A COMMENTARY VPON THE WHOLE BOOKE OF IVDGES PREACHED FIRST AND DELIVERED IN SVNDRIE LECTVRES SINCE collected and diligently perused and now published For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and Repentance and especially of them who would more cleerely vnderstand and make vse of the worthie examples of the Saints recorded in diuine history PENNED BY RICHARD ROGERS PREACHER of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex HEBR. 12. 1. Wherefore seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses let vs cast off euery thing that presseth downe c. Whatsoeuer is written was written for our instruction that wee through consolation of the Scriptures might haue hope BY WISDOM PEACE BY PEACE PLENTY LONDON Imprinted by FELIX KYNGSTON for Thomas Man and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-noster Row at the signe of the Talbot 1615. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE SIR EDVVARD COKE KNIGHT LORD chiefe Iustice of England and one of his Maiesties most Honorable priuie Counsel R. R. wisheth all blessing internall externall and eternall from God our Father through Christ Iesus RIght Honourable as it hath alway befallen the best both Diuine and Humane lawes to be peruerted by common profanenes and lewd custome so may it be verified in all other things of like precious nature that they could neuer escape the taint of humane errour and abuse Witnesse the institution of the holy feast of Shiloh mentioned in this booke which though first was chiefly vsed as a memoriall of Gods benefits yet in processe of time grew to extreme abuse and gaue occasion to the vnlawful stealing of the virgins in their dances Nay witnesse euen this approueable custome of Dedicating bookes which though it hath been long taken vp and continued for good and respectiue reasons yet hath it been of old the practise of heretikes and still is of vnworthy writers to conueigh the poison of their books into the inferiour sort by stiling and gracing them with the names of remarkable personages Religion and Christianitie the ministerie of the Word and the Profession thereof are things in name and nature of the highest value howbeit as the fairest apple to the worme so are these exposed to the treble corruption of error infidelitie and hypocrisie Semblably the writings of Diuine argument whether vpon Scripture as this or Treatises consonant thereto are of singular vse in the Church yet neuer free from the malignitie of some men Especially such as who either out of their curiositie can endure nothing which clawes not their leprous humor or through their carelesnes professe either to meddle with no mans writings at all or without putting difference to embrace good and bad with equall affection For the two former of these three I meane the vngratiously nice and the gracelesly sensuall this I must say that since the Scriptures themselues the most solemne of all other both for matter and stile cannot rellish with them I despaire that my writings should procure their appetite Yea peraduenture this worke of mine will displease their daintie eyes and fingers by the very bignes and so preiudice their further handling These therfore if their disease be incorrigible I professe not myselfe a cooke for to dresse their diet but rather leaue them to feede vpon the chalke and morter of their vnsauourie Pamphlets while others nourish their minds with more wholesome meate and send them to the trough and akornes since they refuse Angels food For the latter sort since there is more hope to correct their error then the others vice I pray to God that with their generall willingnes to reade he would giue them an vnderstanding heart to discerne aright of things that differ that the holy eye of their iudgement may be like a Musicall eare in the distinguishing of sounds and like the fining pot of the Goldsmith in seuering the gold from drosse or his touchstone in discouering of mettals Also my hope is that such as buy new bookes of all sorts may happily light vpon this among others which if they shall doe I wish them no worse then that the gaine they reape and the taste they get from this may disgrace and distaste with them all fruitlesse and offensiue authors Pardon me right Honourable if I haue been ouer bold in aduenturing to publish these poore labours and thrust them vnder your patronage I haue not sinisterly aimed at the Poets marke who wisheth all writers to set a glosse vpon their worke by a glorious entrance But partly to shroud myselfe in God vnder your authoritie against the tempest and violence of all vniust censurers such as I named before and partly yet chiefly to commend the diligent perusall of this booke to all religious or indifferent Readers by your Honours example perswading myselfe that you will not more willingly become patrone to the writer then a patterne of the things contained in the writing itselfe And as by Gods ordinance the oyle of