A10933:1871
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.
The meaning is, that honey which is sweet, and meat to eat, came out of the body of the Lyon who is strong, which I open and utter, seeing the ignorant not comparing this with the 19. verse, would not else understand it. In this latter part of the verse it is showed, that when the Philistines had heard the riddle, they toiled themselves, and went about by their own labour and wit to find out the meaning of it, but could not by their own help. And this is the fourth thing done at the Marriage, namely, how they sought to find it out, & how they prevailed. But of this more in due place.
The meaning is, that hony which is sweet, and meate to eate, came out of the body of the Lyon who is strong, which I open and vtter, seeing the ignorant not comparing this with the 19. verse, would not else vnderstand it. In this latter part of the verse it is shewed, that when the Philistims had heard the riddle, they toyled themselues, and went about by their owne labour and wit to finde out the meaning of it, but could not by their owne helpe. And this is the fourth thing done at the Marriage, namely, how they sought to find it out, & how they preuailed. But of this more in due place.
But I will first return a little to Samson, and show how he made use of the 1works of God, which he considered and observed. For to his great benefit he gathereth a riddle, and raised thereby a question out of the work of God in the Lyon, which was a mean to hold much evil from among them. So it behoveth us to mark things that come to pass daily, (which all fall out by Gods providence) and his dealing in and by them, that we may learn wisdom thereby, and take good by them. For as Preachers gather similes by the things they see, read, and hear, to illustrate that which they utter in their Sermons to the people; so should we by Gods judgements upon the wicked, and his blessings on them that fear him, we (I say) should learn to profit by them, and to shun the one, and to get our part in the other, so as all may say, we have made right use of them in deed, whereas the most part take no good by either of both, nor by any other of his great works: my meaning is not, that the general administration of God only in the governing the creatures (which he hath admirably made) ought to be noted, but specially the ends of the just and unjust: that to the one there is always peace, the other cannot, no not at death give testimony of a good estate, nor depart with hope, nor encourage his companions to be like him, but dieth either with a wounding, yet desperate conscience, or is stricken like Nabal, with a dead Palsy of insensibleness.