A10933:1536
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 66 › Chapter 11 › Part 2: The second 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.
It came of the Lord, that Sihon did not only deny passage to Israel through 1his land, but also that he should provoke them to war, that he might give him and his land into their hands, and withal give them passage through his country. Even so it is, that many do wilfully and stiffly oppose themselves ⟨p. 562⟩against the innocent, as by suites of law, until their wealth be consumed, as the fat of lambs against the Sun. Others meddle needlessly, where they have no cause oft times, neither can by any reason be dissuaded, yea and some with their betters, through a proud stomach (contrary to the counsel of Solomon) because the Lords meaning is, to let them fall into evil, and to suffer them to meet with their match, that they may pay for their griping of their underlings, and smart for their own sin. For otherwise he would, as he is able, hold them back some way. And thus adulterers, drunkards, cavillers, and such wilful persons, go forward, but to their confusion. And so Eli's sons were hardened, that they might be destroyed. 2And Pharaoh in not suffering Israel to depart. So Ahab would not hear Micaiah, 3that so he might fall at Ramoth. And had Judas proceeded on to betray his Master, (think we) having had so fair a warning by him a little before (enough to have cooled his courage, and to have holden him back from such an attempt) but that he was a cursed vessel of wrath appointed to misery? And happy is he who relenteth and meekly submitteth himself to God by resisting his wicked attempts, and stopping his bad course: lest by kicking against the pricks, he go forward to his sorrow and destruction. And this is much more verified in such as will take no counsel by the reproof of the law of God, but turn away their ears from it, yea live a long time under it unprofitably, till they wax obdurate: surely thus they do, because they of all others are the unhappy people, whom the Lord hath not purposed, by his promise and the ministry of the Gospel, to convert and save. Else why should it not be the case of all aswellas of some? Now if any will cavil against this and say, either that God is bound to deal with them as he did with Paul, whom he saved by violence as it were: or that God in so hardening men, is the author of their perdition: