Exhortation to Repentance, Sermon

Exhortation to Repentance · Sermon

p. 1AN EXHORTATION TO REPENTANCE.

Zophoniah, Chap. 2. verſe. 1. 2.

Search your ſelues, euenſearch you ô nation, not worthy to be beloued: before the Decree come forth, and you be as Chaffe that paſſeth on a day.

THe Prophet in the firſt Chapter of this prophecy, rebuketh the Iewes of three notable crimes, Idolatry, fraud, and crueltie. In this ſecond he exhorts them to repentance, and withall reproueth ſome of their ſpeciall ſinnes. In the three firſt verſes he propoundeth the Doctrine of Repentance, p. 2and 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 ſort of them, in the third. So that the ſumme and ſubſtance of theſe two firſt verſes, is a briefe and ſummarie propounding of the doctrine of Repentance to the obſtinate Iewes. The wordes containe in them 5. ſeuerall points, touching the doctrine of repentance.

1 The dutie to be 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 already decreed & appointed for them.

5. A forcible reaſon vrging them to doe p. 3it which lieth hid, and is neceſſarily implied in the fourth point: namely, that there is a decree againſt them, which wants nothing but execution: which alſo ſhal come vnleſſe they repent, whereby they ſhal be fanned: and if they ſhall be found to be chaffe, they ſhal fly away with the winde of Gods iuſtice. Of all theſe points in order.

For the firſt, the holy Ghoſt ſaith; Search your ſelues. The words are commonly reade thus. Gather your ſelues, which, though it be good, for that in repentance a man gathereth himſelfe, and all his wits together, which afore were diſperſed, & wandred vp & down in vanity: yet I rather allow their tranſlation who read thus. Search, or fan your ſelues: but either of them may ſtand, becauſe Īunius.the word in the original doth cōprehēd both ſignifications; yet it ſeemeth that to ſearch, or ſift, fits this place better, conſidring the ſame manner of ſpeech is atterwards continued in the word Chaffe: ſo that the meaning of the Holy Ghoſt ſeemeth to bee this: Search, try, and p. 4fanne your ſelues, leaſt you bee found light chaffe, and ſo fly away and be conſumed before the iuſtice of God.

Concerning this duty 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, hee, would hauehave them to repent: giuing vsus to vnderſtand, that no man can hauehave true and ſound repentance, but hee who hath firſt of all ſearched and examined himſelfe: and this ſtands with good reaſon, for no man can repent, who firſt of all doth not know himſelfe, and his owne wretchedneſſe. But no man can ſee into himſelfe, nor knowe himſelfe, but hee that doth diligently ſearch himſelfe: ſo that the beginning of all grace, is for a man to ſearch and try, and fanne himſelfe, that thereby he may knowe what is in himſelfe: that ſo vponupon the ſearch, ſeeing his fearefull and damnable eſtate, hee may forſake himſelfe & his owne waies and turne to the Lord. Thus ſpeaketh p. 5the holy Ghoſt in the heartes of holy men; Let vsus ſearch and try our waies: and Lamen. 3.make what followeth; and turne againe to the Lord: as though there were no turning againe to the Lord, but after a ſearching of our ſelues. With this teſtimonie of the holy Ghoſt, agreeth the teſtimonie of al holy mens conſciences, who all knowe, that the firſt beginning of their turning to the Lord, was a ſearching of themſelues: Let any repentant ſinner aske his conſcience, and call to minde his firſt calling and conuerſion, and he will remember that the firſt thing in his repentance was this; that he ſearched into himſelfe, and looked narrowly into his waies, and finding his waies dangerous, and his caſe fearefull, did thereupon reſolue to take a new courſe, and turne to the Lord for pardon and merciemercy, and for grace to enter into more holy, and more comfortable courſes.

The man that paſſeth vponupon ridges of Mountains, and ſides of hils, or that goeth ouer a narrow bridge, or ſome dangerous p. 6and ſteepe Rockes, at midnight; feareth not, becauſe hee ſeeth no daunger: but bring the ſame man, in the morning, and let him ſee the narrowe bridge, he went ouer in the night, vnderunder which runnes a violent ſtreame, and a bottomleſſe gulfe, and the daungerous Mountaines, and rocks, he paſſed ouer, and he will wonder at his owne boldneſſe, and ſhrinke for feare to thinke of it, and will by no meanes venter the ſame way againe: for now hee ſeeth the height of the Mountaines; the ſteepneſſe of the Hilles, the craggineſſe of the Rockes, the fearſul downfall, and the furious violence of the ſtreame vnderneath, & therby ſeeth the extreame daunger, which afore he ſaw not: therfore he wondreth, & reioy …oth, that he hath eſcaped ſo great a da…nger; and will by no meanes be drawn to goe that way in the day, which hee went moſt careleſly in the darkeneſſe of the night, but ſeeketh another way (though it ſhould be far about:) So a ſinner in his firſt eſtate, which is naturall and corrupt p. 7(as wee are bredde and borne) hath a vaile before his face: ſo that hee ſeeth nothing: the wrath of God and the curſe due for ſinne, Hell and damnation ſeeking to deuoure him, he ſeeth them not, although (liuing alwaies in ſinne,) hee walketh in the very Iawes of Hell it ſelfe: and becauſe he ſeeth not this fearefull daunger, therefore hee refuſeth no ſinne at all, but ruſheth ſecurely into all maner of ſinne: the night of impenitencie, and the myſt of ignorance ſo blinding his eyes, that he ſeeth not the narrow bridge of this life, from which if he ſlide, he falles immediatly into the bottomleſſe p…t of Hell.

But when as Gods ſpirit hath by the light of Gods word opened his eyes & touched his heart to conſider his eſtate, then hee ſeeth the fraile bridge of this narrow life, and how little a ſleppe there is between him and damnation; then hee ſeeth Hell open due for his ſinnes, and himſelfe in the high way to it: ſinne being the craggy rocke, and Hell the gaping gulfe vnderunder it; this life p. 2being the narrowe bridge, and damnation the ſtreame which runneth vnderunder it: Then hee wondreth at his miſerable eſtate, admireth the merciemercy of God in keeping him from falling into the bottome of hell, wondreth at the preſumptuous boldneſſe of his corruption, which ſo ſecurely plodded on towards deſtruction, and being aſhamed of himſelfe, and theſe his waies, he turnes his heart to the God that ſaued him from theſe daungers; and ſets himſelfe into more holy wayes, and more comfortable courſes, and confeſſeth that ignorance made him bold, and blindneſſe made him ſo preſumptuous; but now hee ſeeth the daunger, and will by no meanes goe the ſame way againe: and thus the ſearching and ſeeing into the foulneſſe of ſinne, and the daunger thereof, is the firſt beginning of repentance, and the firſt ſtep into grace.

This doctrine teacheth vsus what faith and repentance is generall in the world: All men ſay, they beleeue, and hauehave repented p. 9long agoe; but trie it well, and we ſhall finde in the bodie of our Nation, but a lippe faith, and a ſippe Repentance: for euen when they ſay ſo, they are blinde and ignorant of their owne eſtate, & know not themſelues, but preſume of themſelues, that becauſe they are baptized and liue in the Church, therefore they are in Gods fauour, and in very good eſtate, when as they neuer yet were recōciled to God: and are ſo farre from it, that they neuer yet ſaw any ſinnes in themſelues wherof they ſhuld 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, think and preſume they louelove and feare God, and louelove their Neighbour; and that they hauehave euer done ſo: Nay, it is the common opinion that a man may do ſo by nature, and that hee 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 p. 10knewe what ſinne was, neuer ſearched nor ſaw into theirown harts with the light of Gods lawe, for if they had, they ſhould hauehave ſeene ſuch a Sea of corruption, that then they would confeſſe it to bee the hardeſt thing in the world, to louelove God, and to beleeue in Chriſt, and for ſake ſinne: it is therefore manifeſt, that they hauehave not yet begun to beleeue or repent, nor hauehave entred 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 Search narrowly, as a man would doe for a piece of gold, or a p…cious Iewell, which is loſt in a great houſe: Or as a man may ſearch for gold in a Myne of the earth, where is much earth, and but very little gold Oare.

Hence wee may learne, that in true Repentance, and conuerſion, we muſt p. 11not ſearch ſo only, as to find the groſſe and palpable ſinnes of our liues: but ſo as we may finde thoſe ſinnes which the world accounts leſſer ſinnes, and eſpie our ſecret faults & priuy corruptions. Some corruptions ſee memore neere a kinne to our nature, and therein men hope to be excuſed, when they forſake many other greater ſins: But a true penitent ſinner muſt ſearch for ſuch, ſo as a good Magiſtrate ſearcheth for a lurking … which is … into ſome cloſe and ſecret corner, and he muſt ranfack his heart for ſuch corruptions, as wherein his heart takes ſpecial delight, and muſt thanke that no ſinne can be ſo ſmall, but it is too great to be ſpared, and that eueryevery ſinne great or litle, muſt be ſearched for, as being all Tray … to Gods Maieſtie.

But alas, the practiſe … the world is farre otherwiſe, great ſinnes are little ſinnes, little ſinnes are no ſinnes: Nay, after a little cuſtome, great ſinnes are alſo little or nothing, and ſo at laſt men make no bones of groſſe and grieuous p. 12ſins: and for the moſt part men ſearch ſo ſuperficially, that they ſcarſe finde any thing to be ſinne: ſuch excuſes are made, ſuch diſtinctiōs are deuiſed, ſuch mittigations, ſuch qualifications, ſuch colours are caſt vppon all ſinnes; as now vp and downe the world, groſſe ſins are called into queſtion, whether they be ſins or no: and the great tranſgreſsions of the lawe are counted ſmall matters, neceſſarie euils or inconueniences, tollerated to auoyd other euils: and what is he counted but a curious and a preciſe foole, which ſtands vponupon them: Ignorance after fiue and thirtie yeares preaching is counted no ſinne, blind deuotion in Gods ſeruice no ſin, lippe labour in praying, vaine and cuſtomable ſwearing, mocking of religion, and the profeſſors thereof, no ſin: prophaning of the Saboath, contemning of preachers, abuſing of parents▪ no ſinnes pride in apparel, ſuperfluitie in meates, beaſtly and ordinarie drunkennes, fornication, no ſinnes. Nay, decites, Coſonages, oppreſsing vſury, p. 13notorious briberie, and couetouſnes, 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 verniſh muſt be caſt vponupon thē, as that they are little or none at all. Alas, alas, is not that a ſimple & a ſilly ſearch where ſuch blockes as theſe are, lye vnſpied? what are moulehils, when ſuch mountaines are not ſeene? Moates will be little regarded, where ſuch beames are not diſcerned: but it is cleare, that therefore there is no true trial nor diligent ſearch made: for a true conuert will ſearch his heart for all, and wil ſpare none: He deales in ſearching his owne heart, as a good Iuſtice of peace in ſearching for traytors or Seminarie Prieſts. He ſeekes not ſuperficially, but moſt exactly, and leaueth neuer a corner vnſought, and he thinkes great ſinnes to be infinite, and little ſinnes great, and iudgeth no ſinne ſo ſmall, but that it deſerueth the duplicate page p. 12duplicate page p. 13p. 14anger of God, & therefore he wonders at the mercy of God, which throwes vsus not al downe to hel in a moment: & he crieth out with holy Ieremie: It is the Lords merciemercy that we are not conſumed. Lam. 3. 22Lam 3:22Away then with this ſuperficial & hypocritical ſearch, where ſo many ſinnes are ſpared and not found out. It is Phariſaical, for euen ſo the Phariſie, when hee came into the Temple to recken with God, and to tell what Traytours hee had found, that is, what ſinnes, vponupon good ſearch hee had eſpied, he returnes his precept, all is well, he hath found neuer a one, but beginnes to thanke God that he was ſo good, and ſo good, and not ſo il, and ſo il, nor yet like the Publicane. The world is full of Phariſies, not onelyonly the popiſh Church: but euen our Church ſwarms with theſe ſuperficial ſearchers, who cannot (becauſe they will not,) finde any ſinnes to preſent vntounto God, Men thinke in the Countrie, a Church Officer hazards his Oath, if he preſent all well, and findeth no fault in his Pariſh, p. 15to preſent as puniſhable to the Ordinary: for men thinke it vnpoſsible, that there ſhould bee none in a whole pariſh: then how doth that man hazard his own ſoule, who being made ouerſeer & ſearcher of his heart, findes nothing in it to preſent to the Lord. For it is not more eaſie to eſpie outward & actual trāſgeſsions in a whole pariſh, then it is to finde a heape of corruptions in a mans heart, if a man will ſearch into the bottome of it with the light of Gods Law. Therefore when the Lord comes and keepes his viſitation, what ſhal become of ſuch a man, but to vndergoe the ſtrict and ſeuere ſearch of the Almightie, becauſe hee would not ſearch himſelfe?

Our bodyes and liues are free from ſpaniſh Inquiſition (which is one of the laſt props, which Sathan hath lent the Pope, wherewith to vphold his declining kingdom) 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 hearts, duplicate page p. 14duplicate page p. 15p. 16and vnmortified affections, euen to erect an Inquiſition ouer them, to lay in waite for them, to ſearch them narrowly, and to vſe them roughly: yea, to ſet our hearts vponupon the rack of Gods law, that ſo it may confeſſe the ſecret wickedneſſe of it: for the Papiſtes doe not thinke vsus Proteſtants, greater enemies to their ſuperſtition, then the inward corruptions of our hearts, are to our ſaluation: therefore it may bee a godly pollicie for eueryevery man, curn to erect an Inquiſition ouer his owne heart and conſcience, and not to ſpare his moſt ſecret and deareſt ſinnes, and ſuch as are neereſt allyed to his owne nature: for that is the true ſearch here commaunded by the Prophet, and practiſed by all Godly and holy men: when a man purpoſeth to finde al that are, & to eſpie euē al his ſins: for a godly man is neuer ſatisfied in his ſearch, but ſtill, the more he findes, he ſuſpects the more are ſtil behind: and therefore hee continueth ſearching his owne heart all his life long: Therefore let p. 17eueryevery, profeſſor looke to it betwixt God and his conſcience, that he dally not with himſelfe in ths caſe: for if he doe, then, when God comes with his priuie ſearch, his hypocriſie ſhall bee diſcouered, and his nakedneſſe ſhall be layd open in the view of men, and Angels: to his eternal confuſion.

Thirdly, Search, ſaith the Prophet, but not ſo content: he forceth it againe, Euen ſearch you. In thus repeating and vrging this exhortation, the holy Ghoſt giues them, and vsus to vnderſtand, that the true ſearching of a mans heart, and life, is a duty of a great moment, and ſpecial neceſsitie: therefore he leaues it not after once naming it, but inforceth it the ſecond time, as being no matter of indifferency, but of great neceſsitie: thereby ſhewing, that it is a principal 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 p. 18ſendes the fire of afflictions, and Croſſes to trie and Search them: but, when they Search themſelues, then God ſpareth to Search them by his iudgements.

Now in that this dutie of ſearching, is both the beginning of all true grace, and the meane to ſtay Gods iudgements, and therefore is ſo pithely, and forceably vrged by the holy 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 eueryevery commandement. Secondly, becauſe therby we ſhal reape two ſo great commodities, as firſt, thereby we ſhal lay a ſure foundatiō for the good work of grace in vsus, and ſecondly, ſhall ſtay the hand of God, and his iudgements from being executed vponupon vsus. Let vsus therefore hearken to this counſaile of the holy ghoſt, let vsus take the fan of the Lawe, and therewith ſearch and winnowe our hearts and liues. Our hearts, p. 19for ſecret and hidden corruptions. Our liues, for committing of euil, and omitting of good. Doe with your hearts as men doe with their wheate: they will not ſuffer their corne to lie 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 pure 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 doe, they will choake it in the end, and ſo depriue thee of all grace; therfore 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, & be not quiet till thou haſt found out thy ſin, and the fouleneſſe of it: and neuer thinke that thou knoweſt any thing in Religion, till thou knoweſt what p. 20is in thine owne heart. And what are thy ſpecial and priuieſt corruptions, and looke into thine owne faults, not with a partial eye, but with a cenſorious, and a ſtrait iudgement, ſpare ſin in no man, but eſpecially condemne it in thy ſelfe.

But alas, theſe times of ours, cry out of an other ſtate, for euen Ieremies caſe is ours: We may complaine as hee did, No man repents him of his wickedneſſe, Iere. 8. 6.Jer 8:6ſaying what hauehave I done? the ſame is the ſore of our people, and the ſickneſſe of all Nations: that eueryevery man runnes on in his ſinnes, from ſinne to ſinne careleſly: euen as the barde horſe into the battaile. But how rare a thing is it, to find a man, that dayly ſearcheth himſelf, & examines how he liues, and how the caſe ſtandeth betwixt 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, ſaying: What hane I done? O what is this, that I hauehave done againſt God, p. 21againſt his Church, and againſt my owne ſoule?

The want of this, is that, which the Prophet complaines of in that place: not as though it were 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 would ſhape him ſuch an aunſwere, and would tell him ſo roundly, what hee had done, that hee would take heede, how hee did the ſame againe, and looke more narrowly, and warily to himſelfe all the dayes of his life. Seeing therefore it is ſo neceſſarie a dutie, let eueryevery one of vsus indeuour the practiſe of it, namely, to rippe and ranſacke our hearts, and to ſearch our wayes vntounto the bottome.

Now for your better inſtruction, and furtherance in the performance hereof: you muſt know that this Search is to be made by the Lawe of p. 22God, for nothing els, but Gods law can helpe vsus, & let vsus ſee y^t which we muſt ſearch for: for if wee ſearch by any other means, we may ſeek & ſearch long enough, ere we find any thing that wil be matter of repentance. Aske the diuel, he will tell thee all is well, & that thou art in an excellent eſtate: and God loues thee, and thou art ſure of Heauen: this ſong the diuell alwayes ſings 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 ſecuritie. Aske our owne fleſh, & our owne hearts and natures, and they will anſwere, and ſay, that all is well and ſafe, and that wee hauehave beleeued, and loued and feared God all our dayes. Aske the world, and men in the world: and they will aunſwere, all is well; and they will ſay further, that thou art a right good fellow, and art worth twentie of theſe curious fooles that ſticke vponupon points, & ſtand vponupon circumſtances, as ſwearing and p. 23drinking, and good fellowſhippe, and gaming, and ſuch other nice and circumſtanciall points: thus will worldly men anſwere: for thy prophane courſe is acceptable to them, becauſe thereby thou approueſt the ſame in them. Nay, goe further, and aske all humane learning in the world, and it cannot tell thee what one ſinne is, nor what it is to offend God: ſo that there remaines onelyonly the law of God, the light whereof will diſcloſe the darkneſſe of our hearts, and the iuſtice whereof will reueale the vnrighteouſneſſe & the peruerſneſſe of our natures: therefore to the lawe of God muſt we 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, therfore we are further to know, that if we will ſearch our ſelues by the law profitably, wee muſt marke three rules, the truth whereof vnleſſe wee know, acknowledge, and feele: wee p. 24ſhall neuer ſee our owne eſtate, nor profite by this Search, but plodde on from finne to ſinne, vntill wee plunge into hell.

