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
commandement of the Lord in Deuteronomy to wit that there should be no whore in Israel And if it be demanded why God forbad such as were borne in bastardie to enter into the congregation of the Lord that is to beare any office in the Church it was not forbidden for that the man so borne was worse then others but that the people might know how greatly God abhorred whoredome and this was but a iudiciall constitution appertaining to the Iewes And in that Iphtah so borne was yet set in authoritie ouer the people which thing God forbad we must know that hee made not that law to himselfe but for the Iewes that it should not be lawfull for them to preferre any such but as for himselfe who hath authoritie to call him into question for that which hee doth Now for instruction we see here by this that Iphtah was begotten of an harlot that the law of God forbidding that there should bee any whore in Israel was not obeyed euen as before wee haue heard of Gedeon his concubine whereby we see how little Gods law is and hath been regarded in all ages of many whether this one law or what other of his soeuer wee vnderstand it of As for this of and against whoredome that it was neuer more common then in this age woful experience proues it to be too true so that there want now no such offenders more then in former times I may truly say in number they farre exceed them as if the antiquitie of corrupt example in this kinde were enough to license men to continue it still And so it is in all other kindes of sinne verifying to the full the Apostles prophecie to Timothy that in the latter daies shall come perilous times for men shall be louers of themselues couetous proud boasters and infected with diuers other sinnes And for this cause commeth the wrath of God vpon the children of disobedience and no marueile that wee haue many plagues seeing God is not obeyed almost in any thing And so may euery one particularly say to himselfe as he is most obedient so shall his blessing be And as this sin in any man had been bad enough so in Gilead a great man and who should haue punisht it in others rather being the father of a familie what a reproch was it Euen as in Dauid in Sampson in Iuda and in Reuben For alas when a meane person sees the commandement of God to be of no greater force then that euery great man is bold to dispense with it he growes to thinke it but a scare-crow and saith boldly as the strumpet in the Prouerbs Tush t is but a trick of truth But for such tricks of youth the Lord in wrath destroyed 24. thousand of Israel Yea when the great enemie of the Church Balaam being frustrate of his cursed attempt against Israel for they are cursed who can finde in their heart to curse Gods people sought how to bring an equiualent plague vpon the Congregation he could inuent no more fit and mischieuous a plot then to intice them to vncleannesse with the Moabitish women and to Idolatrie with their heathenish gods Therefore how great a iudgement of God hangs ouer this land for the lust of the eye a maine branch whereof is filthines and the vnlimitted lust of all sorts especially in places of darknesse wee can more easily coniecture then perswade them that are guiltie to redresse it Oh it is lamentable that such spots of our assemblies are suffered boldly to spit in the face of modestie and to hold vp their heads aloft as hauing the better end of the staffe I meane greater aduantage against their accusers commonly then they against them How should this moue vs to sue to the Lord that such should be noted and shamed for inordinate persons that the rest may blanke and feare by their example and so the anger of the Lord be staied as once it was by the zeale of Phiniees for the Lords cause thrusting thorow Zimri and Cozbi for their shamefull abomination So should the word preached be more forcible when the transgressors should see the price of their boldnes and so should the law of the Magistrate take better effect and not become ridiculous And so should not we feare that plague which Iehu denounceth vpon Iehoram saying What peace seeing the abominations and whoredomes of thy mother Iezabel are still in great number Of which I say the lesse because I haue noted it as the fruite of all sinne as well as this in the former parts of this booke Onely I say if the vngodly sort will not take the Lords bridle to restraine their flesh from this lewd course for adulteries as our Sauiour notes are the breakings out of the filthie heart euen as the sores and scabs of the body are the fruites of a corrupted blood then let the people of God learne this dutie euen to possesse their vessels in holinesse to keepe themselues vnspotted and pure and to preserue their bodies and spirits in chastnes except they wil make of the temple of the holy Ghost a stie of vncleane and loathsome lust fit to driue the spirit of God away And otherwise the Lord shall set a marke vpon them worse then the brand of a theese euen a marke of infamie which I dare not promise that repentance it selfe shall quite wash off while they liue but that the staine shall still continue For this sinne is of a scarlet dye as Dauid speakes Psal 51. Now to end this verse by that it is said that Iphtah was a valiant man we must know that in those times of warre courage and valiantnes was a gift much set by and of good vse So that though he had a blemish vpon him in that he was the sonne of an harlot which was not his sinne yet the Lord couered it as I may say with this excellent gift of fortitude that made him much desired It was a crosse to him all may see that hee was thus abased and yet if he had not been vnder that or some other such chastizement it had been like he should haue been a worse man and in greater danger For such blemishes in the body are occasions through Gods worke to turne the minde to better matters and to bring it in loue with them and to hold from the partie greater troubles thereby As we reade of Mephibosheth Ionathans young sonne that he being lame on his feete could not resist Dauid as Ishbosheth his vncle did to his great toyle and little preuailing but liued peaceably in the Kings fauour and fed at his table and how could he haue been in better state whereas if he had enioyed his limmes at libertie it is hard to say whether hee would not haue been stirring and taking part with Ishbosheth to his owne ouerthrow which had bin very like to haue befalne him whē Abner forsook him if he had not bin preuented by
