Commentary on Judges, Sermon 16
THE SIXTEENTH SERMON VPONUPON THE SECOND CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES. Verſ. 19. 20. 21.
VERS. 19. Yet when the Iudge was dead, they returned and did worſe then their fathers, in following other gods to ſerue them, and worſhip them; they ceaſed not from their owne inuentions, nor from their rebellious way.
20. Wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled againſt Iſrael, and he ſaid, becauſe this people hath tranſgreſſed my couenant, which I commanded their fathers. and hath not obeyed my voice;
21. Therfore will I no more caſt out before them any of the nations which Ioſhua left when he died.
22. That through them I may proue Iſrael, whether they will keepe the way of the Lord to walke therein, as their fathers kept it, or not.
23. So the Lord left thoſe nations, and droue them not out immediately, neither deliuered them into the hand of Ioſhua.
NOw followeth the laſt branch of this ſecond part of Verſ. 19.the chapter; that is to ſay, that when the Iudge died, the people did worſe then their fathers, (as is ſet downe in this verſe,) whereupon the wrath of God was kindled againſt them, as appeareth in the twentieth verſe, and then the fruit of it, namely, Gods puniſhing of them is ſet downe in verſe 21. and the end why he did ſo, in the 22. that was, to proue them, and therefore it is ſaid in the laſt verſe, that God left the enemies in the land ſtill in Ioſhuas time, and did not caſt them out. Now of theſe as they lie in order.
That it ſhould bee thus with this people as in this verſe it is ſaid, it is no The cleering of the text.leſſe lamentable then wonderfull. For when God had pitied them, (they groning to him) and ſent them Iudges, who ſhould deliuer them out of their oppreſſions, and they likewiſe did deliuer them indeed: after that bleſſing, who would not hauehave ſaid that they would hauehave proued a rare people in thankes and obedience vntounto God? Now therefore, in that they turned another way when the Iudge was dead, who was ſent to deliuer them, and kept not their couenant which they had made with God, but rebelled againſt him, what trercherie was this? And to that end is their ſinne aggrauated in this verſe, to wit, that they did worſe then their fathers, but following their owne inuentions and euill waies. By all which it is to be gathered, Doct. verſ. 19.what light-headedneſſe and inconſtancy is in men, who hauehave ſometime made earneſt profeſſion of amendment; alſo what lewdneſſe accompanieth the ſame, to ſet it on worke. Heereupon it is, that all good exerciſes of prayer, and purpoſes of good life are ſoone forgotten, and worne out of memory with many. A ſimple minded man would thinke, that where there hath been ſo much knowledge in people, and ſhew of good conſcience going with it, as that they both doe cauſe confeſſion of ſinne, and accuſation of themſelues, with breaking forth into ſolemne proteſtation and couenan… of turning to God with all their heart; he would thinke (I ſay) that if after ten or twelue yeeres abſence from them, he ſhould returne againe; that hee ſhould finde rare profiting in the Chriſtian trade; at leaſt much forwardnes in knowledge and in all good duties, and they ſo ſetled therein, that they could not be remoued any more from them.
But as people much to bee lamented! they who might looke for ſuch a thing, ſhall be like rather to finde it farre otherwiſe, and much worſe, as wee ſee heere it was with theſe. And in ſtead of growing in knowledge and grace, at leaſt of ſetledneſſe and ſtedfaſtneſſe in their good beginnings, they ſhall be found reuolters from the ſame rather; as it goeth with men now adaies, and to hauehave deuiſed with themſelues, or conſulted with others about new waies and courſes of life, cleane contrary. Some to fall in with Papiſt and ſectaries, other to bee drawne to whoredome and vncleanneſſe; and the greateſt part into depth of worldlineſſe, ſutes, vncharitable contentions, and the like: which though it be fearefull to heare of, yet it is common, and eaſie to be found, euen while good exerciſes of preaching and ſome good neighbourhood continue, and bee enioyed of them: and therefore how much more ſhall this be found where ſuch good meanes are wanting? Oh if goodneſſe preuaile not with them, and hauehave not the vpper hand, yea if it be not loued aboue all other things, and in price aboue them, and diligence vſed daily in the practiſe of good duties, all ſhewes of the beſt beginnings will ſoone turne to the contrary. And good reaſon it is, that where men profeſſe godlineſſe, which is the greateſt riches, and hath the promiſes of this life 1. Tim. 6. 6. & 4. 8.and of the life to come, good reaſon (I ſay) that there they ſhould not be aſhamed, to ſeeke by all meanes to aduance and honour it, to the end that all may know the worthineſſe and price of it; and that it is not without reward euen in this world. Which while few regard to doe, they are worthily put to reproch and ſhame.
