vse of the memory by conference Therefore as contraries be cured by contraries so let euery mā seeing his disease addresse himselfe to the cure We see that ignorance in the law of the land sometimes breedes a man such trouble and losse as makes him rue it all his life long much more then a man would thinke in the law of God For example many a man through ignorance though otherwise wel-minded is drawne into bad company and by such entised to leaudnesse or made drunke or snared by rash promises bargaines suretiships Others ioyne with their religion abuse of their lawful liberties and are ouertaken therein grossely in vnlawfull gaming 's and ill spending of the time lasciuiousnesse foolish mirth and many other blemishes Some doubting of the lawfulnes of a thing which they earnestly desire to doe entangle themselues which if they had knowledge they durst not doe So it is rare but a goodly sight to see a man order his steppes by knowledge and to haue fellowship with the light and the contrary besides the other named inconueniences much dishonoureth the profession it selfe of the Gospell Further to omit that he might haue redeemed her as I said and to speake no more of his ignorance in that point note we this that his care was great in keeping a good conscience a good conscience I say according to the knowledge he had though I confesse it cannot bee in it selfe a good conscience which is not a sound conscience But an euill conscience it may bee euen to doe a thing lawfull if it be contrary to that which a man is perswaded though erroniously And it appeares Iphtah sought to keepe a good conscience in asmuch as he spareth not his onely child to the end that hee might please God as he thought by performing his vow For there was nothing else could cause him to bring such sorrow vpon himselfe by offering his only daughter in sacrifice but the shunning and auoiding of a greater sorrow namely the bringing of God to bee against him as hee feared hee should haue done if he had not offered her according to his vow His care to keep a good conscience in that he thought he knew teacheth all Gods people in that which they know to be faithfull Better is he by many degrees who in that which hee knowes is carefull to doe the same then another who swelleth with pride and is puffed vp with great knowledge in the letter when he seeth not the end of it much lesse attaineth to it which is by loue to edifie and doe good to himselfe and others by it But in them who be vpright hearted toward God as the good women were that accompanied our Sauiour on earth that is verified which hee spake If ye know these things happie are yee if yee doe them c. And contrarily he that offendeth in the least teaching others so to do shall be least in the kingdome of God Now to this we must adde that which in part was toucht before that men must beware of that corrupt conceit of Popery that conscience for such is all true deuotion may bee in a thing where knowledge is not Nay they go further for they are so bold as to say that deuotion is the fruit of ignorance It proceeded not from Iphtah his ignorance but from his grace that he was so deuout That which ignorance properly brings forth is error and wilworship deuotion is neither caused by ignorance no nor yet by knowledge without faith and grace though knowledge must guide and perfect it afterward Now to this lamentable complaint of the father to wit Iphtah let vs heare the kind and dutifull answere of the daughter My father saith she if thou hast vowed any thing to the Lord concerning me as she perceiued by him he had for euery word is not recorded in a briefe history I yeeld obediently to thee and am willing to confirme and helpe to make good thy vow Her obedience or rather desire of obedience to her father was highly commendable euen as his was to God but yet in the respect before named to wit because she thought her fathers vow was lawfull as himselfe thought it must bee performed and kept for shee ought and might haue denied to haue yeelded where her father had so vainely and needlessely vowed if she had knowne that her father had had libertie by the law of God to redeeme her But she to please God as shee supposed and that her father might not offend him neither by breaking his vow did submit her selfe and makes no exclamation at the heare-say of it nay doth not so much as question about and discusse it with a scrupulous mind And marke further that she saith it was not grieuous for her to die seeing the enemies of God were ouerthrowne This her readie and obedient affection setting aside the error thereof is a cleare glasse for youth to looke in to shew their readinesse in obeying their parents it being agreeable to the law of God which is required of them and so in obeying their gouernours set ouer them And as shee said in her owne case for her selfe so should they say euery one for himself vnto them farre bee it from mee that I should procure or bee a meane of your sorrow Children that are teachable may heare her and learne when they may or must speake and how to doe it And that is thus that whereas reuerence obedience and thankfulnesse is required of them so they bee readie accordingly in the performing of them all vnto them to doe their duties Their humble and kind words should comfort and glad their parents hearts and yet they should looke carefully to be found sutable also in their deeds And these were as double armour to them when the wicked children wound and lay open their parents to reproch among the bad sort and are corruption to their bones These should make them not to be ashamed of them as their children And blessed is the man that hath his quiuer full of such arrowes they shall defend him from the ill tongues of his enemies Euen so the common ill behauiour of the most children and namely their words and answers which they giue to their parents chattingly stoutly saucily yea and with gybes and taunts some of them they are to their parents as I haue said reproch and poyson to their owne soules But to make this point more sull and cleare here let all good children learne this duty from God that with their ready and willing mind submitting themselues to their parents they ioyne also wisdome and sound knowledge to direct them wherein to obey that so they may not commend their affection onely but the whole duty to their father in heauen aswell as to their father in earth I speake not this as if I would teach them to contest with their parents or descant with them about their lawfull demands but to beware left by obeying man in a good intent they offend
rest And now the Lord had omitted to punish them and had giuen them peace they fell againe to their old byas This teacheth how naturall it is for all flesh to decline and to fall to those sinnes which once they abhorred Our latter works should be better then our former but how rare is this to be seene no not in the better sort no vnlesse it be in them who do obserue their own frailtie how many waies they are ready to fall and lay daily for especiall grace of faith and good gouernment knowledge without fainting and wearines as at any time they haue done since they first began else I say it is hardly to be found And no lesse had need to be done of them because both old and new prouocations to euill are so many and strong and euer in the way that they will otherwise preuaile one time or other And therefore men should know and consider that they waite for a reward of great price and no man is crowned except hee striue for it lawfully and to the end therefore they should not be weary of weldoing neither faint in their good beginnings But oh to bee lamented many of the forwarder sort in times past are now growne to tempt God boldly and take vpon them to stint him in their prayers and other seruice and detract from it and coldly goe about it much like them who are driuen to worke dead worke with their creditors and are constrained rather to pay them therby the debt that they owe them then that they haue any wages to receiue for the same which kinde of worke all know how vnwillingly and wearisomly for the most part it is taken in hand And to speake a word of those who are not ingrafted into Christ at all by faith and to shew how awkly they come forward in the sincere receiuing the doctrine of the Gospell though wee know and so may they that the Lord beareth long with them to the end he may bring them to repentance yet how many of them may we obserue who though they liue vnder good teaching doe not verifie the Apostles words to Timothy of the wicked vngodly viz. that both for knowledge they are euer learning but neuer obtaining it and as for their practise they waxe worse and worse rather then that they haue so much as any purpose to set their hearts to seeke after true repentance For the fuller handling hereof let the reader looke backe into the former Chapters wherein the other reuolts of this people are mentioned In that it is said God gaue