much afraid to goe on in their cruell course against them as wee see the Priests by the counsell of Gamaliel thought good and saw cause to be ruled by him in letting the Apostles goe who had before intended most cruelly against them what was it that hindred them from their purpose but this that they feared that the Lord would haue resisted them who indeed so terrified them that hee constrained them to let them alone Thus as well as by the death of some that are maliciously minded against the faithfull other of their companie are so astonished and appalled that they desist from their wicked attempts and are in such feare that for the time they cannot tell what they may doe Thus to conclude God easeth the shoulders of his seruants many waies as wee see of the burthens that oppressed them and many other waies that cannot be expressed and not in the least manner by taking their oppressors away in the middest of their florishing and crueltie that wee may see he knoweth how to deliuer his and sheweth accordingly in due season that he doth not forget them and all to this end that they may not faint from their good beginnings nor be discouraged in any good course but hold it alwaies best to depend vpō him as Israel by Pharaos drowning and Shushan and the Prouinces by Hamans abasement with the like found it And though in some hot and fierie trials this be hard for the faithfull to go vnder yet after they haue borne the brunt they would not for any good haue done otherwise But of the sundrie waies whereby God vseth to succour his and ioynt their enemies I haue in another place discoursed at large Therefore thus much be said of this point and of the whole history of Samson THE SEVENTEENTH CHAPTER Vers 1. And there was a man of mount Ephraim whose name was Micah 2. And he said vnto his mother The eleuen hundred shekels of siluer that were taken from thee about which thou cursedst and spakest of also in mine eares Behold the siluer is with me I tooke it And his mother said Blessed bee thou of the Lord my sonne 3. And when he had restored the eleuen hundred shekels of siluer to his mother his mother said I haue wholly dedicated the siluer vnto the Lord from my hand for my sonne to make a grauen Image and a molten Image now therefore I will restore it vnto thee 4. Yet herestored the money vnto his mother and his mother tooke two hundred shekels of siluer and gaue it to the founder who made thereof a grauen Image and a molten Image and they were in the house of Micah 5. And the man Micah had an house of gods and made an Ephod and Teraphim and consecrated one of his sonnes who became his Priest 6. In those daies there was no King in Israel but euery man did that which was right in his owne eyes IN this Chapter before I enter into the handling of it as I vse to do in the other I must stay a while and say somthing for the satisfying of the reader and that not onely about this Chapter but also all the other that follow to the end of the booke That which I meane is this Whereas it may be by the ignorant thought that the things mentioned in these fiue Chapters following were done in order of time after those things which goe before I finde by conference of Scriptures that they were not neither can it be that they should But it appeareth that the acts set downe in them were done long before And because it may seeme strange which I say I neither will nor dare affirme it barely because any other man saith so but I will shew my reasons out of the Scripture I affirme therfore that the things that are said to haue been done in these Chapters following were done before the times of any of the Iudges or at the least at the end and after the death of Othniel mentioned in the first Chapter or in that vacation of those eighteene yeeres vnder Eglon while there was no Iudge in Israel And they may not inconueniently bee reckoned to the second Chapter and the eleuenth verse and those that follow it which doe mention the horrible wickednesse of the people of Israel after Ioshua was dead and the chiefe rulers who ouerliued him My reasons that these things were done before the times of the Iudges or thereabout are these The first is that it is said in the next Chapter that the Tribe of Dan being a populous tribe did inlarge their borders at that time which if it should be vnderstood to follow the storie of Samson in the former Chapter a reckoning being duly made must be full three hundred yeeres from the diuision of the land Against the which therefore as nothing like to be so that in the 19. of Ioshua is opposed where it is said as here it is that the border of the children of Dan was at that time lesse then sufficed therefore the children of Dan went vp and fought against Laish euen then and taking it smote it with the edge of the sword and enioyed it for their inheritance and dwelt in it So that if they of Dan then tooke it it followeth that the story in the next Chapter where they are said then to haue taken it is to bee referred to that time mentioned in Ioshua 19. which was three hundred yeeres before and not to the time following immediatly after Samson according to the order of the Chapter as it is set And this is my first reason why these fiue Chapters follow not the order of time as they be placed Another reason why these Chapters cannot bee vnderstood to bee set downe according to the order wherein they stand and the time in which they are thought to haue been done to wit immediately after Samson but are to bee referred to the former times that were three hundred yeeres before another reason for it I say is this that Ionathan the Leuite mentioned in these two Chapters is said to haue been the nephew of Manasseh the son of Moses and the sonne of Gershom nephew to Moses who were dead well nigh three hundred yeeres before the death of Samson and therefore vnlike or rather impossible that he should liue after Samson Thirdly whereas the acts of these fiue Chapters followed one another at the same time it is manifest that at the war of the Beniamites chapter 20. Phineas the sonne of Eliazar the sonne of Aaron ministred before the Lord at that time and asked counsell of him if they should go against Beniamin to warre And the same Phineas aboue three hundred yeeres before the death of Samson appeased the wrath of God by thrusting through Zimri and Cosby in their tent while the people of Israel were on the other side Iordan and were not as yet come into the land of Canaan Therefore the acts mentioned
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
when he had shewed them the way into the citie they smote the citie with the edge of the sword but they let the man and all house depart VERS 26. Then the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a citie and called the name of it Luz which is the name thereof vnto this day NOw after the mentioning of the Tribe of Iuda and Beniamin and what they did it is in order set downe what the other Tribes did to wit how they suffered and did not expell the Canaanites neither And yet the house of Ioseph is exempted which comprehends the Tribe of Ephraim and Manasse together First therefore it is declared what these two ioyntly together did to vers 27. in the words of the text here set downe and then what they did seuerally to verse 30. That which is said of them ioyntly together is to their commendation that they went against Bethel which fell to their lot and the Lord with them to incourage and strengthen them so that they feared and tried which way they might most easily take it Now the name of this citie had in times past been called Luz as we reade in Genesis but Iacob as he went to Padan Aram from the wrath of his brother Esau resting there and the Lord appearing to him and comforting him called the place Bethel that is the house of the mightie God But to goe forward they that were sent about that businesse namely the Tribe of Ioseph seeing a man to come out of the citie asked of him in which part of it they might set vpon it and on which side was their going out and comming into it for thereby it appeareth that they had shut it vp for feare of Israel and that they had left but some secret way for their necessarie vse to goe out and in thereby and they promising the man largely hee shewed the way to them and they entred and slue the inhabitants and tooke it and sent the man away wel rewarded or rather as it was indeed he banished himselfe from them into another countrey and was so wealthy that hee was able to build another city and called it by that name Luz This worke of the house of Ioseph which they went about namely to take this citie Bethel which was before in the deuision of the land of Canaan giuen to them as God had inioyned them doth liuely set before our eies as in a glasse the dutie of all Gods people that is to say readily to goe about and set vpon the worke that God hath appointed them and laid vpon them yea and this is to be done whatsoeuer lets and discouragements may stand vp in the way to hinder them For hath not he commanded them And is not he able to remooue those impediments rather then they shal hinder his worke in the hands of his seruants which they beleeuing are to go forward and commit the successe to him that hath promised to bring them through all difficulties which might hold them backe For otherwise if wee looke not to God by faith but what let is in the way and be hindred thereby we shall cast the commandement of God behind our backe and do as they who obserue the wind and therfore sowe not and looke too much to the clouds and therefore reape not and so for feare of inconueniences we shal let passe necessarie duties Againe when we thriue and haue good successe we blesse God and are merry but if we be crossed we curse disguise our selues with impatience Whereas it ought to be enough to vs that God hath brought it to passe either thus or otherwise And beside the authoritie hee hath ouer vs his bountifull rewarding of vs in his seruice ought to incourage vs to adresse our selues to all such worke and not onely so but further seeing he commandeth and would haue vs doe it as it may be most for our owne ease that is willingly readily chearefully for the Lord loueth that in all his seruice as he loueth a chearefull giuer And we know for our owne parts that men go awkly and vntowardly about that work which they take in hand vnwillingly And we are all to learne of our Sauiour who hath giuen vs example herein saying that his meate and drinke was to do his Fathers will Besides we are made redeemed set here to that very end to serue the Lord in holinesse and righteousnes without feare all the daies of our life and not to please our selues how hard soeuer the worke is that is to be done of vs. And that is our life ioy and comfort no other course of walking is life but death no other is sauory or soundly ioyfull And this should bee thus in all callings and conditions as with Magistrates Ministers Husbandmen Artificers Masters of families and others who doe I denie not many things required of them by God but not one worke as another neither that ioyfully which they doe and as if it were the worke that God hath set them about for then they should doe it readily but for their bellies and in other carnall respects For why they can indeed do them no otherwise because they do not first know themselues to bee the Lords redeemed ones that so they may easily obtaine other things at his hands But I would that euen they who are so did goe about that which they doe by Gods commandement chearefully and with delight for the Lords sake then should there many excrements be cut off from the infinite actions which are done in our liues and with so much sinne remooued many plagues and annoiances should bee auoided from mens liues also But alas the most professors are not acquainted with going to worke in Gods seruice after this manner neither find any sauour in this Christian course but respect onely their owne commoditie and that they may bee without feare of want and penury and the most doe worse that is spend their precious time in idlenesse play and vaine pleasures at least and as for seeking first Gods kingdome to be vnder his gouernment and to rest on him for other things by lawfull labour and meanes vsing it is one of the hardest things for them to fasten on though God hath yet promised that such onely shall bee blessed But of this somewhat hath been said before It is further added in this verse that while the house of Ioseph went vp against Bethel the Lord was with them which seeing it is here added I will say somewhat of it though I haue spoken thereof before by another occasion Now this house of Ioseph thus going about the worke that God had commanded them is said to haue God with them in their worke for so hee had promised Which teacheth that this assurance we haue from him that if we attempt ought by his commandement he hath set his seale to it that we shall haue successe and prosper in our worke So was it said
he will most surely keepe promise in both So although the godly are bound heere onely to some particular duties yet in the generall couenant they are vrged both to beleeue those things which God promiseth them and also to walke before God continually in their whole course wherein yet their failings are not reckoned against them which by frailty they offend in but if any will boldly tempt God being carelesse in looking to their couenant let such know that God will not bee mocked their sinne will finde them out And so vnderstand it of particular couenants such as this was that God made heere with this people If hee promise to blesse them in their marriage earthly affaires and businesse with such like if they bee faithfull therein as they couenant then if they faile and bee false-hearted God is free from his word and promise The next thing in the couenant is that God in forbidding them fellowship with those nations and commanding them to pull downe their altars on which they were wont to offer to their false gods did thereby cut off occasion from them of committing Idolatry teaching vs thereby that if we will auoide the occasions of euill we shall also be kept from the euils themselues yea grosse sinnes as idolatry drunkennesse adultery and the like though we be very prone to commit them And yet on the contrary if we will not shunne the occasions of them and the meanes that leade to them we shall vndoubtedly fall into them Take one for example the most common of the rest If we bee foolishly and vnbeseeming our profession snared with some woman as hauing been caught by her eye lids and taken with that which is precious in her we must to auoid the fowle and shamefull sin of adultery first with chast Iob to make a firme couenant not to looke vpon her secondly neither talke of her nor with her whereby wee might easily nourish wicked lust and desires And thirdly come we not in her company if it may be as godly Ioseph refused to doe or at least looke wee not after her neither let our thoughts linger nor carrie vs that way but by feruent prayer be chased away farre from her and then there is no feare of committing the sinne or of falling into any further danger for the word of the Lord hath spoken it So I might say many a man might haue eschewed murther if hee could haue withdrawne his heart from wrath and reuenge and so might many haue auoided oppression and miserlinesse if they could haue snibbed the first straying concupiscence and their vnlawfull desires after another mans commodity I propound these instances among the rest not hauing time to speake of all or many for that the diuell spiteth the seruants of God and seeketh more specially these waies to bring his malice to passe casting a blindnesse vpon them that they shall hardly see no not when they be in great danger till they be fallen into it by being taken with the baite that he laid for them Yea wofull experience hath made vs to see this to be too true and they who haue broken out of this snare know with what difficulty they haue escaped and as for the common sort who shew no great religion in their liues there are few of them but are brought to shame if opportunity serue some of these waies or be made to hang downe their heads by reason of guilty consciences and such mischiefe both the one and the other might haue auoided and namely vncleannesse one of the foulest if they could haue been perswaded to shunne the occasions thereof in keeping out of the company of such as by whom they become besotted and impotent and also if they could walke soberly in their particular callings by them as hauing nothing to doe with them So that we may see what good they get by their dalying vnseasonable companying and loose talking which they vse with women which yet is one of the chiefe delights that the ciuill sort of men doe take and yet they would thinke they should haue great wrong offered them if they should be warned of it But to come more particulerly to this couenant which the heads of Israel must keepe toward the Lord of casting downe their alters and of hauing no fellowship with the Canaanites they affoord a seuerall lesson By the first that I mentioned this may bee learned that Christian Magistrates are by their authority to pull downe all Idols and abolish superstition both of the infidels and heretickes and the occasions of Idolatry and to purge their dominions and iurisdictions from such drosse and abominations Hezekiah brake downe the brasen serpent being abused and called it Nehushton that is a peece of brasse And so much the rather seeing Gods worship is simple and vncompounded and hee that addeth thereto any superstitious ceremony tainteth the substance as much as lieth in him And all Christians ought to doe the same in their priuate houses and places subiect to them as their fields farmes Chappels c. And yet let them take heed that they attempt not to doe so out of their callings or in other mens houses or other places where they haue no authority to meddle vpon any deuotion or good intent as they cal it either to honor God or benefit others or though it were to winne the Idolaters themselues For that course is not onely not ordained of God to winne the Idolaters to sound religion but also forbidden and other meanes as the preaching of the word conference c. are appointed to root the same out of mens hearts and to turn them from such blind deuotion The other may bee tearmed zeale but vnaduised corrupt and sinfull neither of an wise Christian to be vsed And this bee noted by occasion of the one part of the peoples couenant namely that they must pull downe their alters The other to wit that they should haue no fellowship with them I haue spoken of before chap 1. vers last saue onely that I spake not particularly of making marriages with Idolaters which yet followeth by good and necessary consequent For if a priuate Christian fearing God may haue no familiar conuersing with such then much lesse in marriage making with them which is the nearest fellowship of all other And so I briefly conclude with the charge giuen by the Lord in Deuteronomie Yee shall make no marriages with them neither giue thy daughter to his sonne nor take his daughter to thy sonne Now the messenger of God hauing told the people of the couenant which they were bound to he shewes them their sinne that they had broke their couenant and conuicteth them of it saying ye haue not obeyed Which being so spoken to them they could not deny it And this Scripture teacheth that men ought to bee conuinced of their sinne by the word of God and to haue them so proued to be iust prouocations of God which yet they
wealth and commodities yet neuer bethinke themselues to be freed from the danger of Gods wrath which often wasteth them to nothing Know we therfore that if we decay in our goods by barrennesse of the ground or vnseasonablenesse of the weather by debt suretiship or by any other such like and especially by mispending them know we I say we haue a warning thereby sent vs of God for some ill parts of life as it is said in Deuteronomie If thou wilt not obey the voice of the Lord thy God then the fruit of thy land and all thy labour shall a people that thou knowest not eate and the heauen that is ouer thee shall be brasse and the earth vnder thee iron And againe A nation that is of a fierce countenance shall eate the fruit of thy cattell and he shall leaue thee neither wheate wine nor oyle neither shalt thou prosper in thy waies By all which and this which is in the text that they heere were spoiled of their goods as it should make vs carefull to preuent euen his iudgement among many other by vpright walking with God and harmelesse liuing among men how foolish and precise soeuer that course of life seeme to many so when wee haue gone out of the good way and fallen from that obedience which we haue couenanted to yeeld vnto God and sustaine such losse thereby aboue all things let vs seeke to finde out the cause thereof and that speedily as Ieremy requireth and beare our losse because we haue sinned and sinne no more lest a worse thing befall vs. And let vs not count it our hard fortune as foolish men tearme it for there is none when wee are so wasted in our goods neither please wee our selues in condemning and charging the second cause thereof whereby we are 〈…〉 of them for whatsoeuer be the instrument of our losse or vndoing sure it is that the Lord is the effecter and worker of it And therof 〈…〉 Deuteronomie of this and all other his fearfull iudgements after that 〈…〉 sent them when it shall be demanded wherefore hath the Lord done this how fierce is his great wrath they shall answere because they haue forsaken the couenant of the Lord God of their fathers therfore hath the Lords wrath waxed hot against this people to bring vpon it euery curse that is written in this booke And the same doctrine that I haue taught of the spoiling of mens goods that it is a fruit of the wrath of God for their sin this being excepted that the Lord may impouerish his people who feare him in fauour and mercy The same I may as fitly and truly say of the bringing or them into seruitude and bondage vnto vile and cruell persons but let the one bee vnderstood by the other seeing I speake of this in another place But I will further obserue another thing heere that seeing it is said that they were led into bondage after they were spoiled of their goods and so smarted by both we may note how God so dealeth with the disobedient out times euen as hee did heere with these that as their sins go not alone so neither doe their punishments So that God dealeth with such as offend him not one way but many as he did puinsh Achan both with shame and with paine so Pharaoh was visited with terrours and with bodily plagues also euen so now many are pursued with crosses in their goods reproch in their name and in their body with paine and diseases And this he doth that men may know they shall pay deare for their stolne pleasures how sweet soeuer they bee to them in their fond account and that so both together may hold them backe from prouoking him For as Esay saith one iudgement shall not serue the turne if men struggle and fight against it and stand out with God when hee smiteth gently his hand will bee stretcht out still and looke what the former hath not done the latter shall make good As wee reade in Ioel that fruit which one plague consumed not another did till an vtter riddance follow of all But men bite vpon the bridle and curse their lucke but look not into themselues so when God strippeth men of their goods and then casteth them into bondage as hee did deale with them heere or when hee doth the like to vs that one iudgement come in the necke of another to vs I thinke it may bee said truly without respect of damnation that wee haue paid deare for stolne pleasures and our bold taking of our liberties amisse And seeing I haue not spoken particularly of going into seruitude and our nation hath not knowne what it meaneth nor how sharpe a scourge it is yet seeing many fall into it by Turke and Spanyard who haue little feared it therefore I wish them to reade of it in Deuteronomie secondly to consider of it by the estate of the people of Israel in Egypt and lastly to lay it out and set a view of it before their eyes by the Popish and cruell tyrannizing ouer our soules heere in our owne land in the daies of Queene Mary when we could enioy no liberty of the word and Sacraments but our brethren who refused their Idoll-seruice and false worship were tortured and tormented by the bloody persecutors and what may men looke for then at the hands of strangers And this to be said of bondage Now further in that it is added in generall in the text that they could not stand before their enemies for being so weakened by them in goods number and strength what maruell Let this be obserued that God vseth his and our enemies against vs his children when we prouoke him by our sins as hee vsed Nabuchadnezzar against Ierusalem and Senacherib and others Not that God putteth new poison and malice into them who had nothing else in them before but that hee iustly suffereth and letteth them alone without any bridling or restraining them to vomit vp their venome and their cankered hatred and letteth them loose to Satan Whereby this among many other things may bee learned how vncertaine the comfort is that some take in this that the Papists they hope shall neuer preuaile against the Protestants nor Popery euer yoke them any more Yes if God be displeased with them he may plague them that way by raising them vp as enemies against them as easily as hee did heere the Canaanites against Israel and if they were without feare that way hee may and can meet with them after sundry other sorts little to their comfort as they may see daily if their sinnes be not remoued out of his sight so that as the Prophet speaketh it shall be with them as if though they escape the Lion a Beare should meet them or went into the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bite him By this which wee haue heard of the punishment of this people
it is that which the Lord did foresay would come to passe thereby And he forbad them such mariages principally for this cause seeing he foresaw and knew that by vnequall matching together his worship would bee greatly impaired if not turned into the contrary For godly and religious persons are often alienated by the parties contrarily minded vnto them from the true God as in Salomons example so wise a man is to bee seene who was exceedingly corrupted and builded places for strange Gods to worship them in being inticed thereto by strange women whom he loued And our age hath sustained most grieuous shipwracke of conscience and goodnesse in that many therein haue ioyned in marriage with Papists and other prophane hellish Atheists For when they haue by their familiarity together made marriages with them what remaineth but that they as these did heere doe turne to their religion also and serue in the manner that they doe But of this before chap. 2. vers 2. THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON VPON THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The second part of the Chapter VERS 7. So the children of Israel did wickedly in the fight of the Lord and forgat the Lord their God and serued Baalim and Asheroth 8. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Cushan rishathaim King of Aram-nabaraim and the children of Israel serued Cushan-rishathaim eight yeeres 9. And when the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord the Lord stirred vp a sauiour to the children of Israel and he saued them euen Othniel the sonne of Kenaz Calebs younger brother 10. And the spirit of the Lord came vpon him and hee iudged Israel and went out to warre and the Lord deliuered Cushan rishathaim King of Aram into his hand and his hand preuailed against Cushan-rishathaim 11. So the land had rest fortie yeeres and Othniel the sonne of Kenaz died NOw I hauing shewed how God tried his by people dwelling among the idolatrous nations what they would do and we hauing seene also what they did to wit that they made marriages with them and serued their gods both which haue bin set downe in the first part of this chapter I will now proceed to the second part and come to the three examples therein set downe by the holy Ghost and heerein I will speake chiefly of these things therein to wit of the sinne punishment repentance and deliuerance of the people and how they turned away againe from the Lord afterwards The first example is to the twelfth verse the second to the 31. verse the third to the end The first hath these foure things to bee considered one is the peoples reuolting from God in this verse another the punishment brought vpon them for it in the eighth verse the third the peoples crying to God vnder it vers 9 and the fourth the Lords sending helpe in the rest vnto the 12. verse with the fruit that followed Their sinne is set downe first generally that they did euill in the sight of the Lord and then more particularly that they forgot him and fell to Idolatry Heere I giue this watchword to the reader that seeing I shall in this booke often meet with things that I haue already spoken of at least that there are diuerse things mentioned oft and sundry times heerein therefore I will not goe ouer them againe as oft as I meete with them being the same specially in the same manner which were but a wearying of the reader with repeating one thing oft but I will note and chiefly follow such things as beside them are occasioned there All the things in this verse are such I will therefore doe as I haue said and referre the reader for the rest to that which hath been said of them before Their sinne set downe in generall that they durst offend God secretly and do that which was euill in his sight and that they forgot the Lord and remembred not his kindnesse and many benefits and their Idolatry and worshipping the gods of the nations which arose of the two former these things I say duly considered of vs do teach this worthie point to wit how men breake out into grosse and foule sinnes by the forgetting of Gods goodnesse toward them and the taking of boldnesse to sinne against him in doing that which is any way euill in his eyes And so by the contrary the direct way to liue godly and to bee free from reprochfull sinnes is to feare to do any thing amisse in the sight of the Lord in secret and to keepe in mind his benefits by daily recording them with feruent and hearty thankes For if the child be drawne to a naturall loue and ioying in the parents and so to bee afraid to displease them seeing they make much of it and giue it all good things what maruell is it if the Lords benefits which are renued vpon vs euery morning being duly recorded of vs should draw vs to delight in him and make our songs of him also that we being ready to doe his will and afraid to offend him in secret what maruell I say if we should abhore to dishonour him openly And if elder children endued with grace will be faithfull to their parents in their absence and so shunne boldnesse in offending them in presence who doubteth but that if we feare to offend our God in secret we shall shunne open and greater offences also So by the contrary this is cleere that if we grow to this point that we dare doe that which is euill in Gods eyes and to forget him and his vnspeakeable kindnesse though wee commit not by and by the grosest and most odius things yet it will not belong before wee breake out euen grosly wax bold also and worke that which is odious in the sight of men Whereas we ought euer to haue before vs Gods bounty and kindnesse in such wise that they may be barres in our waies to keepe vs euen from smal offences that so the groser sinnes may much more bee kept from vs. And so Dauid affirmeth that if he had not been bold to sinne against God in secret he had neuer broke out shamefully before men We know the diuell is called a serpent which word signifieth properly a creeper because his property is by little and little creepe and winde into vs to withdraw our hearts from vprightnesse and constancy therein also to cause that Gods benefits shall be more meanely accounted off of vs and then boldnesse in sinne will creepe vpon vs easily and after that wee shall not feare the attempting of great and grieuous sinnes also It is our wisedome therefore to consider Gods goodnesse to bee so great and the same so continued to vs daily as who shall but meanely obserue and weigh the same but he must needs confesse as much that we should be afraid and ashamed to offend and displease him through negligence much more by forgetting ourselues in both
