for me to speake of Gedeon Barak Iphtah and Samson these the holy Ghost commendeth And though some of them as men did sometime fall yet we are to thinke they returned and rose vp againe seeing the Scripture as I remember doth neuer condemne them So that in respect of them and by their helpe if the people could haue seene it and made benefit of it we may say they liued in a golden age Now whereas it is not so apparantly to be seene that this booke doth set foorth Christ vnto vs in all the commendations of these Iudges who yet is the end of all bookes of Scripture to such as demaund about it I answere that Christ is not cleerely set foorth in any of those bookes of the old Testament first written but darkly and by types and figures as God saw it meete for those ages and so wee are to thinke of this booke where the deliuerances from so great enemies as are mentioned herein are types of that great deliuerance and redemption of men wrought by Christ out of the iawes of the diuell And let the commending of sundrie of those Iudges by the holy Ghost satisfie vs that they could not haue been good men nor haue liued by faith as they were said to haue done if they had not beleeued in Christ and been sanctified thereby Besides what authoritie shall we giue to the old Testament if they who are commended in it to haue been men of God as diuers Kings and Prophets with many other did not liue and walke by faith seeing it is not expressely set downe without which they could not please God Now the summe of this booke is thus much first a declaration generally of the estate of the religion and manner of worshipping God which these Israelites vsed in their Common wealth from the death of Ioshua to Eli the Priest for the storie of Ruth containes things done in the daies of the Iudges Ruth 1. 1. and more particularly this booke layeth out their sinnes and Gods calling them out of them by sundrie warnings and iudgements vnto repentance with many fearefull examples of their reuolting and turning backe againe whereby may bee seene how corrupt they were both in religion and manners and this booke is a liuely glasse if we well consider it of this our age The parts of the booke are three The first setteth downe the slouthfulnesse of the Tribes in executing the commandements of God against their enemies and the punishment threatned for it Chap. 1. and 2. and their slouthfulnesse is illustrated by the contrarie course of Iudah and Simeon who were forward to goe against them as in Chapter 1. to verse 21. is to be seene The second part is from the 2. chapter to the 17. which treateth of the Iudges and their great actes according to occasions offered who in their due time were raised vp The third part is from chapter 17. to the end and setteth foorth some odious and monstrous acts committed in those confused times when there was no ordinarie Gouernour and therewithall the punishments which followed The author of this booke is vnknowne but yet the booke is canonicall and authorized also by the new Testament The time of the actes of it from the death of Ioshua to Eli the high Priest is gathered to be about 300 yeeres The end of this booke as shall better appeare in the particular handling of it is to instruct and perswade vs in this latter age of the world to carry our selues vprightly and in a streight and well ordred course both in prosperitie and aduersitie I meane to hold the feare of God in both and to keep hope and patience in and through out this our pilgrimage with prayer and repentance which if we do God will be no lesse with vs then he was with the good people mentioned herein The order which I purpose to obserue in the Lectures vpon this booke is first to giue the short summe of the Chapters then to deuide euery Chapter into parts for the better distinguishing the points thereof that they may be better vnderstood and more clearely seene into thirdly I giue the sense of the verses more fully and lay forth the doctrine with the reasons and vse thereof though for the most part they be not alwaies expressely set downe which manner of handling the diuerse histories of this booke as also I thinke the same of our preaching out of all other Scriptures namely that after the meaning and sense apt