A10933:1484
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.
Come forth (ye disciples of Machiavel) and set your brains on work in the politicest manner ye can, and see if ye can teach your novices such a way as this, so famously to supplant your opposites, and set up themselves in their room! ye cannot doubtless, or if ye could, yet ye teach them but devilish policy to contrive it, whereby you and they have more cause of shame and repentance, then boasting and insulting. Therefore (not to digress) now Jephthah is busy about Gods matters (never thinking of a revenge of his own private wrongs) and lo, the Lord is as busy about Jephthah's affairs, and contriving how he may bring him forth out of his trouble. Is not this enough to persuade us to make God our Factor and Advocate 1to plead for us, and bring about our matters? yea to tie our own hands behind us, from putting them forth unlawfully in our own defence? May we not say now, there is a truth in those words, Roll thy ways, or cast 2thy care upon Jehovah, and he will give thee thy hearts desire? Did he not so to Jephthah? Even that issue which he would have desired and sought by revenge, or evil means (if he had been a bad person) I mean to have his enemies to be his pages to conduct him home as their Commander; that I say obtained Jephthah, not by using evil means, but without using any at all. Was not this as a man would have it? What needed here any shifting, any stirring, any plotting? Did not God effect it without these? So when Joseph in prison was forgotten by Pharaohs Butler to be set free, how did the Lord remember him, to bring him forth with far greater honour. Thus he dealt with his, where they rely on him. And if he did this for Jephthah, a ⟨p. 545⟩poor soldier, a bastard, and banished, and for Mordecai a despised stranger, and for Joseph a poor prisoner, as we have heard; will he not do the like to us, if we would cleave unto him as our all-sufficient God, and honour him by putting over all to him, to deal wholly for us, while we sit still, and go about his service? And what less can we do then trust him with our matters, and wholly give up our selves to be doers of his work, when as our Master professeth himself to be wholly ours, and to bring our matters to pass, which our selves (with much labour and more sin) should never be able to compass?