sinne betwixt them and the other it is worthy the noting and may bee of singular vse vnto vs. For they did as if they had consented together one to doe as the other did whereas they could yet but heare one of an others doing they did I say euen as the other before mentioned for their ease and quiet make leagues with the Canaanites contrary to that which God commanded them Which sheweth vs that it is the lesse maruell that we see it so in our age and that it hath been so from age to age that there is agreement in finne among all estates yea in the same sinne as if they did mutually resolue to ioyne therein For Paul speaking of grosse sinnes which should raigne in the world in the latter age after Christ tels vs that the times that is the people in the seuerall ages should be tainted therewith And as it was in the daies of Lot so shall it bee in the ages following they did eate and drinke and marrie that is they made them their paradise And as they haue done and liued in former times so they doe and will doe still And as they sought their felicity and hearts desire heere in some transitorie things as in gathering wealth hunting after vaine pleasures and seeking of promotion euen so this doe many at this day who professe the Gospell and yet this is the estate of the ciuiler sort there are greater abominations then these the way of truth they haue not knowne the feare of God hath not been before their eyes but is this done in one place as in another yee will aske as the sinne heere spoken of was alike spread throughout the tribes I answere neuer more then at this day Therefore when the meaner sort receiued not the word with fruit I turned saith the Ppophet Ieremy to the mighty to the learned to the Priest c. as declaring that hee looked to finde it otherwise there but behold all were alike So is it said by our Sauiour as it was in the daies of Noah so shall it bee at the comming of the sonne of man and as he saith in the latter age whereof this in which we liue is a part they did then eat and drink marrie and giue in marriage these were things what they did then most minde and set their hearts on and knew nothing of any danger till the flood came and tooke them all away And what doe men now or haue done in our remembrance in the former daies but euen so and the same things What pleasure haue men saue in eating and drinking and following after their delights and as the tribes did for their ease and pleasure commit sinne euery one his owne way so what doe men but euery one that which doth best serue his owne turne What effectuall and sauing knowledge of God is there to be found saue only heere and therein a few persons and generally the Gospell is a mysterie and the pearle in it is hidden from one as from another though it bee hidden from none but from them that shall perish What excessiue and vnsatiable seeking after the worlds good is there as in other ages what bold prophaning of the Lords Sabbaths when yet he hath plainely charged vs the contrary saying Remember yee keepe them holy And what should I further set downe other agreements betwixt men in their liues and practise whether we compare our daies with the former or in the same daies one man with another And yet one would thinke that the examples of former times should teach the latter wisedome That seeing they who now liue may behold how they haue been taken away and that oft times in the middest of their delights and could keepe themselues from death no more then others therefore it ought worthily to cause them to looke further and to prepare a better and a more enduring inheritance against they must goe hence But to grow to an end seeing it is so that the world is like itselfe and the sinnes of it haue entertainment alike for the most part with one as with another I will shew the cause of it why it is so and teach the vse of it before I end For besides the diuels malice who ruleth alike in the hearts of the children of darknes draweth them to the same euils in the most places besides this I say all men are corrupted in their harts imaginations and desires they all loue euill and loath that which I good Wherby it commeth to passe that the sins that one embraceth an other delighteth in also hauing no ability nor will to resist or turne from them but drinketh them vp as the fish doth water And there is nothing able to make it otherwise but one and that is the grace of regeneration new birth which changeth a man giues him a new hart and will whereby he disliketh the former inclination and disposition that led and caried him amisse before And hereby the deceitfulnesse of his sinfull heart being found out he groweth to be out of loue and liking with the desires which came from it and consequently from the uill words and actions that proceeded from it and both mindeth and doth the contrary things Thus hee is as wee see turned into an other course of life different from the men of the world But because few light on this change and this grace entreth not into many but is resisted rather and that in a deadly manner euen when by sound preaching it is offered vnto them therefore they abide in the same estate wherein they were before so that they are not subiect to the grace that should guide them neither indeed can be Thus it commeth to passe that few being new borne the most agree in the same euill to the which the heart being alike disposed vnto it they are carried And whereas it will perhaps be obiected that the good nature that is in many more then in some others and good education doe put difference betwixt men as well as sanctification and the changing of the nature of man be it knowne vnto them that the best nature is poysoned and enclined to all sinne and hath the seede thereof and the best education being not seasoned with religion can but worke ciuility in a man or at the most restraine him from some outward and open wickednesse it cannot giue him a new heart neither therefore make him a new creature And I conclude with the vse of this doctrine that all such as desire to be better guided then naturall men can be must seriously labour to be acquainted with their hearts searching out by the Law of God the depth of falshood and euill that is in them which is great and much and as they are taught bewaile it as that which bringeth forth fruit vnto death till they obtaine pardon thereof and of their other sinnes with the which grace they receiue will and strength though weakely to
wealthie and heads in societies that they ought to be the first in giuing good example both of praising God and in other commendable parts of Christian dutie For why The greatest haue a greater portion in Gods blessing and deliuerance then the meaner haue I meane they enioy much and haue much to lose and therefore they owe much while they enioy all in peace And secondly it is a goodly sight to behold Captaines in warre and Gouernours and Magistrates in peace and more particularly to descend lower and to come neerer the Commons Headboroughs in townes and the fathers of families to be lights in religion and holy practise to the rest and examples in the seruice of God and the inferiours to follow euen as the flocke followeth the bell-weather for they are both soone discouraged by their backwardnes and haue need of setting forward as by incouragement and good example they are easily brought to be Therefore the Lord in giuing charge to all by their families that they should remember to keepe holy the Sabbath beginneth with the gouernour thereof saying first thou shalt doe it then hee goeth forward to the sonne daughter and seruant Euen so on the contrary and much more when the greatest persons goe before the rest in ill example we see how readily they follow So wee reade that the Priests Leuites and guides of the people were the chiefe and first in taking to them and their sonnes strange wiues of the Amorites and Canaanites against the commandement of God and then many of the people followed them therein when they were returned out of the captiuitie Euen so wee might see it throughout if I should alleage many examples And so God be thanked in some sort wee see that where the chiefe men in any societie be forward in seeking knowledge and be zealous in flying euill and resisting it as their places will giue leaue and in following a good course their care and labour is not in vaine but to good purpose but where the guides of other as their Ministers masters of families and chiefe in townes are prophane lewd ill company keepers idle gamesters make-bates contentious and slanderers there yee may bee sure to finde them that are led by them and that depend vpon them to be sutable But otherwise if they see that the winde blowes against them then they hang downe the head and are nipt in the blossome and containe themselues And here see a note of difference betwixt the godly and the lewd The one with Ioshua vndertaketh for himselfe and his they will serue the Lord. The other like those Pharisies are not onely ill disposed themselues but doe also pull backe and pluck downe with them as many as they can from the best orders and companies And while men must liue with such rare is he who in such a case is a law to himselfe and can keepe his resolution rather to serue God alone then to giue ouer for want of companie But if any be better disposed then other among them they must fetch their light from other places for the most part or else bee in danger in the companie they come into to lose that little they haue and to be led into darknesse Now Debora hauing spoken of the chiefe doth by that occasion descend to name and mention the meaner sort of the armie to wit the two tribes of Naphtali and Zabulon who were willing to take that worke in hand against the Canaanites and were easily drawne to put to their helpe as appeareth chapt 4. 10. They therefore being so forward in so good a cause and thereby reaping so happie a fruite of their labour that is victorie ouer their enemies euen they I say lose not their due commendation but are brought in here by Debora as the woman in the Gospell who powred ointment on our Sauiour of whom he said this Wheresoeuer the Gospell should be preached that which she had done to him should be spoken of So the people that honoured God in this worke are praised by her which was also to their comfort Dauid saith of seafaring men that they could best speake of Gods wonders in the deepe so these being eye witnesses nay instruments and helpers forward of this deliuerance might best by experience speake of the goodnes of God therein and so no doubt did honour him for it and therfore God would honour them by regestring their memorie euen so there is nothing lost that we doe at Gods commandement and for his sake he is a plentifull paimaster and rewarder But in that both chiefe and meane were to praise God for the victorie she calleth thē to a renouncing of their owne strength or boasting of their owne arme which possibly they might haue done and to ascribe all to God as indeed she might well for what were a few of two of the meanest tribes of Zabulon and Naphtali able to doe against the entire forces and mightie armie of Iabin euen so they that are forward in Gods businesse vnlesse they grossely forget themselues they are readie to honour and praise him which cannot be without their owne comfort For these two agree well together that where there is readinesse to obey God there is the like in praising him and abasing of our selues and that also accompanied with ioy of heart And as it was heere with Debora so she sought to haue it with them and the same we see in Dauid when hee being aduised by Ahigail not to shed innocent blood he being easily perswaded by her counsell to forbeare did so and after it praised God highly and arrogated naught to himselfe for following her aduice when she had so wisely and in so good season ministred it vnto him and that wee may be sure was not without his owne reioycing Oh it well becommeth vs to bee forward in Gods matters and yet not to be proud for our so doing and there can come no worse end thereof then thankes to God who hath vsed vs as his instruments and comfort to our selues as wee may truly say who doe more thankfully and ioyfully partake the Word and Sacraments then they who haue with most profit receiued the Gospell and are most zealous welwillers to religion whereas the slothfull and they who are vntoward thereto neither finde any tast or sauour therein but are most diligent to promote ill causes they shall in stead of the prerogatiues of the other haue as they iustly deserue reproch vexation and other punishments of God euen in this life Therefore let all in humility bee carefull and ready to bee imployed in Gods busines and seruice and not to arrogate ought to themselues for that is the onely sweet life and to be desired and herein is our heauenly father glorified if we being forth much fruit In this verse she speakes vnto the rich and wealthy who for honour sake and the rule they had ouer the people did ride on costly beasts as we reade in chapter 10. 4.
looked to that wee conforme not our selues to the euill manner of vsing them in the age we liue in Rom. 12. And as for this one custome and fashion of feasting as Samson vsed it so Christ was present at a marriage feast in Canan a towne of Galile where many were met together and he approued their feasting And as for the bad Laban made a feast and called together the men of the place when he gaue his daughter to Iacob to wife So also did the young men of the Philistims vse to doe at such times The action therefore hauing been the practise as well of the godly as of bad people in it selfe is indifferent to be vsed and as it may be done lawfully so it may also be omitted because wicked men haue vsed it who doe nothing well and therefore as it falleth out for the most part that the greatest number that meete at feasts are none of the best it may be seene oft times more conuenient to omit the meetings of such lest much wickednesse should be committed by them and lewdnes in tongue and behauiour to the dishonour of God which is the more easily done when they haue well filled themselues Or if it cannot be altogether let passe yet a smaller company would bee gathered especially of such of our friends as are of the best sort of people and for the other if they must needes be there they should so bee placed at the table that as few of them be set together as may be and that it bee obserued that they may bee soone interrupted and broken off by such as sit neere and are better minded and wise withall if they should fall in any offensiue behauiour As for our Sauiour Christ hee gaue good example at the marriage where he was present and took occasion by the miracle which he wrought there to hold them occupied in good talke and to turne the people away from the contrary and we as farre as we may see our companie to be to good ends as that we may be like to doe good or take good so and thereafter to vse it And this be said of this point here hauing before touched it and hauing occasion to speake fullier of it afterwards Further by this that is said here that the young men vsed to make a feast at their marriage and therefore Samson did so we see the force and strength of custome how it preuaileth and is as the Medes and Persians law was that is not easily broken Such a custome that was that the people at their desire had a prisoner deliuered set free to them at the Passeouer by meanes whereof they asked Barrabas a murtherer rather then Iesus Such customes as are bad are continued still whereby disorder and reuell is maintained euen fruits of darknesse into the which the people is so reuited that though the preaching of the Gospel hath bewraied and brought to light the shame and odiousnes of them yet they can hardly bee broken almost in any places As the prophane spending the greatest part of the Lords Sabbath in carding drinking feasting and such like abomination and other such in euery countrey after the manner thereof making it a day rather held to Bacchus or Saturne then the Lord. And the same may be said of the riotous and intemperate mispending of the twelue daies and certaine other daies in the yeere farre worse passed then I say not Papists but euen Heathens oft times vse to doe And except the putting downe of Faires that were wont to be kept on the Sabbath which with much ado were some yeeres agone abolished I remember not many more ill customes ouerthrowne and put out of vse As for the ouerthrowing of many blind dangerous and disordered Alehouses for there is vse of the honest for the necessitie of trauellers it hath indeed very commendably been gone about by some honourable and worshipfull persons but yet through the vpholding of them by some gentlemen and others to their small credit they remaine still to the working of much euill and mischiefe thereby in most places As for those that are good customes to say no more of the bad they ought and other that be not hurtfull may be suffered and continued And in that respect I take it did Samson here after the manner of the young men make a feast to the Philistims But to proceed they being on both sides met at the marriage I meane Samson and his friends on the one part and the Philistims on the other the holy storie sheweth what the Philistims did to wit they tooke thirtie yong men for they had choice enough but the friends of Samson being strangers there could not command such a number neither is it like that the Philistims would haue liked it so that it cannot be meant of Samsons friends that they took thirtie men to countenance and honour him but of the Philistims who when they saw what manhood and stomacke was in him and that they had neede to beware of him they gaue him thirtie men pretending they did it to honour him to attend vpon him which indeed they did for feare of him In these Philistims we may obserue two things the one is their policie the other the care that they had of and ouer thēselues when they thought there was danger towards them and cause of feare Policie I say was in them for that when they feared they would not seeme so to doe but couered it with a faire cloake namely in appointing thirtie companions to him as if they meant to set him foorth and countenance him This the light of nature did teach them to keepe themselues from danger and harme Neither were the meanes euill that they vsed for that purpose though it must be granted that it was all one to them whether they were or no. So much more we being more cleerely and fully inlightned by the written word of God may in great perill not seeme to feare when it can doe vs no good but it may put vs to reproch but vse such lawfull helpe as wee haue at hand to repell the same though we let it not appeare Euen as Paul did who when hee was in great ieoberdie of his life by the Pharisies and Sadduces and like to bee rent in peeces betwixt them hee bewraied not to them what hee feared but vsed that helpe that God shewed him that was this policie that he said with a loud voyce among them that he was a Pharisie whereat there was a sudden diuision of his aduersaries the one sect being against the other and the Pharisies holding with Paul against the Sadduces Onely let no man by this that I haue said iustifie his shifting and vnlawfull policie in bringing himselfe out of trouble among which sort of shifters at this day the most bold and dangerous and diuelish is this treacherous crue of Iesuites who when they haue brought themselues into the briars by their villanous doings
storie at this time I will therefore here cut off THE EIGHTH SERMON VPON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES IT followeth further about this Bethlite for it is to good purpose to enquire heere whether this man did well in betraying the city and what is lawfull in the like case For as concerning the spies no question is to be made of their drawing the man to it whether they did well or no for it was their worke assigned them of God to destroy those nations and therefore to vse the meanes in going about it So was it also lawfull for him to do it they signifying to him what Gods wil was in that behalfe But whether the man beleeued that and therfore whether he did it in faith or to saue his life and his friends and goods it is vncertaine The first is more possible then probable to haue been the cause that drew him to doe it but the last is most likely yet wee may not determine which except the Lord went before vs therefore according thereto was his act good and commendable in him or otherwise Now for vs the case standeth farre otherwise then it did with him For it is not lawfull for vs to yeeld to any such thing as he did in betraying the city but odious and horrible The Lord Iesus speaking of the like matter as a thing most monstrous to attempt or goe about He saith many shall hate and betray one another a fearefull thing to heare much more for one to doe it to a whole City Nay all bitter violence and cruelty is odious in vs one towards another simply and without all respects much more when it shal be done for gaine or preferment No neither is it any way tolerable for the sauing of ones owne life We must in all these cases haue our discharges and warrant from God for that which we doe as Rahab had for hiding the spies which wee hauing Scriptures most clearely to direct vs in all our actions no such thing from what example soeuer is to be followed of vs in these daies Neither is the fact of Ioel in killing Sisera nor the Israelites borrowing and carrying away of the Egyptians treasures any thing to imbolden vs to doe the like she doing it against Gods enemies the Canaanites they doing that which they did by the Lords appointment In a word to doe any euill that good may come of it is odious Lastly out of these two verses it is good for vs to marke in that this poore Bethlite was the instrument of taking the city what poore meanes and helpes God oftentimes ministreth for the effecting of that which hee commandeth to be done yea though the worke be great and the means weake and vnlikely to bring such a matter to passe it skilleth not Both these things may be seene both in stirring vp and preparing that sillie woman in Ioshuas time to receiue lodge the spies whom he sent to view Iericho before they tooke it as also by blowing trumpets of Rammes hornes and by compassing of the city Iericho seuen times to make the walles of it to fall downe Who seeth not that these were poore engins to batter walles and also to giue this Bethlite into the hands of these spies that they might by his helpe easily take the city For when God will haue a worke to be brought to passe he appointeth the meanes also for the same purpose which being alwaies knowne to him but seldome to vs ordinarily till we meet with them not by chance but by his will and appointment it doth often take heart from vs and much dismay vs from cheerefull going about that which wee are commanded so weake is our faith when with vnbeleeuing Thomas wee doe not see and behold with bodily eyes the meanes which are yet sufficient and at hand through Gods promise So much the more it behoueth vs to be well acquainted with that which is taught vs heere for it is a singular encouragement to vs wee being so weake when we haue an hard labour laid vpon vs and we see no meanes to bring it to passe to know yet that God will prouide helpe though wee see not how as he did prouide a sacrifice for Abraham to offer in stead of Isaac Indeed if he should deale with vs as Pharaoh did with the Israelites who enioyned them an hard taske and great worke but yet they must make shift how to effect it which was impossible for them to doe then it were no maruell if we were pensiue and at our wits end what to doe But God be thanked if we can beleeue him that he will make it easie and prouide accordingly most cheerefully may we be occupied from day to day in all that by Gods Commandement we set our hand vnto This caused the Apostle Paul to be so diligent and vnwearied in bringing so many nations by his preaching to embrace the Gospell and saluation thereby when yet there were so many and great discouragements in his way This caused those worthy seruants of God Zorobabell Ezra and Nehemiah not onely to returne into Iudea but to build both the city vp againe being greatly ruinated and euen the walles thereof and also the Temple when hauing commandement from God so to doe they beleeued that hee would shew them how and bee with them to inable them though wee are not ignorant how many blocks and maine enemies there were in their way to hinder them And wee haue no other stay to looke for the promised saluation but this that hee that hath commanded vs to liue by faith and waite by hope will finde meanes to bring it to passe although we see little how many times in so much that we oft feare and doubt it being the waightiest case of all other euen as Saint Peter also saith that the righteous are scarcely saued And euen so the labouring man and the Artificer could neuer bee vpholden to follow their calling with any peace if they should looke onely how hardly they are like to bee maintaine and should not stay themselues by faith that God will prouide for them they themselues not being negligent And be this the stay of vs all in our hardest condition wherein wee be set by God that hee will bring vs through though wee see not how and that also in good sort because he hath promised Now it remaineth that we see how well this man was rewarded that did helpe forward Gods people in their worke to the destroying of his enemies by shewing them the way into the city though it bee not set downe with what mind he did it Thus they dealt with him they did not onely set him free and his whole family from the destruction that lighted vpon the other citizens but they did also suffer him to carrie away his wealth yea and so greatly enriched him that he was able to goe build a citie And by this wee see that
such as bee helpers and friends to Gods people neuer loose their reward as Rahabs example and the Kenites doe most cleerely proue declare A notable encouragement both to Gods people to know that the Lord so careth for them that hee will cause many euen of the wicked to be friends to them and helpefull and it is no lesse comfort to them that are so affected to them they may bee sure they shall not lose their labour but be well rewarded And so much the more wee ought to bee quickened by this doctrine seeing Gods people haue many and strong enemies in this world and they themselues are weake and soone discouraged And this is a great refreshing to them when they haue promise of such helpes as whereby their but then is made easie And the Lord hath said much in his word to the encouragement of both and therefore the Psalmist speaking of Ierusalem Gods people saith Let them prosper that loue thee And to Abraham the father of beleeuers which alike is spoken to all that are beleeuers as Abraham was thus he saith I will blesse them that blesse thee and curse them that curse thee So that as Ahab was spared insomuch that the plague threatned came not in his daies but in his sonnes because he repented and yet it was but outwardly wherein hee gaue but a bare shew of it euen so they that doe to his people any good though it bee but in an outward action as this Bethlite did heere to the Lords people shall not lose their reward It is true indeed that this but temporary for the most part which they receiue as the helpe that they minister to them is so but besides that it is much that God will regard them at all who are not faithfull to him for they might feare rather the contrary that he would pursue them as his enemies because they be not repentant besides this I say they get acquaintance with the godly hereby ofttimes whereby they be in hope that they shall learne their religion and follow their conuersation which if they so like and approue of that they loue them the better for it then do they gaine exceedingly by it indeed I meane by that friendship that they shew them For then they come within the compasse of a better blessing and are partakers of a greater promise euen that in the Gospell Whosoeuer receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward and he that receiueth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man that is for his goodnesse and because he is a good man shall haue the reward of a righteous man also This ought for iust cause to astonish and terrifie them who are professed enemies to them because they walke vprightly and hate none more deadly according to the prouer be The righteous is an abomination to the wicked This ought also to draw the hearts of the common sort who professe religion better to regard Gods people and not to bee more brutish then the heathen nations who feared Israel seeing they saw God was with them yea and let them while they liue among them obserue their example and profit by them as they in the Acts. 9. 31. If they will say they know not who they are I answere that they speake vntruly for in the time of their owne affliction and misery they can discerne and doe know them and will aske for them although at other times they are thought of them to bee too precise and deuout and call them Scripture-men in contempt yea euen such as against whom they will set themselues to these therefore if they will shew that they be wise indeed let them adioyne themselues and make much of them till they verifie the Scripture the Lambe and the Lion shall feed together for if God in their trouble and abasement haue giuen them vnderstanding and discretion to know them and afterward they make no more reckoning nor account of them they cannot bee ignorant that they haue done wickedly and are able to see what they doe in casting them off And let them be sure that their sin will find them out in time and the Lord will cast off them for that they haue dealt so with them But much more if they or others begin to smite them with their tongue and to kicke at them and disgrace them This bee said of the house of Ioseph ioyntly It followeth in the text VERS 27. Neither did Manasses destroy Bethshean with her townes nor Taanach with her townes nor the inhabitants of Dor with her townes nor the inhabitants of Ibleam with her townes nor the inhabitants of Megiddo with her townes but the Canaanites dwelt still in that land 28. Neuerthelesse when Israel was strong they put the Caananites to tribute and expelled them not wholly 29. Likewise Ephraim expelled not the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them 30. Neither did Zebulon expell the Canaanites that dwelt in Kitron nor the inhabitants of Nahalol but the Canaanites dwelt among them and became tributaries 31. Neither did Asher cast out the inhabitants of Accho nor the inhabitants of Zidon nor of Ahlab nor of Ach zib nor of Helbah nor of Aphik nor of Rehob 32. But the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites the inhabitants of the land for they did not driue them out 33. Neither did Napthali driue out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh nor the inhabitants of Bethanath but dwelt among the Canaanites the inhabitants of the land neuerthelesse the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and Bethanah became tributaries vnto them IN these verses the holy story layeth out the sinne of the other Israelites beside Beniamin for that they cast not out nor destroyed not those Canaanites which dwelt in their seuerall lots according to the commandement of God but onely made them tributaries to them And before all the rest the tribe of Manasse is reckoned to haue done so But whereas it is said in Ioshua that this tribe did then so that is make them tributaries then it is not so to be vnderstood but that is said there by an anticipation that is by setting downe that before which came to passe afterward For that was afterward to come to passe that is at this time heere mentioned which was after Ioshuas death For in the daies of Ioshua and of the Elders that liued with him the people contained themselues and did their duties in resisting their enemies by his worthy conducting and going before them And by this their departing from the commandement of the Lord which for a time they obeyed we see how they declined in a short time and waxed weary of obeying The which and namely in so many of them teacheth how ready men are to leaue and forsake a good course although they haue hardly and with much adoe been brought to embrace and fasten vpon it which much concerneth vs
whereof many thousands in this land are partakers which their fellow brethren in other nations being as Israel was in Egypt Iuda in Babylon oppressed with idolatry would thinke they obtained an vnualuable benefit if they might haue freedome from it And so they may well thinke For oh what a liberty is it both to soule and body and yet we may haue it with farre more ease then they had it that is without trauell or iourney And although they cannot value it in any sort according to the worth of it who haue neuer felt the burthen of a troubled conscience and bodily vexations yet wee that haue though they bee nothing so grieuous as they had we I say are euery day that we rise out of our beds to doe our necessarie businesse to confesse this marueilous worke of God for our deliuerance And yet I deny not but that other benefits of God are to bee sought for also as the enioying of the sincere preaching of the Gospell to the further welfare of our soules and things necessary for this present life that so there may want no encouragement to Gods seruice But howsoeuer the Lord should denie vs the one I meane plentie for our bodies which yet for many yeers he hath most gratiously yeelded and granted vs yet we should contend for the other I meane sound and sauing knowledge by an happie and sound ministery by all meanes if possibly wee may enioy it Which I speake to the iust reproofe of all such as doe onely regard their outward estate in the world little or nothing looking after the benefit of true happinesse by their soules welfare forecasting altogether to plant themselues ther whither the hope of earthly commodities doth leade them And though the townes families and kindreds be neuer so prophane and superstitious to the which they make hast yet that they little regard but so as commodity and honour may be gotten as their common question is may we looke for any good there they will dwell there they will liue and dei and there they will match and leaue their children to remaine after them But as from holding them from the infection of Popery or labouring to shield them vnder a setled good ministery and so to minde and seeke their saluation it is no part of their thought Nay there bee thousands in this land that lust after the seruitude of Popish Egypt againe earnestly desiring that day which God turne away the Lord forgiue it them as our Sauiour prayed for them that crucified him they know not what they do So farre are they from thankfulnesse for their freedome that they are voluntary slaues vnder that Pharaoh of Rome euen in their owne countrey But to returne and so to draw to an end let it be counted of vs a rare and singular mercy of God to be free from great calamities and extremities both of soule and body as these Israelites were who were deliuered out of Egypt and the bondage thereof And by occasion of this which I say this I further adde that such as liue void of grieuous paines and diseases as well as Egyptian bondage which others yea and those many of Gods deare children are vnder as the stone collicke gowts vlcers gripings and such like also such as be not in vtter penury and want nor yoked with vnquiet vnkind and supestitious companions in marriage nor with vnmercifull land lords and cruell ouerseers and gouernours which doe make their life wearisome to them and consume all their cheerefulnesse and comfort as as the moth eateth vp the beauty of a garment let all such I say beare their other pettie and small discommodities troubles and visitations patiently and contentedly and bee highly thankfull for that they are deliuered from farre greater yea and let them acknowledge that if with freedome from these and the like they hold sound peace with God and bee free from the stings of an euill conscience also that they enioy a peece of a paradise though in a meane condition and let them pitie those which are in such depths of griefe that their feruent prayes may moue the Lord to pity them also and let them that be free from them resolue with themselues and endeauour to vse their liberty and health to all possible good doing And yet let this bee knowne also that where God layeth these great burthens vpon some of his hee giueth them the greater grace to goe meekely vnder them And let vs beware lest through our security and negligence God may iustly vpbraid vs with his benefits as heere he doth Israel that hauing elbow-roome and liberty to serue God in our places and callings without any to disturbe vs or hold vs vnder we enbondage our selues by an ill conscience loosenesse security earthlinesse and the like euils by which our life should be as irksome as in Egypt or Babell The second benefit heere mentioned that God bestowed vpon them was that he brought them into the fruitful land in which they dwelt which was a farre greater matter then the former as shewing them plainly that he thought it not enough to deliuer them out of bondage except hee filled them with good things also He had done much for them if hee had onely deliuered them out of that fearefull bondage though hee had left them in the wildernesse but to bring them also into that fruitfull land and to giue it to them oh admirable kindnesse Behold then heere the great bountifulnesse of God that hee can as well and willingly giue abundance to his children as keep them out of great troubles He is not therby wasted nor diminished in his blessings by giuing them out liberally bestowing them being a fountain of riches neuer drawne dry So he said to the posterity of his people Oh that Israel would haue hearkened to me and haue walked in my waies I would soone haue brought downe their enemies I would haue fed them with the fat of wheat and with honey out of the rocke Neither neede we thinke that he standeth at it to giue vs these whose honour it is to bestow great things and hath already giuen vs the greatest of all euen his owne sonne and therefore can much more afford vs these smaller benefits also As we know that he did giue great riches to Abraham Isaac Iob and to other his faithfull seruants whom he loued dearely And wee in this land haue good proofe hereof in that with deliuerance from bondage we haue the Gospell peace gouernment plentie and such like And more particularly we in this land haue cause to admire the goodnesse of God in deliuering vs from the cursed practises of those Iesuites Locusts whom that beast hath sent forth to destroy vs Prince Nobles Magistrates Ministers and to root out Church and policie among vs and bring in darkenesse and confusion againe Wee owe doubtlesse as great thankes to God for these mercies and specially in the late Treason as Israel did for their
freedome out of Egypt and the ouerthrow of Pharaoh when he pursued them Now then to this common obiection why God doth not enrich so his faithfull ones in this latter age which obiection many are readier to put forth questions then to take any adswere to it for say they though men of the world haue great substance and swim in wealth and riches yet Gods people are seldome so but are held downe with pouerty and wants in so much as one is hardly able to relieue another and thereby also they say they doe the lesse good in bringing on and perswading to religion seeing they whom they goe about to perswade doe feare that their God loueth them not whom they serue seeing hee bestoweth not wealth vpon them as he doth vpon others who are not for the most part especially in some places religious at all also they feare that if they themselues should bee religious euen they should become poore also This I say troubles many them therefore I answere after this manner To doe them good hee is ready to bestow riches vpon them and better things also As he said to Ieroboam when of a seruant he made him a King If this had not been enough I would saith hee haue giuen thee more If then to him a bad man hee would haue giuen more if hee had vsed that well then who doubteth but that he would be liberally handed to his deare children if it were for their good But otherwise indeed hee thinketh them better held backe then bestowed as he answered by Saint Iames when they asked they obtained not because they asked amisse that is to bestow the things they asked vpon their lusts but if they might haue bettered by them hee would haue liberally giuen vnto them And as he answered Paul when hee gaue him not that which hee asked and yet that which he asked was a better thing then riches my grace is sufficient for thee so in denying them to his faithfull seruants he giueth his grace which worketh contentment in them and thereby though their outward estate bee weake hee yet euen in that keepes them from the noisome euils of the dayes they liue in that I say no more And further to answere them they must hold this for a truth that euery mans estate wherein God setteth him I say not that which hee by his sinne hath brought vpon him is best for him as we in the Lords prayer are well taught when wee are directed to aske our daily bread euen such successe in our estate poore or rich as our heauenly father seeth best for vs euen that is our daily bread with the which we must be contented And yet this is further to be added that hee that hath meate drinke and apparell he is not to bee counted poore when indeed the wealthiest hath no more neither is better satisfied with that which he hath then such an one being gratious and as for the superfluity that he hath which is counted his glory how commonly doe we see it to become his bane And where is the man that is not the worse for his wealth it being his strong hold which maketh him bolder to sinne that way that he is most carried by his sensuality much more then the poore man dare do And though God setteth vp some it is for their triall and for the maintaining of all estates preseruing of fellowship in the Church and Common wealth And as for the godly they should not want wealth but that it is for the most part vsed of many euen of them to snare and entangle them in this deceiueable world which as the beast that is caught by the hornes in the bushes and briers and as a man with bolts on his heeles is holden from running so doth it hold them back from running apace to the heauenly life Neither let this trouble any that while most of the godly want our fathers vnder the law and before the comming of Christ had great wealth and possessions and yet were godly and saued and therefore if God loued vs he would as well bestow them vpon vs now for wee must know that his outward seruice then was more costly then now it is which required more wealth and moreouer they had one vse of their riches which we haue not that by these earthly things God did figure out to them things heauenly as by the earthly Canaan hee did the heauenly Ierusalem for when that earthly countrey was promised our fathers they enioyed it not but liued strangers in it but they in those promises looked further that is for a better which they enioyed This that hath been said may fully answere the question I conclude therefore that God can freely and willingly bestow liberall portions vpon his faithfull seruants as well as keepe them out of great calamities if he see it to be best for them when their estate is weake and seeing it were not like to be good for them to enioy which he thinkes not good to giue them let them the more contentedly labour to be without it Now followeth the third benefit heere mentioned and that he had promised that hee would neuer breake couenant with them Heere the Lord may seeme to giue them great aduantage for if hee binde himselfe thus to them they being such as did oft times as they are charged heere to haue done breake their couenant toward him it may seeme that hee is tied to them that he shall neuer breake his couenant with them seeing he hath promised so vnto them whatsoeuer they doe or howsoeuer they breake theirs or behaue themselues toward him Then the which what is more absurd For the answering of this therefore and for the vnderstanding these words of the verse two things are to be considered One is of what couenant hee speaketh when he saith he had granted this vnto them that he would neuer breake it The other whether hee spake this simply or vpon a condition namely if they should obey him These two being answered will make the matter cleare Now for the first wee are to know that by the couenant heere mentioned hee neither meaneth the particular couenant which hee entreth into with the faithfull to be their God all sufficient for euer for that hee will neuer goe from but whom he loueth as he loued them ere they loued him so to the end he loueth them neither doth he meane the generall couenant of sending Christ to redeeme the world for the vnbeleefe of man could not make that promise of God frustrate and of none effect but he meaneth the couenant of enioying the land peaceably into which hee brought them with all the commodities therein Now that couenant was made with them conditionally if they should be obedient to him And this is the other thing which I said was one of the two which serueth for the better vnderstanding of this speech where he saith by his
and vnsetled This I haue thought good to say of their outward signes of repentance And seeing they were set downe to testifie the same in the people therefore all may see that this repentance must be euer found in vs whether any of the signes bee present or no. And the points thereof are these that the heart bee deepely pricked for sinne that it bewaile the same as purposing neuer to turne to it or the like againe which is all that can bee for the present time and that there bee yet for all this aggrauating of the sinne a beleeuing according to the promise of God that it is all freely remitted by God through Christ which more or lesse quiteth the heart and if that beleeuing be there it wil purge it from dead workes also afterward and keepe it from sinning any more in such manner as it did in former times the heart and whole man being sanctified already through beleeuing And this is the substance of repentance which we are to practise by the example of this people as also of many other in the Scripture as in Ieremy Hosea and diuers other But heere may a doubt arise about the repentance of the people that it may seeme not to haue been such as it hath bin set downe to be For if they repented at this time why did they not bring forth fruits of amendment whereof this was one yea a chiefe one to wit that they should after this haue rooted out the idolatrous Canaanites they being now so sharpely reproued for that they had not done it before but rather made leagues with them when yet that making of peace with them was one of the chiefe sins that was laid to their charge and in all sound repentance the sins bewailed acknowledged and repented of must needs be amended wee know in the persons For answere hereto it is to bee thought that the Lord held backe strength and courage from them so that they could not fight against them prosperously as they had done in the daies of Ioshua And this he did to the end they might beare that as a mark of their sin and disobedience For God according to his accustomed maner did receiue them into his fauor when they repented but hee did not by and by restore againe to them the other particular gifts which for their iust deserts hee had taken from them as strength of body and courage of minde they hauing both been abused of them before neither necessary to saluation Which thing is most needfull for vs to marke for our great benefit For euen so he dealeth at this day as he did in former times and with that people So hee dealt with our first parents after their fall for though they repented and were receiued againe into fauour yet the euils and discommodities which they brought vpon themselues and mankind did not the Lord take away neither was that quiet and sweet abode of theirs in Paradise enioyed of them at any time after So Sampson lost the gift of his bodily strength for a time after hee had so greatly displeased God which I might say of many other to wit that they lost the vse of such graces as before they enioyed And so doubtlesse such as after a commendable profession of the Gospell when they had before been truly conuerted to God by faith and repentance did fall againe to their old sinnes or to drowsinesse and coldnes in his seruice such I say haue found and receiued the like measure at his hands as most cleare experience hath been hereof in this late deceased generation and in some who still remaine of them whose first zeale and loue which they had at their first receiuing the Gospell being after slaked hath neuer after been as it was recouered For though they haue seene their falles and repented and obtained mercy yet the Lord hath left a marke of that their sinne behind both to minister and people so that they haue rarely recouered their former zeale the one in feruent preaching and care taking ouer the people the other in cheerefull profession vprightnesse of heart and holy walking but haue limped in some sort afterwards and they doe come short of the grace they had before the which the Lord hath suffered to put them in remembrance of that their sin euen as a man hauing fallen from an high beame or tree and broken his bones though hee get them set together againe so that they may serue the turne in some sort yet he neuer feeles them perfectly cured but euer painfull and lame afterward or much impaired And to adde one instance more such as after they truly repented haue fallen into adultery or any such hainous crime though they haue risen againe out of it and giuen good testimony thereof although they come to be truly perswaded that it is forgiuen them yet what vnquietnesse doe they oft finde within themselues what shame and holding downe of the head doth it cause outwardly before men whereby they are much appalled and held backe in respect of that they might haue been from good doing besides how many of the louers of the truth are strong enough to receiue them as they did before though it be their sinne that they doe not and as freely to communicate with them euery way but are much estranged from them and hardly conceiue of them whereby it may bee seene that their credit is much impaired thereby among men although they bee still in fauour with God as Dauid and others were The which the Lord in his prouidence doth to them and such like to keepe them in awe who are so ready to breake out againe and that all may see how God detesteth sinne euen in his owne and also that hee may thereby stir vp more serious repentance and constant holding on in that course and that they bee notled away from it by the errour of the wicked in such as are brought into the right way already That which hath been said of this point that I may teach a further vse of it ought to prouoke al such as by the grace of God are kept from such reprochfull sinnes to yeeld continuall thankes to God for it which it is to be feared is much neglected as well as for other benefits which giue them iust cause to doe the same But if any lie in knowne and offensiue crimes and yet can cunningly keepe them from mens eyes and looke no further let such know they are worse then the worst I haue spoken of whose sins yet haue broken out before men And seeing the best may fall possibly and that dangerously and so doing are sure that their sinne will finde them out and that they shall smart accordingly let the other much more thinke that God will vnskirt and vnuizor them to their shame in his good time and let the best count it no lost nor needlesse care to keepe themselues well while they are well I meane free from
notorious and knowne sinnes and let them endeauour to giue good example without wearinesse that so they may bee free from such fearefull offences And this be said of the peoples repentance To all the former instructions out of these two verses this I adde that if the bitter weeping of the people there caused the place to take the name from thence so that to this day it is retained and is called a place of weeping and further we see how long the remembrance of it is kept for many yeeres after then it doth strongly commend to vs what care we should haue while we liue to possesse the generations comming after vs of good examples giuen by vs among them that liue with vs which may doe good when we are gone either Ministers by their diligent and feruent preaching and godly liuing or the people in more then ordinary receiuing the message of the Gospell with thanksgiuing and other commendable fruits following The place of such inhabitants whether it receiue a name from such things done there as this Bochim did heere or no it is not so materiall But this is to bee thought that the remembrance of such good things done them might harten and encourage many that shall come after them not in that place onely but also in many other to follow such examples But whether they doe or no this is too true that no vile actions shall bee done to leade the people from God and goodnes no disorder I meane vnruly behauiour and reuell rout keeping but their example shall bee taken vp to be sure not onely of them that haue seene them but also of them who shall come after them hauing heard of them and be made customes if not petty lawes among themselues as the custome of spending the twelue daies at the Natiuity c. doth too truly testifie And thus I end THE THIRTEENTH SERMON ON THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The second part of the Chapter VERS 6. Now when Ioshus had sent the people away the children of Israel went euery man into his inheritance to possesse the land 7. And the people had serued the Lord all the daies of Ioshua and all the daies of the elders that outliued Ioshua which had seene all the great workes of the Lord that he had done for Israel 8. But Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of the Lord died when hee was an hundred and tenne yeeres old 9. And they buried him in the coasts of his inheritance in Timnah-heres in mount Ephraim on the north side of mount Gaash 10. And so all that generation was gathered vnto their fathers and another generation arose after them which neither knew the Lord nor yet his workes which he had done for Israel 11. Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord serued Baalim 12. And forsooke the Lord God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other Gods euen the gods of the people that were round about them and bowed vnto them and prouoked the Lord to anger 13. So they forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Ashteroth NOw followeth the second part of the chapter to the end which also containeth the summe of the rest of the second part of the booke vnto the 17. chapter and setteth downe the estate of the children of Israel vnto the death of Sampson and that was after this manner 1. The people prouoked God by their sinnes 2. God punished them for them and that by other nations 3. He raised vp Iudges to them and 4. When they cried vnto him deliuered them 5. After that they brake forth and fell to Idolatry againe And this was their estate all the time that passed till the acts mentioned in the 17. chapter as is shewed by perticular examples through all the chapters before that beginning in the third But if any see reason not to consent that these verses in this second part of this chapter doe lay forth the summe of the second part of the booke in generall it maketh no great matter He must yet grant that in them is set downe the estate of the people generally at the time after Ioshuas death who knew not the Lord and in the chapters following more perticularly vnto the seuenteenth chapter The distinct matters in this second part of the chapter are these fiue now mentioned 1. Their sinne 2. Their punishment 3. Their crying to God 4. Deliuerance 5. Their reuolting The first of them was their sinne the which is set downe from the eleuenth verse to the fourteenth with the occasion that they tooke to fall in that manner and that is from the sixth verse to the eleuenth And the occasion was the death of Ioshua and other good gouernours heere mentioned that outliued him for though in their time the people serued the Lord as heere it is said yet after them arose another generation that knew not the Lord and then they forsooke him Of these now as it followes in order And first let vs consider what is said of Ioshua then of the people and lastly of them both Of Ioshua first in his life and so come to his death then of the people after his death In that it is said of him that he had sent the people away to their inheritance before he died as it is recorded Iosh 24. it causeth a question to bee moued why hee had called them together before his death that appeareth in the chapter mentioned now throughout vnto the 28. verse and it was to this end to rehearse Gods benefits to them and to exhort them to serue the Lord and this was a little before his death at which time also he renewed a couenant betwixt the Lord and the people the like to which we reade that Iehoida did betwixt the Lord and Ioash the King And so did Nehemiah Iosiah and other whose rare godly example is set forth most clearly and liuely to be a patterne to all Christian magistrates euen the highest how they should count it their greatest honour to honour the Lord among the people and cause them to doe so likewise to aduance his true worship also and therefore to see true and sound doctrine taught and not to suffer superstition nor false opinions to bee thrust vpon the Church and to prouide as neare as may be that the people may know that they doe not require these things of them for fashion but in sincerity and that seeing the Lord is a plentifull rewarder of them that seeke him therefore they must not thinke themselues discharged in that they prouide for the outward peace of the people only wherein yet they doe very commendably but that they may liue godly also because vnder God they are the maintainers and preseruers of both tables And the best that they can yeeld the Lord for aduancing them is to serue him in feare themselues and kisse the sonne and prouide that others may doe so and that
prognosticate vnto what a passe they are like to grow if they had elbow roome For though none might liue happilier then they yet who for the most part doe lesse looke after it for as they in Moses absence from them but fortie daies made themselues a calfe to worship euen so the people are so brutish in these daies and disordered euen while their faithfull pastors liue with them that the greatest part of them take no good by them what did I say nay they liue most offensiuely vnder them A signe of a wofull condemnation ready to come vpon them all may see it is in their so doing for louing darkenesse in the cleare light of the Gospell more then it And though some of them who are more subtill doe carrie the matter more closely yet they are restrained by necessity or shame not reformed by grace and the power of the word And let others who are not so bad and yet not brought to true repentance let them I say make better vse of such helpes while they enioy them as they did in the Acts of the Apostles and especially let them see that all bee well betwixt God and them yea and let them get furniture of grace to vphold them afterward also lest too late they lament that they tooke no good by them and bewaile the want of them as Saul did Samuel when there is no helpe But heere in as much as we see these people held out in Gods seruice but for a time and that was while they had good gouernours and ouerseers liuing with them it auaileth much therefore to obserue in our selues what it is that maketh vs embrace religion and what is the chiefest thing that causeth vs to hold on the same A worthie point for all to learne and namely such as pretend they loue the Gospell it much concerneth vs I say to know and be assured whether it be fauour of men commodity credit example or other outward respect which moueth vs to professe any thing more zealously then some other doe or whether for conscience sake in that God commandeth vs so to doe and for the sauour and sweetnesse that wee finde therein and in the Gospell which wee heare For euen thereafter shal our welfare prosperity and perseuerance be For if wee haue tasted how good the Lord is and haue found that hundred fold that is promised and verefied in vs which is written in the Psalme that a day in Gods house is better to vs then a thousand else where then we may know that wee haue builded vpon a rocke and our building shall stand and till we meet with a better booty then that and may serue a better master then the Lord is which shall neuer be wee will keepe close to him and count his seruice to bee perfect freedome And to such as demand of vs whether wee will continue and hold on in a godly course or goe backe as Christ demanded of his Disciples we shall be able to answere with Peter whither shall wee goe wee are in the way to eternall life and we will not change our Christian course for any other Otherwise it is not enough to boast of our loue to God and to say Lord Lord when yet we will take no paines throughly to gage our harts and to see our affection well ordered that so good life may follow Now while the holy Ghost speaketh of the people how they followed the Lord all the daies of Ioshua and the godly elders hee stayeth a while about them giuing them this testimony that they had seene the workes of God which he had done among them meaning that they had not barely looked vpon them but obserued and as Mary did the words of the Angell had laid them vp in their hearts to consider them For what profited it then otherwise to see them For there is no doubt but that there were many more aliue at that time who had seene the miracles and great workes which the Lord had wrought in placing them in Canaan but they were not worth the naming seeing they had not also made vse of them but these had seen them in another manner so that they acknowledged the Lords power and goodnesse toward them thereby declaring that to be the cause of their constant seruing of God and cleaning to him euen because they had seene them And it is no lesse doubtlesse then a great cause of the godlinesse of them that haue any in them namely that they are such as haue seene and weighed Gods wonderfull acts as his mercy and gracious working by the power of the Gospell in themselues or other as also for that they haue had proofe of his mighty vpholding of theÌ„ in a good course against all aduersary power of the prince of darkenes and his band In like manner this hath hartened them to duty not a little for that as they haue seen it alwaies to go well with them while they feared the Lord and departed from euill so they â—â—ue seene the heauie hand of God to haue been against others that haue peruerted their waies followed a bad course so that although they haue prospered heere for a season yet when God in his due time hath blowne vpon their visored felicity they haue wanzed away in his displeasure This Salomon commendeth to vs in his example who professeth that it was his practise to behold and consider all things not impertinent matters as a busie bodie but profitable and especially the courses and issues of the righteous and wicked By which meanes hee attained to great experience and wisedome both to guide himselfe and others Euen as his father Dauid did also saying that he was made wiser then the ancient because he considered such things But this meditating of Gods wonderfull workes and namely this one the greatest of other how he hath appointed to saue some from vtter perdition and letteth others goe on in their sinnes though it be a strong motiue to draw men to God yet with griefe it may be spoken it is vtterly wanting among most men Their hearts are set on follie and vanity He that hath liued to see many laid in graue hath scarce a thought that hee shall follow and goe the way that all haue gone before him in As for that they heare that except they repent they shall all perish although they know their hearts are hardened so that they neither can repent nor haue the least desire after it yet they crie peace peace as though all were safe So that it may now iustly be complained of which Salomon hath long agoe bewrayed that the fooles eyes are in euery corner of the world meaning that they are busying themselues any way needlesly and amisse but as for things out of the world or aboue it that is as Saint Peter speaketh a farre off their eyes are sore and pur-blind they cannot looke after them and as the Prophet speaketh they
are wise to doe euill but to doe well they haue no knowledge The Lord himselfe bewaileth this brutishnes in men that like vnreasonable creatures they minde onely that which is present and before their eyes but oh saith hee that my people were wise and did consider their end For that is wisdome indeed which seeing the most doe want therefore they neuer enioy the thousand part of sweet liuing heere as they might doe Now the holy story hauing spoken of the workes which Ioshua and the people did in his life maketh mention of his death as that which followeth when all the actions of life are ended And therefore Dauid when hee was departing hence said I goe the way of all the world As wee haue therefore heard much of the actions of our life so let vs heare some what of death as the text giueth vs leaue and occasion And in that we heare that he died the seruant of the Lord as hee had long liued and had done so many worthie things in his life death and departure hence being so solemne a thing as it is we should bee much moued not onely to thinke vpon the end of all flesh but especially of our owne death and to prepare for it aboue all things and to learne to die that so wee might with him die the seruants of God Which though to a naturall man it be imposible yet the Lord maketh it tolerable yea easie and a welcome thing to all such as haue first learned to liue well heere or at least are fit to die For perseuerance in good life meeteth with a good death and ioyfully embraceth it in which respect Salomon saith that the day of death is better then the day of birth as being the entrance into life And therefore the text saith Ioshua the seruant of the Lord died noting that his death was not as the death of euery common man but a blessed death and a rest from the worke of the Lord in which hee had been faithfull in his life and therfore now looking for his reward from the Lord a bountifull paymaister death was welcome to him As it is reported of an ancient Father of the Church that being 80. yeeres old and being then to bid farewell to his friends said Thus long haue I serued the Lord and now it grieueth mee not to die for I haue a good master thereby meaning that death was far more welcome to him then life euen as that day is to a faithfull seruant wherein he is to receiue liberall wages for his long seruice then all the daies are that went before And thus S. Paul speaketh of Dauid that when he had serued his time he slept meaning that hee rested from his labours in body while his soule returned to God who gaue it And when we haue learned and fitted our selues to die then the hearing of death and the beholding it in other is a fit meane to quicken vs to the looking after it our selues and to further and confirme vs in readinesse to die well considering deepely of it and of our owne mortality with it And it much helpeth to thinke vpon the infinite thousands mentioned in the Scriptures who haue been taken hence by death and namely the rolles of Kings such as haue been more noble and memorable persons who seemed to haue an eternity heere by their dignity pompe and prerogatiues aboue other men as also among our selues more neerely to hearken after and thinke vpon the death of such as wee haue knowne or liued with oh it doth not a little helpe to cracke the pride of life in vs and to prepare for death All which in fit seasons and vpon good consideration being set before our eyes are singuler meanes to fasten this meditation vpon vs that wee also may willingly and readily giue place to death and this shall much easilier and the better bee while by our reioycing that we haue in Christ Iesus our Lord wee die daily before death doe come By meanes whereof as it is vncertaine when we see any to die among vs who shall bee next so euery one should put forward himselfe as the Apostle did in a case not vnlike being told by their master that one of them should betray him euery one asked for himselfe saying is it I master Euen so I say we ought to resolue euery one for himselfe that he may be the next that so death may the better be prouided for And let this serue by this occasion for a meditation of death His old age being an hundred and ten yeeres are reckoned as an honour to him that being so commended for his godlinesse hee liued so long To whom Moses and Caleb may bee added full of yeeres and grace Doubtlesse it is no lesse to a man seruing God so religiously so long a time For it is not an honour bestowed vpon all to become fathers and worthies in the Church for their long continuance in grace when we see the loue of so many to waxe cold and a farre greater number to bee reprochfull in their age But gray haires are a comely ornament when they are found in the way of righteousnesse For although it bee happinesse for the people of God to die betimes seeing to bee with Christ is best of all yet to liue long heere if God may be honoured by vs in our life is an high honour also another way euen by doing much good And so Dauid confessed saying If I may liue to keepe thy word for thereby God is glorified I shall count it a great bountie vnto me Which reason Dauid and Hezekiah vsed desiring life to this end saying The liuing the liuing shall praise thee Esa 38. 19. And in the Psal None can worship thee in the graue This a man would thinke should stir vp all that haue made good beginnings in Christian life to long after perseuerance therein yea though they liue vnto old age and that they may bee experienced and well seene in the waies of God that so they may declare them to others Which as it is rare and few mens cases to doe so it is their honour that doe it and their benefit who enioy it I speake this to the shame of such as doe by small occasions depart from good beginnings and in the pride of their hearts and contempt of other take conceits against their brethren who hold constantly the profession of their hope and breake off their fellowship with them directly contrary to the word of God or some other way depart from a good course so that few such doe hold out to the end in their good beginnings but lose that honour that Ioshua had who in his old age died as he had long liued to wit the seruant of the Almighty then the which title the Angels had no greater honour It is further added of Ioshua that he was buried in his owne inheritance which was
come we to the particulars When therefore it is said heere that God was angry with them we must not so take it as though God were subiect to passions as men are as either anger or repentance c. but such speeches are vsed and now this one of Gods anger to the end our faults may appeare the more grieuous in that they are said to prouoke him who is so hardly moued Againe to our capacity they are vttered to giue vs to vnderstand that God doth and will doe the same things that men being angry for faults committed against them will doe that is be reuenged vpon the offenders and yet hee is free from passion What are we then to think when we heare that God is angry to set light by it as the most do when yet we heare that he is not led by passions no but to be troubled for it because we cannot but feare that God will doe the same to vs that an angry man being offended will doe to such as prouoke him For why are we stronger then he or thinke we that we shall eschew and decline danger when yet in his anger he is compared to a Lion who seeketh his prey No doubtlesse for his wrath is assisted with power and with presence And therefore it is said in the Psalme If his anger bee kindled the earth is moued and the foundations of the hils are shaken And againe If his anger be kindled but a little happie are they that trust in him Which places with many other such doe liuely shew the danger of them that prouoke him and that as he is angry iustly so his anger is without respect of persons or parciality declared against all sorts without exception that prouoke him the greatest shall as well smart as the meanest as the text there importeth But the vse of this is seeing God is prouoked by our sins that we should beware that we offend him not in the common manner as men doe in the prophaning of his Sabbaths his word and Sacraments in slander lying dissembling incontinency and vnchastnesse of body and minde in deceiuing oppressing and a thousand waies more and especially we must looke that we liue not in vnbeleefe which is disobedience in an high degree euen to the Gospell for which Paul saith the wrath of God is reuealed from heauen But if wee haue fallen into any such the next heed to bee taken of vs is not to sleepe vpon them but tremble for that we know Gods wrath is kindled against vs and who knoweth whether vengeance may come forth and take hold of vs before our hearts relent and before wee meet him with repentance When the Lion roreth all the beasts of the forrest quake and is it not time for vs to doe the like when the mighty Lion of the tribe of Iudah is moued And if it be meet that euen the children of God be held in awe by considering that he their God is a iealous God yea a consuming fire and againe if they cannot but tremble to behold him in displeasure sometime with his enemies as well as they see him in his smiling countenance toward his owne people how much more should they tremble when it is their owne case and when they themselues are the persons vpon whom hee frowneth And if the Princes wrath be death as we see it is by Ahashuerosh when he was inflamed against Haman how dangerous is the estate of them who most iustly haue stirred vp the Lord against them For which cause our Sauiour saith Feare not him who can but destroy the body but feare him that can cast body and soule into hell I say feare him So that the man lying in known sinne not repenting is the man of misery if hee could see it howsoeuer hee sooth vp himselfe or be soothed by other for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it And I haue wondred oft that so many offending as are knowne daily to doe and that willingly and loosely yea and with boldnesse and that they being in so great danger thereby of sundry punishments euery day I haue wondred say that so few make hast to rid themselues out of that fearefull condition and especially they seeing so many to smart from time to time for the same and the like sinnes that swarme in them and yet further to giue too apparant tokens by their impenitency that it will be infinitely worse with them when they bee gone hence Thus much for this time THE FIFTEENTH SERMON VPON THE BOOKE OF IVDGES THE REST OF THE fourteenth and the fifteenth verses a part of the former text and on these verses following VERS 15. Whithersoeuer they went out c. 16. Notwithstanding the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressors 17. But yet they would not obey their Iudges for they went a whoring after other gods and worshipped them and turned quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked obeying the Commandements of the Lord they did not so 18. And when the Lord raised them vp Iudges the Lord was with the Iudge and deliuered them out of the hand of their enemies all the daies of the Iudge for the Lord had compassion of their gronings because of them that oppressed them and tormented them OF Gods anger and the feare therof being the first punishment we haue heard Now followeth the next which is the effect of it For they who are angry consult and deuise how they may reuenge themselues vpon such as haue offended them the 〈…〉 out â—ffect the effect of whose anger is set downe first to be the spoiling 〈…〉 good and then the bondage they came in to their enemies which was farre greater And these are the sorer because God dealt not with them himselfe but gaue them ouer to men yea cruell men such as Dauid desired he might not fall into their hands because there was no mercy with them But to say some what of the former of these two to such as be in prosperity we know that the losse of wealth is found by experience and taken of men to bee one of the hardest iudgements that doe befall them the reason is for that they loue their money and goods almost if not altogether as well as their liues And yet a great punishment is this which they sustaine by them that when the Lord hath giuen them as blessings they lose the right vse of the for and through their foolishnesse and sinne and cause that for the most part they become curses to them And God in his wisedome doth send such penalties oft times among many other vnto them as it is said heere hee gaue them into the hands of spoilers But this was yet farre worse when they must goe vnder it and yet neuer consider by whom and why they were thus punished Behold in this people the extreame follie of sinners at this day who though their hearts are set vpon their
it appeares that they had load enough vpon them as one would thinke and yet as though there had not bin enough said of the hand of God against them the holy Ghost addeth heere that whithersoeuer they went forth the hand of the Lord was against them as if it should bee said whatsoeuer they tooke in hand or went about it prospered not but they were crossed therein whereas of the godly we reade in the first Psalme the contrary to be said and set down The like is spoken by the Prophet Azaria to the people of Iuda in the secōd booke of Chronicles This though it be not seene of many nor marked of the disobedient and therefore not complained of yet their misery therefore is the greater seeing they goe on brutishly as the foole to the stocks and the oxe to the slaughter till a dart pierce through their liuer But some feele and perceiue it when God being angry with them his hand is against them as experience witnesseth though he deale not now so much nor apparantly against his enemies in bodily as spirituall plagues for doe not many loden with sorrow and misery crieout that God fighteth against them though there be no outward punishments to bee seene vpon them and that they neither prosper nor enioy any inward peace but are wearisome to themselues cursing their lot and wishing themselues out of the world nay laying violent hands vpon themselues for very anguish of heart and madnesse thinking falsely so to escape their misery And how heauie a thing is that thinke wee especially when they know not how to remedy it And as it is thus with them euen so Gods hand is euer with his faithfull seruants in all their waies which God hath set them in They are like the tree planted by the riuers of waters that bringeth forth fruit in due season and whatsoeuer they do it shall prosper Indeed this is the lesse seene to be because they finde it so hard a thing for them in the middest of so many discouragements to continue in their vprightnesse as we may see who marke it but they are oft vnsetled and broken off by the burthen of the flesh from their innocency or else are forced with much adoe to recouer themselues being fallen and are in great heauinesse thereby But while God vpholdeth them by his grace hee doth also make them well liking and to prosper yea in their weakest estate in respect of other and to recouer And whereas it is added that this pursuing of them by the Lord in all that they set their hand vnto was as he had sworne to them it is to teach vs that it could be no otherwise seeing God speaketh nothing in vaine much lesse if he sweare to it according to Samuels words the strength of Israel will not lie One iot or tittle of his word cannot faile It is farre more firme then the law of the Medes and Perfians which yet altered not So that if the Lord speake the word or sweare except it be conditionally whether it be a threatening to such as prouoke him or a promise of any good things to such as trust in him it shall most certainiy come to passe what attempts soeuer there be to the contrary as is daily to be seene And therefore it is to be wondred at that men are so little moued thereby but for all his threats go forward in their bad course till the euill threatened doe come vpon them and cause them to crie out euen as Gods seruants also doe smart when his promises being certaine are for all that not beleeued of them But this matter is oft occasioned And this bee said of the peoples sinne and of their punishment It followeth now in the text VERS 16. Notwithstanding the Lord raised vp Iudges which deliuered them out of the hands of their oppressors 17 But yet they would not obey their Iudges for they went a whering after other gods and worshipped them and turned quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked obeying the Commandements of the Lord they did not so 18. And when the Lord had raised them vp Iudges the Lord was with the Iudges and deliuered them out of the hand of their enemies all the daies of the Iudge for the Lord had compassion of their gronings because of them that oppressed them and tormented them NOw follow the other things which I mentioned before in the sixth verse in laying out the points of this second part of the chapter and that is how the Lord raised them vp deliuerers in their oppressions when they cried vnto him who were called Iudges This cannot bee vnderstood of any one time seeing he sent not many Iudges at once among them in any time of their affliction Therefore hee sheweth heere to the end of the chapter what was the condition of the people of Israel and the changes and diuerse courses that they were in the time of the Iudges In few words it was thus when they cried to the Lord in their oppressions he pitied their grones and raised them vp Iudges which were deliuerers of them as I said and he was with them to blesse them and yet they turned away from him againe for all that and so he was prouoked to go against them afresh as is set downe in the latter end of this chapter in some of the verses that follow And first in that it is said in the eighteenth verse for these three verses are to bee ioyned and read together that they groned to the Lord vnder their oppressions who saw nothing amiffe in themselues before it must teach vs that calamities will search and stirre vs vp to griefe and to make our mone to God for very anguish of heart how carelesse and iollie soeuer wee haue been before when wee boldly prouoked him and when wee haue been so carelesse and headstrong as that nothing could serue to plucke downe our stomackes yet sore troubles haue broken our hearts as if we neuer had been otherwise Therefore when his word will not preuaile the Lord is faine euen to maister men by strong hand that at least hee may tame them by violence if he cannot bow them to repentance euen as men handle horses and such beasts as they cannot rule they cast them and keepe them vnder by binding them that so they may worke their pleasure on them The wilde Asse must be taken in her moneths when she cannot resist and this course the Lordis driuen to take with vs to wit to make our hearts to smart and to loade them with sorrowes or else there would bee no rule with vs thus I say he is faine to take vs downe According to that which is said in the Psal When he smote them they sought him yea they sought him early Pharaoh himselfe when he felt the smart of the plagues of Egypt sought for Moses to pray for him to the Lord. Long it is
first part of the Chapter ANd first why these nations were left still in the land two reasons are set downe one in the first and fourth verse and that was to proue them the other in the first and second verse and that was to make them know warre not meaning thereby to make them skilfull warriours though necessity draue them to that when they saw they must trust to their skill but to let them see what it was to bee put to their shifts and to fight with weapons who had neuer been wont to doe so neither their fathers seeing the Lord had in the former warres with their enemies extraordinarily fought for them without their owne labour and skill To come to the first reason generally set downe in the first verse and particularly in the fourth I haue spoken of it in the former chapter and the last two verses It is heere repeated to beate it into them deepely and to make them thoroughly perswaded thereof that they might then and so wee now bend all the force of our hearts to looke well about vs how we beare our troubles meekely and patiently depending vpon God for a good issue which dutie he most certainly looketh for at our hands as throughout the Scripture he teacheth and admonisheth vs to doe and wee cannot but bee much disquieted by our afflictions if wee doe otherwise notwithstanding that our corrupt nature doe carrie vs much to rebell against the same This is that which we haue to learne by the repeating of those words in this verse namely that it is said God left the nations in the land to trie the people of Israel and to trie them in this whether they would keepe his commandements or no. Moreouer we must marke that which is set downe here in this first verse that the Lord is said to haue held these nations still in the land which was to the exceeding sore vexing of his people to teach vs that the raizing remaining or remouing of troubles they are all of the Lord and by his appointing euen by his will and of his wise disposing whether wee respect the whole Church or any part or member of it and they come not by chance or a mans ill fortune as the ignorant people speake neither is there any such thing but as the Lord himselfe saith in the Prophet Amos there is no euill in the city that is no trouble but I the Lord haue sent it And if it were otherwise the best people as the worst are should by their afflictions be at their wits end Wee may not therefore rest our selues in the second causes neither vexe our selues about them as we doe too oft which is a spurning against the Lord but patiently beare them seeing that whatsoeuer the instrument bee it is certaine the Lord is the ouer-ruling cause howsoeuer it is euident that oft times wee cause and bring them our selues and therefore we ought to bend our selues in all earnest manner to patience and so much the rather seeing hee further certifieth vs that hee doth all for the best to such as feare him so that wee doe but encrease our sorrow who by impatience encrease our sinne and therefore prouoke we not him from whom all trouble commeth and who through his Almighty power can cast into hell also but feare wee to doe euill in his sight euermore that wee may auoid both and ascribe vnto him our deliuerances also that seeing all such deliuerances are from the Lord hee may haue his due praise from vs. In the end of this verse and the second where it is said that God left the nations still in the land that he might teach this generation of Israel warre which neither they nor their fathers had in times past knowne which is another reason why those nations were not driuen out this is the more cleare meaning of it When the Lord by trying them had found though he was neuer ignorant what they would doe and made manifest the impiety and idolatry of the people of Israel to themselues he tooke away from them their strength in war and withheld his aide from them which hee had in times past giuen to them and to their fathers in battell with their enemies so that now when they went to warre by their owne power the Lord withholding his from them they knew what warre meant which before they knew not when the Lord had fought for them for then hee gaue them strength and terrified their enemies and weakened them and gaue good successe to the Israelites but now he left them to shift for themselues and therefore wee see what is meant by this that they had not knowne warre when as yet they had not broken their couenant with God for he had fought for them They knew not then what it meant to goe to warre for the Lord had fought for them but now they did begin to learne And heere we may see that when by Gods kindnes and many comforts ministred by him we cannot be kept in compasse nor be brought to cleaue to him with all our hearts hee will take another course with vs to bring vs thereto for hee will acquaint vs with wants trouble and sorrow as hee did this people heere to see if they can bring vs thereto and yet such is his loue to vs if they preuaile with vs and worke kindly vpon vs to bring vs to repentance he will returne to vs againe graciously and continue still his former bounties toward vs. When Ioshua and the good generation in his daies truly serued the Lord they were preserued from their enemies and knew not what war meant the Lord himselfe fought for thē while they did little more many times then looke on And in our first parents we may cleerely see this to be exemplified while they yet liued in innocency and were vpheld with the grace of God they neither knew nor felt any euill but when they had disobeyed by eating of the forbidden fruit they began to know what good and euil meant In like manner children while in their younger yeeres they haue been subiect and obedient to their parents they are tenderly handled and haue all things with ease prouided for them but when they grow vp rude and stout and for that are put forth to their shifts they come to know what hardnesse meanes who before were not acquainted therewith by the rough handling of strangers And let it be well thought of by vs for euen so God dealeth with vs if we can by his mercies be drawne to dutie he is ready to bestow them plentifully vpon vs hee thinketh nothing too good for vs so as wee need not know the sorrowes and vexations that are in the world in comparison of that which many thousands doe feele and smart by them But if we will follow the common course of others to be like to them in euill we shall soone know that it was no meane benefit to
that God will not suffer a good man and true to be robbed of a theefe or hurt by a witch which Scripture and experience doth sufficiently confute but as God exercised holy Iob by the diuel the head so he doth other of his deare ones by witches and other wicked people which are his members and that hee suffereth as hee seeth cause worse people then his owne to domineere ouer them the Egyptians tyrannie ouer Israel the Canaanites cruelty and the examples of other nations in this booke against Gods people after both with the experience of all ages are sufficient to testifie That is cleare enough but let vs further see the reason thereof and Gods meaning therein For he doth not punish his owne people by the wicked his enemies because they are in better account with him then they neither to put them in hope that they shall goe vnpunished in the end because hee vseth their seruice as he did Satan against Iob to try him but because hee will hereby manifest how great a finne it is to abuse and liue vnworthy the Gospell therefore he beginneth first to visit his owne people and oft times euen by them But afterwards as Amos saith he will visit Damascus Moab and Ammon and make them drinke of the dregs for if hee doe this to a greene tree in comparison of them how much more will he do it to the withered And as the Lord will be auenged of his enemies so after hee hath corrected his owne he will againe returne to them Therefore the Church is brought in by the Prophet Micha to say thus Reioyce not ouer mee O mine enemie for though I fall yet shall I rise againe as the Prophet speaks meaning that the Lord would finde a time both to take corrections of them and yet to be pitifull to them againe euen as the father will burne the rod when the child relenteth and promiseth amendment And this if the wicked will not see that he chastizeth euen his owne hauing sinned against his knowne truth but once as it were and therefore hee will much more haue a day for them to pay them to the full for their manifold and long continued rebellions if they I say will not regard it let Gods seruants profit by it euery way both they who are iustly visited for their sinnes and also they who are more free who know that hee doth vse to begin iudgement with his owne house that they may thereby returne vnto him Besides that which hath been said of these nations how the Lord strengthened them against Israel so wee may further note heere how they were confederate together against Gods people wherby we may further learne how the wicked who can seldome agree together betwixt themselues for their leagues are soone broken can yet easily ioyne together to vexe Gods people And thus these three nations did consent in one to smite them Euen as we reade that Herod and Pilate which had been enemies one to the other were made friends by ioyning both against Christ As two dogs that fight each with other for a bone yet both ioyne in biting the passenger Or as theeues who consent to rob the true man though they cannot agree in diuiding the spoile for in that they disagree each from other it is because they want the true band of vnion but in that they consent it comes from their mutuall hatred of vertue and feare lest their owne kingdome should be ouerthrowne And we finde it as true in these our daies that they who cannot brooke one another but haue sharpe contentions and broyles betwixt themselues can yet with free consent band themselues against Gods seruants Which to leaue them to repent for it if God giue them grace one would thinke should make vs cling and cleaue fast vnto the Lord that yet we may haue him on our sides and to stand with vs against them whensoeuer they shall strengthen one another to molest and oppresse vs and also to maintaine our Christian amity with our brethren the more strongly by breaking off contentions which easily arise lest the children of this world condemne vs. The punishment is bondage and as the former generation was to the King of Aram so now they were in bondage to the Moabites the time that it continued was more then double in respect of the former euen eighteene yeeres The people that now were brought into bondage though they were neither all that were in the former calamity nor they only yet the rest who were growne vp at this time had seene the workes of God and receiued the religion of their fathers and therefore they smarted iustly with the rest with whom they had sinned By them both wee learne that they prouide ill for themselues who make slight vse of Gods former corrections for sinne and that thereby they bring and pull downe vpon themselues greater iudgements As Christ said to the man that was healed Goe thy way and sinne no more left a worse thing befall thee So he threatened in Leuiticus that if they did not amend by the former punishments hee would adde seuen times more And did not Pharaoh finde it who for his mocking of God and hardening his heart against him when he confessed that God had been iust in sending vpon him so grieuous iudgements at the first prouoked him to send many more vpon him afterwards And we at this day who haue had deliuerance from trouble which our sinnes procured and brought vpon vs haue too good proofe of this that I say that we smart more by the after sinnes and those which we renue daily then by the former euen as a renued wound is more smartie and dangerous And stands it not with the righteous iudgement of God that it should be so Is it meet that we should tempt God in such a manner and that wee should not beare the marke of it about vs in our flesh or in our consciences And so we doe For to say nothing of those who sinne more willingly in whom this is more clearely verified it appeareth in the weaker sort of Gods children euidently who sinne but of negligence and some carelesnesse rather then wittingly that they smart also for the same For beside their outward crosses their oft doubtings also of their saluation whereof yet they haue had assurance before and by many great feares they haue oft times that all is not well with them to Godward the which for the most part do come of the slight and slendervse that they make of their deliuerance from their first feare and trouble of minde which they sustained And it would much more appeare in many others that their latter troubles which they beare and by which they smart for their latter and new prouokings of God are farre more grieuous then the former and they farre hardlier recouer out of them if they did not burie the remembrance of them and willingly forget them
by their loud and vnbeseeming as well as vnseasonable complaints and outcryings whereby they disquiet the whole family for some ouersight which they espy yea they haue oft times no cause at all to doe so or at least if they had any iust cause to be grieued yet a little patience and bearing with the trespassers as the cause requireth and sober and kinde telling them of it might haue done farre more good and haue kept the whole family quiet The same I may say of the wife if she be giuen to waspishnesse and bee shrewish hot and wrathfull who thereby troubleth both husband and the whole house and this accusation reacheth yet further euen to the spitefull and malicious who are not onely oft iarring and at strife with their neighbours vpon small or no occasions but are ready to sue them at the law for euery trifle and so trouble both them and themselues also Whereas the vertuous Queene Hester beholding how shee was the onely hope and helpe vnder God of the Churches deliuerance from Hamans plot and deuising to wast and destroy it vtterly tooke vpon her the going about it though it was with most likely perill of her life and that without the hurt of any one beside saying in so doubtfull a case If I perish I perish Yea Saul himselfe who yet had no commendation through the story for vprightnesse and goodnesse would not suffer any of the murmurers and repiners against his entring in to bee punished at his first comming to his kingdome as some would haue had it but chose rather to put vp the disgrace saying there shall no man die this day for to day the Lord hath saued Israel And this by occasion of Ehuas sending the people away that went with him being the first of the three things mentioned to be contained in these 3. verses Now followeth the second thing to wit of Ehuds second going to Eglon and what he said Hee returned in hast from the place neere Gilgal in the land of Israel whither hee had conducted the people which could not bee farre from the place where King Eglon lay for hee hauing brought the Israelites into subiection to him it is cleere thot he lay neere their borders the better to see them kept vnder and he comming to him told him hee had a message which was of secresie to doe vnto him Whereat the King required him to stay the vttering of it till the company standing by were commanded out of the place For hee hauing so lately receiued a present at his hand had no suspition of any trechery to be intended by him The company being gone Ehud was admitted to come neare vnto him And telling him that his message was from God hee stood vp to doe reuerence at that name and so by this meanes he had the way made more easie for him and the better opportunitie to doe the worke he went about And in these two verses we may see considering that the Lord called Ehud to this worke for the destroying of that his peoples enemy and to deliuer them out of his hands for else it had been a most bloody and trecherous act we may see I say the courage and confidence that was in him to aduenture that great danger that hee did by going about to kill Eglon the King who if before his attempt he had been detected and found out had been put who doubteth to most extreme tortures among enemies and no friend of his standing by or in presence And what had hee to vphold himselfe by in that great difficulty and fearfull danger but his trust in God and confidence that hee who laid that worke vpon him would bring him well through it And yet how hard a thing it was for him who seeth not if he will rightly consider it in that difficulty and great straite that hee was in to beleeue that God would make way for him and enable him to such a worke all likelihoode thereof being taken away And this teacheth vs what the nature of faith confidence is whersoeuer and in whomsoeuer it is to be found that they looke not vpon things that are seene which may-work deadly discouragement and anguish but vpon that which is not seene with mortal eye and that is Gods power and willingnesse ready at hand to helpe vs forward and to encourage vs to waite for the accomplishing of that which we beleeue and looke for in our greatest need This it was that animated and strengthened Ehud to attempt this dangerous worke And this faith and confidence hartened and emboldened the Priests when the Lord by Ioshua commanded them for their passing into the land of Canaan to set their feet on the water to goe ouer the riuer Iordan how vnlikely soeuer it was their beleeuing I say the Lord by the mouth of Ioshua that a way should be made for them to passe through safely as on dry land euen that it was that hartened them to doe it who yet in so doing must of necessity haue been drowned by mans reason and iudgement And this faith made Peter bold to pronounce to the lame and diseased euen while they lay visited to pronounce I say in the hearing of all that stood by when he saw no likelihood thereof appeare Iesus Christ maketh you whole arise and walke For hee beleeued Christ who had said to him that he should worke a miracle whensoeuer it was expedient and that faith made him bold to say so whereas if that had not been immediately done indeed which he foresaid should come to passe that the parties should bee healed he should haue been vtterly discredited and laughed to scorne and cast out from mens company as a deceiuer This faith made the holy Martyrs yeeld their bodies to the fire for the defence of Gods truth while they beleeued not onely that they should bee receiued after into glory but also that God would strengthen them for the present time to endure the flame And this it is that inableth vs to suffer the hardnesse which wee willingly sustaine throughout our liues euen this that we trust and rest perswaded that God will bring vs well through it and afterwards receiue vs into his eternall kingdome Which caused Saint Paul to vtter these words Why weepe ye thus and rend my heart for I am resolued and ready not to bee bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus and euen so he taught writing to Timothy Therefore we suffer because we beleeue in the liuing God who is the sauiour of all but especially of them that beleeue And this of Ehud in these two verses and of his words spoken to the King and as for such as aske why he deluded the King with a lie while hee went about to kill him seeing hee vttered no message to him at all when yet hee told him hee had a message from God vnto him to them I answere the word
which is translated message or errand doth not onely signifie a word or message by mouth but also a thing or deed such as that was which he did vnto him for he was sent from God to kill him euen as among the Latines Verbum res Quid hoc verbi est Quid hoc rei est both are one Now followeth the third thing and that is in this 20. verse namely of Ehuds last words to the King immediately before he killed him and of Eglons behauiour thereat as it is heere set downe let vs consider of which this I say In that he should so simply hearken to and beleeue him admit him into his secret parlour and that Ehud being a stranger should neither be suspected nor searched as the manner is and great reason was for it before hee should haue accesse to the King and that none of all the Kings attendants should aduise such a matter that hee should not bee suffered to stand on his feet before the King which was more suspitious but rather commanded to bee vpon his knees before him and then that hee should cause his owne company to goe out of the place and leaue them two onely together but especially to let Ehud depart before they saw all to be wel These I say and such like if the Lord had not blinded and cast a myst before them could neuer haue passed as they did And we may say it was much like that which we reade of Abner captaine of Sauls hoast and all his men to wit that when he imagined that Dauid pursued him and sought his life and should therefore haue more specially watched and attended the Kings person then at other times yet that euen then all the armie should be asleepe together where they lay in so much that Dauid challenged Abner for it was it not admirable For it could not haue been so in any reason except God had cast a sleepe vpon them to the end that Dauids integrity and innocency toward Saul might be knowne when there was seene no other way to shew it and all saw that would how he might haue killed Saul And hereby let vs learne that when God will haue any worke wrought or any thing brought to passe for his glory the good of his Church or destruction of his enemies he hauing many waies to bring it to passe will effect it through infinite difficulties without our troubling our selues about it For his prouidence alway ministreth to and makes way for his purpose till it be executed Dauid was so coped in by Saul at one time that there seemed no hope of escape but then the Lord whistled him away and set him about other businesse What lets and discouragements thinke wee had Noah to hold him from that great worke of building the Arke to the preseruing of the world and the Church of God I will leaue it to the consideration of the reader rather then spend the time in laying it forth In the bringing to passe Gods promise to Ioseph in his dreame what a long time was it before it was effected euen well nigh twentie yeeres and how vnlike and in the meane while how many difficulties were raised and set in the way to the frustrating of it as the malice and enuie of his brethren some of them intending and seeking to kill him but all the company consenting that he should be sold to strangers a farre off from whence they thought he should neuer haue bin any more seen of them neither his dreames come to passe and then his imprisonment also after all by the false accusation of his whorish mistrisse who would not haue said that by the meanes of all these he should haue been vtterly depriued of the benefit of the promises which God had made to him But could they preuaile was any iot of Gods word made voide so that it came not to passe And was all the cruell malice of Haman easily auoided in plotting the destruction of all the Iewes Gods people the day thereof being appointed the King perswaded by him to let all be as hee would haue it and no friend to them but they were as sheep appointed to be slaine but they that were in as great danger themselues that is to say Hester and Mardocai and when shee the Queene who was all their hope vnder God should goe about to helpe them out of the danger she brought her selfe thereby into the present perill of her life And yet because it could not be possible that the Church of God should be ouerthrowne did not he most strangely deliuer it But to let passe examples in Scripture euen thus the Lord hath and doth vphold his Church heere and there for a time against all enemies and lets and will doe till he hath accomplished and made vp his number And when wee see that he continueth his fauour more specially to any place or people through many trials let vs say the Lord hath done great and maruellous things for them and they had need to acknowledge his kindnesse and profit by it more then in common manner lest their account be harder to be made then other mens And to come to shew it more particularly and so to conclude this point if euery priuate person whom this concerneth could weigh through what difficulties as tentations and discouragements God hath brought him to hold and keepe faith and a good conscience both in the beginning middle part of his combate and conflicting daies and more specially when he hath well nigh runne his race and finished his course with ioy oh what thankes would he render to the Lord for it For all such may well remember how oft they haue said within themselues that they shall neuer be stablished and perseuere to the end and that the promise of heauen made to them is too good to be true And yet God hath so mixed his power with their weakenesse and so vpheld them beyond their expectation that hee hath brought them safely through all that they feared Oh I cannot sufficiently magnifie and commend this goodnesse of the Lord and withall the glorious worke of faith and what wonders they effect and yet little known or asked after But seeing the arme of the Lord is no more shortened now then in times past but he doth great things for them that beleeue at this day let vs also learne Dauids lesson Commit thy way to the Lord saith he and beleeue that he will effect it and he will doe it in deed without any needlesse and indirect trouble or fretting care of thine but if we beleeue not I deny not but that we may see as Elisha told the Prince of Israel and Mordicai Hester Gods promises performed to others which hee made as the vnbeleeuing Prince did but we shall haue no part therein our selues nor cause of sound reioycing thereat in as much as we had no exercise of our faith in beleeuing them Therefore this worthily
in whose fauour is life And this comfortable estate may wee enioy from time to time to haue the Lords louing countenance to shine vpon vs far more delightfull to our soule then the fairest and sweetest weather can bee to the creatures of the earth iâ— we can like to preferre it as it is the best before all other and we hauing obtained grace to doe so if we shall goe a step further and can thinke it our best wisedome to continue in so doing wee shall abide in Gods fauour also and keepe our selues well when we are wel which is the happinesse that can in this life be enioyed The Lord doth not stint and tie vs to times in which only we may haue peace with him and see good daies but he would that wee should liue in safety vnder his protection all the day long and so from time to time that we may haue proofe how good and bountifull hee is But we are waily and inconstant and abuse his lenity and kindnesse toward vs when hee not onely holdeth many troubles and sorrowes from vs but also lodeth vs with the benefits of health and welfare inward and outward and that also while others smart and are in heauinesse Wee deale with him as pampered horses and children much made of who right soone waxe loose and wanton And wee cause the Lord to turne our good and ioyfull daies into glooming and sorrowfull times as through the stories of the booke of God doth euery where appeare that many after good beginnings did so though little to their comfort Oh how soone did this people mentioned in this booke and their fathers as wee reade in Deuteronomy with sundry other generations following as the stories doe testifie kicke vp their heele against the Lord when hee did yet feede them with the fat of wheat and make them drinke of the sweet And this reuolting worketh such a change in our best states and seasons as causeth to complain and cry Let it therefore cause vs to bee resolued vpon this and that in due and good consideration so that wee may constantly hold the same to wit that if wee desire to see good daies heere and enioy long life with the Lord hereafter that I say wee flie euill and follow that which is good and heerein let vs see that wee deale not hollowly with the Lord and if by occasion we slip or fall and forget our selues as this people heere did vers 7. yet let vs take heede that we harden not our hearts and so lie still but beare our punishment contentedly because we haue sinned and make speed to turne againe to the Lord our first husband who will receiue vs graciously and as he hath smitten vs so he will heale vs and as hee did before comfort vs so he will restore ioy and gladnesse to vs as in time past And this being done daily in the smaller slips shall the easilier be gone about in greater fals and shall also be a meane to keepe vs from them Yea doubtlesse the Lord will doe great things for vs and as hee abased the enemies of this people the Moabites heere so will hee bring the wicked vnder vs and leaue them afflicted and scourged in our roome Now followeth the third and last thing mentioned in this latter part of the story and that is rest after for a good while This long time of peace the Lord granted them and could willingly affoord it them and it is all one to him to giue a long time thereto as a short And as it was a great blessing so it was more then was promised Indeed the Lord said that he would giue Moab into their hands and the people enioyed that as a fruit of their faith which laid hold on Gods promise But hesides he lengthened out the time of their rest further then hee promised them To teach vs that God neuer commeth short or behinde hand with vs in performing his promises but giueth vs good measure heaped vp and running ouer and thereby sheweth that hee is liberall and bountifull toward vs. And this is his vsuall manner of dealing with his to giue more then they aske or looke to receiue for hee giueth more then hee himselfe promiseth The prodigall child asked that hee might be receiued but as an hired seruant but his father who resembled the Lord in kindnesse receiued him for his sonne and declared it by entertaining him gladly with all things agreeing therto So the woman of Canaan came to Christ for helpe for her daughter but he not onely granted her that but also bad her take what she would Euen as father Iacob who feared that hee should neuer see Iosephs face thinking he had been deuoured of some wild beast did yet see his childrens children This if it were beleeued were able to make our liues comfortable For to say the truth all our welfare is according to our faith and yet the Lord giueth fartee aboue that which we can beleeue Therefore this ought to encourage vs to labour to giue him credit in all that we seene imposeth vpon vs and requireth of vs in that wee vnderstand and see and rest perswaded that he will haue vs to goe about it For we may know that our reward shall he exceeding great in so doing Let vs instance this in two or three particulars and we shall finde the same that other haue done before vs. If we marke it we may perceiue that when we haue somtime in our afflictions besought the Lord but for some ease and mitigation of the force of them whether sicknesse paine disease or any such like he hath deliuered vs altogether and besides blessed vs abundantly And so to shew it in any other particular when great sorrow hath been rising toward vs he hath oft times turned our sorrow into ioy And euen so as long-continued peace was to this people vnlooked for when their very deliuerance from subiection to the Moabites would haue been ful welcome though it had been but for a short time that they might haue had but some breathing from their bondage so the Lord dealeth with vs that whereas in some of our troubles we haue feared as Hezechiah did that wee should neuer fee light nor good daies any more yet the Lord of his exceeding goodnesse hath restored vs to our former sweet liberties for a long time after But oh what might be said of this argument Although we must also know that hee seeth reason sometime and that for good cause to hold vs off and deferre vs. But more of this in Chap. 1. ver 2. And heere an end of this story Vers 31. And after him was Shamgar the sonne of Anath which slew of the Philistims sixe hundred men with an oxe goade and he also deliuered Israel THis short story of Shamgar is the third and last story mentioned in this chapter of the Israelites deliuerance by an other Iudge
looked for it we may obserue and see that when all things seeme quiet and peaceable to vs and when we think that we are safe on euery side so that no hurt can befall vs yet if the Lord haue a controuersie with vs hee doth in a maruellous manner raise vp some great trouble against vs yea and that as it were out of the sparckles of former afflictions when we suspect none as hee did heere which were thought to haue been quenchedlong agoe he bringeth a fire and flame as it were to burne and consume vs. So that when men thinke all to bee sure God raiseth vp vexations that way where one would not looke for them The Amalekites when they had taken Ziclag lay drunken and wallowing like beasts fearing no danger and were suddenly come vpon and slaine So the Apostle saith When men cry peace and that all things are safe then shall sudden destruction come vpon them when they are not aware like the trauell vpon a woman with child and they shall not bee able to auoide it Thus God seeth it good to tame and raw the licentiousnesse and pride of men and that which is maruellous to say if hee should not doe so there were no liuing for vs one by another The best in towne and country would kicke vp their heele yea and notwithstanding hee thus pluck downe the pride of one or other euery day yet such as are spared bee neuer the better The long visitation with plague which hath swept away many thousands what are the most part the better for it The irreligious boldnesse of many in this age if they bee in fauour with their betters whose breath yet is in their nostrels or if they haue but wealth aboue the common sort nay if it be but bare health how doe they abuse it how little doth good teaching or the diuerse examples of Gods iudgements vpon sundry others preuaile with them And why because while they feele them not the day of reckoning is put farre off and we dreame that we haue a priuiledge aboue all others till the effect confute vs. The casting downe of Babell the drowning of Pharaoh and his army the thrusting through of Zimri and Cosby in their tent the swallowing vp of Chorah and his company into the earth with thousands more in ages past and now all cut off in fearefull maner for their seuerall rebellions against the Lord lamentable to speake what little abatement of sinne yet for all this doe they worke in the most nay are they not worse and worse who liue in these latter daies and haue heard or seene the iudgements of the former times Therefore let such of vs as cannot but confesse that God hath done much more for vs watch and beware lest for the like loosenesse and bolddesse found in vs the Lord awake vs and if hee seaze not vpon vs with the same plagues as he did on these yet seeing his quiuer is full of arrowes of all sorts that is with all kinds of iudgements he will reserue some for vs as he hath done to others before vs and come vpon vs suddenly in the like manner Now this Iabin had for the chiefe captaine of his armie Sisera heere named who is said to haue his abode in Harosheth of the Gentiles so called for that it was a countrey full of woods for so the word signifieth whereto as vnto a most safe and well fenced place the Canaanites who were Gentiles did fly and repaire and dwelt safely therein when so many of them had been slaine in Ioshuas daies and there they remained grew vp and strengthened themselues vnto the time that is heere mentioned Thus they growing vp and not being cut off as God commanded the people of Israel to doe we see now what a vexation euen this one generation of the Canaanites in that corner of the land were vnto them beside many other in diuers other parts of it And by this we see what mischiefe and woe wee prouide for our selues euen such as cannot bee knowne till they come and all this through our neglecting duties commended as this people of Israel heere did and suffering euill persons and their foule vices to grow vp in and among vs which we might easily in time haue subdued and brought vnder I say the suffering of them which wee haue been full willing to nourish and could bee brought to offer no violence vnto them haue caused sorrow vpon sorrow and most wearisome and vncomfortable daies vnto vs which when they were come we would haue bought of with much cost and could not Thus anger impatience wrath vncharitablenesse reuenge teachines frowardnes lewd lusts and vncleane desires with many other like though wee haue thought them not worthie of rebuke neither could bee brought to deface and disgrace them no not to our owne selues that so they might haue been ouercome and weakened in vs euen these haue mastered vs and waxen strong in vs which is enough to disfigure the godly life in vs and to marre the beauty of our profession besides that these ingender in vs and bring forth litters of open and outward sinnes al may easily know what I meane farre more shamefull and monstrous then themselues The third part of the Chapter NOw followeth the third thing in this Story namely the repentance of the people set forth as in the former chapter by crying The reasons thereof are added and they are two the one because this Sisera had nine hundred iron Chariots wherwith by continuall egresse and regresse he had vexed them sore the other that he had done thus to them twentie yeeres Of this crying signifying their repentance I haue spoke before and also of the repentance which their fathers offered when God afflicted them That which is to be considered heere not spoken of before by the like occasion is this That where it is said they were twenty yeeres in bondage before they repented and turned to God we may behold the monstrous and poysoned disposition of our nature which will not stoope nor bow to the Lord in true humiliation vntil it be driuen by maine and force euen till we be shut out euery where else As wee see in children of a stubborne nature it is neither a checke nor a rod will breake their stomacks nay it is not a few stripes that will make them cry out and when by rougher handling of them they he forced to roare it is but for very sullennes til they see there is no remedy but that they must receiue correction for their euill doings and then the multitude of strokes and the smart they feele breakes their hearts at length and makes them yeeld and euen so it is with vs who should bee much wiser whereas if wee should but step aside a little from our Christian course we ought with the like willingnesse of mind by which we strayed returne and rise vp againe For so the Prophet Ieremy complaineth Doth
They both prepared themselues to warre we see but these went about it by Gods commandement hee in the pride of his owne heart and without God They trusted in the promise of God for victory he in his owne strength and great army They went against Gods enemies he against Gods friends yea against God himselfe Whereby we may see that it much auaileth to haue a good cause to maintaine and to haue God to goe with vs therein as many examples in Scripture testifie of the warres of godly Kings with idolaters A good cause is the defence of the Gospell and the true worship of God by a Christian Prince against such as would force him to Poperie or any other false worship by open warre also the maintaining of his owne dominion bounds or right in great and waighty matters or recouering them being vniustly detained from him A Christian Prince in these and such like cases may make warre and command his people against the enemie and so I may say of the like But to leaue this instance and to lay out this doctrine in another more familiar to the common sort it is manifest where the like is to be found among vs who are in peace to wit that we haue a good cause and our controuersies with the bad it is manifest I say that the one sort hath great encouragement by the goodnesse of his cause to follow it rather then the other who hath none at all but much against him For where all these encouragements are or the most which Barak had and of which I haue spoken they are to animate men to their duties so I will not say what successe and blessing particularly shall follow them who vse them but they shall most certainly reape great fruit thereby and abundantly one way or other and therefore good reason that such should doe the Lords worke diligently and contrariwise the other if they could bee made to consider what they goe about in following a bad matter they should neuer dare be hold to proceed as they doe to wit ås Sisera did to defend an ill cause but they would feare to goe forward and desist from their attempts Good and bad goe to worke both alike as these heere did for outward preparation but not in a like manner nor with the like minde nor to the like end And although Sisera had not wilfully in the pride of his heart gone against Israel because they were Gods people as Pharaoh did and although hee bee not properly to be charged for not consulting with God or weighin the cause in going against Gods people for alas he was an Heathen and therefore ignorant of such matters yet to speake the best that may be said of him hee trusted in chariots horses souldiers and munition thereby purposing with maine force to reduce the rebellious Israelites as hee counted them to the yoake of obedience and knew also that they were Gods people But it was indeed no wonder that he tooke this course being a cursed Canaanite such an one as he was But to leaue him and to come nearer our selues is it not admirable that among vs who are of the visible Church there should bee found some that in their enterprises life and dealings maintaine an euill cause one against the other as Barak and Sisera did for what though their actions both ciuill in religious exercises be the same and that in outward respect there appeare little or no difference in some of them yet so prophane and vnconscionable many of them are that they hold the righteous an abomination and deface as the Pharisies did Christs their best actions and will see no difference betwixt their owne and the others And to please themselues thus they say of them Tush as precise as they seeme they doe but as we they follow their trades buy sell eate drinke marrie c. and we do as they reade pray heare the word receiue the Sacrament c. what oddes therefore betwixt vs yes for why shall not two be in the field or at the mill and yet the one receiued the other forsaken and the one a reprobate the other chosen Surely as they differ in their ends so they differ in the meanes vsing that leade thereto and though they differ not in dying for the outward manner yet they differ in this that one dieth happily the other miserably and so they doe in their affections differ as in their desires hope encouragements and successes The one asketh who will shew vs any good The other prayeth O Lord lift vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs for it is more to vs then all abundance And in this light both of knowledge for direction and of grace for assistance thereto The godly man walketh looking at the promise in all his lawfull attempts knowing also that the Lord who is his light to guide him will bee his defence also to vphold prosper and blesse him The other walkes in darkenesse being led by erronious opinion sense example nature and sometimes shame feare and proud confidence in himselfe and therefore goeth through many dangers smarts sorrowes whether he be crossed or whether he haue his desire Hee reeleth also and stumbleth as the Egyptians did when darkenesse did ouerspread them while the Israelites walked in safety at liberty In a word the one serueth God the other the diuell the one is cheerefull patient confident the other of a contrary minde and carriage Therefore let euery man who desireth to be approued of God iudge himselfe and as for others both such as I haue spoken of and they who doe the same actions with them though wee know not with what mind let vs conceiue the best so farre as in charity we may of them but yet let vs suspend our sentence and allowance of them till after longer triall and further knowledge of and acquaintance with them And consider yee that reade this what I say and the Lord giue you vnderstanding For in that which I haue said of the wicked incensed against the righteous their deeds being good but their owne euill consisteth a great difference betwixt a true Christian and a counterfait as to him that will lay both sorts together with good consideration shall appeare And of this Scripture heere an end THE TWENTY EIGHT SERMON ON THE FOVTRH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 14. Then Debora said vnto Barak Vp for this is the day that the Lord hath deliuered Sisera into thine hand is not the Lord gone out before thee So Barak went downe from mount Tabor and tenne thousand men after him Vers 15. And the Lord destroyed Sisera and all his charets and all his host with the edge of the sword before Barak so that Sisera lighted downe of his charet and fled away on his feete Vers 16. But Barak pursued after the charets and after the host vnto Harosheth of the Gentiles and all the host of Sisera fell on the edge of the sword there was not
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
verse shee shewes why God should bee praised one cause was for that he had been auenged of his enemies in the behalfe of the people and for their sakes for though hee had long vsed them as executioners of wrath against his disobedient people yet now their sinne was come to the top and his peoples sin was repented of therfore their turne was come about now to be brought to punishment Another cause of their thankes for the people Zebulun and Naphtali who had willingly offered themselues to follow Barak against Sisera although hee had no authority ouer them before Both these are expressed in this verse in these words Praise ye the Lord for auenging of Israel and for the people that offered themselues willingly Heereby wee learne first that God is the reuenger of the iniuries and wrongs of his people euen as hee himselfe saith Vengeance is mine and I will repay saith the Lord yea hee will doe it in his due time and that right soone for so he saith and we had need to marke it If saith he the vnrighteous Iudge will doe right to the poore widow lest shee troubling him with oft suing vnto him should at last weary him shall not God auenge his elect which cry day and night vnto him yea though it bee long I tell you hee will auenge them quickly and recompence tribulation to them that trouble his as the Apostle speaketh Waite we therefore hee hath not forgotten himselfe but as the Wise man saith If thou seest the oppression of the poore there is a greater then the oppressor But though there might much more be said of this point to the like purpose yet who beleeueth these things according to the words of our Sauiour When the sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth teaching vs how hardly men should beleeue though hee gaue therein a fearefull watchword thereof to all that should come after which should make vs the better to looke to it so this complaint may as iustly bee made still at this day that wee are dull and slow of heart to beleeue this and such other truths as were vttered to vs by the Prophets and Apostles But that is our woe and misery for why should wee not rest quietly while the Lord takes part with vs that are his children and giues vs so faire and strong encouragement But let vs passe to the next point in this verse The other thing in this verse is this that the people should praise God for those that offered themselues readily and willingly to pursue Gods enemies which teacheth that such as doe the worke of God should goe about it willingly and cherefully For as he loueth a chearefull giuer so he doth a cheerefull doer of that which he commands and contrarily Cursed is he that doth the Lords businesse negligently It is therefore highly to bee reioyced in and God much to be praised for it where men are forward in Gods matters and where the waightier and more excellent they bee the more courage and delight men haue in the taking of them in hand Among the which I reckon the preaching of the Gospell and the profession of it with the duties of our particular callings and such like wherin to be forward cheerful as people be in hay and haruest in going to markets and faires it honoureth God highly and all such as behold it ought to praise God heartily for giuing such gifts to men as are rarely to be seene among them for they that doe so shew plainly that they looke for a reward from God when they can goe roundly and readily about businesse which other men so aukely goe about For the most part men be too forward and ready to leaud company keeping and to the sins of the time and other workes of the flesh but when they should obey the Lord or bee set about any good worke especially whereof no profit is like to redound to them they goe most aukely and vntowardly about it euen as the euill debter who is to do worke to his creditour to pay him And therefore fearefull and grieuous is the sinne of those loose liuers who if any bee forwarder and zealouser in Gods matters then other in duty doing to him ward them they mocke and discourage who yet sinne grieuously in that they be not companions with them But of this the lesse because I haue spoken of it in the former chapter Thus much of this verse Now in the next in calling Princes and great persons to harken as they doe in this verse it is to teach them to know from whence their victories and all greatnes come and to ascribe them to the Lord according to Christs words in the prayer thine O father is kingdome power and glory for euer as for them there is not the least iot of the praise thereof due to them God honours them in that he will make them his instruments therein and furnish them with any gifts to that purpose I meane to doe him seruice And yet as though they were of absolute power of themselues forgetting the Lord that aduanced them they ascribe their great acts and victories to themselues as Senacherib against Hezechia and Benhadad against Ahab yea and this they did both of them before they had got the victory and did not tarrie till they had conquered their enemies and then crow ouer them which yet had been their great sinne and prided themselues in that they had done as Nabuchadnezzar in his Babell and therefore they were put to shame both of them most worthily being themselues brought vnder in a manner fit for such braggers as would thrust the Lord out from helping them nay rather they challenged euen him and opposed themselues against him as is to be seene in the story of both And therefore in one battell Benhadad lost an hundred and seuen and twentie thousand men so that hee and his euen a few that were left with him were constrained to flie and in the other battell wherein very many of his men were slaine hee was brought to greater shame and abacement as his last refuge to wit his seruants to goe to the King of Israel with ropes about their necks to entreate for their liues And as for Senacherib the Angell of the Lord flue an hundred foure score and fiue thousand of them in one night and such successe at least in the end haue all such as are like to them Hence it is that the Scripture for the further bewraying the pride and vanity of such vseth these phrases The Lord smote Beniamin before Israel The Lord fought for Israel And againe stand still and behold the saluation of the Lord c. And among other names the Lord is called strong in battell and the Lord of hosts And surely if a sparrow fall not to the ground without his wil neither is the lot without his disposition much more doe the euents
they had not been at all When Achan had troubled Israel by taking the execrable thing the Lord tels Ioshua that therefore they could not stand before their enemies How much more if they themselues had sinned Oh mens sinnes turneth plenty into want courage into timerousnesse and fainting of heart and light into darkenesse and all out of kind Behold what it did in Ieroboam when hee stretched out his arme against the Prophet of God for reprouing him for his idolatry at Bethel his arme was immediately withered and dried vp that he could not draw it in againe So Gehazi when he had taken most wickedly both money and raiment of Naaman the Syrian pretending his masters sending him for it and after his returne had answered his master Elisha with a lie maruellous it is to say and against nature and any sound reason in mans iudgement what came vpon him euen a leprosie forthwith so that he went out a leaper as white as snow And the band of Priests Iewes and souldiers that came into the garden to apprehend and take our Sauiour Christ so boldly and trecherously yet suddenly they went backe like drunken men and fell to the ground astonished and vnfitted vtterly for such a purpose as to lay hold of him and that at one word spoken by our Sauiour and yet not in terrifying manner as he might haue done saying he was the man whom they sought So that in seeking him they were both lusty and ready to lay hold of him yet when they had found him they could doe nothing to him for their sinne had taken their power and ability from them For who is able to reckon vp how many waies God hath to visit astonish and terrifie men for their sinne Therefore among other punishments in Deuteronomy threatened this is one a trembling heart a sorrowfull mind and feare both day and night And if the Lord should not handle some thus other would not bee afraid but would abuse his Maiesty yea and faithfull people also much more grosly would tempt God then now they dare doe though euen now many doe it too boldly when they forget themselues But Hypocrites goe verie farre in sinning boldly as other doe who are like them therefore many are apalled among vs some hauing their wit and reason taken from them some become foolish some madde men other against nature laying violent hands vpon themselues their seuerall sinnes doe though no reason of man seeth it doe I say driue them to it This is another fruit to be ioyned to the former which sinne bringeth forth True it is indeed the Lord dealeth not thus in kind with all sinners nay wee see how impudent and brasen faced most bee in their leaud courses and set vp their bustles against the ordinance of God But though their foreheads bee of brasse yet their hearts be glassie their consciences if they would yeeld are as water powred forth they haue not the true Lion like courage and boldnesse which in their iollity they would haue all thinke that they haue but sin hath infeebled them they cannot abide the force and sting of their conscience but fall downe coward-like when it smiteth them neither can their sinne abide the hand of God which as it is euer readie to be reached foorth against them so when it is so indeed they are soone dismaied as Nabal was when he heard he should dye True it is they set a good face vpon the matter openly bragging and bracing as I haue said but when their conscience and they goe to it hand to hand as it doth but seldome then in their necessitie it is with them as if an armed man were vpon them their white liuerd hearts doe vtterly faile them And yet where is he that by such checkes of the word and his conscience and the feare of many arrestings of him from God doth once complaine and crie out of his estate and so seekes strength and recouerie out of it by faith peace and confidence with the true detestation of his sin which like a Witch so inchaunteth and disableth him of all courage and boldnesse and turnes him into a very coward and weakling Now in that men doe not perceiue this as they might easily do their blindfolding of themselues and hardning of their hearts is the cause thereof Now Debora turneth her selfe to diuers kinds of men and distinguisheth them one from another exhorting them all as she her selfe did to praise and magnifie God This I will lay open more plainly it being somewhat hard otherwise for some readers to vnderstand and discerne the same And first in this verse she beginneth with the chiefe of the armies and those that offered themselues willingly to the battell In the next verse she speaketh to the rich Merchants that rode on costly beasts that were as hee calleth them white Asses and such as sat in iudgement And thirdly in this same verse also she speaketh to all meaner persons that trauailed on foote seeing there was now libertie for them to passe to and fro in the high waies she moueth these I say to magnifie God Euen all sorts of people who went out and in by the gates of the citie for their businesse profit pleasure or any other necessarie vse In the second verse she nameth the very boyes and girles who could not safely goe out to draw water without danger of the archers who lay in waite secretly to shoote at them and so put them in perill and ieopardie of their liues or to be sore wounded these might now she saith fetch their water without feare of hurt Then she calleth to them who dwelt in villages and vnwalled townes their danger hauing been very great so as they were driuen away from their houses telling them that they might now returne home againe and dwel in them quietly as in times past and last of all she speakes to those who were wont to meete in the gates of the citie that is in the open places for iudgement All these she moues to praise the Lord for that he had now by that one deliuerance and victorie set them all at libertie and in peace Now to make our profit of these verses and more particularly to examine them and to begin with the ninth whereas she saith in this verse that her heart was set on the gouernours of Israel or which is all one her heart was toward them to prouoke them meaning the cause was so great why they should praise God that she could not chuse but speake to them as if she should say she desired most earnestly that the chiefe of the armie and the gouernours and captaines thereof and great men should praise God the reason was because they with her and Barak were the chiefe in that businesse and they going before them the other should the easiler be drawne by their example to follow And it liuely teacheth and setteth before the chief doers in such martiall affaires also the
man is commanded to walke in his particular calling and the duties therof For so saith the Apostle in the first epistle to the Corinthians Let euery man abide in the same vocation wherein hee was called But it followeth in the text Vers 12. Vp Debora vp arise and sing a song arise Barak and leade thy captiuity captiue thou sonne of Abinoam 13. For they that remaine haue dominion ouer the mighty of the people the Lord hath giuen me dominion ouer the strong NOw that Debora hath called all the people of Israel to thankesgiuing for the victorie in the three former verses shee stirreth vp her selfe in this twelfth verse by an elegant figure that other might bee whetted on by her example to doe the same And she calleth Barak to triumph and with a certaine pompe to make a shew of his enemies captiuity and conquest which was to the great honor of God when all might vnderstand that the Canaanites were for the most part slaine and they that remained aliue were prisoners to the Hebrues who were most like a little before to be chopped to pieces of them other of Gods enemies In the 13. verse she amplifieth the victorie by another comparison of the conquerers with those who were conquered these hauing been valiant wise and well prouided but that they ouercame them namely the Israelites were but as a remnant and yet base and contemptible This is the summe of these two verses Out of her prouoking of her selfe to praise God as if shee had been much behinde in that dutie when yet she had been commendable therein as wee haue heard and had also vrged other thereto wee may see that this hath been the manner and course of Gods people to thinke they could neuer do enough in praising God when they haue entred seriously into consideration of his goodnesse but euer thought themselues cold and backward in respect of that they ought to haue been Doubtlesse the due weighing of the cause made her stil to see more and more into Gods admirable kindnes till she was ashamed of her vnthankfulnesse But some will say all cannot be as Debora was it is well if we can be thankfull when we be prouoked by others they say and by good meanes as by the word c. To which I answere It is cleare indeed wee come behinde her in the duty but is there not enough to moue vs to be equall to her yea to excell her therein Shee is thus thankfull for the victorie wee haue no need nor cause to fight shee praiseth God for peace recouered with the hazard and danger of ten thousand men we enioy ours without putting it into question shee for bodily blessing we haue infinite to the maintenance of health and welfare then the which what could shee haue more for this present life besides many that are spirituall to season the other and yet wee come short of her in thankfulnesse neuerthelesse And that which I haue said of Debora the same we may see in Dauid Anna and others Hee in the Psalme hauing none equall to him in the performing of that duty affirming that hee would doe it three times nay seuen times a day and that hee would doe it openly in the congregation and priuately by himselfe yet as though hee had much forgot himselfe and had waxen dull and been behind other therein hee quickeneth vp himselfe to it saying O my soule praise thou the Lord and al that is within me praise his holy name Hee stirreth vp himselfe wee see to bee feruenter when yet he was very forward before Which I speake not as if both he and other Gods best seruants and most feruent did not feele oftentimes a kind of sleepy deadnesse in them to good duties and remissenesse of spirit creeping vpon them as it is certaine they doe seeing they carry that corruption about them which will oft cause a wearinesse in them of well doing for the time but they hauing a greater power of grace working in them to subdue it they gather vp and stirre themselues againe by such occasion to more earnestnesse and so finde themselues refreshed by a new meditation of their slacknesse with double courage to set vpon their duties And to that end they helpe and sharpen on themselues as Dauid and Debora did and sometime are supported by other as we see Moses his weake hands were faine to be holden vp by Aaron and Hur against Amalek By this we see a manifest difference betwixt them and the wicked who though as they say they like well of prayer and hearing and of thankesgiuing yet they professe they cannot endure nor away with such continuall seruice affirming where that is vrged that men shall neuer haue done For as they who beleeue how greatly they are beholding to God for his goodnesse do charge themselues with their vnthankfulnesse euen when they are forwarder then the most considering they are then but vnprofitable seruants so the other are ready to post it off to others as testifying thereby that they be more beholding to God then they hold themselues to be and thinke euery little to bee enough that they are to doe to God yea and that a word and away may serue the turne euen very froth it is that they offer to him a mocking no sacrifice the heart neuer enclining for it cannot to any such thing Another thing in this verse is concerning Barak and that is that hee should in a shew and with solemne pomp set out the conquest and victorie which God had giuen them ouer their enemies Which though after the victory in warre it was vsed to bee done by the Heathens ouer such as they conquered to the priding of themselues and the vttermost disgrace of them that were subdued yet this was we see spoken by the Prophetesse to the end that God might haue honour therby for one end she propounded both of his act and of her owne and that was the giuing of honour to the Lord. For the seeking of a mans owne glory is no glory but a taking it from God and a prouoking of him thereby Nay where men would thinke that it as a due desert to them yet euen there let them beware that they take it not but let vs all acknowledge Gods goodnesse with thankfulnesse for that he will vse our seruice to the honouring of his name But to flesh and pride our selues in the yoking and subduing of our enemies this were no better then the act of Adonibezek who most cruelly cut off the thumbs of the hands and feet of seuenty Kings and made them as dogs to eat bread vnder his table that hee might glorie in their extreme reproch and shame This act of triumph was common to the people of God with the Heathen but not done in so prophane and common a manner And as it hath been in war so the like in some sort we see at this day in the time of peace that tehre
to him in all submisnes and entreated him to come downe to the King Euen so to come to our selues aske thy conscience what makes thee feare If thou findest that the Lord hath a controuersie with thee and that depending and that thou canst not be quiet goe and seeke agreement with him as the Captaine did it is but a follie to stand out with the Lord for if thy conscience accuse thee he is greater as knowing much more against thee If thou canst come to the Lord and say in the truth of thine heart O Lord I feare lest my sinne should bring some sudden destruction vpon me I haue no peace within nor without because of it and thy displeasure for it I goe continually in hazard of some fruite thereof besides that which is eternall therefore say O Lord humble me and cause me to feare sinne and not the punishment only turne my terror into broken heartednesse for sin and so bring peace and quietnes againe into my soule Doe thus I say and thy feares shall vanish otherwise who shall pitie thee in them if thou pitiest not thy selfe in taking the way to remoue them And to this purpose I aske did not the Priests in the Gospell meete with that which they feared when Christ whom they would needs crucifie that they might be rid of him rose againe to bring a greater feare vpon them at the last then at the first And as they would in no wise feare when their sinne was at the highest and yet we see they were constrained to feare so there is no doubt but that there are some hardned which doe what they can to put feare away from them hauing their consciences seared with an hot iron whose damnation yet sleepeth not neither shal they escape feare but it will seaze vpon them when they would not And wheras it may be said the godly are much afraid sometime as well as other I answere it is true but that tendeth to a good end as if they haue taken libertie amisse or rather stolne it to breake out of the good and righteous way which they had couenanted to walke in they cannot but bee afraid when they come againe to themselues but it is for that they see they haue offended their mercifull father therefore they cannot be quiet till they bee in fauour againe with him And let the other know that euen so and much more must they do to wit in their falles feare and take no rest nor peace to themselues before that else when their time commeth that which they feare shall also fall vpon them but if they consider duly of their estate and while they may and before the time of their trouble come turne their feet againe into the way of Gods testimonies God will burie all the indignities which they haue wrought against him and will receiue them graciously In the first branch of her propheticall prayer that not her enemies but Gods might be as Sisera she hauing warrant so to pray did as became her and so shall all wee doe who shall doe so vpon so good a ground and warrant but otherwise take we heed that wee pray not against any what faire pretence soeuer wee haue to doe so for as God hath reclaimed very bad ones so what know wee whom he may call home among vs But of this I haue spoken For the other part of Deboras prayer that the louers of God may prosper in the abundance of all good things and grow therein as the Sunne doth in his strength to the noonetide let it bee noted that this is prayed for to them that loue the Lord and onely to them as the blessing in the second Commandement is to them that loue him who testifie that they doe so by keeping his commandements And this prayer being made in faith obtaines as much as is asked in it And therefore when she prayeth for it it is all one as if she had affirmed that it shall be so namely that they which loue the Lord shall want nothing that is good And so Dauid saith who had good experience of it that the Lord withholdeth no good thing from such as keepe their hearts pure and good which none can doe but they that loue him Yea and marke further that she saith they shall grow therein euen from strength to strength as the Sunne doth euen to his full beautie So speaketh Salomon in the Prouerbs The way of the righteous shineth as the light that shineth more and more vnto the perfit day signifying thereby that the godly herein resemble the Lord Iesus who himself increased in strength of body with addition of grace and fauour with God and men and so they also increase daily in knowledge and grace vntill they bee ioyned to Christ their head and see the Lord in the Sion of his holinesse Behold then here a singular priuiledge which the louers of God doe enioy that while they looke carefully and constantly to preserue and vphold the loue of God in them euen thereby they grow in grace and knowledge of God and of Christ and they come to haue more neere acquaintance with them and haue proofe of their fatherly kindnes toward them and so haue stronger hope that it shall yet be better with them afterward for their obedience passed yeeldeth them more courage and strength to go forward in their good course Now if we did consider the miserable courses of many who for want of this gracious gouernment of God runne into all kinde of sinne and fearefull punishments for the wicked waxe worse and worse and how some euen of Gods deare seruants by their very declinings and carelesnes for a small time see many ill daies how should we make account of this precious libertie bequeathed vnto vs in this behalfe For such as looke to the maintaining of the loue of God in them and the nourishing of it by thankfull acknowledging of his euer flowing kindnesse toward them I speake a great thing neede to feare no worse estate to Godward then they haue enioyed alreadie but euery day to looke for better and better both greater faith and better obedience which cannot be wanting to vs but when we are wanting to our selues and failing in our loue to God and yet I meane no perfectiō of it which cannot be in any but more vse of sinceritie and feruencie in Gods seruice euen such as hath alreadie been in them But he that listeth to reade more of this growing in grace of my setting downe may reade the twelfth chapter of the sixth treatise of my book In the meane season let this speech of Debora make such to looke better about them who are farre from this thriuing and growth in grace or the fruite of it if they desire to be in honour and fauour with God And if they be voide of them let them know that the cause thereof is that they loue not God whatsoeuer they pretend to the contrarie and
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
from them all and were in the middest of all prosperitie which is hardly beleeued for the time while the crosse oppresseth vs. The vse of this is that we labour aboue all things to be builded vp in our most holy faith that as by it wee ouercome other difficulties in the world so we may thereby ouercome this feare and doubt also in the middest of our calamities namely that in our tribulations wee may not shrinke backe from this perswasion that for all these yet God is with vs according to that which the holy man saith in the Psalme yet God is good to Israel euen to all that are of an vpright heart though in outward shew it might seeme otherwise And againe Out of the deepe he meant of sorrowes he cried vnto the Lord and he heard and deliuered him And to make one point of two the same vse we ought to make of the other words of the Angell in calling him valiant man which was true because God said it yet to Gedeon vnlikely to be so and yet he found it afterwards to be so Let it teach vs to giue God his due namely that he be beleeued in al that he saith yea that he saith vnto vs though we be not able to see nor feele so much for the present time as neither Gedeon did A point worthie to be marked seeing where God giueth good testimonie of his fauour or reuealeth his will in any thing we are not as readie to ioyne with him for the most part but doe faint and doubt because wee see not with bodily eyes as Thomas desired to doe the thing promised as we would And whereas this troubleth many that the wicked take occasion hereby to despise them when they see that God seemeth not to regard them while hee so abaseth them let such know that their mistaking of the matter their false surmising of Gods good meaning to them shall not hurt them if they fixe the eyes of their mindes vpon this that God is vnchangeable constant in al his waies also if they can learne to esteeme of themselues according to that knowledge and inward feeling they haue had of Gods ancient loue and regard of them in times past and so doing the more their enemies scorne them the neerer the Lord is to them to take away their reproch But this is well and cleerely laid out in the next verse therfore I will passe to that It appeareth in this verse that as neere as God was to Gedeon yet he saw it not but concludeth that seeing he and the people of the land were vnder such oppression by the Midianites that it could not be well with them neither could he beleeue that God was with him And he confirmes himselfe therein by a reason though of no strength thus God was indeed with our fathers he saith when he brought them out of Egypt wrought many miracles for them but hee did not so now for him and the people therefore how could he thinke said he that God was with him now This spake Gedeon from an heauie heart euen then when the Angell was sent directly to him with glad tidings But let vs further examine his words and make our benefit of them In saying the Lord could not be with him while the Midianites so oppressed them he shewed his great weaknesse as I said in the former verse affirming that he could not beleeue while hee saw it to be so with him Whereby we may see how hardly the faithfull can be perswaded that the Lord is with them in affliction how ready soeuer they bee to acknowledge it at other times which I speake not as though none were for both the three children cast into the hoat burning furnace and Daniel into the Lyons denne haue left most worthy testimonie of their inuincible faith in their great extremitie with many other both in ages past and now among vs. But yet in time of calamitie it must needs be said especially if it belong and smartie that our corrupt nature which is vntoward and hardly suffereth vs to giue credit to Gods promises is furthest off then from letting vs see into them and beleeue them and the diuell is readiest to worke vpon our weakenesse at such times and to take the opportunitie thereof to feare and terrifie vs and with his fiery darts of vnbeliefe to pierce our hearts whereby it is with vs too oft and vsually as it was here with Gedeon in so much that the Lord being euen then neare vs by his promises of comfort and incouragements which were sufficient to content and stay vs yet wee see it not neither thinke it to be so seeing we giue not our selues to studie and consider aright of this point which distrust of ours is as vnbeseeming vs as it is burdensome to vs. The remedie must be that which I spake of before and shall haue cause to mention it againe and that is to rest vpon the word and promise of God though we see not present helpe as Christ said to Martha Did I not tell thee thou shouldest see the glorie of God if thou canst beleeue As for profane persons who want faith what wonder if they measure Gods loue by their present flourishing and liuing in ease or wealth and by their enioying of these outward things below whereby their lusts may bee satisfied And what wonder if they iudge it impossible in their deepe distresses and crosses that euer they should wade out of them As wee reade of that Prince of Iehoram in Israel in a fore famine who hearing the Prophets message from God touching suddaine plentie that should bee on the next day hee said Though the Lord would make windowes in Heauen to powre downe corne and prouision yet this thing could not come to passe What was this else but a bold presuming in great blindenesse of that which hee apprehended not and a very derision of the prophecie And the like we see daily in such brutish people who hearing vs preach this doctrine of depending vpon Gods all sufficiencie by faith euen in affliction doe little better then scoffe at it Giue vs wealth say they and corne and wine giue vs our fill of meate and drinke and money and as for faith take it whose will Therefore while they prosper they are as merry as Nabal but if God giue them a suddaine blow it strikes them downe flat they neither haue any armour to beare off the dint thereof neither faith to beleeue that it shall euer be any better with them but much worse Their euill conscience makes them feare that this trouble or that disgrace either sicknesse or losse will be their vndoing and as Hamans friends comforted him so they doe themselues Hest 6. and that was thus Thou shâ—lt surely fall And yet in their iollitie who haue such apparance of hope and so great confidence in their estate that it shall continue as they Better
trouble so many waies wee nestle not our selues here below in any earthly delights so that we be vnwilling to heare of any change but rather looke for it and be armed against it and so the smart that commeth thereby shall not sting and astonish vs as otherwise it will And secondly seeing God seeth it meete in his wisdome to exercise vs with many afflictions he seeing that we haue need of them and all to the end that so he may the better hold vs vnder it is most absurd that we should in any sort seeke to fulfill the lusts of our hearts whereby wee multiply and bring further trouble vpon our liues The other thing therefore which we may note here by Gedeon is this how soone our faith is ouerwhelmed by affliction For though the Angell prooued it to him to his good contentment that he was the man which should deliuer Israel out of the oppression of the Midianites yet as though no such thing had been spoken to him nor beleeued by him by and by as soone as he perceiued that he was an Angell with whom he spake he thinking before that he was but a man of God behold how he is troubled afresh Although these two about which he was troubled were contraries to wit the promise of God in the first which hee doubted of and his feare in this last by seeing his Angell In the which to stay a while seeing it is the point now in hand we know he could not deliuer Israel as he was told and beleeued he should if he must die before the time came And yet not considering what he said he affirmed resolutely hee should die when yet Israel was not deliuered euen so are we much dazled and vnsetled by affliction Much like to Martha when her brother Lazarus was dead and Iesus was come thither she came mourning to him and said Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not been dead but now I know also said she that whatsoeuer thou askest of God he will giue it thee Wherein she testified that he could if it pleased him raise him vp againe And yet marke when Iesus after that went to the graue to raise him from death and bad them take away the stone Martha stood by forgetting what she had said before and answered Iesus as not belieuing that he could be raised to life O Lord it is too late he stinketh alreadie for he hath been dead foure daies And who doth not find it to be true which I haue said namely that faith which is well grounded and worketh now with comfort by loue shall easily be found to languish and waxe faint through doubting and feare if affliction come in the way to trie vs For why we are so prone to vnbeliefe that if we doe not at the first triall alwaies shew and bewray it which yet oft times we doe yea before the trouble come when we see but a likelihood of it we shall at least doe it if we be long held vnder the affliction and especially if it be any great matter as some sore losse paine or the like So that it is not without especiall cause that we are commanded by the Apostle not only to bee rooted but also to bee confirmed and to abound in faith with thanksgiuing Let vs consider to this end that it is but the fruit of our corruption thus to feare and doubt when wee should beleeue and to reason against Gods promises affirming that they cannot be performed when wee see likelihood of the contrary yea though we doe it not with any bad meaning as neither Gedeon did here yet it is our great sinne to offer God such dishonour let vs striue rather to beate downe our foolish feares and passions seeing it is most like and we are sure to speede the worst thereby and in that we giue place to our passions we shall do it to our cost although we repent for it Our Sauiour seeing Martha in that sudden feare and distrust checkes her saying Did I not say vnto thee if thou couldest belieue thou shouldest see the glory of God As if he should say Looke to my word looke not to the vnlikelihood Manoahs wife was stronger then Gedeon or her husband in the like case If God would haue slaine vs saith she he would not haue said we should haue a sonne and so ought Gedeon to haue reasoned God will not kill me now seeing I must deliuer Israel for these are contraries and thus when Manoahs wife saw that one of them must needs be false she rather confuteth her husband then the message of the Angell and concludeth doubtlesse we shall liue and not die for the word of God is more worth the resting vpon then our owne conceits And thus it should bee with vs that we be not alwaies off and on now carried with full saile of faith and by and by cast downe as if we had neuer been the men this ficklenesse is vnbeseeming vs. Men wish that it were alwaies alike with them and yet find the contrary because they kept not their eie fixed vpon the promise daily renewing their hold therein stedfastly as at any time before they did considering that as the Sun is alway the same whither it be ouer cast with cloudes or shine forth clearely so is Christ Iesus yesterday and to day and the same for euer vnchangeable in himselfe if wee change not our perswasion of him through vnbeliefe In this verse it is shewed that while Gedeon was thus perplexed with feare the Lord comforted him that hee being free from it might the better goe about that which was appointed him For we know what a dangerous hindrance to faith feare is And therefore what hart could hee haue to belieue that hee should worke such a deliuerance who feared death euery minute of an howre And the Angell put away his feare by promising him good successe and quietnesse of mind and that he should not dye This is the great goodnesse of God that he will not long leaue his faithfull people in pinching feare and pensiue heauines but in good time deliuereth them least they should be too much cast downe and discomforted And so the Scriptures testifie that God would not haue people left in troublesome passions as feare or sorrow which how troublesome they are our experience teacheth Ioshua was sore troubled when the people of Israel fell before the men of Ay but God soone put him out of it So likewise the good women in the Gospell were sore afraid by reason of the earthquake and the appearing of the Angell but he bid them not to be afraid euen as here he saith to Gedeon Peace be to thee Thus it were meet for all poore troubled consciences to mark diligently how comfortably God speaketh to them as that they should put away their needlesse ad hurtfull feares and griefes for the which cause the Lord willeth with a doubling his words Esay 40. 1.
Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat Iehu departed not nay more nor from their golden Calues in Bethel and Dan. Why then did he destroy Baal Surely he was carried to it by a common gift of the holy Ghost euen feruency in that worke which made him an instrument for that purpose but that he did it not with a true detestation of the sinne it is manifest for then hee would haue abandoned the other also and haue restored pure worship in stead of it This should teach vs that holy instruction which is so oft in general commended to vs when we haue hated to the pit of hell for so the word signifieth in that place that which is euill then neglect not to doe that which is good Rom. 13. nay to cleaue to it as a thing which is cemented as glasse windowes are the words are pithy So saith the Apostle Let him that stole steale no more yet it is not sufficient that a man be not a thiefe therefore he addeth But worke with his hands and doe the thing that is good for that is a good token he is reformed And commonly in Scripture we shall see this order obserued that vnto prohibitions first set downe there are added commandements of dutie for though of the two it is the first and hardest to purge out a corrupt habite and a leaud qualitie yet it is not all God will haue it appeare to be so by a new and contrary practise to the former that the worke may be sound and perfect Neither doth he command men to clense out their euil and so keep themselues void empty and barren of grace which were to set vp a neutralitie rather then Christianity but he wil haue men seasoned with grace and stablished with it as it is to the Hebrewes And he who commandeth vs not to sow among thornes nor weedes giues vs no libertie to neglect planting when we haue rooted vp the other For cutting downe the groues it was before this time that Gedeon was charged to do it commanded so by God in Deuteronomy which argueth that they were greatly abused as other waies so in worshipping strange Gods there True it is that the old fathers did before the forbidding thereof worship God vpon high hils from whence they seeing farre off the varietie of Gods creatures it was a meanes of good meditations to them and of more sequestring of their minds from earthlinesse And we our selues being on high places and beholding the trees and other creatures of God a farre off with the situation of the countries on hilles and vallies what an admiration at the infinite workes of God commeth into our minds thereby we are brought to heauenly meditations and to ponder Gods power wisdome and loue to vs. The Idolaters no doubt chose those places for the pleasantnesse of them that thereby and with the delight they had in the worshipping of their idols they might be rauished in their superstitious maner as the Papists in their false and will worship when they be at their fond deuotion in the places beset with Crucifixes and other Images sounds and sonneâ—s doe imagine and dreame that they bee in a corner not of paradise but of heauen itselfe Thus can the diuell transforme himselfe into an Angell of light And here we may see that howsoeuer Gedeon was accounted of God for his faithfulnesse yet his father maintained idolatrie for his were the wood or groue the altar and the bullock being implements of their idolatrie And these the Lord commanded Gedeon to remooue and take away to the end wee may learne that in purging religion or in the amending of faults wee must alwaies begin with our owne families and nearest kindred lest otherwise we should shew our selues ridiculous in seeming to be very forward in reproouing and correcting other while our owne bee neglected and passed by Thus God beginneth iudgement at his owne house Thus did Ioshua in his reforming the whole Congregation professe most worthily I and my house will serue the Lord. And Ely a Iudge also for not gouerning his house and staying the outrage of his sonnes is seuerely threatned And good reason for sithence next to our selues who must first of all be reformed or els our zeale ill becommeth vs and argueth hypocrisie the next I say are our kindred and families Therefore wee must without partialitie first set vpon them that so it may appeare that we detest sinne heartily in that we cannot endure it in those whom we loue best and others may be ashamed to stand out in their owne defence and feare to offend For if the father first begin with his children how shall his seruants looke to escape Now it followeth how Gedeon did that which God commanded him but seeing he appointed him no time when hee should doe it he therefore dispatched it in the night for feare lest if he had done it in the day he might haue been withstood by his fathers seruants and the men of the citie yea and himselfe haue been slaine In that he obeyed the Lord he testified his faith in that hee did it at the best aduantage in the night hee shewed his wisedome And though he feared yet his feare was not such as it hindred his faith In both these Gedeons example is our instruction his faith first is to bee followed of vs that by meanes of it wee should not commune with flesh and blood when God commandeth ought vnto vs but beare downe all lets that stand vp in the way to hinder vs from obeying as friends and counsell giuers against it and count them as Christ did Peter when hee diswaded him from going to Ierusalem to suffer death for his people hee called him an aduersarie to him euen Satan So must all strong rebellion be beaten downe that standeth vp in our way by this weapon of our warfare which is not carnall but spirituall and mightie through God to cast downe strong holds it must I say by this armour of our faith bee brought into subiection And for example if feare stand vp in the way particularly to hinder vs let faith striue with it to cast it out which is best able of any grace that is in vs to ouercome and put it by And thus did Ester who had no stronger weapon then her faith in as great perill of her owne and her peoples life both which with Gedeon are set forth for the example of al that shall come after to follow them in belieuing But oh where are such to be found who shall be readie no though it be in the hazard of the Church to doe that which these did I meane to fixe their faith on God or if any be so minded yet how weaklie and faintly shall it be done and how long shall it be in performing But this hath often been spoken of And this be said of Gedeons faith now somewhat be said likewise of his wisedome His wisedome is highly
them and condemne them for that they go before them in knowledge the feare of God while they being wedded to their will take scorne to learne of them nay it were well if they would learne of good teachers and that they abused not their authoritie to curbe and discourage their children But as for the third sort most wofull is their estate when like father like child as the head is so is the foote all ignorant brutish and vngodly as Esay saith Now further by Ioash his answer let vs consider some thing and then by the people as occasion is offered In him by the speeches he vsed note we the properties of a worthie magistrate to wit to defend Gods true worship and to cast downe idolatrie to oppose himselfe against the seditious and cauillers and other wicked men euen vnto death His countenance courage and power beside his affection ought to be manifested in Magistrates for the defence and stablishing of all Gods seruice and so should it be also in meaner men But the commonnesse of euil and the strength that it hath got in al places dulleth the edge of the most of these now a daies And this slacknesse and coldnesse in Magistrates is as truly the cause why iniquitie so aboundeth as any other so that if euill hauing the vpper hand doe cause both publike officers of iustice and priuate persons to be more vnable to resist it and so the more vnwilling to goe about to punish it they may thanke themselues Dauid professeth of himselfe that betimes he would cut off from the house of God the wicked that is all scorners and maligners of the sound worship and worshippers of God Oh it were to be wished indeed in that we pray no more earnestly for such wee iustly complaine that all gouernours were of Dauid his minde that so the rest might liue vnder their authoritie an honest and quiet life free from the noisomnes of such goates as by their hornes and stinch pester the sheepe which would faine liue peaceably and serue the Lord by them For when the common sort see swearing blasphemie the contempt of the Sabbath drunkennesse and other abominations to swarme in many places who seeth not that both they dare more boldly doe the same and that they who will not shall be scorned and grieued to see them We may further note here that sinne ought to be so odious and in so vile account that we should be much grieued to behold the maintaining of it and them that will stand for it For now that Ioash was himself armed against idolatry he demaunds if they the blind people would stand for it and plead for Baal And yet they might haue replied we plead no more for him then thou thy selfe hast done and that very lately in whose groue Baal was placed But now the case was altered with Ioash euen as it was with Paul when he preached the Gospell which he had persecuted before It is a notable token of repentance when mens affections and desires are quite changed from the euill things which before they could not be drawne from yea and when they breake out into holy indignation at themselues and other for the sins which they committed against God although they know them forgiuen And surely an vpright hearted man would thinke that all should abhorre the sin that he hateth and it grieueth him to see another deceiued and held in the snare that he himself hath bin holden in therfore counts it absurd that any should maintaine and delight in it whereas the contrary now a daies may bee seene that hee is diligently marked that will stand against it and so few there be so well minded that they may soone be noted Their shamefull boldnes is likewise to be marked by the words of Ioash here saying Will ye plead for Baal he that doth so let him die before the morning Who although they saw the Magistrate against them yet they were so blind that they stood in the defence of their idolatrie And euen so we may say Great is the boldnes that is growne vp in this age while not only they doe the euils openly which men and women in former ages haue blushed for the secret doing of the same be it the sinne of Zimri and Cozby or the like but also such dare reuile and raile vpon those who speake against their lewd doings But these truly verifie the saying The wicked men and deceiuers waxe worse And how should it be that in the last daies should be so perilous times if as the day of the world groweth neerer to an end so sinne waxed not more and more out of measure sinfull And that both for the number of sinnes for we see new additions and fashions daily and for the measure also I meane the greedines impudencie and pertinacie of sinners who are not ashamed of their euils but with the harlot in the Prouerbs who wipeth her selfe as cleane of all her filthinesse as if she had been a virgin Wee see whores were growne by that time to a degree of boldnes for Tamar was iudged an whore by her father because she had couered her face But this maske is long agoe pluckt off not onely from them that bee of her occupation but the most spirituall adulterers now a daies are so farre from being ashamed to shew their faces that they are not thought masters of their trade if they dare not spit in the face of modestie and all reprouers And what is to be said of the aged and men in wealth who haue somewhat to beare them out when euen youthes of both sexes whose honour should be their blushing which euen heathens called the Colour of vertue are brasen faced and inferiours of al sorts take vp that cursed speech who is Lord ouer vs But oh who doth not see the Lords marke set vpon them while by shame and sorow their belliesful with other miseries they come daily euery one in his course to a wofull end Furthermore it was well answered by Ioash Let Baal plead for himselfe meaning if he can what need you if he cannot it were a shame to pleade for such a god as could not plead his owne cause As Elias also in the like case said to the blind people and so it may be said to all maintainers of Idolatrie and such like abomination If the Idols be gods whom they worship let them keepe themselues from the fire And they who will needs thinke their doings to be good in maintaining and reasoning for such stockes let them waite and see what will be the end thereof and what will come of them They were well set a worke to plead for him who was so farre from helping them in their neede that hee could not reuenge his owne cause against such as would deface him and so are all that are like them such a master he is whom they serue Lastly out of this verse 31. and 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
losse of our liues goods or religion but onely of our will and corrupt affections or the forgoing of some small thing for peace sake which we may lawfully yeeld vnto and we are not debters to our rebellious nature but ought to be professed enemies against the same Againe while we haue peace abroad from ciuill and forraine dissention Oh what a benefit it is as we may see by that which we reade of in the first booke of the Kings that in the daies of Salomon euery one liued safe vnder his vine and vnder his figtree As on the contrary when there is warre or persecution Oh what feare and danger is there what spoile of men and goods is there yea what hauocke of all things Therefore I must needes say vnto you that cannot loue your enemies but boile and swell one against another and to you that may liue quietly euery day in the weeke who yet scarcely do it one that you haste warre vpon your selues yea you long and groane for it or for some other plague and if the Lord would as it were winck to allure you neerer to him yee your selues tempt him to lay load on you and to such I say with griefe you cannot tell what it is to inioy peace and make vse of it Whereas if you did well consider it yee would seeke yea and insue after peace so far as ye might attaine it with holinesse and by no meanes suffer it to go from you and ye would not so yeeld to your lusts and carnal affections in fauouring nourishing and satisfying whereof ye depriue your selues of the sweete and infinite fruits of common peace But if this distemper and vnrulinesse be found in a familie betwixt husband and wife or other parts of the familie it is more to be bewailed what did I say nay monstrous Oh what good might be done in this time of peace as the Churches did find in the Acts And this should we doe if we were wise for so God commandeth As much as in you lieth haue peace with all men Yea though it cost vs somewhat as Abraham with losse procured it betwixt Lot and himselfe And if any such be vexed by strangers and disquieted by them let them consider that it is iust with God to punish them so who haue broken peace yea and despised it with neighbours kindred and wife at their owne home And in that it is said here that they laboured til they were faint and wearie we see that the earnest following of our duties will make vs oft times neglect and forget our selues and out bodily ease as they did So the woman of Samaria was so rauished with Christs sweet communication as ignorant as she was when he first met her at the well yea saucie and scornefull that for the great defire shee had to heare him she forgat her selfe and neglected the care of her bodily businesse And Abrahams seruant so minded the dutie which was enioyned him of his master that although hee had need hauing trauelled farre yet hee would not eate till he had dispatched that which he went about Thus Peter Actes 10. through the heauenly intention of his mind ouercame his hunger so that before any thing could be made readie he was in a traunce And so Paul whose watchings and fastings are in other places set downe to haue been so many did neglect his sleepe and repast at Troas through that feruency of spirit which caused him to preach till midnight and at Ephesus did vsually for three yeeres exhort them in the night as well as in the day But aboue all our Sauiour Christ who through his earnestnesse and zeale did many times as in that holy speech and communication with the woman Ioh. 4. forbeare his meate and forget to eate alleaging that he had meate to eate which they knew not of vers 34. Euen so our minds being set seriously vpon our duties as prayer reading good company the following of our calling c. we do not at all many times or very little mind other things belonging to our bodily welfare and it is our crowne so farre as we can by good occasions remember that with Gedeon we haue done so Indeed in and about play pleasure and seeking after the commodities of the world the case is cleare that too too many haue swet and doe continually forget and disguise themselues so that neither cold hunger heate or vnseasonablenesse can hold them backe or hinder them But in Gods matters as his worship and in things which tend to our owne saluation and the hunting and purging out of some speciall sinnes also in furthering and bringing on one another to faith and good duties and so seeking how to do most good to the poore members of Christ Oh how few are to bee found to doe thus who yet neither spare labour time cost or any thing else about their owne matters whereas we should bee so taken vp with Gods matters that our owne euen lawfull might bee moderated at least Thus Marie sat at the feete of Christ and through her attention to his preaching neglected the lesse necessarie work of preparing for him Now though euery example bee not a law to bind euery man to the like yet where we see it so agree with the doctrine of the word as here such examples must be our instruction and we may well gather that there is a singular affection of loue to God and ioy in his seruice where it is so which concernes vs much to follow And much more we may conclude that when men in hearing the word or prayer c. doe so wander and are so weary that euery minute is an houre vnto them and euery houre ten till al be done and some wil not endure out the whole time but depart to serue their appetite or follow their worke these we may be sure are little affected with the action since other things are predominant with them which will not giue place euen when the most religious duties are in hand The man of trade must looke to this yea the worshipfull and all estates that feare God to the end that of meere conscience they may obey God in their seuerall callings and places Thus Ioshua went all night long to helpe the Gibeonites and Gedeon was neither by hunger nor wearinesse held backe from pursuing after the Midianites The vse hereof is to warrant our selues that our greatest delight be in seruing the Lord in one part of our life as in another as in the chiefest to God so next in the particular duties of our callings painefully in euery estate and degree and faithfully and so to take our rest refreshing and recreation which yet should follow and come after these and not goe before them Gedeon being wearie and his men asketh but bread of his owne countrey men for whose peace he pursued the Midianites as well as for his own his reason was twofold
applied to Magistrates Parents Schoolemasters and other superiors namely step-mothers and such as haue rule ouer poore orphanes or any other whom it little becommeth to excuse their own corruption by the fault or desert of the partie guiltie who though hee haue but his due yet the punisher being no fit person to reuenge by his intemperate heate may deserue a greater punishment at Gods hand euen of a murtherer in heart of his brother And we see the effect of such seueritie is to make the partie corrected to contemne it and waxe desperate not penitent which is the peruerting of the right end of correction By Gedeons shewing of these Princes to the men of Succoth and Penuel to their shame and astonishment who thought they had been farre enough out of their hands and therefore scoffed at his pursuing and following after them I say by this wee may note how God oft times turneth the taunts flouts threatnings curses and iniuries which the wicked doe vexe Gods children withall he turneth them to their owne shame and euill and to the comfort of his owne people so abused and wronged by them as here these mocked Gedeon liuing and walking according to the life of faith and going about the Lords worke carefully who now hauing ouercome the Midianites thereby these wicked mockers are put to shame and paine yea and to death also And in like manner it fell out to Shemei when he had cursed Dauid to Zenacherib scorning at Ezechia for trusting in his God yea and for blaspheming God himselfe also to the Pharisees who scorned Christ vpon the Crosse but after his resurrection were abashed and to Haman deadly hating Mordecai the faithfull seruant of God Now if this appeare thus often times euen heere in this world how much more at the comming of the solemne and great day when God shall iudge them For when they see the Lord with draw himselfe from his people neuer so little wherein hee doth no more then he did to his only sonne in whom he was well pleased oâ— behold them in some disgrace and abasement in the world then they insult and crow ouer them as the Babylonians and cursed Edomites did ouer the Iewes in captiuitie but when as beyond expectation they see them deliuered yea and that the Lord graceth them giues them fauour restores them to libertie and blesseth them with many benefits then I say they turne their scornes into admiration and are ashamed of their vnreasonable disgracing them But further if besides this the Lord shall pluck themselues downe and humble them by the like afflictions then they wish themselues in their case euen with the hardest and worst conditions So that we haue good cause abundantly to be contented to seeke to liue by faith in the sonne of God trusting in and cleauing to him and his word aboue all other things esteeming our selues farre more rich thereby euen when wee are counted most foolish and vile of the scornefull world then they in their florishingest estate and condition for why we rest on God and waite by hope hauing him on our side and are not disappointed they cast all as the desperate Dicer on blinde hope likelihoods and haphazard and so are deceiued of their expectation They haue a time of boasting and glorying which deceiueth them and maketh them thinke that their iollitie and prosperitie will last alwaies when yet it changeth as the weather and continueth not in one estate and they haue no wisedome to consider it or their end which shall be worst of all Gods people haue a time of mourning but the end shall be reioycing as here Gedeon bringeth before his vpbraiders Zeba and Zalmunna with triumph and glorie And with this we may also see that the euill which they either doe not once dreame of or which they thinke to be farre off from them and make a mocke of it is neere vnto them According to that which the Apostle saith to the Thessalonians When men crie peace peace then commeth sudden destruction vpon them euen as the sorrow of a woman at her trauell Chorah and his companie Benadad with many other are examples hereof So that there is no heed to be taken how iocond they be when they be aloft or haue their hearts desire neither neede any to be afraid at the beholding of their greatnes for why euen while it abideth it is departing and while it standeth it is in falling for when they be at their best and greatest there is a greater then they who is working their ouerthrow But who is warned by others woe But of this briefly because often Gedeon hauing well shamed these men of Succoth and Penuel doth to them now as he had threatned verse 7. and 9. that is he toâ—e the flesh of the men of Succoth with thornes and cast downe the tower of the men of Penuel euen their strong hold that they gloried in he cast it downe I say to the ground and slew them And might not both these punishments haue been auoided thinke we Yes and so had been but for their owne sinne I meane their vndutifulnes boldnes stout and sturdie stomacks and their slinesse hoping if Midian had preuailed to haue gained by their vnnaturall dealing with their brethren denying bread vnto them Oh therefore how lamentable is it to see how men bring shame sorrow and destruction vpon themselues by their wicked qualities and bad behauiour as wilfulnes proud stomackes crueltie currish and vnkinde dealings and such other without the which they might haue enioyed their peace and welfare euen to their hearts desire and good contentment yea and the fauour of God also for it is nothing but mens sin that keepeth many good things from them and heapeth many contrarie euils vpon them As Achan by stealing Dathan by rebelling against Gods faithfull seruant Moses and Israel by oft reuolting from God and falling from their couenant whereof this booke is too plaine a proofe against them So some among vs are vndone by their idlenes vnthriftinesse and needlesse spending some by their vnfaithfulnes and deceitful dealing lose their credit and being no more trusted come to naught some by their oppression sundry waies are on their death bed so terrified that whereas by making restitution of a shilling noble or a pounds valew while it should haue been done it might haue brought great ease to them they would now in their terror restore ten for one and yet cannot be quieted neither So some for adultrie are brought to shame and to worse should bee if they had their due and other by spitefull malicious and reuenging spirits make themselues odious to all and they procure small ioy to themselues And to adde something touching the particular sinne of these men which was politike shifting and subtelty in playing the Newters while the battell depended in an vncertaintie of issue this I say that of all other kind of offenders these slie and wily
and desire of obeying God did pursue the enemies of his people intending that businesse wholly and not minding earthly profit at all behold euen that also befell him and was brought to his hands And it is as easie to see and behold at this day as it shall be alwaies found true that while Gods seruants in all conditions and degrees seeke the Lord with all their heart he prouideth other necessarie helpes for this present life which they doe not so much seeke after As Iacob when he had renued his couenant with the Lord in his iourney to Aram confesseth at his returning home how liberally God had prouided for him Oh how many may witnesse the same For why as the Lord is true of his promise so he is a plentifull rewarder of them that seeke him And as he regardeth such not meanely so hee dealeth iustly with those that are vnfaithfull and worldly minded that whereas they might seeme by their greedines and their vnwearied following their commodities with the casting of care of things heauenly to get all wealth into their hands they oft times attaine not that which they pursue and those that doe attaine it haue got but the winde in their fist euen nothing who see they cannot hold it when they most desire it And this is to teach vs contentment in a godly estate yea thankfulnes and not to haue our teeth watering after the dainties of the other A dish of greene hearbes is better in such a case then a stalled oxe Vers 22. Then the men of Israel said vnto Gedeon Raigne thou ouer vs both thou and thy sonne and thy sonnes sonne for thou hast aeliuered vs out of the hand of Midian 23. And Gedeon said vnto them I will not raigne ouer you neither shal my child raigne ouer you but the Lord shall raigne ouer you The third part of the Chapter IN this last part of the Chapter follow certaine particulars concerning Gedeon and the first that is set downe is the offering of the kingdome to Gedeon and his posteritie by the men of Israel and the reason which they render of their so doing with his refusing it in these two verses The generall act of the people was good in that they shewed themselues thankfull to him for the great deliuerance which they had obtained by him as Gods instrument out of all the oppression of the Midianites their enemies And it bindeth all to the like dutie when they haue receiued kindnesse So both kindred towne and countrey ought to shew kindnesse to him and his by whom they haue receiued some great good and benefit Thus did Pharaoh aduance Ioseph and his brethren and father for that hee had preserued his land in the famine and it was complained of that there arose another Pharaoh afterward who did not know him And Dauid remembred Ionathans kindnesse to him after he was dead in doing good to his This caused Salomon to vtter this prouerb Thine owne friend and thy fathers friend for sake thou not And so to descend to smaller kindnesse betwixt one neighbour and another this thankfulnesse ought to bee shewed that while both it and the fruit of it bee continued betwixt them there may bee peace and good will which otherwise for the most part is banished from men vnlesse it be couered with dissimulation For while the one scorneth to owe any thing to the other professing that he can liue without him and the other is backward in loue whereby he might winne his neighbor what is nourished betweene both but strangenesse suspition vncharitablenesse discord and such cursed effects and fruits thereof And now last of all in this matter if thankfulnesse bee due for outward fauours and good turnes how much more should it bee shewed for the greatest of all as when one man hath by his industrie labour and loue bin the instrument and meane of the saluation of many In which respect Paul wrote to Philemon thus I will not say though he might that thou owest to me euen thine owne selfe And so other such may say who haue receiued the like kindnesse by any of vs as to be deliuered from the wrath to come by our teaching though it little appeare by the requital of loue and kindnesse againe I meane to procure their ioy who reclaimed them by being shining lights afterward But this hath been shewed at large vers 1. before Now as I haue spoken of the generall act of the Israelites toward Gedeon which all may see to haue been commendable in that they were thankfull though not without some weakenes so yet their particular act in offering the kingdome to him as farre of from allowance in them that it was vtterly vnlawfull for it was not in their power and therefore they offered that which was not theirs as shall better appeare by Gedeons answer in the next verse We ought by this to beware that we be not liberall of another mans right and good in giuing that which belongs not to vs. As many loue for name and credit to be liberall but it shall be of stolne or which is all one of other mens goods Euen so to shew it in another kind neither may any man giue his soule to the diuell as witches and coniurers and many other though not so apparantly doe for they are bought with a price nor our bodies to be defiled for they are redeemed and made the Temples of the holy Ghost This needs no long standing vpon but by this we are taught that as their sinne is great as oppressors gripers and gamesters who inioy to their owne benefitill gotten goods and restore them not so neither ought we to receiue of any man that which is not his owne but ill come by if wee certainly know it Otherwise the receiuer is excused who in his simplicitie doth presume charitably that to be of the giuers proper goods which hee knoweth not certainly to haue been badly gotten Neither shall the simple affection of the receiuer acquite the ill conscience of the giuer whose sinne herein is double both that he hath attained his wealth vnconscionably and then plaid the part of Achan in couering his stealth what though it be vnder the faire pretence of religious and deuout liberalitie Doubtlesse if Ananias were guiltie of sacriledge for detaining to himselfe a part of that which hee had alienated from himselfe and consecrated to the Lords vse how much more they who first rob others and then feed the Lord with the spoile as Lions doe their Whelps of that which they haue ill gotten It is the cast of many caterpillars when they haue sucked and drawne the blood of others all their life like horsleaches ready to burst they will satisfie for their villany by paying the tithe or some shred of their vnrighteous Mammon to the vse of the Lord or the Church whereas this sanctifieth not the rest that is behind but maketh all their goods execrable to
the which who could haue gone about a better thing in all mens account and iudgement But God reproued him by Nathan and yet he himselfe consented to him at first vpon the like good intent So many haue since the daies of Queene Mary and some still doe of a good intent enter into the Ministerie though many other intend nothing but to inrich themselues with liuing whom the Lord alloweth not by his word they being not able to feede his people with the foode of life So wee reade that Saul saued the fattest of the cattell as he said to sacrifice contrary to the word of the Lord which if it had been so had been bad but that was onely a false pretence to couer his couetousnes and disobedience to the commandement Then Samuel reprouing him was faine to answere him Hath the Lord as great pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifice as that his law should be obeyea Therfore good intentions corruptly so called cannot bee accepted of him except they be directed by knowledge Of such intents arose most parts and points of Poperie the orders of Monkes the worshipping of the Sacrament canonicall houres free will reliques prayers to Saints c. Of all the which and the like the Lord saith as he did by the Prophet Esay in the like case Who required these things at your hands And in another place In vaine doth this people worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men So that by all which hath been said it is manifest how prone and readie wee are to Idolatrie and superstition And what other thing doth this teach vs but that it is a mysterie to serue God aright and religiously and that cannot stand with the common practise of men in the worshipping of God who receiue not the word in the power thereof to work vpon them effectually and so as they may be cast into the mould thereof but for fashion and orders sake Againe Gedeons setting vp the Ephod was the occasion of the peoples falling to commit spirituall fornication with it through his letting it alone and they worshipped it as their fathers did the brasen Serpent which therfore Ezechia commanded to be taken downe Gedeon had done well therefore if he had so serued the Ephod also when he saw superstition to arise by occasion of it And this is the best fruite and successe of blinde and ignorant deuotion that it draweth some mischiefe alway with it as the grosse absurdities in Poperie of which I spake arose at the first vpon such beginnings So that the thing which in these cases is to bee done is that all superstition and implements thereof be held out of the Church of Christ but if any of them haue been suffered to remaine the next is that as soone as may be they be remoued And as for Gods ordinances they ought not to bee turned from their kinde and right vse of seruing him in ciuill cases as the Ephod was appointed by Gedeon as to make playes of them or offer them any such abuse as the Word and Sacraments But I passe to another thing concerning the people Lastly in that sundry of the people fell to Idolatry with the Ephod who had before worshipped God aright with an vpright heart and a plague of God fell vpon them for it note we that they who after they haue receiued the knowledge of the truth doe fall to Idolatrie doe neuer escape destruction if they lie still therein or some fearfull plague although they rise out of it againe and depart from it Salomon was a witnesse hereof both in himselfe and in his posteritie whose punishment is famous for harkning to his idolatrous wiues And the Lord professeth himselfe in that case to be iealous as a man that taketh his wife in spouse-breach who most certainly will not spare the offender Vers 28. Thus was Midian brought low before the children of Israel so that they lift vp their heads no more and the countrey was in quietnes fortie yeeres in the daies of Gedeon 29. Then Ierubbaal the sonne of Ioash went and dwelt in his owne house 30. And Gedeon had seuentie sonnes begotten of his body for hee had many wiues 31. And his Concubine that was in Shechem bare him a sonne also whose name he called Abimelech IN these foure verses another thing concerning Gedeon is set downe and first it is shewed how Midian for aâ—h â—he multitude and glorie thereof was brought low whereby may be noted the sorrow of such of them as liued and the shame and confusion both of the liuing and the dead with the fruit thereof to wit a finall suppression of that enemie and a long peace of fortie yeeres restored all the life of Gedeon Secondly three more particulars concerning Gedeon are added The first to his commendation that hauing done the seruice for which the Lord extraordinarily called him he willingly yeelded himselfe to a priuate life againe as he professed against the contrarie verse 22. The two latter were to his blame First his polygamie in vers 30. Secondly his yeelding to the vnlawfull desire of his Concubine of Shechem and making way thereby to the mischiefe that insued For the first of these the text saith Midian was subdued and brought low c. which being vnderstood of the multitude of them teacheth and proueth that we ought to looke alwaies to the end of things and not to the beginnings and florishing estate of them and this to doe the Scripture calles sound wisedome Thinke we of the godliest and things of greatest account pleasure pompe dignitie wealth buildings purchases solemne marriages or such like I grant that the most men reioice and please themselues in them vainely and foolishly for the time as if they had gotten a paradise but when all may see them to fade daily with the enioyers thereof and change to corruption no wise man can or dare please himselfe or rest in them as if they could make him happie but as he seeth the end will be therof so he will enioy theÌ„ from God as things decaying and transitorie What then ye will perhaps say shall he not be glad of nor delight in them till he doe forgoe them and till an end of them come I answere that I say not so But hee shall know what the end of them all will be before it come by the manner of vsing them For he that seeketh by all these to be more fruitfull in dutie doing to God and in workes of loue to men and not to take boldnes to sin the rather by occasion of them this man may know that the end shall bee good and in respect thereof hee may vse them all comfortably seeing hee vseth them warily and aright as God directeth him for in that he doth so God also blesseth him exceedingly which blessing few attaine thereto The Lord is brought in by Moses in Deuteronomy bemoning the want of practising this point of wisedome in men
is against them that doe euill Hearken By this speech of Iotham note that as all instructions and warnings sent vs of God ought to be hearkened to so more particularly they who heare not the crie of the innocent being wronged shall crie themselues and not be heard Note it against the monstrous oppressors and hard dealers of our time who in letting and lending regard neither equitie the common benefit of both persons nor the case of the poore but wring from them what they can into their own hands and vse other as they list Iudgement shall be without mercie to such as are so mercilesse Consider what a plunge Iosephs brethren were brought vnto two or three times for the crueltie they had shewed to him most vnnaturally when they sold him thither from whence they hoped he should neuer returne to trouble them any more God and man shall leaue such in their most miserable distresse as in the destruction of Ierusalem and in the death of Saul and Iudas we may see but the mercifull shall finde mercie This iudgement of God in measuring out such measure to the mercilesse as they haue met out to other I haue oft obserued to be paid to them who haue been cruell as to the bodies so to the soules of men who for their own pleasure depriuing many that were hungrie of the food of life haue for all their bodily abundance dyed miserably in darknes without any comfort or instruction But alas who beleeueth our report till he see it verified But men laugh and sport themselues in that they haue scraped together wee haue it in out coffers say they and about vs and as for God tush we hope he will do neither good nor euil we hope neuer to be put to any such plunge as you speak of others indeed haue found the truth of this by wofull experience but as for vs we hope to morrow shall be as to day we feare it not But oh wretch what if the Lord in mercie cull out some one of many to be a wonder and example to the rest sparing others the whilest doest thou so abuse this his patience to thy condemnation What if thou be that odde person whom God will set vpon the stage might not Adonibezek haue said as thou But put case thou escape this plague from men is there not a God who can bee cruell with the cruell as well as froward with the froward as the Psalmist speaketh that is match them to the full Wilt thou vrge him to deale with thee as once he did with an engrosser and griper arming mice and rats to oppresse him by sea and land till they had eaten the flesh from the bones without pitie as hee had done many mens before If thou saiest this is rare and not like to befall thee Well yet there is one way behinde which shall surely meete with thee and if thou canst shunne that then say the Scriptures are fables and that is when thou art in hell thou shalt crie out as Diues did for woe and paine desiring reliefe But it shall be answered to thee as to him No remember the time was when thou feltest not the miserie of the oppressed Now thou criest out in thine anguish and none heareth thee But by diuers occasions this is spoken of and handled in this booke To conclude therefore with a word or two touching another kinde of oppression I haue obserued this that some Protestants haue dealt hardly with and vncharitably defamed others euen men of the same religion and which aggrauateth their sinne such as they knew durst not giue them the measure backe againe which they offered them Now these men afterward falling into the hands of Papists men of another disposition cruell like lyons and stinging as scorpions haue been so vnpleasingly and despitefully handled by the slanderous railings of their Iesuites and Rabshakees who haue vexed euery veine of their hearts that they would haue bought off the blemishes and scarres with a price if they could which the pennes and tongues of their enemies haue defiled thē with sparing neither age person gifts or place And al to teach thē to deale gently with the innocent lambe if they would auoide the tongues and teeth of woluish aduersaries lyons Now to come to the parable By the trees seeking a king was meant as I said the Shechemites slipperines and inconstancie who could not be content with Gods gouernment gouerning them as he had done by many and raising them vp a Iudge in their trouble by other nations to deliuer them but they would yeeld to be gouerned by one and haue king euen as sometime after the whole nation of the Iewes did follow them in 1. Samuel 8. contrary to that which God had appointed Which practise of theirs teacheth vs that we soone grow wearie of Gods yoke and of his ordinances by obeying the which yet wee might doe well if wee could see and loth wee are that God should raigne ouer vs. Indeed we say and in words seeme to pray otherwise as in the second and third petition Thy kingdom come Thy will be done but who admitteth it And no marueile For flesh is vnruly and in the most there is no worke of the spirit and the operation of it is weake in the best of vs especially as we goe to worke By meanes whereof we see how ill it goeth with the most at this day For they hauing no more then nature in them seeke libertie to liue as they list and to follow their owne way From whence arise so many troubles and garboiles to them in their liues when yet Gods yoke is the only easie yoke and vnder the wing of his protection only is peace safetie Oh one day in his house to be nurtured by him euen in this life is better then a thousand in any estate of pleasure whatsoeuer and yet wee haue libertie to enioy much euen that way also Looke more hereof in chap. 8. in Gedeons answere to the people offering him the kingdome The other sonnes of Gedeon are compared with Abimelech as the good trees are with the bramble And yet they who were more excellent then he would not raigne much lesse should Abimelech who was farre lesse worthie and yet he did By the trees here and Gedeons other sonnes who would not raigne though they mought nor the trees as the vine oliue and figge tree that would not leaue their state for an higher nor their sweetnes for any other all of vs are taught to keepe compasse and to frame ourselues willingly to abide in the estate wherein God hath set vs as indeed the only and best estate for vs and not to breake out of our range and compasse to affect that which is not for vs. And as gifts are required thereto and calling so we should attend thereupon and imploy our time on that for which we are fitted yea and looke to find
part these gifts are rather supposed to be then be indeed in the boaster and therefore when the triall comes the Thraso or bragger is ridiculous to the beholders Amaziah boasted of his valour greatly and prouoked Iehoash without cause when he needed not but hee sped thereafter and was sore foiled So the late miscreants I meane the powder-traytors how boasted they of their deuice when it was almost at the vpshot God and man say they in that letter of theirs haue decreed the ouerthrow of these English heretikes c. But God had decreed the contrary and turned their boasting into shame euen when they looked for a perpetuall destruction vpon the vpholders and embracers of the Gospell and the ouerthrow of the Gospell it selfe So did Goliah challenge Dauid by words to this effect I will chop thee as small as hearbes to the pot as the common phrase of the swaggerer is but hee was chopt himselfe head from body with his owne sword The Pharisee boasted of his righteousnes liberalitie deuotion thus I thanke thee Lord I am not as this Publicane c. but the Publicane went away more iustified The worldling in Iames boasteth of to morrow To morrow saith he we will goe to such a place and make such a gaine c. But the Lord was forgotten and therefore they thriued as Iehoshaphats ships that went to Ophir for gold for they were broken So Hezekiah gloried of his treasures Nebuchadnezzar boasted of his buildings Achitophel of his policie counsell see his words Herod of his wit and eloquence and now adaies who is so naked but hee hath somewhat to vaunt of And if of nothing else yet of this to his neighbour that he was in the towne before him whom he contendeth with and ouer-croweth and will be there when he is gone So another boasteth of his skill in his profession or trade another of his selling deare or buying cheape of crossing his aduersarie and matching him c. for boasting hath not so small acquaintance as men thinke yea for a need if a man be prouoked but a little he will bragge of his pride and not blush to say to him that is his better Though I haue not so good a purse as thou yet I haue as proud a stomacke as thou for thine heart euen thus may ye heare the poore man contending with the rich But O earth earth earth consider what thou braggest of for euen thy glory is thy shame of thine owne mouth shall he condemne thee who professeth to resist the proud As for them that boast of worse matters who say They will quench the zeale of these precise ones as they terme honest men and will wearie and pursue them till they haue made them eate their word and to renounce their precisenes as Psal 2. These I say are as neere to the Lords despight and to disappointment as the rest and therefore he scoffeth at the boasts of such enemies casting their brags in their teeth and saying Tell the towers and gates see the walles of Sion c. As if he should say What haue they cast downe all these looke well and consider yee shall finde that not a stone thereof is remoued So bad a member wee see the tongue is and boasteth of great things to small purpose Therefore to make vse hereof let not the wise strong rich boast of their wisedome strength and wealth but hee that will boast let him boast that he knoweth me saith the Lord. And he that can boast of this shall not feare arrogancie seeing this knowledge of God is euer seasoned with humilitie and loue Let vs consider this that the sinne of boasting seldome goeth without vsurping Gods honour to a mans selfe and lying Both most capitall crimes against the first and second tables It is grosse for a rich man to boast of his worth and wealth but for a man to borow of this man and that great summes and to boast how well monied he is how absurd is it Be able to say if need be vtter it of thy well vsing thy gifts that thou regardest it as much as them or else thy craking of the gifts themselues shall be a witnesse against thee in the giuing vp of thy account yea rather let the best say To vs O Lord belongeth shame and confusion of face we haue small cause of boasting if we saw our selues in any sort as we are and our vilenes Nay let none boast so much as of to morrow they know not what one day may bring foorth Man is a worme meane and base if he were laid out in his colours But being as he is he should rather breake into admiration and say with the Prophet O Lord it is thy mercie that we be not all consumed rather then to boast of things aboue his reach It is absurd and ill beseeming euery way but especially it is odious and as dangerous when it is vsed against the people of God as Iezabel did against Elias and Rabsakee that railing heathen against the good King Ezechias and his men boasting and threatning them and all to discourage them from the true seruice of God as I haue said And this of Gaals boasting now of Zebuls answere When Zebul who being for Abimelech saw the boastings of this Gaal against Abimelech as he sent him word thereof when he heard of them by other that hee might prepare himselfe to come forward and fight with him so now he heard him himselfe he fleshed him on and matched him in another kinde to wit in subtiltie and dissimulation while yet he spake faire and seemed to be friendly to him as here wee see For hee went out of the citie with him to the end he might suspect nothing when he had yet giuen warning to Abimelech to lie in waite for him against the time hee should come foorth and to be readie to set vpon him and in the middest of the feare and danger that this Gaal was in Zebul subtilly deceiued him as if there had bin no cause of feare at all egging and drawing him on subtilly so that he could not for shame when yet full faine he would haue broken away from him Where besides that wee may note the dissimulations lyings and slie subtilties that be in the world euen among such as pretend great loue and friendship as is to be seene in this Zebul Which point I haue spoken of alreadie in this booke so wee may see how men of euill qualities are matched and meete together as he was with Gaal For if we marke wee may see that one is a boaster another a dissembler and a subtill vnderminder a third a quarrellet and contentious liuer Other tainted with sundrie other dangerous and bad qualities of which the Apostle speaketh these I say all liue and deale together Is it not therfore the great goodnesse of God that one deuoureth not another Yea if the Lord
left in the briars as Iudas was of the Priests whom he trusted in Let the reader looke backe to the fifth chapter and the 30. verse where the answere of Sisera his mother to her selfe and her wise Ladies to her is recorded and there he shall finde this point further in larged As I said they were slaine in the Temple of their I doll which they put their trust in so it was done by Abimelech who followed the matter to the purpose when he heard whither they fled This was his kindnes to the men of Shechem that made him king He promised other matters to theÌ„ vers 2. that he being their bone and their flesh be would regard them aboue all other And now we see here that all was but flatterie for to what end came all but to this that they had no greater enemie then him True it is indeed this fell out according to that which Iotham before had denounced against them to wit that fire should come out of the bramble and destroy the Cedars of Lebanon But this excuseth the fact of Abimelech no more then the counsell and purpose of God touching the deliuerance of Christ to death A good watch-word excused Iudas the traytor and the Priests and other who put him to death This is good therefore and an vse to be made of this doctrine if euer now needfull and therefore to bee heard and regarded namely that wee take heed whom we trust and giue credit vnto that is to say not such as wee haue not proued to be faithfull as the men of Shechem may teach vs who too rashly and readily trusted this deceiuer and false hearted Abimelech Our Sauiour would not commit himselfe to them that were said to beleeue in him for he knew what was in man Much lesse ought we to doe so who know there is much falsehood and doubling in them whom we trust and that they are ignorant prophane and hypocrites Therefore Salomon going as neere the marke as he could gaue this counsell about trusting of men Thine owne friend and thy fathers forsake thou not c. So that if it may be some proofe should be made of their faithfulnes and vprightnes first before we rest vpon them especially if it lie in vs to doe it And it being so necessary a gift this faithfulnes I meane the Apostle requires it in feruants the meaner sort of persons as one of the two necessary duties that should be in them the other being diligence without which they cannot doe their duties well that we may see thereby how needfull it is in all other about greater matters And as this sinceritie is rare to finde according to that which Salomon complaineth of saying Where shall one finde a faithfull man And Paul All haue not faith that is the fruite of faith which is faithfulnes and true heartednes so it should cause vs to begin with our selues and vrge our own hearts for vprightnes first and not to marueile that we finde it not in others if it be not in ourselues as that we may be trusted vpon our word and approue our selues such as we would be taken to be And then by our obseruation and experience of the good dealing that wee can finde in any more then in other thereafter let vs giue credit vnto them and yet I meane such good dealing as hath been learned by the preaching of the Gospell such as is according to knowledge And by the same vprightnes and good dealings men should bee led in chusing their companions in mariage and not to hearken to euery glosing tongue that can make faire and large promises which haue deceiued thousands and also in seeking of seruants or to haue them if it may be the children of the faithfull well and religiously brought vp and the same care should be had in chusing executors comeprimitters and such as we would put in trust To the which if it be demanded where such shall be found that they may be trusted in matters of importance I answere beside that I haue said already that euery one which will aske this question must first begin himselfe to practise sinceritie that so hee may the better complaine of the want thereof in other this I adde that some who call for it and finde it not are worthie to goe without it although I doe not hereby excuse them that are void of it and offer the contrary euill measure And they who I say are worthy to goe without it when they would full gladly finde it in those whom they deale with are such as are carping biting scoffing and accusing of them for their precisenes who labour and endeuor to keepe their consciences pure and good Too many there are in this age who cannot so soone perceiue a man or woman to withdraw themselues from the sinnes of the time and to bee afraid to offend as the common sort doe but by and by they cry out of them that they are Precisians Now they who can allow none to be vpright and conscionable in their waies and life it is no matter though they meete with such in their dealings as shew small conscience and vprightnes toward them God being iust to make others to measure out to them as they haue measured to others as Salomon saith in an other kinde Eccles 7. to teach them to know what an vpright hearted man is worth and to make much of such rather then to discourage them One example shall serue for all A cruell Landlord cries out of his vnfaithfull Tenant that he hath broken his day and it may be is runne away with his rent But who is in fault The poore Tenant that dares not appeare before his Lord to craue in differencie or the cruell Lord who hath borne him in hand that he hath let him a good peniworth whereas indeede hee hath so racked and fleeced him that he is fitter to begge reliefe then to pay his debt out of the farme hauing had nothing neere sufficient out of his owne labour to vphold himselfe As for such let them crie out of vnfaithfulnes till they be weary who will pitie them Let the dead bury the dead as our Sauiour saith they are serued as they haue deserued and let them reape as they haue sowne Further I answere let vs lament and pray against such vnfaithfulnes for that it is so common At least let vs pray that we may be free from hauing to doe with such for vnfaithfull men commonly are also vnreasonable at least that we be not beguiled by them ere we be aware as Abner and Amasa were by Ioab which except the Lord giue a man wisedome to discerne cannot alwaies bee auoided Besides where least trust hath been found by experience let men be wise to repose least trust in them For who will put precious liquors in a broken vessell hauing proued it to be vnâ—t for vse or through folly venter to dash our foot against the stone
how hee went about another As thereby shewing that he was not yet satisfied with the blood of the former and therefore that he went further to wit to a Citie neere adioyning called Thebez which also as it is probable though vncertaine either ioyned with the Shechemites or at least refused to be subiect to Abimelech and going against that tooke it also Thus we see how this cruell base-borne Tyrant proceeded in his bloody attempts and thereby also is shewed what extremitie these people of Thebez were brought vnto For they were all driuen to shift for themselues in a Tower that they had in their citie Wherein though they might shelter themselues for a day yet they could not long liue but must needs bee famished at least by any thing that they could see These and such like dangers men lie open to in this changeable world whereof they see no likelihood a little before Which may teach vs the vncertainty of al things here below in which yet men repose their confidence and that no man can vpon good ground say that to morrow shall bee like to day As by that speech of the Lord in the 12. of Luke to him that bad his soule take the ease eate drinke and bee merry seeing hee had laid vp much good in store I say by that speech may bee seene when the Lord said vnto him Thou foole this night thy soule shall bee required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast prouided euen the day before he died And lest it should bee thought to bee his case alone this he added So shall it bee with him that laieth vp treasure for himselfe and is not rich toward God Therefore how many may we see and heare of who are fearefully taken away from all and many other are wasted and haue their estate changed as if they had neuer inioyed it And such as regard not these things are like to haue much to doe when they shall see their owne prosperitie so to fade in like manner Oh it shall be vtterly vnwelcome And who can say any lesse then that in smaller changes by losse sicknesse pouertie diseases it is hard stooping to them when they come yea although they be thought of before and in some sort prouided for All this is said to teach the wise to liue here as strangers and to make heauen their home though they walke vpon the earth and to warne the foolish to seeke wisdome that while they cling fast to earthly staies and delights they bee not with the foole before spoken of cast out hence from all and then vtterly to seeke of the true happinesse also But now it followeth that after all this done to them of Thebez the Lord brought on the time of his confusion I meane Abimelechs also as well as of the men of Shechem And for the effecting of Gods iudgement vpon him it is said that when he had sped so well as we haue heard he attempted the Tower that was in Thebez to take that also and being drunke with his former successe and therefore looking for the like there hee receiued his deadly wound as his due reward and that by a woman to his great disgrace who cast downe a peece of a milstone from the top of the Tower he going close to the doore of it to set it on fire and broke his braine pan whereupon he being not strooke quite dead and yet past possibilitie of recouery called presently for his page to thrust him thorow to preuent the shame as he thought it that it might else haue been said to wit that a woman had slaine him and so hee came to his end also By this last attempt of his he hauing sped so well in the former wee may see how the wicked are fleshed by the successe that they haue in their bad courses and that they bee so blinded therewith that they make no stay till they be cut off in the middest of them For they make account that they shall doe as they haue done and dreame of no resisting of them They say to themselues like them in the Psalme Tush the Lord will doe neither good nor euill Is it not time then that God should make them feele that power of his in displeasure which they will not acknowledge by teaching and by this their going forward til God stay their course we see they cannot breake off and this makes their sinne the greater The like we shall obserue God willing in the Beniamites chap. 20. of this booke So Herod when hee had slaine Iames with the sword and saw that it pleased the Iewes he went about to take Peter also till in his attempt the Lord cut him off And what maruell though God vsually deale thus the wicked will not know him but they do measure their future successe by the former which he will make them see to be a wrong ground For they thereby being imboldned goe further from God and by their successe through the corruption that is in them they are made more vnfit to returne to him againe But all must know that the word of God followed and obeyed carefully of vs bringeth the good successe indeed in which wee may rest yea and in that only For what blessing soeuer it pleaseth the Lord to send vs in outward things as hee promiseth many saying to those that doe so that other things shall be cast vpon them we haue also inward comfort thereby which neither can be bought with money neither can be taken from vs which maketh vs glad to vse and imbrace all good meanes for the strengthening and stablishing of vs which the other being drunken with earthly peace make no account of And both these being considered the godly haue small cause to repine at the successe and ioyfull proceedings of the vngodly the Lord giues them their scope that he might bring the more sudden desolation vpon them while they looke to morrow should be like to day and much better Neither should it grieue the godly that themselues are often crossed and denied the successe they dreamt of and desired seeing either their enterprises were euill and therein to bee crossed is a blessing or lawfull but vnlawfully followed and therfore Gods promises were stretcht further by them then indeed they reached or although their doings were religious yet it may be they were vndertaken with too much confidence in the goodnesse thereof and in the meane season themselues who are the doers not looked into nor well purged from other sinnes which may easily set behind the successe of their best actions But doubtlesse where a Christian offends none of these waies he shall neuer want successe and the fruite thereof shall be farre other when it is least then the wicked mans who ventureth onely the more boldly vpon the next onset because of his former good speed as Abimelech here but he shall with Paul beleeue that God who hath well begun in him
will giue good successe both in mercies and deliuerances But I haue handled this point at large in this historie before In this Scripture is set downe that this wofull instrument had his deadlie wound and by what meanes euen in a base manner by a woman breaking his skull by throwing downe vpon him a peece of a mil-stone where wee may further note by Gods cutting off this cursed instrument Abimelech in the middest of his iolitie and before hee had done any more mischiefe that the prosperitie of the wicked is both short and vncertaine when and how it shall come to an euil end Which although I noted in general before out of the short time of his reigne yet a little I wil adde thereto by this present occasion here offered Now this their speedy taking downe is wrought by the Lord not only by the many waies that he hath to meet with and to punish them but also because they are euer putting the Lord as it were in fresh remembrance by their renewed and continued prouokings of him what hee oweth them And in the meane while he is not idle when he is still and patient toward them for hee knoweth and appointeth the time and the meanes to subuert them So the Psalmist saith Though the wicked flourish like a greene Bay tree yet a little while and his place shall haue no resemblance of such a one to haue been there and hee shall bee no more found Behold this verified in Zimry with his Cosby in Chorah the Rich man mentioned in the Scriptures and in many other in our owne experience who while they prosper are decaying but they that abide and remaine in the power of faith hope and patience as of Gods seruants is required and are thorowly set a worke in them they shall see good daies and be well liking and yet euen they also if they withdraw themselues from their confidence and will giue themselues to liue by eye-sight as other doe they shall see the Lord can soone change his course and their sorrowes will bee exceedinglie multiplied like other mens Dauids feet had well nigh slipt when hee beheld the present flourishes of the vngodly til God drew him out of his own fancie into the Lords Sanctuarie and taught him this wisdome to compare them with himselfe as well in one part of their estate as another and the bitternesse of their end and reward with the plausiblenesse of their iollity when they are in their flower and their slipperinesse when they are at the best Therefore as in a picture such as will throughly view it take not some note of the knee or foote or any one part of it but the whole for otherwise they should see nothing to any purpose so view wee the whole course of Gods dealing with the wicked as well the ending as the beginning and his proceeding with them and thereby our hastinesse in desiring their dainties will be abated full soone and our opinion changed as Dauids also was in iudging the bad to be happie after that he had better considered their end Lay we also sure hold on this that as the time and terme of the wicked is stinted and appointed so say we of the Lords dealing with our selues Yet a little while and he that commeth will come and not tarrie to bring our full redemption Furthermore we see here in that Abimelech had his deaths wound and after was slaine that he had not his will on the people of Thebez as he had on the other but as he suffered him to destroy the men of Shechem which fled to the Hold of their God Baal-Berith so yet he saued the men of Thebez and their wiues who betooke themselues to the Tower that was therein for shelter Wherein we may note that God doth oft times plague them whose iniquity is manifest as the sinne of these men of Shechem was when other who haue not sinned in the like manner though they be not yet religious are spared and borne with as these men of Thebez were The reason is the sinne of the one sort is manifest and grieuous and cannot be hid and crieth for vengeance the other either through ignorance or for that they haue not so wittingly or grossely offended are borne with that they may come to repentance And yet this is no excuse to them who liue in the light of the Gospell and haue knowlege if they liue and abide vnrepentant though they be not grosse offenders Neither on the other side haue they any cause to flatter themselues whose sinnes are notorious though they be not by and by cut off The vse of this doctrine is in this respect to incourage them who doe but walke in the way of the vngodly but stand not stiffely to maintaine their euill doings that seeing God giueth them time to repent and beareth with them they should not harden their hearts but take all occasions to turne vnto him And for such as are not fit to heare this doctrine but goe forward in euill they may euer feare that Gods vengeance is comming Now he being brought to bee past all hope of life by the blow the woman gaue him we see that hee who sought such glory as to be made King yea and obtained it also though most vniustly euen he did yet come to such shame and reproch as hee counted it as to be slaine by a woman and not so much as by the meanest man of warre Neither did it serue Abimelechs turne any whit at all that the last stroke was giuen him by a Page hauing had his deadly wound by the woman before onely it bewraied his pride which encreased the shamefulnesse of his foile And yet for him to be slaine by a Page was it such an honour to a great King so valiant and victorious as Abimelech now thought himselfe being in the top of his hopes and hauing brought vnder his enemies Therefore where God will set his brand of shame vpon a man it is but folly for him to striue against him or to elude him It was as confidently giuen out that Abimelech was slaine by the hand of a woman as that Sisera was dispatcht by Iael as for the Page hee slew as we may say a dead man in a mockery If this verifie not the saying God resisteth the proud what doth When men that haue carried thēselues aloft and borne their heads on high as the tall Cedars being terrors to their inferiors especially of the more religious sort are thus brought to shame as he was is it not notable to see them as much abased in their death below the meanest as they aduanced themselues aboue the greatest before It is reported of a Pope that he entred in like a Fox ruled like a Lion and died like a Dogge if he had also been buried as that proud Iehoijkon or Iezabel like an Asse what could haue been added to his shame and yet a liuing