them when they had thus prouoked him into the hands of the Philistims as he vsed when they fell to the like sinnes to sell them to other nations about them and they and their fathers had so often found it so that they might haue knowne if they would that they should finde some such like thing againe as oft as they reuolted from him The Lords thus dealing with them I say not onely laieth foorth their boldnes in sinning which I haue spoken of but it certainly testifieth also what God will doe to them and to all others in such a case to wit that hee will surely be auenged of such his enemies who dare so boldly tempt him yea one time or other he will most certainly doe it And so let vs and especially such as take aduantage by deferring of Gods executing his iudgement to settle themselues the more to doe euill let vs tell to our owne hearts and that not doubtingly as the woman answered of the punishment to the Serpent which God had certainly annexed to the eating the forbidden fruite but assuredly And this let euery one that is wise apply to himselfe as a most vndoubted truth vpon the committing of those sinnes to the which hee is most in danger or else hee must looke to smart afterward But of this point and the next in this verse namely that he did so long continue the people in bondage to the Philistims because of their sinnes I haue spoken in another place The Lord purposing to raise vp one that should helpe his people doth first appoint his parents and them he mentioneth and describeth in this second verse and sheweth in the third how he sent word to the woman by his Angell that she should beare such a childe as should helpe to auenge their enemies in the fourth hee directeth her how to vse her selfe who should beare that childe and that she should not eate or drinke any forbidden or vncleane thing in the fifth he shewes a reason hereof to wit because the childe should bee no common person but a professed Nazarite And therewith he declareth what he should doe that is begin to saue Israel out of the hands of the Philistims Touching the first of these points of describing the parents of Samson I would say the more but that I see the holy Ghost omitteth and passeth by the commendation of their godlinesse here which yet by that which followeth appeareth to haue bin great But yet I will borrow somewhat from other places in this chapter to this purpose We may obserue in Scripture that vpon the like occasion sometimes a very liberall roome and commendation is allowed to the parents of worthie instruments One for all may serue of the parents of Iohn Baptist Luk. 1. 6. not so much described by circumstance of place and outward condition as by their grace and godlines This is here omitted and yet so as by the sequell of the historie in this chapter it may appeare they were a worthie couple and the holy Ghost as it were leauing it to the discretion of the reader to make vp their description by the good fruites and effects which are after recorded of them both as God willing shall be noted out of the text I doe here make mention of it as being to good purpose in the first mentioning of them Briefly then let vs note from this practise of the spirit of God how much it auaileth to the due setting out of a good posteritie to see from what manner of parents they are descended the godly progenitors being the crowne of a good progenie especially if the vnworthinesse and vnsutablenes of the yonger depriue them not of that honour which their elders haue purchased for them The godly parents are the roote whence the children euen by promise and couenant Exod. 20. are to deriue blessing vpon themselues if they bee faithfull Hence is it that all beleeuers are honoured with the spirituall priuiledge of being the sonnes of faithfull Abraham a greater by farre then to bee his degenerate children by carnall propagation Iohn 4. Secondly this insinuateth to Parents the dutie of care and gouernement seeing when the children are named as in the booke of Kings commonly there the parents are set in the forefront to beare the blame or to carrie away the honour if their children deserue well they may claime the praise of
good aduisednesse as by will and rash beate to make their owne choice and therefore it is ofttimes iustly requited by God who ought chiefly to be obeyed in that action that to make their sinne the better appeare their match is as soone repented of many times as it is inioyed Moses therfore who was Gods mouth to the people was commanded by him to teach this that the parents had authoritie in prouiding marriages for their children for thus he saith Thou shalt not giue thy daughter to the sonne of the Canaanite nor take his daughter to thy sonne And therefore we reade that Sampson gaue this honour to his father and mother for the granting of their consent in his marriage as many other did the like for thus he saith I saw a woman and she pleaseth me well now therefore giue me her to wife And Paul comming long after Moses agreed with him as being both faithfull seruants to their Master he teacheth that this dutie belongeth to the father saying He that giueth his daughter in marriage doth well signifying who should giue her Although I speake not this as though they might force their children to what marriages they list but to giue their consent and aduice must bee had with some speciall and iust cause shewed if it be expedient when and why they may not So that this being cleare it doth the more bewray the boldnesse wilfulnes and disobedience of many children who would be thought wise enough to know their duties who yet doe not meanely grieue their parents but also prouide ill for themselues in making their matches at their own pleasures who beside that they bring in one little better then a Canaanite ofttimes at least a waspe an hagge or otherwise badly qualified into and amongst a good kindred so they themselues seldome agree and especially if the one partie draw any thing neerer to God then the other Hereof it commeth to passe I will not say onely but doubtlesse in great part that there are so many disordered and offensiue matches and marriages and the persons so wearisome one to the other that they must either be parted by other or they will part themselues or if they cannot yet they doe little better for dwelling both in one house yet they may not many times meete but be parted at bed and board and they must haue them that are of another house to set them together whereby it may bee easily gathered what manner of Christian and sociable life they enioy together and what fruite they reape of iustling a side the commandement of God about their comming together But it is not my purpose to shew the annoiances that be in all vnlawfull marriages I doe but poynt at some which fall out yea and come oft and ordinarily where Gods ordinance and commandement is reiected as when the children make their owne marriages without their parents or against them But seeing occasion may be taken here of mouing a question or two I will stand a little vpon these two verses for the satisfying the doubts that are raised and make vse thereof afterward It is therefore obiected here whither Caleb did aduisedly and whither he was to be commended for this offering of his daughter to him that should winne Debit for what knew he whether he might lawfully keepe promise with the partie such an one as he might haue been Also it is obiected that he who did winne it was thought to be too neare a kinde to him Othniel by name being said to be his younger brother so that he might not lawfully take her to wife These things therefore require an answere To the first that wee are chiefely to looke to this namely the commendation of Caleb that he would offer so largely for the destroying of Gods enemies according to Gods commandement and this the holy Ghost intended to declare and not that we should make question whether he did it rightly and lawfully or no. For as charitie is not suspitious so he being so rarely commended for his pietie and obedience to God it becommeth not vs to iudge him for that which we cannot accuse him of neither can any such thing be gathered against him out of the text It is true he offered his daughter vpon the condition mentioned and there is no more set downe in what manner or with what respects but he did it so as he was commended for it neither is he charged to haue done it rashly what hath any man therefore to doe to challenge him for it But if they can proue him to haue done rashly which they shall neuer be able to doe seeing the holy Ghost commendeth him for it then it is not denied but that it was his sinne Now if any vrge this against him to take libertie thereby for dealing rashly and without due consideration in waightie cases or in the case of marriage particularly affirming that they doe but as Caleb did and they aduenture it either in their owne or in making of their childrens marriages with such persons whose conuersation they doe not know Let them seeke a better defence for their doings then the example of Caleb for besides that we must liue by rules and not by examples so neither can they draw any such liberty from his practise But whatsoeuer may bee said to haue been done by any good man concerning this matter it skilleth not we haue a commandement to marry in the Lord. And as for them that seek to defend their matches which haue slightly bin made wherein God hath had either small or no hand he hath sufficiently branded and set his marke vpon them that as they haue not been gone about nor finished by his allowance and direction so they are not by him alowed though mariage otherwise bee honourable and therefore not beautified with the sweete sociablenesse and other commodities which he hath annexed to those marriages which he approueth But I will speake more at large of this matter when I shall haue more direct occasion offered That which I haue said of rash marriages I may say and so take me of all vnaduised and inconsiderate actions and attempts whatsoeuer that as men can haue no authoritie for the taking them in hand from Calebs example no neither haue from the Scriptures in any place euen so and thereafter shall their gainesayings be by them who will needs goe to worke in that manner To the next obiection that he gaue his daughter through his rash offer to one of his owne flesh who could not marrie her by the law of God being his brother and therfore vncle to her to this I say that he was not his younger brother to whom hee gaue her I meane Othniel but his kinseman and the least euery way among his brethren the children of his father both in yeeres authority and wealth But yee will obiect that the text calleth him his brother I answer that Christs kinsmen were called his brethren and
for them though the Popish Clergie and some other also count them vnmeete to liue at all but rather worthie to be rooted out of the earth But of this thus much Now it is further said here that the children of Israel went vp for iudgement to her I meane Debora who by the spirit of prophecie answered their doubts and determined of their controuersies and declared to them the will of God by all which they might the better doe the duties that concerned them Where we are to consider the louing kindnes of the Lord as to them that they might euen then in their oppression by the King of Canaan haue one to answere their doubts that troubled them so in other ages and much more in this of ours that he hath prouided that such as make question of any thing that troubleth them may be answered and satisfied If that which she did being but one person and a woman was to be accounted a singular fauour of God as who can deny it what a mercie of God is this to vs that we haue solemne and publike assemblies not in one place of the land but in many and but for the sinne of some persons should haue them throughout in all places to teach the will of God that all who are not wilfull or negligent may learne to know the Lord from the greatest to the least and also the things that belong to their peace Thus when I say we may priuatly vnburthen our selues of any doubtfull and dangerous opinions or trouble of conscience as wee may God be thanked and that many waies oh what a priuiledge is it These things ought so much the more to moue vs to be in admiration at the loue of God the giuer because in false religion and worshipping of God as in the Papacie there is no such thing to be looked for or enioyed for their seruing of God is compact of fancies dreames and lies the inuentions of men as a dunghill is full of filthines and drosse And as for the relieuing the conscience of any such as are distressed and disquieted there is as much comfort ministred to them either out of Parsons Directorie or out of the Meditations of Frier Granatensis which yet sauour most of all the rest of any pietie as the poore traytor Iudas found at the hand of the Priests when he complaining and crying out that he had sinned in betraying the innocent blood answered after the vnmercifull manner of such as they were looke thou to that as if they should haue said though they set him a worke shift for thy selfe that is the comfort thou shalt haue of vs. But to returne Though God hath euery way prouided well for vs to be instructed soundly and graciously relieued and comforted as I haue said yet it is to be lamented that many of vs are glutted with the good meanes that wee haue and suffer them to lie by vs as it were a rusting And euen thereafter is the good fruite that we bring foorth in our liues thereby Vers 6. Then she sent and called Barak the sonne of Abinoam out of Kedesh of Naphtali and said vnto him Hath not the Lord God of Israel commanded saying Goe and draw toward Mount Tabor and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulon Vers 7. And I will draw vnto thee to the riuer Kishon Sisera the Captaine of Iabins armie with his charets and his multitude and will deliuer them into thine hand Vers 8. And Barak said vnto her If thou wilt goe with me I will goe but if thou wilt not goe with me I will not goe Vers 9. Then she answered I will surely goe with thee but this iourney that thou takest shall not be for thine honour for the Lord shall sell Sisera into the hands of a woman And Debora arose and went with Barak to Kedesh NOw we haue heard the description of Debora and what she was it followeth how she went to worke in this great businesse of the Lord against Iabin She therefore as God commanded sent to Barak as he is here described in the text the sonne of Abinoam that hee should goe and furnish himselfe with tenne thousand men and assured him that God would giue him victorie ouer Sisera the Captaine of Iabins armie and ouer all his multitude Barak at first feared but after beleeued and went forward to the worke and seeing he was afraid through vnbeliefe therefore he refused to goe without her for the which she found fault with him and told him God would punish it so that he should not haue that honour which otherwise he should haue had And after that Barak and Debora went to Kedesh together Thus much for the meaning of these foure verses Now of both these Debora and Barak in order First of the message in the sixth and seuenth verses then of that which followed vpon it in the other two following Of Debora first the holy Storie setteth downe this that she sent the message of God to Barak adding thereto the promise of victorie both which I ioyne together seeing wee may more cleerely see that which wee haue to learne thereby And out of both points of her speech namely the commandement of God to Barak and his promise of good successe this ioyntly I giue the reader to marke that these two things are the principall motiues and reasons to perswade and that are to leade vs in the most of our actions to the end we may rightly effect and bring them to passe namely the commandement of God and his promise of blessing I say in the most of our actions not all for as much as some of them are free and indifferent to be done or left vndone of vs and in them we are thus to be guided namely that we vse that part of our libertie in things indifferent which we shall by due consideration find to tend most to the glorie of God our owne inward peace and the edifying or least offence of Gods people Otherwise as I haue said in things forbidden or commanded by God let vs take our direction accordingly as we haue heard and harten on our selues to shunne that which is forbidden or to obey the contrary being incouraged by the promise of blessing annexed to both And this is a most blessed and comfortable direction to all Gods seruants at this day and shall be likewise to the end of the world And it is that which hath carried our fathers forth in their most difficult workes and parts of their liues Moses in going to Pharaoh to fetch the people of Israel out of their grieuous bondage which Pharaoh would not agree to what encouragement had hee hereto verily euen this that God said to him goe for haue not I commanded thee And againe I will be with thee to bring it to passe And the same was Ioshuas authority and the hartening of him to the guiding of the same people