Consecration was first powred vpon the head of Aaron yet staied not there but ranne downe thence vpon his beard and to the nethermost skirts of his clothing so I iudged this order no whit preposterous if first I presumed to powre this oyle fetcht out of the Lords Tabernacle vpon your Honours head that so from you as the sweet showres trickling downe from the hill to the valley the fragrancie and fruite hereof might descend lower vnto meaner persons Among sundrie other bookes of holy writ which in the course of my Ministerie these fourtie yeeres past God hath assisted me to explane and go through with my Audience I haue for some causes chosen this to leaue as a poore pledge and memoriall to Gods Church of my fidelitie paines and loue And though I respected also the good and request of my owne Congregation herein into whose hearts I desire doubly to fasten the naile of wholesome instruction which soone slippeth out yet seeing my time is short and my voyce cannot reach beyond her vsuall limits I haue endeuoured with my pen to draw a long and a wearisome line that the other defect might be supplied looking vp to him for a requitall who hath promised not to conceale the labour of our loue I haue Right Honourable purposely altered the course of my writing which formerly I haue vsed in my Treatise As Elisha the Prophet put his hands vpon the King of Israel his hand when hee bad him shoote so when wee vndertake the handling of Scripture the holy Ghost allowes vs not to say all wee can inuent but requires vs to put our hands in his hands and to applie our selues more strictly vnto his drift then in Tractates of our owne wherein generally our scope and libertie is more large Yet as the text hath led me I haue held myselfe to these two markes The one more generall to build vp the Christian Reader in faith and good life To the which end as I haue alreadie written a large Discourse if it haue yet come
a man fall and not rise againe or goe out of the way and not returne And if this rebelliousnesse and bad disposition were in the wicked onely it were lesse to bee maruelled at but let it be well considered and it shall be found in such as haue sometime serued God in truth who if they lose the hold that they had and haue suffered the wicked flesh that is their sinfull nature to get the vpper hand in them againe oh how hardly is it put out of possession againe So that as the diuels said to our Sauiour Christ thou art come to torment vs before the time So it is euer too soone and very imprisonment to the wicked flesh to be brought vnder the Lords wing againe and to put on his yoke though it be easie as it is said to be This is the cause why licentious dissolutenesse is in so great account at this day in all sorts and so dimme light shineth out of them who should bee lights to other And if it should be demanded how Gods people can keepe so long from vnder his gouernment and are so loth to returne againe vnder it I answere partly confused knowledge ignorance and forgetfulnes how to returne if they were euer well grounded at all is one cause and partly the lothnesse and vntowardnesse of the flesh to bee pent in seeking liberty rather amisse euen that is the other And thus while men haue any shelter how rotten and helpelesse soeuer it be they flie from God But for as much as when no shifts will serue they must returne againe to the Lord their first husband as it is said in Hosea let all that bee wise with all speed returne to him and make godlinesse as it is indeed the greatest riches and chiefe stay seeing that is alwaies and onely comfortable As it is the Psalme A day is better therein then a thousand elsewhere And seeing wee in miseries and troubles do as this people heere did often fall a sighing and sorrowing yea murmuring and fretting and yet turne not to God nor from our sinne but bite on the bridle of our punishment and yet at last we must bee brought to it for all our vnwillingnesse therefore as we should take heed that we keepe the profession of our hope firmely while wee may so yet when wee haue fallen let vs not despaire no nor yet delay to turne to God with the soonest as I haue said Againe by this people many may learne good They were held vnder and pursued by him that had nine hundred Chariots of iron alwaies going out and in among them to vexe and oppresse them on euery side A plague great enough one would thinke for euen the mercies of such are cruell And yet this was not the worst that befell them for God was also against them and had sold them into their hands and now while it was thus with them in so great misery what should they doe and yet which is more twentie yeeres to be in this estate how should they be able to abide it By the fearefull example of these and yet some of them belonging to God it is good for vs to take occasion to consider the estate of them who are vnder sundry sore and great calamities the Lord sending them for their rebellions and