Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 15
¶The .xv. Chapter.
1 BVt within a while after, in the time of wheate harueſt, Samſon viſited his wife with a Kyd, ſaying: I wil go vntounto my wife into her chamber: but her father would not ſuffer him to go in.
2 And her father ſayde: I had thought that thou haddeſt hated her: therefore gaue I her to thy companion. Is not her younger ſyſter fayrer then ſhee? Take her I praye thee in ſteede of the other.
3 And Samſon ſayd vntounto hym: Nowe am I more blameles then the Philiſtines, and therfore wil I doo them diſpleaſure.
THis was the ſimplicity of thoſe times, that the huſbande ſhoulde bring vntounto his wyfe a Kyd. It was a gyft of reconcilement, to pacify hys wyfe withall. In ſaying I hauehave ſayd. That is, I did fyrmly and conſtantly thinke. That doubting of woordes with the Hebrues, addeth a vehemency, which ſelfe thing we maye ſee in that which followeth: In hating, thou diddeſt hate her, that is, thou diddeſt exceedingly hate her. The father in lawe ſeemeth to lay the fault in the Sonne in lawe. For it is as muche as he ſhoulde hauehave ſayde: Thou waſt the cauſe, that I gaue her vntounto an other.
Is not her yonger ſyſter fayrer then ſhee? He feared Samſon, bycauſe he was of a ſtrong and mighty body, leaſt he ſhoulde rage and kyll and ſlaye the Philiſtines: therefore he offereth him his other daughter, to aſſwage his anger. He offereth her, but yet againſt the law of God, by which it was not lawfull to mary twoo Syſters, as it is manifeſt in the eightene and twentye of Leuiticus. Wherefore the father offereth vntounto Samſon mariage, but yet an inceſtious mariage. Neither was it by the Romaine lawes lawfull to marye two ſyſters,It is not lawful to ma…y two Siſters. although the firſt were dead: and vndoubtedly for a iuſt cauſe: For, for as muche as man and wife are one fleſhe, thereby commeth that the kynſfolkes of the one are ioyned in the ſame degree with the other. Wherefore the ſyſter of my wyfe muſt be counted for my ſiſter. Let the Pope therefore take heede what he doth, when he ſo eaſely geueth licence in this kinde of mariages. But this is nothing to him which thinketh that all thinges are lawfull vntounto hym. But it maye be that the Philiſtians obſerued not theſe degrees in matrimonies. For when Moſes gaue the law before brought: Ye ſhal not doo (ſaith he) as the nacions do, which the Lord your God ſhall ſubdue vntounto you. For therefore hath the earthe ſyued them out before your face. Samſon receiued not the condicion offred hym. Of you (ſaith he) is ſproong the iniury, my cauſe is the better and more iuſt, if it ſhould come to iudgement. Wherfore he hath cauſe to be reuenged of the Philiſtians. And aſſuredly it was written before of God.
And he ſought occaſion. We muſt not thinke of Samſon as of a priuate man.Here the Reader is agayne to be admoniſhed not to thinke of Samſon, as of a priuate man. For it is not lawful for anye priuate man, after this maner, to proſecute hys owne iniuries. He muſt rather go vntounto the Magiſtrate. But Samſon was nowe conſtituted of God as a Magiſtrate. Firſt hee taketh vengeaunce of the goods of the Philiſtians, and that after a wonderfull maner.
4 And Samſon went & tooke .xxx. Foxes, and tooke firebrandes, and turned them tayle to tayle, and put a fyrebrande in the middeſt betwene two tayles.
5 And when hee hadde ſet the brandes on fyre, hee ſent them oute into the ſtandyng corne of the Philiſtians, and burnt vp bothe the reekes, and the ſtanding corne with the vineyardes and oliues.
6 Then the Philiſtians ſayd: who hath done this? And they aunſwered, Samſon the ſonne in law of the Thimnite, bicauſe he had taken awaye hys wyfe, and geuen her to hys companyon. Then the Philiſtians came vp and burnt her and her father wyth fyre.
7 And Samſon ſaid vntounto them: If ye had done theſe thinges: but I wyl be auenged of you, and then I wyl ceaſe.
This woord Lampades they hauehave tranſlated firebrandes, which are eaſelye ſet on fire. Samſon bounde the tayles of the Foxes two and twoo together, wyth a ſtrong knot, and in the middeſt he bound a fyrebrande. When the Foxes coulde not agree together in their courſe (for the one drew this way, and the other that way, ſo that they could not hide themſelues in their holes, but the flame by ſtirring and moouing was more and more kindled) they ran into the ſtanding com. And at that time was the wheate harueſt, and the wheate partlye reaped, and partly grewe ſtill. Wherefore the Foxes running thorowe the corne, dyd them very great hurt. For they loſt both their ſtraw and their corne, with their vineyardes and Oliues.Why Samſon did chuſe foxes. The cōſideration of Samſons pollecy was this: He choſe a Foxe to this enterpriſe, rather then any other beaſt, bicauſe it is a craftye and ſubtil beaſt, and goeth by crooked and bye paſſages. But Samſon goeth the right way to woorke: otherwiſe he mought eaſelier hauehave bound Dogges together, but he rather vſed Foxes, for the cauſe before alledged, as Dauid Kimhi affirmeth. Neither would he to eueryevery Foxe alone binde a firebrande: partly bicauſe they would hauehave drawen the firebrands along the ground, and ſo might eaſely hauehave put them out, and partly bicauſe they would ſoone hauehave gotten them into theyr holes. But whē two and two wer by the tayles ioyned together, & the one drew one way, & the other an other way, by that mocion was the fire the more kindled,Origene. and when they ranne into the corne, they did very great hurt. Origene vponupon Cantica Canticorum, in his .iiii. Homely, as he is eueryevery where ful of Allegories, referreth al this thing alſo to an Allegory, although he plainely confeſſeth, that it is hard to apply an Allegorye vntounto this Hiſtory. But I, as I hauehave often in other places, ſo do I alſo in this place omit Allegories.
But if a man aſke how Samſon got ſo manye Foxes, he muſt vnderſtande, that as there are ſundry regions, ſo are there alſo in them manyfolde and ſundry increaſe of thinges. In ſome place there are manye horſes, and thoſe fayre. In ſome place there is great aboundaunce of Cattell. In Englande there is great plentye of Conies, and ſo is there in the Ilandes called Baleares. In thoſe Regions a man maye eaſelye in one daye, and in a lytle grounde, take three or foure hundreth Conies:Siria aboundeth in Foxes. which to ſome peraduenture myght ſeeme incredyble. And ſo is it ſayd that there is a very great aboundaunce of Foxes in Siria, and ſpecially in the borders of Iewry. Wherefore Salamon in hys Canticles ſayth: Take Foxes for vsus which deſtroye the vyneyardes. Wherefore there was ſo great number of them, that they alſo deſtroyed the vineyardes: for they delight moſt of all in ripe grapes. Yea and Dauid ſaith of the vngodlye: They ſhall bee partes of Foxes, that is, their pray, ſo that their karkaſes ſhall be deuoured of them. And out of the .4. chap. of Nehemias is gathered, that the number of them was ſo great, that they could in a maner ouerturne the walles of the city. And Samſon tooke them either by his own induſtry, or by the helpe of his friendes. He ſent the Foxes, and deſtroied their corne. Hereby we may gather, that in iuſt war, it is lawful to vſe burninges and ſpoilinges, to endomage their enemies.
The Philiſtians ſayd: who hath done this? They ſeeke for the authour, and they doo not onelyonly fynde him, but alſo they vnderſtand the cauſe why he dyd it, and they take vengeaunce of hys father in lawe and his wyfe, that was maryed vntounto an other. If ye had done theſe thynges. Theſe are the woordes of a man that is angry, and therefore cut of, wherefore we muſt vnderſtand, if ye had done theſe thinges at the beginning, when my wyfe was firſt taken from mee, I had bene pacified. But ye hauehave done it to late, therefore I wyll yet be auenged of you. For that which ye hauehave done, ye hauehave not done for louelove to iuſtice and honeſty, but for feare of a greater hurt. If iuſtice had moued them, they woulde at the fyrſte hauehave puniſhed them. But they followe the common nature of men, which are with no other thing more touched, then by the feelyng of preſent euyls, which we may perceaue not onelyonly here,Men are mor… moued by …r… then b… anye other meanes. but alſo in the hiſtorye whyche is found in the latter booke of Samuel. Abſolon had long lyued in exile: Ioab obtained of the kyng that he might returne. Wherefore he returned, but hee was not admitted vntounto the kynges ſyght. And when Ioab woulde not wyllinglye come vntounto him, Abſolon commaunded hys ſeruauntes to burne the corne of Ioab. Wherefore Ioab beyng mooued with this iniurye, came vntounto hym at the laſt. So alſo the Philiſtians, being in a manner compelled,Whi ſomtimes the ſyn o… a priuate man is the cauſe of the deſtruction of a whole citye or kingdome. doo reuenge the iniury of Samſon. This alſo is to be noted, that often times a whole City or kingdome is puniſhed, for the ſynne of one man, or of one famely. And that ſawe the Poetes, when they wrote, that onelye the aduoultrye of Paris ouerthrewe the kingdome of Troy. And vndoubtedly when a publike wealth eyther wynketh at, or defendeth, or puniſheth not, the ſynne of a priuate man, God counteth it all one, as if they had all ſynned together. If they hauehave good lawes, and doo followe them in puniſhyng wycked actes, God wyll not for their ſakes punyſhe them all.
Hereby alſo we may ſee that the ſentence of Salomon is moſt true, wherein he ſayth: That which the vngodly feareth ſhall happen vntounto him. The ma…den feared leaſt her fathers houſe ſhould be burnt:Why the vngodlye call … thoſe euylls or which they be a feard of. and ſhe by that waye moſte of all brought burning, by which ſhee thoughte to auoyde it. But why happeneth i…, that the vngodlye doo fall into that, which they feare. Bicauſe when they fear… euyll thinges, they go about to auoyde them by euyll meanes, and not by good. Ioſephs brethren feared leaſt he ſhould be preferred before them, when they ſaw that his father loued him ſo well. And that they might auoyde his promocion, they ſold him into Egipt. But by that meanes chiefly it came to paſſe, that Ioſeph was made ruler ouer them. The Iewes feared leaſt, if Chriſt ſhould go forward as he began, the Romanes woulde come and take awaye their nacion and place. And to turne awaye that, they gaue vntounto Iudas a price, and crucified Chriſt, whereby they the ſooner threwe them ſelues headlong into thoſe euyls which they feared. The mayden was burned with al her fathers famely. By whō? By the Philiſtines, at whoſe handes ſhe looked for fauour.
8 So he ſmote them hyp and thygh wyth a great plague. Then he went downe and dwelt in the top of the rocke Etan.
What hyp vponupon thigh, or hyp together with thigh ſignifieth, it is obſcure, & therfore ther are ſundry interpretacions brought. The Chaldey Paraphraſt expoūdeth it to be horſmen & footemē, ſo that thigh ſignifieth horſmē, bicauſe they ſyt on the horſe with the thigh bowed, and the hyp ſignifieth footemen. Peraduenture at that time it was a kinde of prouerb wel knowen of thoſe men. Dauid Kimhi bringeth an other reaſon, namely that Samſon, Kimhi.both ſlew the Philiſtians and alſo did put them to flight, who alſo as they fled, did fall: as thoughe by thys kynde of ſpeeche might be deſcribed the behauiour of them that fel, whereby the hyp is bowed vntounto the thigh. Farther, this hebrue woorde Iarach ſignifieth alſo a ſhoulder, and the meaning may be that Samſon ſmote them from the ſhoulder to the thigh. The rocke Etan is the proper name of a place.
9 Then the Philiſtians came vp, and pitched in Iudah, and were ſpreade abroade in Lechi.
10 And the men of Iudah ſayd: why are ye come vp vntounto vsus? And they aunſwered, to bynde Samſon are we come vp, and to doo to hym, as he hath done to vsus.
11 Then three thouſand men of Iudah went downe to the top of the rocke Etan, & ſaid to Samſon: knoweſt thou not that the Philiſtians ar rulers ouer vsus? wherfore then haſt thou done thus vntounto vsus? And he aunſwered them: as they dyd vntounto mee, ſo hauehave I done vntounto them.
12 Againe they ſayd vntounto him: We are come to bynde thee, and to delyuer thee into the hand of the Philiſtians. And Samſon ſaid vntounto them: ſweare vntounto me, that ye wil not fall vponupon me your ſelues.
13 And they anſwered hym, ſaying: No, but we wil binde thee & delyuer thee vntounto their hand, but we wil not kyl thee. And they bound him with two new cordes, and brought hym from the rocke.
14 When he came to Lechi, the Philiſtians ſhouted agaynſt hym, and the ſpirite of the Lord came vponupon hym, and the cordes that wer vponupon hys armes, became as flaxe that is burnt wyth fyre: for the bandes looſed from hys handes.
15 And he found a new iawbone of an Aſſe, & put foorth hys hand, and caught it, and ſlewe a thouſande men therewyth.
16 Then Samſon ſayd: with the iawe of an Aſſe are heapes vponupon heapes: with the iaw of an Aſſe hauehave I ſlayne a thouſand men.
17 And when he had left ſpeakyng, he caſt awaye the iawbone out of hys hande, and called that place Ramath-Lechi.
Thys place is called Lechi by the figure prolepſis: bycauſe Lechi in Hebrue is a iawbone, and therefore the place is ſo named, bycauſe Samſon ſlewe there a number of hys enemyes wyth the iawbone of an Aſſe. But that was not then done when Samſon came thither at the fyrſte. The Philiſtians, to auenge theyr iniuryes, pytched agaynſt Iudah: for thyther Samſon fled. But the men of Iudah deſyre the Philiſtians not to be angrye, and demaunde of them why they led an armye agaynſt them. As though they ſhould hauehave ſayd: we hauehave not fallen from you, and we hauehave payed you our tributes: If Samſon dyd anye thyng agaynſte you,The leaugue of the Woulues with the ſhepe. Demoſthenes. it was not done by our counſell. And they were pacified and ſayde: Delyuer hym then, and we wyl depart. Vndoubtedly an vniuſt and craftye Counſell: for in ſuche ſorte would the Woulues make a league wyth the Sheepe, on that condicion I ſay, that they ſhoulde delyuer theyr Dogges, as Demoſthenes ſayd vntounto the people of Athens touchyng theyr Oratours. But why dyd not the Philiſtians them ſelues take Samſon? Ambroſe.Ambroſe aunſwereth, bicauſe they durſt not. And the men of Iudah were ſo cowardiſhe, that they refuſed not to doo it. There came vntounto Samſon three thouſande men to take hym, and they laye for a pretence the authoritye of the Philiſtians: VVylt thou (ſay they) hauehave vsus afflicted for thy ſake?
The lyke ſpeeche had the Hebrues in tyme paſt agaynſt Moſes: for when the people was oppreſſed of Pharao: Thou (ſayd they) haſte made our ſmel to ſtinke in the ſyght of Pharao. Samſon vpbraydeth not vntounto them their ſluggyſhneſſe and deſperatneſſe, when as hee myght iuſtly hauehave ſayde vntounto them: Are ye not aſhamed to betray hym that hath delyuered you? He handleth hys owne countrey men friendlye, and telleth them peaceably, why he dyd ſo. They (ſayde he) did me iniury firſt, and the ſame would I auenge. This is the law of rendring like for like, and it is a common rule of all lawes. But ſweare vntounto me, Lextalionisthat you will not fall vponupon me your ſelues. Why requireth he this othe that they ſhoulde not kill him? Bycauſe he was godlye towardes his countrey, neither woulde he ſhed the blood of his citizens, which vndoubtedly muſt nedes hauehave bene done, if the matter had come to handyſtrokes.
The Philiſtians mighthy a certain outward ſhew, ſeme iuſter then Sāſon. For when they had burnt Samſons father in law and his wife and all his famely, yet Samſon not being content with that auengement, ſlew very manye of them: and they, though they had ſo manye hurtes, yet they deſire onelyonly the death of Samſon. Wherefore they may ſeme more iuſt, but it is but in an outward ſhew onelyonly,The entente of the Philiſtiās. as we hauehave ſayd. For they would firſt take away Samſon the heade: who being taken away, they myght eaſely do what they woulde againſt the people of Iſrael. And Samſon would rather be deliuered vntounto his enemies, then that his country ſhuld for his ſake come in daūger: ſo great a louelove had he towards his people, yea rather chiefly a firme and conſtant fayth towardes God. For puttinge his hope in the mercy of God, he doubted not to commit himſelf vntounto his enemies, and he woulde defende the Iewes, not onelyonly by weapons and ſtrength, but alſo wyth his greate daunger.
