messenger that hee had made a couenant with them which hee would neuer breake and that was if they should endeauour to walke with him hee would continue them in that good land which hee had giuen them and blesse them therein otherwise he would bee free from his promise and hee would cast them out after long bearing their disobedience and punish them sundry waies in the meane season And euen so he did to them seeing they kept not couenant with him as he required of them and which he bound them to as in the next verse is to be seene And this for the clearing of the forementioned doubt This point being thus determined doth minister this heauenly instruction to vs that if we did faithfully and with a good hart set our selues to obey the Lord and yet I meane no otherwise then as may of vs be performed he would doe great things for vs euen in this world he would feede vs with good things euen with the bread of wheat and that the finest as hee saith in the Psalme and other earthly blessings answerable and would not suffer the proud to domineere ouer his inheritance but soone bring them down And yet wee must know that if his owne people shall sinne against him he will correct them with the rod and often withdraw from them the sweet fruit of his fauour and the light of his countenance which was wont to refresh and comfort their soules so that euen the priuiledges which issue from this couenant may in great part and for a great while lie drowned in them and be to seeke as ioy peace confidence in prayer with such like and their temporary benefits vtterly lost Oh therefore notwithstanding many large and great and worthie promises be made to vs yet when wee doe not labour to be faithfull in our couenant but take our liberty amisse euery one his way as he thinkes good behold our sinnes depriue vs of many blessings which we might haue enioyed and hold many good things from vs as Ieremie saith and bring many euils vpon vs and euen so the Prophet Esay witnesseth though the Lords hand is not shortened that he cannot saue neither is his eare heauie that it cannot heare yet your iniquities saith he haue separated betwixt you and your God and your sinnes haue hid his face from you that hee will not heare So that if these things be rightly weighed it may truly be said what we will not suffer the Lord to doe vs good nor to fill vs with his blessings as hee is ready to doe euen we our selues because wee will not cease to prouoke him And this is liuely laid out by the Prophet Amos where he saith that it rained vpon one peece of ground and not vpon another and wherefore was it but for the sinne of those that possesse it contrary to our blind reason who looke as Sampson did that it should alway goe well with vs howsoeuer we deale with God or defraud him of his due breaking couenant with him If this be so then our Sauiour agreeth well with it who saith The meeke shall inherite the earth for that which they haue shall bee sweeter to them then great riches of the vngodly and it shall multiply also when God seeth good So that it might make one to maruell to see them who are counted Gods people many times to run so greedily after the world and the vaine allurements of it in such wise that they go backe in grace as fast as though Gods caring for them were nothing like their owne and as though they had forgotten that he promiseth sufficient wealth to a godly life godlinesse hauing the promises of things both earthly and heauenly and yet so it is with them that he who can catch fastest imagines he shall speed best when all may see that they who seeke to be guided by God haue best successe and blessing others going without it But whereas they obiect that they are richest for the most part who sauour no goodnesse that ought to trouble no man for full soone shall the riches of iniquity and those riches that cause it right soone I say shall they betake them to their wings and leaue the reconing behinde to bee made by them who haue ill gotten and spent them which shall be little to their liking for know we this that they are neuer to be counted blessings without the grace of vsing them aright THE ELEVENTH SERMON CONTINVED VPON THE SAME TEXT Vers 2. 3. VERS 2. Ye shall make no couenant with the inhabitants of this land c. THe second verse now followeth wherein the couenant in the behalfe of the people is set downe as it is on Gods behalfe in the former verse For a couenant is betwixt two parties at the least The points of their couenant are these two one that they should make no league with the inhabitants of the land the other that they should breake their altars downe Then hee findeth fault with them not for Idolatry wee see which as yet they had not fallen to but for the not keeping of their couenant And hauing clearly conuinced them he expostulateth with them and asketh them why they had done so as if hee had been ready to heare their excuse if they could alleage any if not their sinne must needs be the greater After this hee proceedeth to shew the punishments that should bee inflicted on them and they were three The first that hee would not expell these nations for them and what then The other two arose from that for it followed then that they should abide still in the land to the great hurt and annoyance of the of Israelites who dwelt there And the two waies as I haue said first that they should be as thornes to pricke them and put them to paine the other they should be as snares in which they should be taken and caught with their sinnes and when they should afterward fal to their Idolatry they should most grieuously be punished These things being thus set downe wee may obserue these foure things in these two verses first their couenant with God secondly the conuicting them by the Angell of breaking it thirdly the Lords expostulating with them for it fourthly the punishment threatened for it Concerning the first in this that the people was bound to couenant with God as he did with them learne all of vs that if wee will looke for benefit by Gods couenant made with vs we must enter into couenant with him and looke to bee faithfull in keeping it with him which I speake not as though wee may claime any thing by due desert thereby but that wee may know that God hath so appointed and we ought to performe it accordingly And though God maketh promise here but of earthly benefits yet in other places he couenanteth with his to giue them heauenly also as pardon of their sins and life eternall and
may befall vs in time if wee dare deale loosely and vnfaithfully with the Lord and suffer our selues to beled away from our stedfastnes This boldnes and carelesnesse if it thus be suffered to beare sway in vs may cause this scripture in time to be said of and verified in vs that we haue forsaken the Lord our strength And yet because men are cunning to deceiue themselues hoping that as long as they embrace not another religion they shall not become such nor iudged so hardly of though they take vp their delight in sins that please thē I thought it not therefore amisse to giue this caueat that in vaine doe such men worship God though they draw neere to him with their bodies while they suffer their hearts to goe another way and it is a kinde of forsaking of God though not in so high a degree as the other and as in time they themselues are like to come vnto and their labour is lost that they bestow in seruing God while it is accompanied with such anoiance and vnsauourines he vtterly abhorreth it This phrase of forsaking God is taken from wedlocke when either partie renounceth interest and fellowship in the other and departeth away euen as the phrase of selling them away vsed in the next verse on Gods part importeth the like action in the Lord as iustly giuing ouer his part in them As they had resigned their right in him their husband who had married himselfe vnto them vnto strange Idols so the Lord put ouer his interest in them vnto strange Idolaters alienating himselfe from them as the commoditie which is sold changeth the owner and becomes the right of another man Now then let not men thinke they may at their pleasure breake their couenant as the knot of marriage with God thinking they may returne to him as they list and when they list as Sampson to his companion and the Leuite to his concubine for neither will it be so easie for them to doe it neither shall they finde God so ready in their hastie seekings after him vpon each occasion to admit them And this is said of the peoples sinne and by occasion thereof Now we haue heard of that being the first point of the foure in these three next verses is set down Gods displeasure conceiued against them for it For when they had thus prouoked him by their sore transgressions he prouoked them also by that which did little like them for hee stirred vp the Philistims and Ammonites against them who vexed them sore for many yeeres And this they did not onely in the land of the Ammorites beyond Iorden to the children of Israel that dwelt there but they waxed more bold and passed ouer Iorden made warre with the tribe of Iuda Beniamin and Ephraim so as they were not able to resist them And what should wee say to all this It must needs be granted that this was an heauy bondage that they were vnder But what remedie If it had been any lesse it would not haue moued nor wrought vpon them They would not complaine nor crie to God for a little For if they had they should haue been heard and kept from so great extremities that they should not haue vexed them So that to say no more of this we may all see here that when wee come vnder sore afflictions which in a manner take heart from vs and make our liues wearisome we may thanke our selues for it God vseth not to cast his punishments vpon men all at once but by peece meale and by degrees and giueth warning of them for the most part at least by his word alwaies that so as wise men seeing the plague comming they may preuent them or else he laieth his hand more lightly vpon them that they may at the first repaire to him and intreate him to stay it If it be otherwise that he suddenly and at once take away the righteous with the wicked they shall haue no cause to complaine of that for they shall rest in peace If God remoue not his punishments yet if they be reconciled to him and liue obediently hee will giue them greater grace of faith hope and patience to beare the burthen more easily and with farre greater contentment All the danger is if they harden their hearts and bow not meekely to God vnder their burthens that is more against them then all their outward calamitie and bondage Wee haue heard how God punished the people for their committing idolatrie and suffered their enemies to oppresse them sore and a long-time But this was not al which is here expressed though that was very grieuous as all may well see But with this it is to be noted how they also by their sin turned the Sun-shine of Gods fauour into most darke and vncomfortable displeasure This men purchase to themselues by their wilfulnesse and rebellion when they might otherwise go out and in before him to their good liking and dwell most safely vnder the wing of his protection all the day long What madnesse is it to cast themselues into deadly feares and vnquietnesse and anguish of soule for the Lords displeasure as sharpe arrowes sticking fast in them with reproch discountenance of Gods seruants and many other crossings and discontentments But of Gods anger and wrath reade more in Chap. 2. 14. Here I end THE SIXTIETH TWO SERMON ON THE TENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES WE heard in the former verses how God afflicted this people for their sinne in this verse the holy story setteth down how this oppression by the enemies reached to the people beyond Iorden as well as them that were on this side onely Wherein that thereat was verified whereof before hath been spoken that they and their idols should be as snares vnto them euen to their destruction But besides this we see that this miserie did spred further in time then to those that were on this side Iorden for it reached euen to the Israelites also which dwelt beyond Iorden So that although the enemies began with them first who dwelt in the land of the Amorites yet seeing the people on both sides of Iorden had communicated with the nations in their sinne they were therfore both plagued alike by the enemies And so it fareth with vs for if many ioyne together in prouoking God they shall smart together by bearing his corrections And though the Lord begin as I said before of Shechem and Abimelech with some at the first apart yet he will as the fire burneth one house after another he wil I say deuour the rest with the former at length as by the plague we haue heard he hath done Now in that it is said in this verse that they cried to the Lord saying we haue sinned I haue spoken of this before as also of this that they were long in miserie ere they complained therfore I wil not repeate those two points onely this here is to be noted that they did
pursuite of our desires and that either with outward resistance of vs as he did Ahab by Elias when he was going to take possession of Naboths vineyard or with inward wound of conscience as most commonly hee vseth to doe to such as haue knowledge or with hardnesse of heart which alwaies hindreth and keepeth away repentance And by occasion of Samsons iourneying out of Iuda to Timnah of the Philistims I say more particularly let such as trauaile whether within the land or beyond seas into forreine countries see that their errands are lawfull and warrantable not expresly crossing the Lords charge as that of Shemei did Salomons lest although they scape Shemei his punishment yet a worse befall them Remember Dina and Gehazi Nay see they not onely that their businesse be good but look they also that their affection be well and orderly carried thereto otherwise their seeking after noueltie curiositie vanitie I speake of them that doe so or their sinister intent any other way will marre their action of trauailing be it neuer so lawfull And as that is nourishment to one creature which is anothers bane euen so is trauaile to sundrie sorts of men though to some other it be good and profitable It is apparant that many trauellers who went out with no euill purpose yet being vnarmed against euill and not strongly resolued to depart from it haue rushed vpon the pikes tempted God cast themselues vpon streights and indangered their bodies liues consciences manifold waies I speake to such as professe to haue God the directer of their waies as for others let the dead bury the dead That is a iourney well vndertaken which a man can take in faith and sanctifie it by prayer and so commit himselfe therein to Gods protection and blessing And surely if we goe otherwise to worke wee are as able to beare meekely and patiently either disappointment ill successe or any hard accident that shall befall vs as wee are to encounter a Lion if he should meete vs. But beside these vntimely and vnseasonable trauailings abroad there are other no lesse dangerous at home or neere at hand and among the rest for example sake when the Sabbath is abused to wanton and waily gaddings to stage-playes gaming houses drinkings on which yet by Gods commandement the most lawfull common actions and ordinary businesse ought not to bee done which may bee done on other daies This is one instance of many other wicked iourneyings and trauailings on that day which are as vsuall with the ill disposed as it is ordinary among the better sort to heare the word preached or to vse any other religious exercises But although such persons haue no stoppe in their way to turne them backe neither doe meete with the opposition that Balaam did to hinder and crosse their desires yet they shall reape the wages of their iniquitie as hee did and wish they had kept at home and been free from such company with many stripes The meeting of a Lion by Samson which was as wee haue heard with the perill of his life yet was to him as God did vse it an occasion to trie declare and shew foorth Gods power and strength in him which should else haue been hidden For the spirit of the Lord stirred vp in him an extraordinary gift of might and manhood more then is to bee found in the strongest person whereby he hauing nothing in his hands did yet teare the Lion in peeces one part and member from another as if it had been a young kid or lambe By this example wee may learne that though the crosse be to vs as feareful when we see it comming toward vs as a Beare or a Lion is to meet with yet the Lord who loueth vs as hee did Samson doth vse by his quickning grace to hearten vs against it so that wee finde it to turne to our great good and benefit But let this be marked which I say that God doth by his speciall grace bring it thus to passe not that we should looke for it by extraordinary meanes though he dealt so with Samson but wee are to beleeue and waite certainly for it because he hath promised it and by the helpe thereof we shall not need to doubt but that such strength shall be granted vs as shal put away feare or at least abate and restraine it but without that help from God we shall feare and be troubled when wee doe but heare of the crosse or danger as at the sight of a lion yea and be disquieted and ouercome with the heauinesse that we haue for it as if we should meete a Beare We haue too many examples of this weaknesse and feare in Gods deare people as in the seruant of Elisha who when hee saw an armie of Aramites compassing the house cried out and said Alas master what shall wee doe So in the Disciples the like is to bee seene who through their vnbeliefe thought they had seene a spirit and were sore afraid when yet that which they feared was Iesus their Master comming toward them to comfort thē So that we of our selues indeed are most timerous euen when we haue little cause much more otherwise but yet when great afflictions oppresse vs God being with vs as I haue said we are able through his might to do great things as the Apostle saith I am able to doe all things through the helpe of Christ who strengtheneth me Yea so great oddes is there betweene one and the same man oppressed with feare though for a small trouble when he is taken on the sudden and with a great one when hee is prouided for it as betweene the heate of the least candle and a greatest fire He that fainted at the one when he was weake in faith escaped and ouercame the force of the other being assisted therewith as hath at large been shewed in Gedeon at one time afraid to goe and behold that campe which after hee blanckt not both to encounter and to conquer And this whole storie of the Lion all that consider may vnderstand that it tendeth directly to this end to prepare and make Samson able to beare the displeasure and enmitie of the Philistims which was afterward raised vp against him the Lord giuing him strength for that purpose and that it might minister matter for the riddle which he did after propound to them whereby they did sore prouoke him By the first learne that when God indueth men with excellent gifts betimes as he doth many he thereby declareth that hee will both double and multiply them in those persons and also vse them to serue him to singular purposes if their proceeding be not hindred by some sinister practises of theirs to stand in their way or by the diuell and his instruments subtilitie diuerting his good gifts to bad purposes This is apparent by that which God did worke in Samson in his first yeeres of discretion and when hee was yet
a Musitian to heale him of a troubled conscience then to meditate of God his former mercies doth make euery new crosse more heauie to himselfe then other I confesse such haue an expetience but it is like their hope neither shall helpe them For thus they argue Such a sicknesse I recouered of therefore I looke to breake this too Loe their experience breedeth a rotten confidence in them and makes them presume of that which often they faile of and when they faile they are either like Iehoram very lions or as Nabal meere blockes The case is plaine They digge to themselues pits which will hold no water but forsake the Lord and their owne peace for a vaine conceit and as Ionah saith While they embrace lying vanities they forsake their owne mercie whereof they haue no promise And so at length that is verified of them which is written by the Prophet Though they escape a Beare yet a Lion shall deuoure them yea and often that which they least feare shall be their vndoing Now this caueat let me adde to the doctrine lest I be mistaken I say not that a Christians experience breedes hope of the selfesame outward issue and manner of deliuerance out of his trouble which hee hath before time found Neither durst the three children in the third of Daniel expresly auouch that God would worke a miracle for their deliuerie and yet they had faith neuerthelesse to beleeue that he would bring them well thorow which I speake to controle the phantastical spirits of some who affirme that the not recouerie of a disease as it might be the plague is the fruit alway of vnbelief If we could beleeue the promise say they in Psalme we should not feare that sicknesse nor dye thereof Contrariwise let vs know that the act of faith is euer carried according to the qualitie of the promise Pauls faith was not expresly carried to beleeue That the pricke in his flesh should be remoued and yet he had experience of many deliuerances but that Gods grace should bee sufficient And he beleeuing this had the fruite of his former experience because hee obtained an equiualent supplie This be said by occasion of the first prop of Samsons prayer to wit the rehearsing of Gods former goodnesse the second followeth that he was his seruant and had done his worke in that his great labour against the Philistims And by this we must know that it is a thing very materiall to be able to proue our selues Gods seruants For by what right can we else claime any place in his house otherwise then as strangers But if we be so then we doe him faithfull seruice as the Apostle saith his seruants yee are to whom ye obey yea and that wee performe ioyfully and without feare all our daies for it is not a seruice in name but perfect freedome indeed and so doing wee may claime the benefit of seruants that is protection The Angels had this title to be called the seruants of God And as he said he was his seruant so particularly he shewed that he was so in this for he said I haue not pleased my selfe nor serued mine owne humour in killing these Philistims but I did thy worke and fought thy battailes Euen so in our particular actions wee are to looke to be guided by God to proue that we are in the state of seruants and not hangbyes and then we may be able with boldnes to say we haue a good conscience in all things and where we are accused yet to be at peace else God might also discharge himselfe of his promise vnto vs. It is no small priuiledge as I haue noted elsewhere that whiles we are well occupied wee may boldly sue to God for blessing And so did Samson here For if earthly masters tye themselues to prouide sustenance for their seruants not looking that they should be troubled with the care of any thing saue their labour then with what boldnes might Samson here call vpon the Lord that he might not perish for thirst being in the heat of his worke For it might else haue turned to the dishonour of the Lord to suffer him to miscarrie for want Oh that men would trie the Lord in this and commit their waies to him in well-doing to see if he would not effect their good desires and else let them not wonder that he seeme an hard master to them Now followeth the substance of his prayer and that was that he hauing imployed himselfe to glorifie Gods name might not be deliuered into the hands of the vncircumcised and hee saith further I being set by thee O Lord to iudge ouer thy people suffer me not to come into their hands and power contrary to that which thou promisedst to me till I had fulfilled thy worke So wee should be earnest with the Lord that wee may not liue nor dye to the dishonour of his name but to bee kept if it may bee from iust reproch Such requests can none make that set themselues on worke without God though they counterfeit or make great florishes as Ioab did See 2. Sam. 10. And whereas ye will obiect that he did yet fall into reprochfull euils afterward for all this his prayer the answere thereto is that he neglected the nourishing of the grace that hee did now pray in and further answere will by more fit occasion be made hereto in the next chapter therefore I will deferre it to that place When Samson had made his prayer thus in his extreame thirst the Lord as it is manifest in this verse caused water to come foorth of the hollow place of the iaw breaking out of the tooth which stood therein and so hee drunke and was reuiued And therefore he gaue a name to the thing done accordingly calling it the Fountaine of him that prayed By this that the Lord heard Samsons prayer and rather gaue him water extraordinarily then he should perish it teacheth the same to vs that rather then we shall miscarrie he will prouide for vs though we know not neither see how As he sed Eliah by the rauens and the good widow with the increase of her little oyle till it paid her debt and maintained her and hers and preserued Ionah in the fishes belly and against all likelihood brought him safe to land So God hath many waies to comfort his and vphold their estate and he is as willing as he is able to doe it and that by his extraordinarie prouidence rather then they should faile And if he see it not expedient alwaies to doe so yet he doth more for them a great deale then if he gaue them their desire for hee worketh in them contentation and other grace and sooner shall the stones of the streete bee turned into loaues of bread and the water of their wels into drinke before they shall perish euen here vnlesse he doe better things for them Cleaue wee therefore to him inseparably and
thereof fit for the people and that out of the bad as well as the good euen as well as out of other Scripture which all haue not learned to doe neither haue attained vnto and therefore doe oft times offer violence to the Scriptures by making allegories of them and so wresting them to another sense then the holy Ghost hath made of them without which manner of handling them they can draw none or little matter out of the most examples in the stories of them and so beside that their doctrine is not soundly gathered so they giue too fearefull suspition to the ignorant that such parts of the Scripture are barraine and drie while they doe by such shifts and yet indirect so hardly draw matter and doctrine out of them when yet it is certaine and cleere that they are full of sound instruction But to come to my purpose I will now set downe some generall things before I enter into the text which may giue some light to the better vnderstanding of the whole book such as I gather partly by obseruing laying together that which I read in it comparing one thing with another and partly out of that learned and reuerend Father Master Peter Martyr whose workes neither the most priuate men can vnderstand nor many Ministers though they may vnderstand them can come by neither if they can shall they finde there that which shall be much for their simpler hearers benefit And first let the reader marke how this booke agreeth with all the former from Genesis to the end of Ioshua and what is the summe of them and this Concerning the booke of Genesis after mention is made in the beginning of it of the creation of the world and the generations to the flood it doth afterward shew how God chose his people out of Abraham and his posteritie and how they were sent into Egypt to auoid the famine In Exodus these things are the principall how the people of God multiplied and increased in the land of Egypt till there rose a King who cruelly oppressed and vexed them sore and how they were deliuered out of the bondage which they were in there by Moses and how they had lawes giuen them to gouerne them And this last point is the summe of Leuiticus also The booke of Numbers declareth their diuers resting places in the desert and their goings forward toward the land of Canaan In Deuteronomy Moses being to depart out of this world and to leaue the people doth most faithfully repeate the law to the generation which came after the former and which then liued I meane to the posteritie of Abraham Then came Ioshua and led the people into the promised land and diuided the land of the Amorites and Canaanites which partly was subdued and gotten out of their hands and partly remained to be conquered he I say diuided it amongst the twelue tribes according to the commandement of God after he had brought them ouer Iordan slaine many of the Kings of Canaan and possessed their cities and grounds in that countrey This is the summe and contents of the booke of Ioshua After his death to come to our purpose the Lord gouerned his people the Hebrewes being placed in that land by Iudges whom to that end he indued with excellent gifts and by them deliuered and kept the people out of the hands of their enemies who as yet did all the daies of the Iudges remaine in great numbers to vex them But to vnderstand better the meaning of the word Iudges a materiall point in this booke to be vnderstood though to iudge signifie to know the cases of such as contend and be at variance and to giue sentence of iudgement betwixt men yet these Iudges mentioned in this booke had not that office neither were called Iudges in that respect But as the word signifieth also to reuenge and to redeeme out of bondage thus did those Iudges deliuer and redeeme the people as in this booke is at large declared I speakâ— not of Samuel who is said after to iudge them also by deciding controuersies and ciuill causes But these Iudges had that office assigned them of God to deliuer the people as I haue said out of their enemies hands and so to iudge them and therefore were called by that name of Iudges and this booke that intreateth of them and their acts throughout is called The booke of Iudges And briefly to lay out the state and condition that these people the Hebrewes then liued in whereby the office of the Iudges may the better be vnderstood they hauing not yet conquered the land were occupied as at their first entrance into it and after Ioshuas death a while in subduing it and their enemies but afterward they suffered them to remaine and become tributaries to them and were thereby as God saw it meete and as need required in great perill and miserie by them and then because they were his people lest they should haue been vtterly destroyed these Iudges were raised vp by him without the election of men to rescue and deliuer them But afterward when they were at rest and peace God gouerned them not by those Iudges therefore Iphtah when he was desired would not raigne ouer them neither had they authoritie ouer them but he vsed the help of someother excellent persons fit by their vertues and gifts for that purpose and they ruled the people but the Iudges as I said were stirred vp by the Lord in great dangers brought vpon them by their enemies to be helpers and deliuerers vnto them and to keepe them in peace afterward while they lined So that these Iudges were not chosen by succession as Kings neither by the voyces of the people but were raised vp by God as wee haue heard indifferently as well out of one tribe as another and how meane and vnfit soeuer they were before for that purpose God did furnish them by and by after he had stirred them vp with most excellent gifts for that end to the which he appointed them And it went farre better with the people while they were vnder them then it did afterward when they would needs haue a King to raigne ouer them For they did alwaies deliuer the people of Israel out of the calamitie with which they were oppressed whereas their Kings did sometimes waste them and bring them into captiuitie and were the most part of them Idolaters And although vnder the Iudges the people were somtimes oppressed grieuously by strangers and especially vnder Samson by the Philistims for why we must know their horrible sinnes deserued it and prouoked God to deale with them in that manner yet they were neuer led into captiuitie while they liued with them Againe there were few of the Kings good men in Israel not one the Iudges for the most part were all such A good testimonie whereof we haue in the Epistle to the Hebrewes where we thus reade of the commendation of them The time would be too short
this time after Iosuahs death and they are to the eight verse and then for that which that tribe had done before his death in the rest of the verses to the 21. The first part of the Chapter To come to the meaning of the first 7. verses seeing they lie together after the death of Ioshua who had bin their guide and had gone before them the children of Israel saw that they must make warre with the forraine nations for vnto that day the whole land though it was promised and deuided amongst them was not yet wonne by them nor conquered but in the lot and inheritance of euery tribe there were the Canaanites their enemies still dwelling and remaining And seeing they knew they must be driuen out by force and strong hand as God had commanded therefore they doubted not whether they should goe out against them to warre or no but which tribe should first begin and goe before and gouerne the rest And the thing was of such waight that they went to the Lord about it and asked of him by the high Priest before the propitiatory and Mercy seat as the manner then was in doubtfull cases which of their tribes should begin the battaile And so they had an answere from him to their satisfaction who should goe vp before them and in that their attempt God prospered them for he had promised so to do And Iudah sought helpe of Simeon his brother and neighbour tribe who consented readily so to doe and they prospered in that their attempt and had victory ouer the Canaanites as is set downe together with the destruction of Adonibezek their King Thus much for the meaning of these 7. verses in some generall manner Now we haue the meaning of these verses it remaineth that we drawe from thence such instructions as are afoarded vs out of them beginning with these two former here set downe and first out of the first verse In that this people was now constrained to looke about them and now Ioshua was dead to doe that themselues for their peace and quiet which hee was wont to doe for them wee are taught that when chiefe speciall persons are taken away who were wont to beare the burden for many other then they who were left behinde must put forth themselues and take the more paine and be put to greater plondges then they were before Oh it is a great ease if men could consider it aright when they haue others to beare the brunt for them while they them selues may as it were sit in peace while our Sauiour Christ was conuersant with his disciples on earth he sheilded them prouided for them euery way and bare off the blowes from their shoulders As when the Pharisies cauilled with them whereby they might easily haue bin discouraged he tooke their part they being too weake and defended them So he said to Peter a litle before his ascention When thou wast young thou girdest thyselfe and wentest whither thou wouldest but when thou art old another shall girde thee and leade thee whither thou wouldest not When Kings gouerne wisely and conscionably the people sit vnder their vine and figtree as it was said they did that liued in the dayes of Salomon when hee had about him Nathan the Prophet Zadok the Priest Benaiah a most worthy Counseller with such like Also when people are setled vnder faithfull and able teachers who watch for their soules they liue as it were in a corner of heauen if they can see who obediently sit at their feete to heare them And so I may say of children who haue their prouident and godly parents to regard their welfare they know not what sorrow and trouble meane for the glory of children are their fathers And of other inferiours while they haue their good friends and gouernours about them who seeth not that they be priuiledged and prouided for aboue others but when all these faile then beginneth the woe and sorrow of all those whom they leaue behinde them which in the vnwelcome parting of couples in mariage the husband from the wife or she from her husband where true loue was betwixt them is daily seene and proued to the deepe sorrow of the longest liuer of both Al this which I haue said should what on such as are so backed by others to weigh the great goodnes of God in giuing them such helpes and to yeild them due reuerence loue and obedience in the Lord and to be more carefully giuen to euery good worke while they haue so great incouragements But because the inioying of such is made so common a matter and a thing of no great reioycing while they liue with them for according to the prouerbe we best know what a good thing is worth when wee feele the want of it therefore it were good for them to suppose oft times and to put the case that such worthy helpes and friends are taken from them and what they should then doe being left without them for as the vine wanting his raile to prop it vp runneth on the ground and waxeth wilde and vnfruitfull so inferiours being destitute of their godly superiours waxe degenerate and grow out of kinde lying open to mischiefe as Saul did after Samuels death But to speake the truth the more is the pitie this is rare and hardly to bee found that such take any great good by those helpes while they inioy them vnlesse it be in things temporary for their ease maintenance and seeking of liberty to the flesh neither when they forgoe them haue grace to bewaile the losse of them in any other respect then that which is earthly neither doe they looke to stand vp as they ought in the want and roome of them with care and confidence to become lightes and good examples and to keepe themselues from euill as they were kept some of them no doubt by their good friends before Such prouide ill for themselues seeing as it was with this people of Israel heere when Ioshua was dead that they had a great losse and were constrained now to looke better about them then they needed to doe before euen so they hauing now the like befalne them must now take the burden on themselues which was borne by others for them before The which being so men should make this vse of such changes to prouide and learne to want their good helpes and friends before hand and arme themselues as Iob did to looke for their change when they see they must needs forgoe them They should also acknowledge daily with hearty thankes to God what a benefit they haue of them while they inioy them and doe all good that they may by the helpe of them Which they cannot doe but they must of necessitie feele the losse of them to be very great and see that they must now lay their shoulders to the burden and therefore labour to be the fitter to beare and vndergoe it and to want them
to them because they had much prouoked them before and railed on them Therefore if any be troubled as these were with doubts especially in their conscience and bee in great straights and vnquietnesse through feare of Gods displeasure and wrath if they cannot with their owne knowledge put away their trouble of mind let them inquire of the men and brethren whom they are well perswaded off for resolution and comfort as they did who as they haue been instruments of God to pricke and wound them so are they also to helpe to ease them and they need not feare God hauing promised but that they shall find rest to their soules how impossible soeuer it seemed to them to bee so And this be said of the first verse In this next it is manifest that God gaue them an answer from the Propitiatory or Mercy-seate which they receiued by the high Priest for so hee vsed to doe and it was one of the ordinarie meanes whereby God spake to them in those daies And he did not onely so whereby they were satisfied their question being answered but he also incouraged them to goe to the worke he set them about promising them the victorie in that warre against the Canaanites saying I haue giuen their land into the hands of Iudah who shall goe before the rest in attempting the warre against them Out of the which words witnessing so gracious an answere to them from God we may clearely see that our seeking to God in our doubts and necessities is not in vaine neither is the labour lost in so doing For we are to know and be perswaded that God answereth his in their suites and demands and indeed otherwise it were a deadly discomfort and would discourage vs much from the well doing of dutie as it maketh we see the wicked at their wits end when they being in great danger can haue no helpe from God as we reade it was with Saul who when he sought to God and asked counsell of him to serue his owne turne thereby against the Philistims rather then to please him and hee answered him not hee in depth of sorrow complained and cried out saying The Lord hath forsaken mee and answereth me no more neither by Prophets nor by dreames But blessed be his name he dealeth not so with his neither let this trouble them for so they will say that although God answered this people of Israel here when they sought to him yet hee doth not so to vs now for they are to know that it is his promise to vs in all that we aske of him according to his will to grant it as well as here hee answered to them in that they asked Therefore in the Psalme he saith Call on me in the time of trouble and I will heare thee and thou shalt glorifie me which agreeth with the words of our Sauiour vttered to all his Aske and it shall be giuen you seeke and ye shall finde So that it is certaine that euery child of God that maketh his mone and thus poureth out his complaint to him shall be heard which should not a little whet vs on and animate vs to draw neere to God wee hauing so sure a word of promise that he will draw neere to vs. For in seeking to a mortall man in our distresse though he be little aboue vs we know how readily chearefully we goe about it when we are perswaded of a good answer and when we doubt not of his kind and louing affection toward vs and on the contrarie how hardly wee are drawne to sue to one that is alienated from vs. And seeing the care thus standeth betwixt God and vs that the oftener we come to him the more welcome wee are for this is as true as the former speech seeing such are most inward with him and beloued of him as Abraham Moses and Dauid who of others repaired oftest to him and receiued most of him I say seeing it is thus betwixt God and vs how lamentable is it and to be bewailed that this is not more common for men to repaire to God who if they could marke it may easily perceiue that while they neglect to doe so they increase their trouble and get nothing But seeing I am entred vpon this matter I thinke it not amisse to shew how three sorts offend about this The common sort wholly neglect and omit prayer altogether the first thinking that though they pray not they shall speed as well and haue as good lucke for so they terme it as others shall boldly affirming that they see no good come of it they and yet in their distresse they thinke they should pray but then they hauing neither will nor skill thereto in stead thereof do curse and rage for that they are not helped and deliuered though some of them do vtter words in their passion the Lord heares them not as we read Pro. 1. For it is all one as if they vttered none And though they cannot pray to God yet they make their complaints and moane to euery man that they haue acquaintance with and that will heare them And for them to breake their minds to them that cannot helpe them when yet they would so gladly finde helpe and to passe by him in whom there is present and sure helpe to be found what folly nay what madnesse is it for to say the truth God is not sought vnto in any sort of such no not when all other shifts faile as I haue said But to speake of the second sort who being professors a forwarder sort in religion then the former these should pray and that in faith confidence and repentance with comfort as well as in desire of obtaining the things which they want with patient waiting Gods leisure but euen they seeke not to God in this manner which yet is the onely right way of praying that he teacheth vs or alloweth in vs. For prayers made to him without these properties are but a bare noise of words vaine repetitions and idle speeches which God abhorreth neither may such looke to receiue any thing as S. Iames saith Ye aske and obtaine not because ye aske amisse And when they see they receiue not the things they aske euen they as well as the other who are further off doe gather and imagin though falselie and vniustly that prayer doth no good and that it is but lost labour seeing they are not heard in theirs when they pray amisse and so they waxe more slacke and negligent therein as the other omit it altogether And the lesse maruell it is seeing euen good Christians to come to the third sort who go farre beyond both do so forget themselues ofttimes and are so deluded by the diuell that euen they omit zealous and seruent praying and fall to pray coldly deadly so many vaine deluzions and alurements stand vp in their way to vnsettle them and misty clouds of trouble to discourage them And while it is thus with
the shame of Popery this that I haue said is to be marked for the professors thereof doe challenge them for their difficultie and hardnesse so as they are not to be suffered in the hands of the common people whom if they withheld not from the true vnfolding of them they might reape great profit by reading them Also to the iust reproofe of many both Atheists and other not much differing from them this is to be noted for they that is the Atheists scoffe at the Scriptures and bouldly iustle against Moses and Christ these who are the prophane as bouldly and yet blindly reason dispute and quarrell against some particular Scriptures which they vnderstand not as if they were competent iudges as that in the Psalme Moab is my washpot ouer Edome will I cast my shooe which yet is as they would see and acknowledge if they were not more bold and rash then wise and skilfull to very good purposes as setting downe Gods threatning of iudgements against his enemies as also that of Samsons tying foxes tailes together with firebrands to spoile the Philistimes corne with such like also they raile against the doctrine of predestination and the sinne against the holy Ghost But not counting them worth the answering I conclude seeing the Lord hath left the Scriptures so pure and free from all error the matters in them being so profitable and heauenly I conclude I say that if we desire to liue comfortably by the benefit of them let them bee our treasure while the world trample them vnderfoot yea and let our meditation and delight bee so much the more in them and that continually And this bee noted out of all these verses generally to the 17. in that they are a repetition out of Ioshua Now more particularly in that so worthy things were done by this Tribe before and that therefore they were chosen now rather then any of the other Tribes to guide the rest seeing that they were wisest and faithfullest in Gods matters as appeareth by the mentioning of these great actes done by them let it teach vs this that such as are wisest and faithfullest ought to bee vsed and placed in the chiefe roomes of the seruice of God aboue the rest So Paul was endued with excellent gifts and counted faithfull before God put him in his seruice and then he imployed him in the most waightie businesse So Ioshua sent faithfull spies to view the land of Canaan This thing had such force in the heathen Kings as in Pharaoh that hee preferred Ioseph aboue all the chiefe Nobles of the land though he was but a stranger saying where shall we find a man like this man fitted for this worke and in the Kings of Babylon that they committed the great and waighty matters of the Kingdome to Daniel and the three Children because they saw that the spirit of God was in them to doe well aboue others So Abraham trusted Eliezer his seruant in that waighty matter of the marriage of his sonne Isaac hauing none like him yea Ahab himselfe made Obadiah a worthy man Steward of his houshold though hee had inough of other beside The holy Ghost makes mention at large of those Worthies which Dauid for their good seruice in the warres against the enemies of the Lord exalted to the highest roomes next him So did Iehoiada Hence it is that the Wise man saith Wo to that land whose Princes are chilaren and being not fit for any gouernment rise vp earely to drink strong drink Yea Salomon being put to his choice desired an vnderstanding heart wisely to goe in and out before the people And such ought Masters of families Magistrates and Gouernours in Townes to be as well as Ministers And this order God hath set and taught vs in commending and commanding faithfulnes and diligence which are excellent vertues in seruāts who yet are the meanest persons therby teaching vs much more to prefer these gifts in them who are vsed and imploied in higher callings and places and so much the more if wisdome be ioyned with them And these qualities Iethro required in such magistrates as should be chosen and the like Paul required in such as are called to the ministry besides other like furniture which giueth vs great cause of mourning when wee see the contrary and of reioycing where these vertues are to bee seene and found in them who are put in trust And such should executors of willes and schoolemasters be into whose hands men are constrained to put their children and goods and comprimitters of cases betwixt neighbours should be like vnto them who are trusted with much oftentimes And this honour honest and faithfull men haue with many that in iudging of matters they will if their case be good desire to haue such to giue their sentence and iudgement for them in their doubtfull causes rather then others though they set not greatly by religion themselues And this ought to incourage vs all to labour for Gods graces seeing they make a man stand before the honorable though money fauour or other respects are the chiefe gifts which most obtaine great places by Now whereas a doubt may arise here where it is said that Iudah had taken Ierusalem how it appeares to haue been so seeing it is not expresly set downe in Ioshua chap. 10. To that I answere though it bee not plainely so said yet it may well be vnderstood by the things that are written there namely that the King of Ierusalem was taken and put to death and that Iudah dwelt in the citie and could not cast out the Iebusits that dwelt therein By which I say it appeareth that the citie was then taken although it was not as yet wholly possessed and so did they slay the inhabitants and set the city on fire Here by the occasion of the destroying of these cities Ierusalem Hebron Debir and others many let vs consider the desolation that God sendeth vpon goodly places and the inhabitants thereof when his hand is against them and when hee is purposed to blow vpon them and to set them as it were on the stage to the view of the world Yea doubtlesse when he pleaseth to take the iudgement into his hand all the beautie and glorie of the world must vanish at his presence and the gloriousest solemnities and monuments come to vtter decay And to put vs in mind hereof is this written and set downe to shew vs the changeable estate of the flourishingest prosperitie of flesh The which a man would thinke that should behold them in their beauty and time of their glory that the enioyers thereof did liue in a paradice and petty heauen euen here vpon earth whereas when God hath blowne vpon them they are more desolate then the winter and like to an house waste and ruinous When Nabuchadnezzar and the fooler in the Gospell prided themselues the one in his great Babell the other in his abundance
repentance And if the company and neere acquaintance with the godly be so precious then beware lest we forsake our fellowship as the manner of some is but make we much of such and let our delight be as Dauid said his was in the Saints that are on the earth and in such as excell in vertue And such as dwell among them and haue dealings with them as neighbours that are neere seated together must needs in some sort haue let them take heed that through commonnesse of liuing with them they waxe not wearie of this blessing as wee easily are brought to be and so we be easily alienated from them by testinesse and conceits as too many are euen by small occasions and for very trifles when we haue yet learned one to beare anothers burthen and religion teacheth vs to make especiall account of and in any wise to seeke peace with them and insue and follow after it though it flie from vs that by so doing all may say we be the very disciples of Christ indeed for that we so loue one another Thus let them doe good and take good mutually together euery way as they can But to whom are good people commonly daintiest euen to such as dwel a farre off from them God declaring thereby that they who dwell by them are blind in not discerning and seeing what such a benefit is worth and therefore that they prouoke God to giue them their habitation and to send them among such as they themselues be that is vnquiet and froward people yea and worse then so I meane prophane skorners that they may thereby the better know what godly friendship is worth who if they had been wise would haue kept themselues well while they were well that is in better company I haue seene in my time some that tooke a pritch against such as feared God and were truly religious and in their distempered heate and ouerhastie dislike and wearinesse of their fellowship though they were farre better then themselues thus are men caried of their sections rashly wilfully and in passion in this their heate I say they would needs resolue to remoue their dwelling and when they had made choice of it to their owne liking when no perswasions might stay them from it they were so handled by strangers that knew not God nor their duties and so vexed and crossed among them that they cried out one to another Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell in Meshec meaning that they were then so troubled with them that had no pitty nor regard of them that they with shame confesse then and cry out that godly neighbours are a treasure and wished with much losse to dwell by them againe This example of the Kenites should further teach vs that though it is both lawfull and meete to regard maintenance yet we ought to respect chiefly in remoouing our dwellings the true knowledge of God which now is to be attained of vs by a sound ministery and that is seldome without some whose companie is to bee desired and whose acquaintance may make our liues sweet and ioyfull As Ruth the Moabitesse did therefore follow her mother in law Naomi into the holy land out of her owne country and could not be plucked from her by all the prerogatiues thereof her kindred acquaintance and such like It was the commendation of strangers as we oft reade in the Scriptures that when they saw Gods blessing vpon the Iewes they turned to their religion and said with Ruth to Naomi thy God shall be our God whereas we see that the most sort are rather content to part with some good commoditie then they would dwell among Gods people thinking it a bondage to liue with such as will not run to the same excesse of riot with them Commonly when men change their dwellings they respect some sinister end thereof as profit or the fulfilling of their lusts and let religion goe where it will But to passe from these such a mind should they haue as Ruth and the like had that trauell into farre countries to see them that they might with the Queene of the South seeke the wisdome of God to guide them as well as to see the countries or reape commodities and pleasures there or else it is out of question that they shall bring home the vaine fashion with the rude and heathenish manners thereof to the tainting of other and their owne vtter vndoing as by too wofull experience we see at this day To returne from trauellers to the other and though I confesse that men in their remoouing their dwelling may yea and must regard their commoditie yet not that only but withall they should with Abraham set vp an alter that is retaine Gods true worship and see how it may be vpholden where they shall become VERS 17. But Iuda went with Simeon his brother and they shew the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath and vtterly destroyed it and called the name of the city Hormah 18. Also Iuda tooke Azzah with the coastes thereof and Ashkelon with the coastes thereof and Ekron with the coastes thereof 19. And the Lord was with Iudah and he possessed the mountaines for hee could not driue out the Inhabitants of the valleyes because they had chariots of iron NOw this 16. verse of the Kenites being spoken of we are come to an end of the long repetition of the actes of Iudah done in the time Ioshua mentioned frō the 8. verse to this 16. which was as we heard interlaced and here the holy Ghost returneth to Simeon and Iudah and proceedeth in these two verses to set downe other actes of theirs after Ioshuahs death as he began to doe in the beginning of this chapter vnto the 8. verse and sheweth how they destroyed another city of the Canaanites Zephath by name and that they tooke more cityes besides which were after as by their names here sett downe we know possessed of the Philistines Now it is to be noted that they wasted some of the cityes vtterly by fire as Hazor and Iericho and so they delt with this here mentioned Zephath whereas they inhabited others of them Why they delt so with this it is not sett downe but they did as they were commanded We are sure it was that God might shew his kindnesse to Israel when some of them were vtterly subuerted where greatest danger was to be feared and to testifie his seueritie and his iustice to such of his enemies and therefore it is not for any to crie out of it as crueltie which the righteous God saw meet to be done And by this we must learne that though wee bee forbidden to hate the persons of our enemies yet when wee bee set by the Lord to execute iudgement vpon them our eie must not spare them vnder the colour of charitie or compassion for their propernesse manhood or any other foolish respect Neither may we do the worke of the Lord
all the Tribes suffered the nations who were their enemies to remaine among them contrary to the commandement of God in the booke of Numbers for thus he saith When ye are come ouer Iordan into the land of Canaan ye shall driue out all the inhabitants of the land before you And a little after If ye will not driue out the inhabitants of the land before you then those whom ye let remaine of them shall be prickes in your eies and thornes in your sides and shall vex you in the land wherein you dwell The first of the Tribes that is said to haue suffered the Canaanites to remaine in their coasts that excepted that wee heard of Iuda in vers 19. and did not cast them out was Beniamin which was neere to Iuda And although it be said in Ioshua that the Tribe of Iuda could not cast out the Iebuzites that inhabited Ierusalem but burnt some peece of the citie yet there it is said they dwelt with them therein so it is said here of Beniamin seeing that citie of the Iebusites was a part of it in the lot of them and part in the lot of Iuda that they dwelt also with Beniamin still and were not cast out till the time of Dauid but they of Beniamin built it againe after Iuda had burnt it Now seeing they had a precise commandement from God to expell the Iebusites thence it was their sinne that they did it not the least that they may be charged with was slouth and negligence and the seeking of their owne ease which to doe in things forbiden is most dangerous By this then we see the euil that sloathfulnesse and ease seeking bringeth to wit this that itselfe holdeth a man from obeying God though there should be nothing else to doe it And that is when for the ease and pleasure which is taken therein men dull the edge of courage and forewardnesse to good duties which was in them before such an one is the slouthfull whose words are these A lion is in the way meaning thereby that hee cannot labour euen as a man in a sweet slumber is most vnwilling to be awaked This slouth is a sweet poyson keepe from it he that can but he that doth not it will slea him as Salomon saith As the common sluggard doth loath and shun labour and therefore loueth to bee doing any trifling thing rather then to worke and be well occupied so doth hee that is slow in the duties of Gods seruice he lets them passe and omits the opportunity of doing them which ought much to be regarded For as a word spoken in season is much worth euen like apples of gold and pictures of siluer euen so is an act or deed done in due time as namely among other that wise and godly courage of Ester shewed in due season in going to the King for the preseruing and sauing her owne life and her peoples from the traine that Hamon had laid for them in season Oh euen so is forewardnes and readinesse to goe about the worke and businesse that God inioyneth vs in euery condition of life But there are extremities on both sides There are some that fall to their worke but looke after nothing else whereas all should be first sanctified to God themselues first that then their workes may be accepted of him Others would seeme and be taken for godly but they are carelesse and slacke in following the works of their callings nay they condemne the prouident and diligent as worldly and miserable muckwormes Both these are extreames to bee auoided of Christians by ioyning both callings together I meane religion and labour But for this sloath to say a little more of it if wee take not great heed the best of Gods seruants may soone be drawne to it and no way sooner then if we begin to waxe wearie of well doing in our generall or particular calling and suffer our selues to be plucked from our stedfastnesse therein by the error of the wicked and to be caught and snared with the deceitfulnes of sin for so we are rocked a sleepe ere we be aware in which case it shall be no easie matter to awake or bring our selues backe againe into our former good course And so shall we liue vnprofitable fit onely to consume and wast the good benefits of God Oh! what a death it is to a sloathfull person to be vrged to the duty that he hath cast off and hath now no pleasure in nor ability vnto as to a Minister to preach in his old age who looked not after it in his youth to the which estate he hath brought himself euē as a ruinous house falleth downe altogether when it is let go to decay for want of repairing in time For the remedying of the which mischiefe in al that are annoyed with it I see no better direction then that which our Sauior hath giuen vs in these words when he saith occupie till I come Whereby he meaneth not only the worke of our calling but also that euery one that will prosper should vse his talent euen such gifts as God hath bestowed vpon him as knowledge wealth time grace and such like to the doing of good with them and not to bury them vnprofitably in the earth For beside that the fruit of idlenesse is pouertie theft beggery c. God also loueth and blesseth the painefull and diligent and thus if we be carefull after Gods direction to bee well occupied wee shall bee free as from other euils so from this danger of sloath The like counsell to that which our Sauiour giueth is that of Saint Paul to the Ephesians that they redeeme the time that is buy it out of the hands of idlenesse vnprofitablenesse and euill and then employ it faithfully to necessarie vses and ends And the rather because so much pretious time is already spent in vaine let that which remaineth be better passed to recouer our losse The life of a Christian can least of all other stand with idlenes It is without respect of the particular calling as husbandry marchandize or other trading full of diligent heed taking that the conscience may be kept pure and good but much more al may see when labour in these is adioyned to the other therefore the punishment of the sloath is not small but as the Wise man teacheth The idle mans backe shall be clothed with ragges and his belly pinched and starued for want of food and by this wee may guesse what his soules diet shall be It followeth VERS 22. They also that were of the house of Ioseph went vp to Bethel and the Lord was with them VERS 23. And the house of Ioseph caused to view Bethel and the name of the citie before time was Luz VERS 24. And the spies saw a man come out of the citie and they said vnto him shew vs we pray thee the way into the citie and we will shew thee mercy VERS 25. And
