A10933:1126
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry…A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie…
A commentary upon the whole book of Judges Preached first and delivered in sundry lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more clearly understand and make use of the worthy examples of the saints, recorded in divine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.A commentary vpon the vvhole booke of Iudges Preached first and deliuered in sundrie lectures; since collected, and diligently perused, and now published. For the benefit generally of all such as desire to grow in faith and repentance, and especially of them, who would more cleerely vnderstand and make vse of the worthie examples of the saints, recorded in diuine history. Penned by Richard Rogers preacher of Gods word at Wethersfield in Essex.
London: printed by Felix Kyngston for Thomas Man, 1615
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Sermon 53 › Chapter 8 › Part 3: The third part of the Chapter.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Which of how great force it was to batter and beat him down ⟨p. 419⟩flat, although mean persons cannot easily conceive, whose thoughts reach not so high, yet by the comparing of great things with small, may well seem to be forcible, seeing that a little preferment, favour, commendation or reward 1doth so blear the eye, and choke the conscience of many professors, as if it were a petty Paradise. In one instance consider of that which I say: Gideon refused a whole kingdom, when it was offered him: and the most desire unlawfully a small commodity of their neighbours in comparison of a kingdom, as his house and ground, wife and servant, when they be denied them. And yet many a bold person would be ready to say even of Gideon, He was a fool to refuse and neglect such an advantage. Doubtless 2he did it not for any fear, or conscience of his own insufficiency: he had been a man fir for the place, if the office had been lawful for him. But the respect he had to Gods commandment, was the mere cause that moved him to deny and refuse. A worthy pattern indeed of a man truly fearing God, and making conscience of offending. And so it be cometh us, both in sins of the grossest kind, as adultery, murder, oppression, (from which the fear of God doth best and most safely keep us, as Joseph saith) and also 3in the matter of a mans private gain, yea and that in the highest degree of a kingdom: it becometh us (I say) to keep our consciences pure and good. And yet for the smallest of these many a man, otherwise virtuous, would (as the common speech is) strain a joint, and think, that for a kingdom he might venture to dispense with equity & conscience. And doubtless it is a great trial of a man what grace is in him, when a matter of commodity, promotion, honour, or the like, of the greatest value, cannot surprise the conscience; so near is every man to himself; and indeed (when these temptations assail) utterly unlike himself at other times. This example of Gideon most properly taxeth ambitious and aspiring spirits, as well Popish as other, such as Absaloms was, not of immodesty only, but of insolencie also, and intemperance, the cause of all confusion in every state, especially being joined with discontentment and emulation.