worse then the thiefe who yet is odious and driuen frō habitation with men in their free dwelling houses into a loathsome prison among brutish companions For he vnlesse he be cruell also is content to take a share in his goods whom he robbeth but the cruell man is not content with a share but if his might be sutable to his mind he will haue all at one time or other that is his whom he pursueth yea he wil thrust him out of house and home yea and out of the world also before he can be satisfied Caine a little after the corrupt estate of things entred into the world was a patterne of cruel ones who when he had no cause giuen him by Abel his innocent brother of hard handling him yet because he was accepted of God and himself not did not hate him only without a cause but which was most vnnatural and monstrous in him rosevp against him and slue him Pharaoh when he had almost tyred the poore people of God who were strangers in his land with burdens and toile asmuch as they could beare yet was not satisfied therewith but made their burthen farre greater til their life was more vnwelcome then death itselfe that his crueltie might be manifest to all Haman so exceeded herein that it was too little to take the goods of Gods people from them and to hold them bondmen vnlesse hee might haue their liues also And what should I speake of Iezabel who being a woman exceeded men who were cruell also And of Rehoboams cruell handling his subiects as his storie declareth and of Iosephs brethren who consented to sell him into a far countrey whence he might neuer returne to trouble them as they hoped but further the most of them agreed to take away his life also and yet if they had killed him euen they themselues had lost their liues also in the famine that God sent afterwards they being preserued by Ioseph among all other men These might make crueltie odious to vs. But many that heare this of it desire to know what manner of thing it is that rageth after this sort and like the flaming fire deuoureth and destroyeth where it commeth Their demand is godly and I will briefly satisfie it That they may therefore cease maruelling that this fury crueltie I meane bringeth such strange effects forth they may know that it is a vile and vitious habit or custome whereby men are carried to do things both harsh and hard and that beyond all course and compasse of reason Now where men are thus set vpon their will to deale with other and are led to it without reason much more without religion there how can they chuse but to bee rigorously handled and cruellie delt with who fall into their hands Which maketh the cruell man to bee hated of all For such are barbarous and vnciuell as if they had sucked the Dragons in the desert and their hearts so bound with the sinewes of iron that they spoile them whom they pursue as raging raine and tempest rendeth the trees and destroyeth the fruites and they are no more mooued with the life of a man then if a dogge had fallen before them And therefore no maruell that Dauid hauing his choice of plagues presented to him made a present exception to his owne nature and kind fearing and knowing the crueltie of men saying let me not fall into the hands of man This the Heathen Seneca saw when he said Thou art deceiued if thou giuest credit to the lookes of those that meet thee They haue the faces of men the minds of wild beasts If he spake this of man in generall what would he haue said particularly of the cruell man with whom this speech is as common burne kill cut Poison young old men women brethren kindred as to eate their meate Whosoeuer doe but crosse them with a mistaken word or wrie countenance it is but a word and a blow with them and though they murther vpon light occasions and haue no gaine by their death they haue inough in that they take pleasure in it But whither might a man goe in this argument I will giue an instance in lower matters of this kind Hereof it is that if one neighbour bee trespassed by another in his corne or other commodities by cattell or any other way though it bee without any fault of him that hath done the trespasse the other is readie in rage and furie to seeke reuenge by laming and hurting the cattell which hee would doe to the owner like Lamech if he durst or will with spite and railing and exacting at his hands sixe times the valew of the damage and detriment that he sustained though if he annoy the other in a worse manner he yet maketh nothing of it but will shift it of This is a cruell part in things of so little valew vnto a neighbour What would hee doe thinke wee or he that is like minded to him in matters of waight and to a stranger and so much the more I may call such dealing crueltie seeing it is offered by such an one as trespasseth another time in a farre worse manner himselfe The like may be said of cruell Landlords Masters Guardians Stepmothers c. which measure not them whom they offend against by themselues For though there be diuers degrees in the many kinds of this foule vice of crueltie yet we must know that the least and lowest is vnseemely in a man and odious Indeed it is more noisome and furious if it bee accompanied with enuy therefore Salomon saith Who can stand before enuy for the enuious are obstinate and cannot bee reconciled Therefore whatsoeuer measure be offered by such it is certaine that it shall be hard inough seeing their very mercies are crueltie What remaineth then for such persons to doe to the end they may if it be possible cast of this crueltie as a most filthie and loathsome garment but this that they giue themselues no rest til it become as odious and loathsome to them as it is to other which is not hard for him to obtaine that will be perswaded to looke into the odiousnesse of it that when he hath found it he may fall downe at the Lords feete for mercie to couer the foulenesse of it and forgiue it and that being beleeued imbrace gentlenesse and mercie and kindnesse toward others in stead of rigor Like the Iaylor in the Actes who though he had vsedg reat crueltie against Paul and Silas yet when hee repented did wash their wounds most louingly which before scourging of them he had made in their bodies and set meate before them in his house most chearefully whom he had before thrust hungry into the inward prison most cruelly Also let it teach vs both to pray that wee bee not giuen ouer into the hands of vnreasonable and vnconscionable men who are as absurd as cruell in their malice As the Apostle willeth the people to pray 2. Thes 3.
Lion to be made a dead dogge is basenesse enough Therefore we may clearely see by this that the seeking of glory as Salomon saith is no glory but the glory of such is their shame For although for a time it may hold and last yet in a short time it shall vanish and end with reproch whatsoeuer else goe with it And so it is generally in all pride and vaineglory as I noted out of Gaals example before it shall end with shame and contrarily the humble and lowly in mind shall be exalted For there can not one tittle of Gods word fall to the ground but it must be verified to the comfort of the one and the iust rewarding of the other In this verse let vs further see for the Lord would not giue him the honor to be slaine in warre what he did when he had his deaths wound doth he crie for mercy was that as it ought to haue been thought vpon And yet the most past grace will lightly desire that he may haue three words before he die for then though it be to small purpose he thinks to aske mercy but the glory that this monster had hunted after in his life-time that was all that hee regarded euen now at his wofull end as his words testifie to wit That it might not be said that a woman slew him declaring thereby that he more feared infamy then damnation The multitude of desperate wretches that die in all ages with as little hope of saluation as hee did maketh it lesse to be considered and bewailed but what is more fearefull then to thinke a man should go to hell so apparantly and as it were visibly Where wee are to obserue that such as mens thoughts and affections are in their life time such they bee commonly at their death They loued not blessing saith the Prophet and therefore it is farre from them in their need so it is said elsewhere they sought not after God neither desired acquaintance with his waies while they liued and therfore God ordinarily suffereth them not to begin to doe it at their end They remembred not their maker in the daies of their youth neither shall they haue grace to doe it at their death but as they are mercilesse so God iustly recompenceth them with iudgement without mercy in their latter yeeres And the like we reade of Saul But yet for all this is one of a thousand thinke we of such as he was perswaded to repentance in the time of his iolitie nay doth not one follow anothers course to condemnation daily and from age to age And such as haue their libertie to aske three words before they die how vse they it what come they to but euen to worse then nothing Euen as Abimelechs few words did Let it not be said that a woman slew me And so their three words are vsed as Saul vsed his at his death Draw out thy sword and thrust me through And as that wicked man mentioned in the booke of Monuments who when he was haled violently on a bridge by his Horse into the riuer being put in minde of his three words he said thus Horse and man to the diuell A notorious adulterer there was a few yeeres agone who also had poysoned many youthes by his vncleane conuersation and lewd example and tongue he liued till he was threescore yeere old to resemble him to the sinner whom Salomon speakes of Eccles 7. neuer could hee bee brought to sauour or taste either preaching or praying which yet hee saw many zealously did round about him he might haue spend fiftie pound land by the yeere by his marriage but being visited by God in a strange manner and losing his maintenance by the death of his wife his bodie â—ore plagued with paine and diseases when he lay like a lazer in a barne for thither he was thrust through pouertie and there he died now to come to the point for the which I alleaged this example hee being moued by such as came to him when they saw in what miserie hee lay to call vpon God hee answered with fearefull oathes Is this a time to pray The which seeing he was neuer acquainted with in all his life wee see hee was farre off from it shunned and lothed it at his death by Gods righteous iudgement And as wee haue heard that it is commonly so with the vilest persons at their death as it hath been in their life so it were good wisedome for vs to seeke the Lord while he may be found in the daies of our youth lest if we should not goe about it till death it should not bee a sound turning to God but in mood and passion by violence and in feare onely gone about and who knoweth not that late repentance is dangerous And so let them reioyce and blesse God who haue made the Lord chiefe with them in their young yeeres and haue counted his seruice perfit freedome such shall not neede to feare that God will frowne vpon them and forsake them in their age or at their death but as many haue done shall reioyce most for this that they made the Gospell their solace in their life time and Gods fauour their portion and ioy and would not for all the riches of the vngodly haue done otherwise for so they should haue been then vtterly to seeke how to be saued Oh one sweete fruite of a godly life beside many other enioyed before is a most Christian and comfortable death so saith the Psalmist Marke the end of the righteous and ye shall see that the end of such a man is peace As for Abimelechs Page he was as he had been trained by him one fit to serue him onely in euill Like master like man such an one as hath many followers of which sort of hangbies few vnder such masters as themselues be few of them are I say found to come to good But both of them desperate rash murtherous and fraught with such sinnes as commonly accompanie these Yea and yet such hold vp their heads in the world for whom who seeth not but that the prison is fitter where they may be kept from doing mischiefe rather then to commit many lewd parts at libertie abroad But seeing such are past admonition taking let theÌ„ that are teachable learne to take such seruants to be neere at hand to them who may in danger giue aduice to them if need be as Naamans seruants did to the preseruing of his health rather then to be as too many are that is to say furtherers of their vtter vndoing or death And such as deserue well as Ioshuas and the seruants of Cornelius were let them I say be well incouraged and rewarded which are to be reioyced in of their masters when the other being intertained but to their owne and their masters vndoing or great detriment shall load both themselues and them with their bellies full of shame and sorrow Of this argument I spare
so it hath bin in former times that when mens waies haue pleased the Lord he hath caused not only their very enemies to be at one with them but also their very hearts to be intirely knit to them Yea many sillie persons so furnished with grace by God haue forced great ones to wish from their hearts for all their wealth and power that they were like to them And yet this is more that a Minister of the Gospell who is to challenge them openly that keepe not the commandements of Iesus and in his name to rebuke and threaten the workers of iniquitie though all this is of the louing and kinde Preacher done to saue their soules by turning them from their euill waies that such a Minister I say who is not only hated for his good will and counted their enemie for telling them the truth but also accused by them pursued also and not suffered to be quiet among them yet should constantly hold out his labours with a life vnoffensiue what a work of God thinke we is that in him who were like to continue so gracious a course in the middest of so many discouragements whereof I haue mentioned but a few if the Lord should not giue them faith to beleeue that of their loue to him they should feed his lambes and his sheep and that in so doing they assure themselues they shall be plentifully rewarded and to this end that he will giue them shoulders I meane courage to beare their so great a burthen These are no small things which yet God worketh among vs that we may see he regardeth vs as he did some in former times The other and last thing to be noted in this second part is of Sisera that the Lord pulled him downe and cast him from his so great honour and valiantnes For as it was a great abasement for such a Nimrod to be driuen to so great a streight as to lurke in another mans house not daring to peere foorth as the sillie bird beaten into the bush by the hawke so it was yet farre baser to fall by the hand and at the feete of a woman Let vs learne that the Lord bringeth to naught the high and haughtie and that to their vtter shame who were so great and proud It is no strange thing in the Scriptures to finde it thus though fooles wonder at it who will learne no instruction by it The Lord casteth the mightie from their seate Witnesse Abimilech who in his desperate mood being striken on the head with a milstone by a woman called his page and bid him to runne him through lest it should be said A woman slew him And yet that which was said of him was reprochfull enough to wit that a base page slew him and agreeth well with the point in hand Thus Absolon who had stomacke to rise against his father so kinde to him was brought to a base and reprochful death very fit for such an one being thrust through by Ioabs common souldiers And Iezabel scorning God and his Prophets was according to the foretelling of the Lord made dogges meate and dung vpon the earth being throwne out of the window from her royall palace The proud and stout Iewes who railed on Peter calling him despitefully a drunken man were so terrified with their sin that they were glad to seeke to be comforted euen by him whom they had scorned And well is it with them whose pride the Lord resisteth in mercie for their good as hee did Pauls by appalling him first and then sending him to poore Ananias who being his comforter now had been a prey for him if God had not preuented it For the rest whom I haue mentioned they excepted also in the second of the Acts the other I say were resisted to their cost and vtter vndoing And so by the foolishnes of preaching as it pleaseth the world to call it and an humble submitting of themselues to his holy doctrine they that are saued must attaine but as that generation of vipers the Pharisies were glad to come to Iohns ministerie if so be they tooke any good by it Be we therefore humble and meeke they who are graced are they that finde fauour with him but as for the proud he resisteth them and setteth himselfe against them till they be confounded if they so abide and be brought to naught And therefore let the scorners and enemies taunt and mocke the simple