grieuous prouokings of him and himselfe frowning vpon them who should haue been their comfort in their troubles Oh how should it grieue vs to behold it For when they are in perplexity and vexation by men or otherwise and then haue God against them also this commeth neare the saying Woe to him that is alone Herein Dauid shewed himselfe wise for when hee heard Gods message from the Lord concerning the chusing of his punishment he answered Let me fall into the hands of the Lord and not of men The reason was because he knew himselfe to haue repented and therefore that in iudgement the Lord would remember mercy But oh how terrible a thing is it to fall into the hands of God being our enemie or into the hands of men when he hath giuen vs vp to their pleasure to be handled as wee deserue Euery affliction is sharpe and heauy when God makes it so by setting an edge vpon it and by pressing downe the conscience vnder the loade of his wrath Consider some particulars for example The pouerty and penurie of many thousands and the same as poore in knowledge of God and grace Others in marriage vnquiet thrusting one another out of doores children crying about them the neighbours disquieted among them all going to hauocke in family and God in the meane time also an enemie to them what an heauie calamitie is this to behold Others to bee taken captiues by forren enemies as Sampson put to grinde or which is worse to the gallies and which is worst of all to haue no God to flie to in this their distresse which yet is the case of many who haue held their heads full high and were also farre enough in their owne conceit from such an estate oh how wofull is it And if the sore diseased sicke and pained persons should bee added to these with other miserable ones and yet without God in the world all these thus to bee distressed which I haue mentioned with such like almost without number oh how lamentable is it to thinke on And whereas some of these bee Gods children they must know that if they will doe as his enemies he will make them somewhat like them in bearing the marke of it so that as the wicked flie from God and hate him for smiting them for their sin so his owne children hauing likewise prouoked him shall oftentimes make but slow hast to him through an ill conscience telling them that they are not welcome till they come in another manner to wit in vnfained repentance All this I haue spoken to a double end one to perswade all to labour aboue all things to make God their friend that is by seeking to be reconciled to him that thus in their troubles they may haue a refuge to fly to for comfort The other is to moue such as are free from both kinds of miseries to pitie them that are vnder both and to consider that seeing they may goe in and out before the Lord without feare both in their daily course of life and also in their suites c. therefore they should deadly abhorre sinne themselues which onely makes them feare his power and iustice and that as much as euer they reioyced in his fauour and so doing mourne for them whose misery I haue mentioned that are in an estate both dreadfull and damnable And this be said of the first three parts of this chapter out of these three verses to wit of the sinne of the people of their punishment and of their repentance The fourth part of the Chapter THe fourth part of this story followeth of Gods deliuerance of them out of the
bauds to adulterers and to spend that day leaud and vnseemely meetings and match-makings stage-playes and other reuell rout and all vnder the honest colour of exchanging commodities and maintaining their charge So that in stead thereof men and women set to sale their good name chastity sobriety and whatsoeuer else should bee pretious to the godly Now vnto these before mentioned of greater wealth and place whereas some thinke that in the next words shee speaketh to men of meaner state such as is said here dwelt by Middin a place they say where they met more vsually for a Mart or exchange of their wares which place being before intercepted by the enemies and now free for all to haue recourse to it and passe too and fro by the high waies shee exhorts them that repaired thither to praise the Lord. This opinion of theirs is gainsaid by the purest translations and beside one thing should bee vnderstood in both places to wit of traâ—â—ique and merchandise if it were so But the word Middin is not to be taken heere for the proper name of a place where wares were sold but the words dwelling by Middin are to bee translated thus sitting in iudgement As if she should say let men of authority and rich lawyers who may now sit in iudgement about ciuill causes let such praise the Lord because they may now doe it safely It is the honour credit peace and benefit of Magistrates and learned counsellors as also the welfare of the people that places of iudgement and iustice be frequented and vpholden as we see heere in England in our Terme