and fit instruction should bee drawne out with the application to the present state need and vse of the hearers plainely and pitbily as may be for their best edifying I hold meetest to be vsed And I weuld to God that there were consent giuen therto of al Preachers and that this course were aimed at I wish that euery one did not follow his owne priuate course who hath neuer learned any good way or order of preaching Whereby it commeth to passe that some fill their Sermons with the froth of their owne braines or the bare authorities of men and least proofe is brought out of the Scriptures Also some preach darkely to the little benefiting of the hearers not to mention all which were endlesse And although for many other things I leaue the consideration therof to my reuerend and learned brethren yet in this I hope without ostentation and arrogating ought to myselfe I may be allowed to speake in regard of the long time which I haue spent in studying learning and practising as I haue been able the holie exercise of preaching And now to end these my Lectures this I say that beside the varietie of much good therein contained there are some points to good purpose occasioned touching faith and repentance and sundrie directions giuen how to seeke the Lord when we haue slipped and how to beare trouble aright Thus much I thought good to say before I enter into the seuerall Sermons euen to this end that some good light may be giuen as to him that marketh duly it may appeare Now I will proceed to the text itselfe THE FIRST SERMON VPON THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES VERS 1. And it came to passe after that Ioshua was dead that the children of Israel asked the Lord saying who shall goe vp for vs against the Canaanites to fight first against them VERS 2. And the Lord said Iudah shall goe vp behold I haue giuen the land into his hands IN this Chapter two things are chiefly contained to set downe the summe of the Chapter and parts of it together The first is the commendation of the tribe of Iudah to the 21. verse the cause we shall heare afterward The second is the setting downe of the sinne of the tribes that are mentioned after in that they slothfully suffered the Canaanites to liue by them and did not expell them and that is to the end of the Chapter Iudah is commended in a double manner first for the actes they did now at
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
that he forsakes his studie publike teaching and watching ouer the people and roues about the countrey tendring his seruice to preach here and there among strangers for money as some base straglers doe Whereas the Lord hath wisely prouided an exemption not onely from rouing but euen from ordinary domesticall employments buying selling commonly marketting also and traffique in the world and all to the end that he may be wholly taken vp in the worke of God whereto who is sufficient as the Apostle saith But wee haue them that are sufficient for all things now adaies which makes them sufficient for little or nothing God helpe that they should be This young man is here described by the place of which hee was to wit of Bethlem Iuda as being borne and brought vp in a familie there as also by his stock tribe and profession that he was a Leuite As if the holy Ghost would tell vs it was no strange thing for in likelihood there were in other places that went wandring vp and down without calling and maintenance Leuites I meane as well as he For it was at this time as in the daies of Nehemiah that is when the Leuites had not that sufficiencie which by the law I haue before shewed they ought to maintaine them they went by an vnwelcome necessitie from their seruice seeking where they could be better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. Psal 133. 2. Heb. 6. 10. 2 King 13 16. Psalme 16. 2. Matth. 11. 19. Eadem sunt Ecclesiae Ciuitis moenia So Moller and others motralize that in Psalm 133. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Actes 24. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pind. Iosh 1. 2. Heb 11. throughout Heb. 10. 37. Reasons of this my attempt 2. Pet. 3. 17. 1. Sam. 7. 6. and 15. The summe and parts of this Chapter The meaning of the 7 first verses Exod. 28. 