wee find it so acknowledge with admiration Gods goodnesse in that he spareth and freeth vs from such streights and not only so but also from so many great calamities and casualties as we are kept from and much more if our life bee freed from smaller afflictions also but most of all if we be loaden with his benefits Which I speake to the iust reproofe of such as hauing their part in all these yet passe ouer all blockishlie and vnthankfully but if some crosse befals them then they break out against God impatiently and brutishly Secondly make we this vse of it that seeing we are all subiect hereto and by our iust deserts bee alwaies in danger and feare to be thus abased therfore to be humbled and prepare our selues daily for them and as Iob did to looke for our change Thirdly we haue little need to trouble our selues with an ill conscience any manner of way and so to procure needles sorrow if wee be daily in danger of so great vexations And lastly set we little by the best things here they being subiect to a thousand changes but lay we vp treasure for our selues that shall neuer fade nor be taken from vs. And to them that obiect vpon this that seeing we may fall into so many and great streights what prerogatiue haue the righteous and what shall they doe liuing in such an estate as well as other I say let them trust in God and feare him that so it may be well with them as he hath promised it shall and so doing he will keepe many such calamities from them and giue them deliuerance out of many such difficulties and turne those that abide vpon them to their singular benefit and good or receiue them vnto glory when others in the meane while shall be at their wits end with the strangenesse of their plagues or which is much worse bee cast into hell This we haue to learne by occasion of the man Now of the spies The spies offered him kindnesse if he would shew them the way into the citie in that they dealt kindly with him rather then roughly and cruelly seeking such a matter at his hands they did as became them But hee being one of the cursed nations how could they ye wil aske promise him mercy for though they did so to Rahab before yet she turned to their religion and so did the Gibeonites serue them as bondmen and imbraced their religion also But no such thing can be said of this man for hee went vnto the Hittites out of the seuen cursed nations and dwelt there I answere we must interpret the lawes of God against the Canaanites and concerning the rooting them out by mitigating them with this equity that if they made peace with Israel they should not roote them out And this appeares by that which is written in Ioshua that these nations were rooted out seeing none of them saue the Gibeonites made peace with the Hebrewes And this being so teacheth all men to deale euen with the bad kindly and to be harmelesse toward them And though they be of them who haue deserued punishment as this man of the citie Bethel might by as good right haue been put to the sword as the rest in the citie vntil he yeelded himselfe yet for as much as they be in misery they are to bee pitied vnlesse their facts be horrible and beyond the course of common trespasses in which case they must be punished by authoritie accordingly for in so dealing with them there is hope that their harts may be mollified and they in time be brought to repentance whereas by rigor and rough handling of them they will questionlesse be hardened And if they fall into the Magistrates hand and must needs for their fault bee put to death it is enough that they haue that inflicted vpon them which is their due though they bee not pursued with crueltie also Ioshuas dealing with Achan who yet for his trespasse must bee put to death may be a paterne for all men to teach them to auoid crueltie and to shew kindnesse and mercie to such as bee in miserie Thus hee saith when his sinne was found out against him My sonne giue glory to the God of Israel and make thy confession to him and shew me now what thou hast done And as Ioshuas example for his louing dealing toward the offender Achan is to be highly commended so the contrary is as odious in the Preists and Iewes for when they had gotten that which they sought at Pilats hands to haue our Sauiour against all law to be condemned they were not content with that but most cruelly and despitefully handled him with mocks and taunts and all disgrace that might be But it was as good as might be looked for at their hands But while I am minding this matter of dealing kindly and mercifully with the afflicted it commeth to my remembrance among many other things iustly to be wailed how lamentable the estate of malefactors is in some places at least in this land as they are miserable throughout their whole life so especially at their death they are most of all seeing that after they be condemned that they goe to execution without any meanes to bring them to conscience of their wicked liues feare of the iudgement to come and to some knowledge and hope of eternall life whereas if it pleased those which are in authoritie some fit Minister of God might be appointed to take them in hand after they be adiudged to die I will not say what good might be done to the poore prisoners thereby But for mine owne part when I was young and able to trauell I did that dutie myselfe ofttimes in compassion of their misery and saw blessing on my labours and the word which I preached to them in that little time which they had to prepare themselues I saw it I say to be apparantly blessed of God to my great contentment and comfort and good hope of them I remember well that at sundry times that though I was but a stranger to them yet after that I had through Gods blessing brought them to see their damnable and miserable estate by means of their sin and had shewed them that euen then they were nearest mercie I was receiued of them with great liking especially after they had tasted of the glad tidings of the Gospell to quiet and comfort their heauie hearts Yea I may truly say as I did clearely see I was to them more then their owne father could haue been vnto them for the message brought vnto them And beside this that I haue said of them the like meditation vnto this I had of the estate of many people in the land who run as swiftly to hell as the other through ignorance most falsely called the mother of deuotion but rather the mother of all mischiefe and confusion also prophanenesse and other grosse sinnes though not so lyable to the law of
to marke For we are easily deceiued about this and thinke both of our selues and others that if we beginne to dislike and turne away from some grosse and common faults that wee were wont to commit then the worst is past with vs and that wee ought iustly to bee reckoned among the godly whereas it is nothing so but we be yet for all that farre off For a farre greater matter is required to the endeuour effectuall calling to repentance may be approued of God and be sound indeed as in other places I haue shewed how we ought to try and search into our selues and cannot now stand about it But although wee were truly turned to God and had as these obeyed God for a time with a good heart yet ought we to feare danger in respect of our owne frailty and according to the present occasion when wee see to what point these tribes came for all they had followed the Lord commendably for a time in beginning to cast out the nations as they were commanded And the reason of this to wit that wee should thus carefully looke to our selues is this that we are reformed but in part and that in small part in which respect yet because we haue receiued some grace we are able thereby to desire and goe about to doe God some seruice and specially at some time namely while we be watchfull to hold vnder our rebellious passions assisted by grace but what then For wee hauing a sea of corruption euer flowing in vs and our owne concupiscence beside outward obiects enticing vs a contrary way it must be drained and purged out daily by little and little and not bee let alone in vs lest it should choake and drowne the grace that we haue receiued which if it be wee become impotent by and by so that wee doe not onely cease to obey but wee are carried rather as with a streame to any euill that we be tempted to and namely to this one heere mentioned that ouertooke these tribes that is to be wearie of well doing and so much the rather seeing there are so many allurements and occasions in euery place to prouoke vs and set vs forward And although we are not without helpe nor naked in the middest of all these stormes yet if wee know not these things yea and if also wee doe not resist carefully such euill as I haue mentioned neither striue to nourish such sparkles of grace as are kindled in vs our hearts being set wholly hereupon as the waightiest thing that we haue to deale in what maruell is it though wee fall from the goodnesse that was wrought and begun in vs and so become others then we were before Which I speake not as though we must do nothing but watch and resist some one or few inticements which would I grant soone waxe tedious to vs neither is that imposed vpon vs by God but we are to know that while we bee aiming at one good thing or other our worke goeth well forward so as wee doe wisely labour to discerne among good things what the best is and most necessary to bee done for the time and what sinne and corruption is most to bee resisted Thus I haue stood somewhat long in this point to shew how easily we may possibly fall from our stedfastnesse in a good course and what care should bee in vs against the contrary which I entred into as ye may remember by so good an occasion of the coldnesse and declining of the tribes from the knowne commandement Now I will goe forward as my purpose was to shew somewhat more particularly how we vse to decline and breake off good beginnings euen as these tribes did who began well to execute Gods commandement for a season in rooting out his enemies but went not forward And this let vs see in some sort both in our selues and also toward others For the first we cannot bee ignorant that many of vs of good hope haue sometimes carefully searched into our selues to finde out such corruptions of our hearts as haue brought our whole liues out of frame and therein wee haue done God good seruice and when wee haue found them out as carelesnesse slothfulnesse vncleane desires and worldlinesse c. we haue had them in the chase and hunted them with disgracing them watching and praying heartily against them for a time This also hath been another peece of good seruice done vnto the Lord but our not being alwaies alike forward but neglecting care as through corruption and vntowardnesse it will soone come to passe and the vse of good meanes or our feruency therein Oh how haue wee drooped and hanged the wing yea and if more speedy heed hath not been taken how neare haue we been brought to this bondage to bee well content to let these and such like our sinnes to be quiet in vs without any great pursuit or offering of any great violence to them till they haue recouered some strength in vs againe and preuailed and begun in most vnseemely manner to master vs and bring forth noisome fruit euen like themselues as the Canaanites did grow strong and mighty against Israel when they were not held downe as God required but suffered to liue and be let alone But to proceed no further in this if these noisome weeds be not plucked vp how can good seed bring forth her fruit for all may easily see what followeth seeing the roofe must needs totter if the ground-sels bee pluckt away therefore if we slothfully suffer ourselues to grow to this point who seeth not that we offend God as sore and as grieuously prouoke him to displeasure by such disobedience as these tribes did by making a league with the Canaanites and not expelling them as they began and should still haue done For the transgression is alike in both and that of one and the same commandements while they ought to haue rooted out persons out of the land and we sinnes out of our hearts and liues Thus I haue shewed how like we are to the Canaanites in suffering sinnes in ourselues which should haue been rooted out rather now let vs also see it in some particular manner how we be too like them in our dealings toward others For euen as they failed in suffering the Canaanites to remaine amongst them and did not expell them so doe wee suffer them who are little better then Canaanites in their behauiour and manners to abide therein till they corrupt and taint them that dwell among them as if an infection were dispersed round about to poyson mens bodies The people of Israel set themselues to seeke their owne quietnesse and ease though they broke the commandement of God in letting the Canaanites liue still and abide in the land And to this point things are come in our daies that whatsoeuer God command to bee done and good and wholesome lawes enioyne against many fowle sinnes yet if the executing of them require labour
faith hope ioy in the holy Ghost feare of offending and such like that they lie dead in them as if they had no part in them and they hauing no vse of them to strengthen them to any good doing although they be in themselues profitable to all holy vses whereas in the meane while who would lose his sweet communion with God if he bee wise enough to consider what I say though it should neuer be brought against them no though it were but for an houre or a day with the comforts belonging thereto which yet these whom I haue spoken of when they haue sinned against their knowledge doe depriue themselues of whole moneths and yeeres And why doe they thus If they sustained all this as from their triall from God their patience were commendable or if it were possible to honour him thereby it were some commendation to them but when it is for the hauing of their owne will amisse and for the enioying the pleasures of sinne for a short season oh how lamentable is it to thinke So that this wisedome shall well beseeme the seruants of God to giue all diligence to keepe well while they are well and in no wise to haue their teeth set on edge with the deceiueable baites of sinne which the world so greedily runneth after forasmuch as they shall see how deare it shall cost them and yet let them know this that such shall not bee onely void of the forementioned graces but they shall also smart through many punishments And now if it be so hard for them to come to repentance when they haue fallen who yet before had enioyed that gift soundly how much further off are they who neuer haue part in it at all neither are like to haue euen as wee see by daily experience how fearefull an estate is that to liue in vnlesse they wait on God diligently in the ordinance of preaching to attaine it Now wee haue heard how God was faine to prouoke them to repentance before they could set themselues toward it It followeth to see by what reason he vrged them to it after I haue said a little of the places heere mentioned Gilgal was a citie in the plain of Iordan not farre from Iericho from this Gilgal the messenger is said to haue come And Bochim is a place neare adioyning to it in which this message was done to the people of Israel who had by their sins caused it It was not called Bochim before but had the name giuen by occasion of that which fell out there that is the weeping of the people when their sinnes were brought to their remembrance for so the word Bochim signifieth namely weeping At this place therefore to returne to the purpose the Lord told them of their disobedience and beginneth to make it odious to them by rehearsing his benefits great and many as if hee should say what cause haue I giuen you to deale thus vnthankefully and disobediently with me Hath my kindnesse been thus requited of you that you returne me euill for my good will Heere as in sundry other places wee may see what effects the benefits of God doe commonly worke in men and that is forgetfulnesse of them and vnthankfulnesse for them and a meane account making of them also boldnesse in seeking of carnall liberty thereby vnto the which we are so readily caried and to prouoke God much more then if they had neuer enioyed them little remembring that the Lord giues them a watchword that they should rather looke in all things to be thankefull Iustly therefore was this people heere chalenged for their vnthankefulnesse This was the cause why they were warned before that they should take heed when they were come into the land of promise and should there possesse great and goodly cities which they builded not and houses full of all manner of goods which they filled not and wels which they digged not vineyards and Oliue trees which they planted not and when they had eaten and should be full they were warned I say that they should beware they forgot not the Lord which brought them out of the land of Egypt c. signifying vnto them that wealth and ease would goe nigh to make them to forget Gods mercies by which they were deliuered out of their miseries By which wee see the peruersenesse of our depraued nature which turnes the wholesomest food into poyson as the corrupt stomacke doth the daintiest meates We abhorre him who hauing receiued freely good turnes and benefits forgetteth his benefactor when hee is promoted c. yet it is certaine that men are the worse for Gods benefits and are more bold in sinning against him by the abundance of his earthly and common blessings So Dauid confesseth that before he was afflicted hee went astray so that his benefits wee see did him not so much good as his chasetisements And so Ieremy said that he was as an vntamed calfe till God corrected him Wofull experience teacheth how rare the man is who may truly say otherwise to wit that benefits knit his heart neerely to God before he bee taught it by affliction And yet we must know that neither that of it owne nature draweth men to loue and obey God any more then his benefits but as God worketh that grace of his especiall fauour without which our whole life is meere disobedience I say further then his grace guideth vs and keepeth vs within compasse in both estates Common blessings and generall we thinke and say belong to others as well as to vs and as for speciall and priuate while we reape and feele them we say Blessed be God but wee are not for the most part knit to him in dutie euer the more The tenne leapets being cleansed returned not to giue thankes saue one And hee to whom tenne thousand talents were remitted shewes this fruit of his thankefulnesse that he caught his fellow by the throat who owed him an hundred pence bidding him pay that he owed And why this For the heart of man naturally is puffed vp with prosperity and vaine estimation of himselfe and hee prideth in that which will be his ouerthrow and waxeth hardened and is so far off from humility and meane thinking of himselfe that all may perceiue who can rightly iudge that it maketh him prouder and more scornefull yea vtterly vnlike him he should be and disguised and yet to become great and get much in this vale of misery while things of greatest price are not asked after how eagerly doe men runne after it as fish follow the baite with greedinesse nay they laugh all such to scorne that find fault with them for so doing and who doe not follow them in that excesse and let better things passe by them as little worth yea and yet this doe they who lawfully come by wealth and promotion and to whom the Lord giueth prosperity without any indirect or vnlawfull meanes euen such I say doe offend in the like
after they become as choakes and bitter vomiting vnto vs. We may not thinke that their ending will bee as their beginning at the committing of them when Adam should eate the fruit forbidden oh how the Serpent baited it with pleasantnesse to the tast beautifulnes to the eye but vnspeakeable benefit to his fond perswasion for that it should bring with it the knowledge of good and euill to make them like vnto God himselfe But when it was tasted of them what gall or wormewood was euer like bitter vnto it what thornes did pricke the heart of Dauid after that hee had been deceiued and ouercome with the bait that the diuell had laid to catch him withall what thornes I say did pricke him after as in that Psalme made by him doth liuely and plentifully appeare and in some other which lay out his sorrow shame anguish doubting and fearing that hee had lost all grace by hauing his desire in committing of that sinne And it is the best that can bee said of those who hauing hauing had warnings and charges giuen them to tie vp their vnruly affections and outragious lusts and not to dallie with the sinnes that they haue been allured by haue yet been so farre from regarding such instructions that they haue giuen ouer themselues vnto these defilements They haue I say found them thornes as Dauid did though few of them haue euer had the thorne plucked out of their flesh to disquiet them no more as he had I meane to bee brought to sound and kind repentance as he was The third punishment was that their gods should bee snares vnto them A snare we know is set to take and catch the bird or conie vnawares that so it may be killed at the pleasure of him that set it And so hee shewes them that they not foreseeing wisely that their not rooting these nations out would proue a ioyning with them in the worshipping of their gods and so would become their destruction for their so foolithly running into the snare he shewes them I say that they should be taken therein and fall thereby and by other noisome sinnes into the hands of the Lord who would scourge them grieuously one generation after another till they should perish out of that good land And euen so it came to passe and they found all true that was told them for to those enemies to whom they had most wickedly ioyned themselues in league they were often in subiection and bondage and thereby spoiled of all their goods liberties and blessings and afterward cast out of the land among the Babylonians and Assyrians And by this wee may see that by idolatrous and wicked company keeping wee haue snares set for vs to bring vs in fellowship with them in their fowlest sinnes For so the Lord hath said if wee will conuerse and haue fellowship with them by making of marriages and eating with them wee shall also fall to their fashions and partake with them in their sinnes as this people did For great is the force of friendship to draw vs to that which wee neuer intended nay against which we resolued to keepe our selues And who is strong enough among vs to withstand all the allurements perswasions of carnall friends wee being oft in their company who haue so many waies to draw and allure vs but that one time or other he shall bee constrained to yeeld or if he should not how can he beare al the dislikes frownings displeasures and hard handlings with the which hee shall bee set vpon and pursued And we see as much and theremedie is to refraine their companies and neare fellowship with them altogether and yet although we do so and thereby bee free from danger on that side yet wee must know that without as great care had to keepe our liues free from all other offences wee shall some other way lie open to some of them whereby as great danger is like to ensue And by this gather that wee should neither bee idle nor vnprofitable in the acknowledgement of Christ if wee seeke to prosper But seeing we behold the practise and vnwearied labour of the bad and popish sort to winne men to their vngodly course this one thing I must adde more particularly Let vs that professe our selues Christians be ashamed to bee so carelesse and slothfull in the companies where we come to draw and moue men to faith and repentance and to stirre vp better persons to loue and to good workes and through selfe loue so to please our selues in rotten talke as we doe And this be said of the punishments Now I haue set downe the words of Gods messenger whereby hee sought to turne the people from their sinnes vnto God by repeating his benefits and by reproofes and threats I should heere haue ended with his speech but that I seē an occasion of propounding an obiection and doubt will be taken from hence For which cause I will set it downe and answere it before I goe to any new matter The obiection is this seeing the messenger of God mouing them to repentance doth with his reprouing and conuicting them make no mention of faith it may seeme that faith was not of such price then as it is now no mention being made of it or if it were that the people might be driuen to desperation rather then brought to repentance being not encouraged to beleeue the pardon of their sin as well as to forsake it To the which I answere first that they could not be moued to repentance if they had not had with all encouragement perswasion to beleeue for though hee name not faith expresly yet seeing repentance and that cannot be separated neither could repentance therefore be vrged vpon them without it Secondly I say this people did repent as it is cleere by the text therefore they also beleeued And thirdly the messenger repeating Gods promises to them what doth he but finde fault with them for not beleeuing the same before I conclude therefore that hee moued them to beleeue which is the chiefe thing in our turning to God And so let all bee perswaded though it bee not alwaies expressed euen as it was said to the Iaylor when hee asked what hee should doe to bee saued beleeue in the Lord Iesus And as without faith it is impossible to please God so let it bee looked vnto principally that we rise vp and lie downe and walke accompanied with that for so we shall resist the tentations allurements and discouragements with other difficulties of this life This being thus answered now I proceed to the second point in this first part of the chapter and that is the fruit of the sermon that the people reaped by it which was repentance and that is set downe in these two verses not in expresse words but by signes thereof and those are set downe to bee three The first was that they lifted vp their voice the second
notorious and knowne sinnes and let them endeauour to giue good example without wearinesse that so they may bee free from such fearefull offences And this be said of the peoples repentance To all the former instructions out of these two verses this I adde that if the bitter weeping of the people there caused the place to take the name from thence so that to this day it is retained and is called a place of weeping and further we see how long the remembrance of it is kept for many yeeres after then it doth strongly commend to vs what care we should haue while we liue to possesse the generations comming after vs of good examples giuen by vs among them that liue with vs which may doe good when we are gone either Ministers by their diligent and feruent preaching and godly liuing or the people in more then ordinary receiuing the message of the Gospell with thanksgiuing and other commendable fruits following The place of such inhabitants whether it receiue a name from such things done there as this Bochim did heere or no it is not so materiall But this is to bee thought that the remembrance of such good things done them might harten and encourage many that shall come after them not in that place onely but also in many other to follow such examples But whether they doe or no this is too true that no vile actions shall bee done to leade the people from God and goodnes no disorder I meane vnruly behauiour and reuell rout keeping but their example shall bee taken vp to be sure not onely of them that haue seene them but also of them who shall come after them hauing heard of them and be made customes if not petty lawes among themselues as the custome of spending the twelue daies at the Natiuity c. doth too truly testifie And thus I end THE THIRTEENTH SERMON ON THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The second part of the Chapter VERS 6. Now when Ioshus had sent the people away the children of Israel went euery man into his inheritance to possesse the land 7. And the people had serued the Lord all the daies of Ioshua and all the daies of the elders that outliued Ioshua which had seene all the great workes of the Lord that he had done for Israel 8. But Ioshua the sonne of Nun the seruant of the Lord died when hee was an hundred and tenne yeeres old 9. And they buried him in the coasts of his inheritance in Timnah-heres in mount Ephraim on the north side of mount Gaash 10. And so all that generation was gathered vnto their fathers and another generation arose after them which neither knew the Lord nor yet his workes which he had done for Israel 11. Then the children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord serued Baalim 12. And forsooke the Lord God of their fathers which brought them out of the land of Egypt and followed other Gods euen the gods of the people that were round about them and bowed vnto them and prouoked the Lord to anger 13. So they forsooke the Lord and serued Baal and Ashteroth NOw followeth the second part of the chapter to the end which also containeth the summe of the rest of the second part of the booke vnto the 17. chapter and setteth downe the estate of the children of Israel vnto the death of Sampson and that was after this manner 1. The people prouoked God by their sinnes 2. God punished them for them and that by other nations 3. He raised vp Iudges to them and 4. When they cried vnto him deliuered them 5. After that they brake forth and fell to Idolatry againe And this was their estate all the time that passed till the acts mentioned in the 17. chapter as is shewed by perticular examples through all the chapters before that beginning in the third But if any see reason not to consent that these verses in this second part of this chapter doe lay forth the summe of the second part of the booke in generall it maketh no great matter He must yet grant that in them is set downe the estate of the people generally at the time after Ioshuas death who knew not the Lord and in the chapters following more perticularly vnto the seuenteenth chapter The distinct matters in this second part of the chapter are these fiue now mentioned 1. Their sinne 2. Their punishment 3. Their crying to God 4. Deliuerance 5. Their reuolting The first of them was their sinne the which is set downe from the eleuenth verse to the fourteenth with the occasion that they tooke to fall in that manner and that is from the sixth verse to the eleuenth And the occasion was the death of Ioshua and other good gouernours heere mentioned that outliued him for though in their time the people serued the Lord as heere it is said yet after them arose another generation that knew not the Lord and then they forsooke him Of these now as it followes in order And first let vs consider what is said of Ioshua then of the people and lastly of them both Of Ioshua first in his life and so come to his death then of the people after his death In that it is said of him that he had sent the people away to their inheritance before he died as it is recorded Iosh 24. it causeth a question to bee moued why hee had called them together before his death that appeareth in the chapter mentioned now throughout vnto the 28. verse and it was to this end to rehearse Gods benefits to them and to exhort them to serue the Lord and this was a little before his death at which time also he renewed a couenant betwixt the Lord and the people the like to which we reade that Iehoida did betwixt the Lord and Ioash the King And so did Nehemiah Iosiah and other whose rare godly example is set forth most clearly and liuely to be a patterne to all Christian magistrates euen the highest how they should count it their greatest honour to honour the Lord among the people and cause them to doe so likewise to aduance his true worship also and therefore to see true and sound doctrine taught and not to suffer superstition nor false opinions to bee thrust vpon the Church and to prouide as neare as may be that the people may know that they doe not require these things of them for fashion but in sincerity and that seeing the Lord is a plentifull rewarder of them that seeke him therefore they must not thinke themselues discharged in that they prouide for the outward peace of the people only wherein yet they doe very commendably but that they may liue godly also because vnder God they are the maintainers and preseruers of both tables And the best that they can yeeld the Lord for aduancing them is to serue him in feare themselues and kisse the sonne and prouide that others may doe so and that