But heere, beſide that which hath been ſaid (a good occaſion being offered Doct. Out of all theſe verſes together.out of all theſe verſes together) wee may gather a good direction for a great part of our life, and that as well before affliction come, as in the time of it, and after deliuerance out of it. Before it come, and while God giueth vsus 1leaue to ſerue him with cheerefulneſſe (which is a ſweet portion in this life) we ſhould greatly labour to keepe well, while we are well, and not doe as this people did here, to wit, prouoke God to puniſh vsus for ſinning againſt him as the world doth, negligently or wittingly. Secondly, if we hauehave, for al 2our heed taking, broken out againſt conſcience, (which without good heed taking, may full eaſily be) we ſhould cry to God after our fall, & from vnderunder Note.our burthen, not tarrying till we be driuen to it by extremity, as theſe heere were: and further when we cry to him, wee ſhould wait patiently, (and the rather becauſe we hauehave by our ſinne prouoked him againſt vsus) till God deliuer vsus. Thirdly, ſeeing he will moſt certainly helpe, being thus ſought to, let vsus beleeue and be perſwaded, that hee will heare vsus graciouſly, as wee ſee 3 Pſal. 50. 15.heere he did them, who yet were great offenders, and thus let vsus ſtrengthen and inable our ſelues to this patience with confidence. Fourthly, when wee 4be deliuered, let vsus afterward oft remember & conſider in what an vncomfortable eſtate we were before, and how good and gracious the Lord hath been to vsus, to bring vsus out of ſuch aduerſity, and with daily thankes cleaue to him yet more neerely then before; and in no wiſe prouoke him by renewing Pſal. 89. 31.our ſinnes, as theſe did heere, which were monſtrous, and to our owne coſt (be we well aſſured) it ſhall be. And thus if we be carefull to doe, it ſhall goe well with vsus, and good daies ſhall we ſee, as may be looked for in ſo bad 5a world; and ſuch as hauehave their thouſands of gold, ſhall not bee able to buy and purchaſe with all their abundance.Deut. 5. 30. Note.
But to paſſe to the next verſe. I hauing ſpoken of the reuolt of this people Verſ. 20.in the former verſe, (beſide the direction which by occaſion I ſet downe there,) the holy ſtory goeth on heere to ſhew what the Lord did to this people thus turning from their good beginnings, after the death of the Iudge; He was ſore diſpleaſed with them, and his anger was kindled againſt them. Here to ſay the ſame that I did there of Gods anger, were but a needleſſe thing. That which I note of it heere, is this; that as before hath been Doct.ſeene, ſo through the whole book it appeareth, that it is vſuall with the Lord to doe thus; namely, when men ſinne, to be angry; that is, to do as men will, when they be angry: for otherwiſe wee hauehave heard that neither anger, repenting, nor any ſuch affection, or change is in the Lord. And is it not meet that God ſhould thus deale with vsus thinke we, when we are ſo ready by eueryevery occaſion to prouoke him? For if this held vsus not in awe, we ſhould, euen we who are his owne oft times breake out as the common ſort do (the fleſh being wearie of penting in) whereas the louelove of God (I grant) ſhould bee ſufficient to conſtraine vsus to our duties. And what a thing were it, that God 2. Cor. 5. 14.ſhould alwaies bee angry with a man? doubtleſſe if any one could bee perſwaded that he were ſo affected to him, not onelyonly his whole life ſhould bee in daily and deadly vnquietneſſe; but he ſhould alſo be ouerwhelmed with the thought of it, and driuen to deſperation. And yet we may know by that which hath been ſaid, that God hath iuſt cauſe to doe no leſſe, but to let his anger burne as fire againſt ſuch as prouoke him. But indeed hee oft deferres the declaration of his wrath, giuing men time and liberty thereby to repent, and doth not once ſhew it many times, when hee is often prouoked. Hereof it is, that when God being iuſtly diſpleaſed, and yet men doe not in in the meane while repent and turne to him, humbly ſeeking mercy; that hee doth afterward declare by his manifold or ſorereuenges, that hee was long before prouoked to anger, and iuſtly offended with them. But this is wiſely to bee marked of vsus, that though his owne people ſinne, (as there is none that ſinneth not) to wit, by ouerſight, infirmity, vnauoidable ignorance, 1. King. 8. 46. Note. Pſal. 130. 3.and ſuch like; whereas hee doth not by and by, ſuffer his anger to breake forth, the reaſon is this: he hath ſaid himſelfe, that he wil not looke ſtraightly what is done amiſſe of them: and beſide, when they ſee that they hauehave fallen ſo, they riſe againe, and this they do daily and ordinarily returning to him againe, & caſt themſelues down in true humiliation before him, in the meditation & application of the work of their redeemer Chriſt, and ſo the Lord is pacified with them againe. Therefore ſuch as are wiſe, will bee moſt carefull to keepe away occaſions of Gods diſpleaſure; ſeeing the Lords anger is a conſuming fire, and while that is prouided againſt, men may poſſeſſe Heb. 12. 29.their ſoules with peace, and may goe out and in with him daily, with good liking and comfort, thus much of Gods being angry againe, now of the puniſhment that followed vponupon it.
