doe harme and partly our selues procuring it who nourish not in our selues such motions nor make wise vse of them by setting them a work and applying them to some fit obiect as Iphtah here did but delight only in the sweetnesse and pleasure which we feele and so suffer the heauenly flame to vanish for want of laying on fewell to preserue it And although the Lord causeth his children euen here sometimes in health sometime at death to enioy such vnspeakable feelings and operations of the spirit which hee doth to giue them such a taste of heauen as may cause in them a restlesse longing til they come thither yet he knoweth they would say with Peter Master it is good for vs to be here and would thinke of no departure if this should be an ordinarie diet Therefore he rather considers what they can digest then what he can afford and saith My grace shall neither be giuen in superfluitie nor yet in penury but it shall be sufficient And let vs learne to account so of it as the best for vs. Onely let vs beware lest by our giuing way to our flesh the counterpoise of the spirit that is to the earth to our sensualitie and lusts we bury and quench the spirit and smother it from appearing in the beauty thereof and also lest wee cause it to be heauy and sad in vs and so our selues to bee blockish and sottish rather then heauenly and ioyfull which is to choose to feede with swine when we might eate Angels foode In these two verses is not only set downe the victory which God gaue to Iphtah ouer the Ammonites but it is also particularly amplified and in larger manner described As that many fell in the battell and that hee ouerthrew twentie of their cities and that hee brought the Ammonites in subiection to him Where wee may clearely see what it is that encourageth vs and setteth vs forward in our duties doing Euen the Lords appointing and calling vs thereto as of the publike calling of the Minister I spake before it is true of the priuate duties also Husband and wife from thence haue their hartning on to liue mutuall helpers one of another to their Christian and peaceable conuersing together and passing their daies sweetly and bearing their crosses contentedly euen from hence I say that they beleeue God hath ioyned them together to that end So the Magistrate and all other in the seuerall duties of this life And want of this faith is enough to make mens liues ouercast as the weather is with clouds and tempests and to fill men with sinne and sorrow Other things which might bee noted from hence haue been mentioned before but besides them of these two a little In that the King of Ammon went by the worst in the battell had with Iphtah it shewes what wilfulnesse brings a man or the contempt or reiecting of good and sound perswasions such as Iphtah vsed to disswade him from warre For though he were an Heathen yet he knew by the law of Nature that he ought not to offer iniury to the innocent And we know that when the Gentiles knew God onely by the light of nature and did not honour him accordingly he gaue them vp to their hearts desires to fulfill them against nature Much more they who haue light in the word of God hauing no regard of good instruction and admonition shall come to naught especially the despisers thereof vnlesse they take shame and abashment to themselues for it and so come to better state according to that which is written He that knoweth his Masters will and doth it not shall bee beaten with many stripes But more of this punishment vpon wilfulnesse see before set downe by the like occasions and by name in Chap. 8. 14. And in that hee lost twentie cities which hee had of his owne and lost those also which he fought for which were none of his it liuely setteth before our eies that many not contented with that which is their owne while they claime to and seeke that which belongs to other men either by colour of law or otherwise they lose that which they sued for and spend and consume that which they had before The Lord doth oft times requite their vnconscionablenesse that way and yet in great mercy he dealeth with them in so doing to keepe a heauier iudgement from them who would most certainely be worse if they should by their corrupt and bad dealing speed better and be suffered to haue successe I will cleare this point by example and instance Pharaoh not contented to haue oppressed the Israelites for many generatiōs with bondage would needs pursue them when they were gotten out of his clawes though hee had smarted many waies for not letting them goe But what came of it seeing he sought vniustly to encroach vpon Gods possession he not onely failed of that hee desired but lost also that which he ventured euen his owne life and all that hee had and his people also in the middest of the sea The same is verified in other parts of vnrighteousnesse Sampson not content to liue with credit and honour in his owne land and within his compasse would needs breake out among the Philistims there hit into Delilas company which his soule entirely loued though vnlawfully and was made a vassall to a base mistresse But behold a short time this pleasure of sinne lasted for loe his louer rewards him with treason and then Sampson poore man is faine to forgoe his mistresse by force who could not be plucked from her by conscience and that which he abhorred that he was made to vndergoe and that by them whom he most hated to wit a painefull bondage while hee liued beside shame and sorrow and after all an vntimely death I will instance first in the sinnes of the second Table The murtherer and thiefe can by no perswasion bee brought to labour with his hands and to doe the thing which is good tush it goeth vtterly against him to bee put to labour and to worke hard all the yeere long for a poore liuing hee can bring in all at once and get great booties to liue at ease and plentifully for a long time as he imagineth and is not that a merry world yes while it lasteth in his kind but how long is that He gets two or three purses and in the fourth enterprise he is taken in the manner Doth hee not then thinke you wish from his heart that hee had obeyed Gods ordinance and been hard at work as much as he loathed it before rather then to haue put forth his hand to violence For he seeth that neither he hath obtained that which he sought for and that ouerthrow which he little looked for that hee hath brought vpon himselfe He lay in waite for the life and goods of another therein he was defeated but this will not satisfie for his sinne he must giue life and goods to
Iudge was dead they returned and did worse then their fathers in following other gods to serue them and worship them they ceased not from their owne inuentions nor from their rebellious way 20. Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he said because this people hath transgressed my couenant which I commanded their fathers and hath not obeyed my voice 21. Therfore will I no more cast out before them any of the nations which Ioshua left when he died 22. That through them I may proue Israel whether they will keepe the way of the Lord to walke therein as their fathers kept it or not 23. So the Lord left those nations and droue them not out immediately neither deliuered them into the hand of Ioshua NOw followeth the last branch of this second part of the chapter that is to say that when the Iudge died the people did worse then their fathers as is set downe in this verse whereupon the wrath of God was kindled against them as appeareth in the twentieth verse and then the fruit of it namely Gods punishing of them is set downe in verse 21. and the end why he did so in the 22. that was to proue them and therefore it is said in the last verse that God left the enemies in the land still in Ioshuas time and did not cast them out Now of these as they lie in order That it should bee thus with this people as in this verse it is said it is no lesse lamentable then wonderfull For when God had pitied them they groning to him and sent them Iudges who should deliuer them out of their oppressions and they likewise did deliuer them indeed after that blessing who would not haue said that they would haue proued a rare people in thankes and obedience vnto God Now therefore in that they turned another way when the Iudge was dead who was sent to deliuer them and kept not their couenant which they had made with God but rebelled against him what trercherie was this And to that end is their sinne aggrauated in this verse to wit that they did worse then their fathers but following their owne inuentions and euill waies By all which it is to be gathered what light-headednesse and inconstancy is in men who haue sometime made earnest profession of amendment also what lewdnesse accompanieth the same to set it on worke Heereupon it is that all good exercises of prayer and purposes of good life are soone forgotten and worne out of memory with many A simple minded man would thinke that where there hath been so much knowledge in people and shew of good conscience going with it as that they both doe cause confession of sinne and accusation of themselues with breaking forth into solemne protestation and couenanâ—â— of turning to God with all their heart he would thinke I say that if after ten or twelue yeeres absence from them he should returne againe that hee should finde rare profiting in the Christian trade at least much forwardnes in knowledge and in all good duties and they so setled therein that they could not be remoued any more from them But as people much to bee lamented they who might looke for such a thing shall be like rather to finde it farre otherwise and much worse as wee see heere it was with these And in stead of growing in knowledge and grace at least of setlednesse and stedfastnesse in their good beginnings they shall be found reuolters from the same rather as it goeth with men now adaies and to haue deuised with themselues or consulted with others about new waies and courses of life cleane contrary Some to fall in with Papist and sectaries other to bee drawne to whoredome and vncleannesse and the greatest part into depth of worldlinesse sutes vncharitable contentions and the like which though it be fearefull to heare of yet it is common and easie to be found euen while good exercises of preaching and some good neighbourhood continue and bee enioyed of them and therefore how much more shall this be found where such good meanes are wanting Oh if goodnesse preuaile not with them and haue not the vpper hand yea if it be not loued aboue all other things and in price aboue them and diligence vsed daily in the practise of good duties all shewes of the best beginnings will soone turne to the contrary And good reason it is that where men professe godlinesse which is the greatest riches and hath the promises of this life and of the life to come good reason I say that there they should not be ashamed to seeke by all meanes to aduance and honour it to the end that all may know the worthinesse and price of it and that it is not without reward euen in this world Which while few regard to doe they are worthily put to reproch and shame But heere beside that which hath been said a good occasion being offered out of all these verses together wee may gather a good direction for a great part of our life and that as well before affliction come as in the time of it and after deliuerance out of it Before it come and while God giueth vs leaue to serue him with cheerefulnesse which is a sweet portion in this life we should greatly labour to keepe well while we are well and not doe as this people did here to wit prouoke God to punish vs for sinning against him as the world doth negligently or wittingly Secondly if we haue for al our heed taking broken out against conscience which without good heed taking may full easily be we should cry to God after our fall from vnder our burthen not tarrying till we be driuen to it by extremity as these heere were and further when we cry to him wee should wait patiently and the rather because we haue by our sinne prouoked him against vs till God deliuer vs. Thirdly seeing he will most certainly helpe being thus sought to let vs beleeue and be perswaded that hee will heare vs graciously as wee see heere he did them who yet were great offenders and thus let vs strengthen and inable our selues to this patience with confidence Fourthly when wee be deliuered let vs afterward oft remember consider in what an vncomfortable estate we were before and how good and gracious the Lord hath been to vs to bring vs out of such aduersity and with daily thankes cleaue to him yet more neerely then before and in no wise prouoke him by renewing our sinnes as these did heere which were monstrous and to our owne cost be we well assured it shall be And thus if we be carefull to doe it shall goe well with vs and good daies shall we see as may be looked for in so bad a world and such as haue their thousands of gold shall not bee able to buy and purchase with all their abundance But to passe to the next
a man left WE haue heard in the former verses how both sides Barak I meane and Sisera addressed themselues to battell in these to come more neerely to the intent of this fourth part is shewed whose the victorie was namely Baraks and how verily Debora incouraging and assuring him that euen the same day wherein she spake it should bee obtained and gotten and he beleeuing it went downe with his men of warre few though they were and he meeting Sisera with his bands at mount Tabor no more is said of the matter they were destroyed both charets and horsemen not a man was left but either drowned in the riuer Kishon that was there by or slaine there at mount Tabor or pursued as the charets and horsemen were and so put to the sword and Sisera himselfe was driuen to flie away on his feete but in vaine Oh the wonderfull deliuerance that God gaue vnto his people that day This here set downe is the third speech that Debora vsed to Barak and that at mount Tabor and though the last yet not the least but mightie forceable and in due season For it appeareth by the text that when Barak saw Siseras huge army he was dismaied and therfore sought the fittest place about mount Tabor and the furest to shrowd himselfe in from the violence and rage of Sisera Which fainting of his she perceiuing called him backe and stirred him vp to fight by her words and perswasions saying No power of man how great and fearfull soeuer shall be able to hinder thee from obtaining the victorie which the Lord hath purposed to giue thee this day At which speech of hers hee was animated and tooke heart and went to the battell and as we haue heard preuailed And here is most notably set downe one meanes whereby the power of faith is strengthened and whereby it is wonderfully drawne to contemne and set light by all discouragements and breake thorow them the least whereof without it would bee ready to set a man at his wits end And that was here Deboras heartning perswasion to Barak as Gods voyce to animate him And therefore it much auaileth to heare Gods promises oft times by the publike Ministerie and effectually published and fitly applied vnto vs in the fittest manner that may bee and in sicknesse temptation and other times of fainting when a man is much weakened and dismaied to haue as Barak had here by Debora such forcible and liuely quicknings but best of all if a man be able himselfe to doe that dutie to himselfe and by the prayer of faith to strengthen himselfe in such time of need Oh! there are many ebbings and faintings in our liues euen after good strength and refreshing we haue sometime good patience and hope vnder our crosses but another time wee feare the greatnes of them that they will swallow vs vp especially if they be more then common Againe wee sometime pursue a finne and haue it in the chace and preuaile ouer it which hath sore laid at vs and wound in with vs very farre to draw liking and consent from vs vnto it and sometime it carrieth vs with maine force after it And what is it that hath relieued vs at such times Truly euen this if we haue been able to beleeue that God will strengthen vs against it and that he hath promised so to doe and if also by prayer not fained wee haue set our faith a worke though it hath lien as almost dead before euen thus we grow to weaken the liking of that sinne in vs as for feare of danger or shame of the world they are but dull edged tooles to cut off the head of such a monster And although wee be brought oft times to that point as to doubt yet we should also striue by our faith in our prayers against it and it shall not be in vaine to doe so And the same wee should doe in our feare before affliction commeth and in our heauines for it when it is come For they that know any thing of the estate of a Christian know this that he is many times in great feare of falling into some finne yea and perhaps that which is foule and odious though it be not vsually so Now if we doe not call to minde that God hath promised strength against all such aduersarie power and that by the weapons of our warfare which are not carnall but spirituall wee shall be able to beate downe such strong holds and if with the prayer of faith as need requireth we set not our selues so to doe we shall soone perceiue that we lose ground and grow weake as Barak did for a while who yet was strengthened againe by Debora so that hee did most valiantly afterwards in so much that he was renowned among the Worthies and reported to haue obtained the victorie by faith for at the hearing of Deboras words he went downe from mount Tabor with his men neere to the riuer Kishon against Sisera This of the incouragement by Debora and the fruite of it Barak Now it followeth that the Lord gaue Barak victorie the rare and marueilous victorie ouer his and Gods enemies For the Lord wasted the huge armie of Sisera howbeit by the fighting of Barak and his men against them And such of them as hasted in their flight toward Harosheth of the Gentiles for safetie from whence they came they were ouer taken also and put to the sword so that none escaped And Sisera was driuen so great the slaughter was and the battell so sore to forsake his charet wherein hee rode and to escape on foote if it might be among the common souldiers Now it is to be considered by what meanes this great victorie was gotten tenne thousand vnexperienced souldiers going against so many thousands of horsemen and footmen and yron charets The Lord it is said gaue Barak the victorie which no man doubteth of seeing he is all in all It is an harder question how Barak obtained it of God and that was by faith after that Barak got strength and courage againe by Deboras perswasions she her selfe being constant in faith all the while for then and not before he went down from mount Tabor with his men to meete Sisera being before afraid looking downe from thence vpon the huge armie that he saw This was Barak his armour of proofe to defend him euen his faith And if this cannot bee cleerely enough seene in this storie fetch more cleere proofe of that which I say from another scripture Thus writeth the author of the Epistle to the Hebrewes after he had set downe the faith of sundrie persons as Abraham Moses and other he adde to What shall I more say of Gedcon Barak c. who waxed valiant in battell and by faith turned to flight the armies of the aliants And by this wee may see againe the mightie force and power of faith where it is firme and strong what great things it bringeth to passe
who were wont to stand them in so great stead This as it is wholesome direction and aduice to such as haue their helpers and friends as yet remaining with them so it is easie to see euery where what calamities they sustaine who made no such vse of them while they comfortably inioyed them For the which purpose this I adde and so I end this point oh how sweetly and to their good liking haue many liued when they had others to beare their burdens for them as husbands wiues subiects children neighbours and other by their friends in which benefits they who inioyed kindely and aright there is no doubt but that which is the chiefest of all they haue therewith that God is their friend also but seeing many depend onely on them in a carnall manner and on their liuing still with them and rest not on God therefore their proppes faile them and their desolation commeth vpon them as the enemy vpon an vnarmed man More particularly we are taught hereby their example who sought to God in their doubtes for counsell and resolution that in all our doubtfull cases which are not fewe partly touching our estate towards God and partly particular duties and actions of our speciall callings and conditions of life while we remaine here on earth we should consult with and aske counsell of God for our resolution in such manner as he hath taught vs and in no wise to conceale and bury our wants and defects that trouble vs or passe by the sinnes that cleaue to vs or other difficulties in our dealings and businesse that oppresse vs for so we prouide ill for our selues euen to liue in ignorance and sorrow with other inconueniences annexed thereunto for euer after And yet when we seeke answere and resolution wee must not thinke that we are inioyned of God to doe it in the same particular manner that these did by the high Priest for that might be thought a great trouble to vs seeing there is none in these daies to aske counsell for vs but we must know that we haue Moses the Prophets and Apostles and by the helpe of them the Ministers of God Pastors and Teachers to bring vs Gods message and minde out of his word and thereby to instruct vs. And wee our selues as occasion serueth are to search the Scriptures and answere our owne doubts thereby and settle our estate to God ward as Dauid did in the Psalmes oft and namely where he saith Why art thou heauy O my soule and why art thou so troubled within mee Still trust in God and praise him which is the best of all And againe whereby shall a man yea a yong man who doth more hardly ouercome his passions denie his way that so hee may proue himselfe blessed he answeres out of the Scripture euen by taking heed thereto as Gods word teacheth Thus I say we are to search the Scriptures by hearing and reading them which doe reueale Gods will vnto vs or consult with the men and brethren whom the holy Ghost hath set ouer vs to that ende But this is the misery of this age nothing is to be called into question among vs we thinke we haue all knowledge and doubt of nothing no not in the waightiest matters why so I pray you is it because we be diligent and carefull to learne and daily to search into our selues and into the word to see what is a misse that we neede no helpe of other Nay that is fewe mens care the most are no such but they chiefly are desirous to enquire further what the good will of God is toward them who haue most profited thereby already and so ought other to doe who if they were not both carelesse how they liued and so obserue no want in themselues and drowsie or wandring when they heare it could not be but where there is an ordinary ministery they should grow much in setlednesse and sound knowledge whereas we see strangers who are not taught at home but resort where sound teaching is they I say though they know as much as other are more inquisitiue and desirous to be answered in their doubts then such as haue the daily meanes at hand whereby they might be resolued It were to be reioyced for very much if hearers of the Gospell did frequent the houses of Preachers as they do Physitians to enquire of their bodily health then there were some hope that they looked to liue for euer as they desire to liue long heere in bodily health though that can be but for a very short season But those daies are gone which yet I in my time haue seene when in the places which I meane both men women and seruants would rise early to dispatch their businesse on the Lecture day to the end they might repaire thither and inquire of God in the congregation and would be as ready to take good priuatly also by questions to very good purpose and necessary when they might About maintenance and bodily prouision how many questions I pray you are moued before one dayes or weekes worke bee brought to an end and is any so ignorant that he knoweth not that he that mindeth his way to eternall life hath many causes in the day and weeke to aske of himselfe by secret questioning whether all be well with him concerning his account making to God But there are few or no doubts about such matters as doe greatly trouble vs now a daies wee run on at sixe and leuen as the blinde man casts his staffe not looking before vs that we might be safely guided But what commeth of such rash proceeding without consulting with God by that one example in the booke of Numbers may sufficiently appeare when certaine of the people of Israel would needs goe vp to fight with the Amalekites and Canaanites of their owne head not sent by the Lord for they came out against them and destroyed them There is another fault committed in this kind though I am perswaded not with so bad a mind but seeing it is not without great danger I will giue warning about it And that is when men do feele many doubts to arise by reason of their sinnes and fore trouble of conscience but yet through feare lest they should not haue an answere to their liking or for shame lest they should bewray their ignorance and secrets and so bee reproched and mocked for the same they do conceale them till sorrow deuoure them for not opening their mindes about them euen as water pent in bursteth out violently and doth much hurt which in time hauing been let foorth and vented might haue auoided it What had become of the people in the booke of the Actes of the Apostles when they were pricked at their hearts as with the point of a sword if they had not come to the Apostles and made their complaint saying Men and brethren what shall we doe and yet they had strong temptations not to open their griefe
tooke it to whom he gaue Acsah his daughter to wife VERS 14. And when she came to him to aske of her father a field and she lighted off her asse and Caleb said vnto her What wilt thou VERS 15. And she answered him Giue me a blessing for thou hast giuen me a South country giue me also springs of water And Caleb gaue her the springs aboue and the springs beneath THis citie Debir it is said was in times past called Kiriah-sepher that is the citie of one Sepher to put a difference betwixt that and some other of that name And it is said here that Caleb seeing more difficultie to winne this city offered a reward to him that would set vpon it But I must againe put the Reader in mind that these things mentioned from the 8. verse to the 17. were done in the daies of Ioshua and are but repeated here to commend the faithfulnes and care of this Tribe of Iuda and as they were done then so the subduing of this city is ascribed to Ioshua in Iosh 10. because he was their chiefe guide and gouernour in all these warres though Caleb offered a reward to him that winne it because it was his inheritance and Othniel here mentioned was the person that tooke it and enioyed the reward This be said for the meaning of these two verses and for reconciling this place with that which I cited out of Ioshua Now for the benefit which wee are to reape from hence it is manifold first by this that there was more difficultie and danger in the winning of this citie then other it giueth vs to learne and to marke that in going about the duties of our particular callings as this warring against these cities of the Canaanites was theirs we must not thinke it strange if some part of our life and at sometime be more incumbred then other parts and at other times and that we should not be discouraged nor disquieted when we see it to be so euen these good seruants of God did find it so in some part of their work more then in some other and yet they did not for all that breake it off but wisely bethinke themselues how to ouercome the difficultie of it by more then ordinarie paines and care when the businesse required it The like may be said of the religious duties of our generall callings both concerning the first and second Table there is not alwaies that confidence ioy cheerefulnesse diligence and feruency in the vse of priuate meanes or fruitfulnesse in doing good to others we find these come off with much difficultie sometime in respect of others And this commeth not to passe by chance as neither it did to them as men vse to say but by the prouidence of God who most isely disposeth so of it that it may not oftentimes be so with vs that we haue hard successe lest we should be discouraged and also lest we should not bring our worke to any good point but as they say our labour should be lost and in vaine and nothing should goe forward as if in husbanding the ground by sowing reaping and all other worke belonging to it the weather should alwaies be dropping And although it be not often so yet hee seeth it conuenient that sometime men should find it so I meane hardnesse to bring their worke to passe and some difficultie about it though they haue skill in it to the end they may haue proofe of their patience at such times and bee thankfull to God when it falleth not out so oftentimes but that they haue good successe for the most part And also that they may learne experience against other like times to be contented when it shall so fall out againe that so they may shew one euen tener in their life as much as may bee and in euery part of it some equalitie in care contentment cheerefulnesse hope and patience and not to to bee carried into extremities as many are by the occasions that are offered and that come to passe daily And this ought to guide all men in their callings and in the actions of their liues that as well when things go against them as when they goe with them they may in al estates be thankful as we reade holy Iob was especially seeing they know that God ordereth both good successe and also the contrary to the good of his The husbandman is hindred sometime by the rainy weather but yet so as he hath his seasons free from it to doe his businesse in The Artificer is troubled about putting away his wares and the falling of the price so that he cannot alwaies make his aduantage of them as ordinarily he doth for the maintaining of himselfe and his charge But God changeth those times so that they doe not alwaies keepe at one stay The good minister is sometime troubled about the carelesnesse and prophanenesse of his people and is grieued for the ill successe that he seeth on his labours but God giueth him incouragement againe that some doe regard his ministery and receiue the Gospell to their amendment and saluation Besides the diligentest labourers in preaching are oft to seeke of necessarie helpes for this life and more then their due they rarely find and seldome meet with what need soeuer they haue if they get that truly paid them the ministery being in so little account with men of the world of which sort the greatest number is So women in their places haue many crossings of them by their husbands seruants and about children and matters of familie beside other vnlooked for accidents and troubles which we see doe cause many of them who are not seasoned with grace and sauing knowledge to bee exceedingly impatient disquiet and out of order Therefore if they who are religious should not vnder the like crosses be better gouerned though they enioy many comforts in the married estate they should euer and anon bee out of frame and vnquiet and in no sort enioy the benefit of that estate as God hath allowed them to doe as too many can testifie In more particular manner I might shew the disapointments that al sorts of people meet with and haue As the labouring man for his part is not behind the rest in finding much hardnesse by meanes of his poore estate and the great prices of necessarie things at sometimes especially but I should be too long if I should stand vpon particulars To these when wee adde other disapointments and crosses as ill debters sutes in the law losse of friends who were vpholders of them while they liued diseases and sicknes with a thousand more which cannot be remembred all may see there arise many things in all conditions and dealings to make some part of mens liues hardlier passed in peace and quietnes to their good liking though they haue for the most part good successe and do vsually labour with some ease as I haue said And why doe I set downe all
this about the matter in hand but that we may see the wisdome and mercy of God herein who mixeth both together because if all our life should be smoothly carried and easily passed we should be made thereby vnfit for our change especially for great trials when they come and so likewise if it should be for the most part tedious and troublesome there should be nothing in a manner but wearinesse and discomfort And therefore all sorts should seeke to be in Gods fauour that so they may also bee vnder his gouernment in both estates and that while they are so they may daily keepe so and that aboue all other things which estate of life onely hath the promise of blessing in euery calling and condition and where it is wanting all confusion for the most part breaketh in amongst men that they be not only vnquiet in their troubles and doe most vncomfortably go vnder difficulties but also when they enioy any more freedome and prosperitie they be euen in their best estate vnprofitable if not offensiue and troublesome And if it seeme strange to any that God thus disposeth of mens trauels and dealings that the successe be vncertaine let them looke to the end why he doth so before set downe and namely if they be much troubled for that many casualities fall out in their liues they must know that if it were otherwise they would keepe no compasse and therefore God seeth it meet sometime that it should be so But another thing to be noted here in Caleb is this that when hee saw it required courage as well as skill to aduenture and set vpon this citie for the destroying of Gods enemies that were in it as hee was commanded promiseth his daughter to him that would set vpon it This was no small matter that he offered but marke why as I haue shewed all may see hee did shew this forwardnesse to the rooting out of Gods enemies And it teacheth that for the Lords sake we ought to doe much and yet count it no great matter that we doe To aduance his name and helpe to setvp his true worship and the sincere preaching of the Gospell the ouerthrowing of his enemies and for such like seruice of his euery man ought to be ready and willing to be abased in his countenance weakened in his wealth and sustaine much hardship if need be Dauid may be brought in here and set in none of the meanest roomes for that which he did in this behalfe For beside that there was none in his time that honoured God more then hee did in the louing frequenting and longing after his being in the Lords house and the place where his honour dwelleth so hee bare reproch as mighty as hee was and that willingly for his zeale toward God for when he brought the Arke of God with shouting and sound of trumpet into the citie of Dauid dancing before it Michael Sauls daughter looked out at the window and dispised him as thinking it too base a thing for a King to doe so but he answered it was before the Lord and that he would yet for his sake be more vile So Ester for bringing the people of God out of desolation and vtter rooting out put her life in danger saying If I perish I perish So Moses and Paul desired rather to perish then the people of God should be forsaken and so God his glory be empeached And why should they not all these I meane and other such as well as they euen Kings and Queenes lay downe their Crownes at his feet and aduance him who hath honoured them aboue others And much more wee how are meane and inferiours should think our selues happie if we may bee imployed by him or if any thing that we haue might doe him seruice According to that which is written Mark 1. He that loueth father or mother more then me is not worthie of me And it is true indeed that wee should loue nothing so well but we should forgoe it for the Lords cause therefore when he saith Giue me thine heart my sonne we should reioyce that he will aske and take any thing that we haue and yeeld it him with all readinesse But for ought I see I may iustly complaine and say wee are like those children which hauing gotten what they can at their fathers hand cast him off and flourish boldly with that which they haue gotten of him So to speake what I thinke as I see with mine owne eies when God hath inriched men with his manifold blessings there is not one of many that considereth it of whom he hath receiued all that he inioyeth but glorieth of that which is not his owne and setteth out himselfe with anothers goods as though hee owed nothing to him of whom he receiued him And yet to aggrauate our sin I must needs adde one thing I am perswaded greatly to our shame and conuiction that many in the Papacie who shal neuer haue reward for it are brought through error to do many things and giue much in a superstitious zeale to this end that they may bee saued But if they doe that which God neuer required at their hands and therfore amisse ought not we who haue learned better to do readily that which we are commanded especially our reward being certaine If they doe it to merit that which they shall neuer attaine ought not we much more to doe the duties which we are commanded who belieue that we haue the best things freely promised I meane eternall life which also in due time shall bee giuen vs of God and that of his meere mercie and bountie And if Caleb would giue his daughter should not wee much more giue some part of our substance to feede the hungry and to helpe cloath the naked when we may yet reserue sufficient for our selues besides Whereas the truth is that all is too little that wee can doe to good vses that wee might honour God as Caleb here could affoord him the best thing that they had and yet all is of vs thought to much when it is but little that we doe this way lest wee should hinder our selues And to end this verse this Caleb being a godly man and as well renowned and approoued for his grace as for his greatnesse in saving that hee would giue his daughter to wife sheweth that hee had well learned Moses doctrine in whose daies he liued and namely in this point as he had in many other that children are not to dispose of their owne marriage but the father To whom though many haue lost their honour that way as being vnfitter to make choice then their children themselues yet God hath giuen them this libertie that if they do no good with it they may be conuicted by it who for their place and yeeres should be fitter to make the match in good sort then the children who for the most part are caried not so much by religion and
yet were not so and all Diuines almost grant that Marie the mother of our Sauiour had no more children then Christ only and therfore they expound those places Mat. 13. 12. of his kinsmen and kinswomen And that this the Hebrew word here vsed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifieth a naturall brother is put as vsually for a kinseman also and the posteritie of brethren the Scripture is cleare and plentifull in shewing it Reade for Example Leuit. 25. where the word brethren signifieth the children of brethren Ouer your brethren the children of Israel ye shall not rule one ouer another with crueltie And numb 32. shall your brethren the children of Israel goe to warre and ye tarrie here In both places by brethren the Scripture meaneth the posteritie and children of the 12. sonnes of Iacob and so many other Scriptures doe And so to returne if this Othniel and Achsah had been within the degrees forbidden that he might not haue married her but it had been against the commandement of God who doubteth but that hee would haue been better aduised and that hee meant not in offering her to doe any thing that should offend God I say therefore if either Othniel or any other winning the citie could not lawfully haue married her Caleb would haue supplied his offer some other way to the contentment of the partie And vpon the answer to the question I say much like as vpon the answer of the former question as the matter requireth and giueth occasion Let none gather from this speech of Caleb that it is lawfull to marrie within degrees forbidden as though Caleb had made such a marriage for his daughter And although he were called his kinsman yet seeing it is not said he was his brothers or sisters sonne therefore I haue no necessarie occasion offered to answere the question whether Cosin Germans may marrie together but yet seeing I haue thus spoken of it I therefore signifie my iudgement agreeing with such as I haue read and conferred with and that is this that although the word of God doe not expressely forbid it yet seeing it prohibiteth those degrees that be further off it is of great probabilitie that Christishould more then in a common manner consider and examine for what weightie and speciall causes they doe imbrace and not abstaine from such marriages And me thinkes he hath giuen some watchword thereof vnto vs in this that the life of many couples so marrying together hath been found tedious and accompanied with mutual dislikes betwixt the parties when no reason could be seene thereof beside that and for proofe hereof it hath been acknowledged that to haue been the cause thereof For my part when the question hath been propounded to mee about such marriages I haue as I know the practise of many my betters to haue been I haue I say disswaded from them for inconueniences not as vnlawfull and so I leaue this point But to returne to Caleb although he had maried his daughter within degrees forbidden yet it had giuen no libertie to vs to doe so neither to doe any thing else that is vnlawfull or forbidden by the word of God forasmuch as we haue our direction there what we may do either in matters of marriage or in any thing else whatsoeuer And therefore wee ought little to regard examples that leade any other way And thus these obiections being answered I will proceed in th story And first that it is said here that Othniel being a valiant man took the citie Debir notwithstanding that the difficulties to win it were very great by this wee see that besides this verifieth the prouerb which is heere spoken of him that a mans gift preferreth him as the like may be said of Ioseph Daniel and others and that all men should seeke for the gifts of God which they may attaine to honour the giuer who preferreth them thereby I say besides that we may learne that Othniel being religious and his prayers being most faithfully made to God as we reade in the Chronacles so that God heard them and yet he tooke incouragement by the offer of Caleb to set vpon that great worke we may I say learne that euen godly men may take and vse the benefit of such incouragements as are lawfully offered them to the going about any worke that God commandeth them It is true indeed that euen his bare word alone ought to put life into vs and quicken vs to our duties and much more because there is a promise of blessing annexed to the obeying of euery commandement of his yea a great promise of reward but yet seeing we are weake because of the flesh that striueth against the spirit in vs therefore we haue need of all helpes and furtherance that may whet vs on And therefore though it was the dutie of Othniel to set against the enemies of God as the rest of the Israelites were bound to doe yet there is no doubt but he was much more earnestly set on by this incouragement So it is the dutie of euery faithfull minister of God to preach the Gospel diligently and willingly euen for the commandement of Christ If thou louest mee feede my lambes and my sheepe yet if the Lord blesse his labours plentifully and the people minister to him readily so that hee bee sufficiently prouided for no man doubteth but that hee shall doe his dutie much better as seeing thereby that hee is as good reason why hee should so bee highly and well regarded So a Christian man that laboureth with his hands in the calling God hath set him ought to bee occupied therein willingly and for conscience sake but if God blesse him with good successe he shall goe about the duties of it farre more chearefully and in better sort In all things we find it thus If the Gospell be soundly and diligently preached all ought to be ready to heare it but if magistrates themselues bee forward that way and cause others by their authoritie to doe the same so that they see the Gospel be had in good account shall it not thinke we quicken euen the best much more then they should otherwise be not that these meaner incouragemēts should most preuaile with men but the Lords commandement yet that shall the better doe it when these also be added to helpe our weakenes But to looke to these principally while the chiefe is neglected that is a thing meerely preposterous and the next way to pul downe al right maner of going about our duties what shewes thereof soeuer men wil make and how commonly so euer the the greatest part offend this way And yet God seeing the infirmitie of his people and their vnto wardnesse to godly duties and how hardly they are brought to the well discharging of them by his bare commandement hath drawne them on by fit rewards promises and incouragements For who doubteth that the deare seruants of God are much heartned and helped
to Ioshua in his first going against the Canaanites I will be with thee and hee belieued and prospered euen so these and the like promises of God being belieued of vs are our comfort and thereby wee learne experience how to doe the like for the time to come in what worke soeuer the Lord shal imploy vs. This would make men vse their callings not so as they should bee burdens to them but recreation going merrily to their work as they may with Gods good allowance and leauing it of with fitnesse to other good duties as prayer reading singing meditating c. If this were beleeued men should be free from the plodding and distracting cares of the vngodly who make their liues wearisome by distrust of Gods prouidence fearing they shall begge ere they dye c. and from the moyling and toyling labor of such as tire themselues with their callings For God giues rest to his beloued as Dauid saith Psalm 127. 2. And from this temporary rest he will in due time translate them to eternall rest All which I say not onely to the denouncing sharpely and heauily against the common professors of the Gospell who will beleeue God no further then they see him but also to the iust reproouing of those who haue obtained of him to beleeue in deed that they shall haue eternall life and yet their particular trials in which they are taught to depend vpon him and to cleaue to his promises made and granted out vnto them to that very end that they should doe so they yet stagger and doubt as if they had neuer had faith He that desireth to heare more of Gods being with his let him reade that which hath been said on verse 19. This place Bethel being so called that is the house of the mightie God because the Lord appeared to Iacob there whereas it had in times past been called by another name it very well teacheth seeing nothing is set downe in vaine in the Scriptures but to good vse that it is commendable as occasion is offered to giue conuenient and meet names such as may instruct in some good thing drawne from some good example or putting vs in mind of duties either to God or men As God gaue the name by the Angell vnto our Sauiour calling him Iesus Some care not what name they giue to their children of most notorious persons as counting it their credit that they may be like them resembling herein the Idolatrous King of Babel his Eunuchs who purposely altered the names of Daniel and his fellowes in token that they should renounce the true God and his seruice and embrace the contrarie Some giue such names to them as the rehearsing of them causeth laughter Which is vnseemely seeing the name is giuen in the assemblie of the faithfull and in the presence of God and when they are to bee entred into the Church of God We doe not place religion in names or titles yet neuerthelesse a wise and godly choice in this matter may be had that the names giuen may be in stead of instructions to the parties named In the apparrelling of our bodies in comely maner we will haue care that the very shoe which is the least matter be decently put on and sutable to other partes of our attire so there being required a proportion in all our actions this one is not to be neglected Therefore in the old Testament the names were giuen either according to the euent of things about the time of the birth of the child as Moses called one of his sonnes Gershom that is stranger because hee was then a stranger in another land or their names were borrowed from their holy predecessors to put them in mind to follow their steppes or some such like respects they had in giuing them Now let vs heare of the spies In this verse where it is said that the spies met this man comming out of the citie for what cause he went it is not expressed somewhat is to be noted by occasion of the man and somewhat from the spies By the man first going in his simplicity out of the city whither to saue his life or vpon some other necessarie occasion meeting with these spies and falling into such a streight thereby that either he must loose his life or betray the citie for the spies said to him shew vs the way into the citie and we will shew thee mercie We may see what streights and difficulties we meet with be subiect to and in danger of in this life for that perill which we neither feare nor once thinke of may befall vs euen to the hazarding of our liues much more of our vndoing or the losse of the best of Gods blessings that we inioy as wife children goods c. In the story of the French Massacres we reade that by the popish faction a whole assemblie of Protestants were slaine at the Sermon The Shunamites child went into the field in the morning well but died at noone The widow of one of the children of the Prophets who liued in good estate for a great part of her husbands time yet through the debt he was in at his death shee was brought into that streight that her two sons must bee sold to pay the debt and carried away from her perhaps to bee brought vp by Idolators in an idolatrous land and she knew no other for a time though God prouided better for her Iob his children in the middest of their merry makings were destroyed by the fall of the house and he himselfe lost all at once and his bodie was filled with scabbes and sores Samaria was besieged and the danger so great that the king therof was resolued and looked for no other but that he and all that hee had must be at the pleasure of another man And Ierusalem was so ouerwhelmed with griefes that she was driuen to complaine that no sorrow was like her sorrow when yet before she had been the beauty of the whole world These difficulties as I haue said with many other both mentioned in Scripture and seene in experience may fall out in our liues so that we shall be driuen to crie out euery one of his owne burdens what shall I doe yea and it may bee an innocent mans case to be brought into such straits and his who is godly and he shal not be able to auoid it till God send helpe As for the wicked such streights come vpon them as an armed man vpon a naked Now seeing God hath such vantage of vs thereby and that throughout this present life may most iustly inflict them vpon vs that I say no more oh what cause haue we to make precious vse hereof for the which cause in so necessary a matter I thinke good to set downe some vses thereof to the Reader And first this is one that we should euery day which is a part of our iourney home as oft as
without disturbance by them that are corrupt in their religion and profane And thus they are to goe before them zealously and faithfully in their owne practise as this noble man Ioshua heere did professing it openly that hee would doe so saying whatsoeuer other doe I and my house will serue the Lord. And that then and now these things might the better bee done the Lord commandeth in Deuteronomie that the highest in authority should be studious in the book of God All the forementioned things did Moses who gonerned the people before Ioshua who both are to bee followed in their religious course because experience hath alwaies taught vs that if the chiefe rulers bee zealous and religious the inferiours will embrace piety and godlinesse likewise at least not be against it And contrariwise but if they should not yet the people must themselues walke with God And thus did Ioshua send the people away as it is said in the text and with gracious words exhorted them and spake to them when hee was readie to die as in the forementioned chapter of Ioshua appeareth that hee might leaue his last words so fruitfull among them that their print might remaine in them after his death euen as it did And seeing he sent them away in this manner wee should know that it becommeth meaner persons much more to do so I meane to giue exhortation to their children seruants and neighbours if they haue freedome from paine which often times hindreth right good men and this is the best memoriall that they can leaue behinde them at their death There should be a wise putting of the house in order a setting of mens estates at a stay before death come as Hezechiah was willed by the Lord to doe a chiefe part whereof is this giuing of exhortation and this should be both that the minde of the visited partie may bee eased and at quiet and to preuent all trouble among those that remaine behinde For if this be not done before sicknesse as commonly it is neglected it had need to be then gone about with all speed But whiles this dutie ought to bee performed of vsing good speech to the standers by how many are there who are scarce able or willing to take direction themselues when they lie vpon their death bed so farre are they from bequeathing gracious counsell and exhortation to others and all because they sought no such matter in the daies of their peace health and liberty nor desired that their family should And this bee said of Ioshua now of the people according to the diuision made before in the entring into this verse They being now sent away went euery man to his inheritance as it had been before diuided to them by Ioshua and so rested at home in peace after their many hard battailes and troubles Thus the Lord dealeth with his people that for a time they finde hardnesse and afterward deliuerance and peace as after a storme commeth faire weather Thus heauinesse endures for a night but ioy commeth in the morning We all shunne trouble and it is of it selfe grieuous and vnwelcome but herein we are much faulty that as tedious as it is few of vs lay to auoide it aright by eschewing the sinnes that cause it but rather bring it vpon our selues by our rash attempts and other wilfull carelesse and bad doings whereas we might be free from many troubles if wee could take counsell of God in our matters and stoope to his gouernment And for example it may be said wee prize not outward peace to liue safely and quietly in our houses at any high reckoning in which estate yet wee might doe much good but we trifle out our precious time at least if we bee not worse occupied whereby when wee raise trouble against our selues wee take not the best way commonly to goe through it cheerefully and meekely committing our way to God wholly by doing all the good we can and so waite vpon him patiently for a good issue Now after the people were said to bee sent away it is further said that they serued God while Ioshua and other godly gouernours liued Oh therefore how happy a thing it is to enioy such For much helpe encouragement and ease the inferiours haue by them they bearing the burthen off from the sholders of the other being more weake and vnfit thereto who if they were not they must beare it themselues For when the people haue by their meanes the Gospell purely preached and liue safely vnder their vine and figge tree as they did in the daies of Salomon with the liberty to exchange and vtter their commodities and wares little doe they weigh it for the most part what a benefit it is who doe commonly enioy these blessings by the kinde wise and religious care of their gouernours So to come lower euen among our selues they who liue vnder inferiour guides as people of the meaner sort vnder godly headburrowes and guides in their townes who haue great encouragement to Christian duty by them together with good example rather then checkes taunts and discouragement which many feele in bad townes oh how sweet a liberty doe they enioy that can prize it aright what a furtherance to godlinesse So to be in a religious and well ordered familie where God and his true seruice is chiefly regarded it is a corner of heauen in respect of other houses though there want not in them many bodily comforts And if such a thing bee set downe heere of the people to their commendation and their gouernours also and for vs to behold and thinke vpon that while such liued together the one was well guided by the other and God religiously serued of both then let all such as enioy the benefit of good and Christian gouernment in house or out of house especially in both fall downe before the Lord and acknowledge it to his great praise and the binding of themselues vnto him and pray earnestly that they may giue good testimonie of it by seeking to be setled in the feare of God and to grow vp in faith knowledge and grace thereby I know it is no common thing either to finde the one or the other but where any are vnder the authority and wing of godly guides let them make account that it is their summer season not like the winter snuffes and brunts And as for such as fauour not good dwellings but rather shunne them as Esau did good marriages I deny not but they may hold vp their head with the highest and beare out matters with the bigest and shift to get a share in the pleasures of sinne for a season but they are as farre from true happines as they are from spirituall and sound comfort though few haue eares to heare it till they smart by it Now further for people that liue vnder a good ministry to say a little of them Moses his being among the people doth wofully
passe to the other two verses the euill which they did most certainly displeased the Lord in a most grieuous manner As by the same word heere vsed the like is meant in other places where it is said that the Kings of Israel did that which was euill in the sight of the Lord. And so on the contrary those things which were good in the eyes of the Lord as the acts of many of the Kings of Iuda were they were said to please him highly But when God hath giuen vs many encouragements to his seruice and yet we regard not to bee the better by them what maruell if hee abhorre such doings and make open exclamation against them as he doth heere when both hee hath set hedge and ditch to hold vs from committing them and also hath giuen vs many causes of doing better both by teaching vs and by other his manifold benefits and also looketh for it at our hands that we should doe so So that although the sinne of this people was manifest to the view of the world as well as before God yet if it had been secret and hid from men it had been euill in the sight of the Lord euen so I say of our selues if wee minde not Gods matters and seruice chiefly but walke loosely and hollowly we shall iustly be challenged to doe that which he cannot abide howsoeuer men find no fault in vs. For though there be degrees in sinne and one is more grieuous then another yet they that set not their hearts wholly to seeke the Lord with a great care to please him in all things euen they doe that which is euill in his eyes seeing the eyes of the Lord search narrowly and spie that which men see not Therefore what may be said to the liues of the greatest number and yet some of them such as reproue others and are not in many of their doings to be charged iustly by any yet when they bee not vpright in heart and faithfull to God in one thing as well as in another yet while they be not so bad as other they doe euill in his sight For seeing not they whom man but whom God approueth are praiseworthy they therfore shall haue this still and euer against them that they did euill in the eyes of the Lord if he commend them not as he did Iob saying thus they are vpright feare God and depart from euill which if it were well thought on there should smal cause be found why they who are tender conscienced and feare to doe euill should be so scornfully and spitefully railed vpon and disgraced by the men of the world for that they dare not be so loose in their liues as other are shewing thereby that they can abide none but such as do euill in the sight of the Lord. And this of the eleuenth verse For of the word Baal I will speake in the next verse together with other of like sort But first in this twelfth verse the holy story saith that they forsooke the Lord who yet was the God of their fathers and had brought them out of the bondage of Egypt This as it was more then to displease God in some particular actions for it was a leauing of the true worshiping of God which is the fountaine of well doing dutie in our life so it is aggrauated by the fauour and benefits heere mentioned to wit what God had done for them and further the greatnesse of their sinne may bee laid out more fully by comparing it with Peters answere to our Sauiour For when he saw some of his hearers to depart from him vpon no iust cause but onely a bare conceit and he asked Peter if they and the rest of his fellow Apostles also would depart from him hee answered saying Lord whither should we goe thou hast the words of eternall life As if hee should say that they hauing found them so good and bountifull to them already and hauing such hope still of greater good from him hereafter as they knew not where to finde the like it should haue been absurd for them to depart from him as the other Disciples did And to speake the truth who can say any lesse And so might this people well haue answered and so they ought to haue said also euen as Peter did But it was farre from them because some of them had neuer cleaued to the Lord in truth before nor trusted in him but walked hollowly and vnfaithfully towards him though now they did much worse And by them we may see to what a fearefull estate they may grow to what depth of sinne they may fall who embrace not religion conscionably euen for the worthinesse and excellency thereof and for the good they haue or ought to haue gotten by it and for the loue they should beare to God who hath loued them first but rather began to professe in a passion or in some other outward and mutable respects such I say may be like in time to depart from God altogether and then in what other state are they but without God in the world For when mens hearts become hardened once by the deceitfulnesse of sinne they doe next after that grow worse and so depart from the liuing God as it is written in the Epistle to the Hebrues Now as I haue spoke of these who were but outward professors when they were at the best how they did wickedly in the sight of the Lord so there being some better among them who did so likewise We may further note hereby that though we beginne wel as some of these did in the true renouncing of euil yet we not holding on faithfully and carefully by considering duely Gods goodnesse toward vs and zealously embracing good meanes we may easily and by little and little yea and shall also together goe backe euen as these did but of the reuolting of such I haue spoken a little before Now therefore it followeth I will shew how this people fell to Idolatry euen to worship Baal and Ashtaroth and such other Idols as the people and nations serued who dwelt about them but first what is ment by these names of the Idols heere named Baal signifieth a patrone or helper as they tooke the Idoll Baal to be Ashteroth was the God of the Sidonians an Idoll which in the forme of a sheepe was worshipped And by the word Baalim heere is meant all manner of Idols such as were worshipped among them To this point the people of Israel were now come that seeing they would not expell those idolatrous nations while they might neither continued to serue the Lord as they ought to haue done behold they themselues now departed from him also and fell to idolatrie with them Where besides that we may learne that when we auoide not the occasions of sinne we cannot looke to auoide the committing of the sinne it selfe of the which I haue spoke in the former chapter we may further see
verse I hauing spoken of the reuolt of this people in the former verse beside the direction which by occasion I set downe there the holy story goeth on heere to shew what the Lord did to this people thus turning from their good beginnings after the death of the Iudge He was sore displeased with them and his anger was kindled against them Here to say the same that I did there of Gods anger were but a needlesse thing That which I note of it heere is this that as before hath been seene so through the whole book it appeareth that it is vsuall with the Lord to doe thus namely when men sinne to be angry that is to do as men will when they be angry for otherwise wee haue heard that neither anger repenting nor any such affection or change is in the Lord. And is it not meet that God should thus deale with vs thinke we when we are so ready by euery occasion to prouoke him For if this held vs not in awe we should euen we who are his owne oft times breake out as the common sort do the flesh being wearie of penting in whereas the loue of God I grant should bee sufficient to constraine vs to our duties And what a thing were it that God should alwaies bee angry with a man doubtlesse if any one could bee perswaded that he were so affected to him not onely his whole life should bee in daily and deadly vnquietnesse but he should also be ouerwhelmed with the thought of it and driuen to desperation And yet we may know by that which hath been said that God hath iust cause to doe no lesse but to let his anger burne as fire against such as prouoke him But indeed hee oft deferres the declaration of his wrath giuing men time and liberty thereby to repent and doth not once shew it many times when hee is often prouoked Hereof it is that when God being iustly displeased and yet men doe not in in the meane while repent and turne to him humbly seeking mercy that hee doth afterward declare by his manifold or sorereuenges that hee was long before prouoked to anger and iustly offended with them But this is wisely to bee marked of vs that though his owne people sinne as there is none that sinneth not to wit by ouersight infirmity vnauoidable ignorance and such like whereas hee doth not by and by suffer his anger to breake forth the reason is this he hath said himselfe that he wil not looke straightly what is done amisse of them and beside when they see that they haue fallen so they rise againe and this they do daily and ordinarily returning to him againe cast themselues down in true humiliation before him in the meditation application of the work of their redeemer Christ and so the Lord is pacified with them againe Therefore such as are wise will bee most carefull to keepe away occasions of Gods displeasure seeing the Lords anger is a consuming fire and while that is prouided against men may possesse their soules with peace and may goe out and in with him daily with good liking and comfort thus much of Gods being angry againe now of the punishment that followed vpon it God being thus displeased with them seeing they had so shamefully transgressed and broken the couenant that he made with their fathers therefore hee will no more hee said cast out any of the nations that Ioshua left behinde For although Israel was oft deliuered out of the hands of sundry of them by their Iudges by whom also many of them were slaine yet they were not vtterly rooted out but their posterity sprung vp againe afterward and multiplied in the land to the great disquieting vexing and annoying of his people This I say was the punishment And how sore it was may bee thought by this that these nations were left among them to their destruction as in verse 3. we haue seene where wee heard the same punishment threatened by the Angell to them at Bochim But then they repented and there is no doubt but God accepted it as hee promised But this was more grieuous that afterwards their posterity did worse then they For they there were reproued and threatened for making couenants with the Canaanites these for falling flatly to Idolatry with them Heere besides that wee may see that for the most part men waxe worse and worse and the good decline and the bad decay and wanze away in their sinnes as may bee seene by the example of these compared with that we reade in the second verse wee may further learne againe as in verse 3. we heard that God will be discharged of his couenant towards men in and concerning the outward benefits of this life if they stand not to their couenants which they haue made with him And if they bee his owne people hee will punish their offences with the rod and their iniquitie with strokes though hee take not his mercy vtterly from them and if they be other he will much more leaue them helpelesse and to shift for themselues so as they fal into depth of euill who might haue thriued and prospered through his blessings Yea and they might haue bin in good hope to haue embraced his couenant of grace and mercy also as many are brought by Gods temporary benefits to seeke after spirituall so might these haue done also Therefore little doe men know what vexation they they bring vpon themselues when they waxe carelesse in their couenants keeping which they haue entred into with God as the leauing of some grosse sinne or the forsaking of ill company worldlinesse or such like offences and so forgetting themselues fall to them againe afterward They shall surely runne on from euill to worse that deale so with God and from smaller punishments to greater iudgements so little cause they shall haue to reioyce for glory of their winnings thereby So that beside other manifold punishments which cannot bee reckoned vp they that breake couenant with the Lord shall alwaies haue some speciall eye sores left to vexe them as these nations were to Israel And as this worthily layeth forth the forementioned punishment in vers 15. that the hand of the Lord was sore vpon this people of his euen so wee shall finde it who are vnfaithfull to him in our couenants as that either stubborne and disobedient children none of the least plagues shall rise vp to make our liues wearisome to vs which as Salomon saith shall be as corruption to our bones and that many waies as in wasting our goods riotously and with harlots and vnthriftinesse or by imbracing popery and otherwise by waxing prophane Or we shall be crossed by vnkinde spitefull and vnquiet neighbours who with sutes brawlings and sundry disagreements shall make our best pleasures to be turned into bitternesse and wormewood or we shall be plagued with seruants who shall consume vs and bring reproch and vexation vnto vs by
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.
