A10933:1692
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 71 › Chapter 13 › Part 1: The first 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.
The Angel speaketh to her of her barrenness, that she might receive the 1message of bearing a child more thankfully and joyfully, for barrenness in those days was generally holden a kind of curse, as I noted in chap. 12. the end, and fruitfulness a blessing: but we see that God turneth this curse to a blessing, and it was counted no doubt by this woman, a great work of his mercy, that he gave a child to her being barren, as well as of his power, as David reckons it. Thus doth the Lord make way for the thankful entertaining of his mercies, by laying before us our want and insufficiency: 2and yet all is little enough to procure that affection, (except it be a little at first) for in a very short time our minds are changed with the time, ⟨p. 615⟩and we rather look upon that we enjoy, then look back upon our former penury, or the author of our change. So that the Lord is fain to upbraid us, by his undeserved kindness (as he did David by his taking from the sheepfold) in stead of reaping the fruit thereof in praise and duty: which is verified well in many of them that have mourned and complained long of the heavy burden that oppressed their conscience (which they feared, as Hezekiah once did, that they should never be eased of) and at length met with such comfort, as they long wished for: for although at the first obtaining 3thereof, they indented with God, that he should be all in all with them, yet in time they have worn out the remembrance of such kindness, as Pharaohs butler did Josephs. Let such and all others whose conscience 4bears them witness, that the Lord hath made them fruitful of barren, (in what kind soever) but that they have brought forth sower grapes, and wild olives, and made themselves barren again of fruitful: let them (I say) look back and view the matter yet better, and pay their rearedges which they are run into with God, lest at length they wish they had bin beholding to God for less, except their fruit might have made the Lord (as I may say) beholding to them for more then they have yielded. To him that 5