of this people is their seeking to God and that in faith and repentance For when sorrow pinched them by reason of their grieuous bondage and they saw all helpe of man failed them they fled to God acknowledging that they had now proued by wofull experience that the worshipping of strange gods had done them little good my meaning is they had thereby and by their other sinnes brought those calamities vpon themselues And this their crying to God was not the action of one man or family but of the body of the people in generall and some among them no doubt did it soundly and vnfainedly therefore they repented though it bee not so expresly set downe as in some places and so we must vnderstand this that is said of them heere It is laid out by this word crying as the holy Ghost in the first of Samuel 7. doth set down the repentance of the people after the like manner namely by their lamenting after God and in other places the same is done either by some signe or by some fruit of it so heere by crying As if it should be said that by this they testified their sorrow for displeasing God their beleeuing of pardon purpose of amendment and their feruent prayer and confession of their sin as all these are required by the Lord in true repentance in Hosea 14. And this is the fruit of calamity in the elect or rather of Gods goodnesse towards them whereby he calleth them to himselfe by affliction This place though briefly yet pithily teacheth all Gods people what to doe when they haue prouoked God to afflict them for their sinnes and that is this they should after the thinking vpon both seriously cry vnto God and call vpon him assoone as they shall bee able and this is to draw neare to him as the people in Iames are directed to doe And this I teach by so good occasion heere offered because though men bee for the most part secure and carelesse yet if their sinnes bee once brought to mind and laid before them in any deepe and dreadfull manner they are in another extremity as in feare and terrour doubting that God will not heare them though they pray for this is their disposition in that time through tentation when they haue prouoked God to bee alienated and turned from him by dreadfull feare and vnbeliefe to whom they were wont while they walked vprightly to haue accesse by prayer before Adam after his sinne was afraid of Gods voice wherein yet before he reioyced and did hide himselfe in the thicket for feare of it So Dauid cryeth and complaineth when hee felt his sinne that his soule cleaued to the dust meaning that for very griefe hee was almost brought to the graue and againe that hee was in the depth of trouble as not seeing for the time how to get out of it This anguish he felt in his soule though he was deare in the eyes of the Lord. And the 51. Psalme testifieth how hee was wrapt in sorrow as if his bones had been broken thinking for the time that hee had lost all grace of the spirit And no lesse cleerely doth this appeare in Ionas after that the Lord had pursued him for his sinne when in the bellie of the fish he cried thus I said I am cast away out of thy sight the waters compassed mee about vnto the soule So I may say of Gods best seruants when they haue seene the horror of his wrath against them for some sinne that wounded them they haue been dismaied and almost past hope and brought to fainting for the time And by this wee may see that the secure and carelesse people who wee know are not behinde other in sinning are in a contrary extremity But to returne to the other if Gods seruants apprehend his wrath and then fal into the tentation of the diuell who can cunningly deceiue them in making it seeme greater then it is to be kindled against them they are cast downe as it were with a deadly blow and thus I say doe all in that case till God put away feare from them And seeing these two are contrary to wit to bee turned from God by feare and vnbeliefe and to returne and come home neare vnto him againe by faith and seeing they meet so neare together in one person so that one of them oft times immediately succeedeth the other therefore all possible speed and care is to bee vsed that when feare through the accusation of the conscience taketh place faith should be at hand to expell and ouercome it But againe to obiect further it is said God heareth not sinners and therefore hee will not they say heare them crying vnto them But to this I answere that when men repent he heareth them as wee see in Dauid Peter and other And such need not be discouraged from comming to him but take hope assuredly that hee will heare them Indeed they that dare not come and humble themselues to him after their offence and so stand firme in their hearts or other that doe call vpon him yet for all that doe it in shew rather then in faith and repentance they I say doe all one as if they did not cry to God at all They therefore who haue learned that God will certainely smite and punish if they sinne let them also learne what they must doe and how they must seeke to the Lord when hee punisheth as these men did heere taking heed of the extremities before mentioned If they desire to turne away Gods wrath from them then cry they to him also in seeing their sinne and laying it neare their hearts and if they relent and turne from it let them beleeue that his anger is also turned away from them they vnfainedly purposing amendment of life and looking duly to it afterwards but more happie are they who looke warily about them that they prouoke him not at all but dutifully and constantly hold on their Christian course And this of their crying to God the third point The fourth thing in this first example now followeth to wit of their deliuerance in this and the next two verses wherein consider these foure things first God raised them vp Othniel to be their deliuerer then secondly how he furnished him thereto and thirdly how hee gaue his aduersary into his hands and fourthly what followed thereof Othniel is described heere to be the same man of whom wee heard in the first chapter and who won the city Debir He is called a sauiour because he saued Israel out of the hands of their great aduersary Cushan that had held them long in bondage by which deliuerance they had good testimony that Gods displeasure was turned away from them The Lords thus speedy turning vnto them vpon their repentance is marueilous but yet agreeable to that which is spoken of him in the Scripture namely that hee is slow to wrath and very readie to forgiue And
blessing wee may enioy by faithfull discharging of our duties that as Barak here heard by Iael the good tidings concerning Sisera that she had slaine him euen so much good shall wee reape by the members of the Church to the gladding of our hearts It is one of the fruites of well doing which followeth it as the shadow doth the bodie as good report and successe in things and incouragement to goe forward Whereas if our waies be crooked and euill in the sight of the Lord wee may looke for no better in places where we come but to heare of that which will sting vs as the coales of Iuniper And from hence are many of the cries and complaints that we heare for mens ill doings are rung about their eares with reproch threatnings of them and such like as doe make them take little ioy in their liues So on the contrarie many shall bee the comforts of them that doe well And as Iael here did not a little glad the heart of Barak by telling him of the death of Sisera the chiefe enemie of Gods people while hee pursued after him so it is the part and dutie of all Gods people to bring ioy and gladnesse to their brethren as they are able and to keepe sorrow and griefe from them by all meanes as occasion shall be offered And this should be one speciall fruite of the communion and fellowship of Gods seruants here on earth But in as much as for all Barak pursuing of Sisera yet he slew him not himselfe but Iael Here Barak saw the word of God liuely verified which Debora had spoken of vnto him before in the 9. verse to wit that the honour of that victorie should not go to him but to a woman as we see it did to Iael And euen so if we marke we shall as cleerely see the same when we haue offended against the Lord that one or other chastisement shall meete with vs and seaze vpon vs and if it be not with vs after we haue sinned as if an arrow should pearce thorow our liuer for the sorrow wee conceiue for it be wee well assured it is behinde and to come and in the meane while or one time or other wee shall carrie some marke of our disobedience as Barak did here for that was the word of the Lord that it should be so as Debora said I will goe with thee but the honour of the victorie shall not be thine as hath been noted before with the vse thereof Lastly we may see by this subduing of Sisera and destroying his mightiē armie how easily the Lord can breake the forces of his enemies and pull downe and turne away their wrath and rage from his people as a man would turne the riuers of waters which way he listeth or cut off their persons from the earth and if it were not so what good man could liue by them And what a comfort that may be to Gods people in that the Lord cuts off their enemies in due season is not hard to conceiue when we consider what a scourge and plague one man oft times is to another being inraged and incensed euen a wolfe nay a diuell But waight a little and behold in time the arrow of Gods deliuerance to his and shame and confusion vpon his impenitent and implacable enemies except as is rather to bee desired he change their hearts But of this more largely before vers 15. Thus much for this chapter I will end this Sermon with the beginning of the next THE FIFTH CHAPTER ON THE Booke of IVDGES Vers 1. Then sang Debora and Barak the sonne of Abinoam the same day saying Vers 2. Praise ye the Lord for the reuenging of Israel and for the people that offered themselues willingly Vers 3. Heare ye Kings hearken ye Princes I euen I will sing vnto the Lord I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel THe summe of this Chapter is a praising of God by Debora and Barak after the victorie The parts of it are three the first is one point of their song consisting in offering praises to God to vers 14. The second laieth out the goodnesse of God to Israel sundrie waies in this battell and namely three first she bringeth in them that did helpe in it to vers 19. by occasion whereof mention is made of such as did not helpe Secondly she sheweth how vnprosperously it fell out against the Canaanites in the battell to vers 23. Thirdly the hinderers of the victorie from Israel are cursed and Iael that did helpe to get it them is pronounced blessed to vers 28. The third part of the chapter sheweth how in their song they mocked the boasting of Siseras friends to vers 31. and so as an addition thereto they shut vp the song with a prayer in the 31. verse The first part of the Chapter NOw to leaue the two last parts to bee considered of in their due place I come to the first and that is their song which containeth three things The first that is in their song is this that they exhort the Israelites to praise God with them for those that offered themselues willingly to the battell in the two first verses and the Kings and gouernours that were strangers to heare what they said and that is in the third verse In the second part and next verses following they set downe the Lords mercies long before powred out on their fathers and now lately to them in the deliuerance of his people to the eighth verse and exhort them to praise God who inioyed the commodities that came by the victory to the twelfth verse The third thing is that Debora stirreth vp her selfe againe to sing praise to God and Barak to the triumph vers 12. 13. Now to begin with the first and second verses wherein they exhort Israel to praise God with them before they begin the song for they enioyed the benefit of deliuerance as well as they that got the victorie It teacheth that all such as receiue Gods benefits doe owe this dutie of praise to him and that the heart and the tongue if it may be ought to goe together in that action The Lord looketh for it and the Church hath alwaies practised it though not in a like manner As Moses and Miriam did full solemnely at the drowning of Pharaoh and his charets so the women for the many victories that God granted to Israel came foorth singing in this manner Saul hath killed his thousand and Dauid his tenne thousand Likewise Ezechias after his recouerie with Anna the mother of Samuel and many other And it was the vse and practise of Gods seruants to penne their songs and often to repeate them to quicken the memoriall of Gods benefits and his kindnes in their owne and the hearts of other and to knit themselues more neerely to him by this part of his seruice performed in Christ Iesus according to his will Agreeable to this is the exhortation
that it is not enough for wicked persons to beware of their enemies and to fence themselues from the common troubles of the world but first of all and chiefly they should preserue themselues from the wrath of God which while like fooles they doe not they preuenting and auoiding the same they seldome escape nor be free from the other Therefore the Lord in the prophecie of Habakkuk laugheth to scorne such made defences of men And in Obedia the Lord saith to such Thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocks whose habitatiō is high that saist in thine heart who shall bring me downe to the ground though thou exalt thy selfe as the Eagle and make thy nest among the starres yet euen thence will I bring thee downe saith the Lord. They doe not see that God hath a thousand waies to fight against them and that he who plucked off Pharaos charet wheeles and broke the horses hoofes of Sisera who drew vp the great Lord Haman to the gallowes that tooke heart from the Ammonites and Moabites that in stead of fighting against Iudah they fell vpon and slew one another and weakened Zenacherib so that he slew by an Angell in one night an hundred foure score and fiue thousand of his armie they doe not see I say that he who did thus shew his might against these mightie ones and many waies beside hath done the like can also frustrate their attempts and hope in these daies also The spirit of slumber is cast vpon them and blindnesse hath taken hold of them that they cannot see and beleeue that the like iudgements shall not meete with them till they haue felt and smarted by them Therefore let men make peace with God first and turne from their sins that he may also turne from his fierce wrath or else when they make their reckoning of peace and prosperitie length of daies and deliuerance from their enemies and other troubles the contrary euils fall vpon them and if not presently yet they are at hand and alwaies iustly to be feared before they come Oh what proofe haue wee seene of that which I say as former ages haue done also How many might haue done well and prospered if they had been more carefull to be reconciled to God then to leane to their owne deceitfull dreames by a vaine hoping that life should still haue been granted them the which while it lasted they were as they thought in paradise but for all their welfare were soone cut off from all And the reason is that men goe to worke without God they neither seeke his fauour nor direction from him either in their actions or afflictions and therefore their enterprises are either crossed or else cursed in the vse and enioying of them and as for their troubles they are to seeke either how to abide them or to get out of them in a good manner Thus a wicked man is vnhappie both waies whether hee prosper or no for either hee feares a change or else his feare commeth vpon him as an armed man Therefore when I consider this I thinke the beleeuing Christian twice happie euen when he is iudged miserable by men of the world because hee hath chose the good part with Mary and hath sought to haue God on his side who doth not only keepe fearefull iudgements from his being a sure defence in time of need but maketh that portion which they enioy a sweete and sauourie blessing vnto them and yet they haue farre greater riches then those Thus much of their punishment in the second part of the Chapter The third part of the Chapter THe third followeth in this sixth verse namely that the people repented and turned to God which as was said before is testified and declared by a signe thereof which is crying And here not to insist vpon the same things which in other places I haue done that which I will note from hence is this that seeing they now sought to him at last who should haue been their first refuge we may note another point of vnthriftinesse and foolish dealing in the men of this world That when they will needes goe trie masteries in their necessitie and calamities by trusting to broken holds and vaine helpes of their owne deuising and smart for it as I haue said then at last with shame they must be faine to sue and repaire to God And what if he will not receiue then as it falleth out sometimes to bee so as in the Prouerbs Because you would not heare when I called ye shall crie and not be heard Whither goe they then But if he doe what a farre fetched iourney haue they taken before yea full of vexation and wearisome besides that they haue lost all their former labour I conclude therefore with this aduice and warning to such as haue eares to heare Seeke the Lord while he may be found and driue not off from day to day lest he come suddenly and there be none to turne away his heauy wrath from you and in the meane while happie are they who doe so For they in so doing shall not doe as this people did here flie to rocks hide themselues in caues of the earth and build towers to be safe from their enemies as these did here from the Midianites which yet did not safely keepe and defend them but they flie to the safe rocke and tower of defence as the wise man calleth it I meane to the name of the Lord euen the Lord of hostes who is a most strong place of refuge the righteous flie thither and are saued THE THIRTIE SEVEN SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 7. And when the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord because of the Midianites Vers 8. The Lord sent vnto the children of Israel a Prophet who said vnto them Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I haue brought you vp from Egypt and haue brought you out of the house of bondage Vers 9. And I haue deliuered you out of the hands of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all that oppressed you and haue cast them out before you and giuen you their land Vers 10. And I said vnto you I am the Lord your God feare not the Gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell but you haue not obeyed my voyce NOw whether they cried to the Lord first through anguish of heart which was caused in them by the force of their calamities but was neither pleasing to God neither could obtaine any thing of him vnlesse it had come from faith which is very probable or whether before their crying the Lord sent the man of God here mentioned vnto them it cannot certainly be said but sure it is God of his great mercie to them sent a Prophet to preach to them and to bring them to true repentance speaking to them much like the messenger that was sent to their fathers before at Bochim For he repeates Gods
