Exposition of Zephaniah 2

For the first, the holy Ghost saith; Search your selves. The words are commonly read thus. Gather your selves; which though it be good, for that in Repentance a man gathereth himself, & all his wits together, which afore were dispersed, & wandered up and down in vanity: yet I rather allow their translation who read thus. Search or fan yourselves: but either of them may stand, because the word in the original doth comprehend both significations; yet it seemeth that to search, or sift, fits this place better, considering the same manner of speech is afterwards continued in the word Chaff: so that the meaning of the holy Ghost seemeth to be this: Search, try, and fan yourselves, least you be found light chaff, and so fly away and be consumed before the Justice of God.

Concerning this duty of searching, let us observe first, that the holy Ghost urging the Jews to repent, useth not the word Repentance, but bids them search themselves: yet meaning, he would have them to repent: giving us to understand, that no man can have true & sound repentance, but he who hath first of all searched and examined him self: and this stands with good reason, for no man can repent, who first of all doeth not know himself, and his own wretchedness. But no man can see into himself, nor know himself, but he that doeth diligently search himself: so that the beginning of all grace, is for a man to search, & try, and fan himself, that thereby he may know what is in himself: that so upon the search, seeing his fearful and damnable estate, he may forsake himself and his own ways, and turn to the Lord. Thus speaketh the holy Ghost in the hearts of holy men; Let us search and try our ways: and mark what followeth; and turn again to the Lord: as though there were no turning again unto the Lord, but after a searching of our selves. With this testimony of the holy Ghost, agreeth the testimony of all holy men's consciences, who all know, that the first beginning of their turning unto the Lord, was a searching of themselves. Let any repentant sinner ask his conscience, & call to mind his first calling and conversion, and he will remember that the first thing in his Repentance was this; that he searched into himself, and looked narrowly into his ways, and finding his ways dangerous, & his case fearful, did thervpō resoule to take a new course, & turn to the Lord for pardō & mercy, and for grace to enter into more holy, and more comfortable courses.

The man that passeth upon ridges of mountains, and sides of hills, or that goeth over a narrow bridge, or some dangerous and steep rocks, at midnight, feareth not because he seeth no danger: but bring the same man, in the morning, and let him see the narrow bridge, he went over in the night, under which runs a violent stream, and a bottomless gulf, and the dangerous Mountains and Rocks he passed over, and he will wonder at his own boldness, and shrincke for fear to think of it, and will by no means venture the same way again: for now he seeth the height of the Mountains; the steepenesse of the hills, the cragginesse of the Rocks, the fearful downfall, and the furious violence of the stream underneath, and thereby seeth the extreme danger, which afore he saw not: therefore he wondereth, and rejoiceth, that he hath escaped so great a danger; and will by no means be drawn to go that way in the day, which he went most carelessly in the darkness of the night, but seeketh another way (though it should be far about:) So a sinner in his first estate, which is natural and corrupt (as we are bred and borne) hath a veil before his face; so that he seeth nothing: the wrath of God, and the curse due for sin, hell, & damnation, seeking to devour him, he seeth them not, although (living always in sin) he walketh in the very jaws of hell it self, and because he seeth not this fearful danger, therefore he refuseth no sin at all, but rusheth securely into all manner of sin: the night of impenitence, and the myst of ignorance, so blinding his eyes, that he seeth not the narrow bridge of this life, from which if he slyde, he falls immediately into the bottomless pit of hell.

But when as God's Spirit hath by the Light of God's word opened his eyes, and touched his heart to consider his estate, then he seeth the frail bridge of this narrow life, and howe little a step there is between him and damnation; then he seeth hell open due for his sins, and himself in the high-way to it: sin being the craggy rock, and hell the gaping gulf under it; this life being the narrow bridge, and damnation the stream that runneth under it.

Then he wondereth at his miserable estate, admireth the mercy of GOD in keeping him from falling into the bottom of hell, wondereth at the presumptuous boldness of his corruption, which so securely plodded on towards destruction, and being ashamed of himself, and these his ways, he turns his heart to the God that saved him from these dangers; and sets himself into more holy ways, and more comfortable courses, and confesseth that ignorance made him bold, and blindness made him so presumptuous; but now he seeth the danger, & will by no means go the same way again: & thus the searching and seeing into the foulness of sin, and the danger thereof, is the first beginning of repentance, and the first step into grace.

This doctrine teacheth us what faith and repentance is generally in the world. All men say, they believe, and have repented long ago; but try it well, and we shall find in the body of our Nation, but a lip Faith, and a lip Repentance: for even when they say so, they are blind and ignorant of their own estate, and know not themselves, that because they are baptized and live in the Church, therefore they are in God's favor, & in very good estate, when as they never yet were reconciled to God: and are so far from it, that they never yet saw any sins in themselves, whereof they should repent: as a man traveling in the night, seeth no danger, but plods on without fear: So the most part of our common people, in the night of their ignorance, think and presume they love and fear God, and love their Neighbor; and that they have ever done so: Nay, it is the common opinion that a man may do so by nature, and that he is not worthy to live, who doth not love God with all his heart: and believe in Jesus Christ. But alas poor simple souls, they never knew what sin was, never searched nor saw into their own hearts, with the light of God's law, for if they had, they should have seen such a Sea of corruption, that then they would confess it to be the hardest thing in the world, to love God, & to believe in Christ, and forsake sin: it is therefore manifest, that they have not yet begun to Believe or Repent, nor have entered into the first step of grace, which leadeth to Repentance, for that they have not learned this Lesson, which the Prophet teacheth: that is, to search themselves.

Furthermore, let us in the second place, observe better the signification of the word: it signifieth to search narrowely, as a man would do for a piece of Gold, or a precious Jewel, which is lost in a great house: Or as a man may search for Golde in a Mine of the earth, where is much earth, and but very little gold Oare.

Here we may learn, that in true Repentance, and conversion, we must not search so only, as to find the gross and palpable sins of our lives: but so as we may find those sins which the world accounts lesser sins, and espy our secret saults & privy corruptions. Some corruptions seem more near a kin of our nature, & 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 traitor which is conveyed into some close and secret corner, and he must ransack his heart for such corruptions, as wherein his heart takes special delight, and must think that no sin can be so small, but it is too great to be spared, and that every sin great or little, must be searched for, as being all traitors to God's Majesty.

But alas, the practice of the world is far otherwise, great sins are little sins, little sins are no sins: Nay, after a little custom, great sins are so little or nothing, and so at last men make no bones of gross and grievous sins: and for the most parte men search so superficiallie, that they scarce find anything to be sins: such excuses are made, such distinctions are devised, such mittigations, such qualifications, such colors are cast upon all sins; as now up & down the world, gross sins are called into question, whether they be sins or no: & the great transgressions of the Law are counted small matters, necessary evils, or inconveniences, tolerated to avoid other evils: and what is he counted, but a curious and precise fool, which stands upon them: Ignorance after five and thirty years preaching, is counted no sin, blind devotion in God's service, no sin, lip labor in praying, vain and customable swearing, mocking of religion, and the professors thereof, no sin: profaning of the Sabbath, contemning of preachers, abusing of parents no sin: pride in apparel, superfluity in meats, beastly & ordinary drunkenness, fornication, no sins. Nay, deceits, cosonages, oppressing, usury, notorious bribery, and covetousness, that mother sin; these are counted no sins: these beams are made but motes by profane men, & they are so minced and carved, or there is some such necessity of them, or some such other flourish or varnish must be cast upon them, as that they are little or none at all. Alas, alas, is not that a simple and a silly search where such blocks as these are, lie vnespyed? what are moul-hills, when such mountains are not seen? Moates will be little regarded, where such beams are not discerned: but it is clear, that therefore there is no true trial, nor diligent search made: for a true convert will search his heart for all, and will spare none: He deals in searching his own heart, as a good Justice of peace in searching for Traitors or Seminary Priests. He seeks not superficially, but most exactly, & leaveth never a corner unsought, and he thinks great sins to be infinite, and little sins great, and judgeth no sin so small, but that it deserveth the anger of God, and therefore he wonders at the mercy of God, which throws us not all down to hell in a moment: and he crieth out with holy Jeremiah: It is the Lord's mercy that we are not consumed. Away then with this superficial and hypocritical search, where so many sins are spared and not found out. It is Pharisaical, for even so the Pharisee, when he came into the Temple to reckon with God, and to tell what Traitors he had found, that is, what sins upon good search he had espied, he returns his precept, all is well, he hath found never a one, but begins to thank God that he was so good, & so good, and not so ill, and so ill, nor yet like the Publican. The world is full of Pharisees, not only the Popish Church, but even our Church swarms with these superficial searches, who cannot (because they will not,) find any sin to present unto God. Men think in the country, a Church Officer hazards his Oath, if he present all well, and findeth no fault in his parish, to present as punishable to the Ordinary: for men think it impossible, that there should be none in a whole parish: then how doth that man hazard his own soul, who being made overseer & searcher of his heart, finds nothing in it to present to the Lord. For it is no more easy to espy outward and actual transgressions in a whole parish, then it is to find a heap of corruptions in a man's heart, if a man will search into the bottom of it with the light of God's law. Therefore when the Lord comes and keeps his visitation, what shall become of such a man, but to undergo the strict & severe search of the Almighty, because he would not search himself?

Our bodies & lives are free frō Spanish Inquisition (which is one of the last props, which Satan hath lent the Pope, wherewith to uphold his declining kingdom) and the Lord grant we may be ever free from it. But in the mean time, that might put us in mind how to deal with our corrupt hearts, and unmortified affections, even to erect an Inquisition over them, to lay in wait for them, to search them narrowly, and to use them roughly: yea, to set our hearts upon the rack of God's Law, that so it may confess the secrete wickedness of it: for the Papists do not think us Protestants, greater enemies to their superstition, then the inward corruptions of our hearts, are to our salvation: therefore it may be a godly policy for every man, even to erect an Inquisitiō over his own heart and conscience, and not to spare his most secret & dearest sins, and such as are nearest allied to his own nature: for that is the true search here commanded by the Prophet, & practiced by all godly and holy men: when a man purposeth to find all that are, & to espy even all his sins: for a godly man is never satisfied in his search, but still, the more he finds, he suspects the more are still behind: and therefore he continueth ing his own heart all his life long: Therefore let every professor look to it betwixt God and his conscience, that he dally not with himself in this case: for it he do, then when God comes with his privy search, his hypocrisy shall be discovered, and his nakedness shall be laid open in the view of men, and Angels: to his eternal confusion.

Thirdly, Search, saith the Prophet, but not so content: he forceth it again, Even search you. In thus repeating and urging this exhortation, the holy Ghost gives them and us to understand, that the true searching of a man's heart, and life, is a duty of a great moment, and special necessity: therefore he leaves 〈1 page duplicate〉 〈1 page duplicate〉 it not after once naming it, but enforceth it the seconde time, as being no matter of indifferency, but of great necessity: thereby showing, that it is a principal duty in Repentance, even the beginning and foundation of all true grace.

And further, it is a means also to prevent God's judgments: for when men search not themselves, then God sends the fire of afflictions, and crosses to try and search them: but when they search themselves, then God spareth to search them by his just judgments.

Now in that this duty of searching, is both the beginning of all true grace, and the means to stay God's judgments, and therefore is so pithelie, and forceablie, urged by the holy Ghost, it must teach us all a necessary lesson: namely, to make great conscience of searching our selves. First, because God hath so commanded, and we are to make conscience of obedience to every commandment. Secondly, because thereby we shall reap two so great commodities, as first, thereby we shall lay a sure foundation for the good work of grace in us, and secondly, shall stay the hand of God, and his judgments, from being executed upon us. Let us therefore hearken to this counsel of the holy Ghost, let us take the fan of the Law, and there with search and winnow our hearts and lives. Our hearts for secret and hidden corruptions. Our lives, for committing of evil, and omitting of good. Do with your hearts as men do with their wheat: they will not suffer their corn to lie long in the chaff, least the chaff hurt it, but commits it to the fan, that the wind may separate them: So the graces of God in our hearts are but corn, our sins and corruptions are chaff: look well, and thou shalt find in thyself much chaff, and but little corn: let not then the chaff lie too long mingled with the corn, lest it corrupt the corn. Let not thy sins lie mingled with the grace of God in thee, if thou do, they will choke it in the ende, and so deprive thee of all grace; therefore rip up thy heart, and look into thy life, and when thou hast sinned, enter into thyself, ask thy conscience what thou hast done, and be not quiet till thou hast found out thy sin, and the foulness of it: and never think that thou knowest anything in Religion, till thou knowest what is in thine own heart. And what are in thy special and priuiest corruptions, and look into thine own faults, not with a partial eye, but with a censorious, and a strait judgment, spare sin in no man, but especially condemn it in thy self.

But alas, these times of ours, cry out of another state, for even Jeremiah's case is ours: We may complain as he did, No man repents him of his wickedness, saying, what have I done? the same is the force of our people, and the sickness of all Nations: that every man runs on in his sins, from sin to sin carelessly: even as the barde horse into the battle. But how rare a thing is it, to find a man, that daily searcheth himself, and examines how he lives, and how the case standeth betwixt God and himself: and that when he hath done amiss, entereth into the closet of his heart, and strikes himself upon the breast, and disputes the case with himself, saying; What have I done? O what is this, that I gave done against GOD, against his Church, and against my own soul?

The want of this, is that which the Prophet complains of in that place: not as though it was sufficient thus to do, in a man's own conscience: but because it is a good beginning, and a step to further grace. For if a man did seriously thus deal with his conscience after his sin, his conscience would shape him such an answer, and would tell him so roundlie, what he had done, that he would take heed, howe he did the same again, and look more narrowely, and warilie to himself all the days of his life. Seeing therefore it is so necessary a duty, let every one of us enduour the practice of it, namely, to rip and ransack our hearts, and to search our ways unto the bottom.

Now for our better instruction, and furtherance in the performance hereof: you must know that this Search is to be made by the Law of God, for nothing else but God's law can help us, and let us see that which we must search for: for if we search by any means, we may seek and search long enough, ere we find anything that will be matter of Repentance. Ask the Devil, he will tell thee all is well, and that thou art in an excellent estate: and God loves thee, and thou art sure of heaven: this song the devil always singes for the most part, til a man comes to die, for then he appears in his colors, but till then, he labors to sing, and lull all men a sleep in the cradle of securite. Ask your own flesh, and your own hearts and natures, and they will answer and say, that all is well and safe, and that we have believed, and loved, and feared GOD all our days. Ask the world, and men in the world: and they will answer, all is well; and they will say further, that thou art a right good-fellow, and art worth twenty of these curious fools that stick upon points, and stand upon circumstances, as swearing, and drinking, and good fellowship, and gaming, and such other nice and circumstantial points: thus will worldly men answer: for thy profane course is acceptable to them, because thereby thou approuest the same in them.

Nay, go further, and ask all human Learning in the world, and it cannot tell thee what one sin is, nor what it is to offend God: so that there remains only the law of God, the light whereof will disclose the darkness of our hearts; and the justice whereof will reveal the righteousness and the perverseness of our Natures: therefore to the Law of GOD must we fly to help us in this search.

And yet for our better help in this duty, and that there may be nothing wanting to that soul, that seeketh God, therefore we are further to know, that if we will search our selves by the Law profitably, we must mark three rules, the truth whereof unless we know, acknowledge, and feel: we shall never see our own estate, nor profit by this search, but plod on from sin to sin, until we plunge into hell.

The first Rule is, that every man that came from Adam, sinned in the sin of Adam: thou must therefore know, that his sin in eating the forbidden fruit, was thy sin: and thou sinnedst therein, as well as he (though thou wast then unborn) and that thou art guilty of it before God, and must answer for it to God's justice, unless Christ do it for thee.

The reason hereof is, because we are his seed and posterity, we were then in his loins, he was the Father of us all: and was not a private man as we are now, but a public person, the pledge of all mankind, and bare the person of us all at that time: therefore what he did then, he did it for himself, and for us: what covenant God made with him, was made for himself & us: what God promised him, and he to God, he promised for himself, & for us: what he received for himself, and for us: and what he gained or lost by his fall▪ he gained & lost for us, as for himself. He lost the favor of God, and original purity: therefore he lost it for all his posterity: guiltiness, and God's anger, and corruption of nature which he gained, he got for us all, as well as for himself. If we doubt of this pointe, it is proved by the Apostle: where the holy Ghost saith; Sin entered by one man, and death by sin: and that sin went over all, and that it went over all them, which sinned not in the like transgression with Adam, (that is, even our children) who as they are borne, are borne not only tainted with original corruption: but guilty also of Adams sin. This is a most certain truth, though it seem strange, for few men think of it, that ever they shall answer for Adams sin: and therefore if any object, what reason is there that I answer for another man's sin? I answer, true, if it had been Adams sin alone: but it was his and thine also: for he was thy Father, and stood in thy room: and thou also since thou wast borne, hast confirmed what he did.

Now therefore, though not one of many thinks seriously thereof: namely, that he should stand guilty of a sin committed five thousand years before he was borne, yet seeing it is most true, both in Scripture and good reason: let every man subscribe in his conscience to this Truth. And let this be thy first Resolution in this search, that thou standest guilty of Ad • ms transgression.

The second rule to be known is, that in every man is all sins: more plainly, that in every man by nature are the seeds of all sins: and that not in the worst, but in the best natured men: make choice of the best man, and the greatest sin, and that worst sin is to be found in that best man. If any doubt of this, let him consider what original sin is, namely, a corruption of the powers of our souls; and that not of some, or in part, but of all, & wholly. This corruptiō hath two partes. First, a want, not of some, but of all good inclination, a want of all goodness. Secondly, a deprivation and proneness, not to some, but to all evil: & not a proneness only, but original sin infuseth into every mans heart the seed of all corruption.

Manie man stand much upon their good meaning, and upright heart, and brag of a good nature: but they are foully deceived; for take the ciuilest man upon the earth, and the seeds of all sins in the world are in him by nature. But to explain this point fully, observe these 2. clauses.