times at Westminster and out of Terme in other places where equity and right are maintained and wrong and iniurie punished Oh it is a time full of desolation when through famine plague or any inâ—ection such places must lie vnoccupied in the times when they should be frequented and set a worke in deciding causes helping the innocent to his right and weeding out of euill doers Whereby we may gather how heauy times those were when iudgement ceased and the open places where iustice was ministred were laid wast and left voide And therfore we reade in the former chapter that the people could not enioy that liberty of publike iudgement seates but they were driuen to go priuately to Debora for iudgement not dwelling sumptuously in palace or castle famous in that respect or honourable but obscure vnder a Palme tree Now therfore as they when they might againe boldly and freely sit in iudgement are heere called to praise God for it So such persons with vs enioying such priuiledges ought to call themselues duely and daily to zealous thankesgiuing with such other duties as accompany the same yea their whole life should sauour thereof And they shall haue much to answere to God who do otherwise As for the people what duty they owe for enioying this benefit I will shew by a fitter occasion in the next verse But to let these goe of whom I haue spoke in this verse because Debora heere speaketh also to all such as went and walked by the way this should cause all such as goe to and fro about their businesse pleasure or other necessarie vses as trauellers to praise God highly for such liberties seâ—ing a little before that the high waies lay vnoccupied and to speake of the benefit thereof one to another to his praise and not to trauell to and fro in rude prophane and loose manner gabling like wild geese in vnciuill and rude sort as though they enioyed such liberties to offend God by them And much more ought their behauiour and communication to bee sober and Christian like when they goe to the house of God to bee edified by the word prayer and Sacraments and also when they returne home againe and in a word to walke harmelesse in all places which behauiour is much out of vse in this land and yet God bee thanked not altogether in some places But heere an end for this time THE THIRTIE TWO SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to proceed with the rest that I haue begun withall heree Debora speaketh to the seruants that in going forth to draw water for their necessary vse were not free from the archers who shot at them and put them to much paine trouble and danger or feare at least thereby Where we see that as they who are in the meanest places of seruice are not to bee suffered to enioy their liberty to liue idly but to be imployed and occupied as Dauid when he was young kept his fathers sheep and set to worke that they may be maintained thereby and such ought to be thankfull when they may goe to it in peace so they are to bee admitted also and taken into the number of them that worship God in the assembly and therefore ought duly to bee brought thither by their gouernours and taught there to know him Euen such as cut wood and draw water the very droyles in houses as they are called who doe the most seruile workes and therefore in some countries such as keepe swine sheepe and cattell which is more base then to serue them onely euen these I say being of them who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ as well as other should be taught to honour God aright and to liue vnder his gouernment and therefore not suffered to liue brutishly as in some places they doe but be brought forth by their parents or rulers into the congregation of the faithfull to learne those things that concerne their happinesse and peace this being presupposed that there they shall be taught Which I speake to the shame of such masters and gouernours as neuer regard any such matter neither consider that they owe that education to them for the seruice they doe them and the vse they make of them and most of all that they owe it them by the band with which they are tyed to it by Gods commandement whereas the life of such is as miserable for their soule as they vnder the Turkes gallies for their bodies yea euen as asses who spend the day in toyle and then are thrust at night into emptie stables so are they sent after their tedious and brutish seruice vnto their wofull home and at last to hell as a heauie recompence of their labour Fie therefore vpon such tyrants And yet if some masters in conscience of the commandement doe for some it may be doe giue them more libertie to goe to the assemblie to worship God yet oft times another euill is in the way that when they come there they haue nothing taught them so that by one meanes or other all that list may see they die miserably of which sort oh that the number were not too great Thus much of these The next sort spoken to in this verse are they who dwelling in villages and vnwalled townes were left desolate and driuen from their habitations and they