30. Doct. 1. in verse 1. Note Matth. 9. 11. 12 Ioh. 21. 18. 1. King 4. 25. A simile 1. Sam. 28. 15. Note Vse 1. Vse 2. Doct. 2. Act. 17. 11. Psal 43. 5. Psal 119. 9. Note Numb 14. 45. Note Act. 2. 37. Verse 2. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Psal 50. 15. Matth. 7. 7. Iam. 4. 8. Pro. 1. 20. Matth. 6. 7. Iam. 4. 3. Gal. 5. 17. Matth. 6. 57. Luk. 18. 1. Note Psal 109. 18. Gen. 39. 19. 20. Gen. 41. 14. Esther 7. 10. Esther 9. 10. Mat. 15. 22. Luk. 15. 22. Heb. 11. 6. Reuel 3. 18. Hebr. 2. 6. Psal 1. 3. Hebr. 6. 10. Hebt 2. 6. Ios 1. 5. Iohn 4. 34. Psal 84. 12. Deutr. 12. 7. Iam. 4. 13. Psal 84. 12. Note Obiection Answere Psal 126. 1. Rom. 1212. compared with Iam. 5. 16. The sense Doct. vers 3. Psal 37. 3. 5. 2. Sam. 15. 16. 34. Act. 27. 30. Pro. 20. 4. Act. 2. 37. Doct. 2. Rom. 12. 10. 20. Luk. 10. 34. 35. Heb. 10. 24. 25. Note Iohn 13. 35. 2. Cor. 1. 12. Note Rom. 12. 18. Ephes 5. 11. 1. Pet. 4. 4. Heb. 12. 14. Galath 5. 15. 1. Sam. 15. 22. Matth. 7. 21. Psalm 50. 16. Psalm 51. 6. Deut. 5. 29. 2. Cor. 10. 6. Doct. 2. Psalm 22. 5. Matth. 5. 17. Note Psal 73. 13. Psal 1. last 2. Pet. 3. 9. Heb. 10. Dan. 4. 31. 32. Doct. 3. Genes 25. 16. Genes 4. 13. Iob 9. 3. Psalm 51. 6. 2. Sam. 12. 7. c. Psalm 51. 4. Note 2. King 6. 33. 1. Cor. 10. 13. 2. Thes 1. 6. Doct. 4. Psal 125. 3. Luk. 18. 8. 1. Sam. 15. 32. Psal 50. 21. 1. Thes 5. 3. Ester 7. 10. 2. King 9. 30. 31. c. Luk. 12. 20. Luk. 16. 22. 23. A Simile Matth. 25. 5. Cant. 5. 1. Psal 109. 106. Note Note Rom. 7. 19. Psal 30. 6. 7. Note Rom. 6. 21. Ier. 31. 18. 19. Note Iames 4. 8. The sense Vers 5. Doct. Matth. 7. 1. Genes 9. 6. Note Iames 2. 13. Ester 7. 10. Note Genes 42. 21. Note Rom. 12. 21 Vers 7. Doct. Psalm 95. 20. Exod. 9. 27. Doct. 2. 2. Sam. 16. 10. Doct. 3. Luk. 10. 37. Genes 4. 8. Exod. 5. 9. Ester 7. 4. Prou. 27. 4. Prou. 12. 10. Act. 16. 30. 2. Thes 3. 2. Doct. 4. Acts 8. 9. c. Actes 19. 24. Note Mark 14. 17. A simile Note Prou. 23. 27. Matth. 26. 41. Gen. 39. 12. Note Psalm 51. 5. 1. King 2. 31. The sense Doct. generally out of all these verses 2. Pet. 3. 16. See Pro 30. 5. Psalm 12. 6. Psalm 19. 8. 2. Tim. 3. 16. Rom. 15. 4. Psalm 108. 9. Psalm 1. 2. Doct. vers 8. 1. Tim. 1. 12. Iosh 2. 14. Genes 41. 40. Genes 41. Dan. 3. 30. 6. 2. 2. Sam. 23. Eccles 10. 16. c. 1. King 3. 9. Exod 18. 21. 1. Tim. 3. 2. 1. Sam. 26. 21. Obiection Answere Doct. out of ver 8. 9. 10. Dan. 4. 28. Luke 12. 20. Mark 13. 1. Psalm 119. 96. Eccles 1. 1. Dan. 5. 6. Prou. 31. 30. Note Psalm 49. 14. Note See Psal 73. 19. Psalm 112. Note Eccles 7. 3. Vers 9. 10. Iosh 15. 13. 1. Sam. 17. 7. Num. 13. 34. Ester 8. 16. Psalm 126. 2. Vers 7. Iosh 10. 26. Philip. 3. 13. Rom. 1. 17. Prou. 4. 18. Note 2. Pot. 3. 17. Iosh 14. 8. Note Gal. 4. 18. Matth. 25. 5. Cant. 5. 2. Reu. 2. 7. Matth. 26. 41. Matth. 19. 29. Psalm 27. 1. 1. Pet. 5. 7. The sense of the vers 12. 23. Ioshua 10. 38. Doct. 1. Psalm 30. 6. Psal 42. 4. 5. Note Note Iob. 1. 21. 2. King 6. 33. 1. Pet. 1. 7. Doct. 2. Matth. 5. 12. 13. Heb. 10 33. Note 2. Sam. 6. 16. Ester 4. 16. Exod. 32. 32. Rom. 9. 3. Marke 1. 31. Prou. 23. 26. 1. Cor. 4. 7. Doct. 3. Deut. 7. 3. Iudges 14. 2. 1. Cor. 7. 38. Vers 12. 13. Obiection 1. 2 Answere 1. 1. Cor. 13. 5. Iosh 14. 11. The vse of this answer 1. Cor. 7. 39. Answere 2. Matth. 13. 55. and 12. 46. Leuit. 25. 46. Numb 32. 6. Vers 13. Doct. 1. 1. Cron. 4. 10. Psalm 19. 11. Gal. 5. 17. Iohn 21. 16. Doct. 2. 2. Cor. 10. 18. Iob. 1. 8. Luke 1. 6. Actes 10. 2. Prou. 20. 7. 1. Tim. 1. 12. Note Iohn 1. 47. Psalm 15. 4. Verse 14. 15. Genes 25. 5. 6. Ioshua 14. 15. 16. 17. Matth. 7. 1. 12. Prou. 28. 1. Prou. 9. 17. 1. Tim. 5. 8. Vers 14. 15. The opening of them Doct. 2. Cor. 12. 14. The sense Numb 10. 29. Doct. Note 1. Cor. 6. 11. 1. Cor. 15. 33. Note Heb. 10. 25. Psalm 16. 3. Heb 12. 14. Iohn 3. 35. Note Psalm 120. 5. Doct. 2. Ruth 1. 16. Ester 8. 17. Zach. 8. 23. 1. Peter 4. 4. 1. King 101. Matth. 12. 42. The sense Doct. vers 17. Ioshua 7. 25. 1. Sam. 15 23. 1. King 20. 42. Luke 9. 54. Luk 10 20. 30. c. Psal 69 22 c. Numb 16. 30. Rom 12 last Gal. 5. 12. Luke 19. 42. The sense verse 18. 19. Doct. ver 18. 19 Rom. 8. 31.
tread them downe euen to death and the slauish dastardlines of the Philistims on the other side as much to bee admired that they seemed not to striue or fight for themselues a whit wee may see how mightily God assisteth his seruants whom he setteth about his worke when he will haue all to see that it is he that bringeth it to passe and not they As in Gedeons vanquishing the Midianites that couered as grashoppers the face of the earth for multitude for he did it with a very few euen three hundred men And so he dealt with Iehosaphat For when the children of Ammon and Moab and mount Seir came to cast him and the people of Iudah out of Gods inheritance with a fearefull and an exceeding armie the Lord sent a messenger to them saying Feare not for all this great multitude for the battell is not yours but Gods Stand still moue not and behold the saluation of God towards you To morrow goe out against them and the Lord will be with you And to make vse of this doctrine I say that if wee haue eyes wee may see that God assisteth and helpeth his in their trouble feare and neede beyond all that mans reason can reach vnto when they depend on and trust in him yea hee brings them into danger oftentimes and straits and all to this end that his power in deliuering them may be seene in their weakenes and fighteth for them as sensibly as he did for Iehosaphat or for Dauid against Goliah Of the which truth Ionah is a liuely proofe who was receiued into the fish when he was cast into the sea preserued in the belly of it and cast vp to land by the extraordinarie prouidence of God rather then hee should be lost and forsaken Samson hauing thus slaine them hee went and abode in a place called Etham an high rocke which belonged to the tribe of Simeon in the borders of Iudah And therefore it is said in the next verse that the Philistims came and pitched in Iudah to seeke for him But before hee thus slew them as is said in the 8. verse that is to be marked which he said and is set downe in the seuenth verse that when he saw that they had burned the Timnite and his daughter seeing they were onely an occasion of their losse he said thus to those Philistims If yee haue done thus to them your neighbours and of your owne countrey who did not hurt you what would you doe to me if I should fall into your hands I will therefore be auenged of you before I cease Thus much for the cleering of these two verses Out of this verse wee may note that if men be cruell and outragious against them that were onely the occasions of their hurt though they neuer sought nor intended it how much more will they shew their fury and madnes against them who haue done the hurt and wrong vnto them This may fitly be gathered from the reasoning of Samson And so wee may well conclude and say that if wee will bee exasperated against such as doe but come in our way or were onely present where wee sustained some reproch or iniurie how much more if we light vpon him that hath done the wrong to vs will wee shew our selues vnreasonable For hee that cannot beare a little much lesse will beare a great deale Fall not we as neere as we can into the hands of such So hee that will beate the ground at which he stumbled will much more fiercely rise against him who hath cast him wilfully on the ground Further in that Samson said hee would be auenged of the Philistims before he ceased hee spake as it became him seeing God had appointed him to doe so So are all in authoritie set in place by God to be a terrour to the wicked euen as they are for the comfort of those that are good For it is a grace and no easie matter to punish sinne aright and to seeke to winne the offender And it is as great an offence for them to doe that worke of the Lord negligently as it is to fall vpon the innocent hastily and cruelly So all priuate persons and Preachers of the word especially should doe likewise to wit make that sinne odious to themselues and others as farre as lieth in them which the Magistrate is to punish and they to reproue euen as they ought to be like affected to all sin because God abhorreth it Herein saying with good Leui Who is my father I know not euen my father if hee goe about to hinder the worke of God and herein follow wee our blessed Sauiour who came to destroy the workes of the diuell But I haue oft noted this before therefore I presse it no further That which in the former verse he was said to threaten the same in this verse he is said to doe and accomplish That is to smite them with a great plague and in reprochfull maner setting as it were his feete vpon them or spurning them vnto death This if it had not been commanded by God had bin cruelty So that here we may learne to know that except we haue our charge from God to execute vpon men seuere and sharp punishment it is meere crueltie to set vpon it which wee should in no wise like much lesse delight to attempt no more then wee would be willing to haue the like offered to our selues But haue wee compassion and commiseration ouer such as are in miserie any way as we our selues would in like case desire the same This is a branch of the former often touched before That which is said of the rocke Etham here in in Iudah is to shew that he abode there till hee was after taken from thence by the men of Iudah and carried to the Philistims which was soone after Of which I know no more to be said saue onely that we may see that he did not goe to hide himselfe in a corner as though hee durst not stand to that which hee had done but being like to be apprehended he went God directing him to take that patiently which they should doe to him and to depend on him for issue though to a defenced and high place yet to an open where he was knowne to be and was easily remoued from thence when the men of Iudah came vp thither to carrie him bound to the Philistims he committing himselfe to Gods prouidence whose worke he had done For though he went thither from the Philistims yet he was euen there in a place where they gouerned So let all bee wise to doe that for which they may not bee driuen to flie for it but so answere to it and bee armed to beare that which comes vpon them for the same As it falleth out oft times that euen for that which they haue well done some instruments of the diuell or other will bee ready alwaies to molest and bring trouble vpon them for
be we not remoued from our stedfast confidence in him for he that hath said it will also doe the same But this point commeth often to hand Of this water Samson drunk and was reuiued againe being neere to death before as in this verse appeareth Whereby wee may see these two things One that thirst is a most deadly and intollerable paine as wee may well see by the thirst that our Sauiour complained of on the crosse for it is reckoned as one part of his paine And as thirst is so is hunger by either of which to dye is as a lingering so a most wearisome and grieuous death Like vnto the which seeing there are many other kindes of death wee may see from how many deaths and those most painfull God keepeth vs. For we might easily miscarrie both this way as Samson was like to doe and by infinite other waies if God did but hold backe his helping hand Which is the more to condemne our blockish vnthankfulnes who neuer or seldome reckon vp as daily we should such benefits and deliuerances among other neither are thankfull for them And seeing hunger and thirst are so biting and painfull and nakednesse like both we must be pitifull to such distressed people and moued with bowels and compassion toward them remembring Christs words I was hungrie and ye gaue me meate c. The other thing heere is what a small refreshing did preserue Samsons life euen a little water in so homely a manner prouided for him as wee see here mentioned did comfort and reuiue him What should this teach vs but that wee should marke how many comfortable refreshings wee enioy from God in comparison of the which this was meane and small without the which we should haue been much distempered in our bodies and thereby vnquiet and vnsetled in our mindes also as meate in our hunger drinke in our thirst rest after wearinesse case and asswagement of paine and diseases All which while we be pinched with them doe better teach vs how much the freedome from them is to be accounted of Oh a little intermission from the paine of the stone the anguish and extremitie of the gowre or the like diseases how doe wee price it euen farre aboue much treasure that cannot be valued O then when we bee free from all kinds thereof for a season yea and loden with benefits also on the other side to make