God being thus diſpleaſed with them, ſeeing they had ſo ſhamefully Verſ. 21.tranſgreſſed and broken the couenant that he made with their fathers; therefore hee will no more (hee ſaid) caſt out any of the nations that Ioſhua left behinde. For although Iſrael was oft deliuered out of the hands of ſundry of them by their Iudges; by whom alſo many of them were ſlaine, yet they were not vtterly rooted out, but their poſterity ſprung vp againe afterward, and multiplied in the land, to the great diſquieting, vexing and annoying of his people. This I ſay was the puniſhment: And how ſore it was, may bee thought by this, that theſe nations were left among them to their deſtruction; as in verſe 3. we hauehave ſeene, where wee heard the ſame puniſhment threatened by the Angell to them at Bochim. But then they repented, and there is no doubt, but God accepted it, as hee promiſed. But this was more grieuous, that afterwards their poſterity did worſe then they. For they there were reproued, and threatened, for making couenants with the Canaanites: theſe for falling flatly to Idolatry with them. Heere, beſides that wee may ſee that for the moſt part, men waxe worſe and worſe, and the good decline, and the bad decay and wanze away in their ſinnes, as may bee ſeene by the example of theſe compared with that we reade in the ſecond verſe; wee may further learne againe, as in verſe 3. we heard, that God will be diſcharged of his couenant towards men, in and concerning the outward benefits of this life, if they ſtand not to their couenants which they hauehave made with him.
And if they bee his owne people, hee will puniſh their offences with the Pſal. 89. 31.rod, and their iniquitie with ſtrokes; though hee take not his mercy vtterly from them: and if they be other, he will much more leaue them helpeleſſe, and to ſhift for themſelues, ſo as they fal into depth of euill, who might hauehave thriued and proſpered through his bleſſings. Yea and they might hauehave bin in good hope to hauehave embraced his couenant of grace and mercy alſo: as many are brought by Gods temporary benefits to ſeeke after ſpirituall, ſo might theſe hauehave done alſo. Therefore, little doe men know, what vexation they they bring vponupon themſelues, when they waxe careleſſe in their couenants keeping which they hauehave entred into with God; (as the leauing of ſome groſſe ſinne, or the forſaking of ill company, worldlineſſe, or ſuch like offences;) and ſo forgetting themſelues, fall to them againe afterward. They ſhall ſurely runne on from euill to worſe that deale ſo with God, and from ſmaller puniſhments to greater iudgements, ſo little cauſe they ſhall hauehave to reioyce, for glory of their winnings thereby.
So that beſide other manifold puniſhments which cannot bee reckoned vp, they that breake couenant with the Lord, ſhall alwaies hauehave ſome ſpeciall eye ſores left to vexe them, as theſe nations were to Iſrael. And as this worthily layeth forth the forementioned puniſhment, in verſ. 15. that the hand of the Lord was ſore vponupon this people of his; euen ſo wee ſhall finde it who are vnfaithfull to him in our couenants, as that either ſtubborne and diſobedient children (none of the leaſt plagues) ſhall riſe vp to make our liues weariſome to vsus, which (as Salomon ſaith) ſhall be as corruption to our bones, and Prou.that many waies; as in waſting our goods riotouſly, and with harlots, and vnthriftineſſe, or by imbracing popery, and otherwiſe by waxing prophane. Or we ſhall be croſſed by vnkinde, ſpitefull and vnquiet neighbours; who with ſutes, brawlings, and ſundry diſagreements, ſhall make our beſt pleaſures to be turned into bitterneſſe and wormewood: or we ſhall be plagued with ſeruants, who ſhall conſume vsus, and bring reproch and vexation vntounto Note.vsus, by defiling our houſes, or working vsus ſome other annoiance: ſo likewiſe with vnfaithfull and ſcandalous Miniſters, ſutes, or controuerſies, ſo that by one or other of theſe, or ſuch like, wee ſhall hauehave no comfort in any thing; beſide the many diſeaſes, as collicke, ſtone, burning agues, conſumption; for which wee ſhall bee conſtrained to cry out, and ſay, wee hauehave no pleaſure in our liues. And yet a greater puniſhment then all theſe, wee ſhall not know, when theſe plagues be vponupon vsus, that they are for our vnfaithfulneſſe in our couenant, (though more or leſſe, it is the caſe of the moſt that profeſſe the Goſpell, thus to forget our ſelues) which thing yet (in great griefe I vtter it) is to be ſeene in many, that when Gods hand is ſore againſt them, yet they know not why it is ſo, namely for their ſinnes, to the end they might amend.