which afterward may be remembred against him to his reproach losse and shame yea ruine as heere we see in these Euen Heathens haue prudently obserued this That a wise man will carrie himselfe no otherwise being prosperous then as one who considereth that one day he may be miserable And indeed such iolly fellowes had need of this warrant euen to man-ward that they shall neuer fall nor decay in their estate seeing that else who seeth not what fruite they reape of their scorne and pride to wit that being vnderfoot all men reioyce in their ruine and make them their pastime few or none pitying them or taking their part whereas others are lamented and reliued in their miserie Who pitieth Herod eaten vp with wormes because he would so proudly exceed the bounds of man and be counted a God Haman was hanged vpon the gallowes who readeth it not with ioy rather then is grieued at it because while hee was aloft he made himselfe the terrour of the Church for his crueltie How should Iob haue answered it in his affliction if hee had vsurped ouer his vnderlings being in prosperitie When Dauid sent messengers to Hanun to comfort him he cuts off their garments by the middle and shaues them and so sends them backe to their Master But the time came when hee repented him of that iolly defiance Tush saith Sheba who is Dauid and who is the sonne of Ishai Who is Abimelech said Gaal A base fellow I defie and scorne him and his but soone after he wisht that vnsaid againe and so did the other And thus of these now mentioned together with Adonibezek and them of Succoth and Penuel let this suffice that hath been said Therefore as for all desperate and prophane wretches whom nothing but the halter or stabbing or such like deserued plague of God befalling them will perswade the truth hereof let them goe as they are But let all Gods people who are to looke at God aswell as men beware especially that they forget not themselues this way but walke humbly with due weighing their owne vilenesse and the changeablenesse of all things here below else euen they may fall as Ezechia did As Gedeon did heere so it is lawfull for vs to prosecute our brethrens wrongs as murther yea it is meet so to doe as in the booke of Numbers appeareth and this not onely in a priuat respect for that we are their flesh in which kindnesse is to be shewed to them but also and much more in the publike behalfe of Church and Commonwealth both which it much concerneth that sinne be not vnpunished This the Lord requireth as by Salomons words may bee gathered which hee spake of Ioab saying let him bee slaine that euill may be remoued and wee may not bee guilty of the innocent blood which he hath shed But to returne to the point in hand as it is good to reioyce with out friends and liue together with them for our mutuall good so is it also a token of our vnfained loue toward them to pursue their wrongs being dead And this were highly commendable if it were done according to Gods law But as it is commonly gone about I meane so that flesh and blood with carnall reason doe rule as it highly displeaseth God so likewise it marres the action as in the next point shall appeare And namely to pursue any for them when they suffer for their deserts as the most doe or when they be hurt by them with whom they were companions in euill and therfore iustly suffer at the hands of one another although the Magistrate is to punish the offendor euen in that case also as when drunkards or quarrellers shed the blood of each other And as the Lord himselfe hath put a difference betwixt casuall or vnwilling killing and wilfull murther as appeareth by his appointing in each Tribe cities of refuge for the safegard of the innocent so he is farre from iustifying any such cruell pitie as this to spare the guiltie murtherer but will himselfe as well plague them that shall seeke to stop the due course of iustice against such as also find out the murtherer himselfe notwithstanding the secrefie wherewith much villanie is cloaked at one time or other An eye for an eye a tooth for a tooth and he who sheddeth blood his blood shall be shed For the blood of the slaine crieth strongly in the eares of the Lord as that of Abel and as the widow who by her importunitie compelled the Iudge to heare and doe her iustice of her aduersarie And this further condemneth the deadly reuenge which is betweene many not persons onely but families and kindreds also who vpon such murthers band themselues and take parts each against other irreconciliably more fit for Pagans indeed then Christians who should be ioyned together in loue rather then diuide themselues into sworne brotherhoods in mischiefe like those two Simeon and Leui. Lastly it bewraieth the leaudnesse of the Romish pretended pitie and mercifulnesse not in protecting the guiltlesse but in sauing the vilest malefactors from the hand of the lawfull Magistrate whom God hath appointed to be the terror of ill doers and not the mocke and may-game of such shauelings For if they being pursued can get into those Temples or rather dennes of theeues they are rescued as in Sanctuaries for feare of law and punishment Againe in that Gedeon saith and sweareth to it that hee would not haue killed them if they had saued his brethren aliue who ought to haue done it for pursuing the people of God neither had he authoritie to saue them though hee had to destroy them and the Holy-ghost commendeth the act it teacheth that it is a very hard matter to doe good actions aright but that they will one way or other be blemished and obscured euen as Iephtahs courage constancy in warring against the Ammonites was much dashed by his vnseasonable rash vow And so particularly through our hastines boldnes blindnes or the like corrupt humours many good actions do lose their beautie Which thing as it is with great regard to bee looked to of vs so it teacheth that we must not cleaue to al the examples of Gods seruants without respect and difference nor follow them because they did them but examine their grounds and how they did them following them only so far as they haue obeyed the Lord for therein onely they are presidents for vs to follow where their doings are examples agreeable to the rule that should guide vs for that is to be looked vnto which is Gods not mens And further it should teach vs more specially to examine our actions the manner end affections and minde wherewith they be done which is the thing that I doe here aime at to lay foorth for those things which wee doe in ignorance and darknesse wee haue not onely no comfort in them neither learne any experience by them to be better
For no man can shew to how many vnlikely dangers mens goods lie open beside those which are common and ordinary We haue heard of late that many mens commodities being brought in and so in likelihood past danger haue been in great part destroyed by vermine as mice and rats Therefore they are called vncertaine riches seeing no man hath any hold of them but one mans they are to day and another mans to morrow Besides we ought not to set our hearts on them which we cannot keepe neither thereby giue occasion to our selues to be disquieted when God by any meanes shall depriue vs of them But minde we better things and those not seene with mortall eye which shall also be witnesses that wee haue treasure laid vp for vs in heauen And when wee walke in the discharge of our callings whereby through Gods blessing we encrease our substance yet euen then regard we more the commandement enioyning vs labour then the profit and comfort we our selues in our good conscience in comming by and vsing them with Gods promise of good successe rather then by reckoning our commodities before we enioy them But of this point I haue said more elsewhere The next thing in these two verses is this which we are to make our profit by that when the Lord giueth vs opportunity and offereth vs occasion to do him seruice we should be wise to see it ready to vse it that we may so testifie our obedience both to God and men For so did Samson here The Lord would haue him set vpon the Philistims but so that he should first be prouoked by them lest if he had done it without iust occasion offered him they might not haue pursued him alone but all the land as they made much adoe for the hurt he heere did them till they knew that some of their brethren the Philistims had prouoked him and that thereupon hee sought to be reuenged on them as in vers 6. Looke more in Gedeons story Before Samson proceed any further against the Philistims to pursue them in their liues it is shewed in this verse that there was hot enquirie among them who it was that had so spoiled their commodities And they learned that it was Samson that had done it and further the reason was rendred why he did so and that was because the Timnite had taken his wife from him and giuen her to another Which when they vnderstood they went by and by and burnt her and her father with fire for they considered that they had done him great wrong and thought that he auenged himselfe on other of them for that which they had done to him In this verse by the earnest inquirie after him that had done them so great displeasure we may see that by the light of nature they did this euen as it is lawfull for vs to doe in our owne cases by the help of the Magistrate to seeke to finde out such as haue done much euill in the Common-wealth and that were troublesome But yet herein we must differ from them that as these heere did eagerly pursue the doer of wrong to themselues more then the disorder so much more wee that are further inlightened by the word of God ought to hearken after such offenders and to procure their iust punishment as we may rather for their sinne then to auenge our selues thereby As Salomon dealt with Ioab who had ioyned himselfe with Adonijah against the Lords annointed for hee commanded him to bee slaine that the blood which he had shed causelesse might be vpon his owne head And great is the sin of them that rather then they would incurre the least danger and displeasure at the hands of bad persons worthie to be cut off or sore punished doe suffer them to goe on in their wickednesse rather then to withstand and bring them foorth before authoritie to receiue their due yea rather if they can they will bee readie to excuse their fault and defend them but if a trespasse be committed against themselues there is no measure in pursuing their enemies But a fitter occasion to handle this will be offered in the 21. Chapter When the Philistims vnderstood that Samson had thus spoyled them because the Timnite had giuen his wife to his companion they went it is said here and burnt both him and his daughter and the house ouer their heads But why did they so For the Timnite was not he that hurt them No but seeing they could not come by Samson to take reuenge on him therefore they punished them who were the occasions of Samsons spoyling them though they were in no wise consenting to it nor knowing what hee did A most vnreasonable act to fall vpon them who were no way guiltie of the hurt done to them The Lord indeed did most iustly hereby reuenge that villany which they had all of them offered to Samson but this they looked not at God onely ouer-ruled their appetites that in one and the same act most iniurious in it selfe yet the Lord executed his most righteous iustice against these malefactors arming one wicked person against another and preparing a way thereby to reuenge these Philistims themselues as shal appeare afterward But here we may see the madnes and outrage that is in men For though these were Heathens and therefore might bee thought to haue none to match them in grosse wickednes among such as are baptized yet behold they who are destitute of grace among vs further then the feare of man restraineth some are let loose to as great sinnes For proofe whereof behold the dealing of those furious Iewes Acts 18. who when they could not come by Paul fell vpon Sosthenes his companion and beate him and at this day the Papists when they cannot come by the heretike himselfe as they terme him vse to draw his picture as exactly as they can and with great despite burne it in the fire shewing what they would doe to the person Not vnlike to the practise of seditious souldiers in chopping them as small as herbs to pot who oppose them in their mutinie And we see it commeth to passe sometimes that when vile men are giuen ouer to furie passion and moode he shall beare the blowes that commeth next in their way though hee was in no fault and whatsoeuer is next them be it knife dagger cudgel or whatsoeuer else whether it beate out the eye or tooth or breake arme or legge all is one with them when they be moodie euen as she-Beares that are robbed of their whelpes Nay so little are they led by sound reason that when through their owne rashnes they haue hurt themselues at a doore or fall by stumbling at a stone they curse the one and beate the other But if they sustaine damage or losse by any neighbour they are not satisfied till with the Philistims they haue their blood at least till they seeke it though the hurt done to them was against
as if it it had been sword staffe or other weapon And when hee had slaine them hee shewed what heapes hee had made with so slight a helpe or instrument Heere we see that these Philistims lately so exceedingly ioyfull did not onely lose their ioy but their liues also And this may tell vs yet a heauier thing then the former For it teacheth that for the most part looke what fearefull and blind estate the blind and bad people liue in and chuse to repose themselues in in the same they continue for the most part and end their daies For is there almost any place left for amendment Therfore the Apostle saith The wicked and the deceiuer wax worse and worse and when they crie peace peace and all things are safe then commeth destruction suddenly vpon them before they be aware as the trauell vpon a woman with child and they shall not be able to auoide it When the rich man in the Gospell reioyced most in that he had he was nearest a wofull end So Baltazzer when he was drinking wine merrily with his Princes and Concubines in the vessels of the Temple then the fearfull hand writing appeared on the wall hauing this meaning God hath finished thy kingdome So Agag And as such liue so they die Although I denie not but God where it pleaseth him can giue a new hart where it is sought and cause such vanity to bee distasted as wherein men haue delighted and worke found reioycing instead thereof Therefore chuse wee the best delights and so the longer we hold them the soundlier wee shall enioy them vntill we keepe them vnto our end Another thing that he did was