and the manner brutish They want and would haue to defray the hard world or to bestow vpon their lusts and to maintaine themselues in pride of life but neither worke they because they thinke it is a sin to be idle nor because they looke for any other fruite of their labour saue the bringing in of the peny They see not whose commandement it is that they should labour Genes 3. therefore they goe through it with vexation discontentment distrust endlesse carking and tying God to their girdle to giue what successe they desire which if they get they take it for granted that he loueth them if not they storme To the impure all things are impure and so are their callings they doe the workes of them commonly not to shunne noysome lusts temptation and the fruites of sloth nor to serue Gods prouidence neither to sharpen and fit themselues thereby to religious exercises and to good duties nor to auoide offensiue burthening of others nor to doe good and relieue them that want c. and so to obey God in all nay to speake the truth when they are in their shops at markets in their fields they are far from setting God before their eyes much lesse doe they beleeue that God is with them there to blesse them in their worke as well as when they are occupied in duties meerely religious Sinister ends and causes doe compell the most to yeeld some obedience to Gods commandement but doubtlesse if all were now men of worth and might liue of themselues we should haue few workers As we see by their words saying Oh such a man is happie Why because he need not worke nor toyle as we doe but liue easily and enioy the world at will And by this they bewray that they could bee content to doe so too if necessitie vrged them not to doe otherwise Therefore their labour is as displeasing to God as their idlenesse in a manner as they vse it A wofull thing ans not without the curse of God vpon such as will not learne a better direction that whereas some goe about their worke in faith beleeuing that because they are Gods beloued therefore God will giue them rest blessing and successe others rise earely sit vp late drudge and droile eate the bread of care and drinke the water of affliction yet either they thriue not or at least they are as much to seeke of soule-prouision I meane grace and hope of saluation at the end of their wearisome life as at the beginning whereas it shoud haue been their first work after they came to yeeres of discretion Which should teach vs wisedome and not to giue God a short and formal pittance of seruice when we be at Church on the Sabbath but seeing that great worke is to seeke with the most therefore to giue all their diligence thereto that is to make their saluation sure that all the sixe daies we may wholly giue vp our selues to other affaires without so much as minding God or godlinesse For the Lord will haue vs serue him religiously as well in actions ciuill not religious of their owne nature as holy and this is the scope of his third Commandement which tieth the seruice of God to euery part of our liues in our common course of liuing as well as the second doth to religious duties and therefore must be extended to our particuler callings as being the greatest part of our time and wherein our liues are most taken vp But I will proceede in the next Sermon and here an end Now to proceed where I left THE THIRTIE EIGHT SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES WHile Gedeon was thus hard at worke and labouring the Angell came and spake comfortably vnto him as if he had bin praying or in the like exercise and not to terrifie him To teach vs that our businesse and works of our callings are no lets to vs frō hauing cōmunion and fellowship with God neither doe hinder his presence and comfortable being with vs. And the same may be said of our callings themselues ordained by him bee they meane and base or waightie Therefore the Lord was with Iacob in his iourney and in the way when hee was going from his brother Esaus wrath and rage And so hee made the Gospell effectuall in Lydia by Pauls preaching she being then a seller of purple and rich and not yet truly conuerted to God And the Lord blessed the two tribes in their calling and habitation saying Reioyce Zebulon in thy goings out that is in thy prosperous voiages on the seas and thou Ishachar in thy dwelling in tents meaning in thy quiet keeping at home about thy traffique and businesse And by this which I haue said let vs marke that if it be not long of our selues our lawfull callings and businesse are no hindrances of vs from the seruing of God holily and religiously as some thinke they be but that from them we may goe to prayer or the like exercise in good manner euen as wee may from these to them Although I may truly say this that for not well learning it few can ioyne these wisely and rightly together because their affections and delights are set too egerly towards that which sauers of the earth and of gaine which is the cause that measure is not commonly kept therin Dauid saying that he had rather be a doore-keeper in the house of the Lord then to dwell in the tents of the vngodly which he would not haue said if mens attendance vpon the basest worke in their lawful callings had been an hindrance to them from Gods seruice may by his words stay and comfort many weake Christians who thinke that they are much letted from the duties of godlinesse euen by the very vsing of their callings because they be not spirituall as prayer and the like exercises are But to end this let the vse of that which hath been said be thus much vnto vs that wee euer labour to be so innocent well gouerned in al our earthly businesse and workes of our calling that we may not driue the Lord from vs but haue him alwaies with vs by the spirit of truth direction and comfort as we haue heard he hath been with other and was here with Gedeon in their earthly affaires for that is the vsing of them aright and in their kinde The next thing in this verse is this that though the Lord sent his Angell to Gedeon for his owne reliefe and comfort and also the peoples yet wee see this was not done till they were brought neere to extremitie all helpe of man was past and they had no other refuge vnder God but to prouide for themselues by flying from their dwellings to saue their liues As for example Gedeon whose father was in some authoritie and therefore none of the poorest yet was at this point euen thrashing a little corne by the aide and nourishment wherof he and his might flie from the
light as our Sauiour directeth saying Are there not twelue houres in the day So in all duties of Christianity in giuing to the poore doe it in his need in seeking the Lord goe about it while he may be found so in auoiding and forsaking sinne resist it in the beginning and helping to punish wickednesse and preuenting Gods wrath doe all accordingly in fit and due season There was a time when the rich man might haue succoured Lazarus and that was while hee lay at his gates but when Lazarus was dead the time was gone So there was a time wherein the fiue foolish Virgins might haue prouided oyle for their lampes that was before the bridegroome came but when he was come and the doore was shun the time was past So there is a time in which men may repent that they may be saued that is while God sendeth his messengers to call them but when they let the season passe in the daies of their youth after when the time of age sicknesse and death commeth a thousand to one if the time be not gone and that it be not then too late For beside that there are many things in the way to hinder this is none of the least that late repentance is dangerous Oh what hath been lost by passing by the fit time and season the lamenting it deepely by our Sauiour in the people of Ierusalem doth shew when hee said O if thou had est euen knowne at least in this thy day those things which belong to thy peace but now are they hid from thine eyes Therefore Saint Paul told the Corinthians This is the acceptable time that is while they might heare him this is the day of saluation Sutable here unto is that of the Apostle Ephes 5. Redeeme the season by which exhortation he teacheth that although no time should bee spent vnprofitably yet seasons which are times hauing some speciall fitnesse in them aboue others to doe or receiue good in must more carefully be obserued yea redeemed that is dedicated to holy vse by forgoing somthing pleasing to the flesh to purchase them For not onely workes vnlawfull and needlesse but euen lawfull and in their time necessary must giue place to fit seasons because then God offereth occasion of some spirituall gaine which at other times cannot bee obtained As the Sabbath is a season for instruction and edification one day of seuen the other sixe haue not but by occasion the opportunity which that hath So when God sendeth publike or priuate iudgements vpon the land or any persons that is a season of fasting humiliation renuing our couenant and contrariwise speciall blessings and deliuerances are opportunities of thanksgiuing and reioycing In which and all others S. Iames teacheth vs what to do Is any man afflicted let him pray so is any merrie let him sing for these are occasions worth the taking and not alway occurrent therefore as God disposeth of vs so let vs apply our selues and improue the season to the best vse and suffer not our selues to vanish away and abuse it through our follie and vnseasonablenesse which sione is more common euen among the better sort then they suspect to suffer themselues to passe ouer the best occasions vnfruitfully Whereas alas how shall they spend their whole time well who spend their best seasons badly As wee know in the morning both body and mind is in best time for meditation or any fruitfull exercise if that perish without fruit how can the whole day after for the most part be otherwise then barrenly and wearisomely passed Men worke vpon their trades ordinarily we see but if their trades bee vp that is the wares which they make doe take a great price and are quicker of sale then at other times how will they bestirre themselues and set euery one on worke whom they can come by rising early going late to bed and in a word how vnwearied are they It is their season they say What businesse will not the housholder lay aside on the market day why that he may vse that season to furnish himselfe for the whole weeke with prouision what thinke we will the Merchant game play drinke sleepe or trifle out the season of his merchandise when hee is come to the place of trafficke beyond sea No all must yeeld to the season hee neglects his pleasure to redeeme that And if we faile in well vsing the seasons which offer themselues what likelihood is there we will shew our selues wise in procuring seasons to our selues As the truth is an easie thing it were to doe if wee were not vnsauory and vnwilling to heare of any thing more then ordinary But somewhat to this effect i noted before in Gedeons destroying Idolatry Also this carrying of pitchers in their hands as Gedeon willed them to do a few vnarmed men euen three hundred against some hundred thousand well prepared souldiers what an vnlikely matter was it that they should effect any thing thereby But wee see what a wonderfull victory it brought The like may bee said of Ioshuas compassing the walles of Iericho seuen daies with blowing trumpets of Rams hornes and yet seeing the Lord promised and he beleeued it the walles of the city at the appointed time fell downe By both wee learne that though the meanes bee neuer so weake to effect any good at all yet if God direct vs to them and promise to worke bv them it behoueth vs to looke vp to him as Gedeon heere did and wee shall see the power of God in vsing them though they bee weake for though they serue not for one vse which carnall reason doth onely looke to yet they shall serue for another which God euer intendeth by them Euen as heere wee see that although these meanes heere vsed by Gedeon and his souldiers serued not to beate downe and destroy their enemies yet we see that they serued to terrifie affright and scatter them and to set one of them against another And yet our carnall reason if wee trust not to weapons in warre scoffes at our fasting and prayer by which Iehosaphat got great victory and Hester the Queene preuailed against that wicked Haman in a most great difficulty So preaching is foolish to reason and humane wisdome for bringing men to Christ But reade 1. Cor. 1. what the Apostle there saith to wit That we must become fooles that we may bewise while yet the wit of man deuiseth another way and most fit to deceiue himselfe as for example if he be predestinate to saluation he saith he shall be saued though he neuer heare sermon And euen so men speake of watching ouer their liues praying and the worshipping of God in their familie and the like that they are more then need to be vsed So they perswade themselues that policie toile and labour are all in all to bring Gods blessing vpon them in all that they set their hands vnto
companions are least pitied of men when the Lord entrappeth them in their owne snare Sooner would a man let loose a Lion if he durst out of the pit or the danger wherein it is then the Foxe because besides the hurtfulnesse it hath so many shifts to conueigh it selfe from danger and is so hardly catcht Who pitieth these men of Succoth and Penuel because they in seeking by subteltie to preserue their liues iustly were beaten with their owne rodde and lost them Whereas he who falles into danger either in a good quarrell or in his simplicitie is either saued by God or pitied in his ruine by men And is not this a double miserie when men are in distresse to heare others say of them they are well serued Heathens haue obserued this cowardly subteltie for who is more subtill then hee that is most fearefull to be euer vnprosperous and seldome euen in forren dissentions of Kings and States haue they sped well who haue held off and plaid the spectators of other mens successe For whosoeuer hath got the vpper hand they haue smarted if they whom they denied to succour they are made the prey of them whom they forsooke if the other yet they smart also in that they did onely forbeare for their sakes and not actually helpe So vnnaturall is it counted in a common calamitie to betray one enemie to another or not to helpe when we are able Which I speake not to excite men to parts taking alway in other mens iarres but to shew how iustly these were handled for their craftinesse in denying helpe not to strangers but their owne captaine And euen so how odious doth God make Newters and Temporisers in religion they are hated of Papist and Protestant and are as cursed as he that is hanged betwixt heauen and earth Touching the vse of this and how to abhorre this sinne reade before in the 2. doct of the 6. verse And these with like punishments for the like iniquities doe not light vpon other that are plaine vpright mercifull and in a word religiously circumspect in their carriage and who make conscience of their waies I doe not deny but that the best doe oft meete with sharpe persecutions but they are for good causes or else their troubles be but fatherly trials and corrections for their good so S. Peter saith If ye suffer for righteousnesse sake blessed are yee And againe If the will of God be that ye suffer it is better that ye suffer for wel-doing then for euill So that we see such haue to beare off the sharpenes and painefulnesse of their sufferings by their reioycing in the Lord and by the blessed estate that they are in whereas the other haue their punishments as forerunners of greater euen here before hand as the Apostle saith Indeed full often I confesse they shelter themselues to men-ward by their greatnesse and shift well inough when meane persons go to wracke According to the prouerbe Great men dote and poore men smart But when God who is higher then they as Salomon saith calleth thē to account as being their only competent Iudge when they haue broken through other iudgements by fauor feare or bribes as great flies breake through cop-webbes then they meete with their match As alas who seeth not what waies there are to bring this about As displeasure of prince factions and partakings treacheries challenges and highnesse of spirits As our