professors of the truth like Edomites they shall one day wish they had been like them and iudge them more happie then themselues as Diues for all his superfluitie did wish that he might haue had not the estate of Lazarus which he saw no hope to attaine but the thousand part of it euen that he might dip his finger in cold water and quench his thirst which yet might not be granted him And therefore let vs but stay a while and containe our selues and wee shall see these boasters and contemners if they will needs hold on their course wee shall see them I say swept away and they shall be no more so little cause shall we see of hauing our teeth water after their dainties They are wise who can in the iolitie and prosperitie of the enemies of the Church see their ouerthrow by faith and count their florishing and bragges to be but vaine crakes And thus much be said of the second part of the Chapter THE THIRTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The third part of the Chapter Vers 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the lattesse Why is his charet so long a comming why tarrie the wheeles of his charets c. Vers 29. Her wise Ladies answered her yea she answered her selfe with her owne words Vers 30. Haue they not gotten and they diuide the spoile euery man hath a maide or two Sisera hath a prey of diuers coloured garments a prey of sundrie colours made of needle worke on both sides for the chiefe of the spoile Vers 31. So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shall be as the Sunne when he ariseth in his might And the land had rest fortie yeeres IN these words is contained the third and last part of the song of Debora and so of the Chapter and hath two members in the first she bringeth in the boastings of the women that were enemies to Gods people and Siseras deare friends and derides them in the first three verses In the last member she opposeth a propheticall prayer against their boastings wishing therein to the remainder of Gods enemies destruction and to the Israelites all increase of good things and that increase she laieth out by a comparison of the Sunne from the rising to the noone tide euen such she wisheth it to be More particularly to come to the first point she saith that Siseras mother was looking
that his afflicted people should be comforted for thus he saith there as also in many other places comfort ye comfort ye my people As if he should say comfort them euen at the heart And this aduice had so much the more neede to bee receiued of them because when they begin once to be heauy they forget that they were euer comforted and passe their bounds in heauinesse But when such distempered perturbations arise in vs and disquiet vs through an euill conscience and by meanes of some offending God willingly or negligently which by care we might haue auoided in which case wee haue no warrant to take comfort to our selues neither doth God at any time vse to comfort vs therein here the course that is to be taken is that we solemnely prostrate our selues before him accusing our selues and bewailing our sinne with broken hearts for mercy as well as looke for other deliuerance and he will returne to vs most graciously powre oile and wine into our wounds most sauourily and ease our griefe readily and all our feare shall be driuen away For if we doe well who as Saint Peter saith shall feare vs Ezekiah is a notable example of this who being in his sicknesse troubled with the feare of vntimely death whereby he feared iustly that the Church of God might the sooner be infected with idolatrie being not yet well setled in the true worship of God nor throughly purged made an heauie complaint as appeares Esay 38. not for that hee desired life simplie for it selfe as for the good of the Church But going to the Lord by prayer in this perplexitie for recouery the Lord staid his mind and sent his Prophet to encourage him both by promise and miracle and beare him word hee should recouer and then he goeth vp to the house of the Lord and makes a solemne thanksgiuing for his recouery But seeing many euen of Gods deare ones doe either not know how to repaire to God in this manner or if they doe yet they cannot humble their hearts therefore they trouble themselues with suffering the sting of an ill conscience to pricke them which in continuance of time is forgotten and being not kindly healed they soone breake out againe and so they make there life vnprofitable when it is at the best and till they cast vp that vnsauorie gorge by some great outward affliction which searcheth deepe or by some agonie of mind whereby they are brought by the helpe of some wise and experienced Minister to true repentance they come to no better estate Now followeth Gedeons thanksgiuing which clearely prooueth that hee receiued comfort and was well staied by the Angels words vnto him For whether we take it thus translated as it is by Tremelius he builded an altar to the Lord when he had pronounced peace to him or whether thus as in the Geneua translation it is read he builded an altar to the Lord and called it Iehouahshalom that is the Lord of peace I say in whether soeuer of these we take it it is a thanks to God yea and that in solemne manner for if he called him the Lord of peace who had giuen him double peace to wit both in freeing him from his dreadfull doubt first and afterward also from his feare And so Gedeon leauing that remembrance of his thankful hart there vnto posterity all may see that it was a solemne thanking of God And to the same end that tendeth which is said that he built the altar it was in token of his thanks after God had quieted his mind both