in mount Ephraim in the place mentioned in the text and that without superstition Now concerning buriall wee are to know that God hath appointed that it should bee for the honest and decent couering of the body vntill the resurrection day and that the bodies of the faithfull should bee as it were laid vp in the earth in hope of their honour at the last day though many righteous persons haue by the cruelty of their enemies especially been denied this liberty of buriall which is the comliest manner of bestowing them but it hindred not their happinesse Beside the bodies of God children for that they bee the temples of the holy Ghost ought if it may be decently to be buried and not to be cast forth into the fields And it was a kind of a curse to Iehoiakim to be buried like an asse But to say no more of this yet about buriall I adde one thing that whereas it goeth against the edge with men and women that their bodies should so bee abased at that time as to be wrapped and wound vp and laid in graue some of them hauing liued sumptuously and daintily heere before and therefore costly cloathed and in fine apparell they must know that this mortality and corruption must by Gods ordinance bee put off before immortality and glory can be put on and that this abasement together with the laying of them by the walles in the vtmost and meanest roomes which were wont to haue their abode in the costliest and seemeliest places as also the homely laying forth of them by meane people they themselues in their life time hauing had company with the wealthier and better sort this I say with all other abasements and disgrace serueth to this end euen to abate and pull downe the pride of men that is in them and to cause them to esteeme meanely of their bodies in their flourishingest estate which they haue too much pampered and gloried in by setting out of them so vainely It is a fit cooling and check for such as haue so abused them to see in the vsage of other mens what shall be done to their owne As for other who haue glorified God in their bodies and vsed them as meet instruments of their soules to make them fitter to serue God they knowing that their graue is made by the graue of Christ a sweet bed for their bodies to sleepe in till by the power of his resurection they shall rise to partake eternall life with their soules and that it is not as a prison or dungeon to locke them vp in till the resurrection of condemnation as whereto the wicked are reserued they I say knowing this are not dismaied but comforted in thinking of this And further they hauing learned that it is appointed that all shall once die and that such abasement of their bodies must bee before they enioy immortality and glory they I say doe both submit themselues willingly thereunto while they liue heere rather then take a pride in their bodies as too many doe yea euen in their haire and they bewaile the sinne rather which hath brought such reproch and farre greater misery then that vpon men and with our Sauiour despise the shame that is set before them and beare contentedly such reproch in certaine hope of the glory which they are going to To this which I haue said of burial one thing more let vs consider that seeing Ioshuas buriall is onely spoken of simply and barely without any addition which also yee shall reade of the Kings and great persons burials in their histories it is worth the considering what superstition the Prelates of Rome haue brought into this ceremonie of buriall as they haue done about all other pieces of their religion partly to blind fold poore soules in making them to thinke that their dead shall fare the better for their trumperv when yet they doe but deceiue and feed them with false comforts and partly while they seeke their owne and their shauelings gaine thereby but both for the aduancing of their superstitious religion In perticular some of these abuses are that there must bee prayers made for their soules ringing to helpe them the sooner out of Purgatorie burying them neere the high alter with candles burning vpon their toombes and diuers other such superstitious orders whereby they perswade the ignorant that God is as busie in making prouision for them in heauen as they are in heaping and vsing much trumperie about their buriall heere on earth And this of buriall and so of the rest for this time THE FOVRTEENTH SERMON ON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES AFter the holy story hath spoken of the life and death of Ioshua it proceedeth to shew what the people did after his death and makes two sorts of them The one were they who about that time died the other they who being another and new generation liued after them when the good elders were dead and thereby tooke occasion to fall to wickednesse Of the first it is said that they were gathered to their fathers meaning they died and those were they that were left aliue a young seminarie in the wildernesse and came into the land of Canaan with Caleb and Ioshua these I say who then came lustie and young into the land were now full of yeers and died The phrase of speech heere vsed that they were gathered to their fathers is oft vsed in the Scriptures to signifie thereby that they died and the reason why they that died were said to be gathered to their fathers was this seeing both their bodies were buried in the earth with theirs and their soules were ioyned to theirs according as they were good or bad And in that these were gathered to their fathers now that they had liued out the age of men which euen then was threescore and tenne or at the most fourescore and that with much wearinesse wee see that they who liue to the vtmost of their yeeres cannot passe threescore or a few more with any fitnesse to be imployed profitably in any calling without which life is but burthemsome and so Moses saith in his time therefore how necessary is it that the precious time which is allotted vs to liue heere should bee employed to the best vses by vs who professe that wee liue to that very end especially considering how few attaine euen to these yeeres and how much time is of necessity to bee bestowed in eating and rest taking that I say nothing of many other anokements and beside both how fast suddenly our end commeth The which I say not onely for that I see how men lengthen out their liues endlesly in their owne foolish reckoning stretching them on the tenters and saying they may liue yet 30. 40. 50. yeeres longer and therupon how vainely badly the cōmon sort do spend their time whom I haue little hope to perswade to do better but for that many of good report doe
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
first part of the Chapter ANd first why these nations were left still in the land two reasons are set downe one in the first and fourth verse and that was to proue them the other in the first and second verse and that was to make them know warre not meaning thereby to make them skilfull warriours though necessity draue them to that when they saw they must trust to their skill but to let them see what it was to bee put to their shifts and to fight with weapons who had neuer been wont to doe so neither their fathers seeing the Lord had in the former warres with their enemies extraordinarily fought for them without their owne labour and skill To come to the first reason generally set downe in the first verse and particularly in the fourth I haue spoken of it in the former chapter and the last two verses It is heere repeated to beate it into them deepely and to make them thoroughly perswaded thereof that they might then and so wee now bend all the force of our hearts to looke well about vs how we beare our troubles meekely and patiently depending vpon God for a good issue which dutie he most certainly looketh for at our hands as throughout the Scripture he teacheth and admonisheth vs to doe and wee cannot but bee much disquieted by our afflictions if wee doe otherwise notwithstanding that our corrupt nature doe carrie vs much to rebell against the same This is that which we haue to learne by the repeating of those words in this verse namely that it is said God left the nations in the land to trie the people of Israel and to trie them in this whether they would keepe his commandements or no. Moreouer we must marke that which is set downe here in this first verse that the Lord is said to haue held these nations still in the land which was to the exceeding sore vexing of his people to teach vs that the raizing remaining or remouing of troubles they are all of the Lord and by his appointing euen by his will and of his wise disposing whether wee respect the whole Church or any part or member of it and they come not by chance or a mans ill fortune as the ignorant people speake neither is there any such thing but as the Lord himselfe saith in the Prophet Amos there is no euill in the city that is no trouble but I the Lord haue sent it And if it were otherwise the best people as the worst are should by their afflictions be at their wits end Wee may not therefore rest our selues in the second causes neither vexe our selues about them as we doe too oft which is a spurning against the Lord but patiently beare them seeing that whatsoeuer the instrument bee it is certaine the Lord is the ouer-ruling cause howsoeuer it is euident that oft times wee cause and bring them our selues and therefore we ought to bend our selues in all earnest manner to patience and so much the rather seeing hee further certifieth vs that hee doth all for the best to such as feare him so that wee doe but encrease our sorrow who by impatience encrease our sinne and therefore prouoke we not him from whom all trouble commeth and who through his Almighty power can cast into hell also but feare wee to doe euill in his sight euermore that wee may auoid both and ascribe vnto him our deliuerances also that seeing all such deliuerances are from the Lord hee may haue his due praise from vs. In the end of this verse and the second where it is said that God left the nations still in the land that he might teach this generation of Israel warre which neither they nor their fathers had in times past knowne which is another reason why those nations were not driuen out this is the more cleare meaning of it When the Lord by trying them had found though he was neuer ignorant what they would doe and made manifest the impiety and idolatry of the people of Israel to themselues he tooke away from them their strength in war and withheld his aide from them which hee had in times past giuen to them and to their fathers in battell with their enemies so that now when they went to warre by their owne power the Lord withholding his from them they knew what warre meant which before they knew not when the Lord had fought for them for then hee gaue them strength and terrified their enemies and weakened them and gaue good successe to the Israelites but now he left them to shift for themselues and therefore wee see what is meant by this that they had not knowne warre when as yet they had not broken their couenant with God for he had fought for them They knew not then what it meant to goe to warre for the Lord had fought for them but now they did begin to learne And heere we may see that when by Gods kindnes and many comforts ministred by him we cannot be kept in compasse nor be brought to cleaue to him with all our hearts hee will take another course with vs to bring vs thereto for hee will acquaint vs with wants trouble and sorrow as hee did this people heere to see if they can bring vs thereto and yet such is his loue to vs if they preuaile with vs and worke kindly vpon vs to bring vs to repentance he will returne to vs againe graciously and continue still his former bounties toward vs. When Ioshua and the good generation in his daies truly serued the Lord they were preserued from their enemies and knew not what war meant the Lord himselfe fought for thē while they did little more many times then looke on And in our first parents we may cleerely see this to be exemplified while they yet liued in innocency and were vpheld with the grace of God they neither knew nor felt any euill but when they had disobeyed by eating of the forbidden fruit they began to know what good and euil meant In like manner children while in their younger yeeres they haue been subiect and obedient to their parents they are tenderly handled and haue all things with ease prouided for them but when they grow vp rude and stout and for that are put forth to their shifts they come to know what hardnesse meanes who before were not acquainted therewith by the rough handling of strangers And let it be well thought of by vs for euen so God dealeth with vs if we can by his mercies be drawne to dutie he is ready to bestow them plentifully vpon vs hee thinketh nothing too good for vs so as wee need not know the sorrowes and vexations that are in the world in comparison of that which many thousands doe feele and smart by them But if we will follow the common course of others to be like to them in euill we shall soone know that it was no meane benefit to
it is that which the Lord did foresay would come to passe thereby And he forbad them such mariages principally for this cause seeing he foresaw and knew that by vnequall matching together his worship would bee greatly impaired if not turned into the contrary For godly and religious persons are often alienated by the parties contrarily minded vnto them from the true God as in Salomons example so wise a man is to bee seene who was exceedingly corrupted and builded places for strange Gods to worship them in being inticed thereto by strange women whom he loued And our age hath sustained most grieuous shipwracke of conscience and goodnesse in that many therein haue ioyned in marriage with Papists and other prophane hellish Atheists For when they haue by their familiarity together made marriages with them what remaineth but that they as these did heere doe turne to their religion also and serue in the manner that they doe But of this before chap. 2. vers 2. THE EIGHTEENTH SERMON VPON THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES The second part of the Chapter VERS 7. So the children of Israel did wickedly in the fight of the Lord and forgat the Lord their God and serued Baalim and Asheroth 8. Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel and he sold them into the hand of Cushan rishathaim King of Aram-nabaraim and the children of Israel serued Cushan-rishathaim eight yeeres 9. And when the children of Israel cried vnto the Lord the Lord stirred vp a sauiour to the children of Israel and he saued them euen Othniel the sonne of Kenaz Calebs younger brother 10. And the spirit of the Lord came vpon him and hee iudged Israel and went out to warre and the Lord deliuered Cushan rishathaim King of Aram into his hand and his hand preuailed against Cushan-rishathaim 11. So the land had rest fortie yeeres and Othniel the sonne of Kenaz died NOw I hauing shewed how God tried his by people dwelling among the idolatrous nations what they would do and we hauing seene also what they did to wit that they made marriages with them and serued their gods both which haue bin set downe in the first part of this chapter I will now proceed to the second part and come to the three examples therein set downe by the holy Ghost and heerein I will speake chiefly of these things therein to wit of the sinne punishment repentance and deliuerance of the people and how they turned away againe from the Lord afterwards The first example is to the twelfth verse the second to the 31. verse the third to the end The first hath these foure things to bee considered one is the peoples reuolting from God in this verse another the punishment brought vpon them for it in the eighth verse the third the peoples crying to God vnder it vers 9 and the fourth the Lords sending helpe in the rest vnto the 12. verse with the fruit that followed Their sinne is set downe first generally that they did euill in the sight of the Lord and then more particularly that they forgot him and fell to Idolatry Heere I giue this watchword to the reader that seeing I shall in this booke often meet with things that I haue already spoken of at least that there are diuerse things mentioned oft and sundry times heerein therefore I will not goe ouer them againe as oft as I meete with them being the same specially in the same manner which were but a wearying of the reader with repeating one thing oft but I will note and chiefly follow such things as beside them are occasioned there All the things in this verse are such I will therefore doe as I haue said and referre the reader for the rest to that which hath been said of them before Their sinne set downe in generall that they durst offend God secretly and do that which was euill in his sight and that they forgot the Lord and remembred not his kindnesse and many benefits and their Idolatry and worshipping the gods of the nations which arose of the two former these things I say duly considered of vs do teach this worthie point to wit how men breake out into grosse and foule sinnes by the forgetting of Gods goodnesse toward them and the taking of boldnesse to sinne against him in doing that which is any way euill in his eyes And so by the contrary the direct way to liue godly and to bee free from reprochfull sinnes is to feare to do any thing amisse in the sight of the Lord in secret and to keepe in mind his benefits by daily recording them with feruent and hearty thankes For if the child be drawne to a naturall loue and ioying in the parents and so to bee afraid to displease them seeing they make much of it and giue it all good things what maruell is it if the Lords benefits which are renued vpon vs euery morning being duly recorded of vs should draw vs to delight in him and make our songs of him also that we being ready to doe his will and afraid to offend him in secret what maruell I say if we should abhore to dishonour him openly And if elder children endued with grace will be faithfull to their parents in their absence and so shunne boldnesse in offending them in presence who doubteth but that if we feare to offend our God in secret we shall shunne open and greater offences also So by the contrary this is cleere that if we grow to this point that we dare doe that which is euill in Gods eyes and to forget him and his vnspeakeable kindnesse though wee commit not by and by the grosest and most odius things yet it will not belong before wee breake out euen grosly wax bold also and worke that which is odious in the sight of men Whereas we ought euer to haue before vs Gods bounty and kindnesse in such wise that they may be barres in our waies to keepe vs euen from smal offences that so the groser sinnes may much more bee kept from vs. And so Dauid affirmeth that if he had not been bold to sinne against God in secret he had neuer broke out shamefully before men We know the diuell is called a serpent which word signifieth properly a creeper because his property is by little and little creepe and winde into vs to withdraw our hearts from vprightnesse and constancy therein also to cause that Gods benefits shall be more meanely accounted off of vs and then boldnesse in sinne will creepe vpon vs easily and after that wee shall not feare the attempting of great and grieuous sinnes also It is our wisedome therefore to consider Gods goodnesse to bee so great and the same so continued to vs daily as who shall but meanely obserue and weigh the same but he must needs confesse as much that we should be afraid and ashamed to offend and displease him through negligence much more by forgetting ourselues in both
end then they vse them for namely to honour him and not themselues doe neuer thinke of any such matter but dare more boldly sin against him then otherwise they durst doe and all because hee hath bestowed some gifts vpon them as personage beautie strength wealth euen as one should strippe a poore body out of his ragges and put costly and comely apparel vpon him For though men be but earth and wormes meate yet how doe they set vp themselues some for their high aduancement some for their riches which yet are but borrowed and other for their painted sheath till they take all honour that they can from God yea as if they were petty Gods themselues and he onely to bee called God of them Oh admirable pride blindnesse and forgetfulnes in flesh and oh as great patience and long suffering in God that he can beare it at their hands And yet for all that I haue said I denie not but hee can afford them these his gifts and farre greater if they could giue him his due thereby and vse them to set forth his goodnesse by them as were meete The same I might say of learning and all other gifts of God they are the Lords and bestowed at his pleasure not to puffe them vp that haue them but that in loue and humility they should vse them for the good of others And much more then his supernaturall gifts of the spirit as godly zeale care to please God and such like ought to be vsed to the same ends Now to proceed when God had giuen his spirit to Othniel it is said Hee iudged Israel that is he did as a valiant captaine pull them out of seruitude and take the yoke of bondage from their necks and restore to them the true worship of God and gouerne them and so the land had rest All this with such like befell them when Gods anger was turned away from them at the repentance of the people In their bondage and misery who would haue said that it could easily or in short time haue been remoued especially that such a change might haue been seene But this teacheth that when Gods anger is remoued from a people or person all things goe well there punishments are turned into blessings and great heauinesse into ioy and comfort Euen as a cloudie darke and tempestuous day is forgotten when the cleare and faire sunshine ouerspreadeth and beautifieth the earth and like as when two great men who by their strife and contention disquieted all are againe made friends and reconciled for then the people in that towne reioyce and hold vp their countenance So it is said heere of this people that they hauing been brought into such extremity for eight yeeres God sent this Othniel a deliuerer and a Iudge to whom he gaue courage and wisedome so that he brought their enemies into subiection and the people had rest and deliuerance By all these signes of his fauour God declared that his anger was remoued And euen so we shall see good daies if we take heed that God be not prouoked to anger by vs and though his anger be kindled yet if we cry and grone to him vnder our burthen lift vp our hearts and beleeue that he will be mercifull vnto vs as most certainly he will and turne away his wrath and displeasure from vs for in his fauour is life and when his louing countenance shineth vpon vs all other things shall turne to vs for the best And the Lord doth either remoue outward punishments from vs or else vphold vs so with his grace to beare them patiently and meekely that they shall be no burthens but matter of comfort vnto vs. Oh that we should not be so wise as to preuent this one thing namely that the wrath of God might be kept from our soules while the body shall want no looking to that I say no more yea and the meanest haue both care and skill when the tempestuous and vnseasonable weather commeth to shroud themselues from it and beware that it doe not annoy them But further heere in that both estates of this people are set downe together as their bondage with their freedome their rest with their trouble the time of the one with the time of the other the holy Ghost I say in setting downe both together doth teach vs to consider of both in the like case the one as well as the other and by the grieuousnesse of the calamity to meditate thus Oh what should wee haue done if wee had so long continued in the estate that they were in wee I say who by the mercy of God haue enioyed much peace with plenty of commodities if enemies euen strangers had brought vs into subiection to them how should we haue borne the burthen So likewise by our deliuerance from them wee should meditate of Gods goodnesse to vs after trouble and from enemies and to bethinke vs which too seldome is done of vs what a great fauour of God it is vnto vs when paine penurie or the like are taken from vs and to prize the same at an high reckoning And he that desireth to stirre vp himselfe to true thankfulnesse to God for such a change and deliuerance will doe thus as hee seeth good cause and hee shall in best manner performe it by supposing in our best estate that the contrary would be very distastfull painfull and irksome vnto vs and yet might haue oppressed vs which yet being through his exceeding goodnesse passed away from vs behold now light and ioy is come in the place of it For as the light is the more esteemed by our being in the darke and faire weather is the more welcome to vs after tempestuous and vnseasonable times euen so is the considering of sore troubles lately oppressing vs an especiall meane to bring prosperity into an high reckoning with vs which a man would say wee had need to doe who shall obserue how soone we make it a common thing and little worth or rather abuse it to our owne great hurt and detriment Concerning the time of the peoples rest vnder Othniel euen fortie yeers I take it to be the true meaning of the story and agreeable to the originall howsoeuer the interpreters differ about it the best translation maketh for it But in the story of Ehud vers 30. more if God will shall be said of it where the vse of it shall be also added So Othniel hauing serued his time was gathered to his fathers as we are to looke and waite for the same after the like seruice in our places And this of the first example of the three before mentioned Vers 12. Then the children of Israel againe committed wickednesse in the sight of the Lord and the Lord strengthened Eglon King of Moab against Israel because they had committed wickednesse before the Lord. 13. And he gathered vnto him the children of Ammon and Amalek and went and smote Israel and they possessed the city
altar so when we haue no word to beare vs out we runne into the lapse and offend against the expresse prohibition of the Scriptures which is Thou shalt not do thine owne will whereas that it is written we should auoide all appearance of euill It is not vnlawfull simply for a good man to bee in the company of one that is euill but this excuseth not him who obserueth no circumstances herein but shall associate himselfe with such as are of bad note in gaming drinking or haunting of suspected places as I haue said although he abuse the extraordinary fact of Hester and the example of our Sauiour or pretend as some will the good of the party But as Ehud was appointed to present the gift to the King of Moab so it is said heere hee did which wee know was a great honour and credit vnto him And he was worthie of it who did afterward aduenture so great danger with it So God alloweth to them that serue him in high places and performe great duties in Church and Common-wealth hee alloweth them much credit honour and dignitie And for the one as Princes and noble persons such as Dauid was Salomon Hezechia and Iosia with Moses Ioshua and others haue enioyed the same in respect of some that were as great as they but not as godly Euen so it is with vs For they that truly honour and fauour learning and good ministers and make much of them that feare the Lord resisting and opposing the common aduersary they are highly honoured of the Church of God and so it is also in the ministery for as the Apostle saith they that rule well are worthie of double honour If they labour painfully and faithfully in the word and goe before their flocke as good sheepheards and so rule and guide them by both and by other censures as occasion shall be offered they worthily enioy loue and reuerence with the fruit of both as credit and maintenance And good reason there is why it should be so with both for the one laboureth and watcheth directly for the peoples soules the other in their kinde and place for the maintenance of their peace liues and goods And that which I say of these I may say proportionably of meaner persons and lower places that as they doe seruice to God in their liues places and employments so are they of greater account and more set by and well worthy then other who doe not so For their care faithfulnesse and trauell for the honour of God is much and the Lord hath promised to honour them who honour him and to leaue the other without honour And so it was heere that Ehud had great honour in that he was appointed to deliuer the Present to Eglon the King of Moab And who worthier then he For beside his other many worthy acts that he did for the peoples peace and deliuerance who among them all would haue aduentured their liues for the rest Of whom it may bee said as Pharaoh said of Ioseph when he directed him how to prouide in the seuen yeeres of plenty for the seuen yeeres of famine a wise man that should bee fit for that businesse Pharaoh said to his seruants where shall wee finde a man of vnderstanding like this let him bee set ouer the land of Egypt about this worke Heere the holy Story setting this downe that Ehud presented the gift to Eglon addeth this that he was a very fat man which may seeme to be vttered to no end seeing it is neither set downe to his commendation nor to his discommendation but this is mentioned that we may see a reason of that which is in the 22. verse And as it is not commended or discommended in him so by occasion heereof this I will say that fatnesse of body is to bee thought of as a thing neither with a man nor against him in it selfe For some are more disposed thereto naturally then other though they haue both one diet and alike kinde of easie life euen as we see how one tree waxeth great and tall in the same soyle where another is both small and low as one Oke in comparison of another But where men are naturally apt thereto good keeping doth set one forward And therefore no maruell that it is so with such as liue deliciously eating and drinking and vsing other liberty at their pleasure But this may not bee spoken without vse and profit this let vs learne that such either Ministers or other as giue ouer themselues and let the bridle loose to excesse in eating drinking sleeping playing idlenesse ease and such like and get fat that way may little reioyce in it and shall wish that they had by labour in their callings and other good meanes taken themselues downe as Paul chastized his body or at least haue good testimony that they haue not growne to that point through their owne sinne therefore that prouerbe is vsed by Paul against the Cretians out of Epimenides The Cretians are alway â—â—ers euill beasts slow bellies or Epicures And their commendation shall be no greater who in the profession of the Gospell fat themselues through idlenesse sloth ease seeking and shunning labour in their callings And this of Ehuds first going to Eglon to deliuer the Present The second followeth in which he slue him Wherein we may obserue first his conueighing home of the men that came with him and brought the Present which he deliuered that they might be out of perill when he should doe that worke of God so full of difficulty and danger Secondly how he came backe againe to Eglon telling him he had a secret errand and message to him and this was to remoue the company which attended on the King from the place of his presence Thirdly when hee had obtained that hee repeated his words adding this that his message was from God that so the King might attend to it with more reuerence as hee did and in token thereof stood vp and that he might the lesse suspect any danger and Ehud might haue aduantage thereby the more easily to dispatch him Thus much is in these three verses Concerning the first of sending away the people vnto the quarries a place where stones were digged vp neare to Gilgal a city of the Israelites neare Iordan In that he followed them after the present was deliuered till they were past danger he respected many things and namely that he might bee freer from care of them as also lest their tarying still whiles he went about that worke might haue been a meanes of bewraying it and further he was loth to bring any more into danger then hee must needs All these reasons moued him to send the people away and tended to the quiet and peace of his conscience And his example herein ought to bee our instruction that wee may learne to goe about waighty matters with all possible deepe and due consideration wisedome and warinesse as Ehud heere did
