Commentary on Judges, Sermon 86
THE EIGHTIE SIX SERMON, ON THE XVI. CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES.
The third part of the Chapter.
Verſ. 21. Therefore the Philiſtims tooke him, and put out his eyes, and brought him downe to Azzah, and bound him with fetters, and hee did grinde in the priſon houſe.
22. And the haire of his head began to grow againe, after he was ſhauen.
23. Then the Princes of the Philiſtims gathered them together, for to offer a great ſacrifice to Dagon their God, and to reioyce: for they ſaid, Our God hath deliuered Samſon our enemy into our hand.
24. Alſo when the people ſaw him, they praiſed their God, for they ſaid, Our God hath deliuered into our hand our enemy and deſtroyer of our countrey, which hath ſlaine many of vsus.
25. And when their hearts were merrie, they ſaid; Call Samſon, that hee may make vsus paſtime. So they called Samſon out of the priſon houſe, and hee was a laughing ſtccke vntounto them, and they ſet him betweene the pillers.
IN theſe fiue verſes of this third part of the Chapter, it is The ſumme.ſhewed what manifold outward vexations were brought vponupon Samſon through his many ſinnes, (though the Philiſtims, who were the inſtruments thereof, intended no ſuch thing) but yet it is ſhewed, that in theſe tribulations he did repent, as we reade Manaſſes to hauehave done in his afflictions. 2. Chton. 33. 12Heere is ſhewed alſo what great ioy the Philiſtims had, (both Princes and people,) for that they had got him into their hands, (though that their ioy laſted but a while,) and how they praiſed their Idoll Dagon for it: and gathered themſelues together a great number of them, to make themſelues paſtime, by bringing forth Samſon at their pleaſure to that end, euen to be laughed at. Theſe things are ſet forth in theſe verſes: and in the laſt of them is ſhewed, that they ſet him betwixt the pillers, whereby Samſon made preparation to the miſchiefe that hee brought vponupon the Philiſtims by and by after, in caſting downe the houſe vponupon them.
And firſt, in that God thus gaue Samſon vp into the hands of his enemies, Doct verſ. 21.and puniſhed him as we ſee, it was iuſt that the Lord did to him, (be ſo prouoking him as hee did) by the vncircumciſed Philiſtims; by this (I ſay) wee learne, that if need bee, and if they breake out boldly againſt him, hee muſt make his owne deare children to ſmart, as well as he loueth them, as the Apoſtle Peter ſpeaketh. For as he brought them into the hands of his enemies, 1. Pet. 1. 6.as is heere to be ſeene, euen ſo he vſeth to doe to other of his; when there is cauſe, and he ſeeth it meet. The reaſon is, to the end they may riſe vp againe out of their falles, and repent: for the working of the which, affliction (through Gods bleſſing) fitteth them rather then proſperity (which they are ſo ready to abuſe,) as preſently ſhall appeare in this ſtory; and in the meane while the wicked, going on in their ſinnes, are the readier for iudgement, which one time or other meeteth with them, and taketh hold of them. And if he ſhould not thus take downe the pride and boldneſſe of his in tempting him, they could not be brought to good. This being knowne to be ſo, there is no cauſe why wee ſhould diſcontentedly beare our afflictions, eſpecially we our ſelues hauing giuen iuſt cauſe thereof. And as for them that reioyce in our troubles, or (which is more) do themſelues trouble vsus: I ſay no more but this, that except they repent, and ſo become true worſhippers of God with vsus, the Lord ſhall trouble and vex eueryevery vaine in their hearts, ſo farre their troubles ſhall exceed and goe beyond ours: as God threatneth in the ſecond Epiſtle to the Theſſalonians, and we may ſee in the calamities of Diues, 2. Theſ. 1. 6.and eſpecially if they be compared with Lazarus his comforts. But before I come to lay out his troubles in particular, let vsus ſee this one thing which is not to be omitted, which is this: In Samſons puniſhment wee may diſcerne a more euident proofe of Gods iuſt and equall proceeding to reuenge, then in eueryevery relapſe mentioned in Scripture, (which I note that we may be the more afraid to tempt him:) For as wee ſee Samſons diſeaſe was very groſſe and grieuous, and his ſinne began to bee ſeated and habited in him: hee had ſcaped once before, when the Philiſtims laid wait for him at Azza, verſe 2. and 3. and then God ſpared him, and gaue him a ſafe conduct, putting him to further proofe. So now behold his ſin not being ſubdued and abhorred, as an vnkinde itch that is not killed by a milde medicine: he prouoketh God a freſh by the ſame ſinne that hee did before; and the fire (being but raked vp as it were in hot aſhes) catching hold of new and fit matter to worke vponupon, flameth out amaine the ſecond time. Therfore much water wil not now quench it, much leſſe the letting it alone was like to heale it. What then? doth God deale with him as before? no: now he taketh him in hand, and paies him home, and makes him ſee hee dallieth not with the dallier, and ſo he is faine to beare the penalty of this, and the former too. So he dealt with Dauid. It was no very extreme dealing for two ſo great and ſo rebellious ſinnes, as Adultery and Murther, to take away the child borne in adultery, eſpecailly after ſo patient a reſpit all the while betweene. But Dauid had forgot that gentle correction, for ſo hainous offences; and therefore waxed hee bold once againe with the Lord who had ſhewed him ſuch lenity: and ſo prouoked him againe in grieuous manner, by his ambitious numbring his ſubiects. But did he eſcape as cleerely then, as before? No; God remembreth both: and as the ſtory well witneſſeth, ſets himſelfe to a reſolute courſe of reuenge, and ſo hee did, till hee made Dauids heart ake, ſo that he ſaw his boldneſſe in tempting God, how little it gained him. For hee ſtayed not till the Angell had well ſlaked the matter of his ambition, by ſlaying ſeuentie thouſand of his people. Let it be a watchword to vsus, that if God hauehave once mercifully paſſed by ſome wilfull offence of ours, by ſparing vsus, that (I ſay) we count it for a great aduantage and fauour; for if we will dare to be bold to prouoke him againe, we may iuſtly feare that his ſcourges wil bee ſmartie, as Samſon and many other found them to bee. That I ſay no more.
Wee hauehave heard of the many ſinnes that Samſon committed, and of the Doct. 2.inward vexation of his mind, in that God was departed from him, though he ſaw it not by and by: Now I will (as I purpoſed a little before) lay out more particularly his outward miſeries, as they are ſet downe in this verſe, and that is done by heapes one after another. Firſt it is ſaid, they tooke and apprehended him, who was before at liberty, and yet they did not then forthwith put him to death, they would not bee ſatisfied with ſo ſhort a reuenge, nor ſo bee rid of him, that hee ſhould ſuffer no longer paine then ſo; but they meant to keepe him aliue, and ſo hold him as vponupon the racke, in much torment and vexation, which might bee worſe then any death vntounto him; therefore they then plucked out his eyes, and thereby they prouided, that he ſhould not ſee any more to doe them miſchiefe: then they lead him to one of their chiefe Cities, and put him among their raſcall priſoners, and made him grinde there as an horſe. All theſe with their apurtenances duely conſidered, it may eaſily be ſeene what a depth of miſeries he was plunged into. And yet all this they did to him, beſide their mocking and laughing at him, when they were diſpoſed to make themſelues paſtime thereby, and to bring him forth to that purpoſe.
By this we ſee, that where many ſins are committed, there it is certaine, that many iudgements of God are to be looked for, to bee heaped vponupon the perſons that doe commit them, euen heapes vponupon heapes, if wee hauehave eyes Pſal 32. 10.to behold it, as the Pſalmiſt ſaith, Many ſorrowes compaſſe ſuch about, on eueryevery ſide; and what cauſe their many ſorrowes and troubles, but their many ſinnes? Saul though a King, yet found it ſo, and ſeeing his life was full of iniquity, he could not be free from many plagues, till the laſt of all made an vtter riddance of him. The Scriptures are full of examples, both of the godly, who hauehave turned aſide, and of other who tranſgreſſed many waies, and how both ſorts were puniſhed accordingly. And although many eſcape long, and other flouriſh and proſper in the world for a while, yet are they not altogether void of them; for thoſe which are inward doe ſting them for the moſt part, and the other are in a readineſſe, and ſhall bee thought to come too ſoone, how farre off ſoeuer they ſeeme to be; and the greateſt iudgement of all is, (to whom ſoeuer it ſhall ſo fall out,) that they are ſuffered to go on without any. But when deſtruction commeth vponupon them, happy ſhall they be, who hauehave kept their hearts pure and good.