First, I say not, the practice of all sins, but the seeds; for all men practice not all sin: the seeds are in their nature: but the practice is restrained, sometime by education, sometime by good and wholesome laws: sometime the constitution of men's bodies, deny the practice of some sins, sometime the country a man dwells in, or calling a man lives in, keeps him from the practice of some sins: and always a general and limitting grace of GOD, restrains the nature of all men, from running into many sins: which hand of God, if God should take away, and leave every man to his nature, we should see that every man would practice any sin in the world: yea, even the greatest sins that ever we heard to be done in the world. All men which know themselves, know this to be true, and the more a man knows his own heart, the more he seeth that his heart is a Sea of all wickedness: and that it is the mercy and grace of God, that he hath not fallen into the mightiest and most monstrous sins in the world.

Secondly, I say, by nature. For I know by good education, and by grace, it is otherwise: Grace rectifieth Nature, but that is no thanks to nature: for it is as evil and corrupt still, being severed from grace: and therefore Nature must be fully abolished, afore man come to heaven. And yet (though all this be true) I say not that sin breaks 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 means aforesaid; but this is the truth, that whereas some are not so angry, some not so wanton, some not so cruel, some not so covetous, some not so ambitious, &c. as others; that comes not from any goodness of nature in them, above the other originallie, but from God's hand, which tempereth, restraineth, and moderateth every mans nature as he seeth good.

And if God did not thus moderate & restrain the natures of men, but suffer them to break out to the full: there would then be no order, but all confusion in the world; therefore, (as especially for his Churches quietness, so also for the preseruatiō of public peace, and the upholding of society in the world, between man and man,) the Lord holds a hand over every man's nature, and keeps everyone in a certain compass limited by the wisdom of his power, which restraining hand of his, if the Lord should take away, all societies and Common-wealths, would be turned up-side down, because every man by the universal corruption of his Nature, would break out into every sin: I ende this point with appealing to the testimony of the consciences of all men, and especially of the best and holiest men, of whom I would ask this question: whether they find not in their natures an inclination, even to the foulest sins in the world; if shame, or fear, or else the grace of God restrained them not? so that the best men do know well enough, what adooe they have with their corrupt natures, to keep them within the compass of obedience.

Nay, I yet add further, the nature of men, & of all men, is so corrupt, since Adam: that even the seed of the sin against the holy Ghost, & a proneness to it, is in the nature of every man (though not one man amongst many thousands do commit that sin,) for seeing in that sin there is a heap or Sea of all sins gathered together, he therefore that hath in his nature the seed of all sins, hath also the seed of it.

And again, seeing that all evils tendes to a perfection, as well as Grace doeth; what reason therefore is there, but we may safely think, that the Devil would hale everyone to that height of sin, if it were not that the powerful hand of God prevented him, who will neither suffer wicked men, nor the Devil himself to be so wicked as they could, and would be.

The use of this second rule, is notable. For in this searching of our selves, it showeth us what we are, without all color or deceit, and fully discovers unto us, the vglines of our natures: & it may teach us all how to think and esteem of our selves, when we hear of Cain's unnatural murder, Pharaohs unnatural cruelty, the Sodomites unnatural lust, Ahithophel's devilish policy, Senacharibs horrible blasphemy, Judas monstrous treason, Julian's fearful Apostasy. When we hear of the fearful murders, treasons, perjuries, sins against nature, blasphemies, Apostasies, witchcrafts, crafts, and other the horrible sins of the world: let us then return into our selves, and look homewardes, even into our own hearts, and confess everyone that these should have been even thy sins also, if God's grace had not prevented thee.

This will humble thee, and make thee think vilely and basely of thyself, and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendment: and the very reason, why men repent not, nor amend their ways, is because they are Pharisees by nature, and think highly of themselves, and of their own natures, and their natural inclinations: this will be a harshe & a strange doctrine to them; Oh, they have excellent narures, and they cannot endure such, & such sins, and they thank God, they are not as ill as others: but let all such men know, they must cease magnifying nature, & learn to magnify God's grace: Let them know, that nature in them, is in the root, as much corrupt, as in the worst man in the world, and every man's heart is a bottomless fountain of all sin; therefore praise not thy nature, but God's grace and mercy, in giving thee so good a nature; or rather, so well restraining, and rectifying thy nature; & stay not there, but desire of the Lord, that as he hath given thee a better tempered nature, then to other men: so also he would bestow on thee his espeiiall and saving grace: and as he hath kept thee from the fearful sins of others (thou being as ill naturally as they) so he would also lead thee into the way of salvation, which else the best nature in the world can never attain unto.

The third rule to be known and practiced of him, who will truly search himself, is, that every man borne of Adam, is by nature the children of wrath, and God's enemy: this is true of all without exception; high or low, rich or poor, Noble or simple, borne in the visible church, or without. And further, by being enemy of God, he is therefore borne subject to hell, to damnation, and to all other curses: so that look as a Traitor convicted, stands thereby in his Princes high displeasure, and is sure of death without special pardon; so stands every man when he is borne, convicted of high treason against God, in his high disfauour; and is in danger of Hell, which is the fulfilling of the wrath of God.

Thus David confesseth of himself; I was borne in iniquity, and in sin hath my mother conceived me: If in sin, then in God's wrath, and under the danger of damnation. If any ask, howe, or why this is so? I answer, the truth, as also the equity of this third rule dependeth on the two former: for, because every man is borne guilty of Adams great sin, and also tainted originally with all corruption, and a proneness of all sin: therefore it followeth in equity and justice, that every man is borne under the wrath and curse of God.

This point is a plain and evident truth: yet men in the world think not so, and it is the cause, why men repent not of their sins: for most men think that by nature, they are in God's favor; and therefore they need not so sue for it in humiliation & repentance; but only live ciuillie, and do no open wrong, and all is well: whereas (alas) there is no condemned traitor, more out of his Princes favor, nor more sure of death without a pardon, then all we are out of God's favor, and sure of damnation, unless we procure God's favor again, by Faith and Repentance.

For the better opening of this third rule, and the manifesting of the Truth: let us know further, that the curse of God, under the which we all are borne, is three-fold.

The first, is a bondage under Satan: It is a certain truth, that every man as he is borne of his Parents, and till he repent, is a slave of Satan: man or woman, high or low, Satan is his Lord and Master. He sits as Judge in his heart; and in his sense Satan is the king of the nations, and god of the world. Men will in words defy Satan, and not name him without defiance: and spit at him; and yet (alas) he is in their hearts: they spitte him out of their mouths, but he is lower; they should also spit him out of their hearts, and that is true defiance indeed: for alas, he lodgeth in thy heart, and there he maketh his Throne, and reigns until the spirit of regeneration dispossess him: and till then, no servant is subject to his master, no slave to his Lord, as is the heart of man by nature unto Satan, the Prince of darkness. Nay, our bondage, is more fearful, then the slavery of any poor Christian, in the Spaniards, or in the Turks Gallies: for their bodies are but in bondage, and at command, and under punishment, but our best part, our heart, our conscience, our soul it self is captivated unto him, and under his command, who is the king of cruelty, and confusion, and lord of hell, whose commandments are injustice, whose service is sin, and whose hire is damnation.

The second part of the curse of the first death, or the death of the body: that is, a separation of the soul and body asunder for a time, namely, til the last judgment. This death is duly and justly the punishment of any one, or the least sin: therefore, howe due and just a punishment, upon that horrible heap of sinfulness, which is in every man's nature? and it is a most terrible curse. For it is the very gate of hell, and the downfall of damnation unto all men, but such as by faith and repentance do get their death sanctified by the death of Christ: unto such men indeed it is no curse, but a gracious and glorious blessing, for it is altered by Christ his death. But unto all men by nature, and which repent not, it is the heavy curse of God's wrath, and the very down-fall into the gulf of hell.

The third part of the curse under which every man is borne, is, the second death: the death of soul and body; which is the eternal want of God's presence, and the accomplishment of his wrath: and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath, seizing on body, soul, and conscience. The first curse was a spiritual death; the death of the soul. The second, a temporal death, the death of the body. The third, is an eternal death, a death both of soul and body together; and forever. This eternal death is the curse of all curses, the misery of all miseries, and torment of all torments: and I show it thus. Often when thy toothe acheth, and sometime when thy headacheth, or in the pain of the stone or collicke, thou wouldest give all that thou hast in the world to be eased of that pain: Nay, in the extremity of some fits, many will wish themselves even out of the world: Now, if the pain of one toothe, can so far distemper mind and body, that it cannot be relieved with all the pleasures of this life; Oh then, what a torment shall that be, when not one kind of pain, but the whole viole of GOD'S wrath shall be poured, not on one member, but on the whole soul, body, and conscience, and that not for a time, under hope of better: but eternally without hope of release; and that not in this world, where there are comforts, helps, and remedies: but in that ugly and darksome place of torrments: and that not amongst living men, which might mitigate thy pain, or else bemoan thee, and bewail it with thee: but with the devils, & damned spirits, which will now laugh at thy destruction, and solace themselves in this thy misery, and will rejoice, as thou diddest serve them in earth, so now in hell, to be thy tormenters. It may be therefore (by the way) a good warning and wisdom to us all, when we feel the extremity of some bodily pain, to consider with our selves, and say; Oh then, what shall be my misery and torment, if I repent not? when not one member, but soul, body, and conscience, shall be racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lord of Hosts.