of the Apostle In all things be thankfull for as Gods mercies are renued euery morning so good reason that our thankes should be also And as it is acceptable to God so it is no small benefit that redoundeth thereby to our selues for it drieth vp the bitternes that is readie to rise vp in vs by occasion of Gods afflicting vs and crucifieth and scattereth such like poysons as lie lurking in our hearts thankfulnesse I say chaseth them away and suffereth them to haue no place there Indeede it is proper to Gods people to offer to him this dutie euen as it is said in Sion is God praised the hypocrites as the Pharisie who glosingly vttered these words Lord I thanke thee that I am not as other men they cannot praise him but the consent of mindes and hearts sanctified as the sweete harmonie in musicke this onely can doe it and teach others the skill to doe it also As therefore the thankes of most men wanting the feeling of Gods loue and blessings is meere dissimulation and taking Gods name in vaine so it is much to be lamented that the better sort whom it would become so well stirre themselues vp so little and slowly hereto For thanksgiuing as confession and supplication should be seasoned and accompanied with feruencie as a companion which amplifieth and as Debora here did makes songs of the blessings which others passe ouer in silence besides the affection it selfe which is inlarged in a more then common manner especially being quickned as she here was by some new or rare testimonie of Gods loue either bodily or spirituall mercies or deliuerances from euill of both sorts But here we may say Plenty makes vs barren for though we haue so much cause of thankes that we can looke on no side but wee may see many in so much as we be bound to shew it in things yet most men know neither how to begin nor to make an end The daily benefit of health recouerie out of diseases protection from dangerous casualties peace of land and peace in familie posteritie thriuing in the world credit our haruests and commodities nay our Sabbath and Communion in the Gospell and the fruites of it who may it be thought makes his daily song of these adding hereto personall benefits which euery one receiueth in his owne person Many mens prayers consist of suite and request making to God without any thankes either adioyned or following as in the nine lepers is to be seene others giue thankes in words but they want wings to lift them vp to heauen I meane faith feruencie and loue And the best thinke it enough to mumble a little inward thankes and that sometimes for some blessings but who is the man of many that makes his thankes breake out into songs Songs are more then common praises Christians should haue two bookes in the one to record their faults and falles in the other to register Gods benefits both should serue to set them a worke in confession and thankes For thankes neuer goe alone without other graces A thankfull heart is patient also humble faithfull conscionable dutifull by thanksgiuing we quicken vp our faith zeale feare of God and renue our couenants daily for how can wee dishonour him when we professe our selues to be infinitly beholding to This besides that it iustleth out iangling contention and ill spending the time so it drieth vp the froth of our euill hearts fretting discontentment impatience hardnesse of heart and all of the same kinde as I haue said In a word he that praiseth God aright worships him aright as we see in the Psalme and so to say much in one word he that is thankfull is a good Christian Oh then let vs looke better to this and make amends for our arrearages herein For hee that lookes wee should bee thankfull for affliction as that holy man Iob was much more a man would thinke lookes that it should be so for blessings which most iustly by many degrees do more chalenge it Let euery one that of the Israel of God say The mercies of the Lord continue for euer Let it not seeme tedious to recount old mercies both the greatest of redemption and the lesser of preseruation yea helpe we our selues forward mutually as Barak and Debora here did sing in consort Doubtlesse an vnthankfull life is a sottish hellish life ouergrowne with all that naught is and therefore lothsome to a Christian He that saith I would I could doe euery duty as well as this of thankes is a foole not knowing what he saith he prates like a Parrot Thankfulnesse is not without godlinesse But I cannot well proceed further as this time THE THIRTIETH SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES WE haue heard largely of thankesgiuing in the former sermon with the causes manner and necessity thereof now beside the action of thankesgiuing which I haue spoken of the circumstance of time is also to bee marked that is to say that they did it the same day for so it is set downe in the holy story then sang Debora and Barak the same day This teacheth vs not to make delay in any good thing but vse the opportunity in due season and so for this duty of giuing thankes And while the occasion offered of so doing is fresh and in remembrance the mind feedeth the affection with more plentifull matter that it may be stirred vp more feruently to performe that dutie whereas in time things grow stale and are forgotten yea and that quickly so that wee had need to take the vantage against our bad memories and blockish hearts by such meanes And although ordinarily we should performe this dutie three times a day in solemne manner namely in the morning euening and at noone tide yet otherwise beside that as God shall giue vs occasion by more then common benefits and deliuerances we should prouoke our selues hereunto and namely as Saint Iames saith when one is merrie or disposed to ioy let him not suffer that affection to vanish but expresse and vtter it to God in singing praises And so afterward we ought to continue the memory of his infinite mercies throughout our whole life and to this end write them we that can that whereas they grow to a multitude in time and all cannot alwaies be remembred as were to bee wished in some sort yet at least wise when wee reade them ouer wee may readily renue as we shall see cause our thankes to God for them But great is mens blockishnesse as I haue said and endlesse wandring by swarmes of cogitations after other things which hinder this wherby they see not cause hereof and when they doe yet their slothfulnesse is such that they delay and deferre to pay this due to God till their appetite be gone and afterward lets and hinderances comming in the way breake it off so that they cannot performe it And this be said of thankes In the second
directed afterward but contrariwise we haue much to grieue our hearts and to accuse vs therby And this I adde the rather because wee see that Gedeon ouer-shot himselfe in this who yet most worthily tempered wisedome and equitie with seueritie in the punishing of the men of Succoth and Penuel Now because few of Gods children will beleeue this therfore they see not that the most offences that they commit are abuses of good duties They dare not sin grossely and so long they think all is well but when they are about good actions they are soone ouer-shot and why They are there where they should be being so occupied they presume and suspect no danger euen as the traueller riding in a most straight path or rode hedged in on both sides so that hee cannot goe amisse But oh sillie man consider thou bearest about thee a bodie of sinne an euill heart euen in a good heart what wonder then if much euill cleaue to thy best actions when no other thing is looked at but the good when the hypocrisie ignorance boldnes pride and other corruptions thereof lieth vnseene vnpurged nay when a corrupt humour sets a man on worke to doe a good dutie that it may lurke vnder the vizor thereof as anger and malice vnder zeale and holy reuenge which is as odious as Nadab Abihu their offering Incense with strange or common fire Is not hearing prayer a good action Yet our Sauiour saith Take heede how ye heare Paul saith Watch your selues in prayer Ephes 6. For if yee looke not narrowly to your selues in these keeping your selues attentiue reuerent confident humble feruent throughout them the diuell will watch you so that as good neuer a whit as neuer the better when all is done And if this be so euen in things religious how much more in those which are indifferent For vnder this pretence That to be angrie merrie in companie to eate drinke recreate the body c. are things neither good nor euill in nature who forgets not this That these all change their nature when they come into action and cannot be indifferently done They are good or bad according to the manner of doing Therefore though anger be not euill of it selfe yet the Lord iustly challengeth Ionah saying Doest thou well to be angrie meaning so corruptly and carnally Therefore as easie a worke as men thinke it to carrie themselues aright in all these yet let them know that if in any of them they transgresse the rule either of pietie loue or sobernes the goodnesse or indifferencie of the worke shall not saue them harmelesse For instance if in their zeale they neither aime at Gods glorie nor the reformation of the partie nor the moderation of the affection their zeale is folly rage error or any thing rather then holy zeale But of this point I haue spoken in this booke often and shall speake afterward if God will Let me adde this caueat to the Ministers that in all their teaching especially in the doctrine of these duties they beware lest they teach men their libertie which they learne too soone of themselues and catch greedily from them and be large therein but slight and short in teaching the rules before named to restraine the