But further heere let vsus note, that our ſinnes doe not onelyonly keepe many benefits from vsus, but alſo bring many iudgements, as ſhame, pouerty, ſorrow, Doct. 3.bondage, priſon, and any other miſery vponupon vsus, and beſide them all, they do quench the graces of God in vsus: as faith, hope, a good conſcience, the feare of God, and the reſt; which men make little matter of, becauſe they ſee they are in little account and price in the world. But to be ſhort, he that haſteth after his wicked hearts deſire, and will giuegive himſelfe liberty any way which he knowes God doth not allow him; though it bee not altogether ſo groſſe and ſhamefull as Samſons ſinne was, he haſteth his owne miſery,) as in time appeareth to himſelfe, and is alwaies to be ſeene of him, that will obſerue and conſider it. Samſon was deepely drunken, and therefore his vomit was the ſtronger. One or two ierkes makes a ſturdy body but to dance: but when hee is ſtung to the quicke, his ſtout ſtomacke comes downe, becauſe he ſees no remedie. The hardened heart cannot repent, neither without Rom. 2. 5.this violence will it be meekned. A ſubtil traitor, Ieſuite, or other, at firſt examination is as farre off as the Moone, and will bee knowne of nothing: but being held well to the racke, hee will confeſſe all. If there bee ſo much good to be done by ſeuerity, God will vſe it rather then faile of his purpoſe. Let it teach men to try God no further then they thinke themſelues well able to ſtand out in it, and to beare his angry countenance, and if by venturing too far, they finde their opinion of Gods lenity confuted, and themſelues loden with ſorrow; let them rather vſe the ſame to meeken their hearts, then to cry out of their miſery. For great trouble commonly argueth ſtrong rebellion, and long trouble an hard heart. It is a ſingular mercy of God, to hauehave it tamed by the continuance of the puniſhment, but ſmall cauſe of reioycing, to hauehave it remoued, and the heart left in obſtinacie. The more we haſten this cure, the ſhorter ſhall be our ſorrow: for God delights not to puniſh long and much together. But to returne Samſon, be it granted that Samſon needed whipping. Muſt it therefore needs bee with a whip Note.of ſo many ſtrings, and were there none meete to ſee execution done, but they that had no meaſure? who (as the Prophet complained of the Edomites) Pſal. 137.aimed at nothing leſſe then the puniſhing of his ſinne, but wholly at the ſatisfying of their reuenge. Did God bring vponupon Samſon the perſonall hatred of the Philiſtims, for the publike good and his honour, in doing his owne worke vponupon the enemies of the Church; and now is hee made a prey to their teeth, and an obiect of their furie? Oh! conſider thou that obiecteſt, while Samſon ſimply went about God his worke, God bound himſelfe to ſhelter him from his enemies, to the which end hee furniſhed him with extraordinary ſtrength, ſo it was literally verified in him, One ſhall chaſe a thouſand. Deut. 32. 30.God ſtood to the making good of all harmes that could befall him in his owne quarrell, and elſe Samſon might iuſtly hauehave complained. But hee Note.would hauehave his owne worke goe forward, and Gods too: he had other buſineſſe that required hotter purſuit then his maſters: euen wicked and leaud buſineſſe, which croſſed the other, and therein hee was his owne man, and not Gods ſeruant, looke what charges or damages befel him in that imployment, he was himſelfe to defray and ſtand to. And ſo we ſee, that as he vſed not his gift, but abuſed it to his owne luſt; ſo God bereaued him of it, and ſent him among other maſters to pay him his wages for his owne worke. For this, God tooke himſelfe highly wronged, and therefore hee takes Samſon in hand to purpoſe, making his worſt foes the arbiters. I denie not, but euen herein he ſhewed him fauour; but I ſpeake of his phyſicke, which procured his recouerie. And if wee thinke that God is fitteſt to miniſter that which is fitteſt for quality, let vsus aſcribe this to him alſo, that can do it as wel in the quantity as he liſteth. In bodily diſeaſes this is in the ſecond place one chiefe thing: for the ſame meaſure workes not vponupon all. The tenth of this would hauehave killed Peter, yet leſſe then this would not hauehave ſtirred Samſon. He had returned to his filthineſſe without doubt, if the reſtraint had not been ſo forcible. God is mercifull, and delights not in extremitie; but he is Lam. 3. 33. Exod 34. 7.iuſt, and cannot be faced out with boldnes.
