A10933:281
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 next thing in the covenant is, that God in forbidding them fellowship 1with those nations, and commanding them to pull down their altars, on which they were wont to offer to their false gods, did thereby cut off occasion from them of committing Idolatry: teaching us thereby, that if we will avoid the occasions of evil, we shall also be kept from the evils themselves, yea gross sins; as idolatry, drunkenness, adultery and the like, though we be very prone to commit them. And yet on the contrary, if we will not shun the occasions of them, and the means that lead to them, we shall undoubtedly fall into them. Take one for example, the most common of the rest. If we be foolishly and unbeseeming our profession snared with some woman, as having been caught by her eye lids, and taken with that which is precious in her; we must, to avoid the foul and shameful sin of adultery; first with chaste Job, to make a firm covenant not to look upon 2her: secondly, neither talk of her, nor with her, whereby we might easily ⟨p. 95⟩nourish wicked lust and desires. And thirdly, come we not in her company if it may be, as godly Joseph refused to do, or at least look we not after her, 3neither let our thoughts linger nor carry us that way, but by fervent prayer be chased away far from her, and then there is no fear of committing the sin, or of falling into any further danger, for the word of the Lord hath spoken it. So I might say, many a man might have eschewed murder, if he could have withdrawn his heart from wrath and revenge; and so might many have avoided oppression, and miserliness, if they could have snibbed the first straying concupiscence and their unlawful desires after another mans commodity.
The next thing in the couenant is, that God in forbidding them fellowship 1with those nations, and commanding them to pull downe their altars, on which they were wont to offer to their false gods, did thereby cut off occasion from them of committing Idolatry: teaching vs thereby, that if we will auoide the occasions of euill, we shall also be kept from the euils themselues, yea grosse sinnes; as idolatry, drunkennesse, adultery and the like, though we be very prone to commit them. And yet on the contrary, if we will not shunne the occasions of them, and the meanes that leade to them, we shall vndoubtedly fall into them. Take one for example, the most common of the rest. If we bee foolishly and vnbeseeming our profession snared with some woman, as hauing been caught by her eye lids, and taken with that which is precious in her; we must, to auoid the fowle and shamefull sin of adultery; first with chast Iob, to make a firme couenant not to looke vpon