Commentary on Judges, Sermon 78
THE SEVENTIE EIGHT SERMON ON THE XIIII. CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES.
NOw I will end the Chapter with Samſon, and ſhew what Verſe 20.was done by him then, after the feaſt was ended: which is the fourth and laſt branch of the ſecond part of the Chapter. We hauehave heard how ill hee was dealt with by the Philiſtims, yet (as the ſtorie relateth) he did performe that, which they challenged as their due, which yet in deed they had iuſtly depriued themſelues of by their bad dealing, if Samſon would hauehave ſtood with them. But the Lord ſtrengthened him, ſo that he paid them with the apparell of their owne countrimen. And hauing ſlaine thirtie men of them, and anſwered the demaund of the other that wagered with him, he was greatly offended with his wife, and went away from her to his fathers houſe, not telling her whither hee went, and in the meane while, ſhe was giuen away from him by her father to one of his companions. And theſe things fell out after the marriage feaſt.
It is ſaid heere, that the ſpirit of the Lord came vponupon Samſon againe, that we may know that he was guided thereby, in that which hee went about, when he ſlew the thirtie Philiſtims at Aſcalon, and was thereby ſtrengthened alſo to doe it. This example of his is not to bee followed of vsus, I confeſſe, but we muſt do things in our vocation which God hauehave commanded generally in his word.
The apparell of theſe thirtie men of the Philiſtims whom hee ſlew, hee 2gaue to them that told the meaning of the riddle. So that although he fell into their hands by ſubtiltie, yet doth he not ſhift them off, and ſerue them according to their dealings with him, but ſatisfie them: for though no mention be here made of the linnen that hee gaue them with the garments, yet we muſt vnderſtand it thus, that hee gaue them all, though the chiefe onelyonly be named, it being the manner of the ſpirit of God to expreſſe the whole oftentimes by a part: and beſides, wee know, they would not otherwiſe hauehave been contented and ſatisfied. So we are to know that it doth not become vsus who are Chriſtians, to yeeld ill meaſure to them that offer it to vsus, as we ſee that neither Samſon did, but to ouercome euill with good: which (it muſt be granted) will hardly be yeelded to, and the fleſh affordeth much ill counſell againſt it: but we are not debtors to it, to fulfill the deſires of it, Rom. 8.but to practiſe innocencie, through many prouocations to the contrarie. Nay further, although wee ſhould pretend that wee vſe our aduantage againſt him that hath wronged vsus, to this end that we may play ſtopgame (as we ſay) with him, and ſaue our ſelues harmeleſſe, although we doe not depriue him ſimply of his owne, euen this (I ſay) is not permitted vsus: except the aduantage be ſuch as wee may lawfully take, and would hauehave taken againſt him in equitie, whether he had giuen vsus occaſion of reuenge or no. As for example, if hee hauehave wronged vsus in our bargaine through our ouerſight, we may not prouide for our ſelues by ſome ouerſight of his: but if he ſtands not to couenant, or deny vsus our due, we may lawfully ſeek our owne, after all other meanes to come by it hauehave been vſed, ſo we hauehave no reſpect of reuenge. And this is the ſtreight rule: but where is the practiſe of it, euen among them that know it, and profeſſe it ſhould be ſo, to let others goe? But we thinke our condition vnequall, if we may not deceiue the deceiuer, and preuent his ſubtiltie with the like, and play the Cretians with the Cretian, that is, diſſemble, cogge, and lye with him that makes no conſcience, as if Chriſtianitie might not meddle in this buſineſſe; which yet is as apparant a relike of the old man, and the luſt of our fleſh, from which we ſhould be purged, as any other, if Paul may be beleeued. Oh what occaſion doth the common ſort take to recompence euill for euill? They then ſhew themſelues in their kinde and colours, when they can hit them home, who hauehave ſtood in their light neuer ſo little, and they louelove to talke and glorie of it, when they hauehave done. But to ſay a word more of them, though it was not expreſſed in the agreement betwixt Samſon and the Philiſtims, that the meaning of the riddle ſhould be declared by their owne finding out, and not by falſehood, or indirect meanes: yet who doubteth, but that they meant ſo? In like manner, this departing from innocencie in bargaines and contracts, and going to ſhifting, and againſt that which is honeſt and iuſt, vnderunder a pretence that eueryevery particular cannot be mentioned and ſet downe, it is a great fault among men, and proues them that deale ſo, to bee farre from vprightnes: but thoſe that yeeld of their due rather then ſtriue endleſly, to be odde people.