The firſt Rule is, that eueryevery man that came from Adam, ſinned in the ſinne of Adam: Thou muſt therefore know, that his ſinne in eating the forbidden fruite, was thy ſinne: and thou ſinnedſt therein, as well as he (though thou waſt then vnborne) and that thou art guiltie of it before God, and muſt anſwere for it to Gods iuſtice, vnleſſe Chriſt doe it for thee. The reaſon hereof is, becauſe we are his ſeede & poſteritie, we were thē in his loynes, he was the father of vsus all: and was not a priuate mā as we are now, but a publike perſon, the pledge of al mankind, and bare the perſon of vsus all at that time: therefore what he did then, hee did it for himſelf, & for vsus: what couenant God made with him, was made for himſelfe and vsus: what God promiſed him, and he to God, he promiſed for himſelfe, & for vsus: what he receiued p. 25in his Creation, he receiued for himſelfe, and for vsus: and what he gained or loſt by his fall, he gained and loſt for vsus, as for himſelfe. He 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 he gained, he got for vsus all, as well as for himſelfe. If we doubt of this point, it is proued by the Apoſtle: where the holy Ghoſt ſaith; Sin entred by one man, and death by ſinne: and that ſinne went ouer all, and that it went ouer Rom. 5. 14Rom 5:14all them, which ſinned not in the like tranſgreſſion with Adam (that is, euen our children) who as they are borne, are borne not onelyonly tainted with originall corruption: but guiltie alſo of Adams ſinne. This is a moſt certaine truth, though it ſeeme ſtrange, for fewe men thinke of it, that euer they ſhall anſwer for Adams ſinne: and therefore if any obiect, what reaſon is there that I anſwere for another mans ſinne? I anſwere, true, if it had bene Adams ſinne alone: but it was his and thine alſo: for p. 26hee was thy father and ſtoode in thy roome: and thou alſo ſince thou waſt borne, haſt confirmed what hee did. Now therefore though not one of many thinkes ſeriouſly thereof: namely, that he ſhould ſtand guilty of a ſin committed more then fiue thouſand yeares before he was born, yet ſeeing it is moſt true, both in Scripture and good reaſon: let eueryevery man ſubſcribe in his conſcience to this truth. And let this be thy firſt reſolution in this Search, that thou ſtandeſt guilty of Adams tranſgreſsion.

The ſecond rule to bee knowne is, that in eueryevery man are all ſinnes: more plainly, that in eueryevery man by nature are the ſeedes of all ſinnes: and that not in the worſt, but in the beſt natured men: make choyſe of the beſt man and the greateſt ſinne, and that worſt ſinne is to be found in that beſt man. If any doubt of 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 p. 27all, and wholy. This corruption hath two parts. Firſt a want, not of ſome, but of all good inclination, a want of all goodneſſe. Secondly, a deprauation & proneneſſe, not to ſome, but to all euill: and not a proneneſſe onelyonly, but originall ſin infuſeth into eueryevery mans heart, the ſeed of all corruption.

Many men 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 ſeeds of all ſins in the world are in him by nature. But to explaine this point fully, obſerue theſe two 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 wholeſome lawes, ſometime the conſtitution of mens bodies deny the practiſe of ſome ſinnes, ſometime the Countrey a man dwels in, or calling a man liues in, keepes him from p. 28the practiſe of ſome ſinnes: and alwayes a generall and limitting grace of God, reſtraines the natures of all men from running into many ſinnes: which hand of God, if God ſhould take away, and leaue eueryevery man to his nature, wee ſhould ſee that euerie man would practiſe any 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 he ſeeth that his heart is a ſea of all wickedneſſe: & that it is the mercy and grace of God, that hee hath not fallen into the mightieſt & moſt monſtrous ſinnes in the world.

Secondly, I ſay, by nature. For I know by good education, & by grace, it is otherwiſe: grace rectifieth nature, but that is no thankes to nature: for it is as euill and corrupt ſtill, being ſeuered from grace: and therefore nature muſt be fully aboliſhed, afore man come to heauen. And yet (though all p. 29this be true (I ſay not, that ſin breakes out in all natures alike, though all natures be alike corrupt: for the courſe of nature is reſtrained in ſome more then others, by the meanes aforeſaid; but this is the truth, that whereas ſome are not ſo angry, ſome not ſo wanton, ſome not ſo cruel, ſome not ſo couetous, ſom not ſo ambitious, &c. as others: that comes not from any goodneſſe of nature in them, aboue the other originally, but from Gods hand, which tempereth, reſtraineth, and moderateth eueryevery mans nature as he ſeeth good.

And if God did not thus moderate & reſtraine the natures of men, but ſuffer them to breake out to the full: there would then be no order, but all confuſion in the world: therefore, (as eſpecially for his Churches quietneſſe, ſo alſo for the preſeruatiō of publike peace, and the vpholding of ſocietie in the world betweene man and man) the Lord holdes a hand ouer eueryevery mans nature, and keepes eueryevery one in a certaine compaſſe limitted by the wiſdom p. 30of his power, which reſtraining hand of his, if the Lord ſhould take away: all ſocieties and common wealths would be turned vpſide downe, becauſe eueryevery man by the vniuerſall corruption of his nature, would breake out into eueryevery ſinne: I ende this point with appealing to the teſtimonie of the conſciences of all men, and eſpecially of the beſt and holieſt men, of whom I would aske this queſtion, whether they find not in their natures an inclination, euen to the fouleſt ſinnes in the world; if ſhame, or feare, or elſe the grace of God reſtrained them not? ſo that the beſt men doe knowe well enough, what adoe they hauehave with their corrupt natures, to keepe them within the compaſſe of Obedience.

Nay, I yet adde further, the nature of men, and of all men is ſo corrupt, ſince Adam: that euen the ſeede of the ſinne againſt the holy Ghoſt, and a proneneſſe to it, is in the nature of eueryevery man (though not one man amongſt many thouſandes doe commit p. 31that ſinne,) for ſeeing in that ſinne, there is a heape or Sea of all ſinnes gathered together, hee therefore that hath in his nature the ſeede of all ſinnes, hath alſo the ſeede of it. And againe, ſeeing all euill tendes to a perfection, as well as grace doth; 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 hand of God preuented him, who will neither ſuffer wicked men, nor the Diuell himſelfe to bee ſo wicked as they could, 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 colours or deceit, and fully diſcouers vntounto vsus, the vglineſſe of our natures: and it may teach vsus all how Gen. 4. Exod. I. Gen. 18. 2. Sam. 15 & 16. Eſay. 38Gen 4Exod 1Gen 182 Sam 15Isa 38to think and eſteeme of our ſelues, when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther, Pharohs vnnatural crueltie, the Sodomits vnnatural luſt, Achitophles, diuiliſh pollicy, Senacheribs horrible blaſphemie, duplicate page p. 30duplicate page p. 31p. 32Iudas monſtrous treaſon, Iulians fearefull Apoſtacie. When we heare of the fearefull murders, treaſons, periuties, ſinnes againſt nature, blaſphemies, Apoſtacies, witchcrafts, and other the horrible ſinnes of the world: let vsus then returne into our ſelues, & looke homewards, euen into our owne hearts, and confeſſe eueryevery one, that theſe ſhould hauehave bene euen thy ſinnes alſo, if Gods grace had not preuented thee.

This will humble thee, and make thee thinke vilely, & baſely of thy ſelfe, and ſo conſequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment: and the very reaſon, why men repent not, nor amend their waies, 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 harſh and a ſtrange Doctrine to them: Oh, they hauehave excellent natures, and they cannot indure ſuch, and ſuch ſinnes, and they thanke God, they are not as ill as others: but let all ſuch men knowe, they muſt ceaſe magnifying p. 33nature, and 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 eueryevery mans heart is a bottomleſſe fountaine of all ſinne; therefore praiſe not thy nature, but Gods grace and mercy, in giuing thee ſo good a nature; or rather, ſo well reſtraining, and rectifying thy nature; and ſtay not there, but deſire of the Lord, that as he hath giuen thee a better tempered nature, thē to other men: ſo alſo he would beſtowe on thee his ſpeciall and ſauing grace: and as he hath kept thee from the feareful ſins of others (thou being as ill, naturally, as they) ſo he would alſo lead thee into the way of ſaluation, which elſe the beſt nature in the world, can neuer attaine vntounto.

The third rule to be known and practiſed by him, who will truly ſearch himſelfe, is, that eueryevery man borne of Adam, is by nature, the child of wrath, and Gods enimie: this is true of all without exception; High or Low, Rich p. 34or poore, noble or ſimple, borne in the viſible Church or without. And further, by being enemy of God, he is therefore borne ſubiect to hell, to damnation, and to all other curſes: ſo that looke as a Traytour conuicted, ſtands therby in his Princes high diſpleaſure, and is ſure of death without ſpeciall pardon: ſo ſtands eueryevery man, when he is borne, conuicted of high treaſon againſt God, in his high diſfauour; and is in daunger 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 conceined me: If in ſinne, then in Gods wrath, and vnderunder the danger of damnation, If any aske, how, or why this is ſo. I anſwere, the truth, as alſo the equitie of this third rule depends on the two former: for, becauſe eueryevery man is borne guiltie of Adams great ſinne, and alſo tainted originally with all corruption & a pronneſſe to all ſin: therefore it followeth in equitie and iuſtice, that eueryevery man is borne vnderunder the p. 35wrath and curſe of God. This point is a plaine and euident truth: 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 therfore they neede not to ſue for it in humiliation and repentance; but onelyonly liue ciuily, and do no open wrong, and all is well: whereas (alas) there is no condemned Traytour, more out of his Princes fauour, nor more ſure of death without a pardon, then al we are out of Gods fauour, and ſure of damnation, vnleſſe we procure Gods fauour again, by faith and repentance,

For the better opening of this third rule, and the manifeſting of the truth: let vsus know further, that the curſe of God, vnderunder the which we are all borne, is three-fould.

The firſt, is a bondage vnderunder Sathan: It is a certaine truth that eueryevery man as he is borne of his Parents, and till hee repent, is a ſlaue of Sathan: man or woman, high or low, Sathan is his Lord p. 36and Maiſter. Hee ſittes as iudge in his heart; and in this ſence Sathan is the King of the Nations, and God of the world. Men will in wordes defie Sathan, and not name him without defiance, and ſpitte at him; and yet (alas,) hee is in their hearts: they ſpit him out of their mouthes, but hee is lower; they ſhould alſo ſpitte him out of their hearts, and that is true defiance indeede: for alas, hee lodgeth in thy heart, and there he makes his Throne, and raignes vntill the ſpirit of regeneration diſpoſſeſſe him: and till then, no ſeruant is ſo ſubiect to his maiſter, no ſlaue to his Lord, as is the heart of man by nature vntounto Sathan, the prince of darkneſſe. Nay, our bondage, is more fearefull, then the ſlauery of any poore Chriſtian, in the Spaniards, or in the Turkes Gallies: 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, p. 37who is the King of crueltie, and confuſion, and Lord of Hell, whoſe commaundements are Iniuſtice, whoſe ſeruice is ſinne, and whoſe hyre is damnation.

The ſecond part of the Curſe, is the firſt death, or the death of the body: that is, a ſeparation of the ſoule and body a ſunder for a time, namely, till the laſt iudgement. This death is duly and iuſtly the puniſhment of any one, or the leaſt ſinne: therefore, how due and iuſt a puniſhment vponupon 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 hel, and the downfall to 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 gracious and glorious bleſſing, for it is altered by Chriſt his death. But vntounto all men by nature, and which repent not, it is the heauy curſe of Gods wrath, and the very downfall into the gulfe of Hell.

p. 38The thirde part of the curſe, vnderunder which eueryevery man is borne, is, the ſecond death: the death of ſoule and bodie; which is the eternall want of Gods preſence, and the accompliſhment of his wrath: and an apprehenſion and feeling of that wrath, ſeazing on body, ſoule, and conſcience. The firſt curſe, was a ſpirituall death; the death of the ſoule, The ſecond a temporarie death, the death of the body. 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 torments: and I ſhewe it thus. Often when thy tooth acheth, and ſometime when thy head acheth, or in the paine of the ſtone or collicke, thou wouldeſt giuegive all that thou haſt in the world to bee eaſed of that paine: Nay, in the exſtremitie of ſome fitts, many will wiſh them-ſelues euen out of the world: Now, if the paine of one tooth, can ſo farre diſtemper minde and body, that p. 39it cannot bee releiued with all the pleaſures of this life; O 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 body, and conſcience, and that not for a time, vnderunder hope of better: but eternally without hope of releaſe; and that not in this world, where there are comforts, helpes and remedies: but in that vgly and darkſome place of torments: and that not amongſt liuing men, which might mittigate thy paine, or elſe bemone thee, and beway leit with thee: but with the Diuels, and damned ſpirits, which will now laugh at thy deſtruction, and ſolace themſelues in this thy miſery, and will reioyce, as thou dideſt ſerue them in earth, ſo now in hel to be thy tormēters. It may be therfore (by the way), good warning and wiſedome to vsus all, when we feele the extremity of ſome bodily paine, to conſider with our ſelues, and ſay: O then, what ſhall be my miſery and torment p. 40if I repent not; when not one member, but ſoule, bodie, and conſcience, ſhall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehenſion of the anger of the Lord of Hoſtes.

In theſe three points, ſtands that curſe and wrath of God, vnderunder which eueryevery man is borne. And theſe doe anſwer 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 three-fold guiltineſſe. Firſt, a guiltineſſe of Adams ſinne. Secondly, the taint of originall, and vniuerſal corruption. Thirdly a pollution by many outragious actuall ſinnes. In the firſt of theſe, eueryevery man is equally guiltie. In the ſecond, eueryevery man is equally corrupt. But in the third, eueryevery one keepes that compaſſe, within which the Lord wil keepe them, by his limitting power.

Now as in our guiltineſſe of Adams ſinne, ſin hath his beginning: In originall ſinne, his continuance: in actuall ſin, his perfection: So anſwerable herevnto, the wrath of God (which alwaies p. 41ſtandeth oppoſite to ſinne) is begun in leauing vsus by nature to the ſlauerie of Sathan, is continued by death, and is accompliſhed in damnation.

And now theſe three Rules, I commend to the carefull & Chriſtian conſideration of you all: certifying you from God, that as you can neuer bee ſaued, vnleſſe you repent: nor repent, vnleſſe you Search your ſelues (as here the Prophet bid deth) So, that you can neuer ſearch your ſelues aright, til you bee perſwaded, and reſolued of theſe three Rules, and of the truth of them all, euen in your hearts and conſciences: namely, Firſt, that thou art guiltie of Adams ſin. Secondly, that thou art prone by nature to al 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. 42of thy ſelfe, as theſe three Rules hauehave deſcribed thee: then if thou Search into thy ſelfe, thou wilt finde thy ſelfe, and thy eſtate to be ſuch, as will cauſe thee to repent, returne and take a new courſe: therefore, what the Prophet ſayd to thoſe Iewes, I ſay vntounto you alſo, my brethren of this Realme of England, who are here now gathered together out of ſo many countries, & 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 do, or not to doe it: but know it, that God commandes you, as euer you will come to ſaluation: Search your ſelues. And the rather, becauſe by theſe three Rules▪ you ſee how much chaffe of corruption is in your nature, and what neede therefore it hath to bee 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 proue nothing but p. 43Chaffe at the laſt day, and ſo be blown away with the winde of Gods iuſtice into Hell. Take hold therefore 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 lie cankering and rotting in thy heart? Bee ſure that that little portion of grace, which thou attaineſt vntounto, by liuing in the Church, and vnderunder the Miniſtrie of the Word of GOD, will bee putrifyed, and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy ſinnes: therefore againe, and againe, I exhort 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 conceits of Gods fauour before wee hauehave it: that ſo this Chaffe being blowne away, the Lord may then beſtow vponupon vsus foundneſſe of grace, & the foundation of al goodnes, which is a holy & humbled heart.

p. 44Salnation is ſuch a building, as the foundation thereof had need to be ſure and ſtrong: Ignorance, blindneſſe, and preſumption, are not ſufficient foundations for ſuch a building: therefore as no man wil build a ſtrong houſe vponupon any earth, but will firſt ſearch it, leaſt it prooue Sandie, & ſo ouerthrow all: So a wiſe Chriſtian will not build his ſaluation, vponupon fancies & 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, wil refuſe them all, and labour to furniſh his heart with ſuch ſound grace, as whervpon he may truſt ſo weighty a work, as is the Saluation of his ſoule. Againe, if thou wilt ſtand in the day of triall, then Search thy heart betime, and diſcerne betwixt Chaffe & Wheat: thou ſeeſt, that chaffe flyeth away before the wind; but good corne indures the Fan, and the furie of the wind: ſo in the day of triall, temptation, ſickneſſe, or open p. 45perſecution, the chaffe of natural preſumption, and outward formalitie in Religion, wil flye away: and it muſt be the penitent, humbled, and beleeuing heart, which muſt then abide it out, and endure the fanne of temptations and perſecutions.

And to conclude, Let not the Diuell deceiue thee, in making thee imagine or hope to pleaſe God, and yet to let thy corruptions lie vnſeene, and thy ſins vnſearched out, leaſt thereby thou marre all: for thou vſeſt not to lay vp-wheat in thy garners, vntil it be purged from the Chaffe: ſo thinke not to ſtore vp any ſauing knowledge, or any other grace of God in thy heart, vntill the chaffe of vanitie be firſt blowne away, that ſo the holy graces of God, may be layd vp in the garners of thy ſoule. And therefore queſtionleſſe (to ſpeake one word to touch our common profeſſors, in the very ſore of their ſoule) al knowledge that is ſtored vp in theſe impure and vnſearched hearts: is euen as Wheat layd vp in the Chaffe, which p. 46is (a thouſand to one) ſure to bee eaten vp by the chaffe, ſo that, when the winnowing time of tryall and perſecution comes: I feare, that ſuch men will (for al their knowledge) ſhrinke aſide, and betray the truth: there knowledge then prouing no better then chaffe, becauſe it was layde vp in an vnholy heart: If therefore, thou wouldeſt ſtand and endure when Poperie, or perſecution, or temptations come, if thou wouldeſt abide the furie of the fanne of temptations: now, then exerciſe thy heart with the fanne of GODS law, Search and ranſacke it, purge out the chaffe of corruption, and ſtore vp knowledge in an holy 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 he did with Peter, to winnow vsus like Wheate, to ſift and trie vsus, as he did Iob, with the furious winde of all his mallice: this knowledge will proue Wheate, that will abide the winde, and gold that will abide p. 47the fire: thus glorious will it be in the ende, if we follow this holy Prophets councel, and Search our hearts.

And thus much for the firſt point (namely) the dutie of Searching heere commanded, in which wee hauehave ſtayed the longer, becauſe it is the foundation of all the reſt: and this being wel laid, the whole building wilt goe vp the faſter.

Now we come to the ſecond general point here laid down: that is, whom muſt we Search? the Prophet aunſwereth: your ſelues not other mē, but your ſelues. This ſearch ſo vrged and inforced by the Prophet, muſt not be of other mens hearts and 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 eueryevery ſoule muſt bee ſaued by it ſelfe ſo muſt it beleeue, Repent, and ſearch it ſelfe.

p. 48The dutie therefore here commanded, is, for eueryevery man that would hauehave his ſoule to be ſaued, to Search it, and reforme it, and leaue others to bee ſearched by themſelucs. Here the holy Ghoſt meetes 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 hearts, and liues, they are blinder then Moles: they can ſee moates in other mens liues, but diſcerne not beames in their owne: wherby it comes to paſſe, that they ſtumble and fall fowly: for the eies of moſt men are ſet vponupon others, & not vponupon them ſelues: and thereupon it is, that an euil, man ſeeing other men, & not himſelfe: thinkes beſt of himſelfe, & worſt of other men: but contrariwiſe, a good man ſeeing himſelfe, & not other men, thinkes worſt of himſelfe, and better of other men: an euil man lookes outward, and iudgeth other men: but a good mā lookes homeward & iudgeth himſelfe: and in iudging, condemnes p. 49himſelfe, farre aboue other men: and that becauſe by ſearching into his own heart and wayes, hee knowes that by himſelfe, which he knowes not, by any man in the world beſides.

So then we muſt ſearch, not other men, but our ſelues: our owne hearts and our owne liues are our charge, and burthen: the liues of other men concerne vsus not, being priuate mē, further thē, either to follow them being good, or take heede of them being euil: but to ſearch, or to bee inquiſitiue into them, is no dutie commaunded vsus, but rather a foule & a baſe vice forbidden of God. Indeede Magiſtrates in their people, Paſtours in their congregations, and houſe-holders in their families are to ſearch: but they can ſearch onelyonly for criminall cauſes, or open actuall ſinnes: but this ſearching muſt bee of our hearts, which no man can ſearch, but our ſelues onelyonly. Few men hauehave a calling to enquire into other mens liues, but eueryevery man hath a calling to ſearch into himſelfe: but (alas) men p. 50doe farre otherwiſe, they ſuffer themſelues to rotte in their owne ſinnes, and erect an Inquiſition ouer other mens liues, & it is to be ſeene in dayly experience, that thoſe men, who are the great Searchers and priers 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 do with themſelues that they little buſie themſelues, with other men.

And thus much may ſuffice for that point.

It 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: & yet for al that, they are bid to ſearch themſelues, that ſo vponupon their Repentance, they might bee beloued. Where, wee p. 51may ſee the vnſpeakable louelove of God, and his wonderfull merciemercy, 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 others: but euen of his owne merciemercy, makes them worthy, who of themſelues are not: therefore how worthy is that God, to hauehave all the louelove of our hearts, who loued vsus, when wee were not worthy to be beloued.

But let vsus examine more particularly, why GOD doth call the Iewes a Nation, not worthy to bee beloued: I anſwere, God had bleſſed them aboue other Nations: He gaue them his Couenant of grace, and thereby made them his people, & commited to their truſt, his holy word and Oracles: but Rom. 3. 2.Rom 3:2he delt not ſo with other Nations, neither had the Heathē knowledge of his lawes. Beſides all this, they had a better Pſal. 143. 20.Ps 143:20land then others about them, it flowed with Milke, and Honie, (that is, with all commodities, & delights) p. 52and though their Countrie was but little: yet themſelues ſo populous, and ſo powrefull, that whileſt they pleaſed GOD, no enemie durſt ſet vppon them.

Thus for ſoule and bodie, 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? Certainly, 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, with rebellion, and with diſobedience. They tempted him, they prouoked him to wrath, they preſumed of his mercy, & proued a moſt ſtubborne and ſtifnecked people, a froward generation: Moſes partly ſawe this in his owne experience, & better diſcerned it in the ſpirit of Propheſie: and therefore wondering at this their wickednes, he cryed out, Do you thus requite the Lord: O fooliſh people, & vnwiſe? p. 53Deut. 32. 5Deut 32:5thus: that is with ſin, & diſobedience, which is the only 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 to bee beloued, namely, for their vnthankefulnes, and vnkindnes: which was ſuch, as they not only were ſlacke, and careleſſe in performance of ſuch duties as God required: but euen multiplyed their ſinnes, & committed thoſe foule 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 bee beloued. Couetouſneſſe, Crueltie, and Deceite: all which were the more hainous and intollerable, becauſe they were the ſins of their Princes, their Rulers, and their prieſts: who ſhould hauehave beene lights and examples to the reſt.

Now, although eueryevery ſin in it ſelfe, is of that ill deſert, as it is able to caſt vsus p. 54out of Gods fauour, and depriue vsus of his louelove: yet, behold, here God complaines, not vponupon a little cauſe, but for wonderfull, & exceeding vnthankfulneſſe, & vnkindneſſe in them: who of all other ſhould hauehave loued the Lord.

As a man cares not for hard vſage from him, whome hee eſteemes not: but a little vnkindneſſe doth greatly greiue a man, from him who is loued and reſpected: ſo is it with the Lord our God, he loued not the Gentiles, as hee did the Iewes, neither was hee ſo bountifull vntounto them: and therefore, Pſal. 147. Acts 17. verſe. 30.Ps 147Acts 17:30(as we may ſee) though they liued alwayes in ignorance, and continued alwayes in diſobedience, yet, the Text ſaith, the time of that ignorance God regarded not: but when as the Iewes, his owne people, whome he choſe out of all people, & beſtowed his louelove vponupon them, and made his Couenant of grace with thē, when they became vnkinde, vnthankfull, forgetfull, ſtubborne, and rebellious, that cauſed the Lord euen to complaine of the indignitie, p. 55and to cry out by Moſes. Doe yee thus requite the Lord: O fooliſh people & vnwiſe? And hereby the Prophet, O nation, not worthy to be beloued: & therfore ther is no man, but if he be asked what he thinkes of this Nation of the Iewes: he will anſwere, that they are a moſt vile & wicked people, a froward generation, and that they are worthy to taſte deepely, of all Gods plagues, who ſo farre abuſed his louelove and merciemercy.

But what doth this belong to them alone? and is Iſrael onelyonly a Nation not worthy to be 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 we hauehave beene as vnkinde a people to him, as they were to him: But that I may bee free from diſcrediting our nation, and from defiling my owne Neſt: let vsus prooue both theſe points, and lay them open to the view of the world.

1 Firſt therefore, the ſame mercies, p. 56and farre greater, hauehave beene powred & heaped vponupon vsus: hee hath called vsus out of the darkneſſe; Firſt, of Heatheniſme, & then of Poperie: 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, wee inioy not in ſecret, or by ſtealth: but wee hauehave it countenanced by authoritie: ſo that religion is not barely allowed, but euen as it were thruſt vponupon men. Beſides al this, wee hauehave a land alſo, that floweth with milke & hony, it is plentifull in all good things: we hauehave libertie, & peace vnderunder a peaceable prince, and the companions of peace: proſperitie, plentie, health, wealth, corne, Woole, gold, ſiluer, abundance of all things, that may pleaſe the heart of p. 57man: thus hath God deſerued the louelove of England.

2 But now England, how haſt thou requited this kindneſſe of the Lorde? certainely euen with a greater meaſure of vnkindneſſe: that is, with more and greater ſinnes then euer Iſraell 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 Iſraell for three ſins: then may it bee ſaide of England, for 300 ſinnes (O England) a Nation not worthie to bee beloued: for thou haſt multiplyed thy tranſgreſſions, aboue theirs of Iſraell; euen as though, thou haddeſt reſolued with thy ſelfe, the more Gods kindneſſe is heaped on thee, the more to multiply thy ſinnes againſt him. For thou England, as thou haſt requited the Lord with ſinnes; ſo not with a few ſinnes or ſmall ſinnes; or ſinnes, which hardly coulde hauehave bene preuented: for that had bene a matter of ſome excuſe, or not of ſo p. 58great complaint. But thy ſinnes 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 we ought malitiouſly to requite him.

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

The common ſins of England, wherwith the Lord is requited, are theſe. Firſt, 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 meanes) but wilfull, and affected ignorance. Men are ignorant, euen becauſe, they will bee ignorant. Meanes of knowledge were neuer ſo plentifull, and yet neuer more groſſe ignorance: is not hee wilfully blinde, who will not open his eyes in the Light? and can there bee any darkneſſe p. 59at Noone day, but it muſt bee wilfull? but our Nation is darke and blinde in the Sunſhine of the Goſpell: and groſſely ignorant, when the Goſpell beates their eares, and light ſhines round about them; ſo, as if they cloſed not their eyes, and ſtopped not their eares, they could not, but both heare & ſee; who would looke for ignorance after 35 yeares preaching? & yet, many are as ignorant, as if they had bin borne & brought vp vnderunder Poperie: ſo that our people are as euill as thoſe in the dayes of Chriſt, of whom the holy ghoſt ſaith Light is come into the world; but men louelove Iohn. 3. 1…John 3:1darkneſſe more then light: ſo knowledge is come into England: but many Engliſhmen louelove ignorance better then knowledge. Alas, how many thouſands hauehave we in our Church, who know no more in religiō, then they heare in common talke of al men, & which is worſe, they thinke it ſufficient alſo, and which is worſt of all, whereas they might hauehave more, they will not, but care not for it.

p. 602 The ſecond maine ſin of England, is: Contempt of Chriſtian Religion. Religion hath bin among vsus theſe fiue and thirtie yeares: but the more it is publiſhed, the more it is contemned, and reproached of many: in ſo much, as there is not the ſimpleſt fellow in a country town, who, although he knowes not one point of religion, yet he can mock, and ſcorne ſuch as are more religious then himſelf is: this is one of the moaths of England, that eates vp religion, this is grieuous in whomſoeuer, but moſt intollerable in two ſorts of men. Firſt, in them, who are altogether ignorant: that they ſhould mocke they know not what. A pittifull thing to hear one, who himſelfe cannot giuegive the meaning of one petition in the Lords praier, 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: and are indeede of the better ſort: cannot abide to ſee others go, a little before them: but if they doe: preſently, p. 61they are Hypocrites and diſſemblers: Thus not prophaneneſſe, nor wickedneſſe; but euen Religion it ſelfe is a by-word, a mocking-ſtocke, and matter of 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 he liued among the enimies of religion, and not among profeſſors: 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, wee ſhould rather praiſe him all the dayes of our liues. All that God can giuegive a man in this world, is his Goſpell: what then can God giuegive to be regarded, when his goſpel is contemned?

This ſinne was neuer amongſt the Iewes: they indeed regarded it not ſo as it deſerued, but who did euer make a mocke and a ſcorne of it but England? p. 62O England, how canſt thou anſwere this. God ſends thee the moſt precious Iewell, that he can ſend to a Nation; and thou ſcorneſt it, and them that bring i…, and them that receiue it; euen as though it were no bleſſing, but a curſe: ſo that as Chriſt ſaith to the Iewes, for which of my good workes doe you ſtone mee; So may the Lord ſay to Iohn. 10. 32.John 10:32England: I hauehave giuen thee a fruitfull land, a bleſſed Prince, gold and ſiluer, peace and libertie: plentie and proſperitie: for which of theſe (O England) doeſt thou contemne my religion? The leaſt of theſe deſerue louelove; but England hath a better then all theſe; that is, his Goſpell and word of ſaluation: and yet, that alſo is contemned (as beeing nothing worth) and thoſe which confeſſe it, and thoſe that bring it, and conſequently God himſelfe that gaue it. If England had no more ſinnes but this: this deſerues, that it ſhould bee ſaide of vsus, that wee are a Nation vnworthy to bee loued aboue all Nations, for ſome Nations would hauehave religion, that they p. 63might louelove it, but they cannot hauehave it: ſome hauehave it, and doe louelove it: ſome hauehave it, and louelove it not: but in noe Nation is it made a mocking-ſtocke, but in England. And where are thoſe men, but in England, who (like the dog in the manger) will neither 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 maieſty: neither is there any ſinne that more certainly foreſhewes, and more forceably haſtens the remouing of the Goſpell from vsus. For high time is it to ceaſe louing, wher louelove procures diſdaine. And to ſtay giuing, where giftes are ſcorned.There were then preſent inhabitants of London, Yorke, Cambridge, Oxford. Norwich, Briſtow, Ipſwich colcheſter Worceſter, Hull, Lin, Mancheſter.

Carry home this leſſon to your great townes & cities, where you dwel, for in theſe populous places are theſe great mockers, for wher God hath his profeſſors, the diuel hath his mockers; & repēt betimes of this ſin, for hold on in mocking, & be ſure that God (who will not be mocked) will remoue his goſpel frō you; but if you leaue this ſin, and entertaine the goſpel, (as it worthily deſerus) p. 64then be ſure of it, God will continue Kendal, Couentry, Nottingham, Northampton, Bathe, Lincolne, Durby, Leiceſter, Cheſter. Newcaſtle, and of many other moſt populous cities and townes. of Englandthe Goſpell, to you, and your poſterities after you, in the face of al your enemies round about you.

3 The third common ſinne of Englande, is, Blaſphemie, many waies, but eſpecially in vaine ſwearing, falſe ſwearing, and forſwearing, and the abuſe of all the names and tytles of the Lord God. This ſinne is general, euen ouer the whole land, eſpecially, in Fayres, and Markets, where men for a little gaine, wil not care to cal 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 holy 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, and leſſe abuſed, then that fearefull and glorious name: the Lord our God.

4 The fourth generall and great ſinne is, Prophanation of the Saboath. A p. 65common ſinne eueryevery where, and yet ſo great a ſinne, that where it raignes, in that Country, congregation, family, man or woman, there is noe feare of God, nor any true grace in them: for the keeping of the ſaboath, is the maintaining, increaſing, and publiſhing of religion.

5 The fift ſinne of our Nation, is, vniuſt dealing in bargaining betwixt man and man. How hard is it to finde an honeſt, ſimple, plaine dealing man: and that euen in ſuch great aſſemblies as this is, I feare preſent experience wil teſtifie: you are now many thouſands gathered together, ſome to buy, ſome to ſell, ſome to exchange: Remember, that I hauehave tolde you, an honeſt hearted and plaine dealing man is hard to finde: therfore labour to approue your ſelues ſincere hearted men. remember the counſell of the holy Ghoſt: Let no man oppreſſe nor defraude his brother, in bargaining: for the Lord is the auenger of all ſuch things Theſe ſinnes are generall and vniuerſall as a cancker: And ſo p. 66are the ſinnes of the 6. 7. and 8. Commandements (though they be not altogether ſo cōmon as theſe be) Murthers, Adulteries, Vſuries, Briberies, Extorſions, Couſenages, they are a burthen, vnderunder which, our earth groanes; and they cry againſt vsus to heauen, ſo that vponupon as good or much beter cauſe may it be ſaid 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 moſt beautifull Church, a glorious Nation, a Nation to bee admired, and wondred at: but looke at the liues of our ordinarie profeſſors, looke at our ſinnes, and at our requiting of Gods louelove: and we are a people of Sodome, as full of iniquities as they were, whoſe ſinnes are ſo many, ſo rife, and ſo ripe; that at the laſt they wil euē bring down fire & brimſtone, or ſome other ſtrange iudgement vponupon vsus, if repentance doe not preuent it, or the cries and prayers p. 67of holy men ſtay not Gods hands. So, then let vsus all here aſſembled, grant & confeſſe, that we are a Nation ſo farre from being worthy to bee beloued, as that we are moſt worthy to be hated, & to hauehave all the wrath of God powred vponupon vsus.

Now then, are we 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 duty, enter into our ſelues, Search our hearts and liues, that they may lye open to our owne ſight, to the confuſion of vsus in our ſelues, that in God by repentance wee may bee raiſed vp.

Our ſinnes lye open before the face of God, and ſtincke in his preſence, and and cry for vengeance: and before the face of Gods Angels, who bewaile it, and before the face of the Diuell, who reioyceth in our confuſions: and ſhall they lye hid onelyonly to our ſelues? Now then, if wee would hauehave them hidde from God, and ſtoppe the cry, that they make againſt vsus, and keepe them p. 68from Sathan, who accuſeth vsus for them: wee muſt ſo Search our ſelues, that they may lye open to our owne hearts: remember thou thy ſinnes, and God will forget them: lay them open before thy owne face, and God will hide them from his: write them vp for thy owne ſelfe, and God will blot them out of his remembrance: but if contrariwiſe, thou hideſt them: then aſſure thy ſelfe, the more thou hideſt, and 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 thy eternall confuſion. Therefore againe, and againe, I exhort you in the name of GOD, Search your ſelues, finde out your ſinnes, confeſſe them to GOD, freely, and ingeniouſly; confeſſe their deſert to bee Hell and damnation, humble your hearts to God, cry and call for pardon, as for life and death, purpoſe and promiſe to leaue them, begin a new courſe of life, beleeue ſtedfaſtly, and doubt not p. 69of pardon and forgiueneſſe in the blood of Chriſt, continue in that faith, and that newe courſe of life: So may Englande preuent Gods iudgements, and quench that great action of vnkindnes, which God hath againſt them, and become a Nation as worthy (vponupon their faith and repentance) in Chriſt to be beloued: as for their peace and proſperitie, they hauehave bene of all nations of the earth admired.

Hitherto, of the third generall point.

4 The fourth generall point in this exhortation, is the time limitted them, when they ſhould Search. Before the Decree come forth &c. As though the Prophet ſhould ſay. Iſraell, repent, before God execute his iudgements on thee. For behold the gratious dealing of God: Man ſinneth, his ſinnes deſerue plagues: but GOD preſently plagueth not, but deferres it, he puts a time betwixt the ſinne and the puniſhment (ordinarily:) this he doth to ſhew his p. 70merciemercy to mankinde, becauſe that hee would not deſtroy them, if they would amende. Therefore, after the ſinne, he ſmites not preſently, but puttes of his puniſhment, that in the meane time man may Repent. Here the Prophet compares the Lord to a mother; for as ſhe conceiues the fruite in her wombe, and beares it a long time, ere ſhe bring it out: ſo the Lord after a mans ſinnes, or a peoples ſinnes, conceiue (that is) ordaines, and decreeth a iudgement for it, but he keepes it vp, and all that while he heares it: But as ſhe, when her time is come, then trauailes and bringes forth: ſo, when the time that God hath appointed, is come, and ſtil ſinne is not repented of: then his iuſtice trauailes to be deliuered of that iudgemēt, which mercy hath kept vp ſo long a time. Thus the old world had an hundred & twentie yeares giuen them for time of repentance; all that while God was in conceiuing, at laſt when there ſinnes were ripe, and no hope of amendment: then GOD trauelled, and brought p. 71forth a fearefull byrth, namely the vniuerſall flood, to waſh away, and take reuenge vponupon the vniuerſall iniquities of thoſe times. So many hundred yeares he gaue vntounto the Iewes, long hee was in conceiuing their deſtruction, and oftentimes hee had it at the bringing forth, as in the captiuitie of Babylon, and vnderunder Antiochus; yet his mercy ſtayed it: and ſtill hee trauailled longer: telles them here by the Prophet, that yet the Decree is not come forth, (though it bee conceiued:) but at laſt when Iſraell would not Repent, but grewe worſe, and worſe; (as in Chriſt his time) then hee could containe no longer, but trauelled indeede, and though it bee with griefe, yet hee hath brought foorth: and what? a moſt fearefull byrth, euen an vtter diſolation of that kingdome and Countrey, of their Citie, and Temple, and a diſpertion of their Nation ouer all the world: but as a woman at laſt is deliuered with daunger, and difficultie, with paine and ſorrowe: p. 72ſo the Lord long conceiues, but at laſt bringes forth his iudgements: yet it is with griefe and vnwillingneſſe, and hee is loath (as it were) and much agrieued to execute his moſt iuſt iudgements on thoſe, who hauehave profeſſed his name: hee often touched the Iewes a little, and as being vnwilling to ſmite them: hee drue backe his hande againe: but at laſt when their ſinnes did ſo increaſe, and were ſo ſtrong, that they euen did wring out, by violence his plagues from him, then with much bewayling of their great miſery (as wee may ſee in Chriſt, weeping for them,) hee executes his iudgements on them. But as they are long a comming: ſo, when they come forth, they were the heauier; as a child, the more fulneſſe of time it hath, is the greater, the liuelier, and the ſtronger: ſo, Gods iudgements, the longer God deferreth them, and is in conceiuing them, the heauier are they, when they come: that is manifeſt in the Iewes▪ once his owne people, for he hath deſtroyed p. 73their land with an irrecouerable deſtruction, and ſmitten their poſteritie with a blindnes of minde til this houre, ſo that to this day, when the old Teſtament is read, the vaile is ouer their eies, that they cannot ſee the light of Chriſt Ieſus, but plodde on in fearefull and palpable blindneſſe.

This Doctrine hath ſpeciall vſe to this our Church, to teach vsus to looke to our ſelues betimes, and try our owne wayes, and turne to the Lord, for wee cannot tell how farre of his iudgments are: in reaſon they muſt needs be near, they hauehave beene ſo long deferred, and yet beene ſo iuſtly deſerued of vsus. Certainly God hath long beene in conceiuing iudgements and plagues for the ſinnes of England, and often hath Gods hand beene vpō vsus by warre▪ famine, peſtilence, inundations: and yet it hath been puld backe againe: and his ſword hath beene put vp into his ſheath, and God hath ſtayed his birth euen in the very trauell, and we hauehave eſcaped, euen as a man, whoſe necke p. 74hath beene vponupon the blocke, and the Axe holden vp to ſtrike: ſo then, yet the day is not come, yet we hauehave time: happie wee that euer wee ſaw this day, if now wee hauehave grace to repent, and ſearch our hearts, for then wee ſhall ſtay this Iudgement decreed, that it ſhall neuer come forrth againſt vsus: but if we deferre to repent, & put off from day to day, and lye rotting ſtill in our ſinnes: then know and be aſſured that as the Decree is eſtabliſhed, ſo it muſt needes come foorth: and then, when iudgement is come forth, & the ſtroke ſtricken, Repentance is too late: therefore what he ſaid to the Iewes, I ſay vntounto vsus, Search thy ſelfe, O England, (a Nation not worthy to be beloued) before the Decree come forth, which is already paſt againſt thee.

Thus much for the fourth point.

5 Now followeth the laſt point: the reaſon of all. Why ſhould we ſearch our ſelues? The reaſon is included in the p. 75fourth point: For there is a Decree come forth againſt thee. And though the execution be deferred, and though God be vnwilling to take it out, yet without Repentance, it is moſt certaine, it ſhall come foorth and bee 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 words to feare men, and to keepe them in awe. I aunſwere, for the proofe and experience hereof, neuer goe further, then this place, and preſent example wee hauehave in hand: the Prophet bids them Search, Search, and repent, elſe, as certainly, as there was a iudgemēt conceiued, ſo certainly it ſhould be executed vponupon thē: they would not heare, nor Search, nor repent: but what followed; let all mē iudge whether God is not true, of his word 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 p. 76yeares and a halfe, the gazing ſtocke, the by word, and the amazement of all the world.

Thus was it threatned to the Iewes, and thus it is performed: and certainly thus hath it beene threatned, & thus ſhall it be performed to thee, O England, except thou preuent the iudgements that are comming: O happy England, that I may ſay to thee, it is yet but comming. For as for the miſerable Iewes: vponupon them (alas) it is come already: to thoſe poore ſoules it can bee ſaid no more, Repent before the Decree come forth: for it is now paſt: but thou art happie, for thy day is not yet come: yet I may ſay to thee: Repent before the Decree come forth: and O happie England, that thou mayeſt heare this worde: (Before) ſounding in thine eares. Therefore my beloued brethren, who are heare aſſembled out (almoſt) of eueryevery corner of this kingdom, heare my words: and carry them home with you into al countries. God is the ſame God ſtill, as iuſt, and p. 77as iealous, as euer hee was: our ſinnes are as ill, nay, much viler then the Iewes were: how can it be then, but that muſt fall to vsus that fell to them? therefore the zeale of Gods glorie, and my deſire of your ſaluations, make mee, that I dare not flatter: but tell you the truth: that is, that out of all queſtion, if we ſearch not our ſelues & repent, there is a generall iudgement in preparing for vsus: certainely the Decree is out, and what can ſtop the execution of it, but Repentance: God hath long ſpared, and hee hath been long in trauelling, therefore (though nothing can be ſaid in way of propheſie) I am in my conſcience perſwaded to feare, and that out of infallible grounds of the word of God, that a plague, and a iudgement, and that moſt fearefull, hangs ouer England: & that it is alreadie pronounced vponupon this Nation, and ſhall be as certainely executed, without a viſible reformation: and becauſe I may ſeeme to ſpeak ſomewhat at large, giuegive mee leaue to giuegive you the reaſons inducing mee p. 78hereunto.

1 Firſt, the Goſpel hath beene preached theſe fiue and thirtie yeares, and is daily more and more, ſo that, the light thereof neuer ſhone more gloriouſly, ſince the Primitiue Church: yet for al this, there is a general ignorance, generall of all people, generall of all points, yea, as though there were no preaching at all: yea, when Poperie was newly baniſhed, there was more knowledge in many, then is now in the body of our Nation: and the more it is preached, the more ignorant are many, the more blinde, and the more hardened (euen as a Stithi… (the more it is beaten vponupon, 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 deafer they are: & the more they are commanded, the more they diſobey. We Preachers may cry, till our Lunges flie out, or bee ſpent within vsus, and men are mooued no more then ſtones, O alas, what is this, or what p. 79can this bee: but a fearefull ſigne of diſtruction? Will any man endure alwayes to bee mocked, then how long hath God beene mocked? Will any man endure to ſtand knocking continually? If then God hath ſtood knocking at our hearts fiue & thirtie yeares: is it not now time to bee gone, vnleſſe we open preſently?

But, if we wil know what this argueth, to contemne the Goſpel, and not to repent, when the word is ſo abundantly preached: read the Storie of Ely his wicked ſonnes. Hee ſpake vntounto them, and gaue them godly counſaile, but they hearkened not vntounto the 1. Sam. 2. 13.1 Sam 2:13voyce of their Father: But will ſome ſay, that is no great matter, not to heare their Father is a common thing: but marke what followeth. They would not beare their Father, becauſe the Lord would 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.

p. 80If therefore Ely, and many Elyes hauehave ſpoken to England, and England heares not, England obeyeth not, England repents not: take heed the Lord in heauē ſay not, England will not heare the voyce of the Prophets, becauſe I will deſtroy it. Let no man ſay, wee take vponupon vsus to propheſie: wee onelyonly giuegive warning, and ſhewethe daunger, by example of the like.

My ſecond reaſon is this. One iudgement executed: and not working Repentance, is alwayes a fore-runner of another, that Rule is certaine, and an euident truth, and needs no prouing. Now; we hauehave beene viſited with Famines, Earthquakes, peſtilences, inundations, Thunder & lightning in winter, and moſt ſtrange & vnſeaſonable weather: but alas, all theſe hauehave taken no effect: where is the humiliation, repentance and reformation which they hauehave wrought? therefore it muſt needs bee, there remaines behinde a greater iudgement. Men may be ſo madde to thinke theſe to be ordinary things, and p. 81to come by courſe of Nature, and ordinarie cauſes: but certainly, they are the ſhaking of the Rod, and fore-runners of a greater iudgement, vnleſſe Repentance cut of their courſe. For looke as one cloud followeth another, till the Sunne conſume them: ſo one iudgement haſtens after another, and repentance onelyonly is the Sunne, which muſt diſpel them.

3 Thirdly, it ſtands with the iuſtice of God, according as he hath reuealed it in the Scripture, eſpecially in Deut. 28. out of the whole Chapter, it muſt needs be gathered as a Rule. I wil curſe that people which breake my lawes: now we 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 and raigne eueryevery day more and more: therefore I conclude, that vnleſſe wee repent, and ſo diſſolue this cloude of iudgement, that hangs ouer our heads: it cannot be, but a moſt fearefull tempeſt is to come at the laſt, and when it is come, it will be p. 82too late to wiſh we had done it. Therefore in the bowels of Chriſt Ieſus, Let this be to intreate 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 already drawn out, but yet hath not ſtricken home, & may quench the wrath which is already kindled, but yet burns not out as it wil do, if by repentance we quench it not: & do this eueryevery one as you tender the ſaluatiō of your owne ſoules, & the continuance of the Goſpel to this glorions Nation, and the peace and proſperous ſtate of this Church & common wealth. For let men make what cauſes they will, it is certainely ſinfulneſſe that ouerturnes kingdomes, and changeth ſtates, as all theſe kingdomes and ſtates hauehave felt, who hauehave continued finally to contemne the Goſpel.

It followeth:

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

p. 83The Prophet proceedeth, & deſcribeth more plainely, the manner and ſtate of that plague, which God will ſend vponupon thē: 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 would not try your ſelues, and finding …ou vppon the tryall, not ſound wheat, but light chaff: blow you to hel with the winde of his wrath: the Metaphor which the Prophet vſeth is this, he compares the Lord to a husband man, great and rich, the whole world is his corne-field: ſeueral nations, (as this of ours for one,) are his heapes of Corne: but theſe heapes of corne be ful of chaf, that is, theſe particular Churches, are ful of hypocrites: now a wiſe husbandman letteth corne and chaffe lye together no longer, then til the winde doth blow, and then he appoints his fanning time to ſeuer his corne from his chaffe, and to blow away his chaffe, & lay vp his corne: ſo God, the great & wiſe husbandman, will not let the Chaffe p. 84lye for euer amongſt the Wheat, hee hath therefore appointed his fanning times, when to blow the Chaffe into hell, and to gather his wheat into heauenly garners.

Now 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 al… men) when the bad ſhall bee ſeuered from the good for euer, neuer to be mingled againe with thē, but by the ſtrong and powerfull fanne of his laſt and finall iudgement to be blowne into Hel: the winde of whoſe wrath, at that day, ſhall bee ſtronger to blow them all away, then al the winde in the world to blow 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 one of Gods fans. For when the Goſpell is preached to a Nation or Congregation, it fannes them, and tries them, & purgeth them, and ſo ſeuers them, that a man may ſee p. 85a manifeſt difference of the chaffe and the wheate, that is, of the godly man, and the wicked man: this preaching of the Goſpell, doth Iohn the Baptiſt, Matth. 3.Matt 3expreſly call a Fanne: where the holy Ghoſt purſueth this whole Metaphor, moſt plainely ſpeaking of Chriſt, hee ſaith; Whoſe Fanne is in his hand, and hee will …roughly purge his floore, and gather his w…eat into his garner, but the chaffe he will burne with fire vnquenchable. The winde of this fanne of the word preached is ſo ſtrong, as that 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 & torment, either in life or at death, which torment of conſcience is the very flaſhes of hell-fire.

But, when this firſt Fanne of the word, will not ſerue to bring men to repentance, p. 86(for the word preached, doth not confound a man actually, but only pronounce the ſentence, and thereby ſtrike the conſcience) 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, … the firſt will not preuaile, this … his powerfull and ſtrong fanne driuen about with the winde of his wrath, this fanne went ouer the olde world, and ſwept them all away, and went ouer the nation of the Iewes, and we ſee they are no more.

1 Theſe three fannes of God make a three-fold ſeparation of the Chaffe from the Wheate, that is, of the wicked from the elect: with the fanne of his word which is powerfull, he ſeuers them in affection, and diſpoſition, and makes a diſtinction of them, ſo, as generally the Wheate is knowne to be Wheate, and Chaffe diſcerned to be Chaffe, by the preaching of the word: p. 87but though the tare be knowne to bee tare, yet both grow together, ſo that the word onelyonly ſeuers them in affection, and ſets ſeueral notes of diſtinction vponupon them both.

2 But then the ſecond fanne of his Iudgements is more violent, for thereby, he ſeuereth them a ſunder in ſoule, gathering the godly men, as his wheat into the heauens, & blowing the ſoules of the wicked into hell: but yet the bodyes of them both lye 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, & great winnowing time, he then with the winde of his power, ſeuereth them a ſunder in ſoule and body. Wheate from the Chaffe, ſheepe from the Goates, & ſeparateth them, neuer to be mingled againe for euer & euer: and then with the winde of his wrath, he blowes the chaffe into p. 88fire vnquenchable, and with his louing fauour gathereth his wheate into the euerlaſting and glorious garners of heauen.

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

Now of theſe three winnowing times, the holy Ghoſt ſpeaketh here properly of the ſecond: namely the fan of Gods iudgements: ſo that, the meaning of the Metaphor is this: ſearch your ſelues and repent betimes, leaſt God come vponupon you with ſome fearefull iudgements: becauſe you hauehave ſo long contemned the fan of the word, and finding you too light to abide the try all, doe take you away in the iudgement, and caſt you into hell: for as ſure as the fan of the word hath made difference of you, which are 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.

p. 89Now for the vſe, for vsus in England, the caſe ſtands thus: Our church doubtleſſe is Gods corne field, & we are the corne heape of God: and thoſe Browniſles 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 cōfeſſe, we are ful of chaffe: that is, of prophane, & wicked Hypocrits, whoſe hearts and mindes abound in ſinnes and rebellions: and many of our beſt profeſſors are alſo too full of chaffe (that is) of corruptions, and doe giuegive themſelues too much libertie in many ſinnes: but alas, the pure wheate, how thinne is it ſcattered? howe hard to finde 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 we hauehave ſome pure wheat amongſt much chaffe, therefore God will winnow vsus, to find out the corne, if hee hauehave but one corne of wheat in a handfull of chaffe, but one good man p. 90of many, he will ſtirre all the heape for thoſe fewe cornes, hee will not care to blow all the chaffe to hell, to finde out thoſe fewe cornes of wheat, to lay them vp in heauen: ſo that out of all queſtion, England being ſo ful of chaffe, muſt look to be winnowed.

Nowe 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 worlde, 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: bee ſure therefore, that God will bring his ſecond Fanne vponupon vsus; becauſe wee will not ſuffer the firſt and the milde and gentle fanne of his word to try and ſearch vsus: therefore hee will bring the fearefull fanne of his iudgements, and with it, hee will blowe ſoule & body into hell, with thoſe our ſinnes & corruptions, which we would not ſuffer the Fanne of Gods worde to p. 91blowe from vsus. The firſt hath ſo long blowen in vaine, that the ſecond muſt needs come vponupon vsus, & it hath already begun to blow: three or four blaſts hauehave blown ouer vsus; famin, peſtilence, earthquakes, fire, water, winde, theſe hauehave ſo blowne ſome of vsus, that they hauehave taken away a great number of vsus. For vsus that remaine, this onelyonly remaines, that wee In the plagu at London there dyed ſome weeks almoſt 2000 a weeke in 92. but in 1603. there dyed 3300. in a weeke.ſtrengthen our ſelues by grace, to be able to ſtand againſt the next blaſt, for come it wil, & when it comes, no wealth nor worldly thing can inable vsus to endure it, onelyonly faith & repentance, & the grace of God will ſtand at that day. Now therefore, in that ſo feareful a fanning abideth vsus: ſeeing it is ſo neer (as appeareth by the blaſts already paſt ouer vsus, which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tēpeſt:) what ſhuld be our care (except wee care not to be blown body & ſoule into hel) but to labour to efchew this feareful fan of Gods wrath: or at leaſt, if it come vpō vsus, that it may not blow vsus to hell, but haſten vsus to heauen. It thy heart be touched to p. 92aske, how this may be: I anſwere thee, onelyonly 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: and to eſcape Gods iudgement, to be a iudge to thine owne ſoule: and ſo the way to eſcape the fearfull fanne of God, is to fanne thine own heart by the law of God. For whomſoeuer the firſt fanne (that is the word of God) doth worke vponupon: theſe men are neuer blowen away with the fanne of Gods iudgements. O then, entertaine the word of God into thy heart, ſubmit thy ſoule vntounto it, let it pearce, & try, and ranſacke thy heart, and lay before thee thy wretched eſtate by thy ſinnes, and when thou ſeeſt thynakedneſſe and miſery, confeſſe it, bewayle it, be humbled for it, cry & call for mercy and forgiueneſſe; pray againſt thy ſpeciall ſinnes, ſtriue to purge them out as the poyſon of thy ſoule, craue grace from God againſt al thy ſinnes: and if thou ſeeſt any ſins more welcome to thy nature, more deere vntounto thee, and which more prevaile p. 93againſt thee, then others doe: pray againſt theſe ſinnes, and ſtriue againſt them aboue all: and endeuour, that by the fanne of Gods word, they may bee blowen away from thee. When thou haſt done this, then marke, what will come of it: when thou haſt fanned thy ſelfe, God will not fanne thee: but when the fanne of his iudgemēt comes; and bloweth ſo ſtrongly vponupon the wicked, then the Lord finding thee already 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 Sodom) or elſe ſhall fanne out all thy corruptions, and blow thee vp to heauen, to be laid vp as pure wheat in the heauenly garners, and manſions of glory, which Chriſt aſcended to prepare for thee.

Now then amongſt thoſe many buſineſſes, with which this world doth comber eueryevery one of vsus (all which ſhall periſh with the worlde it ſelfe) let vsus good brethren, ſpare ſome time for this p. 94great buſineſſe. Martha may be combred about many things, but this is that one thing, which is neceſſarie: therefore whatſoeuer is done, let not this bee 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 tryall: let the ten Commaundements paſſe vponupon them, and thy ſins and corruptiōs which thou findeſt to be chaffe, blow them away by repētance, ſo ſhalt thou remaine pure and cleane wheate, fit for the houſe and Church of God in this world, & for his kingdome in heauen. But, if we will not doe this, then alas, what wil follow? my heart grieueth to vtter it: but I muſt vnleſſe I ſhould be a falſe prophet: And therefore I wil. Our long peace, plentie, and eaſe, hauehave bred great ſinnes, ſo great that they reach to heauen, and prouoke Gods Maieſtie to his face, and ſo ſtrong, that they will violently drawe downe iudgments p. 95from God vponupon vsus: which when they come, they will bee ſo powerfull, and ſo violent, that they will blow vsus away like chaffe, and bring this kingdome to ſome miſerable ruine. O therefore how happy are wee, if we can entertaine this Doctrine, and practiſe it: for in ſo doing, we ſhall preuent Gods iudgements, wee ſhall continue the Goſpell to this land, and preſerue this glorious Nation from being deſtroyed or diſpeopled, by ſome fearefull iudgement.

Beloued, you come hither to this At Sturbridg faireplace, 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, & how to continue Gods fauour and the Goſpell to this Nation. If thou goe away with this leſſon, thou haſt a Iewel more worth, then p. 96if thou ſhouldeſt goe home poſſeſſed or 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 maiſt ſay, that this was the faireſt day in deede, that euer ſhon vponupon thee, ſince thou waſt borne. This pretious Iewell which I hauehave ſpoken of all this while, I heare offer vntounto thee. EueryEvery one brings hither ſome-thing to bee ſolde, this is the merchandize 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 the 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 deare and coſtly for thee: for I offer it freely vntounto you, and to eueryevery one of you, I pronounce vntounto you, from the p. 97Eſa. 55.Isa 55Lord, that here this bleſſed doctrine is offered vntounto you all, in his name, freely, and that you may buy it without money. Happie is that day when thou comming ſo farre to buy things for thy bodie, and paies ſo deare for them, doeſt meete with ſo pretious a Iewell, the vertue whereof, is to ſaue thy ſoule, and payeſt nothing for it. Thou maieſt 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 maintaine 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, we might aſſure our ſelues of the glorious proſperity of England, to cotinue from generatiō to generation: whereas alas, if we continue & go forward in our ſins▪ & impenitency, it is greatly to bee feared, that neither the Goſpell nor this peace, will reach to our poſterities. Therefore now to make an end: I once againe: & laſtly, cōmend this doctrine to you al, & eueryevery p. 98one of you (for this marchandiſe that I bring, is of that nature, that though ſome take it, yet there is alſo enough 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, and ſearch thy ſelfe: if thou now wilt not 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, thinke of it therefore ſeriouſly, as a matter that concernes thy ſoule and bodie: yea, and thy poſteritie, and this whole Realme, all which ſhall ſmart for it, if we repent not. And if the body of our people, and thoſe, whoſe harts are wedded to this world, wil not enterteine this doctrine: then I turne vntounto you that feare the Lord, and to you I direct my laſt warning, Search, O ſearch, and try your hearts and liues, renewe and reuiue p. 99your faith and repentance, that if iudgements doe come and blowe vponupon this Nation, and driue the Goſpell from it, and it to hell: that yet you may hauehave a teſtimony to your conſciences, that you did not pull down this generall calamitie, but for your parts laboured to hauehave preuented it, by your earneſt prayers and heartie repentance: that ſo, the poſteritie enſuing; may not curſe you, but ſpeake reuerently of you, and praiſe God for you, and wiſh that al had done as you did; for then had they enioyed this goodly land, and al Gods bleſſings with it, as wee their forefathers did before them: & ſo ſhall our names not rot, but flouriſh amongſt the poſterities to come, which ſhall bee partakers of the deſolation: And when we hauehave renewed our repentance, 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 vppon it, and continue vntounto it, this place & the Goſpell: it is nothing with the Lord to doe it, his powerfull hand is not ſhortened, p. 100he can continue our peace, when the Papiſts look for hurli-burlies, he can continue the goſpell, when they hope to ſet vp their Idolatry againe: let vsus therefore apply the Lord with our praiers, and with Moſes ſet our ſelues in the breach, and pray for the ignorances of the multitude, and bewaile their ſinnes, who bewaile not their owne, So did Eze. 14. 13. 14.Ezek 14:13Ezek 14:14Noah, Daniel, and Iob, in their ages, and prayed for the people in generall calamities: Let vsus all be Noahs, Daniels, and Iobs, in our generations; if we 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 nowe turne to the Lorde in prayer, and becauſe it cannot be hoped, but that this our generall ſinfulneſſe muſt needs end with ſome heauy Iudgment: let vsus deſire the Lord ſtill to defer our deſerued puniſhments, and ſtill to ſpare vsus, and to giuegive vsus time and leaſure to repent: that ſo, we entering into our ſelues, and ſearching our hearts, and p. 101turning to the Lord: wee may turne away his imminent iudgemēts, and that when his wrath doth burne out indeed, we may then bee counted worthie in Chriſt, to eſcape thoſe things which muſt needes come vponupon the worlde. Amen.

WILLIAM PERKINS.

Lament. 3.

Let vsus Search and try our waies, and turne againe to the Lord.

Trin. vni Deo gloria.

FINIS.