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…

Now in their answer to his exprobration made against them, in vers. 7. let us in this verse note, that they do not deny, but confess that they had ¹injured him, but indeed they show that they (conveying it cleanly another way) are utterly unwilling to hear of it: telling him why they came to him, namely to make him their Captain for their deliverance, by which kindness offered to him, they hoped (they said) to make him amends. Where we may learn, that it was commendable in them, and to be followed, in that they do grant that they had faulted and injured him. So is it ever to be done of us: and contrarily, that the washing away of mens faults, (whereof they may justly be convicted) by facing, lying, or otherwise hiding, or cloaking, or extenuating them, must be carefully avoided. By which means we do but lay them more open before God, and as it were, put them in remembrance of them: the only way to cover them, is by confessing and renouncing them, for to such belongs the promise of forgiveness, ²which is called the true covering of them by God himself, Psalm. 32. For if we have sinned, we ought to acknowledge it, according to the nature, quality and kind thereof: whether to God or man, publicly or privately, yea if it be to one: according to S. James direction, in these words: Acknowledge your faults one to another. And if we cannot be brought to do ⟨p. 549⟩³so, and that willingly; much more hardly, or not at all, will we offer further resistance of, and violence to our corrupt nature, which some sins do and will require. And yet if we come to yield so far, yet if we do it hoverly and for fashion, or to get that which we seek, by our so confessing, howsoever it may be commendable before men, yet before God it is nothing worth.

Now in their answere to his exprobration made against them, in vers. 7. let vs in this verse note, that they doe not deny, but confesse that they had ¹iniured him, but indeed they shew that they (conueying it cleanly another way) are vtterly vnwilling to heare of it: telling him why they came to him, namely to make him their Captaine for their deliuerance, by which kindnesse offered to him, they hoped (they said) to make him amends. Where we may learne, that it was commendable in them, and to be followed, in that they doe grant that they had faulted and iniured him. So is it euer to bee done of vs: and contrarily, that the washing away of mens faults, (whereof they may iustly bee conuicted) by facing, lying, or otherwise hiding, or cloaking, or extenuating them, must be carefully auoided. By which meanes wee doe but lay them more open before God, and as it were, put them in remembrance of them: the onely way to couer them, is by confessing and renouncing them, for to such belongs the promise of forgiuenes,