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
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
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 iudgemeÌ„t 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 sinnâ—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
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
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