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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The vse of this second rule, is notable. For in this sear­ching of our selues, it shew­eth vs what wee are, without all colour or deceit, and ful­ly discouers vnto vs, the vgli­nes of our natures: & it may teach vs all how to think and esteeme of our selues, Gen. 4. when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther, Exod. 1. Pharaohs vnnaturall crueltie, Gen. 8. the Sodomites vn­natural lust, 2. Sam. 15▪ & 16. Achitophels diuel­lish pollicie, Esay. 38. Senacharibs hor­rible blasphemie, Iudas mon­strous treason, Iulians feare­full Apostasie. When wee heare of the fearefull mur­thers, treasons, periuries, sinnes against nature, blas­phemies, Apostasies, witch­crafts, [Page 48] crafts, and other the horrible sinnes of the worlde: let vs then returne into our selues, and looke homewardes, euen into our owne heartes, and confesse euerie one that these should haue beene euen thy sinnes also, if Gods grace had not preuented thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It followeth.

O Nation not worthy to be be­loued.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If therefore Elie, and many Elyes haue spoken to England, and England heares not, Eng­land obeyeth not, England re­pents [Page 121] not: take heede the the Lord in heauen say not, England will not heare the voice of the Prophets, because I will de­stroy it. Let no mā say, we take vpon vs to prophesie: we one­ly giue warning, and shew the danger, by example of the like.

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

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

It followeth:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trin-vni Deo gloria.