A10933:181
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.
But one thing more here, by so good occasion, I will note about faith, worthy our remembrance and regard, and that is this: that though the Tribe of Judah believed the Lord and his promises in one thing, and did therefore valiantly; I mean in expelling the Canaanites that dwelt in the hill countries, and the Lord was with them accordingly: yet in another thing they did not believe, namely, that God would expel the enemies that dwelt in the valleys, because they had iron chariots, and therefore they went not about it, neither did they obtain any such thing of God. Whereby we see, that we may possibly believe one promise, and yet not another: and (which 1is no great marvel) we may believe when the case is more easy, and the thing which is promised is of less difficulty to obtain, (as here it was with 2them) then when it is otherwise. Even so, we may believe at one time, and yet not at another. The reason of both is, seeing we are fickle and inconstant, therefore we fleet and change in time, and we are also timorous by means whereof it cometh to pass, that although we may be brought to believe a thing of less moment, or which in former time we have believed; ⟨p. 55⟩yet at some other time, and in another thing, where in we have no experience, and which striketh us with greater fear, there we faint and give over. The use of this is: that we accustom acquaint, and bend our selves, when we 3have given credit in some things to God, that we may do the same in other; and if we find it otherwise, then that we take knowledge of our weakness, and think our strength in believing not to be very great. And therefore we thus seeing our wants therein, are not to please our selves and rest in that which we have done, but look to that which is yet to be done of us: and as Saint James speaketh of patience, that it should have her perfect work, so faith 4must have her perfect work also. That thus we may go a degree further, as the Apostle willeth the Colossians, namely, to abound in faith. 5