Commentary on Judges, Sermon 91
THE NINETIE ONE SERMON ON THE XVII. CHAPTER OF THE BOOKE OF IVDGES.
The ſecond part of the Chapter.
Verſ. 7. And there was a young man out of Bethlehem Iuda, of the family of Iuda who was a Leuite, and he ſoiourned there.
8. And the man departed out of the citie from Bethlehem Iuda, to ſoiourne where he could finde a place: and he came to mount Ephraim to the houſe of Micah, as he iourneyed.
9. And Micah ſaid vntounto him, Whence commeſt thou? And he ſaid vntounto him, I am a Leuite of Bethlehem Iuda, and I goe to ſoiourne where I may finde a place.
10. And Micah ſaid vntounto him, Dwell with me, and be vntounto me a father and a Prieſt, and I will giuegive thee ten ſhekels of ſiluer by the yeere, and a ſute of apparell, and thy victuals. So the Leuite went in.
11. And the Leuite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was vntounto him as one of his ſonnes.
12. And Micah conſecrated the Leuite, and the young man became his Prieſt, and was in the houſe of Micah.
13. Then ſaid Micah, Now know I that the Lord will doe me good, ſeeing I hauehave a Leuite to my Prieſt.
THis ſecond part of the Chapter ſheweth that this Micah The ſumme of theſe verſes.hauing brought that new and ſtrange worſhippe, namely Idolatrie into his houſe, ſo pleaſed himſelfe therein, that now wanting nothing to the ſetting of his new trade on worke but a worke man, I meane a Prieſt; now (I ſay) he tooke the opportunitie offered by a Leuite, who ſought a ſeruice, and takes and entertaines him. Before he was content (as we heard) with his ſon to ſerue for a Prieſt, though none might be by the law, but ſuch as came of Aaron: wherby we ſee, that the law of God is little regarded where men are ſet to hauehave their owne will. But now behold, accordingly as hee wiſhed, there is offered him a Leuite, as little to his commendation, which hee much better liking, (as the taking of his ſonne before for that buſineſſe) and him he took, and therefore receiued him into his houſe, neuer examining him, nor prouing him by inquiring about him further, that he might well & throughly know his behauiour, but makes him his Prieſt forthwith, applauding himſelfe in his ſucceſſe, and reioycing not a little in his ſuppoſed well doing.
But firſt in theſe two verſes it is further ſhewed, how Micah got him a Verſ. 7. 8.Leuite to be his Prieſt in his ſonnes roome, and that was thus: This young man Ionathan, who is here deſcribed by the place where hee dwelt, and the familie he was of, and by his tribe, (for the Leuites were ſcattered, through all their tribes, in their dwellings) went about to ſeeke a place where hee might ſtay himſelfe, hee wanting maintenance, and (as it fell out) came in his trauell to this Micahs houſe, and by that meanes hee ſtaied and abode there. Where firſt wee may ſee another note of the badneſſe of the times which then were; in that the Leuites, which were appointed by God to ſerue in the Tabernacle, and were alſo prouided for by him of maintenance (of whom this man was one) they, I ſay, (many of them at leaſt) were now (as appeareth by him) left deſtitute of both. So this man had neither imployment, dwelling, nor maintenance, but went about to ſeeke them all.
By this we ſee, when it goes ill with the Magiſtracie, that it goes not hard Doct. verſ 7.with the Common-wealth onelyonly, as wee hauehave ſeene in part, but with the Miniſtery alſo. For when there are either none, or when they be not carefull in their places to do the good they are ſet for, the Miniſterie which ſhould bring foorth many children to God, maketh his houſe but a barren family: for ſome are driuen to ſeeke a place, as this Leuite did, which is a very baſe and vnmeete thing, and vnfit for thoſe that are to ſerue God in ſo holy a calling: ſome come into their places by money, which cauſeth them to be leſſe regarded of the people, neither do the moſt of them any good among them: although they hauehave ſome gifts: and many of them are not able for want of fitneſſe, to direct the people aright, I meane ſoundly and plainly, vntounto true happineſſe, and many are offenſiue by their ſcandalous life. In ſtead of all theſe, and many other abuſes, good gouernours will ſeeke for, and incourage thoſe that bee worthie onelyonly or of good hope, and prouide that they may preach and attend on their charge with cheerefulnes; to the which end they are appointed by God, and ſee that they may not go about to ſeeke a place, as wandring perſons; whereas they who are beſt backed and incouraged, doe good little enough. And as the Church and Common-wealth are knit together as the ſoule and body into one, ſo that they (like enemies) laugh and weepe, fare ill and well together, as two in one ſhip either enioy ſafetie or miſcarrie alike; ſo ought they to conſent and accord ſweetly together, for the preſeruation of each other. The ſoule we ſee followes the temper of the body: and the body is as much affected with the diſtemper of the ſoule, neither of both well; if either be out of frame. And it is as true, that ſeldome that Common-wealth is happy, wherein the Church and Miniſterie hangeth downe the head. And that is, partly by the prouidence of God, iuſtly puniſhing the neglect of his ſeruice, and partly by a naturall reaſon: namely, becauſe the light of knowledge not reſtraining, and the rule of conſcience not gouerning; the corrupt nature of man can not but breake ſquare, to commit all vnrighteouſneſſe with greedineſſe, although there be law and penaltie to keepe men in awe; much more where Anarchie and confuſion is. Therefore let the Magiſtrate backe the Miniſter with authoritie, and by the ſword of iuſtice, ſharpen the edge of the ſword of the word, that it be not deſpiſed and made vnprofitable; and let the Miniſter requite him againe, in forcible perſwading the conſcience, and working vponupon the ſoule, till hee hauehave brought mens thoughts into ſubiection to God, ſo that they neither preſume to deſpiſe authoritie, nor forbeare to tranſgreſſe for terror ſo much, as for Gods ſake, and conſcience, which is no ſmall vantage to the Magiſtrate, as ſome will themſelues confeſſe. But ſome will aske perhaps, Why? what confuſion was there in this, that the Leuite thus trauailed to ſeeke liuing and worke? Indeed I thinke well, there be ſome that thinke no otherwiſe of the Miniſter then of another tradeſman, who goes about the countrey to enquire for worke: and they are ſuch as thinke that a Miniſter ſhould doe like Paul, that is, worke with his owne hands, that they might be the leſſe troubled to maintaine him. But to leaue ſuch Gargarites, I anſwere to the point, firſt this diſorder there was in it, that as I hauehave ſaid, the Leuite was not employed (if he had been worthie) in the priuate inſtructing of the people, and the publike at the Alter, or the like. The like diſorder it were that the Miniſter ſhould, as this Leuite, goe ſeeke himſelfe a place; it is ſufficient that he is willing to giuegive the Church an account of the gifts which God hath giuen him for her vſe, (being demanded lawfully) but a place muſt ſeeke vp him, (and not he it) and approue, welcome and entertaine him in the beſt manner fit for the well diſcharging and executing of his dutie. Such as call themſelues, let them ſhift as they can: Gods ordinance they hauehave violated, if diſcredit, diſcouragement, or Note.ill ſucceſſe befall them, the mends is in their owne hands. If God had ſent them, he would hauehave ſeene to them. But ſecondly there was confuſion in this, that the Leuite was compelled to runne about to ſeek reliefe, although he had been ſetled. For what a ſhame is it for the people, (if their neglect be the cauſe) or for a Miniſter (if prouided for) that he forſakes his ſtudie, publike teaching, and watching ouer the people, and roues about the countrey, tendring his ſeruice to preach here and there among ſtrangers for money, as ſome baſe ſtraglers doe? Whereas the Lord hath wiſely prouided an exemption not onelyonly from rouing, but euen from ordinary domeſticall employments, buying, ſelling commonly, marketting alſo and traffique in the world, and all to the end that he may be wholly taken vp in the worke of God; whereto who is ſufficient? as the Apoſtle ſaith. But 2. Cor. 2. 16.wee hauehave them that are ſufficient for all things now adaies, which makes them ſufficient for little or nothing (God helpe) that they ſhould be.
This young man is here deſcribed by the place of which hee was, to wit, Doct 2. verſ. 7.of Bethlem Iuda, as being borne, and brought vp in a familie there: as alſo by his ſtock, tribe, and profeſſion, that he was a Leuite: As if the holy Ghoſt would tell vsus, it was no ſtrange thing, for in likelihood there were in other places that went wandring vp and down without calling, and maintenance (Leuites I meane) as well as he. For it was at this time as in the daies of Nehemiah; that is, when the Leuites had not that ſufficiencie (which by the law I hauehave before ſhewed they ought) to maintaine them, they went (by Nehem 13. 10.an vnwelcome neceſſitie) from their ſeruice, ſeeking where they could be better
End of the text · Richard Rogers, Commentary on Judges (1615)