In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God, under which every man is borne. And these do answer to the three degrees of sin, which are in us: for as the two first rules taught us, there is in every man by nature, till he repent, a threefold guiltiness. First, a guiltiness of Adams sin. Secondly, the taint of original & universal corruption. Thirdly, a pollution by many outrageous actual sins. In the first of these every man is equally guilty. In the second, every man is equally corrupt. But in the third, everyone keeps that compass, within which the Lord will keep them by his limiting power.

Now as in our guiltiness of Adams sin, sin hath his beginning: in original sin, his continuance: in actual sin, his perfect on: So answerable hereunto, the wrath of God (which always standeth opposite to sin) is begun in leaving us by nature to the slavery of Satan, is continued by death, and is accomplished in damnation.

And now these three rules, I commend to the careful and Christian consideration of you all: certifying you from God, that as you can never be saved, unless you repent: nor repent, unless you search yourselves, (as here the Prophet biddeth.) So, that you can never search yourselves aright, till you be persuaded, and resolved of these three rules, & of the truth of them all, even in your hearts and consciences: Namely; First, that thou art guilty of Adams sin. Secondly, that thou art prone by nature to all evil in the world. Thirdly, that for these thou art subject to the wrath of God, and to all the curses of his wrath: but when thou art in heart & conscience resolved, that these are true; then thou art a fit scholar, for this Lesson of the Prophet, Search thyself. For when thou goest, thus prepared unto this Search, and esteemest of thyself, as the three Rules have described thee: then if thou Search into thy self, thou wilt find thyself, and thy estate to be such, as will cause thee to repent, return and take a new course: therefore what the Prophet said to those Jews, I say unto you also, My brethren of this Realm of England, who are now here gathered together, out of so many countries, and quarters of this Realm: yea, in the name of the same God, I cry unto you; Search. O Search yourselves: and think it not a matter indifferent to do, or not to do it? but know it, that God commands you, as ever you will come to salvation: Search yourselves. And the rather, because by these three Rules you see howe much chaff of corruption is in your nature, and what need therefore it hath to be searched into, and fanned by Repentance. Be well assured thou man, whatsoever thou art: there is so much chaff in thee, that if thou search not, and fan it not out, thou wilt prove nothing but Chaff at the last day, and so be blown away with the wind of God's justice into Hell. Take hold therefore of this exhortation, and defer it not.

Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheat to lie too long in the chaff, for fear of hurting it: Is it then safe to suffer the Chaff of thy sins and corruptions to lie cankering and rotting in thy heart? Be sure that that little portion of grace, which thou attainest unto, by living in the Church, and under the ministry of the word of God, will be putryfied, and clean corrupted with the Chaff of thy sins: therefore again, and again, I exhort you to make conscience of this duty: Search into yourselves, fan out this chaff, this presumption of ours, and high esteeming of our own nature, and conceits of God's favor before we have it: that so this Chaff being blown away, the Lord may then bestow upon us soundness of grace, and the foundation of all goodness, which is a holy and humbled heart.

Salvation is such a building, as the foundation thereof had need to be sure and strong: Ignorance, blindness, and presumption, are not sufficient foundations for such a building: therefore as no man will build a strong house upon any earth, but he will first search it, least it prove sandy, and so overthrow all: So a wise Christian will not build his salvation, upon fancies and conceits, and natural presumptions: but will Search, and look into his heart: and finding these to be sandy, and rotten, and therefore too weak for the foundation of so glorious a building, will refuse them all, and labor to furnish his heart with such sound grace, as whereupon he may trust so weighty a work, as is the salvation of his soul. Again, if thou wilt stand in the day of trial, then search thy heart betime, and discern betwixt chaff and wheat: thou seest, that chaff flieth away before the wind; but good corn endures the Fan, and the fury of the wind: so in the day of trial, temptation, sickness, or open persecution, the chaff of natural presumption, and outward formality in Religion, will fly away: and it must be the penitent, humbled, and believing heart, which must then abide it out, and endure the Fan of temptations and persecutions.

And to conclude, Let not the Devil deceive thee, in making thee imagine or hope to please God, and yet to let thy corruptions lie unseen, and thy sins vnsearched out, least thereby thou mar all: for thou usest not to lay up wheat in thy garners, until it be purged from the chaff: so think not to store up any saving knowledge, or any other grace of God in thy heart, until the Chaff of vanity be first blown away, that so, the holy graces of God may be laid up in the garners of thy soul.

And therefore questionless, (to speak one word to touche our common professors, in the very sore of their souls) all knowledge that is stored up in these impure and vnsearched hearts: is even as wheat laid up in the chaff, which is, (a thousand to one) sure to be eaten up by the chaff, so that, when the winnowing time of trial and persecution comes: I fear, that such men will (for all their knowledge) shrink aside, and betray the Truth: their knowledge then proving no better then chaff, because it was laid up in an unholy heart. If therefore thou wouldest stand and endure, when Popery, or persecution, or temptations come, if thou wouldest abide the fury of the fan of temptations: now then exercise thy heart with the fan of God's law, Search and ransack it, purge out the chaff of corruption, and store up knowledge in an holy heart, and a good conscience, and that will abide the violence of all temptations: yea, when God suffers the Devil to do with us, as he did with Peter, to winnowe us like wheat, to sifte and try us, as he did Job, with the furious wind of all his malice: then knowledge will prove Wheat, that will abide the wind, and gold that will abide the fire: thus glorious will it be in the ende, if we follow this holy Prophets counsel, and Search our hearts.

Now we come to the second general point here laid down: that is, whom must we Search? the Prophet answereth: yourselves, not other men, but yourselves. This search so urged and enforced by the Prophet, must not be of other men's hearts & lives, but of our own: our own are our charge, and not other men's: and therein is the saying true, which else is most false: Every man for himself: for as every soul must be saved by it self, so must it believe, repent, and search it self.

The duty therefore here commanded, is for every man that would have his soul to be saved, to search it, and reform it, & leave others to be searched by themselves. Here the holy Ghost meets with the common corruption of this world, (and that is) that men are Eagle eyed, to see into the lives of other men, but to look into their own hearts, and lives, they are blinder then Moles: they can see motes in other men's lives, but discern not beams in their own: whereby it comes to pass, that they stumble and fall foully: for the eyes of most men are set upon others, and not upon themselves: and thereupon it is, that an evil man, seeing oother men, and not himself: thinks best of himself, and worst of other men: but contrariwise, a good man seeing himself, and not other men, thinks worst of himself, and better of other men: an evil man looks outward, and judgeth other men: but a good man looks homeward and judgeth himself: and in judging, condemns himself, far above other men: and that because by searching into his own heart and ways, he knows that by himself, which he knows not by any man in the world besides.

So then we must search, not other mē, but our selves: our own hearts & our own lives are our charge, and burden: the lives of other men concern us not, being private men, further then either to follow them being good, or take heed of them being evil: but to search, or be inquisitive into them, is no duty commanded us, but rather a foul and a base vice forbidden of God. Indeed Magistrates in their people, Pastors in their congregations, and householders in their families are to search: but they can search only for criminal causes, to open actual sins: but this searching must be of our hearts, which no man can search, but our selves only. Fewe men have a calling to inquire into other men's lives, but every man hath a calling to search into himself: but (alas) men do far otherwise, they suffer themselves to rotte in their own sins, and erect an Inquisition over other men's lives, and it is to be seen in daily experience, that those men, who are the great Searchers and pryers into other men, are the neglecters and forgetters of themselves. And contrariwise, they who do narrowly Search themselves and their own ways, and look into the corners of their own hearts, do find so much work to do with themselves, that they little busy themselves, wi • h other men.

It followeth.

O Nation not worthy to be beloved.

The third point: Who must search? the Jews, who are here termed a Nation, not worthy to be beloved: and yet for all that, they are bid to search themselves, that so upon their repentance, they might be beloved. Where, we may see the unspeakable love of God, and his wonderful mercy, offering grace unto such men, as are altogether unworthy of it. God's children are by nature like other men, and God finds nothing in them, why to respect them above other: but even of his own mercy, makes them worthy, who of themselves are not: therefore how worthy is that God, to have all the love of our harts, who loved us, when we were not worthy to be beloved.

But let us examine more particularly, why God doth call the Jews a Nation, not worthy to be beloved: I answer, God had blessed them above other Nations: He gave them his covenant of grace, & thereby made them his people, and committed to their trust, his holy word and Oracles: but he dealt not so with other Nations, neither had the heathen knowledge of his laws. Besides all this, they had a better land then others about them, it flowed with Milk, and Honie, (that is, with all commodities, and delights) and though their Country was but little, yet themselves so populous, and so powerful, that whilst they pleased God, no enemy durst set upon then.

Thus for soul and body, they were every way a Nation, blessed of God, a people beloved of God above all others. Now, how did this people (thus beloved of their God,) requite this his love, which they had no more deserved, then any other Nation? Certainly, as they deserved it not afore they had it, so they requited it not when they had it: but requited this love of God with sin, with rebellion, and with disobedience. They tempted him, they provoked him to wrath, they presumed of his mercy, and proved a most stubborn & stiffnecked people, a froward generation: Moses partly saw this in his own experience, and better discerned it in the spirit of Prophesy: and therefore, wondering at this their wickedness, he cried out; Do you thus requite the Lord: O foolish people and unwise? thus, that is, with sin, and disobedience, which is the only means to displease the Lord, & to provoke him to wrath: for this cause they are worthily called a foolish and unkind people by Moses, and here, by the Prophet. A Nation not worthy to be beloved: namely, for their unthankfulness, and unkindness: which was such, as they not only were slack, and careless in performance of such duties as God required: but evē multiplied their sins, and committed those soul rebellions, which his soul hated.

And amongst many, the Prophet here in this Chapter, noteth three of their great sins: for which they were a Nation not worthy to be beloved. Covetousness, Crueltie▪ and Deceit: all which were the more heinous and intolerable, because they were the sins of their Princes, their rulers, and their Priests, who should have been lights & examples to the rest.

Now, although every sin in it self, is of that ill desert, as it is able to cast us out of God's favor, and deprive us of his love: yet, behold, here God complains, not upon a little cause, but for wonderful, and exceeding unthankfulness, & unkindness in them: who of all other should have loved the Lord.

As a man cares not for hard usage from him, whom he esteems not: but a little unkindness doth greatly grieve a man, from him who is loved and respected: so is it with the Lord our God, he loved not the Gentiles, as he did the Jews, neither was he so bountiful unto them: and therefore, (as we may see) though they lived always in ignorance, and continued always in disobedience; yet, the Text saith, the time of that ignorance God regarded not: but when as the Jews, his own people, whom he chose out of all people, and bestowed his love upon them, and made his Covenant of grace with them, when they became unkind, unthankful, forgetful, stubborn, and rebellious, that caused the Lord even to complain of that indignity, and to cry out by Moses, Do ye thus requite the Lord, O foolish people and unwise? And hereby the Prophet, O Nation not worthy to be beloved: and therefore there is no man, but if he be asked what he thinks of this Nation of the Jews: he will answer, that they are a most vile and wicked people, a froward generation, and that they are worthy to taste deeply of all God's plagues, who so far abused his love and mercy.

But what doth this belong to them alone? and is Israel a Nation not worthy to be beloved? Nay, I may cry out with as good cause: O England, a Nation not worthy to be beloved: For, God hath been as good a God to us, as he was to them: and we have been as unkind a people to him, as they were to him. But that I may be free from discrediting our natiō, & frō defiling my own nest: let us prove both these points, and lay them open to the view of the world.

1. First therefore, the same mercies, and far greater, have been poured and heaped upon us: he hath called us out of the dareknes: First, of Heathenism, and then of Popery: his covenant of grace and salvation, he hath confirmed with us, his treasures of his word and Sacraments, he hath imparted to us, his holy word never better preached, and the mysteries thereof never more plainly opened, since the time of the Apostles: and as we have Religion, so we have it under a Religious Prince, whereby it comes to pass, that these blessings of salvation, we enjoy not in secret, or by stealth: but we have it coūtenanced by authority; so that religion is not barely allowed, but even as it were even thrust upon men. Besides all this, we have a land also that floweth with milk and honey, it is plentiful in all good things: we have liberty & peace under a peaceable Prince, and the companions of peace, prosperity, plenty, health, wealth, corn, wool, gold, silver, abundance of all things, that may please the heart of man: thus hath God deserved the love of England.

2. But now England, how hast thou requited this kindness of the Lord? certainly even with a great measure of unkindness: that is, with more and greater sins then ever Israel did: so that if Moses spake true of them, then may our Moses much more truly cry out against England, doest thou thus requite the Lord, thou foolish people? And if this prophet said thus of Israel for three sins, then may it be said of England for three hundred sins (O England ) a Nation not worthy to be beloved: for thou hast multiplied thy transgressions, above theirs of Israel; even as though thou hadst resolved with thyself, the more God's kindness is heaped on thee, the more to multiply thy sins against him. For thou England, as thou hast requited the Lord with sins; so not with a few sins, or small sins, or sins, which hardly could have been prevented: for that had been a matter of some excuse, or not of so great complaint. But thy sins are many, and grievous, and capital. And which is worst of all, willful and affected, even as though God had deserved evil of us: and that therefore we ought maliciously to requite him.

If any man make doubt of this, and therefore think I speak too hardly of our Church: I will thē deal plainly and particularly, and rip up the sores of our Nation, that so they may be healed to the bottom.

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

First, ignorance of God's will and worship, (I speak not of that compelled ignorance in many corners of our land, which is to be pitied because they want the means) but willful and affected ignorance. Men are ignorant, even because they will be ignorant. Means of knowledge were never so plentiful, and yet never more gross ignorance: is not he willfully blind, who will not open his eyes in the light? & can there be any darkness at noon day, but it must be willful? But our Nation is dark and blind in the Sun-shine of the Gospel, and grossly ignorant, when the Gospel beats their ears, and light shines round about them: so, as if they closed not their eyes, and stopped not their ears, they could not but both hear and see: who would look for ignorance after thirty five years preaching? and yet, many are as ignorant, as if they had been borne and brought up under popery: so that our people are as evil as those in the days of Christ, of whom the holy Ghost saith; Light is come into the world, but men love darkness more then light. So knowledge is come into England: but many English-men love darkness better then knowledge. Alas, how many thousands have we in our Church, who know no more in religion, then they hear in common talk of all men, and which is worse, they think it sufficient also, & which is worst of all, whereas they might have more, they will not, but care not for it.

2. The second main sin of England, is Contempt of Christian Religion; Religion hath been among us these five and thyrtie years; but the more it is published, the more it is contemned, and reproached of many; insomuch, as there is not the simplest fellow in a Country town, who, although he knows not one point of religion, yet he can mock and scorn such as are more religious then himself is: this is one of the moaths of England, that eats up religion, this is grievous in whomsoever, but most intolerable in two sortes of men. First, in them, who are altogether ignorant, that they should mock they know not what. A pitiful thing to here one, who himself cannot give the meaning of one petition in the Lord's prayer, to upbraid other men, because they are too forward: but it is the worst of all, when men of knowledge, and such as live civilly, and would be counted good Christians, are indeed of the better sort, cannot abide to see others go a little before them: but if they do, presently they are hypocrites and dissemblers. Thus not profaneness, nor wickedness, but even religion it self is a by-word, a mocking stock, and matter of reproach; so that in England at this day, the man or woman that begins to profess Religion, and to serve God, must resolve with himself to sustain mocks and injuries, even as though he lived among the enemies of religion, and not among professors; and as religion increaseth and spreadeth it self, so doth the number of these mockers. O what a cursed sin is this? to contemn the greatest favor that God can give us, that is, his holy religion: for the which we should rather praise him all the days of our lives. All that God can give a man in this world, is his Gospel, what then can God give to be regarded, whē his Gospel is contemned?

This sin was never amongst the Jews: they indeed regarded it not so as it deserved, but who did ever make a mock and a scorn of it but England? O England, how canst thou answer this? God sends thee the most precious jewel, that he can send to a Nation; and thou scornest it, & them that bring it, and them that receive it; even as though it were no blessing, but a curse: so that as Christ saith to the Jews, For which of my good works do you stone me? So may the Lord say to England, I have given thee a fruitful land, a blessed Prince, gold and silver, peace and liberty, plenty and prosperity: for which of these (O England) doest thou contemn my religion? The least of these deserve love; but England hath a better then all these; that is, his Gospel, the word of salvation: and yet, that all is contemned (as being nothing worth) and those which confess it, and those that bring it, and consequently, God himself that give it. If England had no more sins but this: this deserves, that it should be said of us, that we are a Nation not worthy to be beloved above all Nations: for some Nations would have religion, that they might love it, but they cannot have it: some have it, and love it not: but in no Nation is it made a mocking-stock, but in England. And where are those men, but in England, who (like the dog in the manger) will neither entertain religion themselves, nor suffer them that would: let us in time take heed of this sin, as a sin that crieth to God, to revenge so vile a dishonor done to his Majesty: neither is there any sin that more certainly foreshowes, and more forcibly hastens the removing of the Gospel from us. For high time is it to cease loving, where love procures disdain: And to stay giving, where gifts are scorned.

Carrie home this lesson to your great Towns and Cities where you dwell, for in these populous places, are these great mockers, for where God hath his professors, the Devil hath his mockers; and repent betimes of this sin, for hold on in mocking, and be sure that God (who will not be mocked) will remove his Gospel from you; but if you leave this sin, and entertain the Gospel (as it worthily deserveth,) then be sure of it, that God will continue the Gospel, to you, and your posterity after you, in the face of all your enemies round about you.

3. The third common sin of England, is Blasphemy, many ways, but especially in vain swearing, false swearing, and for-swearing, and the abuse of all the names and titles of the Lord God. This sin is general, even over the whole land, especially in Fairs, and Markets, where men for a little gain, will not care to call the Lord of Hosts to be witness to a lie, and the God of truth to testify an untruth.

And which is worst of all, God's holy Name is used in vain oaths, and ordinary talk; when men have no cause to swear at all: so that it is most lamentable to see and observe, that the name of any man of honor, or worship, is used more reverently, & less abused, then that fearful and glorious name: the Lord our God.