bauds to adulterers and to spend that day leaud and vnseemely meetings and match-makings stage-playes and other reuell rout and all vnder the honest colour of exchanging commodities and maintaining their charge So that in stead thereof men and women set to sale their good name chastity sobriety and whatsoeuer else should bee pretious to the godly Now vnto these before mentioned of greater wealth and place whereas some thinke that in the next words shee speaketh to men of meaner state such as is said here dwelt by Middin a place they say where they met more vsually for a Mart or exchange of their wares which place being before intercepted by the enemies and now free for all to haue recourse to it and passe too and fro by the high waies shee exhorts them that repaired thither to praise the Lord. This opinion of theirs is gainsaid by the purest translations and beside one thing should bee vnderstood in both places to wit of traâ—â—ique and merchandise if it were so But the word Middin is not to be taken heere for the proper name of a place where wares were sold but the words dwelling by Middin are to bee translated thus sitting in iudgement As if she should say let men of authority and rich lawyers who may now sit in iudgement about ciuill causes let such praise the Lord because they may now doe it safely It is the honour credit peace and benefit of Magistrates and learned counsellors as also the welfare of the people that places of iudgement and iustice be frequented and vpholden as we see heere in England in our Terme times at Westminster and out of Terme in other places where equity and right are maintained and wrong and iniurie punished Oh it is a time full of desolation when through famine plague or any inâ—ection such places must lie vnoccupied in the times when they should be frequented and set a worke in deciding causes helping the innocent to his right and weeding out of euill doers Whereby we may gather how heauy times those were when iudgement ceased and the open places where iustice was ministred were laid wast and left voide And therfore we reade in the former chapter that the people could not enioy that liberty of publike iudgement seates but they were driuen to go priuately to Debora for iudgement not dwelling sumptuously in palace or castle famous in that respect or honourable but obscure vnder a Palme tree Now therfore as they when they might againe boldly and freely sit in iudgement are heere called to praise God for it So such persons with vs enioying such priuiledges ought to call themselues duely and daily to zealous thankesgiuing with such other duties as accompany the same yea their whole life should sauour thereof And they shall haue much to answere to God who do otherwise As for the people what duty they owe for enioying this benefit I will shew by a fitter occasion in the next verse But to let these goe of whom I haue spoke in this verse because Debora heere speaketh also to all such as went and walked by the way this should cause all such as goe to and fro about their businesse pleasure or other necessarie vses as trauellers to praise God highly for such liberties seâ—ing a little before that the high waies lay vnoccupied and to speake of the benefit thereof one to another to his praise and not to trauell to and fro in rude prophane and loose manner gabling like wild geese in vnciuill and rude sort as though they enioyed such liberties to offend God by them And much more ought their behauiour and communication to bee sober and Christian like when they goe to the house of God to bee edified by the word prayer and Sacraments and also when they returne home againe and in a word to walke harmelesse in all places which behauiour is much out of vse in this land and yet God bee thanked not altogether in some places But heere an end for this time THE THIRTIE TWO SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to proceed with the rest that I haue begun withall heree Debora speaketh to the seruants that in going forth to draw water for their necessary vse were not free from the archers who shot at them and put them to much paine trouble and danger or feare at least thereby Where we see that as they who are in the meanest places of seruice are not to bee suffered to enioy their liberty to liue idly but to be imployed and occupied as Dauid when he was young kept his fathers sheep and set to worke that they may be maintained thereby and such ought to be thankfull when they may goe to it in peace so they are to bee admitted also and taken into the number of them that worship God in the assembly and therefore ought duly to bee brought thither by their gouernours and taught there to know him Euen such as cut wood and draw water the very droyles in houses as they are called who doe the most seruile workes and therefore in some countries such as keepe swine sheepe and cattell which is more base then to serue them onely euen these I say being of them who are redeemed by the precious blood of Christ as well as other should be taught to honour God aright and to liue vnder his gouernment and therefore not suffered to liue brutishly as in some places they doe but be brought forth by their parents or rulers into the congregation of the faithfull to learne those things that concerne their happinesse and peace this being presupposed that there they shall be taught Which I speake to the shame of such masters and gouernours as neuer regard any such matter neither consider that they owe that education to them for the seruice they doe them and the vse they make of them and most of all that they owe it them by the band with which they are tyed to it by Gods commandement whereas the life of such is as miserable for their soule as they vnder the Turkes gallies for their bodies yea euen as asses who spend the day in toyle and then are thrust at night into emptie stables so are they sent after their tedious and brutish seruice vnto their wofull home and at last to hell as a heauie recompence of their labour Fie therefore vpon such tyrants And yet if some masters in conscience of the commandement doe for some it may be doe giue them more libertie to goe to the assemblie to worship God yet oft times another euill is in the way that when they come there they haue nothing taught them so that by one meanes or other all that list may see they die miserably of which sort oh that the number were not too great Thus much of these The next sort spoken to in this verse are they who dwelling in villages and vnwalled townes were left desolate and driuen from their habitations and they
shall escape better then others c. which was the errour of them who till they found the contrary would neuer be perswaded but their estate was good saying Lord Lord c. as though thereby they should haue entred into his kingdome And as this is true in the generall so is it in particulars both bodily and spirituall For though in the corrupt practise of this wicked world we see euery one is for himselfe as the prouerbe speaketh posting off the regard of the needy to others yet if we enter into the Lords sanctuary and looke what is required by his word wee shall finde it odious vnnaturall and highly displeasing in the sight of God that there is not compassion in one to another and care in one ouer another as equity and band of duty requireth that as they should warme the hearts of their brethren with relieuing them readily in their bodily necessities and dangers so should they comfort their soules likewise with holy instruction and spirituall refreshing as by good occasion and opportunity they may And as these should haue done it in warre so ought we as well in peace This dutie owe superiours either in nature age place or gifts to the inferiours to backe encourage and instruct them equals to each other to admonish comfort visit and support or restore one the other in meekenesse as there shall be cause This is not the Ministers duty alone but of others which if it were practised wee might say indeed that great is the benefit of Christian fellowship whereas now men looke vpon one another as if they knew them not and had as lieue haue their roome as their company But what other is to bee looked for while Gods ordinances whereby hee hath prouided that this duty of caring one for another shall bee nourished are contemned and set at naught But yet for all this I would not thus bee vnderstood as though men ought to breake off and leaue their lawfull callings to seeke as some say they do occasions to be doing of good by conference c. as some idle and phantasticall persons are glad to pretend such things to the end they may liue idely and be held within no bounds but yet as it may fall out when they are called more necessarily to some speciall duties of visiting one another in sicknesse or eating and drinking together for the time vpon some such waighty and iust occasion they may But otherwise they are and that with faithfulnesse and diligence to attend vpon their lawfull vocation vnlesse with their conference and good communication and such like doing of God they may do the duties of their callings also which in trauelling and iourneying together about their businesse they may And this be gathered from the reproofe of all the tribes in generall mentioned in these three verses But now let vs marke somewhat out of them more perticularly For of Reuben and Gilead it is expresly said that they neglected this duty for their owne profit and that they were more bent to the seeking of that then to lend their helpe where they owe it This was found fault withall in them euen as our Sauiour found the like fault with them who were inuited by him vnto another duty euen to the great supper as these were to fight against Gods enemies they excusing their absence for their owne priuate advantage euery one his way one had hired a farme another had bought oxen and he must euen then go trie them and another had married a wife to whom may bee added the third sort of hearers mentioned by our Sauiour whose sinne was of the same kind whom the cares of the world and thornes of riches choke so that the seed sowne in them brings forth no good fruit This worldly minde and sloth in men to preferre their owne profit before Gods businesse far more waighty God in no wise can abide And yet a common sinne it is and not in the worst sort of professors onely as we see in Martha who lost the best part when Christ was at her house and that by cumbring her selfe needlesly who for their owne priuate commodity neglect and passe by duties to God and their brethren and those very waighty for while they puddle for earthly pearles they forgoe the peerlesse pearle of faith and regeneration being if they could see it farre more gaineful then their best merchandise and by infinite degrees excelling them all And let vs all take heede seeing commonly it so falleth out that he who is wittingly carelesse in some duties is not very forward in other how waighty soeuer that it be not so with vs that while we aime at heauen more then some other we be not waighed downe as it were with bolts vpon our heeles to the depth of earthlinesse and so make our dwelling vnder the earth in perpetuall darknesse And this by the occasion of the sin in these two tribes bewailed by Debora speaking in her song of one of them thus for the diuision of Ruben in that he diuided himselfe from his brethren there were great thoughts of heart that is much maruelling and lamenting for his so doing Of the other thus Gilead remained beyond Iordan as if she should say euen then when their brethren were fighting with their enemies they of Gilead sat still at home whom yet the businesse concerned as much as themselues that lamented it And was not that then very lamentable And as I haue spoken of this one sinne the same may be said of the rest how much to bee bewailed they are and namely these more neere akind Euen so it is when good men to these as techinesse or conceits or any other sinister corruptions to separate men from their brethren and thereby to make them backward in helping forward the good things which otherwise might bee as in keeping the vnruly in order and within compasse or helping to bring in a sound and good ministery or any other commendable thing by their care and industry Oh how it should grieue vs when wee see them backward in any good thing who should bee forward Indeed when the diuell hath so fare wound in with men as to diuide them from their brethren they stand stifly in defence of their doing so little doth it greeue them but it pierceth the hearts of the godly in respect both of the wrong done to themselues the scandall offered to others as also because they deserue thereby that their former forwardnesse and fruits should bee called into question Demas made light of his going from Paul but hee writes mournfully of it to Timothy in this manner Demas hath forsaken me and hath imbraced that is to say hee resteth in this present world And no maruell for the truth is the better a mans properties be the more lamentable are his personall blemishes Euen as when a man comely and of very good shape in all other parts very personable of body hath a wooden leg or some other
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
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
to the 33. verse In this verse and in the 26. more particularly the Lord for the destroying of Idolatrie bids Gedeon take his fathers young bullocke euen the second bullocke which was seuen yeeres old which had been kept to be offered to Baal In those which were superstitious that they spared no cost for the seruing of their lusts but the Lord hindred and held that sacrifice from Baal commanding the alter to be cast downe and also the groue that was by it to be cut downe for in such places for the pleasantnesse of them the people vsed and chose to worship I meane in such places beset with woods and groaues such places vnder trees and on hilles which they called high places the fathers also delighted in to offer before the Lord forbad them being mooued thereby to the meditation of heauenly things the rather And the Idolaters did the like vnto their Idols as these here did in offering to Baal through a superstitious opinion that such places were fittest to stirre vp deuotion And therefore God commanded them to be cast and cut downe and their altars to be destroyed And this did God command Gedeon here to doe and another to bee builded and that second bullocke that was appointed for Baal to bee offered as a burnt offering to the Lord with the wood of the groue which was cut downe Here for our instruction out of these two verses this is worthily to be noted that when God at that time went about to deliuer Israel from the bondage of the Midianites hee would yet haue Idolatrie to be first ouerthrowne lest they should afterward returne to it againe Teaching vs thereby that nothing goeth forward happily in the Common-wealth except good order be taken first for the walfare of the Church namely by rooting out and casting downe Idolatry and superstitious worshipping of God and ignorance and a planting and stablishing of the true preaching of the Gospell Which teacheth both Magistrates what is first to be done of them to the people committed to their gouernment and also priuate men that in vaine they shall looke either the one or the other to prosper in their liues I meane to enioy Gods blessing with cheerefulnes and sound comfort if God be not with an vpright heart first honoured and serued But if this be is it all No but euen then let them looke to the manner of their worshipping God also and namely in hearing let them take heed how they heare as Christ teacheth and that is by casting away all guile maliciousnes c. and to receiue the word so as it may be ingrafted in them with meeknes and teachablenes as becommeth beleeuers But more of that in another place In the meane while as I haue said of Idolatrie so I say of their sinnes let vs further learne therefore that as they were commanded to put away Idolatrie which was their sinne before they could doe God true seruice any other way so I say let vs learne that before we offer to God any acceptable dutie we put away our sinne whatsoeuer it be that riseth vp in our way be it neuer so liking and well pleasing to vs For it doth but choake and smother the graces of God in vs if there be any euen as the briars and brambles doe the corne that it cannot spring vp and prosper And this rule is to bee obserued of vs both of the first time when God counteth vs faithfull and putteth vs in his seruice and of all times following when wee haue stepped aside Thus Eliah before he restored the sound worship of God destroyeth the Baalites and the same course tooke al the good Kings which reformed the Church as Iehoshaphat Hezekiah Iosiah And 〈…〉 charged the Israelites to destroy and roote out the Canaanites at their first entring vpon their possessions as wee haue heard in this booke and before foretelling them that otherwise they would draw them from his true worship Iacob therefore before he went vp to Bethel to worship God did by his commandement cause all his household and those that were with him lately come out of Padan Aram from Laban to put away their Idols and clense themselues that so they might worship the Lord in good sort and manner So we must purge out the old leauen and become a new lumpe as the Apostle speaketh For it fareth with vs herein as with the stomacke which though it receiue neuer so good meates yet the bodie prospereth not by them if it be full of corrupt humours no more doe we thriue in any good actions wee take in hand if we goe about them being fraught and clogged with our sins knowne or such as are suspected to be in vs till as most filthie corruption they be purged out Therefore also Saint Peter requireth that men put away all maliciousnes and guile with such like annoiance first and then as new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word that they may grow thereby And as a sore or wound in the bodie though neuer so good salues be laid thereto is not healed thereby vnlesse the corruption and hurtfull humours be first drawne out so is it with vs. So that not onely this is true in the generall reformation of the Church but also of each particuler member of it and person And it is the order which the Lord vseth in the fitting of all his people for his vse first he mortifieth them then he quickens them Neither could our Lord Iesus haue risen againe for our iustification if he had not first died for our sins and transgression And let him who would haue sound comfort in his doing of dutie first learne this obedience to subdue and bring into subiection his rebellious and euill heart and lusts with 〈…〉 thereof and then the other shall proceed roundly without impediment For all the good doctrine which God hath ordained to sweeten and 〈…〉 the soule with and to furnish the life also the helpe and benefit of praier and the Sacraments they all lose their forâ—â— and leaue no fruite in vs behinde them if wee be loden euery one with the foule and loathsome sinnes in which hee hath liued and that they bee not purged out by true repentance And this is easie to be perceiued and seene as in persons so in euery place towne Church and house where the forementioned meanes are vsed And who among vs that haue any experience but they haue marked this in many and neede not be ashamed to say it of themselues that whatsoeuer rules and good instruction for the well guiding of our liues haue bin giuen and learned of vs with the benefit of the Sabbath with prayer publike or priuate and such like they haue come to a small reckoning and they doe vs little good if we haue not let out the venome of rancour spite desire of reuenge vncleane lusts worldlinesse and the like that haue been seated and spread in