abuse thereof rather be they short in the former and warie and large in the latter to cut off all lewd pretences As wee see Paul doth for hauing said Be angrie fearing he should haue disciples too many he straight way addeth but sinne not and this cuts the combe of the Libertine So doth the wise Preacher Eccles 11. Reioyce young man and take thy pleasure c. But know that for all this thou shalt come to iudgement Now if the best be subiect to these failings what shall be said of the worst Surely no wonder if they regard not at all whether it be good or bad they doe but runne to their obiect as the fish to the baite Or if they doe enquire then they doe it after the fact done as Salemon saith of the sacrilegious which bewraies a vile minde For if they desire to heare it be well what a prophanenes is this to desire that Gods rule were crooked so their doings be streight But if they thinke otherwise they make the Minister of God a stale and as for God himselfe they make him a God of cloutes who must take their frothie repentance and satisfaction in good part be it what and when they please but for themselues they will be on the surest hand with him first to satisfie their desire and to inquire aftewards whether they did well or no. Againe for good duties they cannot doe them well themselues being euill as for indifferent though they say Let vs alone if we know we may doe them wee will take order good enough for the manner and end For like fooles they runne into the contrarie extremitie or else into monstrous excesse in the vse of the libertie So that truly it is said of such They are set in slipperie places for they delight most of all to set their foote on the brinke of the ditch or riuer who seeth not with what danger but they loue not to walke vpon plaine ground which they might doe safely and so they slide suddenly and in the end perish remedilesly Gedeons mouing his sonne to fall vpon the two Princes was to traine him to be acquainted with pursuing ill causes and persons assoone as he grew fit for it and not to teach him from his vouth to bee cruell For that quickly pricks which will be a thorne of it selfe and needs no sharpning either this or any other sinne By this example well approued by the best rule Christians should frame their children betimes and as their yeeres will permit to discerne good from bad and beware how they vse their tongues or behaue themselues in the sight or hearing of their children euen when they are most tender seeing they are apprehensiue enough of that which is lewd and especially when their parents shall strengthen their inward pronenesse to euill by their authoritie as God willing shall better appeare after in chap. 17. 2. As for this action of his howsoeuer it may seeme crueltie to such as cannot iudge yet it was pietie and obedience to Gods commandement And youth in this age had need in all wise manner to be moued and if it may be perswaded to the embracing and following of good instruction and religious walking they being so soone possessed by ill education and companie of the sinnes of the time as neuer more in any age or memorie then in this Although the act was good that he was vrged to yet feare and modestie in him being so young was commendable for there must be time to settle youth euen in that which is good which takes not roote easily much lesse growes to bring foorth fruite especially when there is some shew and appearance of euill in it As in Gedeons
take euery occasion to increase their sinne euen by occasion thereof that if any of their name haue been noted aboue other for some bad qualitie as stoutnesse and stomacke bragging and boasting pot-companionship or such like oh they must vphold the name though it be but a shaddow as Absoloms pillar and so be sutable to their name if it occasion them euill and to keepe aliue the bad practizes and course of them that bare that name before them Euen so names more aduisedly and wisely giuen to children as I haue taught in another place are good occasions to prouoke them to their duties Besides we may see what men get who are of any good note by entring into so neere a league and hauing so inward acquaintance with such dames and mates which though it were in single and lawfull marriage yet it threatens as farre as man may iudge an extinguishing of the good sparkles of grace in them that are so matched Which should cause the seruants of God to linke themselues in marriage with women more like to themselues in religion and good behauiour And for them for whom it is too late to giue this warning vnto who are too many let them yet receiue and imbrace this instruction that is giuen them in the second place that is to say how they take counsell of such wiues or ill companions in cases doubtfull and and dangerous as are malicious high-minded quarrellers contentions waspish couetous and gripers or in a word voide of true religion Sampson may be an example to all both of hearkning too farre to such and so Gedeon may be also and likewise of opening and telling that secret which is not meet to be imparted vnto them which Sampson did to his great reproch and abasement But here an end of this seeing of both these last points I haue intreated purposely before out of the former histories THE FIFTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Verse 32. So Gedeon the sonne of Ioash died in a good age and was buried in the sepulcher of Ioash his father in Ophrah of the father of the Ezrites 33. But when Gedeon was dead the children of Israel turned away and went a whoring after Baalim and made Baal berith their God 34 And the children of Israel remembred not the Lord their God which deliuered them out of the hands of all their enemies on euery side 35. Neither shewed they mercie on the house of Ierubbaal or Gedeon according to all the goodnesse which he had shewed vnto Israel NOw together with the Chapter the holy story maketh an end of Gedeons acts and maketh mention of his death and buriall and sheweth what the people of Israel did afterwards In this verse it is said he died in a good age For seeing some of his faults haue been spoken of to leaue them so would haue bred some doubts he hauing done many good things therefore his end is here set downe to shew that both hee had the blessing of old age granted him and also that it was blessed with many good things by God vnto him The same that is said of him is said of Abraham that he should die in a good old age Which speech here applied to Gedeon and affirmed of him though it be not to be drawne so farre as to prooue he died godly but onely noteth fulnesse of daies and prosperitie in this life yet it is cleare that he died so and obtained eternall life after in that he is reckoned among the faithfull in the Epistle to the Hebrewes Which is to good purpose to bee set downe he being though a godly man yet blemished that thereby we may know he repented By this we are taught that we must stablish our faith hope and other graces of God begun in vs at our first conuersion that wee may bee rooted grounded and setled therein as the Apostle willeth the Colossians and that so the neerer we are the graue the more glorious and fruitful our profession may be and in our age we may more flourish then in our youth which is a thing not easily found nor obtained Therefore the Apostle Saint Peter also exhorteth saying Take heed that ye be not led away from your stedfastnesse and sheweth how that may be like to be euen by the error of the wicked For by beholding how they walk who haue no feare of God at all and by harkning to their subtill counsell and poisoned perswasions we shall find to our cost that there is no small force to draw vs after their cursed example wheras we were in a good course before If Gedeon so mightily and oft assisted and helped did yet fal in such manner as we haue heard what may we look for in so many and so variable cases through out our whole liues It is well seene in this age what need they haue to profit by this doctrine who ranne well sometime as the Galathians did but yet haue suffered themselues to be letted so that they obey not the truth which they began and professed commendably to doe Many faults both to the wounding of the conscience and the offence of men prouoke God daily in his owne children and make faith to seeke and hope to waxe faint for that we doe not labour carefully to bring forth fruit plentifully thereof and to hold out with all possible endeuour the profession of our hope with ioy And if we haue trode awry and begun with the wise virgins to slumber yet through due and continuall attending vpon God and daily and oft repairing and drawing neere to him wee should not sleep therein but make haste speedily to come home againe vnder the Lords wing and protection where only true safety and good being is to be â—ound and that the rather seeing the poore chicken and bird void of reason after the least straying longs by by after the damme and to be vnder her wing and say wee therefore euery one with the Prophet to the Lord O forsake me not ouer long and euer and anone looke wee that all be well with our soule that there be peace betwixt God and vs and that our faith and repentance waxe not stale nor loathsome to vs. And make wee no haste to rush into shamefull and reprochfull sinnes for neither is the burthen and shame of them easily borne nor the getting out of them and the recouering of our selues againe from vnder such bondage easily obtained when wee be once fallen into them whereof by many occasions much hath been before spoken And hereafter the long mentioning of Gedeons acts followes his death To teach vs that to be the end of all flesh whether the life be short or long as Dauid also witnessed in other words saying I goe the way of all the world And great incouragement wee haue to prepare and haste for death if wee haue learned aright to dye seeing with our being with Christ
