A10933:420
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 18 › Chapter 3 › Part 3: 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.
This place, though briefly, yet pithily, teacheth all Gods people what to do, when they have provoked God to afflict them for their sins: and that is this; they should after the thinking upon both, seriously cry unto God, and call upon him as soon as they shall be able; and this is to draw near to him, as the people in James are directed to do. And this I teach by 1so good occasion here offered, because though men be for the most part, secure and careless; yet if their sins be once brought to mind, and laid before them in any deep and dreadful manner; they are in another extremity, as in fear and terror, doubting that God will not hear them though they pray: for this is their disposition in that time through tentation, when they have provoked God, to be alienated and turned from him by dreadful fear and unbelief; to whom they were wont while they walked uprightly to have access by prayer before. Adam, after his sin, was 2afraid of Gods voice, (wherein yet before he rejoiced) and did hide himself in the thicket for fear of it. So David crieth and complaineth when 3he felt his sin, that his soul cleaved to the dust; meaning that for very grief he was almost brought to the grave; and again, that he was in 4the depth of trouble, as not seeing for the time how to get out of it. This anguish he felt in his soul, though he was dear in the eyes of the Lord. And the 51. Psalm testifieth how he was wrapped in sorrow, as if his bones had been broken, thinking for the time, that he had lost all grace of the spirit. 5And no less clearly doth this appear in Jonah, after that the Lord had pursued him for his sin, when in the belly of the fish he cried thus: I said, I 6am cast away out of thy sight, the waters compassed me about unto the soul. So I may say of Gods best servants, when they have seen the horror of his wrath against them, for some sin that wounded them, they have been dismayed, and almost past hope, and brought to fainting for the time. And by this we may see, that the secure and careless people who (we know are not behind other in sinning, are in a contrary extremity.