A FAITHFVLL 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 howe men in Repentance are to search themselues Published by a Preacher of the word With a Preface prefixed touching the publishing of M. Perkins his works And a Catalogue of all such particulars thereof as are to be expected The fift Impression Prou. 28. 13. He that hideth his sinnes shall not prosper But hee that confesseth and forsaketh them shall finde mercie ¶ At London printed by T. C. for William Welby 1609. TO THE RIGHT worshipfull my very worthy and Christian friend Sir Williā Gee knight one of his Maiesties honorable Counsel in the North. Recorder of the Townes of Beuerley and Hull and one of his Maiesties Iustices of Peace in the East-riding of the Countie of Yorke a true friend of learning and pietie to the vertuous and religious Lady his wife Grace and peace from God c. AMongst the many reasons Worshipfull Sir which haue perswaded me that Poperie cannot be the true Religion this is not the least the insufficiencie of their doctrine of faith and repētance which two things though they be the chiefe and principall points in religion and so necessarie that he who doth not but know and practise them aright can neuer bee saued yet I dare auouch that the faith and Repentance of the Romish church as they are taught by many of the best approoued Papists are no better thē such a faith and such a repētance as an hypocrite and a very reprobate may attaine vnto Indeede to insist vpon repentance only they make many faire florishes they call it penance they make it a Sacrament and say it is a boord that saues a man after shipwracke and write great volumes of it and of confession and of Cases of Conscience as you good Syr in your owne reading knowe better then I and yet alas when all is done it is but a shadowe of repentance and indeede how can they teach aright the doctrine of repentance which erre so fowly in setting downe the iustice of God and the vilenesse of sinne Which two points a man must know else hee will neuer repent but Poperie misconceiuing the iustice of God teaching it not to bee infinite in as much as it needes not an infinite satisfaction and misconceiuing the nature of sinne teaching euery sinne not to be damnable nor to offend Gods infinite iustice erring I say in these two how is it possible they should conceiue aright the nature of repentance by which a man seeing his sinnes their foulenesse their punishment and his owne miserie by them confesseth them bewailes them fearing Gods iustice flieth from it and craues forgiuenesse of his mercy and lastly purposeth and indeuoureth to leaue thē all and to leade a new life The serious consideration heereof hath often made mee wonder why many popish treatises being in some sort exhortations to repētance should be so accounted of as they are by some for though I confesse there are in some of them good and wholesome meditations and manye motiues to mortification good life yet woulde I gladly learne of any man but this one thing howe those exhortations can bee pithie or powerfull sound or any way sufficient to moue a man to repentance whē as not those bookes not all Poperie is able to teach a man sufficiently what true repentance is If any man reply I will therefore learne the doctrine out of the Protestants bookes and vse the Papists for exhortation onely I then answere Is it not a more compendious and conuenient and a lesse scandalous course to seeke exhortations out of such writers as do teach the doctrine aright nay I doubt howe it is possible to finde a powerfull exhortation to repentance in any Papist who erres in the Doctrine the reason is manifest because Doctrine is the ground of exhortation and if the doctrine bee vnsound how can the exhortation bee any better Let vs therefore leaue these muddie puddles and fette our water at the Fountaine the water of life at the fountaine of life I meane the doctrine of faith and repentance at the written worde of God and at such mens writings as are grounded thereupon and agreeable thereunto Nowe amongst those many instrumentes of God who haue laboured with profite in this great point of Religion namely repentance drawing their doctrine out of the breasts of the two Testamens of Gods booke I may well say to say no more that this man of GOD Maister Perkings deserues to haue his place whose labours whilest he liued and his yet liuing labours what they deserue I had rather others should proclaime then I once name who professe my selfe to be one of those many who many truly say that by the grace of God and his good meanes principally I am that I am But leauing him in that glorious mansion which Christ the Lord of the Haruest hath prepared for him and now giuen him I returne to my selfe and doe humbly praise the Lord of heauen who gaue mee my time in the Vniuersitie in those happie daies wherein beside many worthy men of God whereof some are falne a sleepe and some remaine aliue vnto this day this holy man did spend himselfe like a candle