to speake more heere being as much and a great deale more as is like to be regarded of such as I speake of Thus we haue seene the wofull end of this cursed Abimelech and of the wicked men of Shechem who had been the furtherers of him to the mischiefe that he wrought And after these troublers of the land were taken away there was peace and euery man left off from the worke that Abimelech had drawne him to and went home to his owne place where first it may be seene what stirre disquiet and trouble one vile person may make in the Church or Common-wealth the Lord so punishing the peoples sinne as partly I noted before in this chapter Absolon was but one man but how did he disquiet his father and the whole land Likewise Sheba the sonne of Bicry that raised a new commotion against Dauid and so the Prophet Elias told Ahab that he troubled all Israel And so I may say of Achan and of Kora and of many other euery of these was but one in his attempts but each of these what plagues and mischiefe wrought they by their seuerall sinnes though most of thē priuate persons to the whole state of the Church and Common-wealth of Israel If wee compare the sinnes of the whole body with the sinnes of a few wee shall finde that the sorrow which few brought vpon the whole companie came little short of the plagues which God inflicted vpon the whole when all prouoked him Although alas what speake I of particular actions Adam his sinne first brought a feareful confusion into the whole creation What wonder then if this contagion and pestilence hath euer since and still doth cause the like disorder in the places where it rangeth whose deformitie yet and the mischiefe that it workes though we see as it were with our eyes who almost is not bewitched with the painted beautie thereof But to returne when Achan Sheba Absolon were taken away behold all was whist againe and a great calme there was after so horrible tempests The whole Church is as a ship in which if there be one Ionah what tumult makes he but cast him out and the danger is ouer And as this is true of great sinners and publike offenders so it is true of more inferiour and priuate persons as of Magistrates in their precincts Headborowes in townes Masters and parents in families seeing but for the badnes of such the rest should be in peace And further by the rooting out of Abimelech let vs confesse it to bee a great benefit when such authors of mischiefe and workers of iniquitie bee taken away and therefore giue all our endeuour for the maintenance of peace and to make holy and right vse of it while we enioy it For as wee may see by these that sought peace after the death of Abimelech euen so the most that are vsed to trouble other in time waxe wearie of it In these two verses is the shutting vp the whole chapter Iothams prophecie is verified and Gods iudgement thereby declared how hee rewardeth iniquitie Of which this I say briefly seeing in some sort it hath been touched already that they who take ill matters and bad in hand shall haue smal cause to reioyce thereof in the end For their sinne will finde them out when they thinke least of it And it is most like also that looke what way they haue sinned euen the same way their sinne may be punished as here it was Stone for stone Abimelech killed his brethren vpon a stone and he is killed by a weake woman most vnlikely with a stone The like wee haue heard of Adonibezek and of Oreb and Zeeb who tooke their death where they wrought mischiefe Oh how doth God recompence into their bosome in full measure heaped vp and running ouer vnto such The which they will not foresee and so preuent vntill they smart and be past recouerie If this cannot moue any of the like sort to take warning by such watch-words in time to hate their bad course and that with detestation at least let those that haue shunned and declined from such euill waies reioyce with thanksgiuing and that vnfained for that they haue been preserued from them and that they haue chosen the good way to walke in it howsoeuer they haue had many prouocations vnto the contrary And last of al we may see here that as God reuenged the innocent blood of Gedeons sonnes so God will take part with such innocents Hurt them not therefore for the time will come when thou shalt pay deare for thy so doing of which point looke more in the former part of the historie The end of the ninth Chapter THE SIXTIE ONE SERMON ON THE TENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 1. After Abimelech there arose to deliuer Israel Tola the sonne of Puah the sonne of Dodo a man of Issachar and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim 2. And he iudged Israel three and twentie yeeres and died and was buried in Shamir 3. And after him arose Iair a Gileadite and iudged Israel twentie and two yeeres 4. And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie asse colts and they had thirtie cities which are called Hauoth-Iair vnto this day which are in the land of Gilead 5. And Iair died and was buried in Kamon THE summe of this Chapter is briefly this that the children of Israel hauing enioyed peace and libertie for a time vnder Tola and Iair fell againe afterward to Idolatrie Whereupon the Lord also did againe deliuer them into the hands of their enemies wherfore they calling vpon God were at the first sharply reproued but afterward truly repenting they obtained fauour with God and were released of their sinnes as before time By occasion whereof entrance is made into the storie of their deliuerance in the chapter following The parts of it are three The first containeth the time of their peace to verse the sixth The second a new defection and reuolt of the people from God to verse the 17. The third mentioneth the preparation that the Ammorites made against the children of Israel and the peoples and Princes meeting and comming together to consult and agree how to goe against them and this is to the end of the Chapter The first part of the Chapter GOd raised vp these two Iudges to wit Tola and Iair after the former to keepe the people in the true worship of God and in outward peace Here to speake somewhat in this first part of both these two Iudges of Israel ioyntly together and afterward somewhat seuerally this is to be noted of the former that after the ouerthrow of that cursed Abimelech the people of Israel had a long time of peace in both their daies that is 45. yeers Where note that though God iustly punisheth the sins of mē as he did theirs here yet he doth still remember his people and regard them sending them peace againe afterwards euen as
after a storme and tempest commeth faire weather and he hath said that the rod of the wicked he will not suffer to lie alwaies on the lot of the righteous God will not keepe his anger for euer toward them It is his great fauour to his that they who are exceeding bad liue not very long and that he vpholdeth his owne people many waies Indeed when God is prouoked some must shall suffer as here by the plague many thousands in citie and countrey haue been swept away of late who if they haue been readie for their departure and haue repented it is well they haue gone vnder Gods hand in their sufferings the better And so let such as are preserued aliue when others are taken away turne to the Lord with al feruencie and speed that so they may testifie that they may make their profit of Gods sparing their liues and that they may so procure the continuance of peace and the Gospell to their posteritie Let Gods people I say do this though other haue no eares to heare good instruction and be well assured that though carnall reason see no such thing God will doe much at the earnest suite of his yea though they be but few As we see he would not haue destroyed Sodome if there had been but tenne righteous persons found there But alas through the abundance of iniquitie the loue of many decaieth and few are wise to vse their outward peace or health or other benefits of God to their good And as for the most which is not to be wondred at they vtterly reiect the things which concerne their peace for euer As in the daies of Noe the people liuing in darknesse ate and drunke married and gaue in marriage euen as they doe in these latter daies of the sonne of man before he come in his glorie of whom some shall in their aduersitie when he shall awake them desire but to see one good day and it shall be denied them They neither labour to keepe outward peace each with other which were no hard matter while the common enemie is held vnder and that there be peace in the land nor yet betwixt God and themselues but nourish vile lusts the fruite of Sodome in themselues through fulnes of bread and abundance of wealth the daughters of peace But the worst is that these fierie darts of mens lusts are throwne at God himselfe who hath granted vs these daies of peace to a farre other end as Act. 9. and at his seruants who are the best pledges of our peace Is this the recompence saith Moses in Deut. 32 which ye make the Lord for your outward peace and spirituall libertie And iustly may it be demanded of vs Is this the thanke God hath at your hands for your peace and freedome from Egypt and Canaan Consider therefore that in our thus warring against we fight against our soules as the Apostle Peter saith and againe by this that we serue not God purely in this our prosperitie the diuell himselfe a great word to speake is deceiued in vs who tooke it for granted long agoe as hee saw reason for it that when a man is hedged in with blessings and especially this strong hedge of a publique peace he would serue God without question Indeede hee requireth a further matter of vs euen that wee serue him in time of affliction also but is this likely when wee doe it not in peace But of this matter I spare to adde any more heere hauing vttered my minde of it before in the fifth chapter and elsewhere These two Tola and Iair are not said here to haue risen vp to iudge Israel as intruding themselues but as following Gods appointment who raised them vp as good gouernours to saue and deliuer his people out of their enemies hands so was not that vsurper Abimelech but a waster and a spoiler So are they whom God sendeth in mercie to rule nurcing fathers and such as teach be full of loue and compassion to the people for he graceth them whom hee counteth faithfull and putteth in his seruice euen to that purpose Somewhat I haue said before touching Gods calling and the manner of it yet by this occasion I will adde somewhat God in a generall prouidence of permission may be said to raise al that rise vp in place of gouernment and authoritie By premission when he resisteth not them who raise vp themselues vnlawfully as Abimelech In which respect the Lord tolerateth many in his secret will to doe many things against his reuealed will he permitteth I say not causeth them for then one will should be contrarie to another Secondly he actually blesseth many and raiseth them outwardly himselfe though their rising be to no purpose as Ieroboam Thirdly he raiseth vp and blesseth other their attempts being lawfull and not indirectly vndertaken but according to his will whereas he doth onely trie the other by raising them whether they will raise and aduance him or no and set him vp as chiefe and procure the like from others so if they forget him as Ieroboboam and Saul that then hee may honour himselfe vpon them when hee could get no honour by them This the holy Ghost expresseth liuely in Pharaoh Rom. 9. But the last and most speciall kinde of raising is when beside common gifts the Lord raiseth a man as well vp to the life of grace and holinesse as inhaunseth him in the world adorning him with more rare gifts as meekenesse wisedome faith holy courage zeale and the fruites of true loue to his Church and Gods glorie And these onely may be said most properly to haue been raised by God and neither by men nor themselues and therefore to be Gods fauourites indeede There are many that rise in the world who grow further from goodnesse I speake of such as are apparantly raised and some of them from the dunghill to honour learning wealth but they were in more hope to Godward when they were lowest in the world since they waxed proud idle scornefull their hearts rising against God and his seruants and to euill ends abusing the steps and degrees of honour and estate by which God hath raised them thereby prouoking the Lord to pull them downe to their former ebbe euen the lowest staier of shame According to that of Samuel to Eli vttered from God Those that despise me I will set nought by but honour them that honour me This rule will not be vnmeete to try our rising by for euen Heathens saw somewhat when they could say No good man waxeth suddenly rich And as torrents and standing waters bewray some sudden and great tempests and raine more then vsuall so mens sudden risings bewray the immoderatnes of their affections exceeding the measure of iustice and religion And let this serue to quiet them whom God lifteth not vp to great place if hee haue raised them vp with his Christ from death to the life of
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
not crie vnfainedly at the first but for the smart they felt but hauing the repulse of God and they seeing that they preuailed not thereby they did after set themselues to seeke the Lord and to repent in the truth of their hearts as is shewed afterwards and that they did not at their first seeking to him come in true repentance it appeareth by the Lords reiecting of their cries and his bidding them goe to their gods whom they had serued for helpe which hee would not haue done if they had turned to him in truth for hee is full of compassion and readie to receiue those that are of an vpright heart And by this wee may see that many men when they are in extremities confesse their sinnes to God as Saul when hee feared the losse of his kingdome and crie to him when yet it is otherwise hardly wrung from them neither doe it they sincerely and yet I will not say that they here or that all other such of whom I speake doe it in hypocrisie but this I say that in their need and hast they crie onely they consider not that God looketh for truth at their hands neither resolue afterwards to looke aboue all things to keepe their couenant with God neither therefore indeed doe so but like Ahab bow for the time as a bulrush and afterward forgetting through carelesnes and negligence what they said or promised whereas they who in truth and vnfainedly repent and turne to God looke duly and constantly to their promise that they made to him as Dauid did who said I haue sworne and will performe it to keepe thy righteous iudgements And there had need to be no lesse in them that couenant with God a man would thinke vnlesse they will boldly and grossely shew that they despise him and helpe to fill the Church with reuolters as they were that we reade of in the Psalme The vse of which I repeate not but referre the Reader to the places before mentioned Verse 11. And the Lord said vnto the children of Israel Did not I deliuer you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistims 12. The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites did oppresse you and ye cried vnto me and I saued you out of their hands 13. Yet ye haue for saken me and serued other gods wherefore I will deliuer you no more 14. Goe and crie vnto the gods which yee haue chosen let them saue you in your tribulation IN these verses it followeth what God said to them in these their cryings to him When the people had called vpon God and began as it seemed to repent God answered them indeed but sharpely and roughly as appeareth in the text whether by the high Priest or by some Prophet But why he so hardly reproued them the reason was to awake them further and to bring them to sound and constant repentance to the which they were not yet come vnto As if he should haue said to them Yee seeke to be deliuered but ye doe it to the end that ye being set at libertie may returne to your old byas againe and follow your lusts and serue strange gods But who could haue thought that you would hereafter saith the Lord to them haue reuolted from me Did you not call vpon me at other times and were heard Is this the first and when I deliuered you yet he haue forsaken me as is to bee seene this day for the marke ye stil beare of it and haue cast me behind your backs I deliuered you from the Egyptians Ammorites Ammonites and other and in stead of the thanks ye by and by forsooke me and fell to serue strange gods O horrible Thus therfore the Lord as we haue heard now casteth them in the teeth with their doings And namely with their Idols as if he should haue said yee see now what your gods as you call them are able to doe for you For if they could haue helped you I see that you would neuer haue sought to me I will not therefore deliuer you and if you seeke to them ye see they cannot Briefly to end this their state being thus laid open by the Lord before them I note or rather repeate out of the whole answere which the Lord makes them heere that it is not so easie a matter for men to deceiue him who knoweth their hearts and the guile falsehood and flattery that is in them as to beguile men who in charitie do as they ought iudge the best of them by that which they heare and see To heare some men in their good pangs either when some great blessing befalles them or when they are held vnder by some great affliction as by the feare of death and kept vpon the racke or when they haue heard some powerfull Sermon which hath searched them to the quicke or when they behold the great workes of Gods power as thunder lightning winds and tempest by sea or land or when they see Gods hand vpon other men or to be heauy vpon themselues any other way vpon such occasions I say to heare the speeches and see the behauiours of some men what words of thanksgiuing of trembling of admiration nay what confessions and prayers breake from them with earnest couenants and vowes of repentance I say to heare these things at such times would make a simple-hearted Christian crie out as amazed and not feare boldly to affirme God be glorified doubtlesse these persons are throughly changed and truly penitent and God is in them of a truth surely Saul is become a Prophet of God and thus in their simplicitie doe many iudge of such by occasion of that which they see in them and who except they bee well experienced should not say the like in that case and cursed are they that deceiue such yet thus they speake of them till they are afterward as much astonished to see the contrary in them Thus wee see they deceiue men whereas the Lord as wee may see in this example will not nor cannot bee so easily deluded by them neither wil so soone be satisfied with these their speeches but still waiteth for the truth and vprightnesse of such as vtter them and giues no credulous eare vnto them but doth more then suspect them for he calles them to further proofe of their soundnes and affection towards him and expostulateth with them for that he finds it not so with them Saul as I said fearing his kingdome confessed the sin which was laid to his charge 1. Sam. 15. But the Lord professed for all that he had reiected him chap. 16. So the people in Deuteronomy being in feare and strongly possessed thereof in all hast protested they would obey the Lord in all things which Moses should tell them from the mouth of God But the Lord smelt them and found them out presently for thus he saith to Moses This people saith
and guarded against all inward or outward aduersarie power of our saluation This is that approching with confidence to the throne of grace this is that freedom of spirit which calls God father whether the resistance be made by some lust or some diuels instruments or the diuel himselfe what libertie is this that a Christian may with hope which will not make him ashamed pray against it with assurance of being heard euen as Christ himselfe was in that which he besought his father for And why Because he is within the couenant and therefore warreth against all euill therefore hee may boldly pray for grace against it that he be not foiled for he is about Gods worke and the Lord is a louing Master he will not see his seruant frustrated of his hope in his seruice Thirdly these words note out this That it is wisedome for a man to bestow his chiefe cost there whence hee lookes for best recompence and acknowledgement in the time of most need The steward in his kinde is commended for this policie who would shew curtesie to such as he knew in a day of hardnesse and want would be readiest to remember it with thankes and requitall The contrary folly the Apostle to the Romanes taxeth what fruite had ye of those things whereof yee are now ashamed A man is not ashamed of that labour which hath brought him in plentifull gaine but of that which answers not his cost and hope Men that haue runne themselues out of breath all their life groping after a blind happinesse in their vnprofitable superstitious prophane course at length seeing themselues deceiued wish they had serued a Master who might haue saued them and receiued them into euerlasting habitations But he answers them bidding them go see if their money will saue them their god or their lusts their masters as for me I had none of their seruice neither shal they haue any wages frō me Thus the Lord is faine to vpbraid men though not by word saying Go to your Idols yet in effect in that he leaueth them shiftlesse or else who should perswade one of an hundred that he soweth among thornes or loseth his labour and cost when he casteth it and himselfe away vpon one Idoll a broken staffe or other And the truth is such a bewitching nature these Idols are of not Popish onely but spirituall also set vp in the loue of the heart that they possesse their seruants with an opinion of fruite which is to be obtained if they could hit vpon it till at length with other like themselues when time and strength thrift and cost is all spent and wasted they crye out miserably like theeues at gallowes they were deceiued leauing an example for others if they bee wise to profit by as for themselues neither rule nor example could doe them good as wofull experience witnesseth in too many other Vers 15. And the children of Israel said vnto the Lord Wee haue sinned doe thou vnto vs whatsoeuer please thee onely we pray thee to deliuer vs this day 16. Then they put away the strange gods from among them and serued the Lord and his soule was grieued for the miserie of Israel THe people hauing receiued an hard and sharpe answere of the Lord to them to wit that hee would not heare them laid it neere to heart and cried againe to the Lord how soone after it is not here expressed confessing their sinnes casting away their Idols which at their first suing to God they did not now in stead thereof they serued the Lord whom they had forsaken and beside all this they submitted themselues to him to doe what he would to them resting confidently perswaded of his mercie and so obtained deliuerance which they had earnestly sued for and sought out of that present calamitie for the Lord was intreated of them and granted their desire Now if it seeme strange to any that in their first crying to God their sute was reiected wee must know that they sought not to him for it in the vprightnesse of their hearts as is said before and therfore God meant to hold them on the racke as it were and not onely to keepe them in suspence but also to hold them in a deepe feare by denying helpe to them Secondly to bring them to a through repentance as indeed now they did shew signes of it and those also effectuall which they did not before and for this purpose he draue them more throughly to examination of them themselues then they had done before So that we see at first they gladly would haue been deliuered but in the meane while they would not cast away their Idols and other sinnes but would still walke in the waies of their owne hearts Which setteth before vs a common disease that is too oft euen in Gods deare children that in our afflictions we crie to God for mercy and helpe and faine would haue the punishment taken away but so that we would haue libertie to liue as we did before and hold fast our sinnes still and abide in them for they are dearer to vs then our owne flesh Euen after this manner many of vs too oft and boldly deale with the Lord so that repentance is hardly attained vnto no not euen then when we are to sue to the Lord for ease in our trouble As may bee seene in Dauid himselfe in the 32. Psalme that it was painefull to him to confesse against himselfe we need not the speech of the people of Anothoth to Ieremie to preach vnto vs pleasant things and againe that we will not heare the law of this thy Lord neither to follow Demetrius the siluer Smith in the booke of the Actes for these were wicked both of them And how did they foile themselues they of Anathoth to retaine their pleasures the other to vphold his wicked gaine But that it should be so with vs in any manner who are of the better sort how can it be borne And yet it may iustly be complained of Oh euen the better sort of men will not be reformed Insomuch that when affliction is vpon them of which they would most willinglie bee eased yet they cannot be brought to see or amend any thing that is amisse because they flatter themselues are great in their owne eies while their iniquitie is found worthy to be hated And yet there are worse then these who murmur vnder their affliction and doe what they can to hide their sinnes And here more particularly as it is cleare that this people saw they did euil in worshipping strange Gods but would not acknowledge it til God draue them to it by his sore iudgements So when we see and will not see how we prouoke him by any of our speciall sinnes let vs feare that he will if wee will not abhorre and be weary of them by his instructions and warnings which he giueth vs that he will I say bring vs thereto by sharpe correction So
in great need of his help and was wished to vse it by godly Iehosaphat No saith he for I hate him and he doth not prophecie good for me but it had been better for him to haue been beholding to him So that in respect of such passions it is some restraint of nature and bridling of the corrupt heart in him that can seeke to his enemie And seeing God doth make vs all to stand in need one of another why should wee not make our hearts to bow and bend especially when it shall be also for our owne good and benefit Although I must say that this is not so commendable in vs nor profitable for vs thus farre to seeke to other when we may feare the better thereby for a naturall man will straine himselfe for aduantage but when we doe it to crosse ourselues and our euill hearts which rebell in vs and would carrie vs to the contrarie and so stoope to the ouercomming of the poyson and corruption that is in them and that also for conscience sake that we may please God therein this is a grace and worthie thing indeed This being done we should doe well to help one another and perswade each other to turne away to alienate rancour and stomacke from their enemies as Iacob hath commendably gone before vs herein to Esau and Dauid toward Saul and the Prophet Elisha did perswade the King of Israel to handle his enemies kindly which fell into his hands But yet on the other side we must take heed as well of flattering men in their euill as hating thē for wee may not sinne to obtaine and get mens fauour but beare our crosse contentedly if euer wee be driuen to seeke helpe of them whose sinne wee haue set outselues against for why wee haue done our duties though wee receiue ill measure for our good will and God will make a way for vs that al shall be well and he will if it be expedient turne their hearts towards vs for all that but as was said before let vs make none our enemies by needlesse prouoking of them but hold peace with all if it be possible yea euen with them that are our enemies For how would these here haue done if Iphtah had vsed them as they did him Or what had become of Iehoram 2. King 3. if Elisha had persisted in his reiecting the motion which he made because he and his father had scorned him and his predecessor Elija before Therefore be wee wise for God may so order it that to resist proud men euen they whom we haue prouoked in our rashnes may be in place to doe vs much hurt and that none saue the very persons whom we haue scorned can helpe vs in our neede When Saul was newly created King there were some iust of this humour and therefore they are called sonnes of Belial who defied him Tush say they what new vpstart is this how shall such a base fellow saue vs so that they would not acknowledge nor take him for their King But shortly after how should they haue done when Nahash came vpon them if that despised fellow as they accounted of him had not holpen them Then there was seeking to Saul and after the victorie it was demaunded by the people who were these that spake against Saul so despightfully saying Shall he raigne ouer vs bring them foorth and let them be slaine Therefore that we may auoid this shame and imputation of folly to be in our extreames now to abandon a man as nothing worth and after to seeke to him acknowledging him to be our onely helper let vs learne this moderation towards all as neither to be burdensome to the greatest nor yet beare a scornefull minde toward the meanest If the Samaritan and the man that fell among theeues had knowne each other before and the one scorned to be the better for the other is it like the one would haue loosed and relieued the other in that extremitie Yet we may well thinke in such a case hee must haue been of a rare proud stomack that would haue lien still wounded and in paine rather then be beholding to him that was there to helpe him And let me giue the poore a caueat concerning this humour for they that must depend vpon all yet hauing a proud heart wish that all depended vpon them and sometimes will vtter words to that effect and I say this vnto them It ill becommeth the richest and euen they may bee sure at one time or other to smart for their proud stomacks but much worse it beseemeth the poorest who rather as Salomon saith should vse all entreatie Let such breake their hearts and make holy vse of Gods affliction vpon them and submit themselues to the bearing of their burthen that so the hearts of the wealthier be not iustly hardned against them Also we see here in their desiring the helpe of Iphtah whom they had before expelled that oft times the things which men reiect God chuseth to doe great enterprizes by Which as it was most cleerely verified in our Sauour who being the stone which the builders refused was made the chiefe corner stone so was it also liuely verified in the Apostles after Paul himselfe saying of himselfe For all the good he had done and the rest we are al made a gazing stocke to the world to the Angels and to men And so at this day by whom doth the Lord gather his Church together but by them that are counted the abiects of the world or whom doth he make members of his Church but them and those to be dearest vnto him who are not counted meete to liue on the earth Therefore let no faithfull seruant of God be dismaied for the discourtesies and discouragements which he shall meete with by the vnthankfull world the Lord seeth their workes and hath them in neuer the lesse account but will plentifully reward them of which point I need not say much hauing so often handled it in this booke alreadie THE SIXTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw let vs proceed with Iphtah his answere made to the Elders of Gilead First therefore in this hee repeateth and rippeth vp their fault which in times past they had committed against him telling them that they now comming to him in their distresse he as he might well marueiled at it they neuer hauing made agreement with him And it is easie to be seene that in all this hee answered as he might lawfully doe putting away all gall and bitternes for it was meete they should secure him And euen so it is lawfull for vs by so good an occasion as was offered to him by them to doe as hee did in a like case to wit to rehearse mens great iniurying of vs when they would make nothing of them And yet all is not necessarie to be followed and practised of vs alwaies which Iphtah said to them here and namely his repeating
boote and all to make amends by mans law What needed he haue feared the law which is not made for the iust but the transgressor if he had holden himselfe content with his owne But men say they must venture nothing venture nothing haue till by venturing all they lose all not money and body but soule also if God be not more mercifull These things notably lay foorth the folly and fruit of sinne euen in outward respects and yet it is as manifest in spirituall For to adde another instance in the first Table Many there are that say they hope that God is not so hard a master neither wil punish sinners so seuerely as the Ministers would beare them in hand others goe further and will enter vpon Gods prerogatiue saying euery one for himselfe I cannot beleeue that God hath reiected so many thousands and will saue so few meaning that if God doe so hee is cruell But oh foole as Paul saith what gettest thou by disputing against God nay by bereauing and spoiling him of his iustice oh sacrilege and vnrighteousnes in the highest degree Surely as Austin saith speaking hereof That which they would haue they lose but that which they would not they haue euen woe for euer They would get heauen by disanulling the decree of God that shall they neuer get for the Moone keepes her course though dogges barke at her and they would scape hell too but that will they nill they must be their portion for euer But what fruit see we in the liues of most men of this and the like doctrine driuing and scaring them a man would thinke forcibly from all kind of vnrighteousnesse But I passe from this to that which followeth THE SIXTIE EIGHT SERMON ON THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 34. Now when Iphtah came to Mizpeh vnto his house behold his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and dances which was his only child he had no other sonne nor daughter 35. And when he saw her hee rent his clothes and said Alas my daughter thou hast brought me low and art of them that trouble me for I haue opened my mouth vnto the Lord and cannot goe backe 36. And she said vnto him My father if thou hast opened thy mouth vnto the Lord doe with me as thou hast promised seeing that the Lord hath auenged thee of thine enemies the children of Ammon 37. Also she said vnto her father Doe thus much for me suffer me two moneths that I may goe to the mountaines and bewaile my virginitie I and my fellowes 38. And he said Goe and he sent her away two moneths so she went with her companions and lamented her virginitie vpon the mountaines 39. And after the end of two moneths she turned againe vnto her father who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed and she had known no man And it was a custome in Israel 40. The daughters of Israel went yeere by yeere to lament the daughter of Iphtah the Gileadite foure daies in a yeere THE FOVRTH PART OF THE CHAPTER Of the executing of his vow WHen Iphtah had gotten the victorie he returned home to Mizpeh for there he dwelt and therfore we heard before that he made a league with the Gileadites before the Lord in Mizpeh And behold for now I returne to his vow to the bewraying of his deepe folly in making his forementioned vow the first that came foorth to meete him was his daughter which so troubled him that his ioy for his triumph was turned into most deep and bitter sorrow but she when she vnderstood her fathers vow submitted her selfe onely desiring a time to bewaile her virginitie And hee after her returne performed his vow on her And it was a custome that the daughters of Israel went foure times in the yeere to bewaile her Now to peruse the verses particularly it is said here that when he had bin made ioyfull by the victorie at his returne his daughter was the first that came forth to meete him with trimbrels and dances for so they were wont to celebrate the worthy acts of Princes and greatmen As they did I meane the maides to Saul thus they vsed to expresse their publike thanksgiuings to God Now to the aggrauating the griefe of Iphtah it is said she was his onely childe and he had no other And in that his daughter came the first to meete him who must be done to he thought as he had vowed all may see what effect comes of rashnes and how vnbeseeming a companion it is to a wise man who should ponder his doings and weigh his words with reason yea religion euen in the ballances of the sanctuarie that is by the word of God before they be vttered The best fruite of it is sorrow and repentance It is a true saying Rashnesse doth nothing well as in Herods rash promise and oath is to be seene The like had Dauid done if he had not bin staied by Abigail against the house of Nabal Much like was the wilfull and rash act of the Prodigal who would needs goe see the merrie world abroad as he thought it yea and he might in no wise be staied from his purpose as though hee had gone about some great and weightie worke when he had gotten his portion into his hands to that end but to what extremitie of miserie brought he himselfe The same may be said of the rashnes of choller whereby men smite out teeth and eyes out of the heads yea and breath out of the bodies sometime of wiues children seruants or any of them whom they light vpon in their fume also of the rash bargaines and suertiships which are made and vndertaken in the world and a thousand mischiefes besides Likewise of the protestations commonly made in this manner I pray God I sinke where I stand if it bee not true that I say or Gods curse be vpon me Which Peter himself through rashnesse and forgetting himselfe did fall into Therefore it behoueth all to be wise and well aduised in their vowes to God and promises made to men that they snare not themselues neither bring needlesse sorrow and woe vpon their owne heads And euen so when they be aduisedly and circumspectly made according to the rules before set downe vers 30. then in no wise to goe from them but to performe them as Dauid did Psal 119. Of this look more in the historie of Gaal chap. 9. and elsewhere Furthermore in this verse wee are taught that God is to bee praised publikely for the publike benefits which wee receiue in common as both here wee see in Iphtahs daughter and in many other places I haue shewed although not in the same manner and Moses also Miriam and Debora with sundrie others did and that as for other reasons heretofore set downe so to teach posteritie by our example to doe the like But of this after God would haue the
first fruites consecrated to him that wee might vse the rest with thanksgiuing And in that she was his only childe it must needs increase his heauinesse that by his vow he had brought vpon himselfe when he saw he must be depriued of her and to this his sinne brought him in his rash vow making or whatsoeuer other sinnes they were that others may beware thereby And by this we learne that God for mens sinne will not spare to depriue them of that which is most deare vnto them One reason hereof is that the Lord meaneth to humble them deeply and to cause them to descend into themselues more seriously and to purge out the sinne that waiteth them a mischiefe and so to preuent it And therefore this vse wee should make of it that whensoeuer the Lord dealeth so with vs wee should know it is for the hardnes of our harts which otherwise and without such breaking of them will not be softned And let vs the lesse marueile at it when we finde it to be so for though he haue often gone about it by gentler meanes yet we know they haue not preuailed so that wee haue driuen him to deale more hardly with vs as wee count it and to handle vs more roughly as to wound vs so deeply by taking the things from vs which are most deare vnto vs. And if we are not to be accused for that our hearts are hardned by the deceitfulnes of sinne but that wee relent yet let vs know that God hath sufficient cause to afflict vs as to exercise and prepare vs for greater and to hold vs here as strangers But of this in another place although I haue often obserued it before in the seuerall stories of the punishments which fell vpon the idolatrous Israelites By this verse it may appeare how sore Iphtahs daughters meeting of him did trouble him as both by his word hee testified saying Oh thou that shouldest haue been my chiefe earthly comfort thou I say art one that hast chiefly cast me downe Also by signes thereof hee shewed it in that hee cut his garments for sorrow after the manner of the Hebrewes when they saw that some great calamitie was suddenly befalne them as in Ioel and other places it appeareth And he shewes the reason that hee hauing vowed to offer her to the Lord he might not he said goe backe such was his ignorance that he knew not there was libertie giuen by the Lord in that case to redeeme that which a man had vowed amisse This verse affoordeth vs many good lessons and first by this that she was such a trouble to him after hee had gotten the victorie and that the Lord pulled him downe so sore thereby by this I say we are taught that God seeth it expedient thus to deale with his seruants oft times that when hee hath exalted them by some great fauour bestowed vpon them lest they should take too much delight therein and so become surfeited therewith hee addeth some affliction to it or taketh away some part of the benefit which point I haue at large handled in chap. 8. vers 1. of this booke yet I will here adde somewhat This appeareth therefore in sundrie particulars as in our goodly shew and likelihood of fruitfull haruests and hope of other commodities commonly wet or drie cold or heate immoderate and other changes and casualties cut off a great part of our hope So in marriage wealth credit and such like the Lord addeth sicknesse some losses or other affliction or holdeth the feare of them ouer our heads as the parent doth the rodde ouer the childe to weane vs from too great pleasure taking in them Euen as we reade in all ages he hath done the like So Isaak and Rebecca in their kind and comfortable marriage had Esau their sonne to bee a vexation to them in his most wicked marriage and before that sometime a famine and sometime the ill dealing of strangers with them So Iob for all his wealth had his crosses and namely his wife yea hee was so acquainted with this truth and Gods dealing with his deare children that hee said in the middest of his prosperitie that he looked for his change And who doth not see it necessarie that the Lord should deale thus with vs For else it should bee found so to be with vs as it was in the daies of Noah when they did eate and drinke marrie and were married and made that the chiefe end of their liuing here whereas godlinesse being the great riches and a day passed therein being better then a thousand in any estate beside the Lord would haue vs claspe about that and be ready to learne by little and little that wee haue no hold of any transitory thing here below though lawfull but we should count one thing necessary though we be occupied about many And to make good the doctrine that I haue gathered out of this verse to wit of Gods keeping vs vnder some way in the middest of our prosperitie I conclude that if Paul had neede to be buffeted lest hee should be lifted vp aboue measure we may lay our hand vpon our mouth and say God hath most iust reason to deale thus with vs as I haue said Now if hee seeth it meete thus to exercise vs lest wee should bee lifted vp then much more if we haue already been so and passed our bounds in any such manner Now to goe forward by these words of Iphtah Oh my daughter thou art of them that trouble me and by the deepe and sudden sorrow which they testifie to haue then possessed him by them I say wee may see and obserue another thing that the best delights and greatest pleasures of this life in which wee haue had exceeding comfort as hee had in his daughter may possibly and doe often turne to our great sorrow and discontentment We see the same in Iacob when his sonnes hating their brother Ioseph had dipped his coate in blood to hide their owne sinne and brought it to their father to make him thinke that he had been slaine by some wilde beast when he saw it hee brake out in a great passion and said This is my sonnes coate an euill beast hath deuouted him Oh what heauinesse tooke hold of him euen from and by him who was his ioy and most deare vnto him And thus it is with vs as it was with them So consider how deare Absolom was to his father Dauid and when word was brought him of his death how heauily did he take it how did he wish and desire that hee might haue lost his owne life to haue saued his as his words vttered in most patheticall and lamentable manner doe testifie where he thus crieth out Oh Absolom my sonne my sonne would God I had died for thee oh Absolom my sonne my sonne Euen so what sore disquiets and corsiues are many children to their parents wiues to their
