The Return of Prayers

Examp. 1 1. We find Sampson a godly man (whom yet we would scarce have thought such but that we find his name in the list of those Worthies, Heb. 11.) ensnared with a Philistine woman against the counsel of his parents, Judg. 14. 3. who clearly laid open his sin to him, and he was in the event reproved for his folly, for his wife deceived him, told ⟨p. 332⟩his riddle to his enemies which he in the end perceived, and further to reprove him, in the issue she was given away to another, verse 16, 17, 20 from all which passages of reproof, an holy man that had his eyes in his head, could not but see his error; and yet again a long while after this, (twenty years after, Judg. 15. 20. (when certainly ere that he had repented of this his sin, for which his parents before, and after, God so clearly did rebuke him,) he went to Gaza, Judg. 16. verse 1. and saw a harlot and went into her, and there scaped narrowly with his life at midnight, ⟨p. 333⟩And verse 4. After that also it came to pass he fell in love with another, as bad as any of the former, Delilah, who was his ruin. But his returning thus to folly cost him dear, for in the end he was taken as a Captive to the Philistines his enemies, & that through her false-hood, deprived of his strength he had spent upon these women, had his eyes those betraying lights put out, that had ensnared him, and himself made a fool of, to make his enemies sport. So as no child of God can take any great encouragement thus to return to folly, for the future, by ⟨p. 334⟩his example, though comfort they may have therefrom in case they have returned for the time past.

Examp. 1 1. Wee finde Sampson a godly man (whom yet wee would scarce have thought such but that we find his name in the list of those Worthies,