A10933:1214
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.
But in this verse let us proceed further with Abimelech. He considered 1that his seventy brethren might be like to hinder and resist him: and therefore what did he? he resolved to dispatch them all, and so he did, except one. The heinousness of the fact, deterred him not from going through stitch with it: he would not leave it by halves, nay he could not be quiet till every obstacle and hindrance was removed, and each eye-sore taken away. It betrayeth a most fearful property in the workers of evil: that cannot desist nor leave of, till they have brought their ungodly attempts to a full and perfect end: wherein the godly seldom match them in contrary actions. A man would have thought these seventy men had been a great block in an usurpers way, to keep him from proceeding currently in his bad course: and Abimelech saw that to, but yet it was not a bar strong enough to keep him from villainy, but he broke it (as it were) to pieces, rather then it should stand up in his way to hinder him from his purpose. For that, he was resolved to go forward with: and therefore whatsoever opposition should come against it, he would bear it down, as floods and winds pull down hills, banks, bridges, gates, trees, and whatsoever comes in their way, and yields not to them. Woe be to him that meets a Bear robbed of her whelps; and yet better so, then cross an usurper of his ambitious desire: although these his brethren had not crossed him, but by silence and sitting still. Ambition is a raging monster we see, and although it thirst after honour, yet seldom is it assuaged without blood, if occasion and opportunity serve. Nothing is so holy, so precious, so near, which it profaneth not, defloureth and destroyeth not. Even his own son, it he ⟨p. 451⟩had stood in his way, had tasted of the same sauce, which his brethren did, as it is reported Herod the great did, in the massacre of the infants. But it 2became him well enough to keep that to himself by villainy, which he had invaded by wickedness before. Even as his successors at this day, these Italianated devils, and disciples of Machiavel both practise and defend, according to his rules, that a kingdom gotten by force, must be preserved also by violence.
But in this verse let vs proceede further with Abimelech. He considered