A10933:608
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.
To all that hath been said of faithfulness to be showed to such as it is 1promised to, as Jael did: I answer, that I am of the same mind, that it ought to be so; and the Scripture doth straitly urge the same. But yet we must know, that no bands of familiarity and equity are so nearly joined together, and so just, but that if God for causes best known to him, command otherwise, they are to be broken. And so it may seem to be of this act of Jael. For seeing the Lord had now cursed, and commanded to be destroyed, these Canaanites, and Sisera their captain, therefore neither she nor any other might here take upon them to save or spare them, but do to them as God directed them, and so she did. Thus the Levites followed and 2obeyed Moses in killing their friends and kindred, who had committed idolatry with the Calf which they had made, and pleased God highly in so doing. In this respect, and by virtue of this commandment of God, Abraham went about to kill his son: and they that think foolish pity ought to be showed contrary to the word of God, let them remember what befell the King of Israel, who when he had spared Benhadad the King of Aram, 3contrary to the word of God, was reproved by the Prophet at the commandment of God, in these words; Because thou hast let go out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to die, thy life shall go for his life. And therefore to return to Jael, forasmuch as I see, that the Lord was the only governor of this work, and commended her for it, in the next chapter, by Debora, yea pronounced her blessed, when the action of killing Sisera is spoken of; therefore I conclude, that she being certainly persuaded of Gods will in that which she did, and commanded of God so to do; her deceiving of his hope, was no more since in her, then Abraham's attempt to kill his son was, or the Levites slaying of their kindred for their idolatry. And this for answering the question. The doctrine hath been taught already, that we have no authority to ⟨p. 226⟩4follow her example, but the word, whereby our actions must be guided as by a rule, and by no example without it. Thus we have seen (as I said in the beginning of the chapter) that the Lord by Barak, Debora, and Jael, subdued Sisera with his huge army.