A10933:1807
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 74 › Chapter 14 › 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.
Now to proceed: It is said in this second verse that Samson going down 1to Timnah, saw there a woman of the daughters of the Philistines, whom in the next verse it is said, he desired might be his wife. But before I proceed further, a doubt ariseth about this attempt of his whether he did well or no: 2for this action of his, being in it self against the law of God, on the one side, namely to take a stranger and an Idolater to wife, his parents also being ⟨p. 658⟩godly and disliking it; and on the other side he himself being led by the spirit of God, and renowned in the Epistle to the Hebrews, among the faithful of worthy memory: these (I say) thus considered, breeds a question, how he could not only like such a thing, but go forward with it, and bring it to pass, and in all the time not once calling himself back. For though it be not to be denied, but a godly person may possibly slip into a sin wittingly, yet either he shall see his fault by and by, and dislike it, before he proceed to other duties, saying in repentance; What have I done? as some did (by the lamentable example of Ananias and his wife) fear, or at least repent, when it shall be brought to his remembrance some good 3time after, as David did. But neither of these we read to have been done of Samson, as though he had been either void of conscience, (which he was not) or as if God had privileged him in that action, yea and (which maketh the question and doubt the greater) his parents themselves, who first withstood him, and disliked his attempt therein, did afterward consent, and his father went with him to the woman, and was at his marriage feast: what shall we say then hereunto? I answer: This thing came of the Lord, that 4Samson might thereby have occasion to vex the Philistines. And though the marrying with an uncircumcised woman was generally forbidden, yet the Lord giving him a personal charge so to do, (who is above his law, and not tied to it) he offended not therein. As both the whole story following doth prove; where we may see, that God not only brought it not against him afterward as a sin, as he did Davids and Peters sins; and there was as great cause, if Samson had been justly to be charged in this, why he should have done the like to him: