A10933:2138
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 86 › Part 16 › Part 3: The third 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.
who (as the Prophet complained of the Edomites) 1aimed at nothing less then the punishing of his sin, but wholly at the satisfying of their revenge. Did God bring upon Samson the personal hatred of the Philistines, for the public good and his honour, in doing his own work upon the enemies of the Church; and now is he made a prey to their teeth, and an object of their fury? Oh! consider thou that objectest, while Samson simply went about God his work, God bound himself to shelter him from his enemies, to the which end he furnished him with extraordinary strength, so it was literally verified in him, One shall chase a thousand. 2God stood to the making good of all harms that could befall him in his own quarrel, and else Samson might justly have complained. But he 3would have his own work go forward, and Gods too: he had other business that required hotter pursuit then his masters: even wicked and lewd business, which crossed the other, and therein he was his own man, and not Gods servant, look what charges or damages befell him in that employment, he was himself to defray and stand to. And so we see, that as he used not his gift, but abused it to his own lust; so God bereaved him of it, and sent him among other masters to pay him his wages for his own work. For this, God took himself highly wronged, and therefore he takes Samson in hand to purpose, making his worst foes the arbiters. I deny not, but even herein he showed him favour; but I speak of his physic, which procured his recovery. And if we think that God is fittest to minister that which is fittest for quality, let us ascribe this to him also, that can do it as well in the quantity as he listeth. In bodily diseases this is in the second place one chief thing: for the same measure works not upon all. The tenth of this would have killed Peter, yet less then this would not have stirred Samson. ⟨p. 767⟩He had returned to his filthiness without doubt, if the restraint had not been so forcible. God is merciful, and delights not in extremity; but he is 4just, and cannot be faced out with boldness.