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 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 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 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 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 Adâ—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 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 corruptioÌ„ 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 maÌ„s 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 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 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 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 maÌ„s nature as he seeth good 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 preseruatioÌ„ 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 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 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
beleeue in Christ and forsake sinne it is therefore manifest that they haue not yet begunne to Beleeue or Repent 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 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 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 of the Law are coūted 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 shal be 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 strōger 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 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 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 hell-fire 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 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 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 lye together as partakers of the same iudgement so subiect to the same corruption and are all lodged in the
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
they shal flie away with the winde of Gods iustice Of all these points in order For the first the holy Ghost saith Search your selues The wordes are commonly read thus Gather your selues which though it bee good for that in Repentance a man gathereth himselfe all his wits together which afore were dispersed wandred vp and downe in vanitie yet I rather allowe their translation who reade thus Search or fanne your selues but either of them may stand because the word in the originall doth comprehend both significations yet it seemeth that to search or sift fits this 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 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 Let vs searche and trye our wayes and marke what followeth and turne againe to the 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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
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 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 are chaffe and which are wheate so sure shall the fanne of his iudgements blow away the chaffe to hell and damnation Thus much for the meaning 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 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 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 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 this onely remaines that wee strengthen our selues by 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 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 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 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 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 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 iudgemeÌ„ts 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 theÌ„ 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 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 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 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 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 Willam Perkins Lament 3. Let vs Search and trye our wayes and turne againe to the Lord. Trin-vni Deo gloria FINIS Canitius in Cateâ—hismo Costerus in Enchiridio Corradus Nauarrus Loper Sairus Grasffius Hallus and many other Deering Greenha Bradford and many Maister Perkings but fortie yeares olde at his death Ps. 11. 16. Apoc. 2. 10. 1. Thes. 5. 24. Lam 3. Rom. 5. 14. Gen. 4. Exod. 1. Gen. 8. 2. Sam. 15 16. Esay 38. Rom. 3. 2. Ps. 143. 20. Psal. 147. Acts 17. verse 30. Iohn 10. 32 There were then present inhabitants of London York Cambridge Oxford Norwich Bristow Ipswich Colchester Worcester Hull Lin Manchester Kendal Couentry Nottingham Northampton Bath Lincolne Darby Lâ—icester Chester Newecastle of many other most populous cities Townes of England 1. Sam. 2. 13. In the plague at LondoÌ„ ther dyed some weeke almost 2000. a weeke in 92. But in 1603. there died 3300. in a weeke At Stirbridg Faire