about the deliuerance of the Israelites from the rage of the Midianites and also from his feare by seeing the Angell of God And therefore out of this action of Gedeons we learne to take all good occasions of thanks to God not onely ordinarily for daily benefits and priuately by our selues as well as openly but also as God shall giue vs occasion by such mercies bestowed vpon vs which are more then ordinarie as here he did to Gedeon and before this to Moses Ioshua Debora and others and doth oft times to vs in the yeere and in the seuen yeere by deliuerances protection and vnlooked for mercies and benefits And further as hee here did it in a solemne manner so ought we as much as in vs lieth for he left testimony of his thanks to those who came long after him But of thanksgiuing I haue spoken before THE FORTIE ONE SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES VERS 25. And the same night the Lord said to him take thy fathers young bullocke and an other bullocke seuen yeeres old and destroy the altar of Baal that thy father hath and cut downe the groue that is by it 26. And build an altar vnto the Lord thy God vpon the top of this rocke in a plaine place and take the second bullock and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the groue which thou shalt cut downe 27. Then Gedeon tooke ten men of his seruants and did as the Lord bad him but because he feared to doe it by day for his fathers houshold and the men of the city he did it by night 28. And when the men of the citie arose earely in the morning behold the altar of Baal was broken and the groue cut downe that was by it and the second bullocke offered vpon the altar that was made 29. Therfore they said one vnto another who hath done this thing and when they inquired and asked they said Gedeon the sonne of Ioash hath done this thing 30. Then the men of the citie said to Ioash bring out thy sonne that hee may die for hee hath destroyed the altar of Baal and hath also cut downe the groue that was by it 31. And Ioash said to all that stood by him will ye pleade Baals cause or will yee saue him He that will contend for him let him die yer the morning if he be God let him pleade for himselfe against him that with cast downe his altar 32. And in that day was Gedeon called Ierubaal that is let Baalpleade for himselfe because he hath broken downe his altar OF the second branch of the fourth part of the Chapter we haue heard that is of Gedeons asking of a signe Now followeth the third containing the charge that God gaue him to the 33 verse For after all this that we haue heard before he begin the warre hee is commanded to destroy and cast downe idolatrie and to set vp true religion and worship of God And this is in these words Cast downe the altar of Baal and cut downe the groue that is by it and erect another and offer to God thereon which Gedeon did accordingly and this to the 28. verse And yet he did this with perill euen of his life as appeareth verse 30. but God stirred vp Ioash Gedeons father against the men of the citie and deliuered him out of their hands as we see
commended in his casting downe their idolatrie that seeing God set not neither appointed the time when hee should doe it therefore hee did it in the night wherein hee might bee freest from resistance and danger Doue-like innocency and obedience to God must be ioyned with the wisdome of Serpents In many duties doing wee must watch the best opportunitie time and place vnlesse the Lord prescribe them to vs. So did Sampson in the great destruction of the Philistims watch time and place and tooke opportunitie when thousands of them were assembled to make themselues passe-time by mocking and laughing at him then he set his shoulders to the maine postes whereon the house stood and cast it downe vpon the Princes and the rest and slew thousands of them So it was said of Dauid hee did wisely whither soeuer hee went out and God was with him accordingly And it is a singular gift of God in his children to be wise in the things they take in hand that they giue no aduantage to the wicked nor the diuell but take the best and fittest occasions to bee well occupied as time and place giue leaue both in holding their profession generally and also in the doing of other particular duties that where they see inconuenience like to come they may by wise forecasting preuent the same and lay their most care where greatest danger is to bee seene and feared Wherein though all attaine not the same and like measure yet it is well when al labour as they are able to attaine it But some marre their good actions with the ill and vnwise manner in which they doe them As Iobs friends did in seeking to comfort him The particular instances are infinite But thinke we of them by this example For if Gedeon had gone about the work inioyned him rashly or vndiscreetly in the day time who seeth not that euen his obeying of God in such a mnner had marred all But Iael was blessed for her wisdome she shewed to pull downe Sisera And thus Abigail by her wisdome deliuered her house as Salomon saith and the wise woman mentioned in 2. Sam. who saued a whole citie The children of this generation teach vs herein And therefore pray we all for the spirit of wisedome that we not only doe that which we are commanded but that we studie to do it in the best sort we can and yet alwaies shunning as a rock carnall shifts and policies But of this the lesse shall serue being also often enlarged THE FORTIE TWO SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES WE haue heard of Gedeons faith and wisedome about the casting downe of the altar of Baal and wee may see a good reason why he was