement sleepeth not It appeareth by that which is said here that as the Angell willed Manoah to doe euen so he did I meane offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord. Now where it is obiected that it was not lawfull for him to offer in any place but at Ierusalem and therefore that it was not lawfull for him to offer where the Angell met him I answere that it was lawfull to offer in other places while the Arke was carried about and was staied in no certaine place but after the building of the temple at Ierusalem then indeed that law tooke effect and it was not lawfull to sacrifice elsewhere but all high places were then to be taken away And this I say supposing