by their loud and vnbeseeming as well as vnseasonable complaints and outcryings whereby they disquiet the whole family for some ouersight which they espy yea they haue oft times no cause at all to doe so or at least if they had any iust cause to be grieued yet a little patience and bearing with the trespassers as the cause requireth and sober and kinde telling them of it might haue done farre more good and haue kept the whole family quiet The same I may say of the wife if she be giuen to waspishnesse and bee shrewish hot and wrathfull who thereby troubleth both husband and the whole house and this accusation reacheth yet further euen to the spitefull and malicious who are not onely oft iarring and at strife with their neighbours vpon small or no occasions but are ready to sue them at the law for euery trifle and so trouble both them and themselues also Whereas the vertuous Queene Hester beholding how shee was the onely hope and helpe vnder God of the Churches deliuerance from Hamans plot and deuising to wast and destroy it vtterly tooke vpon her the going about it though it was with most likely perill of her life and that without the hurt of any one beside saying in so doubtfull a case If I perish I perish Yea Saul himselfe who yet had no commendation through the story for vprightnesse and goodnesse would not suffer any of the murmurers and repiners against his entring in to bee punished at his first comming to his kingdome as some would haue had it but chose rather to put vp the disgrace saying there shall no man die this day for to day the Lord hath saued Israel And this by occasion of Ehuas sending the people away that went with him being the first of the three things mentioned to be contained in these 3. verses Now followeth the second thing to wit of Ehuds second going to Eglon and what he said Hee returned in hast from the place neere Gilgal in the land of Israel whither hee had conducted the people which could not bee farre from the place where King Eglon lay for hee hauing brought the Israelites into subiection to him it is cleere thot he lay neere their borders the better to see them kept vnder and he comming to him told him hee had a message which was of secresie to doe vnto him Whereat the King required him to stay the vttering of it till the company standing by were commanded out of the place For hee hauing so lately receiued a present at his hand had no suspition of any trechery to be intended by him The company being gone Ehud was admitted to come neare vnto him And telling him that his message was from God hee stood vp to doe reuerence at that name and so by this meanes he had the way made more easie for him and the better opportunitie to doe the worke he went about And in these two verses we may see considering that the Lord called Ehud to this worke for the destroying of that his peoples enemy and to deliuer them out of his hands for else it had been a most bloody and trecherous act we may see I say the courage and confidence that was in him to aduenture that great danger that hee did by going about to kill Eglon the King who if before his attempt he had been detected and found out had been put who doubteth to most extreme tortures among enemies and no friend of his standing by or in presence And what had hee to vphold himselfe by in that great difficulty and fearfull danger but his trust in God and confidence that hee who laid that worke vpon him would bring him well through it And yet how hard a thing it was for him who seeth not if he will rightly consider it in that difficulty and great straite that hee was in to beleeue that God would make way for him and enable him to such a worke all likelihoode thereof being taken away And this teacheth vs what the nature of faith confidence is whersoeuer and in whomsoeuer it is to be found that they looke not vpon things that are seene which may-work deadly discouragement and anguish but vpon that which is not seene with mortal eye and that is Gods power and willingnesse ready at hand to helpe vs forward and to encourage vs to waite for the accomplishing of that which we beleeue and looke for in our greatest need This it was that animated and strengthened Ehud to attempt this dangerous worke And this faith and confidence hartened and emboldened the Priests when the Lord by Ioshua commanded them for their passing into the land of Canaan to set their feet on the water to goe ouer the riuer Iordan how vnlikely soeuer it was their beleeuing I say the Lord by the mouth of Ioshua that a way should be made for them to passe through safely as on dry land euen that it was that hartened them to doe it who yet in so doing must of necessity haue been drowned by mans reason and iudgement And this faith made Peter bold to pronounce to the lame and diseased euen while they lay visited to pronounce I say in the hearing of all that stood by when he saw no likelihood thereof appeare Iesus Christ maketh you whole arise and walke For hee beleeued Christ who had said to him that he should worke a miracle whensoeuer it was expedient and that faith made him bold to say so whereas if that had not been immediately done indeed which he foresaid should come to passe that the parties should bee healed he should haue been vtterly discredited and laughed to scorne and cast out from mens company as a deceiuer This faith made the holy Martyrs yeeld their bodies to the fire for the defence of Gods truth while they beleeued not onely that they should bee receiued after into glory but also that God would strengthen them for the present time to endure the flame And this it is that inableth vs to suffer the hardnesse which wee willingly sustaine throughout our liues euen this that we trust and rest perswaded that God will bring vs well through it and afterwards receiue vs into his eternall kingdome Which caused Saint Paul to vtter these words Why weepe ye thus and rend my heart for I am resolued and ready not to bee bound onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lord Iesus and euen so he taught writing to Timothy Therefore we suffer because we beleeue in the liuing God who is the sauiour of all but especially of them that beleeue And this of Ehud in these two verses and of his words spoken to the King and as for such as aske why he deluded the King with a lie while hee went about to kill him seeing hee vttered no message to him at all when yet hee told him hee had a message from God vnto him to them I answere the word
aduanced in this world and yet so soone and suddenly spoiled and bereaued of all their honour and excellency as I haue said and to change it with a base death and a worse estate afterwards doe liuely set before our eyes the misery of all such as looke no further then after brauerie iollity vaine pleasure and large possessions which they can neither keepe when their deadly blow is giuen them and when their dreadfull woe commeth so that they might bee any comforts to them nor lose and part from them if they haue any time to thinke thereof without deadly dislike and most bitter vexation So that it may worthily warne all such as be of high degree and much more vs that are inferiour persons and therefore ought first to stoope to consider of and prouide for our ende that when we must departhence which time is most vncertaine we may bee prepared to die happily and prouide to be receiued into heauenly habitations For wee see what a pitifull and dangerous thing it is to rest vpon that which we enioy heere as wealth pompe young yeeres or any other earthly prosperity The Lord scatters men in the imaginations of their hearts He sweepes downe their warped thoughts as copwebs with beezome It had been well with Eglon and such as hee was all that heare of him will say if he had enioyed nothing and much better if hee had been nothing Euen thus the hand of God is against all his enemies and when the day of reckoning commeth they perish It is reported in the history of that time that an Emperour of Rome Adrian by name when hee should die and leaue all his iollity being suddenly stricken with great terrour vsed these words Oh my poore wandring sillie soule which hast been long a companion and guest of my body what shall hereafter become of thee or whither wilt thou goe Thou hast been iollie merrie and full of sporting and pleasures but now thou must goe where theee is no such matter forlorne desolate and forsaken Behold in this great man the wofull apprehension and fearefull presage of the woe to come euen while he liued the which doubtlesse seazing vpon the mighty and glorious when no outward thing can comfort them should flaight and terrifieal sorts and degrees of men from resting vpon any earthly props wanting Gods fauour for their chiefe stay and refuge And heere in laying out the fearefull manner of killing Eglon occasion being offered to make mention of that which was lothsome to the eare in that it was vttered in more seemly termes and words we may learne how warily wee should speake of things more vnseemely or which are more harsh in the hearing and follow the holy Ghost in our termes namely to vtter that which might else offend the eares of the most in more seemely and honest words So the action of the marriage bed is vsually expressed by the holy Ghost in most chast and seemely words As it is said of Dauid when Abishag the Shunamite was brought vnto him to minister to him though she cherished him and lay in his bosome in his extreme age that he might get heate by her it is said in modest words that the King knew her not so Mary how can this be seeing I knew not a man Such are the termes vsed by the holy Ghost of discouering the shame and couering the nakednesse of Noah our father as Shem and Iaphei did And although education and good manners teach vs modesty yet grace must teach the language of Canaan whereof this is a part The Lord commanded Israel to couer their excrements with their paddle because hee walked among them and so ought we to behaue our selues especially Preachers must beware of brode vnseemely and offensiue speech in this kinde because they are to vtter the will of God in the most seemely and reuerent phrase and manner And diuers other such might bee brought forth but that I would not bee long in this matter where fewer words may serue Which is to the iust reproofe of many in our time who as they are rude and brutish in their behauiour so haue they as beastly and filthy tongues to vtter their mindes by in too vnseemely manner as they know who are their companions and like vnto them And this of Ehuds killing Eglon. THE TWENTIE TWO SERMON ON THE THIRD CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES VERS 23. Then Ehud got him out into the porch and shut the dores of the parlour vpon him and locked them 24. And when he was gone out his seruants came who seeing that the doores of the parlour were locked they said surely hee doth his easement in his sommer parlour 25. And they tarried till they were ashamed and seeing he opened not the doores of the parlour they tooke the key and opened them and behold their Lord was fallen dead on the earth 26. So Ehud escaped while they tarried and was passed the quarries and escaped to Seirah NOw of the things that followed this action and pertained to it according to the diuision made in the end of the fifteenth verse they are set downe in these foure verses and tend all to this end to shew how God made way for Ehuds safe escaping And therefore first note we somewhat generally and then more particularly afterward For his comming forth in that none of the Kings seruants were at hand to goe into the Kings parlour presently or if they were there attending yet that they should be so negligent and forgetfull to goe in forthwith but to tarrie till Ehud might be gone past all danger it was as I said of his going about it so ordered by God that all might say thus hee would haue it and then we know that none can withstand or resist it To teach vs the same so that although a man would thinke that there might be many waies to ouerthrow and frustrate Gods purpose yet none of them shal stand for why there is no counsell against the Lord. Who would not haue thought but that Pharaoh might haue kept the people of Israel still in his land and that none could haue brought such a mighty people euen many hundred thousands out of it against his will But yet behold seeing God would deliuer them it was not he nor all his chariots no nor all the Kings in the world if they had ioyned with him that could haue hindred it It might likewise haue been thought an easie matter for King Ahab and Iezabel full of spite and cruelty with all their strength friends and retinue whom they might haue commanded and set about it to roote out and take out of the way the poore Prophet of God Elias which they desired most earnestly to haue done but seeing God would preserue him to honour his name it was in vaine for them to attempt or goe about it So for Paul one seely Apostle to conquer so great a part of the world by the preaching of
looked for it we may obserue and see that when all things seeme quiet and peaceable to vs and when we think that we are safe on euery side so that no hurt can befall vs yet if the Lord haue a controuersie with vs hee doth in a maruellous manner raise vp some great trouble against vs yea and that as it were out of the sparckles of former afflictions when we suspect none as hee did heere which were thought to haue been quenchedlong agoe he bringeth a fire and flame as it were to burne and consume vs. So that when men thinke all to bee sure God raiseth vp vexations that way where one would not looke for them The Amalekites when they had taken Ziclag lay drunken and wallowing like beasts fearing no danger and were suddenly come vpon and slaine So the Apostle saith When men cry peace and that all things are safe then shall sudden destruction come vpon them when they are not aware like the trauell vpon a woman with child and they shall not bee able to auoide it Thus God seeth it good to tame and raw the licentiousnesse and pride of men and that which is maruellous to say if hee should not doe so there were no liuing for vs one by another The best in towne and country would kicke vp their heele yea and notwithstanding hee thus pluck downe the pride of one or other euery day yet such as are spared bee neuer the better The long visitation with plague which hath swept away many thousands what are the most part the better for it The irreligious boldnesse of many in this age if they bee in fauour with their betters whose breath yet is in their nostrels or if they haue but wealth aboue the common sort nay if it be but bare health how doe they abuse it how little doth good teaching or the diuerse examples of Gods iudgements vpon sundry others preuaile with them And why because while they feele them not the day of reckoning is put farre off and we dreame that we haue a priuiledge aboue all others till the effect confute vs. The casting downe of Babell the drowning of Pharaoh and his army the thrusting through of Zimri and Cosby in their tent the swallowing vp of Chorah and his company into the earth with thousands more in ages past and now all cut off in fearefull maner for their seuerall rebellions against the Lord lamentable to speake what little abatement of sinne yet for all this doe they worke in the most nay are they not worse and worse who liue in these latter daies and haue heard or seene the iudgements of the former times Therefore let such of vs as cannot but confesse that God hath done much more for vs watch and beware lest for the like loosenesse and bolddesse found in vs the Lord awake vs and if hee seaze not vpon vs with the same plagues as he did on these yet seeing his quiuer is full of arrowes of all sorts that is with all kinds of iudgements he will reserue some for vs as he hath done to others before vs and come vpon vs suddenly in the like manner Now this Iabin had for the chiefe captaine of his armie Sisera heere named who is said to haue his abode in Harosheth of the Gentiles so called for that it was a countrey full of woods for so the word signifieth whereto as vnto a most safe and well fenced place the Canaanites who were Gentiles did fly and repaire and dwelt safely therein when so many of them had been slaine in Ioshuas daies and there they remained grew vp and strengthened themselues vnto the time that is heere mentioned Thus they growing vp and not being cut off as God commanded the people of Israel to doe we see now what a vexation euen this one generation of the Canaanites in that corner of the land were vnto them beside many other in diuers other parts of it And by this we see what mischiefe and woe wee prouide for our selues euen such as cannot bee knowne till they come and all this through our neglecting duties commended as this people of Israel heere did and suffering euill persons and their foule vices to grow vp in and among vs which we might easily in time haue subdued and brought vnder I say the suffering of them which wee haue been full willing to nourish and could bee brought to offer no violence vnto them haue caused sorrow vpon sorrow and most wearisome and vncomfortable daies vnto vs which when they were come we would haue bought of with much cost and could not Thus anger impatience wrath vncharitablenesse reuenge teachines frowardnes lewd lusts and vncleane desires with many other like though wee haue thought them not worthie of rebuke neither could bee brought to deface and disgrace them no not to our owne selues that so they might haue been ouercome and weakened in vs euen these haue mastered vs and waxen strong in vs which is enough to disfigure the godly life in vs and to marre the beauty of our profession besides that these ingender in vs and bring forth litters of open and outward sinnes al may easily know what I meane farre more shamefull and monstrous then themselues The third part of the Chapter NOw followeth the third thing in this Story namely the repentance of the people set forth as in the former chapter by crying The reasons thereof are added and they are two the one because this Sisera had nine hundred iron Chariots wherwith by continuall egresse and regresse he had vexed them sore the other that he had done thus to them twentie yeeres Of this crying signifying their repentance I haue spoke before and also of the repentance which their fathers offered when God afflicted them That which is to be considered heere not spoken of before by the like occasion is this That where it is said they were twenty yeeres in bondage before they repented and turned to God we may behold the monstrous and poysoned disposition of our nature which will not stoope nor bow to the Lord in true humiliation vntil it be driuen by maine and force euen till we be shut out euery where else As wee see in children of a stubborne nature it is neither a checke nor a rod will breake their stomacks nay it is not a few stripes that will make them cry out and when by rougher handling of them they he forced to roare it is but for very sullennes til they see there is no remedy but that they must receiue correction for their euill doings and then the multitude of strokes and the smart they feele breakes their hearts at length and makes them yeeld and euen so it is with vs who should bee much wiser whereas if wee should but step aside a little from our Christian course we ought with the like willingnesse of mind by which we strayed returne and rise vp againe For so the Prophet Ieremy complaineth Doth
world scoffed at Noah his building the Arke till the flood came and then his former preaching terrified them In like manner I say if we walked in our innocencie with vprightnes and reuerence among men the Lord would worke astonishment in the wicked and reprobates and the very godlinesse of his people should conuince and amase the beholders and contemners as Pharaos troopes were when they said The Lord fighteth against vs for Israel The next verses I referre to be handled in the next Sermon THE THIRTIE ONE SERMON ON THE FIFTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to goe forward these two next verses are the sixth and seuenth wherein is set downe their late receiued fauour of God as in the two former verses his loue of old to their fathers hath been spoken of In these two to the end that this their deliuerance by the Lord may be seene to be the greater and his loue to them she laieth out the desolation that they were in before the victorie that one contrarie might the better be seene by the other The holy Ghost therefore sheweth in what afflicted state the Church of God was by reason of their sinne and that from the death of Ehud till Debora got the full victorie For though Shamger and Iael did worthily and valiantly in their place yet Israel was sore oppressed after the death of the one and before the great act of the other so as passage by the high waies traffique iudgement and habitation in their villages were intercepted vntill now and Israel was constrained to keepe themselues in strong and well fenced Cities vnlesse they would become a prey to the Canaanites And this oppression continued by Iabin till Debora was raised vp by God and till her gouernment began Of Iael we reade not of any great thing that she did before neither is it like that she had done any because she had peace with Iabin and Sisera also fled to her as to a trustie friend and therefore it is like that she is named with Shamger for honour sake because shee liued in these troublesome and dangerous times and because shee did one worthy peece of seruice afterwards And heere by these calamities of the people of Israel and the desolation that they had been in when all good liberties and pleasant things were taken from them it is right worthie our consideration to thinke what a fauour of God it is that together with the true preaching of the Gospell all the forementioned commodities are enioyed of vs namely outward peace in the land and that we may dwell safely vnder our vine and figge tree and may eate of the fat and drinke of the sweet that wee may safely trauell and passe throughout all places and countries of this dominion by the protection of good lawes and that we haue exchange of our commodities with the benefit of good neighbourhood and husbandry to the preseruation of our liues and the maintaining of our families c. All these this people had been depriued of whereas the want of any of them would soone driue vs to complaine heauily and cry out Oh we do little consider how deepely yea how infinitely wee are bound to to the Lord for these liberties and for the great good wee may reape and enioy thereby And yet these many good things which the Lord hath vsually bestowed vpon vs and daily doth blessed bee his holy name therefore wee thinke because all the land enioyeth them as well as our selues wee owe no speciall duty of acknowledging them more then we see the most doe which is not worth the speaking of nay we looke for them by due and good right and which is worst of all many do spend them wastfully and to the maintaining and encreasing of diuers sinnes among them which we durst not do if wealth and quietnesse were wanting so truly the Wise man speaketh of one of them the rich mans riches are his strong city and as an high wall in his imagination And in a word we haue so little leisure to thinke of God his goodnesse that by abusing his benefits wee hast to bring vpon our selues the same misery which these were in vnder and especially after this Shamgar and before God stirred vp this Debora among them Oh how doe we prouoke our good God to cast vs into some fore calamities as they heere were in that we might cry to him by feeling the smart thereof as some daily doe whom God would haue to bee examples to the rest lest many should tast of their diet but fearefull it is for all this to see how few are the better for all the iudgements of God that bee vpon themselues or that they behold others for the same sinnes which they both commit boldly but runne on till their course come to suffer yet worse and heauier things at Gods hands for them But while wee cannot amend it in others let vs bewaile it in them which is a right property of true loue praying also for them and for our owne parts let this example of these their calamities so many and grieuous as haue been spoken of cause vs to account of Gods goodnesse so highly in withholding them from vs that they may make vs fruitfull thereby in euery good worke especially seeing wee haue many other good encouragements thereto and also for that when wee want them we say wee can doe little good without them But now in that she addeth Till I euen I Debora arose we must take it farre otherwise then it soundeth not ascribing her words to a passion of womanish impotencie and boasting much lesse to a contempt of Barak who was the instrument of the victorie as well as her selfe but to the heauenly exaltation of her spirit lifted vp pathetically to praise the Lord for the great deliuerance wrought by her as we see the like in Dauid in the Psalmes Paul and others And this deliuerance being wrought by Debora teacheth that al the forementioned calamities being remoued from the people by her their gouernour at that time it teacheth I say what great things the Lord worketh by the Magistrate and gouernour as he did by her shee being at that time the same to the people euen their Iudge in Israel But indeed this is done especially when they are zealous for Gods matters and doe their duties in their places and haue the spirit and affection of her euen to be mother like vnto the people who as shee gaue counsell to her inferiours as a mother to her children being a Prophetesse and deliuered them from their enemies being their Iudge So they being set ouer them as guides and Magistrates should bee vnto them who are committed to their charge euen like minded to her to wit to haue care that they may be taught though they be themselues no Prophets by such as are furnished of God to that purpose and with a motherly care to protect them from iniurie and wrong and to
and 12. verse 14. These whether they liued by their lands and reuenues or by their traffique and merchandise for as much as they were hindred by the enemies from enioying their commodities and their passage had been cut off both by sea and land and now they might freely enioy the same againe they therefore were to come forth she said and giue thankes to God for that great enlargement and liberty And thus wee see the Lord will not haue the duty of praise hudled vp in grosse as though a word for fashion might serue the turne but in perticular he will haue all sorts as they feele his benefits sweet and comfortable to them diuersly so to make new amplifications and hearty repetitions of his goodnesse that so all ioyning in a consort together the musicke may be the sweeter and his praise may be the fuller For no one condition of people could possibly haue laid forth the benefit of their deliuerance and the commodity of this their liberty and peace restored to them in any manner as all sorts might together the Merchant could record his owne priuiledge that hee enioyed thereby better then the husbandman and so euery one in his seuerall place more then in anothers But what was this in respect of that which she requireth namely that all stand forth in it together And to take occasion to shew in this one worke of God what a goodly thing it was for all sorts of people to praise God then ioyntly together for their deliuerance and victory who doth not conceiue what an heauenly sight it were if the like might be seene throughout in the congregation for the renued benefits of God whereby wee liue and are made ioyfull I say if with heart and voice wee did thus praise God as well for them as for those that are past what a goodly sight were it As it was by Moses and Miriam and with the men and women for the ouerthrow of Pharaoh the like was for the deliuerance of the Church in Hesters time and in some of our solemne praising of God we may see it so among vs. But oh then what a solemne and triumphant sight shall that be when the Lords glory shall bee sung and sounded forth in his heauenly kingdome by Angels and Archangels Patriarches Prophets and Apostles Martyrs Saints and all that blessed company I say what a solemne sight shall that bee The very thinking that such a thing shall bee is the greatest comfort that can be heere enioyed and next vnto that celestiall ioy itselfe of the which we would not be depriued if wee were wise nor lose our part therein by musing often on it for all that is transitorie and vanishing what so euer account they make of it who know no better But to returne now to the rich and great men whom Debora in this verse moueth to praise God by this let all the rich and such as enioy wealth and great commodities doe the same and acknowledge what a benefit it is to them whether they bee great Merchants to buy and vtter their wares for their maintenance and encrease of their wealth which could not bee but must needs faile if that lay dead or liberty of trauelling safely and of free contracts were hindred and whether they be otherwise great in riches and reuenewes let them doe this likewise and the greater persons they bee in either kind the more let them seeke to excell themselues in this duty of praising God and they being forward in that they may be inabled to doe more good workes to necessary vses By which we may also see that God alloweth wealthy men to occupie and prosper in their calling for why he commandeth them to walke in their callings till he come and teacheth that the diligent hand maketh rich and there need bee no question made of that for the Lord allowes that men should encrease rather then diminish that which they haue both to auoide burthensomnesse and for the supply of others so as they practise godlinesse therewith as equity truth sincerity innocency patience such like The which they haue good incouragement to do when they haue both liberty to follow their courses of dealing and also seeing godlines hath the promises of this present life and of that which is to come And if it were so that men were debarred of traffique and the vse of their calling as these rich men here mentioned had been what an heauie crosse were that seeing there is no other way but to spend vpon the stocke till all be wasted that is soone done where it is not renued alas how shall the family be maintained all charges defraid if the freedome of gathering in mens commodities and dealings bee taken from them Doe wee not see that the weather or a little sicknesse disabling a man to worke causeth complaining how much more when the liberty is wholly interdicted But yet if God doe somtime blesse men may not looke to haue alwaies one and the same course of thriuing and prospering But howsoeuer it bee let all bee highly thankfull for that they may vse the benefit of traffique or other improuing of their commodities as these now did and let them be fruitfull in well-doing as they would readily promise to bee if they were againe vnder the crosse and ioyfull in the vse of preaching and Sacraments with other duties which is the true praise that God expecteth But as for such as depriue themselues of the benefit thereof by their owne default they haue much to answere for Such are idle persons and ill husbands as we call them and such as if the Lord somewhat alter the course of their takings and gaines and they come short therof ouer they did somtime before they fret and complaine that their trades be naught that they shall be vndone and much like to them are they who hauing got by their trades well conceale their estates faine themselues bankerupts to defeat others of their goods or such other as cast the burthen vpon their thriftlesnes and improuidence vpon their trades dealings or blind-fortune forgetting how God had somtimes blessed them therein before Therefore let vs know whatsoeuer the bad practises of men are that it is a great fauour of God that people may haue free recourse to markets and faires and other like places of buying and selling commodities euen as the want thereof is a sore punishment when people neither know where they should vtter their commodities nor buy them whereof they stand in need in both which consisted their maintenance as was said before And yet lamentable it is to see what abuse the corrupt custome of our time hath brought this liberty vnto For many doe not onely steale away Gods due I meane the Sabbath to doe their worldly businesse on but there are other whose common trade and practise it is in a more prophane manner to harbour theeues to receiue stollen wares to entertaine drunkards to become