faine to vse the best and surest meanes for the effecting of it and for the ouerthrow of their idolatrie First seeing it was stablished among them and had taken roote therefore all that he could do was little enough to throw it downe And also for that the people were so superstitiously addicted thereto and so delighted in it But let vs now see in what outragious manner the people inquire after the man that had done it and when they with consent agreed that it was Gedeon how furiously they sought to haue him put to death Here many good points may be noted about idolaters which I will brieflie set downe First this how deepely idolatrie superstition and false worship is rooted in peoples hearts and ground fast as is to bee seene in these and through these stories and those in the booke of the Kings as the Philistims blind deuotion to their Dagon and the peoples fond and mad zeale in maintaining the false worship of Baal in Ahabs time their offerings to them their bowing downe and praying to them So that a man might haue as easily plucked their hearts out of their bellies as to haue disswaded and alienated their loue from them The reasons are first because as sinne so error is strong plausible and deceitfull Secondly God accurseth all that will not hearken to the truth so that they shall belieue lies and be bewitched therewith See and consider to this end Esay 44. 19. Thirdly the worst weeds haue deepest roots and corrupt customes or opinions because they agree with mans bad nature are not easily rooted out whereas those which are good and commendable are like precious plants or flowers which hardly take any roote at all and may be pluckt vp with two fingers As at this day the cursed reliques of heathenish and popish fashions how hardly are they laid downe looke but to some vaine and foolish customes and the â—ond deuotion of the superstitions all the yeere long in kneeling before stockes and stones and ye may easily guesse how hard a thing it is to remooue and expel them the like Gamaliel said of the doctrine of the Apostles If it be not of God ye shal not need to oppose it it wil fal of it self But we must know that God not working by miracle as he did then Satan and his complices will in these daies trie the vttermost and vse all meanes ere that come to passe yea as we may see they grow in experience and pollicie strength and resolution also to vphold their rotten building vntill as at death to be sure it shall it fall vpon their shoulders Whereas the true and pure worship of God what authoritie credit or heartie loue doth it find or obtaine at the hands of the most of them who professe it Nay they haue soone inough of it many reuolt and fall from it and they that retaine it doe it for the most part in a most dead and cold manner Insomuch as the diligentest preaching and earnestest perswasions doe scarcely preuaile so farre with men as that they get so much as a name of a good religion in the places where they dwell when yet if it were so their zeale is neither grounded vpon knowledge and if it be in some yet are they not stablished and setled therein and yet further euen of them there are very few that hold constantly in a good conscience the profession of their hope with ioy vnto their end And although this good conscience bee farre from the idolaters of our time for it can onely come from saith in Christ and assurance of his fauour whatsoeuer blind zeale and deuotion be in them yet therein they doe as I said before giue and ascribe much to their corrupt religion and false worship in cost in time spending about the same and feruencie therein aboue a number of vs to ours So that if they went vpon good grounds and had any promise from God for their so doing they might haue to reioyce aboue many of vs. But they and such of our selues as I compare with them in comming short of their zeale shal speed both alike while they I meane the Papists haue this cast in their teeth Who required this at your
to speake more heere being as much and a great deale more as is like to be regarded of such as I speake of Thus we haue seene the wofull end of this cursed Abimelech and of the wicked men of Shechem who had been the furtherers of him to the mischiefe that he wrought And after these troublers of the land were taken away there was peace and euery man left off from the worke that Abimelech had drawne him to and went home to his owne place where first it may be seene what stirre disquiet and trouble one vile person may make in the Church or Common-wealth the Lord so punishing the peoples sinne as partly I noted before in this chapter Absolon was but one man but how did he disquiet his father and the whole land Likewise Sheba the sonne of Bicry that raised a new commotion against Dauid and so the Prophet Elias told Ahab that he troubled all Israel And so I may say of Achan and of Kora and of many other euery of these was but one in his attempts but each of these what plagues and mischiefe wrought they by their seuerall sinnes though most of thē priuate persons to the whole state of the Church and Common-wealth of Israel If wee compare the sinnes of the whole body with the sinnes of a few wee shall finde that the sorrow which few brought vpon the whole companie came little short of the plagues which God inflicted vpon the whole when all prouoked him Although alas what speake I of particular actions Adam his sinne first brought a feareful confusion into the whole creation What wonder then if this contagion and pestilence hath euer since and still doth cause the like disorder in the places where it rangeth whose deformitie yet and the mischiefe that it workes though we see as