that when he had slaine an heape he correcteth himselfe when hee smote them on both sides with the iaw-bone they preasing about to take him and he saith two heapes or many as if he should haue said heapes vpon heapes had been slaine by him And seeing hee knew that God gaue him the strength thereto hee being a godly man why doth he vtter these words but that al might see and acknowledge what a great worke God had wrought by him and that by a weake meane euen with the iaw bone of an Asse To teach vs that where the Lord will haue vs execute iustice without pitie vpon euill doers we must not faint nor be negligent to doe his commandement vpon them as Samson did here Ioshua before on Achan Ehud vpon the King of Moab and Shamgar on the Philistims God will haue the wicked smart for their trespasses openly committed to smart I say by men according to the weight and hainousnesse of them and vtterly forbiddeth foolish pity to be shewed in such a case according to the saying of Salomon It is an abomination to iustifie the wicked The like may be said against that foolish pity which ariseth in vs when wee behold Gods immediate hand vpon them and yet wee ought not then for all this to insult ouer them but we must ascribe honour to God with those 24. Elders in the Reuelation and Dauid vpon the death of Nabal Now followeth the third point that as Samson honoured God in shewing what hee had done by him in slaying heapes of men euen a thousand so he added this thereto that he gaue a name to the place where hee did it as a memoriall thereof that all posterity comming after might know vnto the end of the world what great things God did for his people against their enemies The name of it he called Ramath-Lehi as if he should haue said the lifting vp of a iaw-bone which remaineth as a monument of Gods mighty worke by him euen to this day Thus and by this meanes Gods seruants haue praised him in times past as in the booke of Numbers Ioshua and other is to bee seene as well as other times by songs and dances that wee all may marke and remember his benefits and great workes and praise him among the generations following to the quickening and comforting of his people and the feare of his enemies although not in the same manner that some haue done in ages past But of this before once or twice The fourth part of the Chapter Vers 18. And he was sore athirst and called on the Lord and said Thou hast giuen this great deliuerance into the hand of thy seruant and now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the vncircumcised 19. But God claue an hollow place that was in the iaw and there came water thereout and when he had drunke his spirit came againe and he reuiued wherfore he called the name thereof En-hakkoreh which is in Lehi vnto this day 20. And he iudged Israel in the daies of the Philistims twentie yeeres NOw followeth the fourth and last part of this Chapter wherein is shewed what an exceeding great thirst Samson had after the slaughter of these Philistims and that he prayed to God and he giue him water so that he reuiued and so he praised God there And 〈…〉 time that hee iudged Israel is in the last place adioyned and set downe â—â—ch was twentie yeres By this thirst of his the Lord would haue him to know himselfe and to be held vnder lest by that which hee had done to the Philistims hee might haue been lifted vp aboue that which was meet Thus he dealeth with his intermixing his chastisements with blessings that both they may be held in humility by the one and yet may haue sufficient encouragement to abide constantly in a good course and not forget the Lord and become high minded as they are easily brought to bee by the other to wit his benefits And thus the Lord saw good to deale euen with Paul himselfe who was buffeted by Satan when hee had been listed vp to the third heauen by the rauishing of Gods spirit yet hee had that humour remaining in him which needed setling and cooling that his ioy might be kept within holy lists and bounds And the same I haue noted in that famous accident of Iphtah his daughter whom God set on to abase him that hee might proceed on to the triumph more soberly Wee must thinke Gods seruants are deare to him when hee sticketh not to bereaue them of their preciousest delights to the end they may hold their delight in him and not turne their sweetnesse into bitternes I meane their holy reioycing into fleshly presumption The reason hereof is because else God cannot trust vs in the businesse he sets vs about except hee giues vs coolings and abasements to consume the superfluity of our hypocrisie conceitednesse of our selues pride and security which are as vnfit dealers in heauenly matters as Nadab and Abihu their strange fire was to kindle incense or offer sacrifice withall And secondly the Lord honoreth many of his deare seruants whose faith and setlednesse in grace and freedome from such grosse staines hee is priuie vnto by giuing them