to giue light vnto others The scope of all his godly endeuours was to teach Christ Iesus and him crucified and much laboured to moue all men to repentance that as our knowledge hath made Poperie ashamed of their ignorance so our holy liues might honour our holy profession And as repentance was one of the principall endes both of his continuall preaching and writing so especially and purposely hath hee twise dealte in that Argument First in his Treatise of Repentance published 1592. wherein briefly as his manner was but soundly pithily and feelingly he laieth down the Doctrine and the very nature of Repentance and after the positiue Doctrine hee toucheth some of the principall controuersies and difficulties in that doctrine but afterwards thinking with himselfe that hee had not seriously and forcibly enough vrged so great and necessarie a lesson as Repentance is therefore shortly after being desired and called to the dutie of Preaching in that great and generall assembly at Stirbridge Faire hee thought it a fit time for this necessarie and generall exhortation to Repentance to the intent that as wee were taught the Doctrine of Repentance in the former treatise so in these Sermons wee might be stirred vp to the practise of it And certainly good Sir I iudge there coulde haue beene no matter more fitte for that assembly then an exhortation to repentance for as the audience was great and generall of all sorts sexes ages and callings of men and assembled out of many corners of this kingdome so is this doctrine generall for all some doctrines are for parents some for children some for schollers some for trades-men some for men
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
also the seede of it And againe seeing that all euills tendes to a perfection as well as Grace doeth what reason therefore is there but wee may safely thinke that the Diuell would hale euery one to that height of sinne if it were not that the powerfull hande of God preuented him who will neyther suffer wicked men nor the Diuell himselfe to bee so wicked as they coulde and would be The vse of this second rule is notable For in this searching of our selues it sheweth vs what wee are without all colour or deceit and fully discouers vnto vs the vglines of our natures it may teach vs all how to think and esteeme of our selues when we heare of Caines vnnaturall murther Pharaohs vnnaturall crueltie the Sodomites vnnatural lust Achitophels diuellish pollicie Senacharibs horrible blasphemie Iudas monstrous treason Iulians fearefull Apostasie When wee heare of the fearefull murthers treasons periuries sinnes against nature blasphemies Apostasies witchcrafts crafts and other the horrible sinnes of the worlde let vs then returne into our selues and looke homewardes euen into our owne heartes and confesse euerie one that these should haue beene euen thy sinnes also if Gods grace had not preuented thee This will humble thee and make thee thinke vilely and basely of thy selfe and so consequently bring thee to repentance and true amendement and the verie reason why men repent not nor amend their wayes is because they are Pharisies by nature and thinke highly of themselues and of their owne natures and their naturall inclinations this will be a harshe a strāge doctrine to them Oh they haue excellent narures and they canot endure such such sinnes and they thanke God they are not as ill as others but let all such men knowe they must cease magnifying nature learne to magnifie Gods grace Let them knowe that nature in them is in the roote as much corrupt as in the worst man in the world and euerie mans heart is a bottomlesse fountaine of all sinne therefore praise not thy nature but Gods grace and mercie in giuing thee so good a nature or rather so well restraining and rectifying thy nature stay not there but desire of the Lord that as hee hath giuen thee a better tempered nature then to other men so also hee woulde bestowe on thee his espeiiall and sauing grace and as hee hath kept thee from the fearefull sinnes of others thou beeing as ill naturally as they so he would also leade thee into the way of saluation which else the best nature in the worlde can neuer attaine vnto The third rule to be knowne and practised of him who will truely searche himselfe is that euerie man borne of Adam is by nature the children of wrath and Gods enemie this is true of all without exception high or lowe rich or poore Noble or simple borne in the visible church or without And further by beeing enemie of God hee is therefore borne subiect to hell to damnation and to all other curses so that looke as a Traitor conuicted stands thereby in his Princes high displeasure and is sure of death without speciall pardon so standes euerie man when hee is borne conuicted of high treason against God in his high disfauour and is in danger of Hell which is the fulfilling of the wrath of God Thus Dauid confesseth of himselfe I was borne in iniquitie and in sinne hath my mother conceiued