comming to betray him and so did he as Matth. chap. 26. reports looke vpon Peter hauing denied him These lookes were frowning lookes both of them but the worke of them was diuers Peter by that looke was touched with compunction and went out a repentant person the other an harned and wretched person not mollified by the same aspect because there was no bountie in it Lastly by this point let Gods children learne a double dutie as well as take occasion of thanksgiuing I say such of them as haue declined and gone out of compasse let them wisely obserue what Gods meaning is toward them in his word or workes of affliction Let them first take heed lest they giue eare to his subtiltie who would prompt them with this suggestion Thou art alreadie gone from God and behold now he seekes to be rid of thee altogether and to feare thee quite from him Auoid Satan let them say this were to renounce my right in God by faith and his right in me which is his free loue this were to put no difference betweene the beleeuers priuilege and the vnbeleeuer No no this dealing of God I see is as it was to his people of Israel and the Niniuites it hath a condition annexed to it which argueth God is more desirous to forgiue me restore me heale and settle me in good estate againe then to forsake me If hee had meant so what needed he to haue redeemed me at all or now to haue spoken conditionally Therfore I will euer hereafter highlier esteeme of that life which hath the promise of Gods fauour annexed thereto and whereas I see my selfe now frowned vpon by the Lord for my boldnes wilfulnes in stolne liberties taking and the pleasures of sinne my peace wasted my spirit abated my faith weakned my ioy willingnes to pray c. appalled I will therfore now giue my selfe no peace till I haue searched out my sinnes repented of my houerly confessing them and my drowsie sottish lying in them I wil not cease powring out my soule to the Lord that his terrors may astonish me and driue me to lay my sinne to heart and to bee so ashamed of them that God may accept my humiliation and sorrow and giue me faith to rest in his promise of pardoning and restoring me againe Secondly let this also teach Gods people to indent seriously with the Lord to vse his former blessing and old deliuerances past thankfully if they desire to obtaine new remembring how God here vpbraides these Israelites saying How dare ye come to demaund deliuerance at my hand hauing so shamefully abused the former In these words goe crie to your gods c. Doth God thinke we bid them goe and sinne No in no wise but he speaketh as he doth oft times in the Scriptures in another manner then the words seeme to meane which if we marke not wee shall easily fall into great errors and absurditie It is a most grieuous casting them in the teeth by an ironicall mocking of them with their Idolatrie as if he should say Now yee proue and see what your gods can doe As Elias did the like to the prophets of Baal when he bad them cry aloud to their god Baal perhaps he is asleepe saith he c. he did not all may so meane that they should crie to him but to vrge to marke well what a god they worshipped Therefore by thus speaking and bidding them goe seeke helpe at their Idols hands they hauing shaken off the Lord he teacheth vs as it standeth with good reason that they whom wee haue serued and committed our selues to must pay vs our wages and to them the Lord iustly doth and will send vs to their patronage in our greatest need euen to our conuiction and horror yea destruction if he take vs not as he did these here to his mercie Contrariwise but yet according to the same equitie our Sauiour answered Peter when he said that he and his fellowes had forsaken all and followed him and therfore asked him what they should haue he said an hundred fold here and after eternall life They therfore that haue trusted and still doe in man and haue made flesh their arme shall know by experience one day that they haue trusted to a bruised reede So God will answere the workers of iniquitie that serue Satan Depart from me I know you not So let them know whose portion is in stolne pleasures of sinne that there will come a time when they shall be infinitly more better then euer they were sweete and that thereafter they shall feele smart and sorrow in full measure when there shall be no remedie nor redresse So Papists shall be sent for helpe to their Pope Saints Pardons Pilgrimages For God doth threaten all such impenitent ones who haue cast him off by their dead workes that as he neuer did so hee neuer will acknowledge them for his And such patrons they shall then finde to bee cold comforters in those torments which they shall feele as for their other sinnes so by the remembring how they sought shelter by and from them vnto whose seruice in their life time they addicted themselues Thus a wise parent guide or superiour is taught to answere a scape-thrift and lewd wretch that hath brought himselfe into need prison and miserie by idlenesse gaming prophanenes bad companionship and such like doings when hee seekes to them for helpe thus I say hee is to answere him Get you to them to whom and whose counsell ye haue hearkened and followed who it may be are in the same miserie or worse then themselues are in and therefore vnfit enough to succour or helpe them And if God manifest his nature here that this shall be his answere to such as liue after this manner then let vs learne and conclude that no man shall end well an euill life this being added vnlessed it be changed before by repentance and therefore that it had been good for such that they had neuer been borne Briefly to conclude this doctrine with some other vses thereof wee see secondly by this that God doth import no lesse then that by the law of like equitie and by vertue of a farre stronger couenant if this people had persisted faithfull in his seruice he could not haue denied their suite for help and defence against their enemies Otherwise by what reason doth he now shake them off and send them to their Idols whom they had serued except he had meant that himselfe would haue besteadded them if they had cleaued to him for succour by faith attended him by bringing forth the fruit of their confidence I meane obedience And what a sweet prerogatiue is this for which wee haue the expresse grant of the King of heauen that so long as we keep a couenant with God so oft we may also claime from him in reuerence be it spoken the libertie of sonnes and seruants to bee defended
in great need of his help and was wished to vse it by godly Iehosaphat No saith he for I hate him and he doth not prophecie good for me but it had been better for him to haue been beholding to him So that in respect of such passions it is some restraint of nature and bridling of the corrupt heart in him that can seeke to his enemie And seeing God doth make vs all to stand in need one of another why should wee not make our hearts to bow and bend especially when it shall be also for our owne good and benefit Although I must say that this is not so commendable in vs nor profitable for vs thus farre to seeke to other when we may feare the better thereby for a naturall man will straine himselfe for aduantage but when we doe it to crosse ourselues and our euill hearts which rebell in vs and would carrie vs to the contrarie and so stoope to the ouercomming of the poyson and corruption that is in them and that also for conscience sake that we may please God therein this is a grace and worthie thing indeed This being done we should doe well to help one another and perswade each other to turne away to alienate rancour and stomacke from their enemies as Iacob hath commendably gone before vs herein to Esau and Dauid toward Saul and the Prophet Elisha did perswade the King of Israel to handle his enemies kindly which fell into his hands But yet on the other side we must take heed as well of flattering men in their euill as hating thē for wee may not sinne to obtaine and get mens fauour but beare our crosse