out liues comfortable both grace and other good things which makes them all sauory what thinke we should wee yeeld vnto the Lord for them Therefore Samson gaue a name to that place also as he did before to the other according to the occasion offered to testifie his thankes to God for hearing his prayer by sending him water in his exceeding thirst in which he was neer vnto death The doctrine out of this place hath been taught before sundry times and last of all out of the 17. verse Onely this I wish might bee annexed to the doctrine of thankesgiuing that it bee continued and specially for that great deliuerance from the feare of euerlasting torment that it bee continued all our life long As in the song of Zacharias wee are taught that God will giue grace thereto And great reason there is that wee should doe so seeing wee reape and enioy the fruit thereof all our life long But this other thing out of this place I will not omit and that from the name of the place which hee gaue For hee calling it the fountaine of him that prayed meaning which God extraordinarily prouided for him when he prayed to him in his thirst it teacheth vs not onely what rare effects and fruites spring of feruent prayer as S. Iames saith that feruent prayer auaileth much and as we finde that thereby wee obtaine grace against daily sinne and corruption but also when such fruit is obtained of God by vs it should well appeare as it did by Samsons leauing a memoriall of his thankfulnesse in the place So much more should we who doe not once but oft yea and that in one day receiue many blessings as effects of our prayers from God wee should I say let those places bee witnesses of our remembring Gods kindnesse there so plentifully shead vpon vs. That if such places could speak they should be well able to testifie that we had not been barren nor silent in yeelding praises vnto him there And this not our houses onely and chambers should witnes but our gardens the fields yea and the high waies by which we haue so often passed safely without danger should do the like Now for the shutting vp of the Chapter the holy story addeth this that for the space of twentie yeeres while the people were vnder the dominion of the Philistims Samson did continue in his place iudging Israel that is helping them and vexing the other whereby wee may gather that although the Israelites were not freed out of their hands altogether yet they had many great calamities kept from them by meanes that Samson was euer in the way and at hand to crosse and disquiet them And therein we are to marke that the Lord hauing oft deliuered his people and yet seeing them to reuolt from him after and not to bee better for it hee holds them vnder now the longer and yet he lessened their bondage and made it the more tolerable by the helpe they had by Samson We may hereby learne that seeing we when we haue liberty peace and other blessings and also inlargements from affliction doe not yeeld to the Lord the fruit that is answerable to so great kindnesse of his and that also looked for at our hands but wee forget it and wax vnprofitable yea and grieue the Lord with our returning to our old euill course againe therfore he doth the longer and the straitlier hold vs vnder with one crosse and trouble after another and wee either haue not so good meanes to come out of them as he would else giue vs or we profit not by them as some of his worthie seruants doe neither enioy sweet and comfortable daies as wee might doe and that with his good liking for all the which wee may thanke our selues And it is his great mercy that it is no worse with vs. But take we heed that we tempt not God still in such manner that while hee looketh for grapes wee bring forth wild grapes that wee lie not in our sinnes which we cannot be ignorant that they doe much displease him for God will not be mocked As he left heere vpon this people a long continued bondage so will hee deale with vs as hee hath done heretofore namely that although he haue taken the heauie yoke of bondage from the necke of his people in this land I meane subiection to Idolatry and Poperie yet hee will leaue matter of sorrow enough by scattering the most part in ignorance and without good and diligent teachers and