of the truth of Gods promise and that he did cast himself confidently thereupon Thus his faith grew and shewed it selfe apparantly So should we when we haue been much laboured with to belieue by the preaching of the Gospell and haue our selues also much been occupied in attaining thereto we should I say then look for the fruit thereof And namely to haue proofe of our faith indeed in and about the common difficulties wherein in times past wee haue bee foiled and found it almost impossible sometime or at least very vnlike that we should preuaile by faith euen there I say we should looke to haue some strength thereof otherwise then in former times As for example when a man seeth his sinnes and the guilt of them though he be truly humbled for them euen then to lift vp the hand of faith to heauen and lay hold on the mercy of God in Christ Also in time of temptation to resist temptation by beleeuing that God wil giue vs victorie Againe when a man must lose goods and life and all that hee hath for the Gospell or else to forsake it then to cleaue fast vnto it beleeuing that we shall be great gainers thereby And so when a man wanteth meat drink and apparrell yet euen then to acknowledge Gods prouidence though by weake meanes and rest in it peaceably In like manner hauing long heard the word and how we should make it profitable to our selues by belieuing it we should grow to this point that we should be wearie of our rouing and wandering of our sleeping of our discoursing and disputing against that which we like not being vnpleasant to our flesh and say with Samuel Speake Lord for now thy seruant heareth and is ready to rest in thy will whither reproouing commanding or incouraging yea and to be vpholden guided reformed or kept within compasse whither by the terrors commandements or promises of it So ought we in all other parts of dutie to be readie to say euery one for himselfe Lord now haue I learned how I should worke in my calling vse my peace and prosperitie behaue my selfe in secret and with others and walke throughout my life innocently and fruitfully belieuing that I shall not lose the fruit of my labour And further I blesse thy name I am ready to bee put the triall and am not altogether as in times past each occasion offered by thy Maiestie is welcome I am the more incouraged to stoope meekely vnder mine affliction when I see thou hast sent it for then I belieue thou art readier to assist mee in bearing it and that thou wilt giue a good issue out of it and therefore farre be it from me to be so plunged and amazed at trials as I haue been for that were to be euer learning and neuer come to knowledge yea it were alway to be a child going by the helpe of others and neuer alone which is the propertie of a changeling And thus doing wee shall find that which the good Martyr found that when God called him to the stake he endured the fire though before hee could not endure the flame of a candle to singe so much as his finger In these and such like to haue proofe of our faith is a thing much to bee reioyced in and a good signe that our faith groweth and is strengthened otherwise then it hath been in times past according to the saying of the Apostle to the Colossians Be rooted and grow in faith that ye may abound therein And so I might say of many things particularly as of impatience anger wrath vncleane and vnchast desires excessiue feare of trouble conceits terchinesse rash iudging and many other more when we haue pursued and had them in the chace disliking condemning and long time and oft praying against them we should looke for some victorie ouer them and by the faith in which we prayed to rest perswaded that such meanes shall not bee vsed of vs in vaine but looke that the rootes of them which were fast setled in our hearts before be now loosened in vs and more and more dailie and that it shall so appeare euen then when any new occasion shall bee offered and when we shall be prouoked to offend by any This will liuely shew though wee shall neuer be vtterly void of the reliques and exâ—crements of our corrupt and rebellious heart that our faith is better confirmed in the word that commandeth vs to purge them out And this a man would thinke were more to the honour of Christians then to boast and iangle of their faith and faile in the triall ridiculously which is an easie religion to learne if it might goe for payment To whom a man might say Where is now that tongue of thine which so lustily bragged of faith as Zebul said to Gaal cap. 9. Also we further see here that though Gedeon had the promise of God that he should ouercome the Midianites yet hee lies not still but serueth Gods prouidence by furnishing himselfe with a armie good as he could conueniently to goe against them And so we ought to vse ordinary meanes to bring any worke to passe appointed vs of God though wee haue the promise of good successe from him and yet againe on the other side we should not attribute any thing to them for that were to detract from God his due But of this before at large THE FORTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE SEVENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to goeforward where I left in this verse God tels Gedeon that the people of his armie were too many to giue the victory vnto lest they should ascribe it to themselues This speech of the Lord sheweth how vnfit wee bee to haue any great matter committed to vs or to our trust and gouernment for wee are most prone to abuse it and therefore he is faine oft-times to take away many good things from vs lest they should much hurt vs though they might if wee could rightly vse them turne to our great good and the benefit of others This people of Israel if they had gone altogether to the battell and got the victory they would not haue acknowledged God to haue giuen it them but their owne power and skill and yet wee know how miserable they were a little before when Gedeon himselfe complained in what distresse they were and how low they were brought so that one would thinke they were vnfit inongh to ascribe ought to themselues and that they ought rather hauing been brought from such bondage as they had been in before yea and they might also easily haue seene cause to giue glory to God for it if they with two and thirtie thousand especially so many thousands of them being faint-hearted souldiours had subdued more then an hundred thousand persons And this is the more odious in this people because they would haue abhorred such a leaud conceit or quality in themselues while they remained vnder bandage yea if they had
that we may see cause the better to fortifie our selues against them But alas few marke any such thing I meane euen of those who may take good thereby for all are not capable of it but shrinke at the hearing of any hardnesse comming toward them and so gather no experience of their faith hope and confidence against new trials to come or of their weaknes but impatiently goe vnder their afflictions and so are more ready to faint vnder their burdens afterward It was Gods great mercy that these three hundred did so willingly and readily follow and obey Gedeon according to the word of God to him which they also heard I grant but yet had not God perswaded them inwardly besides they would haue departed with the rest 31700. and would haue both grudged at the liberty of the other who were dismissed and haue refused to beare the burden alone yea they would haue forsaken him if they had not looked vnto God Where we should note that in doing our duties required by God we must not regard the forwardnesse or backwardnesse of others so much nor what they doe but what it is that God looketh for at our hands Thus Caleb and Iosuah encouraged the people to goe forward against the Canaanites not looking at the backwardnesse of the other spies For as Gods word and authoritie haue inough in them to perswade vs so if we looke any other way as to mens example or to the issue or our own conceits and discouragements wee may bee sure they will easily coole and dismay vs. Therefore I say the practise of these discouers a great sinne in many who if they haue a burden laid vpon them grudge that any other should be free but in matters of priuiledge and honour grudge that any should be their partners Both these we see exemplified in the Apostles of Christ and the disciples of Iohn The Apostles seeing one casting out of diuels who was none of their Masters followers had indignation and complained to our Sauiour They thought none but Christ and themselues worthy of such an office So Iohns disciples grudged at Christs because they fasted often but Christs fasted not They thought they had wrong in that others were not held to it as hardly as they The cause of the former is especially pride and vnthankfulnesse of the latter either ignorance or that which is worse euen boldnesse therewith And we see that he is a rare person who can with equanimitie endure that any should excell him in gifts of body mind estate or grace with the blessings accompanying them Nay many of a melancholike and foolish nature because themselues are giuen to pensiuenes sadnesse c. enuy and censure such as take more libertie in mirth recreation company or diet though as Paul saith they may both please God without condemning on another This disease of looking narrowly to other what they doe and not to God what hee requireth of our selues for it is a mixture of many humors selfe-loue curiositie distrust and others this disease I say wee may see to haue been in Peter who looking to Iohn to whom Christ said nothing when hee had laid an heauie burden vpon Peter himselfe asked Christ saying Master what shall this man doe The like is to bee seene in them mentioned in the Gospell when they saw other more fauourablie dealt with then themselues said grudgingly We haue borne the burthen of the day c. So the elder brother of the prodigall repined to see him so well entertained So that there being many as by these we may see so ill minded this way we may boldly say that it is a singular grace of God in all our duties throughout our life to shew forth indifferency and charitie as also to regard what God saith to vs and not to looke to men what they doe But where is this to be seene in a very few as for example in the Ministers when Christ saith to them in speaking to Peter If thou louest me feed my sheepe and my lambes and be diligent therein If here and there one or a few regard it yet how do the most cast their charge behind them and looke at them that take their ease whatsoeuer their words be that they loue him So that the force of the word is not so much to draw them as example to withdraw magistrates housholders husbands wiues and all that professe the Gospell should follow the example of these three hundred in their seuerall estates and callings But it is so farre off from that with the most that if any other and specially if he be of their owne condition and degree shal make conscience of this dutie more then other he shall be readie to bee shaken vp and reuiled as one that cannot be content to doe as other doe when yet all may see in these three hundred how their example is set forth to their perpetuall commendation in that they went not after the other their brethren but obeyed the commandement of the Lord in following after Gedeon And whatsoeuer become of such as are led by the examples of men and follow their owne deuices leauing the plaine way wherein God hath set them whose sinne in due time shall find them out the other shall be knowne by this marke to be the Lords that they forsake all by-waies and depart from euil with Iob to testifie that they feare him The example of Ioshua is worthy our imitation in this point who professed for himselfe and his that they would serue the Lord let the rest do as they listed As if he had said It should be their best way to serue the Lord as himselfe did if they regarded their owne prosperitie and welfare but if they were so wilfull as to forsake their owne mercy he and his had learned to follow a better Master and was resolued to consult neither with flesh nor blood neither cleaue to lying vanities but make straight steppes to the commandement of God Indeed if we see others readier then wee in dutie doing willinger to beare reproofe forwarder in well doing in mercie loue meekenesse zeale stronger then we to endure affliction or any burden which is vnwelcome to flesh then doe wee as they doe yet looke we not so much at them as at Gods will in their obedience But in euill follow not the multitude for the most are alwaies worst and the best differ and varie among themselues so that except men will goe by a leaden rule the word of God must bee the eternall and vnchangeable canon of dutie Which canon when it shall iudge the actions of men either approouing or condemning them it shall bee but follie for them to run into the croud as we say and shroud themselues vnder the couer of others whose company shall aggrauate rather then extenuate their punishment But of following examples I haue said before The second part of the Chapter Vers 9. And the same
his refusing it and of Gedeons Ephod and the danger that came thereby whereto is to be added the sinne of Israel to the end of the chapter The first part of the Chapter TO begin with the first part it is said that the men of Ephraim contended sore with Gedeon and fell out with him for that he called them not to the battell against the Midianites as appeareth in the first verse whereto the milde answere of Gedeon is to bee marked which is set downe in the second verse And thirdly how they were appeased by it as wee reade in the third Of these let vs heare more perticularly as they lie in order And heere first some man might thinke it an vnseasonable accident that befell Gedeon euen in the chiefe spring of his glory I meane that in the very necke of the victory should come vpon him such a crosse blow as to turne the solemnity and honour of his great acts in subduing the Midianites into reproch and abasement But the most wise God who best knoweth how to keepe his owne children in compasse and seeth what corruption they carry about them by meanes whereof they cannot beare any great blessing or prosperity without swelling and pride he I say doth commonly so dispose of them that with rare and speciall liftings vs and heightenings of them either in grace wealth honour and successe or the like hee matcheth and mixeth some great coolings and buffetings of them to keep them from falling dangerously in so slppery a place as they stand in Of Gedeon we cannot certainly say any thing to his iust reproofe in any grosse manner but of great infirmities of his wee haue heard and therefore doubtlesse hee being a man hee had that in him which might haue puffed him vp vpon so great successe if God had not by this great and vnwelcome crosse preuented it So Iphta comming fresh from a great conquest was suddenly quailed by his onely daughter And Iob in the middest of his flourishing and prosperous estate heares all at once of his children and substance destroyed and spoiled Likewise Dauid had few victories but the Lord sent him a cooler vpon them the rebellion of Absolon the cursing of Shemei the insurrection of Sheba the death of Ammon the slaughter of Absolon which doubtlesse were enough to purge out any superfluous humour which might rise vp in him and so to keepe him sober temperate and within holy compasse It is not so strange that the Lord should thus physicke his seruants being already surfeted with excessiue and sinfull abuse of their prosperity but it is his great mercy that he should so diet them with these potions that they may preuent surfeting The reason is because first it is the wisedome of the same Physitian to giue preseruatiues as well as purgations And againe sinne is easilier kept out from entring then thrust out of doores being once gotten in which the Lord foreseeing rather chooseth with a little hardship to the patient then by violent and extreame courses to preuent matter of disease rather then to heale the disease And the truth is it is easier for a man to bee dieted then purged I meane to beare an affliction which commeth before the spirit and conscience is wounded by a sinne then which followeth sin as the deserued punishment of it But for the point in hand let vs by this first learne what a leaud nature there is in vs that wee cannot haue a little health and welfare but presently we distemper our selues so that wee must be faine to be physickt lest wee should endanger our life I meane wee can enioy no good blessing but we forget our selues and cause the Lord to allay the sweetnesse of it with some bitternesse except he will suffer vs to be turned quite ouer with it Againe when we enioy any blessing let vs not measure the same by the pleasure and content which it giues our nature for euen in that is a sting which will secretly hurt vs but by the sober humble and thankfull affection wherewith wee imbrace the blessing And let vs know that then onely we enioy it in kind and entier otherwise by halues and scarce that And when we see that God sauceth our dainties with soure hearbs let vs be thankfull to him and say Lord I had else fed too much of this dish till I had ouerlaid my stomacke euen as children who finding hony eate too much of it therefore blessed be thy name who suffered me not to be sicke of it rather then if thou shouldest let me alone then I should bee prouoked to vomiting which were worse And this bee noted of the Lords ordering the action of these Ephramites for Gedeons good Now yet these Ephramites shew many foule faults in this action of contending with their gouernour and deliuerer of them as vnthankfulnes expostulating with him without a cause then their dissimulation who faine themselues to haue been willing to haue gone to warre with him and yet would not when they might haue done and when did they this euen when they saw the danger of the warre to bee past and ouer and that now honour was giuen to Gedeon for that which he had done whereas they had been as ready if hee had lost the victory to haue much more cast that in his teeth To prosecute these a little more particularly their vnthankfulnesse first was great and the iniurie which hee sustained thereby who ought to haue been much honoured of them for his industry and labour and highly accounted off by them for the same but if so be their vnthankfulnesse was so great towards him in this what manner of behauiour thinke wee would they haue vsed if they had sustained any wrong or violence at his hands who deale thus vndutifully nay rudely and rebelliously with them and yet hauing receiued so great a deliuerance by his meanes and so picking matter of quarrell out of a good turne and benefit But as we may note the vnthankfulnesse of men when yet they haue iust cause to shew the contrary duty as may be seene in many and namely in Absolon to his father whom when hee had deliuered from death iustly deserued hee sought his fathers life and to get away his kingdome also from him so wee may by this vnkind recompence they gaue to Gedeon for the famous act that hee wrought for their ease and peace wee I say who shall gratifie men may learne our duty thereby and that is this that we were not best neither ought wee to looke for our reward and commendation for well doing any manner of way from men but to rest in this that God knoweth our workes and it is enough that we are sure that from him we shall receiue our reward according to the words of the Apostle Be ye stedfast my beloued brethren and vnmoueable alwaies abounding in the worke of the Lord for as much as ye know that your