owne English Chronicles for these 2. or 300 yeeres plentifully witnesse Now if the Lord spare not great ones let all fawning flatterers who seeke to such and willingly offer themselues as instruments of oppression cruelty and wrong because they looke to be safe vnder their wings from punishment as Ziba and such like let such feare I say for their patrons shall not shelter themselues howsoeuer they no doubt thinke otherwise And this be said of this point for the fuller handling of that which I noted vpon the 9. verse to the same purpose And here we may more particularly marke by the executing of punishment vpon these chiefe men of the citie rather then vpon the common citizens that as the greatest in place and authoritie haue many priuiledges aboue the meaner persons both in credit wealth estimation and commanding others so the Lord brings them foorth to the terrour of inferiours and they lie open to greater danger hurt and losse thereby then others doe and in time it breaketh out and appeareth if they doe ill behaue themselues in their places This is a great cause why men who are aboue other should carrie themselues humbly and not proudly as too many of them doe and also looke well to themselues in euery part of their dutie for a time will come when they shall pay for all and when their estate shall be such as the meanest vnder them would be full loth to be in their roome And to such I say as Dauid in Psalm 2. Be wise now therefore serue the Lord in feare and kisse the sonne yee mightie ones lest he crush you in peeces Happie then are all they that trust in him if his wrath be kindled Also the inferiors should here learne not to murmure against them because they are so farre aboue them for they sometime goe vnder more sore and heauy punishments then they themselues doe yea and though they behaue themselues commendably in their places yet God oft correcteth them more then some others lest they should kick vp their heele against him by meanes of their wealth and greatnesse as it is too common a thing for such to do So that as God hath his number among all estates both high and low so he nurtureth them all by afflictions according to his heauenly wisdome that they may safely in their appointed time be gathered to their fathers But here being a fit place to make an end I will stay for this time THE FIFTY THREE SERMON ON THE EIGHTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 18. Then said he to Zeba and Zalmunna What manner of men were they whom ye slew as Tabor And they answered As thou art so were they euery one was like the children of a King 19. And he said They were my brethren euen my mothers children As the Lord liueth if ye had saued their liues I would not slay you 20. Then he said to Iether his first borne sonne Vp and slay them but the boy drew not his sword for he feared because he was yet but young 21. Then Zeba and Zalmunna said Rise thou and fall vpon vs for as the man is so is his strength And Gedeon arose and slew Zeba and Zalmunna and tooke away the ornaments that were on their Camels necks NOw after all this was done it followeth according to the diuision of the Chapter in the beginning of it how Gedeon executed punishment vpon the two Kings of Midian whom after hee had shewed them to the Princes of Succoth and Penuel hee purposed to punish And first seeing
vs and predominant in vs this we should mind and aime at in all our actions to purchase this glory to him to whom we are so infinitely beholding for all that we inioy The Angell that appeared to Manoah though he refused to eate yet willed him to conuert the gift into an holy present or sacrifice to God Assuerus to declare his loue to Hester promised to giue her what she requested euen to the halfe of the kingdome but she was content to resigne her hope and aduantage that way and turned the fauour she found with the King to the aduancing of Gods worship in and by the deliuerance of the Iewes from the mischiefe of Haman Good Nehemia Butler to another King finding him enclinable and fauourable to himselfe and pitying him in his heauinesse presently offereth to him the cause of the Church of God to consider of and desires that he may by his meanes be comforted in the reliefe of his countrimen the people of God So Daniel hauing sundry rewards offered him for his good seruice by Nebuchadnezzar and Darius is content to to part with them all so that the King wil acknowledge the Lord Iehoua the author of those gifts which he so admired And reason there is hereof for if Paul and Moses engaged their saluation for the procuring of honour to God in the saluation of the Church how much more are wee bound to seeke it by the forgoing of such a fauour as we may well be without and need not accept of Besides this wisdome should be in all Christians to vse euery opportunity they may to the poore Church of God especially seeing such occasions befall not often nor to all sorts of men in this kind And further they had need of good discretion who should perswade men to conuert that ciuill kindnesse which they offer them as friends to a religious vse as Christians sithence they may thinke it either vnseasonable or meerely lost which they are drawne to bestow vpon such matters except themselues be first perswaded to the loue of religion and delight in the Saints of God as Psalm 16. Therefore to knit the next verse and the summe thereof with this which belongeth to the same end let both sorts learne their dutie They who benefit others without hope of requitall let them not doe it to make others obliged and bound to them as seruants and vnderlings but vse all the interest credit and loue they haue in and with them if they haue opportunitie to perswade them to loue and good workes and to draw them to God if they bee strangers as the truth is at the first ignorant folke are more drawne by such inducements then otherwise or if they be alreadie Christians let them labour to draw them neerer as I haue said saying thus euery man to the other If I may preuaile with you any thing or ye would gratifie me preferre God and his fauour yourselues and exhort other to do so and commend godlines also to them and the poore members of Christ to make much of them and to be their delight who excell in vertue before all earthly commodities as for your gratuitie let the needie and distressed be partakers of it and let them take my part who shall blesse God for your pitie and bountie to them and they shall yeeld you a tenne fold better requitall then I being but one can doe And this bee said of them who pleasure other without looking for any requitall againe The other who receiue benefit and acknowledge that they haue been pleasured by them and that they owe a duty againe if their offer be not accepted by the partie let them not then foolishly draw backe their hand altogether from euery good vse saying Seeing hee will not receiue this of me I am discharged and free from vnthankfulnes as for others I regard them not For this sauours of a sinister meaning not of a chearefull and heartie thanksgiuer such an one as that good Naaman was 2. King 5. and these here mentioned who readily answere to Gedeon asking of them their earings to a good end as hee intended it wee are willing to giue that to thee which thou askest to a good end and purpose for it is like he told them that he asked them not to his owne behoofe Gedeon did well to set vp a remembrance of Gods kindnesse as Iacob left a memoriall of Gods appearing to him when hee went into Mesopotamia changing the name of the place and calling it the house of God for there the Lord had promised him safe deliuerance from the wrath of his brother Esau and to be with him whither he went and to bring him safely backe againe euen the like mind did Gedeon shew here desiring to keepe a remembrance of Gods deliuerance there But in making the Ephod which was the signe thereof Gedeon was very vnaduised and dealt without due and good consideration For in so weightie a case as that and of so dangerous consequence it had been meete that hee had first consulted with the Lord about it and so according to the resolution hee should haue receiued from him to haue done to wit to haue abstained from such a worke as vndoubtedly he must and would haue done if God had bin consulted with and might haue ouer-ruled And this is the fruite of rashnes and carelesnes whereas a small matter might haue preuented all It was I say no better in Gedeon then inconsiderate though his meaning were good For God ordained not the Ephod to such an end but onely for the Priests to weare in the Tabernacle when they offered sacrifice and permitted it not to men to follow him therein neither to make one for ciuil vses It is charitably to be thought that Gedeon committed not Idolatrie himselfe who had throwne downe the Altar of Baal before with detestation and cut downe his groue but howsoeuer it was as it is not certaine to vs yet seeing hee did otherwise in setting vp the Ephod then God had commanded hee fell into a kinde of Idolatrie or was at least a great occasion thereof and so the Lord being offended punished his issue and posteritie rewarding them both with the vnthankfulnes of the people and also with the crueltie of Abimelech So that though Gedeons meaning was otherwise yet this displeased the Lord which he did for that he consulted not with him in that strange work which he tooke in hand Therefore we see that it is not enough to haue a good intent as they call it in that which we do to serue God in but knowledge must goe before out of the word to warrant and vphold vs in our attempts and doings For whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne and wee are happie when we do good things but so that we first know them to be such indeed and not otherwise for Israel had a zeale but not according to knowledge Dauid would haue builded God an house then
the places of high office and honour whereunto their excellent gifts haue lawfully aduanced them not degenerating by pride crueltie and couetousnesse the common companions of men bred meanely when they are got aloft I say when such are not regarded it is a great contempt not of them onely but of God in them for hee that despiseth the poore despiseth his Maker and much more hee that reprocheth them in authoritie to call them vpstarts or to defame them by their base blood that so their more eminent vertues may be blemished A common disease among the factious and flattering followers of great and vicious persons to staine the honour of such as are more truly noble then they in vertue and wisdome by this that they are but men of yesterday and cannot shew the Armes which their patrons can But whether is it better as hee in the history answered to raise vp a new or to bury the old Gentrie and Nobilitie Of this the lesse because I haue said somewhat in the two points before not impertinent hereto Now as we haue heard that God chose out of Ishaker a poore Tribe Tola to Iudge Israel so also we see here that he chooseth the Noble to bee Gouernours as he did this Iair here who for his wealth was able to giue a City to euery of his thirtie sonnes To teach vs that Nobilitie is no let to the gouerning of the common-wealth but the honourable and mightie hauing examples of their ancestors to prouoke them to vertue and many other helpes and complements to the well discharging thereof they may be seene in many respects to be the fittest this being added if they bee not lifted vp with insolency and high conceit of themselues which they haue no cause to do if they consider that they came of nothing and are but wormes meat and also if they would weigh their mutable state and how full of lamentables changes their liues be And to say the truth it is an vtter shame for vs that when God hath done much for vs we should be found vnfaithfull Neither is high place any greater impediment to priuate godlinesse then publike gouernment Although if euery man might tell his owne tale there is none so poore nor any so rich but will alleage somewhat why they should not be tied to dutie precise but liue as they thinke good and bee released from this burden as they count it whereby what doe they but lay stumbling blocks in their owne way Therefore wee may boldly giue it foorth as a rule in Christian practise it is a miserable and vnlawfull estate of life which cannot stand with the daily and carefull practise of Christianity Somewhat I deny not must be yeelded to the occasions and vnseparable businesse which attend vpon greatnesse but yet so farre foorth onely as men defalke and detract nothing from the substance of that high and great due which the greatest owe to a greater then themselues But yet if men dare goe thus farre they shall find that God wil not giue his honour to another but rather his iealousie wil breake out against them like fire that maintaine their honour by treading his vnderfoot Psalme 2. This be said of those things which were seuerall in these two Kings and which they did in their life now of that which was common to them both I meane their death For so it is said of both that they died and that was when their dutie each for his time was discharged in procuring and maintaining Gods true worship and outward peace to their countrie a long season thē they gaue place and were gathered to their fathers their bodies were laid in the earth in hope of the resurrection To teach vs that all of vs are here to doe our duties in our callings to serue God therein who hath giuen and committed to our trust talents with a charge to occupie them till he come and allowes none of vs to bury them in the earth but straightly forbids it to wit to bee idle and to suffer our gifts to rust in vs and to this end we inioy euery man his proper gifts The Lord hath set vs our habitations and stinted our time of dwelling in them with commandement that we should not be idle nor vnprofitable in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus nor in our particular calling but to attend thereunto for profitable vses to our selues and others and hath for that purpose appointed that we should haue comfortable fruite thereof in all necessarie things of this life to incourage vs to our duties that so we might be none of the refuse and idle hang-byes in the world and in both our generall and particular calling to serue God for conscience sake and with comfort To this end I say God hath set vs here alwaies to haue our eye vpon our departure and with good father Barzillai to prouide for our graue And when wee haue thus discharged our selues and the Lord shall giue vs warning by sicknesse paine disease of our end to bee at hand or call vs home with small warning wee should be readie for his comming to yeeld our soules into his hands and our bodies to the graue for a season in hope of receiuing them againe which shall be no hard matter for vs to doe who haue as strangers here prepared for it before as wee haue learned to doe Neither should we looke or desire to haue any more abode or continuance here but giue ouer our selues in peace and willingly commend our selues vnto the Lords safe keeping as I haue said And therfore in the meane time we should soberly vse all the transitorie helps of this life as wealth friends wife and our life it selfe so that they may not be clogs with their deceiuable shew to hold vs from farre better things And in the meane while take the best vse of them to profitable ends and doe the good that wee may doe by the helpe of them seeing in the graue there is no such thing to bee looked for And so the remembrance of the time well passed shall be most comfortable but as for those that are calling in for their cheare and merry making in this world otherwise then they are sure they shall be able well to giue their reckoning for it hereafter such can neither possibly dye well nor willingly vnlesse they bee desperate To the which purpose I haue spoken elsewhere as the diligent reader shall finde The second part of the Chapter Vers 6. And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtoroth and the gods of Aram and the gods of Zidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Philistims and forsooke the Lord and serued not him 7. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sold them into the hands of the Philistims and into the hands
