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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A09417	A faithfull and plaine exposition vpon the 2. chapter of Zephaniah by that reuerend and iudicious diuine, M.W. Perkins. Containing a powerful exhortation to repentance: as also the manner hovve men in repentance are to search themselues. Published by a preacher of the vvord. With a preface prefixed, touching the publishing of M. Perkins his vvorks. And a catalogue of all such particulars thereof, as are to be expected.; M. Perkins, his exhortation to repentance, out of Zephaniah. Selections	Perkins, William, 1558-1602.	1609 (1609)	STC 19708; ESTC S105944	42,578	198

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 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 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 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 ¶ And thus much for the first pointe namely the dutie of searching heere commaunded in which we haue stayed the longer because it is the foundation of all the rest and this beeing well layde the whole building will goe vp the faster Now wee come to the second generall point here laid downe that is whom must wee Search the Prophet answereth your selues not other men but your selues This search so vrged and inforced by the Prophet must not bee of other mens hearts liues but of our owne our owne are our charge and not other mens and therein is the saying true which else is most false Euery man for himselfe for as euerie soule must bee saued by it selfe so must it beleeue repent and search it selfe 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 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 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 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 And thus much may suffice for that point It followeth O Nation not worthy to be beloued The third point Who must search the Iewes who are here termed a Nation not worthy to be beloued 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 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 but he delt not so with other Nations neither had the heathen knowledge of his lawes Besides all this they hadde a better land then others about them 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 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 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 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 neither was hee so bountifull vnto them and therefore as wee may see though they liued 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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

better 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 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 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 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 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 Hitherto of the third generall point 4. The fourth generall point in this exhortation is time limitted them when they should Search Before 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 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 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 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 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 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