former in that Gedeon seruing God so commendably as he was commanded for which also hee is by name commended as a worthie person and a beleeuer was yet called seditious of them that were themselues so indeede and that therefore hee was counted worthie to die who yet was the meane whereby the other did liue note that when the wicked are charged neuer so iustly for their euill doings yet they euer returne the accusation vpon their accusers For example the doctrine of Gods word and the Preachers thereof doe by Gods blessing become the meanes and outward instruments of much good doing and some turne from their euill waies thereby but what dissenting is there among the rest for this when they see it In such wise as that they fall commonly to this exclamation that both teachers and such as follow their doctrine are troublers of the people but as for themselues they haue done no euill Euen as the Papists crie on the other side that they are disturbed and disquieted for that they may not be suffered to serue God as they would bee glad to doe nor their Priests to set foorth their pedlary ware to sale to the ignorant and superstitious whom they had sometime deceiued and as their fellowes in many places still doe no lesse palpably then Simon Magus did the people of Samaria whom he had with his sorceries bewitched These will not suffer their Idolatrous worship at any hand to bee ouerthrowne but say as the people said to Ieremy We will worship the Queene of heauen that is the Moone and other starres and as the foolish people of Ephesus who cried out in a mad mood Great is Diana of the Ephesians when yet who were more vnlike to make tumults and sedition then they whom they accused as Paul and his companie So to leaue these and to returne to them whom I began with thus crie the wicked out when their lewd doings bee reproued iustly out of pulpits Preachers are seditious they make strife and tumults where they come and draw people after them whereas they were quiet and well enough before but who are they whom they draw euen those who forsake their companie whom I speake of and leaue off their cursed manners and behauiour so that they are now depriued of them therefore now they make their part good against them crying out that they are seditious Thus Elias was charged to trouble the land when he taught the true seruice of God and reproued Idolatrie but he shewed who were troublers of the land to all that list to know it euen such as be not obedient to the commandements of the Lord. But that all may see that such are not to be charged as troublesome persons whose preaching bewraieth the bad sort who are therefore incensed against them because their euill deedes are brought to light by them neither they who obey their doctrine though they bee hated of the greatest part that saying of our Sauiour teacheth I came not to send peace into the earth but the sword and debate And againe I am come to set fire on the earth and what is my desire if it be alreadie kindled So that if ciuill distension and trouble follow vpon our preaching and professing it is the filthie heart of the rebellious sort out of which that stinch commeth as out of a dunghill who can away with no better sauour Now in that Ioash called his sonne Ierubbaal Baal shall contend against him not in reproch but for a memoriall he did it which brought the Idol into contempt So hee was called Ierubbosheth 2. Sam. 11. 21. This sheweth that he was so farre from being ashamed of his owne or his sonnes fact that he reioyced in it that Idolatrie had the foile by his meanes as all well minded people should doe the like But I proceed THE FORTIE THREE SERMON ON THE SIXTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 33. Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and they of the East gathered together and pitched in the valley of Izreel 34. But the spirit of the Lord came vpon Gedeon and he blew a trumpet and Abiezer was ioyned with him 35. And he sent messengers through all Manasseh which also was ioyned with him and he sent messengers to Asher and to Zabulon and to Naphtali and they came vp to meete him NOw followeth the last point of the foure in this fourth part of Chapter as was noted in the 11. verse In which is shewed how Gedeon after that the Midianites gathered themselues together prepared for warre against them he hauing before destroyed Idolatrie and set vp the true worship of God that thus all the people might see when it was done how ill it might haue been vndone againe and how profitable it was for them which Gedeon had done so though we may remember what troubles and stirres were raised against him before he could bring it to passe But oh what a mercie of God was this to them that the Midianites were held in all this while who bound their hands and feete till Gedeon had brought so worthie a worke to passe but euen he whom none were able to resist euen the Lord omnipotent The summe of these three verses is this That the Lord gaue occasion to Gedeon by bringing the Midianites and other assistants to them into the land to preuaile against and get victorie ouer them For he trusting to the word of God by which he had been and that lately so well strengthened prepared to goe against them and the Lord armed him and he drew helpe together out of the tribes that were neere vnto him as is to be seene in the text so that Israel was againe restored in great multitudes Thus after all the trouble that Gedeon had both otherwise and by feare of the Midianites now prouoking the Israelites to battell and the many hurts that they did thē before yet God would we see haue his true worship set vp Idolatrie cast down first as we haue heard which the wise men of the world though they had allowed would yet haue deferred till after the victorie And note we hereby that it much pleaseth him that we should not post off the great and waighty cōmandements of his worship seruice for our earthly affaires bodily businesse though waighty if there be time enough to discharge them no nor lay aside the exercises of praier hearing reading and the like for our owne pleasure And we our selues may see that it is very meete and expedient that it should be so and how cheerefully we may goe about the one when wee haue well discharged the other whereas by deferring we leaue them vndone altogether sometimes and our appetite is much quailed when we returne to them As therfore we reade that as great neede as there was to make all possible speede to rescue the Church in the great distresse it was in at that time yet that Hester sought the Lord by fasting
meere stranger therein was not that speech of the Lord full of discomfort at the hearing of it And yet we know that he obeying him was not onely furnished there to be able to maintaine a mightie familie euen three hundred and eighteene persons but also his seede grew and was multiplied as the dust of the earth and he was made the father of all beleeuers that should come after and of whom after the flesh Christ should come The like may be said of Moses sending away from the house of Pharaohs daughter where he had been brought vp so daintily to goe suffer affliction with the people of God in the wildernesse And yet what a rare instrument did he make him to worke the greatest deliuerance for his people that euer was heard off to be wrought by a meere man Euen so learne and know we that the Lord doth oft turne the greatest troubles of his to their greatest benefit and good if they waite patiently vpon him yea he giueth them farre aboue that which they looke for insomuch as if it were possible for them to be brought euen to hell this were but to raise them vp vnto heauen as they who haue any experience can tell and Iona out of the fishes bellie testified in the middest of extremities and anguish who out of his greatest feares and sorrowes was exalted to greatest hope and reioycing as his heauenly and admirable zeale in promising to praise God doth aboundantly shew It is said also here that he and Phurah his seruant went to the side of the camp wherein his faith doth liuely shew it selfe and that he minded and beleeued what God said rather then that hee feared the danger that he went in And this indeed is that which I haue so much beat vpon in this story and in a word which we should all doe that is trust God whom we see not and not eie and looke too narrowly to the lets that are in our way to feare and draw vs to vnbeliefe as we read how Iehosophat did not onely himselfe belieeue as he was willed to doe but with great courage exhorted also his people to doe the same in the sore danger they were in by the Moabites and Ammonites and was thereby deliuered and so did our Sauiour to his disciples when they were greatly grieued for his departure saying let not your harts be troubled ye beleeue in God beleeue also in me Now in that it is said that the Midianites and their helpers lay as grassehoppers on the face of the earth the meaning is they were farre and wide spread for so the word signifieth Genes 25. meaning that they occupied a great space of ground and that they were a mightie number In which sense it is said in Ioshua that Iabin got an armie as the sand of the sea And how could this but astonish Gedeon yet againe when he beheld the multitude of them but that his faith vpheld him still as before Where we are againe much like as in the former point to learne that such troubles and trials must we suffer and looke for from which we can in sense and reason looke for nothing but discomfort and vtter vndoing and out of the which in the iudgemen of man we see no way or helpe to get out and be deliuered And who of Gods deare children haue not so felt and found it in one trouble or triall and other and at one time or other When God had promised the land of Canaan to his people yet before they possessed it when they sent thither to search the land to see what it was and whether the people therein were strong or weake many or few they receiued such discouragement by the answere that was brought backe to them that they had neither helpe nor hope euer to enioy it Againe what was Dauid to Goliah or Sampson to so many Philistines Or what was our English Island to the Spanish forces and to so many nations as haue risen against it in times past the Pope himselfe being the chiefe setter on and yet God fought for vs against our enemies And to shew it in another instance Oh how many thrice happy people haue yet oft feared and almost said there is no hope nor helpe for them in God but resolued with themselues for the time in their feare and weakenesse that they could not escape condemnation and vtter abiection from God yea and they would haue yeelded themselues willingly to the paine of the damned some hundreds of yeeres such was their desperate estate so as they might haue been recouered and saued afterward as I my selfe haue heard some of them say little lesse in their despaire who yet God haue the glory haue well outgrowne the same and haue been restored to comfort Other of Gods deare children after such plunges and deliuerances out of them haue after met with other trials which haue been to their sight as the sea bottomlesse and haue constrained them for the time to breake out and say that all good daies were gone from them who yet haue liued to see better then they had euer seene before What should I speake of particulars which were infinite And all such God hath seene good to exercise vs withal to appall and pull downe the pride of our hearts who do so soone forget our selues but not to dismay vs seeing if it be not long of our selues we may still find redresse of all such feares from aboue Now followes the dreame that one of the Midianites dreamed and told his fellow namely that a barley loafe tumbled into the hoast and came into a tent and smote it that it fell and the answere of the other as the interpretation of it that it was the sword of Gedeon and that God had giuen the Midianites into his hands This was that dreame and interpretation which the Lord sent Gedeon thither to heare for such meanes it pleased him to vse to confirme him yet still where first we see that God gaue diuine dreames to those which were enemies of godlinesse and to a nation which afflicted his people as he did to Pharaoh of seuen leane and seuen fat kine that were wel liking and so he did to his Butler and Baker and after that to Nebuchadnezzar who had led away Iuda captiue aswell as to Ioseph Iacob and other holie men But this was here more strange that neither Ioseph nor Daniel no Prophet of God I meane interpreted the dreame but a common souldier Hee gaue then we see a true dreame and the interpretation thereof vnto the wicked But as the Lord gaue Saul a new heart viz. of courage and gouernment and to Iehu of zeale for certaine ends and actions concerning his own glory and the good of others onely and those ends being accomplished the gifts ceased because they were but common gifts euen so these two souldiers were made Gods instruments to
one because they were wearie the other because they pursued their enemies for the safetie of Israel Gods people In this necessity and distresse of theirs though otherwise they wanted not we may note that it may possibly be the case of any of Gods people to be destitute of necessaries for this life to be brought into streights both by wāt of food and also by other calamities Dauid in his fleeing from Saul was so distressed he and his men for victual that he was faine to eate of the Shew-bread which out of the case of necessitie was vnlawfull for any saue the Priest to eate of as appeareth in Sam. 21. Ionathan and the people with him were euen readie to faint and yet might not without perill of their life taste so much as a little honey with the top of his speare to saue and preserue life And if it were but euen so with vs as it was with him and Gedeon that but a whole day or two wee wanted food and reliefe we should find it as small a matter as it is thought to be as much as life is worth Daily experience sheweth vs the same that it falleth out both by sea and by land to be the case of many who yet were of good wealth and not likely to come into such need and want and yet so wee see it to come to passe One reason is because all things in this present world are changeable and besides God will correct some this way and trie others as he did Iob. The vse hereof is that wee should not please our selues in any thing of what account soeuer it be neither rest depend or take too much comfort in our outward present estate of health wealth wit learning worship credit c. And further that wee should be ready to helpe such as stand in need and seeke it at our hands with these transitory comforts which God hath giuen vs. As our Sauiour saith Make yee friends of the vnrighteous Mammon that when ye shall want they may receiue you into euerlasting habitations And not to grudge at it as many doe but to be mercifull and ready thereto with chearefulnesse for with what measure we meate shall be measured to vs againe and iudgement shall bee without mercy to them that shew none And this chiefly should bee done when the poore want worke and corne and such like necessaries remembring how Nabal sped for his churlishnes But of this point by the way seeing I shall meete with the like againe Out of their reason in that they were faint with following the Midianites all night we may note that the neede that commeth of faintnesse or labour in any of our brethren is an honest cause for them to seeke and aske and for vs to relieue them euen as other necessitie is that God laieth vpon them as sicknesse age c. But yet for all this the want that commeth of idlenes and of liuing without labour is not so to be counted of as shall be further shewed in the next point But the relieuing of them that are poore indeed is laid vpon vs by the Lord telling vs that wee shall haue them alwaies among vs that we may doe good vnto them and that if wee haue this worlds good and see our brother hath need and shut vp our compassion from them the loue of God dwelleth not in vs. Which words of his with such like should be as a mallet to break our hard hearts who in so great need as is to be seene in our townes are little mooued to compassion towards the needy And as God furnisheth vs euery yeere with new store so wee should hold on in mercy still as long as we remaine among them Me thinkes we should readilie and willingly giue at Gods commanding seeing he maketh vs able so to doe in whose hand and at whose pleasure it is to take from vs and giue to them that so wee might bee driuen to seeke to them for reliefe that before sought it of vs. To the iust reproofe of such I speake it who thinke all too little for a few bellies not feeling other mens wants for getting the fearefull sentence pronounced against them that omitted this mercy and compassion as well as to them that wrought iniquitie Goe ye cursed into euerlasting fire for I was hungry and ye gaue me no meate I was naked c. Out of the other reason that they fought for the safety of Israel wee are further taught that they ought to haue reliefe also euen as I said before it is lawfull and honest for them to aske it who haue been imploied against Gods enemies and ours to defend vs from their rage and tyranny Considering that they carry their life in their hands and are in danger of spending their blood in the cause of God and the peace of the land whilest wee may sit quiet at home and liue free from such feare So that although the persons themselues be leaud yet in regard of their seruice we should see them prouided for as Paul teacheth saying Doth any man goe on warfare at his owne cost 1. Corinth 9. And it is our sinne if they haue it not or if they should be driuen to goe about to begge and so to become rogues for that is contrary to Gods commandement who saith There shall be no beggar in Israel And as good order is taken to cut off rogueing from place to place without any certaine habitation by setting the poore on worke and ministring to their necessities that which they want not being able to maintaine their charge by their labour which good order of all faithfull Christians is to be vpholden so it is a great sinne in many who in stead thereof doe nourish them that are rogues indeed notwithstanding it bee straightly commanded that hee who will not labour should not eate and who will sooner be moued with compassion toward them then toward their pooe neighbours whose need they behold daily with their eyes But more of this in the men of Succoths answer The answere of the Princes of Succoth heere followeth with Gedeons words to them againe And it is like that his suite was carried to them and their answere returned to Gedeon by messengers which sheweth that it was the fault of them and not the peoples to answere Gedeon after that manner not only to denie them very bread but to giue them also rough and scornefull words And therefore Gedeon not vpon any priuate reuenge but as one that had authoritie to doe it seeing the fault redounded to the hurt of the Common-wealth and was not committed onely against Gedeon and his men answered that he would be auenged of them If they had been wise they would both haue relieued them and also in so good a cause if neede had been haue gone with them But let vs examine the words Are Zeba and Zalmunna in thy hands alreadie As if they should haue
good order the towne or Common-wealth by their ambition or iniustice Men will admit of this in generall and say God forbid else but when it comes to the push they shew they haue the same disease which the other haue as these Shechemites had the same sore which Abimelech had and so are loth to smart for them but rather smother their owne sinnes in other mens But of this I say the lesse because the two next points aime at the like end and may serue as an inlargement hereof But to passe from these wee may see here as great a fault in the men of Shechem as we haue seene in the kindred of Abimelech They who should haue trembled at the hearing of such a matter propounded being so monstrous and horrible and should haue carried it to them that were in authoritie behold how they applaud and like of it yea and procured money also to the furthering of it which all wise men see was done of them in great lightnes and rashnes at the least yea that was one of the smallest euils in their hearkening to them And by this note the ficklenes of the multitude how easily it is to bee carried euery way as with a blast neuer weighing or considering what sound reason leadeth them to in their doings much lesse aduising with the word of God A cleere and notable example of this ficklenes and lightnes wee haue in the Gospell of them that one day honoured Christ and set him vp crying Hosanna before him and bowing to him as a King but a few daies after when the Iewes and Pharisies rose vp against him they cried in another manner Crucifie him crucifie him So that wee see how such are not to be rested in who though they hold with religion as other doe and good order in words yet except they be seasoned with sound and sauing knowledge and grace to gouerne themselues in the course of their liues it is nothing But such as giue themselues to sobrietie staiednes are highly to be esteemed so vsed with all good discretion considering how soone flesh may be puffed vp and ill counselled yea they are to be incouraged to such staiednes and constancie in a Christian and well ordered course which they that are fickle not regarding but holding on in their inconstancie they may reade their destinie that as miserable as they are alreadie they shall daily waxe worse and worse till they dye as they haue liued But this offereth it selfe often therefore I spare any further discourse of it Here I will stay for this time THE FIFTIE SIXE SERMON ON THE NINTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to proceed wee haue seene how these wofull men of Shechem who bewraying by the forementioned act of leaning to a bad request the exceeding wickednes that was in them haue yet branded themselues with another note of infamie like the former which doth much aggrauate their sinne namely this that liuing in the fellowship of honest citizens who should haue punished euill doers and haue chaced them away with their very countenance yet behold there were no worse to be found there then themselues They who should haue made the worst afraid of their iniquitie by their executing of law and iustice vp â—â— the committers euen they put the common citizens and better men then they were in danger of their liues by their wicked dealing and did indeede cause them both to lose their liues by bringing in an vsurper and tyrant to spoile and make hauocke of them We know next to the Prince in a land are the Peeres and Nobles thereof these it most concerneth to assist the supreme gouernour in the execution of iustice and gouernment And yet we see by comparing this with the Chronicles of diuers lands that these often haue been the forwardest in defending the worst causes in attempting against the State yea and in the vacancy of the throne and kingdome to further and helpe forward vsurpers in their vnlawfull claime against the vndoubted heires Whereby we learne that there are no worse then some of them who liue in ciuill societie with others who also are trusted with the peace and safetie of towne and citie and yet by the iust iudgement of God pursuing them break out and bewray themselues sometime to be notorious offenders and are brought forth oft times by their due deserts to shamefull execution with other euill doers Euen as we reade of one who liued in the tents with other when Israel abode in the desert after they came out of Egypt yet being a blasphemer was takeÌ„ out of the hoast of Israel and stoned to death like the worst malefactors and so some to come to our time with Ananias are found though they bee citizens and headborowes to be forgers sacrilegious c. Others of the same condition with Achan prooue arrant theeues and as he was are put to open shame and reproch as well as rogues and masterlesse hang-bies and some are found with Zimry to be whoremongers yea worse then the incestuous and no better theÌ„ Sodomites and do publikely receiue their punishment due thereto As also all the spies being yet choice men among the Tribes yea of the chiefer sort of them yet perished for their collusion and dissimulation except Caleb and Ioshua These are not light and small matters that such as are substantiall and of good reputation among their neighbours should bee brought forth thus to be set on the stage to be gazed on with the worst who might and ought with the best to haue been pursuers and punishers of other euill doers and their infamy shall neuer be put out with God beside the shame that befalleth them here before men without vnfained repentance which is no common thing as the world yet accounteth it And to passe from these there are othersome so vile irreligious and monstrous in another maner yea and euen of them who yet beare it out among men as if they were to be allowed and iustified their sinnes being not punishable by the law of the land nor to be taxed by the Magistrate so that the Lord doth execution vpon them himselfe causing their prophanenesse atheisme and miserlike worldlinesse to rise vp against them and driue them to hang themselues with their owne halter as did Ahitophel the great counseller and Iudas the Apostle when he became a traitor These whom I haue now mentioned and many other of bad note being found among the ciuiller sort in cities and townes euery where who yet should helpe to suppresse vagarant and vnruly persons Oh what are good faithfull and friendly neighbours worth and how highly to be accounted of such I meane as among whom one may dwell peaceable and without feare and in whose faithfulnesse a man may rest And as such may much reioyce though their infirmities hold them vnder so yet they who flourish and lift vp their heads on high and count themselues the
they thought their Idoll a sufficient treasurer and keeper of this siluer or else they would not haue made his Temple the treasurie and durst trust him with the preciousest things they had who yet had neither eies to see it or hands and power to defend it from robbers This is no wonder may some man say that they durst trust him with their money who durst venture their liues and soules vpon his protection as they in the daies of Eliah 1. King 18. did I answer It were the lesse wonder indeed if wee saw not Christians worshippers of God who professe themselues to ieopard their saluation vpon his promise to be yet farre behind these Idolaters in this thing For they will not venture nor cast their goods vpon his safegard nor thinke the Lord a meet and trustie keeper of their wealth they will put no more in his hands then they are willing to lose To such we may say Is he not much beholding to you the whilest He hath giuen you liuing Temples not of stone temples not of Baal but of his owne making euen the poore members of the Lord Iesus Into these he commandeth you to cast not your superfluities but some of your substance hee promiseth to be the ouerseer and steward of this treasurie he will reckon and returne againe such beneuolence of yours double and trebble vnto you yea tenfold which is vse and gaine enough nay an hundreth fold rewarding it with euerlasting habitations For why he hath vndertaken and is become the Surety as I haue said to repay all such loane againe abundantly But wee thinke these to bee but words and keepe the principall fast let the interest goe where it will for vs. As for these Temples we count them Sepulchres deuouring al asking giue giue but neuer returning ought againe and as they in Ecclesiastes who thinke all lost and cast vpon the waters that is well bestowed But these Idolaters and their confederates in Baal-berith shall stand foorth and witnesse against such to their shame Again when they had thus helped him forward we may see what maner of persons he hired prouided to bring his wicked purpose to passe to wit such as were empty light-headed and naught worth and which were lewd and loose and were carried headlong to that which they did and not by sound reason Whereby we haue a description of such graceles and wicked hangbies what they are and wherefore they serue which shall be to good purpose to note as for other causes so for this one to wit that we may see what iustice should be done and executed on such who liuing idly for the most part further then they needs must must worke should be laid for as of late yeeres they were by that Honourable Counseller of worthie memorie and kept from ranging about But seeing they are seldome punished the best vse we can make of them is to beware of them First they are if we will know them such as haue spent all and liued idlelie without practising any profitable trade or calling and how haue they spent it full leaudly and badly in gaming whoring gusling caualering fray-making c. and yet hanging in mens debts Secondly they are male-contents both with their owne penury and the welfare of others yea with the State it selfe often of the Common-wealth wherein they liue Thirdly they are such as are not to be ruled by reason much lesse by religion But their disposition is to run on head to bee set on gadding rouing c. And wherefore stay or waite they but euen for such troublesome times as these here were and for some tumult and insurrection that they may fish in troubled waters desiring a change of the present condition of these peaceable times as a fit occasion to practise and set a work this their diuellish disposition which in peace and gouernment is as it were emprisoned in them some by ioyning themselues with vaine and loose persons like themselues and wandring to and fro if there be no imployment for them at home into forren countries not through a desire of getting knowledge or experience much to trafficke for their maintenance but to trie their fortunes as they prophanely speake being wearie of their owne countrey wherein they are defamed for their leaudnesse prodigalitie and needlesse debts or other dishonesty others being readily hired to sort themselues with such as will rifle mens houses and companions in helping to make a head and if none of these hit as they say nor come to passe then fall they to robbing by the high waies And such dangerous and diseased members haue there alwaies been and are in al Common-wealths In the booke of the Acts in two or three Chapters the Iewes got such hang bies to make stirres and tumults in cities and then charged Paul to be the author of them when he yet was in danger of his life by them and all to make him seeme seditious and a raiser of trouble where he came Euen so such there are at this day idle companions who cannot choose but like Vultures and Cormorants pray vpon other mens goods who might easily haue been staied from these courses while they were young if they had not been suffered to haue their owne will so farre til this trade as miserable as it is yet because it is ioyned with ease waxed sweete vnto them And againe if they had not been saued and kept from prison and correction when they had so iustly deserued it which correction if the ciuill Magistrate or the Head-borrowes of townes wherein they lurked had neglected yet their owne parents and kindred should haue seene executed And if such as worke not ought not to eate why are they suffered whose life is idlenes Let such therefore be purged out from among vs and in all places let prouision be made that they who are idle and vagrant be restrained and set on worke though they haue somewhat of their owne that so will they nill they as they will doe no good they may bee compelled to stoope to good order and be held in from doing mischiefe at least that this euil may cease which threatneth so great danger to Church and Common-wealth which I must needs say is hard to doe considering how such persons flocke together to such places of the land as are populous and frequented where they may be in harbour and the safer from search and punishment but then that which we cannot amend let vs lament and blesse God if we be free from such molestation in the places where we dwell When this Abimelech saw how his bold and shamelesse deuices and attempts prospered and how he thriued in them he waxed much bolder and tooke heart to goe fall vpon his innocent brethren and slew them And herein is verified that of Salomon Eccles 7. There is a wicked man saith he who continueth in his malice meaning because he prospereth and is not resisted Thus Adonibezek chap. 1.