Now in that Samſon was thus led away in paine to ſuch baſe worke, in ſo Doct 4. in verſ. 21.reprochfull a manner; we ſee that withall this, he was conſtrained to leaue and goe from his louer alſo, to whom he was ſo neerely knit, and for whoſe ſake hee ſuffered all this woe, and much more; which how ſore and hard it was to beare, who doth not ſee? All which hee might hauehave been free from, and hauehave continued in the happie eſtate wherein he was before, if he could but hauehave ſhaken her off, and alienated his mind from her, and yet now muſt leaue her whether he would or no; and who ſeeth not what cauſe hee had, and what faire warnings ſo to doe before?
Euen ſo, obſerue wee, that if no perſwaſions will ſerue to draw vsus from ſome ſpeciall ſin, (whether this which Samſon was deluded with, or any other) yet that God knoweth waies enough to ſcare vsus from it; and this one among the reſt, that as he was, wee ſhall be plucked from it by violence, though we would not, and that alſo as he was, with ſhame and ſorrow our bellies full, and ſhall wiſh too late that we had been wiſer in time. So ſaith Salomon, There was a young man among the fooles, deſtitute of vnderſtanding, Prou. 7. 6.going toward the houſe of an harlot in the euening, when the night began to be darke, who with her ſubtiltie inticed him, and he followed her ſtraight waies, as an oxe that goeth to the ſlaughter, and as a foole to the ſtocks for correction, till a dart ſtrooke thorow his liuer, as a bird haſteth to the ſnare, not knowing that ſhe is in danger. And this is the beſt end that commeth of following our wicked hearts deſire, to the committing of ſin, whē by no meanes we can be reclaimed frō it. And it is a great matter worth the marking which I ſay, that when the Lord puls not the vngodly from their filthie pleaſure wherein they liued, and doth not reſtraine them, it is the immediate forerunner of their finall woe. But when he plucks the godly from thoſe baites, by which they are allured and indangered, he dealeth kindly with them, recalling them from woe to repentance, and the enioying of many good things. For he is wont to deny that in fauour to his children, which he granteth to the wicked in wrath. One point hereof we ſee in thoſe two (who died one death both bodily and ſpirituall) Haman and Iudas I meane: the other in the eleuen Apoſtles, as wee ſhall ſee by and by. Concerning the two former, when the one was taken from his pompe, the other from his peeces of ſiluer (which he rid himſelfe of, as haſtily as euer he coueted them greedily:) the next newes we heare of them, after they had giuen Eſter 7. 10.ouer themſelues to the ſinne intended, is, that they both were hanged, Mat. 27. 5.and ended their curſed life in a curſed death. To whom we may adde that foole in the Goſpell, with Achitophel and infinite others. When they were Luk. 12. 20 2. Sam. 17. 23.in the top of their wickedneſſe, and were not held backe by God, then was their end neereſt at hand. But the other, to wit, the good Apoſtles were gratiouſly weaned from the purſuite of that which would hauehave bin their bane. For when ambitiouſly they ſought and that with ſtriuing, who ſhould be the greateſt and chiefe among the reſt, our Sauiour held them from it, ſo as Iohn 13. 14.he made them aſhamed to thinke that they had gone about it. And what loſt they by it? Nay what gained they not rather? for they learning humilitie, found that ſauour and ſweetnes in his ſeruice afterward, and in his louelove, (as appeareth by their great lamentation that they made for his departing from them) that it made way to their enioying of moſt worthy and precious benefits after their Maſters aſcenſion. Euen ſo, as hee wrought in the Apoſtles, he doth the ſame in his other elect people: who when they Note.ſee they cannot enioy their deſired vnlawfull liberties without their vtter vndoing, then they begin to thinke it is high time to looke about them, and doe ſee that it were depth of folly to refuſe and forſake their owne merciemercy, (as Ionah ſpeaketh) for looking after lying vanities, and ſo they reſolue to renue Ionah 2. 8.their old acquaintance with their God, and to returne to him their firſt husband, and to fall to their old diet againe. But oh merciemercy of God inualuable, that they may do ſo. And though it be with ſome bitternes to thē, becauſe the fleſh ſauoureth no goodneſſe; yet it is fauour on Gods behalfe toward them vnutterable, and that which could ill hauehave been ſpared, euen themſelues being iudges. Therefore, to returne, let all ſuch as muſt be thus roughly vſed, as Samſon was, I meane, to be bereaued and plucked from their ſinne ſo deare to them and that with violence ere they will giuegive it ouer, let all ſuch (I ſay) beware, leſt when God ſhall thus croſſe them, they like blind idiots and wilfull rebels fight not againſt God, and increaſe their owne miſerie by renuing their old ſinnes, and ſeeking forbidden pleaſures or gaine, which is little better then with ſwine to returne to their mire. And ſuch as 2. Pet. 2. 22.neither forbearance, nor violence will doe good vponupon, they may feare their caſe to be bad, (or others for them may) ſeeing God vſeth commonly no other remedie that will cure their maladie.