curtesie to Abner as Zibas fidelitie to Mephibosheth It is an equall ornament to a christian say they what they can that mislike the olde fashion to be a plaine dealing and a plaine spoken man for both argue he is a plaine hearted man He that carieth with him an heart and an heart carieth about him a tongue and a tongue an hand and an hand all double and dissembling all abominable to the Lord as Salomon faith For though the clouen footed beast was cleaner then the whole-houed yet the clouen hearted and clouen tongued man is more vncleane to him then the single heart and the vniforme tongue In which respect the Iewes were brought vp to hate doublenesse and falsehood by the forbidden types of Plowing with two kindes of beasts wearing two kindes of stuffe and sowing two kindes of graine to wit at the same plough in the same garment and in the same field But wee at this day haue both abrogated ceremony and substance too for the most part and though as in other points so in this we hold that generally the equitie of morall commandements is eternall yet in particular this plaine hearted and faithfull communicating and dealing of men together is abolished as if it had been a meere ceremony True it is men haue not quite forgotten ceremonies in this dutie but their new found ceremonies haue eaten vp the old substance sheere euen as the leane kine deuoured the fatte in Pharoahs dreame I meane this the affected apish or complementall speeches of the most men haue quite consumed the trueth simplicitie and honestie of the heart that should bee found among them I mislike not seemely and courteous speech if it carrie with it the colour and temper of the heart but I meane that which Salomon speakes of in the Prouerbs when the words are soft as butter and oyle sweete as honey but the heart is sharpe as a sword and bitter as wormewood and hath seuen abominations in it Indeed I confesse all haue not in them this cursed habit it commonly being the cloake of the malicious and politique whom a man may for the most part vnderstand to meane contrarily to that they speake but it is also a vanitie and affectation of many others to bee more full of shewes and courteousnesse then to intend friendship or goodwill Be it of malice or of vanitie it is naught if of the former diuelish if of the latter frothie and superfluous Sinnes stay not alway in the Court they come downe also into the countrey wherein many men are so hollow that their consciences tell them they deserue to be hollowly dealt with they haue vsed vndermining questions to others and so they haue answers as sinister indirect and forked So that now adaies if a man would haue a plaine answere from another he is saine to vse some slight or wile to get it out for if he speake plainly the other hath so many casts and conceits in his mind that he feares aduantage will be taken some way against him which can be no lesse then a token of a bad conscience If it be a matter that wee would communicate for redresse of any euill in towne familie or person we know not how to breake one with another about it the meaner to his better especially but if wee doe a slender regard shall be had of it Euen so in friendly meetings at table when we haue apparant cause offered of thankes by Gods benefits yet euen there it is harsh to heare any words sauouring of religion or tending to edification although giuing of thanks is the speech with which our table should by the Apostles commandement be seasoned but if there be not some to crosse them that offer occasion of such speech yet shall ye haue the most part winding away from seconding or giuing liking of it into other needlesse worldly or frothie speech euery one as he delighteth to talke And as our speech to men is many waies to be charged so is our commoning with God seldome and when wee haue any full of coldnes loosenes and wandring Manoah vnderstanding the man of God in that hee had said to his wife and seeing that she had rightly related the matter to him for the message which this man of God had done to his wife before and she had reported to him agreed with his second rehearsall thereof in all points hee resteth in that they say for so he answereth Be it as thou hast said or thus I beleeue it shall so come to passe although to manward it seemeth not likely So whē wee haue receiued any message from God and by examining and comparing one scripture with another for the confirming of vs therein we haue proofe what the will of God is which we were in some doubt of before we ought to cease discoursing and though wee were held in suspence as Peter was at the vision till we were resolued yet now wee should without contradiction or difficultie receiue it from God yeeld to it and rest in it Euen as before we know it we were according to the occasion offered vs to doe as Manoah did being vnresolued that is trie the spirit whether it be of God or no and to pray God to reueale it to vs and therefore as our Sauiour speaketh to search the Scriptures for further knowledge therein according to the example of the Beraeans who tried all things holding themselues to the truth as the Apostle counselleth the Thessalonians to doe We see that all naturall motions tend to a rest and quietnes wherein the perfection and end of the thing so moued consisteth And he that runneth a race attaineth not his purpose till he haue reached to the end of his course and then he resteth And because I am come by occasion of Manoahs resting in that particular which he sought and haue shewed that we also ought to doe the like I will say something of that which we ought to rest in after a more generall manner My meaning is this A Christians perfection and end which shall hereafter be full in the blessed rest of glorie the Sabbath of the Saints is begun euen in this life and that is when the minde soule and whole man is at rest that is enioyeth feeleth and possesseth that for which they much trauailed and tooke paines The rest of the minde is actuall resolution and certaintie of the truth against errour and doubting and this is the fruite of seeking knowledge The rest of the soule is perswasion and assurance of Gods fauour and his alsufficiencie being reconciled vnto vs and this is the fruite of seeking faith The rest of the whole man is his inward setlednesse being the fruites of faith repentance and sanctification and this is the end of seeking encrease and growth in grace Now because all these are but imperfect in vs here for we know beleeue and grow but in measure therefore we must seeke still to know beleeue
soules with grace here or their persons with glory hereafter except they repent which is not at commandement nor easily found of such We haue heard of Samsons wagering with the Philistims in the former verse and part of this now it followes in the latter end of it how they gaue allowance thereto and shewed their liking thereof saying vnto him Put forth thy riddle that we may heare it And this sheweth how readily wicked men turne to heare euen the godly whom otherwise they dislike and scorne when they speake pleasing things to them Euen as Ieroboam King of Israel did greatly like Elisha and spake kindlie to him when hee did that which pleased him wel in bringing the army of the king of Syria his enemie as prisoners into his chiefe Citie Samaria hoping that thereby hee might haue his will of them in putting them to the sword Oh when they fit their humour by words or deeds they will change themselues on sudden toward them and applaud them as if they were friends with them And euen so is it with them in the construing of those actions that please them such I meane as whereby they receiue benefit and fauour or aduantage for these they shall be aduanced aboue the skyes but let them therewith ioyne admonition and good counsell or so much as the mildest repoofe especially if they take themselues crossed by them in their purposes of profit pleasure or will although neuer so iustly then they are the worst that goe vpon the earth their goodnesse is remembred no more Yea and this which I say may be extended to the best Ministers who so long as the plausiblenes of their gift doth hold the bad in any admiration or affection will shew the greatest signes of taking pleasure and delight in their company But let the Minister leaue tickling of their corrupt flesh and begin to search them a little or bewray their corruptions which were hidden from them before oh then hee is bitter and irkesome to their taste and becomes their enemie for telling them the truth yea then all his former desert is vanished with commendation and all all which doe testifie too clearely that they allow not of those who are godlie either Ministers or other for their goodnesse which ought chiefely to be regarded but for other causes This must further teach the best sort to obserue themselues with the best circumspection how far they goe in humoring the wicked to wit so far only as they keepe bounds that is speake that which they may for the turning them from euill or drawing them to the liking of the best things by degrees alwaies preseruing entire their liberty in reprouing without any iust cause of blushing As for them that will not admit of such kind of dealing but like onely to be flattered let them know their stomacks are distempered and they in a dangerous case when they can take no liking of any thing but fleshly and sensuall euen as they are who will serue their turnes by flattering them Thus now of the first two things that were done at the feast we haue heard and of part of the third to wit that Samson told them he would put foorth a riddle to them and how they readily apprehended it and were willing to heare it Now therefore in the former part of this verse it is said he propounded it which was the third thing done at the marriage Out of the eater came meate and out of the strong came sweetnesse The meaning is that hony which is sweet and meate to eate came out of the body of the Lyon who is strong which I open and vtter seeing the ignorant not comparing this with the 19. verse would not else vnderstand it In this latter part of the verse it is shewed that when the Philistims had heard the riddle they toyled themselues and went about by their owne labour and wit to finde out the meaning of it but could not by their owne helpe And this is the fourth thing done at the Marriage namely how they sought to find it out how they preuailed But of this more in due place But I will first returne a little to Samson and shew how he made vse of the works of God which he considered and obserued For to his great benefit he gathereth a riddle and raised thereby a question out of the worke of God in the Lyon which was a meane to hold much euill from among them So it behoueth vs to marke things that come to passe daily which all fall out by Gods prouidence and his dealing in and by them that wee may learne wisedome thereby and take good by them For as Preachers gather similies by the things they see reade and heare to illustrate that which they vtter in their Sermons to the people so should we by Gods iudgements vpon the wicked and his blessings on them that feare him we I say should learne to profit by them and to shun the one and to get our part in the other so as all may say we haue made right vse of them in deed whereas the most part take no good by either of both nor by any other of his great works my meaning is not that the generall administration of God onely in the gouerning the creatures which he hath admirably made ought to be noted but specially the ends of the iust and vniust that to the one there is alwaies peace the other cannot no not at death giue testimonie of a good estate nor depart with hope nor encourage his companions to be like him but dieth either with a wounding yet desperate conscience or is stricken like Nabal with a dead Palsie of insensiblenesse But to proceede with this act of Samson in the latter part of this verse we see how by occasion of this riddle much euill was staied in that companie for the time which would haue been otherwise very lewdly and ill bestowed by the Philistims was now busilie taken vp about studying and searching out of the meaning of the riddle for so it is said in the text they could not in three dayes expound it And hereby we may learne that much sinne may be staied in meetings of friends neighbours at feasts and merrie makings if there bee any persons there to intend and endeuour to preuent and stop it And that is done by good and religious talke brought in if it will be admitted or of things indifferent yet tending to good ends as I haue sayd before the which once occupying and possessing them may put them out of their bad by as which I haue oft seene done in my time namely much euill to haue been hindred and put by while by some in the company better minded then the rest it hath thus been preuented carefully and wisely by christian sauoury communication and also kind vsage of them and such like good meanes And to inlarge and vrge this matter a little further of and about these