A10933:1183
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.
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.
Here first we may note by Abimelechs going to his mothers kindred to 1further him, when he went about this mischievous intent, in seeking to be king; we note (I say) the cast of wicked men in the compassing their desires; that is, when they intend any evil, they will repair to such places and companies, as they think are for their purpose, and (if they have conversed with better before) yet they then take no more pleasure in their company any longer. Not that they never go to bad company, but when they go ⟨p. 437⟩about some especial evil. For it is their meat and drink, and pastime to converse with such as they themselves are, (as near as may be) cont••nally; but if they be sorted by education, cohabitation, or other occasions with better then themselves, (as it comes to pass oft times) yet even there, if they grow to affect, and set their hearts on some particular more mischievous practises then they were wont in times past, they will (if it be possible) give them over, as no companions meet for them, and break out to other company, and converse with those that be of their own disposition, and like themselves. The reason is, they be not only more weary of the good company that they were in, then they were before; but they see, that they cannot follow their bad purposes so currently while they be among them, neither look they for any aide thereto at their hands, as they do by the other: but know, that they shall be suspected, dissuaded, hindered, and broken off by them from their ill purposes. And what marvel? for this changing of company, as the good for the bad, ariseth upon smaller occasions, then upon the minding and intending of such mischief, as this Abimelech here went about. For they in the sixth of John, when they had taken a pitch against our Saviour, 2it is said of them, that they walked no more with him, and much more and sooner men do this, when they purpose wickedness. Absalom therefore 3when he intended to rebel against his father, got him away, and gathered company fit for such a purpose, his fathers house was a prison and wearisome unto him. And Judas, when he went about to betray his Master, forsook and left the company of him, and the Apostles, and went to the Pharisees, the most deadly enemies of Christ, and linked himself in with them. But most clearly we see this in the like fact of Adoniah,