discomfited all the host 13. So Gedeon the sonne of Ioash returned from battell the sunne being yet hie IN this second part of the Chapter the holy story after the former digression of the Ephramites contending with Gedeon proceedeth orderly to set downe the end of the battell what it was namely this that when the Midianites and they of the East had slaine one another the rest that remained fled away that is fifteene thousand men and Gedeon pursued them ouer Iordan And his three hundred men being wearie and faint hauing laboured all night he comming to Succoth the city of Succoth I meane which was in the tribe of Gad for there was another place called Succoth in the desert mentioned in the 6. of Numbers and of them hee asked somewhat to refresh his souldiers The men of Succoth who should haue helped and gone with him to pursue the Midianites being Israelites and neighbours most vnkindly denied to giue them their brethren so much as bread but answered Gedeon contemptuously For the which cause hee threatned them when he should returne with the victory which hee nothing doubted of and so he tels them to deale with them thereafter euen to teare their flesh with the briers of the wildernesse Heere in that Gedeon followed after these fifteene thousand of the Midianites that escaped when the greatest number of them were slaine already he shewed his wisdome and godly care that he had in preuenting euill and danger that might haue come vpon the people afterward For those fifteen thousand if they had been suffered to runne away without his pursuing of them they might and no doubt would haue renued their power and haue come against them againe afresh which yet now Gedeon wisely preuented Which teacheth vs a singular good lesson that when wee haue well discharged a dutie enioyned vs as Gedeon had done yet that this is not all but we ought to labour to hold that which we haue receiued and wisely as we may to preuent whatsoeuer might stand vp in our way to frustrate the same and so cause vs to lose all our former labour and the fruit of our hope euen as Gedeon did heere in pursuing them that were fled of the Midianites The instances wherein this might bee laid out are innumerable I will onely alleage two or three briefly As if a man should enter league of sound friendship with another neuer so strongly and entirely and in most solemne manner as Dauid and Ionathan did betwixt themselues whereby one doth repose himselfe and rest vpon the other yet if they do not renue their couenant of loue oftentimes as they two did and confirme and strengthen it against all that might annoy or breake it off there wil fal out so many occasions as will weaken yea and make it vtterly void Also such reports will be carried to and fro betwixt them through absence one from another and such strangenesse will arise thereby but especially such conceits tetchines taking things in ill part and rash iudgings that the former kindnesse will be forgotten and the league which was so soundly made as if it had neuer been will be broken off And let this which I say bee vnderstood of the couenant that is made in marriage it selfe so farre as these things now mentioned may fall out therein so that testimonies of true loue mutually declared euen betwixt couples had need to be daily shewed in stead of renuing of their couenant or else their loue will fall to the ground Also to passe to another instance if a man yea let him bee a good man entring into the affaires of this world and disliking the bad courses which are taken by men commonly to get wealth doe purpose against them all and that heartily and dislike the same yet let him not look daily to performe that which he hath purposed and stand firme therein let him not watch and pray against all prouocations to the contrary and disgrace in his owne eyes all vnlawfull courses and dealings which may bring in commodity and contemne filthie gaine and feare danger to his soule by his vsuall and many dealings in the world yea though they be lawfull let him not I say thus go to worke and looke to himselfe he is without question like to grow to the same point that the most are at to wit to become a worldly minded man as the most are and drowne his religion in earthlinesse And the same I say of him who in his sicknes hath made many great promises to amend his life if he recouer and neuer to liue so badly afterward as he had done before I say if hee renue not his couenant with the Lord from day to day remembring and considering to whom he made that promise and in what earnest maner this man shall reuolt from his good mind and fall to his old byas againe For though he hath purposed with Dauid yea and sworne yet shall he not with him keepe his righteous iudgements for he hath neglected his care and therefore he faileth of his purpose For as he who keepeth not an house in reparation when there is a small breach must be at a pounds charge where a shilling would haue serued if it had bin taken in hand in time so wracke and ruine shall befall him in his good purposes who doe not looke daily and carefully to the maintaining of them And by this that hath been said of the point in hand we may iudge of all other instances that when we haue done our duties well as Gedeon did heere yet if we do not with him preuent after dangers wee lose the fruit and hope of our former labours All this that I haue said of this matter is the better to be marked because such care from thing to thing in our liues is the vpholding of the practise of Christianitie More of this point I haue said vpon the like occasion before in chap 7. vers 23. Another thing here in Gedeon is worth the marking that he followed after the rest of the Midianites whereas he might haue bin like to haue neglected that worke as needfull as it was and to haue been reuenged vpon the Ephramites who had so vniustly prouoked him and so hee would haue done no doubt if he had been an hot and hastie man giuen to his appetite and to follow priuate affection as most men are giuen to doe But he counted it a smaller matter to crosse his owne corrupt nature then to leaue the pursuing of the common enemie Where wee are taught that if wee may haue peace in the land as Gedeon sought by vanquishing them that remained of the Midianites and were fled for the obtaining of it we ought by all meanes to maintaine peace priuately at home with our neighbours yea and gladly take all occasions to the procuring thereof as Gedeon did with the Ephramites The reason is for that the maintaining of peace and agreement at home in priuat requireth neither
our good name beside the hindering of many duties The Lord speaking of his faithfull ones saith If they sinne I will correct them c. but my louing kindnesse I will neuer take from them If then he meane not to forsake them good cause why hee should punish and correct them that so they may be stopped in their bad course and driuen backe againe As Saint Paul to Timothy saith I am perswaded that the Lord had mercie vpon me as well for other mens example and benefit as mine owne And thus by such examples duly considered and by the Scripture wee haue consolation and hope So that farre be it from vs to say Nay if hee be fallen let him shift for himselfe I had better opinion of him then hee deserued now I see he is an hypocrite a Demas a reuolter But oh man is this the way for thee to procure to thy selfe compassion from others if thou shouldest fall so and hadst the like need If thou sayest God forbid I should stand in such need I answer thee Thou shalt doe wisely in preuenting such an occasion but that is not done by an high-minded conceit that such a thing shall not befall thee but rather by feare of thy selfe and thy frailtie Neither by thy tendernesse to others shalt thou be made the more subiect to fall but the more watchfull against falling But lest thou shouldest say I shall not fall heare the Apostle saying Lest thou thy selfe be preoccupated and doe the like That Gedeon had fallen wee haue heard now it followeth that wee see how One of his particular blemishes was that he had many wiues as for the mentioning of his sonnes it was of it selfe neither with him nor against him but is spoken of to make way to the next chapter But poligamie that is the hauing of many wiues was against the first institution For though the Iewes did vse it yet our Sauiour rebuketh it and saith it was not so from the beginning and God forbad it the Kings themselues who might inioy the greatest liberties and why did he so euen because it turned their harts from God For such hunt after pleasure and forsake the Lord which may be done also in single marriages I confesse but much more in poligamie being vnlawfull For they who are giuen ouer to such licentiousnesse or to any other like course it besotteth them and maketh them drunken therewith in such sort as they become impotent to all that good is Besides the inconueniences which haue accompanied Polygamy disagreement iealousie hatred So that God is displeased highly at the hauing of many wiues But some will obiect What is this to vs who abstaine from many wiues and are prohibited by law such licentiousnesse I answere yes very much For this is not only true in Polygamie that mens harts be stolne from God but in single and lawfull marriage also the same may bee as I haue said before yea and most certainly will be if men giue themselues the bridle and consider not one end thereof to bee the restraining of them from strange lusts and to liue holily so as they be made more fit by their marriage to their seuerall duties which the most doe not regard For they who by their vnseemely speeches and offensiue behauiour towards other women doe too apparantly testifie that they liue vnchastly in marriage and offend God grieuously thereby much more would bewray their leaudnesse and badnes that way vncleannesse of body also but that either they are restrained by law and shame or else their married estate is mixed with many fearefull and great troubles which doe any their lusts in somuch as many who would giue ouer themselues as farre as the worst dare not seeing they are so cooled and held downe by afflictions They are wise that vse their marriage as an helpe whereby they hold neerer to God and become more dutifull and they that doe otherwise if they be the seruants of God shall easily see their abusing of it by awknesse in Gods seruice and vntowardnesse to all good duties but if they be wicked and vnconscionable they make that estate of marriage sutable to their other parts of life that is to say all naught In that it is said further of Gedeon that hee had a concubine in Sechem that was another of his blemishes Whereby as by other we may know that they were vsed of men then as well as wiues They were inferiour to their wiues and had no superioritie in the familie but were as seruants Which was euill also euen as Poligamy In Malachie we reade that they who after the captiuitie had put away their wiues and married strange ones who also obiected that a man of God did so namely Abraham wee reade I say that they were answered thus that he sought a godly seed and did it not of lightnesse or wilfulnesse so that although it was not according to the first institution that he did yet in as much as it was not reuealed so clearely to be sinne in those former times in which he liued as it was since it was no iust defence for those who comming after them did it to satisfie their lusts when they had more light about the will of God and knowledge of the sinne it selfe and also what an euill end did follow it And the same teacheth vs who haue a rule to guide our actions by that wee may in no wise follow examples no not of the good who haue done against those rules but to try them by the rules as Paul requireth it of the Thessalonians Trie all things and hold that which is good And he willeth the Corinthians that no man follow him but as he followed Christ as hath been noted largely before We are also here to consider one fruite of his taking of that concubine euen by the name that she caused Gedeon to giue the sonne that hee had by her to wit Abimelech which is as much as to say My father is a king who kindled in him thereby the flame of bearing rule to play the Tyrant and to challenge the kingdome as due to his father which yet hee refused both himselfe and also that it should be giuen to his sonnes But what better fruit might be looked for when Gods ordinance was broken See the like in Salomon 1. King 11. And yet this she did who might worst haue done it causing Gedeon to giue him the name of the Philistime Kings who plaied the right part of a Philistime when he grew vp and rose to place For as it is cleare by the next chapter that shee was a wicked woman and of bad kindred and had induced and trained Gedeon to her desire before so there was none found like to that Abimelek her sonne that we reade of in his time neither could be much worse then he either before or after him Let this be a watchword about names giuing for they that are naught will
which is best of all there are with infinite other vnutterable prerogatiues so many excellent and holy seruants of God gone before vs thither to welcome vs. Of which point see more by the like occasion of Ioshua and others in the former processe of this booke Now the last of the things that followed after the death of Gedeon is this to wit that the people of Israel for all that wee haue heard God did for them fell againe to Idolatrie and that most shamefully And by this we see what fearefull things follow the taking away of good gouernours which maintaine true religion For they by their authoritie haue contained and held the people within compasse who being dead they fall away Pray therefore earnestly for them and make we vse of their liues that we may leade a godly and peaceable life vnder them For contrariwise when other that know not the Lord rise vp in their roomes the people shall haue sorrow their bellies full The like may be said of godly preachers and parents what a losse it shall bee to the people of God whom they shall leaue behinde to forgoe them But of this at large in the second Chapter Their sins were these two One that they tooke Baal-berith as they called him for their God the other that they forgot the Lord their God This Idoll they called the Lord of league whose Image they set vp Herein consisted their worshipping of him that they acknowledged the good things that they receiued to bee giuen them of him and the remouing of their troubles to bee from him also And to ascribe these to a stocke what was it but to goe a whoring after it as here it is said they did from the true and liuing God And hauing ioyned themselues to him they forsooke and forgot the Lord God who had done all good things for them And this and no better is the worship and seruice which our deuoutest votaries in popery doe giue vnto the Lord at this day as to him that will compare the religion of the one with the other will easily and soone appeare See somewhat of this their sinne in Chapter 2. 11. 13. Furthermore this example teacheth how inconstant we are in all good beginnings and courses and how ready wee are to decline and turne away from thence euery one to that whereto his false and deceitfull heart carrieth him whether to Poperie or any other loose and vnfaithfull seruing of God in hypocrisie as to say Lord Lord and to draw neere to him with the body the heart being far from him while no conscience is made of dutie towards him Whereas the only forgetting of the kindnes of the Lord our God who onely hath fed preserued deliuered and inlightned vs vnto the life to come and who in one word hath been all in all vnto vs I say this onely forgetting him and the suffering of his benefits to slip out of our mindes is sinne of it selfe most grieuous and great without the other as we haue seene chap. 2. 2 3. and in this chapter also I haue said the like of this point vers 27. The vnthankfulnes of the people towards Gedeons posteritie is set downe in this verse which is further expressed in the next chapter as in this that they suffered his sonnes to be slaine their sinne is aggrauated hereby that he had done so great things for them as to deliuer them out of so fearefull bondage as we haue heard they were in to the Midianites But in this they did like themselues For not to repeate that which I haue said hereof twice in this chapter vers 18. 22. we may be sure of this as we see here in these that they who are vnfaithfull and vnthankfull to God are not to be trusted that they will deale better with men This both the heauenly order of the law of God teacheth and many examples also As Abraham said I saw that the feare of God was not in this place and therefore what trustinesse is to bee looked for to me of men And likewise that example of the vnrighteous Iudge sheweth as much that neither feared God nor reuerenced man This measure our Sauiour found among his owne countrey men when he had done many great good workes among them yet they would haue stoned him for them And why for they were not faithfull to God Doe we our duties therefore of conscience to God that so wee may not faile toward men For otherwise from vs nothing is to bee looked for but vnfaithfulnes to men and euill example vtterly vnbeseeming vs when time shall serue to bewray and sift vs which as the prouerbe saith is the mother of truth and reuealeth that which was long hidden Now to end the chapter with the answere of an obiection It is marueiled at that God suffered this Idolatrie and superstition so long vnpunished For such as obiect thus thinke that it fell out a little after the victorie as it is sure Gedeon asked of the people the earings that made the Ephod by and by after the victorie whereas yet Gedeon continued fortie yeeres after this But it is answered by S. Austine who in such a case being no article of our faith may haue his iudgement approoued and receiued being likely and not being answered by the Scripture He saith that though the gold was gathered soone after the victory yet the Ephod was not made by and by but long after to wit about the end of Gedeons life Or if it were made sooner yet it was not abused till toward his death But of vncertainties we are not to ground any instruction and therefore here an end THE FIFTIE FIVE SERMON IS CONtinued on the ninth Chapter of Iudges Verse 1. Then Abimelech the sonne of Ierubbaal went to Shechem to his mothers brethren and communed with them and with all the familie and house of his mothers father saying 2. Say I pray you in the audience of all the men of Shechem Whether is better for you that all the sonnes of Ierubbaal which are seuentie persons reigne ouer you either that one raigne our you Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh 3. Then his mothers brethren spake of him in the audience of all the men of Shechem all these words and their hearts were moued to follow Abimelech for said they he is our brother 4. And they gaue him seuenty peeces of siluer out of the house of Baal-berith wherewith Abimelech hired vaine and light fellowes which followed him 5. And he went vnto his fathers house at Ophrah and slew his brethren the sons of Ierubbaal about seuentie persons vpon one stone yet Iotham the youngest sonne of Ierubbaal was left for he hid himselfe 6. And all the men of Shechem gathered together with all the house of Millo and came and made Abimelech King in the plain where the stone was erected in Shechē THe summe of this Chapter I will first set
which we remember hath hurt vs Therfore I say let men trust no such of whose fidelity and truth they haue no proofe but rather the cōtrary or no further at least then they may without any great detriment to themselues and where they must needs trust some such let them bind them the more strongly And so let those that vndertake suretiship beware that they lose not their liberty and bring themselues into bondage and their estate and posteritie to wilfull penurie Most of all let Christians beware of them that vnder a colour of loue seeke to vndermine them to betray them to get somewhat from them which might tend to the danger of their brethren or to the wounding of their owne conscience which I speake because many silly Christians thinke themselues happy if they can get countenance or benefit by such as are their superiors not knowing that the benefits of the vngodly are forked and bring more backe then they bestow Boner did more mischiefe by his flattering poore men till they abiured the truth then by all his crueltie for which cause Salomon admonisheth well of such saying Be not desirous of their daintie meates for it is deceiuable meate But where without inquirie and obseruing in the best manner we can by our selues and others we rashly beleeue euery one who can speake vs faire as indeed Faire words make fooles faine according to the prouerb I say they who are so light of credit I send them no further then to this present example let them looke what became of all the smooth words and faire shewes that this Abimelech made to these men of Shechem his kinsman and mothers brethren in whom they reposed such confidence for as they had no greater enemie then him euen so neither let these looke to find any better measure Now though this may bee laid forth in all kinds of fellowship among men yet it is most commonly seene in their earthly dealings wherin scarcely any promise is kept and most liuely it is to be seene in marriages What solemne kind and ioyful beginnings haue many of them had so as it might worthily haue prouoked the beholders thereof to praise God and reioyce for such a goodly ordinance of his so like to bring foorth such answerable fruit to those beginnings And betwixt the couples themselues so marrying and comming together what liking betwixt them and delightings one in another as if they could neuer be enough neither might one be well out of anothers sight but in continuance longer or shorter how haue all these been turned into the contrary What dislike and wearines hath there been one of another what alienating of affection crossing one the other chiding railing and reuiling separating from bed and board while yet they must needs liue together and afterward an vtter casting off the one the other I speake not this of the heauinesse which the Lords chastisements meeting and taking hold of them doe raise in them to the which all euen the best are subiect wherein they both should and haue promised to be companions and one to helpe the other to beare the burden which kind of behauiour would preserue their loue as it doth betwixt some others I speake not I say of these corrections of the Lord but of the mischiefe that their euill and corrupt hearts false raging proud wilfull and inconstant haue wrought betwixt them they being disguised and nothing like the persons they seemed to bee at their first meeting Oh therefore if towards men wee bewray this disease then how much more is it to be feared in professing our repentance to God it being secret and a thing hid from men and in comming to the word and sacraments what need haue we of this vprightnesse In these two verses it is shewed by what meanes he slew them and that was by cutting downe boughes from trees and bidding his men doe as he did and putting them to the hold and setting them on fire till all the men of Shechem that were therein died And there we may see what force is in example especially if it be bad Touching which though I haue spoken at large before especially in chap. 1. the end where the sinne of the most Tribes in neglecting the Lords charge is recorded which I desire the Reader to turne vnto yet vnto so apt an occasion as this is somewhat I will say here of it also Gedeons men followed him in carrying their pitchers and lampes after him in great danger to feare the Midianites but that was as commendable as this was wicked and cruell and most commonly followed yet it is not to be denied but if there were some to giue good example there would be some followers of them also as in meeknesse humblenesse innocencie faithfulnesse mercy pietie patience and the like And namely if rich men would for their parts begin to the rest and go before others in deeds of charitie and sell for lower prices to the poore when things are deare then the common prices be and would be examples in mercy in harmelesnesse in gentlenesse and such like It is hard to say what good might be done thus and by hauing religion and holy instruction in high account and louing heartily and well esteeming of Gods people But to this it is come that men and the wealthier sort especially whereas they might bring on many to Christian practise by well doing they haue alas cold loue to good causes but are slow and backward and therefore deadnesse and vnprofitablenesse is to bee seene thicke and threefold in other that should learne of thē the diuell labouring when he cannot make all sorts alike in wickednesse to leaue as few to giue countenance to good things as may bee And men bee so vnapt to learne to performe duties aright that except they see good examples before them they cannot tell how to set vpon or goe about them But as for euill courses they need none to goe before them therein they can find the way thereto without guides though they are much more fleshed and drawne on when they haue other to breake the ice to them But where the best examples are giuen let this bee our rule that wee follow them no otherwise then as they follow Christ and they that doe so let them perswade vs to al zeale and forwardnesse in duties of the first Table as to the reuerent receiuing of the word preached and the right manner of preparing our selues to the Lords Supper and such like exercise so in no wise follow we the common sort in their behauiour and practise about duties to men in the second Table But let vs goe forward The vnweariednes also of this cursed Abimelech in his businesse is to be marked how from one thing to another he toyleth himselfe yea and that not without perill of his life A base worke one would thinke to goe vp to the mountaine cut downe boughes from the trees and bring them on his necke and