it were with our eyes who almost is not bewitched with the painted beautie thereof But to returne when Achan Sheba Absolon were taken away behold all was whist againe and a great calme there was after so horrible tempests The whole Church is as a ship in which if there be one Ionah what tumult makes he but cast him out and the danger is ouer And as this is true of great sinners and publike offenders so it is true of more inferiour and priuate persons as of Magistrates in their precincts Headborowes in townes Masters and parents in families seeing but for the badnes of such the rest should be in peace And further by the rooting out of Abimelech let vs confesse it to bee a great benefit when such authors of mischiefe and workers of iniquitie bee taken away and therefore giue all our endeuour for the maintenance of peace and to make holy and right vse of it while we enioy it For as wee may see by these that sought peace after the death of Abimelech euen so the most that are vsed to trouble other in time waxe wearie of it In these two verses is the shutting vp the whole chapter Iothams prophecie is verified and Gods iudgement thereby declared how hee rewardeth iniquitie Of which this I say briefly seeing in some sort it hath been touched already that they who take ill matters and bad in hand shall haue smal cause to reioyce thereof in the end For their sinne will finde them out when they thinke least of it And it is most like also that looke what way they haue sinned euen the same way their sinne may be punished as here it was Stone for stone Abimelech killed his brethren vpon a stone and he is killed by a weake woman most vnlikely with a stone The like wee haue heard of Adonibezek and of Oreb and Zeeb who tooke their death where they wrought mischiefe Oh how doth God recompence into their bosome in full measure heaped vp and running ouer vnto such The which they will not foresee and so preuent vntill they smart and be past recouerie If this cannot moue any of the like sort to take warning by such watch-words in time to hate their bad course and that with detestation at least let those that haue shunned and declined from such euill waies reioyce with thanksgiuing and that vnfained for that they haue been preserued from them and that they haue chosen the good way to walke in it howsoeuer they haue had many prouocations vnto the contrary And last of al we may see here that as God reuenged the innocent blood of Gedeons sonnes so God will take part with such innocents Hurt them not therefore for the time will come when thou shalt pay deare for thy so doing of which point looke more in the former part of the historie The end of the ninth Chapter THE SIXTIE ONE SERMON ON THE TENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 1. After Abimelech there arose to deliuer Israel Tola the sonne of Puah the sonne of Dodo a man of Issachar and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim 2. And he iudged Israel three and twentie yeeres and died and was buried in Shamir 3. And after him arose Iair a Gileadite and iudged Israel twentie and two yeeres 4. And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie asse colts and they had thirtie cities which are called Hauoth-Iair vnto this day which are in the land of Gilead 5. And Iair died and was buried in Kamon THE summe of this Chapter is briefly this that the children of Israel hauing enioyed peace and libertie for a time vnder Tola and Iair fell againe afterward to Idolatrie Whereupon the Lord also did againe deliuer them into the hands of their enemies wherfore they calling vpon God were at the first sharply reproued but afterward truly repenting they obtained fauour with God and were released of their sinnes as before time By occasion whereof entrance is made into the storie of their deliuerance in the chapter following The parts of it are three The first containeth the time of their peace to verse the sixth The second a new defection and reuolt of the people from God to verse the 17. The third mentioneth the preparation that the Ammorites made against the children of Israel and the peoples and Princes meeting and comming together to consult and agree how to goe against them and this is to the end of the Chapter The first part of the Chapter GOd raised vp these two Iudges to wit Tola and Iair after the former to keepe the people in the true worship of God and in outward peace Here to speake somewhat in this first part of both these two Iudges of Israel ioyntly together and afterward somewhat seuerally this is to be noted of the former that after the ouerthrow of that cursed Abimelech the people of Israel had a long time of peace in both their daies that is 45. yeers Where note that though God iustly punisheth the sins of mē as he did theirs here yet he doth still remember his people and regard them sending them peace againe afterwards euen as
the places of high office and honour whereunto their excellent gifts haue lawfully aduanced them not degenerating by pride crueltie and couetousnesse the common companions of men bred meanely when they are got aloft I say when such are not regarded it is a great contempt not of them onely but of God in them for hee that despiseth the poore despiseth his Maker and much more hee that reprocheth them in authoritie to call them vpstarts or to defame them by their base blood that so their more eminent vertues may be blemished A common disease among the factious and flattering followers of great and vicious persons to staine the honour of such as are more truly noble then they in vertue and wisdome by this that they are but men of yesterday and cannot shew the Armes which their patrons can But whether is it better as hee in the history answered to raise vp a new or to bury the old Gentrie and Nobilitie Of this the lesse because I haue said somewhat in the two points before not impertinent hereto Now as we haue heard that God chose out of Ishaker a poore Tribe Tola to Iudge Israel so also we see here that he chooseth the Noble to bee Gouernours as he did this Iair here who for his wealth was able to giue a City to euery of his thirtie sonnes To teach vs that Nobilitie is no let to the gouerning of the common-wealth but the honourable and mightie hauing examples of their ancestors to prouoke them to vertue and many other helpes and complements to the well discharging thereof they may be seene in many respects to be the fittest this being added if they bee not lifted vp with insolency and high conceit of themselues which they haue no cause to do if they consider that they came of nothing and are but wormes meat and also if they would weigh their mutable state and how full of lamentables changes their liues be And to say the truth it is an vtter shame for vs that when God hath done much for vs we should be found vnfaithfull Neither is high place any greater impediment to priuate godlinesse then publike gouernment Although if euery man might tell his owne tale there is none so poore nor any so rich but will alleage somewhat why they should not be tied to dutie precise but liue as they thinke good and bee released from this burden as they count it whereby what doe they but lay stumbling blocks in their owne way Therefore wee may boldly giue it foorth as a rule in Christian practise it is a miserable and vnlawfull estate of life which cannot stand with the daily and carefull practise of Christianity Somewhat I deny not must be yeelded to the occasions and vnseparable businesse which attend vpon greatnesse but yet so farre foorth onely as men defalke and detract nothing from the substance of that high and great due which the greatest owe to a greater then themselues But yet if men dare goe thus farre they shall find that God wil not giue his honour to another but rather his iealousie wil breake out against them like fire that maintaine their honour by treading his vnderfoot Psalme 2. This be said of those things which were seuerall in these two Kings and which they did in their life now of that which was common to them both I meane their death For so it is said of both that they died and that was when their dutie each for his time was discharged in procuring and maintaining Gods true worship and outward peace to their countrie a long season thē they gaue place and were gathered to their fathers their bodies were laid in the earth in hope of the resurrection To teach vs that all of vs are here to doe our duties in our callings to serue God therein who hath giuen and committed to our trust talents with a charge to occupie them till he come and allowes none of vs to bury them in the earth but straightly forbids it to wit to bee idle and to suffer our gifts to rust in vs and to this end we inioy euery man his proper gifts The Lord hath set vs our habitations and stinted our time of dwelling in them with commandement that we should not be idle nor vnprofitable in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus nor in our particular calling but to attend thereunto for profitable vses to our selues and others and hath for that purpose appointed that we should haue comfortable fruite thereof in all necessarie things of this life to incourage vs to our duties that so we might be none of the refuse and idle hang-byes in the world and in both our generall and particular calling to serue God for conscience sake and with comfort To this end I say God hath set vs here alwaies to haue our eye vpon our departure and with good father Barzillai to prouide for our graue And when wee haue thus discharged our selues and the Lord shall giue vs warning by sicknesse paine disease of our end to bee at hand or call vs home with small warning wee should be readie for his comming to yeeld our soules into his hands and our bodies to the graue for a season in hope of receiuing them againe which shall be no hard matter for vs to doe who haue as strangers here prepared for it before as wee haue learned to doe Neither should we looke or desire to haue any more abode or continuance here but giue ouer our selues in peace and willingly commend our selues vnto the Lords safe keeping as I haue said And therfore in the meane time we should soberly vse all the transitorie helps of this life as wealth friends wife and our life it selfe so that they may not be clogs with their deceiuable shew to hold vs from farre better things And in the meane while take the best vse of them to profitable ends and doe the good that wee may doe by the helpe of them seeing in the graue there is no such thing to bee looked for And so the remembrance of the time well passed shall be most comfortable but as for those that are calling in for their cheare and merry making in this world otherwise then they are sure they shall be able well to giue their reckoning for it hereafter such can neither possibly dye well nor willingly vnlesse they bee desperate To the which purpose I haue spoken elsewhere as the diligent reader shall finde The second part of the Chapter Vers 6. And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtoroth and the gods of Aram and the gods of Zidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Philistims and forsooke the Lord and serued not him 7. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sold them into the hands of the Philistims and into the hands