to speake more heere being as much and a great deale more as is like to be regarded of such as I speake of Thus we haue seene the wofull end of this cursed Abimelech and of the wicked men of Shechem who had been the furtherers of him to the mischiefe that he wrought And after these troublers of the land were taken away there was peace and euery man left off from the worke that Abimelech had drawne him to and went home to his owne place where first it may be seene what stirre disquiet and trouble one vile person may make in the Church or Common-wealth the Lord so punishing the peoples sinne as partly I noted before in this chapter Absolon was but one man but how did he disquiet his father and the whole land Likewise Sheba the sonne of Bicry that raised a new commotion against Dauid and so the Prophet Elias told Ahab that he troubled all Israel And so I may say of Achan and of Kora and of many other euery of these was but one in his attempts but each of these what plagues and mischiefe wrought they by their seuerall sinnes though most of thē priuate persons to the whole state of the Church and Common-wealth of Israel If wee compare the sinnes of the whole body with the sinnes of a few wee shall finde that the sorrow which few brought vpon the whole companie came little short of the plagues which God inflicted vpon the whole when all prouoked him Although alas what speake I of particular actions Adam his sinne first brought a feareful confusion into the whole creation What wonder then if this contagion and pestilence hath euer since and still doth cause the like disorder in the places where it rangeth whose deformitie yet and the mischiefe that it workes though we see as it were with our eyes who almost is not bewitched with the painted beautie thereof But to returne when Achan Sheba Absolon were taken away behold all was whist againe and a great calme there was after so horrible tempests The whole Church is as a ship in which if there be one Ionah what tumult makes he but cast him out and the danger is ouer And as this is true of great sinners and publike offenders so it is true of more inferiour and priuate persons as of Magistrates in their precincts Headborowes in townes Masters and parents in families seeing but for the badnes of such the rest should be in peace And further by the rooting out of Abimelech let vs confesse it to bee a great benefit when such authors of mischiefe and workers of iniquitie bee taken away and therefore giue all our endeuour for the maintenance of peace and to make holy and right vse of it while we enioy it For as wee may see by these that sought peace after the death of Abimelech euen so the most that are vsed to trouble other in time waxe wearie of it In these two verses is the shutting vp the whole chapter Iothams prophecie is verified and Gods iudgement thereby declared how hee rewardeth iniquitie Of which this I say briefly seeing in some sort it hath been touched already that they who take ill matters and bad in hand shall haue smal cause to reioyce thereof in the end For their sinne will finde them out when they thinke least of it And it is most like also that looke what way they haue sinned euen the same way their sinne may be punished as here it was Stone for stone Abimelech killed his brethren vpon a stone and he is killed by a weake woman most vnlikely with a stone The like wee haue heard of Adonibezek and of Oreb and Zeeb who tooke their death where they wrought mischiefe Oh how doth God recompence into their bosome in full measure heaped vp and running ouer vnto such The which they will not foresee and so preuent vntill they smart and be past recouerie If this cannot moue any of the like sort to take warning by such watch-words in time to hate their bad course and that with detestation at least let those that haue shunned and declined from such euill waies reioyce with thanksgiuing and that vnfained for that they haue been preserued from them and that they haue chosen the good way to walke in it howsoeuer they haue had many prouocations vnto the contrary And last of al we may see here that as God reuenged the innocent blood of Gedeons sonnes so God will take part with such innocents Hurt them not therefore for the time will come when thou shalt pay deare for thy so doing of which point looke more in the former part of the historie The end of the ninth Chapter THE SIXTIE ONE SERMON ON THE TENTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 1. After Abimelech there arose to deliuer Israel Tola the sonne of Puah the sonne of Dodo a man of Issachar and he dwelt in Shamir in mount Ephraim 2. And he iudged Israel three and twentie yeeres and died and was buried in Shamir 3. And after him arose Iair a Gileadite and iudged Israel twentie and two yeeres 4. And he had thirtie sonnes that rode on thirtie asse colts and they had thirtie cities which are called Hauoth-Iair vnto this day which are in the land of Gilead 5. And Iair died and was buried in Kamon THE summe of this Chapter is briefly this that the children of Israel hauing enioyed peace and libertie for a time vnder Tola and Iair fell againe afterward to Idolatrie Whereupon the Lord also did againe deliuer them into the hands of their enemies wherfore they calling vpon God were at the first sharply reproued but afterward truly repenting they obtained fauour with God and were released of their sinnes as before time By occasion whereof entrance is made into the storie of their deliuerance in the chapter following The parts of it are three The first containeth the time of their peace to verse the sixth The second a new defection and reuolt of the people from God to verse the 17. The third mentioneth the preparation that the Ammorites made against the children of Israel and the peoples and Princes meeting and comming together to consult and agree how to goe against them and this is to the end of the Chapter The first part of the Chapter GOd raised vp these two Iudges to wit Tola and Iair after the former to keepe the people in the true worship of God and in outward peace Here to speake somewhat in this first part of both these two Iudges of Israel ioyntly together and afterward somewhat seuerally this is to be noted of the former that after the ouerthrow of that cursed Abimelech the people of Israel had a long time of peace in both their daies that is 45. yeers Where note that though God iustly punisheth the sins of mē as he did theirs here yet he doth still remember his people and regard them sending them peace againe afterwards euen as
not crie vnfainedly at the first but for the smart they felt but hauing the repulse of God and they seeing that they preuailed not thereby they did after set themselues to seeke the Lord and to repent in the truth of their hearts as is shewed afterwards and that they did not at their first seeking to him come in true repentance it appeareth by the Lords reiecting of their cries and his bidding them goe to their gods whom they had serued for helpe which hee would not haue done if they had turned to him in truth for hee is full of compassion and readie to receiue those that are of an vpright heart And by this wee may see that many men when they are in extremities confesse their sinnes to God as Saul when hee feared the losse of his kingdome and crie to him when yet it is otherwise hardly wrung from them neither doe it they sincerely and yet I will not say that they here or that all other such of whom I speake doe it in hypocrisie but this I say that in their need and hast they crie onely they consider not that God looketh for truth at their hands neither resolue afterwards to looke aboue all things to keepe their couenant with God neither therefore indeed doe so but like Ahab bow for the time as a bulrush and afterward forgetting through carelesnes and negligence what they said or promised whereas they who in truth and vnfainedly repent and turne to God looke duly and constantly to their promise that they made to him as Dauid did who said I haue sworne and will performe it to keepe thy righteous iudgements And there had need to be no lesse in them that couenant with God a man would thinke vnlesse they will boldly and grossely shew that they despise him and helpe to fill the Church with reuolters as they were that we reade of in the Psalme The vse of which I repeate not but referre the Reader to the places before mentioned Verse 11. And the Lord said vnto the children of Israel Did not I deliuer you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the children of Ammon and from the Philistims 12. The Zidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites did oppresse you and ye cried vnto me and I saued you out of their hands 13. Yet ye haue for saken me and serued other gods wherefore I will deliuer you no more 14. Goe and crie vnto the gods which yee haue chosen let them saue you in your tribulation IN these verses it followeth what God said to them in these their cryings to him When the people had called vpon God and began as it seemed to repent God answered them indeed but sharpely and roughly as appeareth in the text whether by the high Priest or by some Prophet But why he so hardly reproued them the reason was to awake them further and to bring them to sound and constant repentance to the which they were not yet come vnto As if he should haue said to them Yee seeke to be deliuered but ye doe it to the end that ye being set at libertie may returne to your old byas againe and follow your lusts and serue strange gods But who could haue thought that you would hereafter saith the Lord to them haue reuolted from me Did you not call vpon me at other times and were heard Is this the first and when I deliuered you yet he haue forsaken me as is to bee seene this day for the marke ye stil beare of it and haue cast me behind your backs I deliuered you from the Egyptians Ammorites Ammonites and other and in stead of the thanks ye by and by forsooke me and fell to serue strange gods O horrible Thus therfore the Lord as we haue heard now casteth them in the teeth with their doings And namely with their Idols as if he should haue said yee see now what your gods as you call them are able to doe for you For if they could haue helped you I see that you would neuer haue sought to me I will not therefore deliuer you and if you seeke to them ye see they cannot Briefly to end this their state being thus laid open by the Lord before them I note or rather repeate out of the whole answere which the Lord makes them heere that it is not so easie a matter for men to deceiue him who knoweth their hearts and the guile falsehood and flattery that is in them as to beguile men who in charitie do as they ought iudge the best of them by that which they heare and see To heare some men in their good pangs either when some great blessing befalles them or when they are held vnder by some great affliction as by the feare of death and kept vpon the racke or when they haue heard some powerfull Sermon which hath searched them to the quicke or when they behold the great workes of Gods power as thunder lightning winds and tempest by sea or land or when they see Gods hand vpon other men or to be heauy vpon themselues any other way vpon such occasions I say to heare the speeches and see the behauiours of some men what words of thanksgiuing of trembling of admiration nay what confessions and prayers breake from them with earnest couenants and vowes of repentance I say to heare these things at such times would make a simple-hearted Christian crie out as amazed and not feare boldly to affirme God be glorified doubtlesse these persons are throughly changed and truly penitent and God is in them of a truth surely Saul is become a Prophet of God and thus in their simplicitie doe many iudge of such by occasion of that which they see in them and who except they bee well experienced should not say the like in that case and cursed are they that deceiue such yet thus they speake of them till they are afterward as much astonished to see the contrary in them Thus wee see they deceiue men whereas the Lord as wee may see in this example will not nor cannot bee so easily deluded by them neither wil so soone be satisfied with these their speeches but still waiteth for the truth and vprightnesse of such as vtter them and giues no credulous eare vnto them but doth more then suspect them for he calles them to further proofe of their soundnes and affection towards him and expostulateth with them for that he finds it not so with them Saul as I said fearing his kingdome confessed the sin which was laid to his charge 1. Sam. 15. But the Lord professed for all that he had reiected him chap. 16. So the people in Deuteronomy being in feare and strongly possessed thereof in all hast protested they would obey the Lord in all things which Moses should tell them from the mouth of God But the Lord smelt them and found them out presently for thus he saith to Moses This people saith
indeed vrge them about it as he had cause a question may arise how they could offer this to Iphtah to be their Iudge and how he could take it with a good conscience First seeing they had no authoritie to offer it Secondly seeing he and they both had this blocke in their way that a Bastard might not enter into the Congregation of the Lord to beare any office The answer is to both questions one that the Lord directed them thus to doe who is bound to no law and that he guided them herein the whole story through the Chapter testifieth The Lord excludeth such in Deuteronomy from bearing publike office and that to terrifie men from begetting Bastards who are in this world reprochfull and lie open to much miserie And yet how this forbidding that sinne preuaileth with men this the commonnesse of the sinne and this prophane practise of adulterers too too much bewraieth who thinke that by this meanes of bringing Bastards into the world that is the pitie they take of them they shall shunne the wearisome company of the wise and tediousnesse of children with the vnwelcome annoiances that they count to accompany both But oh monsters doe they thinke by auoiding the burden of the lawfull wife and children to escape the blot of vnlawfull libertie euen reprochfull whoredomes Doth not God set a brand both vpon them and their cursed fruit For it is prooued by experience that besides the discouragement which bastards are oppressed with as of scorne and opprobrie in the world which of it selfe is enough to hold them vnder the Lord denieth them commonly good education so that they prooue vagabonds curseth them with a more then common indisposition and aukenesse of nature to retaine instruction and gouernment And lastly there are few of them who are not tainted with vile and odious qualities such as they deriue from their vitious and vncleane parents And therefore the greater is their sinne who for all this his prohibition most wickedly fil the world with them cause them to be brought into so great calamitie Yet as the innocents cannot doe with it so God bee thanked they are not shouldred out from the hope of saluation for there is no respect of persons with God if they feare him But if they were cast off by the Lord yet such is the vnconscionable beastlinesse of those gracelesse persons that for their owne filthy lust they would thus endanger them as the loathsome practise of those vncleane Locustes the Popish Monkes and Friers both in this land and elsewhere hath abundantly witnessed to the world in former ages See more in the first verse of this Chapter Iphtah hauing found ill dealing at their hands before as we haue heard for that they were not lead by conscience and the feare of God when they cast him out but by partialitie vsed crueltie against him he did not therfore trust them vpon their word but requireth an oath of God at their mouthes as may be gathered by their making God a witnesse of the promise which they made vnto him and so tieth them to a sure couenanting with him For it had not otherwise been wisely prouided for by him and therefore when he went with the messengers to Mizpeh he rehearsed these things there before the Lord that so the promise which they made might stand sure God being desired to be the beholder and witnesse And here let vs learne that when men haue dealt vnfaithfully and dishonestly they haue no wrong offered them if they bee not credited as before no although they bee bound by bond whereas their bare word was taken while they went for honest men for they haue giuen iust cause to other to suspect their credit And by this which I say may be noted that one cause why men are in lesse credit now adaies is their vnfaithfull dealing And whereas some cannot be trusted nor borrow vpon their word or bond but for want of credit doe goe without that which would stand them in exceeding great stead for their vpholding and maintenance it is the fruit of their owne doings and that which they haue sought by their owne vntrustinesse and breaking of their promise whereby they haue lost their credit together with their honesty For in these daies many care not to deceiue yea and vndoe others and therefore come to nought themselues also for the most part whereas some other being faithful and conscionable vpon their bare credit liue and maintaine their charge by borrowing and by other mens forbearing them And whereas it is obiected on the behalfe of these vnthrifts and deceiuers that they must be borne withall though they cannot pay that which they haue borrowed I answer Some of them see no likelihood that they can repay so much as they will seeke to borrow and take into their hands of other mens goods which argueth little honesty and therefore are well content to wind it from them cunningly and craftily whereby also they impouerish some others will not diminish their occupying in the least manner though they goe aboue their reach nor detract from their belly and pastime to pay the owner therby shewing that they care not how he come by his due and right or whether he euer haue it againe or no. Now while these things are thus we may note that the beautie of religion is such if it be planted in men soundly and indeed as that it winnes credit to him that hath it for contrary dealing and maketh him to be approoued for his faithfulnesse conscionablenesse and honesty whereas he that is void of them liueth in vtter discredit and iust reproch And whereas ye will say some of them that make shew of religion doe yet deceiue and deale vntrustily with their creditors I answer it is not the shew of religion but the practise of it that carrieth the beauty with it that I speake of and if any that be taken to be religious offend this way know wee that it is not their religion that imboldneth them to such dealing but that they haue so little of it And so it is true also that some that haue credit deseruedly doe for the sweetnesse of the gaine if they take not heed hold their due from the owners sometimes though they may little reioyce in it And let them know that their sinne is the greater but yet all this notwithstanding there are some who dare not neither will by any meanes be brought to doe so And if ye aske me Why then doe men take bonds of such as are of approoued honesty and haue not broken nor lost their credit as if they were no better trusted then other common men I answer Not because they be distrusted but first seeing all are mortal and so men might lose their goods if they had no securitie for them by those in whose hands they are and secondlie that contention may not arise betwixt the posteritie of both parties that shal come after And againe
men that law be not attempted till all other meanes be first vsed and a great sinne it is among Christians to runne by and by to law and to the suing one of another as too many vse to doe hotly rashly and wilfully though themselues sustaine most hurt by it who doe so as being authors of the contention and suite Likewise the same may be said of offenders in other kindes who if they haue been lead away by leaud counsell or companie and yet relent for it afterward and take admonition against it willingly they are to be vsed more fauourably so farre as by the law they may be forborne euen as the stiffenecked and sawcie and bold defenders of their sinne are sharply to be dealt with lest they grow past recouerie and doe as the waters euen ouerflow all places where they come Some controuersies shall no doubt alwaies arise betweene man and man touching things the equitie whereof is vnknowne and vncertaine it shall be whose the right is But if contentions proceeding from manifest wrong or from vngrounded surmises were at the first taken vp and cut off in which commonly most rashnes heate and distemper is bewrayed yea if trifling quarrels were troden vnder foote then neither should men haue so many needlesse ianglings and those which are serious and could not bee auoided should more indifferently be handled and decided either priuatly or with peaceable consent of both parties by trauerse of law Yea I say if themselues could not hit vpon agreement they would yeeld to the discretion and loue of such as might compound their differences rather then multiplie one sinne vpon another as fiercenes of words to the gall of their stomacks and other actuall pursuite each of other to both the former shewing themselues vnappeaseable and inexorable It is the pride bitternes and enuie of the heart rather then the weightinesse of the cause which oft prouokes men to the heate and stomacke which they vtter and bewray all may see in their iarrings each against other And therefore they are so farre from Iphtah his practise that they reioyce they haue any pretence of debate and suite against their neighbour and follow it in such eager and odious manner that all may see they sue not because they haue cause but are glad they haue any occasion such a delight they haue therein that they might fall to suite The claime of a whole Tribes inheritance did not so stirre Iphtah to wrath against this vsurper as many of vs would bee stirred against him that would challenge a few acres of our possession what doe I say nay against him that contendeth about a twelue penny matter with vs and yet wee should exceed them that goe many degrees before Iphtah in the meanes of knowledge and acquaintance with Gods will in particuler duties if we did well consider it Let such doings be heard of among Heathens as for Christians if one partie will not heare of his dutie let the other giue him ouer and let him contend if he will needs with his owne shadow Doubtlesse in many contentions if either party were wise the others folly should soone appeare and the contention which growes past recouerie should cease and be at an end And further Iphtah by asking what wrong he had done him that he came to warre against him giueth all to vnderstand how absurd and odious a thing it is to doe wrong and deale hardly with them who haue done no iniurie to vs and therefore hee saith If I haue done wrong good reason it is that I should satisfie the challenge c. For if that be foolishnes when wee doe but meddle with a matter that belongeth not vnto vs and with the which we haue nothing to doe yea though wee meane no euill thereby if that I say be folly and as Salomon saith all one as if a man plucked a curst dogge by the eare then to hurt any willingly and to bee cruell and iniurious to him that would liue in peace by vs is an high degree of iniquitie And if we ought to sustaine a double iniurie rather then to offer to reuenge one how great a sinne is it to doe wrong or hurt any man wee not being prouoked by him It is abomination euen as it is to let the guiltie goe free and yet many make no conscience hereof But I haue spoken of this point in chap. 8. in Gedeons protestation to Zeba and Zalmunna and in other places The King of the Ammonites sends him word that Israel had taken away part of his land when they went out of Egypt toward the land of Canaan and therefore he made warre with them But how true this was ye may see in Deuteronomy where the Lord speaketh thus to the children of Israel when they should passe by them Thou shalt not lay siege against the children of Ammon neither make warre against them for I will not giue the land of the children of Ammon into thy hands And in the 37. verse Moses tels them they obeyed the Lord therein saying Vnto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not nor vnto any place of the riuer Iabbok vpon which it bounded So we see that whereas it is manifest that the Lord suffered not Israel to meddle with Ammon yet the King answers boldly they did This teacheth that such are to be found who neither meane well simply neither care what they say but as their hearts are full of falsehood and deceit so their mouthes are full of lying The Lord himselfe had said the people of Israel should not neither did they meddle with the Ammonites as the forementioned scripture testifieth yet their King boldly and vntruly auoucheth that they tooke his land and enioyed it as their owne The which who should not be ready to beleeue being so boldly auouched and that by a King Euen so many care not what lyes they coyne nor how shamelesly they lay claime to other mens goods and how boldly and impudently they set against the truth in many other dealings And this they doe either for their commoditie as this King did or for their credit and to set a colour on their doings as the old Prophet of Beth I did by lying and Gehazi also when hee had gotten the tallents of Naaman or for both respects together as Anantas and Saphira and Saul also See his answere 1. Sam. 15. Let the credit of such be with vs thereafter In stead of this dealing wee see the beautie of truth and faithfulnes without which how can men liue one with another Put away lying therefore as the Apostle willeth and speake the truth euery man to his neighbour In this vnreasonable and absurd answere of this King compared with Iphtah his wise and equall proceeding we see the contrarietie of mens dispositions there are some that striue by all possible meanes against contention and vnpeaceablenes there are others againe whose delight it is to
This teacheth vs in dealing with any aduersary of the truth to smite him with his owne weapon not with Gods weapons drawne from the Armorie of the Scriptures which are truths by reuelation only not by nature and therefore to such as they are vnreuealed vnto they are as Pauls doctrine of Resurrection was to the profane Stoicks The Church smiteth not the Infidell by spirituall Censures because he is not capable of spirituall direction and doctrine There are none so erronious but they hold some truths and the truths which they hold may serue to infringe the errors they maintaine And so when they are brought to suspect or renounce falsehood they may the sooner be perswaded to admit the truth which before their strong preiudice will not suffer them to doe The Heathen by confessing a Deitie may by graduall consequences be forced to acknowledge an vnitie and so by the workes of this deity vrged to confesse a worship due thereto and that inward aswell as outward as also to see the folly of his manner of worshipping And thus being prepared hee may the better be instructed in the truth The reason of the former point is because all truth is vniforme and repugneth to all falsehood though it be not discerned so to be but by demonstration So the Popish Transubstantiation the Lutheran Vbiquitie are best confuted by their owne positions and confessions as also other their errors and heresies and not by our own Neither will it be hard to doe so since that it is impossible but that he who writes many truths should contradict himselfe in his errors ere he be aware And let this course be vsed against the ignorant and vngrounded neither let vs presently raile vpon such or abandon them because they are not perswaded by the things which are forcible with vs but let them be kindly drawne on by little and little and not driuen further of Thus much bee said of that which hitherto hath passed betwixt Iphtah and the King of Ammon THE SIXTIE SEVEN SERMON ON THE ELEVNTH CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES NOw to proceede In communication betwixt the King of Ammon and Iphtah it followeth that he vsed another reason to the King of Ammon by his messengers and that is prescription long continuance of time euen 300. yeeres well nigh all which time this ground was neuer claimed No nor Balac the King of Moab when Israel was newly come into the cities belonging to it and dwelt in them neuer challenged it nor contended for it when yet hee stroue with them that they should not enter into his owne borders Now this reason of Iphtah must be vnderstood to follow vpon the former more pertinent reasons after this manner He had prooued directly that this land was no part of the Ammonites land now he proues further that Ammon could lay no iust claime to it in any second respect as because it was a part of the Amorites land bordering vpon them For saith he then might Moab aswell nay better challenge it then the Ammonites which yet neither they did nor had done in 300. yeeres space before If the reason be not thus considered it concludeth nothing for it doth not directly follow that Ammon had no title to it because Moab had none Thus Iphtah answered him and then committed the successe to God But the King of the Ammonites did not hearken to him Although Iphtah sheweth that for 300. yeeres Israel enioyed the country of the Amorites quietly yet hee brought other reasons also drawne from right and reason aswell as fact and possession which made that more strong as we haue heard All which laid together did sufficiently prooue that the land was theirs and that the King of Ammon did trouble them vniustly and without cause This I say for that we may know that prescription of time as it may fall out though seldome it doe so is no sufficient reason to hold our commodities by but that there may be right on the other side and good proofe for the same and yet our law supposing a great likelihood of right to be on our sides when we haue long enioyed our lands hath well determined the controuersie by giuing it to vs when it hath been long enioyed of vs and our predecessors seeing otherwise many endlesse contentions might arise because it is not like that any aliue can alleage any good reason against so long a cōtinuance of time neither can bring any thing certaine from former times to ouerthrow it And the equitie of the law aimeth at that which most vsually though not generally or infallibly holdeth for the most part ordinarily And where Iphtah saith that Balak King of Moab stood against Israel stiffely to hold him from going through his land yet hee stroue not with them for the recouering this land of the Amorites which he might as iustly haue done as he the King of Ammon did hee prooueth thereby that he had nothing to doe with it nor any right vnto it Teaching this thereby that when men are deadly set against their aduersaries for any matter seeking thereby to vexe them in the sorest manner they can they would shew their rancor in bringing foorth greater crimes and accusations against them then they doe whereby they might much more easily bring them downe if they were prouided with any And whereas they seeke to blemish their names or to impouerish their estate or to afflict their persons by restraint of libertie imprisonment or banishment they doe as the old Serpent bite at their heele because they cannot breake their head but they would be gladdest of all to shed their blood God indeed plucks them back and so they vomit not their poison out to so great mischiefe as they conceiue it but fall short but their poison is nothing lesse deadly for all that they want but matter to worke vpon And this is manifest by these two signes the one that they are content to take the slightest occasions and rather choose to be ridiculous in their malice then not malicious the other that both they aggrauate their slender accusations with slanderous additions of their owne inuenting and combe both the warpe and the woof both the crime and the amplification thereof in the diuels forge their lying hearts and braines because the innocency of their aduersarie yeelds them no iust exception Thus those enemies of our Sauiour for want of matter suborned false witnesses which periurie argued they would not haue spared to produce true and greater crimes if they could haue found them It is noted of Daniels aduersaries chap. 6. that wanting matter of treason they were faine to bring out his religion against him which as they contriued the matter by the law they made for the purpose toucht his life also but if they had found ought to lay to his charge in the other they would rather haue vsed it This doctrine serueth to answere them who pretend for the couering of their malice that whereas they