And by this we ſee, that the end of ſinne is not as the beginning and entrance into it. For then the diuell moſt ſlighly and cunningly ſheweth a foole all the pleaſure and profit that it bringeth, (as he iudgeth it to be) yea and offereth more to their conceit then they ſhal euer finde, as it may be fitteſt to allure and blindfold them; but in no wiſe ſuffereth them to thinke of that which will in the end, that is, their vndoing; for ſuch wiſedome Note. Prou. 24. 7.is too high for a foole. And ſo the diuell, to winde vsus into the ſinne, commeth as a tempter; but when he hath brought vsus to commit it, and we then begin to ſee what we hauehave done, and in what wofull caſe we be left, then he commeth as an accuſer, leauing vsus in the briars, as he did Iudas, when we are meerely deſtitute of all helpe, to ſhift for our ſelues. Of which all the former ſtories of theſe Iſraelites are a plentifull witnes.
And here, becauſe I am ſhewing the miſerable ends of ſinne, when men will needs follow their wicked luſts, it were (and ſo I hauehave thought good to admoniſh the reader) it were good (I ſay) for him that is inticed ſtrongly with the baites of any ſinne, whereby he ſeeth himſelfe in danger, to ſet before Note.his owne eyes, as particularly as he can, the wofull effects of his former yeelding to, or dallying with the deceitfull allurements thereof, the holie Ghoſt here doth ſet downe foure or fiue which followed Samſons ſinne. As if a profeſſor ſhould forcibly be haled to vncleannes with any woman, and that he ſeeth not likelihood to turne away from her; let him anſwere himſelfe thus: This my ſinne it is abhorred of God, who is my delight, and it will ſet him againſt me, and make him mine enemie: it will be a moſt grieuous reproch to my profeſſion, if I yeeld to it, it will be a burthen of conſcience importable: the loſſe of grace by it will be vnſpeakable: the griefe of the godly vnutterable, the fleſhing and ioying of the wicked vnſatiable; and beſides all, vtter vndoing to me it will be for euer: and the iniurie to the partie, to whom I ſhould offer ſuch diſcurteſie, neuer to bee recompenſed. And let him oft, as he ſhall ſee cauſe, twit and croſſe his carnall humour, and anſwere himſelfe, what got Eue, when ſhe had taſted that which being forbidden her, was yet in her deceitfull fancie, for many cauſes to bee deſired? And let him ſay further: Doe I thinke long, till I crie out with her, that the thing I ſo impotently haſt after, hath been my great ſorrow and vndoing? All meanes ſhall be found little enough to obtaine deliuerance from ſuch bondage. And ſeeing it is no ſpeaking to vsus at the very inſtant of going about the committing the ſinne, let this and ſuch like meditations be vſually and ſeriouſly thought on by vsus before, if we be wiſe.
Laſtly, in this verſe, one thing more I thinke good to note: and that is, Doct. 5.the care that theſe Philiſtims had to ſet their priſoners to worke, as they ſet Samſon to grinde at the mill among the reſt, as they did the other: which were worthie the following them in by vsus Chriſtians, (though I would they ſhamed vsus not herein) that knowing how ill occupied the malefactors be in the priſon, they might by good imploying of them in ſome honeſt labour, not only get ſomewhat toward their keeping, (many of them being ſtarued for want thereof) but alſo be ſtaied and held from much idleneſſe and miſchiefe, which they otherwiſe will doe, as at this day is to be lamented and ſeene in moſt priſons. Wee ſee the commoditie of ſetting them to worke in priſon, by appointing worke to the poore who liue among vsus at libertie:) who being diligently ſet to worke, doe both maintaine themſelues, and many of them a great charge, and alſo are kept thereby from many offences and ſorrowes. Nay further, if heathens hauehave gone ſo farre in ciuil policy (though not for hatred of the ſin, themſelues being as bad in other kindes) as to prouide for order in ſo confuſed a companie of priſoners; then might it well become Chriſtians not onelyonly to doe the ſame, but to goe a little beyond them, and regard the welfare of their ſoules alſo, both during their impriſonment, and before the time of their execution. As that godly Captaine Ioſhua did to Achan, chap. 7. My ſonne (ſaith he) giuegive glorie to Ioſh 7. 19.God, confeſſe thy ſinne, and disburden thy conſcience, that though thy hodie be puniſhed and deſtroyed for a ſeaſon, yet thy ſoule may bee ſaued in the day of the Lord. A pitifull thing to conſider, that ſuch ſhould be left to themſelues, to fulfill the meaſure of their ſinne, till death approcheth, and not to be laboured nor dealt with about the moſt weightie matter of their ſaluation. Which thing would moue vsus more then it doth, but that we ſee ſo little care had by many Miniſters, to teach painfully their people who walke at libertie, and are well paid for their labour.
In this verſe it is ſhewed; though not ſo cleerely, (that all doe ſee and Verſ 22.vnderſtand it at the firſt view) how Samſon ſitting in the irkſome priſon in paine of body, but greater of mind, did think of his euil courſe, and frō what eſtate he was falne, and what miſerie he was in, and repented for it, after due conſideration of it, as the prodigall ſonne did. But ye will aske how that appeareth, that we may reſt perſwaded of it, ſeeing it may bee doubted of as well as of any other part of the ſtorie? I anſwere: ſeeing it is not ſo cleere in this verſe, I will ſay the more about it, fetching light heereto from other Scripture. And firſt in this verſe, thus much may be gathered, that the holy Ghoſt ſetting downe this growing of his haire againe, giueth vsus this to learne by it, that it was a manifeſt token that hee returned to the eſtate of a Nazarite againe alſo: (for it being a common thing for the haire to grow againe, there was no other end of mentioning it) which was the moſt perfect ſeruing of God, and that we may know hee could neuer hauehave done, except he had repented.
Secondly, it appeareth to be ſo, by his prayer to God afterward, verſ. 28. whereby we vnderſtand, that he beleeued in him, (euen as Ionah did the like Iona 2. 2. Rom 10. 14in the Whales bellie.) For as the Apoſtle ſaith; How can we call vponupon him, in whom we beleeue not? And if he beleeued, then hee alſo repented: for faith and repentance cannot bee ſeparated. The third proofe of his repentance, is, that he was a Nazarite of Gods owne ordinance, and therefore the elect of God, and one that muſt of neceſſity returne againe after his fall, or elſe he could not hauehave been one of the Lords, as it is certaine he was, being a Nazarite. The fourth is, the teſtimony that is giuen of him in the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, where hee is reckoned among them who liued, and died in Heb. 11. 32.faith. And now that it is proued that he repented, let vsus make our benefit of that his example.
In him therfore, as in a glaſſe, we may ſee the vnſpeakable mercy of God, Doct.to great ſinners: for who in all likelihood would hauehave ſaid that hee ſhould hauehave come to repentance, whom wee hauehave heard to hauehave ſo odiouſly, ſo long, and ſo many waies gone from God, and to hauehave followed his owne Note.wicked luſts? But hee being one of Gods elect, it was impoſſible that hee ſhould periſh, though hee muſt needs ſuſtaine much woe in this preſent world, euen as we hauehave heard he did. Which alſo is to be ſaid of Dauid, Salomon and Ionah, with other. And as ſuch an one is to be pitied much, whom God hath called and reclaimed from his old bad courſe to faith and amendment of life, when we ſee him afterward to wallow in the filthie mire of his former euill life againe; for wee know his puniſhment is like to bee moſt fearefull and heauie; ſo the offending party muſt know, that ſuch an one ſhould, as Manaſſes did by the tribulations that hee fell into, bee broken hearted and repent, and beleeue, and ſhould hauehave no peace, vntill he can do ſo. And therefore iuſtly are all ſuch to bee complained of, who hauing ſo Note.faire warnings from God when they hauehave fallen, are not for all that brought home againe, and humbled. So then, the conſideration of this point ought little to nouriſh the conceit of preſuming to offend God vponupon hope of impunity. They that plead this, and the like example of Samſon, Dauid, Salomon, and others ſuch, do ſhew that they ſinne with boldneſſe, and preſumptuouſly beare themſelues vp in hope of forgiueneſſe, becauſe thoſe forementioned ſeruants of God obtained it, who ſinned not of preſumption as theſe doe, who reaſon thus, neither do they know therefore that they ſhall finde the like mercy in their need. For how monſtrous and irregular a concluſion is it, for him whom the louelove of God ſhould keepe from ſinning, to preſume to ſin, becauſe God loueth him, and will neuer dampe him? Thou that makeſt ſuch concluſions, feare that mercy belongs not vntounto thee. But know it for certaine, though thou haſt thought thy ſelfe ſure of ſaluation, hauing ſought after it, and haſt begun to reforme thy ſelfe, yet if thou degenerate and offend wilfully, (for thy vnauoidable errours and weakeneſſes I ſpeak not of) the Lord ſhall fill thy life, thy ſoule, and conſcience, with ſuch perplexity and diſtreſſe, that thou ſhalt neuer enioy good day after thy ſatiſfying of thy rebellious will: and if thou die ſo (whoſoeuer thus ſinneſt) thou neuer wert a ſonne, and beloued of God, but a baſtard and counterfeit. Doe we not ſee what death hath befallen ſuch impudent coſoners, as (being vile and baſe borne) claime to themſelues the names and inheritances of great perſons dead long ſince, as if they were yet liuing? The like penalty and far greater ſhall lie vponupon thee, (oh foule impoſter and deceiuer) that pleadeſt the name of a regenerate one, being an arrant deceiuer and hypocrite. But to returne, as for the better ſort, let them often coole and quench the dart of ſuch a tentation with this, that as ſweet as liberty ſeemes, God will finde Note.a way to make it bitter enough ere he leaue them, though hee meane not to caſt them off: witneſſe heereof be this famous example of Samſon. And on the other ſide, if they hauehave thus fallen, let them follow the example of this man in his repentance, and ſo doing, let them apprehend him, and comfort by his recouery, (for to that end the Scriptures were written) in their owne 1. Tim. 1. 16.particular caſe. And beware they, leſt the diuell (who is euer an accuſer in the end, though a tempter in the beginning,) draw them to runne further and deeper in, becauſe they hauehave already aduentured ſo farre. And ſo hauing eſcaped both rockes of bold, or ſecure, or of deſperate proceeding in ſinne, they ſhal be encouraged to ſeeke till they finde mercy: the which (lamentable it is to ſee) few doe, though the number of reuolters be many, the greater ſigne that they neuer were of the number of them whom they ſeemed to goe out from, and therefore returne not, as Saint Iohn ſaith. For of 1. Ioh. 2. 19.the other it is verified, They goe farre that neuer returne.
But to leaue this point concerning reuolters, this doubt is as hardly anſwered, whether they who neuer were conuerted vntounto God as yet, may bee in hope to obtaine mercy of him, in ſuch depth of ſinning. For as ſuch goe farre, and lie long in their ſinne before they thinke of any ſuch matter; ſo when they goe about it, they are caſt by a deadly feare, almoſt into deſperation. Therefore what ſhall ſuch doe? I anſwere as they in the Acts did, who Act. 2. 37.came, being pricked in their hearts for crucifying the Lord Ieſus, to the men and brethren, euen the Apoſtles, and asked counſell of them what they ſhould doe, and ſo obtained remedie. For there being great likelihood and hope that they are of Gods elect, when they grow wearie of their wicked liues, they hauehave great cauſe to be incouraged, (if they know their liberty) in broken and melting hearts to ſeeke mercy at Gods hands, and not to giuegive ouer Iam. 4. 9. 10.their hope, neither deſpaire.
In which caſe, Mary Magdalene, out of whom were caſt ſeuen diuels, did ſaty her ſelfe, and the penitent theefe did obtaine mercy, and Paul himſelfe, as farre gone in a Phariſaicall conceit of his owne righteouſneſſe, as the reſt of the Phariſies, who neuer repented, and was euen madde in perſecuting Gods ſaints, and therefore in no meane danger: yet he (I ſay) who had bin a perſecutor, an oppreſſor, and a blaſphemer, was receiued to mercy, and obtained pardon. And why was this? Surely not onelyonly for his owne comfort, 1. Tim. 1. 13.but alſo to magnifie Gods goodneſſe, for the encouragement of other great ſinners, that ſhould come after him, ſuch as (of whom I now ſpeake) that they (I ſay) might be heartned and encouraged to looke for the ſame vponupon the like humiliation. The reſt I referre to the next ſermon.