the places of high office and honour whereunto their excellent gifts haue lawfully aduanced them not degenerating by pride crueltie and couetousnesse the common companions of men bred meanely when they are got aloft I say when such are not regarded it is a great contempt not of them onely but of God in them for hee that despiseth the poore despiseth his Maker and much more hee that reprocheth them in authoritie to call them vpstarts or to defame them by their base blood that so their more eminent vertues may be blemished A common disease among the factious and flattering followers of great and vicious persons to staine the honour of such as are more truly noble then they in vertue and wisdome by this that they are but men of yesterday and cannot shew the Armes which their patrons can But whether is it better as hee in the history answered to raise vp a new or to bury the old Gentrie and Nobilitie Of this the lesse because I haue said somewhat in the two points before not impertinent hereto Now as we haue heard that God chose out of Ishaker a poore Tribe Tola to Iudge Israel so also we see here that he chooseth the Noble to bee Gouernours as he did this Iair here who for his wealth was able to giue a City to euery of his thirtie sonnes To teach vs that Nobilitie is no let to the gouerning of the common-wealth but the honourable and mightie hauing examples of their ancestors to prouoke them to vertue and many other helpes and complements to the well discharging thereof they may be seene in many respects to be the fittest this being added if they bee not lifted vp with insolency and high conceit of themselues which they haue no cause to do if they consider that they came of nothing and are but wormes meat and also if they would weigh their mutable state and how full of lamentables changes their liues be And to say the truth it is an vtter shame for vs that when God hath done much for vs we should be found vnfaithfull Neither is high place any greater impediment to priuate godlinesse then publike gouernment Although if euery man might tell his owne tale there is none so poore nor any so rich but will alleage somewhat why they should not be tied to dutie precise but liue as they thinke good and bee released from this burden as they count it whereby what doe they but lay stumbling blocks in their owne way Therefore wee may boldly giue it foorth as a rule in Christian practise it is a miserable and vnlawfull estate of life which cannot stand with the daily and carefull practise of Christianity Somewhat I deny not must be yeelded to the occasions and vnseparable businesse which attend vpon greatnesse but yet so farre foorth onely as men defalke and detract nothing from the substance of that high and great due which the greatest owe to a greater then themselues But yet if men dare goe thus farre they shall find that God wil not giue his honour to another but rather his iealousie wil breake out against them like fire that maintaine their honour by treading his vnderfoot Psalme 2. This be said of those things which were seuerall in these two Kings and which they did in their life now of that which was common to them both I meane their death For so it is said of both that they died and that was when their dutie each for his time was discharged in procuring and maintaining Gods true worship and outward peace to their countrie a long season thē they gaue place and were gathered to their fathers their bodies were laid in the earth in hope of the resurrection To teach vs that all of vs are here to doe our duties in our callings to serue God therein who hath giuen and committed to our trust talents with a charge to occupie them till he come and allowes none of vs to bury them in the earth but straightly forbids it to wit to bee idle and to suffer our gifts to rust in vs and to this end we inioy euery man his proper gifts The Lord hath set vs our habitations and stinted our time of dwelling in them with commandement that we should not be idle nor vnprofitable in the knowledge of our Lord Iesus nor in our particular calling but to attend thereunto for profitable vses to our selues and others and hath for that purpose appointed that we should haue comfortable fruite thereof in all necessarie things of this life to incourage vs to our duties that so we might be none of the refuse and idle hang-byes in the world and in both our generall and particular calling to serue God for conscience sake and with comfort To this end I say God hath set vs here alwaies to haue our eye vpon our departure and with good father Barzillai to prouide for our graue And when wee haue thus discharged our selues and the Lord shall giue vs warning by sicknesse paine disease of our end to bee at hand or call vs home with small warning wee should be readie for his comming to yeeld our soules into his hands and our bodies to the graue for a season in hope of receiuing them againe which shall be no hard matter for vs to doe who haue as strangers here prepared for it before as wee haue learned to doe Neither should we looke or desire to haue any more abode or continuance here but giue ouer our selues in peace and willingly commend our selues vnto the Lords safe keeping as I haue said And therfore in the meane time we should soberly vse all the transitorie helps of this life as wealth friends wife and our life it selfe so that they may not be clogs with their deceiuable shew to hold vs from farre better things And in the meane while take the best vse of them to profitable ends and doe the good that wee may doe by the helpe of them seeing in the graue there is no such thing to bee looked for And so the remembrance of the time well passed shall be most comfortable but as for those that are calling in for their cheare and merry making in this world otherwise then they are sure they shall be able well to giue their reckoning for it hereafter such can neither possibly dye well nor willingly vnlesse they bee desperate To the which purpose I haue spoken elsewhere as the diligent reader shall finde The second part of the Chapter Vers 6. And the children of Israel wrought wickednesse againe in the sight of the Lord and serued Baalim and Ashtoroth and the gods of Aram and the gods of Zidon and the gods of Moab and the gods of the children of Ammon and the gods of the Philistims and forsooke the Lord and serued not him 7. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sold them into the hands of the Philistims and into the hands
Indeede i confesse life is sweete and if lying be lawfull in any case it is in the case of the perill of life But it is one thing for a man to omit some dutie of the law for mercies sake to our owne life another to commit an expresse sinne against the negatiue of the law Therefore although it bee lawfull for a man to preferre his life before the doing of some dutie commanded put case it be the Sabbath daies duties yet a man may not before a Magistrate answere falsely or equiuocating-lye vnder colour of mercy in sauing his life For it is not onely the omitting of some dutie but the doing of a grosse fault herein therefore the rule is true Euill must not be done that good may come thereof And the negatiue rules of the law admit no exception except God dispense as he did with the Israelites in robbing the Aegyptians who is aboue the law And hence it followeth if lying bee a sinne that it is as well a sinne to lye in the defence of a mans life as it is to lye needlesly or to please All three the officious the vaine and the shamelesse lye are of the same cloth though not the same colour nor equall and of so deepe a dye And to vs Christians it should seeme no hard condition neither to cast our selues vpon God rather then be beholding to a lye for our life if the case should so stand Better it is not to liue then to liue with that which is worse then any death an accusing conscience As the abiured Protestants in the time of persecution can witnesse It is not the fond and foolish pretence or colour warped by the subtile braine of man which can diminish one iot of the commandement of God much lesse disanull it He that will saue his life by euill and indirect meanes shall lose it when all is done as we see these Ephramites gained not by their lye but were conuicted of it by the same tongue that made it as it were with one breath The truth is as the case stood with them they fleeing before their enemies in so bad a quarrell as this was little better was to be looked for at their hands then to lye and shift for themselues hauing brought themselues into the briars by their contention rebellion and railing before But let vs beware we bring not our selues into such streights by our sinne for we shall finde it a matter hard enough to helpe our selues in extremitie of danger and trouble which God brings vpon vs if we be not the better fenced with faith and a good conscience But the danger of the former is desperate and remedilesse as elsewhere I haue more fully declared in the Shechemites and their Captaine Gaal chap. 9. Secondly whereas the text saith of these Ephramites that they failed of the full pronouncing of the word we see that although all the Tribes spake in one language yet euen therein such a difference was that one spake not as the other for we see that these Ephramites could not pronounce as the Reubinites and the Manassites did euen as also the Greekes haue great difference and we Englishmen namely southerne and northward differ much one from another in our dialect or manner of pronouncing though we all speake one language This should teach vs that as oft as wee heare or thinke of any hurt or detriment comming thereby we should call to mind and bee humbled in our selues for the sinne of them that caused the confounding of language first the fruite whereof remaineth among vs at this day and ought iustly to humble vs for that much toyle and time is now spent in learning to vnderstand languages which might else haue been otherwise bestowed And also by strange tongues wee see how the wicked keepe many from vnderstanding the pure word of God as the Romish Prelates long haue done which could not haue been if there had been but one language and speech ouer the earth as once it was Besides with what difficultie in respect of this which I speake of doe many trauell into forraine lands to exchange their wares and commodities or to other ends and purposes For except they haue learned their languages they cannot speake to each other but by an interpreter What labour is there bestowed in the translating of the Scriptures and other writings which else might haue bin spared which when all is done commeth short of the naturall tongue and language Not to insist in the inconueniences which arise by Translations euen controuersies in religion about faith which had been in some part cut off if one and the same language bee generally embraced and they which translate best attaine not vnto that significancie of words and proprietie of meaning which the naturall language would affoord them and that without difficultie These and other like discommodities arise from this diuision of tongues although they that liue at home in their owne countrey and conuerse with such as are of the same speech with themselues doe not so much obserue them let such consider that it is Gods mercie that this confusion reacheth no further then it doth but is confined though within so large bounds as it is And againe let vs know that mens dishonouring God by their tongues by periury yea or swearing by blasphemie or cursed speaking and specially by imprecations might bring a deeper iudgement vpon them in person though the generall little trouble them euen the taking away of their speech altogether which kinde of examples neither experience of former ages nor our owne haue been wanting in although if God should smite as oft as he is prouoked there should bee no end I conclude this therefore let it bee a watchword against abusing our language lest wee prouoke as many daily doe some curse and punishment from God and bee made examples to feare others seeing other mens would not admonish vs. Lastly from hence that they slew such as could not pronounce the word we learne that as these lost their liues in returning homeward though they escaped in the battaile so when wicked men passe by one danger yet they shall fall into another For the Lord being against them they are neuer safe nor free from feare or perill of some euill to light vpon them although not by and by For which cause the Prophet Amos saith If a man flie from a Lyon a Beare shall meete him And euen so we see it to be by experience if such escape by lying friendship money and such like by the hands of men God himselfe will certainely meete with them by the pestilence or arrest them by some strange disease debt imprisonment shame or some other visitation or els the worme of conscience as a serpent shall bite them and if they haue their conscience seared as it were with an hot yron yet this plague shal take hold of them euen an hardned heart which cannot repent and so they dying for few
was taken of her to be a man and his message to her being barren was that she should beare a childe This might haue raised strange thoughts in her as doubting wondring how this should be and some woman would haue concealed such a matter lest her husband should haue had her in iealousie and suspition about it and againe seeing that if he should haue heard of such a matter by some other and not by her it might haue been hardlier taken of him against her Betweene these contrary motions and conceits some woman I say would haue been held in suspense or would haue chosen silence as the safest but she dealt simply and did the best in opening it to him And this teacheth that in faithfulnes about the mariage bed there should be such holy loialtie and agreement betwixt couples that there may not be the least doubting one of anothers faithfulnes neither any occasion offered of the contrary neither any suspition about it Which by their religious and oft confirming one another in their faithfull keeping of couenant and concerning all things else betwixt them and the free opening of their mindes each to other and their agreeing together in holy duties and exercises of religion might easily be But where are these to bee found almost among the better sort but to be sure they be reiected of the common sort and thereby it may easily be iudged what manner of life they leade Of this I say the lesse because all will graunt that if this amitie ought to be betwixt them in all actions mutually concerning each other then especially in that office which is most essentiall and naturall to mariage And the Greeke word which Paul vseth in the former text I meane beneuolence although it doe admit a composition of two words which signifie to be well minded yet more properly it is deriued from the word that signifieth a bed as noting that this containeth the other smaller beneuolences vnder it In saying to her husband that she did not once aske the man of God from whence he came nor hee told not her his name for it was needlesse let vs bee taught by both not to stay in company needlesly and especially men with women and most of all alone without other company where they may be in danger of doing or taking euill or giuing occasion of suspecting any such thing to other Oh the infinite mischiefe that hath been wrought hereby I meane by the idle and needlesse meeting and tarrying together of men first whereby one draweth another to some euill or other and much more of men and women whereby much whoredome hath bin committed yea and much that was neuer thought of before as by Elies sonnes meeting women in the Tabernacle which although it was lawfull yet they abused it monstrously Particularly let women learne of the Shunamite 2. King 4. that comely modestie and shamefastnes which is fitter for their sexe then that boldnes and lightnes which the most of them bewray when they are in the companies wherein they dare shew themselues This woman therefore being called to Elisha his chamber and yet not alone neither but his seruant standing by came before him and stood in the doore that is she went not to him but stood aloofe as became a sober Matrone But those daies are past modestie is a burthen to many women and further then feare or shame restraines them grace and wisedome there is little in some of them to doe it as may testifie when the other bands are shaken off The last thing in this verse is her sparines of speech to the Angell She asked him not any question but rested in the message The little time she staied in his companie she spent in hearing and marking pondring as Mary did not inquiring and descanting about it Admirable is it that a weake woman hearing a report of a thing so strange so vnlikely and yet so pleasing and that from a man that she knew not should not once moue a question A lesse occasion by many degrees had been enough to haue set some womans tongue on endlesse running and her eye and minde on rouing and casting but then we must thinke if she had bin of this humour an Angell of glorie had not bin sent to her Oh rare woman which maist set both men and women to schoole to learne sobrietie If Eue had been as wise she had preuented a great deale of woe from her selfe and vs. Curiositie is a foule blemish in a man but a far greater in a woman and as this woman was chast so she was of few words and both goe well together For she in the Prouerbs who is described to be light footed and fugitiue oftner and more in the houses of others then her owne is taxed also to be light tongued and talkatiue This iangling and prating of women a vice so detested in them by Paul was neuer more rife in any age then ours And which is to be lamented it is a disease incident to such as otherwise are not of the worst sort neither and all because it is an impotencie and intemperancie which issueth from the weaknesse of their sexe in great part which they thinke no discredit to themselues because it is another nature vnto them It is a nature vnto them indeed but a corrupt one which must be spied in time by those that are wise and corrected I will not say that such are not fit for Angels company they beseeme not the company of a discreete or graue man for a wise person would soone be wearie of them though themselues haue no stay of their vnruly member till their breath faile them or they be put to silence no more then the wheeles of a Iacke till the plummets be vpon the ground I need not amplifie this I wish that all praters and tatlers were but galled and gagged with this example here and in the middest of their worke made but to see their face in this glasse which I think would trouble them more then the glasse which the old Curtizan once looked in and beholding her wrinkles and spots therein crackt it asunder because it was so true a mirrour In this verse is shewed how she told her husband what the man of God said to her of the birth of the childe and what she should doe her selfe as we heard before verse 4. and 5. of the which I haue spoken there for this is a repeating of the same things Onely this wee may learne by Manoahs wife to report and relate things truly and aright as they were done or as wee heard them related vnto vs. For through forgetfulnesse carelesnesse or of a worse meaning things are carried in such sort oft times that by vntruths and lyes told out much strife and contention ariseth which bring and cause great trouble and annoyance An example of many may that be of Ziba his false report to Dauid of Mepbibosheth that he refused to goe