4. The fourth general and great sin is, profanation of the Sabbath. A common sin everywhere, and yet so great a sin, that where it reigns, in that country, congregation, family, man or woman, there is no fear of God, nor any true grace in them: for the keeping of the Sabbath, is the maintaining, increasing, and publishing of religion.

5. The fifth sin of our Nation, is, evil dealing in bargaining betwixt man and man. How hard a thing is it to find an honest, simple, plain dealing man? and that even in such great assemblies as this is. I fear present experience will testify: you are now many thousands gathered together, some to buy, some to sell, some to exchaunge: Remember that I have told you, an honest hearted and plain dealing man is hard to find: therefore labor to approve yourselves sincere hearted men; remember the counsel of the holy Ghost; Let no man oppress nor defraud his brother in bargaining: for the Lord is the avenger of all such things. These sins are general and universal as a canker: And so are the sins of the six, seven▪ & eight Commandments, (though they be not altogether so common as these be) Murthers, Adulteries, Usuries, Briberies, Extorsions, Cosonages, they are a but then under which, our earth groans; and they cry against us to heaven, so that upon as good or much better cause may it be said to us, as to the Jews: O Nation not worthy to be beloved.

Look at the outward face of our Church, at the signs of God's love, which are amongst us, and at God's dealing with us; and behold, we are a beautiful church, a glorious Nation, a Nation to be admired, and wondered at: but look at the lives of our ordinary professors, look at our sins, and at our requiting of God's love: and we are a people of Sodom, as full of iniquities as they were, whose sins were so many, so rise, and so ripe; that at the last they will even bring down fire and brimstone, or some other strange judgment upon us, if repentance do not prevent it, or the cries and prayers of holy men stay not God's hand. So then, let us all here assembled, grant & confess, that we are a Nation so far from being worthy to be beloved, as that we are most worthy to be hated, and to have all the wrath of God poured upon us.

Now then, are we so? and shall we continue so still? Nay, that is the worst, and most wretched of all: then let everyone of us learn this duty, enter into our selves, search our hearts and lives, that they may lie open to our own sight, to the confusion of us in our selves, that in God by repentance we may be raised up.

Our sins lie open before the face of God, and stink in his presence, and cry for vengeance: and before the face of God's Angels, who bewail it, & before the face of the Devil, who rejoiceth in our confusions: and shall they lie hid only to our selves? Now then, if we would have them hidden from God, and stop the cry that they make against us, and keep them from Satan, who accuseth us for them; we must so search our selves, that they may lie open unto our own hearts: Remember thou thy sins, and GOD will forget them: lay them open before thine own face, and GOD will hyde them from his: write them up for thy own self, and God will blot them out of his remembrance: but if contrariwise thou hidest them, then assure thyself, the more thou hydest & buriest them, the more open do they lie in the face of God: and then what will follow, but that they will all be disclosed at the last day, to thine eternal confusion. Therefore again, and again, I exhort you in the name of God, Search yourselves, find out your sins, confess them to God freely, and ingeniouslie: confess their deserts to be hell and damnation, humble your hearts to God, cry and call for pardon, as for life and death, purpose and promise to leave them, begin a new course of life, believe steadfastly, and doubt not but of pardon and forgiveness in the blood of Christ, continue in that faith, and that new course of life: So may England prevent God's judgments, & quench that great action of vnkindenes which God hath against them, and become a Nation as worthy (upon their faith and repentance) in Christ to be beloved: as for their peace and prosperity, they have been of all Nations of the earth admired.

4. The fourth general point in this exhortation, is time limited them, when they should Search. Before the Decree come forth, &c. As though the Prophet should say, Israel, repent before God execute his judgments on thee. For behold the gracious dealing of God: Man sinneth, his sins deserve plagues: but God presently plagueth not, but defers it, he puts a time betwixt the sin and the punishment (ordinarily:) this he doeth to show his mercy unto mankind, because that he would not destroy them, if they would amende. Therefore, after the sin, he smites not presently, but puts off his punishment, that in the mean time man may repent. Here the Prophet compares the Lord to a mother, for as she conceives the fruit in her womb, and bears it a long time, ere she bring it out: so the Lord after a man's sins, or a people's sin • s, conceive (that is) ordains, and decreeth a judgment for it, but he keeps it up, and all that while he bears it: But as she, when her time is come, then travails and brings forth: So, when the time that God hath appointed, is come, and still sin not repented of: then his justice travails to be delivered of that judgment, which mercy hath kept up so long a time. Thus the old world had an hundred and twenty years given them, for time of repentance; all that while God was in conceiving, at last when their sins were ripe, and no hope of amendment: then God traveled, and brought forth a fearful birth, namely, the universal flood, to wash away, and take revenge upon the universal iniquities of those times. So mame hundredth years he gave unto the Jews, long he was in conceiving their destruction, and oftentimes he had it at the bringing forth, as in the captivity of Babylon, and under Antiochus; yet his mercy stayed it: and still he travailed longer: tells them here by the Prophet, that yet the Decree is not come forth (though it be conceived:) but at last when Israel would not Repent, but grew worse, and worse; as in CHRIST his time) then he could contain no longer, but traveled indeed, and though it be with grief, yet he hath brought forth: and what? a most fearful birth, even an utter desolation of that Kingdom and Country, of their City, and Temple, and a dispersion of this nation over all the world: but as a woman at last is delivered with danger and difficulty, with pain and sorrow: so the Lord long conceives, but at last brings forth his judgments: yet is it with grief and unwillingness, and he is loath (as it were) and much grieved to execute his most just judgments on those, who have professed his name: he often touched the Jews a little, and as being unwilling to smite them: he drew back his hand again: but at last when their sins did so increase, & were so strong, that they even did wring out by violence his plagues from him, then with much bewailing of their great misery (as we may see in Christ weeping for them) he executes his judgments on them. But as they are long a coming: so, when they come forth, they were the heavier; as a child, the more fullness of time it hath, is the greater, the liuelier, and the stronger: so, God's judgments, the longer God deferreth them, & is in conceiving them, the heavier are they, when they come: that is manifest in the Jews, once his own people, for he hath destroyed their land, with an irrecoverable destruction, & smitten their posterity, with a blindness of mind till this hour, so that to this day, when the old Testament is read, the veil is over their eyes, that they cannot see the light of Christ Jesus, but plod on in fearful and palpable blindness.

This doctrine hath special use to this our Church, to teache us to look to our selves betimes, and try our own woyes, and turn to the Lord, for we cannot tell how far off his judgments are: in reason they must needs be near, they have been so long deferred, and yet been so justly deserved of us. Certainly, God hath long been in conceyuing judgments and plagues for the sins of England, and often hath God's hand been upon us, by War, Famine, Pestilence, In-vndations: and yet it hath been pulled back again: and his sword hath been put up into his sheathe, and God hath stayed his birth, even in the very travel, and we have escaped, even as a man, whose neck hath been upon the block, and the Axe holden up to strike: so then, yet the day is not come, yet we have time: happy we that ever we saw this day, if now we have grace to repent, and Searche our hearts, for then we shall stay his judgment decreed, that it shall never come forth against us: but if we defer to repent, put off from day today, and lie rotting still in our sins: then know and be assured, that as the Decree is established, so it must needs come forth, and the stroke stricken, Repentance is too late: therefore what he said to the Jews, I say unto us, Search thyself O England: (a Nation not worthy to be beloved) before the Decree come forth, which is already past against thee.

5. Now followeth the last point: the reason of all. Why should we search our selves? The reason is included in the fourth point: For there is a decree come forth against thee. And although the execution be defeated, and though God be unwilling to take it out, yet without repentance, it is most certain, it shall come forth, and be executed at the last. In one word, this is the reason. Repent, or else certainly God will take vengeance: But (will man's heart say) is this true? Or rather these be but words to fear men, and to keep them in awe. I answer, for proof and experience hereof, never go further 〈◊〉 this place, and present example we have in hand, the Prophet bids them Search, Search, and Repent, else, as certainly as there was a judgment conceived, so certainly it should be executed upon them: they would not hear, nor Search, nor repent: but what followed; let all men judge, whether God is not true of his word to them or no: yea alas, who seeth not that God hath traveled indeed, and hath brought forth a fearful judgment on them, and hath made them for these thousand years, and a half, the gazing-stock, the byword, and the amazement of all the world.

Thus was it threatened to the Jews, and thu 〈…〉 is performed: and certainly thus hath it been threatened, and thus shall it be performed to thee, Oh England, except thou prevent the judgments that are coming: Oh happy England, that I may say unto thee, it is yet but coming. For as for the miserable Jews, upon them (alas) it is come already: unto those poor souls it can be said no more, Repent before the Decree come forth: for it is now past: but thou art happy, for thy Day is not yet come: yet I may say unto thee, Repent before the Decree come forth: and Oh happy England, that thou mavest hear this word: ( Before ) sounding in thine ears.

Therefore my beloved brethren, who are here assembled out (almost) of every corner of this Kingdom, hear my words: and carry them home with you into all Countries, God is the same God still, as just, & as jealous, as ever he was: our sins are as ill, nay, much viler then the Jews were: howe can it be then, but that must fall to us that fell to them? therefore the zeal of God's glory, and my desire of your salvations, make me, that I dare not flatter, but tell you the truth: that is, that out of all question, if we search not our selves and Repent: there is a general judgment in preparing for us: certainly the Decree is out, and what can stop the execution of it, but Repentance: God hath long spared, and he hath been long in traveling, therefore (though nothing can be said in way of Prophesy) I am in my conscience persuaded to fear, & that out of infallible grounds of the word of God, that a plague, and a judgment, and that moste fearful, hangs over England: and that it is already pronounced upon this Nation, and shall be as certainly executed, without a visible reformation: and because I may seem to speak somewhat large, give me leave to give you the reasons inducing me hereunto.

1. First, the Gospel hath been preached these five and thirty years, & is daily more and more, so that, the light therefore never shone more gloriouslie, since the Primitive Church: yet for all this, there is a general ignorance, general of all people, general of all points, yea, as though there were no Preaching at all: yea, when Popery was newely bannished, 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 blind, and the more hardened (even as a Stithie the more it is beaten upon, the harder it is) so they, the more they hear the Gospel, the less esteem they it, and the more they contemn it: and the more God calls, the deaffer they are: and the more they are commanded, the more they disobey. We Preachers may cry till our Lunges fly out, or be spent within us, and men are moved no more then stones. Oh alas, what is this, or what can this be: but a fearful sign of destruction? Will any man endure always to be mocked? then howe long hath GOD been mocked? Will any man endure to stand knocking continually? If then God hath stood knocking at our hearts five and thirty years: it is now time to be gone, unless we open presently?

But if we will know what this argueth, to contemn the Gospel, and not to repent, when the Word is so abundantly preached: read the Story of Eli, his wicked sons. He spake unto them, and gave them godly counsel, but they hearkened not unto the voice of their father: But will some say, that is no great matter, not to hear their Father a common thing: but mark what followeth. They would not hear their father, because the Lord would destroy them: a fearful thing. Even so it is with a nation, or a people: are they taught, and are they worse and worse? take heed: If Eli’s sons obey not, it is, because God will destroy them.

If therefore Eli, and many Eli’s have spoken to England, and England hears not, England obeyeth not, England repents not: take heed the the Lord in heaven say not, England will not hear the voice of the Prophets, because I will destroy it. Let no mā say, we take upon us to prophesy: we only give warning, and show the danger, by example of the like.

My second reason is this. One judgment executed, and not working repentance, is always a fore-runner of an other: that Rule is certain, and an evident truth, & needs no proving. Now, we have been visited with famines, Earthquakes, pestilences, invndations, Thunder and lightnings in winter, and most strange and unseasonable weather: but alas, all these have taken no effect: where is the humiliation, Repentance and reformation which they have wrought? therefore it must needs be, there remains behind a greater judgment. Men may be so mad to think these to be ordinary things, and to come by course of Nature, and ordinary causes: but certainly they are the shaking of the Rod, and fore-runners of a great judgment, unless Repentance cut off their course. For look as one cloud followeth another, till the Sun consume them: so one judgment hastens after another, and repentance only is the Sun, which must dispel them.

3. Thirdly, it stands with the justice of God, according as he hath revealed it in the Scripture, especially in Deut. 28. out of the whole Chapter, it must needs be gathered as a Rule. I will curse that people that break my laws: now we may not deny but this land of ours, is for abundance of sin, a people of Sodom. All kind of sins, in all estates of men, rage & reign every day more and more: therefore I conclude, that unless we repent, and so dissolve this cloud of judgment, that hangs over our heads: it cannot be, but a most fearful tempest is to come at the last, and when it is come, it will be too late to wish they had done it. Therefore in the bowels of CHRIST JESUS. Let this be to entreat and exhort you all, to search and look into your selves, that so repenting and changing your ways, you may get the sword again into his sheath, which is already drawn out, but yet hath not stricken home, and may quench the wrath which is already kindled, but yet burns not out as it will do, if by repentance we quench it not: and do this every one, as you tender the salvation of your own souls, and the continuance of the Gospel to this glorious Nation, and the peace and prosperous state of this Church and common wealth. For let mē make what causes they will, it is certainly sinfulness that overturns kingdoms, and changeth states, as all these kingdoms and states have felt, who have continued finally to contemn the Gospel.

It followeth:

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

The Prophet proceedeth, and describeth more plainly, the manner and state of that plague, which God will send upon them: the meaning was partly opened before, to be in effect thus much; Search yourselves, least God take his fan and try you, because you would not try yourselves, and finding you upon the trial, not sound Wheat, but light Chaff: blow you to Hell with the wind of his wrath: the Metaphor which the Prophet useth is this, he compares the Lord to a husbandman, great and rich, the whole world is his corn field: several Nations, (as this of ours for one) are his heaps of corn: but the heaps of corn be full of Chaff, that is, these particular Churches, are full of hypocrites: now a wise husbandman letteth Corn and Chaff lie together no longer, then till the wind doth blow, and then he appoints his fanning time to sever his corn from his chaff, and to blow away his chaff, and lay up his corn: so God, the great and wise husbandman, will not let the chaff lie for ever amongst the Wheat, he hath therefore appointed his fāning times, whē to blow the chaff into hell, & to gather his wheat into heavenly garners.

Now God's winnowing times are two, the one is at the last day, after this life, and that is God's great winnowing day of all his corn (that of all men) when the bad shall be severed frō the good forever, never to be mingled again with them, but by the strong & powerful fan of his last and final judgment to be blown into hell: the wind of whose wrath, at that day, shall be stronger to blow them all away, then all the wind in the world to blow away one handful of light Chaff.

2. God's 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 God's fannes: For when the Gospel is preached to a Nation or Congregation, it Fannes them, and tries them, and purgeth them, and so serves them, that a man may see a manifest difference of the chaff and the wheat, that is, of the goodly man, and the wicked man: this preaching of the Gospel doth John the Baptist expressly call a Fan: where the holy Ghost pursueth this whole Metaphor most plainly, speaking of Christ, he saith, Whose Fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his Floore, and gather his wheat into his garner, but the Chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. The wind of this Fan of the word preached, is so strong, as that it seuers the Chaff from the Wheat, that is, good professors from hypocrites in the visible Church, and blows so strongly upon the wicked, that it brings them to the beginning of Hell even in this world, for it so worketh upon the conscience, as if it cannot convert them, it strikes them with fear, terror and torment, either in life or at death, which torment of conscience is the very flashes of hellfire.

But, when this first Fan of the word, will not serve to bring men to repentance, (for the word preached, doth not confound a man actually, but only pronounce the sentence, and thereby strive strike the conscience) then God hath another fan, and that is the Fan of his judgments: and that fanning or winnowing time is, when he executes his vengeance and his judgments on a Nation: this is his latter fan, when the first will not prevail, this is his powerful and strong fan driven about with the wind of his wrath, this fan went over the old world, and swept them all away, and went over the Nation of the Jews, and we see they are no more.

1. These three fannes of God, make a threefold separation of the Chaff from the wheat, that is, of the wicked from the Elect: with the fan of his word which is powerful, he seuers them in all affection, and disposition, and makes a distinction of them, so, as generally the wheat is known to be wheat, and Chaff discerned to be Chaff, by the Preaching of the word: but though the tare be known to be tare, yet both grow together, so that the word only serves them in affection, and sets several notes of distinction upon them both.

2. But then the second fan of his judgments is more violent, for thereby he seuereth them asunder in soul, gathering the godly men, as his Wheat into the heavens, and blowing the souls of the wicked into hell: but yet the bodies of them both lie together, as partakers of the same judgment, so subject to the same corruption, and are all lodged in the same grave of the earth, and death hath like dominion over them all.

3. But afterwards at the last day, at God's great harvest, and great winnowing time, he then with the wind of his power, seuereth them asunder in soul and body. Wheat from the chaff, Sheep from the Goats, and separateth them, never to be mingled again forever and ever: and then with the wind of his wrath, he blows the chaff into fire unquenchable, and with his loving favor gathereth his wheat into the everlasting and glorious garners of heaven.

So then, the first seuereth them in affectiō. The second, in soul, for a time. The third, actually in soul and body, for ever and ever.

Now of these three winnowing times, the holy Ghost speaketh here properly of the second: namely, the fan of God's judgments: so that, the meaning of the Metaphor is this: Search your selves and repent betimes, lest God come upon you with some fearful Judgments: because you have so long contemned the fan of the word, and finding you too light to abide the trial, do take you away in the judgment, and cast you into hell: for as sure as the fan of the word hath made difference of you, which are chaff, and which are wheat, so sure shall the fan of his judgments, blow away the chaff to hell and damnation.

Now for the use, for us in England, the case stands thus: Our Church doubtless is God's corn field, and we are the corn heap of God: and those Brownists and Sectaries are blind and besotted, who cannot see that the Church of England is a godly heap of God's corn: but withal, we must confess, we are full of chaff: that is, of profane and wicked hypocrites, whose hearts and minds abound in sins and rebellions: and many of our best professors are also too full of chaff (that is) of corruptions, and do give themselves too much liberty in many sins: but alas, the pure wheat, how thin is it scattered? how hard to find a man (at least a family) which dedicate themselves to the Lord in holy and sincere obedience, and labor to make conscience of all sins: now therefore, seeing we are God's corn field, and we have some pure wheat amongst much chaff, therefore God will winnow us to find out the corn, if he have but one corn of wheat in a handful of chaff, but one good man of many, he will stir all the heap for those few corners, he will not care to blow all the chaff to hell, to find out those few corns of Wheat, to lay them up in heaven: so that out of all question, England being so full of chaff, must look to be winnowed.

Now for the first Fan of his word, it hath been used in this land these five and thirty years, and that as powerfully, and as plentifully as any where in the world, and yet (alas) many are more godless, more ignorant, more profane then ever they were, yea, wickedness groweth, and the chaff increaseth above the wheat: be sure therefore, that God will bring his second fan upon us; because we will not suffer the first, and mild and gentle fan of his word to try and search us: therefore we will bring the fearful fan of his judgments, and with it, he will blow soul and body into hell, with those our sins and corruptions, which we would not suffer the fan of God's word to blow from us. The first hath so long blown in vain, that the second must needs come unto us, and it hath already begun to blow: three or four blasts have blown over us; famine, pestilence, earth-quakes, fire, water, wind, these have so blown some of us, that they have taken away a great number of us For us that remain, this only remains, that we strengthen our selves by grace, to be able to stand against the next blast, for come it will, and when it comes no wealth nor worldly thing can enable us to endure it, only faith and repentance, and the grace of God will stand at that day. Now therefore, in that so fearful a fanning abideth us: seeing it is so near (as appeareth by the blasts already past over us, which are nothing but the forerunners of a greater tempest) what should be our care (except we care not to be blown body and soul into hell) but to labor to eschew this fearful fan of God's wrath: or at least, if it come upon us, that it may not blow us to hell, but hasten us to heaven. If thy heart be touched to ask how this may be. I answer thee, only to follow the Prophets advice in this place, by searching and trying our selves. The way to escape God's trial, is to try thy self: & to escape God's iugdement, to be a judge to thine own soul: and so the way to escape the fearful fan of God, is to fan their own heart by the law of God. For whomsoever the first fan (that is, the word of God) doth work upon: these men are never blown away with the fan of God's judgments. O then, entertain the word of God into thy heart, submit thy soul unto it, let it pierce and try, & ransack thy heart, and lay before thee thy wretched estate by thy sins, and when thou seest thy nakedness and misery, confess it, bewail it, and be humbled for it, cry and call for mercy and forgiveness, pray against thy special sins, strive to purge them out, as the poison of thy soul, crave grace from God for all thy sins: if thou seest any sins more welcome to thy nature, more deer unto thee, and which more prevail against thee, then others do, pray against these sins, and strive against them above all: & endeaour, that by the fan of God's word, they may be blown away from thee. When thou hast done this, mark what will come of it: when thou hast fanned thyself, GOD will not fan thee: but when the fan of his judgment comes & bloweth so strongly upon the wicked, then the Lord finding thee already fanned, and cleansed by his word, will spare thee, and his judgment shall either blow over thee, and pass by thee untouched (as over Lot, in the destruction of Sodom ) or else shall fan out all thy corruptions, and blow thee up to heaven, to be laid up as pure wheat in the heavenly garners, and mansions of glory, which Christ ascribed to prepare for thee.

Now then amongst those many businesses, with which this world doth cumber every of us (all which shall perish with the world it self) let us good brethren, spare sometime for this great business. Martha may be combred about many things, but this is that one thing, which is necessary: therefore whatsoever is done, let not this be undone. Once a day put thy self and thy life under the fan of God's law, try thy self what thou art, and thy life, how thou livest. Once a day keep a court in thy conscience, call thy thoughts, thy words, and thy deeds to their trial: let the ten commandments pass upon them, and thy sins and corruptions which thou findest to be chaff, blow them away by repentance, so shalt thou remain pure and clean wheat, fit for the house and Church of GOD in this world, and for his kingdom in heaven. But, if we will not do this, then alas, what will follow? my heart grieveth to utter it: but I must, unless I should be a false Prophet: and therefore I will. Our long peace, plenty, and ease, have bred great sins, so great, that they reach to heaven, and provoke God's Majesty to his face, & so strong, that they will violently draw down judgments from God upon us: which when they come, they will be so powerful, and so violent, that they will blow us away like chaff, and bring this kingdom to some miserable ruin. O therefore how happy are we, if we can entertain this doctrine, & practice it: for in so doing, we shall prevent God's judgments, we shall continue the Gospel to this land, and preserve this glorious Nation from being destroyed or dispeopled, by some fearful judgment.

Beloved, you come hither to this place, purposely to buy and sell, and thereby to better your estates in this world: how happy then are you, if besides the good markets you make for your bodies and estates, you learn also how to make yourselves abide the trial of God's judgments, and how to be made pure corn, fit to replenish the garners of heaven, and howe to continue God's favor and the Gospel to this Nation. If thou go away with this lesson, thou hast a Jewel more worth, then thou shouldest go home possessed of all the huge riches of this Faire: you call this and such like times Faire times: but if thou learn this lesson right, then thou mayest say, that this was the fairest day in deed, that ever shone upon thee, since thou wast borne. This precious Jewel which I have spoken of all this while, I here offer unto thee. Everyone brings hither something to be sold, this is the merchandise that I bring and set to sale unto you: what ever commodity 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 heaven: and all the earth cannot yield it: and as it is from heaven, so it is of a heavenly virtue, and will work that which all the wealth in this Faire is not able to do: therefore cast not to buy the basest, and let pass the best of all: and never allege that it is above thy compass, and being a Jewel, it is too deer and costly for thee: for I offer it freely unto you, and to everyone of you, I pronounce unto you from the Lord, that here this blessed doctrine is offered unto you all, in his name, freely, and that you may buy it without money. Happy is that day, when thou coming so far to buy things for thy body, and pays so dear for them, doest meet with so precious a Jewel, the virtue whereof, is to save thy soul, and payest nothing for it. Thou mayest hereafter rejoice, and say: I went to buy and sell, and to help my body: but I have also learned to save my soul. I went thither to help to mainiaine my own estate: but I have learned to help to maintain England in prosperity: for assuredly, if we would all of us learn this lesson, and practice it, we might assure our selves of the glorious prosperity of England, to continue from generation to generation: whereas alas, if we continue and go forward in our sins, and impenitence, it is greatly to be feared, that neither the Gospel, nor this peace, will reach to our posterity. Therefore now to make an end; I once again, and lastly, commend this doctrine to you all, and every one of you (for this merchandise that I bring, is of that nature, that though some take it, yet there is also enough for everyone) and I commend it unto you, even from the very mouth of God himself: think of it I charge thee, as ever thou lookest to appear before the face of Christ Jesus the great Judge, at the last day; and if thou wouldest escape the rigor of that judgment, enter now into judgment with thyself, & search thyself: if thou now wilt not receive this doctrine, then shall it at the last day be a bill of Enditement against thee, for if it save thee not, it shall condemn thee: think of it therefore seriously, as a matter that concerns thy soul & body: yea, and thy posterity, and this whole Realm, all which shall smart for it, if we repent not. And if the body of our people, and those, whose hearts are wedded to this world, will not entertain this doctrine; thē I turn unto you that fear the Lord, and to you I direct my last warning; Search, O search, and try your hearts & lives, renew & revive your faith & repentance, that if judgments do come and blow upon this Nation, and drive the Gospel from it, and it to hell: that yet you may have a testimony to your consciences, that you did not pull down this general calamity, but for your parts labored to have prevented it, by your earnest prayers and hearty repentance: that so, the posterity ensuing, may not curse you, but speak reverently of you, and praise God for you, and wish that all had done as you did; for then had they enjoyed this goodly lande, and all God's blessings with it, as we their forefathers did before them: and so shall our names not rotte, but flourish amongst the posterities to come, which shall be partakers of the desolation: And when we have renewed our repentance, let us then every one of us, deal with the Lord by earnest prayer for this Church and Nation, that the Lord would show his mercy upon it, and continue unto it, this peace and the Gospel: it is nothing with the Lord to do it, his powerful hand is not shortened, he can continue our peace: when the Papists look for hurli-burlies, he can continue the Gospel, when they hope to set up their Idolatry again: let us therefore apply the Lord with our prayers, and with Moses set our selves in the breach, and pray for the ignorance of the multitude, and bewail their sins, who bewail not their own. So did Noah, Daniel, and Job, in their ages, and prayed for the people in general calamities: let us all be Noah's, Daniel's, and Job's, in our generations: if we do thus, then when Judgments come, we shall either turn them away from our Nation, or at the least we shall deliver our own souls.

Let us now turn to the Lord in prayer, and because it cannot be hoped, but that this our general sinfulness must needs ende with some heavy Judgment: let us desire the Lord still to defet our deserved punishments, and still to spare us, and to give us time and leisure to repent: that so, we entering into our selves, and searching our hearts, and turning to the Lord: we may turn away his imminent Judgments, and that when his wrath doth burn out indeed, we may then be counted worthy in Christ, to escape those things which must needs come upon the world. Amen.