Commentaries, Commentary on Judges · Chapter 2 · Verses 4-5
4 And when the Aungell of the Lorde ſpake theſe wordes vntounto all the children of Iſraell, the people lifted vp their voyce & wept.
5 And they called the name of that place Bochim, and offred Sacrifices there vntounto the Lorde.
The fruite of the ſermon, whiche was preached is by certayn outward ſygnes expreſſed vntounto vsus, whiche were in a manner apt witneſſes of repentaunce, and of a conuerted mynde.Thre apt witneſſes of repē taunce. Thre thynges therfore are mencioned. Firſt when the people had heard this ſermon they lifted vp their voyce wherby as it is to be beleued, they confeſſed their ſynnes, and implored the mercy of God. Secondly it is added that teares were ioyned with the voyces: and laſtly that they offred Sacrifices vntounto God. What they ſaid when they lifted vp their voyce, the ſcripture doth not expreſſe, but I hauehave expounded what is moſt likely that they ſayd, and therfore I will ſtande no longer about that thyng: but I will ſomewhat tary in thoſe thinges, whiche the hiſtory hath mencioned of, what thynges they are, namely as touchyng teares and Sacrifices. Wherein we muſt knowe that true and lawfull repentaunce conſiſteth chiefly of two principall poyntes,Two principal pointes of repētaūce, which do ſpryng out of fayth. namely of a ſorowe conceaued for the wicked Actes committed, and of a ſure confidence to obtayne pardon by Chriſte. Neither ought we to be ignoraunte, that theſe two thynges do burgen out of fayth, as out of their propre and naturall roote. And fayth, when it bryngeth forth ſuche fruites, is occupyed about two thynges. Firſt it aſſenteth vntounto the lawe of GOD, and to the threatnynges there ſet forth, and confeſſeth them to be true, whereby we beyng aſſured of the will of GOD, whiche we vnderſtande to be by our ſynnes violated, and nothyng doubtyng of the threatnynges adioyned, we can not but be grieuouſly ſory. Secondly fayth embraſeth the promiſe of forgeueneſſe of puniſhementes by Chriſt. And whileſt it is occupyed about theſe two thynges, ſo many outwarde ſignes alſo do follow.Two outward ſignes followe true repētaūce For of ſorow come ſyghinges & teares, which hauehave adioyned vntounto thē confeſſiō of the ſinnes committed, whiche is ſometymes expreſſed, & ſometymes cloſe. And where there is conceaued an aſſuraunce of forgeueneſſe, there followe Sacrifices. And bycauſe fayth is the mother of theſe thynges, and it is conceaued by the worde of GOD, therefore the hiſtorye declareth that the Iſraelites did at the length weepe and do Sacrifice after that they had heard the ſermon.The worde of god ſtirreth vp repentaunce. For (as Paule ſayeth) fayth commeth of hearyng, and hearyng by the worde of GOD. Wherefore weepyng and ſighing followed fayth by whiche weepyng the ſorowe then conceaued in the hearte manifeſtlye appeared, whiche affection of the mynde it is manifeſt to hauehave come by reaſon of the euill whiche then did oppreſſe them:What is the grief & ſorowe of repentaunce and that euill was the anger of GOD, wherewith they felte them ſelues to be oppreſſed, and whereunto they knewe by the ſermon preached that they were guilty. Neither is this to be paſſed ouer, that the weepyng of thoſe repenting people was no common or eaſye weepyng, for ſo much as of the efficacy and aboundance thereof, the place was called Bochim. Which worde ſignifieth in the Hebrew tongue, men weepyng.
The Ethnikes do not allowe teares.The teares, whiche the Ethnike wyſe men, do either reproue, or contempne as comming from a ſofte and womanlyke hearte, God, when they burſt forth of true repentaunce, doth exceadingly allowe them, and counteth them as moſt acceptable: Seneca writeth in hys 64. Epiſtle to Lucillus, Seneca.that ſometymes we may let teares come from vsus, but we muſt not weepe. He would not therefore hauehave weepyng to hauehave the rayne: howbeit ſomewhat he permitted it, bycauſe by the violence of nature they are expreſſed, and they burſte forth euen of them whiche will not, and do reſtrayne them, as the ſame authour teſtifieth in hys …00. Epiſtle. But we ought not to cōſider what they would, but what is allowed of our heauenly Father.God accepteth the teares of ſuch as are repentaunt. And he wonderfull louyngly accepteth a contrite and humble hearte, and the teares of ſuche as are repentaunt. Then it is ſayde that they offer Sacrifices, whiche were certain tokens of fayth conceaued of the forgeueneſſe of ſynnes by Chriſte. For whileſt the Sacrifices were a kyllyng, it was ſet forth, that ſynne in a ſorte was tranſferred into them.What the killyng of ſacrifices ſignified. For the Sacrifice bare the puniſhement, whiche the tranſgreſſour ought to hauehave had. Neither is it to be doubted, but that thoſe Sacrifices whileſt they were ſacrificed, dyd ſhadowe the death of Chriſt. Wherefore thoſe ceremonyes did teſtifye that the Elders, did conſtantlye beleue, that by the oblation and death of Chriſt all their ſynnes were taken awaye, and already forgeuen them. Neither vndoubtedly can true repentaunce be founde wantyng ſuche a fayth.Take awaye fayth & repentance is deſperation. For take awaye thys fayth, and it may rather be called deſperation, than repentaunce. Furthermore in theſe Sacrifices were thankes geuen vntounto God, whiche would ſo by Chriſt be reconciled vntounto men.
Some man will ſay, what ſhall we do therefore when we repente? we may in dede hauehave teares as witneſſes of our inwarde ſorrowe: but there remayne no Sacrifices in our tyme,That whiche ye old fathers did by the bloud of beaſtes, the ſame do we in the ſupper of the Lord. whereby we ſhould teſtifye the fayth of the forgeueneſſe of ſynnes by Chriſte. To this I aunſwere. That whiche they did then by the bloud of beaſtes, and death of cattell, we do alſo nowe in celebratyng the Supper of the Lorde. For there we kepe in memorye the death of Chriſte by outwarde ſignes, as he hym ſelfe hath inſtituted: and thereof it came that the olde Fathers did ſo often call the adminiſtration of that Sacramente, a ſacrifice.
Not bycauſe (as the Papiſtes falſely beleue) the Sacrifice offreth Chriſte vntounto God the father,Why the Papiſtes called ye ſupper of the Lord a ſacrifice but bycauſe the memorye of hym beyng once offred is called to remembraunce. Moreouer we muſt take heede that we perſuade not our ſelues, that God is pacified, either by teares, or by Sacrifices, or by the receauyng of the Sacramentes whiche are but outwarde thynges.God is not pacified by outward thynges of them ſelues. For by one onelyonly Sacrifice, by the death I ſaye of Chriſt, God is made mercifull vntounto vsus: the fruite, of whoſe death eueryevery man applyeth vntounto hym ſelfe by fayth. And of that fayth we hauehave thoſe outward thynges as witneſſes and ſygnes. Wherfore if at any tyme we ſhall heare either the Fathers or the Scriptures them ſelues to ſaye that by teares ſynnes are wyped awaye, or that by Sacrifices, or Sacramentes GOD is made mercyfull vntounto men, ſo ought we to vnderſtande their ſpeaches that we referre the Sacrifices, and Sacramentes both to Chriſt hym ſelfe,The properties of thinges are oftentimes attributed to the ſignes of the ſame thīgs and alſo to faith in him, for ſo much as all thoſe are ſignes of him. Neyther let vsus thinke that this is a newe, or an vnaccuſtomed thing, that the properties, operations, and efficacy of thynges ſhoulde be tranſferred to the ſignes, whiche by the inſtitution of God do note and ſignife vntounto vsus the ſame thinges. But theſe thinges left a ſyde let vsus ſpeake ſomewhat particularlye both of teares and ſyghing, and alſo of Sacrifice.