But to paſſe from this, and to come to another point, namely of Samſons 3wrath kindled againſt his wife for telling the riddle to the Philiſtims, and therefore going away without her to his fathers houſe, or at leaſt, not telling her of it, that act of his is not to bee iuſtified. For hee ought not in ſuch a moodie manner to hauehave departed from his wife, and leaue her in a wondering at his ſo ſudden going from her, and giuing her cauſe to feare at his returne home, a renuing of his diſpleaſure toward her againe: he ſhould not (I ſay) hauehave left her (a young woman new married) in doubts and feares, what might befall her: but he ſhould hauehave told her fault vntounto her, as ſhee had been fit to heare it, betwixt them two, and ſo after a kinde reproofe, and a counſelling of her to be better gouerned, to hauehave ended the controuerſie, and either to hauehave taken her with him, or at leaſt not to hauehave gone away frow her ſullenly in diſpleaſure.
This ſheweth what a fault ſullennes is, when we bee angrie with any bodie, and yet wee will not bee knowne of any ſuch thing, neither ſhew the cauſe peaceably and plainly, why we are grieued, that ſo we might make an end of the matter, and be ſatisfied (if it may be) with the anſwere giuen vsus, or at leaſt beare it patiently by little and little, and ſo cut off anger; but either to goe out of the companie diſcontented and vnquiet, or ſaying nothing, but broyling in our ſtomackes to the great griefe and offence of the partie againſt whom our anger is kindled and conceiued, thus to doe (I ſay) is a thing vtterly vnbeſeeming a Chriſtian. But if queſtion bee made which of the two is worſt, either open or ſecret anger; I ſay, the bewraying of it, and the letting of it appeare, if we be ſo impotent that we cannot bridle and ſuppreſſe it, is of both euils farre more tolerable, then this ſmoothering and keeping in of it, though both be vile and odious.
For as if an houſe be ſet on fire, it is farre more dangerous, and threatneth greater miſchiefe to the ſpeedie conſuming of all that is in the houſe, when the flame is pent in, then when it hath vent to breake foorth: Euen ſo, the anger that is hidden and concealed, is farre worſe then that which ſheweth it ſelfe; as may be ſeene in Abſoloms hidden wrath (breaking into murther) which except it bee in a high degree inflamed, (and that bewraieth much follie) will ſoone vaniſh and come to an end: whereas the other imagineth euill, and bringeth it foorth, when hee thinketh and ſeeth beſt. Yet I grant there are degrees in this ſullennes, but it is too vnbeſeeming a Chriſtian, when it is in the loweſt degree that is; yea though it goe away in time, when the ſtrength of it is ouer, without any further hurt doing.
The remedie here, is to weigh the follie and ſhame of ſuch diſguiſing of our ſelues. Alſo to conſider what and who wee bee, that take the matter ſo hotly, which is done againſt vsus, who hauehave prouoked God as many times as we hauehave haires on our head. And how much greater cauſe we giuegive to God to be diſpleaſed with vsus we ſhould conſider, and whether we could like that the Lord ſhould ſo hide his diſpleaſure againſt vsus, and execute it vponupon vsus, when we would not, neither are aware of it. Thus, and by ſuch like meanes, we ſhould goe about to reſiſt and aſſwage it. And if it bee hardly done at the firſt, yet afterwards it will be done more eaſily, if wee labour for it, and ſo in times chace it away altogether, further then that ſome reliques of it will remaine in vsus, as after ſome ſore ague. Cauſes (I confeſſe) there are of ſeparation betweene married perſons, but eueryevery man muſt not be his owne Iudge, but either the Ciuill Magiſtrate, or elſe thoſe that are appointed by God in the Church to bee iudges in theſe and ſuch like caſes, muſt determine. For what manner of ſociety were there like to be among men, if each husband vponupon eueryevery tetch might for a ſhorter or longer time, leaue the fellowſhip of his wife? To be ſure, this practiſe is one meanes (beſides many more) of much vncleanenes, confuſion of blood and poſteritie, beggery of the parties and families ſo forſaken, and of what other riots and diſorder God knoweth. For where the ſacred ordinances of God (which are the religious bands and ſecuring pledges of peace, vnion and order) are once leapt ouer, and troden downe, who can limit within any bounds the miſchiefe like to enſue? Therefore let none of ſuch as are guiltie in this kinde, plead Samſons example, who had as little libertie giuen him herein as they.
Now whereas ſome obiect, that Samſon herein gaue place to wrath, and rather withdrew himſelfe, then abode with her, leſt hee might poſſibly hauehave broken out further: I anſwere, Samſon in not dealing outragiouſly in words or deeds, is to be commended: howbeit his going away in paſſion, is not thereby excuſed, ſeeing this did not amend the matter, but made it worſe. And although the partie offended may ſometimes auoid (as Ionathan did) to alleniate ſuch as are diſpleaſed in the companie, yet this followeth not, that the partie offended of the married couples) may depart from the offender, and goe away for adoe: for thereby he nouriſheth his own humour, & prouoketh the other further, rather thē ſlaketh it in either.
But to goe forward, and ſo to draw to an end, here we may ſee what men Verſ. 21.get by ſuch dealing. For while they be ſullen, and take diſpleaſure, and will not bewray it, the other againſt whom they conceiue it, are impatient, and cannot beare it, as we ſee here Samſons wife and her father not enduring this manner of his departure from her in diſlike and diſcontentment, they (no marueile) breake off their louelove, and turne and ſhew it to another. This was the good he got by his inconſiderate dealing. And if we marke, wee ſhall finde, that ſuch raſh follie and vnaduiſed dealing (as this of Samſons was) is commonly recompenſed with ſome ſuch vnwelcome croſſe and trouble, and all through their owne fault who cauſe and prouoke it: ſo that they would after buy it off with labour and coſt, when it is too late; which by a little wiſedome and patience they might altogether hauehave remoued, & kept away. As may appeare by that fact of Abſolom, who being ſecretly incenſed againſt Ammon for abuſing his ſiſter (whereas he ought to hauehave accuſed him to his father, and committed the righting of his cauſe to him vnderunder God, without nouriſhing of a reuengefull humour;) what brought hee to paſſe thereby, and what enſued of it? but Ammons murther, Dauids ſorrow, a breach in the familie, and to Abſolom himſelfe an vnpleaſing exile from his fathers Court and preſence. But farre different was Dauids behauiour, being prouoked by Shemei: he leaues the man, and looks into himſelfe: It may be I hauehave deſerued (ſaith he) that God ſhould ſuffer him to curſe me, let him alone. A moſt worthie preſident. Therefore, let the angry and ſullen perſon come foorth and ſhew what he hath gained by his folly, ſaue the name of a foole, and the brand of reproch, and we will recant and call backe that wee ſpeake. No wonder if the mad man, caſting fire, darts, arrowes, and deadly things, hauehave ſome of them light vponupon his owne pate. It is iuſt alſo with God to bee diſpleaſed with ſuch, and reſiſt them, while they are vniuſtly diſpleaſed with others, and meditate how to reuenge. Many euen vponupon the ſudden in their vnaduiſed rage hauehave killed their deareſt friends, (as Alexander is reported to hauehave done in his drunken fume) and after being ſober, they hauehave been readie to reuenge themſelues for their madnes. Others leaue prints of their anger in the faces or bodies of ſuch as they light vponupon, and ſome they kill forth right: which they then repent of when either they hauehave ſmarted well in the purſe, or be drawne forth to puniſhment which is appointed for ſuch furie and outrage. Let it teach vsus, to ſhake off wilfulnes, impatience, and heate paſſions, and in ſtead of a little pleaſing of our ſelues through folſie, not neglect wiſe and kinde dealing, which ſhall not be repented of. And to this end we muſt vſe to meditate, both of our own corruptions of pride, ſelfeloue, anger, looſenes, tetchines, frowardnes, and the like; how many and foule they are; and alſo of our ſelues, who are but wormes, duſt and aſhes; and therefore no ſuch as may not be croſſed: and laſt of all, we ſhould conſider of thoſe whom wee are wont to bee offended with: that they are but men and mortall, and therefore ſubiect to humane infirmities; and what marueile then, if they doe things ſometime that we like not, and which doe croſſe vsus ſeeing they doe to vsus, but as we hauehave done oft to other. And wee being ſicke of the ſame diſeaſe, and being infected with the ſame originall contagion and poyſon, ſhould rather pitie them, then bee angrie and out of patience with them. But it were infinite to ſet downe that which yet might be ſaid to good purpoſe of anger, and remedies againſt it. This for this time by occaſion of Samſons ſullen mood at his departing from his wife then.
As for the fact of Samſons wife and her father, ſo ſoone to be aleniated from him, and ſhe to be giuen to another, it is not to bee marueiled at, neither any reaſon to be asked of it, they being not led thereby, much leſſe by a better guide in their doings, but by will, and ſtrength of fleſh, whereby they were readie to take very ſlight colour and pretence of reaſon for their doings, as hath been noted before, and as ſhall further appeare in the next chap. verſ. 2. And ſo we muſt looke for no better meaſure at the hands of wicked and vnreaſonable men, if we giuegive them the leaſt occaſions, who are commonly carried to outrage without any occaſions: to teach vsus to hauehave as little to doe with them, as wee may: and when wee muſt needs, take wee heed that we make all ſure on our ſides, (as poſſibly we may) to auoid euill and perill by them. But if it fall out afterwards, that wee bee in danger to them, and that they hauehave aduantage againſt vsus, (as who is not ſubiect to that and to the like?) wee muſt beare it patiently, committing the ſucceſſe to God, with well doing. And here an end of this Chapter.