mee If in sinne then in Gods wrath and vnder the daunger of damnation If anie aske howe or why this is so I answere the trueth as also the equitie of this third rule dependeth on the two former for because euery man is borne guiltie of Adams great sinne and also tainted originally with al corruption and a pronenesse of all sinne therefore it followeth in equitie and iustice that euery man is borne vnder the wrath and curse of God This point is a plaine and euident trueth yet men in the world thinke not so and it is the cause why men repent not of their sinnes for most men thinke that by nature they are in Gods fauour and therefore they neede not so sue for it in humiliation repentance but only liue ciuillie and do no open wrong and all is well whereas alas there is no condemned traitour more out of his Princes fauour nor more sure of death without a pardon then all wee are out of Gods fauour and sure of damnation vnlesse wee procure Gods fauour againe by Faith and Repentance For the better opening of this third rule and the manifesting of the Truth let vs knowe further that the curse of God vnder the which wee all are borne is three-fold The first is a bondage vnder Sathan It is a certaine truth that euerie man as hee is borne of his Parents and till he repent is a slaue of Sathan man or woman high or lowe Sathan is his Lord and Maister Hee sits as Iudge in his heart and in his sense Sathan is the king of the natiōs and god of the world Men wil in words defie Sathan and not name him without defiance and spit at him and yet alas hee is in their heartes they spitte him out of their mouthes but hee is lower they should also spit him out of their heartes and that is true defiance indeede for alas he lodgeth in thy heart and there hee maketh his Throne and reignes vntil the spirit of regeneration dispossesse him and till then no seruant is subiect to his maister no slaue to his Lorde as is the heart of man by nature vnto Sathan the Prince of darkenesse Nay our bondage is more fearefull then the slauerie of anie poore Christian in the Spaniards or in the Turkes Gallies for their bodies are but in bondage and at commaund and vnder punishment but our best part our heart our conscience our soule it selfe is captiuated vnto him and vnder his commaunde who is the king of crueltie and confusion and lord of hell whose commandements are iniustice whose seruice is sinne and whose hyre is damnation The second part of the curse of the first death or the death of the bodie that is a separation of the soule and bodie asunder for a time namely til the last iudgemēt This death is duely and iustly the punishment of anie one or the least sinne therefore howe due and iust a punishment vppon that horrible heape of sinfulnesse which is in euery mans nature and it is a most terrible curse For it is the very gate of hell and the downefall of damnation vnto all men but such as by faith and repentance doe get their death sanctified by the death of Christ vnto such men indeed it is no curse but a gratious and glorious blessing for it is altered by Christ his death But vnto all men by nature and which repent not it is the heauie curse of Gods wrath and the verie downe-fall into the gulfe of hell The third part of the curse vnder which euerie man is borne
is the second death the death of soule and bodie which is the eternall want of Gods presence and the accomplishment of his wrath and an apprehension and feeling of that wrath seazing on bodie soule and conscience The first curse was a spirituall death the death of the soule The second a temporall death the death of the bodie The third is an eternall death a death both of soule and bodie together and for euer This eternall death is the curse of all curses the miserie of all miseries and torment of all tormentes and I shewe it thus Often when thy toothe acheth and sometime when thy headacheth or in the paine of the stone or collicke thou wouldest giue all that thou hast in the worlde to bee eased of that paine Nay in the extreamitie of some fittes manie will wish themselues euen out of the world Now if the paine of one toothe can so farre distemper minde and bodie that it cannot bee releeued with all the pleasures of this life Oh then what a torment shall that bee when not one kinde of paine but the whole viole of GODS wrath shall bee powred not on one member but on the whole soule bodie and conscience and that not for a time vnder hope of better but eternallie without hope of release and that not in this world where there are comforts helpes and remedies but in that vglie and darksome place of torrments and that not amongst liuing men which might mittigate thy paine or else bemone thee and bewaile it with thee but with the diuells dāned spirits which will now laugh at thy destruction and solace themselues in this thy miserie and will reioyce as thou diddest serue them in earth so now in hell to bee thy tormenters It may bee therefore by the way a good warning and wisedome to vs all when wee feele the extremitie of some bodilie paine to consider with our selues and say Oh then what shall bee my miserie and torment if I repent not when not one member but soule bodie and conscience shall bee racked and tormented in the feeling and apprehension of the anger of the Lorde of Hostes. In these three points stands that curse and wrath of God vnder which euerie man is borne And these doe answere to the three degrees of sinne which are in vs for as the two first rules taught vs there is in euery man by nature till hee repent a threefolde guiltinesse First a guiltinesse of Adams sinne Secondly the taint of originall vniuersall corruption Thirdly a pollution by manie outragious actuall sinnes In the first of these euerie man is equallie guiltie In the second euerie man is equallie corrupt But in the third euerie one keepes that compasse within which the Lorde will keepe them by his limiting power Now as in our guiltinesse of Adams sinne sinne hath his beginning in original sinne his continuance in actuall sinne his perfect on So answerable herevnto the wrath of God which alwayes standeth opposite to sinne is begunne in leauing vs by nature to the slauerie of Sathan is continued by death and is accomplished in damnation And nowe these three rules I commend to the carefull and Christian consideration of you all certifying you from God that as you can neuer bee saued vnlesse you repent nor repent vnlesse you searche your selues as heere the Prophet biddeth So that you can neuer search your selues aright till you be perswaded and resolued of these three rules of the truth of them all euen in your hearts and consciences Namely First that thou art guiltie of Adams sinne Secōdly that thou art prone by nature to all euil in the world Thirdly that for these thou art subiect to the wrath of God and to all the curses of his wrath but when thou art in heart conscience resolued that these are true then thou art a fit scholler for this Lesson of the Prophet Search thy selfe For when thou goest thus prepared vnto this Search and esteemest of thy selfe as the three Rules haue described thee then if thou Search into thy selfe thou wilt finde thy selfe and thy estate to bee such as will cause thee to repent returne and take a newe course therefore what the Prophet saide to those Iewes I say vnto you also My brethren of this Realme of England who are now heere gathered together out of so manie countryes and quarters of this Realme yea in the name of the same God I cry vnto you Search O Search your selues and thinke it not a matter indifferent to doe or not to doe it but knowe it that God commands you as euer you wil come to saluation Search your selues And the rather because by these three Rules you see howe much chaffe of corruption is in your nature and what neede therefore it hath to be searched into and fanned by Repentance Bee well assured thou man whatsoeuer thou art there is so much chaffe in thee that if thou search not and fanne it not out thou wilt prooue nothing but Chaffe at the last day and so be blowne away with the winde of Gods iustice into Hell Take holde therfore of this exhortation and deferre it not Thou wilt not suffer thy Wheate to lye too long in the chaffe for feare of hurting it Is it then safe to suffer the Chaffe of thy sinnes and corruptions to lye cankering and rotting in thy heart Be sure that that little portion of grace which thou attainest vnto by liuing in the Church and vnder the ministery of the word of God will bee putryfied and cleane corrupted with the Chaffe of thy sinnes therefore againe and againe I exhorte you to make conscience of this dutie Search into your selues fanne out this chaffe this presumption of ours and high esteeming of our owne nature and conceites of Gods fauour before we haue it that so this Chaffe beeing blowne away the Lord may then bestowe vpon vs soundnesse of grace and the foundation of all goodnesse which is a holy and humbled heart Saluation is such a building as the foundation thereof had neede to bee sure and strong Ignorance blindenesse and presumption are not sufficient foundations for such a building therefore as no man wil build a strong house vpon anie earth but hee will first search it least it prooue sandie and so ouerthrowe all So a wise Christian will not build his saluation vpon fancies and conceits and naturall presumptions but will Search and looke into his heart and finding these to be sandie and rotten and therefore too weake for the foundation of so glorious a building will refuse them all and labour to furnish his heart with such sounde grace as wherevpon hee may trust so weightie a worke as is the saluation of his soule Againe if thou wilt stande in the day of triall then search thy heart betime and discerne betwixt chaffe and wheate thou seest that chaffe flyeth away before the winde but good corne indures the Fanne and the furie of the winde so in the day of triall
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