may befall vs in time if wee dare deale loosely and vnfaithfully with the Lord and suffer our selues to beled away from our stedfastnes This boldnes and carelesnesse if it thus be suffered to beare sway in vs may cause this scripture in time to be said of and verified in vs that we haue forsaken the Lord our strength And yet because men are cunning to deceiue themselues hoping that as long as they embrace not another religion they shall not become such nor iudged so hardly of though they take vp their delight in sins that please thē I thought it not therefore amisse to giue this caueat that in vaine doe such men worship God though they draw neere to him with their bodies while they suffer their hearts to goe another way and it is a kinde of forsaking of God though not in so high a degree as the other and as in time they themselues are like to come vnto and their labour is lost that they bestow in seruing God while it is accompanied with such anoiance and vnsauourines he vtterly abhorreth it This phrase of forsaking God is taken from wedlocke when either partie renounceth interest and fellowship in the other and departeth away euen as the phrase of selling them away vsed in the next verse on Gods part importeth the like action in the Lord as iustly giuing ouer his part in them As they had resigned their right in him their husband who had married himselfe vnto them vnto strange Idols so the Lord put ouer his interest in them vnto strange Idolaters alienating himselfe from them as the commoditie which is sold changeth the owner and becomes the right of another man Now then let not men thinke they may at their pleasure breake their couenant as the knot of marriage with God thinking they may returne to him as they list and when they list as Sampson to his companion and the Leuite to his concubine for neither will it be so easie for them to doe it neither shall they finde God so ready in their hastie seekings after him vpon each occasion to admit them And this is said of the peoples sinne and by occasion thereof Now we haue heard of that being the first point of the foure in these three next verses is set down Gods displeasure conceiued against them for it For when they had thus prouoked him by their sore transgressions he prouoked them also by that which did little like them for hee stirred vp the Philistims and Ammonites against them who vexed them sore for many yeeres And this they did not onely in the land of the Ammorites beyond Iorden to the children of Israel that dwelt there but they waxed more bold and passed ouer Iorden made warre with the tribe of Iuda Beniamin and Ephraim so as they were not able to resist them And what should wee say to all this It must needs be granted that this was an heauy bondage that they were vnder But what remedie If it had been any lesse it would not haue moued nor wrought vpon them They would not complaine nor crie to God for a little For if they had they should haue been heard and kept from so great extremities that they should not haue vexed them So that to say no more of this we may all see here that when wee come vnder sore afflictions which in a manner take heart from vs and make our liues wearisome we may thanke our selues for it God vseth not to cast his punishments vpon men all at once but by peece meale and by degrees and giueth warning of them for the most part at least by his word alwaies that so as wise men seeing the plague comming they may preuent them or else he laieth his hand more lightly vpon them that they may at the first repaire to him and intreate him to stay it If it be otherwise that he suddenly and at once take away the righteous with the wicked they shall haue no cause to complaine of that for they shall rest in peace If God remoue not his punishments yet if they be reconciled to him and liue obediently hee will giue them greater grace of faith hope and patience to beare the burthen more easily and with farre greater contentment All the danger is if they harden their hearts and bow not meekely to God vnder their burthens that is more against them then all their outward calamitie and bondage Wee haue heard how God punished the people for their committing idolatrie and suffered their enemies to oppresse them sore and a long-time But this was not al which is here expressed though that was very grieuous as all may well see But with this it is to be noted how they also by their sin turned the Sun-shine of Gods fauour into most darke and vncomfortable displeasure This men purchase to themselues by their wilfulnesse and rebellion when they might otherwise go out and in before him to their good liking and dwell most safely vnder the wing of his protection all the day long What madnesse is it to cast themselues into deadly feares and vnquietnesse and anguish of soule for the Lords displeasure as sharpe arrowes sticking fast in them with reproch discountenance of Gods seruants and many other crossings and discontentments But of Gods anger and wrath reade more in Chap. 2. 14. Here I end THE SIXTIETH TWO SERMON ON THE TENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES WE heard in the former verses how God afflicted this people for their sinne in this verse the holy story setteth down how this oppression by the enemies reached to the people beyond Iorden as well as them that were on this side onely Wherein that thereat was verified whereof before hath been spoken that they and their idols should be as snares vnto them euen to their destruction But besides this we see that this miserie did spred further in time then to those that were on this side Iorden for it reached euen to the Israelites also which dwelt beyond Iorden So that although the enemies began with them first who dwelt in the land of the Amorites yet seeing the people on both sides of Iorden had communicated with the nations in their sinne they were therfore both plagued alike by the enemies And so it fareth with vs for if many ioyne together in prouoking God they shall smart together by bearing his corrections And though the Lord begin as I said before of Shechem and Abimelech with some at the first apart yet he will as the fire burneth one house after another he wil I say deuour the rest with the former at length as by the plague we haue heard he hath done Now in that it is said in this verse that they cried to the Lord saying we haue sinned I haue spoken of this before as also of this that they were long in miserie ere they complained therfore I wil not repeate those two points onely this here is to be noted that they did
that the best is to iudge our selues that we be not iudged of the Lord. But by this that the Lord so hardly vrging this people they fell to a more serious searching into themselues and so came to better state wee may see that as hardly as Gods people are brought to confesse and renounce their sinnes hauing fallen as at sometimes they haue done yet when they see and feele the hand of God against them and no release nor issue of their trouble is seene by them many are drawne thereby to sorrow and repentance But when they haue not felt Gods anger kindled against them for their sinnes first they can hardly for the most part abide to be told of them nor to heare of his iudgements for them but shake them off if they can possibly But if God doe purpose to bring such home he wil so worke in them that he will make them feele both his threats and his displeasure so fierce and smarty that rather then they will still liue vnder the feare thereof they will run through fire and water to escape both though no other bodily affliction be vpon them Thus many haue been brought home when the Lord hath tamed and subdued them by afflictions especially inward for if they rebel not through pride but stoope vnder their burden there is good hope of them euen as the high minded who doe kicke against the pricke and are refractarie and wilfull doe surely come to euill Now therefore seeing we may find that mercy from God by our afflictions which we neuer felt before in our prosperitie why should wee storme at the comming of them but rather looke for some good by them as the Apostle Iames wisheth vs to doe when he telleth vs that it is matter of greatest ioy when we fall into many of them And lastly in this matter in that they returned to serue the Lord know we that this is the end of all our repentance to serue God with chearefulnes throughout our life euen as it is a chiefe end of our liuing here for that to doe is indeed to bring foorth fruit or amendment of life and when that worke faileth in vs I meane that the waies of godlinesse are not pleasant vnto vs let vs know it is not wel with vs but that the diuell hath much preuailed against vs. Now in the next place in these two verses let vs lay together the signes of the peoples repentance which are these fiue The first their confession the second the submitting of themselues to the will of God the third the putting away of their Idols the fourth their returne to a godly life the fifth their confidence in God taking no nay neither making any doubt of his holpâ— And for our instruction these things are here mentioned in this maner that though they be not all vsually in Scripture expressely set downe in the repentance of men together yet other are in sundry places as in Ieremie Hosea c. and these also may be found in such as were penitents if wee will examine the stories of such and search them out In Hosea they may bee all found though not all named in Dauid also in Zacheus likewise And so by them all ioyntly laid together let vs whensoeuer we list looke to approoue our repentance to be sound and good but seuer wee them not in any wise one from the other For to confesse alone without the rest may bee an vncertaine testimony as is to be seene in Sauls confession and yet in some it is sufficient yea sure and good as in Dauids when he vttered this bare confession to Nathan I haue sinned But to leaue euill and doe good with a resting on Gods promise and a submitting of ourselues to his holy will I say all these together with confessions are signes of repentance infallable euen as on the contrarie a failing in some of these may easily breed question about the sufficiencie of true repentance where the Scripture doth not otherwise commend it And in that the holy story thus setteth it forth that when the people thus repented the soule of the Lord was grieued for their misery euen as he was angrie with them before for their reuolting it doth admirably commend Gods mercy as it is oft set downe in the Scripture which is not spoken as though God were mooued with affections but those things which are noted to be in men are ascribed to God and so it is spoken after the manner of men euen as they are first grieued for the misery of those whom they pitie so God is said to be grieued for them receiuing them to mercy So that we may truly say that God exceedeth in mercy towards poore sinners that haue sore prouoked him when they vnfainedly turne to him And as this is true of his affection to them so is it also of the fruites of his fauour as elsewhere I haue noted at large And to this end is that oft repeated saying in Exodus I the Lord am gratious slow to wrath ready to forgiue and repenting for the euill that I brought vpon them And as the Lord was wholly theirs now they repented notwithstanding all their former abominations which blotted out and darkned in them all sound comfort and so is to all other in their case euen so doth he change the estate of wofull people by that reconciling them to himselfe no otherwise then as the foullest and most tempestuous day is vnto the most comfortable weather and constant Sun-shine And they need not know what these changes meane but walke in Gods fauour continually as they doe who continually delight in his law and in his feare But of these points from the fifteenth verse hitherto I speak briefely because I haue handled them vpon the like occasions before in the second and fourth Chapters of this booke THE SIXTIE THREE SERMON ON THE TENTH AND ELEVENTH CHAPTERS OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The third part of the Chapter Verse 17. Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and incamped in Gilead and the children of Israel assembled themselues together and incamped in Mizpeh 18. And the people and Princes of Gilead said one to the other What man is bee that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon he shall be head ouer all the inhabitants of Gilead I In these two verses being the last of this Chapter to passe from the repentance of the people of Israel which I haue spoke of it followeth now as we may see the Ammonites were not satisfied with vexing the people of God as they had long done but now they went about to put them to the sword and to take their cities and lands from them for their owne But marke we this the Lord so dealt with his people and prouided so well for them that they their enemies could neuer goe about it in better time in respect of the Israelites For now they had turned to God by
commandement of the Lord in Deuteronomy to wit that there should be no whore in Israel And if it be demanded why God forbad such as were borne in bastardie to enter into the congregation of the Lord that is to beare any office in the Church it was not forbidden for that the man so borne was worse then others but that the people might know how greatly God abhorred whoredome and this was but a iudiciall constitution appertaining to the Iewes And in that Iphtah so borne was yet set in authoritie ouer the people which thing God forbad we must know that hee made not that law to himselfe but for the Iewes that it should not be lawfull for them to preferre any such but as for himselfe who hath authoritie to call him into question for that which hee doth Now for instruction we see here by this that Iphtah was begotten of an harlot that the law of God forbidding that there should bee any whore in Israel was not obeyed euen as before wee haue heard of Gedeon his concubine whereby we see how little Gods law is and hath been regarded in all ages of many whether this one law or what other of his soeuer wee vnderstand it of As for this of and against whoredome that it was neuer more common then in this age woful experience proues it to be too true so that there want now no such offenders more then in former times I may truly say in number they farre exceed them as if the antiquitie of corrupt example in this kinde were enough to license men to continue it still And so it is in all other kindes of sinne verifying to the full the Apostles prophecie to Timothy that in the latter daies shall come perilous times for men shall be louers of themselues couetous proud boasters and infected with diuers other sinnes And for this cause commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience and no marueile that wee haue many plagues seeing God is not obeyed almost in any thing And so may euery one particularly say to himselfe as he is most obedient so shall his blessing be And as this sin in any man had been bad enough so in Gilead a great man and who should haue punisht it in others rather being the father of a familie what a reproch was it Euen as in Dauid in Sampson in Iuda and in Reuben For alas when a meane person sees the commandement of God to be of no greater force then that euery great man is bold to dispense with it he growes to thinke it but a scare-crow and saith boldly as the strumpet in the Prouerbs Tush t is but a trick of truth But for such tricks of youth the Lord in wrath destroyed 24. thousand of Israel Yea when the great enemie of the Church Balaam being frustrate of his cursed attempt against Israel for they are cursed who can finde in their heart to curse Gods people sought how to bring an equiualent plague vpon the Congregation he could inuent no more fit and mischieuous a plot then to intice them to vncleannesse with the Moabitish women and to Idolatrie with their heathenish gods Therefore how great a iudgement of God hangs ouer this land for the lust of the eye a maine branch whereof is filthines and the vnlimitted lust of all sorts especially in places of darknesse wee can more easily coniecture then perswade them that are guiltie to redresse it Oh it is lamentable that such spots of our assemblies are suffered boldly to spit in the face of modestie and to hold vp their heads aloft as hauing the better end of the staffe I meane greater aduantage against their accusers commonly then they against them How should this moue vs to sue to the Lord that such should be noted and shamed for inordinate persons that the rest may blanke and feare by their example and so the anger of the Lord be staied as once it was by the zeale of Phiniees for the Lords cause thrusting thorow Zimri and Cozbi for their shamefull abomination So should the word preached be more forcible when the transgressors should see the price of their boldnes and so should the law of the Magistrate take better effect and not become ridiculous And so should not we feare that plague which Iehu denounceth vpon Iehoram saying What peace seeing the abominations and whoredomes of thy mother Iezabel are still in great number Of which I say the lesse because I haue noted it as the fruite of all sinne as well as this in the former parts of this booke Onely I say if the vngodly sort will not take the Lords bridle to restraine their flesh from this lewd course for adulteries as our Sauiour notes are the breakings out of the filthie heart euen as the sores and scabs of the body are the fruites of a corrupted blood then let the people of God learne this dutie euen to possesse their vessels in holinesse to keepe themselues vnspotted and pure and to preserue their bodies and spirits in chastnes except they wil make of the temple of the holy Ghost a stie of vncleane and loathsome lust fit to driue the spirit of God away And otherwise the Lord shall set a marke vpon them worse then the brand of a theese euen a marke of infamie which I dare not promise that repentance it selfe shall quite wash off while they liue but that the staine shall still continue For this sinne is of a scarlet dye as Dauid speakes Psal 51. Now to end this verse by that it is said that Iphtah was a valiant man we must know that in those times of warre courage and valiantnes was a gift much set by and of good vse So that though he had a blemish vpon him in that he was the sonne of an harlot which was not his sinne yet the Lord couered it as I may say with this excellent gift of fortitude that made him much desired It was a crosse to him all may see that hee was thus abased and yet if he had not been vnder that or some other such chastizement it had been like he should haue been a worse man and in greater danger For such blemishes in the body are occasions through Gods worke to turne the minde to better matters and to bring it in loue with them and to hold from the partie greater troubles thereby As we reade of Mephibosheth Ionathans young sonne that he being lame on his feete could not resist Dauid as Ishbosheth his vncle did to his great toyle and little preuailing but liued peaceably in the Kings fauour and fed at his table and how could he haue been in better state whereas if he had enioyed his limmes at libertie it is hard to say whether hee would not haue been stirring and taking part with Ishbosheth to his owne ouerthrow which had bin very like to haue befalne him whē Abner forsook him if he had not bin preuented by
