A10933:939
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.
That Gideon was bidden to send away many of the people, and why; we 1have heard: now let us see who they are that be exempted from the war, and sent back, (of which sort there were two and twenty thousand) the text noteth them to be those that were faint-hearted and timorous, and so had God commanded in Deuteronomy that such should be sent back, lest 2they should discourage other. Here this is to be considered; when Gideon their Captain thought them meet for war, and God had called them also to that place, and duty, and given them gifts for that purpose, though they waxed timorous: in that they through faint-heartednes, and sloth, did not use and employ their gifts, the shame and sin was theirs, though God sent back: I speak it for our own edification and benefit; for if many here were exempted by God from the battle, and yet thought fit and meet by men, do not well bestow and use these common gifts of the Spirit, as skill and knowledge in manuary things pertaining to the body, and this present life: how much more may we think, that about the more excellent gifts of the Spirit, as illumination, and matters belonging to the life to come, men do deceive the expectation of those with whom they live, and be other, I mean far worse then they go for? Oh it is true, that there are many 3persons, who go in the sight of men for good: yet the Lord doth not account so of them, but exempt them from his militant Church, even as he shoaleth out a great many of these soldiers, as faint and unfit for war, when they should come to fight with their enemies: whom yet Gideon thought meet persons for it, and yet we know, we are much easilier deceived in judging about them, then these. Look we therefore to it, in a thing by infinite degrees more precious, how God judgeth of us: and hang we not upon the opinion of men. For he is not allowed whom men or ones 4self praiseth, but whom God praiseth. And therefore we are not to account of all that are among us professing the Gospel, no, though they be not branded with notorious sins, to be sound hearted and good Christians, though we know no other by them, till God make them manifest, as he did these in their kind: Is it for us to judge before the time?