Exposition of Zephaniah 2, Treatise

Exposition of Zephaniah 2 · Treatise

AN EXHORtation to Repentance.

Zephoniah. Chap. 2. ver. 1. 2.

Searche your selues, euen searche you ô Nation, not worthy to be beloued: before the Decree come forth, and you bee as Chaffe, that passeth on a day.

THe Prophet in the first Chapter of this Prophesie, rebuketh the Iewes of three notable crimes, Idolatrie, fraude, and crueltie. In this second he exhorts them to Repentance, and withall p. 2reprooueth some of their speciall sinnes. In the three first verses hee propoundeth the doctrine of Repentance, and addeth some speciall reasons to mooue and stirre them vp to the practise of it. In propounding the doctrine of repentance, he directs it to two sorts of men. First, to the obstinate and impenitent Iewes, in the first and second verses. Secondly, to the better sorte of them, in the third. So that the summe and substance of these twoo first verses, is a briefe and summarie propounding of the doctrine of Repentance to the obstinate Iewes. The wordes containe in them fiue seuerall points, touching the doctrine of Repentance.

p. 31. The dutie to bee performed, Search.

2. Who must be searched? your selues.

3. Who must doe it? The Iewes: who are further described to be a nation, not worthy to be beloued of God. These are in the first verse.

4. In the second verse, the time limitting them when to repent, before the decree come forth: that is, before God put in execution the iudgements which are alreadie decreed & appointed for them.

5 A forcible reason vrging them to do it, which lieth hid, and is necessarilie implyed in the 4. pointe; namely, that there is a decree against them, which wants nothing but execution, which also shall come, p. 4vnlesse they repent, wherby they shal be fanned: & if they shal be found to be chaff, they shal flie away with the winde of Gods iustice. Of all these points in order.

For the first, the holy Ghost saith; Search your selues. The wordes are commonly read thus. Gather your selues; which though it bee good, for that in Repentance a man gathereth himselfe, & all his wits together, which afore were dispersed, & wandred vp and downe in vanitie: yet I rather allowe their translation who reade thus. Search or fanne your selues: but either of them may stand, because the word in the originall doth comprehend both significations; yet it seemeth that to search, or sift, fits this p. 5place better, considering the same manner of speech is afterwardes continued in the word Chaffe: so that the meaning of the holy Ghost seemeth to be this: Search, try, and fanne your selues, least you bee found light chaffe, and so flie away and be consumed before the Iustice of God.

Concerning this dutie of searching, let vsus obserue first, that the holy Ghost vrging the Iewes to repent, vseth not the word Repentance, but bids them search themselues: yet meaning, he wold hauehave them to repent: giuing vsus to vnderstand, that no man can hauehave true & sound repentance, but he who hath first of all searched and examined p. 6him selfe: and this stands with good reason, for no man can repent, who first of all doeth not knowe himselfe, and his owne wretchednes. But no man can see into himselfe, nor know himselfe, but hee that doeth diligentlie search himselfe: so that the beginning of all grace, is for a man to search, & trie, and fan himselfe, that therby he may knowe what is in himselfe: that so vponupon the searche, seeing his fearefull and damnable estate, hee may forsake himselfe and his owne wayes, and turne to the Lord. Thus speaketh the holie Ghost in the heartes of holie men;Lam 3.Lam 3 Let vsus searche and trye our wayes: and marke what followeth; and turne againe to the p. 7Lord: as though there were no turning againe vntounto the Lord, but after a searching of our selues. With this testimony of the holy Ghost, agreeth the testimonie of all holy mens consciences, who all know, that the first beginning of their turning vntounto the Lorde, was a searching of themselues. Let any repentant sinner aske his conscience, & call to minde his first calling and conuersion, and hee will remember that the first thing in his Repentance was this; that he searched into himselfe, and looked narrowly into his wayes, and finding his wayes dangerous, & his case fearful, did thervpō resoule to take a new course, & turn to the Lord for pardō & p. 8mercy, and for grace to enter into more holie, and more comfortable courses.

The man that passeth vponupon ridges of mountaines, and sides of hills, or that goeth ouer a narrow bridge, or some dangerous and steepe rocks, at midnight, feareth not because he seeth no danger: but bring the same man, in the morning, and let him see the narrowe bridge, hee went ouer in the night, vnderunder which runnes a violent streame, and a bottomlesse gulfe, and the daungerous Mountaines and Rockes hee passed ouer, and hee will woonder at his owne boldenesse, and shrincke for feare to thinke of it, and will by no meanes venture the same way againe: for p. 9now he seeth the height of the Mountaines; the steepenesse of the hils, the cragginesse of the Rocks, the fearefull downfall, and the furious violence of the streame vnderneath, and thereby seeth the extreame danger, which afore he saw not: therefore he wondreth, and reioyceth, that hee hath escaped so great a daunger; and will by no meanes bee drawne to goe that waye in the day, which he went most carelesly in the darknesse of the night, but seeketh another way (though it should bee far about:) So a sinner in his first estate, which is naturall and corrupt (as wee are bred and borne) hath a vaile before his face; so that he seeth nothing: p. 10the wrath of God, and the curse due for sin, hell, & damnation, seeking to deuoure him, hee seeth them not, although (liuing alwaies in sin) he walketh in the very iawes of hell it selfe, and because he seeth not this fearefull daunger, therefore he refuseth no sin at all, but rusheth securely into all manner of sinne: the night of impenitencie, and the myst of ignoraunce, so blinding his eyes, that hee seeth not the narrow bridge of this life, from which if hee slyde, hee falles immediately into the bottomlesse pitte of hell.

But when as Gods Spirit hath by the Light of Gods word opened his eyes, and touched his heart to consider p. 11his estate, then hee seeth the fraile bridge of this narrowe life, and howe little a steppe there is betweene him and damnation; then hee seeth hell open due for his sinnes, and himselfe in the high-way to it: sinne beeing the craggy rocke, and hell the gaping gulfe vnderunder it; this life beeing the narrowe bridge, and damnation the streame that runneth vnderunder it.

Then he wondereth at his miserable estate, admireth the merciemercy of GOD in keeping him from falling into the bottome of hell, wondereth at the presumptuous boldnesse of his corruption, which so securely plodded on towards destruction, and being ashamed of himselfe, p. 12and these his wayes, he turnes his heart to the God that saued him from these dangers; and sets himselfe into more holie wayes, and more comfortable courses, and confesseth that ignorāce made him bold, and blindnes made him so presumptuous; but nowe he seeth the danger, & will by no meanes goe the same way againe: & thus the searching and seeing into the foulenes of sinne, and the danger therof, is the first beginning of repentance, and the first step into grace.

This doctrine teacheth vsus what faith and repentance is generally in the world. All men say, they belieue, and hauehave repented long ago; but trie it well, and wee shall finde p. 13in the bodie of our Nation, but a lippe Faith, and a lippe Repentance: for euen when they say so, they are blind and ignorant of their own estate, and knowe not themselues, that because they are baptized and liue in the Church, therefore they are in Gods fauour, & in verie good estate, when as they neuer yet were reconciled to God: and are so farre from it, that they neuer yet sawe anie sinnes in themselues, whereof they should repent: as a man trauelling in the night, seeth no daunger, but plods on without feare: So the most part of our common people, in the night of their ignorance, thinke and presume they louelove and feare p. 14God, and louelove their Neighbour; and that they hauehave euer done so: Nay, it is the common opinion that a man may doe so by nature, and that he is not worthy to liue, who doth not louelove God with all his heart: and beleeue in Iesus Christ. But alas poore simple soules, they neuer knewe what sinne was, neuer searched nor sawe into their owne hearts, with the light of Gods law, for if they had, they should hauehave seene such a Sea of corruption, that then they woulde confesse it to be the hardest thing in the world, to louelove God, & to beleeue in Christ, and forsake sinne: it is therefore manifest, that they hauehave not yet begunne to Beleeue or Repent, p. 15nor hauehave entered into the first step of grace, which leadeth to Repentance, for that they hauehave not learned this Lesson, which the Prophet teacheth: that is, to search themselues.

Furthermore, let vsus in the second place, obserue better the signification of the word: it signifieth to searche narrowely, as a man would doe for a peece of Gold, or a precious Iewell, which is lost in a great house: Or as a man may searche for Golde in a Mine of the earth, where is much earth, and but very little golde Oare.

Heere wee may learne, that in true Repentance, and conuersion, wee must not search so onelyonly, as to find the p. 16grosse and palpable sinnes of our liues: but so as wee may finde those sinnes which the world accounts lesser sinnes, and espie our secret saults & priuie corruptions. Some corruptiōs seeme more neere a kin of our nature, & therein men hope to bee excused, when they forsake many other greater sinnes. But a true penitent sinner must search for such, so as a good Magistrate searcheth for a lurking traitor which is conueied into some close and secret corner, and he must ransacke his heart for such corruptions, as wherin his heart takes speciall delight, and must thinke that no sinne can be so small, but it is too great to bee spared, and that eueryevery sin great p. 17or litle, must be searched for, as beeing all traitors to Gods Maiestie.

But alas, the practise of the world is far otherwise, great sinnes are little sinnes, little sinnes are no sinnes: Nay, after a little custome, great sins are so little or nothing, and so at last men make no bones of grosse and grieuous sinnes: and for the most parte men search so superficiallie, that they scarce finde any thing to be sinnes: such excuses are made, such distinctions are deuised, such mittigations, such qualifications, such colours are cast vponupon all sins; as now vp & downe the world, grosse sinnes are called into question, whether they bee sins or no: & the great trangressions p. 18of the Law are coū ted small matters, necessarie euils, or inconueniences, tollerated to auoyd other euils: and what is hee counted, but a curious and precise foole, which stands vponupon them: Ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching, is counted no sinne, blinde deuotion in Gods seruice, no sinne, lippe labour in praying, vaine and customable swearing, mocking of religion, and the professours thereof, no sinne: prophaning of the Sabbaoth, contemning of preachers, abusing of parentes no sinne: pride in apparell, superfluitie in meates, beastly & ordinarie drunkennes, fornication, no sinnes. Nay, deceits, cosonages, oppressing, vsurie, notorious p. 19briberie, and couetousnesse, that mother sinne; these are counted no sinnes: these beames are made but moates by prophane men, & they are so minced and carued, or there is some such necessitie of them, or some such other flourish or varnish must bee cast vponupon them, as that they are little or none at all. Alas, alas, is not that a simple and a silly searche where such blockes as these are, lye vnespyed? what are moul-hilles, when such mountains are not seene? Moates wil be little regarded, where such beames are not discerned: but it is cleere, that therefore there is no true tryall, nor diligent search made: for a true cōuert wil search his hart for all, and p. 20will spare none: He deales in searching his own heart, as a good Iustice of peace in searching for Traitors or Seminarie Priests. Hee seekes not superficially, but most exactly, & leaueth neuer a corner vnsought, and he thinkes great sinnes to be infinit, and little sinnes great, and iudgeth no sin so small, but that it deserueth the anger of God, and therefore he wonders at the mercy of God, which throwes vsus not all downe to hell in a moment: and hee crieth out with holy Ieremie: It is the Lords merciemercy that wee are not consumed. Away then with this superficiall and hypocriticall search, where so many sins are spared and not found out. It is p. 21Pharisaicall, for euen so the Pharisie, when he came into the Temple to recken with God, and to tell what Traytors hee hadde found, that is, what sins vponupon good search he had espied, he returnes his precept, all is well, hee hath found neuer a one, but begins to thank God that he was so good, & so good, and not so ill, and so ill, nor yet like the Publicane. The world is full of Pharisies, not onelyonly the Popish Churche, but euen our Church swarmes with these superficiall searches, who cannot (because they wil not,) finde any sinne to present vntounto God. Men thinke in the countrey, a Church Officer hazards his Oath, if he present all well, and findeth p. 22no faulte in his parish, to present as punishable to the Ordinary: for men think it vnpossible, that there should bee none in a whole parish: then how doth that man hazard his owne soule, who being made ouerseer & searcher of his heart, findes nothing in it to present to the Lord. For it is no more easie to espye outward and actuall transgressions in a whole parish, then it is to find a heape of corruptions in a mans heart, if a man will search into the bottome of it with the light of Gods lawe. Therefore when the Lord comes and keepes his visitation, what shall become of such a man, but to vndergoe the strict & seuere search of p. 13the Almightie, because hee would not search himselfe?

Our bodies & liues are free frō Spanish Inquisition (which is one of the last proppes, which Sathan hath lent the Pope, wherewith to vpholde his declining kingdome) and the Lord grant we may be euer free from it. But in the meane time, that might put vsus in mind how to deale with our corrupt heartes, and vnmortified affections, euen to erect an Inquisition ouer them, to lay in wayte for them, to search them narrowly, and to vse them roughly: yea, to set our hearts vponupon the racke of Gods Lawe, that so it may confesse the secrete wickednesse of it: for the Papistes dooe not thincke vsus p. 24Protestants, greater enemies to their superstition, then the inwarde corruptions of our hearts, are to our saluation: therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for eueryevery man, euen to erect an Inquisitiō ouer his owne heart and conscience, and not to spare his most secret & dearest sins, and such as are neerest allyed to his owne nature: for that is the true search heere commaunded by the Prophet, & practised by all godlie and holie men: when a man purposeth to finde all that are, & to espie euen all his sinnes: for a godly man is neuer satisfied in his searche, but still, the more he findes, hee suspects the more are still behinde: and therefore he continueth p. 23ing his owne heart all his life long: Therefore let euerie professor looke to it betwixt God and his conscience, that he dallie not with himselfe in this case: for it hee doe, then when God comes with his priuie searche, his hypocrisie shall bee discouered, and his nakednes shalbe laid open in the view of men, and Angels: to his eternall confusion.

Thirdly, Search, saith the Prophet, but not so content: hee forceth it againe, Euen search you. In thus repeating and vrging this exhortation, the holie Ghost giues them and vsus to vnderstand, that the true searching of a mans heart, and life, is a dutie of a great moment, and speciall necessity: therefore he leaues duplicate page p. 24duplicate page p. 23p. 26it not after once naming it, but inforceth it the seconde time, as beeing no matter of indifferencie, but of great necessitie: thereby shewing, that it is a principall dutie in Repentance, euen the beginning and foundation of all true grace.

And further, it is a meanes also to preuent Gods iudgements: for when men search not themselues, then God sendes the fire of afflictions, and crosses to trie and search them: but when they search themselues, then God spareth to searche them by his iust iudgements.

Nowe in that this dutie of searching, is both the beginning of all true grace, and the meanes to staye Gods p. 27iudgements, and therefore is so pithelie, and forceablie, vrged by the holie Ghost, it must teach vsus all a necessarie lesson: namely, to make great conscience of searching our selues. First, because God hath so commanded, and we are to make conscience of obedience to euerie commandement. Secondly, because thereby we shall reape two so great commodities, as first, therby we shal lay a sure foundation for the good worke of grace in vsus, and secondly, shal stay the hand of God, and his iudgements, from beeing executed vponupon vsus. Let vsus therfore hearken to this counsaile of the holie Ghost, let vsus take the fanne of the Law, and there with searche and p. 28winnow our hearts and liues. Our hearts for secret and hidden corruptions. Our liues, for committing of euill, and omitting of good. Doe with your hearts as men doe with their wheate: they will not suffer their corne to lye long in the chaffe, least the chaffe hurt it, but commits it to the fanne, that the winde may separate them: So the graces of God in our hearts are but corne, our sinnes and corruptions are chaffe: looke well, and thou shalt finde in thy selfe much chaffe, and but little corne: let not then the chaffe lye too long mingled with the corne, lest it corrupt the corne. Let not thy sinnes lye mingled with the grace of God in thee, if thou p. 29doe, they will choke it in the ende, and so depriue thee of all grace; therefore rippe vp thy heart, and looke into thy life, and when thou hast sinned, enter into thy selfe, aske thy conscience what thou hast done, and bee not quiet till thou hast founde out thy sinne, and the foulenesse of it: and neuer thinke that thou knowest anie thing in Religion, till thou knowest what is in thine owne heart. And what are in thy speciall and priuiest corruptions, and looke into thine owne faults, not with a partiall eye, but with a censorious, and a straite iudgement, spare sinne in no man, but especiallie condemne it in thy selfe.

p. 30But alas, these times of ours, crie out of an other state, for euen Ieremies case is ours: We may complaine as hee did, No man repents him of his wickednes, saying, what hauehave I done? the same is the force of our people, and the sickenesse of all Nations: that euerie man runnes on in his sinnes, from sin to sinne carelesly: euen as the barde horse into the battaile. But how rare a thing is it, to finde a man, that daylie searcheth himselfe, and examines how he liues, and how the case standeth betwixte God and himselfe: and that when hee hath done amisse, entereth into the closet of his heart, and strikes himselfe vponupon the breast, and disputes the case with himselfe, p. 31saying; What hauehave I done? O what is this, that I gaue done against GOD, against his Church, and against my own soule?

The want of this, is that which the Prophete complaines of in that place: not as though it was sufficient thus to doe, in a mans owne conscience: but because it is a good beginning, and a step to further grace. For if a man did seriously thus deale with his conscience after his sinne, his conscience woulde shape him such an aunswere, and woulde tell him so roundlie, what hee had done, that hee woulde take heede, howe he did the same againe, and looke more narrowely, and warilie to p. 32himselfe all the dayes of his life. Seeing therefore it is so necessarie a dutie, let eueryevery one of vsus enduour the practise of it, namely, to rippe and ransacke our heartes, and to searche our wayes vntounto the bottome.

Now for our better instruction, and furtherance in the performance heereof: you must knowe that this Search is to bee made by the Law of God, for nothing else but Gods lawe can helpe vsus, and let vsus see that which we must search for: for if we search by anie meanes, wee may seeke and search long enough, ere wee finde anie thing that will bee matter of Repentance. Aske the Diuell, hee will tell thee all is well, and that thou p. 33art in an excellent estate: and God loues thee, and thou art sure of heauen: this song the diuell alwayes singes for the most part, til a man comes to die, for then hee appeares in his colours, but till then, hee laboures to sing, and lull all men a sleepe in the cradle of securite. Aske your owne flesh, and your owne heartes and natures, and they will aunswere and say, that all is well and safe, and that wee hauehave beleeued, and loued, and feared GOD all our dayes. Aske the worlde, and men in the world: and they will answere, all is well; and they will say further, that thou art a right good-fellowe, and art worthe twentie of these curious fooles that sticke vponupon p. 34points, and stand vponupon circumstances, as swearing, and drinking, and good fellowship, and gaming, and such other nice and circumstantiall points: thus wil worldly men aunswere: for thy prophane course is acceptable to them, because thereby thou approuest the same in them.

Nay, goe further, and aske all humaine Learning in the world, and it cannot tell thee what one sinne is, nor what it is to offende God: so that there remaines onelyonly the law of God, the light whereof will disclose the darkenesse of our heartes; and the iustice whereof will reueale the righteousnesse and the peruersenesse of our Natures: therefore to the p. 35Lawe of GOD must wee flye to helpe vsus in this search.

And yet for our better helpe in this dutie, and that there may bee nothing wanting to that soule, that seeketh God, therefore wee are further to knowe, that if wee will searche our selues by the Lawe profitablie, wee must marke three rules, the truth whereof vnlesse wee knowe, acknowledge, and feele: wee shall neuer see our owne estate, nor profit by this search, but plod on from sin to sin, vntill we plunge into hell.

The first Rule is, that euerie man that came from Adam, sinned in the sinne of Adam: thou must therefore knowe, that his sinne p. 36in eating the forbidden fruit, was thy sinne: and thou sinnedst therein, as well as hee (though thou wast then vnborne) and that thou art guiltie of it before God, and must aunswere for it to Gods iustice, vnlesse Christ doe it for thee.

The reason heereof is, because wee are his seede and posteritie, wee were then in his loynes, he was the Father of vsus all: and was not a priuate man as wee are now, but a publike person, the pledge of all mankinde, and bare the person of vsus all at that time: therefore what hee did then, he did it for himselfe, and for vsus: what couenant God made with him, was made for himself & vsus: what God promised p. 37him, and hee to God, he promised for himselfe, & for vsus: what he receiued for himselfe, and for vsus: and what hee gained or lost by his fall▪ he gained & lost for vsus, as for himselfe. Hee lost the fauour of God, and originall puritie: therefore he lost it for all his posteritie: guiltinesse, and Gods anger, and corruption of nature which hee gained, he got for vsus all, as well as for himselfe. If we doubt of this pointe, it is prooued by the Apostle: where the holie Ghost saith; Sinne entred by one man, Rom. 5. 14.Rom 5:14and death by sinne: and that sinne went ouer all, and that it went ouer all them, which sinned not in the like transgression with Adam, (that is, euen p. 38our children) who as they are borne, are borne not onelyonly tainted with original corruption: but guilty also of Adams sinne. This is a most certaine truth, thogh it seeme strange, for few men thinke of it, that euer they shall answere for Adams sinne: and therefore if anie obiect, what reason is there that I answere for another mans sinne? I answere, true, if it had beene Adams sinne alone: but it was his and thine also: for hee was thy Father, and stood in thy roome: and thou also since thou wast borne, hast confirmed what hee did.

Now therefore, though not one of many thinkes seriouslie thereof: namely, that hee shoulde stand guiltie of a p. 39sinne committed fiue thousand yeares before hee was borne, yet seeing it is most true, both in Scripture and good reason: let euerie man subscribe in his conscience to this Truth. And let this bee thy first Resolution in this searche, that thou standest guiltie of Ad…ms transgression.

The second rule to bee knowne is, that in eueryevery man is all sinnes: more plainely, that in euerie man by nature are the seedes of all sinnes: and that not in the worste, but in the best natured men: make choyse of the best man, and the greatest sinne, and that worst sinne is to bee founde in that best man. If anie doubte p. 40of this, let him consider what originall sinne is, namely, a corruption of the powers of our soules; and that not of some, or in part, but of all, & wholly. This corruptiō hath two partes. First, a want, not of some, but of all good inclination, a want of all goodnes. Secondly, a depriuation and pronenesse, not to some, but to all euil: & not a pronenes onelyonly, but originall sinne infuseth into eueryevery mās heart the seede of all corruption.

Manie man stand much vponupon their good meaning, and vpright heart, and bragge of a good nature: but they are foulely deceiued; for take the ciuilest man vponupon the earth, and the seedes of all sinnes in the worlde are in him by nature. p. 41But to explain this point fully, obserue these 2. clauses.

First, I say not, the practise of all sinnes, but the seedes; for all men practise not all sinne: the seedes are in their nature: but the practise is restrained, sometime by education, sometime by good and wholsome lawes: somtime the constitution of mens bodies, deny the practise of som sins, somtime the countrie a man dwelles in, or calling a man liues in, keepes him from the practise of some sinnes: and alwayes a generall and limitting grace of GOD, restrains the nature of all men, from running into manie sinnes: which hand of God, if God should take away, and leaue euerie man to his nature, p. 42wee should see that euerie man would practise anie sinne in the world: yea, euen the greatest sinnes that euer wee heard to bee done in the world. All men which knowe themselues, knowe this to be true, and the more a man knowes his owne heart, the more hee seeth that his heart is a Sea of all wickednesse: and that it is the merciemercy and grace of God, that hee hath not fallen into the mightiest and most monstrous sinnes in the world.

Secondly, I say, by nature. For I knowe by good education, and by grace, it is otherwise: Grace rectifieth Nature, but that is no thankes to nature: for it is as euill and corrupt still, beeing seuered p. 43from grace: and therefore Nature must bee fullie abolished, afore man come to heauen. And yet (though all this be true) I say not that sin breakes out in all natures alike, though all natures bee alike corrupt: for the course of nature is restrained in some more then others, by the meanes aforesaide; but this is the truth, that whereas some are not so angrie, some not so wanton, some not so cruell, some not so couetous, some not so ambitious, &c. as others; that comes not from anie goodnesse of nature in them, aboue the other originallie, but from Gods hand, which tempereth, restraineth, and moderateth euerie mās nature as he seeth good.

p. 44And if God did not thus moderate & restraine the natures of men, but suffer them to break out to the full: there would then bee no order, but all confusion in the worlde; therefore, (as especiallie for his Churches quietnes, so also for the preseruatiō of publike peace, and the vpholding of societie in the worlde, betweene man and man,) the Lord holds a hand ouer euerie mans nature, and keepes eueryevery one in a certaine compasse limited by the wisdome of his power, which restraining hand of his, if the Lord should take away, all societies and Common-wealthes, woulde bee turned vp-side downe, because euerie man by the vniuersall corruption p. 45of his Nature, would breake out into eueryevery sinne: I ende this point with appealing to the testimonie of the consciences of all men, and especiallie of the best and holyest men, of whom I would aske this question: whether they finde not in their natures an inclination, euen to the fowlest sinnes in the worlde; if shame, or feare, or else the grace of God restrained them not? so that the best men doe know well enough, what adooe they hauehave with their corrupt natures, to keep them within the compasse of obedience.

Nay, I yet adde further, the nature of men, & of all men, is so corrupt, since Adam: that euen the seede of the p. 46sinne against the holy Ghost, & a pronenesse to it, is in the nature of eueryevery man (though not one man amongst manie thousandes doe commit that sin,) for seeing in that sinne there is a heape or Sea of all sinnes gathered together, he therefore that hath in his nature the seede of all sinnes, hath also the seede of it.

And againe, seeing that all euills tendes to a perfection, as well as Grace doeth; what reason therefore is there, but wee may safely thinke, that the Diuell would hale eueryevery one to that height of sinne, if it were not that the powerfull hande of God preuented him, who will neyther suffer wicked men, nor the Diuell himselfe to p. 47bee so wicked as they coulde, and would be.

The vse of this second rule, is notable. For in this searching of our selues, it sheweth vsus what wee are, without all colour or deceit, and fully discouers vntounto vsus, the vglines of our natures: & it may teach vsus all how to think and esteeme of our selues,Gen. 4.Gen 4 when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther,Exod. 1.Exod 1 Pharaohs vnnaturall crueltie,Gen. 8.Gen 8 the Sodomites vnnatural lust,2. Sam. 15▪ & 16.2 Sam 15 Achitophels diuellish pollicie,Esay. 38.Isa 38 Senacharibs horrible blasphemie, Iudas monstrous treason, Iulians fearefull Apostasie. When wee heare of the fearefull murthers, treasons, periuries, sinnes against nature, blasphemies, Apostasies, witchcrafts, p. 48crafts, and other the horrible sinnes of the worlde: let vsus then returne into our selues, and looke homewardes, euen into our owne heartes, and confesse euerie one that these should hauehave beene euen thy sinnes also, if Gods grace had not preuented thee.

This will humble thee, and make thee thinke vilely and basely of thy selfe, and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendement: and the verie reason, why men repent not, nor amend their wayes, is because they are Pharisies by nature, and thinke highly of themselues, and of their owne natures, and their naturall inclinations: this will be a harshe & a strāge doctrine to them; p. 49Oh, they hauehave excellent narures, and they canot endure such, & such sinnes, and they thanke God, they are not as ill as others: but let all such men knowe, they must cease magnifying nature, & learne to magnifie Gods grace: Let them knowe, that nature in them, is in the roote, as much corrupt, as in the worst man in the world, and euerie mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne; therefore praise not thy nature, but Gods grace and merciemercy, in giuing thee so good a nature; or rather, so well restraining, and rectifying thy nature; & stay not there, but desire of the Lord, that as hee hath giuen thee a better tempered nature, then to other men: so p. 50also hee woulde bestowe on thee his espeiiall and sauing grace: and as hee hath kept thee from the fearefull sinnes of others (thou beeing as ill naturally as they) so he would also leade thee into the way of saluation, which else the best nature in the worlde can neuer attaine vntounto.

The third rule to be knowne and practised of him, who will truely searche himselfe, is, that euerie man borne of Adam, is by nature the children of wrath, and Gods enemie: this is true of all without exception; high or lowe, rich or poore, Noble or simple, borne in the visible church, or without. And further, by beeing enemie of God, hee is therefore borne p. 51subiect to hell, to damnation, and to all other curses: so that looke as a Traitor conuicted, stands thereby in his Princes high displeasure, and is sure of death without speciall pardon; so standes euerie man when hee is borne, conuicted of high treason against God, in his high disfauour; and is in danger of Hell, which is the fulfilling of the wrath of God.

Thus Dauid confesseth of himselfe; I was borne in iniquitie, and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee: If in sinne, then in Gods wrath, and vnderunder the daunger of damnation. If anie aske, howe, or why this is so? I answere, the trueth, as also the equitie of this third rule dependeth on the two former: for, because p. 52eueryevery man is borne guiltie of Adams great sinne, and also tainted originally with al corruption, and a pronenesse of all sinne: therefore it followeth in equitie and iustice, that eueryevery man is borne vnderunder the wrath and curse of God.

This point is a plaine and euident trueth: yet men in the world thinke not so, and it is the cause, why men repent not of their sinnes: for most men thinke that by nature, they are in Gods fauour; and therefore they neede not so sue for it in humiliation & repentance; but only liue ciuillie, and do no open wrong, and all is well: whereas (alas) there is no condemned traitour, more out of his Princes fauour, nor more sure of p. 53death without a pardon, then all wee are out of Gods fauour, and sure of damnation, vnlesse wee procure Gods fauour againe, by Faith and Repentance.

For the better opening of this third rule, and the manifesting of the Truth: let vsus knowe further, that the curse of God, vnderunder the which wee all are borne, is three-fold.

The first, is a bondage vnderunder Sathan: It is a certaine truth, that euerie man as hee is borne of his Parents, and till he repent, is a slaue of Sathan: man or woman, high or lowe, Sathan is his Lord and Maister. Hee sits as Iudge in his heart; and in his sense Sathan is the king of the natiōs, and god of the world. Men p. 54wil in words defie Sathan, and not name him without defiance: and spit at him; and yet (alas) hee is in their heartes: they spitte him out of their mouthes, but hee is lower; they should also spit him out of their heartes, and that is true defiance indeede: for alas, he lodgeth in thy heart, and there hee maketh his Throne, and reignes vntil the spirit of regeneration dispossesse him: and till then, no seruant is subiect to his maister, no slaue to his Lorde, as is the heart of man by nature vntounto Sathan, the Prince of darkenesse. Nay, our bondage, is more fearefull, then the slauerie of anie poore Christian, in the Spaniards, or in the Turkes p. 55Gallies: for their bodies are but in bondage, and at commaund, and vnderunder punishment, but our best part, our heart, our conscience, our soule it selfe is captiuated vntounto him, and vnderunder his commaunde, who is the king of crueltie, and confusion, and lord of hell, whose commandements are iniustice, whose seruice is sinne, and whose hyre is damnation.

The second part of the curse of the first death, or the death of the bodie: that is, a separation of the soule and bodie asunder for a time, namely, til the last iudgemēt. This death is duely and iustly the punishment of anie one, or the least sinne: therefore, howe due and iust a punishment, p. 56vppon that horrible heape of sinfulnesse, which is in eueryevery mans nature? and it is a most terrible curse. For it is the very gate of hell, and the downefall of damnation vntounto all men, but such as by faith and repentance doe get their death sanctified by the death of Christ: vntounto such men indeed it is no curse, but a gratious and glorious blessing, for it is altered by Christ his death. But vntounto all men by nature, and which repent not, it is the heauie curse of Gods wrath, and the verie downe-fall into the gulfe of hell.

The third part of the curse vnderunder which euerie man is borne, is, the second death: the death of soule and bodie; p. 57which is the eternall want of Gods presence, and the accomplishment of his wrath: and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath, seazing on bodie, soule, and conscience. The first curse was a spirituall death; the death of the soule. The second, a temporall death, the death of the bodie. The third, is an eternall death, a death both of soule and bodie together; and for euer. This eternall death is the curse of all curses, the miserie of all miseries, and torment of all tormentes: and I shewe it thus. Often when thy toothe acheth, and sometime when thy headacheth, or in the paine of the stone or collicke, thou wouldest p. 58giuegive all that thou hast in the worlde to bee eased of that paine: Nay, in the extreamitie of some fittes, manie will wish themselues euen out of the world: Now, if the paine of one toothe, can so farre distemper minde and bodie, that it cannot bee releeued with all the pleasures of this life; Oh then, what a torment shall that bee, when not one kinde of paine, but the whole viole of GODS wrath shall bee powred, not on one member, but on the whole soule, bodie, and conscience, and that not for a time, vnderunder hope of better: but eternallie without hope of release; and that not in this world, where there are comforts, helpes, and remedies: p. 59but in that vglie and darksome place of torrments: and that not amongst liuing men, which might mittigate thy paine, or else bemone thee, and bewaile it with thee: but with the diuells, & dāned spirits, which will now laugh at thy destruction, and solace themselues in this thy miserie, and will reioyce, as thou diddest serue them in earth, so now in hell, to bee thy tormenters. It may bee therefore (by the way) a good warning and wisedome to vsus all, when wee feele the extremitie of some bodilie paine, to consider with our selues, and say; Oh then, what shall bee my miserie and torment, if I repent not? when not one member, but soule, p. 60bodie, and conscience, shall bee racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lorde of Hostes.

In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God, vnderunder which euerie man is borne. And these doe answere to the three degrees of sinne, which are in vsus: for as the two first rules taught vsus, there is in eueryevery man by nature, till hee repent, a threefolde guiltinesse. First, a guiltinesse of Adams sinne. Secondly, the taint of originall & vniuersall corruption. Thirdly, a pollution by manie outragious actuall sinnes. In the first of these euerie man is equallie guiltie. In the second, euerie man is equallie corrupt. p. 61But in the third, euerie one keepes that compasse, within which the Lorde will keepe them by his limiting power.

Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne, sinne hath his beginning: in original sinne, his continuance: in actuall sinne, his perfect on: So answerable herevnto, the wrath of God (which alwayes standeth opposite to sinne) is begunne in leauing vsus by nature to the slauerie of Sathan, is continued by death, and is accomplished in damnation.

And nowe these three rules, I commend to the carefull and Christian consideration of you all: certifying you from God, that as you can neuer bee saued, vnlesse you repent: nor repent, vnlesse p. 62you searche your selues, (as heere the Prophet biddeth.) So, that you can neuer search your selues aright, till you be perswaded, and resolued of these three rules, & of the truth of them all, euen in your hearts and consciences: Namely; First, that thou art guiltie of Adams sinne. Secōdly, that thou art prone by nature to all euil in the world. Thirdly, that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God, and to all the curses of his wrath: but when thou art in heart & conscience resolued, that these are true; then thou art a fit scholler, for this Lesson of the Prophet, Search thy selfe. For when thou goest, thus prepared vntounto this Search, and esteemest p. 63of thy selfe, as the three Rules hauehave described thee: then if thou Search into thy selfe, thou wilt finde thy selfe, and thy estate to bee such, as will cause thee to repent, returne and take a newe course: therefore what the Prophet saide to those Iewes, I say vntounto you also, My brethren of this Realme of England, who are now heere gathered together, out of so manie countryes, and quarters of this Realme: yea, in the name of the same God, I cry vntounto you; Search. O Search your selues: and thinke it not a matter indifferent to doe, or not to doe it? but knowe it, that God commands you, as euer you wil come to saluation: Search your selues. And the rather, p. 64because by these three Rules you see howe much chaffe of corruption is in your nature, and what neede therefore it hath to be searched into, and fanned by Repentance. Bee well assured thou man, whatsoeuer thou art: there is so much chaffe in thee, that if thou search not, and fanne it not out, thou wilt prooue nothing but Chaffe at the last day, and so be blowne away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell. Take holde therfore of this exhortation, and deferre it not.

Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe, for feare of hurting it: Is it then safe to suffer the Chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lye cankering p. 65and rotting in thy heart? Be sure that that little portion of grace, which thou attainest vntounto, by liuing in the Church, and vnderunder the ministery of the word of God, will bee putryfied, and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes: therefore againe, and againe, I exhorte you to make conscience of this dutie: Search into your selues, fanne out this chaffe, this presumption of ours, and high esteeming of our owne nature, and conceites of Gods fauour before we hauehave it: that so this Chaffe beeing blowne away, the Lord may then bestowe vponupon vsus soundnesse of grace, and the foundation of all goodnesse, which is a holy and humbled heart.

p. 66Saluation is such a building, as the foundation thereof had neede to bee sure and strong: Ignorance, blindenesse, and presumption, are not sufficient foundations for such a building: therefore as no man wil build a strong house vponupon anie earth, but hee will first search it, least it prooue sandie, and so ouerthrowe all: So a wise Christian will not build his saluation, vponupon fancies and conceits, and naturall presumptions: but will Search, and looke into his heart: and finding these to be sandie, and rotten, and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building, will refuse them all, and labour to furnish his heart with such sounde grace, as p. 67wherevpon hee may trust so weightie a worke, as is the saluation of his soule. Againe, if thou wilt stande in the day of triall, then search thy heart betime, and discerne betwixt chaffe and wheate: thou seest, that chaffe flyeth away before the winde; but good corne indures the Fanne, and the furie of the winde: so in the day of triall, temptation, sickenesse, or open persecution, the chaffe of naturall presumption, and outward formalitie in Religion, will flye away: and it must be the penitent, humbled, and beleeuing heart, which must then abide it out, and endure the Fan of temptations and persecutions.

And to conclude, Let p. 68not the Diuell deceiue thee, in making thee imagine or hope to please God, and yet to let thy corruptions lie vnseene, and thy sinnes vnsearched out, least thereby thou marre all: for thou vsest not to laye vp wheate in thy garners, vntill it be purged from the chaffe: so thinke not to store vp anie sauing knoweledge, or anie other grace of God in thy heart, vntill the Chaffe of vanitie bee first blowne away, that so, the holie graces of God may be laid vp in the garners of thy soule.

And therefore questionlesse, (to speake one worde to touche our common professors, in the verie sore of their soules) all knowledge that is stored vp in these vnpure and p. 69vnsearched hearts: is euen as wheate layd vp in the chaffe, which is, (a thousand to one) sure to bee eaten vp by the chaffe, so that, when the winnowing time of triall and persecution comes: I feare, that such men will (for all their knowledge) shrinke aside, and betraye the Trueth: their knowledge then prouing no better then chaffe, because it was layde vp in an vnholie heart. If therefore thou wouldest stande and endure, when Poperie, or persecution, or temptations come, if thou wouldest abide the furie of the fanne of temptations: nowe then exercise thy heart with the fanne of Gods lawe, Search and ransacke it, purge out the chaffe of corruption, p. 70and store vp knowledge in an holie heart, and a good conscience, and that will abide the violence of all temptations: yea, when God suffers the Diuell to doe with vsus, as hee did with Peter, to winnowe vsus like wheate, to sifte and trie vsus, as he did Iob, with the furious winde of all his malice: then knowledge will prooue Wheate, that will abide the winde, and gold that will abide the fire: thus glorious will it bee in the ende, if wee followe this holie Prophets counsell, and Search our hearts.

¶And thus much for the first pointe (namely) the dutie of searching heere commaunded, in which we hauehave stayed the longer, p. 71because it is the foundation of all the rest: and this beeing well layde, the whole building will goe vp the faster.

Now wee come to the second generall point here laid downe: that is, whom must wee Search? the Prophet answereth: your selues, not other men, but your selues. This search so vrged and inforced by the Prophet, must not bee of other mens hearts & liues, but of our owne: our owne are our charge, and not other mens: and therein is the saying true, which else is most false: EueryEvery man for himselfe: for as euerie soule must bee saued by it selfe, so must it beleeue, repent, and search it selfe.

p. 72The dutie therefore here commaunded, is for euerie man that woulde hauehave his soule to be saued, to search it, and reforme it, & leaue others to be searched by themselues. Here the holy Ghost meets with the common corruption of this world, (and that is) that men are Eagle eyed, to see into the liues of other men, but to looke into their owne heartes, and liues, they are blinder then Moles: they can see moates in other mens liues, but discerne not beames in their owne: whereby it comes to passe, that they stumble and fall fowlie: for the eyes of most men are set vponupon others, and not vppon themselues: and therevpon it is, that an euill man, seeing oother p. 73men, and not himselfe: thinkes best of himselfe, and worst of other men: but contrariwise, a good man seeing himselfe, and not other men, thinkes worst of himselfe, and better of other men: an euill man lookes outward, and iudgeth other men: but a good man lookes homeward and iudgeth himselfe: and in iudging, condemnes himselfe, farre aboue other men: and that because by searching into his owne heart and waies, he knowes that by himselfe, which he knowes not by any man in the world besides.

So then wee must search, not other mē, but our selues: our owne hearts & our owne liues are our charge, and burthen: p. 74the liues of other men concerne vsus not, being priuate men, further then either to follow them being good, or take heede of them being euill: but to search, or be inquisitiue into them, is no dutie commaunded vsus, but rather a foule and a base vice forbidden of God. Indeede Magistrates in their people, Pastours in their congregations, and housholders in their families are to search: but they can search onelyonly for criminall causes, to open actuall sinnes: but this searching must be of our hearts, which no man can search, but our selues onelyonly. Fewe men hauehave a calling to enquire into other mens liues, but eueryevery man hath a calling p. 75to search into himselfe: but (alas) men doe farre otherwise, they suffer themselues to rotte in their owne sinnes, and erect an Inquisition ouer other mens liues, and it is to be seene in daily experience, that those men, who are the great Searchers and pryers into other men, are the neglecters and forgetters of themselues. And contrariwise, they who doe narrowly Search themselues and their owne wayes, and looke into the corners of their owne hearts, doe finde so much worke to doe with themselues, that they little busie themselues, wi…h other men.

And thus much may suffice for that point.

p. 76It followeth.

O Nation not worthy to be beloued.

The third point: Who must search? the Iewes, who are here termed a Nation, not worthy to be beloued: and yet for all that, they are bid to search themselues, that so vponupon their repentance, they might be beloued. Where, we may see the vnspeakable louelove of God, and his wonderfull mercy, offering grace vntounto such men, as are altogether vnworthy of it. Gods children are by nature like other men, and God findes nothing in them, why to respect them aboue other: p. 77but euen of his owne mercy, makes them worthy, who of themselues are not: therefore how worthy is that God, to hauehave all the louelove of our harts, who loued vsus, when we were not worthy to be beloued.

But let vsus examine more particularly, why God doth call the Iewes a Nation, not worthy to be beloued: I answere, God had blessed them aboue other Nations: Hee gaue them his couenant of grace, & thereby made them his people, and committed to their trust, his holy word and Oracles:Rom. 3. 2.Rom 3:2 but he delt not so with other Nations, neither had the heathen knowledge of his lawes. Besides all this,Ps. 143. 20.Ps 143:20 they hadde a better land then others about them, p. 78it flowed with Milke, and Honie, (that is, with all commodities, and delights) and though their Countrie was but little, yet themselues so populous, and so powerfull, that whilest they pleased God, no enemie durst set vponupon then.

Thus for soule and body, they were eueryevery way a Nation, blessed of God, a people beloued of God aboue all others. Now, how did this people (thus beloued of their God,) requite this his louelove, which they had no more deserued, then any other Nation? Certainely, as they deserued it not afore they had it, so they requited it not when they had it: but requited this louelove of God with sinne, p. 79with rebellion, and with disobedience. They tempted him, they prouoked him to wrath, they presumed of his mercy, and proued a most stubborne & stifnecked people, a froward generation: Moses partly saw this in his owne experience, and better discerned it in the spirite of Prophesie: and therefore, wondring at this their wickednes, he cried out; Do you thus requite the Lord: O foolish people and vnwise? thus, that is, with sin, and disobedience, which is the onelyonly meanes to displease the Lord, & to prouoke him to wrath: for this cause they are worthily called a foolish and vnkind people by Moses, and here, by the Prophet. A Nation not worthy p. 88to be beloued: namely, for their vnthankefulnesse, and vnkindnes: which was such, as they not onelyonly were slacke, and carelesse in performance of such duties as God required: but euē multiplyed their sinnes, and committed those soule rebellions, which his soule hated.

And amongst many, the Prophet here in this Chapter, noteth three of their great sinnes: for which they were a Nation not worthy to be beloued. Couetousnesse, Crueltie▪ and Deceit: all which were the more hainous and intollerable, because they were the sinnes of their Princes, their rulers, and their Priests, who should hauehave bin lights & examples to the rest.

p. 81Now, although eueryevery sinne in it selfe, is of that ill desert, as it is able to cast vsus out of Gods fauour, and depriue vsus of his louelove: yet, behold, here God complaines, not vppon a little cause, but for wonderfull, and exceeding vnthankfulnes, & vnkindnes in them: who of all other should hauehave loued the Lord.

As a man cares not for hard vsage from him, whom he esteemes not: but a little vnkindnesse dooth greatly greeue a man, from him who is loued and respected: so is it with the Lord our God, hee loued not the Gentiles, as hee did the Iewes,Psal. 147.Ps 147 neither was hee so bountifull vntounto them:Acts 17. verse. 30.Acts 17:30 and therefore, (as wee may see) though they liued p. 82alwayes in ignorance, and continued alwaies in disobedience; yet, the Text saith, the time of that ignorance God regarded not: but when as the Iewes, his owne people, whom hee chose out of all people, and bestowed his louelove vponupon them, and made his Couenant of grace with them, when they became vnkind, vnthankfull, forgetfull, stubborne, and rebellious, that caused the Lord euen to complaine of that indignitie, and to cry out by Moses, Doe ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and vnwise? And heereby the Prophet, O Nation not worthy to be beloued: and therefore there is no man, but if he be asked what hee thinkes of this Nation of p. 83the Iewes: he will aunswere, that they are a most vile and wicked people, a froward generation, and that they are worthy to taste deepely of all Gods plagues, who so farre abused his louelove and mercy.

But what doth this belong to them alone? and is Israel a Nation not worthy to bee beloued? Nay, I may cry out with as good cause: O England, a Nation not worthy to be beloued: For, God hath beene as good a God to vsus, as he was to them: and wee hauehave beene as vnkind a people to him, as they were to him. But that I may be free from discrediting our natiō, & frō defiling my owne nest: let vsus prooue both these points, p. 84and laye them open to the viewe of the world.

1. First therefore, the same mercies, and farre greater, hauehave beene powred and heaped vponupon vsus: hee hath called vsus out of the dareknes: First, of Heathenisme, and then of Popery: his couenant of grace and saluation, he hath confirmed with vsus, his treasures of his word and Sacraments, hee hath imparted to vsus, his holy word neuer better preached, and the mysteries thereof neuer more plainly opened, since the time of the Apostles: and as wee hauehave Religion, so wee hauehave it vnderunder a Religious Prince, whereby it comes to passe, that these blessings of saluation, we enioy not in secret, p. 85or by stealth: but we hauehave it coūtenanced by authority; so that religion is not barely allowed, but euen as it were euen thrust vponupon men. Besides all this, wee hauehave a land also that floweth with milke and hony, it is plentifull in all good things: wee hauehave liberty & peace vnderunder a peaceable Prince, and the companions of peace, prosperitie, plenty, health, wealth, corne, wooll, golde, siluer, aboundance of all things, that may please the heart of man: thus hath God deserued the louelove of England.

2. But now England, how hast thou requited this kindnesse of the Lord? certainely euen with a great measure of vnkindnesse: that is, with p. 86more and greater sinnes then euer Israel did: so that if Moses spake true of them, then may our Moses much more truly cry out against England, doest thou thus requite the Lord, thou foolish people? And if this prophet said thus of Israel for three sinnes, then may it be saide of England for three hundred sinnes (O England) a Nation not worthy to bee beloued: for thou hast multiplied thy transgressions, aboue theirs of Israel; euen as though thou hadst resolued with thy self, the more Gods kindnes is heaped on thee, the more to multiply thy sinnes against him. For thou England, as thou hast requited the Lord with sins; so not with a fewe sinnes, or smal p. 87sinnes, or sinnes, which hardly could hauehave bene preuented: for that had beene a matter of some excuse, or not of so great complaint. But thy sins are many, and grieuous, and capitall. And which is worst of all, wilfull and affected, euen as though God had deserued euill of vsus: and that therefore wee ought malitiously to requite him.

If any man make doubt of this, and therefore thinke I speake too hardly of our Church: I will thē deale plainly and particularly, and rip vp the sores of our Nation, that so they may be healed to the bottome.

The common sinnes of England, wherewith the Lord is requited, are these.

p. 88First, ignorance of Gods will and worship, (I speake not of that compelled ignorance in many corners of our land, which is to bee pittied because they want the means) but wilfull and affected ignorance. Men are ignorant, euen because they will be ignorant. Meanes of knowledge were neuer so plentiful, and yet neuer more grosse ignorance: is not he wilfully blind, who will not open his eyes in the light? & can there bee any darknesse at noone day, but it must bee wilfull? But our Nation is darke and blinde in the Sunne-shine of the Gospell, and grosly ignorant, when the Gospell beats their eares, and light shines round about them: so, as if p. 89they closed not their eyes, and stopped not their eares, they coulde not but both heare and see: who woulde look for ignorance after thirty fiue yeares preaching? and yet, many are as ignorant, as if they had beene borne and brought vp vnderunder popery: so that our people are as euill as those in the dayes of Christ, of whome the holy Ghost saith; Light is come into the world, but men louelove darknesse more then light. So knowledge is come into England: but many English-men louelove darknesse better then knowledge. Alas, how many thousands hauehave we in our Church, who know no more in religion, then they heare in common talke of all men, and p. 90which is worse, they thinke it sufficiēt also, & which is worst of all, wheras they might hauehave more, they will not, but care not for it.

2. The second maine sin of England, is Contempt of Christian Religion; Religion hath bin among vsus these fiue and thyrtie yeares; but the more it is published, the more it is contemned, and reproched of many; insomuch, as there is not the simplest fellow in a Country towne, who, although he knows not one point of religion, yet hee can mock and scorne such as are more religious then himselfe is: this is one of the moaths of England, that eates vp religion, this is grieuous in whomsoeuer, but most intollerable p. 91in two sortes of men. First, in them, who are altogether ignorant, that they should mocke they knowe not what. A pittifull thing to here one, who himselfe cannot giuegive the meaning of one petition in the Lords prayer, to vpbraide other men, because they are too forward: but it is the worst of all, when men of knowledge, and such as liue ciuilly, and would be counted good Christians, are indeed of the better sort, cannot abide to see others goe a little before them: but if they doe, presently they are hypocrites and dissemblers. Thus not prophanenesse, nor wickednes, but euen religion it selfe is a by-word, a mocking stocke, and matter p. 92of reproach; so that in England at this day, the man or woman that begins to professe Religion, and to serue God, must resolue with himselfe to sustaine mockes and iniuries, euen as though hee liued among the enemies of religion, and not among professours; and as religion increaseth and spreadeth it selfe, so doth the number of these mockers. O what a cursed sinne is this? to contemne the greatest fauour that God can giuegive vsus, that is, his holy religion: for the which we should rather praise him all the daies of our liues. All that God can giuegive a man in this world, is his Gospell, what then can God giuegive to bee regarded, whē his Gospell is cōtemned?

p. 93This sinne was neuer amongst the Iewes: they indeede regarded it not so as it deserued, but who did euer make a mocke and a scorne of it but England? O England, how canst thou answere this? God sendes thee the most precious iewell, that he can sende to a Nation; and thou scornest it, & them that bring it, and them that receiue it; euen as though it were no blessing, but a curse: so that as Christ saith to the Iewes,Iohn. 10. 32John 10:32 For which of my good workes doe you stone me? So may the Lord say to England, I hauehave giuen thee a fruitfull land, a blessed Prince, golde and siluer, peace and liberty, plentie and prosperitie: for which of these (O England) p. 94doest thou contemne my religion? The least of these deserue louelove; but England hath a better then all these; that is, his Gospell, the word of saluation: and yet, that all is contemned (as beeing nothing worth) and those which confesse it, and those that bring it, and consequently, God himselfe that giuegive it. If England had no more sinnes but this: this deserues, that it should be saide of vsus, that wee are a Nation not worthy to be beloued aboue all Nations: for some Nations woulde hauehave religion, that they might louelove it, but they cannot hauehave it: some hauehave it, and louelove it not: but in no Nation is it made a mocking-stocke, but in p. 95England. And where are those men, but in England, who (like the dog in the manger) will neyther entertaine religion themselues, nor suffer them that would: let vsus in time take heede of this sinne, as a sinne that crieth to God, to reuenge so vile a dishonour done to his Maiestie: neyther is there any sinne that more certainely foreshowes, and more forcibly hastens the remoouing of the Gospell from vsus. For high time is it to cease louing, where louelove procures disdaine: And to stay giuing, where gifts are scorned.

Carrie home this lesson to your great Townes and Cities where you dwell,There were then present inhabitants of London. for in p. 96these populous places,York, Cambridge, Oxford, Norwich, Bristow, Ipswich, Colchester, Worcester, Hull, Lin, Manchester, Kendal, Couentry, Nottingham, Northampton, Bath., Lincolne, Darby L…icester, Chester, Newecastle, & of many other most populous cities & Townes of England. are these great mockers, for where God hath his professours, the Diuell hath his mockers; and repent betimes of this sinne, for holde on in mocking, and bee sure that God (who will not bee mocked) will remooue his Gospel from you; but if you leaue this sinne, and entertaine the Gospell (as it worthilie deserueth,) then be sure of it, that God wil continue the Gospel, to you, and your posterity after you, in the face of all your enemies round about you.

3. The thirde common sinne of England, is Blasphemie, manie wayes, but especiallie in vaine swearing, false swearing, and for-swearing, and the abuse of all the names p. 97and titles of the Lorde God. This sinne is generall, euen ouer the whole land, especiallie in Fayres, and Markets, where men for a little gaine, will not care to call the Lord of Hostes to be witnesse to a lye, and the God of truth to testifie an vntruth.

And which is worst of all, Gods holie Name is vsed in vaine oathes, and ordinarie talke; when men hauehave no cause to sweare at all: so that it is most lamentable to see and obserue, that the name of any man of honour, or worship, is vsed more reuerently, & lesse abused, then that fearfull and glorious name: the Lord our God.

4. The fourth generall and great sinne is, prophanation of p. 98the Sabbaoth. A common sinne euerie where, and yet so great a sinne, that where it raignes, in that countrey, congregation, family, man or woman, there is no feare of God, nor anie true grace in them: for the keeping of the Sabbaoth, is the maintaining, increasing, and publishing of religion.

5. The fifth sinne of our Nation, is, euill dealing in bargaining betwixte man and man. How hard a thing is it to finde an honest, simple, plaine dealing man? and that euen in such great assemblies as this is. I feare present experience will testifie: you are nowe manie thousandes gathered together, some to buy, some to sell, some to exchaunge: p. 99Remember that I hauehave tolde you, an honest hearted and plaine dealing man is harde to finde: therefore labour to approoue your selues sincere hearted men; remember the counsell of the holie Ghost; Let no man oppresse nor defraude his brother in bargaining: for the Lorde is the auenger of all such thinges. These sinnes are generall and vniuersall as a canker: And so are the sinnes of the sixe, seuen▪ & eight Commaundements, (though they bee not altogether so common as these bee) Murthers, Adulteries, Vsuries, Briberies, Extorsions, Cosonages, they are a but then vnderunder which, our earth grones; and they crie against vsus to heauen, so that vponupon as good or much better p. 100cause may it be saide to vsus, as to the Iewes: O Nation not worthy to be beloued.

Looke at the outward face of our Church, at the signes of Gods louelove, which are amongst vsus, and at Gods dealing with vsus; and behold, we are a beautifull church, a glorious Nation, a Nation to be admired, and wondred at: but looke at the liues of our ordinary professours, looke at our sinnes, and at our requiting of Gods louelove: and wee are a people of Sodome, as full of iniquities as they were, whose sinnes were so manie, so rise, and so ripe; that at the last they will euen bring downe fire and brimstone, or some other strange iudgemēt vponupon vsus, if repentance do not p. 101preuent it, or the cryes and prayers of holy men stay not Gods hand. So then, let vsus all here assembled, grant & confesse, that wee are a Nation so farre from beeing worthie to bee beloued, as that wee are most worthie to be hated, and to hauehave all the wrath of God powred vponupon vsus.

Now then, are wee so? and shall wee continue so still? Nay, that is the worst, and most wretched of all: then let eueryevery one of vsus learne this dutie, enter into our selues, search our hearts and liues, that they may lie open to our owne sight, to the confusion of vsus in our selues, that in God by repentance wee may be raised vp.

Our sinnes lye open before p. 102the face of God, and stinke in his presence, and crie for vengeance: and before the face of Gods Angels, who bewaile it, & before the face of the Diuell, who reioyceth in our confusions: and shall they lye hidde onelyonly to our selues? Now then, if wee would hauehave them hidden from God, and stoppe the cry that they make against vsus, and keepe them from Sathan, who accuseth vsus for them; we must so search our selues, that they may lye open vntounto our owne heartes: Remember thou thy sinnes, and GOD will forget them: laye them open before thine owne face, and GOD will hyde them from his: write them vp for thy owne selfe, and God will p. 103blot them out of his remembrance: but if contrarywise thou hidest them, then assure thy selfe, the more thou hydest & buriest them, the more open doe they lye in the face of God: and then what will followe, but that they will all bee disclosed at the last day, to thine eternall confusion. Therfore againe, and againe, I exhorte you in the name of God, Search your selues, finde out your sinnes, confesse them to God freely, and ingeniouslie: confesse their deserts to be hell and damnation, humble your heartes to God, crye and call for pardon, as for life and death, purpose and promise to leaue them, begin a newe course of life, beleeue stedfastlie, and p. 104doubt not but of pardon and forgiuenesse in the blood of Christ, continue in that faith, and that newe course of life: So may Englande preuent Gods iudgements, & quench that great action of vnkindenes which God hath against them, and become a Nation as worthie (vponupon their faith and repentance) in Christ to be beloued: as for their peace and prosperitie, they hauehave beene of all Nations of the earth admired.

Hitherto of the third generall point.

4. The fourth generall point in this exhortation, is time limitted them, when they should Search. Before p. 105the Decree come forth, &c. As though the Prophet should say, Israel, repent before God execute his iudgementes on thee. For beholde the gratious dealing of God: Man sinneth, his sinnes deserue plagues: but God presently plagueth not, but deferres it, hee puts a time betwixte the sinne and the punishment (ordinarily:) this hee doeth to shewe his merciemercy vntounto mankinde, because that he would not destroy them, if they would amende. Therefore, after the sinne, he smites not presently, but puts off his punishment, that in the mean time man may repent. Here the Prophet compares the Lorde to a mother, for as she conceiues the fruite in her p. 106wombe, and beares it a long time, ere shee bring it out: so the Lord after a mans sinnes, or a peoples sinn…s, conceiue (that is) ordaines, and decreeth a iudgement for it, but hee keepes it vp, and all that while hee beares it: But as shee, when her time is come, then trauailes and bringes foorth: So, when the time that God hath appointed, is come, and still sinne not repented of: then his iustice trauailes to bee deliuered of that iudgement, which merciemercy hath kept vp so long a time. Thus the olde worlde had an hundred and twentie yeares giuen them, for time of repentance; all that while God was in conceiuing, at last when their sinnes were p. 107ripe, and no hope of amendment: then God trauelled, and brought forth a fearefull byrth, namely, the vniuersall flood, to wash away, and take reuenge vponupon the vniuersall iniquities of those times. So mame hundreth yeares hee gaue vntounto the Iewes, long hee was in conceiuing their destruction, and oftentimes he had it at the bringing foorth, as in the captiuity of Babylon, and vnderunder Antiochus; yet his merciemercy stayed it: and still hee trauailed longer: telles them heere by the Prophet, that yet the Decree is not come foorth (though it bee conceyued:) but at last when Israel woulde not Repent, but grewe worse, and worse; as in CHRIST p. 108his time) then hee could containe no longer, but trauelled indeed, and though it be with griefe, yet hee hath brought forth: and what? a most fearefull birth, euen an vtter desolation of that Kingdome and Countrey, of their Cittie, and Temple, and a dispersion of this nation ouer all the world: but as a woman at last is deliuered with daunger and difficultie, with paine and sorrowe: so the Lord long conceiues, but at last brings forth his iudgements: yet is it with griefe and vnwillingnes, and hee is loath (as it were) and much grieued to execute his most iuste iudgementes on those, who hauehave professed his name: hee often touched the Iewes a little, and as beeing p. 109vnwilling to smite them: hee drewe backe his hand againe: but at last when their sinnes did so increase, & were so strong, that they euen did wring out by violence his plagues from him, then with much bewailing of their great miserie (as wee may see in Christ weeping for them) hee executes his iudgementes on them. But as they are long a comming: so, when they come foorth, they were the heauier; as a childe, the more fulnesse of time it hath, is the greater, the liuelier, and the stronger: so, Gods iudgements, the longer God deferreth them, & is in conceiuing them, the heauier are they, when they come: that is manifest in the Iewes, once p. 110his owne people, for hee hath destroyed their land, with an irrecouerable destruction, & smitten their posteritie, with a blindnesse of minde till this houre, so that to this daye, when the olde Testament is read, the vaile is ouer their eyes, that they cannot see the light of Christ Iesus, but plod on in fearefull and palpable blindenesse.

This doctrine hath speciall vse to this our Church, to teache vsus to looke to our selues betimes, and trye our owne woyes, and turne to the Lord, for we cannot tell how farre off his iudgements are: in reason they must needes bee neare, they hauehave beene so long deferred, and yet beene so iustlie deserued of p. 111vsus. Certainely, God hath long beene in conceyuing iudgementes and plagues for the sinnes of England, and often hath Gods hande beene vponupon vsus, by Warre, Famine, Pestilence, In-vndations: and yet it hath beene puld backe againe: and his sword hath beene put vp into his sheathe, and God hath stayed his byrth, euen in the verie trauell, and wee hauehave escaped, euen as a man, whose necke hath beene vponupon the blocke, and the Axe holden vppe to strike: so then, yet the day is not come, yet wee hauehave time: happie wee that euer wee sawe this daye, if nowe wee hauehave grace to repent, and Searche our heartes, for p. 112then wee shall stay his iudgement decreed, that it shall neuer come forth against vsus: but if wee deferre to repent, put off from day to day, and lie rotting still in our sinnes: then knowe and bee assured, that as the Decree is established, so it must needes come foorth, and the stroke stricken, Repentance is too late: therefore what hee said to the Iewes, I say vntounto vsus, Search thy selfe O England: (a Nation not worthie to bee beloued) before the Decree come foorth, which is alreadie past against thee.

Thus much for the fourth point.

5. Now followeth the last point: the reason of all. Why p. 113should wee searche our selues? The reason is included in the fourth point: For there is a decree come forth against thee. And although the execution be defeated, and though God bee vnwilling to take it out, yet without repentance, it is most certaine, it shall come forth, and be executed at the last. In one word, this is the reason. Repent, or else certainely God will take vengeance: But (will mans heart say) is this true? Or rather these bee but wordes to feare men, and to keepe them in awe. I answere, for proofe and experience hereof, neuer goe further … this place, and present example wee hauehave in hand, the Prophet bids them Search, Search, and Repent, p. 114else, as certainely as there was a iudgement conceiued, so certainely it should be executed vponupon them: they would not heare, nor Search, nor repent: but what followed; let all men iudge, whether God is not true of his worde to them or no: yea alas, who seeth not that God hath trauelled indeede, and hath brought foorth a fearefull iudgement on them, and hath made them for these thousand yeares, and a halfe, the gazing-stocke, the byword, and the amazement of all the world.

Thus was it threatened to the Iewes, and thu… is performed: and certainely thus hath it beene threatned, and p. 115thus shall it bee performed to thee, Oh England, except thou preuent the iudgements that are comming: Oh happie England, that I may say vntounto thee, it is yet but comming. For as for the miserable Iewes, vppon them (alas) it is come alreadie: vntounto those poore soules it can bee saide no more, Repent before the Decree come foorth: for it is nowe past: but thou art happie, for thy Day is not yet come: yet I may say vntounto thee, Repent before the Decree come foorth: and Oh happie England, that thou mavest heare this worde: (Before) sounding in thine eares.

Therefore my beloued p. 116brethren, who are heere assembled out (almost) of euerie corner of this Kingdome, heare my wordes: and carrie them home with you into all Countryes, God is the same God still, as iust, & as iealous, as euer he was: our sinnes are as ill, nay, much viler then the Iewes were: howe can it bee then, but that must fall to vsus that fell to them? therefore the zeale of Gods glorie, and my desire of your saluations, make me, that I dare not flatter, but tell you the truth: that is, that out of all question, if wee search not our selues and Repent: there is a generall iudgement in preparing for vsus: certainly the Decree is out, and what can stop the execution of it, but Repentance: God p. 117hath long spared, and he hath bene long in trauelling, therfore (though nothing can bee saide in way of Prophesie) I am in my conscience perswaded to feare, & that out of infallible grounds of the word of God, that a plague, and a iudgement, and that moste fearefull, hangs ouer England: and that it is alreadie pronounced vppon this Nation, and shall bee as certainely executed, without a visible reformation: and because I may seeme to speake somewhat large, giuegive mee leaue to giuegive you the reasons inducing me herevnto.

1. First, the Gospell hath bene preached these fiue and thirty yeares, & is daily more and more, so that, the light p. 119therefore neuer shone more gloriouslie, since the Primitiue Church: yet for all this, there is a generall ignorance, generall of all people, generall of all points, yea, as thogh there were no Preaching at all: yea, when Poperie was newely bannished, there was more knowledge in manie, then is nowe in the bodie of our Nation: and the more it is preached, the more ignorāt are many, the more blind, and the more hardened (euen as a Stithie the more it is beaten vppon, the harder it is) so they, the more they heare the Gospell, the lesse esteeme they it, and the more they contemne it: and the more God calles, the deaffer they are: and the more they are p. 118commaunded, the more they disobey. We Preachers may crie till our Lunges flye out, or bee spent within vsus, and men are mooued no more then stones. Oh alas, what is this, or what can this bee: but a fearefull signe of destruction? Will anie man endure alwayes to bee mocked? then howe long hath GOD beene mocked? Will anie man endure to stande knocking continuallie? If then God hath stoode knocking at our heartes fiue and thirtie yeares: it is nowe time to be gone, vnlesse we open presently?

But if wee will knowe what this argueth, to contemne the Gospell, and not to repent, when the Word is so p. 120abundantly preached: reade the Storie of Elie, his wicked sonnes. He spake vntounto them, and gaue them godlie counsaile, but they hearkened not vntounto the voyce of their father: But will some say, that is no great matter, not to heare their Father a common thing: but marke what followeth.1. Sam. 2. 13.1 Sam 2:13 They would not heare their father, because the Lorde woulde destroy them: a fearefull thing. Euen so it is with a nation, or a people: are they taught, and are they worse and worse? take heede: If Elyes sonnes obey not, it is, because God will destroy them.

If therefore Elie, and many Elyes hauehave spoken to England, and England heares not, England obeyeth not, England repents p. 121not: take heede the the Lord in heauen say not, England will not heare the voice of the Prophets, because I will destroy it. Let no mā say, we take vponupon vsus to prophesie: we onelyonly giuegive warning, and shew the danger, by example of the like.

My second reason is this. One iudgement executed, and not working repentance, is alwaies a fore-runner of an other: that Rule is certaine, and an euident truth, & needs no prouing. Now, wee hauehave beene visited with famines, Earth-quakes, pestilences, invndations, Thunder and lightnings in winter, and most straunge and vnseasonable weather: but alas, all these hauehave taken no effect: where p. 122is the humiliation, Repentance and reformation which they hauehave wrought? therefore it must needes bee, there remains behind a greater iudgement. Men may be so madde to thinke these to be ordinarie things, and to come by course of Nature, and ordinarie causes: but certainly they are the shaking of the Rod, and fore-runners of a great iudgement, vnlesse Repentance cutte off their course. For look as one cloud followeth another, till the Sunne consume them: so one iudgement hastens after an other, and repentance onelyonly is the Sunne, which must dispell them.

3. Thirdly, it stands with the iustice of God, according p. 123as he hath reuealed it in the Scripture, especially in Deut. 28. out of the whole Chapter, it must needes bee gathered as a Rule. I will curse that people that breake my lawes: nowe wee may not deny but this land of ours, is for abundance of sinne, a people of Sodome. All kinde of sinnes, in all estates of men, rage & raigne eueryevery day more and more: therefore I conclude, that vnlesse we repent, and so dissolue this cloud of iudgemēt, that hangs ouer our heades: it cannot be, but a most fearefull tempest is to come at the last, and when it is come, it will be too late to wish they had done it. Therefore in the bowels of CHRIST IESVS. Let this bee to p. 124intreate and exhort you all, to search and looke into your selues, that so repenting and changing your wayes, you may get the sword againe into his sheath, which is alreadie drawne out, but yet hath not stricken home, and may quench the wrath which is alreadie kindled, but yet burnes not out as it will doe, if by repentance we quench it not: and doe this eueryevery one, as you tender the saluation of your owne soules, and the continuance of the Gospell to this glorious Nation, and the peace and prosperous state of this Church and common wealth. For let mē make what causes they will, it is certainely sinfulnesse that ouerturnes kingdomes, and changeth states, as all these kingdomes p. 125and states hauehave felt, who hauehave continued finally to contemne the Gospell.

It followeth:

And you be as chaffe, that passeth on a day.

The Prophet proceedeth, and describeth more plainly, the manner and state of that plague, which God will sende vponupon them: the meaning was partly opened before, to bee in effect thus much; Search your selues, least God take his fanne and try you, because you woulde not trye your selues, and finding you vppon the tryall, not sound Wheate, but light Chaffe: blowe you to Hell with the winde of his wrath: the Metaphor which the Prophet vseth is this, he compares the p. 126Lord to a husbandman, great and rich, the whole world is his corne fielde: seuerall Nations, (as this of ours for one) are his heapes of corne: but the heapes of corne bee full of Chaffe, that is, these particular Churches, are full of hypocrites: nowe a wise husbandman letteth Corne and Chaffe lye together no longer, then till the wind doth blowe, and then he appoints his fanning time to seuer his corne from his chaffe, and to blow away his chaffe, and lay vp his corne: so God, the great and wise husbandman, will not let the chaffe lye for euer amongst the Wheat, he hath therefore appointed his fāning times, whē to blow the chaff into hel, & to gather his p. 127wheat into heauenly garners.

Nowe Gods winnowing times are two, the one is at the last day, after this life, and that is Gods great winnowing day of all his corne (that of all men) when the bad shall be seuered frō the good for euer, neuer to be mingled againe with them, but by the strong & powerfull fan of his last and finall iudgement to be blown into hell: the winde of whose wrath, at that day, shal be strō ger to blow them all away, then all the wind in the world to blowe away one handfull of light Chaffe.

2. Gods other fanning time, is in this world, and that is also double. The one is, when the word is preached: the Preaching of the word is p. 128one of Gods fannes: For when the Gospell is preached to a Nation or Congregation, it Fannes them, and tries them, and purgeth them, and so serues them, that a man may see a manifest difference of the chaffe and the wheat, that is, of the goodly man, and the wicked man: this preaching of the Gospell doth Iohn the Baptist expresly call a Fanne: where the holy Ghost pursueth this whole Metaphor most plainely, speaking of Christ, he saith, Whose Fanne is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his Floore, and gather his wheate into his garner, but the Chaffe hee will burne with fire vnquenchable. The winde of this Fanne of the word preached, is so strong, as p. 129that it seuers the Chaffe from the Wheate, that is, good professors from hypocrites in the visible Church, and blowes so strongly vponupon the wicked, that it brings them to the beginning of Hell euen in this world, for it so worketh vponupon the conscience, as if it cannot conuert them, it strikes them with feare, terrour and torment, either in life or at death, which torment of conscience is the very flashes of hellfire.

But, when this first Fanne of the word, will not serue to bring men to repentance, (for the word preached, doth not confound a man actually, but onelyonly pronounce the sentence, and thereby striue p. 130strike the consciēce) then God hath another fanne, and that is the Fanne of his iudgements: and that fanning or winnowing time is, when he executes his vengeance and his iudgements on a Nation: this is his latter fanne, when the first will not preuaile, this is his powerfull and strong fan driuen about with the winde of his wrath, this fanne went ouer the olde worlde, and swept them all away, and went ouer the Nation of the Iewes, and wee see they are no more.

1. These three fannes of God, make a threefold separation of the Chaffe from the wheate, that is, of the wicked from the Elect: with the fanne of his worde which p. 131is powerfull, hee seuers them in all affection, and disposition, and makes a distinction of them, so, as generally the wheat is knowne to be wheat, and Chaffe discerned to bee Chaffe, by the Preaching of the word: but though the tare be knowne to be tare, yet both grow together, so that the word onelyonly serues them in affection, and sets seuerall notes of distinction vponupon them both.

2. But then the second fan of his iudgements is more violent, for thereby he seuereth them asunder in soule, gathering the godly men, as his Wheate into the heauens, and blowing the soules of the wicked into hell: but yet the bodies of them both p. 132lye together, as partakers of the same iudgement, so subiect to the same corruption, and are all lodged in the same graue of the earth, and death hath like dominion ouer them all.

3. But afterwards at the last day, at Gods great haruest, and great winnowing time, he then with the winde of his power, seuereth them asunder in soule and body. Wheat from the chaffe, Sheepe from the Goates, and separateth them, neuer to be mingled againe for euer and euer: and then with the winde of his wrath, hee blowes the chaffe into fire vnquenchable, and with his louing fauour gathereth his wheate into the euerlasting and glorious garners of heauen.

p. 133So then, the first seuereth them in affectiō. The second, in soule, for a time. The third, actually in soule and body, for euer and euer.

Nowe of these three winnowing times, the holy Ghost speaketh here properly of the second: namely, the fanne of Gods iudgements: so that, the meaning of the Metaphor is this: Search your selues and repent betimes, lest God come vppon you with some fearefull Iudgements: because you hauehave so long contemned the fanne of the word, and finding you too light to abide the triall, doe take you away in the iudgement, and cast you into hell: for as sure as the fanne of the word hath made differēce of you, which p. 134are chaffe, and which are wheate, so sure shall the fanne of his iudgements, blow away the chaffe to hell and damnation.

Thus much for the meaning.

Now for the vse, for vsus in England, the case stands thus: Our Church doubtlesse is Gods corne field, and wee are the corne heape of God: and those Brownists and Sectaries are blinde and besotted, who cannot see that the Church of England is a godly heape of Gods corne: but withall, we must confesse, we are full of chaffe: that is, of prophane and wicked hypocrites, whose hearts and mindes abound in sinnes and p. 135rebellions: and many of our best professours are also too full of chaffe (that is) of corruptions, and do giuegive themselues too much libertie in many sinnes: but alas, the pure wheate, how thinne is it scattered? how hard to find a man (at least a family) which dedicate themselues to the Lord in holy and sincere obedience, and labour to make conscience of all sinnes: now therefore, seeing wee are Gods corne field, and wee hauehave some pure wheate amongst much chaffe, therefore God will winnow vsus to find out the corne, if he hauehave but one corne of wheate in a handfull of chaffe, but one good man of many, hee will stirre all the heape for those p. 136few corners, hee will not care to blow all the chaffe to hell, to finde out those fewe cornes of Wheate, to lay them vp in heauen: so that out of all question, England being so full of chaffe, must looke to be winnowed.

Now for the first Fanne of his word, it hath beene vsed in this land these fiue and thirtie yeares, and that as powerfully, and as plentifully as any where in the world, and yet (alas) many are more godlesse, more ignorant, more prophane then euer they were, yea, wickednesse groweth, and the chaffe increaseth aboue the wheate: be sure therefore, that God will bring his second fanne vponupon vsus; because we will not suffer p. 137the first, and milde and gentle fan of his word to try and search vsus: therefore wee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements, and with it, hee will blowe soule and body into hell, with those our sinnes and corruptions, which we would not suffer the fanne of Gods word to blow from vsus. The first hath so long blowne in vaine, that the second must needes come vntounto vsus, and it hath already begun to blow: three or foure blastes hauehave blowne ouer vsus; famine, pestilence, earth-quakes, fire, water, winde, these hauehave so blowne some of vsus, that they hauehave taken away a great number of vsus For vsus that remaine,In the plague at Londō ther dyed some weeke almost. 2000. a weeke in 92. But in 1603. there died 3300. in a weeke. this onelyonly remaines, that wee strengthen our selues by p. 138grace, to bee able to stand against the next blast, for come it will, and when it comes no wealth nor worldly thing can inable vsus to endure it, onelyonly faith and repentance, and the grace of God will stand at that day. Now therefore, in that so fearefull a fanning abideth vsus: seeing it is so neere (as appeareth by the blastes already past ouer vsus, which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tempest) what should be our care (except wee care not to be blowne body and soule into hell) but to labour to eschew this fearefull fanne of Gods wrath: or at least, if it come vponupon vsus, that it may not blow vsus to hell, but hasten vsus to heauen. If thy heart be touched p. 139to aske how this may be. I answer thee, only to follow the Prophets aduice in this place, by searching and trying our selues. The way to escape Gods triall, is to try thy selfe: & to escape Gods iugdement, to be a iudge to thine owne soule: and so the way to escape the fearefull fanne of God, is to fanne their owne heart by the law of God. For whomsoeuer the first fanne (that is, the worde of God) doth worke vponupon: these men are neuer blowne away with the fan of Gods iudgements. O then, entertaine the word of God into thy heart, submit thy soule vntounto it, let it pierce and try, & ransacke thy heart, and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sinnes, p. 140and when thou seest thy nakednesse and misery, confesse it, bewaile it, and be humbled for it, cry and call for mercy and forgiuenes, pray against thy speciall sinnes, striue to purge them out, as the poyson of thy soule, craue grace from God for all thy sinnes: if thou seest any sinnes more welcome to thy nature, more deere vntounto thee, and which more preuaile against thee, then others doe, pray against these sinnes, and striue against them aboue all: & endeaour, that by the fanne of Gods word, they may be blowne away from thee. When thou hast done this, marke what will come of it: when thou hast fanned thy selfe, GOD will not fanne thee: but when p. 141the fanne of his iudgement comes & bloweth so strongly vponupon the wicked, then the Lorde finding thee alreadie fanned, and clensed by his word, will spare thee, and his iudgement shall either blow ouer thee, and passe by thee vntouched (as ouer Lot, in the destruction of Sodome) or else shall fanne out all thy corruptions, and blowe thee vp to heauen, to be laide vp as pure wheate in the heauenly garners, and mansions of glorie, which Christ ascribed to prepare for thee.

Now then amongst those many businesses, with which this world doth cumber euerie of vsus (all which shall perish with the world it selfe) let vsus good brethren, spare p. 142sometime for this great businesse. Martha may be combred about many things, but this is that one thing, which is necessarie: therefore whatsoeuer is done, let not this be vndone. Once a day put thy selfe and thy life vnderunder the fanne of Gods lawe, try thy selfe what thou art, and thy life, how thou liuest. Once a day keepe a court in thy conscience, call thy thoughts, thy wordes, and thy deedes to their triall: let the ten commaundements passe vppon them, and thy sinnes and corruptions which thou findest to be chaffe, blow them away by repentance, so shalt thou remain pure and cleane wheate, fit for the house and Church of GOD in this p. 143world, and for his kingdome in heauen. But, if wee will not doe this, then alas, what will follow? my heart greeueth to vtter it: but I must, vnlesse I should bee a false Prophet: and therefore I will. Our long peace, plenty, and ease, hauehave bred great sinnes, so great, that they reach to heauen, and prouoke Gods Maiestie to his face, & so strong, that they will violently draw downe iudgemēts from God vponupon vsus: which when they come, they will bee so powerfull, and so violent, that they will blowe vsus away like chaffe, and bring this kingdome to some miserable ruine. O therefore how happy are wee, if we can entertaine p. 144this doctrine, & practise it: for in so doing, wee shall preuent Gods iudgements, we shall continue the Gospell to this land, and preserue this glorious Nation from being destroyed or dispeopled, by some fearefull iudgement.

Beloued,At Stirbridg Faire. you come hither to this place, purposely to buy and sell, and thereby to better your estates in this world: how happy then are you, if besides the good markets you make for your bodies and estates, you learne also how to make your selues abide the triall of Gods iudgements, and how to be made pure corne, fit to replenish the garners of heauen, and howe to continue Gods fauour p. 145and the Gospell to this Nation. If thou goe away with this lesson, thou hast a Iewell more worth, then thou shouldest goe home possessed of all the huge riches of this Faire: you call this and such like times Faire times: but if thou learne this lesson right, then thou maiest say, that this was the fairest day in deede, that euer shone vponupon thee, since thou wast borne. This pretious Iewell which I hauehave spoken of al this while, I here offer vntounto thee. EueryEvery one bringes hither something to be solde, this is the marchandise that I bring and set to sale vntounto you: what euer commoditie any of you bring, it is from some quarter of this land, but all is from p. 146the earth: but this that I bring, it is from heauen: and all the earth cannot yeelde it: and as it is from heauen, so it is of a heauenly vertue, and will worke that which all the wealth in this Faire is not able to doe: therefore cast not to buy the basest, and let passe the best of all: and neuer alledge that it is aboue thy compasse, and being a Iewell, it is too deere and costly for thee: for I offer it freely vntounto you, and to eueryevery one of you, I pronounce vntounto you from the Lord, that here this blessed doctrine is offered vntounto you all, in his name, freely, and that you may buy it without money. Happy is that day, when thou comming so farre to buy things for thy p. 147body, and payes so deare for them, doest meete with so precious a Iewell, the vertue whereof, is to saue thy soule, and payest nothing for it. Thou mayest hereafter reioyce, and say: I went to buy and sell, and to helpe my body: but I hauehave also learned to saue my soule. I went thither to helpe to mainiaine my owne estate: but I hauehave learned to helpe to maintaine England in prosperitie: for assuredly, if wee would all of vsus learne this lesson, and practise it, wee might assure our selues of the glorious prosperitie of England, to continue from generation to generation: whereas alas, if wee continue and goe forward in our sinnes, and impenitencie, p. 148it is greatly to be feared, that neyther the Gospell, nor this peace, will reach to our posteritie. Therefore now to make an end; I once againe, and lastly, commend this doctrine to you all, and eueryevery one of you (for this marchandise that I bring, is of that nature, that though some take it, yet there is also inough for eueryevery one) and I commend it vntounto you, euen from the very mouth of God himselfe: thinke of it I charge thee, as euer thou lookest to appeare before the face of Christ Iesus the great Iudge, at the last day; and if thou wouldest escape the rigour of that iudgement, enter now into iudgement with thy selfe, & search thy selfe: if thou now wilt p. 149not receiue this doctrine, then shal it at the last day be a bill of Enditement against thee, for if it saue thee not, it shal condemne thee: think of it therfore seriously, as a matter that concerns thy soule & body: yea, and thy posterity, and this whole Realme, all which shall smart for it, if we repent not. And if the body of our people, and those, whose hearts are wedded to this world, will not entertaine this doctrine; thē I turne vntounto you that feare the Lord, and to you I direct my last warning; Search, O search, and try your hearts & liues, renew & reuiue your faith & repentance, that if iudgements doe come and blow vponupon this Nation, and driue the Gospell from it, and p. 150it to hell: that yet you may hauehave a testimonie to your consciences, that you did not pull downe this generall calamitie, but for your parts laboured to hauehave preuented it, by your earnest prayers and hartie repentance: that so, the posteritie ensuing, may not curse you, but speake reuerently of you, and praise God for you, and wish that all had done as you did; for then had they enioyed this goodly lande, and all Gods blessings with it, as we their forefathers did before them: and so shall our names not rotte, but flourish amongst the posterities to come, which shall be partakers of the desolation: And when we hauehave renewed our p. 151repentance, let vsus then eueryevery one of vsus, deale with the Lord by earnest prayer for this Church and Nation, that the Lord would shew his mercy vponupon it, and continue vntounto it, this peace and the Gospell: it is nothing with the Lord to doe it, his powerfull hand is not shortened, he can continue our peace: when the Papists looke for hurli-burlies, hee can continue the Gospell, when they hope to set vp their Idolatrie againe: let vsus therefore applye the Lord with our prayers, and with Moses set our selues in the breach, and pray for the ignorance of the multitude, and bewaile their sinnes, who bewaile not their owne. So did Noah, Daniel, and Iob, in p. 152their ages, and praied for the people in generall calamities: let vsus all bee Noahs, Daniels, and Iobs, in our generations: if wee doe thus, then when Iudgements come, we shall either turne them away from our Nation, or at the least wee shall deliuer our owne soules.

Let vsus now turne to the Lord in prayer, and because it cannot be hoped, but that this our generall sinfulnesse must needes ende with some heauie Iudgement: let vsus desire the Lord still to defet our deserued punishments, and still to spare vsus, and to giuegive vsus time and leysure to repent: that so, wee entring into our selues, and searching our hearts, and turning p. 143to the Lord: wee may turne away his imminent Iudgements, and that when his wrath doth burne out indeede, we may then be counted worthy in Christ, to escape those things which must needs come vponupon the world. Amen.

Willam Perkins.

Lament. 3.

Let vsus Search and trye our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.

Trin-vni Deo gloria.

FINIS.

End of the text · William Perkins, Exposition of Zephaniah 2 (1609)