In this verſe the end is ſet downe, why God would not caſt out the Canaanites: Verſ. 22. & 23.to wit, to proue them whether they would keepe the way of the Lord; (and therefore it is ſaid in the next verſe, that he left, and did not deliuer them into the hands of Ioſhua: and if they did obey the Lord in fighting againſt them, and making no leagues with them, but follow and do as their good forefathers had done, then they might reape the fruit therof, I meane, the Lords promiſe; to wit, that he would be with them to aſſiſt them, to enioy the land to their hearts deſire: If they ſhould do otherwiſe; then they ſhould declare thereby that their ſtrength was neuer great, if they fainted being tried; and beſide, they muſt beare the burthen that ſhould light on Prou. 24. 10.them.
And by this we may learne, that God hath this end in afflicting his, that they may hauehave exerciſe of his graces in them; as patience, faith, hope, and Doct. verſ. 22.ſuch like, that being found furniſhed therwith, they might giuegive God praiſe, and they themſelues might reioyce: and that they might be humbled, if the contrary ſhould be. And this we ought to be reſolued of in all our troubles, euen when we cannot finde out in our ſelues any particular ſin, for which the Lord afflicteth vsus. So that wee bee farre wide, and offer our ſelues great Note.iniurie, when we doe not reſolue of this, that in Gods afflicting vsus, he tryeth vsus, that ſo we may behaue our ſelues accordingly. The ſame may bee ſaid, if hereſies ſpring vp among vsus, that God tryeth vsus what we will doe: as Saint Paul ſaith, There muſt bee hereſies euen among you, that they who are approued, 1. Cor. 11. 19.that is, of ſound religion and godlineſſe, through long experience, may bee Reuel. 13. 10.knowne. It ſhould teach vsus, ſeeing God doth ſo, alwaies to hauehave our hearts carefully ſet vponupon it, and to tell it oft to our ſelues, that whatſoeuer bayts of ſinne are ſet before vsus (as a cup of pleaſant wine well coloured, yet mixed with poyſon) wee ſhould not meddle with, nor reach out our hand Note.thereto, and how bold and buſie ſoeuer we behold other to bee in ſnatching greedily at them, and to deuoure them; yet we may not bee enticed with them, nor looke on them; for why? God doth trie vsus thereby what ſtrength of grace is in vsus, to reſiſt and turne from them; and as for them that doe moſt readily embrace them, they ſhall ſoone vomit vp their ſweet morſels with bitterneſſe.
Now to adde this laſt verſe with the former 22. whereas it is ſaid, that Verſ. 23.God did not deliuer all the nations into the hands of Ioſhua, as he did ſome, and could as well hauehave brought vnderunder all the reſt; it further teacheth vsus, to hauehave an eye to Gods workes, what things he doth, and to reſolue our ſelues, that he ſeeth alwaies good reaſon thereof: and follow we his direction, and he will leade vsus to ſee as much. It is a good grace in vsus, if we can iuſtifie him in all that he doth, and to ſay with the people in the Goſpell, he hath done all things well. And yet it is ſo, whether we affirme it or no. But ſeeing wee are grauelled and amazed at many of his workes, not ſeeing any reaſon in them, but we are rather ready to reaſon againſt them, and rebell; [as when he croſſeth vsus in our attempts and doings, and that not once, but often, nor in one thing, but in many, and that apparantly, and more then in ordinary manner, about our goods and bargaines, health, and the like] heere therefore I ſay, humbly to ſubmit our ſelues to that which he doth, though it bee no other then we pray daily to doe [thy will bee done of vsus] oh it is a thing well beſeeming vsus, and yet but our duty. And thus wee ſhould ſay; (if that goe not with our liking which God doth) hee could hauehave done otherwiſe, as heere hee could hauehave caſt out the Canaanites in Ioſhuas daies: but as hee left them to try the people; ſo he aduiſedly letteth things alone to proue vsus how wiſe, confident, and obedient we will bee therein. Hee could giuegive learning without ſtudy, and deliuerance out of trouble by and by, or withhold it altogether, that it ſhould not take hold of vsus, but he doth not, neither ſeeth it beſt ſo to do, to the end we may frame our ſelues to his good pleaſure, and in eueryevery part of our life bee ſubiect to him. And this bee ſaid of the ſecond part of the chapter, and of all the branches drawne out of the ſame, and ſo of the whole chapter. It followeth in the next.