And when he was bound, they made him to aſcende. This is ſo ſayde, becauſe that rough rock which Samſon poſſeſſed, was lower then the mountaines which the Philiſtians helde. Wherefore wee reade before that Samſon diſcended to the rocke, and that the Iewes deſcended vntounto him. When the Philiſtians ſhowted againſt him for ioy, ye ſpirit of the lordcame vponupon Sāſon, ſo that he brake his cords as eaſelye as if they had beene flare burnte with fire. And he toke the iaw bone of an aſſe being new or grene. This Hebrewe woorde Teriah ſignifieth grene or new, & it is ſo called, either bicauſe it was newelye drawen out of the aſſe, or els bicauſe it was rotten. For rotten thinges the Hebrewes call grene. Wherfore raw ſores and wounds ful of matter or corruption, ar called of thē, grene Teriah. Theſe words (And Samſon ſaid, with the iaw of an Aſse: and then it is added in Hebrew Chamor Chamerithim) are very obſcure and hauehave ſundrye interpretacions. For Chamor ſignifieth both an aſſe, and alſo a heap or gathering together. Wherefore ſome following the ſignification of this woord heape, do thus interprete it, there was made heapes vponupon heapes of dead bodies, namely of mē which he had ſlaine. Or I hauehave made heape vponupon heape. And the ſenſe is, that Samſon ſayth that he had made ſo greate a ſlaughter of his enemies, that he gathered greate heapes of them together. But other hauing a reſpecte vntounto this woorde aſſe, do thus enterpretate it, of an aſſe, of aſſes, that it ſhould not be here vnderſtand in a metaphore. And they thinke yt a ſword which is called by ye name had ye form of an aſſe. He ſaith therfore yt it was ye iaw bone of an aſſe, of an aſſe I ſay of aſſes, as in other places of the ſcripture we reade, a kidde of goates, and a bullock of Oxen. The Rabbines for the moſt part interprete this place for heapes and gatheringes together of enemies.
When the ſlaughter was finiſhed, then firſt the place was named Ramath-Lechi. Ramam in Hebrew is highe. Wherefore Ramah ſignifieth a high place. And Ramah-Lechi is nothing els then a hill or toppe of a iaw bone. There may alſo be geuen an other Etimologye, ſo that the naminge of it may be deriued of this verbe Ramah, which is to caſt away, bicauſe Samſon in that place threw away the iaw bone, when he had fyniſhed the ſlaughter.
18 And he was ſore a thirſte, and called on the Lorde, and ſayde: Thou haſt geuen this great deliuerance by the hand of thy ſeruant and nowe ſhall I dye for thirſte, and fall into the handes of the vncircumciſed?
19 Then god brake the cheke tooth, that was in the iawe, and water came thereout, and when he had dronke, his ſprite came agayn, and he was reuiued. Wherefore he called the name therof Ain Hakorah, which is the fountaine of him that calleth vponupon, which is in Lechi vntounto this day.
20 And he iudged Iſraell in the dayes of the Philiſtians twentye yeares.
Whereas it is written that god opened the cheeke tooth whiche was in the iaw bone, it is in the Hebrewe Aſchar Belchi Hamachtich, wherefore the place is darke: for this woorde Machtiſch ſignifieth ether that holownes wherein the teth are fixed, or els by a Metaphore it ſignifieth a ſtone or rocke, wherein is a hole cut,Out of what thing god brought foorth water. Ioſephus. R. Leui Ben Gerſon. like vntounto the holes of the cheke tethe. And in fine it is that, which commonly we call a morter. And this latter interpretation Ioſephus & R. Leui Ben Gerſon do follow. And they thinke, that god brought not forth water out of the iaw bone, but out of a rocke being holow like a iaw bone. But others ſay that water came forthe of that iaw bone, wherewith he had ſlayne his enemies. The place was called the fountayne of him that prayeth, bicauſe God at the prayers of Samſon opened the rocke or iawe bone. And this woorde Aim, Leui expoundeth for an eye, for in very deede it ſignifieth eyther, namelye bothe a fountaine & an eye. And the ſenſe that be gathereth is, that the eye of the Lorde was vponupon him, which called vponupon him, that is, God had a regarde vntounto the prayers of hym that called vponupon him. It is added that Samſon iudged Iſraell in the dayes of the Philiſtianes: whiche is therfore written, bicauſe in his time the Hebrewes were not yet fully deliuered from the tirranny of the Philiſtianes, Samſon beganne to deliuer them, but he finiſhed not.
In this latter hiſtory are certayne thinges which we oughte to obſerue. The firſt is, that Samſon was bound with two cordes, and thoſe new, that the miracle mighte be the more wonderfull.New cordes are ſtronge. For newe cordes are more hardly broken, then old. And it is eligantly deſcribed how they brake, namely as flaxe burnt with fire. The cordes might be broken two waies, eyther bicauſe the ſtrength of Samſons body was encreaſed, or els becauſe the cordes were weakned by god: and eyther way is apt inough. Farther, when he being naked and vnarmed, was caſt forth vntounto his enemies, god miniſtred weapons vntounto him of a thing moſt vile: ſo can he vſe all thinges to ſetforth his glory: the iawe bone was made onelyonly to chawe and cutte ſmall meate, but God woulde vſe it to committe a ſlaughter. So althoughe ſometimes we ſeeme to be vnarmed agaynſte our enemies, yet are we ſufficiently armed, when god will. Some to make the thinge more probable, do imagine, that that iaw bone of the aſſe was a great one, bicauſe that in Siria are ſo great aſſes that in greatenes they may be compared with our horſes. Which thing I do not diſproue.
The Philiſtians ſhoute and reioyce as thoughe a moſte deadlye enemye had fallen into theyr handes: But the ſprite of the Lord came vponupon Sampſō, and there was a greate ſlaughter made of them. And the ſonge which he ſang was a geuing of thankes for the victorye,foreign. that is, a ſonge of victorye. But ſome doubte, whither the whole ſonge be here written, or onelyonly the beginninge thereof. I thinke here is but the beginning onelyonly: the reſt paraduenture was knowen among the Iewes, and ſoong thorough.
And he was ſore a thirſt. Ioſephus and Ambroſe thinke yt god ſtrake Samſon wt thirſt, bycauſe he attributed the victory vntounto himſelfe, and not vntounto God, I (ſayth hee) with the iaw of an aſse hauehave ſlaine a thouſande men. He ſayth not,Ioſephus. Ambroſe Why Samſon was vexed with thirſte. God hath ſlayne, neyther erecteth he an altare or monumente vntounto God, nor maketh anye ſacrifice: and therfore is he afflicted with thirſte. For god would hauehave him to vnderſtand that he was a mā, & would alſo hauehave him to know by whoſe benefite he had obteined the victory. This ſay they: but bicauſe thoſe thinges which they alledge are not of the holy Scriptures, therefore I do not geue credite vntounto them. Moreouer let vsus note that in the old Teſtament, very manye places hauehave theyr names geuen them of the benefites of God. For they would hauehave the goodnes of God kept in memory for thē yt ſhould come after, yt they alſo ſhould hope that by the ſame meanes they ſhould be holpen, as they fee theyr fathers in times paſt were holpen of God. For whych ſelfe ſame cauſe the hebrewes were commaunded to enſtructe and teache theyr children of the benefites beſtowed on them by god. Wherefore they inſtructed theyr poſterity, not onelyonly by words, but alſo by ſuch tokens and monumentes, as by ſome certayne ſacramentes. Wherefore the thirſte of Samſon (as farre as I iudge) was not a puniſhment for ſinne, which he had committed, but a certain caution or prohibition that he ſhould not ſinne. He might in deede by reaſon of ouermuch labour naturally thirſte, but god woulde hauehave him remember that in ſo greate fortune he was mortal. He had ſlayne many: but herin was the daunger, leaſt he alſo ſhould hauehave died together with thē for thirſt. Or it was done, that the power and beneuolence of God towardes his people ſhould be made the more notable, which had not onelyonly deliuered Samſon from his enemyes, but alſo had quenched his thyrſt by a wonderfull meanes.
Wherefore Samſon turneth himſelf vntounto prayers, whiche God maketh him to expreſſe both by his ſpirite, and alſo by this preſent neceſſitye. We are not able to thinke how much God delighteth in our ſubmiſſion. Thou, ſayth he, Lord God haſt geuen me this victory, and wilt thou now forſake me? Hereby we vnderſtand that the remembrance of the benefites paſt, do excedingly ſtir vp our prayers, for they encreaſe fayth, whereby we hope that we may obteyne the like and alſo greater things. Neither is this a thing to be paſſedouer, that he calleth him ſelf the ſeruāt of God. I am (ſayth he) thy ſeruāt. For I hauehave not ſlayn theſe mē at myne owne luſt and motion: I hauehave done thy buſines, and I hauehave executed thy warre. And wilt thou now ſuffer me to dye for thurſt? And by that meanes to fal into the handes of mine enemies? And which is moſt greuous, into the handes of the vncicumciſed? For I vndoubtedlye, whatſoeuer I am, am thine, and I hauehave ſet abrode the glory of thyne name. Thou haſt promiſed that I ſhould be a iudge vntounto thy people, ſuffer me not therfore to come into the power of mine enemies, contrary to that promiſe which thou haſt promiſed me.