commanded to streine out a gnat swalloweth a cammell Thus much of this I proceed in the text The third part of the Chapter Vers 15. Manoah then said to the Angell of the Lord I pray thee let vs retaine thee vntill we haue made readie a Kid for thee 16. And the Angell of the Lord said to Manoah Though thou make me abide I will not eate of thy bread and if thou wilt make a burnt offering offer it vnto the Lord for Manoah knew not that it was an Angell of the Lord. 17. Againe Manoah said vnto the Angell of the Lord What is thy name that when thy saying is come to passe we may honour thee 18. And the Angel of the Lord said to him Why askest thou thus after my name which is secret 19. Then Manoah tooke a Kid with a meate offering and offered it vpon a stone vnto the Lord and the Angell did wonderously whiles Manoah and his wife looked on 20. For when the flame came vp toward heauen from the altar the Angell of the Lord ascended vp in the flame of the altar and Manoah and his wife beheld it and fell on their faces to the ground 21. So the Angell of the Lord did no more appeare vnto Manaoh and his wife Then Manoah knew that it was an Angell of the Lord. 22. And Manoah said vnto his wife We shall surely dye because we haue seene God 23. But his wife said to him If the Lord would kill vs he would not haue receiued a burnt offering and a meate offering of our hands neither would he haue shewed vs all these things nor would haue now told vs any such 24. And the wife bare a sonne and called his name Samson and the child grew and the Lord blessed him IN this third part followeth the signe by which they should be certified that the thing told them by the man of God should come to passe But first Manoah doth two things one he desireth the Angel to eate the other hee asketh him his name to both whereof the Angell makes answere Of these first in order Concerning the first the Angel of God hath now done his message and answered Manoahs doubt But he kindly accepting him for the good tidings he brought vnto him desired to retaine him that he might refresh himselfe after his trauaile and as hee thought his hunger and therefore hee said to him let vs stay thee while we make ready a Kid for thee But the Angel hauing no need to eate drew Manoah from his purpose telling him he would not eate and led him to more heauenly matter that is to honour God by offering a burnt offering vnto him In these two verses we may consider diuers things first in Manoah then in the Angels answere In Manoah these two following First his curtesie and thankfulnes in offering him to eate thinking hee had been a man hauing brought such a message from God to him and his wife And this confirmeth vs in that wee haue heard before that where wee receiue kindnesse wee should render and shew the like againe as we can And the godly vsed both then before and after to offer such curtesie to the seruants of God being strangers though they brought no message to them from God and it is called hospitalitie as wee reade of the Shunamite who requested Elisha to turne in as he came by and built him a conuenient chamber for that purpose They knowing that he who receiued a Prophet in the name of a Prophet and a righteous man because he was so should receiue the reward that such should It is not a thing so commendable in Christians to be kind towards them that deserue it as the contrary is odious and brutish in them Those that are commanded to doe well to their enemies and loue them that hate them what great thing is it if they loue and be kinde to the well deseruing Heathens and Publicans doe likewise But to be vnkind towards them that haue been louing and well affected toward them is not only worse then heathenish but also then any beast will yeeld to another Nay histories report that alion hauing bin eased and holpen by a passenger that came by of a wound which by some meanes had befallen him long after acknowledged the benefit For the Romanes vsing to behold the spectacle of men sighting with beasts condemned malefactors to this death Now among the rest this man being one came armed into the place to fight for his life and as it fell out this Lion was the beast which was committed with him The Lion no sooner saw the man but came and fell downe at his feete holding vp his foote in the sight of al the people and making no semblance of furie against his preseruer The matter being enquired into it was found that this man had taken a thorne out of the foote of the Lion and so eased his paine This being but a discourse of a thing of inferiour nature I may be thought not so wisely to insert in so graue an argument neither had I done it for the strangenes of it but that I would thereby shame such boisterous rough and barbarous natures as being prouoked to this dutie of kindnesse by the strongest meanes yet out of a bitter stomacke doe rather thereby take occasion of hatred and mischiefe like Saul who by Dauids innocencie and pitie to his life was the more enraged against him But these meete with their match for God giues them ouer to be touzed and hampered by such as spare them not and want conscience when they are fallen into their hands to teach them for euer after to abhorre such inhumanitie I had said lionlike crueltie but that I should wrong that creature if I should ascribe mans euill qualitie vnto it Thus much of the first thing to be noted in Manoah as I said before The other thing here to bee learned out of the example of Manoah is this with what reuerence we ought to receiue Gods message by them whom he sendeth to doe it and to bee entirely knit vnto the messenger himselfe for his message sake Eglon a heathen king shewed this reuerence to the message of Ehud from the Lord and Gedeon much more with others Beautifull should the feete of them be who bring glad tidings and yet the feete of such as went barefoote in those countries were not very beautifull of themselues but vnseemely And so much the more precious and heauenlier that the message is which they bring they doing the same in such manner as becommeth it And therefore blessed be God we haue experience of no lesse in some that they who apprehend and embrace the ioyfull tidings of saluation brought vnto them by Gods messengers soundly sweetly and sauourly euen to the assurance of pardon and happinesse are knit to the messengers most dearely and vnfainedly for their worke sake though they be but the instruments and sometime meane persons in the eye of the
The Angel that resolued there should be no yeelding of gratuitie to him for which cause Manoah asked his name hee did not tell him and yet who can deny but Manoah asked it vpon good consideration namely that hee might shew himselfe thankfull to him as he thought himselfe bound to be Wherein he gaue cleere testimonie of his honest and single heart in desiring to take the opportunitie thereof vnto him afterwards for the kindnesse that was offered him Which is a necessarie duty though it be not regarded nor looked for of them to whom it is due But of this before Now that the Angell did shew as we see in this verse what hee was by deeds rather then by words he hath not onely left vs his example but also confirmed vs in that the Scripture teacheth both Minister and people concerning that matter And first of the former who being a publike messenger of God is called an Angel my meaning is not that the Minister is liable to euery ianglers censure for his allowance of him or for his sufficiencie But let him get this Seale of his Ministerie which here the Angell bringeth out to wit the efficacie of working I meane both a powerfull teaching and a powerfull example and these shall be his iudges By these they must iudge of him who are able to iudge and they who iudge by any other rule are ignorant or malicious and therefore disabled to iudge And the best Ministers that euer were neuer refused this Canon of doctrine and life to be examined by Neither our Sauiour nor the Apostle Paul euer arrogated to themselues such libertie as to be receiued the one for true Messiah the other for a true Apostle vpon their bare word It might haue opened a gap to euery seducing spirit to haue stood vpon his owne worth and like Antichrist at this day to compell mens consciences to acknowledge him a successor of the Apostle because he out of the abundance of his owne sense boasted himselfe so So that base testimonies are inartificiall arguments all meere men being lyars but to trie the spirits whether they be of God is a needfull dutie they that are so tried haue no wrong done them neither can complaine if their charter bee demanded I meane the power of teaching and the power of godlinesse These workes admit no appeale though they be no miraculous works as the Angels here yet they are demonstrations In the 11. of Matthew Iohn Baptist sends his disciples to Christ in policie to resolue them of the truth of his mediatorship our Sauiour when they had done their errand doth not scorne them or disdaine to giue account of his calling But what manner of euidence giueth hee Goe saith he tell Iohn what yee haue heard and seene The blinde see the lame goe the poore receiue the Gospell q. d. If these workes will not euince what I am take mee not for him that I goe for So he tels the Pharisies If I gaue witnesse onely to my selfe I could not claime credit thereto but the workes I doe they beare witnesse of me and further I desire not to be embraced So Paul tels the Corinths ye are my Epistle written in your hearts c. q. d. The spirit of God coworking with my Ministerie to the begetting of faith a new heart and life in you hath sealed also this truth vnto you That I am a true Apostle of Christ against all gainesayers And it is the dutie of all Gods Ministers to adde this commendation and allowance vnto the outward calling of the Church their letters commendatorie I meane and licenses And if hereupon wee may bee receiued let vs not complaine as for them who vpon this testimony from God will not admit vs either our persons as factious Separatists or the power of our Ministerie as all vnbeleeuers and vngodly ones woe be vnto them for in not receiuing vs they despise him that sent vs. As for their censures we may appeale from them with our Sauiour saying I receiue not praise or dispraise of men I haue another Iudge And with Paul It is a slight thing with me to be iudged of such I passe not for your iudgement And secondly let all priuat persons that receiue the message of God by the Minister know their dutie also which is to declare what they bee by the good actions of their liues rather then by their talke and to bee examples to other in their conuersation and not in their communication onely So our Sauiour taught when he came to giue his life for vs here on earth If ye abide in me and my word in you then are ye my very disciples indeed Agreeable hereunto are his words in another place Not euery one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Neither let any man desire to bee taken for better then he is but submit himselfe to this touchstone which will bewray what mettall he is made of and for as much as the inward duties of faith and pietie are vnknowne to others let the workes of each mans calling say for him what he is let a good magistrate be content to lose the credit of his profession if he cannot maintaine it by vprightnes courage in punishing offenders defending the innocent being free from couetousnes parcialitie or iniustice Let the husbandman approue his religion by walking as a man of vnderstanding before his wife and she hers by submission in the Lord and reuerence towards him and so the other parts of the familie in their seuerall places And otherwise let them hold their peace as guiltie persons Thirdly this doctrine is to settle the best Christians to bee so still notwithstanding the taunts and mockes of the vngodly who bayte them with the names of hypocrites and men of singularitie seeing they declare that out by their good liues which they imbrace with their hearts and generally let all such take warning by this as onely haue a name they liue but are dead and who speake well but haue not hearts to doe thereafter and as for such as reproach and scorne them who honour their profession with a life answerable their iudgement sleepeth not It appeareth by that which is said here that as the Angell willed Manoah to doe euen so he did I meane offer a burnt offering vnto the Lord. Now where it is obiected that it was not lawfull for him to offer in any place but at Ierusalem and therefore that it was not lawfull for him to offer where the Angell met him I answere that it was lawfull to offer in other places while the Arke was carried about and was staied in no certaine place but after the building of the temple at Ierusalem then indeed that law tooke effect and it was not lawfull to sacrifice elsewhere but all high places were then to be taken away And this I say supposing
the action to be ordinarie but indeed this of Manoah had bin warrantable at any time as being grounded vpon diuine warrant commanding him so to doe And whereas it is againe obiected that Manoah not being of the tribe of Leui but of Dan ought not to offer sacrifice neither was that according to the law that hee did it is answered that hee gaue the flesh and the other things to the Angell whom he tooke to bee a Prophet that hee might offer them for the Prophets had an extraordinary calling that though they were not of the house of Aaron yet it was lawfull for them to sacrifice as Elia and Elisha did for when the Priests corrupted the pure worship of God the Lord stirred vp the Prophets to restore it againe But this was no Prophet ye will say I answere no hee was not but more then a Prophet and therefore the flesh and the other offering being laide on the rocke the Angell did wonderfully hee raised fire out of the rocke and consumed the sacrifice And the same we haue heard to haue been done in Gedeons sacrifice before for although it bee not expressely said here that fire was brought out of the rocke as there yet seeing there is no mention of any fire brought by Manoah and yet that the Angell is said to haue departed in the flame it is most likely that fire was stricken out of the stone the Angell ascended into heauen as though he would vse the flame insteade of a chariot and he dissolued the body which he tooke on him and went away in the fire which was a great wonder to them for Monoah and his wife were stricken with a great feare when they saw that he was an Angell of God and after that he appeared no more to them In that Manoah did as the Angell willed him turning that which hee would haue set before the man of God for meate into a sacrifice it teacheth how fit and ready we should be to be moued and ledde by good instruction to any duty that wee know not neither thought of before meekely receiuing the words of exhortation without resistance or vnwillingnesse This minde was in the Thessalonians to whom Paul writeth thus We are perswaded of you in the Lord that both yee doe already and will doe still the things that wee commande you meaning that they resolued with themselues to make the doctrine of the Apostles the rule of their life Thus should all Christians bee affected like the paterne that Paul giues the widowes that they should diligently be giuen not onely to the particular duties of compassion Rom. 12. but to euery good worke This commendeth the grace of God highly in all such as are thus prepared to serue God in euery part of their life that as they shall see what the good and acceptable will of God is toward them so they are ready still to new duties And so it doth much checke and accuse them who are slow and backward to any good thing that shall be required of them and readily yeelded to by their brethren they would be counted with the forwardest but yet in duties that like them not they will be reasoning against them though in some other they shew themselues commendable And yet for all that which I say let it be clearely seene that there is enough to binde their consciences to that whereto they should yeeld lest they be lead by company will or fancy and there is cause of this readinesse and alacritie in receiuing the word by the people if they consider that the Minister himselfe is tied to the like dutie in vttering it according to that charge of Peter feede the flocke of God with a ready minde not of constraint and the Apostle Paul confirmes it There is necessitie imposed vpon me and wo be to me if I preach not c. If then I doe this necessarie worke willingly it is thankworthie otherwise it is necessarie and I must doe it without thanks How shall this bee if the people hold off and pleade libertie to take and refuse what they please Therefore Cornelius Acts 10. professeth himselfe and his ready to heare whatsoeuer Peter should say from God to him And when he saith whatsoeuer he meaneth whether reproofe or commandement as well as comfort and instruction This she weth that not all that doe some duties doe them readily but either for finister respects or by halues as he in the Gospell who was bidden goe into the vineyard answered hee would but went not so many heare zealously but neuer weighing the worke of God nor forecasting the difficulties repent them of their forwardnesse Others readily yeeld to the truth in their minds as sound and good but their hearts come slowly forward they delight not therein nor approue it as liking that it should gouerne them Againe some things which the word requires we yeeld to for the outward action especially yea and stand stiffely in the defence of it as Iudas did for the relieuing the poore because in a diuers respect our desire concurreth with Gods commandement euen corruptly peruerting the end and vse of a good duty to our own benefit which ought onely tend to Gods glorie But here we doe not obey readily because the manner of obeying which is for conscience sake displeaseth vs as the artificer liketh it well that God calleth for diligence in his calling for his coueteous minds sake but to be occupied therein for the seruing of Gods prouidence the auoyding of noysome lusts and temptations the practise of his faith and patience thankfulnes contentment he hath no readines thereto yea this awkenesse is in the best that they like any dutie should bee vrged which others are tardie in and themselues prone vnto but to be drawn any further and to suffer exhortation and reproofe for their blemishes and errors that is vnwelcome So that readines and teachablenes humbly to giue place and curbe our contradicting and rebellious nature where God hath manifested his will vpon good ground is a rare gift of the spirit and attendeth onely vpon them who with Dauid haue a respect to all Gods commandements Excellent is that speech of Dauid O Lord thou saidst Seeke my face and I answered Lord I will seeke thy face Euen as the waxe applied to the seale receiues the impression and the holy instruments of musicke in the Temple sounded according to the skilfull blowing or fingering of Asaph and his brethren so pliant and tunable should our hearts be to the voice of God and make such harmony in his eares as he himselfe hath made inwardly in them as the seruant mentioned in the Gospell whose obedience in going comming and dooing seemed to be so prompt as if it were the eccho of his Masters voyce And such as haue attained any measure herein let them looke to this one thing that they be constant in so doing lest beside the expectation the diuell in time
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