A10933:563
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.
Now followeth the speech of Debora to Barak, when he made the forementioned answer unto her, to wit, that he would not go, unless she went 1with him. And this she said: I will go with thee, but it shall not be for thine honour. Wherein she findeth fault with him, and tells him, that he should suffer the punishment of his infidelity, while the glory which he might otherwise have had thereby, should be given to a woman, meaning Jael, and not in the least part to her self: whereby somewhat may be noted, both generally and particularly. For the first, we may learn that which may do us much good; to wit, that God will punish us some way for our unbelief. 2For we see, that God doth not put up at mens hands, this and such other sins, as I named in the former verse; especially, when they come more of knowledge then of frailty, and when we see that we do amiss, and yet 3through blind self-love, we will not find fault with our selves for the same, but extenuate or hide our sin, God therefore spared not Zechariah for his unbelief, though otherwise a righteous man, but made him dumb for a 4season. And he telleth us all as much in the Psalm, where he saith, If mine own children break my statutes, and keep not my commandments, I will visit 5their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with strokes; although I will not take my loving kindness from them. The like is to be seen in Moses, who because he distrusted the Lord in smiting the rock, bare the scar thereof to his death, being denied entrance into the land of Canaan. So Joash for distrusting Elishas message, and smiting the earth but thrice, was rebuked by 6the Prophet, who would not have found fault with him, if he had not bidden him smite it oftener. Thou shouldest (saith he) have smitten five or six times, and so thou shouldest utterly have destroyed Aram, but now thou shalt soil them but thrice; and so they shall get strength again to revenge themselves. And even so do such both feel and find, who regard not what the Lord saith unto them, neither give credit to his word, and much more all such, as give the bridle more grossly to their unruly passions. And this should (a man would think) both cause us all to shun such boldness with God, as will provoke him to make us smart for the same: