A10933:1444
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 63 › Chapter 10 › 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.
Thus did the Lord call back Saul from the pursuit of David, when it was ⟨p. 531⟩1likely that he could not have escaped his hands if he had been let alone. So when Nashash the King of Ammon might easily have destroyed the Gileadites at the first onset, while they were unarmed: the Lord stopped him, and caused him to hearken to a needless condition, whereby the time being 2protracted, they had help sent them in the mean season, and overthrew them. In this kind of dealing the Lord resembles a friendly person, who spying a furious enemy coming fiercely with weapon against his neighbour, unarmed and unprovided to meet him, stayeth the rage of the one, till the other have got himself arm or fit to encounter him, or may escape his hands, or when he hath done so, he commits them together, knowing that the innocent party having the better cause, will easily foil the doer of wrong. Thus the Lord often doth, although when he seeth his time, he can also either quite divert the enemy, as he did the King of Ashur from coming against weak Jerusalem: or else take his peoples part (as Moses did the Israelites 3against the Egyptian) and fight for them while they stand still and look on. So he did to Pharaoh and Zenacherib. Now when the Lord reserves his people till such a time of strength and courage, not suffering (as I may so say) the Canaanites to come upon his people, (being weak through their late circumcision) it is a greater favour, then if he removed their trial wholly from them: for in this, they have only proof of Gods goodness: but in the other, they have (beside that) a trial of their faith and grace more precious then gold; which triumpheth, having got the victory over the enemy, whether spiritual or earthly. Thomas Bilney a godly man, during his imprisonment, had a strong assault given him by his own flesh against the pain of the fire, which he feared he should not be able to endure. And who knoweth what he would have done, if the trial had been hottest, when he was weakest? But the Lord so suited the time, that when fire was put to him, he that feared the foil, of weak became strong (Heb. 11.) and overcame 4