seeing there are such deceiuers in the world as would prouoke euen the honest to contention if they can see any hole open or espie any aduantage And this rule holdeth also firme and good in religious actions before God For as it is the honour of a Christian to continue constant in his loue to the truth and the Church of God the fruit whereof is a sound and good report so if a man begin to warpe and bewray his hollownesse or treachery in either his staine is not easily washt out neither can he looke for that currant estimation or reuerēce which before he had nor scarce obtain so much afterward as to be credited for all his profession Although men will be trust their vessels with oyle or wine while they be sound whole yet if they begin to leake and run they will not commit any thing vnto them which is in danger of losing Our Sauiour asked Peter but once Whom sayest thou that I am and tooke his word when he deserued no other whereas afterward hee was not satisfied with one nor two professions of his affection Simon louest thou me good reason he had made a great cracke in his credit and therefore he that had forsworne Christ deserued not vpon his owne bare word and answere to be beleeued And those who haue deceiued the opinion of the Church touching their religion by falling into error and schisme or their pietie and honesty by grosse offences may thanke themselues if euer afterward the people of God haue them in a iealousic As we reade in the Ecclesiasticall historie that when once the baptized partie reuolted either from his religion or good conscience as Miriam by her arrogancie the Church admitted him not without serious repentance and confession of his fault But if he slipt the second time they practised greater seueritie towards them enioyning them not repentance only but for a space of time to remaine out of the Church as in famous Yea some euen of the reuerendest Fathers of those times as Cyprian and others grew to this erronious opinion that such were not to be admitted without rebaptization as if their former seale had been quite puld off by their sin I meane the seale of forgiuenesse Therefore let all Christians looke to their standing the didiuell if it be possible will quite ouerthrow them but if he cannot hee will foile them and take away the crowne of their reioycing which is their faithfulnesse and constancie And he is an impudent person who hauing foully dishonored God and his profession wil hold vp his head boldly and claime his old priuiledge Doe we not see that among men one periured or a forger is disabled from euer bearing any witnesse against or for any in publike court And haue not all men such a one in suspition Doth not treason taint euen the blood of the traitor so that euen when he is loyall he goeth for no better and hee who hath got a patent of restitution or pardon for his fellonie doth he not forfeit it by a second offence in the like kind But of this enough Another thing worth the marking is this that in as much as Iphtah went so easily from his iust quarrell that hee had against them of Gilead and had so soone done when he had wisely told them that which concerned them to heare and when they had assured him of that which he demanded by this I say we are taught not to hold in our harts an iniurie against vs by any but soone to remit an offence for it is an honour to passe by it He mentioneth the matter but once to them and once requireth security but goeth no further And who seeth it not to be a great grace in any man to doe so for therein he doth after the example of the Lord himselfe who doth not follow things against vs hotly but sheweth great lenitie and kindnesse And as we should not be rigorous and cruell in our dealings to prouoke men with our bitternes to wrath so should we make an end of controuersies as soone and in as few words as may be as for other causes so not in the least respect for this seeing in many words commonly there is much sinne Of this somewhat was said before in vers 4. but especially looke backe into Chap. 8. verse 2. And further learne what hath been the religiousnesse of an oath in times past to wit such that if it were once offered and taken there was no more question but the controuersie was ended As we see Rahab hauing it granted her by oath of the spies that she and her fathers house should bee saued aliue at the destruction of Ierrico rested satisfied Therefore men must looke to what they sweare seeing an oath is not to bee violated vnlesse it were made for the accomplishment of euill in which case the keeping of it were double sinne as Heroas was and the least euill therein is great And as heed must be taken how men sweare so must they who offer the oath to other that it be so done that they to whom it is ministred may be free from snare so that they may doe it as the Prophet speaketh in truth righteousnesse and iudgement Therefore such as draw men by oath to fulfill their desire and to doe things against conscience haue the more to answer for Men then must not be drawne and forced thereto to which they cannot yeeld nor of themselues rashly sweare to doe that which they approoue not but abhorre Iphtah doubted no more after the oath but goeth after the army But an oath is not strong enough now adaies to hold a man fast neither can wee safely rest in it for the deciding of controuersies although the Lord hath taught vs otherwise Now for the further ratifying of the couenant betwixt them it is rehearsed before the Lord in Mizpeh by them for thus the men of Gilead say We couenant with thee before the Lord to doe as we say and that he may punish vs if we breake it Therefore such as are common swearers are not to be admitted to this solemne oath either in accusation or decission of controuersies For as I said they haue lost their credit they haue often falsified their oathes for how should a common swearer auoid common periury and therefore that which another man vseth reuerently and with conscience such rush vpon commonly and carelesly through a prophane habit being herein worse then Heathens who counted not such worthie of societie but intestabiles as they called them that is such as were not to be admitted as witnesse And commonly such they are who prostitute themselues for gaine to sweare falsely before the Magistrate of whom there are many and some the Lord shoaleth out from among their fellowes as notorious monsters branding some with in famie and misery and terrifying the consciences of other with hellish feares if not with despaire And a step to
the action to be ordinarie but indeed this of Manoah had bin warrantable at any time as being grounded vpon diuine warrant commanding him so to doe And whereas it is againe obiected that Manoah not being of the tribe of Leui but of Dan ought not to offer sacrifice neither was that according to the law that hee did it is answered that hee gaue the flesh and the other things to the Angell whom he tooke to bee a Prophet that hee might offer them for the Prophets had an extraordinary calling that though they were not of the house of Aaron yet it was lawfull for them to sacrifice as Elia and Elisha did for when the Priests corrupted the pure worship of God the Lord stirred vp the Prophets to restore it againe But this was no Prophet ye will say I answere no hee was not but more then a Prophet and therefore the flesh and the other offering being laide on the rocke the Angell did wonderfully hee raised fire out of the rocke and consumed the sacrifice And the same we haue heard to haue been done in Gedeons sacrifice before for although it bee not expressely said here that fire was brought out of the rocke as there yet seeing there is no mention of any fire brought by Manoah and yet that the Angell is said to haue departed in the flame it is most likely that fire was stricken out of the stone the Angell ascended into heauen as though he would vse the flame insteade of a chariot and he dissolued the body which he tooke on him and went away in the fire which was a great wonder to them for Monoah and his wife were stricken with a great feare when they saw that he was an Angell of God and after that he appeared no more to them In that Manoah did as the Angell willed him turning that which hee would haue set before the man of God for meate into a sacrifice it teacheth how fit and ready we should be to be moued and ledde by good instruction to any duty that wee know not neither thought of before meekely receiuing the words of exhortation without resistance or vnwillingnesse This minde was in the Thessalonians to whom Paul writeth thus We are perswaded of you in the Lord that both yee doe already and will doe still the things that wee commande you meaning that they resolued with themselues to make the doctrine of the Apostles the rule of their life Thus should all Christians bee affected like the paterne that Paul giues the widowes that they should diligently be giuen not onely to the particular duties of compassion Rom. 12. but to euery good worke This commendeth the grace of God highly in all such as are thus prepared to serue God in euery part of their life that as they shall see what the good and acceptable will of God is toward them so they are ready still to new duties And so it doth much checke and accuse them who are slow and backward to any good thing that shall be required of them and readily yeelded to by their brethren they would be counted with the forwardest but yet in duties that like them not they will be reasoning against them though in some other they shew themselues commendable And yet for all that which I say let it be clearely seene that there is enough to binde their consciences to that whereto they should yeeld lest they be lead by company will or fancy and there is cause of this readinesse and alacritie in receiuing the word by the people if they consider that the Minister himselfe is tied to the like dutie in vttering it according to that charge of Peter feede the flocke of God with a ready minde not of constraint and the Apostle Paul confirmes it There is necessitie imposed vpon me and wo be to me if I preach not c. If then I doe this necessarie worke willingly it is thankworthie otherwise it is necessarie and I must doe it without thanks How shall this bee if the people hold off and pleade libertie to take and refuse what they please Therefore Cornelius Acts 10. professeth himselfe and his ready to heare whatsoeuer Peter should say from God to him And when he saith whatsoeuer he meaneth whether reproofe or commandement as well as comfort and instruction This she weth that not all that doe some duties doe them readily but either for finister respects or by halues as he in the Gospell who was bidden goe into the vineyard answered hee would but went not so many heare zealously but neuer weighing the worke of God nor forecasting the difficulties repent them of their forwardnesse Others readily yeeld to the truth in their minds as sound and good but their hearts come slowly forward they delight not therein nor approue it as liking that it should gouerne them Againe some things which the word requires we yeeld to for the outward action especially yea and stand stiffely in the defence of it as Iudas did for the relieuing the poore because in a diuers respect our desire concurreth with Gods commandement euen corruptly peruerting the end and vse of a good duty to our own benefit which ought onely tend to Gods glorie But here we doe not obey readily because the manner of obeying which is for conscience sake displeaseth vs as the artificer liketh it well that God calleth for diligence in his calling for his coueteous minds sake but to be occupied therein for the seruing of Gods prouidence the auoyding of noysome lusts and temptations the practise of his faith and patience thankfulnes contentment he hath no readines thereto yea this awkenesse is in the best that they like any dutie should bee vrged which others are tardie in and themselues prone vnto but to be drawn any further and to suffer exhortation and reproofe for their blemishes and errors that is vnwelcome So that readines and teachablenes humbly to giue place and curbe our contradicting and rebellious nature where God hath manifested his will vpon good ground is a rare gift of the spirit and attendeth onely vpon them who with Dauid haue a respect to all Gods commandements Excellent is that speech of Dauid O Lord thou saidst Seeke my face and I answered Lord I will seeke thy face Euen as the waxe applied to the seale receiues the impression and the holy instruments of musicke in the Temple sounded according to the skilfull blowing or fingering of Asaph and his brethren so pliant and tunable should our hearts be to the voice of God and make such harmony in his eares as he himselfe hath made inwardly in them as the seruant mentioned in the Gospell whose obedience in going comming and dooing seemed to be so prompt as if it were the eccho of his Masters voyce And such as haue attained any measure herein let them looke to this one thing that they be constant in so doing lest beside the expectation the diuell in time