husbands and these againe to them and one deare friend to another And what vexations haue many mens goods been to them as their house and land when they haue brought them to naught and when they haue seene they must forgoe them And how haue other mens pleasures stung them at the heart when they hauing been the ioy thereof they haue forsaken them Oh if men durst or could be perswaded to bewray it when they haue seene they must dye and leaue all how haue they been wrapped in deadly sorrow and thraldome thereby so neere were their hearts knit to their earthly delights that they haue been able to thinke of no good thing to helpe them to saluation and to make their account well to God no nor to entertaine any good aduice and instruction if it had been offered them And what may bee the reason of all this Truly this seeing they haue so greatly abused them by setting them in the Lords place and their harts vpon them so impotently and fondly directly contrary to Gods commandement giuing this charge If riches encrease set not your hearts vpon them And to make this their sinne the greater they must know that they who are not brought as yet to faith in Christ and true repentance so that they bee by him intitled to them who is Lord and heire of all they haue no right to any of their lawfullest pleasures and profits no not their children by Gods allowance hauing lost the same right by Adams sinne which indeede once was giuen in Adams innocencie And yet euen the godliest must vse them soberly and learne to enioy them with Gods allowance as they may when they resolue with contentment to leaue them and when they are put to necessarie profitable godly vses for that is indeed to learne to want them as we are commanded and haue example thereof when God will so haue it And otherwise they who haue had most shall wish they had had least And if yee will aske if there be nothing that men may safely and boldly reioyce in I answere Yes let them reioyce in beleeuing in hope patience and a good conscience that ioy shall not be taken from them Besides in this verse in that Iphtah said his daughter troubled him and yet it was by no ill behauiour let it be an instruction for children that they had not need to be crosses to their parents by loosenes and disobedience for their parents are many waies grieued by them in other respects as to see them crossed and brought behinde hand in the world by pouertie or for that they thriue not in their outward estate so for their other sundrie troubles that befall them and with these when they looke to haue them the staffe of their old age then if they see them taken away by death or crossed by their awke and bad matches if then they also with the like to these shall vexe them in their life how can they chuse but bring their gray haires with sorrow to their graue Monsters therefore and vnnaturall children are they who knowing that from their very conception birth they are occasions of griefe and heauinesse of heart to their parents many waies who take thought for them also afterward in euery part of their life how to bring them vp and prouide for them monsters I say they are who doe yet adde more heart smart and greater griefe to them by their vnrulinesse stoutnesse loftines of minde riot ill spending their time and goods with lewd companions and many other euill waies euen so many as who can reckon them vp But this point hath been diuersly occasioned already and more directly concernes the 36. verse following And because he saith he could not goe backe but must execute his vow many marueile he should be so ignorant that he knew not the law in Leuiticus concerning the redeeming of a sonne or a daughter in such a case for so might hee haue done But hee being driuen out of his fathers house because he was base borne and banished fell to a souldiers life it might the rather be therefore that he was lesse acquainted with the law of God But it is more marueilous that being so famous a thing that the high Priest should not be consulted with by the motion of some of his friends especially there remaining two moneths before the vow was put in execution But his ignorance it was that held him in that grieuous error And it is a watch-word to all Gods people to labour against it seeing he being ignorant of this one point brought such sorrow and woe vpon his owne head for who findes not likewise that want of knowledge in some one point or want of care to remember that which he knowes which in effect is all one hath been a sore blemish to him among his betters who can espie his ignorance or else through the want of it hee hath runne vpon rocks I meane indangered himselfe to doe that to his shame and griefe which knowledge thereof would haue guided him to haue done to his owne great comfort Oh seeke we therefore sauing knowledge and all that is necessarie while we may and as wee may it is a crowne to an humble and sanctified person and in a doubtfull case doe we not as Iphtah here did to neglect the seeking of resolution when and where we may haue it And let them who liue vnder an ordinary Ministerie vnprofitably repent betimes and redeeme the time for it is a great plague of God to bee euer learning and neuer comming to the knowledge of the truth And such as want meanes let them quicken their appetite the more and labour to set the best price vpon knowledge and wisedome which is the holy vse of it For hee that matcheth these with the most precious iewels and searcheth after thē as gold hee is like to finde them soonest The other passeth by them vnknowne at vnawares as he that walketh ouer mines and treasure hidden in the earth neuer the wiser But the text giuing occasion rather to vrge this care vpon the better sort we may iustly bewaile it how long it is ere euen many a good Christian attaine to that measure of competent and necessarie knowledge which might guide his course I speake not now of exact knowledge in all points much lesse of curious knowledge of things lesse pertinent which yet many seeke after more greedily then they doe the other like distempered stomackes which feede vpon trash rather then good nourishment Now what makes it so difficult a thing as it is Sometime an inuincible defect in nature in which case I confesse a tractable and modest minde may pleade an excuse from God in others a conceit that if Christ be knowne in any sort it skils not whether other matters bee knowne or no which is a foolish opinion and collection Others and the most heare badly or adde no priuate helpe of their owne reading or
perfect as your father in heauen is perfect also purifie your selues euen as I am pure Be mercifull euen as your heauenly father And be ye holy for I am holy Insomuch that in another place he saith without holinesse no man shall see the Lord. And the signification of the Nazarite doth exclude all that are vncleane and vnsanctified from the Lords presence fauour and seruice True it is the ceremoniall rule is abolished for in the Church of the new testament it is not permitted to any man to vowe any regular seruing of God according to outward obseruances and orders with placing any religion therein no not so much as to retaine the obseruation of the Nazarite much lesse to inuent new rites and orders and yet such are holden the onely religious men and women at this day in the church of Rome as haue solemnely entred into some order or other as they haue many confused orders of their owne forging and therein ayme at perfection But to let these and their disorders goe the equitie of this institution still remaineth firme and bindeth vs. For the Lord will haue all his to know that they are not set here to liue no nor to serue him as they list or bee as seruants that be at their owne hands but hee tieth them to a rule and an order according whereto he will haue them to walke But this rule is spirituall first then vniforme and bindeth all without exception The summe whereof is as I haue said to giue vp themselues in bodie and soule to the Lord in all inward subiection of heart and outward obedience of life strictly with clensing themselues of all superfluitie and filthinesse of either body or minde The ceremonies also here required to be vsed of the Nazarite had their signification those which are mentioned in the text are these two the one the suffering of the haire of his head to growe and not to be cut off for the time that their vow of being Nazarites remained for they vowed it either for a certaine number of daies moneths or yeares But when their vow was at an end and the time of keeping it expired at the offering of sacrifice and burning the flesh in the fire they cut off their haire and burnt it in the same fire And after that they were free and returned to their former course of life Although it was otherwise with Samson for he was by the Lord appointed a Nazarite for his whole life though that was not according to the common manner of being made Nazarites The signification of it was that much time should not be taken vp in too nicely trimming and looking to our bodies seeing we know they must be consumed to the earth and become wormes meate and therefore a ridiculous folly to forget that and to please our selues in such deceiueable fancies And also when the minde is set curiously on that worke as it is a dangerous token of pride so it bewrayeth that it slenderly regardeth the inward apparrelling of it But as this nicenes and curiositie in the weaker sexe who spend too many good houres vainely and vnfruitefully in this kind argueth pride folly so there is a foule abuse in men about this matter and that is their disguised wearing of long haire I thinke there are few of them who will defend themselues by the practise of Nazarites if they did yet the world would conuince them as being for the most part furthest off from the strict worship of God and sincere walking after his will as the Nazarites did if they doe not also mocke and skorne those that embrace it Me thinkes it is strange and argueth somewhat more then common for the badnesse thereof that among many changes of corrupt English fashions worne out and expired yet this vnnaturall fashion as Paul calles it for a man to weare long 〈◊〉 hath suruiued them all I know some nourish it for amarous lightnesse of minde others as a supposed ornament to their person or marke of gentâ—ie or at least imitation of gentlemen These as I thinke might more wisely forbeare it now seeing it is become the fashion and habite of the basest swaggerers and ruffians and the diuels marke which he hath set vpon many that wil not be reformed then at the first when they vsed it either as ensigne or ornament It was the speech of a worthie and reuerend Iudge of the land That the vse of the long locke was first taken vp by branded fellowes for a couer of their shame And that honourable personage in his circuit sitting in the place of iustice vpon malefactors practised according to the former obseruation commanding all whom he saw beset with such deformed haire to be immediatly cut or shorne whether to discouer their eare marke or to shame their vnseemely guise I know not And yet many of them farre enough from Nazarites all may thinke set as much by their haire as if they had put religion therein and were as loth to haue sheares or rasor to come vpon it The signification of the abstaining from wine or strong drinke was not simply to forbid the vsing of it to all for wee see in Nehemiah the Lord giueth his people libertie to eate of the fatte and drinke of the sweete but it was commanded them that were Nazarites for the time that they continued so to abstaine therefrom the signification I say thereof was to teach Gods people that they should auoide all excesse that way lest thereby they should dull and blunt the powers of their mindes and so they must of necessitive vse them to shamefull ends which were giuen them to farre more excellent purposes which I say to the iust condemning of all beastly drunkards and such as are their pot companions though they can better beare drinke without open disguising of themselues then the other who yet spending their time wickedly and in needelesse and brutish deuouring of it are nothing inferior to them in sinning but in sundry respects are much worse then many of them But of this sinne by other occasion I haue spoken This particularly be said of the rule of Nazarites and the caueats thereof more generally this I adde to the former that by these prohibitions and such like the Lord would teach vs in how high account hee hath an heart well mortified and purged from the drosse and superfluitie of lusts and concupiscence which it is stuffed withall Wee see how he enioyneth his Nazarites not so much actuall worship as a straight restraint of the flesh from all vnlawfull excesse which he shadoweth out by these two of diet and dâ—cking the body abstinence in both Doubtlesse if it were possible for a man to equall the Angels in obedience and cheerefulnesse readinesse and integritie of seruice yet if it were possible againe that the olde man with his desires and passions might still remaine aliue with them as wrath malice couetousnesse vncleanenesse hollownesse loosenesse pride
guides cast the spirit of bondage vpon the rest Euen as he dealt heere with this people who were vnder the Philistims a long time that is before Samson was borne and all the time till he grew to be able to set vpon them and all the twentie yeres while he iudged Israel and so continued after that Yea and hee will punish vs yet seuen times more if we continue in our euill course And let vs obserue a farre different manner of God his visiting the godly and his punishing the wicked The people heere by their breaches of couenant and daily reuolts from God were faine to bee inured to affliction and particularly to bee in seruitude to such as hated them and yet because the Lord had chosen them from among all nations to be a peculier people vnto himselfe therefore his eye could not see their misery but hee must needs pitie them and euen then when hee could not but bridle them hee must needs prouide that their bondage may be tolerable Wee may thanke our selues for any straitnesse and trouble that befals vs but in that wee see any light of comfort through a creuis or haue any breathings and relaxation it is Gods indulgence who thereby sheweth that he could bee content the rod were burnt and might not be vsed at all forasmuch as he is content to shake it ouer vs only when as he might beate vs with many stripes And to say the truth he holdeth vs vnder rather to preuent greater offences and sorer punishments for time to come then deale with vs after and according to our former and past transgressions Let this teach vs to be waile and bee humbled for our hollow and false-hearted dealing with God in our promises of amendment and for our formall thankesgiuing for the blessings wee enioy and for that wee retaine no more fruit thereof but become as bad or worse afterward as euer we were before And let vs chuse rather by a sound and well ordered course to enioy the constant feeling of Gods loue and the fruition of his blessing then by our breaking out to cloud and blemish our owne happinesse by the mixture of many vnwelcome afflictions And againe let it serue to alleniate and qualifie our rebellious nature which commonly deemeth that God hath quite hidden his face from vs if all goe not currant and smooth with vs as in time past For why The fauour of God is not like to his displeasure because sinne is not like obedience but is it not much that in the middest of displeasure and when he hath been so oft prouoked by vs he forgetteth not to shew mercy to vs whereas if we looke to the wicked we shall finde that it is nothing so with them for neither doth the Lord exercise them with afflictions alway to restraine them but suffereth them to goe on to perdition or if he doe punish them yet he sweetens not the crosse to them but smites them in wrath and giues them euen here a taste of that eternall displeasure of his which they shall feele endlesly and easelesly hereafter THE EIGHTIE TWO SERMON ON THE XVI CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 1. Then went Samson to Azzah and saw there an harlot and went in vnto her 2. And it was told to the Azzahites Samson is come hither and they went about and laid wait for him all night in the gate of the City and were quiet all the night saying Abide till the morning early and we shall kill him 3. And Samson slept till midnight and arose at midnight and tooke the doores of the gates of the City and the two posts and lift them away with the barres and put them vpon his shoulders and carried them vp to the top of the mountaine that is before Hebron THe summe of this Chapter is thus much The Philistims hauing been oft plagued by Samson as in part wee haue heard they laid for him to kill him And they hearing that he was at Azza or Gazza as it is called one of their chiefe Cities they set watch for him in the night to take him but were disappointed After that they vsed meanes in another place and there they apprehended him and cruelly handled him and made themselues pastime in bringing him before them to be scorned and laughed at till at the last he pulled down the house vpon the chiefe Princes of the Philistims and many of the people being met together to sport themselues and laugh at him in beholding him their great enemy so disguised and abased and so there he lost his life with them The first part of the Chapter sheweth how Samson escaped the hands of the Philistims lying in watch for him at AZza and this to the 4. verse The second declareth how at another time they laying waite for him tooke him at the house of Delilah in the valley of Sorek to the 21. verse The third part sheweth their entreatie euen their cruell handling of Samson after they had apprehended him and what came thereof to the end of the Chapter The first part of the Chapter IN this part is shewed how Samson came to this City AZza and there went into the house of an harlot which being heard of by the Citizens they laid wait for him but tooke him not for to the great disappointing of them hee at midnight tooke the posts of the gates vpon his shoulders and carried them to the top of a mountaine in the land of Israel betwixt Hebron and the Azzahites Heere moreparticularly it being said that he seeing in the City a woman which was an harlot for so the Hebrew word is to bee translated heere though it signifie also a victualler he went in to her which phrase is as much as that hee being not her husband had vnlawfull companie with her as in chapter 15. 1. that phrase of speech is taken for the companying of husband and wife together as also in many other places it doth appeare so that it is cleare that Samson in this first verse is said to haue vnlawfull companie with an harlot neither is there any shew of reason to take it otherwise against the significatiō of the phrase as that he saw a victualler went in to her that is into her house for their houses were knowne to bee for the receiuing of passengers by some signes or report not by meeting the victuallers in the streets and so accompanying them home Sure it is that this was an harlot whose house he went into and he went in thither to an ill end euen to haue company with her as I haue said in an vnlawfull manner therefore to seeke any other exposition to salue the matter is needlesse It hath been well seene in this storie that Samson notwithstanding some faults was one of the deere seruants of God as also it is confirmed that hee was so in the Epistle to the Hebrewes And yet now behold hee is snared with
this day do so deceiue themselues the diuell hath what he would at our hands and doubts not but to draw vs into the snare to commit the sinne shortly euen as these that I speake of do finde and feele to their cost for all the confidence that they seeme to haue Samson in this third attempt was so far off from giuing her ouer hauing twice tryed that she sought his life and vtter vndoing that yet hee answeres her the third time such was his effeminate sottishnesse so that howsoeuer hee thought still to conceale the secret from her and to keepe himselfe free from vttering it euen as before thitherto he had done yet hee began now in this third attempt to slide and slip in further and to stagger as a drunken man little considering what he did For hee was tampering about his lockes now before he told her the very thing that she asked and so came neerer to the bewraying and vttering that which shee sought of him as if hee could hardly conceale it from her saying to her that if his lockes were fastened to the threeds of the woofe with a pin hee should be weakened and be as another man And she thinking indeed that hee came now more neere the very point seeing he spake of his lockes she by and by made triall of his words and hauing done so she called the Philistims againe to set vpon him but as yet hee held backe from yeelding to her and once more withstood and deceiued her although hee had much adoe as we see to keepe it from her Whereby wee may see that when men giue themselues liberty and full scope to talke too and fro of things dangerous and hurtfull and take liking therein and will auoid no occasions nor resist no tentations drawing and leading thereto they shall not chuse but bee snared and caught therewith though they intend no such thing as it came to passe to him and so they shall hardly forbeare and containe themselues from running headlong and being giuen ouer thereto For when they are led away of their owne concupiscence as Saint Iames saith they are inticed also and snared so that they cannot well go off nor on but more ready to consent as wee see Samson did afterward telling his whole heart vnto her Euen so I say men shall by oft and long tampering with the sinne whereto they are too neerely affected come more readily and speedily to the consenting to it and the committing of it who should rather turne away and weane themselues and that betimes from the least liking or longing after it much lesse should they hasten it on by liberall talking of it For if we will suffer our selues to be importuned in all cases medling with them when we need not who doubteth but that we shall much easilier yeeld thereto Those whom commonly wee call men of good natures being once tainted by leaud company grow first dissolute and by degrees desperate but they wax rotten by degrees as wee see fruit by long lying doth And as wee see in the running out of the houre-glasse that euery part of the sands course is the hastening of the houre to an end though the last passage of it be the actuall ending the reof so may we say of Samson his dallying and houering replies that euen the first second and third were the preparations to the final bewraying of the secret though the fourth onely confessed it actually If the fourth had been away the matter had been whole but the fourth was in the first in the second and in the third though more obscurely enfolded Alas at his first shifting he thought hee might haue proceeded still But as the secret at the first dash was too waighty to vtter so after two or three dalliances the tentation preuailed and was too strong for him any longer to shift off withhold or resist And the like let vs know euen as this also is to be spokon vnto vs. The fourth attempt followeth in the which shee gaue him the deadly blow For when no warning will serue how can a man chuse but fall into the danger how great soeuer it be which he would by no meanes auoide while he might But let vs heare the dealing of them both She is growne now more subtill then before For wee are not to thinke that these things were done betwixt them on one day or on foure daies together as the acts are heere set downe to be in number foure immediately following one another but with some space betwixt them that she might take fit occasion in a more subtill manner to renue her suite and request againe Shee beginneth therefore with him in this manner that whereas hee had told her hee loued her shee subtilly answered shee saw hee loued her not because his heart was not with her but hee had mocked her now three times and had not told her that which she asked of him And through her subtill and secret winding into him and her impudent importunity and earnest vrging of him for all his wisedome as he thought in holding her off with lies and delaies in iesting manner yet he thinking by her following of the matter that she was in good earnest with him in saying hee grieued her because she saw he loued her not he was brought thereby to pitie her and to be so wounded with her subtil flattering of him and dissembling with him that he was sore vexed to see her so grieued and therefore as great woe as it was like to bring to himselfe he neuer duly considered it but was ouercome and told her according to her desire all his heart euen how hee might bee brought to lose his strength This for the summe of these three verses But now let vs weigh these things more particularly In the 15. verse by the subtilty the woman had learned now at the last who told him he loued her not when yet she knew he doted on her we see how artificiall the wicked do easily grow for herein we need not doubt but that the like offenders now are like her and how soone the deceiuers in their attempts doe waxe worse and worse and more ripe in subtilty and deceiuing then they were before So saith Paul to Timothy So that if there were any to obserue it how for the most part men are fitted to this trade to wit that how meanely and bungerly soeuer they go to worke in comparison when they begin the world I meane for subtilty ouer they doe afterward but how soone they grow ripe in this faculty and that in euery kinde of euill dealing as experience sheweth too cleerely I say if men obserued it they would confesse no lesse then I say Whether we speake of them that begin in vnlawfull trades and courses as in whoredome oppression flattery beguiling or in any such or in those which are lawfull as buying selling letting house and land or other earthly dealings as may bee seene in the vniust
And he had a house of gods and made with the rest of the money all garments and ornaments fit for a Priest signified by the Ephod the vpper garment of the Priest which was the chiefe and when all other things fit for Idolatrie were prouided then he brought the Images which are here called Teraphim into the house of his gods as he called them and made his sonne his Priest And whereas it might be said Was all this abomination done in Israel how could that be It is answered in the sixth verse as the reason of all there was then no ordinary Magistrate in the land to see good order and put downe the contrary and that was the cause Whereas she had dedicated the money to the Lord all that heare what she said would thinke her meaning was that she had vowed it to the vse of the Tabernacle and seruice of God which had been commendable in her but she did so dedicate it to the making of an Image not to the intent to worship false gods but the true God euen Iehouah though in an vnlawfull manner Whereby wee see two kindes of Idolatrie haue been and are practised in the world one when a strange god is worshipped or made for that end another when the true God is worshipped therein but not in such manner as hee hath commanded but by and in Images or some other way that men haue inuented and of this second kinde was this womans sinne So when an Image is made by any set vp to bring God to remembrance we must vnderstand that although they doe it of deuotion intending no other thing then to worshippe him thereby yet all such doing of theirs is but meere ignorance and superstition and that which God doth vtterly abhorre Such as that was of the children of Israels deuising in making a Calfe to worshippe mentioned in Exodus and such as now is practised in Poperie who professe when an Image is set vp before them they pray not to it but to God whether it bee the Crucifix or the picture of the Virgin Mary as they call it or any other neither worship they it if ye will beleeue them they say but they doe so to put them in minde of their Sauiour which is little better But whatsoeuer they meane or intend in such their doings their worke is accepted of God euen as this womans was and that is that he taketh and counteth it for Idolatrie But let vs all as well as Idolaters beware that we offer not to God any seruice or sacrifice whereby we should but mocke him as Micahs mother did Whether it bee will-worship which he neuer allowed or done in hypocrisie which he detesteth as well as Idolatrie most of all condemned but let vs alwaies be guided by his word in the worship which we offer him As she had dedicated the whole summe of the money to the Lord which she tooke againe of her sonne so accordingly she put to the founder a part of it to make a molten Image and the rest of the eleuen hundred shekels she gaue backe to her sonne for the like vse to wit for the maintenance of his Idolatrie The which doing of hers seeing she was so franke in bestowing and yet reaped no fruite of all her cost doth giue iust cause of wondring and lamenting that such Idolaters as they were and as they of our time be can so readily lash out their money vpon that for which they shall neuer be the better for in vaine doe all such worship God and yet many of vs are so slow and backward to lay out our money that may bee well spared to comfort the hearts of Gods people and to other good vses when wee yet may reape and enioy most certaine yea and that vnspeakable fruite thereof I meane when we beleeuing that we are beloued of God do shew this fruit of our loue and thankfull heart to him againe that wee maintaine his true worship with our goods and also pitie and incourage the true worshippers of him I meane his poore members as he requireth of which poore sort he might haue made our selues to be But oh it grieueth me to speake it that for such good vses to wit for the refreshing of Gods poore Saints and the furthering of the true preaching of the Gospel men haue so small deuotion that they thinke all too much that is bestowed that way But they shall receiue their reward accordingly though they hold the truth in the letter as long as they serue God negligently and pinchingly whereas we haue learned of our Sauiour that his heauenly father is not honoured of vs neither then shall we of him be except we bring foorth much fruite And because in the entrance vpon this chapter I referred the reader to this place as a fit occasion of vrging so important a dutie therfore I will here adde somwhat to the former This I say therefore there is not that lauish expence and needlesse lashing out of mens money in some kinds through the land God be thanked which hath been I meane in bestowing much meate drinke vpon idle ones and gamesters and rogues but wherfore is it spared which was wont to bee ill spent To clothe the poore naked members of Christ thinke we or to feed their hungrie bellies to relieue either poore students in the Vniuersitie or Christian poore and distressed ones in the countrey or any other good way This were a good change indeed and a wise frugalitie to spare from the wicked and vile vses to the making of friends that may receiue men into eternall habitations No no but the Popish rout spareth for the maintenance of fugitiue Iesuites and Seminaries and the vpholding of the Popes kingdome the other that they may the better defray the great charge which the seruice of their lusts puts them to I meane pride of life the lust of the couetous heart and vncleane eye all which neuer so swarmed in this land as at this day and yet neuer so great and generall complaints and penurie nor so many and daily vses of reliefe as now in so great increase of pouertie as the people is increased Well gorgeous apparell royall feastings costly pleasures great summes laid vp and purchases made for the vse of posteritie may presently giue contentment to the flesh but when the Lord shall call for a reckoning these expences wil not be allowed nor this account taken for currant but a wofull backe reckoning shall bee exacted at the hands of these euill stewards for such wasting of their Masters goods And that pinching and niggardly contribution to Christs vse being laid with the huge summes that men bestow vpon their lusts shall be an inditement sufficient against them to their condemnation Few there are alas able to doe any thing to purpose towards the easing of the generall burthen and therefore that among those few the most should want an heart as a wofull miser confessed
the Philistims to fight against them and therefore was this marriage sought by him though he could many wayes haue plagued them and defended his people from them yet seeing he would not doe it by open warre but by one man he must haue a fit occasion thereto which by this marriage was offred that by priuate iniuries done against Samson by the Philistims he might more fitly take occasion openly to vexe and annoy them And it appeareth that while they were thus vnder the dominion of the Philistims there were certaine couenants made betwixt them which might not without great danger rashly be broken by the Israelites And further Samson was but a priuate man as farre as any could know and therefore God would haue a sufficient occasion of fighting against them to be offred that if in sustaining any iniury by them he should againe make any requitall it might be thought of them that he rather reuenged his owne priuate wrongs then the publike against their nation although it cannot be denyed but that the Lord might if it had pleased him haue armed Samson as well as he did Othniel Ehud and other in the like case to haue chased and subdued them by professing it openly But now for that which concerneth our instruction out of this place though God would haue Samson doe thus yet as by the like occasion I noted before out of the second and third verse wee haue neither warrant nor authoritie to doe the like seeing wee haue a plaine commandement from God of the contrary to wit that wee should auoide all occasions either of doing or of reuenging wrongs and that we should sustaine some hurt and damage rather then offer the least without the which there is no liuing in any peaceable manner among most men in this world He that is fit to beare iniurie and so to buy and redeeme quietnes thereby may more easily enioy it then some other but if he be noted for offering wrong he shall haue his loade of trouble in that one respect as he well deserueth beside many other waies and therefore wee are commanded to follow and insue after peace yea although it should flie from vs and holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Whereof seeing enough hath bin spoken elsewhere I need not here insist longer therein And thus much of the first of these 4. points in this second part of the chapter that is of Samsons seeking a wife THE SEVENTIE FIVE SERMON ON THE XIIII CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES Vers 6. Then went Samson and his father and his mother downe to Timnah and came to the vineyards at Timnah and behold a young lion rored vpon him 7. And the spirit of the Lord came vpon him and hee tare him as one should haue rent a kid and had nothing in his hand neither told his father and his mother what he had done NOw followeth the second generall point in this second part of the Chapter to wit first the double iourney of Samson to this woman which was to bee his wife in both the which hee was accompanied with his father and mother whereby it appeareth that they knew Gods will then about his marriage better then they did before and secondly what fell out in both iournies by the way and this to vers 11. His first going to her at Timnah with that which fell out therein is laid foorth in these two verses and that is this That as he went with his father and mother he going aside from them out of the way a young lion met him roring on him and the spirit of the Lord came vpon him and though he had nothing in his hand yet he rent him in peeces but hee told not his father and mother what he had done And by this that fell out by the way God would giue to Samson a proofe of the strength that he meant to endue him with afterward that hee might be bold to looke for power to doe greater things And now this being said it remaineth that wee obserue more particularly that which concerneth vs out of this storie And first this that when his father and mother vnderstood that his mariage pleased God they went downe with him to the woman whom he should marrie to finish the agreement betwixt them and to countenance and further him euery way in it So parents when they see that their childrens attempts either that or any other way bee pleasing to God they should be ready to helpe and free them by all meanes from delay and trouble and griefe thereby as much as in them lieth euen as in the contrary they are bound to crosse and hinder them lest if they should allow them in their euill course their childrens sinne beside their owne bad example should be chiefly laid to their charge And this assistance of theirs vnto Samson is further mentioned in the 8. verse of this Chapter therefore let this onely bee here noted that parents be very warie lest they turne that authoritie and power of theirs which God hath giuen them for the good and benefit of their children that they turne it not I say vnto the destruction or damage of them by laying the bridle in their necke and so embolden them to euill by their allowance counsell or example Now in that a young Lion is said to haue met him not a whelp which had been like to haue fawned on him and played with him but one that was full growne for the word signifieth one of full growth and therefore neither pleasant nor kinde as sometime they be being as yet not growne in that I say such an one being cruell and fierce did set vpon Samson as the nature of them is to doe which thing so falling out suppose we in that case that he had gone about any vnlawfull businesse behold what ill successe had followed it Euen as we reade for example how it fell out to the man of God who came from Iuda to reprooue the Idolatrie of Ieroboam at Bethel who seeing he transgressed the commandement of God afterward in going into the old Prophets house to eate bread which God had forbad him to doe loe a lion met him when hee was gone out of the towne and slew him And it was an apparent correction of God vpon him for that for though in other things he had obeied God to his high commendation yet because in that one thing he had done contrary to the charge giuen him he being told by the old Prophet of Bethel that he might do it we see what an heauie iudgement befell him It teacheth that we ought to see in all the manifold actions of this life that we looke wee haue good warrant for the taking in hand of them and the going about them lest we meete I say not with a lion but with the Lord crossing of vs worse then a lion could hurt vs some way to our little liking in the middest of the hot