contentedly if euer wee be driuen to seeke helpe of them whose sinne wee haue set outselues against for why wee haue done our duties though wee receiue ill measure for our good will and God will make a way for vs that al shall be well and he will if it be expedient turne their hearts towards vs for all that but as was said before let vs make none our enemies by needlesse prouoking of them but hold peace with all if it be possible yea euen with them that are our enemies For how would these here haue done if Iphtah had vsed them as they did him Or what had become of Iehoram 2. King 3. if Elisha had persisted in his reiecting the motion which he made because he and his father had scorned him and his predecessor Elija before Therefore be wee wise for God may so order it that to resist proud men euen they whom we haue prouoked in our rashnes may be in place to doe vs much hurt and that none saue the very persons whom we haue scorned can helpe vs in our neede When Saul was newly created King there were some iust of this humour and therefore they are called sonnes of Belial who defied him Tush say they what new vpstart is this how shall such a base fellow saue vs so that they would not acknowledge nor take him for their King But shortly after how should they haue done when Nahash came vpon them if that despised fellow as they accounted of him had not holpen them Then there was seeking to Saul and after the victorie it was demaunded by the people who were these that spake against Saul so despightfully saying Shall he raigne ouer vs bring them foorth and let them be slaine Therefore that we may auoid this shame and imputation of folly to be in our extreames now to abandon a man as nothing worth and after to seeke to him acknowledging him to be our onely helper let vs learne this moderation towards all as neither to be burdensome to the greatest nor yet beare a scornefull minde toward the meanest If the Samaritan and the man that fell among theeues had knowne each other before and the one scorned to be the better for the other is it like the one would haue loosed and relieued the other in that extremitie Yet we may well thinke in such a case hee must haue been of a rare proud stomack that would haue lien still wounded and in paine rather then be beholding to him that was there to helpe him And let me giue the poore a caueat concerning this humour for they that must depend vpon all yet hauing a proud heart wish that all depended vpon them and sometimes will vtter words to that effect and I say this vnto them It ill becommeth the richest and euen they may bee sure at one time or other to smart for their proud stomacks but much worse it beseemeth the poorest who rather as Salomon saith should vse all entreatie Let such breake their hearts and make holy vse of Gods affliction vpon them and submit themselues to the bearing of their burthen that so the hearts of the wealthier be not iustly hardned against them Also we see here in their desiring the helpe of Iphtah whom they had before expelled that oft times the things which men reiect God chuseth to doe great enterprizes by Which as it was most cleerely verified in our Sauour who being the stone which the builders refused was made the chiefe corner stone so was it also liuely verified in the Apostles after Paul himselfe saying of himselfe For all the good he had done and the rest we are al made a gazing stocke to the world to the Angels and to men And so at this day by whom doth the Lord gather his Church together but by them that are counted the abiects of the world or whom doth he make members of his Church but them and those to be dearest vnto him who are not counted meete to liue on the earth Therefore let no faithfull seruant of God be dismaied for the discourtesies and discouragements which he shall meete with by the vnthankfull world the Lord seeth their workes and hath them in neuer the lesse account but will plentifully reward them of which point I need not say much hauing so often handled it in this booke alreadie THE SIXTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw let vs proceed with Iphtah his answere made to the Elders of Gilead First therefore in this hee repeateth and rippeth vp their fault which in times past they had committed against him telling them that they now comming to him in their distresse he as he might well marueiled at it they neuer hauing made agreement with him And it is easie to be seene that in all this hee answered as he might lawfully doe putting away all gall and bitternes for it was meete they should secure him And euen so it is lawfull for vs by so good an occasion as was offered to him by them to doe as hee did in a like case to wit to rehearse mens great iniurying of vs when they would make nothing of them And yet all is not necessarie to be followed and practised of vs alwaies which Iphtah said to them here and namely his repeating
be euer at debate and oddes with such as full gladly would liue at peace as Esau with Iacob and all because they would make a gaine and bootie of them that are honestly minded or haue their will of them some other way They know a godly man will buy his peace deare rather then want it and they wil lay loade enough vpon such therefore to see what they can wring from them although without all colour of equitie Besides peace is vile and of no price with an vnrighteous person there is nothing to be got by it hee saith but when the water is troubled then is his season to cast in and therefore all is fish that comes to net Who seeth not that this King was mischieuously minded in that he shapeth such an answere as either being yeelded vnto tended to the vndoing of a Tribe or if not threatned implacable dissention So Benhadad sends this message to Ahab Thou and all thou hast are mine deny it if thou darest It is plaine he was set vpon warre who sent so proud a challenge as excluded all possibilitie of agreement and peace And such there are in all places who if they might haue their mindes would chuse warre rather then to liue in peace that they might boldly rifle their houses whom they grudge at and whom they could not suffer to liue by them except they might possesse them and all they haue as Hamor spake of Iacob and his sonnes to the men of his citie Therefore seest thou an vnrighteous person wonder not then if thou heare of vnreasonablenes to come from him for these two goe yoked together though feare and danger of law doe oft restraine the inward corruption from breaking out so hideous a monster is iniustice if it might be seene in the colours As for this practise of lying forging subborning concealing truth and impudent facing out an ill cause as an ill title to goe no further for aduantage sake though to the treading downe of the poore innocent nay to his vtter vndoing when was it more common then now adaies And this euill as well as other scurfe and iniquitie will cleaue to the better sort too if the diuell can and he will also except they walke armed with their breast-plate continually In these fiue verses Iphtah sends word againe to the King of the Ammonites that it was not so as he affirmed they tooke no part of his ground to them and then proceeds further by reasons to perswade him to desist from his attempt As first thus Israel sent messengers when they came out of Egypt to the King of Edom to goe through his land and he not yeelding to them they were faine to goe a great way about by a long and tedious iourney in the wildernesse so they desired to passe by Moab also and could not be suffered But did they make warre with either of both No they chose rather to abide long in the desert and to goe farre about as I haue said so farre is it off that they did them any wrong that they chose rather to offer violence to themselues So that they did no iniurie to any And was it like then that they would offer violence to any and consequently not to thy predecessors the children of Ammon As Iphtah heere giues not place to vntruth though hee preuailed not wherein he honoured the Lord in bearing witnesse to a good cause so let vs know it is our dutie to doe namely to bring the truth to light as much as in vs lieth if it be but to bring them to shame who resist it for they worke much mischiefe and iniquitie thereby and to hold sinne from multiplying as it doth greatly by lying And haue we it in greater detestation then some of them who would be taken for honest men for as much as we know that the Lord hath linked such as loue to make lies among dogges Inchanters and whoremongers And let vs remember that which Salomon saith Hee who iustifieth the wicked lier or other is as abominable to the Lord as he that condemneth the innocent And the Apostle puts the consenter to euill whether to lying swearing c. in an higher degree of sinners then the committers As who seeth not that the Pharisees and Iewes which hired and fleshed the false witnesses against our Sauiour were worse then the false witnesses