seeke to relieue themselues by lyings equiuocations and periurie or flying if they can from comming to their answere The other thing to bee noted in these Philistims was their wise care to keepe themselues from hurt by Samson when they saw him to be a man to be feared and this they shewed herein that they set thirtie men of their own countrey as if they would haue honoured him much like Herod who pretended that he would honour Christ when he sought to kill him whereas they intended no such thing but to set them as watchmen to take heede that no hurt might be wrought by him against them And as they did by the light of nature thus prouide for their owne safetie so wee ought wisely and warily to preuent danger where it is comming towards vs and to bee wise as serpents and beware of men as well as to be innocent like doues We haue great cause in these daies to beware whom wee trust and to whom we commit ourselues by giuing credit to them Our Sauiour hath left vs a good example behinde him whereby wee may take heed how farre we commit our seiues to men For when he was at Ierusalem at the Passeouer many beleeued in him it is said when they saw his miracles that hee did But Iesus did not commit himselfe to them seeing he knew what was in them Teaching vs to be circumspect how farre wee trust them whom we doe not sufficiently know Many smart for that they are too light of credit namely for that when they heare faire words and conditions they are ready thereupon to put themselues into their hands Whereas they should know this that they who are not faithfull to God will not bee faithfull to men as Papists and loose professors It hath been many mens vtter vndoing who haue too rashly put their estate and goods into the hands of them who haue made faire shewes of trustines of friendship toward them Other haue sustained the like by their owne children hauing a better opinion of them through blind selfeloue then there was cause and trusting them with almost all that they had haue lost all through their owne folly The same I may say of vnwise and vndiscreet lenders and such as haue vnaduisedly brought themselues into danger by suertiship till with their loade of griefe they haue ended their miserable daies in prison or penurie But none are either more commonly deceiued or more to be pitied then sillie and shiftlesse damsels and maides who care not into whose hands they put themselues till they complaine and crie out that they haue not found truth and faithfulnes at their hands who promised them great matters of quietnes and liuing at ease who haue in a short time grossely broke their couenant with them by most contentious and vnquiet liuing or left them with their charge to shift for themselues of which woful persons England is full For I must say the truth that in most places there are few faithful people to be found Let vs make the more account of them that are such and for the rest I say with our Sauiour let the dead bury the dead and let them match together seeing they will needes doe so who are both of them vnfaithfull And seeing in this subtile vizard age we can hardly discerne oft times betweene one and other I meane betwixt the trustie and the deceiuer let vs with Paul pray God to deliuer vs from hauing to doe with such as haue neither faith nor fidelitie in them And so farre as by our narrow obseruation we can finde any hollownesse or falsehood in such as pretend the contrary as for others they are more easily auoided let it be a watch-word for caution in time to come All is not gold that glistereth faire words are fit to beguile euen good people whose innocencie makes them thinke that other are as themselues But with the breast-plate of righteousnesse which serueth to keepe them from being offensiue let them vse their head-peece I meane wisedome and preuention of danger that they may be defended from hurt by others All know that none lesse deserue wrong then the harmelesse yet none we see daily are more vsually beguiled and made a pray to the spoiler for want of circumspection THE SEVENTIE SIXE SERMON ON THE XIIII CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 13. And Samson said vnto them I will now put foorth a riddle vnto you if you can certainly declare it me within the seuen daies of the feast and finde it out then I will giue you thirtie sheetes and thirtie change of garments 14. But if you cannot declare it me then shall ye giue me thirtie sheetes and thirtie change of raiments And they answered him Put foorth thy riddle that wee may heare it 15. And he said vnto them Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnes and they could not in three daies expound the riddle 16. And when the seuenth day was come they said vnto Samsons wife Entice thine husband that he may declare vs the riddle lest wee burne thee and thy fathers house with fire Haue ye called vs to possesse vs Is it not so 17. And Samsons wife wept before him and said Surely thou hatest me and louest me not for thou hast put foorth a riddle vnto the children of my people and hast not told it me And he said vnto her Behold I haue not told it my father nor my mother and shall I tell it thee 18. Then Samsons wife wept before him seuen daies while their feast lasted and when the seuenth day was come he told her because she was importunate vpon him so she told the riddle to the children of her people 19. And the men of the citie said vnto him the seuenth day before the Sunne went downe What is sweeter then hony and what is stronger then a lion Then said he vnto them If yee had not plowed with my heiffer you had not found out my riddle 20. And the spirit of the Lord came vpon him and he went downe to Askelon and slew thirtie men of them and spoiled them and change of garments vnto them which expounded the riddle and his wrath was kindled and he went vp to his fathers house 21. Then Samsons wife was giuen to his companion whom he had vsed as his friend NOw followeth the third thing that was done at the marriage and that was the riddle that Samson put foorth to the Philistims there met together the which course was in great wisedome taken by Samson if it bee well considered For if the cause bee sought why Samson propounded this riddle I answere It was a pleasant whetting of their wits and ministred occasion of mirth to set them about the inuenting and searching out the meaning of it which was hard and difficult that so in the meane while they might bee kept from manifolde offendings And it was without suspition to the Philistims of any euill intended
guides cast the spirit of bondage vpon the rest Euen as he dealt heere with this people who were vnder the Philistims a long time that is before Samson was borne and all the time till he grew to be able to set vpon them and all the twentie yeres while he iudged Israel and so continued after that Yea and hee will punish vs yet seuen times more if we continue in our euill course And let vs obserue a farre different manner of God his visiting the godly and his punishing the wicked The people heere by their breaches of couenant and daily reuolts from God were faine to bee inured to affliction and particularly to bee in seruitude to such as hated them and yet because the Lord had chosen them from among all nations to be a peculier people vnto himselfe therefore his eye could not see their misery but hee must needs pitie them and euen then when hee could not but bridle them hee must needs prouide that their bondage may be tolerable Wee may thanke our selues for any straitnesse and trouble that befals vs but in that wee see any light of comfort through a creuis or haue any breathings and relaxation it is Gods indulgence who thereby sheweth that he could bee content the rod were burnt and might not be vsed at all forasmuch as he is content to shake it ouer vs only when as he might beate vs with many stripes And to say the truth he holdeth vs vnder rather to preuent greater offences and sorer punishments for time to come then deale with vs after and according to our former and past transgressions Let this teach vs to be waile and bee humbled for our hollow and false-hearted dealing with God in our promises of amendment and for our formall thankesgiuing for the blessings wee enioy and for that wee retaine no more fruit thereof but become as bad or worse afterward as euer we were before And let vs chuse rather by a sound and well ordered course to enioy the constant feeling of Gods loue and the fruition of his blessing then by our breaking out to cloud and blemish our owne happinesse by the mixture of many vnwelcome afflictions And againe let it serue to alleniate and qualifie our rebellious nature which commonly deemeth that God hath quite hidden his face from vs if all goe not currant and smooth with vs as in time past For why The fauour of God is not like to his displeasure because sinne is not like obedience but is it not much that in the middest of displeasure and when he hath been so oft prouoked by vs he forgetteth not to shew mercy to vs whereas if we looke to the wicked we shall finde that it is nothing so with them for neither doth the Lord exercise them with afflictions alway to restraine them but suffereth them to goe on to perdition or if he doe punish them yet he sweetens not the crosse to them but smites them in wrath and giues them euen here a taste of that eternall displeasure of his which they shall feele endlesly and easelesly hereafter THE EIGHTIE TWO SERMON ON THE XVI CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 1. Then went Samson to Azzah and saw there an harlot and went in vnto her 2. And it was told to the Azzahites Samson is come hither and they went about and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the City and were quiet all the night saying Abide till the morning early and we shall kill him 3. And Samson slept till midnight and arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the City and the two posts and lift them away with the barres and put them vpon his shoulders and carried them vp to the top of the mountaine that is before Hebron THe summe of this Chapter is thus much The Philistims hauing been oft plagued by Samson as in part wee haue heard they laid for him to kill him And they hearing that he was at Azza or Gazza as it is called one of their chiefe Cities they set watch for him in the night to take him but were disappointed After that they vsed meanes in another place and there they apprehended him and cruelly handled him and made themselues pastime in bringing him before them to be scorned and laughed at till at the last he pulled down the house vpon the chiefe Princes of the Philistims and many of the people being met together to sport themselues and laugh at him in beholding him their great enemy so disguised and abased and so there he lost his life with them The first part of the Chapter sheweth how Samson escaped the hands of the Philistims lying in watch for him at AZza and this to the 4. verse The second declareth how at another time they laying waite for him tooke him at the house of Delilah in the valley of Sorek to the 21. verse The third part sheweth their entreatie euen their cruell handling of Samson after they had apprehended him and what came thereof to the end of the Chapter The first part of the Chapter IN this part is shewed how Samson came to this City AZza and there went into the house of an harlot which being heard of by the Citizens they laid wait for him but tooke him not for to the great disappointing of them hee at midnight tooke the posts of the gates vpon his shoulders and carried them to the top of a mountaine in the land of Israel betwixt Hebron and the Azzahites Heere moreparticularly it being said that he seeing in the City a woman which was an harlot for so the Hebrew word is to bee translated heere though it signifie also a victualler he went in to her which phrase is as much as that hee being not her husband had vnlawfull companie with her as in chapter 15. 1. that phrase of speech is taken for the companying of husband and wife together as also in many other places it doth appeare so that it is cleare that Samson in this first verse is said to haue vnlawfull companie with an harlot neither is there any shew of reason to take it otherwise against the significatiō of the phrase as that he saw a victualler went in to her that is into her house for their houses were knowne to bee for the receiuing of passengers by some signes or report not by meeting the victuallers in the streets and so accompanying them home Sure it is that this was an harlot whose house he went into and he went in thither to an ill end euen to haue company with her as I haue said in an vnlawfull manner therefore to seeke any other exposition to salue the matter is needlesse It hath been well seene in this storie that Samson notwithstanding some faults was one of the deere seruants of God as also it is confirmed that hee was so in the Epistle to the Hebrewes And yet now behold hee is snared with
vpon his death-bed oh how lamentable is it Till better prouision be made by the Church I grant t is no easie thing to be brought to passe most men being so wedded to the penny but in the meane time let vs know the law of God bindeth all his people that as they are freed from Ceremoniall cost in sacrifices Temple and the like so the Lord Iesus himselfe hath substituted in their roome his poore members vndertaking the payment of all which they take vpon his score to the infinite aduantage of their creditors And this should be enough to perswade them that be not desperatly couetous to inlarge themselues in mercie and loue to Christ by comforting the bowels of the religious poore except they will proclaime that if Christ himselfe were present they would suffer him to pine and starue for any helpe he were like to haue from them when yet they are well able to helpe They that are rich in good workes I wish them the true fruite of their practise as I nothing doubt but they shall enioy it euen mercie with God in time of need And for other seeing euery penny to good vse commeth so hardly off with the most of them I aduise them to take a better course with themselues against their owne vncheerefulnes by a solemne setting a part of somewhat as the Apostle willeth according to their abilitie or yeerely receits when it commeth to hand for the seuerall vses which by their owne obseruation or the information of others they shall see to be most needfull to bestow vpon To conclude let many of vs Protestants beware that the bountie of many carnall or Idolatrous persons rise not vp in iudgement against our niggardlines They hauing nothing to set them on work saue ciuilitie or blind deuotion are bountifull to others and yet themselues not a whit the betret for it But we though we pretend that wee haue obtained mercie at Gods hand which should set vs forward to shew mercie to others are so shut vp in our selues that if we may fare wel little care we what becomes of others Let vs amend by being wise for our owne good in shewing mercie and that with cheerefulnes But I proceed in this first part of the Chapter When Micahs mother had caused the Image to be grauen and then couered it with siluer she put it in her sonne his chappell or house of gods for he had such a place as we haue heard where hee did his deuotion and furnished it with such manner of stuffe as with Priests garments the Ephod and other ornaments and there he put Teraphim that is Images which he made with the rest of the money of his mothers And that hee might want nothing for the purpose within his owne doores he made his owne sonne who was neither of the order of Aaron not yet of the tribe of Leui who onely might minister before the Lord yet he made him his Priest rather then he would want one And in deed the Priest was good enough for the seruice he was put to both being abominable In this mirror we may behold what confusion was growne after the good gouernours Ioshua and the rest were dead It may well bee said in the second chapter of this booke verse 10. that then another generation arose after them who knew not the Lord but serued Idols in which times these cursed doings of Micah and his mother had place in all likelihood as in the entrance of the chapter I haue declared So that we see how it was there and then when the people declined and turned away from the religion of their forefathers and when the times grew to be corrupted we see what shamefull examples there arose of such things as a little before could not haue been abidden among whom this Micah is to be reckoned who was alreadie come to be one that had brought strange and false worshippe into his house and was fallen farre from Ioshuas practise who said in his time whatsoeuer other did he and his house would serue the Lord. And let it teach vs if we be wise that if some good meanes faile among vs disorder will soone winde in to our great discomfort Wherby let vs be warned we I say who desire to please God in the vprightnes of our hearts that while we haue the light we walke in it and that not onely we do so while the light is among vs and good examples remaine to incourage vs but let vs then euen before the times of danger come strengthen and vnder lay our selues in such wise with resolutions and purposes daily renued so to continue that if declinings from good courses arise among vs in our daies either in religion or manners yet we may abide stedfast in both and turne not aside with the vnstable and inconstant multitude and those that degenerate that so our old age by a constant walking with God may be crowned with honour as no question it shall by so doing Wee little know what may fall out to be done yea euen of vs who intend against all euill if the times grow corrupter and wax worse and worse except we make faire worke before hand by clinging close vnder Gods fauour and gouernment And although by Gods mercie wee are freed from the greatest yoke of bondage I meane Idolatrie yet as they that touch pitch cannot chuse but be defiled so they who haue to doe and conuerse with the prophane and filthie ones of the world where they may doe what they list how can they keepe their garments vndefiled I meane their liues vnstained and their consciences pure and good Wee haue too much proofe of that which I speake in our owne parts of the countrey how many of good hope and forwardnes haue by bad examples yea and by their owne declinings in the middest of so many prouocations been brought to be disguised in their liues most shamefully and yet I am certified and I easily beleeue it that there are farre worse people in countries further off But to goe forward in that it is said that he being but a priuate man had yet an house of gods and all furniture for the same of which point I spake in part before in the second verse we may see in what base things men take their delight to wit in such as doe not profit them as the Prophet Esay complaineth yea and in such as bring great hurt and annoiance vnto them He complaineth in his time thus of the people Wherefore do you lay out your siluer and not for bread and your labour without being satisfied And what better may bee said of the most in these times but if they bee such as professe any religion the rest are I confesse further off from God then they how is their care and cost bestowed with their labour and trauaile but vpon the false worship of God whether we regard the substance it is with a great many Poperie superstition or such