both a solitarie place fit for the purpose and also farre from her fathers house to weane her selfe from thence or for to auoid recourse of her friends vnto her To teach vs that there fall out times and occasions to bee solitarie euen as it is it selfe commanded vs of God and that both extraordinary as here and in priuat fasting and ordinary also for meditation and these both the one and the other we should vse to our good when we haue cause either longer or shorter time to goe apart by our selues knowing that this is a speciall action of religious worship and therefore requireth seperation from hindrances So did our Sauiour Christ for a time after much preaching and being in companie goe into some solitarie place with his Disciples as it were returning to himselfe that hee might haue more freedome for heauenly contemplation and prayer So in the time of great lamentation as the people did mourne for the death of Iosias and in the time of Zachary the Prophet whē the familie did it apart one member of it from another the husband apart and the wife apart But fondly doth Popery abuse such examples to maintaine Monasticall life and such like fancies when they were vsed in the best manner if euer well vsed but now much more when they haue brought them to such abomination as they are come vnto that it is but a couer for much and great wickednesse And this point deserueth our obseruation that she being now in heauines wisely chose the fittest exercise to set it in on worke and did not yeeld to her passion which then would haue made her loggish and vnprofitable but vsed it to a singular good end euen to fit her selfe for her death and departure In mirth and ioy how hard a thing is it to recall home our wandring senses and straying affections and retire our thoughts and mindes from rouing in euery corner of the world our wofull experience can tell vs. Sorrow hath likewise many and those grieuous annoiances attending it but that of the two the comparison being equall is the fittest trumpet to sound this retreit And as naturally it contracteth the body and the spirits so if it be taken heed vnto it bringeth the superfluous and noisome cares delights and desires of the soule into a narrower compasse And when a man is wholly at home is he not fitter for any good dutie then when hee is absent in great part from himselfe Therefore as the day of griefe is a season and opportunitie for some good dutie which at other times is to vs vnseasonable so let vs vse it accordingly that is redeeme it Solitarinesse I confesse is not fit for euery sorrower and yet it is necessarie for the better doing of this dutie I therfore distinguish of persons Such therfore as are ignorant and yet oppressed with heauinesse for that they doubt and are vncertaine of Gods fauour for their sinne and especially if they bee pressed with melancholy To these I giue this counsell that they auoide solitarinesse in their pangs of griefe and melancholike passions and giue not vantage to their enemie the diuell to finde them alone as neere as they can lest they finde his delusions and temptations the more forcible as Iudas in his perplexitie did when hee went aside from all companie But let their sorrow driue them to aske counsell and make their cases knowne to such as can aduise or comfort them The diuell was bold to assault our Sauiour himselfe in his solitarinesse But to returne and to speake of the point If a suruey were taken I doubt wee should finde few houres I speake not of weekes or moneths dedicated by the most part of Christians to this heauenly worke of vsing solitarines for meditation especially for preparation to dye to make vp their accounts against they should be called for Oh they look to liue long they are not in the case of this maide who was within two moneths of her dying day and applied them wholly to fit her for death but they are made drunke with an vnsatiable desire of liuing still and therefore tell not them of such sad vnwelcome matters But oh fooles are they not suddenly taken and as vnprouided within few daies and houres of their death as they were many yeeres before Therefore to leaue them when the Lord at any time iustly occasioneth vs to be sorrowfull and pensiue let vs beware of blockishnesse which commonly accompanieth them who in in their mirth thinke of nothing but iollitie and say wee euery one thus to our selues Now the Lord calles me home to the practise of a dutie which indeed ought to be oft in vse to meditate of my estate to vnburden my mind and soule of those manifold needlesse and noysome thoughts and affections which I haue ouerloaden my selfe a long time withall now the Lord will haue me bent to search out my errors corruptions and disorders of hart and life and going aside to ease my stomack of them confesse loath renounce and aske pardon of them Now the Lord will haue me to pray that his spirit may be restored to me in greater measure that I may returne with more libertie to his seruice and beware that I be not againe surfeited with that which now I haue vomited vp as the world pleasures vaine desires vile and loathsome lusts This is a good vse indeed of heauinesse the house of such mourning is better thē the house of feasting And to this end oh it were to be wished that damsels as well as other liuing in these daies would setforth themselues to the world not in pride boldnesse nicenesse and curiositie of fashions but in modestie grace and wisdome as this maiden here did which were another manner of spectacle then to see many golden rings in a swines snout Now whereas it is said here to fill vp the measure of her due commendation that she returned at the time set vnto her father to doe to her as hee had vowed the faithfulnesse constancie and obedience of the maid is not onely to bee commended but admired For why did shee so but to serue God therein as she was perswaded Such keeping of couenant and promise made by her when it was to the forgoing of her life doth vrge all in smaller matters much more to keepe promise and to make conscience of their word and that not only towards God but euen to men also The like we see in Paul who hauing his liberty giuen him both in his iourney towards Rome and at Rome also where hee was Nero his prisoner whereby hee might haue made many an escape and shifted for himself yet neuer attempted any such course but faithfully returned to his Captaine and to his Keeper though to the perill of his life rather then he would procure safety by breaking away by distrusting God or by vnfaithfulnesse A good cause will seeke no such shifts and our great Iesuits if there were in them that
taketh vengeance of such by men as vpon Achan he did by Ioshua who said vnto him Seeing thou hast troubled vs God shall trouble thee this day when they stoned him to death or else the Lord doth it himselfe without meanes as when it is said He will recompence tribulation to them that trouble his To teach vs to follow peace with all men and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lords face Of this fruit of mens wilfulnes and the deare price it costeth them I haue noted somewhat elsewhere To knit vp the point therefore marke how iustly God met with these Ephramites and what a shame it was vnto them to be the first disturbers of peace and good order and to be so foully foiled and beaten by them whom they prouoked iniuriously When it falleth out so for it falleth not out alwaies so what a cutting of their combe is it and a pulling downe of their proud stomacke And if they should carrie away the field and preuaile alway who should liue with such But for the defence of the innocēt and the preuenting of that confusion which would otherwise ensue for what is more intollerable then a boaster when hee hath his will the Lord resists such and pares their nailes so that their hornes are but short though their hearts be full curst And seeing all will say that when a makebate and contentious person is put to the worse he is well serued to teach him to liue within his bounds and meddle not with them that giue him no cause let vs prouide in our dealings with others that both our cause be honest and well grounded and that our affections be sutable not carried with passion heate and rage against him who hath wronged vs for if it fall out that wee be defeated and put to the foile as we may looke for no other in such a case and God himselfe take against vs in our bad courses how shall wee be able to hold vp our heads for shame when men reioyce at our ouerthrow Surely hee had need be impudent who should beare God and men and his owne conscience downe altogether and not blank for all the shame which his owne boldnes hath brought vpon him But as for such as measure all by the successe they haue in their leaudnes thinking it becommeth them well enough while they prosper more shall be said of such in the 5. and 6. verses following In this verse a reason is added why the Gileadites slew them of Ephraim to wit because they railed on them for these Ephramites which branded themselues with so many foule sinnes together as we haue heard which was too bad yet added this to the rest that they railed on them also These railing words were vsed before in their contention with Iphtah vpon which the Gileadites were doubly incensed For seeing they quarrelled with Iphtah and threatned him so what wonder if they grew to disgrace the whole familie of which he was The meaning then is Gilead smote Ephraim because Ephraim besides their sedition added disdainfull and reprochfull termes and because they dwelt betweene two tribes they tooke occasion to call them Mungrels hang-byes and men of no set tribe but Neuters So that by all that hath been said though the tribe of Ephraim was a famous tribe among the rest and none of the meanest yet we see how the best for birth and descent may possibly degenerate and grow companions with the base and shamelesse as these here who had worthily such measure offered them by their brethren for their leaudnes quarrelling tumult and railing Now if those may thus disguise themselues then how easily nay how vsually thinke we may it be seene that very vile abiects and ofscourings may dwell among worthy and right honest seruants of God and good christians and be of their kindred also For as many vagrant and idle persons doe hang about Princes courts who are neither hired nor belonging to the house but shifters for their bellies and backes offering themselues to runne of meane persons errands so are there in townes and cities vnruly and disordered fellowes either shrouded vnder the wing of their godly kindred or nestling themselues among other of good note for religion and honest behauiour some without callings brought vp to no labour some without liuing but all voide of grace ready to be set a worke in doing mischiefe if opportunitie serue Such in diuers cities we reade of in the booke of the Acts of the Apostles who waited to bee hired to make tumults and vprores therein And yet I would haue none to take me thus as though I meant by such as I speake of the poore folke in townes who are in meane estate to liue of whom I say this that many of them follow their calling diligently and labour painefully for their liuing and where the Gospell is truly preached some of them are religious and approoued good christians I speak of that which I know although I deny not that there are of them also many idle hangbies which may be reckoned worthily among the other that I spake of The vse of this is to helpe to weede out such as men haue abilitie and authoritie and chiefe men in townes and all other to bee furtherances hereunto and to preuent idlenesse irreligiousnesse and liuing without callings from whence such annoyances doe arise Looke more about this before in chapter 9. 4. and 11. 4. We haue heard of the subduing and killing of many of the Ephramites in the battaile before mentioned now it followeth how the rest were slaine And that was by taking the passages at Iorden before them and there as many as they found to bee Ephramites they slew all that were put to the sword and that lost their liues at one time and other were two and fortie thousand Now because many passed ouer Iorden of the Reubinites and Manassites as well as of them who were Ephramites therefore they tried them by their language and speech whether they were Ephramites or no and that was by their tongue in pronouncing For when they bad them pronounce Shibboleth in a more full manner they could not but said Sibboleth being not able to pronounce so and by that meanes they were discerned and so taken and slaine The first thing to be noted here is the occasion which moued the Gileadites to vse this policie to bid the other say Shibboleth and that was because these Ephramites being asked who they were made a lye to saue their liues and denied their tribe It is true which Satan said Iob 2. Skin for skin and all that a man hath he will giue for his life euen truth honestie and all And few will marueile at it may be or blame these for lying in so weighty a case as life it selfe is because they thinke that if they should be put to it as these were it were no more then they might and should doe to saue their life
perfect as your father in heauen is perfect also purifie your selues euen as I am pure Be mercifull euen as your heauenly father And be ye holy for I am holy Insomuch that in another place he saith without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. And the signification of the Nazarite doth exclude all that are vncleane and vnsanctified from the Lords presence fauour and seruice True it is the ceremoniall rule is abolished for in the Church of the new testament it is not permitted to any man to vowe any regular seruing of God according to outward obseruances and orders with placing any religion therein no not so much as to retaine the obseruation of the Nazarite much lesse to inuent new rites and orders and yet such are holden the onely religious men and women at this day in the church of Rome as haue solemnely entred into some order or other as they haue many confused orders of their owne forging and therein ayme at perfection But to let these and their disorders goe the equitie of this institution still remaineth firme and bindeth vs. For the Lord will haue all his to know that they are not set here to liue no nor to serue him as they list or bee as seruants that be at their owne hands but hee tieth them to a rule and an order according whereto he will haue them to walke But this rule is spirituall first then vniforme and bindeth all without exception The summe whereof is as I haue said to giue vp themselues in bodie and soule to the Lord in all inward subiection of heart and outward obedience of life strictly with clensing themselues of all superfluitie and filthinesse of either body or minde The ceremonies also here required to be vsed of the Nazarite had their signification those which are mentioned in the text are these two the one the suffering of the haire of his head to growe and not to be cut off for the time that their vow of being Nazarites remained for they vowed it either for a certaine number of daies moneths or yeares But when their vow was at an end and the time of keeping it expired at the offering of sacrifice and burning the flesh in the fire they cut off their haire and burnt it in the same fire And after that they were free and returned to their former course of life Although it was otherwise with Samson for he was by the Lord appointed a Nazarite for his whole life though that was not according to the common manner of being made Nazarites The signification of it was that much time should not be taken vp in too nicely trimming and looking to our bodies seeing we know they must be consumed to the earth and become wormes meate and therefore a ridiculous folly to forget that and to please our selues in such deceiueable fancies And also when the minde is set curiously on that worke as it is a dangerous token of pride so it bewrayeth that it slenderly regardeth the inward apparrelling of it But as this nicenes and curiositie in the weaker sexe who spend too many good houres vainely and vnfruitefully in this kind argueth pride folly so there is a foule abuse in men about this matter and that is their disguised wearing of long haire I thinke there are few of them who will defend themselues by the practise of Nazarites if they did yet the world would conuince them as being for the most part furthest off from the strict worship of God and sincere walking after his will as the Nazarites did if they doe not also mocke and skorne those that embrace it Me thinkes it is strange and argueth somewhat more then common for the badnesse thereof that among many changes of corrupt English fashions worne out and expired yet this vnnaturall fashion as Paul calles it for a man to weare long 〈◊〉 hath suruiued them all I know some nourish it for amarous lightnesse of minde others as a supposed ornament to their person or marke of gentâ—ie or at least imitation of gentlemen These as I thinke might more wisely forbeare it now seeing it is become the fashion and habite of the basest swaggerers and ruffians and the diuels marke which he hath set vpon many that wil not be reformed then at the first when they vsed it either as ensigne or ornament It was the speech of a worthie and reuerend Iudge of the land That the vse of the long locke was first taken vp by branded fellowes for a couer of their shame And that honourable personage in his circuit sitting in the place of iustice vpon malefactors practised according to the former obseruation commanding all whom he saw beset with such deformed haire to be immediatly cut or shorne whether to discouer their eare marke or to shame their vnseemely guise I know not And yet many of them farre enough from Nazarites all may thinke set as much by their haire as if they had put religion therein and were as loth to haue sheares or rasor to come vpon it The signification of the abstaining from wine or strong drinke was not simply to forbid the vsing of it to all for wee see in Nehemiah the Lord giueth his people libertie to eate of the fatte and drinke of the sweete but it was commanded them that were Nazarites for the time that they continued so to abstaine therefrom the signification I say thereof was to teach Gods people that they should auoide all excesse that way lest thereby they should dull and blunt the powers of their mindes and so they must of necessitive vse them to shamefull ends which were giuen them to farre more excellent purposes which I say to the iust condemning of all beastly drunkards and such as are their pot companions though they can better beare drinke without open disguising of themselues then the other who yet spending their time wickedly and in needelesse and brutish deuouring of it are nothing inferior to them in sinning but in sundry respects are much worse then many of them But of this sinne by other occasion I haue spoken This particularly be said of the rule of Nazarites and the caueats thereof more generally this I adde to the former that by these prohibitions and such like the Lord would teach vs in how high account hee hath an heart well mortified and purged from the drosse and superfluitie of lusts and concupiscence which it is stuffed withall Wee see how he enioyneth his Nazarites not so much actuall worship as a straight restraint of the flesh from all vnlawfull excesse which he shadoweth out by these two of diet and dâ—cking the body abstinence in both Doubtlesse if it were possible for a man to equall the Angels in obedience and cheerefulnesse readinesse and integritie of seruice yet if it were possible againe that the olde man with his desires and passions might still remaine aliue with them as wrath malice couetousnesse vncleanenesse hollownesse loosenesse pride
vncharitablenesse an vnruly tongue c. the religion of this man were altogether vaine There are reasons of this 1. The Lord saith Sonne giue mâ—e thy heart he meaneth not a rotten heart and corrupt he needs it not but an heart well searched and well drained from sinfull affections and lusts such an heart he calleth for and chuseth For he knowes that where a mortified heart is there also is an heart quickned to the life of God and the more fit for dutie both within and without 2. The chiefe seruice of God is inward and this inward stands especially in repentance which first consisteth in the change of the euill habites and qualities of the soule ere new be put in For no man grafteth vpon a rotten stocke nor puts new wine into old vessels 3. A christian man fetch surer euidence from hence of his reformation then from any particular dutie to the affirmatiue commandements of the morall law and more soundly distinguisheth himselfe from an hypocrite I seperate not the parts of repentance but diuide the false from the sound by this rule many a good Christian is behinde hand in this worke and euer shall be for no man is pure and hardly forgoes some one or few old relikes of Adam and therefore looke how much a man profiteth in this peece of religion so much hee groweth more truely religious The vse is that they who haue chosen the easier course of seruice I meane to doe good duties doe better tend that other part of christianitie which hath been lesse regarded by them and that they trauaile in denying themselues ouercomming their passions abstaining from and crucifying their corrupt nature where it is strongest in them and so shall their religion prosper and better beseeme them For though it be the harder part of the two yet time bestowed therein will counteruaile the labour most plentifullie And for a good man to be a debter to any lust is most vnseemely but to be a seruer fulfiller and obeyer thereof and to haue the weapons of sinne still vnmortified and fighting in him against righteousnesse as Paul speakes is monstrous Thus much of the Nazarite In this verse the Angell telleth the office of the childe that should bee borne to wit that when he should come to age fit for it he should begin to deliuer his people from the bondage of the Philistims Wherein the Lord declareth his tender loue and care of his people who when they are oppressed and in tribulation doth pitie them and thinketh euen before of easing and redressing their sorrowes whereby he would draw them to relenting for their sinne and to be ashamed of their prouoking of him to punish them and of the hardning of their hearts by lying still in their offences without humbling themselues and crying to the Lord for mercy and deliuerance And if yee aske why hee doth not as well take them out of their troubles as well as he pitieth them therein and why he suffered this people to lye in bondage so long to their enemies till Samson grew vp and was able to deliuer them I answere he were willing and ready to doe it and much more if it might be good for them but that cannot be while they still harbour and nourish their sinnes but they would procure vpon themselues greater vexation by continuing their wicked course if the Lord should deliuer them before they repent for the same as hath bin often proued by the example of these Israelites crying for ease but neuer heard till by repentance the Lord was grieued for their miserie So that Gods suffering their oppressions to hold them vnder a long time as this his people was by theirs namely from the birth of Samson till hee came to mans estate and after it was not for that he taketh pleasure in afflicting his hee professeth the contrary but it is for that they relent not neither cast themselues down before him to draw compassion from him by their lamenting after him And therfore their long abiding vnder their tribulations doe argue exceeding hardnes of heart in them whereby they procure the same And whereas men cauill with God and say they cannot bow their own hearts nor force them to relent God must soften them and breake them or else he is the author of their miserie I answere they can binde heauie burthens vpon his shoulders which themselues will not take vp with the least of their fingers And that appeareth by the slight account they make hereof and their dealing so carelesly in so weightie a matter For although the Lord can pull out the stone of the heart as the Prophet speakes and make it an heart of flesh yet if this were the thing they desired they would first apply themselues to that grace of his which is able to worke this effect in them and then put ouer and commend the blessing of their labor to God which while they neglect to doe they haue that within them which shall witnesse against them to be the wilfull causes of their own desolation The Lord is not bound to them in the least respect to minister the meanes of the word in afflictions benefits examples help by others much lesse grace to be humbled and repent Therefore in that they vse none of these ordinances of his to the wholesome ends to which they are appointed the sin is theirs he is guiltlesse in that he hath offered them more faire then themselues were willing to accept of Neuer did the Lord leaue any to himselfe hardned and impenitent who desired to profit vnder his doctrine and discipline Therefore let men beware they ouerreach not themselues in their subtiltie for as bold as they are in speech here yet when they come to answer the Lord face to face they shall be dumbe and of their own mouthes shall the Lord condemne them To the which end more might be added if the point came not so often to hand throughout this booke as oft as the relapses of the people are mentioned See also the first branch of the doctrine vpon the 7. 8. 9. verses of the former chapter Thus much of the first part The second part of the Chapter Vers 6. Then the wife came and told her husband saying A man of God came vnto me and the fashion of him was like the fashion of the Angell of God exceeding fearefull but I asked him not whence he was neither told he me his name 7. But he said vnto me Behold thou shalt conceiue and beare a sonne and now thou shalt drinke no wine nor strong drinke neither eate any vncleane thing for the childe shall be a Nazarite to God from his birth to the day of his death 8. Then Manoah prayed to the Lord and said I pray thee my Lord let the man of God whom thou seâ—test come againe now vnto vs and teach vs what wee shall doe vnto the childe when he is borne 9. And
contrarietie except God hiâ—selfe could be charged to be opposite in his performance to his promise And this shewes how rarely God hath graced this woman that she a weake creature should be able thus to rest her selfe and vnder-lay her husband by an argument of the greatest force which might not be gainsayd except grosse absurdities were granted yea impossibilities to wit that God might falsifie his word And in such cases as Manoah was no lesse euidence of truth and proofe would haue serued the turne It commendeth this duty vnto vs when we shall be tryed in the like manner to wit that we suffer not our selues with Manoah to forget who it is that hath made vs a promise of forgiuenes and who hath assured vs that we shall not perish but be kept to the resurrection day It may be that in some great and sudden feare or trouble the Diuell may quite spoyle vs of the remembrance of the grounds whereupon we haue built our faith and strip vs naked of the experience of our faith which in time past we haue had the fruit and benefite of yea and the particular circumstances also which haue added great force and likely hood to the truth of the promiser as we see in poore Manoahs example But then should we step forth with this woman and accuse our selues for this our forgetfulnes as Christ did the two disciples saying O ye dull and slow of heart to beleeue c. and giue no place to our vnbeliefe struggling against our weakenesse as a strong man whose hands and feet are bound by theeues to breake the bands and get the vse of our ioynts and limmes to help our selues withall Then should we striue to call back the word of God to our minds whereupon in times past wee built our faith and confidence and so shame our selues that wee did not still ascribe to God the honour of beleeuing him which in times past we haue done Nay more we should embolden our selues thus that we cannot be disappointed of our hope whether it be of any deliuerance present or glorie itselfe hereafter except God himselfe can be conuinced of falshood which is impossible and to say so were blasphemy for he hath passed his word to vs we haue been perswaded of it and had cleare testimonie thereof at sundry times so that it is as sure our state is good as that Gods word so much as in one iot or title can not be frustrate In things meerly temporall there may seeme a repugnance betweene the Lord his secret will and his reuealed I say seeme because men eâ—large temporall promises further then they reach But in spirituall promises there is neuer any repugnancie at all where faith is ready at hand to argue with this woman thus If this should be God should be contrary to himselfe which is impossible Now in this lastverse for I referre the next to the Chapter following the birth of the child Sampson is mentioned as the signe thereof was giuen before by the Angell and how the Lord prepared him for such a purpose as to helpe his people against their enemies by giuing him strength of body and courage of minde About his birth after his parents had receiued a promise from God of hauing such a childe yet there were many doubts in them which now we see were all answered Euen so we are to know that though there be many thoughts of heart and much heauinesse in Gods people about the inioying of the sundry good things that God hath promised them before they be accomplished yet wee see God in his appoynted time effecteth and bringeth them to passe It is true that by reason of the much vnbeliefe that is in vs yea though sometime it be well purged out of vs we are euery while doubting till we obtaine the things which are promised and yet some of them we liue to see performed and as certainely shall the rest be also euen as wee see the promise that a barren woman should beare came to passe to the parents that beleeued it that Gods deed and his word may be one And this is true in the promises of remouing any iudgements or crosses as by the malice of the wicked by paine penury or other oppressions or of any blessings temporary as well as of grace to beare afflictions or to vse prosperity rightly or of a good end of our dayes How many and great promises had Dauid of the kingdome yet through not only the long deferring thereof but also the admirable and manifold oppositions that he met with what likelyhood was there that he should euer haue inioyed it in so much as vpon the sight of them he brake out himselfe and sayd I shall surely dye by the hand of Saul one time or other but yet came it not to passe that he inioyed it and was stablished in it Therefore let all those who haue a part in the promises of God count it their singular priuiledge and honour to haue the Lord of heauen and earth thus bound to them as indeed to be out of this compasse is the greatest misery though a man had all abundance let such I say reioyce dayly that they are reckoned among them whom God hath assured to grace enlighten purge gouerne vphold and hereafter glorifie And let them watch and wait for the performance of these promises seeing that hee who hath made them and in whom they are made is no man that hee should change yesterday and to day and the same for euer renewing his mercy dayly To hold this by faith is the beleeuers crowne let him beware that none take away his crowne from him As the childe grew vp so it is said the Lord blessed him with common gifts of the spirit as it is manifest that this is to bee vnderstood but it is not so clearely seene that it should be vnderstood of the more speciall gifts also that are peculier to the godly But yet forasmuch as the word blessed him is generall to both kindes and not restrained to one kind only by the holy Ghost we haue no reason to restraine it but to take it generally and the rather for that the worthy actes he did were fruites of his faith as we see Hebrewes 11. and it followeth after that Sampson was induced with speciall gifts of grace as well as with courage of minde fit for a valiant man and bodily strength sutable to pursue his enemies And this is said of Samson as being a type of Christ of whom it is said that hee grew in fauour c. Luke 1. last verse as in yeeres and stature Whereby we see that all good gifts which wee enioy are of Gods free bountie communicated to vs as the Apostle speaketh And the graciousest wisest or hee that excelleth among men any other way is beautified with the gifts which he hath by God who giueth them No man hath any thing of his owne but sinne The heart of man is
but young compared with that which followed afterwards when he made strip and waste of the Philistims Euen so when he will worke I say in more speciall manner by some in future age he will giue signes thereof in younger yeeres which is notably to be seene in Dauid who in the great danger he was in by Goliah when Saul told him that he was but a boy but hee whom he vndertooke to fight with to wit Goliah was a man of warre from his youth answered vnto Saul Thy seruant kept his fathers sheepe and there came a Lion and likewise a Beare and tooke a sheepe out of the flocke and I went out after him and smote him and tooke it out of his mouth and when hee rose against me I caught him by the beard and smote him and slew him Therefore this vncircumcised Philistim said hee shall be as one of them seeing hee hath railed on the hoast of the liuing God And the like is manifest in Samuel whom because the Lord meant to make a more then ordinary instrument of his glorie in the function of both Iudge and Prophet therefore he reuealed himselfe familiarly by visions vnto him in his tender age yea before he seemed to be of discretion and ripenes of yeeres and iudgement the Lord began that work in him early which in time to come he meant to accomplish in great measure So that we see that the religious and prudent training vp of young ones in the knowledge of God and of themselues and good literature being the ordinarie meanes now adaies to promote this worke of God in time to come is not to be despised much lesse the towardlinesse of such as whom God in their youth shall begin to grace aboue others is to bee snibbed and checked as the practise is of some brutish persons to scorne and reiect such saying Tush what reckoning make yee of such A young Saint an old Diuell This truth is exemplified in many young persons at this day who by good education doe shew very great towardnes as schollers in the Vniuersitie in their learning and other in the countrey both young men and damzels in such things as wherein they are trained vp and both sorts in the practise of Christianitie farre differing from the common sort of youth who are saucie disobedient and prophane and giue fearefull signes of mischiefe working and sustaining miserie afterward And out of them hee raiseth excellent instruments some fit for Magistracie and some in other places to doe much good in the Ministerie not to be teachers onely but also fathers begetting many children to God and others to bring foorth much fruite to his glorie And herein that prophecie is verified that in those daies the Lord would powre out his spirit vpon all flesh not old men onely but euen the tenderest young men and maidens A fruite no doubt of that vnction of Christ Iesus the arch Prophet of his Church who began at the age of twelue yeeres to giue demonstration of strange forwardnes for wisdome and grace because in his riper yeeres hee was more fully to declare that he was annointed with the spirit without measure These therefore whom I spake of before if they vse well the gifts of God as Dauid and Samuel did which they receiued in their youth shal after they haue gotten experience see how God prospereth and inlargeth them to their sound and great reioycing and the good of many other and helpe to to cast downe and destroy the workes of darknesse and of the diuell in places where they bee not too strongly resisted and set against by such as loue darknesse more then light because their deeds are euill But if after they haue begun well and in their younger yeeres giuen great hope if I say they comming further into the world shall be dazled with the deceitfull beautie of it as though they had found a better portion then grace and shall be blindfolded with profit pleasure and promotion so that thereby they cannot do their former workes they shall complaine too late when all these must forsake them that they were once in the way to do well if they could haue seene it And all may see that howsoeuer they woond out of the diuels hands in the first maine temptation wherein they were in danger to be brought to despaire and in the next also which tended to bring them to presumption yet that he hath preuailed against them in the third about the glorie of this present world and thereby hath deceiued them And thus much be said of the first thing which I mentioned now last in this verse to wit of the gifts of God appearing in Samson in the first yeeres of his discretion of the second namely that this storie doth minister matter of the riddle afterwards I will speake in place where I shall haue a fitter occasion offered namely in the fifteenth Chapter Lastly in this verse in that it is said hee told not his father nor mother of this that hee did to the Lion it shewed both that neither hee himselfe was vainglorious for then not onely they but other should soone haue heard thereof but also it appeareth that he saw no cause nor end of vttering it to them at that time So let vs learne when to speake and when to hold our peace and to be silent euen when our speaking can doe no good or more hurt then good or when it cannot but doe hurt And by this rule which guideth vs how to be silent and when let vs also learne how to speake and when namely when wee see it may doe good and no hurt or more good then hurt The same is repeated of him in verse 9. and agreeth with that which I haue often vrged in the generall to wit that wee should shew all godly wisdome as well as vprightnes in our doings as our Sauiour Mat. 11. would not commend Iohn Baptist before his Disciples were gone lest it should haue as much hindred them as profited the people Vers 8. And he went downe and talked with the woman those things that were pleasing in the eyes of Samson 9. And within a few daies when he returned to receiue her he went aside to see the carkeis of the lion and behold there was a swarming of Bees and hony in the body of the lion 10. And he tooke thereof in his hands ond went eating and came to his father and his mother and gaue vnto them and they did eate but he told not them that he had taken the hony out of the body of the lion 11. So his father went downe vnto the woman and Samson made there a feast for so vsed the young men to doe 12. And when they saw him they brought thirtie companions to be with him Then Samson said to them I will now put foorth a riddle vnto you and if you can declare it me within seuen daies of the feast and finde it out I will giue you
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
that when God hath deliuered men oft times out of danger they looke still that he should doe so neuer thinking how iustly he might haue plunged them deeply into the same long before neither weighing their owne securitie who little regarded to profit by their deliuerances past This is the exceeding blockishnes and senselesnes of men who as the Prophet saith are wise onely to doe euill but not any good They looke they should doe as they haue done in all things that like them and they will do as they haue done in all that please them But in all this what allowance haue they from God or libertie to do so Nay rather why do they not consider that God is against them in that their bad course and therefore hast out of it and they seeing the plague to hang ouer their heads why do they not hast out of it and with the good Captaine humble themselues to God as he did to Elias and craue pardon Oh! let the best of vs know that wee may not nestle our selues in any ill course though wee haue been bold with the Lord in times past that way when wee were as yet lesse experienced to tempt him farre and deceiue our selues as we haue done imagining that we shall doe as well as in former daies For in this changeable world such changes come oftest to them that change not from their euill courses and besides God will not be mocked As for the bad who crie peace their case is much worse Thus Corah perished and his companie when yet he thought that all should haue been with him still as it had been in times past And by this was Iezabel deceiued that threatned Elias should lose his head on the morrow little weighing what one day doth bring foorth but she a little after lost her life and that in a fearfull manner For why There is no peace to the vngodly saith God And thus Samson though no reprobate yet now a miserable reuolter fared who knew not that God was gone from him and looked to escape as he before had done but was disappointed and deceiued And this palpable deceiuablenes is bred in vs to dreame of God as hee did in the Psalme who said that seeing God did as it were winke at him and held his peace when he did euill therefore he was as hee himselfe and approued his bad course and would doe neither good nor euill so that there was no change of his prosperitie as he thought to bee feared And I confesse God suffereth long and in this his administration here below doth oft times let such as he meaneth to destroy goe on without stop and prosper as the oxe fatted to the slaughter whereas hee meeteth with his owne children in mercie though with smart and bitternes rather then that they should perish Howbeit neither is this course generall as appeares in the many examples of them in Scripture and experience whose sinnes haue gone before hand and where it doth hold for this life yet it faileth at death Then to be sure their course is altred The wicked man as the Prophet saith though an hundred yeere old is accursed and a day commeth whereof it shall be said It is not as yesterday Let this terrifie all vngodly ones lest God come vpon them at vnawares and alter their condition to their most intollerable vexation Let thē rather as men amazed by the terrors of God shake hands with and renounce their stale course wherein they are setled and as it were frozen And let them trie whether by vnfained humbling their soules and obtaining mercie with God they finde not that it was happie for them that euer they changed their estate For I doe them to vnderstand that there are persons who make a farre other vse of Gods sparing them then Samson did here and doe not occasion themselues to sinne more boldly still and yet to promise themselues peace as in former times And further I say that there are men to bee found I say not who may but who ought to looke for and build vpon it for certaine That it shall be well with them as at other times and so faith teacheth them to speake and they are such as haue obtained fauour with God that they might beleeue in him and in token thereof walke in his waies euen they to wom God hath giuen such an heart as to feare him and endeuour to obey him in all his Commandements they I say may assure themselues and shall finde it to goe well with them alway Marke that I say alway to day as yesterday and now as in times past And so had Samson found if hee had walked according to this rule For be it knowne to all such as haue fully purposed to cleaue vnto God without warping or falling off which he did not that it is their sinne if they doe not fully account of it and beleeue it that their soules shall be alway liking and they to be in fauour with him and blessed of him So that if men desire to haue to morrow to be like to day without change I meane any substantiall change though otherwise their faith and comfort is intended or remitted through their weaknesse let them be reuited by faith and care of obedience vnto him who is the vnchangeable al sufficient God of his elect But let them not thinke this promise entailed to them by the bare bond of their election or adoption but by their constant care to keepe both by holding fast a good conscience but if they waxe dissolute let them look that their good daies shall be changed into sorrowfull God giueth no man any certaintie of his outward estate peace health wealth friends or prosperitie much lesse granteth any man securitie in an impenitent course And lastly whereas it is said that the Lord was gone from him the meaning is this that hee had taken his strength from him and the graces which he had enioyed were so feebled darkned and drowned in him as if hee had lost them altogether and so doubtlesse he had if it could haue been A fearfull spectacle to behold such an one as he had been to wit before the most in gifts and grace to be brought to this point by his sinne as to cause the Lord who had loued and done so much for him so to leaue him in the hands of his enemies to vse him at their pleasure But what he was brought vnto I meane to what depth of miserie sorrow and shame it shall better appeare in that which followeth But yet God forsook him not finally but after he returned to him again and brought him to repentance as shall be further shewed in the end of the Chapter Now to finish this second part of it let vs consider of Samsons estate by Sauls dolefull complaint when he vsed the same words which the holy Ghost doth here of Samson namely that the Lord was departed from him
prouide for order in so confused a companie of prisoners then might it well become Christians not onely to doe the same but to goe a little beyond them and regard the welfare of their soules also both during their imprisonment and before the time of their execution As that godly Captaine Ioshua did to Achan chap. 7. My sonne saith he giue glorie to God confesse thy sinne and disburden thy conscience that though thy hodie be punished and destroyed for a season yet thy soule may bee saued in the day of the Lord. A pitifull thing to consider that such should be left to themselues to fulfill the measure of their sinne till death approcheth and not to be laboured nor dealt with about the most weightie matter of their saluation Which thing would moue vs more then it doth but that we see so little care had by many Ministers to teach painfully their people who walke at libertie and are well paid for their labour In this verse it is shewed though not so cleerely that all doe see and vnderstand it at the first view how Samson sitting in the irksome prison in paine of body but greater of mind did think of his euil course and frō what estate he was falne and what miserie he was in and repented for it after due consideration of it as the prodigall sonne did But ye will aske how that appeareth that we may rest perswaded of it seeing it may bee doubted of as well as of any other part of the storie I answere seeing it is not so cleere in this verse I will say the more about it fetching light heereto from other Scripture And first in this verse thus much may be gathered that the holy Ghost setting downe this growing of his haire againe giueth vs this to learne by it that it was a manifest token that hee returned to the estate of a Nazarite againe also for it being a common thing for the haire to grow againe there was no other end of mentioning it which was the most perfect seruing of God and that we may know hee could neuer haue done except he had repented Secondly it appeareth to be so by his prayer to God afterward vers 28. whereby we vnderstand that he beleeued in him euen as Ionah did the like in the Whales bellie For as the Apostle saith How can we call vpon him in whom we beleeue not And if he beleeued then hee also repented for faith and repentance cannot bee separated The third proofe of his repentance is that he was a Nazarite of Gods owne ordinance and therefore the elect of God and one that must of necessity returne againe after his fall or else he could not haue been one of the Lords as it is certaine he was being a Nazarite The fourth is the testimony that is giuen of him in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where hee is reckoned among them who liued and died in faith And now that it is proued that he repented let vs make our benefit of that his example In him therfore as in a glasse we may see the vnspeakable mercy of God to great sinners for who in all likelihood would haue said that hee should haue come to repentance whom wee haue heard to haue so odiously so long and so many waies gone from God and to haue followed his owne wicked lusts But hee being one of Gods elect it was impossible that hee should perish though hee must needs sustaine much woe in this present world euen as we haue heard he did Which also is to be said of Dauid Salomon and Ionah with other And as such an one is to be pitied much whom God hath called and reclaimed from his old bad course to faith and amendment of life when we see him afterward to wallow in the filthie mire of his former euill life againe for wee know his punishment is like to bee most fearefull and heauie so the offending party must know that such an one should as Manasses did by the tribulations that hee fell into bee broken hearted and repent and beleeue and should haue no peace vntill he can do so And therefore iustly are all such to bee complained of who hauing so faire warnings from God when they haue fallen are not for all that brought home againe and humbled So then the consideration of this point ought little to nourish the conceit of presuming to offend God vpon hope of impunity They that plead this and the like example of Samson Dauid Salomon and others such do shew that they sinne with boldnesse and presumptuously beare themselues vp in hope of forgiuenesse because those forementioned seruants of God obtained it who sinned not of presumption as these doe who reason thus neither do they know therefore that they shall finde the like mercy in their need For how monstrous and irregular a conclusion is it for him whom the loue of God should keepe from sinning to presume to sin because God loueth him and will neuer dampe him Thou that makest such conclusions feare that mercy belongs not vnto thee But know it for certaine though thou hast thought thy selfe sure of saluation hauing sought after it and hast begun to reforme thy selfe yet if thou degenerate and offend wilfully for thy vnauoidable errours and weakenesses I speak not of the Lord shall fill thy life thy soule and conscience with such perplexity and distresse that thou shalt neuer enioy good day after thy satisfying of thy rebellious will and if thou die so whosoeuer thus sinnest thou neuer wert a sonne and beloued of God but a bastard and counterfeit Doe we not see what death hath befallen such impudent cosoners as being vile and base borne claime to themselues the names and inheritances of great persons dead long since as if they were yet liuing The like penalty and far greater shall lie vpon thee oh foule imposter and deceiuer that pleadest the name of a regenerate one being an arrant deceiuer and hypocrite But to returne as for the better sort let them often coole and quench the dart of such a tentation with this that as sweet as liberty seemes God will finde a way to make it bitter enough ere he leaue them though hee meane not to cast them off witnesse heereof be this famous example of Samson And on the other side if they haue thus fallen let them follow the example of this man in his repentance and so doing let them apprehend him and comfort by his recouery for to that end the Scriptures were written in their owne particular case And beware they lest the diuell who is euer an accuser in the end though a tempter in the beginning draw them to runne further and deeper in because they haue already aduentured so farre And so hauing escaped both rockes of bold or secure or of desperate proceeding in sinne they shal be encouraged to seeke till they finde mercy the which lamentable it is to see few doe though
his ministery empaireth and spendeth his strength and health can be said to be the procurer of his owne vntimely death for he hath spent his strength in his calling to which end God gaue it him And as Paul said he was ready to be bound and to die for the Lord Iesus so Samson said let me lose my life with the Philistims He runneth not rashly to death but followeth his vocation and if death come therewith vnto him he yeelds to it willingly and the rather because he had brought this necessity vpon himselfe by his owne sinne and hee could no otherwise pursue Gods enemies then with hazard of his owne life Euen as valiant souldiers who seeke not death but yet looke for no other The vse of this to vs is this that as wee should abhorre the least sinne this way yea the very speech or thought intending and seeking our owne death so yet it is our duty to walke in the estate in the which God hath set vs in such wise that we be not onely ready fit and willing to die but also if God will in our faithfull discharge of our duties meet with vs by death as hee did with the Apostles then to bee readie to yeeld to it and to remember That hee who loseth his life for Gods sake shall finde it And therefore let neither our life nor any thing we haue be thought too good for him who requires it And though all lose not their liues yet many doe forgoe other commodities which were not commendable in them if it were not for Gods cause Very Heathens when they spake according to their light saw it to be vnnaturall for men to deuoure themselues And as the souldier may not disranke himselfe or forsake his station without his Emperours permission who hath set him in his place so neither ought any to destroy his owne life and soule by wilfull death but waite the time that God hath appointed Indeed the Heathen saw not thus much that a man might not auoide apparant perill of violent death whether by an incurable disease as one of them starued himselfe to death to free himselfe from the stone or by the pursuit of their enemies This they made themselues erroneously beleeue to be magnanimity and the waiting for death in that case cowardise And like to them are many brutish people among vs who in some great distresse of mind or shame which their owne sinne hath brought vpon them bereaue themselues of their liues like Iudas and Abimelech And others being crossed but in a small matter are ready to wish themselues as deepe in the ground as they are high too And euen Christians often forget themselues and haue this pang vpon them to curse the day of their birth and to desire death I doubt not but many doe it in rashnesse for if death came and offered it selfe they would recant but howsoeuer it bee both this rashnesse and the other madnesse is vtterly vnbeseeming Christians and a token of an vnsauorie heart little seasoned with the doctrine of confidence and patience And if a wise man weigh it there is more cowardlinesse in preuenting trouble or crosses by violence then enduring them patiently And let such as the diuell hath woond in withall so farre as to worke vpon their melancholy and terrours of conscience or weaknesse of nature by such dangerous tentations as these to drowne hang stab themselues abusing the Scripture and such examples as this of Samson to that end let such I say bee fenced well against his malice by this instruction answering with our Sauiour in the like case Auoide Satan I dare not tempt the Lord my God But to returne a little to Samson It is so farre off from equitie to condemne that last act of his in losing his life with the Philistims that it was far to be preferred before his other annoying of them and euen his greatest auengings of them For he slew many more of them now at his death then he did in his life And was therein a liuely figure of our Sauiour Christ who though he destroyed the workes of the diuell in his life euen as hee came to the same end and foiled him shrewdly many waies yet at his death he triumphed ouer him led him captiue Both their acts I meane Samsons and Christs doe shew as in a glasse what we all should doe namely endeuour to doe the best good at our death which shall the better bee done if we lay for it in our life For liue well and dye better because wee ratifie and confirme all the good we did while we liued when we iustifie it at our death And this is one fruite and peece of honour that a good life receiueth that a good death followeth it Oh therefore begin wee betimes to feare God and as we are commanded remember we our maker in the daies of our youth and let it not bee tedious to vs to nourish those good beginnings that our last end may be like both or else an hundred to one that we shall haue small cause to reioyce in our end that I say no more And the like in this particular may bee said of the death of the righteous which is said of Samson yea and much more And it affoordeth no small encouragement to al such as are faithfull in the work of the Lord I meane in rooting out and destroying the enemies of their owne soules especially the corruption of their nature and the fleshly lusts which issue frō thence Their watchfulnes and diligence in suppressing them ought to be daily their prayers constant their faith in Gods almightie power to which nothing is impossible as armour ought continually to be exercised in the assaulting of their concupiscence and the fruites thereof And though they yeeld not at the first because they are strong and mightie yet hauing receiued their deadly blow at first by the death of Christ they shal decay sensibly and at death be quite abolished as the walles of Iericho fell downe the seuenth day of the compassing thereof Thus Samson dieth with the Philistims but in a most contrary and vnlike manner For they dyed in riot idolatrie crueltie and impenitencie but he in faith and as Stephen did in calling vpon the name of the Lord. So let it be well laid for and looked to that though wee must dye with the bad yet we may in no wise dye as they doe And so the outward manner of death though in paine disease and kinde of death it bee one and the same to vs and them as the Wise man saith to wit As the foole dyeth so dyeth the wise yet all that can iudge will say that wee must not measure the godlines and happy estate of men by outward things though they fall out alike to both And by this let vs beware that we feare not death with the wicked who say in token thereof we must dye but waite wee for
him they would be much more forward euery one in the things which are commanded him But of this I haue spoke also by occasion offered before Here Debora commendeth the wisedome of Iael but such as proceeded from faith in her that she called Sisera into her tent and couered him and gaue him drinke fit to cast him into a sleepe And in that it is said she gaue him butter also in a lordly dish it is likely that she offered food to him that he might drinke the more liberally By all these she made way the more easily for that she afterward brought to passe By this example we are taught to be wise and circumspect in the things we goe about For though it be requisite that they bee lawfull yet if wee bee not circumspect and doe not forecast inconueniences and to doe them in season and fit time good manner and to the right end there may much griefe discommodity and inconuenience follow which will much disquiet vs and through rashnes and improuidence wee may bring that to an ill end which yet was lawfully taken in hand of vs. As if men will embrace religion yet they walke loosly and lightly Rebecca when she saw that Iacob her deare sonne was deadly hated of his brother Esau and that hee sought opportunitie to kill him did not onely keepe him out of the way for so he might one time or other haue had his will of him as Cain had of his brother Abel but auoided many dangers at once by sending him into a far countrey to her fathers house from whence she came to dwell there though it was hard for her to forbeare the sight of him any long time euen with her brother Laban in Padam Aram. And why she knew that in that space the wrath of his brother would be abated as she also said A wise part therefore it was in her in that weightie matter And the wisedome of Abigall in preseruing her house which the foolishnes of Nabal had otherwise destroyed was as commendable And such wisedome to preserue our liues goods credit grace and inward peace therewith to preuent dangers and auoide many needlesse troubles is a great furtherance to liue well and to make our liues more fruitful to other and comfortable to our selues Onely take wee heed that we ascribe naught to our wit and that we perke not aboue that which is meete but in all humilitie serue we Gods prouidence and so we shall finde it no small benefit to be free from carelesnesse rashnes and foolishnes which throughout our life cause much euill and griefe which are vnwelcome About this see more in chapter 3. 15. Debora here addeth to the wisedome of Iael her courage and fortitude For was it not a point of courage for a woman to set vpon so valiant a Captaine as Sisera was and to take the naile in one hand and the hammer in the other it seemeth other weapons were not at hand and to aduenture to strike them into the temples of his head as he lay For what though he was asleepe might hee not at the first blow haue started and risen vp with the paine and so haue ouerthrowne her in his rage and that a great deale more likely then to haue receiued his deadly wound at her hand The very forme therefore and being of this fortitude was no mannishnes or stoutnes of courage by nature for of that we can say nothing but only faith And in this last verse of this third point in this second part of the chapter when hee was almost slaine Debora setteth downe certaine motions which appeare in such as haue their deadly blow by violent death For he being so wounded his body through extremitie of paine bowed twice or thrice For he went about to rise but hauing no strength he fell downe againe and lay miserably at the feete of Iael And thus God brought proud Sisera to shame and to a fearfull end though so valiant a Captaine and that by the hand of a woman Now what shall wee say to this Surely it teacheth that when God will doe some great thing by any he will also fit and inable them thereunto Euen Saul himselfe had an heart giuen him furnished with gifts for gouernment when God had once called him Moses when hee should be sent to Pharao to carrie the people of Israel out of Egypt how did hee complaine and disable himselfe but when God had furnished him hee waxed bold The Virgin Mary when word was brought her that she should be the mother of our Sauiour answered with astonishment How can this thing be seeing I know not a man But when it was told her by the Angell the holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouer shadow thee therefore also that holy thing that shall be borne of thee shall be called the sonne of God Then Mary said Behold the seruant of the Lord be it vnto me according to thy word The examples are infinite that may be brought to this purpose But I will containe my selfe adding onely this one how should the Apostles being poore fishermen doe so great a worke as to subdue the greatest part of the world to their doctrine which was as if a man would haue vndertaken to tame the wilde beasts in the wildernesse But by Christs sending them the most powerfull gifts of the holy Ghost as the confirming of their faith the increase of knowledge courage in paines taking and to withstand their enemies the gift of tongues and of working miracles wee see it came so to passe And though such things be not wrought in these daies as neither is it necessarie that such should now be wrought yet many of the ordinarie workes which God will haue to be done by his in this latter age are great and not to be passed ouer slightly For how vnlike a thing is it for a priuate man or woman who haue no other outward gifts of God to speake of but onely this that they can reade the Scriptures in their owne language how vnlike is it I say that such liuing among people of most prophane and bad behauiour should not bee tainted with them and defiled by them as he that toucheth pitch Nay that they being baited disgraced and scorned of them as they are in many places should not faint and be discouraged by them and driuen from their hope and profession of it but that they should walke on in the vprightnes of their hearts and innocencie of their hands so farre and so long till their light so shining doth lighten some of these which hated them who sat long in darknes and cause them to embrace that conuersation to the which they had been such deadly enemies before this I say is a thing to be wondred at euen as to see the lambe and the lion to feede together And yet God bee blessed so it is at this day in some places and
so it hath bin in former times that when mens waies haue pleased the Lord he hath caused not only their very enemies to be at one with them but also their very hearts to be intirely knit to them Yea many sillie persons so furnished with grace by God haue forced great ones to wish from their hearts for all their wealth and power that they were like to them And yet this is more that a Minister of the Gospell who is to challenge them openly that keepe not the commandements of Iesus and in his name to rebuke and threaten the workers of iniquitie though all this is of the louing and kinde Preacher done to saue their soules by turning them from their euill waies that such a Minister I say who is not only hated for his good will and counted their enemie for telling them the truth but also accused by them pursued also and not suffered to be quiet among them yet should constantly hold out his labours with a life vnoffensiue what a work of God thinke we is that in him who were like to continue so gracious a course in the middest of so many discouragements whereof I haue mentioned but a few if the Lord should not giue them faith to beleeue that of their loue to him they should feed his lambes and his sheep and that in so doing they assure themselues they shall be plentifully rewarded and to this end that he will giue them shoulders I meane courage to beare their so great a burthen These are no small things which yet God worketh among vs that we may see he regardeth vs as he did some in former times The other and last thing to be noted in this second part is of Sisera that the Lord pulled him downe and cast him from his so great honour and valiantnes For as it was a great abasement for such a Nimrod to be driuen to so great a streight as to lurke in another mans house not daring to peere foorth as the sillie bird beaten into the bush by the hawke so it was yet farre baser to fall by the hand and at the feete of a woman Let vs learne that the Lord bringeth to naught the high and haughtie and that to their vtter shame who were so great and proud It is no strange thing in the Scriptures to finde it thus though fooles wonder at it who will learne no instruction by it The Lord casteth the mightie from their seate Witnesse Abimilech who in his desperate mood being striken on the head with a milstone by a woman called his page and bid him to runne him through lest it should be said A woman slew him And yet that which was said of him was reprochfull enough to wit that a base page slew him and agreeth well with the point in hand Thus Absolon who had stomacke to rise against his father so kinde to him was brought to a base and reprochful death very fit for such an one being thrust through by Ioabs common souldiers And Iezabel scorning God and his Prophets was according to the foretelling of the Lord made dogges meate and dung vpon the earth being throwne out of the window from her royall palace The proud and stout Iewes who railed on Peter calling him despitefully a drunken man were so terrified with their sin that they were glad to seeke to be comforted euen by him whom they had scorned And well is it with them whose pride the Lord resisteth in mercie for their good as hee did Pauls by appalling him first and then sending him to poore Ananias who being his comforter now had been a prey for him if God had not preuented it For the rest whom I haue mentioned they excepted also in the second of the Acts the other I say were resisted to their cost and vtter vndoing And so by the foolishnes of preaching as it pleaseth the world to call it and an humble submitting of themselues to his holy doctrine they that are saued must attaine but as that generation of vipers the Pharisies were glad to come to Iohns ministerie if so be they tooke any good by it Be we therefore humble and meeke they who are graced are they that finde fauour with him but as for the proud he resisteth them and setteth himselfe against them till they be confounded if they so abide and be brought to naught And therefore let the scorners and enemies taunt and mocke the simple professors of the truth like Edomites they shall one day wish they had been like them and iudge them more happie then themselues as Diues for all his superfluitie did wish that he might haue had not the estate of Lazarus which he saw no hope to attaine but the thousand part of it euen that he might dip his finger in cold water and quench his thirst which yet might not be granted him And therefore let vs but stay a while and containe our selues and wee shall see these boasters and contemners if they will needs hold on their course wee shall see them I say swept away and they shall be no more so little cause shall we see of hauing our teeth water after their dainties They are wise who can in the iolitie and prosperitie of the enemies of the Church see their ouerthrow by faith and count their florishing and bragges to be but vaine crakes And thus much be said of the second part of the Chapter THE THIRTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The third part of the Chapter Vers 28. The mother of Sisera looked out at a window and cried through the lattesse Why is his charet so long a comming why tarrie the wheeles of his charets c. Vers 29. Her wise Ladies answered her yea she answered her selfe with her owne words Vers 30. Haue they not gotten and they diuide the spoile euery man hath a maide or two Sisera hath a prey of diuers coloured garments a prey of sundrie colours made of needle worke on both sides for the chiefe of the spoile Vers 31. So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but they that loue him shall be as the Sunne when he ariseth in his might And the land had rest fortie yeeres IN these words is contained the third and last part of the song of Debora and so of the Chapter and hath two members in the first she bringeth in the boastings of the women that were enemies to Gods people and Siseras deare friends and derides them in the first three verses In the last member she opposeth a propheticall prayer against their boastings wishing therein to the remainder of Gods enemies destruction and to the Israelites all increase of good things and that increase she laieth out by a comparison of the Sunne from the rising to the noone tide euen such she wisheth it to be More particularly to come to the first point she saith that Siseras mother was looking
and keepe a memoriall as they here should haue done and were reproued for not doing of our deliuerances out of trouble and calamitie in which we saw that we might yea must haue lien ouerwhelmed and drowned if the Lord had not in good time brought vs out of them These deliuerances I say out of bondage prison sicknesse paine of body and anguish and torment of conscience and the like and how oft they haue been enioyed of vs and how comfortable and welcome vnto vs ought to be daily remembred and acknowledged with heartie praises to God as well as his benefits Hee who marketh them shall finde them many and great beside those that are common so that he may truly say God hath deliuered from many deaths And because of the peoples forgetfulnes in the former ages we see how oft they were put in minde of this one deliuerance out of the bondage of Egypt Therefore the Prophet Dauid and other holy Penmen of the Psalmes in the behalfe of the people doe so often call to minde and sometimes with admiration and astonishment Gods former deliuerances as the whole 124. Psalme witnesseth thus If the Lord had not been on our side may Israel say when men rose vp against vs they had swallowed vs vp quick the waters had ouerwhelmed vs c. Oh our forgetfulnesses of the like kindnesse of God it is enough to accuse to Godward though wee had no other sinnes seeing wee cannot be ignorant into what dangers and depths of sorrow we haue sometime been plunged when wee lay crying and complaining and perhaps praying also vnder the burthen of them that it would not haue bin thought that we could euer haue forgot the Lords kindnesse if he should euer haue brought vs out of them and yet when he hath done so yea againe and againe done so we haue with Pharaos Butler and the nine leapers forgot all Whereas we haue learned that many yeeres after euen as long as wee reape the benefit of such deliuerances yea euen till death we should praise God for the same according to that which was taught our fathers in the Psalme Let Israel now say that is long after their deliuerance that God is gracious and that his mercie endureth for euer Now I haue spoke but of thankes for deliuerance out of trouble to the which if we adde his benefits which are innumerable what can be required of vs lesse then this that in all things and alwaies wee should be thankfull And this bewraies the blockishnesse of such who being vrged to giue thankes aske wherefore what haue wee receiued more then others we enioy but our part in common blessings as the most doe c. As if thankfulnes were some extraordinarie dutie lying onely vpon some few persons rarely fauoured of God No the Lord requires no more of thee then he doth of them who are equall to thee nay inferiour to thee in benefits But thou like the swine takest all that commeth not regarding what or whence so thy turne be serued and thus deuourest many blessings through thy brutishnesse which a godly Christian would make matter of daily praise and inlarge the greatnesse of them by musing both how vnworthie he is of the least and how ill it should goe with him if he were but in the case of such as want them If the Lord should exercise such vnthankfull blockes with the diseases which many deare seruants of his suffer the paines of Colique Strangurie Burning feuers the Stone and giue them their portion in penury cleanenes of teeth nakednes sicknes c. they would then cease extenuating Gods benefits or cōparing themselues with such as are inriched with greater then themselues yea they would then thinke that freedome from chastisements were great cause of thankes though they wanted many blessings But to the full stomacke the hony combe is not sweete Others thinke this dutie discharged if they haue their tongues tipt with formall words of blessing and thankes though their hearts and loue be set vpon the blessing and not on the bestower of it and therefore out of the same fountaine commeth bitter as well as sweete they curse God as easily when the least thing crosseth them as they blesse him while hee pleaseth their humour by seasonable weather plentifull crops good successe in their affaires c. whereby they bewray that their thankes are but the froth of prophane persons and comming from their lusts being satisfied euen as their prayers also did in their troubles and extremities as Saint Iames speakes And a third sort there are better then the former who yet cannot be brought to season their whole life with this thanksgiuing as Paul requireth neither yet thinke themselues worthie of reproofe for vnthankfulnesse They say they hope it is neither lying nor whoring nor wronging c. which they suffer for when they are afflicted and as for this that they be not alwaies thankfull what sinne will we make it they cannot repeate they say the same words so often For answere I say vnthankfulnes indeed is no direct sinne against man but it is farre greater for it is an high degree of wrong offered to God and neuer goeth without an heart and life tainted with many lothsome euils corruptions Therfore let not these examples be rules for Gods people to follow let their whole life be an honouring of God by thanksgiuing and as they only can do it because they are beholding to his Maiestie for farre greater fauours then strangers so let them both in their prayers and otherwise in their vsuall practise entertaine this dutie also as a daily companion as a token that they do not vse Gods blessings to boldnes loosenes wantonnes or any other licentiousnes but get strength against them so that all their life may fare the better for their thankfulnes and other such good meanes as indeed a thankfull man weigh it aright is the onely good Christian and the life that is voide of it goeth with much disobedience as we shall see in the next doctrine In this tenth verse the man of God telleth them that the Lord charged them that they should not serue the gods of the Amorites and yet they did So that their obedience was like their thankes they neglected that so they did this There shall need no proofe that we are too like them in both Our liues witnesse it but O wretched people wee who receiuing a charge from him who hath done vs all the good that we could neuer haue desired and is all in all to vs yet as though we were tyed to him by no bond of dutie we refuse to be subiect and obedient to him in things he commands vs. The heathen Centurion could say I haue souldiers vnder me and I say to one goe and he goeth and to another come and be commeth and to my seruant doe this and he doth it And we who haue solemnely couenanted with the Lord and haue been as I
may say hired with blessings to serue him wee turne our backes vpon him and with his owne benefits we strengthen our selues to grieue him in the breach of his Sabbaths in the leauing off or cold vse of our prayers in vncharitablenes reuenge and the breach of other particuler commandements which is not to be suffered THE FOVRTH PART OF THE Chapter Vers 11. And the Angell of the Lord came and sate vnder the oake which was in Ophrah that pertained vnto Ioash the father of the Ezrites and his sonne Gedeon threshed wheate by the wine presse to hide it from the Midianites Vers 12. Then the Angell of the Lord appeared vnto him and said vnto him The Lord is with thee thou valiant man Vers 13. To whom Gedeon answered Ah my Lord if the Lord be with vs why then is all come vpon vs and where be all his miracles which our father told vs of and said Did not the Lord bring vs out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken vs and deliuered vs into the hands of the Midianites Vers 14. And the Lord looked vpon him and said Goe in this thy might and thou shalt saue Israel out of the hands of the Midianites haue not I sent thee Vers 15. And he answered him Ah my Lord whereby shall I saue Israel Behold my father is poore in Manasseth and I am the least in my fathers house Vers 16. Then the Lord said vnto him I will therefore be with thee and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man NOw wee haue heard the third part of the Chapter that they turned to the Lord by the reproofe of the man of God which though it bee not expressed appeareth by this that God sent them tidings of deliuerance The fourth part followeth wherein the victorie ouer the Midianites is promised This promise is amplified foure waies First by naming the person who should deliuer them that is Gedeon to verse 17. The next by granting him a signe whereby hee might know who hee was that spake to him to vers 25. The third was a charge of casting downe Idolatrie giuen to him by the Lord to vers 33. Lastly how Gedeon attempted warre after the Idolatrie was destroyed God granting him a double signe whereby he might know that he should haue the victorie and this to the end of the Chapter Thus much be said in generall of this fourth part of the Chapter The particuler branches follow the first is that Gedeon should deliuer Israel out of the hands of the Midianites For the declaration of the which foure points are also to be considered First the Angels appearing to Gedeon and saluting of him comfortably to verse 13. The second is Gedeons sorrowfull answering of him to verse 14. Thirdly the Angels words to remoue his heauinesse saying hee should deliuer Israel to the 15. And lastly when Gedeon saw not how it could be done by him the Angel told him and satisfied him to the 17. Now let vs looke into these verses more neerely It is said in this 11. verse that the Angel of the Lord came after the peoples repentance and sate vnder an oake in that place Ophrah where Ioash dwelt who was of the familie of Abiezer in the tribe of Manasse and the father of Gedeon This Angell was the sonne of God as verse 13 proueth appearing to him in the shape of a man and saluting him thus The Lord is with thee thou valiant man as it shall well appeare by the courage that God will giue thee in the waightie affaires that follow Now Gedeon was thrashing corne to hide it from the Midianites that he might preserue his life thereby and the liues of those that were his And this speech the Angel had to Gedeon before he told him that he should deliuer the people out of the hands of the Midianites Out of this 11. verse note diuers things and first this that men of wealth and place as Gedeon was in so meane a tribe though hee was spoiled of the necessarie helpes of maintaining his life as the most of the rest also were such men I say should not refuse labour as husbandrie or any other of honest sort Gedeon had seruants and yet he thrashed the corne himselfe And it is a thing which we reade to haue been not onely practised of him but of the old fathers mentioned in the Scriptures as in all other writers that what time they had free either from religious or ciuill affaires they imployed it about cattell and corne For they would not spend the precious time in eating drinking play or idlenesse which they abhorred euen as the religiouser yea and the ciuiller sort of our Gentrie also doe For they take vpon them honest imployments The one sort after reading diuine bookes and Chronicles and statutes whereby they may benefit both themselues and others with the knowledge of Gods law and mans the other after they haue read of matters to helpe gouerne and doe good in the Common-wealth although they little looke after religion will haue recourse to husbandrie Such namely of the first sort were Abraham Isaac Iacob and others as Gedeon here whose father Ioash was in some authoritie among the people yet his sonne contemned not the practise of husbandrie which is and may be spoken to the iust charging of many in our age who if they bee borne worshipfully thinke it too base how meane soeuer their wealth be either to set and appoint to themselues any times for reading or to haue any skill in that honest state of husbandrie saue onely to take their rents and liue of them which yet were more commendable in them if they did not consume the rest of their time in idlenesse pastime or worse Whereas tillage keeping of cattell planting in their fields and grafting with such like imployments are both delectable gainfull and honest and such as chace away many needlesse charges and much ill company which is a great waster and the ill spending of the time in such vaine exercises as they delight in And if it be not allowed to men of worship to passe their time in such manner but that euen they must occupie their talent till the Lord come and not passe the time in fleshly ease taking play idlenesse and other like prophane behauiour much lesse is it tollerable in meaner persons to be ill imployed But beside this seeing by so fit an occasion I am lead to speake I will therefore say a little and that not vnprofitable of this common sort of people For the most part setting aside the skumme of townes I meane the vnthriftie and riotous and the godlesse poore who liue vpon the sweate of others this I may say that they take paine enough and a man shall not need to spend much time in perswading them to worke but this is hardly beaten into them to obserue the due manner of working or the end why or the ground whereupon The motiue is penurie the end couetousnesse
the word may bee suffered to keepe his standing and to awake and admonish the vnruly that hee may be saued and is not compelled to flee and runne away for feare of his opposites when hee hath reproued them although hee hath but told them truth for their good and benefit and that in a kinde manner If God did not muzzle them doubtlesse it were as hard for them as for Iotham if euery lewd offender might haue his will as in some places such beare too much sway and deterre the Minister being weake and fearefull from medling in challenging the sinnes of the place and laying hard against the offenders when yet God hath charged them streightly to denounce against them But why doe such hinder the course of their Ministerie Verily because they themselues may sleepe secure in their sinnes as Herod thought to doe when Iohns mouth was stopped THE FIFTIE EIGHT SERMON ON THE NINTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The third part of the Chapter Vers 22. So Abimelech raigned three yeeres ouer Israel 23 And the Lord sent an euill spirit betwixt Abimelech and the men of Shechem and the men of Shechem brake their promise to Abimelech 24. That the crueltie toward the seuentie sonnes of Ierubbaal and their blood might come and be laid vpon Abimelech their brother which had slaine them and vpon the men of Shechem who had aided him to kill his brethren 25. So the men of Shechem set men to waite for him in the tops of the mountaines who robbed all that passed that way by them and it was told Abimelech NOw it followeth in this third part of the chapter how both Abimelech and the men of Shechem were destroyed with the occasions and meanes thereof which were two first the discord betwixt them and dissension secondly open warre both which made way thereunto These are to the 42. verse and the destroying one the other to the end of the chapter For the first it is said that the Lord sent an euill spirit betwixt them euen the spirit of Satan and therefore there must needs be discord betwixt them as in these verses appeares to the 26. And being thus at dissension they were prouoked to fight till each slew other as I haue said But before I enter into and lay open these things this is to be considered first that is said here that Abimelech ruled ouer Israel three yeres Which words are a preparatiue to that which followeth for thus they are to be taken that after these words of Iotham thus vttered Abimelech raigned three yeeres notwithstanding and the men of Shechem and he made a shift to hold together so long All which while a man would haue thought Iotham his parable had been but a dreame and delusion But when three yeeres a short time to speake of for a King to enioy his crowne were come about then the Lords threat began to take effect for how should it be otherwise though a little while it were deferred Now if the time had been long men might easily haue forgotten Iotham but being within three yeeres thus fulfilled who might not remember the prophecie and note the accomplishment thereof Thus the Lord will haue his iudgements cease vpon his enemies so that they who see them may say This is no casuall mischance which hath befallen them but the hand of God pursuing them manifestly for such or such a transgression It is not said that hee was Iudge ouer Israel for they were raised vp by God but hee ruled and vsurped as Tyrants vse to doe And to begin first with his prosperity in that God gaue him this short time to inioy his desire and to dominere as he did it is to teach vs that he doth for some little time giue wicked men their longed for desires and yet not for that he applaudeth them therein but that they may haue time to repent and to bethinke themselues what they haue done and how they haue gone to worke and how many waies they haue prouoked God and that if they refuse so to do they may see that they be iustly reiected and that God had no pleasure in them in their greatest florish Zimry and Cozby Chorah and Haman with the Rich man in the Gospell and others many a short time they had to worke and accomplish their desires and take their pleasure and enioy the lust of their hearts And indeed so short a time had need bee well improoued while it lasts for when that time was ouer and past what heare yee euen this that their folly nay their shame and madnesse was manifested and spoken of in all places Neither should their reproch and downefall haue been so notable if they had not proudly passed their bounds and carried themselues too loftily before Many waies wee see God hath to destroy such Sometime he suffers them not to plant themselues at all but crosses them in the enterprise as Absolon and Adonija sometimes hee suffers them to take deepe roote and giues them a long time but it is with much vexation and vnsetling as Pharao and Ahab And otherwhiles he lets them flourish but a short time and puls them vp ere they bee halfe rooted as this Abimelech Whether he keepes them from attaining that which they seeke or keepes them vnder or plucks them vp againe let them learne by them all that he is wise and knowes how to handle them and to shelter his owne from the annoyance of them Dauid Psal 37. speaking of this third sort of flourishers whom he compares to the greene Bay tree which though it be barren yet keepes the colour both Winter and Sommer addeth this that they are suddenly and horribly consumed and it is the argument of many Psalmes and the summe of that which Iobs friends so much insist vpon though they apply it preposterously That the happinesse of the wicked is short So that wee must not wonder if they plie their worke apace and take the vttermost of their libertie for the diuell teacheth them so to doe who rageth the more violently knowing he is tied by a shorttether Doubtlesse their shortiolitie is the vantage of the Church which hath many a breathings betwixt whiles by their discontinuance euen as wee see Sushans perplexitie vnder Hamans malice was turned into ioy in his ruine Naturall Philosophers obserue that the creatures which are most noisome and hurtfull are some way or other so restrained either by paucity short life or the like that they cannot doe the harme they would But if God did not restraine men as wel as beasts they would waxe more monstrous And be we wise though the world bee set on wilfulnesse and mischiefe let not our teeth water after their dainties the best whereof is a short flourishing to tickle fooles with a desire of the like but they see not their day comming which vet is at hand like a whirle-wind and tempest to scatter their pleasures and glory and like a fire to deuoure and consume
all most fearefully which painted estate of theirs all may see to be farre from the grace which the Lord wisheth to his people when he saith Oh that they were wise to consider their end And yet the worst end of the other is not seene And Gods mercy is great in cutting them off so soone who else should liue with them besides the preuenting of much iniquitie which would make their account heauier For all this one followes the steppes of another and the child when he comes into his fathers place beginneth not at first to weigh the shortnesse of his life how soone he shall be as his father is that is cut off from al that so he might apply his heart to wisdome but taketh possession of his place as if he were riuited into it for perpetuity and will not so much as thinke of any change or remouall from thence But to goe forward this euill spirit that was sent betwixt them being the first occasion of their ouerthrow was the diuell by whose malice and subtiltie ill will and hatred were kindled betwixt them yea and inflamed and this with the breaking their promise doth shew vs clearely that the league and friendship of the wicked is soone broken off For why it hath no good ground And although there be some outward things which vphold it as hope of profit pleasure preferment and the seruing one of anothers turne although I say these and such like patch vp an agreement betwixt them for a while yet their hearts are inconstant and many things fall out to breed alienation of affection one from another and a pritch is soone taken many conceits arise and reports are carried betwixt them and who can reckon vp all And yet if there were no other cause hereof as yet there is for they daube vp their friendship with vntempered morter which falleth away this were inough that is spoken of here that God can send an ill spirit betwixt them euen then when they are most strongly combined and knit together and cause them to breake their promise one to another and iarre and disagree And although it bee a great reproch to them that their contentions should break out and be knowne as if both consent together to smite the righteous and therefore in wicked policie they doe what they can to hide them yet otherwise they are diuided and strongly incensed one against the other which also breaketh out sometime and so confirmeth this truth that though they seemed to be glued in friendship and familiaritie together and make men belieue that their loue is firme yet their league is rotten and they grow to bee at defiance one with the other and that oft times betwixt themselues secretly before it breake foorth in the sight of men The vse whereof is that we make no such wicked and cursed leagues Secondly that we account no otherwise of them where they be made but as of the Spiders web soone swept downe and thirdly praise God highlie when wee see them broken For that turneth to the great benefit of the Church and the diuers members of it as we reade that the diuision of the Pharisies and Sadduces turned to Pauls deliuerance from their rage But let the godly continue their league that their loue may be strong as a threefold cord that is not easily broken Neither let them neglect their mutuall examples to profit thereby but rather be ashamed that heauen should not tie them together faster then hell tieth the vngodly yea let them bee ashamed I say that euen the smallest trifle and a very conceit of one against another is enough to estrange them as it too often falleth out and to set them at defiance betwixt themselues till the wicked laugh them and their profession to scorne whereas these cursed leagues of the malignant hold sometime longer though they be bound together with rotten threads through wicked policie which out reneweth them except the Lord disioyne and separate them especially if their concord and agreement be in opposing the innocent And seeing God curseth and scatters these combinations of the wicked as fast as they vnite and strengthen themselues as Psalm 2. saying of them as Iacoh did of Simeon and Leui Cursed be their rage cursed be their counsell let not the godly so much feare their bandings and fast knittings of themselues together as looke patiently till this curse as a moth consume them Iehoshaphat 2. Chron. 20. seeing Moab Ammon and Seir confederate to destroy him feared at the first but when he saw the sword of each against other till they had made a riddance of all he was comforted euen as that mysterie of the late matchlesse treason with what deepe secrecie was it carried how strongly complotted how firmely were the agents thereof vnited euen as firmely as oth vow and the Sacrament abused might knit them but the Lord blessed for euer by his name sent a spirit of diuision betweene them they were detected and discouered by each other And in that it is said that the Lord sent this euill spirit betwixt them wee may note that though God be not the author of euill as some would perhaps be too ready to gather yet that sinne which is in the wicked hidden in their hearts and neuer so secret he bringeth forth at his pleasure and lets it breake out at his commandement ruling and ouer-ruling the same And they that nourish it in themselues and doe not giue it a vent by repentance may euer iustly feare and doe sometime too truly find that as water pent in breakes out violently in some place or other euen so the sinne that is intertained in mens hearts shall one time or other breake out to their shame in their liues But as the stinke of the dunghill riseth not from the Sunne no more assure we our selues doth sinne proceed from God Also by this diuision betwixt them we may note that when God suffers diuision among the wicked or an euill spirit any way to leade them it is to punish their leaud fellowship and to reuenge the sinne of both parts and to make each the others executioner And yet Oh what a sweet libertie it is thought to be to inioy fellowship with such We see that the thatcht houses which stand close together though they fence each other from the violence of weather for a time yet if one be on fire it serueth but to hasten the consumption of the other And so there is no knot so wickedly knit betwixt men but while it lasteth it bringeth I grant some benefit to the confederates but when once the Lord hath dissolued the band their greatest vnion turnes to the most deadly enmitie that can be and is as the diuision of brethren stronger then the brasen barres of a palace or citie gates And first grudges secretly being conceiued they are nourished by iealousies and suspitions exasperated by daily iniuries till they breake