themselues Thus Samuel conuicted Saul of his lye 1. Sam. 15. Elisha argued Gehazi Nay Paul Galath 2. did openly checke and detect dissimulation in Peter and resisted him to his face The truth is men in generall hate lying both the coyner of it and the teller of it but in particular there are so many occasions fall out as sometimes when a man in fauour of his kinsman will not sticke to sweare against conscience to purge him of adulterie to lay men open who doe so that their generall hatred thereof is turned into a speciall liking of it or a tolerating it and conniuence at it Neither is it strange that they who are not iust and armed with the breast-plate of righteousnesse should want the girdle of veritie Some for bribes fauour flatterie friendship commoditie and such like partiall and smister respects will to vse the prouerbe not sticke to say The crow is white if their great patrons or such as they depend vpon wil say it before them and others for feare are driuen to conceale the truth and to heare a falsehood iustified who are as bad as lyers and coupled with them Reuel the last And yet we must know that euery vntruth is not a lie except we know that which we report as an vntruth to be so Yet must we beware that we offend not therein neither by vttering rashly whatsoeuer we heare spoken of other but as it may doe good neither in telling the truth are wee bound to vtter all the truth further then we shall see it expedient to doe so Iphtah not onely withstands an vntruth but also sheweth reason so wee must withstand vntruth by reason approued of all and of the Scripture it selfe so that they who will not yeeld to it may shew themselues vnreasonable and so they are to bee accounted and no better who wash away all sound reason which they are not able to resist breeding quarrelling and contention hereby wherein the Pharisies and Priests went before other neuer resting in the most sound reasons wherewith our Sauiour in commoning with them did conuince them but withstood them shamelesly So when other alleage reasons to vs it is our dutie to yeeld to them as Laban himselfe though an Idolater answered Abrahams seruant in that matter hee dealt with him for seeing the report which he made of things vnto him to be so currant and reasonable I can say neither lesse nor more saith hee for this thing is of the Lord. But more of this in the 28. verse by way of vse hereof Now what his reason was we haue
either helpe of any man or vse of warlike instrument All haue not Samsons strength to lose but all wilful sinne wasteth a Christians strength alacrity I meane and cheerefulnesse of spirit to the duties of Gods worship I said enough of this point vpon cap. 5. in the complaint of Debora that there was not a speare found nor courage to vse it among the fortie thousands of Israel Let the reader looke backe to that place Heere this I will say The faithfull vse and imployment of God his heauenly graces and gifts is the onely way to keepe and augment them vse a gift and haue a gift employ it not and lose it If this bee the fruit of bare sloth and neglect how much now of contempt and wilfull sinning against knowledge So that we shall not need greatly to care how we may lose our grace for not only the quencher but euen he that nourisheth it not as fire shall soone enough lose it Adam and Eue had strength giuen them to stand in their good estate and seeing they wilfully spoiled themselues of it they brought vpon themselues a weakenesse so that they could not but sin So they that haue had better things in them and are now become luke-warme professors or secure sottish and sleepie conscienced and couetous how decline they in their zeale and lose their gifts and sauour not at all religious exercises but wax barren of grace and at length fall to leaud company follow the common fashion of the world nay become disgracers of the truth and of the louers thereof as most repugnant to their practise Neuer was a poore vnarmed traueller falling among theeues so bereft of money of apparell and of all comfort or a gamester shrigged of all being ouer-reacht by a false handed cosoner or a tree so stript of her beautiful leaues and fruit by the violence of a tempest as poore Samson heere was of the gratious furniture of the spirit by the vnkindly assault of his sinfull lust Oh what a difference was there betweene Samson when he was himselfe and betwixt his disguised nakednesse which his sinne caused The vse heereof is to teach vs that seeing hee grew to this low ebbe by the degrees forementioned therefore we promise our selues no priuiledge beyond him otherwise then by preuenting the meanes leading thereto And let vs not thinke that the grace we haue seeing it cost vs much paines to obtaine much hearing long practise vse of many good meanes with watchfulnesse and prayer let vs not thinke I say that therefore wee need feare no such sudden losse of it Ah foole it comes in a day that came not in seuen yeeres and as the houses of Iobs children were blowne downe all at once so may a mans goodnesse and strength bee all wasted suddenly by a dangerous fall yea the fruit of many yeeres growth and gaine may perish in a day though I denie not but vsually it paireth by degrees rather through sinnes committed daily and duties neglected The strength of a Christian lies in his faith as truly as Samsons did in his lockes and if faith be quailed by wilfull sinning as how can a man feele God louing him when he giues leaue to himselfe to offend him then how much more if the fruites also decay as feruency care feare diligence in good duties c. As the one growes to vnbeleefe so the other degenerates to deadnesse carelesnesse and loosenesse c. Now whereas some cauiller lying in the wind for aduantage might say I see Samson is condemned for shauing of his lockes therefore long haire is no such blameworthy habite as some would seeme to make of it I answere him two waies First that this guise of Samson was not common or generall for then it had been only permitted as indifferent to all but personall and belonging to the vow of the Nazarite which now is abolished As that other of abstaining from strong drinke was which I suppose the greater part of them that plead for long haire will not so easily yeeld to abstaine from Secondly I say though this liberty were to be further extended yet in all equitie those might challenge it of most due who are most proportionable to the Nazarite in the pure worship ping of God Now these in the former respect see small cause to vse any such habite but condemne it as most vnseemly The wearers thereof are most of them prophane no worshippers and the best of them I suppose are none of the most pure worshippers of God Therefore let this abuse returne to the heires of them that first inuented it for a couer of the shame which their lewdnes first brought vpon them But enough to a wise man was said of this vpon the thirteenth Chapter as for the foole though hee were braied in a morter yet would not his follie depart from him It is said further in these two verses that when his strength was gone she began to vexe him by calling the Philistims who were at hand to fall vpon him and handle him at their pleasure and so they did Oh wee see it is an easie matter to bring miserie vpon one when he shall not onely be destitute of earthly helpe but haue God against him also Euen so it was with Iudas when the time of his visitation came that hee was vtterly forsaken of God but beside hee had cast off his Master and the Disciples who had been his fellowes and the Priests his pretended friends had cast off him So Samson was forsaken of his louer hated of the Philistims and the Lord had left him and therefore how neerely was the prouerb verified in him Woe to him that is alone Not vnlike to that thriftlesse debtor who by his folly is come vpon by his creditor haled to prison forsaken of his friends and destitute of all comfort who might haue liued in a comfortable manner and haue been a comfort to others if he had been wise and carefull in managing his businesse The vse of this is thus much that if we should fall into this danger as to haue men yea and friends against vs as sometimes it may befall vs for a good cause yet to lay this foundation strongly that the Lord forsake vs not which doubtlesse he will not doe if we forsake not him Touching her cruell trecherie in betraying him thus when he had reueiled himselfe to her it detecteth the like vnfaithfulnes wheresoeuer it be found in Christians to be more then monstrous and such false-hearted ones to be farre worse then Philistims Samson being awaked by her did not by and by see what was done to him but thought hee would doe as hee had before done namely by his strength to shift for himselfe but he could not for the Lord was departed from him leauing him as hath alreadie been said both without strength of body which he had before and the vse of all grace to guide himselfe or comfort his minde By this we see